According to The Pulse Of Radio, an undetermined number of U2 fans in the U.K. who picked up a vinyl copy of the band's latest album, "Songs Of Innocence", as a Record Store Day exclusive on Saturday (April 18) got a surprise: instead of getting the Irish supergroup's current effort, they instead found themselves in possession of a copy of TOOL's 1992 debut EP, "Opiate" — which wasn't even part of the Record Store Day lineup of items.

The error was reported by several users on Twitter, which led to one person joking, "I can see why U2 fans feel shortchanged getting a TOOL EP instead of their U2 album. They normally get four tools for the price of one."

It's not clear how many copies of the U2 album were affected, but one U.K. label manager said "a good chunk" were "sleeved at the wrong pressing plant."

"Songs Of Innocence" was released last fall and was initially issued as a free download into every iTunes account in the world.

The backlash against what many perceived as an unwanted intrusion into their iTunes accounts led Apple and U2 to apologize, with the former issuing instructions on how to remove the album from one's account.

There's no word yet on how fans can exchange or return their copies of the TOOL EP, although such pressings have been known to become collector's items.




@RSDUK seems there's a couple of #U2 #RSD15 misprints about - some have a Tool EP inside! pic.twitter.com/wKFFFuR9W6

— Dianne Delahunty (@diannedelahunty) April 18, 2015

Fan-filmed video footage of legendary hard rock singer Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) performing several RAINBOW classics with Swedish rockers DYNAZTY on April 20 in Aschaffenburg, Germany can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The new NELSON song "Rockstar" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

In their 25 years as a musical duo, Gunnar and Matthew Nelson, collectively known simply as NELSON, have grown from pop music idols to seasoned songwriters and performers. Now, as the brothers celebrate a quarter century at the forefront of the international music scene, they return with "Peace Out", their most ambitious studio album to date.

Released in Europe on May 15 and North America on May 19 by Frontiers Music Srl, "Peace Out" marks a return to the well-crafted pop songs that put the band at the top of the Billboard charts in the 1990s. From the anthemic "Invincible" to the rollicking soon-to-be pop classic "Back In The Day", "Peace Out" is quintessential NELSON from start to finish.

"We set a pretty high standard with our previous release with Frontiers — 'Lightning Strikes Twice'," says Gunnar Nelson. "That record received by far the most critical acclaim of any NELSON record to date. 'Peace Out' was expected to be even BETTER, so the goal was to push ourselves to the very limit — past what we believed we could do. We wanted to write and record the most exciting, authentic, uplifting, and rockin' NELSON record ever made! The mission: to make a classic."

The brothers have always had their work cut out for themselves, being the third generation in one of America's most celebrated entertainment families, who came into U.S. households every week from 1952 through 1966 on the ABC sitcom "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet". Their grandfather, Ozzie Nelson, was a celebrated big band leader, whose orchestra featured their grandmother, Harriet; and their late father, Ricky, was one of rock 'n' roll's earliest superstars, a member of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and generally credited with creating the country-rock format. When the Nelson twins burst onto the music scene with the Billboard No. 1 hit "(I Can't Live Without Your) Love & Affection", in 1990, they set a Guinness World Record by being the only family to have three generations of No. 1 hits on the charts! NELSON went on to release a half dozen rock albums selling nearly 7 million records, beginning with the multi-platinum "After The Rain".

"Peace Out" marks NELSON's fourth release on Frontiers since 2010.

Look for NELSON to embark on a world tour upon the album's release. "We're putting the live show together as we speak... And it will incorporate the very best live songs from our career... Focusing heavily on the 'Peace Out' album," says Gunnar.


"Peace Out" track listing:

01. Hello Everybody02. Back In The Day03. Invincible04. Let It Ride05. I Wanna Stay Home06. On The Bright Side07. Rockstar08. Autograph09. What's Not To Love?10. You And Me11. Bad For You12. Leave The Light On For Me

According to MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine, Kiko Loureiro finished laying down all the acoustic guitar parts for the band's fifteenth album on Monday, April 20. Mustaine added in a tweet: "[Kiko is] definitely the best guitarist we've ever had."

Mustaine's latest comments echo those he made about MEGADETH's previous guitarist, Chris Broderick, during the latter's tenure in the band. In a tweet made almost exactly two years ago (March 7, 2013) during the making of MEGADETH's "Super Collider" album, Mustaine wrote: "Chris has finished 'Super Collider' ... All I can say is he is without a doubt the best guitarist I've ever played with."

Back in 2009, Mustaine praised Broderick, saying in an online post: "I am going on record and I am saying unequivocally that Chris is THE BEST GUITARIST MEGADETH has ever had. And the real talented musicians in MEGADETH's alumni will agree, he is an absolute monster. I mean, he plays the catalog better than anyone did. Jeff Young never wanted to do Chris Poland's stuff, and so on, and so on, until the last guitarist we had before we disbanded over my arm injury."

Mustaine added: "It's funny, because just when I think [Broderick] can get no more outrageous, or any more thrilling with the guitar solos, he comes up with something really beautiful like Marty Friedman would do (he has Marty pretty well down pat), and then goes into the GIT styles that Jeff Young did, yet, there is still such a freshness to his playing and he is so raw, it's like having a new prize bull. And even though he ain't a such a young bull, he's definitely an old bull like me."

MEGADETH's new album is being recorded at Lattitude Studio South in Leiper's Fork, Tennessee for a tentative late 2015 release.

MEGADETH announced on April 2 that Loureiro had joined the Dave Mustaine-led group as the replacement for Broderick. Mustaine said in a statement: "I first met Kiko around eight years ago for a cover shoot for Burrn! magazine. I had no idea who he was, other than the fact he was tremendously talented and that the staff from Burrn! held him in high regard. Since then, I've come to see what a guitar virtuoso he is, and I'm deeply encouraged by his depth and talent."

He continued: "Very few MEGADETH alumni have had the same feel and ability as Kiko."

In addition to Mustaine, Loureiro and bassist David Ellefson, the recording lineup for MEGADETH's forthcoming album includes LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Courtney Love admitted at the Tribeca Film Festival on Sunday (April 19) that she and her late husband, NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain, made a sex tape together. Love's revelation came during a question-and-answer session following the festival premiere of "Montage Of Heck", director Brett Morgen's documentary about Cobain. Love, who gave Morgen unrestricted access to video and audio recordings from her and Cobain's personal archives, said, "Somehow Brett found the sex tape. Everyone makes one sex tape once in their lives."

Love also revealed during the talk that other intimate footage of her and Cobain was shot by HOLE guitarist Eric Erlandson, who was Love's boyfriend before Cobain. She told the audience, "Eric would come over to our house and shoot really intimate stuff with me and Kurt."

Love has been seen as a dark figure in Cobain's life, but Cobain biographer Charles R. Cross told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that their relationship was a complex one. "I think one of the difficulties is that they had a very… you know, they had a marriage that sometimes was good for each of them and many times was bad for each of them. But Kurt picked Courtney, and she picked him, and he clearly loved her from things that I read in the diary. But was she good for him? I think the answer is sometimes she was and sometimes she wasn't."

Morgen turned to Love at one point during the Q&A and said that it was "completely courageous of you" to give him so much access to their personal materials.

Love, who has seen the film four times, told V magazine recently that watching the film with her and Cobain's daughter Frances was a "very healing" experience.

"Kurt Cobain: Montage Of Heck" will premiere on HBO on May 4. The film is constructed as a collage of previously unseen home movies, interviews, animation, photographs and other artifacts, all accompanied by Cobain's music.

Occult death rock/folk metal dealers Ancient Vvisdom have released the video accompaniment to the track “We Are Damnation”. The infectious hymn comes by way of the band's Sacrificial long player, released last year via Magic Bullet Records.

The haunting, silent-film-styled clip was captured by Edmonton-based illustrator, Richard Lukacs, and truly brings to life the inner demons of band leader, Nathan Opposition who offers, "An ancient cult delivered this to me as an offering to the end of the world. We call upon the forces of evil and release this plague unto you."

The video premiere comes in conjunction with Ancient Vvisdom's North American tour supporting atmospheric Icelandic metallers, Sólstafir. The ceremonies commence tomorrow, April 22, in Brooklyn and will blanket twenty-five cities, the journey coming to a close on May 20 in Richmond.

Tour dates:

April
22 - The Shop - Brooklyn, NY
23 - L'ail'ze - Montreal, QC
24 - Mavericks - Ottawa, ON
25 - Garrison - Toronto, ON
26 - Bug Jar - Rochester, NY
27 - 31st St Pub - Pittsburgh, PA
28 - Ace Of Cups - Columbus, OH
29 - Pyramid Scheme - Grand Rapids, MI
30 - TBA - Milwaukee, WI

May
1 - Nether Bar - Minneapolis, MN
3 - Reggies - Chicago, IL
4 - Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
5 - Larimer - Denver, CO
6 - Bar Deluxe - Salt Lake City, UT
8 - The Pin - Spokane, WA
9 - Rickshaw - Vancouver, BC
10 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
12 - Oakland Opera - San Francisco, CA
13 - Los Globos - Los Angeles, CA
14 - Pub Rock Live - Scottsdale, AZ
15 - Sister - Albuquerque, NM
16 - Sons Of Hermann - Fort Worth, TX
17 - Red 7 - Austin, TX
18 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, LA
20 - Strange Matter - Richmond, VA

Philadelphia-based stoner/doom band, Wizard Eye, recently announced its partnership with emerging Philadelphia-area label, Black Monk Records, for the release of its upcoming self-titled album.

"Wizard Eye is thrilled to be working with Black Monk Records," says bassist/vocalist, Dave. "As a Philly-based label whose owners have been fans of ours since day one, we can't imagine a more ideal partnership for our first release on vinyl. Black Monk Records has empowered us to bring our titanic wizard riffs to the masses in exactly the format they need and with complete artistic integrity."

The newly formed label, started by the owners of Philadelphia record store, Vinyl Altar, will focus on releases from local artists who share their love for high-quality albums with strong aesthetics.

"Wizard Eye has been one of our favorite bands from Philly for some time now," Christopher Mazeika, one half of Vinyl Altar, explains. "When Black Monk Records was ready to put out its first release, it was only natural that we approach Wizard Eye. Black Monk Records is all about local pride with worldwide appeal, and Wizard Eye is all that and more!"

The band and its management see this pairing as natural and highly advantageous for all parties involved.

"Just visit Philadelphia's Vinyl Altar once, and you'll know the heart that Chris puts into making it one of the best record shops around," says Wizard Eye manager, Scott Harrington of 313 INC Artist Management. "It makes sense that his passion would lead him to starting his own label. And that passion is just one of the many reasons we are extremely excited to announce Wizard Eye's partnership with Black Monk Records for this album."

The nine-track album, Wizard Eye, was recorded in Haddon Heights, New Jersey, at Gradwell House Recording Studio and is slated for mid-Summer release. This collection will be initially made available at a release show to be held at the Vinyl Altar store location, but it will be also be distributed internationally via web and mail-order. Further info to be announced soon.

An all-star gathering of musical luminaries bring their warmest performances to a brand new tribute album featuring 16 acoustic renditions of the best song’s by The Beatles.

Keep Calm And Salute The Beatles offers heartfelt and inviting contributions by artists such as famed Heart vocalist Ann Wilson, who leads an elegant and meditative take on “Across The Universe”, while fellow Brit John Wetton belts out a passionate and playful version of “Penny Lane”. Another of the album’s highlights is a devastating interpretation of the mournful ballad “Eleanor Rigby” recorded by legendary Cream vocalist Jack Bruce just prior to his passing in late 2014. It was Bruce’s last recorded performance and a testament to the man’s prodigious talent and sincere passion for music.

Other incredible performers include legendary Todd Rundgren, singer/songwriter Andrew Gold, Martha Davis of The Motels, ‘80s icon Howard Jones, Stephen Bishop and so many more. The entire project was overseen by producer extraordinaire Billy Sherwood (YES), and will be made available to the public on April 28th. Any Beatles fan worth their salt won’t want to miss it.

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Across The Universe” - Ann Wilson
“Penny Lane” - John Wetton
“Eleanor Rigby” - Jack Bruce
“Blackbird” - Liz Madden
“Norwegian Wood” - Andrew Gold
“Hide Your Love Away” - Todd Rundgren
“All You Need Is Love” - Helen Reddy
“I’ll Follow The Sun” - Judy Collins
“And I Love Her” - Howard Jones
“Ticket To Ride” - Felix Cavaliere
“Let It Be” - KC
“Yesterday” - David Clayton Thomas
“Nowhere Man” - Martha Davis
“All I’ve Got To Do” - Stephen Bishop
“Something” - Billy Sherwood
“Hey Jude” - Leo Sayer

 

 

 

Edge Of Paradise will release Immortal Waltz on CD and digital on May 22.

Margarita from the band Edge Of Paradise is for sure one of the prettiest girls in hard rock and heavy metal music around, but in this case this will not describe all about the band. The US-American band plays melodic heavy metal in the best way and with perfectly catchy hooks and melody lines.

A press release states: “There are always powerful parts in the music to keep it away from AOR and hard rock. So it's outstanding powerful metal on the highest professional level. Beside the successful debut album some video clips were done showing the convincing style and power in their music! After their big success in the USA, now it's time for a worldwide release from their new album. So Edge Of Paradise and the masterpiece Immortal Waltz, recorded by the famous Michael Wagener should be the ‘big thing’ for the band and another triumph for the label Pure Steel Records!”

Immortal Waltz tracklisting:

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

Lineup:

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

Norwegian horror thrashers, Critical Solution, have posted the artwork for their upcoming album, entitled Sleepwalker. The artwork is again done by Mario E. Lopez, who also made the artwork on all the bands previous releases.

The band are also streaming another song from the album. The track, “Back From The Grave”, features Mercyful Fate guitar viurtosos Michael Denner and Hank Shermann sharing solos (listen below).

 

 

Sleepwalker tracklisting:

“The Curse”
“Sleepwalker”
“Welcome To Your Nightmare”
“Blood Stained Hands”
“Murder In The Night”
“Evidence Of Things Unseen”
“LT. Elliot” (featuring Mika Lagreen)
“Dear Mother”
“The Death Lament”
“Back From The Grave” (featuring Michael Denner and Hank Shermann)

“Back From The Grave”:

“Welcome To Your Nightmare”:

A release date for the album will be announced soon.

 

JUNO-Award winning metallic noise rock band, KEN mode, will see their sixth studio album, Success, released on June 16th through New Damage Records in Canada. The album is now available for pre-order at iTunes and New Damage Records. Fans who pre-order the album digitally will receive the lead single “Blessed” as an instant grat track.
 
KEN mode has released the track “These Tight Jeans”. On the song, guitarist/vocalist Jesse Matthewson had this to say, “”These Tight Jeans” is a post punk-rock tribute to the absolute insanity of the 'hater' culture that plagues the media, social networking, and our daily lives as human beings alive in 2015. The first line of the song says it all: "I would like to learn how to kill the nicest man in the world". Stop disrespecting each other and go run a marathon, do some push-ups, read a book, create something: get a life. Life's too short.”

“These Tight Jeans”, which features guest vocals by Jill Clapham, is streaming below:

KEN mode recently shared the music video for “Blessed”. Directed by Christopher Mills (Rush, Metric), the video features appearances from guest vocalist Eugene Robinson (Oxbow), guest cellist Natanielle Felicitas and guest noise by Full of Hell’s Dylan Walker. Watch below.

Success, is the follow-up record to the band’s Polaris-recognized and JUNO-nominated album Entrench. Produced by legendary engineer Steve Albini (Nirvana, The Pixies), the album marks a departure for the band both sonically and lyrically. The 9 tracks that make up their latest offering, showcase a shift from the classic spitting of metallic hardcore tinged vitriol, that the band has become know for, to a more raw, mature and even at times humorous indie rock aesthetic. Recorded entirely to analog tape in the band’s home of Winnipeg, MB, Success is the most rock and roll effort the band has ever put forth.
 
When writing their latest album, the band set out to pay tribute to where they've come from. The album is a salute to both their Canadian Prairie roots and a time when they first started to care about making music; the burgeoning 'grunge' and Touch & Go/Dischord scenes of the late 80's/early 90s. Lyrically, the band's fascination with comedy spirals around classical western concepts of 'success' - from employment, sex, marriage, religion, socioeconomic standing, and particularly the many perceptions people have of how they, and those around them, happen to fit into the world.
 
Formed in 1999, KEN mode is comprised of Jesse Matthewson (Guitar, Piano, Vocals), Shane Matthewson (Drums) and newly acquired bassist Skot Hamilton. To date, the band has released five internationally distributed full-length records, including 2011’s JUNO award-winning Venerable and 2013’s WCMA winning album Entrench. Known for their devastating live shows, KEN mode has been actively touring Canada, the United States and Europe since 2002 with
such acts as Russian Circles, Torche, Deafheaven, Norma Jean, Kylesa, Pelican, Daughters, Revocation and Today is the Day, maintaining an unrelenting schedule for the past 5 years.
 
KEN mode has just announced a short North American tour in support of Success for June with Fight Amp. The tour features Canadian dates in Toronto, Montreal and Winnipeg.  

 

 

(Artwork: Randy Ortiz)

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Blessed”
“These Tight Jeans”
“The Owl…”
“I Just Liked Fire”
“Management Control”
“A Passive Disaster”
“Failing At Fun Since 1981”
“A Catalog Of Small Disappointment”
“Dead Actors”

“Blessed” video:

 
North American Tour Dates:

June
16 - Toronto, ON – The Shop (Parts & Labour) #
17 - Montreal, QC – Turbo Haus #
18 - Brooklyn, NY – St. Vitus #
19 - Philadelphia, PA – Kung Fu Necktie #
20 - Columbus, OH – Ace of Cups #
21 - Chicago, IL – The Burlington #
26 - Winnipeg, MB – The Goodwill

# with Fight Amp

 

 

 

Italian metallers Kaledon recently announced that Michele Guaitoli - vocalist for the heavy/power metal band Overtures, Shure endorser and vocal coach at The Groove Factory Music Academy in Udine and at the GoMusic school in Gorizia - is the band’s new singer.

Michele has now uploaded the following video, featuring his version of “Surprise Impact”, recorded in his own studio:

Check out a presentation video below:

Kaledon lineup:

Alex Mele - Guitars
Michele Guaitoli - Vocals
Tommy Nemesio - Guitars
Paolo Campitelli - Keyboards
Paolo Lezziroli - Bass
Massimiliano Santori - Drums

 

 

 

Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan tells Rock Overdose that the band are preparing to record their new studio album with producer by Bob Ezrin, who handled the band’s previous studio effort, Now What?. An excerpt from the interview follows:

Q: It’s already been two years since the release of the 19th Deep Purple studio album, Now What?, Ian! How do you feel about the fact that this lineup has managed to stay together all these years (despite the trials and tribulations along the way i.e. Jon Lord passing away) and about the fact that the band keeps releasing consistently great albums like the aforementioned one? How do you feel about the album itself today?
 
A: “How do I feel about all these things? I’m not really sure I have ‘feelings’ as such; it’s not something that I think about. I mean life goes on doesn’t it. Now What? is now part of our history and we are preparing for the next one. Our beloved Jon Lord is always with us – in the sense that souls - having touched – are forever entwined (as captured lyrically in “Above and Beyond”).
 
Q: I remember the huge debate on whether there was going to be a new album after the release of the Rapture Of The Deep album Ian. There powers that be though decreed that there finally was one. Shall we be looking forward to another one anytime soon? I mean, knowing that the approach during the songwriting process of your previous one was similar to what the band used to do back in the 70s, are there any ideas lying around that are just asking to be completed and get released in album form?
 
A: “It is always difficult for me to talk about future projects, because there is nothing to tell except the same speculation that you can construct for yourself. We don’t have any plans worth talking about yet, but at the same time yes we are in process. We have had two writing sessions already but there is not a single song. However there is plenty of music.”
 
Q: Now What? was produced by Bob Ezrin and it’s certainly one of the best sounding Deep Purple albums ever released! Did the fact that he’s worked on different genres of music play a part on deciding to work with him and would you be looking to extend your collaboration on any of your subsequent albums?
 
A: “Yes, he did get the sound we’ve been searching for and yes, we shall be working with him again on the next record. Bob is very experienced technically and musically, but then so are many producers. It’s all a matter of human chemistry and of course, timing.”

Read more at this location.

 

 

Due for release on May 12th is Long Beach 1971, the latest album in earMUSIC’s Deep Purple reissue series that, over the last two years, has seen the release of rare live material from the band, including Paris 1975, Copenhagen 1972, Stockholm 1970 and Graz 1975. Spanning over 70 minutes of music, Long Beach 1971 was remastered in 2014.

Recorded at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, California, on July 30th, 1971, it was broadcast on radio (KUSC 91.5 FM), a showcase for a support performance to Rod Stewart and The Faces.

An official release for a concert that has long been considered a landmark for the band, the set featured tracks (“Speed King” and “Child In Time”) from their fourth studio album, June 1970’s In Rock. This was a transitional release for the Mk II version of the band - guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, frontman Ian Gillan, bassist Roger Glover, organ/keyboard player Jon Lord and drummer Ian Paice -, being their first hard rock affair as well as their commercial breakthrough as the third leading über-rock band of the day along with Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Completing the set that day were a considerably extended version of “Mandrake Root” from their July 1968 debut album Shades Of Deep Purple, and “Strange Kind Of Woman”.

Opening with an 11-minute long “Speed King”, the show actually starts off like a climax, with a frenzy of organ and batter of guitar and drums, before segueing into a fast and furious riff and some classic caterwauls from Ian Gillan. Next up is “Strange Kind Of Woman”. The piledriving central motif is a classic combination of rhythm and riff, the band hitting a bluesy, even funky, groove. Following is an impressive version of the Deep Purple classic “Child in Time”: it is 20 minutes of heavy action from Blackmore. If you’re not too exhausted by that, there is time for one more, and it’s a good - not to mention long - one: “Mandrake Root”, a 27-minute extrapolation of the debut album track and concert standby.

All in all, the frenzy, powerful show is leaving the audience staggered, and not a little dazed, as they head towards the exit, into the warm California night, wondering what the hell just happened. Deep Purple live just happened.

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Speed King“
“Strange Kind Of Woman“
“Child In Time“
“Mandrake Root“

 

 

Deep Purple has announced their 2015 North America Summer tour. Tickets and VIP Packages are on sale now in select markets. VIP Packages will be offered in select markets on the 2015 Deep Purple North America Tour. The packages offered will be the following:

Diamond: Meet & Greet Package (available in select markets)

Package includes:

- Premium Ticket (in first five rows in most markets) (or GA where applicable)
- Meet ‘n’ Greet with band member(s) (will not include Ian Gillan).
- Exclusive Autographed Litho
- 1 Personal Item autographed
- Exclusive VIP Merchandise- To Be Determined
- Commemorative laminate and lanyard

Gold: Merchandise Package (available in select markets)

Package includes:

- Premium Ticket (in first 15 rows in most markets) (or GA where applicable)
- Exclusive VIP Merchandise To Be Determined

 

 

Tour dates:

July
14 - Lewiston, NJ - Art Park Amphitheatre
22 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen Pac
24 - Lynn, MA - Lynn Auditoriu
25 - Port Chester, NY - Capitol Theater
30 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods Resort & Casino

August
2 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
4 - Sterling Heights, MI - Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
5 - Columbus, OH - Ohio State Fair
7 - Sioux City, IA - Hard Rock Casino
12 - Costa Mesa, CA - Orange County Fair
14 - Laughlin, NV - Edgewater Casino
15 - Indio, CA - Fantasy Springs Casino

More tour dates will be announced. For info on which shows are on sale visit DeepPurple.com.

 

Multi-platinum-selling, singer/songwriter Adam Lambert will release his third studio album, The Original High, on June 16th through Warner Bros. Records. Recorded in Stockholm, Sweden and Los Angeles, California with Max Martin and Shellback as executive producers, The Original High displays a fresh sound for Lambert, and includes collaborations with Tove Lo and Brian May from Queen (full track listing below).

Adam is set to make a number of national television appearances in support of The Original High starting with the Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 30th.

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Ghost Town”
“The Original High”
“Another Lonely Night”
“Underground”
“There I Said It”
“Rumors” (featuring Tove Lo)
“Evil In The Night”
“Lucy” (featuring Brian May)
“Things I Didn't Say”
“The Light”
“Heavy Fire”
“After Hours” - Available on Deluxe Editions
“Shame” - Available on Deluxe Editions
“These Boys” - Available on Deluxe Editions

German symphonic metal act Xandria will release their new EP Fire & Ashes worldwide on July 31. The cover art was created by Felipe Machado, known also for his works with Rage, Blind Guardian, Iron Savior, and Rhapsody Of Fire.

Three brand new songs will be featured on the EP, “Voyage Of The Fallen”, “Unembraced”, and “In Remembrance”.

In addition, they have re-recorded two all-time favorites of Xandria fans, “Ravenheart” (originally recorded for the album Ravenheart in 2004) and “Now & Forever” (India, 2005). A cover version of Sonata Arctica’s “Don’t Say A Word” will also be on the EP.

For the second cover, the band says the following: “During the photoshoot for the Sacrificium record we were digging through our music libraries to find something appropriate for getting us in the right mood. At some point we got stuck with an artist every one of us had a crush on someone with and a story to tell about back then from our teenager days in the earlier ‘90s.

“We straight away started joking about doing a Xandria version of this particular song, but really forgot about it until the discussion of doing some remake for an EP came up again. With the biggest respect we started this operation of transforming one of our all-time faves, a real classic, into a Xandria hymn. Well, we think we quite did an ‘okay’ job and on July the 31st it`s your turn to decide whether you`ve got a favorite song or not: Fire & Ashes will contain our intonation of Meat Loaf’s “I Would Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)’.”

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have released the new album from Philadelphia's old school death metal maulers Percussor entitled Proclamation Of Hate on CD and digital formats. Listen to the entire album for free, then purchase the digital download for only $6.66 here.

Formed back in 1996 out of the ashes of the Afterbirth, the band only had a brief two year run before reforming in 2014. This is old school, pure late 80's / early 90's death metal that deals with anger, death, suicide, misery, pain and torment. Percussor is the Latin word for murderer and perfectly fits the musical and lyrical content on Proclamation Of Hate.

The current lineup features the power trio of Jack Carmichael (Afterbirth, Lesch-Nyhan) on guitars/vocals, Chris Miller (Afterbirth, Crucifier, Lesch-Nyhan) on bass and Mark Stainthorpe (Shadows In The Crypt, Lesch-Nyhan) on drums.

Tracklisting:

“Extermination Of The Weak”
“Defiled Reputation”
“Caved In Skull”
“Blood Behind The Eyes”
“Ripped Apart As I See Fit”
“Slashing Through Dry Veins”
“Images Through Forgotten Torture”
“Useless Creation That Stands Before Me”
“Diseased Breeder”
“Outro”

Pre-order the CD for only $10 with free shipping at this location.

"Ripped Apart As I See Fit”:

 

The Other Side Of Darkness from Salt Lake City thrashers Deathblow was released today (April 21). The EP is streaming in its entirety at Bandcamp.

The sophomore release continues the scorched earth campaign launched with 2014 debut full-length Prognosis Negative, upping the intensity level, sharpening the songwriting, and leaving any fan of true blue thrash metal in a state of pure bliss.

The Other Side of Darkness was recorded by Andy Peterson and Deathblow. Peterson also handled mixing and mastering duties. Cover art comes courtesy of Andreas Marschall.

Tracklisting:

“Beyond Obsession”
“Means To An End”
“The Other Side Of Darkness”
“Headless Throne”
“Death Wish”

“Means To An End”:

“The Other Side Of Darkness”:

The Other Side Of Darkness by Deathblow

(Photo: Brock Grossl)

 

Ruthless will release They Rise on vinyl on May 22nd via Pure Steel Records. The limited vinyl edition consists of 250 pieces (black) and printed insert. The CD was released in January.

With their EP Metal Without Mercy (1984) and the album Discipline Of Steel from 1986, Ruthless from L.A. got a special place in the hearts of all US metal fans. Since 1990, the Californians were on hiatus for almost 20 years. The revival took place at Keep It True in 2009. Five years later they announce the first studio album after almost 30 years.

With They Rise the quartet get back to their roots: classical, straight-forward and sometimes aggressive US metal, powered by a tight rhythm-section, thundering double bass and great, thundering riffing. Original frontman Sammy DeJohn meanwhile sings with a higher voice than known before, but still delivers the aggression of the good, old days.

They Rise tracklisting:

Side A
"Defender"
"Laceration"
"Traitor"
"They Rise"

SideB
"Hang Man"
"Time Waits"
"Out Of The Ashes"
"Frustration"
"Systematic Terror"

“Defender”:

Line-up:
Sammy DeJohn - vocals
Kenny McGee - guitars
Dave Watson - guitars
Marc McGee - bass
Jason VanSlyke - drums

Sweden has been a fertile ground for metal of all varieties for multiple decades, and there appears to be no sign that this will change anytime soon. The variety and quality of bands is staggering, and Metal Blade Records is prepared to help add The Great Discord to the list of one of Sweden's finest new groups. The band's cornerstone is with the enigmatic vocals of Fia Kempe. Her tone and delivery is immensely emotive and is augmented by a band whose sound is impossible to describe. It's technical, heavy, and yet not so much to overwhelm those not anointed in metal. What's important is that The Great Discord offer a truly unique twist on both metal, and what is to be expected from a female-fronted band.

 

 

The uniqueness The Great Discord encapsulates is put on display today with the release of the second teaser from Duende. Part 2, “Sacrosanct (Deus Ex Homine)”, can be viewed below:  

Part 1, entitled "Sanguine", gives a brief glimpse into the enigma that is The Great Discord.  It features a brief sample of new music with eerie yet perfectly entwined visuals.

Duende will be available worldwide via Metal Blade Records on June 2nd in North America, June 1st in the UK / Europe, and May 29th in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Listen to "Eigengrau" now:

The relationship between Kempe and drummer Aksel Holmgren has stood for many years, connecting on a deep personal level when it comes to music, though it was only when they came together to form The Great Discord in 2013 that their collaboration began. Sharing an interest in progressive music, they count the likes of Genesis and King Crimson as well as contemporary acts such as Meshuggah and The Dillinger Escape Plan among those who have inspired them.

While music pundits and critics will fall over themselves trying to label the unique and intriguing sounds contained within Duende the band are more interested in presenting their music to the world, with the hope of making a profound musical connection with the likeminded. Having been working toward the completion of the record for nearly two years the band have perhaps only just arrived at the beginning, and the ambitiousness of their music is further reflected in their goals. "We obviously want to take over the world," Kempe smiles. "We really believe in our vision, we really believe in the concept behind everything that we do. We want to entertain people. We want them to come to our shows and experience everything that we have visualized for this band, and we want them to relate to the emotion that we're putting into our songs, to be able to find something in The Great Discord that they cannot find anywhere else."

 

Tribulation have released a music video for the track “Strange Gateways Beckon”, from their new album, The Children Of The Night (out now). The clip was directed by Gustav Öhman Spjuth.

The Children Of The Night was recorded, mixed and produced by Ola Ersfjord in several different Swedish studio locations (Studio Gröndahl, Honk Palace, Studio Cobra, Necromantic Studios and The Resting Stone) December 2014 - January 2015 and mastered by Chris Common at Twin Hills Mastering in El Paso, Texas.

The hauntingly beautiful artwork was painted by guitarist Jonathan Hultén, who has already been responsible for the artworks of the previous albums.

 

 

The Children Of The Night is released in the following formats:

1. Standard CD Jewelcase
2. Limited CD Mediabook (with 32-page booklet and two exclusive bonus tracks)
3. 2LP (with LP-booklet, 180 g vinyl and engraving on Side 4)
4. Limited box with the following content:
· 2LP
· CD with two bonus tracks (in paper wallet)
· 7" with two exclusive songs
· pendant with cord
· numbered and signed art print of album artwork
5. Digital download

 

 

“The Motherhood Of God”:

“In The Dreams Of The Dead”:

In North America, a limited Digipak CD-version of the album (containing the two previously mentioned bonus tracks) is offered instead of the Mediabook CD.

For the vinyl collectors, here is an overview on what’s available, where and when:

Black vinyl: unlimited
Gold vinyl: limited to 100 copies, exclusively available through CM Distro Europe
Clear vinyl: limited to 200 copies, exclusively available through High Roller Records
White vinyl: limited to 200 copies, exclusively available through CM Distro US
Red vinyl: limited to 500 copies, offered in North American record stores by Century Media’s distribution partner RED

 

 

Release shows:

April
23 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Strand
24 - Goteborg, Sweden - Truckstop Alaska

More tour dates:

May
1 - Örebro, Sweden - Ritz + At The Gates
2 - Sundsvall, Sweden - Pipeline + At The Gates
30 - Alvesta, Sweden - Muskelrock
31 - Bristol, UK - Temples Festival

June
18-20 - Halden, Norway - Tons Of Rock
20-22 - Clisson, France - Hellfest Open Air

(Photo - Linda Åkerberg)

 

Melbourne, Australia-based metallers, Cryptic Abyss, have unveiled the official video for their new single, “Rusty Knife”.

“Rusty Knife” marks Cryptic Abyss’ first recorded material as a five-piece after bassist Kurt Morley joined the fold. Featuring hilarious guest spots from both Nathan ‘Yeti’ Amatnieks (Frankenbok) and Chris Themelco (Orpheus Omega), “Rusty Knife” features some absolutely crushing death metal.

The video was filmed and edited by Milein Shulze at Blixa Productions.

Cryptic Abyss is:

Calvin Cobby - Lead Vocals
Damon Morley - Guitar/Backups
Nathan Allen - Guitar/Backups
Kurt Morley - Bass
James Catarinozzi - Drums

 

Swedish metallers, The Poodles, have unveiled their new video for “The Greatest”, featuring the first ever drone flight in a church. The song can be found on their sixth studio album, Devil In The Details. 

Says the band: "Nobody can do everything but everybody can do something!
 
We are frighteningly aware of the horrible circumstances many people live in from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, refugees come in a great numbers to Europe in search of a future, free from poverty, terror and war. But people who were born in a privileged society like Sweden are also facing poverty and oppression, lacking control of their own lives and the future of their children.  
 
We have close friends who dedicate their lives and their work to help many of these vulnerable and torn personalities who many times live under the radar of society, in the streets.
 
In order to somehow contribute to, acknowledge and support this work and the people involved, we did an acoustic show in the Klara church, one of the central and important places that really make a difference for a lot of people. This was done on an ordinary Thursday in February.
 
Someone came up with the idea to document the event and since we were going to shoot a video for our single 'The Greatest' anyway, so we thought it would be good to combine the two, and here we are.
 
The lyrics and the song all of a sudden takes on a different and deeper meaning and we hope you enjoy a little bit different music video and maybe also a another side of The Poodles."

 

The evolution of the band's sound is evident as a result of their continued collaboration with producer Mats Valentin. This is rock n' roll straight up, no chaser, according to a press release. In many ways this represents the second coming of The Poodles and you are cordially invited to experience the epic-ness and majesty of Devil In The Details.

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Before I Die”
“House Of Cards”
“The Greatest”
“Crack In The Wall”
“(Whay The Hell) Baby”
“Everything”
“Stop”
“Need To Believe”
“Alive”
“Life Without You”
“Creator And Breaker”
“Borderline”

 

 

Listen to the full album at this location.

The lyric video for the song "Ready Or Not" from GOD TO GRAVITY — the new band featuring Corey Lowery (STUCK MOJO, STEREOMUD, DARK NEW DAY, EYE EMPIRE) on bass, Corey's brother Dustin Lowery (VIASAVA, ETHER SEEDS) on vocals, Pat Deeb (CHROMOSOME 180) and Troy McLawhorn (DARK NEW DAY, DOUBLEDRIVE, EVANESCENCE) on guitar, and Garrett Whitlock (TREMONTI, SUBMERSED) on drums — can be seen below. The track is taken from GOD TO GRAVITY's self-titled debut album, which was released in December 2014 via all digital music outlets.

"This is the first time I've been able to do a CD with my youngest brother, Dustin Lowery," said Corey.

"Pat Deeb and I started writing this music and we needed a voice that would match it. I sent it to Dustin and I think he took it to a new level. Troy McLawhorn and Garrett Whitlock came in and took it to a newer level. There are special guests on it, such as our brother Clint Lowery, Morgan Rose and Matt O'Rourke."

GOD TO GRAVITY is:

Corey Lowery (STUCK MOJO, STEREOMUD, DARK NEW DAY, EYE EMPIRE) - BassDustin Lowery (VIASAVA, ETHER SEEDS) - VocalsPat Deeb (CHROMOSOME 180) - GuitarGarrett Whitlock (TREMONTI, SUBMERSED) - DrumsTroy McLawhorn (DARK NEW DAY, DOUBLEDRIVE, EVANESCENCE) - Guitar

The official lyric video for the song "The Puritan" from Greek/Swedish melodic death metallers NIGHTRAGE, can be seen below. The track is the title cut of the band's sixth studio album, "The Puritan", which will 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

Drummer Emily Dolan Davies has left British rockers THE DARKNESS to pursue "new projects." The band says in a statement: "We part ways with fond farewells. Emily played a huge part in the recording of our new album 'Last Of Our Kind' and makes a final appearance in the video for our single 'Open Fire', which is coming to a screen near you soon… Good luck, Emily!"

Davies, who has previously worked with Bryan Ferry and Tricky, "revitalized" THE DARKNESS, according to singer Justin Hawkins. "She's a hard hitter," he previously told Classic Rock. "She's got the chops and the attitude that you need to be THE DARKNESS's drummer. She also makes us feel like dirty old men."

Regarding THE DARKNESS's split with founding member Ed Graham in late 2014, Hawkins said: "Ed has had some well-publicized health problems in the past. And for one reason or another, he wasn't capable of doing his job anymore. We're still friends with Ed. But now that we have Emily in the band, the worry is gone."

THE DARKNESS's fourth album, "Last Of Our Kind", will be released on June 1 in partnership with Kobalt Label Services. The CD was penned in Ireland and was produced by THE DARKNESS guitarist Dan Hawkins.

The follow-up to 2012's "Hot Cakes" was recorded at Leeders Farm Studio in Norfolk, owned by Dan Hawkins. "The new album is brutal," Justin Hawkins told Classic Rock. "It's definitely stripped back — with the exception of some mandolins. But when you're doing medieval rock, you should have a mandolin on it. And while I wouldn't say that this is our 'Rainbow Rising', we're definitely exploring the myths of old. It's medieval rock, but it still sounds like THE DARKNESS. It's medi-urban, I suppose.…"

"Last of Our Kind" will be released on limited-edition color vinyl, compact disc and as a digital download.

"Last of Our Kind" track listing:

01. Barbarian02. Open Fire03. Last of Our Kind04. Roaring Waters05. Wheels of the Machine06. Mighty Wings07. Mudslide08. Sarah O’Sarah09. Hammer & Tongs10. Conquerors

Justin Hawkins says that "Barbarian" contains "not one but two dramatic monologues, a guitar solo that has been declared 'irresponsible,' a riff that weakens lady knees and a chorus that makes grown men shit directly into their pants." Justin goes on to point out that "The lyrics describe the Viking invasion of East Anglia which culminated in the decapitation of Edmund the Martyr. So, yeah, classic DARKNESS."

Fan-filmed video footage of RED DRAGON CARTEL, the band led by former OZZY OSBOURNE and BADLANDS guitarist Jake E. Lee, performing on April 19 at 37 Main in Johns Creek, Georgia can be seen below.

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 in March announced the departure of singer Darren James Smith. He has since been replaced by Michael Beck.

Michael 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.

The new RED DRAGON CARTEL lineup will make its live debut on April 16 in Miami, Florida.

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. Released on January 28, 2014 via Frontiers Records, the CD was recorded at Las Vegas' The Hideout Recording Studio — owned and operated by Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT) — and was produced by R. Bernard Mann (a.k.a. Ronnie Mancuso) and Jake E. Lee, and executive-produced, mixed and mastered by Churko.

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).

Fan-filmed video footage of former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach's April 19 performance at Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, California can be seen below.

SKID ROW fired singer Johnny Solinger over the phone on April 6, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement.

Solinger, who joined SKID ROW in 1999, released a statement that same day claiming that he had "decided to leave SKID ROW to pursue [his] solo career."

Bach in July 2012 posted a letter on his Facebook page in which he said he was willing to reunite with SKID ROW. "For the fans, I would be willing to put my ego aside and do something that would be special for the people who put us where we are today," he wrote. "I do not personally want it myself. But it's not always about 'what I want.' If the fans really want to see us together, I would do it for the fans. Sometimes you can do things for people other than yourself."

Bach said he wanted to write the letter in response to Solinger's interview in which Johnny said a tweet by Bach about a possible SKID ROW reunion was an attempt to "get attention."

Pressed by Revolver magazine on why a SKID ROW reunion hasn't happened yet after he spent the past few years "teasing" it, Bach said: "I wasn't teasing. I go onstage every night and I sing my songs. Those are my songs. That's my voice. I'm part owner of the band, but it's not my call."

Asked what caused such bad blood between him and the rest of SKID ROW, Bach said: "I don't even remember. If you put a gun to my head, I couldn't tell you. They're happy doing what they're doing. I think it's an insult to everybody who ever bought a record. But they do the opposite of what the audience wants and they don't care."

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, most recently featured a lineup consisting of original bassist Rachel Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and Solinger.

STONE SOUR is planning on releasing two more covers EPs to follow "Meanwhile In Burbank…", a five-song "Record Store Day" exclusive EP featuring covers of legendary artists BLACK SABBATH, METALLICA, KISS, JUDAS PRIEST and ALICE IN CHAINS. According to STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor, each of the follow-up EPs — which are titled "Straight Out Of Burbank" and "No Sleep 'Till Burbank" — will contain five songs, and will feature covers of songs from such acts as BAD BRAINS, MÖTLEY CRÜE, VIOLENT FEMMES and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.

During an appearance on the latest installment of HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show", Taylor said about "Meanwhile In Burbank…": "It's pretty cool the way we're doing it. We're doing the exclusive 'Record Store day' [release]. And I know there's plans to release it later — I'm not sure when — just to kind of build a buzz around it. It's kind of jumped out of our hands, which is pretty sweet. We were just kind of doing this to kind of fill in some blanks and have some fun and do whatever. There's obviously the little bit of negativity where everybody's just, like, 'Oh, well, they're doing covers. They're over.' And it's, like, that's not exactly why we're doing it, assholes. So just settle down and go back to your troll den and figure it out."

Asked if there are any plans for STONE SOUR to film videos for any of the songs on "Meanwhile In Burbank…" or to release the tracks to radio, Taylor said: "I don't know… We're kind of letting it happen organically. If people wanna play it, they can; if they don't, they don't have to. For us, I mean, our obligation just kind of stops with putting it out, 'cause we wanna put it out. We just wanna share some of these songs that we grew up loving, and we just kind of wanna pay homage to the bands that got us into music in the first place. It's, like, we do a cover of 'We Die Young' on this. ALICE IN CHAINS is one of my favorite all-time bands, and I love that song. So we wanted to do that tune. And it's the same with METALLICA, it's the same with JUDAS PRIEST."

Regarding what fans can expect from "Straight Out Of Burbank" and "No Sleep 'Till Burbank", Taylor said: "The next [collection of covers], just to give you a little hint, it's got everything from BAD BRAINS to MÖTLEY CRÜE on it. And then the third one is gonna probably have everything from VIOLENT FEMMES to RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE."

Corey also spoke in more detail about STONE SOUR's cover version of an as-yet-undiclosed VIOLENT FEMMES song which he called "one of my favorites." He said: "We've got some great ideas for it. We're gonna give it our own little spin — kind of like what we did on [our cover of the] METAL CHURCH [song 'The Dark'], but not as heavy. But we're just gonna do our thing and give it almost an AC/DC kind of vibe, really give it a rock vibe, 'cause that tune's got that kind of spirit to it."

He continued: "We're just having fun with it. Huge chords… [We're going to] really play with a lot of the crazy musical stuff that's going on in it."

On its last North American tour, STONE SOUR played a different cover every night, including METALLICA's "Creeping Death", KISS' "Love Gun", JUDAS PRIEST's "Heading Out To The Highway" and PETER GABRIEL's "In Your Eyes".

Guitarist Christian Martucci joined STONE SOUR in late 2013 as the replacement for Jim Root, who was fired from the group after deciding he wanted to sit out the band's last tour in order to start work on the next album from SLIPKNOT, of which he is also a member.

METALLICA will play two special shows in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada in September.

Says the band in a statement: "We're excited to be heading back to Canada this fall for what promises to be a very unique historical pair of shows as we have been invited to usher out the legendary Colisée Pepsi and welcome the brand new Centre Videotron all in a three-day period!

"On September 14th, we'll be taking the stage for the final event held at the longtime mainstay Colisée Pepsi, the classic hockey arena that made its debut in 1949. Our first appearance there was in 1989 and since then we've played seven shows in the arena, including the two shows filmed for the 'Quebec Magnetic' DVD release. Two days later, on September 16th, we'll open the doors to the brand new Centre Vidéotron for the first event to ever be held there. How cool is that?!

"Always one of our favorite places to visit, Quebec City also has a long history of being the home to some of the most rabid 'TALLICA fans anywhere. It only seems fitting that we share this special passing of the torch with you! Each show will be a completely different experience right down to where we set up the stage. Look for one night with the classic end stage, the other in the round, different set lists and even different opening bands . . . two totally different MET experiences in one 48-hour period!

"Tickets go on sale this Friday, April 24th at noon local time. Fan club members should log in for details about a pre-sale for them starting this Wednesday."

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

The band will next play the inaugural Rock In Rio USA festival in Las Vegas on May 9.

Brace yourself for a vicious onslaught of shredding rock unlike anything you've heard in a long time. More explosive than a hailstorm of hand grenades, BLASTED TO STATIC delivers a cutting-edge offering that is both refreshingly new, and re-imagines the hallmarks of '80s guitar histrionics as a sonic hurricane that will blow the roof off 2015.

Headed up by the incendiary vocals of Jeff Martin (RACER X, BADLANDS, LEATHERWOLF, SURGICAL STEEL) and fret-melting wizardry of Stu Marshall (DEATH DEALER, EMPIRES OF EDEN, ex-DUNGEON), with the rhythmic talents of Rev Jones (STEELHEART, MSG, BLACK SYMPHONY) on bass and session demigod Clay T on drums, BLASTED TO STATIC represents an uncompromising and intense odyssey from veterans of the metal scene.

But for all the high-octane, hook-laden riffing mayhem, the band's versatility also encompasses acoustic elements and more subtle, understated interludes.

"We're embracing an organic approach with this band," says Marshall. "Don't expect music from a single genre, BLASTED TO STATIC is all about full artistic freedom, so you might even hear echoes of BLACK SABBATH or QUEEN."

Recording is already well underway for the currently untitled debut album, and concert dates for late 2015/early 2016 are in the planning stages.