Guitarist Marcus Curiel of Christian hard rockers P.O.D. (PAYABLE ON DEATH) has revealed to Rooster of the Lubbock, Texas radio station 94.5 KFMX (see video below) that the band has set "The Awakening" as the title of its new album, tentatively due in August. The CD's first single is expected to arrive in May.

"The Awakening" was recorded at a Los Angeles-area studio with longtime producer Howard Benson.

In a recent interview with Loudwire, P.O.D. singer Sonny Sandoval stated about the material for the band's forthcoming album: "I'm digging it. We have a little something different. I can't really say now, but we're trying a different approach."

He continued: "I think what we've done, it's such a collection of songs that not everybody gets. Some bands sound like one song the whole album through. We've been all over the place, because we are punk, hardcore, rock 'n' roll, metal, reggae, and I think sometimes it might be too much diversity and kids are lost. It's too big of a buffet for them to go for and they want three chords sometimes. We're never going to do that."

Sandoval added: "We're putting something together that tells a story. Maybe it's just for us, maybe it's not for your average listener, but it's something we're having a lot of fun doing. We're excited."

P.O.D.'s last release was "SoCal Sessions", a collection of acoustic versions of some of the band's most popular songs. The CD came out last November.

A digital re-release of a special deluxe edition of P.O.D.'s latest studio album, "Murdered Love", was made available in October 2013. Highlights included two previously unreleased studio tracks, "Burn It Down" and "Find A Way" (recorded with Benson) and an acoustic version of the band's Top 5 hit "Beautiful". Additional tracks include an acoustic version of "West Coast Rock Steady", an alternate version of "On Fire" and "Lost In Forever (Scream)", plus various music videos and behind-the-scenes footage from the "Murdered Love" album cycle.

"Murdered Love" saw P.O.D. reunited with Benson, who also produced the band's massive "Satellite" album as well as hit LPs for Kelly Clarkson, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, DAUGHTRY and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE.

Fan-filmed video footage of former RATT singer Stephen Pearcy performing at the Rainbow Bar & Grill 43rd-anniversary party on April 12 in West Hollywood, California can be seen below.

Pearcy recently shut down the possibility of working with his former bandmates in RATT ever again. He said: "I think it's a permanent vacation. I'm just doing what I'm gonna do, and I still have other interests and enjoying some time. I'm not going out and playing a lot, just playing just to play. And [I'm] working on other things. But it's a permanent vacation, and as far as I'm concerned; the door's shut. The time has passed for a record. But I don't know… It took ten years for the last record, so I can't say. But as far as playing [together again], no. [There is] nothing else [planned], as far as I'm concerned, right now."

During an April 2014 interview with the "Trunk Nation" show, Blotzer slammed Pearcy over the singer's latest exit from the group, saying: "Everything [Stephen] says is delusional and complete lies. He's so destructive… Stephen doesn't know how to play ball, he's not a team player. It's Stephen's way or there's no way at all… He walks on everything. He's walked four times. Again, this year, he's walked… He's tortured us. I mean, he's kept us hostage for years. 'I'm quitting. I'm not going.' He's canceled shows, he's canceled tours."

He continued: "I think the rest of the band has proven — and you can go to YouTube, that we do — we go out there and we kick ass, and we're concise and we fucking play really good."

Blotzer added: "But do I want him in the band? Yes, I do. I want the nice Stephen in the band."

METALLICA's Kirk Hammett and legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker traded licks during the taping of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" this past Tuesday (April 14) at Metropolis Studios in New York City. The episode also featured the debut of Damon Johnson from BLACK STAR RIDERS as the guest musician.

A behind-the-scenes look at the Hammett-Schenker jam can be seen below.

The "That Metal Show" episode featuring Hammett, Schenker and Johnson aired for first time last night (Saturday, April 18) at 9 p.m. ET on VH1 Classic.

In an interview with Guitar World magazine, Hammett spoke about how his life was changed when he first heard UFO's 1975 album "Force It", which featured Schenker on guitar.

"I was 15 years old and a friend of mine brought it over to my house insisting I had to hear it," Hammett recalled.

"I was still living at my parents' house at the time, and they had a very loud stereo system. My friends would come over and we would blast it up to what we thought was concert level. Boy, was I naïve!

"The first track my friend played was 'Mother Mary', and I thought, wow, these guys are just as heavy as THIN LIZZY, AEROSMITH, MONTROSE and all the other hard rock stuff that I was listening to before I got into heavy metal.

"When it got to the guitar solo, I was just blown away by Michael Schenker's tone, phrasing and technique. By the time the second solo came on with the fastest descending lick I'd ever heard, I was totally hooked! I immediately grabbed the album cover and saw the picture of Schenker playing a Flying V.

"From that point on, I knew there was an entire rock vocabulary out there that was not just based on pentatonic scales, and I set out to learn as many Schenker solos as possible while trying to write heavy riffs just like UFO. I also wanted a Flying V so bad!

"That record taught me a lot about solo structure, phasing and melody, as well as playing for the song. I was amazed how UFO could be so heavy and so melodic in the course of one song. I think the band I was in at the time added two UFO songs to its set that week.

"For me, the standout tracks on 'Force It' are 'Mother Mary', 'Shoot Shoot', 'This Kid's', 'Out On The Street' and 'Let It Roll'. Every time I pick up the guitar and start improvising, I think a lick or two from that album squeaks out subconsciously. I probably spew the most Schenker licks on [METALLICA's 1983 debut album] 'Kill 'Em All' because everything was still kind of new to me at that time."

In a new interview with PureGrainAudio, guitarist John LeCompt spoke about his departure from EVANESCENCE and the curent status of WE ARE THE FALLEN. He said: "As far as the EVANESCENCE thing, I'm pretty sure that's old news. We all just reached a point where we weren't happy."

He continued: "It's kind of sad when a group of people can't respect the opportunity that they have and turn it into a bad thing. After that, lessons were learned and applied and I think we all are better for it now as musicians and human beings in general."

John added: "It was a good ride and I will hold that time very dear to my heart forever, despite the negative energy that was involved behind the scenes. I learned a lot about how something so precious is to be cultivated and respected."

As for WE ARE THE FALLEN, John said: "[We are] technically still a group. [The band is] just on a very long hold because all the members have so many different aspirations and obligations. I hope that we can get together and put out something beautiful again, but only time will tell."

LeCompt also spoke about NOMARA, his new project featuring lead singer Kelly Burdge. He said: "NOMARA is something that I've been involved with since its inception. Until last year I only wore the producer hat and cranked out the music for Kelly to write lyric and melody to. Now, because I've been the integral part to the songwriting, Kelly and I only thought it right for me to actually be in the band."

He continued: "It's kind of hard sometimes to bring these musical pieces into the world, sell them to the highest bidder, and let them go. They are like my children and with the content that I've yielded to NOMARA, I want to see it through and make sure they are nurtured and given all the attention they need to be loved like I love them. Plus, it's a good opportunity for me to get back on the grid with something I am proud of and shake things up from the stage."

LeCompt added: "The team that we've put together destroys the stage in the way that it should be done."

LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray both played on the 2008 Grammy-nominated EVANESCENCE track "Sweet Sacrifice", which was a contender in the Best Hard Rock Performance category. The song is from the band's 2006 No. 1 album "The Open Door", on which LeCompt is credited for programming in addition to guitar. LeCompt and Gray started playing with EVANESCENCE in 2002, before they were Grammy-honored as 2003's Best New Artist. They both left the band in mid-2007.

WE ARE THE FALLEN is the band featuring original EVANESCENCE member Ben Moody (guitar) alongside LeCompt, Gray and "American Idol" powerhouse vocalist Carly Smithson.

Robb Chavez of "Robb's Metalworks" conducted an interview with guitarist Eric Peterson of San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT on April 6 in San Antonio, Texas. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about the progress of the songwriting sessions for TESTAMENT's follow-up to 2012's "Dark Roots Of Earth", Eric said: "I would say, musically, [we have] probably, like, a little bit over half [the record written] — maybe a little bit more. Chuck's [Billy, vocals] catching up [on writing vocal lines and lyrics]. And the first batch of songs are just, like, all thrash. And I usually only write a couple of thrash ones, and then I focus on midtempo or just real heavy. But, for some reason, they just all came out super fast. And they're all different, too, so I think, actually, they'll all be keepers."

Asked if he is feeling the pressure following up a record as acclaimed as "Dark Roots Of Earth", Peterson said: "For me, it's just gotta be a killer record. I've gotta put it on and be a fan — at least have it in my CD player for a month and go, 'Man, this is killer.' If it wasn't for that, our new record would be out, and I would just piss it out and go, 'Whatever. That's good enough.' 'Cause I've been told, 'That's good enough.' And I'm, like, 'It's not.'"

Regarding who will be handling the production of the new TESTAMENT CD, Eric said: "I'll probably be definitely involved in the recording. Of course, [acclaimed British producer] Andy Sneap is always my first choice [to produce the album]. I've actually reached out to him, and he's just, like, 'Okay, what century are you gonna record it in?' He's always messing with me like that."

On the topic of when TESTAMENT plans to begin recording the new album, Peterson said: "My main goal is to get home [from tour] in June, finish it up and get in the studio by September." As for the CD's possible release date, he said: "Well, you know, it's tough to have it out later in the year, because if you put it out past October, people will say, 'Oh, that's last year's record, and it's only been out for a couple of months. So I would lean more towards early '16. And that's right around the corner. We will serve no wine before its time. So it's gotta be right."

TESTAMENT kicked off the "Dark Roots Of Thrash II" tour with EXODUS and SHATTERED SUN on April 1 at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco.

"Dark Roots Of Thrash", a DVD/2CD release documenting TESTAMENT's sold-out headlining performance at the Paramount in Huntington, New York in February 2013, was made available on October 18, 2013 (Europe) and October 29, 2013 (North America) via Nuclear Blast Records. "Dark Roots Of Thrash" was produced by Get Hammered Productions, directed by Tommy Jones (DEATH ANGEL, KATAKLYSM, SOILWORK) and mixed by Juan Urteaga (VILE, EXODUS, SADUS, MACHINE HEAD).

Singer/guitarist Tim Branom, best known for his work with American Idol Finalist Carly Smithson in the early 2000s and cult heavy metal titans Fifth Angel in 2010, is back with a new song called “River To Flame”.

The cut is the third track released in the past six months from Branom's latest solo project and showcases Branom's blusier side, with a bit of a Western flair. “River To Flame” follows videos for “Enemy” and his cover of “Taxman, Mr. Thief” by Cheap Trick.

As with most of his work, Branom sings and plays all the instruments on “River To Flame” except the drums. Drums were played by Chris Ross, who has worked with artists such as John Waite, Steve Lukather, Mick Taylor, Terry Reid and Joe Cocker.

The video for “River To Flame” was shot in the hills of Southern California. It was directed by JJ Vazquez and filmed by Michael Flotron. The song was mixed by Jonathan Plum (Pearl Jam, Queensrÿche, Candlebox) and mastered by Claudio Cueni (Beware Of Darkness, 2Pac).

“After working with JJ Vazquez on 'Taxman', I wanted to make another video with him again, but do something completely different,” Branom explained. “It's my nature to go against the grain and as you'll see, I think we accomplished that with 'River To Flame.'”

In addition to his work as a solo artist, Branom is an accomplished session musician and producer. His early credits include producing demos for Layne Staley’s first band, Alice In Chains, and Gypsy Rose, a short-lived Seattle-based band that featured the late Mike Starr. Branom has also played guitar on two songs of Days Of The New's 2001 self-titled album (although his contributions never made the final mix).

“I love working in the studio with other artists, but it’s time to get my own music out there,” Branom added. “'River To Flame' has a much different sound than you might expect from me, but it will make for some interesting listening. All these singles will eventually be part of an album, but we are finishing them one song at a time.”

Danish, modern death metal machine, Aphyxion has begun writing and recording new tracks for their upcoming album to be released later in 2015 or in the beginning of 2016. With their debut album Earth Entangled, produced by Jacob Hansen – who has also been a mentor for the band - released in September last year the Danish band went on a roll of positive reviews from magazines worldwide.

With a fierce, aggressive and yet modern death metal sound, the guys from Aphyxion has come far in their musical development and the new songs will show their songwriting skills has evolved towards even more aggression but still catchy tunes.

"The new material is starting to take shape,” says guitarist Jonas Haagesen, who is the main composer in Aphyxion. ”At this moment it's still too early to reveal any details apart from these new songs representing a more mature Aphyxion and a big step forward musically and songwriting-wise. While our debut album, Earth Entangled, was straight forward without any gimmicks, this new album will contain a greater contrast and will be more diverse at some points. Expect to get your minds blown!”

The lyrical themes on Earth Entangled is a study in how humans are destroying the world we all have to live in. Singer Michael Vahl will never be finished digging into these topics and for the new songs he will continue this concept.

"I’ll keep on writing about the decline of mankind till people start giving a damn. To me, it seems pointless to write about love, hate, blood or guts when in a few years’ time, there won’t be anything to write about at all. Fear and manipulation is everywhere. We’re in the middle of a 1984-novel, and nobody seems to give a shit. We’re turning the blind eye and hoping for the best. This is what the lyrics will be about. The world as I see it. Dystopia."

Aphyxion will record their new – yet untitled album – at Hansen Studios. It will once again be produced by Jacob Hansen and Jonas Haagensen.

In may they will co-headline the Wacken Metal Battle Denmark shows and also play at Esbjerg Rock Festival 2015 with Def Leppard, Europe and many more.

Fan-filmed video footage of SYSTEM OF A DOWN's April 17 concert at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, The Netherlands can be seen below.

In a recent interview with SPIN.com, SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian was asked about the status of the band's long-awaited new studio album. He responded: "There is an openness to working together again when we all have material that is mutually accepted. We don't have a set timeline or anything else to report. One thing we do all agree upon is that it's gotta be a leap from what we've done before."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN bassist Shavo Odadjian said in an interview with Madcap Music Review that the band has already worked on its first new music in a decade, with plans to enter the studio in the coming months to record a full-length album. Asked about the chances of the group recording for the first time since 2005, Odadjian said, "Yeah, there's a very good chance. I don't have a date. We've already gone. We've written some songs. We're keeping it to ourselves. We're getting back to the bullshit of being together." SYSTEM last released new music in 2005 with the "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" albums, but started to tour again in 2011.

The band members have reiterated throughout the hiatus that they have remained friends, although drummer John Dolmayan hinted last year at some personal issues in the group, saying, "We probably would have been in the studio making an album already, but for personal reasons, one of our members cant be in the studio right now. It's a positive thing, but that's all I can say on that right now."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN recently added two more North American dates to its upcoming world tour. In addition to a show in Quebec on June 18, the band will now stop in Detroit on June 17 and Toronto on June 19.

The tour commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide and will feature SYSTEM OF A DOWN's first-ever performance in their homeland of Armenia, on April 23.

HALESTORM took part in a special performance and signing at Grimey's New & Preloved Music in Nashville, Tennessee yesterday (Saturday, April 18), which was Record Store Day.

Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

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.

HALESTORM singer Lzzy Hale told The Pulse Of Radio that the band set out to make a unified album despite its many different sounds. "This entire record is like one big song with different elements to it, so it's hard to pick it apart — for me, it's hard to pick it and say, 'Oh, well, that's my favorite song,' because they all don't sound alike and each one lends itself to the other," she said.

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.

AC/DC played its second full North American show in over five years on Friday (April 17) when the band headlined the second of two shows at the Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival in Indio, California. Aside from two songs performed at the Grammy Awards in February, this also marked the second full appearance by the new AC/DC lineup, in which guitarist Stevie Young has replaced Malcolm Young and drummer Chris Slade has stepped in for Phil Rudd.

AC/DC's 20-song set kicked off with "Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be", featured three songs from the band's latest album, "Rock Or Bust" album (the title track, first single "Play Ball", and "Baptism By Fire"), and ended with the band's staple show closer, "For Those About To Rock".

AC/DC's setlist was virtually identical to the one performed by the band on April 10, with one exception: AC/DC dropped "The Jack" midway through the set and replaced it with the group's 1975 classic "High Voltage".

The setlist for the April 17 concert was as follows:

01. Hell Ain't A Bad Place To Be02. Shot Down In Flames03. Back In Black04. Rock Or Bust05. Shoot To Thrill06. Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap07. Thunderstuck08. Play Ball09. High Voltage10. Hells Bells11. Baptism Of Fire12. You Shook Me All Night Long13. Have A Drink On Me14. Sin City15. T.N.T. 16. Rock 'N' Roll Train17. Whole Lotta Rosie18. Let There Be Rock

Encore:

19. Highway To Hell20. For Those About To Rock

Check out fan-filmed video footage below.

A review of the show can be found at DesertSun.com.

This year's Coachella headliners will possibly earn between $750,000 and $2 million each, according to Billboard.com.

AC/DC's sixteenth studio album, "Rock Or Bust", has sold around 517,000 copies since debuting at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart back in December.

It's the band's first album without Malcolm, who is suffering from dementia. Rudd is out after being arrested last November on charges of threatening to kill and possession of methamphetamine and cannabis.

The band will return to North America later this summer for 13 more tour dates, starting on August 22 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts and wrapping up on September 28 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

DRAGONLORD, the California-based black metal band led by TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson, is mixing its third album, "Dominion", for a tentative early 2016 release. Peterson told "Robb's Metalworks" about the CD: "It's gonna be really killer. I'm excited about that."

The new DRAGONLORD CD will feature the drumming of Alex Bent from DECREPIT BIRTH. Eric said: "[Alex] is from a younger age and different though process, but very much influenced from the classic drummers like Neil Peart. He is breathing new life into DRAGONLORD."

Peterson previously said that the third DRAGONLORD album would feature "some pretty mature-sounding symphonic blackened thrash." He added: "It will have more of a melodic touch to it and memorable song structures. It's still gonna be heavy as hell, but it's gonna be a well-rounded record. New songs 'Kings Frost', 'The Devil's Insight' and 'Battle At Mordor' will surely raise the hairs on your back!"

DRAGONLORD's sophomore album, "Black Wings of Destiny", was released in the U.S. in October 2005 via Escapi Music. The follow-up to 2001's "Rapture" (Spitfire Records) was recorded and mixed by Fredrik Nordström (HAMMERFALL, DIMMU BORGIR, ARCH ENEMY) at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden.

DRAGONLORD's "Until the End" video:

ToneChaser.org has uploaded video footage of RED DRAGON CARTEL, the band led by former OZZY OSBOURNE and BADLANDS guitarist Jake E. Lee, performing on April 18 at Amos' Southend in Charlotte, North Carolina. Check out the clips 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).

AC/DC singer Brian Johnson has told U.K.'s The Telegraph that the stimulus for the band's upcoming world tour actually came from AC/DC's founding guitarist Malcolm Young, whose dementia has rendered him unable to play or write music anymore.

"It's just given us that impetus to just do it for him, because, you know, before the dementia really took hold of him, he said, 'Just get out and make music, lads, just for me one more time.'"

He continued: "I don't want to be sentimental about this, because, boy oh boy, I'm not a sentimental kind of guy. But that's what we're doing."

Johnson also admitted that Malcolm's health issues have forced him to to face his own mortality and come to grips with the fact that he will one day no longer physically be able to perform.

"At this time of my life, you know, I just keep reading the newspaper and saying, 'Oh my God,'" he said.

"When I read about Joe Cocker, I went, 'But that's impossible. He cannot be dead; he's only 70.'

"I mean, I'm aware of the fact that I'm not long for the world, but, I guess, I'm just not afraid of death.

"I don't believe in anything, so therefore I'm not afraid what's gonna happen afterwards."

Malcolm Young was replaced by Stevie Young, nephew of Malcolm and AC/DC guitarist Angus Young.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported in September 2014 that Malcolm was being treated in a nursing home in Sydney, Australia. The facility was believed to be Lulworth House in Elizabeth Bay. A Young family connection told the newspaper, "If you were in the room with [Malcolm] and walked out, then came back in one minute later, he wouldn't remember who you are. He has a complete loss of short-term memory. His wife, Linda, has put him in full-time care."

Malcolm did not participate in the recording sessions for AC/DC's new studio album, "Rock Or Bust", which arrived on December 2, 2014.

Stevie Young played with AC/DC once before during a 1988 tour, while Malcolm stepped out to deal with his dependency on alcohol.

According to Yahoo! Autos, legendary rocker Sammy Hagar is still waiting for the $1.4 million Ferrari LaFerrari that he custom-ordered in white with black and beige accents while touring the Maranello factory for the first time.

"Last October, I went to Italy to visit Ferrari with my wife, Kari, and the folks there said, 'Don't worry about a thing, you'll have your car soon," he told the site. "They said, 'Sammy, a few months, maybe Christmas,.' Man, now I'm thinking they meant Christmas 2015."

Only 499 units of the LaFerrari — which boasts a whopping 950 horsepower — are being made.

Ferrari's first gasoline-electric hybrid model, LaFerrari has been described as "the most powerful street-legal Ferrari ever built."

Three days after the car's debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show, more than 1,000 people had put in requests to purchase the vehicle.

Ferrari said LaFerrari will accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in less than 3 seconds and from 0 to 124 mph in less than 7 seconds.

Dark Essence Records have cast their net a little further from their own shores this time, and signed Greece's Lucifer’s Child, the band formed by Rotting Christ and former Chaostar member George Emmanuel and Nightfall’s Stathis Ridis.

 

 
Emmanuel and Ridis first formed the band in Athens, Greece in 2013 with the aim of performing the kind of music that would serve as a spiritual introduction to the atmospheric world of a Summoning. Lucifer’s Child sets out to create a unity between the music itself and the spiritual idea behind each song that they present to their audience, and, it is that ritualistic energy, combined with the electrifying sound of black metal, that characterized the band's own sound.

 

 

 
Aside from George Emmanuel on guitars and Stathis Ridis on bass, the band’s lineup also includes Marios Dupont on vocals and Nick Vell on drums. Their debut album, The Wiccan, was recorded during the summer of 2014 in Athens, and Dark Essence Records anticipate its release later this year.
 
"Hors de Combat”, a track from Lucifer’s Child, can be heard below:

 

Kiske / Somerville's new album, City Of Heroes, is out today in Europe and April 21st in North America. A new EPK (Electronic Press Kit) is streaming below:

Kiske / Somerville is the musical collaboration between vocalists Michael Kiske (ex-Helloween, Unisonic, Place Vendome) and Amanda Somerville (Trillium, Avantasia) and this new recording is certainly going to be one of the highlights of the season in rock music. Kiske’s soaring overtones seem to blend perfectly with the ethereal quality and diverse range of Amanda's voice and this time the results are truly over the top.

 

 

City Of Heroes sees Mat Sinner (Primal Fear, Sinner) and Magnus Karlsson (Starbreaker, Primal Fear) handling most of the songwriting (with a song contribution “Breaking Neptune” from Sander Gommans formerly of After Forever and Amanda Somerville herself) and with Sinner overseeing the production in various recording studios in Europe. Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Primal Fear, Pretty Maids, Doro etc.) then took care of the mix of the album ensuring a sonic quality second to none.

 

 

The first Kiske / Somerville self-titled album instantly aroused enthusiasm in the rock and metal community. The two videos off the album -“If I Had a Wish” and “Silence” – amassed a total of approximately 3,000,000 plays to date, which means that these songs can legitimately be considered as nowadays rock classics!

Considered a Metal Diva in the European symphonic metal scene, Amanda Somerville is an American singer-songwriter from Flint, Michigan whose catalogue of projects, guest appearances and live shows garnered to date is an impressive body of work. Since 1999, she has divided her time between the US and Europe, primarily Germany and the Netherlands. She co-wrote the metal opera Aina, and has also been a vocalist, songwriter, producer and / or vocal coach for many bands like Avantasia, Epica and Kamelot, giving her more credibility in metal circles than she ever bargained for. Some of her most recent endeavors include working with renowned artists Alice Cooper, Bonnie Tyler, Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) and many others.

Hamburg-born singer Michael Kiske is best known as the former lead vocalist for the German metal gods Helloween. After his departure from the band, Kiske recorded four solo albums, participated on various metal and rock related projects, such as Place Vendome and he also performed with numerous bands as a guest vocalist. In late 2009, he formed the hard rock/heavy metal band Unisonic, together with his former Helloween bandmate Kai Hansen and began touring again after 17 years.

City Of Heroes will be released in CD, Deluxe edition with a bonus DVD and 2LP vinyl gatefold sleeve.

 

 

Tracklisting:

City Of Heroes"
"Walk On Water"
"Rising Up"
"Salvation"
"Lights Out"
"Breaking Neptune"
"Ocean Of Tears"
"Open Your Eyes"
"Last Goodbye"
"After The Night Is Over"
"Run With A Dream"
"Right Now"

DVD includes:
City Of Heroes (video)
"Walk On Water" (video)
“Making of” documentary

“City Of Heroes” video:

Album trailer:

Musicians:
Lead & Backing Vocals: Michael Kiske & Amanda Somerville
Guitars & Keyboards: Magnus Karlsson
Bass & Backing Vocals: Mat Sinner
Drums: Veronika Lukesova

Watch the “Walk Of Water” video below:

 

On May 4th, the first ever tribute album to Black Sabbath guitar god Tony Iommi entitled Great Lefty: Live Forever. Tribute To Tony Iommi Godfather Of Metal, will be released via Tanzan Music. 

Watch Kyle Cousins with Barry Goudreau (Boston), Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell), Hugh McDonald (Bon Jovi, Alice Cooper, Lita Ford, David Bromberg), recording Black Sabbath’s classic “Heaven And Hell” below:

The compilation is an act of solidarity towards Tony from friends and fans. Profits from sales will benefit Macmillian Cancer Support. All the songs were kindly donated for the cause.

The Pals & Fans' tribute includes participation from: Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Heaven And Hell), Barry Goudreau (Boston), Hugh McDonald (David Bromberg, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, Lita Ford), Mark Boals (Savoy Brown, Malmsteen, Dio Disciples, Dokken) Tony Martin (former Black Sabbath vocalist), Victor Griffin (Pentagram), young singer-songwriter Kyle Cousins, Mario Parga (Graham Bonnett, Forcefield, Cozy Powell’s Hammer), Dario Mollo (Tony Martin, Voodoo Hill), Giuntini, artists and bands Children Of Iommi and the best Black Sabbath tribute acts from around the world.

Great Lefty: Live Forever was produced by multiplatinum Grammy awarded producer Damon Elliott with producer Michael Politz at Damon Elliott Group Studios in Las Vegas.

 

Tracklisting:

CD1
“Never Say Die” – Dario Mollo featuring Mark Boals
“Time Is Mine” – Maniac Rise
“Heaven And Hell” – Kyle Cousins
“Scarlet Pimpernel” – Mario Parga
“Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” – Children Of The Gravy
“Electric Funeral” – Ironlung featuring Wizard Of Ozz
“Neon Knights” – Tanzan Music Academy
“Orchid” – Nick Didkovsky“Orchid” – Nick Didkovsky
“Lawmaker” – Darking
“Loner” – Into The Void

CD2
“Paranoid” – Rekuiem
“You Won’t Change Me” – Place Of Skulls featuring Victor Griffin
“I” – Black Sabbath/Dio Tribute CZ
“Behind The Wall Of Sleep” – Phil Jakes
“Anno Mundi” – Giuntini featuring Tony Martin
“Live Forever” – Tony Reed
“No Stranger To Love” – Kill Van Kull
“Hole In The Sky” – Aplanadora featuring Santiago Cabakian
“Snowblind” – Blood Sabbath
“The Wizard” – Phenomena

Visit this location to hear audio samples of each of the 20 tracks that appear on the double CD set.

 

 

"Since the passing of our brother DZ, Glen Reed has taken the role of the band's lead guitarist," stated Pennsylvania's Mind Assassin. "Glen has captured the guitar playing characteristics and is sounding great at playing the guitar parts, which now brings us to our new announcement. We welcome to the band, as our new bass monster, Glenn Sprague!"

"Glenn comes to us from Erie, PA and brings to the band 40 years of experience; his most notable bands being Disorderly Conduct, Ozmosis, (Ozzy tribute) and most recently Smash Cake. His musical influences are: Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Judas Priest, Rush, The Who, and Uriah Heep. His bass heroes are: Geezer Butler, Steve Harris, Roger Glover, Geddy Lee, John Entwistle, and Gary Thain.

Glenn Sprague will be with us live on stage and will be on the forthcoming Mind Assassin full-length album which will begin production in September when our EP, The Pay Off is released."

 

 

 

GRAVE PLEASURES, the band formerly known as BEASTMILK, has inked a deal with Sony. The group will head into the studio this May with award-winning producer Tom Dalgety (ROYAL BLOOD, KILLING JOKE) to begin recording its new album for a September release.

GRAVE PLEASURES has completed its impressive and illustrious lineup with new drummer Uno Bruniusson (co-founding member of now-laid-to-rest Swedish band IN SOLITUDE, and drummer for PROCESSION). Bruniusson's vast experience, accomplished drumming flair and eclectic range of styles consummates the GRAVE PLEASURES lineup into a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Bruniusson marries his metal to singer/songwriter and founding member Mat "Kvohst" McNerney (also of HEXVESSEL), original BEASTMILK bassist Valtteri Arino, guitarist/songwriter Linnéa Olsson (founding member and songwriter of THE OATH and SONIC RITUAL) who had joined BEASTMILK earlier in 2014, and new live/studio guitarist Juho Vanhanen of well-known Finnish black metal titans ORANSSI PAZUZU.

As self-styled apocalyptic post-punks, BEASTMILK were one of the most talked-about bands in recent times. Their "painful war-cry of the eternally doomed," as one journalist described it, resonated with fans of all genres. They were instantly picked up on by Pitchfork, NME and The Guardian with rave reviews, and took the music scene by storm.

In early 2015, the BEASTMILK members announced that co-founding guitarist Johan Snell had departed their ranks, and that they would continue under the new moniker of GRAVE PLEASURES.

McNerney expands on their vision by describing the debut album, "Climax", as a "brief introduction." He claims that "the new songs are so raw and so vital, that they delve much deeper. We're not stopping at a prologue; we're heading straight for the zenith of our sonic love affair with the apocalypse."

GRAVE PLEASURES is:

Mat McNerney - VocalsLinnéa Olsson - GuitarUno Bruniusson - DrumsValtteri Arino - BassJuho Vanhanen - Guitar (live/studio)

GODSMACK's video for the song "Something Different" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Boston-based photographer Paris Visone.

Speaking about "Something Different", the second and latest single from GODSMACK's "1000hp" (One Thousand Horsepower) album, singer Sully Erna said: "We're excited about this one, because we really do feel that this is probably gonna be the biggest single on the album, or at least we're hoping it to be."

He continued: "It's a really special song, it's really unique, definitely branching out from what we usually do, and a little bit more on the commercial side of things, but it's still powerful and it has a really big hook and I love the track. It's cool. It's a really unique song that we created. It's not your typical GODSMACK song, but we like to take a risk once in a while. There's just something special about it, so we're hoping for the best."

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

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

Professionally filmed video footage of GOJIRA's entire August 2, 2014 performance at at last year's edition of the Resurrection Fest in Viveiro, Spain can be seen below.

As previously reported, GOJIRA has entered Silver Cord, the new New York-based recording studio designed and owned by the band's guitarist/vocalist, Joseph Duplantier, to begin tracking their sixth album for a late 2015 release via Roadrunner.

During a June 2014 interview with Sweden's Rocksverige.se, Duplantier stated about the progress of the songwriting sessions for GOJIRA's follow-up to 2012's "L'Enfant Sauvage": "We record demos, we jam, we work really hard… super hard on the songs. We wanna put out our greatest album."

He continued: "We do things a little differently. We dump songs, we dump riffs, which we never did before.

"[In the past] we would prepare 12 songs, get in the studio and record them just exactly as they are on the demos."

Joseph added: "We decided to do it differently this time. So [on previous albums] we would push each song to its maximum until it becomes really good. But this time we wanna select them right away. [If we come up a riff that sounds slightly] boring [from the start], we [get rid of it] instead of [spending time] trying to make it more interesting.

"So we have at least 20 songs — like, the main ideas, the core of each one. But we still need, now, to work on putting all the stuff together, but we have a lot of material that we really love this time. It's kind of challenging for us, also, 'cause the style is changing a little bit. We have some PANTERA-ish kind of riffs, which is kind of new for us. But we wanna… Because we want to… We want [the riffs] to be a little punchier sometimes."

Asked if GOJIRA will cut down those 20 song ideas to 12 or 13 complete tracks to record for the next album, Duplantier said: "Even to less than that. I want a short, very dynamic kind of album. But we have so much material; we could release three records or something.

"We believe in simplicity. When we release a record, we do it the old-school way. We could release a song once in a while and that's it. It would be better for these days to do it this way. I think that's what bands will do in the future. I think albums are dying. I think bands are going to work for a week at the end of a tour, release a song and go back on tour. And here you go — the fans are excited… But we're so old school. We still wanna have that big chapter in our career that we call albums that are so important. It's like a personal Bible that we're writing; it's very intense."

Joseph also confirmed that he will be in charge of the production of the next GOJIRA album. He said: "I wanna produce it. I have to do it myself somehow. It makes me feel great. I love it. That's what I do. It's what I like. I wanna do it. So everybody's, like, 'Oh, you should work with a big producer.' I don't think so. It could be a very personal sound, it could be a very direct dialog with the fans, without the interaction of anyone. Even if it's a great person, this person is still between us and the fans."

GOJIRA's fifth album, "L'Enfant Sauvage", sold almost 11,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"L'Enfant Sauvage" (which translates to "The Wild Child") was recorded at Spin Recording Studios in Long Island City, New York with co-producer Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD).

Video footage of British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) performing on April 17 in Kozlovice, 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."

1. You never wanted to discuss in a public forum. BUT, you did by making all these public comments during your interviews for the 13 album and tour. I was only responding in kind. Don’t forget why I spoke out. If you had talked to me and shared your opinions privately, we wouldn’t be here today.
2. I was ready and in shape to record. I knew I would need to get in better shape for the gigs –same as I have needed to do and have done in the past. I was beginning my workout regime to get “tour ready.” I knew what I needed to do to play the gigs, and I was confident I would be ready. I would not commit to an extensive tour without believing I could go all the way with it. I wouldn’t do that to our fans.
3. Shoulder Surgery. This was not a surgery that was an immediate necessity, or an emergency, or something that was prohibitive in terms of playing drums in Sabbath. It wasn’t anything like that. I would have elected to do the surgery after we finished touring, but since that didn’t come to pass, I scheduled it for the fall of 2013. My other surgery, yes was unexpected, but who among us knows what curve balls might be coming our way. Having had to recently cancel your own gigs, I think you could understand that and not hold someone to “what ifs”.
4. The “unsignable” contract isn’t a smokescreen – it’s the truth. I have been honest with our fans on where I stand. Your opinions of me are completely immaterial – they have nothing to do with my reason for not participating - the “unsignable” contract – that’s it. I wonder if I had signed it if any of this would have come up? I imagine we would have made an album and done a tour with the original line up in place.
Hey Oz,
It’s not going to work.
I can see you,
And, I read your statement.
Boy oh boy.
Well, I know I didn’t expect you to respond to my request of an apology. By the way, it’s pretty easy to go back and really look at what was truth and what was not.
I notice you’re including Tony and Geezer in being in full agreement, that with my health condition I couldn’t have played a two hour set with a drum solo. First time I’ve ever heard about a two hour show with a drum solo. But I’m asking you, not them. Why did you stay in the studio working with me? Why did we go to England for band rehearsals in August 2011? Why did we continue rehearsing in the Fall? Why did we make the announcement of 11/11/11? Why did you call me in late January 2012 asking me to come over to England to continue rehearsals? Why, if you thought I was so unhealthy, did you continue with me at all? You know why, Oz, because I was fine. I was playing. I was good to go.
I ran into no, zero, health problems until October 22nd 2013. Oz, I could have played my ass off in 2012, all the way through to October 22nd 2013. The shoulder operation was optional. It was quiet and I needed a wear and tear adjustment. I was fine. I could have gone without surgery. But listen to you, hitting back and hard, too.
I don’t believe a word of it. I am not an enemy. Eternity will show and serve as proof.
None of it, Oz.
I’m not going to own a fucking thing, other than I came into the studio initially overweight to tour, but not overweight to record. I was good to record. All of you know how much I put in, especially when I prepare to tour.
Your own anticipatory fear has got you by the balls. What fucking smokescreen, about an unsignable contract.
Yes, let’s get honest. I did.
It came out in my statement Wednesday, April 15, 2015.
I’m not playing (your quote). I never did. I don’t fuck with sincerity and honesty, period. I’ve done nothing but bring my truth to the fans. Man, you spin it real well. Sorry I can’t love you back, Oz. I put my love for you somewhere safe inside my heart in 2012 when your stories started showing up. It’s hard to love someone who thinks he’s telling the truth by making false claims, elitist comments and just plain rude statements.
It’ll show up, Oz, in your dreams, in your daily days. I’m clean and have nothing to feel doubtful about. All my actions have been of loyalty, honesty, and open-mindedness.
Stay safe old friend.
Sad we couldn’t roll it out for the fans one more time.
I read your speculation, and your what ifs, your doubts. I’m about as far away from being a victim as I am from Hell itself.

Guitarist Mårten Hagström of Swedish experimental extreme metallers MESHUGGAH was recently interviewed on HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show". You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.

Asked about how the material is shaping up for MESHUGGAH's next album, Hagström said: "We're early in the writing stage… We're writing right now, but we're really early still. And me personally, I'm really attracted by the idea of taking something that is really household in metal. 'Bleed' is a good example that Fredrik [Thordendal, guitar] wrote. You have like a triplet thing that is so fucking generic metal that it can't possibly get any more generic. But you do something with it that makes it come into a new territory. Put a little bit of a different [spin]… Not astronomically just rewrite the whole fucking thing, but just tweak it a little bit. And I'm really attracted to that. Right now I'm doing this song that, in essence… it's the most tragic metal song you would ever hear, but it doesn't come across that way 'cause I just tweaked it that extra mile. And I know Tomas [Haake, drums] and Dick [Lövgren, bass] have been working on a lot of stuff that is really out there. So I think it's gonna be a pretty diverse album."

In 2014, MESHUGGAH was awarded an exclusive scholarship for its services to the Swedish and international music scene. The musicians were presented with the scholarship and diploma by SKAP president Alfons Karabuda at an intimate event in the south side of Stockholm in December.

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the recording of its first EP, MESHUGGAH released a concert DVD / 2CD set and Blu-ray, "The Ophidian Trek", on September 30, 2014 via Nuclear Blast. With visual footage shot in the U.S. and Europe during "The Ophidian Trek" tour and festival footage from Wacken Open Air 2013 in Germany, the live audio was processed and edited by MESHUGGAH guitarist Fredrik Thordendal, mixed by Daniel Begstrand (DIMMU BORGIR, BEHEMOTH) and mastered by Mats "Limpan" Lindfors (ROXETTE, OPETH, MANDO DIAO).

"The Ophidian Trek" is MESHUGGAH's second live DVD, the first being 2010's "Alive", which debuted at position No. 8 on the Billboard Music DVD chart.

Long-running New Zealand-based progressive death metal tyrants, Dawn Of Azazel, will release their fourth full-length in less than two weeks. Titled The Tides Of Damocles, the 10-track slab of sonic violence is the trio's first output in six years following 2009's Relentless long-player. The album track “Controlled Burn” can now be heard below.

The Tides Of Damocles was recorded, mixed and mastered last year at Mana Recording Studios (Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal, Goatwhore, et al) in Tampa, Florida by Brian Elliot and J.J. Hrubovcak. A name referencing the ocean as a metaphor for the forces of life that constantly assail and erode the will of those who seek power, The Tides Of Damocles thrusts forth forty-eight minutes of harrowing, surgically precise death metal mastery.

 

 

Comments the band of their latest works: "We're excited as fuck to resurface with this record.  It has an anger and a dynamism that reflects the reasons we've been silent for a several years, and our aggression moving forward in spite of these obstacles. We couldn't be more proud of this record as our contribution of something ferocious and unique to the death metal genre."

 

 

The Tides Of Damocles tracklisting:

“Strike First, Strike Hard, Strike Often”
“Irresistible Foe”
“Vassalplasty”
“The Odious Tides”
“Forever Enduring, Always Ready”
“Controlled Burn”
“Progeny of Pain”
“The Eagles Grasp”
“Damocles”
“Tarnished Gold”

“Controlled Burn”:

“Vassalplasty” lyric video:

The Tides Of Damocles will be released independently via the official Dawn Of Azazel BandCamp page at this location on April 28th, and come available digitally and as a stunning, deluxe, six-panel digipack with 20-page booklet. Pre-order your copy today.

Dawn Of Azazel will bring their brutality to the stage in the coming days on a slew of live excursions through New Zealand and Australia with further invasions to be announced shortly.

Tour dates:

April
18 - Napier Deathfest - Napier, New Zealand
23 - The King's Arm Tavern - Auckland, New Zealand (with Napalm Death, Carcass)

May
2 - The King's Arm Tavern - Auckland, New Zealand (with Suffocation, Decapitated)

July
4 - Rust In Perth 2015 - Perth, Australia

August
29 - Living Death Fest 2015 - Melbourne, Australia

Dawn Of Azazel:

Rigel Walshe - bass, vocals
Joe Bonnett - guitar
Jeremy Suckling - drums

Texas-based metallers, Shattered Sun, will release their debut album, Hope Within Hatred, on April 21st via Victory Records. A full album stream can be found below.

 

 

Hope Within Hatred tracklisting:

“The Ultimatum”
“Victory Or Death”
“Hope Within Hatred”
“Reign Over Me”
“Burning Regrets”
“Waging War”
“Dead Set”
“281”
“Awaken”
“No Sympathy”
“Return To Serenity”

Album stream:

“The Ultimatum” lyric video:

“Hope Within Hatred” lyric video:

 

 

Dark Roots Of Thrash II dates:

April
17 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ
18 - The Palladium - Worcester, MA, New England Metal & Hardcore Festival
19 - The Paramount - Huntington, NY
21 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
22 - Cannery Ballroom - Nashville, TN
23 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
24 - The International - Knoxville, TN
26 - Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
28 - The Filmore - Silver Spring, MD
29 - The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY
30 - Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA

May
2 - Bogart’s - Cincinnati, OH
24 - AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX - River City Rockfest