SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell said that he doesn't believe the music industry deserves any of the blame for the deaths of fellow grunge icons Scott Weiland (STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, VELVET REVOLVER), Kurt Cobain (NIRVANA) and Layne Staley (ALICE IN CHAINS). He told the 105.7 The Point radio station: "If you go into a 12-step meeting in any city, and you count 75 people, and you ask how many people are musicians, you're gonna get two, and everybody else is gonna be from every walk of life that you can imagine. The same as Scott Weiland's mother crying, there are mothers crying who have lost their sons who are construction workers, mechanics — literally anything you can think of — and it's happening every day. And the only difference between a musician that's famous and that other kid is that we don't talk about them on the radio. That's kind of it… They're not somebody that is a public personality that's already been talked about for other reasons."

He continued: "And then I also think that there's kind of a history of sort of… not deifying, but glamorizing a little bit the 'dead guy,' whether it's a rock star or a famous actor. Like James Dean, he only made three movies, and he's one of the best-known actors of all time. And granted, I think everyone agreed that he was really talented. And he died in a sort of glamorous badass way, which was in a little race car on his way to a race, driving it himself. I think there's something to the legend of that, and something to the story of that."

Cornell added: "One of the things that I've experienced over and over again, which I think is a way that people deal with it, particularly when it's somebody that is already kind of celebrated for something, is that we invent this idea that somehow it was predetermined, I think. And that's where I get impatient with it, because if that's the case, [then] it's predetermined with every kid that ends up with a substance abuse habit and dies from it, and there's millions of them."

Cornell also discussed the issue of personal responsibility as it relates to addicts, explaining that while genetics play a role in addiction and that some people are more at risk of becoming addicted than others, individuals put themselves on the path to dependence. He said: "If someone has the propensity to abuse alcohol or drugs, and they didn't [get in with] the wrong [crowd] this weekend, they're gonna meet another guy somewhere else — if you have that in you."

He continued: "A lot of the time, I think, people get used to, after having some success, being able to kind of push off personal responsibility and kind of get away with it. And I think with that, a lot of the time, it's the people who surround you that sort of allow it. 'Yeah, it's not really your fault.' 'It's true. It was this issue and that outstanding issue.'"

Cornell added: "I don't think that, at the end of the day, if a person really wants to get better, anything can stop them, and if a person doesn't want to, they won't. You can't make them do it."

Weiland is the latest in a long line of grunge stars who've died young, their deaths mostly drug-related. The list includes Cobain, Staley, Kristen Pfaff (HOLE), Mike Starr (ALICE IN CHAINS), Shannon Hoon (BLIND MELON) and Andrew Wood (MOTHER LOVE BONE).

Fan-filmed video footage of CANDLEMASS's December 19 performance at Pa'berse Matao in Sedaví, Spain can be seen below.

CANDLEMASS is back to celebrate 30 years of doom with a brand new EP. Four studio tracks featuring Mats Levén on vocals were recorded during September/October for a special anniversary release early next year on Napalm Records. The cover artwork for the EP was created by Erik Rovanperä.

CANDLEMASS has also announced that Levén, who's a longtime friend of the band, is now the permanent singer for the Swedish doom metal squad. Also, Per Wiberg is today an essential part of CANDLEMASS's touring lineup on keyboards and filling in for bassist Leif Edling until he's back in shape again.

"The live shows we've done after 'Psalms For The Dead' (2012) have been fantastic," says CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman. "Mats has done a great job fronting CANDLEMASS and I don’t think we’ve ever been this good on stage before! Wacken, Bang Your Head!!!, Sweden Rock, Hellfest, Metal Days, Metallsvenskan, Maryland Death Fest... We have conquered them all."

CANDLEMASS is currently working on an anniversary box set together with Peaceville Records. The set will include the band's legendary breakthrough show at the Dynamo festival in 1988 on DVD and some rare rehearsal stuff from the "Epicus" days. In the box, there will also be a 72-page book about the doom maestros.

Leif Edling is slowly getting better from his chronic fatigue syndrome, and participated in the EP recordings. Next year you can expect some very cool anniversary shows with Leif back on stage.

MOTÖRHEAD mainman Lemmy died earlier today at the age of 70, it has been confirmed.

The surviving members of MOTÖRHEAD said in a statement: "There is no easy way to say this… Our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. He had learnt of the disease on December 26th, and was at home, sitting in front of his favorite video game from The Rainbow which had recently made its way down the street, with his family.

"We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren't words.

"We will say more in the coming days, but for now, please… play MOTÖRHEAD loud, play HAWKWIND loud, play Lemmy's music LOUD. Have a drink or few. Share stories. Celebrate the LIFE this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself. HE WOULD WANT EXACTLY THAT.

"Ian 'Lemmy' Kilmister 1945 -2015. Born to lose, lived to win."

Ozzy Osbourne said in a statement: "Lost one of my best friends, Lemmy, today. He will be sadly missed. He was a warrior and a legend. I will see you on the other side."

Lemmy dealt with some serious health issues recently, forcing the indulgent rock legend to scale back on alcohol and kick his cigarette habit. Though Lemmy had made some positive steps forward, he had been struggling with poor health in recent months, leading to MOTÖRHEAD's touring schedule being disrupted.

The rock icon recently claimed that he was doing just fine and was people to stop asking about his health.

He told Classic Rock: "I'm sick of the fucking, 'Are you going to die?' line of questioning. It's getting really old, that question. I’m alright. I'm going out there and doing my best.

"I have good days and bad days but mostly I've been doing alright. The last tour of the States was very good."

Lemmy, who turned 70 years old on December 24, told Classic Rock he had no intention of retiring.

He said: "It's when you get to 60 when everything starts to go pear-shaped. Everyone thinks that becoming an older guy is easy, but you never consider it fully. It comes as quite a shock. But the thing is, I don't want to give in to it."

Lemmy previously said that he didn't expect to still be here at 30.

"I don't do regrets," he said. "Regrets are pointless. It's too late for regrets. You've already done it, haven't you? You've lived your life. No point wishing you could change it.

"There are a couple of things I might have done differently, but nothing major; nothing that would have made that much of a difference.

"I'm pretty happy with the way things have turned out. I like to think I've brought a lot of joy to a lot of people all over the world. I'm true to myself and I'm straight with people."

Asked if his illness has made him more aware of his own mortality, Lemmy said: "Death is an inevitability, isn't it? You become more aware of that when you get to my age. I don't worry about it. I'm ready for it. When I go, I want to go doing what I do best. If I died tomorrow, I couldn't complain. It's been good."

Italian symphonic-death metal masters FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE will release their new album, "King", on February 5 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was tracked at Kick Recording and 16th Cellar studios in Rome, and was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren (AMON AMARTH, AT THE GATES, ARCH ENEMY) at Fascination Street studio in Sweden.

The first single from "King", a song called "The Fool", will be released on January 1. You can now listen to the track below.

Comments the band: "'The Fool' is one of the craziest songs of the album and we felt like it was a perfect way to let people approach our new work. It's a song without compromises and because of the character it is about, we had the chance to get into a profound matter that concerns us all."

"King" track listing:

01. Marche Royale02. In Aeternum03. Healing Through War04. The Fool05. Cold As Perfection06. Mitra07. Paramour (Die Leidenschaft bringt Leiden) 08. And The Vulture Beholds09. Gravity10. A Million Deaths11. Syphilis12. King

Bonus orchestral CD (digipak only)

01. Marche Royale02. In Aeternum03. Healing Through War04. The Fool05. Cold As Perfection06. Mitra07. And The Vulture Beholds08. Gravity09. A Million Deaths10. Syphilis

The stunning cover artwork was created by acclaimed contemporary artist Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH, KATAKLYSM, HATEBREED).

Comments the band: "This work of art is nothing more than the picture of an old world coming to an end.The author, Eliran Kantor, perfectly interpreted the concept behind the album.The King represents the last stand of integrity and justice in a court infested by traitors, villains, perverts, parasites and prostitutes. In an era that looks more like the Middle Ages than the 21st Century, we felt the necessity to express our indignation for the constant loss of values and our despise for mediocrity and commercial use of superstitions.

"The question is, are we sure everything that is 'new' is right? Are we sure we are not losing the perception of what is the real value of things? Perhaps the essence of that King lies inside everyone of us but it's just dimmed by the mist of deceit and (ir)rational superfluity. Perhaps we should all hail the King we have inside."

Drummer/songwriter Francesco Paoli commented recently about the album: "The new album is called 'King'. It's a concept album. It took longer this time but I believe it's a sign of more maturity and determination within the band. We can't release something mediocre just because it's enough to keep things rolling. I believe the music world requires people to work harder on their material and that is what FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE is set to do in this 'new middle age' era. At the end of the day, quality is the final goal, right? That's why our expectations in our music and writing become higher every time we approach the stage of creating a new album. We always follow our feelings and try to express our state of mind through our music, and what we have in our hands now is the darkest FLESHGOD album ever. As for the concept behind the album, all I can say right now is that I think we need a good psychiatrist!"

FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE's third album, "Labyrinth", was released in 2013 via Nuclear Blast.

Fan-filmed video footage of HIM's December 27 performance at Rock City, in Nottingham, England can be seen below.

HIM vocalist Ville Valo told MDR Jump this past summer about when fans can expect to see the band's follow-up to 2013's "Tears On Tape" album: "Hopefully it's gonna happen sometime next year. It's an interesting time for us, since our previous drummer [Mika Kristian Karppinen, a.k.a. Gas Lipstick] left the band in February. So now we have a new guy [Jukka 'Kosmo' Kröger, formerly of HERRA YLPPÖ & IHMISET], and that's also one of the reasons why we're not playing more gigs here in Germany. We're just doing a few shows to, kind of, like, test the waters, see how the chemistry works within the band with a new guy. And everything is going splendid, which is great, because [replacing a longtime drummer is] not the easiest thing. We had the same drummer for fifteen years, and then, all of a sudden, now we have to find somebody who would actually fill that hole, so to speak. But he's doing a great job. So, hopefully, yeah, we go back home in about a week, and then start, little by little, working on the new stuff — which would mean that, if we're lucky, it would be out in a year. So, Christmas next year, I'd say."

Kröger made his live debut with HIM on July 25 during a surprise performance at the Qstock festival in Oulu, Finland. The concert was originally billed as a gig by RAMBO RIMBAUD, the solo project of Ville Valo.

Gas announced his exit from HIM in January, explaining: "I simply feel that it's time for me to move on as a musician." He added that "during the final stages of [HIM's] last tour, [I noticed] that my heart was not in it 100% anymore… If my heart feels that it's time to let it go, then I have to listen, because otherwise it wouldn't be right towards myself, the rest of the band or you wonderful fans. It would end up being a forced effort and I can't perform or create like that."

"Tears On Tape" sold 20,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 15 on The Billboard 200 chart.

HIM has been a band for 23 years, releasing eight studio albums to date, of which their fifth LP, "Dark Light", was certified gold by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America), making them the first Finnish rock band to have a gold album in the United States. They have had five of their studio albums certified platinum in Finland, with "Razorblade Romance" being certified double platinum in Finland and platinum in Germany.

Fan-filmed video footage of OPERATION: MINDCRIME, the new band led by former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate, performing on December 18 at Le Forum in Vauréal, France can be seen below.

"The Key", the first album of an ambitious trilogy from OPERATION: MINDCRIME, sold around 2,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was made available on September 18 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Joining Tate on "The Key" are a hard-hitting cast of familiar faces and new collaborators: bass players David Ellefson (MEGADETH) and John Moyer (DISTURBED, ADRENALINE MOB), drummers Simon Wright (AC/DC), Scott Mercado (CANDLEBOX) and Brian Tichy (BILLY IDOL, OZZY OSBOURNE), guitarists Kelly Gray (QUEENSRŸCHE) and Scott Moughton (Geoff Tate's solo band), keyboardist Randy Gane (MYTH) and vocalist Mark Daly (THE VOODOOS).

Asked if the touring lineup of OPERATION: MINDCRIME will be the same as the one that recorded the bulk of "The Key", Tate told Myglobalmind: "Well, I hope so. Everybody that was involved with the recording has expressed interest in touring. It's just a matter of if it works into everybody's schedule."

He continued: "I wanted this project to be open; meaning that people could be part of it, and or they could continue working with other projects that they were working with. I didn't really want to limit anybody's creative involvement with something that they felt strongly about, and I didn't want the same limitations on myself either. So we all agreed that we would all try very hard to be part of the touring project if at all possible, and so you'll see some combination of the people that were on this record on the tour."

Legendary hard rockers AC/DC have topped Billboard's year-end "Hard Rock Albums" chart.

The 2015 chart of top-selling hard rock and metal albums is based on sales data as compiled by Nielsen Music from a universe of retailers that represents more than 90% of the U.S. music retail market. The sample includes not only music stores and the music departments at electronics and department stores, but also direct-to-consumer transactions and Internet sales (both physical albums via Internet, and ones bought via digital downloads). A limited array of verifiable sales from concert venues is also tabulated. All sales charts use the entire Nielsen Music panel.

Billboard's top "Hard Rock Albums" of 2015:

01. AC/DC - "Rock Or Bust"02. NICKELBACK - "No Fixed Address"03. FOO FIGHTERS - ""Sonic Highways"04. BREAKING BENJAMIN - "Dark Before Dawn"05. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH - "Got Your Six"06. DISTURBED - "Immortalized"07. SLIPKNOT - ".5: The Gray Chapter"08. IN THIS MOMENT - "Black Widow"09. HALESTORM - "Into The Wild Life"10. IRON MAIDEN - "The Book Of Souls"11. MARILYN MANSON - "The Pale Emperor"12. SHINEDOWN - "Threat To Survival"13. ROYAL BLOOD - "Royal Blood"14. THREE DAYS GRACE - "Human"15. BRING ME THE HORIZON - "That's The Spirit"16. LAMB OF GOD - "VII: Sturm Und Drang"17. SLAYER - "Repentless"18. SLEEPING WITH SIRENS - "Madness"19. AUGUST BURNS RED - "Found In Far Away Places"20. RED - "Of Beauty And Rage"

You can find the entire chart at this location.

AC/DC's sixteenth studio album, "Rock Or Bust", has sold more than 555,000 copies since debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart back in December 2014.

It's the band's first album without founding guitarist Malcolm Young, who is suffering from dementia. He has been replaced by nephew Stevie Young.

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd was arrested in November 2014 at his home in Tauranga on charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis.

Although Rudd played on "Rock Or Bust", he did not appear in photos or videos for the disc.

One-time AC/DC drummer Chris Slade officially joined the band's lineup for its performance on the February 8 Grammy Awards telecast. Slade is also behind the kit for the group's current world tour.

Omer Cordell, the mastermind behind Canadian metal project Trailight featuring vocalist dave Padden (ex-Annihilator) and drummer Ryan van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project), has released an official video for the song "Open Doors" from the Trailight 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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Danish death metallers Deus Otiosus have written all music for the band’s next and fourth album. No title has been set for the album and they are working on rehearsing and arrangements.

Deus Otiosus will enter the studio in the spring to record the album with a release date set for some time in 2016.

The track, “Greater Horror”, which was released on the Sis Mortuus Mondo EP this year, will be re-recorded for the album.



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Spark TV, which is part of the Czech monthly magazine Spark, conducted an interview with ARCH ENEMY singer Alissa White-Gluz and guitarist Michael Amott before the band's December 7 concert in Prague, Czech Republic. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On ARCH ENEMY's plans for the coming months:

Michael: "Probably some sort of time off. And we need that. We need that, and the fans need that [laughs], maybe, at some point. This tour will be something like three hundred shows, the 'War Eternal' tour, and that's a lot, all over the world. And for that, we're very thankful for that opportunity, to be able to do such long and extensive tours."

On still touring in support of War Eternal" — which marked Alissa's first-ever recording with the band — a year and a half after the album's release:

Alissa: "For us, every day when we do go on stage and we're playing a show, it means even more now that the people in the audience are there and they're supporting the bands and they're watching the shows. And every time we complete a show, it means a lot to us that we've had that experience together with those people, because, as we know, not everyone gets to successfully go through [a singer change] like that and have a good experience with it. So we're just thankful that we're doing what we are doing — even more so now, I think."

On whether ARCH ENEMY will ever incorporate "clean" vocals on future albums:

Michael: "I don't know. I mean, Alissa can do a lot of things with her voice; she's really multi-talented. But then again, and maybe it's not the same, but a lot of us can play different styles and perform different styles, but we don't use it in ARCH ENEMY. ARCH ENEMY has its style; we have our sound, just about. But I think, also, we're not afraid of… There are some clean vocals, or whatever you wanna call 'em, on the 'War Eternal' album, but they're kind of hidden… or not hidden… but they're kind of used in a very way that they're not so 'in your face.' It's not like the growling, screaming verse and then you switch to the clean in the chorus. To me, that's a very boring concept, 'cause it's been done a million times. But I think using bits and pieces here and there, using all of her talents, is also very interesting."

On the musical chemistry within ARCH ENEMY:

Alissa: "I think one thing that's really cool about ARCH ENEMY right now is that I think we all kind of inspire one another, which is really interesting. Because, you know, sometimes I'll walk into the backstage, and it'll be Jeff [Loomis, guitar] and Daniel [Erlandsson, drums] with guitars jamming something, or then on stage Sharlee [D'Angelo, bass] will just start playing something on bass and I'll sing with it. Or just whatever. We all can bounce off each other musically, so there's definitely a good sort of musical zone that we all kind of float around in. So I think it'll be really interesting for the next album, because the newest addition for the next album, of course, is Jeff."

The tour edition of "War Eternal" contains "Stolen Life (2015 Version)", featuring additional leads by Loomis as a bonus track as well as a DVD including an intense live set filmed in Korea plus all official videos.

Spark TV, which is part of the Czech monthly magazine Spark, conducted an interview with vocalist Hansi Kürsch of German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN before the band's December 20 show in Prague. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the orchestral album BLIND GUARDIAN has been working on for the last few years:

Hansi: "We still are working on that. We definitely are going to release a live album somewhere in the middle of next year. And we're going to continue with the orchestral album. I hope to be finished with everything, including mixing, at the end of 2016, but I doubt that there is a chance that this is going to be released [in 2016], but it will be released in 2017."

"It is new material. We started writing these songs, I would say, almost twenty years ago. When we did [1998's] 'Nightfall In Middle-Earth', we figured that there were some songs which would not fit in because they were too orchestral, and at that point, we just thought, 'Well, it would be a waste to have a band involved, so just the orchestra and the singing would do the trick.' And ever since, we've built up these songs and came up with new ideas, and they changed a little bit with each album we were working on. Because the progression the people [in the band] were going through had an effect on the songs we were composing. Even though they were different than the regular stuff, they contain a little bit of each era. And this is the interesting thing. But they fit together really well. And just by listening to the music and the vocals, you have the feeling of a great, gigantic, 'Lord Of The Rings'-ish story, and this is what we are intending to make even more obvious to the people by releasing it as we originally intended to have it. Later on, we may even involve the band, because it is possible. There are, I think, eleven or twelve songs we have composed so far, and we are working on interludes and some reprises and stuff like that at the moment. But at the very end, once this tour is finished, I'm going to sing all the stuff. And there are a lot of different characters and they will be all performed by. You know, it's a lot of storytelling, so it's going to be nice to see how people will react on it. And we have worked with an orchestra from Prague, and it's great to see them back this year. We are intending to have two more sessions here for the reprises and all the stuff, and then we are basically done. And I hope that [longtime BLIND GUARDIAN producer] Charlie [Bauerfeind] is going to be finished with the mixing, let's say, in November [or] December [of 2016]."

On the upcoming live album:

Hansi: "We [recorded] everything. We're doing a sort of best-of collection of all the shows we have done, and we are going for the best songs and the best performances, which means on one hand, it depends on the audience, and on the other hand, it also depends on our performance. They're quite different from city to city and from the status the band has been in. So it's quite entertaining for us to listen to all these shows."

"Our last [live] album is twelve years old already, so it's about the right time, because we have released three other albums, so there's plenty of new stuff, but also plenty of old stuff, which the people always wanna listen to. It's interesting for us to see the development of the band during the years because, from what I can say is that we have become a far, far better live band than we have been twelve years ago, so the attraction on the songs, even if it's the same songs, at least for some of the songs, will be the difference in the performance — it's tighter, it's more professional. On the other hand, live always depends on the different feeling of the music and everything. So it will be nice to see how everything turned into a different direction."

On whether there will be a concert DVD to go along with the live album:

Hansi: "We'll do something like a DVD with it, but it's more a regular live album we're planning on at the moment. We did some recordings and some filming. I don't know what we're doing with it — if it's coming along with the CD as an extra DVD or if we do some bonus stuff on the DVD, I have no idea at the moment, but, yes, there is some filming as well."

BLIND GUARDIAN's tenth studio album, "Beyond The Red Mirror", was released in North America on February 3 via Nuclear Blast.

German power metallers GAMMA RAY recently recruited Frank Beck as their second lead singer. Beck and GAMMA RAY leader Kai Hansen (ex-HELLOWEEN) split all lead vocals on the band's recent "Best Of The Best Party Tour", which celebrated the 25th anniversary of the release of GAMMA RAY's debut album, "Heading For Tomorrow".

Speaking to Spark TV, which is part of the Czech monthly magazine Spark, Hansen stated about GAMMA RAY's decision to recruit Beck (see video below): "I'm gonna step back a bit and enjoy guitar playing a little bit more instead of being stuck to the microphone all the time on stage."

Regarding when GAMMA RAY decided to hire Beck as a full-time member, Hansen said: "It was [a] pretty short [time] before [the start of the 'Best Of The Best Party'] tour, actually, [that we finally said], 'Okay, we do it.' One of the reasons was that we were not sure if it was a good idea to do it for this tour, because it's [celebration of our] 25 years and people are very much used to my voice and so on. But due to some necessity, because shortly before, we've been in South America and toured Japan, I found myself being completely damaged with the voice from air conditions and all that. So it was a kind of necessity to do something, and it made the decision kind of grow on us quickly. And so we just went, 'Okay, let's go for it now and just take the risk and hope that people accept it.' And so far the acceptance has been brilliant, absolutely great."

Hansen explained that adding a new lead singer to a band that has been around for a quarter of a century is a risky move, but one that will enable GAMMA RAY to grow and survive. "The band is very much recognized by me, but on the other hand, there's always space for something new," he said. "And I think we wouldn't have done it if we weren't sure about it."

Asked if Beck will contribute to the songwriting process on future GAMMA RAY albums, Hansen said: "Definitely! Sure. Of course. I mean, everybody has his influences, and they all are coming together while doing an album, so definitely Frank will add up to the GAMMA RAY sound. I mean, he grew up on the same roots that we did and likes the same kind of music. But still, there's always something that a new member brings in and that makes the music grow."

GAMMA RAY's eleventh studio album, "Empire Of The Undead", was released in March 2014 on CD, CD/DVD digipack, LP and digitally via earMusic.

Planet Mosh recently conducted an interview with FOZZY singer and WWE wrestling superstar Chris Jericho. You can now listen to the chat in the YouTube clip below.

Speaking about FOZZY's plans to write and record the follow-up to 2014's "Do You Wanna Start A War" album, Jericho said: "We're working on it now. We're kind of in the initial stages of working on the next record. The tour that we have, 'The Cinderblock Party', in the U.K. and Europe, once that's finished, that's the end of the 'Do You Wanna Start A War' tour cycle, and then it's time to start writing and get into the studio to do the next record. So we're planning on having something out next summer."

Jericho also talked in more detail about FOZZY's songwriting process. He said: "We don't put any boundaries on who we are as a band. Is this song too heavy, is it too poppy? What is the vibe behind it? And that's something we take great pride in the fact that when people come to a FOZZY show and, for the most part, listen to a FOZZY tune… I mean, 'Lights Go Out' was Number One on the 'strip club' chart in the U.S. — meaning that strippers danced to 'Lights Go Out' more than any other song in the world. And I wasn't aware there was a 'strip club' chart, but there is, and that's good, because that's kind of the vibe that we have — it's that music people can dance to, but it's a little bit dirty, it's a little bit wild. But, basically, it makes you feel upbeat and fun and makes you feel good. And that's what we want. There's not a lot of crowdsurfing or moshing at FOZZY shows, but there's a lot of jumping up and down and chanting and screaming and yelling and showing your boobs and all that sort of stuff. And that's our mission: we want people to have a great time, and ninety-nine percent of the time, they do."

"Do You Wanna Start A War" sold around 5,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 54 on the Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived on July 22, 2014 via Century Media.

Former HANOI ROCKS singer Michael Monroe says that a reunion tour of the classic lineup of GUNS N' ROSES "wouldn't make any sense" unless Slash and Axl Rose were able to reconnect on a personal and creative level first.

During an appearance on Eddie Trunk's podcast, Monroe brought up the subject of a classic GN'R comeback while answering a question about the possibility of yet another HANOI ROCKS run. He said: "Reunions suck. People ask me, 'Do you think GUNS N' ROSES will reunite?' It wouldn't make any sense unless Slash and Axl would reconnect and really get into a new kind of thing and start creating something new. Who wants to see guys put together forcibly and then go through the old stuff…? It doesn't make any sense to me."

After Trunk pointed out to Monroe that many people would likely pay a lot of money to see such a reunion take place, the singer reconsidered his position, explaining: "Yeah, I take that back. Of course, everybody wants to see it, 'cause it's their idea of the band and what, in their minds, it is. But if you're Slash, truly you have a different point of view on the thing."

He continued: "Years ago, I could not imagine working with [former HANOI ROCKS guitarist] Andy McCoy again, and Slash was one of the people that said, 'Are you sure? Is there no way that…?' I just said, 'It's irreconcilable differences. It's impossible.' But then, a few years later, it was kind of the same situation with [Slash]. [He and Axl] just couldn't get along. And I said, 'Oh, that's a shame.'"

Monroe went on to say: "But, yeah, of course, everybody wants to see it, but, to me, in terms of a band, it's kind of, like, it's just for the money and just so everybody can say they've seen it. And maybe it will be a great concert… whatever."

According to Monroe, a GUNS N' ROSES reunion wouldn't be the same unless one key ingredient was involved in the mix. He explained: "One thing we must not forget was Steven Adler, the original [GN'R] drummer. The first album [1987's 'Appetite For Destruction'], there's a chemistry that is unlike anything they've done since. Because Steven Adler, he's maybe not technically as great as [his replacement] Matt Sorum, who is also brilliant, but he had a kind of vibe; he was pushing, and he was playing a bit ahead of the beat. He had a style that was part of the chemistry, to me. The sound, the original sound of the band, he was an integral part of that."

Monroe, who has known the members of the original GUNS N' ROSES lineup for a long time and still considers Slash and bassist Duff McKagan to be "close friends," also commented on the growing rampant speculation regarding a possible GN'R reunion. He said: "I think it's kind of funny that people… In many of my interviews, people ask me, 'What do you think? Are they gonna reunite?' [And I'm, like] 'I have no idea. You're asking the wrong person. You've gotta ask them.' But the thing is, they've said it many times… What's the latest statement that they made? From my understanding, they've made it pretty clear that they're not gonna reunite and there was no future plans for that band. Then, after a while, people start going, like, 'Maybe it is [happening] after all. Maybe it is. They're not denying it now. Okay. So maybe it's really happening.' And then rumors start spreading."

Even though HANOI ROCKS was formed in Finland, their trashy, hedonistic, decadent hard rock/pop-metal boogie influenced many Los Angeles acts, including GUNS N' ROSES and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

Asked in a 2007 interview if he ever felt jealous of GUNS N' ROSES' commercial success, considering that GN'R openly cited HANOI ROCKS as a huge influence in the Axl Rose-fronted band's early days, Monroe said: "No, I never felt that. Not at all. I was always happy for their success and they definitely earned it themselves. I'm thankful for them recognizing the HANOI ROCKS influence and talking about it in the press."

He continued: "A lot of bands weren't really that talented and they sold a lot of records and really just deliberately tried to fake something out of it with the looks and not having much to back it up with. But GUNS N' ROSES really had their own thing and they were secure enough in themselves to quote HANOI ROCKS as an influence. Also, they released a lot of the old [HANOI ROCKS] catalog in America with their Uzi Suicide label. So they were definitely paying homage to us and they were being very cool.

"I've never been envious of their success — quite the opposite; I've been very happy for them. I was part of it. I played on their records and I was happy to be part of it. It's always fun working with those guys. Slash played the right kind of guitar because he grew up with HANOI and mine and Andy's playing. I actually did something with him for the movie 'Coneheads'."

Asked if he remembered the first time he met GUNS N' ROSES, Monroe said: "I met Axl... he came to my video shoot in New York. I was shooting a video for 'Dead, Jail Or Rock And Roll'. He showed up and just came to say hi and he introduced himself. I got to talk to him and he was a big NAZARETH fan and I was, like, 'Wow, a NAZARETH fan!' He didn't realize that 'Not Faking It' was a cover of a NAZARETH song. He had heard the record and he was really into it and he liked the song 'Dead, Jail Or Rock And Roll', so I said 'Why don't you come up and do a couple of takes with us?' He came up on stage and he ended up in the video. I got along with him great and I always had a nice time with him. I never had a problem with him. I hear all these horror stories, but he's always been cool with me. It was fun working with those guys afterwards. Playing sax on their record and we did the duet 'Ain't It Fun'. That was magical and they have great star quality. A great band and it's a shame that they didn't stay together."

MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil has once shot down rumors that the group doesn’t get along behind the scenes, explaining that he and his bandmates have remained friends for more than three decades.

"We've always been buddies," he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Even when we fought, we were still brothers, you know. You're always going to fight with your brothers, and we'd always have these little arguments. The press would always make more of our arguments than anything, because it was a good read. Today, we have our little fights, now and then, but now, it's like 10 minutes later, we're like, 'Ah, yeah, you're right,' you know, and it's basically just being in business with somebody and being close with somebody."

Some have said that the members of MÖTLEY CRÜE do not get along offstage, citing the fact that they tour in separate buses as an example.

"You've got to remember, now everybody has families, too," Vince said. "Nikki [Sixx, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist] travels with his... Nikki's got six kids, you know. He travels with his kids and his dog. Tommy's [Lee, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer] got his kids out with him once in a while. It's a different way of traveling now."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Final Tour" kicked off last year and will end New Year's Eve at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Neil, however, he doesn't plan on slowing down anytime soon.

"I'm excited about the future," Vince told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I've had a solo band for the last 15 or so years, maybe longer than that. And when MÖTLEY doesn't tour, I'm always on tour with my solo band. Even after New Year's Eve, MÖTLEY's last show, I start up again January 10; so I won't have much of a break.

"The thing is, though, it's exciting because, you know, MÖTLEY CRÜE takes up 99 percent of your time. And now you get MÖTLEY out of the picture, and now you can really focus on solo career and other businesses and anything you want to do. So it's kind of an exciting time, thinking about what I could do with all this time I have now. It's going to be sad that we're no longer playing together, but you know, it's progress, I guess."

Athens, Georgia-based melodic metal band Theocracy have checked in with the following update:

"Unfortunately there was no time to record a new Christmas song this year, but we thought you might like a sneak peek at some songs from the new album instead. These clips are still from works-in-progress, including demos, so bear that in mind, but enjoy. Merry Christmas!"

Theocracy recently announced that original drummer Shawn Benson will record the drums on their fourth album. Benson played drums on 2011's As The World Bleeds and 2008's Mirror Of Souls, as well as the 2013 re-release of Theocracy's self-titled debut album.

The band are in the early stages of recording, and are excited to showcase Benson's unique style on their upcoming release, which will be their third on Swedish label Ulterium Records. Below is studio footage of Benson playing one of the new songs.

Theocracy recently returned from a brief tour in Scandinavia, including their first performance in Sweden, with Halcyon Way drummer Ernie Topran filling in on the drums.

Former drummer Patrick Nickell quit Theocracy last November after recording the Christmas single "Night Of Silence”, and the band wishes him well in his future endeavors. No decision has been made regarding a permanent replacement.



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After a decade out of the spotlight, Swedish goth metallers Beseech will release a new album, My Darkness, Darkness. It is set to be released on March 4th, 2016. They have release an official video for the new track, "Highwayman", which can be viewed below:

"Beseech proudly presents their new video for the legendary tune, 'Highwayman'. Swedish director Albin Glasell and Angelina from Beseech in front of the camera are taking us on a journey through stormy solitude and the dark beauty of Scandinavian isolation. A tribute to the force of nature and control over mankind."

Having released albums in their past through both Metal Blade and Napalm, the band says, "We are really proud to announce our new partnership with Despotz Records. We have signed a worldwide record deal with the label and we're excited for the release of our upcoming album. Despotz is the kind of label we have been looking for since we decided to start writing and recording music again with Beseech. They have interesting ways of marketing their artists and they work closely with their bands in ways we've never seen before. We’re looking forward to this new cooperation and we’re anxious to see what the future will bring."

Regarding the signing, Despotz label partner, Omer Akay states, "I remember being 22 years old, discovering Beseech's album Souls Highway, which is such a masterpiece. It´s a dream come true that the band is finally back together. We at Despotz are honored that Beseech has chosen the Despotz family and that we'll be releasing their upcoming sixth album My Darkness, Darkness together - yet another classic masterpiece I assure you."

The tracklisting for My Darkness, Darkness is as follows:

“Beating Pulse”
“Shimmering”
“Bloodline”
“Highwayman”
“Mr Uninvited”
“My Darkness”
“Atmosphere”
“Ingredients”
“One Last Call”
“Darksome”
“The Symbol”

For more information go to this location.



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As reported earlier in the year, Iced Earth are currently in the process of setting up a new headquarters for all things concerning the band, including a new studio for future recordings.guitarist/founder Jon Schaffer has checked in with the following update:

"Iced Earth wishes all our fans a Merry Christmas and happy holiday season. We will be getting back to finishing the headquarters/studio after the holidays. 2016 will see some exciting times for the band and fans. Stay metal brothers and sisters!"

Century Media reissued the first four studio albums on vinyl from Iced Earth back in July 2015. All four albums come in gatefold sleeves featuring the original LP artwork. Layouts have been kept close to the layouts of the original vinyl versions as well. Each LP includes a 60x60 artwork poster and 180 g vinyl. The LP sound has been kept in its original form, with a special vinyl mastering of Patrick Engel, known from his careful mastering works for bands as Jag Panzer, Exodus, Trouble, Tokyo Blade or Candlemass, delivering you the best vinyl listening experience of these US power metal classics.

While The Dark Saga has already seen one vinyl re-issue in 2010 (which is a rare edition by now), the first three Iced Earth albums have never seen an LP re-issue since their initial release. As prices have reached ridiculous heights lately, it’s time to offer you these outstanding and influential albums for a regular price. The albums Days Of Purgatory, Something Wicked This Way Comes and Horror Show will follow in the first quarter of 2016.

Here is the info on the vinyl color splits:

Iced Earth LP:

Clear vinyl – 100 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro Europe)
Turquoise vinyl – 200 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro US)
Green vinyl – 400 copies (available at various mailorder stores)
Black vinyl – unlimited

Night Of The Stormrider LP:

Clear vinyl – 100 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro Europe)
Silver vinyl – 200 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro US)
Blue vinyl – 400 copies (available at various mailorder stores)
Black vinyl – unlimited

Burnt Offerings 2LP:

Clear vinyl – 100 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro Europe)
Orange vinyl – 200 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro US)
Red vinyl – 400 copies (available at various mailorder stores)
Black vinyl – unlimited

The Dark Saga LP:

Clear vinyl – 100 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro Europe)
Lilac vinyl – 200 copies (exclusively available at CM Distro US)
Yellow vinyl – 400 copies (available at various mailorder stores)
Black vinyl – unlimited

Order your copy at CM Distro here.



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To celebrate this holiday season, Lords Of The Trident have announced the release of their new 5 song covers EP titled Re:Quests, which is available as a free download on Christmas Day. Check it out via the band's official Bandcamp page here or by using the player below.

Lords of the Trident vocalist Fang Von Wrathenstein has checked in with the following comment:

"As part of our Kickstarter campaign for the Frostburn CD in February of this year, we offered a pledge level of 'Make Lords of the Trident play anything you want.' Four people pledged this level, and got to pick a song that we had to cover. This EP is the result of their crazy suggestions!"

re:Quests by Lords of the Trident

1) "Shine On Me" by Chris Dane Owens

Fang: "Ah, the internet classic by Chris Dane Owens! A more epic music video has likely never been created by anyone - even by us! We ended up contacting Chris Dane Owens to show him our final version, and he said:

'You guys did a spectacular job on the track! Vocals = strong , committed and powerful! Guitars = driving, melodic, with killer solos! Bass and Drums = solid, competent with great aggression! The chorus really pays off. Well done. Really like your arrangements as well. I had a smile on my face the whole time. I really dig the way you guys ended the track. Great touch. You did me proud...'

Sean Delorey of Appleton, Wisconsin cosmic power metal band Forcefield added a tasteful guest solo to add a bit more epicness to the mix!"

2) "La Conquista" by Mago De Oz

Fang: "This track was probably the most 'metal' request out of all of them. Only one issue - I don't speak Spanish! According to the person who requested the track, I was able to fumble my way through the lyrics pretty well. Baron Taurean Helleshaar added a touch of oboe to the track, which was exactly what it needed to shine. Our shredder friend Maxxxwell Carlisle added a blistering guest solo on the track - one of my favorites of his so far!"

3) "Djiva" - Beyonce's "Diva" cover

Fang: "Absolutely our hardest track to cover. What do you do when a song has no music - only drums and singing? Why, turn it into a djent cover, of course! That's why we called it Djiva!"

4) "Today's The Day" - Inverse T. Clown cover

Fang: "This song threw us for a bit of a loop. The original song is almost certainly the furthest away from metal that you can get. Nevertheless, we're always up to the challenge! Bill House of Milwaukee, Wisconsin hard rock band Conniption added some extra meedles & weedles to flesh out an amazing guest solo section!"

"Last, the original Shine on Me video is one of our favorite things on the internet, so we knew we had to do it justice by not only covering the song, but the video as well!"

Earlier this year, Lords Of The Trident released a new video for the song "Knights Of Dragon's Deep”. The track is featured on their recently released album, Frostburn.

Lead vocalist Fang Von Wrathenstein has checked in with the following update: "You want a music video with fire? Explosions? Battles? Swordplay? Bloodshed? Then you've come to the right place. The video follows the story of our first song from 2015's Frostburn. An evil frostwyrm's magic has covered the lands with ice and death, and the blizzard is starting to encroach on the nearby kingdom. The king sends for the Knights Of Dragon's Deep - a group of legendary dragonslayers. However, the minions of the frostwyrm - including his head sorceress - are already on the hunt for the knights.

We pitched the idea for this video to the mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, and he thought the idea was so epic, the city itself actually funded the entire production! He just kept throwing stacks of bills at us and screaming "A TRIBUTE TO THE LORDS! A TRIBUTE TO THE LORDS!" True Story.

This is your first chance to see our latest lead shredder, Baron Taurean Helleshaar, in action! Prepare your face for melting, and bear in mind that by reading this sentence, we cannot be responsible for any plastic surgery costs to put your face back together afterwards."

"Knights Of Dragon's Deep" video:



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Los Angeles glam-metal jokesters STEEL PANTHER will release a new acoustic album in February. The effort was recorded this past October at Swing House Rehearsal & Recording in Atwater Village, California.

STEEL PANTHER singer Michael Starr told "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley" about the forthcoming unplugged record: "It's gonna be accompanied with a DVD as well. We're gonna debut a few new tunes on this actual unplugged, and we're not gonna put out the new songs recorded [on a proper studio album]… We're gonna actually record them live and release 'em."

Although the STEEL PANTHER acoustic album already has a title, Starr declined to reveal it during an interview with South Detroit SoundHouse. He said (see video below): "The title is really cool. We fought tooth and nail with the record label regarding the title, 'cause they wanted us to change it. And I said, 'No. I ain't changing nothing.' And we didn't. So you're gonna love the title. It's fucking sexy."

STEEL PANTHER is coming back to Las Vegas for three nights in January. They will perform at the House Of Blues on January 8, January 15 and January 22.

STEEL PANTHER's third album, "All You Can Eat", sold around 13,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 24 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on April 1, 2014 via Open E/KLS.

TV Rock Live recently conducted an interview with vocalist Dani "Filth" Davey of British extreme metallers CRADLE OF FILTH. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the events of November 13 in Paris, France, when more than 129 people were killed in seven coordinated terrorist attacks, including at the Bataclan, a French music venue where EAGLES OF DEATH METAL were performing:

Dani: "The three previous tours — maybe four, actually — we've always played the Bataclan. So, yeah, it was with some shock, obviously. We had a strange incident there as well, because our roadie spotted this man who was loitering around and he just as being very suspicious. And he got so worked up about it that he actually went to our tour manager and said, 'Someone's acting really strange in the crowd. They've been there all day, walking around. Nobody knows who they are, and they're in the crowd.' So, yeah, he was a bit worried about that, and he mentioned that before. He doesn't know whether they were casing the joint or whatever, but, yeah… What can you do? They could strike anytime anywhere, and people have just gotta be vigilant. You can't live in fear."

On whether the Paris concert massacre has changed his band's view of touring:

Dani: "Well, there's a lot of things that have happened. 9-11 didn't change our views of touring. The death of the PANTERA guy didn't change our view of touring. A little bit… Everybody knows they're vulnerable when they're on stage. There's so many bands out, so many venues, so many places… It doesn't necessarily have to be a band either. The day after the French incident, we played in Copenhagen [Denmark], and we had two members of the S.W.A.T. team hiding out by the entrance with fully automatic rifles — just hiding, just in case anything happened. I don't think anybody was aware that they were there."

On what he would consider to be the "perfect world":

Dani: "The perfect world would be a place where people respect each other, but it also would be a less populated place, and that would involve governments imposing legislation where people had to pay to have more children. I know it sounds an awful thing to happen, but to safeguard… You know, not all of us believe in the fact that we're gonna go to heaven where we're gonna be suckled by hundreds of virgins after death. Some of us have a view to the future and think if we're populating the planet at this huge rate, in a couple of generations, there won't be enough resources, and people will be dying regardless."

On his biggest fear:

Dani: "Obviously, you've got personal fears about family and money and mortgage and how you're gonna pay for your next luxury yacht. [Laughs] That's always a concern of mine. But, yeah, I fear for the future of music, because of the current climate of people downloading and having such a short attention span that they find it very hard to… People prefer to spend their money on whatever — I don't know; computer games or whatever — rather than albums, and the realization that they will have soon that their favorite bands will start disappearing, winking out like faded stars, because they won't have the money to do quality records or the money to tour. I know quite a few bands that I'm very good friends with, big bands, that people have taken other jobs. And they haven't worked their whole lives — they've worked in the music industry — so going out and doing a manual day's work is, not a surprise, 'cause they work hard, but it's been a struggle for them, because they've got no qualifications in that area of expertise. And so it's just making their lives very difficult musically. We're quite fortunate in our band that we've survived twenty-two years, we're a big band, but the mountain is sliding, and the bands are sliding downhill, because there's such an avalanche of new bands and bands are reforming because they've reached the age where they've got a bit of time on their hands — they're in their mid-forties — and they wanna restart the band, and the lack of sales… So I do fear. I don't believe it's the death of music. I think with the opening up of Eastern Europe and Russia, that will extend people's touring cycles., whereas before they used to just go to… they'd do Europe, they'd do Asia, they'd do America, primarily."

CRADLE OF FILTH's eleventh studio album, "Hammer Of The Witches", which was released on July 10 via Nuclear Blast. The CD marks the first release with CRADLE OF FILTH's new lineup, which includes new guitarists Ashok (of Czech groups ROOT and INNER FEAR) and Richard Shaw (of English acts EMPEROR CHUNG and NG26).

CRADLE OF FILTH will embark on the "Inquisitional Tourture" North American headlining tour in January. Support on the trek will come from BUTCHER BABIES and NE OBLIVISCARIS.

The image displayed on the official GUNS N' ROSES web site has just been changed to the band's old logo, further fueling speculation that we are only days away from an announcement of a reunion of the classic GN'R lineup.

Rumors about GUNS' return have been heating up ever since the summer, when guitarist Slash revealed that he and singer Axl Rose had repaired their relationship after nearly 20 years of estrangement.

One of the first shows that the reunited GUNS N' ROSES is rumored to be playing is next year's Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival, which takes places annually in April in Indio, California.

The official lineup announcement for the 2016 edition of Coachella will be made on January 5.

Rose was the only original member of GUNS N' ROSES in the band's most recent lineup, which toured intermittently since 2006 and played its second Las Vegas residency last year.

Drummer Steven Adler was fired from GUNS N' ROSES in 1990 for his rampant drug use and replaced by Matt Sorum. Fans have wondered whether both drummers would be brought back for a reunion tour.

Sorum told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that if the band reunites, he and Adler should both be there. "If it's me on drums or Steven or whatever, if it happened, it'd be great, you know. I would actually say to them, 'Hey, bring both of us back,' you know. Let me play the other stuff. We'll have two drum kits. I don't care. If 'Appetite' ['For Destruction', the band's debut] sounds better with Steven playing it, have both guys up there. They can afford it."

The closest anyone came to a GUNS reunion in recent memory was when the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012. Three original members of the band, including Slash, Duff McKagan and Adler, showed up, but Axl and guitarist Izzy Stradlin were no-shows.

At the time Slash said in several interviews that the Hall Of Fame ceremony gave him a sense of "closure."

GUNS N' ROSES recently parted ways with guitarists DJ Ashba and Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.

Eyescream All Access recently conducted an interview with ARCH ENEMY singer Alissa White-Gluz. You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether it was strange replacing a singer as "iconic" as Angela Gossow:

Alissa: "Actually, no. I think it's the only way I would wanna replace someone, actually, because she was my friend for a long time, so I already know her. And I wouldn't want to just — like a lot of other bands have done — just join a band against the will of the previous singer or just step into something I had nothing to do with. This was a band that I was already friends with, I knew all of their songs already, because I was a big fan of the band. And it was Angela's decision to stop singing and it was also her decision to invite me in in her place. And it was also her decision to say, 'I'm not even gonna write anymore. You take it over. It's your band now.' You know, just give me full reins of the position of lead vocalist for ARCH ENEMY. So I feel more comfortable knowing that she's also happy with this. So it's actually a good situation."

On joining a band like ARCH ENEMY that has been around for so long already:

Alissa: "It's pretty cool, actually, to see how that band… how they work together musically, how they work together on tour, in the writing process. It's very cool. I feel very happy to be now a part of this family, because… I've already worked with KAMELOT, obviously, where you have Thomas [Youngblood, guitar], who's been doing it forever and has had many of the core members for a long time. There's a certain professionalism that comes with bands that have been doing it for that long that I really, really appreciate. So they made me feel very welcome. I didn't feel like the 'new guy' for very long. And then Jeff [Loomis, guitar] came in, [and] now he's the new guy, so… [Laughs]"

On ARCH ENEMY's split with guitarist Nick Cordle and addition of Jeff Loomis (ex-NEVEMORE):

Alissa: "I really love Nick Cordle. I think he's an amazing guitar player and a friend of mine; I still talk to him. But, obviously, in bands, there's so much that goes on other than just writing songs and playing shows. Touring, it's really difficult to actually make a band work, and I think that's why there's so few bands that do work, actually, 'cause there's so much that goes into it. So I wasn't expecting the change of Nick into Jeff, but I'm really happy. Jeff is super nice, a super-cool guy, and an amazing guitar player. I feel a really good chemistry on stage with him. I can see the chemistry between him and Michael [Amott, guitar] is amazing. And, obviously, you really want that, especially when you have a guitar-intensive band like ARCH ENEMY — you want both guitarists to really play off each other like that — so I'm really happy to have Jeff in the band."

On whether she misses singing "clean," like she was able to do in THE AGONIST:

Alissa: "Yeah, I mean, I love singing clean also, which is one of the reasons I wanted to continue with my old bands and stuff like that, and it's one of the reasons that I am continuing with KAMELOT. Because that gives me… It's almost like a theater, where I can play a character in every song, 'cause KAMELOT songs are very… There's always a narrative going on, there's a story within albums and in songs, so I get to play a character and sing it in a different way than people might recognize coming from me. Of course, I scream in it too. You know, I think in ARCH ENEMY, there's a couple of songs from [ARCH ENEMY's latest album] 'War Eternal', actually, that I made demos with clean singing, just because I was, like, 'Okay, I know it's not the norm, but I think this sounds really good.' And then Sharlee [D'Angelo, bass] was, like, 'Wow! That is really good,' or Michael was, like, 'I really like this.' But, you know, we have to think of what's the best sound overall for the band. And so in the end, we decided… I think on the album, there's, like, three or four songs where there actually is some clean singing, on 'War Eternal', but you have to listen very, very closely to hear it. Like on the chorus of 'Avalanche', for example, I'm actually singing that [laughs], but I'm singing it with a lot of rasp. And, you know, in the future, if some songs seem like they would sound good with clean singing, I'm sure we would all be open to doing it. I mean, there's some songs [on previous albums] from ARCH ENEMY [that had clean vocals], but it's not Angela singing; it's a guest. But I think it would be cool. It's just a matter of writing the best song. I'm sure that Daniel [Erlandsson, ARCH ENEMY drummer], for example, could play amazing flamenco beats on the drums, but that doesn't mean that he has to put that in an ARCH ENEMY song, just because he can do it. So it's the same thing here. If it's appropriate for the song, I'll do it. And if not, then I'll just continue to do clean singing with KAMELOT. And I have a bunch of guest vocals. I do guest vocals all the time. So I still have outlets for that, if people wanna hear that."

The tour edition of "War Eternal" contains "Stolen Life (2015 Version)", featuring additional leads by Loomis as a bonus track as well as a DVD including an intense live set filmed in Korea plus all official videos.

As a holiday treat to rock fans everywhere, PAPA ROACH has released the music video for "Falling Apart", the third single off the band's eighth studio album, "F.E.A.R." The disc has already spawned two hits at radio with "Face Everything And Rise", which reached #1 on the Active Rock Chart, and "Gravity", which peaked at #5, landing the band as the #8 "Most Played Active Artist" this year.

Says PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix: "'Falling Apart' is an epic PAPA ROACH track from 'F.E.A.R.' The vocals are really straightforward, and then it explodes into that massive chorus. The audiences can't help but jump up and down when we play it. The dynamics of the song move you to three distinctively different places and Jesse Davey's video is truly a work of art and we're excited for people to interpret it how they may."

"F.E.A.R." came out at the end of January. The new disc was recorded in Las Vegas, taking the band out of their Sacramento, California home base for the first time since 2006. PAPA ROACH worked with the father-and-son producing team of Kevin and Kane Churko on the new CD.

Shaddix told The Pulse Of Radio that he wasn't very happy at first about going to Sin City to record. "I ended up in this city where I've had some of my greatest failures and worst decision making, and some of my biggest debacles of my life happened in Vegas, you know," he said. "And I believe I was sent back to that city to go do right this time, and we went there and I just faced that fear of living in this city that I felt was gonna eat me alive. But really and truly I just gave myself to this music 100 percent, and that's what pulled me through."

Shaddix admitted that the band went into the studio this time with almost no new material prepared, explaining, "Usually when we begin working, we'll have a bunch of demos, and I'll have a bag of lyrics ready to go. We didn't have those things this time."

Guitarist Jerry Horton added, "We walked into the studio with nothing. It was frightening since it was so different, but it was also liberating. Once the ball started rolling, it was a snowball effect."

EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project will release its seventh studio album, "Ghostlights", on January 29, 2016 via Nuclear Blast. The twelve-song CD was produced by Tobias and Sascha Paeth at Gatestudio in Wolfsburg, Germany. Paeth engineered and mixed "Ghostlights", while the mastering was done by Michael Rodenberg.

A new trailer for "Ghostlights" is available below. It features snippets of the songs "Let The Storm Descend Upon You", "Unchain The Light", "Master Of The Pendulum", "Seduction Of Decay" and "Ghostlights".

AVANTASIA released a new digital single, "Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose", on December 11.

Commented Tobias: "In my humble opinion, ['Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose'] is the perfect overture to the seventy-minute journey which the full album is going to be.

"Although 'Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose' is a rather short composition compared to most other AVANTASIA songs, I wanted to embellish and amplify it with flamboyance and all AVANTASIA trademarks. I wanted to make it a detailed piece of fantasy art, but at the same time it was a big challenge to make that painting look inherently consistant if you view it from the distance. The layered choirs took us forever to record and yet nothing distracts from the main theme and flow of the song. Every time you give it a listen, you will discover something else going on.

"I have a feeling that I have never managed to create such an epic and dreamy atmosphere in just four minutes. I've gotta admit I am slightly proud of it!"

"Ghostlights" features guest appearances by:

* Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER)* Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE)* Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH)* Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION)* Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN)* Ronnie Atkins (PRETTY MAIDS)* Bob Catley (MAGNUM)* Jorn Lande (MASTERPLAN)* Bruce Kulick (KISS)* Robert Mason (WARRANT)* Herbie Langhans (SEVENTH AVENUE, SINBREED)* Oliver Hartmann* Sascha Paeth

The instrumentalists on "Ghostlights" are as follows:

* Sascha Paeth - rhythm guitar, lead guitar, bass, additional keys* Michael Rodenberg - orchestration, keys* Tobias Sammet - additional keys and bass* Bruce Kulick - lead guitar* Oliver Hartmann - lead guitar* Felix Bohnke - drums

CD

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red RoseLead vocals: TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

02. Let The Storm Descend Upon YouLead vocals: Tobias, Jorn Lande, Ronnie Atkins, Robert MasonLead guitar: Oliver Hartmann

03. The HauntingLead vocals: Dee Snider, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

04. Seduction Of DecayLead vocals: Geoff Tate, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

05. GhostlightsLead vocals: Michael Kiske, Tobias, Jorn LandeLead guitar: Sascha Paeth, Oliver Hartmann

06. Draconian LoveLead vocals: Herbie Langhans, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

07. Master Of The PendulumLead vocals: Marco Hietala, TobiasLead guitar: Sascha Paeth

08. Isle Of EvermoreLead vocals: Sharon Den Adel, Tobias

09. Babylon VampyresLead vocals: Tobias, Robert MasonLead guitar: Bruce Kulick, Oliver Hartmann, Sascha Paeth

10. LuciferLead vocals: Jorn Lande, TobiasLead guitar: Bruce Kulick

11. Unchain The LightLead vocals: Tobias, Ronnie Atkins, Michael KiskeLead guitar: Sascha Paeth, Oliver Hartmann

12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian SkiesLead vocals: Bob Catley, TobiasLead guitar: Bruce Kulick

Digibook

CD 1

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You03. The Haunting04. Seduction Of Decay05. Ghostlights06. Draconian Love07. Master Of The Pendulum08. Isle Of Evermore09. Babylon Vampyres10. Lucifer11. Unchain The Light12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies13. Wake Up To The Moon (bonus track)

CD 2 (Bonus Disc - AVANTASIA live)

01. Spectres02. Invoke The Machine03. The Story Ain't Over04. Prelude05. Reach Out For The Light06. Avantasia07. Whats Left Of Me08. Dying For An Angel09. Twisted Mind10. The Watchmakers' Dream11. Another Angel Down---Earbook (digibook including 68-page photobook, 28.5x28.5cm)+ CD 3 karaoke version of CD 1 without bonus track

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You03. The Haunting04. Seduction Of Decay05. Ghostlights06. Draconian Love07. Master Of The Pendulum08. Isle Of Evermore09. Babylon Vampyres10. Lucifer11. Unchain The Light12. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies

Mailorder Box

- Earbook- Poster- Autograph- Lanyard + Pass- 10" Vinyl (tracks to be confirmed)

Vinyl

Side A

01. Mystery Of A Blood Red Rose02. Let The Storm Descend Upon You03. The Haunting

Side B

01. Seduction Of Decay02. Ghostlights03. Draconian Love

Side C

01. Master Of The Pendulum02. Isle Of Evermore03. Babylon Vampyres

Side D

01. Lucifer02. Unchain The Light03. A Restless Heart And Obsidian Skies04. Wake Up To The Moon (bonus track)

AVANTASIA's last album, "The Mystery Of Time", was released in March 2013.

AVANTASIA made its North American debut on July 7, 2013 at the Quebec City Summer Festival (Festival D'été De Québec) in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.

ASKING ALEXANDRIA will release its new album, "The Black", in March via Sumerian Records. The cover artwork for the CD can be seen below.

"The Black" is the first ASKING ALEXANDRIA album to feature vocalist Denis Shaforostov, formerly of Ukrainian metalcore act MAKE ME FAMOUS, following the departure of Danny Worsnop in January.

Speaking about ASKING ALEXANDRIA's forthcoming studio album, guitarist Ben Bruce told Kerrang! magazine: "After we spent the last two years writing for this record, a lot of that ended up getting scratched when Denis joined and we started again from scratch."

He continued: I'm so excited to release it. There's not been a raw energy or aggression to an ASKING ALEXANDRIA album since [2011's] 'Reckless & Relentless', like this one presents. You turn it on, and you're like, 'Wow! They're back.' And I cannot wait to release it to the world and hear what everyone thinks."

Regarding the songwriting process for ASKING ALEXANDRIA's new album, Bruce told BryanStars: "We've never gone into a studio thinking, 'We wanna write this, this, this, this.' We just always go in and write whatever feels right. I'll sit down and just play, and whatever comes out, that's what this album's gonna sound like. But one thing that was a huge, huge difference — which was really refreshing — is Denis was really involved with the writing. He would critique me, he would give me ideas, he'd be, like, 'I've heard you do better. Do better.' And he really, really pushed me, whereas Danny would just kind of not do anything. I'd send him the songs and he'd be, like, 'That's shit. I don't like it. It's too heavy. And then, 'If I have to do it, I'll do it.' So there wasn't much interaction between me and Danny. But with Denis, he was very hands-on. He wasn't in the country for a lot of it, so we did a lot of FaceTime calls, a lot of texting, a lot of mobile calls and stuff. He was really involved, so I think that's just made for a better and more well-rounded album, especially because he was a fan of the band before. So I'd send him something and he'd be, like, 'Dude, I've heard you do better than this. This is not your best work,' which was awesome. So I definitely think this is the best ASKING ALEXANDRIA record that we've ever written. I think old fans are gonna love it. I think new fans are gonna love it. I just don't see how you can't."

So far, two singles have been released from "The Black" — "I Won't Give In" and "Undivided" — both of which can be streamed below.

The video below is a classic and historic TV performance of the Scorpions’ Taken By Force-era at Musikladen TV, which was the only show featuring rock bands on television in Germany. Check out “We’ll Burn The Sky”:

Guitarists Rudolf Schenker and Matthias Jabs, vocalist Klaus Meine, drummer James Kottak, and bassist Paweł Mąciwoda-Jastrzębski from the Scorpions have shared a video wishing all their fans Happy Holidays.

Scorpions recently posted more rare live footage via their official YouTube channel. In the clip below, the band perform their hit “Rock You Like A Hurricane” on German TV show Peter’s Popshow, making it Peter’s Rockshow.

The clip below was shot on September 13th, 1986 in Nürnberg, Germany.

"Yeah! We loved playing at Monsters Of Rock in Nürnberg along with Ozzy Osbourne, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi and the Michael Schenker Group."

In addition, Rockpop was a popular music show on German ZDF Television in the 70s and early 80s. Check out the Scorpions slightly pyromaniac performance (towards the end) of “He’s A Woman, She’s A Man”.

Scorpions have released 50th Anniversary Deluxe Editions of their seminal albums Blackout, Love At First Sting, Animal Magnetism, Lovedrive, Savage Amusement, Taken By Force, Tokyo Tapes and World Wide Live.

“Arizona” was one of the single outtakes from the Blackout album. Check out this interesting promo video, especially the choreography of the girls:

An album player video for Tokyo Tapes can be found below:

Streaming below is another exclusive video from the Tokyo Tapes live album, the last Scorpions album with the legendary Ulrich Jon Roth on guitar.

This version of “Robot Man”, recorded on April 27th, 1978 at Nakano Sun Plaza in Tokyo, was not on the original tracklisting for the Tokyo Tapes album but has been released for the first time on the 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of Tokyo Tapes.

Order the Scorpions 50th Anniversary Deluxe Editions at this location.



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DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell rejoined his former bandmates in WHITESNAKE on stage on December 19 in Sheffield, England to perform the WHITESNAKE classic "Still Of The Night". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Asked if he regrets not getting a chance to make an album with WHITESNAKE during his brief stint with the band, Vivian told ChronicleLive: "Not really. I don't really think of WHITESNAKE as being part of my career, because I never got to write any new songs with them. I was with them just under two years for one very, very long tour. We went in to start making a new record but things didn't work out for one reason or another. David [Coverdale, WHITESNAKE frontman] basically said he just wanted to write with Adrian Vandenberg [guitar] as they had a good partnership going, and that was fair enough; it was his band and his prerogative. At the same time, Adrian didn't want me in the band. It was nothing personal. He didn't want any other guitar player there; he wanted to be a solo guitar player in WHITESNAKE. It was a very uncomfortable situation, along with the fact that my ex-wife and Tawny Kitaen, David's wife at the time, just didn't get on at all, so that added to the drama. David and I just decided to part ways. I also don't think we that great a band compared to some of the great bands I've been in."

Regarding why that lineup of WHITESNAKE never worked for him, Vivian said: "That line up of WHITESNAKE never really gelled musically, and I think that's because we met on the set of a video and the first thing we did was the 'Still Of The Night' video. The second thing we did was the 'Here I Go Again' video, and then we did the 'Is This Love' video, and then we went in to rehearse. We literally rehearsed for 48 hours and went out on tour. For me, it was just an image-based band because of MTV, and none of us had played on the record, so there was no chemistry unlike in DIO, where the chemistry was unmistakable. When I played with Jimmy [Bain, bass] and Vinny [Appice, drums] in DIO, we were really tight together, but in WHITESNAKE it felt like five guys each doing their own thing. On paper, the pedigree was amazing, with Tommy Aldridge [drums], Adrian Vandenberg and Rudy Sarzo [bass]. We were all great individually, but that lineup with those musicians never really gelled. It was fun at the time, and I was flattered to have been invited to be a part of the band, but it doesn't mean an awful lot to me from a musical point of view."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, a historic manor in the Scottish Highlands once owned by Jimmy Page and occultist Aleister Crowley has been destroyed by a fire.

Page bought the home near Loch Ness in 1970. At the time, the LED ZEPPELIN guitarist wanted to use it as a songwriting base. Part of the concert film from 1976, "The Song Remains the Same", was filmed behind the manor. It was sold in 1992.

The Satanist, magician and mystic Crowley, who fascinated Page, also owned the house previously. The cause of the fire was unknown, but no one was inside at the time of the fire.

Meanwhile, Page is getting closer to hitting the studio for his long-awaited solo studio album. Page, whose been tied up over the past few years curating and revamping the entire LED ZEPPELIN catalogue, told Classic Rock magazine: "It’s taken a long time to get to this point, but I want to do it properly. And there will be surprises — that's what I've done all the way through my career, really."

There's been no release date announced for the upcoming Page album, which will be his first true solo set since "Outrider", which was released on June 19, 1988 and peaked at No. 26 on the Billboard 200 album chart.