Ohio-based cult metalheads Axemaster have released a video for the track “Chylde”, lifted from their new album Overture To Madness, released back in March via Pure Steel Records.

 

 

Overture To Madness tracklisting:

"Entering Madness...."
"Sanity's Requiem"
"Forsaken"
"Dream or Nightmare"
"Thirty Pieces of Silver"
"Crimson Haze"
"Peeling Skin"
"Sinister"
"Statute of Liberty"
"Ashes"
"Chyld"
"Dark Souls"
"Epic"

“Chylde” video:

"Sanity's Requiem” video:

Go to the official Axemaster website here for more information.

 

California metallers, Edge Of Paradise, have released a music video (see below) for “In A Dream”, a track from their new album, Immortal Waltz, out on CD and digital on May 22nd via Pure Steel / Pure Rock Records.

 

 

Immortal Waltz tracklisting:

“Perfect Shade Of Black”
“It’s My Showtime”
“Immortal Waltz”
“In A Dream”
“Rise For The Fallen”
“Ghost”
“Break Away”
“Goodbye”
“Children Of The Sea” (Black Sabbath cover)

“In A Dream” video:

Band lineup:

Margarita Monet – vocals
Dave Bates – guitars
John Chominsky – drums
Nick Ericson – bass

 

Grammy-nominated, chart-topping Richmond, Virginia-based metallers LAMB OF GOD will release their highly anticipated seventh full-length album, "VII: Sturm Und Drang", this July via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, with whom the band signed a record deal for all territories outside of North America. The CD was once again produced and mixed by Josh Wilbur with engineering by Wilbur, Nick Rowe and Kyle McAulay, and was recorded at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California and Suburban Soul Studios in Torrance, California.

Today, after weeks of hinting at fans about the imminent release, the band is unleashing a brand new track, "Still Echoes", via LambOfGodVII.com.

"Still Echoes" will be available via all digital retailers and streaming services beginning Monday, May 18. LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe states: "The time has come to give the fans their first taste of the new LAMB OF GOD album.

"This is a very, very dark, yet sonically highly varied, record.

"As it's always good to come out of the gate hard with a fast and aggressive one, we chose this track, 'Still Echoes', to kick it off. Enjoy/destroy."

During a May 2010 LAMB OF GOD show in the Czech Republic, 19-year-old concertgoer Daniel Nosek sustained a head injury that allegedly led to the fan's death. Blythe was charged with manslaughter in the case, but was eventually acquitted.

"People shouldn't expect a prison record," Blythe tells RollingStone.com about "VII Sturm und Drang". "But I write about things that affect me very deeply. And going to prison in a foreign country and being charged with manslaughter will affect you — trust me — very deeply."

He adds that "Still Echoes" "is a history of [Prague's] Pankrác Prison," where he was incarcerated for over a month. The first line of "Still Echos" reads: "A thousand heads cut clean across their necks, right down the hall from me." Blythe says: "There was a guillotine right down the hall from me, from when the Nazis had the prison. From 1943 to 1945 they executed almost 2,000 people by the guillotine, because it was cheaper than shooting and quicker than hanging … They call it the Pankrác 'Saw Room' or the 'Axe Room. I sat there at night, and I’d think about all those dudes that got their heads chopped off— men and women — in that place not too far from me."

Several exclusive "VII: Sturm Und Drang" pre-order bundles are available now at this location.

Markus Staiger, Nuclear Blast owner and founder, enthuses: "What an honor to work with LAMB OF GOD. I've always been a big fan of their music and we now get to work with them on their new crushing album!"

Adds LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler: "Finally joining forces with Nuclear Blast Entertainment outside of North America is something LAMB OF GOD is excited to finally see happen. We first met back in 1997 — almost signed then, but have been flirting ever since! It's now time for a new chapter for us to connecting with our friends and fans overseas, which is long overdue!

"See you all very soon — with a nasty new album!"

During a January 2015 interview with SiriusXM's Jose Mangin on Liquid Metal's "666-LIVE" call-in show, Chris Adler stated about the material for LAMB OF GOD's next CD: "It's great. I guess the thing that I was overwhelmed with was the idea of us taking the year off of 2014 and then have us come together basically around now and start putting things together. But, as usual, everybody is a little antsy and wanting to jam, and it wasn't, like, oh, hey, Willie [Adler, guitar] has an idea and Mark [Morton, guitar] has this kinda cool solo thing he wants to add on top of it. Both of these guys came in with about fifty different song ideas. So what's been great is just going through all these ideas, which are all really good, and being able to say, 'Okay, we have this much material. Let's pick the top 10 or top 15 or 20, and just keep working on that. Then they get upset, because number 42 had their favorite part. So, okay, grab that favorite part from 42 and let's make song 6 way better. So it's been that kind of a process as we go along."

He continued: "I've noticed the guys are really writing the kind of stuff that I find myself kind of… I don't know… I don't wanna say 'singing along,' because there's no vocals on them yet, but the melodies of the ideas really stick with me, which is one of the things that, if I were to ever complain about more of the recent stuff that I've been buying music-wise… It's great while I'm listening to it, I'm impressed, it's over my head, it blows me away, but when I'm done with it, I couldn't tell you how it goes."

Adler added: "Our goal is, you know, that the guys that'll write the songs that stick with you are the guys that are gonna stick around. So I'm really impressed with what these guys have been doing on a songwriting level — stepping it up and writing stuff that kinda sticks with you."

LAMB OF GOD's last album, "Resolution", sold around 52,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Los Angeles theatrical rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES will release their first-ever concert DVD and Blu-ray, "Alive And Burning", on July 10. The cover artwork for the set was designed by the band's longtime friend and previous album cover illustrator, Richard Villa, and can be seen below. Also available is the official "Alive And Burning" trailer.

"Alive And Burning" will feature footage of BLACK VEIL BRIDES' sold-out hometown show in Los Angeles at the Wiltern Theater on November 1, 2014. The concert was part of the group's inaugural Halloweekend event as part of "The Black Mass" tour. The DVD was directed by Casey Tebo, known for his work on the acclaimed AEROSMITH documentary "Rock For The Rising Sun". BLACK VEIL BRIDES' latest, self-titled album skyrocketed to No. 1 on the iTunes Rock Chart, No. 4 on the iTunes overall album chart, and to Top 10 on iTunes in over 20 countries when it was released. It debuted at No. 10 on The Billboard 200 album chart, giving BLACK VEIL BRIDES their second consecutive Top 10 album.

"Black Veil Brides" was helmed by producer Bob Rock, whose resume includes albums by METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE CULT and many others.

SAINT ASONIA is the name of a new rock "supergroup" led by former THREE DAYS GRACE frontman Adam Gontier, with the rest of the group consisting of STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok, ex-FINGER ELEVEN drummer Rich Beddoe and journeyman bassist Corey Lowery.

SAINT ASONIA is currently putting the finishing touches on its debut album with acclaimed rock producer Johnny K (DISTURBED, MEGADETH, STAIND, SEVENDUST) for a tentative summer release. A single, "Better Place", has just been released digitally via Spotify and iTunes.

Commenting on the "supergroup" tag that has been tossed around with regards to SAINT ASONIA, Gontier says: "Truth is we're more like refugees that just really hit it off creatively." Mushok adds: "I was looking for a project to do while STAIND is on hiatus and the opportunity to work with Adam on writing and recording new music was something I just couldn't pass up."

Gontier has kept a low profile since leaving THREE DAYS GRACE in December 2012. The band replaced him with Matt Walst and recently release a new album called "Human".

Mushok's band, STAIND, has not released new music since 2011 and as of last December had no plans to return to the studio. Mushok played briefly in 2013 with ex-METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted in his self-named band.

Beddoe exited FINGER ELEVEN in late 2013. The Canadian act recorded a new album late last year but release details are yet to be announced.

Lowery's resume includes stints with STUCK MOJO, SWITCHED, STEREOMUD, DARK NEW DAY and most recently EYE EMPIRE.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Massachusetts hard rockers GODSMACK have released the following statement:

"At the conclusion of Tuesday nights performance by GODSMACK in Montclair, New Jersey, just prior to the encore, [GODSMACK frontman] Sully [Erna] came off stage experiencing a shortness of breath and dizziness.

"Out of an abundance of caution, it was decided to have him be further evaluated by medical personnel off site and end the performance prior to the completion of the encore.

"GODSMACK regrets having to end their performance prior to the three-song encore, and hope that everyone will understand the reasoning for doing so given the situation.

"Sully had recently been battling a virus that likely contributed to the situation. Fortunately, he was evaluated and cleared to perform and is able to continue with the tour, including the show tonight in Rochester, New York.

"Thank you so much to those who reached out in concern and understanding."

GODSMACK's sixth studio album, "1000hp", sold approximately 58,000 copies in its first week of release to land at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 album chart. The disc, which arrived on August 5, 2014, followed up 2011's "The Oracle", which topped the chart with sales of 117,000 copies in its debut week.

Erna described the sound of the "1000hp" album to The Pulse Of Radio as "a little bit more raw, a little bit more open. The writing was a little freer. The production is really kind of raw and in your face, and the songs, man — I'm really, really excited about these songs. And I have to tell you honestly, I wasn't that excited about writing this record at first."

Finnish melodic metallers BURNING POINT, whose current lineup includes singer Nitte Vänskä (ex-BATTLE BEAST), will release their new, self-titled album on June 12 in Europe and July 7 in the U.S. via AFM Records. The CD includes five brand new songs and six re-recorded tracks from the band's first three albums.

Comments BURNING POINT guitarist Pete Ahonen: "It was clear from the start that we wanted this album to be the absolute best representation of the new improved lineup, as well as a breath of new life to some of the old BURNING POINT classics! This self-titled album is a perfect example of where we come from, where we are and to where we are heading to."

"Burning Point" track listing:

01. In The Shadows02. All The Madness (2015)03. Signs Of Danger (2015)04. Find Your Soul05. Heart Of Gold (2015)06. My Darkest Times07. Dawn Of The Ancient War (2015)08. Into The Fire (2015)09. Queen Of Fire10. Blackened The Sun (2015)11. I've Had Enough (Into The Fire) (KISS cover)

The official lyric video for the song "Find Your Soul" can be seen below. Also available is a snippet of a re-recorded version of the BURNING POINT track "All The Madness", featuring Nitte on vocals.

Ahonen, who had handled vocals and guitar for BURNING POINT since the band's inception, last year decided to step down from the singer position and continue playing guitar for the group.

Said Nitte in a statement: "These guys are awesome and the music, just great! I love all the BURNING POINT songs!

"I've been away from the world of heavy metal for a while now, but now with these guys, I am back!"

Vänskä quit BATTLE BEAST in August 2012 via an e-mail in which explained that she would focus on her family life. She has since been replaced by with Noora Louhimo.

Nitte rejoined BATTLE BEAST on stage on March 18 at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland to perform three songs: "Victory", "Show Me How To Die" and "Enter The Metal World".

BURNING POINT's last album, "The Ignitor", came out in June 2012 via Scarlet Records.

Frontiers Music Srl will release "American Trash", the new album from rock and roll veterans Jean Beauvoir and Micki Free, on June 3 in Europe and June 7 in North America.

The song "Shotgun To The Heart" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

Best known as the driving force behind the legendary CROWN OF THORNS self-titled debut album in 1994, Beauvoir and Free's collective credits read like a "who's-who" of rock, with a list of collaborations that includes the likes of the RAMONES, KISS, Debbie Harry, THE PRETENDERS, John Waite, Lionel Richie, N'SYNC, Billy Gibbons of ZZ TOP, Bill Wyman, Carlos Santana and Prince, to name but a few.

The duo both coincidentally moved back to Los Angeles in 2003 and reconnected. They discussed joining forces again for a new project and after a few shows in Europe in 2013, a deal with Frontiers was inked for a brand new album, which was recorded in 2014.

The result is "American Trash", an album that shaped up as "the continuation of the BEAUVOIR FREE sound as the writing team for the CROWN OF THORNS debut," explains Jean Beauvoir.

"When we write together, there really is this magic. We know we want killer guitar riffs and major melodic chorus... and this is what turns out in our songs, in BEAUVOIR FREE style."

All the new songs came out like "rocking babies" in the BEAUVOIR FREE fold. "And all represent the sound only Jean and I create together. The 'inimitable' sound of BEAUVOIR FREE," says Micki Free.

"We both feel this CD is some of the best work we have done, right up their next to the CROWN OF THORNS debut," adds Jean. "We want to get out on the road and bring it to the fans. We receive a lot of enquires of, 'When are you guys coming back out on tour?' and people telling us they can't wait to hear the new material. Frankly, we can't wait for our fans to hear 'American Trash' as well."

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for "American Trash" is available below.

"American Trash" track listing:

01. Angels Cry02. Morning After03. American Trash04. Whiplash05. Just Breathe06. Shotgun To The Heart07. Never Give Up08. Cold Dark December09. It's Never Too Late10. She's A K.O.11. There's No Starting Over

BEAUVOIR FREE is:

* Jean Beauvoir - lead vocals and background vocals, bass, rhythm guitar, drums, keyboards and orchestration* Micki Free - lead guitar, rhythm and acoustic guitar

Legendary blues artist B.B. King died at the age of 89 on Thursday night (May 14). King's lawyer reported that King passed away in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas, according to The Pulse Of Radio. He had long suffered from Type II diabetes and canceled a tour last October due to ill health. He never performed live again.

Known for classic songs like "The Thrill Is Gone", King was a touring artist for more than 50 years averaging 275 shows a year. He also released more than 50 albums since the 1940s, was inducted into both the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and the Blues Hall Of Fame, won 15 Grammy Awards — including a Lifetime Achievement Award — and was the recipient of Kennedy Center Honors from President Bill Clinton in 1995.

Ranked No. 6 on Rolling Stone's 2011 list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time, King influenced generations of blues and rock guitarists and was one of the biggest blues artists to cross over from regional success to mainstream and commercial fame within his own lifetime.

Born in Mississippi as Riley B. King on September 16, 1925, King worked in the cotton fields as an orphan before starting on the path that made him a living legend and a national treasure.

A two-minute documentary on BEHEMOTH's recent visit to the headquarters of the Polish brewery Perun can be seen below.

BEHEMOTH has collaborated with Perun on the band's own brand of beer, dubbed Sacrum. With 6.2 percent alcohol by volume, this Belgian IPA-style ale was made available on May 11.

A number of other bands have previously expanded their brands to include a signature beer. Among the most recent ones is MASTODON, who teamed up with Signature Brew in the U.K. to create Mastodon's Black Tongue, a brew that is an 8.3% double black IPA and was called Signature Brew's "biggest and most powerful creation to date."

IRON MAIDEN famously released its Trooper ale, with its malt flavor and citric notes with a subtle hint of lemon. AC/DC's beer was a German premium lager called Australian Hardrock, which promised to "fire up your tongue like TNT."

MOTÖRHEAD came out with Bastards lager, which was described as "a fruity beer with a wonderful character of light malt."

PEARL JAM's Faithfull Ale, whose release coincided with the 20th anniversary of the band, was a Belgian golden-style brew that came with 10 incremental additions of black currents.

SEPULTURA's signature Weizen beer contained "the aroma and flavors of banana and clove," while MUNICIPAL WASTE's Toxic Revolution was a signature oatmeal stout.

AMON AMARTH offered the honey and smoked malt Ragnarok Porter, while CORROSION OF CONFORMITY came out with Corrosion Of Conformity Imperial Porter, which is aged in a rum barrel while boasting a raisin base.

According to MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, his SIXX: A.M. band — which also features guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael — will enter the studio in late June to begin work on its fourth album, tentatively due in 2016.

SIXX: A.M.'s recently completed "Modern Vintage" tour included a limited number of dates all across North America. While on the road, the prolific band was in the process of writing music for its upcoming CD. To round out its live lineup, SIXX: A.M. added drummer Dustin Steinke of BLEEKER RIDGE into the mix for the tour, as well as backup singers Melissa Harding and Amber VanBuskirk.

Michael told Lithium Magazine about "Modern Vintage": "We think it's our best record so far, and the feedback has been really incredible, to be honest with you."

He continued: "When we put out the first single, 'Gotta Get It Right', it was a daring choice for us, because we had other songs on the album that were so much more what SIXX: A.M. fans are expecting. But because of how different this record is and how important it is to us, we wanted to put out a single that kind of set the stage for what is to come."

Michael added: "DJ and I got back from Europe [where] we were doing a bunch of press, and I was kind of blown away with how positive the reaction has been, because when you take risks like this, you fully expect to get some pushback. But it has been wonderful so far."

Sick Drummer Magazine has uploaded drum-cam footage of former SEPULTURA and current CAVALERA CONSPIRACY drummer Igor Cavalera playing the SEPULTURA classic "Territory" during CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's May 3 concert in San Francisco, California. Check it out below.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY has just completed a U.S. tour with support from DEATH ANGEL, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - BLIND (featuring Karl Agell, who sang on the classic CORROSION OF CONFORMITY [C.O.C.] album "Blind" [1991], and founding C.O.C. drummer Reed Mullin) and LODY KONG.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's third album, "Pandemonium", sold around 2,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 177 on The Billboard 200 chart.

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's previous CD, 2011's "Blunt Force Trauma" opened with around 5,000 units to land at No. 122.

The band's first CD, 2008's "Inflikted", registered a first-week tally of 9,000 copies to enter the chart at No. 72.

"Pandemonium" was produced by John Gray, who has previously worked with SOULFLY.

During an appearance on the "Metal Hammer" magazine show on TeamRock Radio, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY frontman Max Cavalera stated about "Pandemonium": "It's very, very heavy — the heaviest of all the three [CAVALERA CONSPIRACY albums]. I was really possessed to get Igor back to his 'Arise' [SEPULTURA] era of drumming, everything fast."

He added in a separate interview with HardRockHaven.net: "The CAVALERA album is really more about me and Igor, the brothers, thrashing. This one is almost grindcore. I was really a dictator in the studio with Igor to try to keep him from going into the groove and tried to keep him playing fast; I wanted him play fast for most of the record. So every time he'd go into the groove, I would be, like, 'Fuck the groove! Get out of the groove! Go back to the fast shit.' And I succeeded, man. It's a really brutal album. I think it's definitely the most brutal of all the CAVALERA albums and it's definitely gonna turn some heads."

Swedish female rockers CRUCIFIED BARBARA continue their worldwide takeover with the May 19 release of their new single, "Lunatic #1", taken from the band's latest album, "In the Red", available now on Despotz Records. The frantically paced track has an accompanying video, directed by Magnus Ewald, featuring the girls running through a pasture, intercut with live shots taken from a special performance for select fans at Stockholm's Stampen club. Check it out below.

Comments CRUCIFIED BARBARA frontwoman Mia Coldheart: "This is one of our favorite tracks on the album. It's fun and powerful to play live and brings energy to the crowd! The lyrics are about being in a team with someone special and together you become unstoppable — invincible!"

She continues: "'Lunatic' is named after one of the best show jumping horses in Sweden. I met his rider, Jens Fredricson, two years ago and he talked about how much you need to work and dedicate time to reach your goals and the top, and the inspiring meeting with him gave me the final strength and inspiration I needed to give 110% to finish the 'In The Red' album. I thought the name of his best team player would be perfect to name this song. Together, all of us in the band made our best album so far."

"In The Red" was released on September 15, 2014. The CD was recorded at Music A Matic studio in Gothenburg with producer Chips Kiesby and engineer Henryk Lip, and is the follow-up to 2012's "The Midnight Chase".

In a recent interview with Metal Underground, Mia stated about the new CD: "We have taken our songwriting to a higher level. We have worked harder on the grooves and vocal melodies this time."

She continued: "We never had any rules when writing our songs to force them in any directions or genres, and this time when we wrote during this concentrated period of time, we were a bit afraid that all songs would sound the same. But we worked really hard on each song and didn't leave it until we were really satisfied with it, and the result, I think, is our best album so far and full of songs with life of their own that don't sound the same at all."

A one-minute clip of KORN singer Jonathan Davis in the studio laying down a new song called "Can You Hear Me", which he composed using the Zen Studio from Antelope Audio, can be seen below. Jonathan loves the sound of the mic preamps and the monitoring quality of the Zen and the fact he can bring it on tour and record excellent-sounding tracks anywhere he goes.

Jonathan and the rest of KORN have been Antelope fans since the early days of the company and have often given Antelope incredible backstage and behind-the-scenes access and interviews.

This new song preview is another incredible way Jonathan has shown how much he appreciates the gear that Antelope builds.

Hanging with Davis in the studio are Sluggo from Killbot, Eric Racy and Marcel James.

The video was produced by Steve Oropeza for Antelope Audio using all GoPro Hero4 cameras.

Las Vegas-based metallers FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH have chosen "Jekyll And Hyde" as the first single from their forthcoming sixth studio album, "Got Your Six", tentatively due at the end of the summer. An official release date for the single has not yet been announced, but the track is expected to arrive at radio soon. An audio sample of another song, "Ain't My Last Dance", taken from the record, was posted online earlier in the month.

"Got Your Six" was once again helmed by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter who currently lives in Las Vegas, where he works out of his private studio, The Hideout Recording Studio.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer spoke about the band's new material in a recent interview, saying, "I'm digging it, man. It's actually more brutal, with more extreme dynamics. There are some really mellow parts and then some really brutal parts. So we're running the whole gamut of sounds."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH released its last effort, "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell", in two parts, with the first arriving in July 2013 and the second following in November 2013.

As previously reported, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and PAPA ROACH will head out on the road together this fall. Support on the trek will come from IN THIS MOMENT and FROM ASHES TO NEW.

Fan-filmed video footage of legendary hard rock singer Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) performing several RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE classics on April 23 at On The Rocks in Helsinki, Finland can be seen in the playlist below (note: the playlist consists of 12 clips).

Joe Lynn Turner recently claimed that his long-awaited reunion with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore will finally take place this year — even though previous attempts to bring the two back together were unsuccessful.

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

Speaking after his solo show in London, the singer told Classic Rock magazine: "[Ritchie is] itching to do some rocking, and we're going to get together in the fall.

"Ritchie is really, really ready to rock. He still has the chops, too."

He continued: "I'm not sure if it's going to be a RAINBOW reunion, or a bunch of remakes — which I detest, because you can't improve on perfection. But that's what's happening."

According to Turner, previous attempts to put RAINBOW back together fell apart because Blackmore wanted to focus on his band BLACKMORE'S NIGHT, which is fronted by the guitarist's wife, Candice Night.

"We had multi-million dollar deals set up with Live Nation," Joe recalled. "A 60-day tour to start with, HD 3D movie, everything — and then he had to finish [a BLACKMORE'S NIGHT] album."

After Blackmore's final departure from DEEP PURPLE in 1993, he resurrected RAINBOW before focusing exclusively on BLACKMORE'S NIGHT.

Unique Leader Records confirms July 24th as the ominous date French death metal legion, Kronos, will drop their Arisen New Era long player upon the masses. Recorded, mixed and mastered by David Potvin at Dome Studios (Lyzanxia, Arcania, Under The Abyss) in Angers, France, the band's latest slab of audio menace features nine scalding tracks of unrelenting barbarity adorned in the distinctive cover art of Pierre Alain (Withering Soul, Silentlie, Cyrax).

A name derived from the Greek God of Time, Kronos (or Cronus), father of Zeus, Kronos was forged over 15 years ago and quickly established a name for themselves based solely on their musical unity of harmony and violence. Featuring a continuous textual reference to the gods of ancient civilizations, Kronos punctures ears with a heightened level of dynamics. Now that this Gallic Titan has blossomed into a powerful entity, they're ready to vanquish and destroy the world with musical bloodlust and the diabolic wares of Arisen New Era.

Arisen New Era tracklisting:

"Infernal Abyss Sovereignty"
"Zeus Dethroned"
"Soul-Voracious Vultures"
"Rapture In Misery"
"Klymenos Underwrath"
"Aeons Titan Crown"
"Brotherlords"
"Purity Slaughtered"
"Hellysium"

 

Pacific Northwest atmospheric death/doom alchemists Atriarch have unleashed the video accompaniment to the suffering sounds of "Bereavement". The crushing psalm comes by way of the band's An Unending Pathway full-length, released last year via Relapse. Check out the video below.

Atriarch kicks off a set of four dates Stateside beginning tonight, May 14th; complete details are as listed.

May
14 - Complex - Glendale, CA        
15 - Psycho California - Santa Ana, CA     
16 - Metro - Oakland, CA        
22 - Dantes - Portland, OR

 

 

 

 

 

Denver misery makers Primitive Man, fresh off a mammoth European live takeover, are pleased to bring the frowns with the twisted visual companion to their track “Loathe”. The filth-ridden number comes by way of the trio’s Home Is Where The Hatred Is EP, released via Relapse Records earlier this year. View the uncensored, NSFW clip below.

Directed by Marcos Morales and Neil Barrett, and produced by vocalist/guitarist Ethan McCarthy and Jonathan Campos at Dirty City Studios, the marathon, near-twelve-minute video for "Loathe" is fittingly dark, dismal and rampantly disturbing. Embracing violence, hopelessness, drug abuse, disease, destitution and all-purpose self-destruction, "Loathe" drags its viewers to the darkest bowels of human existence.

Primitive Man is set to embark on a brutal slab of summer tour dates across North America. The live assaults kick off May 16th in Omaha, NE and continue all the way through August 21st in Billings, MT, and feature acts like Wake, Celeste, Opium Lord, and Northless along the way. Confirmed shows are as listed:

May
16 - Sweatshop Gallery - Omaha, NE       
17 - The Black Hole - Cedar Falls, IA        
18 - Skeletunes Lounge - Fort Wayne, IN      
19 - The Sanctuary - Detroit, MI        
20 - Now That’s Class - Cleveland, OH        
21 - Maryland Deathfest XIII - Baltimore, MD   
25 - Union Arts DC - Washington, DC       
26 - Strange Matter - Richmond, VA       
27 - JJ’s Bohemia - Chattanooga, TN       
28 - The Demo - St Louis, MO    
30 - Flux Capacitor - Colorado Springs, CO       

June
17 - Total Drag Records - Sioux Falls, SD         
18 - Hexagon - Minneapolis, MN        
19 - Club Garabaldi’s - Milwaukee, WI       
20 - Live Wire - Chicago, IL        
21 - Death House - Grand Rapids, MI         
22 - Mr. Roboto Project - Pittsburgh, PA        
23 - Good Weekend - Allentown, PA        
24 - Sidebar - Baltimore, MD        
25 - The Maywood - Raleigh, NC        
26 - New Brookland Tavern - West Columbia, SC        
27 - Uncle Lou’s - Orlando, FL        
28 - Churchill’s - Miami, FL       
29 - Epic Problem - Tampa, FL      
30 - 529 - Atlanta, GA       
 
July
1 - The Stone Fox - Nashville, TN    
2 - El Torreon - Kansas City, MO      
3 - South LuLu Temple of Doom - Wichita, KS       
4 - Glob - Denver, CO       
7 - Coalition - Toronto, ON 
16 - Louie's Trophy House - Kalamazoo, MI        
17 - Coalition - Toronto, ON        
18 - Le Ritz PBD - Montreal, QC         
19 - Middle East - Boston, MA     
20 - Funky Jungle - Providence, RI       
21 - Sinclair's - West Babylon, NY       
22 - Bar - New Haven, CT       
23 - St. Vitus - Brooklyn, NY         
24 - Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA      
25 - Ace Of Cups - Columbus, OH       
26 - Jackpot Music Hall - Lawrence, KS       
28 - Sisters In Christ - New Orleans, LA       
29 - Walters Downtown - Houston, TX       
31 - Lost Well - Austin, TX        

August
1 - Club Dada - Dallas, TX      
9 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM       
10 - Fly Catcher - Tucson, AZ       
11 - Mods Bar & Venue - Tijuana, Mexico      
12 - 5 Star Bar - Los Angeles, CA       
13 - Hemlock Tavern - San Francisco, CA        
14 - Deadfest - Oakland, CA     
16 - Starlite - Sacramento, CA  
18 - Rotture - Portland, OR      
19 - Obsidian - Olympia, WA       
20 - Highline - Seattle, WA       
21 - Black Sparrow Tattoo - Billings, MT       

 

 

 

 

The Associated Press is reporting that blues legend B.B. King has died in Las Vegas at age 89. This according to King's lawyer.

Attorney Brent Bryson tells The Associated Press that King died peacefully in his sleep at 9:40 p.m. PDT Thursday, May 14th at his home in Las Vegas, NV.

The one-time farmhand brought new fans to the blues and influenced a generation of musicians with his heartfelt vocals and soaring guitar on songs such as "The Thrill Is Gone".

King sold millions of records worldwide and was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame and the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

King played a Gibson guitar that he affectionately called Lucille and was not only the undisputed king of the blues but a mentor to scores of guitarists including Eric Clapton.

He was awarded his 15th Grammy in 2009 in the traditional blues album category for One Kind Favor.

MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil recently spoke to Vegas2la 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.

"We wanted to go out on top," he said. "We wanted to do it our way. We don't want to be the band where all [the original] members aren't in the band anymore. So people can say this was the only MÖTLEY CRÜE. It wasn't just some rendition of it."

He continued: "35 years later, we can still sell out arenas and the big outdoor places. Our fans are not just the ones who grew up with us. It's their kids and their grandkids. There are 12-year-old kids with 'Shout At The Devil' shirts on just screaming their heads off and dads with five-year-olds on their shoulders. We've been multigenerational and that's what's kept us alive."

Neil, however, clarified that MÖTLEY CRÜE isn't calling it quits completely and will continue to exist as a band and as a business. The group might even record new music for possible inclusion in commercials or movies.

"I doubt if we'll ever do another album together [because] then you have to tour it," he said. "There will be occasional songs now and then."

Vince also ruled out the possibility of MÖTLEY CRÜE doing a third Las Vegas residency at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino after two successful runs in 2012 and 2013.

"There will never be another residency," Neil said. "The last one was it. The door isn't really open. The only time we would play again would be if we got in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and played together."

Slash — the iconic American rock guitarist, songwriter and film producer — spoke to RollingStone.com about the inspiration for his new song and video, "Beneath The Savage Sun". Check out the chat below. Slash has partnered with International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) to raise awareness of the slaughter of elephants which is leading to their early extinction.

The U.S.-based charity IFAW works around the world on every aspect of the elephant crisis-on the front lines to stop the killing of elephants, in transit countries to stop the trafficking of ivory and in consumer countries to stop the demand for ivory products. While on tour in South Africa, Slash and the lead singer of his band, Myles Kennedy, witnessed the devastation of the elephants first-hand and knew they had to act.

"Myles and I went to South Africa a couple of years ago to do some shows and ended up spending roughly the better part of maybe two weeks there," Slash said. "We did a lot going out and seeing a lot of wildlife and whatnot. And when you're there, you get a real feel for how majestic the elephants are and then you learn about the details of what's going on with the poaching there. So [Myles] wrote some really poignant lyrics, written from the elephant's point of view about the death of one of his own comrades. And so when we got back to Los Angeles, we got together and came up with this song, and I thought it would be really great if we could put the music to footage of what's happening with the elephants currently and try and help to raise more awareness — especially in the U.S., but, I mean, globally. 'Cause I don't think a lot of people really know what's going on. I think a lot of people don't know that every time they purchase anything that has even a smidgen of ivory in it, it comes from a dead elephant; that's how they get it. And I think if people were more aware of that, it would have a dramatic effect on the whole ivory trade, because we're one of the biggest ivory customers on the planet."

IFAW's CEO Azzedine Downes expressed gratitude to Slash and Myles Kennedy for calling attention to the current elephant poaching crisis, "To save elephants from this senseless slaughter, we need everyone to stand up and demand stronger protection and we need to help fund action on the ground in Africa and Asia. We are grateful to Slash, Myles Kennedy and THE CONSPIRATORS for reaching out to their fans to share this important message." Slash and his band FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS are currently in the midst of a U.S. headlining tour. The month-long trek — encompassing headlining shows and festival appearances — is the first solo trek supporting the group's acclaimed studio album, "World On Fire", which is Slash's third straight solo album to debut in the Top Ten in the U.S and the second album with his official band THE CONSPIRATORS which features Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass) and Frank Sidoris (touring guitarist).

Taylor Phelps of Ghost Cult Magazine recently conducted an interview with KAMELOT guitarist and founder Thomas Youngblood. You can now watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the new KAMELOT album, "Haven":

"It's got the KAMELOT DNA that everyone expects but we have new elements; we have industrial elements in it, folk... modern metal. [It contains] some of our heaviest songs but also some of our most lush ballads as well. So it's got everything that metal fans love, but also people that like music in general. We really try to just make good songs."

On which other guest musicians he would love to collaborate with in the future:

"I wouldn't mind having, like, Lzzy Hale [HALESTORM] maybe as a guest. What's the girl that plays violin? I can't remember her name… Lindsey Stirling. Somebody that's a little bit ourside of the metal genre in a way, slightly different."

On how KAMELOT's new deal with Napalm Records affects the band's company, Kamelot Music LLC:

"Kamelot Music LLC is still there. We license our songs through that company to Napalm or King Records in Japan. So it's a ilicensing deal, but essentially we're on that label and they're working their ass off on the album, which has been great. Yeah, it's one of those things. We were fortunate to have a couple of labels sort of fighting for the band, and, in the end, Napalm, in our opinion, was the right fit… based on a lot of different criteria."

On whether KAMELOT has any plans to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the band's debut album, "Eternity":

"I'm just happy that we're still doing this. I don't really think too much about… I'm not a nostalgic kind of guy too much. I'm always focused, looking forward, having goals… It's always great, though, to think about… I think back… I can remember like it was yesterday signing the record deal, going into the studio, the first touring… all that stuff. But I don't know… I think one of the reasons why KAMELOT's still relevant is because we always try to evolve with each record and looking forward and not looking too much in the past. We've had some personnel changes, which I think also makes it a little bit more difficult to kind of, like, go, 'Oh, yeah, let's do redo an album,' for example, or something. But it's fine. Time's flying. We're still doing this, and it's great."

"Haven" was made available on May 5 in North America and May 8 in the rest of the world (excluding Asia) via Napalm Records as part of an exclusive licensing deal through the band's Kamelot Music LLC.

Produced by Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen, "Haven" is a massive album that is sure to please critics and fans alike. Guest musicians on the CD include Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Troy Donockley (NIGHTWISH) and Charlotte Wessels (DELAIN). The breathtaking cover and artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann and additional art/layout was done by Gustavo Sazes.

In a brand new interview with BurningAmbulance.com, Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, SEPULTURA, KILLER BE KILLED, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY) was asked what it's like being on labels like Nuclear Blast (with SOULFLY and KILLER BE KILLED) and Napalm (with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY) after spending more than two decades as a Roadrunner recording artist.

"I think it's cool to have SOULFLY on Nuclear Blast and CAVALERA on Napalm," Max said. "They might be the two strongest metal labels around, you know, and it's good to be there."

He continued: "As far as being on a label like Nuclear Blast today, it's great, because it reminds me of the Roadrunner of the '90s that I loved when I was in SEPULTURA. That was a metal label that loved metal. Unfortunately, that was not the case anymore in the end, and that's why I left. I'm just happy to be back with a label that gets excited for my music. Because Nuclear Blast, they get excited when they hear there's a new SOULFLY record coming out, there's a KILLER BE KILLED album being made. They get excited, like fans. That's a huge difference, and I love being with a label that has that. That's what made me go to Nuclear Blast and Napalm Records."

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY's third album, "Pandemonium", sold around 2,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 177 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Nuclear Blast Entertainment has set an August 14 North American release date for "Archangel", the tenth studio album from SOULFLY. The CD was produced by Matt Hyde, who has previously worked with SLAYER and CHILDREN OF BODOM.

SOULFLY will embark on a North American headlining tour at the end of September. Joining them on this epic campaign are Swedish melodic death metal visionaries SOILWORK, Polish technical death metallers DECAPITATED, and hot newcomers SHATTERED SUN.

Australian blog MAX TV has pointed out similarities between the GUNS N' ROSES classic song "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Unpublished Critics", a song by the Australian band AUSTRALIAN CRAWL.

"Unpublished Critics", which was released in 1981 — six years before "Sweet Child O' Mine" — contains "the same chugging chord progression, a similarly-sweeping lead break, the verse melody, and the elongated one-syllable vocal in the chorus," according to the site.

James Reyne, a member of AUSTRALIAN CRAWL, says that he has no intentions of taking GUNS N' ROSES to court over the matter.

"It is not inconceivable that there are similarities between the two songs. It's also not inconceivable that there may be vaguely legs in something," he explained to Daily Mail. "It's also not inconceivable that when they came out they were quite open in interviews that they liked a lot of Australian bands. It's also not inconceivable that they wouldn't have been aware of certain Australian songs. God forbid I had an active publishing company and they investigated the possibility."

But he added: "I'm not about to take on the might of the GUNS N' ROSES lawyers."

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash told a Cincinnati radio station last year that he wasn't a fan at first of "Sweet Child O' Mine". He explained, "I didn't hate it, but I wasn't fond of 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. And that gives you a good idea of how credible my opinion is. The actual riff itself I love, but the song itself…"

Slash added: "GUNS N' ROSES was always a real hardcore sort of AC/DC kind of hard rock band with a lot of attitude. If we did any kind of ballads, it was bluesy. This was an uptempo ballad. That's one of the gayest things you can write… It's a great song — I'm not knocking it — but at the same time, it just did not fit in with the rest of our, sort of, schtick. And, of course, it would be the biggest hit we ever had."

"Sweet Child O' Mine" eventually hit No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart and helped propel "Appetite For Destruction" to sales of millions of copies.

In addition to being the biggest hit from that album, "Sweet Child O' Mine" has been covered by artists ranging from Sheryl Crow to Luna.

Slash was asked in a U.K. interview to name the most lucrative song he ever wrote. He replied, "I'd guess 'Sweet Child O' Mine', because it's the most covered."

On May 9th, Sepultura performed at the Rock In Rio USA in Las Vegas, NV. During their set the band was joined by guitar legend Steve Vai. Pro-shot footage of the performance is available below.

Vai has since checked in with the following messsage:

"I had the biggest blast this weekend performing with Sepultura at Rock In Rio. The whole event was just magical and Sepultura was firing on all cylinders. Great group of guys and killer band. Also got to hang and chat with Stephen from Deftones, one of my favorite heavy bands."

Vai Academy 2015 - All About The Guitar, the ultimate guitar experience music camp, will be held in Vail, Colorado August 2nd - 6th.

The immersive 4-day experience features master classes by Vai, and very special guests Eric Johnson and Sonny Landreth. This is a hands-on education in all things guitar, featuring informative sessions, evening jams with the students/teachers, informal chats, food and friends. For complete information, to reserve your spot visit VaiAcademy.com.

Vai's recent Musicians Institute interview is available below. He discusses the perils of ego, the addiction of monogamy and why he always avoids drugs. He also shares some inspiring insight into his creativity and playing, discusses touring, what he looks for in bandmates, composing for orchestras, and playing with Zappa back in the day.

MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee has collaborated with Australian bass music DJ/producer Nick Thayer on a new single, titled "Fly Shit", which is due out May 19. A video for the track was filmed in February in Tokyo, Japan.

Thayer told Australia's The Music that he first heard from Lee while at an airport chatting with his wife. Thayer said: "I'm like, 'I just got an e-mail from Tommy Lee!' He said, 'I very much like your music — I'm playing it in my DJ sets.' I thought, 'That's awesome.' So I replied back and I said, 'I very much also like your music.'"

Regarding the arrival of the "Fly Shit" single, Thayer told The Music: "We're releasing it right when MÖTLEY CRÜE are touring Australia and capitalizing on all of that, if we can."

Asked if he's always been into electronic music, Lee said in a 2011 interview: "I'm a drummer, so I've been into pretty much anything with electronic beats for forever, it seems like. Professionally, I met [DJ] Aero in 2000, and in 2004 we started going out as a team and doing what we do."

He added: "Aero and I are a team, so you got two guys up there that are bringing all of it live. We're not just your 'press play' DJs. A lot of the stuff is getting mixed on the fly with live drumbeats and live visuals. It's not your typical DJ set."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's "The Final Tour" 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.

Lee — who has recorded two solo albums, as well as two with his side band METHODS OF MAYHEM — spoke to Yahoo! Music about his plans for after "The Final Tour" wraps at the end of the year. He said: "Now that I look back, doing solo projects and other albums has been a waste of fucking time. Yeah, they're kind of fun, you get your ya-yas out, but the second you try to support something like that, the mothership calls and you gotta go. We've put a lot of passion and energy into some of those things and sometimes you go, 'Hmm, for what?' But once this thing ends, we're probably going to get involved in all kinds of crazy stuff. And the doors are always open for us to work with whoever we want."

Asked what he will do post-MÖTLEY, Lee told Newsday: "I can't talk about it, but I am writing and putting things aside. It's a different direction from my last solo work because I'm changing around all the components. It won't be something you've heard or seen before. Believe me, I'm not done after this."

In a brand new interview with RollingStone.com, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine spoke about his attempt to reunite the band's "Rust In Peace"-era lineup, with Marty Friedman and Nick Menza, following last year's departures of Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover.

"Contrary to all the scuttlebutt that's going around, I wish those guys the best," Mustaine said. "But their recollections of the events that led up to it and happened after are considerably different from my recollection. But here's the thing — a lot of people, they either love or hate me. If I tell anybody what happened, it's not gonna change the way they feel about me. But it'll probably change the way they feel about them. And I don't want to hurt anybody. All I can say I think they're both tremendous musicians and talented guys.

Asked if this year's NAMM show in Anaheim, California marked the first time the four of them — Mustaine, Friedman, Menza and bassist David Ellefson — had actually sat down in a room together since the initial dissolution of that lineup some 15 years ago, Mustaine responded: "I think so. After my arm was injured in 2001, if you remember at that time, we had Al Pitrelli playing guitar with us, because Marty had had a nervous breakdown and had left the band. Then my arm got hurt and I said, 'Look, I'm done.' I didn't touch a guitar for 17 months. My arm was so damaged I couldn't even hold a cigarette. But when I decided to come out of retirement, I did reach out to David and Marty and Nick and talked to all of them about doing this again. But it just wasn't meant to happen. I think there was so much bitterness because of the people that were managing us at the time. If you poison the well you can't expect there to be an area of clean water anywhere. Everyone gets poisoned. Everyone was upset and they looked to me to blame. And I am responsible for a lot of the decisions that we make."

Mustaine also spoke about his decision to enlist LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler to play on the new MEGADETH album, which is currently being recorded in Nashville, Tennessee. He said: "Our hopes were to have a permanent drummer, but the option to do a record with Chris was really exciting to me. So I thought, 'Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. We'll figure out what we're gonna do about live shows, who's gonna take the drum throne.' And we've looked at a lot of people. I talked with my friend [ex-DREAM THEATER drummer] Mike Portnoy, who I think is an amazing talent. I talked to [ex-SLAYER drummer] Dave Lombardo. [Current DREAM THEATER drummer] Mike Mangini's name has come up. But there was just something telling me to pause, saying, 'Really think about who you're gonna play with, Mustaine. Make sure you're going to do something that's really going to excite people and that is not predictable.' But we do have some live shows coming up and we have a drummer committed to our dates so far this year."

He continued: "But one of the things that was great about having Chris come in was he's been a fan for 30 years and he was able to say, 'Well, this is the stuff I like about my MEGADETH.' And it was 'OK, cool.' Because, you know, when we started we were a thrash and speed metal outfit, and as we got more successful and got more critical acclaim melody seeped in. I've always had a melodic content to my songs — it's kind of an innate thing from being brought up with three sisters who listened to Motown. But I think that being forced toward the end of our tenure with Capitol to try and become an alternative band, it muddied the water. And we did turn ourselves inside out a lot during the later Nineties and early part of the 2000s."

Read the entire interview at RollingStone.com.

Menza recently revealed that he was involved in discussions with MEGADETH about rejoining the band following the departure of Drover. Nick told the "The Sick Room" podcast: "I went out there [to Dave Mustaine's studio] and jammed with [Mustaine and David Ellefson]. We played for, like, a weekend — like, three days — and on the third day, we were working on new songs. And everything was cool. They were telling me, 'You're back in the band. We'll do a press release.' And I'm, like, 'I don't wanna say anything until I have an agreement, a contract in writing of what's gonna happen.' And then they send me this ridiculous proposal stating that, 'You're not gonna paid anything until the touring starts.' So, basically, I was gonna work for nothing, doing the record. Which I was still kind of ready to bend in that direction anyway. But I'm, like, 'You know what?! I'm not gonna break or sell myself short with something that's gonna be huge. They've gotta realize the longevity of it.' And then they were kind of coming back at me the same way. So the whole thing was silly. I didn't even get a chance to negotiate with them about anything. They just put it off and said, 'That's it.' And I couldn't get hold of anybody."

He added: "Believe me, I wish I was doing it, but, hey, it's not meant to be, obviously."

Drover quit MEGADETH last November "to pursue [his] own musical interests."

MEGADETH's next album will be the band's first to feature Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA.

Anders Fridén (vocals), Björn Gelotte (guitar) and Niclas Engelin (guitar) of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES recently took part in an interview and acoustic performance at iRockRadio's Studio 64. Check out video footage of their appearance below.

IN FLAMES' latest album, "Siren Charms", sold around 9,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 26 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Siren Charms" was released in the U.S. on September 9, 2014 via Sony/RED. The CD was recorded at Hansa Tonstudios (DAVID BOWIE, DEPECHE MODE, U2) in Berlin, Germany. The cover artwork was created by Blake Armstrong of Space Boy Comics.

In a recent interview with Pop Culture Madness, Gelotte talked about the fan reaction to "Siren Charms". He said: "I would sound unappreciative if I said [the response has been] the same [as what] the reaction has been for us the last fifteen years almost. We kind of divide our audience every record we do. It's not an intentional thing. It's just that we wanna make our music interesting for us. And we decided early on that we can't cater to any one audience, because you will always be a step behind. It's better to just enjoy what you're doing and try to challenge yourself a bit. And, in my opinion, if you do the music you wanna hear yourself, it's easier to stand on stage playing it. You do a record once, but I'm gonna play a couple of thousand more live show. So, for me, it's important to like what I play."

According to Björn, he doesn't begrudge any of the IN FLAMES fans for not always embracing the musical shifts and turns that the band has taken over the years.

"I can appreciate [why they wouldn't always be completely into it] and I can understand the fact," he said. "I can be the same way — only I don't go on the Internet and scream about it. But certain bands, they have an evolution that I might not dig that much, but that's just the way it is. And I see it from the band point of view and the songwriter point of view, I totally understand why. I might not like the direction, [but] that's not my choice. I just choose to listen to something else then. It's very simple."

IN FLAMES filmed a new concert DVD/Blu-ray on November 6, 2014 at Hovet in Stockholm and November 7, 2014 at Scandinavium in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Former GUNS N' ROSES members Duff McKagan (bass) and Gilby Clarke (guitar) have both commented on speculation that GN'R might have taken inspiration from an Australian band while composing its biggest hit, "Sweet Child O' Mine".

Australian blog MAX TV recently pointed out similarities between "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Unpublished Critics", a song by AUSTRALIAN CRAWL.

"Unpublished Critics", which was released in 1981 — six years before "Sweet Child O' Mine" — contains "the same chugging chord progression, a similarly sweeping lead break, the verse melody, and the elongated one-syllable vocal in the chorus," according to the site.

During an appearance on the "Opie Radio" talk show, McKagan stated about the comparison between the two songs: "Any bands I've been in, you do the smell check. You always run into [the Tom Petty song] 'Free Fallin''. 'Oh, man, that's 'Free Fallin''.' It's always some Tom Petty song, right?! He's the master… Anything [with only] three chords… 'Oh, crap.' It's a [THE ROLLING] STONES song or a Tom Petty [track]… But that band, GUNS, at that point, we would have… We were striving to be so original and different and do our own thing, there's just no way; we would have referenced anything… So if there's any similarity, it's complete happenstance."

Clarke echoed McKagan's sentiments while talking to Andy Preston from 98.7 The Gater in West Palm Beach, Florida on Wednesday (May 13). He said: "You know what?! I honesty don't know. I mean, obviously, when I heard them play [the songs back to back], it's definitely a 'wow,' but I don't think there's any connection. In all honesty, there isn't a connection. This band was always about being original, being the first, and not taking no crap from nobody, so it's really not in the DNA to be a part of something like that, I think."

He continued: "Look, there's only 12 notes out there — we haven't been able to create any new ones in this fifty-plus years of rock and roll. And a couple of notes are gonna go together the same on a couple of bands."

James Reyne, a member of AUSTRALIAN CRAWL, said that he had no intentions of taking GUNS N' ROSES to court over the matter.

"It is not inconceivable that there are similarities between the two songs. It's also not inconceivable that there may be vaguely legs in something," he explained to Daily Mail. "It's also not inconceivable that when they came out they were quite open in interviews that they liked a lot of Australian bands. It's also not inconceivable that they wouldn't have been aware of certain Australian songs. God forbid I had an active publishing company and they investigated the possibility."

But he added: "I'm not about to take on the might of the GUNS N' ROSES lawyers."

Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash told a Cincinnati radio station last year that he wasn't a fan at first of "Sweet Child O' Mine". He explained, "I didn't hate it, but I wasn't fond of 'Sweet Child O' Mine'. And that gives you a good idea of how credible my opinion is. The actual riff itself I love, but the song itself…"

Slash added: "GUNS N' ROSES was always a real hardcore sort of AC/DC kind of hard rock band with a lot of attitude. If we did any kind of ballads, it was bluesy. This was an uptempo ballad. That's one of the gayest things you can write… It's a great song — I'm not knocking it — but at the same time, it just did not fit in with the rest of our, sort of, schtick. And, of course, it would be the biggest hit we ever had."

"Sweet Child O' Mine" eventually hit No. 1 on the Billboard singles chart and helped propel "Appetite For Destruction" to sales of millions of copies.

In addition to being the biggest hit from that album, "Sweet Child O' Mine" has been covered by artists ranging from Sheryl Crow to Luna.

Slash was asked in a U.K. interview to name the most lucrative song he ever wrote. He replied, "I'd guess 'Sweet Child O' Mine', because it's the most covered."