Correlating with their most momentous and intense work to date, the Arizona-based instrumetal duo Tempel have unveiled the transfixing cover artwork for their upcoming sophomore release, The Moon Lit Our Path, which will be released via Prosthetic Records on June 16th. The meticulously hand-painted artwork was completed by illustrator Lucas Ruggieri (Kylesa, Dragged Into Sunlight, Cough).

The Moon Lit Our Path consists of five colossal tracks that fuse haunting blackened post-metal melodies with progressive accents and atmospheric tinges.

The Moon Lit Our Path tracklisting:

“Carvings In The Door”
“The Moon Lit Our Path”
“Descending Into The Labyrinth”
“Tomb Of The Ancients”
“Dawn Breaks Over The Ruins”

Album teaser:

Toronto extreme metallers Fragile Existence have announced the details regarding their upcoming album entitled Cataclysms And Beginnings.

The album features ten brand new songs, artwork from legendary metal illustrator Jon Zig, and will be released on May 19th.  

Recorded in various locations across Toronto throughout 2014, Cataclysms And Beginnings is band's second album to be produced by bassist Matt Hems, and is the first to feature drummer Morten Siersbaek, previously a member of Danish death metal forerunners Spectral Mortuary and Exmortem.

Cataclysms And Beginnings tracklisting:

“A Malignant Design”
“Cataclysms And Beginnings”
“Limitless Genocide”
“Four Walls Of Emptiness”
“Accommodating Demise”
“Clandestine Laboratories Of Unbridles Malevolence”
“Exiled To Desolation”
“The Pathogenic Nightmare”
“Upon Serpents They Prey”
“The Skin Casket”

“Upon Serpents They Prey”:

The album is available for preorder at this location.

Michael Denner and Hank Shermann, the original Danish guitar players of MERCYFUL FATE's legendary "Melissa" and "Don't Break the Oath" albums, have created a new classic in the forthcoming EP "Satan's Tomb", coming in 2015 on Metal Blade Records. These songs were crafted with the MERCYFUL FATE worldwide legion of fans at the forefront of the duo's collective minds. From the first riff to the last wail, one cannot help but feel the magic newly recaptured once again.

The band, which is simply called DENNER/SHERMANN, calls into service a formidable group of allies who were capable of helping realize this menagerie of malice, was a task carefully orchestrated by these metal mad scientists. Shermann first called upon Marc Grabowski (DEMONICA) to handle the bass guitar, followed by the only drummer that made sense for many obvious aspects, the one known as Snowy Shaw (MERCYFUL FATE, KING DIAMOND, DREAM EVIL). Many voices were considered, but fate lead them to Sean Peck (CAGE, DEATH DEALER). He was not only a fan but had the versatile vocal skills to make the new songs come to life like their fans would expect.

Shermann comments: "We have been writing and recording with an incredible lineup of musicians and the fans are in for a dark, classic, heavy metal treat for sure. We wanted to get back to the essence of what we created back in the early '80s. The music inevitable sounds like you would hope it to be, fans of our early work should be very excited."

Metal Blade CEO Brian Slagel adds: "I am super excited to welcome DENNER/SHERMANN to the Metal Blade family. I have known Michael and Hank for more than 25 years. I am honored to be able to work with these two legendary musicians. Really excited to work with all the guys on this exciting new band!"

DENNER/SHERMANN is:

Michael Denner - GuitarHank Shermann - GuitarSean Peck - VocalsSnowy Shaw - DrumsMarc Grabowski - Bass

MERCYFUL FATE's last studio album, "9", was released in 1999.

MERCYFUL FATE will be remembered for its unquestionable mark on the history of metal with its innovative sound, complex arrangements, memorable melody, and its influence on bands that later took the genre to new heights.

In 1998, METALLICA paid tribute to MERCYFUL FATE by recording a medley of classic MERCYFUL FATE songs on the album "Garage Inc." Entitled "Mercyful Fate", the medley included parts from "Satan's Fall", "Curse of the Pharaohs", "A Corpse Without Soul", "Into the Coven" and "Evil".

Lars Ulrich of METALLICA (a fellow Dane) played drums on a new version of MERCYFUL FATE's "Return of the Vampire" on the "In the Shadows" album, which came out in 1993.

Orchestrated Misery Recordings has released Inject The Worms from Indiana death metal merchants Psychomancer. The EP is streaming in full below:

Inject The Worms is a more diverse, demon-tempered, and complete than their previous releases. With a sheer vocal attack and hints of melodic death metal riff-age, the new incarnation has forged six songs of atmosfear and heaviness with themes that are more than your typical  "killing, cutting, maggots, killing with my knife."  The heaviness and aggression of Death Metal is there, but this is more a psychological way of mutilation, of treading the dark paths of life that bring you to face the elements of death.

Inject The Worms tracklisting:

“In Shackles Insane”
“Just Another Victim”
“Inject The Worms”
“Bastards Burn”
“Abhorrent Wings Of Decay”
“Chant Of The War Demons”

The album can be purchased at this location.

The Netherlands’ Teethgrinder has released a new track “Hope In Death” from their forthcoming album Misanthropy.

Teethgrinder's debut album Misanthropy is set to be released on May 25th in Europe and on June 2nd in North America as CD, limited LP and download.

Teethgrinder live:

April
9 – Berlin, Germany – Cassiopeia
10 – Kassel, Germany – K19
12 – Manchester, UK – Roadhouse
13 – Glasgow, UK – Audio
14 – Bristol, UK – The Fleece
15 – London, UK – Boston Music Room
16 – Utrecht, Netherlands – Ekko
17 – Lille, France – TBA
18 – Paris, France – Glazart, Doomed Gatherings
19 – Lille, France – TBA
20 – Munchen, Germany – Feierwerk
21 – Wiesbaden, Germany – Schlachthof
22 – Prague, Czech Republic – 007
23 – Budapest, Hungary – Club 202

May
24 – Den Haag, Netherlands – Metalcon
30 – Torgau, Germany – Grind The Nazi Scum Festival

July
8 – Prague, Czech Republic – Thirst For Grind
9 – Trutnov, Czech Republic – Obscene Extreme Festival
11 – Hogeveen, Netherlands – Graveland Festival

Underground Symphony Records has announced the release of the debut CD of Bastian, the Sicilian band led by the guitar player Sebastiano Conti.

The debut Album Among The Giants, features top class international players: Mark Boals and Mike Vescera at the voice, J. Macaluso, Vinny Appice and Thomas Lang at the drums.

This debut album contains 14 songs based on a mix between hard rock and classic, a metal sound influenced by old masters such as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, sometimes flirting with classic blues sound in Steve Ray Vaughan and Eric Clapton's style.

The whole work is enhanced by the magic touch and the professionalism of Mark Boals and Mark Vescera. This album is available in a limited digipack edition. Graphic artwork is conceived and realized by Jahn Carlini (Jahnvision Art).

Among My Giants tracklisting:

“Odyssey”
“Mother Earth”
“Hamunaptra”
“Tambourine Song”
“Secret And Desire”
“Sexy Fire”
“Lights And Shadows”
“Justify Blues”
“Magic Rhyme”
“The Beach”
“The Fisherman”
“Song Of The Dream”
“Soul Hunters”
“An Angel Named Jason Becker”

A sought-after, rare club performance from The Rolling Stones in 1971, filmed at London’s iconic Marquee Club, will finally see the light of day, after almost two decades of being stored away in an attic. The Rolling Stones From The Vault: The Marquee - Live in 1971 will be released on DVD in four formats and on iTunes via Eagle Rock on June 23rd.
 
This remarkable performance was filmed for US television in 1971, shortly after The Rolling Stones had completed their 1971 Farewell Tour of the UK, and a month before the release of the album Sticky Fingers. The gig marked the first time tracks “Brown Sugar,” “Dead Flowers,” “Bitch,” and the rarely performed “I Got The Blues” were showcased live; four tracks taken from the Sticky Fingers album. The lin-up at this time was Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Mick Taylor and Bill Wyman.
 
The show was an intimate, rare club appearance and very little footage has been released, until now. Part of the From The Vault series of live concerts from the band’s archive, The Rolling Stones From The Vault: The Marquee - Live In 1971 is a must own DVD for any Stones fan, featuring carefully restored footage and sound mixed to perfection by Bob Clearmountain, including 5.1 surround sound on the DVD and SD Blu-ray formats.
 
The release of The Rolling Stones From The Vault: The Marquee - Live In 1971 coincides with the special edition of album Sticky Fingers, and includes alternative takes of “I Got The Blues” and “Bitch”, plus a Top Of The Pops performance of “Brown Sugar” from 1971.
 

 
Tracklisting:
 
“Live With Me”
“Dead Flowers”
“I Got The Blues”
“Let It Rock”
“Midnight Rambler”
“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
“Bitch”
“Brown Sugar”
 
Bonus Tracks:
 
“I Got The Blues” - Take 1
“I Got The Blues” - Take 2
“Bitch” - Take 1
“Bitch” - take 2
“Brown Sugar” (Top Of The Pops, 1971)

 

“Dead Flowers”:

 
The Rolling Stones From The Vault: The Marquee - Live In 1971 is available in four formats:
 
DVD:
Main tracklisting and bonus features
 
SD Blu-ray:
Main tracklisting and bonus features
 
DVD + CD:
The DVD and a single CD
 
DVD + LP:
DVD and a single LP (main tracklisting only)

Ladies and gentlemen… the Rolling Stones are back! The band has announced that they will kick off their new 15-city North American stadium, Zip Code tour, in San Diego on May 24th at Petco Park. The tour will make stops in Columbus, Minneapolis, Dallas, Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Pittsburgh, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Raleigh, Indianapolis, Detroit and Buffalo before wrapping in Quebec on July 15th at Le Festival D’Été de Québec.

 

 

Tickets for these dates will go on sale April 13th. For ticketing information please click here. American Express Card Members can purchase tickets before the general public, beginning April 8th.

“We are excited to be back in North America playing stadiums this summer! We are looking forward to being back on stage and playing your favorite songs.” - Mick Jagger

“We love being out on the road and it is great to come back to North America! I can’t wait to get back on the stage!” - Keith Richards

The Rolling Stones Zip Code tour will see Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood head back out on the road after their critically-acclaimed 14 On Fire tour in Asia, Europe, Australia and New Zealand in 2014. The iconic band will treat their generations of fans to special one night only shows, with a set packed full of classic Stones hits such as "Gimme Shelter", "Paint It Black", "Jumpin’ Jack Flash", "Tumbling Dice" and "It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll", as well as special gems from their extraordinary catalogue.

The Rolling Stones Zip Code tour will be the first time the rock legends have played North American stadiums since 2005-2007’s A Bigger Bang Tour.

The stage design for the stadium shows includes a thrust that extends deep into the audience allowing the Stones to interact directly with their fans. Known for their ground-breaking sets and use of cutting-edge technology, the Stones’ set design will feature video screens and special effects that will enhance the high-octane experience of attending a live Stones’ show.

The tour will also coincide with the Rolling Stones re-release of Sticky Fingers on May 26th in North America, and May 25th in the rest of the world, by Universal Music. Check BraveWords' earlier report at this location for complete details.

 

In a brand new interview with Full Metal Jackie, MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy Kilmister spoke about the lifestyle changes that he made over the last couple of years after being fitted with a defibrillator because of heart problems and a brush with death during his last surgery.

"I stopped smoking for about two years, but I started smoking again," he said (hear audio below). "But I'm only doing a pack a week, as opposed to two packs a day, which I was doing. And I stopped drinking Coca-Cola. I haven't had a Coke for two years, 'cause I think they're evil. [There are] ten spoons of sugar in a can of Coke, and I've got diabetes, you know."

Asked if it was hard to give up drinking Coca Cola since he was so into it, Lemmy said: "Oh, I drink vodka and orange now. It's very much less."

Lemmy in 2013 suffered a haematoma (where blood collects outside of a blood vessel), causing the cancelation of a number of the band's European festival shows.

The rocker, who turned 69 years old in December, told Classic Rock he didn't expect to still be here at 30,

"I don't do regrets," he said. "Regrets are pointless. It's too late for regrets. You've already done it, haven't you? You've lived your life. No point wishing you could change it.

"There are a couple of things I might have done differently, but nothing major; nothing that would have made that much of a difference.

"I'm pretty happy with the way things have turned out. I like to think I've brought a lot of joy to a lot of people all over the world. I'm true to myself and I'm straight with people."

Asked if his illness in 2013 has made him more aware of his own mortality, Lemmy said: "Death is an inevitability, isn't it? You become more aware of that when you get to my age. I don't worry about it. I'm ready for it. When I go, I want to go doing what I do best. If I died tomorrow, I couldn't complain. It's been good."

Italian dark metallers Graveworm have signed with AFM Records.

AFM has already re-released the band’s early albums As The Angels Reach The Beauty, Scourge Of Malice and When Daylight’s Gone / Underneath The Crescent Moon in 2012 and will now follow up to release Graveworm’s brand new studio album, entitled Ascending Hate, which will see the light of day on June 19th.

Ascending Hate tracklisting:

“Stillborn”
“Liars To The Lions”
“Blood, Torture, And Death”
“Downfall Of Heaven”
“Son Of Lies”
“Buried Alive”
“Rise Again”
“The Death Heritage”
“To The Empire Of Madness”
“Nocturnal Hymns II (The Death Anthem)”

SIXX: A.M., the band featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx alongside guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael, has released the official lyric video for its song "Get Ya Some". The track is taken from SIXX: A.M.'s third album, "Modern Vintage", which was released on October 7, 2014 via Eleven Seven Music.

In an interview with Soundcheck 411, Michael stated about "Get Ya Some": "That's one of my favorite songs on the record; I really love that song. It's a fantastic song to sing and because it's so over the top, the lyric is just so abstract and kinda obscured and that's what I love about it. It's a very fun song to sing, those verses are… I've kinda described them as kinda this low, creepy Tom Waits type of vibe in the verses and then, to me, that chorus explodes into that very Freddie Mercury-esque type of falsetto all over the top, and there's horn sections going on and it's just such a flamboyant song and I love it. It's a fun one to sing and it was a fun one to record."

SIXX: A.M. has hired drummer Dustin Steinke of the Canadian rock band BLEEKER RIDGE to sit behind the kit for its upcoming U.S. tour, which is scheduled to kick off in tonight (Wednesday, April 8) in San Francisco, California.

Based in Orillia, Ontario, BLEEKER RIDGE was previously signed to the Canadian branch of Roadrunner Records and recently completed work on a new album with Michael at the production helm, due later in the year via the Eleven Seven label.

Steinke made his live debut with SIXX: A.M. on February 19 at the Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, Japan as part of Vampark Fest hosted by the rock band VAMPS.

Support on SIXX: A.M.'s first-ever headline tour will come from Finnish cello rockers APOCALYPTICA and Japan's VAMPS.

"Get Ya Some" lyric video:


DJ Ashba talking about "Drive":

Fan-filmed video footage of ARCH ENEMY's March 8 performance at MUV Hall in Seoul, South Korea can be seen below.

Speaking about ARCH ENEMY's musical chemistry, the band's guitarist and main songwriter Michael Amott told Chile's On The Rock: "I would describe it as good. I think there is chemistry. Sometimes bands don't have any chemistry anymore, or they never had it, but they just do it anyway."

He continued: "Yeah, for me, music and songwriting is a one-hundred-percent emotional experience. It's not really a calculated or… I don't really know a lot of [music] theory or anything like that; I just kind of go straight in with my heart and soul and just try to create cool music that sounds cool to my ears. I think it's what we all do, and we just kind of put it together.

"A lot of the initial ideas come from myself, but we kind of shape it all together. It's not really a song until everybody's played on it and put their touch on it; that's when it's an ARCH ENEMY song. I think now, with [new singer] Alissa [White-Gluz], she did a killer job. I co-wrote with her on the [latest ARCH ENEMY] album ['War Eternal'] lyrics. There's a good vibe right now, and I think we're getting really strong feedback from the audience as well about our live performances now. I think everything's kind of gelling. And I'm really looking forward to the next album at some point and working with [new ARCH ENEMY guitarist] Jeff [Loomis] as well, which is something that I'm really looking forward to. So the possibilities are kind of, like, pretty crazy."

ARCH ENEMY in November 2014 parted ways with guitarist Nick Cordle and replaced him with Loomis. Loomis made his live debut with ARCH ENEMY on the band's most recent European tour, which kicked off on November 26, 2014.

Said Loomis: "I'm very excited to be playing with ARCH ENEMY.

"[ARCH ENEMY guitarist] Michael Amott and I have stayed in contact over the years since we toured together when I was playing in NEVERMORE. Not only do I admire his guitar playing and songwriting, but I also consider him a close friend."

ARCH ENEMY played its first show with Alissa White-Gluz on May 23, 2014 at Turbohalle in Bucharest, Romania. Angela Gossow, who joined ARCH ENEMY in 2000 and made her debut on the now-classic "Wages Of Sin" (2001), stepped down as frontwoman and is focusing on management, while Alissa is taking her place.

ARCH ENEMY's latest album, "War Eternal", sold around 8,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 44. The CD was released on June 10, 2014 in North America via Century Media Records. The cover artwork was created by Costin Chioreanu.

Los Angeles, California metallers ARMORED SAINT will release their seventh studio album on June 2 in North America via Metal Blade. Titled "Win Hands Down", the CD was produced by bassist Joey Vera and mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, STONE SOUR).

A brand new video for the "Win Hands Down" title track was recently shot by director Andrew Nethery and can be seen below.

"Win Hands Down" track listing:

01. Win Hands Down02. Mess03. An Exercise In Debauchery04. Muscle Memory05. That Was Then, Way Back When06. With a Full Head of Steam07. In an Instant08. Dive09. Up Yours

States ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush: "When we began talking about a new record, I told Joey Vera [bass] to pretend we were a really huge band and that we could do anything we wanted. At least that was the mindset we should have, from the writing to the production. What came out was 'Win Hands Down', which is our first record in five years."

He continued: "There's everything from classic ARMORED SAINT rocker songs to epic songs and we all dug deep to deliver something special. If we weren't going to, then we shouldn't have bothered. I'm glad we did."

Bush added: "In May we are doing some shows in the States with SAXON. It's a great way to get the ball rolling."

Stated Vera: "We're very excited about our new record coming out in June!

"We've been writing over the past year and half and we feel like we've written some amazing music. We can't wait to share it!

"To get our whistle's wet, we're super excited about doing some warm-up gigs before the record release with the legendary SAXON this May!

"We're doing a total of six shows between the East Coast, Texas, West Coast and we couldn't think of a better way to start off the summer! See you all soon."

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

After releasing Nihil (2013) and Beyond Mankind (2014), Ordoxe are now unleashing May Death Be My Shepherd their third album and their most various one to date without compromising their roots and their style of blackened death metal.

Featuring ex-members of Slaotvean, Horfixion and Strigampire, Ordoxe will please fans of Satyricon, Dark Funeral, and Enthroned. 12 shows are already confirm (including two festivals) to promote their new album and more to be announced.

May Death Be My Shepherd tracklisting:

“God Doesn’t Care”
“Every Man For Himself”
“Shards Of Glass”
“These Broken Wings”
“You Against You”
“Death Is My Shepherd”
“A Light So Dark”
“Le Temps Nous Guette”
“Since The Dawn Of Time”
“Into Deadly Fog”
“Tie It Around My Neck”

Video “God Doesn’t Care”:

The album is available to order at this location.

Tour dates:

April
17 – Matane – TBA
18 – Rimouski – TBA
25 – Quebec – L’Agitee

May
8 – St. Hyacinthe – Bar Le Trash
9 – Trois-Rivieres – Stage
16 – Sherbrooke – Magog
22 – Quebec – L’Agitee
30 – Toronto – Comfort Zone

July
2 – Trois-Rivieres – Stage
4 – Quebec – TBA

Steve Vai put together a video for the song “The Story Of Light” from the Stillness In Motion DVD. This selection opens The Space Between The Notes – a fascinating tour diary and video montage of life on the road with Vai and the band.

Vai states: “This is the piece that took the most time and the one I’m most happy with.”

An exclusive full performance of guitar legend Steve Vai's "Weeping China Doll" from the 2DVD release, Stillness In Motion: Vai Live In L.A. can be viewed below:

The double album and DVD, was released April 7 through Sony Music Entertainment and Legacy Recordings, were recorded October 12, 2012, at L.A.’s Club Nokia. It was the 49th show from Vai’s Story of Light World Tour.

“To say this tour was a powerful life experience would be like saying the sun is hot,” Vai writes in the Stillness in Motion liner notes. The power and  heat show in this new video, which you can check out below.

The 2DVD configuration of Stillness in Motion includes a bonus disc featuring “The Space Between the Notes (Tour Mischief),” a video diary featuring more than three and a half hours of footage filmed onstage, offstage and behind-the-scenes during the Story of Light World world tour.

Vai recently checked in with the following update:

"Today I received the first pressing of Stillness In Motion that’s coming out on April 7. Steve Vai is one wildly happy guy!

The bonus footage is called The Space Between The Notes and is over 3 and a half hours. It’s sort of tour diary that has some footage from every city we visited.

I’m very excited for you to enjoy this. The viewer gets to be with us in our trek around this amazing blue globe, and you can get a good snippet of what life on the road, or at least our road, is about. It was a monumental task that took 5-6 months of 10-15 hour days to edit together, but when I finished it and watched it I felt as though it was perhaps the best work I have done to date.

Enjoy!"

An iTunes pre-order in now up and running at this location. A snippet of the track "Velorum" is available on the page.

Vai's first release under the new Sony/Legacy agreement will be Stillness In Motion - Vai Live in L.A., a spectacular performance recorded October 12th, 2012 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Available in 2CD and 2DVD configurations, Stillness In Motion revisits the 49th concert from Vai's monumental Story of Light World Tour.

Running from 2012 through 2014, The Story of Light World Tour totaled out at 253 engagements (including shows, master classes and concerts with various orchestras) in 52 countries.In addition to the full Club Nokia performance, the 2DVD configuration of Stillness In Motion includes a bonus disc premiering The Space Between the Notes (Tour Mischief), a revelatory video diary comprised of more than three and a half hours of footage, lensed around the world on-stage, off-stage and behind-the-scenes during Vai's epic Story Of Light World Tour.

"To say that this tour was a powerful life experience would be like saying the sun is hot," writes Steve Vai in his personal liner notes penned for Stillness In Motion.

Following Stillness In Motion, Sony/Legacy will release an album of new Steve Vai material, marking a significant next chapter in the musician's growing canon.

The new multi-album deal marks an SME homecoming for Vai, who set the gold and platinum standard for rock instrumental music across a series of albums released through Relativity and Epic Records from 1990's game-changing Passion and Warfare (his 2nd album and 1st major label release) through 2007's orchestral Sound Theories, Vol. I & II.

Tracklistings:

2CD Edition

Disc 1
“Intro/Racing The World”
“Velorum”
Band Intros
“Building The Church”
“Tender Surrender”
“Gravity Storm”
“Weeping China Doll”
“John The Revelator”
“The Moon And I”
“The Animal”
“Whispering A Prayer”

Disc 2
“The Audience Is Listening”
“Rescue Me Or Bury Me”
“Sisters”
“Treasure Island”
“Salamanders In The Sun”
“Pusa Road”
“Frank”
“The Ultra Zone” (CD Version)
“Build Me A Song L.A.”
“For The Love Of God”
“Taurus Bulba”

2DVD Edition

Disc 1
“Intro/Racing The World”
“Velorum”
Band Intros
“Building The Church”
“Tender Surrender”
“Gravity Storm”
“The Trillium’s Launch”
“Weeping China Doll”
“John The Revelator”
“The Moon And I”
“The Animal”
“Whispering a Prayer”
“The Audience Is Listening”
“Where Are We”
“Rescue Me Or Bury Me”
“Sisters”
“Treasure Island”
“Beastly Rap”
“Salamanders In The Sun”
“Pusa Road”
“Earthquake Sky”, Drum Solo
“I’m Tired”
“The Ultra Zone”
“Frank”

Disc 2
“Build Me A Song L.A.”
“For the Love Of God”
“Taurus Bulba”

Story of Light Tour: The Space Between the Notes (Tour Mischief)
Leg 1 (Rehearsals/USA)
Leg 2 (Europe/Eastern Europe)
Leg 3 (Vegas/Netherlands/Russia/Ukraine/Europe)
Leg 4 (Australia/NZ/Indonesia/China/S. Korea/Japan/Taiwan/Thailand)
Leg 5 (Europe...again)
Leg 6 (USA...again)
Leg 7 (Mexico/South America/China)
Leg 8 (Vegas/Singapore/Malaysia/Israel/Europe/Russia/Ukraine)
Leg 9 (USA/St. Barths/Japan/France/Poland)

Abiotic are set to release their new album Casuistry April 21st on Metal Blade Records.  So far two blistering tracks from the band's sophomore release have been made available for streaming.  Today as the band kicks off their North American tour, and they have also released their new single for “Molecular Rematerialization”.

In the late summer of 2014, Abiotic ventured to Basement Recordings with acclaimed producer Jamie King. The collaboration would prove fruitful. Guitarist John Matos elaborates: "Working with Jamie was unlike any other studio experience we've had before. Tracking with someone who's produced bands like Between The Buried And Me, Wretched, and The Contortionist put our minds at ease and allowed us to put total trust in Jamie to achieve the sound we were looking for. It made the experience so comfortable and relaxed that we were really able to explore and create without boundaries. I think that's something that can be felt with this record."

The addition of Brent Phillips and Travis Bartosek were particularly influential on the recording process. Phillip's drumming allowed for the band to spend more time exploring tones and sounds than ever before. He brought a renewed sense of groove and feel to the process, along with being the fastest drummer the band has played with to date. Vocally, fans will notice the largest change here. Bartosek took over lyric writing duties and topics range from suicide, Middle East conflict, religion, and a bit of misanthropy. John Matos adds, "Travis did write all of his own lyrics and I think that with his catchy wording and phrasing, fans will be able to follow along to the tunes and it'll translate really well live."

An Abiotic record would not be complete without space-y leads and the bands brand of breakdowns. Leads were a major focus for the album. Seven of the nine tracks contain guitar solos from both John Matos and Matt Mendez. And, of course, Alex Vasquez's bass flourishes can be heard throughout. There's even a drum solo on "Molecular Rematerialization". And, as an added challenge for the band to learn to play live, guitarist Paul Waggoner from Between The Buried And Me offered a solo of his own on "Absence Of Purity". It's all of these elements, flourishes, and individual musical muscle-flexing that gives Abiotic their trademark sound.

Casuistry tracklisting:

“Believe The Unseen”
“Reanimated Destruction”
“Cast Into The Depths”
“Violent Scriptures”
“Nightmares Of Your Conception”
“The Absence Of Purity”
“Falling Into Obscurity”
“Molecular Rematerialization”
“Drain. Deface. Abolish.”

“Cast Into The Depths”:

 

Preorder packages are available at MetalBlade.com.

Tour dates:

April
9 - Houston, TX - Walters
10 - Austin, TX - Empire Control Room - Texas Independent Fest
11 - San Angelo, TX - Yays

April (with Boris The Blade, Alterbeast, Reaping, Asmodeia)
12 - Shreveport, LA - Hotshots
13 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room w/Vital Remains & Vale of Pnath
15 - Memphis, TN - High Tone Records
16 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall
17 - Kenilworth, NJ - 10th Street Live
18 - Brooklyn, NY - Coco 66
20 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
21 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks
22 - Detroit, MI - The Ritz
23 - Danville, IL - Vintage Villains
24 - Crest Hill, IL - Bada Brew
25 - Lacrosse, WI - Warehouse
26 - Milwaukee, WI - Metal Grill
27 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews

April (with Boris The Blade, Alterbeast)
28 - Denver, CO - The Skatuary
29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Bar
30 - Pocatello, ID - Green T

May (with Boris The Blade, Alterbeast, Lord Of War)
2 - Spokane, WA - The Pin
3 - Salem, OR - Duffy's Hangar
5 - San Jose, CA - The Rockbar
6 - Upland, CA - The Grizzly Den
7 - Camarillo, CA - Rock City Studios
8 - San Diego, CA - Soma

May
9 - Mesa, AZ - The Underground

Graal will release their new album Chapter IV on CD and digital on May 24th through Jolly Roger Records (Alive Distribution / Code7 Distribution). The Italian quintet first came to prominence in 2005 when they released their full-length debut album Realm Of Fantasy (self-released on CD and LP).

Since then the band has hooked up with label Bloodrock Records, and two new more productions have seen the light: Tales Untold in 2007 and Legends Never Die in early 2011. Also in 2013 Bloodrock reissued on double LP their debut.

Chapter IV, the brand new album, is far by the most mature and complete of their discography, underlining a constant and progressive growth. Musically Graal is placed well inside the retro-oriented hard rock universe: some details heralding a plausible Deep Purple influence, others with similarities closer to Iron Maiden and early ‘80s UFO, with occasional additional flavorings folk-oriented.

Chapter IV tracklisting:

“Little Song”
“Pick Up All The Faults”
“Shadowplay”
“Revenge”
“The Day That Never Ended”
“Stronger”
“Guardian Devil”
“Lesser Man”
“Last Hold”
“Goodbye”
“A Poetry For A Silent Man”
“Northern Cliff”

GRAAL - CHAPTER IV by JOLLY ROGER RECORDS

To celebrate their triumphant return to North America this spring, Billboard-charting Swedish heavy metallers and avid war historians, Sabaton, released a special, three-disc limited edition deluxe version of their 2014 Heroes album, in the US and Canada on April 7th. Vocalist Joakim Brodén unboxes the Heroes deluxe edition in the video below:

Limited to 5,000 copies, this deluxe edition includes two discs of live audio recorded on the 2014 Sabaton Cruise in addition to the original ten Heroes album tracks.

The track listing for Heroes: Deluxe Edition is:

Disc 1 - Heroes:

“Night Witches”
“No Bullets Fly”
“Smoking Snakes”
“Inmate 4859”
“To Hell And Back”
“The Ballad Of Bull”
“Resist And Bite”
“Soldier Of 3 Armies”
“Far From The Fame”
“Hearts Of Iron”

Disc 2 – Live from The Sabaton Cruise 2014:

“Night Witches”
“To Hell And Back”
“Smoking Snakes”
“Far From The Fame”
“Resist And Bite”
“Soldier Of 3 Armies”
“Carolus Rex”
“Gott Mit Uns [God With Us]”
“Karolinens Bön [The Carolean’s Prayer]”
“1648
“En Livstid I Krig [A Lifetime Of War]”
“Twilight Of The Thunder Gods”

Disc 3 – Live from The Sabaton Cruise 2014:

“Ghost Division”
“40:1”
“White Death”
“Attero Dominatus”
“7734”
“Price Of A Mile”
“Talvisota [The Winter War]”
“Swedish Pagans”
“Art Of War”
“Primo Victoria”
“Metal Crüe”

Known for the boundless energy of their soul-soaring live performances saturated with fist-pumping anthems that celebrate the triumph of the human spirit, Sabaton return to the western hemisphere next month as direct support to Finland-based symphonic metal storytellers Nightwish. Openers are Dutch symphonic metallers Delain.

Sabaton have also announced a new and very special kind of festival. So, there is the Sabaton Open Air/Rockstad:Falun festival in the band's hometown Falun, the Sabaton Cruise on the Baltic Sea and now there is also Sabaton Open Air/Noch ein Bier Fest in Germany.

For a long time, Sabaton have had the plans for doing a special and totally unique event in Germany and that will become reality now. In July they will organize Sabaton Open Air/Noch Ein Bier Fest, a headline concert where people will surely get a unique show. For this concert they have chosen the stunning Amphitheatre in Gelsenkirchen (famous from Rock Hard Festival) and as support on this show Sabaton will bring some bands they know that their fans have requested: their old touring colleagues in Powerwolf and Korpiklaani as well as their former bandmates Civil War.

Bassist Pär Sundström comments: “In 2008 we organized ‘One more beer party’ in Essen in Germany as a release party for Art Of War. Since then the idea has existed of doing something similar. Now, seven years later, all pieces have fallen into position and we are ready. There will be a lot of ‘Noch ein Bier’ that night!”

Find Sabaton's live itinerary at this location.

"Messe Noire", the new video from Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH, can be seen below. The clip was helmed by Brooklyn-based director Zev Deans, who brings a visually dark and surreal atmosphere to a song and album that is one of BEHEMOTH's most bleak. To add to the atmosphere, costumes were provided by fashion designer Sharon Toxic. The combination of these visual and auditory talents could not be more ideal.

Deans says: "The story of Lucifer's fall, followed by his defiant rebirth, reminds me of [BEHEMOTH frontman] Nergal's own personal struggles of recent years.

"Like Lucifer, BEHEMOTH has recovered from hardship, and they are stronger than ever.

"With 'Messe Noire', I was lucky enough to work with some of the most talented people in the genre.

"I owe the success of this project to the intense sacrifice that Sharon and the rest of team gave to this work."

Adds Adam "Nergal" Darski: "It was actually our drummer Inferno's idea to work with Zev Deans. He showed me a PORTAL video that literally blew my fuckin' mind!

"For a long time, we've attempted to reach a new ground and artistically leave the comfort zone. 'The Satanist' is THE record that challenges us on so many levels… and here we are, exploring new grounds with a video producer who is a genuine visionary!

"The 'Messe Noire' video surely adds new quality to our art and makes it even more transcendental… I am proud!"

BEHEMOTH's latest album, "The Satanist", sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's ninth full-length studio CD, 2009's "Evangelion", opened with around 8,500 units to land at No. 56.

The definitive BEHEMOTH biography, "Behemoth: Devil's Conquistadors" by Lukasz Dunaj, was released in February via Metal Blade. The 490-page, hardcover tome includes quotes and anecdotes from current and former members that provide context and details in addition to the author's narrative, plus interviews with Tomas Krajewski, Rob Darken, Graal, Havok, and more. The artistically presented pages are splattered with old photos of the band, flyers, lyric sheets, etc.

The English-language version of BEHEMOTH frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski's autobiography, "Sacrum Profanum", was released on March 31 via Jawbone Press. The book received editorial assistance from Mark Eglinton, co-author of Rex Brown's memoir, "Official Truth, 101 Proof - The Inside Story Of Pantera".

Originally released in Poland in October 2012, "Sacrum Profanum" was previously described by Darski as "a really long in-depth interview."

NEXT TO NONE, the band featuring drummer Max Portnoy, son of Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, THE WINERY DOGS), has inked a deal with InsideOut Music. The group's debut album, "A Light In The Dark", will be released in the summer. Prior to the CD's arrival, the band will be opening shows for English labelmates HAKEN on that band's April/May U.S. tour.

Based in Pennsylvania, NEXT TO NONE features Max Portnoy on drums, Ryland Holland on guitar, Kris Rank on bass, and Thomas Cuce on keyboards and lead vocals. The band has been honing its craft for several years, recording an independently released EP and playing various live gigs, including a slot at the Progressive Nation At Sea 2014 cruise. Later that year, the band went into the studio to record "A Light In The Dark" with producer Mike Portnoy. The CD features guest appearances by Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES) and prog legend Neal Morse.

Max Portnoy says: "It's so exciting to be signing with InsideOut... the home of the greatest prog bands in the world! We are honored to be part of the family."

Adds Mike Portnoy: "Producing the NEXT TO NONE album was like a trip back in time for me. I couldn't help but be reminded of recording my very first album with DREAM THEATER back in 1988.

"These boys have talent and maturity way beyond their years. It's obvious in their playing abilities, but I was most impressed with their writing and creative abilities.

"Six of the songs spread across the album tie together to create a conceptual piece... For a group of 15- and 16-year-olds to be thinking in big master strokes like that is absolutely incredible. They are doing things musically and thematically as teenagers that I wasn't exploring until I was in my mid-twenties and thirties!

"I must point out that THEY wrote all of the music and performed all of their instruments on the album. I do not want people to think that my role as producer had anything to do with those areas... it is all THEM! My main role was to help them explore the studio for the first time and help them learn the ropes in that department.

"I couldn't be prouder of this album and think that NEXT TO NONE represents the next generation of progressive metal."

"A Light In The Dark" track listing:

01. The Edge Of Sanity02. You Are Not Me03. Runaway04. A Lonely Walk05. Control06. Lost07. Social Anxiety08. Legacy09. Blood On My Hands



Upload your music for free at ReverbNation.com

PledgeMusic has announced its partnership with FILTER for the recording of the band's seventh studio record, to be released on Wind-Up. Shoving a fist in the face of tradition has been FILTER's modus operandi since the release of its self-produced debut album, "Short Bus". The CD's rough-around-the-edges production consisted of inebriated answering machine samples, lavish bass lines, and jagged guitars set to a backdrop of drum machines punctuated by the unfurling of Richard Patrick's vocal prowess and signature roar. Patrick, FILTER's magnetic, profoundly intelligent nucleus and front-man jubilantly admits that his creative process is unorthodox, whether he's staring down and conquering new technology or coalescing and co-conspiring with band-mates. Says Patrick of the new record: "It's going to be FAN-f**king-tastic!

"Joining up with PledgeMusic — it's going to be amazing to work with them.

"I hate crowdfunding shit. I think it's like begging, but PledgeMusic is something very different and much cooler.

"This isn't crowdfunding, this is partnering up with you, getting involved with you the fan, getting involved with you the supporter of awesome music. Our fans get to ride along with us and see what it's like for a FILTER record to be made." Fans will be given the opportunity to purchase exclusive items such as autographed CDs and signed vinyl, your name in a special "thank you" section of the liner notes, a Skype session with Richard Patrick, a mixing mastering session and lots of other great items. They will also get exclusive access to campaign updates and videos from Patrick and the band.

Go to www.pledgemusic.com/projects/filter to sign up and pledge your support. Patrick recently told All Access Live about FILTER's forthcoming album: "I'm developing a completely new sound for the band — [what I like to call] 'new industrial.'"

He continued: "I mean, I hate genres, and I guess creating a new genre is kind of where I'm at.

"FILTER's always been so hard to place. And for people, [some of them are], like, 'I like the rock,' and [others are, like], 'I like the mellow stuff.' And so this is a complete… There are several songs that sound straight-up industrial, like old FILTER, and I have to stay true to that sound as well, but it's so important to venture forward and recognize that we're in 2015."

Patrick added: "Oumi [Kapila, new FILTER guitarist] and I have hit up a good songwriting approach, and it's very… it's really a lot of sound design, a lot of new things that you haven't really heard FILTER do, and I don't think anyone's really done it. But… So it's a really, really different, original-sounding thing, and I really love it."

Guitarist Jonny Radtke announced his departure from FILTER in early March, explaining in a tweet that he has decided "to pursue other musical interests."

FILTER's sixth studio album, "The Sun Comes Out Tonight", was released on June 4, 2013 via Wind-Up Records.

Former MEGADETH drummer Nick Menza has released the following statement:

"To my fans, I hate disappointing all of you who have been asking and hopeful that Marty Friedman and I would rejoin [MEGADETH's] Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson to resurge the classic 'Rust In Peace' lineup.

"I was totally ready and excited to get back in MEGADETH. I went to Dave's house/studio in San Diego this past December and we jammed for the weekend and it was totally cool. We instantly fell right back into our musical groove together.

"We have great chemistry. It's a magical thing! And, yes, that's me, the 'mystery' drummer whose face is hidden in the YouTube videos Justis Mustaine [Dave's son] posted as seen below. "A few weeks after this, we all got together with our old manager Ron Laffitte for a dinner meeting at the Anaheim White House restaurant during NAMM. It was great seeing Ron and Marty. We all talked about the plans for a new record and touring and I made it known I was into rejoining and making this my priority. I was pumped, and even went as far as recording drums on five new MEGADETH songs Dave had sent me. "As soon as I got home and it was time to sit down and negotiate my terms in writing, I was offered a very unfair deal that was so wrong. They didn't feel I was worth anything to the band. Dave blocked my emails, changed his number and then, apparently, Ron Laffitte was fired as the band's manager. Here is one of my favorite bands and a huge part of my life achievements and I was shut out for wanting a fair deal. "I am really blown away how this band conducts business.

"A band is about a group of people who have respect for one another, sense of loyalty, camaraderie, and, most of all, honor and trust!

"I'm not a puppet. I have integrity, loyalty, and honor. That's who I am!

"There's much more to this story, and I could now add the final chapter to my book 'Nick Menza Megalife: Countdown To Resurrection', by J. Marshall Craig. "Despite this dark final chapter, I wish MEGADETH the heartiest of health, happiness and success with their future plans. As for me, I am moving on with a new band of other fellow former 'DETH members [James LoMenzo and Chris Poland], as well as a few surprise players, and producer ."

MEGADETH announced on April 2 that Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with ANGRA, has joined the Dave Mustaine-led group as the replacement for Chris Broderick.

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

In a statement, Mustaine called Chris "a tremendous talent" and "an amazing person" who is "going to bring a new level of excitement and energy to MEGADETH that the fans are going to lose their minds over."

Adler was equally excited about playing with MEGADETH, saying: "I'm coming into this on fire. There is an incredible amount of respect, but the goal here is to make the very best thrash album we can — not just throw names in the CD booklet or be a 'yes' man. Together, I believe we can do something very special."

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

Frontiers Music Srl will release of HOUSE OF LORDS' tenth studio album, titled "Indestructible", on June 3 in Europe and June 7 in North America. The CD shows once again what HOUSE OF LORDS stands for: powerful and heavy songs, with major hooks and melodies and grandiose arrangements.

"The name 'Indestructible' was chosen because we all felt that we have been through a lot in our long careers and what better way to say, 'Hey, I'm still here' than by giving the CD a bold title," says HOUSE OF LORDS singer James Christian.

"Indestructible" features eleven brand new songs, which masterfully combine the best of heavy and melodic hard rock.

"The album is heavier in the beginning, but we love songs that are both melodic and heavy," continues Christian, "and the idea was to fill the best of both on one CD without sounding like two different bands. I think we have accomplished that. A good example would be the song 'Pillar Of Salt' especially gives a good representation of how the new album sounds: a combination of heavy, melodic, and thoughtful lyrics. This song is one of my favorites!"

Besides being HOUSE OF LORDS tenth studio album, the new record sees the HOUSE OF LORDS lineup celebrating its first ten years together.

"It is amazing to work with BJ, Chris and Jimi," says James Christian. "They are all very aware of what HOUSE OF LORDS represents and they are committed to making records that complement the history of the band. No matter which HOUSE OF LORDS album you listen to, there is a common thread, which comes from the fact that the four of us are musically in sync. This is the real reason why we have been able to produce records of this caliber."

HOUSE OF LORDS will appear at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Trezzo, Italy next Sunday, April 12 and start a European tour in September, with a very special surprise show to be announced soon.

"Indestructible" track listing:

01. Go To Hell02. Indestructible03. Pillar Of Salt04. 100 Mph05. Call My Bluff06. We Will Always Be One07. Die To Tell08. Another Dawn09. Eye Of The Storm10. Ain't Suicidal11. Stand And Deliver

An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for the album is available below.

HOUSE OF LORDS is:

James Christian - Lead VocalsJimi Bell - GuitarChris McCarvill - Bass BJ Zampa - Drums

Slash has shot down as false a former GUNS N' ROSES manager's claim that an argument over the guitarist's collaboration with Michael Jackson is ultimately what fractured the relationship the ex-GN'R axeman and the band's lead singer Axl Rose.

In a recent interview with the Brazilian edition of Rolling Stone magazine, Doug Goldstein — who managed GUNS N' ROSES from 1991 to 2008 — said: "In 1991, we were on the road, and Slash went to my office and said, 'I'll be leaving tomorrow to play with Michael Jackson at a tribute concert.' I told him not to do it because Axl was molested by his father when he was two and he believed the charges against Michael Jackson."

He continued: "Everyone knew Eddie Van Halen received $1 million to play in 'Beat It'. So, I asked Slash, 'How much are you receiving?' and he said, 'I'll just get a big-screen TV.'"

Axl was very hurt when he learned about the collaboration. "When Axl found out Slash was going to play with Michael Jackson and that the payment was a big-screen TV, he was devastated," Doug said. "He thought Slash would support him and be against all abuse. From the point of view of Axl, that was the only problem. He could ignore the drugs and the alcohol, but could never the child abuse."

Slash played his final show with GUNS N' ROSES in July 1993, and by October 1996 he announced that he was no longer part of the band.

So what would it take to repair the rift between the guitarist and Axl? "Slash would have to apologize for the episode with Michael Jackson," Goldstein said. "And I really believe … I'd be the manager to reunite them. I don't think anyone else could do it."

In a brand new interview with "Elliot In The Morning", the morning radio talk show hosted by DJ Elliot Segal, Slash was asked if there is any truth to Goldstein's claims.

"You know what?! I've been hearing a lot about this particular interview from a lot of people that he really pissed off," Slash replied (hear audio below). "And I've heard that. And I don't think there's any truth to that. I mean, obviously, the band stayed together for years after that whole thing. And it wasn't a big deal at the time. And if it did piss anybody off, it was something that went away. So I don't think it had anything to do with the original GUNS N' ROSES' demise."

Slash also explained that he doesn't go out of his way to read any of Goldstein's interviews that have to do with GUNS N' ROSES. "I don't wanna read or hear that guy's B.S., so I just avoid it," he said. "That way I stay sane. [Laughs]"

In a brand new interview with San Jose Mercury News, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett was asked when fans can expect to see the follow-up to the band's 2008 album, "Death Magnetic".

"You guys will see the album when it's done," he responded. "We have songs. I can verify that. We are working on music. I can verify that."

He continued: "It's so early in the project — things can shift drastically to the left or the right within a week's time. It's hard to comment on anything right now, because nothing is really permanent."

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich recently told RollingStone.com that the band has written close to 20 new songs for its long-awaited tenth studio album, and will get closer to entering the studio in the near future. Ulrich said, "We've got lots of songs, and we're honing them and tweaking them. It's pretty close." He continued, "In our world, there's been a distinct difference between the creative phase and the recording phase. With this project, we're trying to bridge the two a little more organically and not have there be such a great divide between the processes. We want to see if we can bring some of the creative curiosity, the impulsive stuff that happens when you're first playing a song into the studio."

Ulrich added that the band doesn't want to record in a way that feels "labored over and overthought."

Bassist Robert Trujillo told The Pulse Of Radio that there's always a surplus of new song ideas coming out of frontman James Hetfield. "James usually comes up with a lot of stuff," he said. "He's the kind of guy where he plugs in his guitar, turns a volume knob or a, you know, a tone knob, and he comes up with, you know, the greatest riff that you can imagine. So in that case, there's no shortage of riffs and ideas."

Even though Ulrich warned that "life continues with family and personal events," he added that the band is "certainly down there [writing] pretty much every day."

METALLICA spent a lot of time outside the studio in 2014, with activities that included a string of European all-request shows last summer, appearing as guests of honor at a film festival, and playing a week-long residency on "The Late Show With Craig Ferguson".

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King has dismissed as "bullshit" a recent report that claimed the band's late axeman, Jeff Hanneman, was "physically present on one unnamed track" on SLAYER's forthcoming eleventh full-length album, tentatively due in August.

In an interview with Revolver magazine, SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya stated about the band's forthcoming CD: "The whole process of this album started three years ago, when Jeff was still a part of it. There is one track on there that we recorded with him, that he did play on, which was completely done except we hadn't finalized the vocals for it. So we were fortunate to have something that he had participated in."

But in a brand new chat with Loudwire conducted on Monday (April 6), Kerry shot down the claim that Jeff's playing can be heard on SLAYER's new CD. He said (see video below): "Jeff Hanneman isn't physically playing on this record. Somebody reported some bullshit. People say shit when they don't know what's actually going on. Even though Jeff's song, 'Piano Wire', which was [originally] recorded [during] the last album cycle ['World Painted Blood'], I played all the guitar [on it]. I've been doing that for years. Since he has no lead on that song, he's not on it."

During a November 2013 chat with Rolling Stone magazine, King spoke in more detail about the last track Hanneman wrote. He said: "Jeff gave us… There was a song leftover from the last album that Jeff finished as an afterthought that was called 'Piano Wire'. It wasn't on the album because it wasn't as good as the other songs. I knew Jeff was gonna work on the lyrics and get it done. He was always talking about reworking the song."

He continued: "When you try to make a song better, you pretty much have to deconstruct it to make it better. I know there are two other ones, which are incomplete things, which he had for 15 to 20 years. Those will come out. My big thing is that I don't want people to say, 'Oh, that's a bummer that this was Jeff's last song.' I want people to say, 'This is awesome that this was Jeff's last song.'"

The follow-up to 2009's "World Painted Blood" was recorded over a four-month period at Hollywood, California's Henson Studios with producer Terry Date, who has previously worked with PANTERA, SOUNDGARDEN and KORN, among others. The CD will be released on Nuclear Blast through the band's own label imprint, closing out a 28-year relationship with Rick Rubin and American Recordings. It will also be SLAYER's first album without Hanneman, who passed away in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

Joining King and Araya during the sessions for SLAYER's new album are returning drummer Paul Bostaph, who replaced Dave Lombardo last year, and guitarist Gary Holt (also of EXODUS), who has been filling in for Jeff Hanneman on tour for the past four years.

Asked if he has found himself tempted to write the kind of songs that Jeff might have contributed to an album, Kerry told Metal Hammer magazine in an early 2014 interview: "I think that would be shooting myself in the foot. I can't pretend to be Jeff. We both learned from each other in 30 years of writing together. As far as going out of my way to write something that Jeff might've done? I won't do that. If it happens to end up sounding that way, good for me!"

Regarding what fans can expect from the new SLAYER material, King said: "I've got a surprising amount of heavy stuff for me. I do tend to lean on the fast side, but I have some exceptionally heavy tunes, Like, 'Wow, man, where did that come from?' I expect my stuff to be angry and fast, but it's all over the map. I'm stoked. We'll have enough so we can pick great stuff whether we use any of Jeff's material or not. It should add up to as good a record as we can hope for with one of our original songwriters being gone."

The official video for "Her Bullets Energy", a song from former KYUSS and current VISTA CHINO frontman John Garcia, can be seen below. The track, which features a guest appearance by guitarist Robby Krieger of THE DOORS, is taken from Garcia's self-titled solo album, which was released in August 2014 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded at Thunder Underground studios in Palm Springs, California with producers Harper Hug and Trevor Whatever.

Said Garcia: "To have Robby Krieger from THE DOORS play on my first-ever solo record was surreal. Not only was it surreal, but to be the first artist ever to record in his brand new studio, Horse Latitudes, in Los Angeles made it even more special.

"I am honored, and humbled by his professionalism and talent and will never forget that experience for the rest of my life... It truly made the song 'Her Bullets Energy' better, not to mention the entire record."

"John Garcia" track listing:

01. My Mind02. Rolling Stoned03. Flower04. The Blvd05. 5000 Miles06. Confusion07. His Bullets Energy08. Argleben09. Saddleback10. All These Walls11. Her Bullets Energy

"When I was 19 years old living with Nick Oliveri in North Palm Springs off of San Rafael, I wrote 'Her Bullets Energy' with Nick. I knew that eventually I wanted to do this," Garcia told Coachella Valley Weekly.

"Throughout the years, ever since that first song was written, I've kept a collection of songs in what I call a safe deposit box which in reality was a cardboard box I just traveled with and moved with me.

"These songs that I have are not 'B' sides. They are not leftovers. These are songs that were special to me that I had a personal relationship with. As I got older, as I looked at them every single morning I got up, I started feeling exhausted and felt bad for these songs. I've always wanted to do it. At some point in time, it clicked. I was tired of saying 'yes' to everything and everyone else with the exception of these songs that were close to me. I said no more. I want to finally do this. This project is tangible. These songs are tangible."

SKID ROW fired singer Johnny Solinger (pictured) over the phone a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement, the band revealed in a new interview.

Solinger, who joined SKID ROW in 1999, released a statement on Monday (April 6) claiming that he had "decided to leave SKID ROW to pursue [his] solo career."

However, during an appearance on yesterday's edition of Eddie Trunk's SiriusXM satellite radio show, "Eddie Trunk Live", SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo and bassist Rachel Bolan disputed Solinger's version of the split, saying that it was them who "made the call and informed" Johnny that "we were making a change and we were gonna be going forward as SKID ROW with a new singer."

Asked about the circumstances that led to Solinger's exit from SKID ROW, Sabo said: "First of all, it's one of those things where there's no animosity with Johnny at all, from our standpoint. But it felt like it was just time for us to make a change."

He continued: "We have been feeling this way for a little while.

"We're thankful for the fifteen years that we had with Johnny. But it just felt like it was just time that we needed to make a change. And Rachel, Scotti [Hill, guitar] and I and Rob [Hammersmith, drums] spoke about it, and we just felt that if we're gonna do something, we should do it now."

Regarding the fact that Solinger announced that it was he who made the decision to leave SKID ROW, Snake said: "Contrary to what he may be saying — and this is not a 'he said, she said' thing — this is something that we had discussed for a while. And it was our decision and we made the call and informed him that we were making a change and we were gonna be going forward as SKID ROW with a new singer."

Added Rachel: "Without bagging on the guy… There's still a connection, hopefully, there with him, because we were all brothers at one time. It just became evident a while back — not a long while, but maybe a year or so — that it just… Everyone was going in a different direction, as far as him and the band. And we just wanted to be the best band we could be, and I think Johnny had a different idea for quality. So it was just one of those things, man. We talked about it and we wrestled over it, and we were, like, this is SKID ROW. This means a lot to us. We started this over 25 years ago. And it's something that sucks doing, but we're okay with doing it, 'cause this is SKID ROW. This is our lives."

Asked if there was ever a time where they felt things were "clicking" and "100 percent right" between Solinger and the rest of the band, Rachel said: "We were clicking big time. I thought we made a lot of great music together. And even with [the ongoing trilogy of] EPs, when we were in the studio, we were making great music. Snake and I would write, and everyone came in and really sunk in. I think it was when we were in the studio that it really became evident that we all didn't have the same heart and soul… We weren't all putting the same heart and soul into it. And it's just one of those things, man. It's rough to make a decision like this, but we did, and we have someone in place, and it's been awesome."

Added Snake: "This has nothing to do with Johnny not being a good person; he's a really good person, and we all got along well. There's no animosity at all from our end. And these are terrible decisions to make, man. They're awful. The guy's been with us for fifteen years, and we saw a lot of miles of road together, and I feel extremely fortunate to have spent that time in a band with him. And he's a great singer and he's gonna be fine. He's gonna pursue his solo stuff, I guess, and that's what he should do. And for us, we're moving forward. We're excited about the future. These things are never easy. They're life-altering decisions, you know. But it's a decision that had to be made, from our standpoint, and we made that decision. And we basically said to Johnny that we're making a chance and getting a new singer."

Sabo also revealed that SKID ROW's decision to fire Solinger came as a surprise to the singer and that Johnny received the call informing him of his dismissal from the group on Monday morning.

On the topic of how Solinger reacted to being fired from SKID ROW, Snake said: "There was no screaming and shouting. We were both very respectful to one another. And we should be. I mean, like I said, we've traveled a lot of miles together, and this is not something that is easy in any way, but yet it's something that was necessary."

Asked how parting ways with Solinger was different to the split with Sebastian Bach in 1996, Rachel said: "That was a completely different situation. There was a lot of bad blood there, and… Yeah, it was a completely different situation. This is something, like Snake said, there's no animosity. It's just… We all didn't have our eyes on the same prize at this point, and it interfered. It interfered with moving forward. And that's why we made a change."

Harnell will make his live debut with SKID ROW on May 23 at Dakota Dunes Casino in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.