Hexvessel and Century Media Records announce a worldwide deal for the upcoming releases of the Finnish psychedelic folk rock band.

Vocalist and guitarist Mat McNerney (also singer in Grave Pleasures) comments: "In many ways the new Hexvessel songs are a new beginning for the band. The time we have invested in this next album has been very carefully spent. So we have become very focused in what we want to do and want to deliver something really special for our fans when it comes to releasing the next record. It's very important music for us, close to the bone and nestled right up next to our hearts. We were looking for a relationship with our record label to be the same as our bond with each other in the band. It has to be real and it has to be a shared experience! The way we met Jens and the wonderful people at Century Media was at a very special time for us and them, and we felt a unique connection that has grown ever since. That they totally understand and truly feel for what we're doing is really important. After all this is magic art we are creating and is from a personal place. We believe that with Century Media we will have the support and encouragement to take our music further than ever before. Deepest thanks to all our fans and friends without whom we are nothing, our publisher and friend Andy Farrow at AMF for his good faith, the guys at Svart Records for bringing us up and holding our hands from our inception, and hails to the good folks at Century Media for believing in Hexvessel and heralding a new dawn for us. It'll be a bright a blessed future. Shine on!"

Jens Prueter, Head of A&R Century Media Records Europe: “I was already a fan of the previous Hexvessel albums but I got truly addicted to the band after seeing them live in early 2014 supporting Alcest. It was an ill-fated day as we had just received the bad news about the passing of Oliver With?ft, co-owner of Century Media. We found solace in music and that’s probably the greatest thing music can achieve - to quote the US free-jazz legend Albert Ayler: “Music is the healing force of the universe”. Afterwards, I met Mat a couple of times and we discovered being kindred spirits in our taste of music. There are not too many people I know who like Ultimate Spinach as much as Albert Ayler and Tiamat. Hexvessel’s cover version of “Gaia” was originally intended to be released on a 20th anniversary edition of Tiamat’s “Wildhoney” but unfortunately the project never came into being. Since “Wildhoney” is still one of the most successful Century Media releases, it’s a perfect opportunity to release the cover now and celebrate a new chapter in Hexvessel’s career that hopefully will be as successful. It certainly will include some amazing music.”

You can watch and listen to Hexvessel’s version of Tiamat’s “Gaia” below:

It was in 2009 that Mat settled down in Finland – the oddball country of Scandinavia, where the humour is as dark as the winter afternoons and the nature as breathtaking as their moonshine. Originally from the UK, he came here via stints in Norway and Holland, already with weight to his name in the underground of extreme and avantgarde metal music, having sung and written in bands like D?dheimsgard and Code among many more, sometimes under the moniker of Kvohst. Later, he achieved success with modern post punk darlings Beastmilk and its spin-off Grave Pleasures.

In Finland he found his “kin”, and there he invoked Hexvessel – a band founded to voice Mat's inner self, and to connect it with the vast cosmic infinity around him. Simply: to play psychedelic music in the true sense of the term.

More like a commune than a regular band, the spirit surrounding the group invokes a vision of a bunch of Northern heathens coming to live in Laurel Canyon in the late 1960's. Sonically, it's more the other way around; Joni Mitchell and The Doors set free in the Finnish wilderness (quite possibly intoxicated under the midnight sun).

Hexvessel is rock but never roll – balancing the simple folk tune with psychedelic drive, hinting at Captain Beefheart, King Crimson and The Beatles as well as the dewy-eyed Americana that contemporary folk artists like First Aid Kit have adapted and re-defined. Stirred together, this makes for one truly unique brew of timeless storytelling and song craft.

Since the release of their debut album in 2011 the band has sold out headline tours in their homeland, been nominated for 2 Finnish Grammy awards, toured Europe together with bands like Sabbath Assembly and Alcest, played prestigious festivals like Roadburn in Holland and SXSW in Texas, and seen their music on the charts and on critics lists. This strange pack of Finns have succeeded in creating their own world, of which an ever-increasing number of curious outsiders are hungry to take part.

Come January 2016, Hexvessel's third album will be out. Their first release licensed to Century Media Records via their own Secret Trees label imprint. A body of work that Mat McNerney says is his most personal to date. Moving into the next phase, further probing into the mysteries and wonders of life, love and death – the question is ultimately turned to the listener;

Will you look beyond what meets the eye?
Will you allow yourself to face love and death?
Are you (h)experienced?

 

Greek thrash metal outfit, Suicidal Angels, are currently working on the follow-up to their 2014 album, Divide And Conquer. The songwriting is completed and the guys will enter the Soundlodge studios in Rhauderfehn, Germany in September to kick off the recordings with producer Jorg Üken.

The band states: “It is a bit more than 1.5 years since the release of Divide And Conquer and the time has come for the sirens to ring once more. The new material is ready, fast, aggressive and in your face more than even before. We get our positions on the 14th of September, at Soundlodge studios in Rhauderfehn, Germany, with Jorg Üken behind the mixing desk and production, to deliver our 6th full length. Soon we come back with more details, keep your eyes and ears open, this album will be a shock!“

More information coming soon, stay tuned.

NWOBHM cult act Savage will release their brand new studio album, 7, on October 9th via Minus 2 Zebra Records (distributed by Plastic Head). The double disc release will include complete live album titled Live N Lethal on the second disc.

Savage, once credited for influencing Metallica to play fast. Even though the band has often been linked to the NWOBHM movement, their roots are more in the vintage classic rock with a modern feel. Influences such as Thin Lizzy and Deep Purple abound and yet with new material they sound incredibly contemporary and fresh. Their debut album, Loose N Lethal (from 1983) became a classic and was the biggest selling independent import into US in it’s day. The band have had a stop start career but came back with a vengeance in 2012 with the epic album titled Sons Of Malice. The band has been busy ever since on the live scene in the UK and Europe, and most recently an Italian tour earlier this summer.

The classic debut is now given a fresh and live treatment in the form of a recently recorded live gig in their hometown. In addition to this, Savage has been hard at work writing and recording set of new classics on this double release. The album titled 7 features 12 blistering new tracks, which mix old with new. Many of the tracks are fast paced and hark back to the early days, whilst tracks such as "Superspy" and "Empire Of Hate" sound akin to something off a modern Ozzy album or even Metallica at their best.

More details to follow.

 

Finnish stoner rockers Lowburn (formed by Battlelore members Tomi Mykkänen and Henkka Vahvanen) reveals today the cover artwork for their upcoming debut full-length, titled Doomsayer, designed by legendary artist David Paul Seymour (Vintage Caravan, Wo Fat, Goya).

Mastered by producer Billy Anderson, Doomsayer is a blast of immense stoner riffage, with stunning fuzz psych doom vibes and badass vocals. The song “The Last One” is the first single from the album and the official video can be seen below:

 
Doomsayer will be released via Argonauta Records on CD/DD and available from October 12th. More details to follow.

New Haven-based progressive ensemble, Earthside, will release its debut album, A Dream In Static, on October 23rd. Today, Earthside has revealed the music video for "Mob Mentality”, featuring guest vocals from Sevendust frontman Lajon Witherspoon and a full orchestral arrangement composed by guitarist Jamie van Dyck and performed by the Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra (MSSO). Check out the new music video, directed by Patrick Kendall, below.

"Making this video was a fulfilling process because as such a transdisciplinary project, it crossed our paths with talented individuals across the arts," van Dyck explained. "We worked with dancers, choreographers, directors, editors, colorists, professional orchestral musicians, a conductor, an orchestra contractor, a wardrobe/costume person, and of course a rock star vocalist. Involving all these people in our art reaffirmed the value of what we're doing and sets the stage for the collaborative spirit we hope to continue to embody as we reach across the arts into the worlds of film, dance, video games, and other visual arts."

An epic undertaking of cross-continental collaborations, A Dream In Static was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden under the watch of renowned producer and mix engineer, David Castillo (Opeth, Katatonia, Bloodbath), and additional mix and mastering engineer, Jens Bogren (Opeth, Soilwork, The Ocean, Devin Townsend). The instrumental collective recruited several acclaimed guest vocalists, including Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust), Daniel Tompkins (TesseracT, ex-Skyharbor), Björn Strid (Soilwork) and Eric Zirlinger (Face the King, ex-Seer), to provide their prowess across four of the eight cinematic tracks, as well as the Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra (MSSO) for live orchestral compositions.

"Earthside is excited and very proud to finally be releasing our debut album A Dream In Static," commented keyboardist Frank Sacramone. "This record has been incubating for several years now between initial writing and demoing all the way through nailing down a release date. Along the way we've worked with so many different artists across disciplines and across continents. Now the fruits of our global project finally get to see the light of day and hopefully move listeners in a similarly meaningful way as the music moved us and our collaborators. We can't wait for you all to hear these songs and to get out on the road and perform them for you guys."

A Dream In Static tracklisting:

“The Closest I've Come”
“Mob Mentality” (Featured Guest Vocalist: Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust), Featured Ensemble: The Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra (MSSO))
“A Dream In Static” (Featured Guest Vocalist: Daniel Tompkins (TesseracT, ex-Skyharbor))
 “Entering The Light” (Featured Guest Performer: Max ZT -- Hammered Dulcimer, Featured Ensemble: The Moscow Studio Symphony Orchestra (MSSO))
“Skyline”
“Crater” (Featured Guest Vocalist: Björn Strid (Soilwork))
“The Ungrounding”
“Contemplation Of The Beautiful” (Featured Guest Vocalist: Eric Zirlinger (Face the King, ex-Seer))

"The Closest I've Come”:

Teaser video:

Through organic layers of living, breathing orchestra and an eclectic arsenal of world music-influenced instrumentation, Earthside fashions an ever-changing sound that is equally engrossing alongside a work of cinematic art as it is resonating throughout a densely packed concert venue.

A Dream In Static, the group's conceptual mission statement, is a story of purposeful sacrifice and existential yearning told across sweeping instrumental movements, interwoven with adventurous vocal compositions featuring premier voices from across the rock and metal worlds.

Stay tuned for more information on Earthside and A Dream In Static.

 

Italian power metal act Kaledon’s best known album, Legend Of The Forgotten Reign – Chapter 4: Twilight Of The Gods is what you call a true epic/power metal masterpiece. Originally recorded at Outer Sound Studios in Rome, Italy by Giuseppe Orlando (November) in 2006, the album came out in Europe on Hellion records, in America on Universal Metal Production and in Asia on HotRockin.

Along with the speedy and melodic epic power metal that’s such a staple of Kaledon’s sound, this record displayed a newfound sense of melodic structure as far as introducing more memorable melody lines and melodic hooks than ever before. The new version of the album, which was released on August 21, has been completely remastered and restored by Orlando and features two songs re-recorded by the band’s current lineup. The beautiful and completely renovated artwork was handled by Felipe Machado Franco (Blind Guardian, Rage, Rhapsody Of Fire).

“Into The Fog” lyric video (2015 version):

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach joined the KISS tribute band DESTROYER on stage last night (Saturday, August 22) at the reception gala for his wedding to Suzanne Le at Rockbar in San Jose, California. Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Le is model who is reportedly the mother of two children, including one fathered by Brett Harrelson, actor Woody Harrelson's brother.

Bach proposed to Le on December 28, 2014, which also happened to be Suzanne's 42nd birthday.

Sebastian told "In The Vault With Shanda Golden" back in April that he and Le are "inseparable" and that she makes him "very happy." He then added: "You know what word I think is bullshit? I think the word 'codependent' is a bullshit word. Because I have been called that in relationships. 'You're codependent. We're codependent.' What the fuck does that mean?! Okay, I love you, and I depend on you, and you're mine, and I'm yours, and I always wanna be with you. Yes! Is there something wrong with that? [Laughs] I wanna be codependent with her. And she's, like, 'Me too, dude.' I don't buy that word. I think it's a stupid, bullshit word."

Bach then offered some practical dating advice to couples who are just getting to know each other. He said: "I think that it's a red flag in your relationship if you have a partner whose phone is locked all the time and you're not allowed to fucking look at their phone. I'm just saying, I have [my fiancée's] password, she has my password, and you wanna why? 'Cause there's no fucking reason why not to? And that's the first girl I've ever even met like that. I've never met another girl like that. She's, like, 'I don't give a fuck. Here's my phone.' And I think that if you're in a relationship right now with somebody who won't let you look at their phone — red flag. Okay? I will say that. Because I have a relationship that is fully trusting, fully whole. We're best friends. There's no secrets, because we're totally… I can't tell you what that means to me. And for her too. We both… I'm, like, 'I can't fucking believe that we met each other.'"

Bach last fall broke off his engagement to model Minnie Gupta, who appeared on the cover of his "Kicking & Screaming" album and in videos for the singles "Kicking & Screaming" and "I'm Alive".

Sebastian was previously married for 18 years to Maria Bierk, with whom he had been coupled since before joining his former band. They split up in April 2010.

Bach and Maria Bierk have three children: sons Paris and London and daughter Sebastiana.

Shredload.com recently conducted an interview with former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his decision to leave MEGADETH in November 2014:

Broderick: "Well, I think the decision had been… It had been brewing in my head for a long time. And, you know, when it comes down to any decision you make, you can never be sure if the time is right or anything like that; you just go with your gut feeling. And at that point in my career, Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH mainman] was calling us down to start working on the next CD, and I didn't wanna go down there and get involved with something that my heart wasn't in. In my mind, the negatives were starting to outweigh the positives, and that's when I decided to leave."

On how much, aside from his lead guitar tracking and solos, he was allowed to contribute to the writing of MEGADETH music:

Broderick: "Not a lot, you know. It was definitely something where, I think, Dave is, and always will be, MEGADETH, you know, and it's gotta sound MEGADETH. So anytime you allow other people into that realm, it is going to change the sound, naturally. So you can't fault him for that. But, for me, personally, even with that realization, I knew that I wanted to get more of my material out there. And not only more of my own material, but also with it just being [allowed] to exist as it is — not being altered or subject to change, or anything like that. I think it makes sense, when you're in that world, that… Dave is the owner and the founder of MEGADETH, so he has earned that right."

On whether he and drummer Shawn Drover were just "hired guns" in MEGADETH:

Broderick: "Yeah, definitely. It's one of those things where… I mean, it depends on what your definition of 'hired gun' is, but we weren't really the people that… We had no say in what shows we did, or where we went, or… or anything. And, in my mind, that is the definition of a hired gun."

On the last album he recorded with MEGADETH, 2013's "Super Collider":

Broderick: "I felt it was going after a little bit too much commercialism, in my mind. The one thing I can tell you about it is that I do believe Dave spent a lot of time really trying to make that album sound exactly the way it does. Like, he spent a lot of time really looking at the instrumentation and the mixes and the arrangement and how it sounded and how everything went — from my solos to the other instruments that were played, and everything. So he definitely put a lot of time into that CD, but I think its direction was in the wrong place."

On whether he thinks "Super Collider" was "overthought":

Broderick: "Um… Nah, I don't… You know, because, looking at the process and seeing how much time [Dave] spent and what he thought of how things should be, I don't think it was overthought. Like I said, I just think its initial direction — you know, the reasoning behind it; what, kind of, guided its path — was the wrong direction."

Only hours after Drover announced his exit from MEGADETH on November 25, 2014 to "to pursue [his] own musical interests," Broderick revealed he also quit the legendary metal band, saying that he was leaving the group "due to artistic and musical differences."

ACT OF DEFIANCE, the band featuring Broderick and Drover, alongside ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner, and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass), released its debut album, "Birth And The Burial", today (Friday, August 21) via Metal Blade Records.

On August 2, former SLAYER and current PHILM drummer Dave Lombardo debuted his collection of rhythm­on-canvas art for the first time on the East Coast with an in-person appearance at Art On A Gallery.

A video interview with Lombardo conducted at the event by the "Wendigo Aftershow" can be seen below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether he always knew that he was going to be a professional drummer:

Lombardo: "I didn't know. I mean, I was… I had the passion in me, and I had the drive. Did I know I was gonna succeed the way I did? No. I never thought I was going to reach the status that I reached today. So it was quite a surprise because my parents, obviously, were telling me at a young age, 'Look, Dave, you need to focus on a career instead of music. That's not gonna put food on the table.' And so, with that advice, I think I was just even more determined to succeed. I was basically told, 'You'd better find another career and another job.'"

On what else he could have done for a career had he not become a successful drummer:

Lombardo: "Right out of high school… 'Cause I graduated high school… and… not majored, but my vocational training was technical drafting… You know, design — technical design, technical drafting. And I, immediately, right after high school, I got a job at a diesel… It was called diesel energy systems company, and I would design enclosures for generator sets for hospitals or the department of water and power and various other companies. So I would create these enclosures for these generator sets. So I might have taken a career in engineering at that time."

On whether living in a Cuban household influenced his drumming style:

Lombardo: "Absolutely. Cuban music has a lot of percussion in it, and having that in your culture, and it being part of, you know… very big part of the culture, you can't deny it. You can't resist enjoying music that has drums in it. Although I like all kinds of music — all other styles of music that don't even have drums — but, for the most part, music that has drums, I really enjoy."

On whether he ever had a moment when he was a kid when he realized he was a lot better on the drums than everybody else:

Lombardo: "In fourth grade, I realized that I was a lot faster than other drummers — I was faster at drum rolls. I was faster when I was in a marching band in fourth grade. The cadences… I would learn them and play them at the tempo that the teacher would ask me, but then, after getting comfortable with it, I would speed up and play it as fast as… probably as humanly possible. So, yeah, I kind of realized that at an early age."

As the founding drummer of SLAYER and the current drummer in PHILM and FANTÔMAS , Dave Lombardo is responsible for some of music's most acclaimed rhythms. With his art debut "Rhythm Mysterium", Lombardo crafted the visuals in the collections through drum performance. Working with art team SceneFour, Lombardo utilized drumsticks that light much like a painter uses brushes with oil. An extensive process from start to finish, Lombardo's rhythms are captured and brought to canvas in a highly vivid and abstract way.

"Rhythm on canvas" is a new medium in art — a movement led by the world's greatest drummers, started at SceneFour, a visual art team based in downtown Los Angeles. Through their signature collaborative art approach, they work with notable visionaries outside of the fine art world to collectively create original art projects. At the conclusion of the creation process with featured collaborative guest, an original art collection is born and released worldwide.

Art On A Gallery specializes in works by independent, alternative artists, often with a connection to the music scene and is proud to be the first East Coast gallery to display Dave Lombardo's collection.

The collection will be on display through September 6.

Sally Steele of Vegas Rocks! Magazine conducted an interview with vocalist Biff Byford of British heavy metal legends SAXON on August 21 in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On SAXON's upcoming album, "Battering Ram":

Biff: "It's a bit more metal, actually. Yeah, but there are some really melodic bits in there, like classic SAXON. But, I think, the riffs are very heavy — like 'Princess Of The Night' or 'Heavy Metal Thunder', really; they're heavy as well. So I think it's a bit more focused, this album. It's less of a mixture between hard rock and metal, if you know what I mean. It's more focused, and we like it."

On whether he would do anything differently in his career if he had to do it all over again:

Biff: "Do different? Yeah, I would have probably not signed as many stupid contracts. But that's about it, really."

On the most rewarding part of his career in the past forty years:

Biff: "I think when you're in a band and you're professional and touring the world, I think it's all pretty cool, really. There's some down times and up times, but, generally, if the band are all friends, then it's pretty cool. You know what I mean? Obviously, the '80s were really crazy times for us — we had big hits in the '80s. And the '90s were pretty good. We survived through the NIRVANA/PEARL JAM period, which was, basically… I think that was the lowest period of metal music. I think SAXON, [JUDAS] PRIEST [and IRON] MAIDEN were all a little bit forgotten during that grunge period. But, you know, we came through, we survived, and it was great."

"Battering Ram" will be released in North America on October 16 via UDR Music.

"Battering Ram" is available for pre-order now via iTunes, with "Battering Ram" as the instant grat track.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx recently spoke to the Ottawa Citizen about the band's "The Final Tour", which kicked off last year and will end New Year's Eve at the Staples Center in Los Angeles after one more round of North American gigs.

Asked if he worries that he might regret pulling the plug in a few years, Sixx said: "No. For me, it's very cut and dry. When MÖTLEY CRÜE is done, it will be the greatest experience of my life, but it's the closing of that chapter. I will never play MÖTLEY CRÜE music in [my other band] SIXX: A.M. That is MÖTLEY CRÜE's music. Even if I wrote them, I won't play them, because I don't believe I should do that in another band. We should each do what we already know how to do, which is create great music."

Asked if everybody in the band is on the same page in terms of not playing MÖTLEY CRÜE music in other projects, Sixx said: "I can't speak for everybody else. That's for me; I know where I'm at. I believe in the future and I believe in new music. If the guys want to go out and jam, go out and jam. Each to their own. But, you know, each guy in the band is very creative and have all kinds of stuff going on. I'm a huge fan of my band members. I'm probably their No. 1 fan, so I can't wait to see what everybody does on their own terms."

While announcing the first details of "The Final Tour" at a Los Angeles press conference in January 2014, the four members of MÖTLEY CRÜE revealed that they took the unusual step of having their lawyer draw up a formal "cessation of touring" agreement that goes into effect at the end of 2015 and prohibits the members of the group from going on the road again under the MÖTLEY CRÜE banner. The 2014 leg of "The Final Tour" was one of last year's top-grossing tours, selling close to a million tickets across 72 cities and grossing more than $45 million.

Former DOKKEN guitarist George Lynch says that talks are once again underway about a resurrection of the band's classic lineup. He tells Glide Magazine in a new interview: "The project that is on the table right now is possibly a DOKKEN reunion, but of course that comes and goes every couple of years [laughs], so who knows. But we're talking again about that."

According to Lynch, if a full-blown DOKKEN reunion doesn't happen, he might record a new album with former DOKKEN bassist Jeff Pilson and STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet. He says: "[A collaboration with Pilson and Sweet has] been on the books for a while but it's just the logistics and the time constraints. Jeff is in FOREIGNER and very, very busy. Michael Sweet has a lot of things going on. And to make things more confusing is Michael and I did the SWEET & LYNCH record, which kind of precluded Jeff and I and Michael from doing a T&N record [the project featuring Lynch, Pilson and DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown], which is essentially the same thing, only without Jeff. [Laughs] There's only one degree of separation between those two bands. I'm even getting confused. [Laughs]"

Don Dokken and Lynch appeared on VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" together back in May of 2010 in hopes that a reunion of DOKKEN's classic linep would follow. Despite their efforts, the reunion never happened and Don went forward with DOKKEN's current lineup.

In a recent interview with The Washington Times, Don was asked what he and George fight about, Don said: "I finally realized what it was all about when we played a reunion tour of Japan in 1995. It all started again: him playing with his back to the audience. Every time I talked to the audience, he would make these little noises with [his] guitar like a child. I said, 'What is the problem? What can I do to make this work?' He pointed at the 20-foot backdrop hanging behind that read 'Dokken' and said, 'That's the problem. The name." He continued: "It's my name, but it's also the band’s name. Nothing you can do about it."

All the members of DOKKEN's classic 1980s lineup reunited on stage for the first time in more than a decade on November 29, 2009 at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California. Don Dokken appeared on stage and said he had some friends he wanted to introduce. Pilson and Lynch joined Mick Brown (drums) for a two-song encore of "When Heaven Comes Down" and "In My Dreams".

THE INFIDELS, the new project featuring legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, SWEET & LYNCH) alongside singer Angelo Moore from FISHBONE, bassist Pancho Tomaselli from TOWER OF POWER and drummer Sal Rodriguez, is putting the finishing touches on its debut album, tentatively titled "Dark Circus". Lynch tells HNGN: "[INFIDELS] is completely off the map as far as anything I've done in the past. We're recording in this old kind of R&B-soul-funk studio, old equipment, [recording] right to tape, old microphones, all the gear is circa 1975, and it's like walking into a time capsule. It's lo-fi and real and we all play at the same time and the music is all over the map, from obviously rock, but it's got elements of funk, stoner rock, progressive music."

In an interview with BackstageAxxess.com, Lynch said about THE INFIDELS: "I so love playing with these guys. What we do is we just go in the studio and just jam, and just magic happens. So we ended up having a song… They just kept rolling tape… We had a 17-minute song that was actually cohesive that we didn't think of. We just sort of jammed it, and all these parts… and they're really legitimate parts. And it just evolves, and it's magical, and it's inspired, and it's, like, 'Damn, we've gotta put this out.' How do you put out a 17-minute song? [Laughs] I'm really proud of it, man. I love the band."

Asked if THE INFIDELS is going to be a touring act, Lynch said: "That could be. I would like to go out and do that. 'Cause that would be just so much fun. I mean, if it's clubs… I don't care. It would be fine. We're all used to doing that kind of stuff."

French female-fronted industrial metal act Dust In Mind has announced their debut album Never Look Back, releasing on September 18 via Dark Tunes Music Group as a limited digipak and digital download.

A press release states: “With their debut album Never Look Back, the female-lead five piece band from Strasbourg promises not only to fulfill the highest of expectations, but to surpass them. Catching melodies coupled with the most dissonant of riffs, that might be reminiscent of Hypocrisy are refined to a mixture of hardness and beauty by the angelic and vigorous voice of the female lead singer Jen. While Dam, her male counterpart at the microphone, brings those metal fans to bang their head with his dynamic growls.”

Never Look Back tracklisting:

“Intro”
“How Can You”
“I Love As I Hate”
“Never Look Back”
“The Slave Of Man”
“Give Up”
“Frozen Smiles”
“Real Nightmare”
“Farewell”
“Toxic”
“My Departure”

Video “Frozen Smiles”:

(Photo by: Vladimir Tankovitch)

Breaking necks with their punishing riffs, incredible breakdowns backed by wrenching screams and a heavy brutal groove assault, Red Deer, AB's Leave The Living has posted a new lyric video for their track “Undone” off their debut album Pacifist.

The band’s follow-up to their 2012 self-titled EP is available both digitally and on CD at Bandcamp.

“Sink Or Swim”:

“Pacifist”:

Pacifist by Leave the Living

Total Lack of Communication, the new EP from Finland's Re-Armed is out today and can be purchased at this location. The band has also released the official music video for the title track:

 

Death/thrash metal with groovy rhythms and a dash of grind, the self-released EP follows 2014 sophomore album Rottendam (Eternal Sound Records). Total Lack Of Communication is designed to keep the fires burning and blood flowing while the band works on new material for a new full-length album. 

Tracklisting:
 
“Total Lack Of Communication”
“Meant To Be Broken”
“Unhuman”

Re-Armed will tour China from September 24th - October 11th.  The band has also announced these upcoming show dates:

August
22 - PRKL - Helsinki, Finland (with Profane Omen)
29 - Beermageddon Metal Festival - UK

September
4 - Blackpool - Järvenpää, Finland (with Frosttide, MySore)

Re-Armed have been around since 2001, when five guys from Kerava, Finland decided to start playing similar music likened to so-called "Gothenburg metal." Their musical style has evolved along with many critically acclaimed demo tapes, gigs, lineup changes and a well-received debut album Worldwide Hypnotize, which was released internationally on January 2012 via Massacre Records. After releasing their debut, the band supported names such as Chimaira, Suffocation, Origin, Cattle Decapitation and Cryptopsy for the tours in Europe. In this year Re-Armed also made their first big outdoor festival appearance at Bloodstock Open Air at Catton Hall in the UK.

The second album Rottendam was released on January 2014 via Eternal Sound Records, but major lineup changes froze the band almost for a year. Former guitarist/songwriter Tommi Helkalahti decided to leave the band, leaving vocalist Jouni Matilainen as the only current former member in the band.

Re-Armed is:

Jussi Venäläinen - Guitars
Juhana Heinonen - Bass and Backup Vocals
Jouni Matilainen - Lead Vocals
Mika Oinonen - Guitars and Backup Vocals
Iiro Karjalainen - Drums

Swedish heavy metallers Ambush will release their new studio album titled Desecrator on October 30, via High Roller Records.
 
Desecrator contains nine brand new tracks, and will surely satisfy the band’s growing legions of fans. “We feel very confident with the material, album cover and the production. We like to write our heavy metal in different tempos and we think that we have come up with a well-rounded heavy metal album,” says drummer Linus Fritzson.

 
Stylistically, Ambush are not miles away from current Swedish bands like Ram and Enforcer, their main heroes are Judas Priest and Accept though. "Desecrator is a well-rounded heavy metal album, but I like to think that stylistically it shows a bit more variety (and depth) in comparison to Firestorm (Ambush’s debut album). ‘Night Of The Defilers’ for example has this kind of AC/DC beat about it. ‘The Chain Reaction’, on the other hand, is more ‘typical Ambush’, a grinding mid-tempo crusher with some great vocal work and very interesting lyrics" adds the drummer.

Swedish rockers Deadheads will release their second studio album titled Loadead on October 30, on High Roller Records.
 
Guitarist and singer Manne Olander finds a simple explanation for the Deadheads being everybody’s darling at the moment: "People that really enjoy and understand good music always find something they like in different kinds of musical genres. Good music is good music. We just play rock ‘n’ roll."

 
According to Manne Olander, the mode of production shaped the way the record turned out quite considerably: "We recorded Loadead live in the studio, with all musicians playing their respective instruments together in one room. Nobody was wearing any headphones. That really gave the whole album the right vibe. We work hard on the songwriting to get the songs and the sound we like."
 
With tracks like the fuzzed up "There's A Hole In The Sky", the more laid-back "Empty Howls" (with shades of early Fleetwood Mac) and "Let Loose The Fool", proto punk in the vein of The Dead Boys, Dictators, Johnny Thunders and New York Dolls,  Loadead has an even broader scope, a wider appeal than the Deadheads’ first album.

METALLICA played the biggest-ever hard rock concert in Sweden last night (Saturday, August 22) in front of over 63,000 screaming fans at Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Fuel02. For Whom The Bell Tolls03. Battery04. King Nothing05. Disposable Heroes06. The Day That Never Comes07. The Memory Remains08. The Unforgiven09. Sad But True10. Turn The Page11. The Frayed Ends of Sanity12. One13. Master Of Puppets14. Fade To Black15. Seek And Destroy

Encore:

16. Whiskey In The Jar17. Nothing Else Matters18. Enter Sandman

A select group of fans were brought on stage during METALLICA's performance to add to the ambiance. Video footage of several songs from the show filmed from the fans' point on view on stage can be seen below.

METALLICA currently has seven dates on its calendar between now and mid-September, including two shows in Quebec City, Canada and an appearance at the Rock In Rio festival.

The band has reportedly been working on its tenth studio album, which will follow up 2008's "Death Magnetic".

METALLICA has made available for purchase a limited-edition box set containing 50 CDs that chronicle the band's tours of Australia and New Zealand in 2010 and 2013. The set features recordings of 62 different METALLICA originals and covers from 25 different shows, each on two discs, and retails for a hefty $395.

Despite insisting that work has been proceeding on a new CD, METALLICA has spent a lot of time outside the studio in the last year, with activities that included a string of European all-request shows last summer, a week-long residency on "The Late Show With Craig Ferguson", and a Rock In Rio USA stint.

METALLICA has not revealed when it plans to begin recording or tentatively release the new album.

AC/DC kicked off the North American leg of its "Rock Or Bust" world tour last night (Saturday, August 22) at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Rock Or Bust 02. Shoot To Thrill 03. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be 04. Back In Black 05. Play Ball 06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap 07. Thunderstruck 08. High Voltage 09. Rock 'N' Roll Train 10. Hells Bells 11. Baptism By Fire 12. You Shook Me All Night Long 13. Sin City 14. Shot Down In Flames 15. Have A Drink On Me 16. T.N.T.17. Whole Lotta Rosie18. Let There Be Rock (with Angus Young guitar solo)

Encore:

19. Highway To Hell20. For Those About To Rock (We Salute You)

A review of the concert is available at RollingStone.com.

Check out fan-filmed video footage below.

AC/DC's sixteenth studio album, "Rock Or Bust", has sold around 543,000 copies since debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart back in December.

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 last November 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.

The band's North American tour will wrap on September 28 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

Heavy metal punk n' rollers Ramming Speed will release their sophomore Prosthetic effort, No Epitaphs, worldwide on September 4th. The album track “Walls” can be heard below.

Recorded late last year with Kurt Ballou (Converge, Skeletonwitch, Kvelertak) at GodCity Studios, the album borrows from the bulldozer riffs of Swedish D-beat, the guitar harmonies of British heavy metal, the raw aggression of American grind and the visceral energy of basement hardcore.

Tracklisting:

“No Forgiveness In Death”
“Choke Holds And Bullet Holes”
“Beasts Of Labor”
“Don't Let This Stay Here”
“This Is The Life We Chose”
“Walls”
“Break In The Chain”
“Truth To Power”
“Super Duty”
“Horns Of War”
“Momentary Masters”

“Walls”:

“Don't Let This Stay Here:

“Choke Holds And Bullet Holes”:

Physical pre-order bundles for "No Epitaphs" on are now available via the Prosthetic Records webshop or on Bandcamp, where digital bundles are also available. Packages include the album on CD or LP (standard-weight black wax with a double-sided gatefold poster and download card) paired with an exclusive t-shirt design. You can also add on a copy of their new limited-edition tour 7-inch "Don't Let This Stay Here," which features an exclusive B-side called "The Wraith."

Digital pre-orders for "No Epitaphs" will go live on all other platforms at midnight local time tonight and include an instant download of "Choke Holds and Bullet Holes”.

A list of the band's currently confirmed tour dates is available here.

 

 

 

Phoenix, Arizona-based death metal quintet, Vehemence, is preparing to return to full-time deployment this year, with new tour dates coming together around their anxiously awaited first new album in over a decade, Forward Without Motion, confirmed for release through Battleground Records in October.

The outfit's first new album since Metal Blade Records' 2004-released Helping The World To See, Vehemence comes storming back to the death metal circuit with a crushing new album which will surely see the band regaining their traction within the scene after their time off the grid. Forward Without Motion is the culmination of years of hard work and the collective desire to write the best songs and capture the best performances.

Working on the songs off and on for several years between 2007 and 2011, Vehemence began a methodical, painstaking tracking process for the new record between 2012 and 2014, the album's guitars, bass, and vocals being recorded at the home studios of guitarists Bjorn Dannov and Kyle Moeller, with the drums being recorded at Villain Studios in Phoenix. When listening to Forward Without Motion, one will discover the refreshing sounds of a band creatively reborn and seasoned by experience. The album flows with a relentless, throat grabbing energy that never flags and begs for repeated spins. This cohesive power is nowhere more apparent than in the strength of the instrumental and vocal performances, which slash and hammer their way out of the speakers with a passion rarely found in the cold, mostly lifeless corpses that are most modern death metal recordings.

With the underground death metal scene now extremely primed for the re-arrival of Vehemence, Forward Without Motion will be released through Battleground records on October 23rd. The record will be issued on 180-gram black vinyl 2xLP in a gatefold package with a free download, limited to 300 copies, as well as a digipak CD version and all digital platforms. The band and label have proudly issued Forward Without Motion's tracklisting and cover art by Hal Rotter/Rotting Graphics (Atriarch, Inherit Disease, Barghest).

An official video for the LP's opening track, "I Don't Want To Look Inside”, can be seen below. CD, LP and digital pre-orders can be placed now.

Forward Without Motion tracklisting:

“I Don't Want To Look Inside”
“Imagining The Loss”
“Murdered By The Earth”
“Jim The Prophet”
“In The Shadows We Dwell”
“A Dark Figure In The Distance”
“It's All My Fault”
“She Fucks Like She's Alive”
“There Are So Many Reasons To Give Up On Religion”

“I Don't Want To Look Inside” video:

Vehemence has announced a home-area record release show for Forward Without Motion, set to take place Saturday, October 24th, one day after the record's official release. The free gig will see the band headlining Yucca Tap Room in Tempe, Arizona, with support from labelmates Lago, as well as Sorrower and Through The Earth. Additional regional and widespread tour actions from the band will continue to be announced through the coming months.

Australia’s Dead Letter Circus recently released their third studio album, Aesthesis, digitally via The End Records/ADA. Get it now via iTunes. The album will be available on CD and limited vinyl LP formats on September 25th. Check out the new video for the album’s lead track, “In Plain Sight”, streaming below.

Co-produced by Matt Bartlem (Matt Corby, Jarryd James) and mixed by Grammy Award-winning master music maker Chris Lord-Alge (Muse, Green Day, U2), Aesthesis is the band's most electric full-length album to date. With over 10 complex and ambitious songs, the band creates a vast sonic universe filled with their trademark sound of intricate-yet-danceable rhythms, ocean-sized guitars, and the lofty voice of Kim Benzie.

Tracklisting:

“In Plain Sight”
“While You Wait”
“The Burning Number”
“Show Me”
“Y A N A”
“Silence”
“The Lie We Live”
“X”
“Change The Concept”
“Born, Pt. 2”

“In Plain Sight” video:

The Oxford Coma have released an official video for “Canadian Questionmark”, a track from their just released second LP, Paris Is Mine. The video, as well as a full album stream, can be found below.

Paris Is Mine tracklisting:

“Canadian Questionmark”
“Ritaling”
“Daisies”
“The Pulls”
“Ados Watts Jam”
“When The Levee Breaks” (Led Zeppelin cover)

“Canadian Questionmark” video:

Album stream:

From the scorching Southwestern US underground music scene comes the indefinable works of The Oxford Coma, an outfit which rides the fine line between rock and metal, experimental and straightforward, and even being a trio or quartet, and which has steadily pumped out a hearty discography of independent releases since their 2011 inception. Powered and endorsed by Orange amps, and drawing from a wide array of influences from across the spectrum of forward-thinking rock artists, bridging the early days and modern times, comparisons to the improvisational prog rock circles of the 1960s and '70s to premier extreme acts of the 1990s through today, the collective recorded output of this morphing act has drawn similarities to everything from early Tool to Primus, Radiohead to The Dillinger Escape Plan, Nirvana to Neurosis, King Crimson to Kyuss, and so on.

 

The Dead Weather's third album, Dodge And Burn, is out September 25th on Third Man Records, and is available for pre-order physically and digitally worldwide today, with all digital pre-orders receiving an instant grat download of the album's electrifying new single, "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)." The new single is also on sale now at digital retailers worldwide.
 
"I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)" is accompanied by a ferociously compelling new video (see below), released today. The stunning video was directed by award-winning duo Ian & Cooper.
 
Recorded in Nashville during breaks in each member's ever-busy schedules, Dodge And Burn was heralded back in October 2013 as the band and Third Man Records announced an innovative long-term plan that would see a series of Dead Weather 7-inch singles released in the year and a half leading up the album's release. On July 6th, 2015, Dodge And Burn was officially announced along with Third Man Records' Vault Package #25 featuring the only limited edition version of the new album, the only physical version of new single "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)," and more.

Dodge And Burn tracklisting:

“I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)”
“Buzzkill(er)”
“Let Me Through”
“Three Dollar Hat”
“Lose The Right”
“Rough Detective”
“Open Up”
“Be Still”
“Mile Markers”
“Cop and Go”
“Too Bad”
“Impossible Winner”
 

German epic metal band, Equilibrium, have released a new tour video filmed on the Erdentempel Tour in Russia. Watch below:

The band recently announced a string of European tour dates in September and October. Once again, the band will present their current release, Erdentempel (2014).

Guitarist René Berthiaume comments: “We’re really looking forward to these upcoming shows in September & October to celebrate with our fans for another time! These will be the last shows in this year. After that, we will fall back to work on our new album and to make new plans for 2016!“

Tour dates:

September

4 - Wörgl, Austria - Komma

5 - Hüttikon, Switzerland - Meh Suff Festival

6 - Heidelberg, Germany - Schwimmbad-Club

October

1 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal

2 - Bremen, Germany - Tivoli

3 - Zwickau, Germany - Break Out Festival

16 - Köln, Germany - Essigfabrik

17 - Selestat, France - Rock Your Brain Festival

18 - Vorstin, Netherlands - Krachtstroom Festival

 

UK metal act, Heart Of A Coward, will release their third album, entitled Deliverance, on October 2nd via Century Media Records. The group have released a lyric video for the album track “Turmoil I: Wolves”, which is streaming below.

Vocalist Jamie comments: “This is the first of the “Turmoil” two parter on the album - we were originally going to do the two songs as an EP in its own right, along with another two parter (“Skeletal”) which closes the album off… but we wanted to unleash a pit anthem to crank up nice and loud before the summer disappears!”

Deliverance was produced and mixed by Sikth vocalist Justin Hill. The artwork was done by Daniel McBride (After The Burial, Veil Of Maya), who also did the artwork for the band’s debut album Hope and Hindrance.

Deliverance tracklisting:

“Hollow”
“Miscreation”
“Turmoil I: Wolves”
“Turmoil II: The Weak Inherit The Earth”
“Anti-Life”
“A Grain Of Sand”
“Mouth Of Madness”
“Deliverance”
“Skeletal I: Mourning Repairs”
“Skeletal II: Arise”

“Hollow” video:

Original BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward was interviewed for the latest episode of VH1 Classic "That Metal Show" co-host Eddie Trunk's podcast, "Eddie Trunk Podcast". You can now listen to it at this location. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On why he chose to go public with his reasons for bowing out of the reunion of the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH:

"The first I wanted to do… I had to go public because I knew that we were being asked to sign an unsignable contract again. And I made a solemn vow to myself after the last tour that we did, which I believe was 2005, that I would never ever sign into another contract like I'd been signing into. And so, based on that criteria, we started to negotiate a contract in very, very early 2011. And all the lawyers were involved. The lawyers just didn't show up out of nowhere. All the lawyers were involved right from the very start. And we tried to negotiate a deal for the entire year of 2011. When the turn of the New Year came, 2012, we were a given a kind of a… their marching orders, which is, basically, 'We've come as far as we can…' This is not necessarily the band, but the band's representatives. 'We've come as far as we can in the way of the contract.' And we just went, 'You know what? I'm just not gonna do it. I'm not going to do it. It's as simple as that.' So that was what primarily was going on. But there was something way more important that was going on: I was being advertised as a member of the band, and there were three or four live gigs which had my name and likeness posted on them. And so, across the Universe, I think there was one gig in America and three gigs in England, the posters were saying that the originals band was gonna be playing, and I needed to tell the truth about that. And so, that's why I went public and I made a public statement, basically letting everybody in the fucking world know that there'd been problems with the contract, [and] that I would not be appearing. The biggest thing, for me, was I didn't wanna be part of something which I felt was misleading to the fans. And so, that's why we asked for my name and likeness to be removed. We asked for our name and likeness to be removed from the advertising that promoted the first three or four live gigs in 2012. That's it. Which brings up another side issue, of course, where, as you probably may have noticed, my name and likeness has been gradually disappearing from BLACK SABBATH. And the claims, on their behalf — not necessarily the band again — but the claims have been that it was me that asked for my name and likeness to be deleted, which is a complete fucking lie and complete bullshit. I've never asked for anything like that. I asked for my name and likeness to be deleted from the promotional posters that could have been misleading to the fans. I don't like misleading people, and I like to be honest and transparent. So that's why it came out."

"There were several other motivating things. One was the students. I needed to do something. It was a terrible ordeal going through that period in early 2012. There's a lot of young guys that I know [that were] gonna come and watch me play — a lot of young drummers. And I cried for weeks, actually, on and off. I mean, I did. I was really so upset, and I felt like I was letting these guys down and letting a lot of other people down. And at the same time, I knew that I had to make a tough decision, and I had to stay by that tough decision that I was masking. I felt it was the truth, and it was the truth, and I was standing by what I felt was honest and sincere, but above everything else, I had to do this for the students. And I kept thinking to myself, and I talked to my wife, Jackie. We were talking. I said, 'You know, if I don't stand here, then all the drummers to come, and all the people that are gonna get fucked in this business… I'm gonna have to do something and stand for something.' And, basically, one of the things that I was standing for was publishing — that publishing equals drumming. Because one of the things that… One of the things that was… There were certain things in the contract that disallowed publishing. So I said, 'No. My drumming equals writing.' I just don't just notes or beats or whatever… I'm an enthusiastic member of that band, and I play musically, and everything counts. That was one of the issues that we were trying to get something from — not equality; equality was out the window — but something at least."

On whether he puts any responsibility for what has happened with him and BLACK SABBATH on the other three members of the band:

"Some camaraderie would have been nice, but I let go of that camaraderie back when we started the first reunion. The first reunion took place without me, and one of my friends from FAITH NO MORE played drums instead. Mike Bordin... Mike's a good kid, man. I like Mike. So I knew that it was gonna be strictly business; I already knew that going in. Camaraderie would have been nice, but nobody touches the business — nobody touches the business. And I stay out of what their personal relationships are with their management. I've always taken it that that's none of my business, and that they keep that private, and I stay out of that. I wanna be respectful that those are their arrangements, and that's that. And that's why I'm prefacing [some of my answers by saying] 'not necessarily the band.' I don't know where the sources of decisions are made, but I always preface it by… You know, Tony's [Iommi, BLACK SABBATH guitarist] not the kind of guy that would sit down behind a contract and work out terms and what have you. He might — I mean, for all I know. But the kind of lawyers that they have, they definitely sit down and work out terms."

On his recent war of words with BLACK SABBATH singer Ozzy Osbourne:

"I was painted that I was physically unable to do it, and also, I was painted as having other motives besides wanting to play with the band. I mean, I was accused of a lot of things in those statements. And I was absolutely fucking furious."

On how much of what Ozzy has said can be attributed to Ozzy's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne:

"I'm not sure. It seems to me like Ozzy started out making those statements. I know that Sharon definitely dislikes me, and she has for a long, long time. And I also know that she is inside all these contractual things and these unsignable contracts and everything else. She's right there, right in the center of everything — as are the other lawyers as well, the other representatives. But, you know, the statements were made by Ozzy, so… It's broken up the friendship that we had; there's no doubt about it. I mean, it fucking killed the friendship. I detached from him. And I've already stated what will renew our friendship. But I think the day that he amends those statements, that will be one hell of a day. I think that'll probably happen in the next life or further down the road. I don't think it's gonna happen in this life. But that's my criteria, again, and I'm gonna hold him to those statements, because I know that those statements are incorrect."

On whether the success of BLACK SABBATH's "13" album and the tour behind it took him by surprise:

"I didn't think it was successful at all. Well, in terms of live attendance, I think it's gonna go, 'cause the band's really well known. But I really didn't… I was working on detachment — serious detachment — and I wanted to make sure that I went down the line and detached myself as much as possible. I had to stop loving them, because if you're loving a dog as it's biting you and ripping your insides out, it's hard to love a dog that's doing that. So I actually stopped loving them, and I had to learn what we call detachment. So whatever they were doing, I could care less. I wasn't interested in the fucking album '13'. I've heard twenty bars of it — that's all I've heard — and then I turned it off and said, 'That's a pile of shit,' and that's the truth. And I couldn't care less what they were doing on tour."

On reuniting with BLACK SABBATH members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler (bass) to accept the "Lifetime Achievement" award at this year's Ivor Novello Awards in May in London, England:

"Yes, I saw them. I gave them a hug, and wished them well. And I still said the same thing… Even at the Ivor Novello Awards, the press was there asking questions, and I said, 'Yup. I'd like to play with the band again — providing that they get a signable contract, and providing that Ozzy makes amends for his statements that he made in 2012 and 2013.' Yeah. Hey, if you wanna get the band together, if you wanna make it happen, I'm ready to play. But I'm already busy with everything else, but I can play — I can still play in BLACK SABBATH."

On August 15 and August 16, Fathom hosted the West Coast premiere of Ward's fine art exhibition, "Absence Of Corners", a collection of 15 abstract works created from Ward's drum performance.

The "Absence Of Corners" exhibition is a special limited engagement and only hangs at Fathom through August 29.

For more information, visit www.fathom.gallery.

Ward has released his first solo album in 18 years. Titled "Accountable Beasts", the record can be purchased on iTunes.

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has confirmed that he has rekindled his friendship with the band's lead singer Axl Rose — six years after the frontman called him "a cancer."

Speaking to Aftonbladet TV in Sweden, where Slash was making a special appearance on Friday (August 21) for a launch event for the Marshall London phone, the guitarist said of his restored relationship with Axl (see video below): "It was probably way overdue, you know. But it's…. you know, it's very cool at this point. You know, let some of that, sort of, negative… dispel some of that negative stuff that was going on for so long."

Asked if his warmer relationship with Axl will lead to a reunion of GUNS N' ROSES' classic lineup, Slash said: "Oh, I couldn't answer that one, though…" Pressed on why that is, Slash replied: "All right, let's get off the subject, 'cause, you know, that's an old one."

Slash was asked about the possibility of a reunion of the classic GUNS N' ROSES lineup on the May 7 edition of "CBS This Morning" and gave a somewhat surprising answer. He replied: "I've got to be careful what I say there. I mean, if everybody wanted to do it and do it for the right reasons, I think the fans would love it. I think it might be fun at some point to try and do that."

Asked what the "right reasons" might be, Slash said: "I mean, that's a hard one. That just starts to get into a whole complex thing... It's really between the guys in the band." But pressed on whether he thought it was likely, Slash said, "Never say never."

Slash told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the band's induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame three years ago — at which he performed along with GUNS bassist Duff McKagan, drummers Steven Adler and Matt Sorum, and others — gave him a sense of closure about the band. He said: "I never, in however many years it's been, ever planned or thought that there was gonna be any reunion. But now we've played the one gig as close to a reunion as it will ever get and done with it, and it did have… There was a definite feeling of closure and, you know, something that, when I got on the plane the next morning, it was like I never have to deal with that again."

Addressing the long-running feud between him and Axl Rose that many saw as the main stumbling block to a reunion, Slash said, "We haven't really talked in a long time, but a lot of the tension that you were talking about has dissipated. We don't have all those issues anymore. It's not a lot of controversy. It's something that is more perpetuated by the media, more than anything."

Axl famously called Slash a "cancer" in a 2009 interview, saying that the chances of him and Slash getting onstage together at any point in the future were next to impossible.

Axl and guitarist Izzy Stradlin did not attend the Hall Of Fame induction.

Guitarist Darren Jay "DJ" Ashba quit GUNS N' ROSES last month, while another GN'R six-stringer, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, also reportedly left the band in 2014. The group has not yet announced a replacement for either musician.

DISTURBED played its first show in four years last night (Friday, August 21) at the House Of Blues in the band's hometown of Chicago. The concert took place on the same day that the group's sixth album, "Immortalized", was released. The CD is DISTURBED's first all-new studio effort since 2010's "Asylum" and ended a hiatus that began after the band completed the touring cycle for "Asylum" in 2011.

Fan-filmed video footage of last night's show can be seen below.

DISTURBED made a conscious decision to take a five-year break between albums and tours, with guitarist Dan Donegan telling The Pulse Of Radio that it was the right choice. "It was, I guess, a tricky decision to make because we still felt like we were still climbing the ladder and at the height of our career," he said. "So to be able to shut it down and walk away from it might be a bit of a gutsy movie, but it just felt right. It felt like, you know, maybe it's time that we don't become the house band on the summer tour and we don't become predictable. It just felt like maybe we should just walk away for a minute."

"Asylum" was DISTURBED's fourth consecutive No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart.

DISTURBED will hit the road next spring in support of "Immortalized". The trek kicks off on March 11 in Vancouver, Canada, wrapping up on April 10 in Memphis.

The band will be playing smaller venues on this run, from Irving Plaza in New York to the Fillmore in San Francisco, in order to give diehard fans a more up-close experience before the group hits bigger venues.