In a brand new interview with HNGN.com, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale was asked if she feels there is a double standard with there being many "Hottest Girls Of Rock"-type lists while we don't see a lot of similar lists featuring men.

"You might be talking to the wrong girl, but I grew up with my parents' music, so I grew up with a lot of '70s, '80s hard rock and metal and would end up getting these, like, old prints and old magazines, videos — this is during the '90s — from my parents' friends and people that I kind of reached out to in Pennsylvania," she said. "I loved bands like CINDERELLA and I loved VAN HALEN and BLACK SABBATH and DIO and all that stuff… THIN LIZZY, ALICE COOPER… The list goes on.

She continued: "Really, my view of this has always been that sex and rock 'n' roll go hand in hand, because, really, if you think about the '80s, there was a whole lot of guys that had the magazine cover or the poster of them like with half their shirt ripped and stuff, so that definitely had its place. I think it's just a generational thing right now, where the guys are a little shy and don't necessarily want to take their shirts off, but ya know, it'll get there. [Laughs]"

Hale added: "Maybe some of my peers will disagree with me, but, really, like I said, sex and rock 'n' roll go hand in hand, and that's a personal preference for you. No one has ever come up to me, thankfully — and that's probably because of our 'foremothers' of rock 'n' roll had to go through a lot of crap so I could have it easy — but I've never actually been approached in any photo shoot; not by label, not by management. No one has ever been, like, 'Hey, can you like dress sexier, or can you like go without the shirt for this?' Anything I have done has been purely because I wanted to do it. So I feel lucky being that way, but my rule is it can't start and end with just the high skirts and the high heels. You have to have something to back it up.

"Again, my encouragement to anybody is do what you want to do, but if you're going to be in music, don't just be the long legs. [Laughs] Make sure that you work very hard at your instrument and your band."

HALESTORM's third album, "Into The Wild Life", follows up 2012's "The Strange Case Of…" and is already being described as the band most diverse and adventurous record yet.

In addition to its Grammy win, HALESTORM is the first female-fronted rock band to lodge three consecutive No. 1 tracks at the top of the rock radio chart.

The Wagnerian opera metal project Lyraka has announced the recruitment of Bulgarian metal goddess Maria Diese for Lyraka Volume 2. Maria is best known for being the guiding force behind the power metal band Rampart, as well as having been enlisted in the upcoming Vivaldi Four Seasons metal project.

The announcement includes these words from composer-guitarist Andy DiGelsomina: "Maria Diese is a fascinating contralto with an immense amount of talent and skill. She is a perfect addition to our operatic metal world, and we are more than confident she will be sensational portraying her character."

Lyraka Volume 2 is scheduled for release in January, 2016.  

 

 

For more info visit this location.

 

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.

"This is a great package and brutal lineup," said SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera. "I personally am a fan of all these bands and it's an honor to have them touring with us! See you in the pit!"

"We Sold Our Souls To Metal" tour featuring SOULFLY, SOILWORK, DECAPITATED, SHATTERED SUN:

Sep. 30 - Los Angeles, CA - Fonda TheaterOct. 01 - San Francisco, CA - Regency BallroomOct. 02 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne TheaterOct. 03 - Seattle, WA - Studio SevenOct. 04 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw TheatreOct. 06 - Kelowna, BC - Level NightclubOct. 07 - Edmonton, AB - Starlite RoomOct. 08 - Saskatoon, SK - O'Brian's Event CentreOct. 09 - Winnipeg, MB - Park TheatreOct. 10 - Minneapolis, MN - AmsterdamOct. 11 - Joliet, IL - MojoesOct. 12 - Des Moines, IA - Val Air BallroomOct. 13 - Cleveland, OH - Agora TheaterOct. 14 - Toronto, ON - Opera HouseOct. 15 - Montreal, QC - Corona TheaterOct. 18 - Columbus, OH - Northland Performing Arts CenterOct. 19 - Pontiac, MI - Crofoot BallroomOct. 20 - New York, NY - Gramercy TheaterOct. 21 - Baltimore, MD - OttobarOct. 22 - Knoxville, TN - The InternationalOct. 23 - Atlanta, GA - MasqueradeOct. 24 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Culture RoomOct. 25 - St Petersburg, FL - State TheaterOct. 27 - Houston, TX - Scout BarOct. 28 - Austin, TX - Empire Control RoomOct. 29 - Dallas, TX - Gas MonkeyOct. 30 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater

Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, May 8 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Meet-and-greet packages will be made available as well.

For more information and tickets, visit www.soulfly.com.

Speaking about "Archangel", Max told Groovey.TV: "[It's a] really cool record. [It's] very exotic, mystic, really biblical. [It's] very, very heavy again. It's very influenced by the stuff I listen to right now — 1349 and BELPHEGOR, BEHEMOTH… I've been listening to a lot of death metal. Don't ask me why. I don't know why. I just fucking love the extremity of it. So, yeah, it's gonna be a really cool record. It's our tenth record. And I'm very excited for this album. And then I will tour for 'Archangel' probably for the next year and a half, two years, non-stop."

In a separate interview with Metal Wani, Max stated about SOULFLY's upcoming CD: "It's an interesting record. It's one of those [records] that come out once in a lifetime, an album like that comes out — really crazy sounds and very different dimensions. It's more experimental than the other stuff. It's still heavy as hell, and it's still fast. And Zyon's [Cavalera, Max's son] playing drums on it. He's actually playing really good. He reminds me of a young Dave Lombardo [SLAYER]. The fills that he's doing [are] really amazing; he surprised everybody in the studio. Matt Hyde is producing; he worked with SLAYER before. So it's really cool; a really good team."

Max also talked about the new SOULFLY song "We Sold Our Souls To Metal", which he previously described as a "metal anthem." Asked about the mindset that is required to write a track like that, Max said: "It just happens. You can't explain it. It's one of those things… [When] you play it, it has an instant reaction on the listener."

He continued: "I was very curious about that, so I was playing around with the song, playing it for people, to see what kind of reaction it gets. And almost everybody, the reaction was, like, 'This is so crazy. I can't wait 'till you guys play this live.' It's got this kind of New York hardcore chant that we do in the chorus — like, gang vocals. It's really, really fun, and everybody gets to sing together. That's why I was thinking that it's gonna become an anthem — the chorus, all the fans are gonna sing it together, and it's saying something. 'Cause, 'we sold our souls to metal,' I think every metalhead feels like that — that we did kind of a pact and we sold our souls for this music that we love so much. So it's something that I think [they'll] sing that with some kind of pride. I think it's gonna happen when that song comes out, at least. And then it ends [in a] very PINK FLOYD [-like way], which is really strange; I don't know why we did that. I still don't know if it was the right thing, but it came out like that. Marc [Rizzo] just did some really crazy guitars at the end of it that is just, like… It goes from total metal into crazy PINK FLOYD, but it works. I mean, it's really wild. And we like wild stuff. I always was drawn to weird, weird stuff, and that's definitely weird, in a good way."

Regarding the musical direction of the new SOULFLY material, Max told The Front Row Report: "Some of the stuff is really fast, actually; like the first couple of songs on the album are all fast. And then it eventually slows down and there's some kind of really heavy stuff. But I think it's a really strong album that I'm very proud of, and I think a lot of people are gonna like it."

SOULFY's ninth CD, "Savages", was released on October 1, 2013. The CD was produced by Terry Date, who is known for his work with such acts as PANTERA, DEFTONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among many others.

RED DRAGON CARTEL, the band led by former OZZY OSBOURNE and BADLANDS guitarist Jake E. Lee, played its second show with new singer Chas West (Jason Bonham, LYNCH MOB, 3 LEGGED DOGG) this past Saturday night (May 2) at El Corazon in Seattle, Washington. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

RED DRAGON CARTEL's most recent vocalist, Michael Beck, played his last show with the band on April 26 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Beck made headlines last month when he inexplicably sang the lyrics to Osbourne's "Now You See It (Now You Don't)" while the rest of RED DRAGON CARTEL played "The Ultimate Sin" at their first show together in Miami, Florida.

RED DRAGON CARTEL in March announced the departure of singer Darren James Smith and addition of Beck.

Bassist Greg Chaisson exited RED DRAGON CARTEL last month. He said in a statement: "I'm afraid to say real life just jumped right up and got in the way of my good time. I can no longer take any more time away from my regular job. I want to thank everyone in the RED DRAGON CARTEL organization, and most of all, my best friend Jake E. Lee. And a very special thanks to all of you who have treated me so great! They will continue on without me and it will be fantastic as always."

Chaisson's replacement in RED DRAGON CARTEL is Anthony Esposito, who has previously played with Ace Frehley.

Regarding how Beck landed the frontman gig in RED DRAGON CARTEL, Esposito told Rock Music Star: "Greg had offered a replacement singer to Jake [after the band split with Darren], and that would be Michael. Michael did this East Coast run. And I don't really think Jake ever heard him sing [before]; I think Jake went on Greg's word. I think that's the way the situation went down. And he had a horrible first show; the Miami show. It's all over the Internet. He was singing the wrong lyrics. It's just not a good spot to be in; he kind of got shredded too."

RED DRAGON CARTEL's self-titled debut album sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 69 on The Billboard 200 chart.

RED DRAGON CARTEL's setlist includes new material like the singles "Feeder" and "Deceived", as well as major hits from Jake E. Lee's glorious past: "Bark At The Moon", "The Ultimate Sin" and "Rock 'N' Roll Rebel" (all originally recorded by OZZY OSBOURNE), as well as "Shine On" and "High Wire" (BADLANDS).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbGmGXsMR1w

Work may finally be progressing a little more consistently on the new TOOL album, but meanwhile singer Maynard James Keenan has apparently found the time to complete a new disc from his music-and-cabaret act PUSCIFER. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Keenan told Punchdrink.com that a new PUSCIFER set is nearing completion for a tentative fall release, although he did not elaborate with any further details.

PUSCIFER has existed in some form since 1995 but only began making records in 2007. Keenan told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the project was not just another band. "This is much more of just a collaborative, creative outlet on all levels with various people, free from label contracts and just kind of express to express, and not really worry about taking over the world with it," he said.

Meanwhile, TOOL guitarist Adam Jones has posted images from a recording studio that feature producer Joe Barresi, who has worked with TOOL in the past.

Jones revealed in March that TOOL had finally settled a multi-level lawsuit that had dragged on for eight years and set back its recording and touring plans.

Jones also revealed that an undisclosed member of the band faced a "really scary do-or-die, serious illness" not long ago.

The band is now reportedly working at a faster pace on music for its first new studio set since 2006's "10,000 Days".

Poison singer Bret Michaels’ new music video for his “summertime party anthem” “Girls On Bars” can be viewed below (restricted to some territories). The song is pulled from his new album, True Grit, due out May 5th, via Poor Boy Records. “Girls On Bars” co-written with Grammy award winning songwriter of the year, Luke Laird. The song has been dubbed the summer feelgood song of 2015 and is loaded with rock - country crossover potential. 

Michaels is a longtime fan of country music and True Grit takes him back to his roots. “The first music I listened to growing up was my dad playing country music,” Michaels tells Billboard. “He played pedal steel guitar and I played harmonica. The harmonica was the first instrument I ever learned to play. Then I gravitated towards the guitar and the piano. I just really loved great songs and country music has great songs.”

 

 

True Grit features guest appearances by Jimmy Buffett, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Gary Rossington and Rickey Medlocke, Rascal Flatts and Loretta Lynn, who has become good friends with Michaels. “True Grit is an entire history of where I’ve been. It’s my past, my present, and my future,” Michaels says of the 21-track collection which includes new songs as well as such Poison classics as “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” “Something to Believe In” and “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn.”  “We’ve got Loretta Lynn singing on ‘Every Rose Has It’s Thorn.’  We recorded it on her ranch outside of Nashville and she nailed it.”

Read more at Billboard.

On May 1st, White Empress - featuring former Cradle Of Filth guitarist Paul Allender - kicked off a short strong of live dates at the High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI. Fan-filmed video from the show is available below:

White Empress' tour schedule is as follows:

May
2 - Every Buddy's Bar - Chippewa Falls, WI
8 - The Metal Grill - Milwaukee, WI
9 - Pov's 65 - Spring Lake Park, MN
12 - Club Quattro - Shibuya (Tokyo), Japan
14 - Astro Hall - Tokyo, Japan

White Empress are scheduled to perform along with Belphegor at Club Quattro in Shibuya, Japan on Tuesday, May 12th at part of Masa Ito / Rock TV’s BURRN! 30th Anniversary, Rock Of Chaos Vol. 1.

Allender states: "As a band we have a ton of stuff planned for 2015. Firstly we are going overseas to play for our Japanese fans in May as well, as some warm up shows in the US prior to the Japanese dates. The shows are being recorded, so watch this space for future releases. We are extremely excited to get out on the road for you all and play. We will be meeting anyone who wishes to 'meet and greet' before or after the shows, or both. We have a European booking agent on board now who is working very hard to filling up 2015 dates. White Empress is all about the live experience, so come see us."

Formed by guitarist Paul Allender and with a full band lineup, this new venture into the metal landscape under the moniker of White Empress exudes the depth and ferocity of his prior work whilst pushing new boundaries. Allender's signature razor-sharp riffing and epic, melodic twists and turns compliment the sumptuously alluring and often demonic voice of Mary Zimmer (Luna Mortis) to create a master class in savage, yet uplifting metallic darkness.

The album was recorded in White Empress' studio and has been mixed and mastered by veteran producer, Kit Woolven (Thin Lizzy, Cradle Of Filth). With Allender's relentless guitar and Zimmer's diverse vocals, ranging from operatic to death metal screams, White Empress is exploring new areas of metal.

Tracklisting:

"Rise Of The Empress"
"The Congregation"
"A Prisoner Unleashed"
"Darkness Encroaching"
"Sven's Tower"
"Erased And Rewritten"
"The Ecstatic And The Sorrow"
"Dethroned"
"Obsession With The Empress (Human To Divine)"
"Ours To Burn"
"Exile (The Empress Returns)"
"Fall Of The Old Guard"

Professionally filmed video footage of APOCALYPTICA's entire April 1 concert at SchwuZ in Berlin, Germany can be seen below. The video is a production of ARTE and ZDF.

APOCALYPTICA's new album, "Shadowmaker", was released on April 21 via Eleven Seven Music Group's Better Noise imprint. The Finnish musicians — accompanied by their American lead singer Franky Perez — recorded the CD with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON).

In a recent interview with Australia's The Rockpit, APOCALYPTICA's Eicca Toppinen stated about "Shadowmaker": "It's always hard to talk about albums without being a nerdy musician. I think it's a totally new kind of record for APOCALYPTICA, especially because we have one singer on the whole album, and I think it's making the whole album more solid. It's more of a band record compared to the album that we have had guest vocalists, so I think it's more solid.

"We had a break when we stopped touring for '7th Symphony', we had one year off, we didn't write a single song for a record, nothing except for 'Wagner Reloaded', but for the regular stuff, nothing. And after the break, we came together and if we wanted to do something, we have to do exactly what we want to do and this record is the result of that, that journey.

"We wanted to challenge ourselves even more and we wanted to be tight as a band before the pre-production and the thing that Franky [Perez, vocalist] was part of the pre-production, we spent weeks with him in the rehearsal room arranging the songs and getting things more defined before we went into the studio.

"I think this album is full of attitude, it's a real attitude record."

Asked how APOCALYPTICA ended up hiring Franky Perez to handle the vocals on the entire "Shadowmaker" record, Eicca said: "It was actually the beginning of June last year when we made the decision to, 'Okay, there's no more guest vocalists on this record. We need to find a guy who makes the record and will tour with us for the record. It's like a puzzle where all the pieces of the puzzle are spread all over, they are not connected, and we need to get those pieces connected. And ways to have one singer to make the whole thing more understandable for people, to make the working circumstances more comfortable for us where things are not so dependant on people outside of the band — the guests, the managers and the label — so it's all about us."

He continued: "Our manager put a quiet request in the business, like, 'Okay, APOCALYPTICA searching for a singer for the record. Do we have any suggestions or any people who are great singers who do not have the right band yet?' And we got about 20-25 suggestions. We went through them, and asked five of them to make a recording and from those we picked out three and asked them to sing a little piece of 'Hole In My Soul' from the new album, and Franky was the obvious choice. So he came through the record company search. Somebody said at the American label that he's the guy, 'I've used him many times on session [recordings]. He's great. And he didn't have anything active going except his solo record, but nothing band-wise."

Eicca added: "I love Franky's voice. He's not just a regular singer. He has a very soulful sound and he's able to sing different styles, which is perfect for APOCALYPTICA, because our songs are not only heavy metal, it's a variety of different colors and different dynamics, and the singer needs to match that, and I think Franky is a perfect match."

Asked if APOCALYPTICA would consider keeping Perez permanently as a bandmember, Eicca said: "It's too early to think about it, but nothing is decided. Now we got the record done, and then we will have touring more or less for two years, and at the end of that time, or sometime during those two years, we will know. But it wouldn't be an impossible option to have Franky in the band, but it's too early to think about it. We have been through several concepts, and we still want the option to change the concept to do something different."

To celebrate SAVATAGE upcoming reunion performance at Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany, SAVATAGE and earMUSIC will release the ultimate "Return To Wacken" album on June 19. The effort will contain studio versions of classic songs that the band played live at Wacken as part of their previous two appearances at the world-famous festival: in 1998 and 2002. In addition to SAVATAGE's greatest hits, such as "Hall Of The Mountain King", "Gutter Ballet" and "The Wake Of Magellan", the "Return To Wacken" booklet will offer insight into the band with personal memories by the group's mastermind, Jon Oliva, rare pictures and press quotes.

"Return To Wacken" track listing:

01. Hall Of The Mountain King02. Gutter Ballet03. Believe04. Chance05. Edge Of Thorns06. The Wake Of Magellan07. Dead Winter Dead08. The Hourglass09. Tonight He Grins Again10. Prelude To Madness11. When The Crowds Are Gone

Asked in an interview with Femme Metal Webzine if SAVATAGE has any plans for beyond Wacken for either live shows or new material, Jon Oliva said: "As far as that goes, the whole Wacken thing came up, and I was, like, you know what? If we're going to do anything, we have to do it now. I don't want to do it when I'm 60 years old. I mentioned that to [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA producer/composer] Paul [O'Neill]. He said to me, 'We're going to do the Wacken thing, but let's just wait until the [TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA] winter tour is over and then you and me we're going to sit down in January and discuss what we're going to do.'"

He continued: "We've already gotten offers to do it in certain areas of the world, America being one, Greece, South America, places like that. We have to see how we're going to do this. It's something that Paul and I, honestly — and I'm telling you totally honestly — we just brushed over what we thought we might want to do and we said, with all the chaos of getting the winter tour out, we said, let's just wait until after the tour is over and then we'll figure this whole thing out. We know we're going to start with 'Gutter Ballet'; that's all we agreed on. [Laughs]"

Oliva added: "[TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA] is going to come out first for, I think, 40 or 50 minutes doing the big-production numbers, then Paul is going to bring me out and we're going to do the SAVATAGE thing and we're going to start with 'Gutter Ballet' and that's where we ended the conversation and said, we'll pick this up and we'll figure out what we're going to do as far as other shows go and everything like that. As of right now, Wacken is the only place, but I'm sure once everything works out and we see what happens, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of there being a couple more on top of that."

SAVATAGE's last album release, "Poets And Madmen", in 2001 was highlighted by Jon Oliva's return as lead vocalist, replacing Zak Stevens, who left the band citing family reasons, and the departure of Al Pitrelli, who accepted an offer to join MEGADETH in 2000. Pitrelli did record solos for some songs prior to his departure. Another very limited U.S. tour followed, supported by FATES WARNING in the early shows, and then NEVERMORE for the remainder. Around this time, Jon chose Zak's replacement in the form of Damond Jiniya (DIET OF WORMS). Damond performed Zak's parts on tour, with Jon having an increased vocal role in proceedings.

Video footage of Don Dokken and Mark Boals (former singer for YNGWIE J. MALMSTEEN) performingon May 2 at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills, California can be seen below (courtesy of Joe Dolan of JoeDolanPR.com).

DOKKEN last year parted ways with bassist Sean McNabb and replaced him with Boals.

Regarding Boals' addition to DOKKEN, Don Dokken told "The Classic Metal Show" last fall: "It's hard to replace Jeff Pilson. Jeff Pilson, he plays with a pick, which I like. I don't like people that play with their fingers. It's not the same. I like Peter Baltes-type bass players who play with a pick, and Sean doesn't. And so it didn't have a lot of 'attack.' And I needed a really killer singer that was as accomplished as Jeff Pilson. And he was sorely missed, you know. So I meet Mark Boals, who's played with Ted Nugent. He did four albums with Yngwie Malmsteen and he's a great lead singer. I didn't really ask him if he wanted to play in DOKKEN because I figured that he's a lead singer and that's what he does. So we had a gig, and he was doing those acoustic shows with me. And he says, 'I play bass.' So I said, 'Let's play a show together and see how it goes.' So we rehearse with Mark on vocals and Mick [Brown, drums] and me, and it sounded amazing. And, as you see on the Internet, people go, 'I saw DOKKEN and the harmonies were awesome.' So I said, ' You wanna be the bass player?' He said, 'Yep,' And I said, 'OK, you're in.' So that's it."

DOKKEN's eleventh studio album, "Broken Bones", sold around 2,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 173 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released in North America on September 25, 2012 via Frontiers Records, the effort was made available in two configurations: standard CD and limited-edition CD in digipak with a bonus DVD, which features a comprehensive "Making Of The Album" documentary.

Last night in Montreal, Def Leppard revealed on the big screen that their new album will be out in the fall.

On April 15, Def Leppard kicked off their 2015 tour at the South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton, BC with Styx and Tesla in tow.

Def Leppard's setlist:

“Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)”
“Animal”
“Foolin'”
“Promises”
“Paper Sun” (First live performance since 2000)
“Love Bites”
“Armageddon It”
“Rock On” (David Essex cover)
“Two Steps Behind” (acoustic/Joe only)
“Rocket”
“Bringin' On The Heartbreak”
“Switch 625”
“Hysteria”
“Let's Get Rocked”
“Pour Some Sugar On Me”
Encore:
“Rock Of Ages”
“Photograph”

Check out fan-filmed video below:

 

 

For all things Def Leppard including their upcoming itinerary visit Facebook.

 

Serbian thrash metal band Space Eater has released their first ever live video entitled "Eating Space Alive". The video is a pro-shoot of the concert promoting the latest Passing Through The Molech album.

It was recorded on November 1, 2014 at Belgrade Youth Center and it is the first live video with relatively high production standards ever released in the entire region by a metal band. Video editing was done by Mina "Drumwitch" Petrović and audio production by Citadela Sound Production studio in Belgrade. It features the latest album performed in its entirety, as well as some of the songs from previous albums.

E-Force, the brainchild of former Voivod frontman Eric Forrest, returns this June with Demonikhol. The new album is another concept album with alcohol as the subject matter, illustrating the ravages and destruction of all kinds it is capable of causing.  

The lead guitar parts on the record are divided among five exceptional guitarists: Vincent Agar (Yotangor/ Lust), Tomáš Skořepa, (Exorcizphobia), neo-classical Antonello Gilliberto, Dan Baune (Monument), and Rob Urbinati (Sacrifice).

The tracklist is as follows:

"Apero"
"Grievance"
"Double Edged Sword"
"Invasion"
"Debauchery"
"The Day After"
"Ultimatum"
"Insidious"
"Demonikhol"
"State Of Delusion"
"Last Call"

Watch the official E-Force Facebook page here for updates.

 

Sun & Sail Club, featuring members Bob Balch of Fu Manchu (guitar, vocoder vocals), Scott Thomas Reeder of Kyuss, The Obsessed (production/bass), Fu Manchu drummer Scott Reeder and singer Tony Reflex (Adolescents), will release their debut, The Great White Dope, on May 12th.

The band have premiered the new track "Krokodil Dental Plan” below:

The Great White Dope album layout by Peder Bergstrand (Lowrider, I Are Droid), and artwork by Helen Green.

 

 

The Great White Dope tracklist:

“Krokodil Dental Plan”
“Dresden Fireball Freakout Flight”
“Baba Yaga Bastard Patrol”
“Migraine With A Chainsaw Reduction”
“Level Up & Shut It Down”
“Fever Blister & The Great White Dope”
“Full Tilt Panic”
“Alien Rant Factory”
“Inside Traitor Outside View”
“Cypherpunk Roulette”

Album preview:

Teasers:

 

Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has released another song via his Owl Stretching side-project. Check out "Book Of Love" below:

Book Of Love by Owl Stretching

Bieler recently released yet another five song Owl Stretching EP, this one entitled Delumination. It features five previously released singles:

Delumination EP by Owl Stretching

The tracklist is as follows:

"Fall To Pieces"
"Hell"
"Come Up Hitting The Jack"
"Curtain Closed"
"High"

This brings Bieler's EP count to seven. Go to the official Owl Streching Bandcamp page here for the complete catalogue.

Bieler recently issued the following update:

"Rockers, music fans and good people of Owlville. The music just keeps coming and I cannot begin to tell you how much fun I have been having creating it! I have said it before but your support both via words and $ has been humbling. This experiment really counts on you to participate, there is no label, no distributor, no PR department, no agents, managers or horrid internet marketing folks. It is really just you and me and a few musical guest along the way...which is what makes it so awesome and special. So all I ask is please support via purchase when you can and if you can't just continue to help spread the music one person at a time...it does make a huge difference over time. Thanks!"

Lyris Karlsson, a founding member of Electric Earth, has decided to leave the band. The have issued the following statement:

"The reason is that Lyris wants to put 100% into his other band, Mammuthus. Electric Earth wants to take the opportunity to thank Lyris for all of his dedicated work and effort put into the band during the last decade and wishes him all the best for future enterprises.
 
Meanwhile the rest of Electric Earth will continue writing material for an upcoming album, their fifth, to be recorded later this year. There is no replacement for Lyris for the time being but the band will start looking in the near future.
 
Our focus at the moment is to continue writing for what we believe will be our best effort ever."
 
For more information on the band visit their official website here.

Electric Earth released their fourth album, Leaving For Freedom, on October 3rd, 2014 via TYSS Music. The album was recorded at N3 Studio A in the band's hometown by The Crown guitarist Marko Tervonen.

Tracklisting:

"Drugs"
"Scattered"
"Missing Pieces"
"15th Of August"
"Shelter"
"Devoid"
"Bad Motor"
"Lost And Bloated"
"God In Disguise"
"Leaving For Freedom"

If you buy the album directly from the bands new web shop, found at this location, you will get a signed copy.

(Photo - Ole Larsen)

"Foul Play" is the brand new single from Poland's grind innovators, Antigama, culled from their impending seventh LP, The Insolent, which is now less than two weeks from release via Selfmadegod Records.

Coordinated with the LP's release is Antigama's return to US shores for the first time since 2009, with a Northeastern tour planned with labelmates Drugs Of Faith, which will conclude a return performance at this year's intense Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore on Memorial Day weekend.

Following the impact of their massive 2013-released Meteor LP, Antigama will once again captivatingly scar the planet with the inundation of The Insolent. Seeing the band further along their ongoing path of progression, The Insolent contains another intriguing alloy of their futuristic grind savagery heavily diversified with cosmic exploration and harsh dissonance through ten new tracks of unorthodox, rapid forward-thinking metal. Recorded in February at JNS Studio in Warsaw, The Insolent was engineered by Pawel Grabowski, mixed by Pawel Grabowski and the band, and mastered by Scott Hull at Visceral Sound in Bethesda, Maryland (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed), the album features a very special guest appearance of the legend of Polish electronic music scene, Władysław "Gudonis" Komendarek, and bears cover art designed by Bartek Rogalewicz. The first single from the album comes through a new Youtube video (see below) for the fourth track, "Used To”, cut from footage filmed by Paweł "Pavulon" Jaroszewicz and Łukasz Myszkowski during the recording sessions.

The Insolent will be released on CD, LP, cassette and digital download on May 7 through Selfmadegod Records.

The Insolent tracklisting:

“Reward Or Punishment”
“Foul Play”
“Data Overload”
“Used To”
“Randomize The Algorithm”
“The Insolent”
“Sentenced To The Void”
“Out Beyond”
“Eraser”
“The Land Of Monotony”

Trailer:

 
“Used To”:

Also planned in coordination with Antigama's upcoming return appearance to Maryland Deathfest in late May, the band has confirmed a Northeastern US tour, set to begin less than a week after the release of The Insolent. Beginning on May 13, Antigama will scorch their way through New York, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington DC, and Virginia on the Blast the East Coast Tour, concluding at Maryland Deathfest where the band will storm Baltimore Soundstage on Saturday, May 23rd alongside Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Backslider, Cephalic Carnage, Engorged, Full Of Hell, Inter Arma, Martyrdöd, Wolfbrigade and more. The tour leading up to MDF will see direct support from Selfmadegod labelmates, Drugs Of Faith, and will see the bands playing shows alongside The Communion, Infernal Stronghold and more, and will see both bands as main highlights of Mildfest Vol. 1: The Grinding, alongside The Communion, Organ Dealer, Pink Mass, Sentience, Toxicology and Gorscum on May 15th in Clifton, New Jersey.

 

 

Blast the East Coast US Tour (with Drugs Of Faith):

May
13 - Nihil Gallery - Brooklyn, NY (with The Communion)
14 - The Funky Jungle - Providence, RI (with The Communion)
15 - Clash Bar - Clifton, NJ @ Mildfest (with The Communion, Organ Dealer, Pink Mass, more)
16 - Second Empire - Philadelphia, PA (with Infernal Stronghold)
17 - TBA - Washington, DC
18 - Cellar Door - Annandale, VA
19 - Strange Matter - Richmond, VA
20 - Main Street Annex - Charlottesville, VA
23 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD @ Maryland Deathfest (no Drugs Of Faith)

Antigama:

Lukasz Myszkowski - vocals, electronics
Sebastian Rokicki - guitars
Pawel Jaroszewicz - drums, percussion
Sebastian Kucharski - bass

 

Rome's death metal warriors Devangelic have inked a new deal with Comatose Music and are in the early stages of writing new music for their follow up to the devastating 2014 debut Resurrection Denied.  The band is working diligently to craft an unholy opus of death metal insanity that is sure to surpass all expectations. The album is targeted for a late 2016/early 2017 release. Devangelic will be performing at shows and festivals throughout 2015 and 2016.

Featuring members from Putridity, Vulvectomy, and Coprophiliac, Devangelic aims to perform the most furious death metal possible influenced by the likes of Disgorge, Gorgasm and Condemned.

Resurrection Denied album stream:

Devangelic released Resurrection Denied through Comatose Music on June 24, 2014.

Fan-filmed video footage of KAMELOT performing three news songs — "Insomnia", "Veil Of Elysium" and "Revolution" — live on May 2 at the Metropolis in Montreal, Quebec, Canada can be seen below. All three tracks are taken from KAMELOT's new album, "Haven", which will be 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.

"Haven" track listing:

01. Fallen Star02. Insomnia03. Citizen Zero04. Veil Of Elysium05. Under Grey Skies06. My Therapy07. Ecclesia08. End Of Innocence09. Beautiful Apocalypse10. Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy)11. Here's To The Fall12. Revolution13. Haven

Exclusive bonus CD track listing (available only with the limited mediabook and deluxe earbook):

01. End Of Innocence (Piano Version)02. Veil Of Elysium (Acoustic Version)03. Fallen Star (Orchestral Version)04. Here's To The Fall (Orchestral Version)05. My Therapy (Orchestral Version)06. Fallen Star (Instrumental)07. Insomnia (Instrumental)08. Citizen Zero (Instrumental)09. Veil Of Elysium (Instrumental)10. Under Grey Skies (Instrumental)11. My Therapy (Instrumental)12. End Of Innocence (Instrumental)13. Beautiful Apocalypse (Instrumental)14. Liar Liar (Wasteland Monarchy) (Instrumental)15. Revolution (Instrumental) Speaking to RAMzine at this year's Hammerfest, which took place in March at Hafan Y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli , Gwynedd, North Wales, KAMELOT singer Tommy Karevik stated about "Haven": "I think it's even more diverse than the previous album [2012's 'Silverthorn']; it is, actually, more diverse. We went a little bit for that — to have this wide spectrum of different feels; not only bombastic stuff, but also melancholic, dark, slower stuff, even faster stuff, more aggressive stuff. So it's a really good… It's like a plethora of everything, which is really cool. We've got some really cool responses from the album so far."

Asked whether "Haven" has a lyrical theme, Tommy responded: "At first, we didn't go for some kind of theme; it just happened, in a way, when we started writing and started looking at what we had, gathering the lyrics together and everything. Everything just fell into one basket, so to speak. Actually, it's about… It's not a theme like 'Silverthorn' was; it's a more loosely based theme, but it's about this topic… the world. We're a little bit reflecting on what we are doing in this world right now. Everyone's looking down at their phones and doing social media instead of talking to each other, and everyone's hunting for this perfect life, this perfection. And everything you post is about how good, perfect you are… everything. You don't get reality, actually. You get a fake picture of reality, which doesn't… People just feel bad and get stressed over it and stuff like that. So that's one thing of it; the overall stress of today. But that also translated into a little bit of a futuristic feel, you know. So I'm pretty happy with everything so far, and I just hope that people are gonna love it as much as we do."

An audio snippet of "Skills In Pills", the title track of the new album from LINDEMANN, the new project featuring vocalist Till Lindemann of German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN and Swedish producer and multi-instrumentalist Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY, PAIN), can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

"Skills In Pills" will be released on June 23 via Warner Bros.. The first single from the CD, "Praise Abort", will arrive on May 29.

"Skills In Pills" will be made available in the following formats:

* Standard Edition (2-panel digipack, 28-page booklet)* Special Edition (Blu-ray-packaging, 28-page booklet, bonus track "That's My Heart")* Super Deluxe Edition (large-size book, hardcover, 80 pages, telescope-carton, CD+bonus track "That's My Heart")* Vinyl (gatefold sleeve, 28-page booklet, bonus track, includes album-download code)* Digital

Speaking to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Tägtgren stated about how his collaboration with Lindemann came about: "It started around 1999 or 2000, after we got to know each other. Till was helping me put vocals on one of my albums, but it never happened because we were so busy all the time. But we kept in contact, and two summers ago, RAMMSTEIN were in Sweden and Till invited me over; we talked a bit before he went on stage, and he said that RAMMSTEIN were going to have a break for two years and we should do something."

He continued: "I was starting to think of doing another PAIN album, but as soon as Till came in, that's when I really started to work. I figured I'd just keep on writing. I started triggering his ideas and he started triggering mine. All of a sudden there was no PAIN album!"

Regarding the musical direction of LINDEMANN, Till told Metal Hammer: "It's a baby between RAMMSTEIN and PAIN — at least, it's a mix of RAMMSTEIN vocals and PAIN music.

"Peter's a real metalhead and I'm into this gothic thing.

"I know a lot of hardcore RAMMSTEIN fans may not like it, because they'll miss the German language and harsh sounds, but this is a side project and I bring a lot of personality into my half. There's a lot of different colors to this record."

Till added that there are plans for LINDEMANN to play some live shows and record a follow-up album, explaining that making the debut CD "was too much fun to just keep as a singular project."

"Skills In Pills" track listing:

01. Skills In Pills02. Ladyboy03. Fat04. Fish On05. Children Of The Sun06. Home Sweet Home07. Cowboy08. Golden Shower09. Yukon10. Praise Abort11. That's My Heart

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has set "Got Your Six" as the title of its new album, due later in the year. The CD was once again helmed by Kevin Churko, the Canadian record producer/engineer and songwriter whocurrently lives in Las Vegas where he works out of his private studio, The Hideout Recording Studio.

An audio sample of the song "Ain't My Last Dance", taken from "Got Your Six", can be streamed in the clip below.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory told The Pulse Of Radio recently that the band is always tweaking its songs right to the very end. "Up until the last moment, up until the moment the record has to be wrapped and sent to the label, we change things," he said. "Because you recorded a song, let's say, in October and maybe by February, March, you heard it enough and you can go back and say, like, you know what? I want a different guitar solo on it, you know."

Drummer Jeremy Spencer was recently asked about the band's new material, 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

A message from Ivan: There were a lot of technical problems last night that were seemingly unsolvable. We had to make a decision whether to hit the stage crippled, without being able to hear ourselves; or, delay the start of the show - possibly for hours.We decided to proceed, but not being able to hear if I was in key, and just guessing where we were in the song frustrated me to the point that I lost my cool.I'm not saying I handled it appropriately. Matter of fact I've never been so embarrassed before. I apologize for taking out my anger on stage. You guys know me and you know how I pride myself on my live performances. I'd never want this to boil over in to something that epically wrong ever again. To some of our crew, good luck in your future endeavors we wish you the best - we also welcome our new monitor engineer Paul Weber.To our fans in Memphis - we'll make it up to you I promise, Houston we we will see you tonight. The rest of the world - yes we are coming.And to the haters... wipe that smirk off your face ...We are not going anywhere ... This “ain't my last dance!”We GOT YOUR SIX

Posted by Five Finger Death Punch on Saturday, May 2, 2015

RED DRAGON CARTEL, the band led by former OZZY OSBOURNE and BADLANDS guitarist Jake E. Lee, played its first show with new singer Chas West (Jason Bonham, LYNCH MOB, 3 LEGGED DOGG) last night (Friday, May 1) in Portland, Oregon. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

RED DRAGON CARTEL's most recent vocalist, Michael Beck, played his last show with the band on April 26 in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.

Beck made headlines last month when he inexplicably sang the lyrics to Osbourne's "Now You See It (Now You Don't)" while the rest of RED DRAGON CARTEL played "The Ultimate Sin" at their first show together in Miami, Florida.

RED DRAGON CARTEL in March announced the departure of singer Darren James Smith and addition of Beck.

Bassist Greg Chaisson exited RED DRAGON CARTEL last month. He said in a statement: "I'm afraid to say real life just jumped right up and got in the way of my good time. I can no longer take any more time away from my regular job. I want to thank everyone in the RED DRAGON CARTEL organization, and most of all, my best friend Jake E. Lee. And a very special thanks to all of you who have treated me so great! They will continue on without me and it will be fantastic as always."

Chaisson's replacement in RED DRAGON CARTEL is Anthony Esposito, who has previously played with Ace Frehley.

Regarding how Beck landed the frontman gig in RED DRAGON CARTEL, Esposito told Rock Music Star: "Greg had offered a replacement singer to Jake [after the band split with Darren], and that would be Michael. Michael did this East Coast run. And I don't really think Jake ever heard him sing [before]; I think Jake went on Greg's word. I think that's the way the situation went down. And he had a horrible first show; the Miami show. It's all over the Internet. He was singing the wrong lyrics. It's just not a good spot to be in; he kind of got shredded too."

RED DRAGON CARTEL's self-titled debut album sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 69 on The Billboard 200 chart.

RED DRAGON CARTEL's setlist includes new material like the singles "Feeder" and "Deceived", as well as major hits from Jake E. Lee's glorious past: "Bark At The Moon", "The Ultimate Sin" and "Rock 'N' Roll Rebel" (all originally recorded by OZZY OSBOURNE), as well as "Shine On" and "High Wire" (BADLANDS).

Identical twins Camille and Kennerly Kitt have released a new album, "Harp Attack 2", featuring 14 harp duet covers of rock and metal songs from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s, and 2000s, plus a 15th bonus track featuring special guest musicians.

"Harp Attack 2" track listing:

01. Dance Of Death (IRON MAIDEN cover)02. Hotel California (EAGLES)03. Eye Of The Tiger (SURVIVOR)04. The Unforgiven (METALLICA)05. Every Breath You Take (THE POLICE)06. House Of The Rising Sun (THE ANIMALS)07. A Tout Le Monde (MEGADETH)08. My Immortal (EVANESCENCE)09. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (EURYTHMICS)10. Rhiannon (FLEETWOOD MAC)11. Crazy Train (OZZY OSBOURNE)12. The Bard's Song (In The Forest) (BLIND GUARDIAN)13. Carry On Wayward Son (KANSAS)14. Don't Stop Believin' (JOURNEY)15. Hotel California (featuring Sonido Urbano and Kevin Bartlett)

The official video for Camille and Kennerly's arrangement of EVANESCENCE's "My Immortal" can be seen below.

Known as the "harp twins," Camille and Kennerly perform internationally as a dynamic acoustic and electric rock harp duo.

As the world's only known identical twin professional harpists, Camille and Kennerly have a passion and flair for arranging and performing contemporary music for harp duet.

Camille and Kennerly are known for their remarkable duet harp arrangements of songs by artists such as GUNS N' ROSES, LED ZEPPELIN, METALLICA, AEROSMITH, AC/DC, DEEP PURPLE and many more. The twins also arrange and perform a jukebox of Broadway, video game, TV and movie soundtrack hits. In addition to being prolific arrangers, Camille and Kennerly compose and perform their own original pieces for harp duet.

In December of 2013, Camille and Kennerly released their first covers albums, "Harp Attack", featuring 14 of their most popular rock and metal arrangements, and "Harp Fantasy", featuring 14 of their most popular TV and movie soundtrack, anime, and video game arrangements.

Camille and Kennerly began posting harp duet music videos of their rock, metal and contemporary cover arrangements on YouTube several years ago. The twins have since acquired over 14 million total views on their 100 percent independently produced videos in addition to amassing legions of fans worldwide — including over 100,000 YouTube subscribers and over 100,000 Facebook fans. Camille and Kennerly are known for their personal interaction with their fans — responding to more fan messages and comments than any other artist of their echelon.

"My Immortal":


"The Unforgiven":


"A Tout Le Monde":


"The Bard's Song":


"Crazy Train":


"Dance Of Death":

Reactivated Canadian metallers, Varga, have released a new music video for the track “Beginning Of The End”, featured on their 2013 album, Enter The Metal. The video was produced and directed by Joe Varga and can be seen below.

 

 

Enter The Metal tracklisting:

“Beginning Of The End”
“Gamera”
“Mad Scientist”
“Plane Crash”
“No More Clean Air”
“Shark Attack”