Iran-based death metal act, Nex Carnis, recently joined Nightbreaker Productions’ roster of artists. Nex Carnis combines death metal roots with an experimental touch to create its unique style. The band’s first full-length, entitled Obscure Visions Of Dark, will be released by Nightbreaker Productions in May. Check out the track “Darkened Rites Of Existence”, streaming below.

 

 

Nex Carnis was found by Incruent in spring 2012 with the aim of creating dark and twisted death metal in an old school vein. Soon Asto Vidatu joined the band as the vocalist and Nex Carnis recorded two demo tracks in the studio: it was impossible to find proper bassist and drummer in the local scene, so the bass lines were recorded by Incruent and drums were programmed. As a rough start, the final result was not satisfying enough for the band, but it helped to move the band forward with more experience.

The composition of new material started after the demo release. In the middle of 2013, Nex Carnis recorded two new demo tracks to find a drummer abroad, because none of local drummers could handle the speed of intensity of the band's music. After negotiating with some drummers interested in cooperation, finally talented Czech drummer Jirka Zajic announced his sheer interest in working with the band. In the middle of album's songwriting sessions a new bassist joined Nex Carnis and collaborated in composing one of the songs, but he left the band before recording. The new material sounds tighter, darker and deeper.

“Darkened Rites Of Existence”:

 

After 10 years of worldwide success, Germany’s Lyriel release a special EP, entitled 10. The EP consists of seven tracks with some old songs from the first two albums and a brand new song called “The Sailor”.

Lyriel's musical repertoire ranges from dreamy ballads, a pinch of medieval tunes, to heavy rock songs with elements of classical and Celtic folk music. Distinct, related musical genres merge and become a new particular style in Lyriel's music. Lyriel distinguish themselves from other bands by playing the violin and the cello live on stage instead of using keyboard-generated strings. Front woman Jessica Thierjung impresses with a diverse use of her voice, whose sound can take any form between powerful and mellow.

 

 

Lyriel, under management of Agentur EAM, have signed a record and distribution deal with Into The LimeLight Records. They have released the new EP in two versions. A standard EP and 500 limited numbered and signed editions. Both are available through the label webshop. The EP will also be available on all streaming and download platforms.

Cleveland, Ohio based metal band, Olathia (oh-LAY-thee-ah) is independently releasing their debut album, Hunters on May 1. Olathia’s distinctive style is a crisp hybrid of melodic/thrash and groove metal.

Described as the bastard step-sister of Amy Lee hooked up with a modern day Maiden, Olathia focuses on delivering catchy riffs and shredding twin guitar solos along with tasty grooves on drums and bass, topped off with a strong, raspy and soaring vocal delivery; the release of Hunters cuts a new type of bloodline into the metal body of music.

Olathia came to life in the fall of 2014, featuring vocalist Chris E., who previously co-fronted the metal band Cellbound. Drawing from their hard hitting backgrounds and shared love of all things trash and melodic they set out to create their own sound. They have quickly made a mark locally earning a reputation as a live band to see. Their energetic performance along with a desire to amp up a crowd with a straight in your face, no gimmick style, has made their grass roots approach to touring something to be remembered. Olathia will be performing regionally in support of Hunters with dates already scheduled throughout Ohio, Michigan and PA.

The CD release weekend of Hunters features back to back shows on Friday May 1 at The Empire Concert Club in Akron, Ohio and Saturday May 2 at The Maplegrove in Cleveland, Ohio. Advance show ticket purchase receives a copy of the CD as a bonus.

Olathia tracklisting:

“Hellhound”
“Feel The Earth”
“Open Your Eyes”
“Seven Deadly Sins”
“Hunters”
“When I Die”
“After I Die”

“Hunters”:

Hunters by Olathia

Album teaser:

Lineup:
Steve Albenze - guitar
Jake Nicholson - guitar
Chris E. - vocals
Sully - bass
Jeff Morrow - drums

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS bassist Robert DeLeo and singer Chester Bennington were were interviewed on the april 8 edition of "The Men's Room", which airs on the Seattle station KISW 99.9 FM. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

Speaking about what the fan reaction has been to his stepping into the singer role in STONE TEMPLE PILOTS following the 2013 dismissal of the band's original vocalist, Scott Weiland, Chester said: "I am not Scott, and I am a new singer in the band, and I am in another band [LINKIN PARK], and there are people who come to the shows who are skeptical and they wonder what they're gonna see and they leave and they're converted and they like what's happening and they see us all having a great time and we enjoy playing."

Bennington also talked about the chemistry between the STONE TEMPLE PILOTS members when they hit the stage. He said: "We've been out there; we've played a bunch of shows together so far. And anybody can go online and watch what again and see what we do and they'll know what they're gonna see [if they come to one of our shows]."

He continued: "We're very pleased with the way things go when we play live. I mean, it just feels really good. There's a lot of energy, and it's super fun."

Bennington was asked in a recent interview with ArtistDirect.com about the progress of the band's next full-length album, which is due out this fall. He replied, "We're really trying to take the musicality to a different level and to bring a lot of energy. We got super funky. This thing is as raw and real as it gets... It's fun to be a part of that and do it on that level this way. It's really interesting. I'm having a great time doing it." Bennington also said that the band's new music is "pretty fucking insane, dude. We're rocking over here."

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS recently dropped the added "With Chester Bennington" from their name after settling their legal issues with Weiland.

The band began working with Bennington in May 2013 after firing Weiland three months earlier. So far it has released one EP called "High Rise" with Bennington on vocals.

On April 9, Jo Schüftan of Horns Up Rocks! conducted an interview with NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen in New York City. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked what some of the things are that she does to ensure that she can deliver a powerful vocal performance every night on tour, Floor said: "There are very obvious ones I could say here, like I work out, I eat healthy, I sleep a lot — or enough, anyway. They are all very, very true. But I think a healthy dose of fun and letting go a little bit is equally important."

She continued: "I'm not the kind of singer that's always super, super careful. Because when I did that, it just bit me in the ass somehow. Because you need your fun, and you don't wanna overanalyze everything you do. So a good glass of red wine, or maybe a little bit too much every now and then is just fine. Heavy boozing, not so much, because you don't recover enough from it. But if there's a good party, then I think I should go with the flow. The only thing I always have to avoid is cigarette smoke and loud talking. That is not a diva thing; that is just a fact that it's really bad for your voice."

As previously reported, NIGHTWISH will release a new single, the title track of the band's latest album, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", on May 8 as a limited-edition MCD, 10-inch vinyl and as a download. The NIGHTWISH show in Vancouver, British Columbia on April 25 at The Orpheum will be filmed for a future DVD release.

NIGHTWISH is currently on the road in North America with special guests SABATON, a Swedish heavy metal band that gives us a history lesson in their songs on war and historical battles, and Dutch female-fronted metallers DELAIN.

NIGHTWISH's new album, "Endless Forms Most Beautiful", was made available on March 27 in Europe and March 31 in the U.S. via Nuclear Blast.

Longtime NIGHTWISH drummer Jukka Nevalainen sat out the recording sessions for "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" due to health issues. He has since been replaced by Kai Hahto (WINTERSUN, SWALLOW THE SUN, TREES OF ETERNITY).

In the latest edition of Loudwire's "Wikipedia: Fact Or Fiction?" signature series, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King was invited to prove and disprove what's written about him online. You can watch the chat below.

Asked about his brief involvement with MEGADETH during the band's early days (Kerry played MEGADETH's first five shows as the band's second guitarist), King said: "I was one of the lucky people — and there's certainly no offense against [current METALLICA guitarist] Kirk Hammett; Kirk's a wonderful friend of mine — but I was lucky enough to see METALLICA with [MEGADETH mainman Dave] Mustaine. And I say that because it's just a rare thing to be able to say that. I saw them play with Woodstock [in Los Angeles], and I was so intringued by Mustaine, because he was just ripping on guitar and looking out that way somewhere. And I can't do that to this fuckin day. So I was just blown away at his guitar playing. And to find out — I think it was through B.C. Rich, 'cause we all played B.C. Rich back then… I think it was through B.C. Rich I found out that Dave was inquiring if I would play [with MEGADETH]."

He continued: "At the end of the day, I thought, 'This is a gigantic learning situation.' And I also thought people would see me and know me from SLAYER. 'Cause, I mean, we only went to the Bay Area; we only got up there. So I think if people saw me, it would at least make 'em think, 'SLAYER.' So I had SLAYER's best intentions in mind. I didn't go and say, 'Hey, I wanna be in MEGADETH.' I don't know how anybody can be in MEGADETH for more than a couple of hours, 'cause that guy's crazy."

Asked if he had any particularly bad experiences dealing with Mustaine in the early days of MEGADETH, Kerry said: "He was cooler back then. I think there's been a lot of drugs and funny extracurriculars between now and then that helped shape who he is today. But it was good times back then. Playing all the venues SLAYER played and just… I don't know… playing different music. His stuff is definitely more… I wouldn't say 'intricate,' 'cause we've got intricate parts too, but it's just… He writes riffs in a very different perspective than I… Even after playing with him for a number of months, I'd still… I wouldn't do it; it's just not my style."

King joined MEGADETH on stage in October 2010 at the Gibson Amphitheater in Universal City, California to perform MEGADETH's classic "Rattlehead". Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.


MEGADETH and Kerry King performing "Rattlehead" on October 21, 2010 - clip #1:


MEGADETH and Kerry King performing "Rattlehead" on October 21, 2010 - clip #2:

"The Puritan", the sixth studio album from Greek/Swedish melodic death metallers NIGHTRAGE, can be streamed in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. The CDwill be released on April 24 via Despotz Records. "The Puritan" — described in a press release as "an uncompromising, eerie, dramatic and melodic death metal journey in its purest essence" — welcomes new NIGHTRAGE vocalist Ronnie Nyman to the mix. Nyman joins NIGHTRAGE guitarist and founding member Marios Iliopoulos and bassist Anders Hammer after performing with the band last year on its Japanese and Russian tours.

"The Puritan" was produced by Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, DEVIN TOWNSEND, SOILWORK) and George Nerantzis at Dugout Productions in Uppsala, Sweden.

"The Puritan" track listing:

01. The Puritan02. With A Blade Of A Knife03. Desperate Vows04. Endless Night05. Foul Vile Life06. Stare Into Infinity07. Lone Lake (Instrumental) 08. Son of Sorrow09. When Gold Turns To Rust10. Fathomless11. Kiss Of A Sycophant

NIGHTRAGE was founded in 2000 in Greece by Marios Iliopoulos and his close friend, Gus G., who departed after the band's second album, "Descent Into Chaos". During the band's 14-year career, NIGHTRAGE has released five studio albums and toured across Europe, the U.S., Canada and Asia while employing various musicians from AT THE GATES, EVERGREY, DARK TRANQUILLITY, AMARANTHE and FIREWIND. NIGHTRAGE signed a record/publishing deal with Swedish music company Despotz in summer 2014 before entering the studio with Daniel Bergstrand and George Nerantzis. NIGHTRAGE is: Marios Iliopoulos - GuitarRonnie Nyman - VocalsAnders Hammer - Bass

"Gravity", the new video from Californian rockers PAPA ROACH, can be seen below. The clip features a guest appearance by IN THIS MOMENT frontwoman Maria brink.

PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix recently told Songfacts about the song: "On 'Gravity', I really put it all out there: my failures as a husband, as a lover, and as the head of my household. I talk about my brokenness, and me and my wife's relationship in some real, true story factual-type stuff. I think it's a bit of a testimony for me and my wife, like, 'Hey man, if you're another couple that's going through this struggle, you can make it through if you really want to, if you really love each other.'"

"Gravity" is taken from PAPA ROACH's latest album, "F.E.A.R.", which came out at the end of January.

Shaddix said in a recent interview that he believes rock music is "coming back pretty strong." Shaddix explained, "There's this new wave of younger, heavier bands that's coming up — OF MICE & MEN, BRING ME THE HORIZON, WE CAME AS ROMANS… with this fresh, new rock sound, but these were the kids that were listening to PAPA ROACH, KORN and DEFTONES when they were kids. And so there's kindred spirits between our bands, because they're, like, 'Yo, dude, you guys inspired us back in the day.' And we're looking at these bands, going, 'You guys are inspiring us now.'" Shaddix continued, "I definitely feel there's a resurgence in rock. And give it another five years, and it's gonna be the biggest thing on the planet again."

The singer added that "everything's cyclical," saying, "We kind of see this resurgence of heavier-sounding bands. It's, like, cool. It's exciting."

PAPA ROACH will start a U.S. run mixing festivals and shows with GODSMACK in late April.

Annihilator guitarist/founder Jeff Waters has checked in with the following update.

"Annihilator's studio CD #15 (yes, think about that: 15 records since 1989) in the can, done, see ya, woohoo, phew, KILLER. Catchiest and super-diverse Annihilator record since back in the day. I'm gonna rate this one an 8.9 out of 10, keeping in mind, Never, Neverland and Alice in Hell would be a 9.5 and 9 respectively to me!

The last CD, Feast, was a good 7.5! Schizo Deluxe (2005) was an 8.5. It's a 'ratings' morning, I see!

New beast will be released before our headline Europe In The Blood Tour in September 2015. I am pretty sure most of you will hear this and have a lot of these chorus' running through your heads; like them or not! See some of you this summer at the mighty euro-festivals!"

Annihilator have confirmed two special guests for their upcoming 2015 headline tour.

Forged in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, Australia, Harlott (pictured above), are the finest example of the thrash metal genre in recent years. Taking most of their influence from the 80’s bay area thrash scene, they focus on high energy, up tempo music with lyrical influence from the human condition. Unrivalled live concerts, an aggressive recognizable sound and professional musicianship have earned Harlott a strong and dedicated fan base in the Melbourne metal scene, which still continues to grow to this day. Harlott will not only impress new audiences in and outside of the heavy metal genre, but they will also succeed in taking the fans back to the golden age of metal.

Hailing from the unlikely roots of Santa Cruz, California, Archer (pictured above) is a band determined to deliver genuine uncompromising and unrelenting ass-kicking hard rock and heavy metal music to fans of all ages. As fans of the music themselves, this trio of hard rocking guys is not unlike any fan of the genre. They play for those that share a love for the music and the passion within. Make no mistake – this is a band that is truly the sum of its parts and is best illustrated by the collective musicianship these three individuals possess. Alex’s precise drumming, David’s masterful bass duties, and Dylan’s captivating combination of playing and singing make for a sound and a band that is uniquely satisfying while retaining all the heavy metal inspiration that ultimately drives them. There is a real tangible passion within the band that is revealed when they take the stage and crank out one of their intense performances. It makes one realize that these guys are the real deal…. Archer has worked hard to climb the rock and roll heap and have no intention of letting go or slowing down as they continue to strive towards greater heights. It is through such tireless efforts that Archer has earned its past and present successes having toured and performed alongside some of the genre’s biggest acts. In addition to embracing the touring grind, Archer has recorded with the likes of Sam Taylor (King’s X, ZZ Top) and Gilby Clarke of Guns and Roses/Rock Star Supernova fame. Listening to their recorded efforts reveal a dedication to their craft that continues to impress.

Find Annihilator’s live itinerary at this location.

Massacre Records has announced the signing of Jonne. The group was formed by Jonne Järvelä of Korpiklaani as a solo project, which soon morphed and developed into a full band. Wanting to do something that was musically different and away from his main band, Jonne is pure shamanistic folk music.
 
Jonne comments: "An idea about the solo album struck me almost two years ago, when the early sketches of the songs begun to take shape. I immediately realized that the material wasn't going to match Korpiklaani's style. Those pieces had firmly grown on me and I wanted to release them under my own name.”

 

 
From starting out as a solo idea, it fast grew into a real band, accompanied by nine other musicians from the Finnish folk and metal music scene, featuring members of Amorphis, Shape Of Despair, Wabanag and Oceanwake. Jonne's self-titled album is set to be released on July 24th via Massacre Records.

 

 

 

Lineup:
 
Jonne Järvelä - Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Violafon, Hurdy Gurdy, Mandolin, Kantele + Percussion
Natalie Koskinen - Vocals
Yovan Nagwetch - Vocals, Flutes + Percussion
Eero Haula - Vocals
Ante Aiko - Vocals
Pinja Lintonen / Tero Hyväluoma - Fiddles
Toni Perttula - Accordion
Santeri Kallio - Keyboards
Juho Kauppinen - Acoustic Guitars
Jussi Rautio - Acoustic Guitars
Jan Rechberger - Drums & Percussion
Matti Karjalainen - Upright Bass

 

Thobbe Englund, lead guitarist of Sweden's Sabaton releases his second solo album, From The Wilderness, on May 22nd via Lion Music. The album is filled with super intense high quality guitar playing and a fantastic tone. It was composed and recorded while touring the world with Sabaton.

Thobbe (Thorbjörn) Englund has previously released five albums with his first band Winterlong , two albums with Star Queen and his first solo album, Influences, on Lion Music before joining the mega successful Sabaton, and is now touring the world playing for huge crowds every night.

 

 

From The Wilderness tracklisting:

“Wildborn”
“Stormy Nights”
“A Lonely Hunter”
“Life From Death”
“Justice Of Nature”
“Hunting Under A Blood Red Moon”
“Surviving”
“Eternal Struggle”
“Vargen Öde”
“Fingerspitzengefühl” (Bonus Track)

 

 

NWOBHM legends Raven are celebrating their 41st year as a band with the new album, ExtermiNation, which is released in Scandinavia today (April 22nd), in Germany on April 24th, in Europe on April 27th and in North America on April 28th as a digipak version (incl. 1 bonus track), 2LP gatefold green vinyl version and download through SPV/Steamhammer. Listen to the album track “Fight”:

Metal’s “three musketeers” have had an exciting 2014 – opening for Metallica (the band Raven took on their first tour back in 1983) in Sao Paulo in front of 70,000 fans, and completeing a 43 date headlining USA tour – not to mention completing their finest album to date – ExtermiNation “combines the melody/chaos/musicianship/lunacy that defines the band with songs that are simply the best they have done in decades,” according to a press release. Rivaling the “holy trinity” of  those early albums, and again working with the engineering metal mastermind who is Kevin 131 (Walk Through Fire)  – the band have taken their game to the next level..this may well be their 41st anniversary but these guys are only just getting started!

Tracklisting Digi:

“Destroy All Monsters”
“Tomorrow”
“It’s Not What You Got"
​“Fight”
“Battle March/Tank Treads (The Blood Runs Red)”
“Feeding The Monster”
“Fire Burns Within”
“Scream”
“One More Day”
“Thunder Down Under”
“No Surrender”
“Golden Dawn”
“Silver Bullet”
“River Of No Return”
“Malice In Geordieland” (Bonus Track)

 

 

 Tracklisting 2LP:

LP 1

Side 1
“Destroy All Monsters”
“Tomorrow”
“It’s Not What You Got”
“Fight”

Side 2
“Battle March/Tank Treads (The Blood Runs Red)”
“Feeding The Monster”
“Fire Burns Within”
“Scream”

LP 2

Side 1
“One More Day”
“Thunder Down Under”
“No Surrender”
“Golden Dawn”

Side 2
“Silver Bullet”
“River Of No Return”
“Malice In Geordieland” (Bonus Track)

In commemoration of Bon Scott’s death 35 years ago, Raven release a snippet of their new song "Thunder Down Under”:

“ExtermiNation” lyric video:

Frontiers Music Srl will release the second CAIN'S OFFERING album, titled "Stormcrow", on May 15 in Europe and May 19 in North America.

The "Stormcrow" title track can be streamed below.

CAIN'S OFFERING is the brainchild of Finnish guitarist/songwriter Jani Liimatainen, a founding member of SONATA ARCTICA.

Drawing its musical influence from the classic hard rock scene, the fast-paced European power metal and a very modern heavy metal sound, CAIN'S OFFERING is, just as expected, another perfect example of today's living and breathing Finnish music scene.

Joining Jani on the band's sophomore release, coming after 2009's acclaimed debut "Gather The Faithful", are STRATOVARIUS members vocalist Timo Kotipelto and keyboardist Jens Johansson, plus Jonas Kuhlberg on bass and Jani "Hurtsi" Hurula (PAUL DI'ANNO) on drums.

"I was approached about doing this second CAIN'S OFFERING album already a few years ago," explains Jani, "but back then I was way too busy with other projects to even consider taking the time to write an album worth of material. Last year, when I was approached about it again, I thought that the time might be right and felt like I could really focus all my energy on the album."

He continues: "I think musically the new album is a bit more focused and coherent. 'Gather The Faithful' was the first album where I wrote all the music and lyrics by myself, and in retrospect maybe I was a bit too ambitious, trying to prove that I can actually write really good, complex songs. It's been six years since the first one and I think that I have matured as a writer, not trying to prove anything anymore, just trying to write the best possible material. It's still very much vocal- and melody-orientated writing, since, to me, the melody is always the king, but I did try to keep things a bit more simple this time. Although I think Timo would still say some of the vocal melodies are quite complex!"

"Stormcrow" track listing:

01. Stormcrow02. The Best Of Times03. A Night To Forget04. I Will Build You A Rome05. Too Tired To Run06. Constellation Of Tears07. Antemortem08. My Heart Beats For No One09. I Am Legion10. Rising Sun11. On The Shore

The official lyric video for the song "I Will Build You A Rome" can be seen below.

Musicians:

Timo Kotipelto: Lead VocalsJani Liimatainen: GuitarsJonas Kuhlberg: BassJani Hurula: DrumsJens Johansson: Keyboards

Season Of Mist has announced the signing of ABBATH. Having recently departed from IMMORTAL to form a new band under his own name, the iconic Norwegian black metal legend is currently working on his debut album for the label, expected in early 2016.

Bass duties for ABBATH will be handled by a man familiar to metal fans across the world — Tom Cato Visnes, more widely known as King Ov Hell and main composer for several GORGOROTH albums as well as his own bands OV HELL, with singer Shagrath from DIMMU BORGIR, and GOD SEED, with exceptional black metal vocalist Gaahl. His fellow GOD SEED member and BORKNAGAR percussionist, Baard Kolstad, will also join ABBATH on drums.

Regarding the signing, Season Of Mist CEO Michael Berberian comments: "My first black metal concert ever was IMMORTAL, ROTTING CHRIST and BLASPHEMY in Paris in 1993. Black metal was then, and still is, defining my musical taste. This concert was life-changing and one of the events that eventually sparked the birth of Season Of Mist. Fast-forward 22 years from that concert at this moment in time. ROTTING CHRIST have been with us for years, and now ABBATH joins us too!

"I'm presenting this signing with a pure adrenaline high and childlike amazement. On top of this, Abbath is one-of-a-kind, a genuine character.

"I have known Tom, a.k.a. King, for years, and Baard is a phenomenon — one of a kind in any generation of drummers.

"I have no doubt that this line­up will surpass anything that Abbath did in the past.

"This band has just the right chemistry, the ambition and the vision to excel." Having already announced that "new songs have been honed, ready to sit alongside classic IMMORTAL material and rarely — if ever — played gems," Abbath and his band will make their world debut at Tuska metal festival stage, headlining on Saturday, June 27, alongside ALICE COOPER, IN FLAMES, and OPETH, among others. This will be followed by more headline events.

Abbath last year claimed that he rightfully attempted to secure exclusive rights to the IMMORTAL name and logo after lyricist/guitarist Demonaz (real name Harald Nævdal) and drummer Horgh (real name Reidar Horghagen) effectively quit the legendary Norwegian black metal group.

IMMORTAL's core trio consisting of Abbath, Demonaz and Horgh has been together since 1996 and has been responsible for crafting the band's last five albums: "Blizzard Beasts" (1997), "At The Heart Of Winter" (1999), "Damned In Black" (2000), "Sons Of Northern Darkness" (2002) and the 2009 reunion album "All Shall Fall".

Reactivated '80s rockers AUTOGRAPH have released a teaser video for their upcoming single, "I Lost My Mind In America". The second single from the new AUTOGRAPH lineup — consisting of Steve Lynch on lead guitar and vocals, Randy Rand on bass and vocals, Simon Daniels on lead vocals and guitar and Marc Wieland on drums — will be made available for download on iTunes and Amazon next week.

The platinum-selling Southern California hard rock juggernauts gave the world the ubiquitous hit "Turn Up the Radio", seminal albums such as 1984's "Sign In Please", 1985's "That's The Stuff" and 1987's "Loud And Clear", as well as unforgettable sold-out shows alongside everybody from MÖTLEY CRÜE and DIO to VAN HALEN and AEROSMITH. Given those accolades, when they disbanded in 1989, they never left the hearts and minds of millions of fans around the globe. Simply put, a reunion was both inevitable and essential.

In 2011, founding guitarist Steve Lynch and bassist Randy Rand decided to meet up at the NAMM show in Anaheim. They rekindled their friendship first, opening up the lines of communication and bonding more than ever before. With the relationship rebuilt, they made a collective decision to jam again.

"We approached our original singer Steve Plunkett about a reunion," recalls Lynch. "Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to join the band again due to how busy his business is. He did give us his blessing to move forward though, and that was important. There are so many eighties bands out there touring and having fun with it. We were one of the few that hadn't been out there. We missed our fans. This is for them."

Fully embracing the future, the remaining members caught some videos of singer Simon Daniels of JAILHOUSE on YouTube. Instantly, they sensed a connection and knew that he was meant for the open spot in the center stage.

"He has big shoes to fill," smiles Rand. "Nevertheless, he was born to front AUTOGRAPH. His hard-edged, bluesy voice and massive riffing sharpen our edge. He's given us a new energy, and he impressed us immediately."

"We all had a euphoric feeling after the first rehearsal," Lynch adds. "These songs hadn't been played in 25 years, and it was indescribable. It was great to be making music with my friends again."

With the lineup solidified, AUTOGRAPH stand poised to shake rock 'n' roll up yet again. It's as if every element has been enhanced from the guitars and drums to the bass and vocals.

Lynch puts it best: "We're much heavier than before. We're not using keyboards and we're tuning down for a much fatter sound. That strengthens everything. At the same time, the melodic vocals and catchy hooks are still an integral part of our sound."

AUTOGRAPH released its first new song in over 25 years, "You Are Us, We Are You", on January 15 via iTunes and Amazon.

Photo by Sloane Morrison

The new lineup of RED DRAGON CARTEL, the band led by former OZZY OSBOURNE and BADLANDS guitarist Jake E. Lee, made its live debut on April 16 at Grand Central in Miami, Florida.

Video footage of RED DRAGON CARTEL kicking off the Miami concert with a rendition of OZZY OSBOURNE's "The Ultimate Sin" — with the band's new vocalist, Michael Beck, inexplicably singing the lyrics to OSBOURNE's "Now You See It (Now You Don't)" over most of it — can be seen below.

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

Beck is the owner, engineer, and producer at SoundVision Recording Studio in Mesa, Arizona. He has worked with such acts as SOILWORK, MARILYN MANSON, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER and DAATH.

Bassist Greg Chaisson announced his departure from 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.

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).

UK Experimental Doomsters ESOTERIC are hard at work on what will be the bands seventh full-length album and the follow up to 2011’s “Paragon of Dissonance”. As the band explain, this pretty much means that for the rest of the year they will be concentrating on preparation and recording: “We will be playing a few one-off shows and festivals, but we don’t intend to take part in any tours this year as we want our main focus to be on the album. If all goes to plan we hope to complete the writing by the end of 2015. The cycle continues…”

The departure last year of keyboard player Jan Krause has not affected the ability of the line up of Gordon Bicknell on Guitar, Mark Bodossian on Bass, Greg Chandler on Guitar and Vocals, Joe Fletcher on Drums, and Jim Nolan on Guitar, to crack on with the new album, nor has it stopped them playing live while they search for a replacement. With an appearance at Bergen’s Blastfest already behind them, other confirmed dates include a show at The Boston Music Room in London along with AHAB on the 4th of July, and the 20th Anniversary celebration of Brutal Assault Festival in the Czech Republic in August.

As well as the new album, ESOTERIC also have other releases on their mind, which vinyl fans will definitely appreciate. “We plan to release “The Pernicious Enigma” and “Metamorphogenesis” on vinyl, which are the two remaining albums from our back catalogue that haven’t yet been released in this format. After that we will be re-releasing our first two albums on CD, but we will have more details about everything we’re planning to do as we go along.

“The Pernicious Enigma” has actually been transferred from the original multitrack tapes, and remixed and remastered at the Priory Recording Studios for the vinyl release. Having never been happy with the original mix of the album, we were able to go over the tracks and bring out some of the details that were buried or subdued in the original release, without changing the overall feel of the album “.

And is there any news about a much-requested live album? “It’s definitely something we’ve always had in the back of our minds, but it’s not a question we can give a definitive answer to right now”, commented the band. “It’s true that we recorded the show in Brescia,Italy, in January, but finding the time to work on it is going to be very hard, especially with a new studio album in the offing. We will try to find the time to mix the live recording in the coming months and then we will look at the possibility of a release”.

PureGrainAudio.com ran through some of its "Most Extreme" questions with drummer Tom Hunting of San Francisco Bay Area thrash metallers EXODUS when the band played in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on April 15. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked what the "most extreme country" is that EXODUS has ever played, Hunting responded: "A couple of summers ago, we went through Eastern Europe, and we did Macedonia, Romania, Bosnia… basically, all the countries that have a 'ia' at the end of them. We rode a ferry up this river — I think it was going to Romania from some other 'ia' country — and we got on this little river ferry, and the bus wouldn't quite fit on it, so they had to leave the back thing down. And we were, like, 'This is crazy.' And the toilet on the thing had… it was just like a pipe that went straight out to the river. And when you flush it, you could watch everything just go into the river. We had kids born during the Bosnian war that are metal fans now that… One guy had a prosthetic leg, and he was, like, taking pictures, holding up his leg and shit. We would totally go back there in a minute. But, I mean, never in my life did I think I'd be sipping a cappuccino in the middle of Bosnia. One of the guys in an opening band did almost get mugged that night, too, by the way."

EXODUS and TESTAMENT have joined forces for the "Dark Roots Of Thrash II" tour. The trek is conquering North America for five weeks, beginning April 1 in San Francisco, and includes select TESTAMENT and EXODUS festival performances. Support on the tour is coming from Texas melodic metal assailants SHATTERED SUN.

EXODUS's latest album, "Blood In Blood Out", sold around 8,800 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released in North America on October 14, 2014 via Nuclear Blast, the CD art was illustrated by Swedish artist Pär Olofsson, known worldwide for his incredible renderings that have graced the covers of countless heavy metal albums, including EXODUS' "Let There Be Blood".

"Blood In Blood Out" is EXODUS' first album since the departure of the band's lead singer of the past nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of his predecessor, Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

The Opeth main man's progressive death metal credentials are beyond doubt, but will Mikael Åkerfeldt cower in fear when confronted by the 10 questions we ask everyone...

What was your first guitar and when did you get it?

"It was a Levin nylon string. I got it from my grandmother. I was very young - I was probably seven or eight. I smashed that one up but then got another one from her!

"I wanted an electric guitar. In those days, to have an acoustic guitar was wimpy! I felt ashamed. I had a guitar but it was like not having a guitar because it was not electric. I remember painting knobs on it. But it was a good guitar; all solid wood."

"Voice comes first for me when I play live - I need it to be in as good shape as possible"
The building's burning down - what guitar from your collection would you save?

"I don't have my guitars in my home. I have a few. I have a '74 Strat that looks like The Duck [Yngwie Malmsteen's 1972 Strat], so it's kind of yellow. And I have a Trameleuc - it's a very obscure acoustic nylon-string - and a Martin 000-16. But I'd probably take the Strat."

What's the oldest guitar that you own?

"It's a Gibson. An SG with the 'lollipop' vibrato and two P-90s from 1966. That would be the oldest."

When is the last time you practised and what did you play?

"Yesterday. I didn't practise, I played. For some reason, because of that Trameleuc nylon string, it's so nice, I picked out the acoustic mid-section from Yngwie's Suite... Opus... whatever it is! [Trilogy Suite Op: 5 - Ed] I always wanted to learn it and now I know how to play it."

When was the last time you changed your own strings?

"Again, on that guitar, yesterday. I do it all the time but on tour, never."


What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage...

"As a collective, we shake hands when the intro's rolling. That's the only thing we have to do. Depending on how my voice is, I warm up the voice a little bit. I know this is a guitar magazine, but voice comes first for me when I play live - I need it to be in as good shape as possible. It's probably in a toilet, usually someone has just taken a s**t..."

...And five minutes after?

"I'm having a cigarette and a beer. Right away."

What's the worst thing that's ever happened to you onstage?

"We played a beautiful festival in southern Germany. I was going to go down to the barrier to rock out with the crowd - one of the very rare moments I do that - but that day I was in the zone! The fence had bars I didn't see, so I was walking and just tripped over... it really hurt and both my shins started bleeding."

What song would you play on acoustic around a campfire?

"Well, the whole purpose of that is that people are going to join in, so it would be something easy that you can play when you are drunk. Knocking On Heaven's Door, or some s**t like that!"

What's the closest you've ever come to quitting music?

"Every day. Not listening to music, but playing... sometimes I don't want to do it any more. It's not that I don't love it, because I do. It's because I love it. It sounds weird and it's hard to explain. I have confidence issues and sometimes I feel like I should not be doing this! But also, on the other hand, it's what makes me me. It's a weird feeling to be honest."

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell spoke to Canada's Calgary Herald about the band's forthcoming studio album, which is expected before the end of the year. Campbell, who has been battling Hodgkin's lymphoma for the last couple of years, said: "I actually believe that this is the best record the band has made during my tenure. I actually didn't have a lot to do with it, so I don't know what that says, that they're better off without me?"

He continued: "It's a very diverse record. We covered all the elements of DEF LEPPARD's career pretty much. It's a great, great record. We're really, really proud of it."

Campbell also acknowledged that DEF LEPPARD does not need to make new albums these days to attract fans to the band's concerts. "But we do it for two reasons, really," he explained. "We do it primarily for ourselves, because it validates who we are and what we do. We have to exercise that creative muscle as a unit as DEF LEPPARD. But we also do it for the hardcore fans that care that actually will buy this record. But we don't anticipate there's a lot of them in this day and age."

He added: "If we didn't put our record out, it wouldn't have any effect whatsoever on our bottom line with regard to touring. We'd still sell just as many concert tickets."

A recent advertisement for DEF LEPPARD's upcoming U.K. tour with WHITESNAKE revealed that DEF LEPPARD's eleventh album will be a self-titled affair.

DEF LEPPARD returned to the road on April 15 for a Canadian tour, followed by Europe in May and June. A U.S. tour with STYX and TESLA will kick off June 23 in Tampa, Florida.

Artisan News spoke to Brett Morgen, the director of the new Kurt Cobain documentary, "Montage Of Heck", and Cobain's widow, Courtney Love, at the movie's New York premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday, April 19. You can watch the report below.

Morgen was granted unprecedented access by Love and the Cobain family to the musician’s journals, artwork, home movie footage, and audio recordings. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January, with Collider calling it "a deeply intimate look at Cobain's life that really takes you inside his head, revealing the joy, depression, anger, and immense creativity that populated his psyche." "Montage Of Heck" will premiere on HBO on May 4.

The film relies less on straight documentary reporting and is constructed more like a collage of previously unseen home movies, interviews, animation, photographs and other artifacts, all accompanied by Cobain's music.

Kurt's daughter, Frances Bean Cobain, is an executive producer on the film. She, Love, Kurt's parents and NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic all appear in the movie.

Following months of speculation, anticipation and outright misinformation, a July 31 release date has been set for TEENAGE TIME KILLERS' "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" on Rise Records. Pre-orders being taken now via iTunes include the instant grat track "Hung Out To Dry", which you can preview below.

The long-gestating brainchild of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY founder/drummer Reed Mullin, guitarist Mick Murphy (MY RUIN, THE BIRDS OF SATAN) and producer John "Lou" Lousteau, TEENAGE TIME KILLERS' "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" is 20 concise seismic shocks created by an all-star line up of punk and metal legends spanning decades. Joining Reed on drums and Mick on guitar on the album's 20 mostly original tracks and few covers of underground classics (including the RUDIMENTARY PENI deep cut that inspired the project's title) includes:

* Jello Biafra of DEAD KENNEDYS* Randy Blythe of LAMB OF GOD* Dave Grohl and Pat Smear of FOO FIGHTERS* Nick Oliveri* Matt Skiba of ALKALINE TRIO* Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR* Tommy Victor of PRONG and DANZIG* Lee Ving of FEAR* Mike "IX" Williams of EYEHATEGOD* Mike Dean and Woody Weatherman of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY* Karl Agell of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY* Phil Rind of SACRED REICH* Neil Fallon of CLUTCH

All instrumental tracks on "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" were recorded at Grohl's 606 Studios in Northridge, California. The album was produced by John "Lou" Lousteau, Reed Mullin and Mick Murphy, engineered and mixed by John "Lou" Lousteau at 606.

"Greatest Hits Vol. 1" track listing with guest credits:

01. "Exploder"

Vocals: Reed Mullin Featuring Pat Hoed (Bass), London May (Drums)

02. "Crowned By The Light Of The Sun"

Vocals: Neil FallonFeaturing Jim Rota (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

03. "Hung Out to Dry"

Vocals: Randy BlytheFeaturing Mike Schaefer (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

04. "Power Outage"

Vocals: Clifford Dinsmore Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

05. "Ode to Hannity"

Vocals: Jello BiafraFeaturing Mike Dean (Bass)

06. "Barrio"

Vocals: Matt SkibaFeaturing Brian Baker (Guitar)

07. "The Dead Hand"

Vocals: Reed MullinFeaturing Woody Weatherman (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

08. "Egobomb"

Vocals: Corey TaylorFeaturing Dave Grohl (Bass)

09. "Plank Walk"

Vocals: Pete Stahl Featuring Greg Anderson (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

10. "Time To Die"

Vocals: Mike IX Williams Featuring Greg Anderson (Guitar)

11. "Days Of Degradation"

Vocals: Tommy Victor Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

12. "Clawhoof"

Vocals: Tairrie B. Murphy Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

13. "Big Money"

Vocals: Lee Ving Featuring Pat Smear (Guitar & Bass), London May (Drums)

14. "Devil In This House"

Vocals: Karl Agell Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

15. "Say Goodnight To The Acolyte"

Vocals: Phil Rind Featuring Jason Browning (Guitar), Dave Grohl (Bass)

16. "Ignorant People"

Vocals: Tony Foresta Featuring Greg Anderson (Guitar), Nick Oliveri (Bass)

17. "Son Of An Immigrant"

Vocals: Johnny WeberFeaturing Brian Baker (Guitar)

18. "Your Empty Soul"

Vocals: Aaron Beam

19. "Bleeding To Death"

Vocals: Vic Bondi Featuring Dave Grohl (Bass)

20. "Teenage Time Killer"

Vocals: Trenton RogersFeaturing Greg Anderson (Guitar), Pat Hoed (Bass)

Asked if there are any plans for TEENAGE TIME KILLER to go on the road in support of the upcoming CD, Mullin told INDY Week: "Touring, I don't know. Dave Grohl's folks — his management and marketing people — are going to help us do all that with the thing. We recorded about 98 percent of it at his studio. They were talking about — since there's so many people from so many different bands — maybe do something like '[Jimmy] Kimmel [Live!]' and have three or four different singers come out at one time, like Jello and Lee Ving, maybe Randy from LAMB OF GOD, something like that. All the songs are real short, so we could do, easily, four songs and not go over. But you know, we'd have Brian Baker come out and play guitar, Pat Smear play bass or guitar or whatever. It's pretty star-studded."

He added: "It sounds really organic. It sounds like we — the people that we associated with for the different songs — wrote the songs together."

Back in May 2013, Blythe posted an Instagram photo of him with Dean and Mullin in the studio and described his contribution to TEENAGE TIME KILLER, a track called "Hung Out To Dry", as "old-school C.O.C.-style thrash punk."

Italian web site SpazioRock conducted an interview with HALESTORM guitarist/vocalist Lzzy Hale and guitarist Joe Hottinger before the band's March 29 concert in Milan. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked if online criticsm and bad reviews have ever caused them to question what they do and contemplate giving up playing music, Lzzy responded: "Oh, hell no!"

Joe added: "That's the fuel."

Lzzy continued: "If anything, we encourage it. Everyone has a right to their opinion. But we actually get excited about certain people that are so incredibly against what we do, because if… We always talked about this: when we start getting people really passionately hating what we do, that means that we're doing something right."

Joe added: "I love it. I like when they're creative with their hate and really say some descriptive and wrong things. I'm just, like, 'Yeah, buddy! You put some thought into that. Thank you. Thanks for taking the time.'"

Said Lzzy: "We've never, ever even had the notion of… because people aren't gonna like what we do, or maybe this hates us, we've never wanted to give up because of that. That's never even crossed our minds."

Joe offered: "I like what we do, so… whatever."

HALESTORM's third album, "Into The Wild Life", was released on April 14. The CD follows up 2012's "The Strange Case Of…" and is already being described as HALESTORM's 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.

HALESTORM will begin a North American tour with THE PRETTY RECKLESS on April 22 in Nashville.

Tobias "Eggi" Exel (pictured), bass player of the German metal band EDGUY, will replace guitarist Mandy Meyer during UNISONIC's performance at the Monsters Of Rock festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil on April 26. Meyer is unable to make the gig because he will be taking part in a U.S. tour with Swiss rockers KROKUS.

Says UNISONIC drummer and manager Kosta Zafiriou: "Eggi is not only a great guy, he's also an excellent guitar player. We were not aware of this fact until he joined our soundcheck several times during the collective tour of UNISONIC and EDGUY in Japan and Europe 2014. The first day he jammed with us, the second he had perfectly performed two of our songs with us."

He continues: "If a band consists of members with such wide activities as UNISONIC does, of course we'll run into scheduling problems sooner or later. We know this and we've already had to decline interesting offers in the past. But receiving an offer to play the Monsters Of Rock festival in Sao Paulo in front of 50,000 crazy Brazilian fans, sharing the stage with bands like OZZY OSBOURNE, JUDAS PRIEST and KISS, is something you can't turn down as a musician.

"When we were considering who could replace Mandy for this show, Eggi's name came up instantly. We're happy to fill this gap with a friend!"

UNISONIC features former HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske and guitarist/vocalist Kai Hansen alongside Meyer, bassist Dennis Ward and Zafiriou (both of Germany's PINK CREAM 69)

UNISONIC's second album, "Light Of Dawn", was released in August 2014 via earMUSIC.

Even though GUNS N' ROSES has been inactive since the end of its most recent residency in Las Vegas in June 2014, the group's guitarist of the last six years, D.J. Ashba, says that he expects to return to the stage with GUNS N' ROSES frontman and sole original member Axl Rose at some point in the not-too-distant future.

"I've got his back whenever he needs me," Ashba tells the Las Vegas Sun. "Ever since I joined GN'R six years ago, it's almost been nonstop touring. But we've kind of talked of more touring, and I'm looking at this more as a hiatus than the end."

Rose last year denied rumors that he was breaking up GUNS N' ROSES and considering retirement. Responding to a report at RadarOnline.com in which anonymous sources claimed that the group was finished, Rose posted a message at the band's Facebook page which read, "I'm not going anywhere . . . GNR fans sure have a Radar for BS! Love you all!" Another source claiming to be close to the Rose camp dismissed the report as "bullshit," adding that the members of the band had merely been notified that their calendars would be clear for the immediate future so that they could do other things.

The RadarOnline.com report had suggested that the band would call it a day after finishing up its second Las Vegas residency at the Hard Rock Hotel, which ended on June 7, 2014.

The source for RadarOnline.com said, "Band members have been told their calendars are free following Vegas. Axl is considering retiring and it’s done. Band members and support staff were surprised when told the news and are actively looking for work."

GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed told Billboard.com about the breakup and retirement rumors: "You know, so much of that crap gets out there, you can't believe any of it. At this point, having been in the band for so long, nothing surprises me. When I hear things like that, I immediately dismiss them until I hear further. I'm never really concerned enough to even ask where it came from, or why, because if it's that important, I'll be getting a phone call."

Fan-filmed video footage of British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) performing an "unplugged" set on April 16 in Prague, Czech Republic can be seen below.

The 51-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left in 1994 to join MAIDEN, with whom he recorded two studio albums — 1995's "The X Factor" 1998's and "Virtual XI" — before Bruce Dickinson returned to the group.

Bayley released a career-spanning double-disc collection, "Soundtracks Of My Life", on October 31, 2013.

The singer's latest studio album, "The King Of Metal", was released in March 2012. The CD was recorded at Fear Studio in Ravenna, Italy.

Asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for his next studio album, Blaze told Angel last November: "I'm working on it bit by bit. I absolutely don't wanna rush it. I want it to evolve the same way that 'Silicon Messiah' [2000] did and 'Blood & Belief' [2004] did and 'The Man Who Would Not Die' [2008]. Those albums all were really solid, because they evolved. We wrote things, we went back, we polished, we tried… we decided what to leave off and what to make the most of. So the next one, I've worked it out so I could do it when I want. It can come out [in 2015], or it can come out in 2016."

He continued: "I've got a few ideas for it. It's probably gonna be a concept album. And we'll see how it goes, really. The most important thing is that it must have some absolutely standout songs. I've kind of set myself the goal of I wanna write at least equal to the best songs I've ever written and hopefully stuff that will really, really come to life… I want something that will live on, really. 'Cause it seems to me that 'Silicon Messiah' has got a life and lived and breathed more than I ever thought it would. I was just making an album at the time. [I was trying] to get an album out after IRON MAIDEN, so I would still have a career."