Broken Neck Radio conducted an interview with ANNIHILATOR guitarist/mainman Jeff Waters when he served as a guest judge at select Wacken Metal Battle Canada events in Edmonton, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa and the national final in Toronto. You can now listen to the chat using the Mixcloud widget below.

Speaking about the state of the metal scene, Waters said: "It's getting in the right direction now for, I'd say… about… c'mon, how long now… Let's say about seven, eight years, it's been heading up and up and up everywhere I've been going. Even in Europe, where it's always been big, it's been going up and up as far as metal's popularity."

He continued: "I think there was a phase maybe six, seven years ago where young bands would just go back and listen to stuff they'd never heard before, like EXODUS, and then rip it off and come out and, sort of, jump on a… you know, 'We're old-school thrash.' And then they would put this stuff out that was TESTAMENT and EXODUS rip-offs, [with] maybe some METALLICA and this and that, and it became a trend to do it. But I think some really good bands came out of the next set of bands from that, where you had people mixing WHITE ZOMBIE with KORN with LIMP BIZKIT with SLAYER with EXODUS… You had this whole new thing opening up. It's just now we need a couple of supergroups to, sort of, really set the bar now. We need a… even a half-the-size-of-METALLICA band to come out, you know what I mean?! A new band. We need that next young METALLICA."

ANNIHILATOR's 14th studio album, "Feast", was re-released as a limited edition featuring re-recorded ANNIHILATOR classics on CD and the full Wacken Open Air festival show on DVD, all in a special Ecolbook version with a new 3D cover.

"Feast" was released in August 2013 to critical acclaim and reached the charts in several countries, among them Germany (#20), Finland (#17), Switzerland (#36) and France (#76).

"Feast" sold around 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release.

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN will be awarded the prestigious O2 Silver Clef by Nordoff Robbins in recognition of "outstanding contribution to U.K. music." Previous winners include THE ROLLING STONES, David Bowie, Eric Clapton, PINK FLOYD, GENESIS and QUEEN; last year's Silver Clef winner was Jimmy Page. The very first Silver Clef was presented to THE WHO, by Twiggy, on June 29, 1976. In its 40-year history, the Awards have raised more than £8.5 million to fund Nordoff Robbins's groundbreaking work with music therapy.

The announcement was made this evening at the Club Café Royal in London at a party to exclusively name the first winners of this year's awards and to celebrate an iconic 40-year milestone in Nordoff Robbins's charitable history. MAIDEN will be presented with this main award of the evening at the annual star-studded O2 Silver Clef Lunch on July 3 at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane.

The band comments: "Nordoff Robbins is an exceptional charity and their dedication to changing people’s lives through music therapy is something we all very much support.

"We're extremely proud to receive the O2 Silver Clef Award and be part of the 40th anniversary event celebrating this wonderful achievement."

For more information about the Nordoff Robbins charity and to read the full press release, click here.

IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson recently underwent a seven-week course of chemotherapy and radiology to treat a small cancerous tumor at the back of his tongue.

IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain told the 98.7 The Gater radio station in West Palm Beach, Florida earlier in the month about Dickinson's cancer battle: "We were all blown away when we heard the news. But the great thing is [Bruce is] in great hands back home in England, not only with his family, but his oncologists and all the people that are working with him. They were all very positive, as Bruce has been, through the whole thing."

He continued: "Obviously, it's a blow for everybody to hear the news. Last [month], the official announcement was made, after he finished his treatment. And all of that treatment went exceedingly well. And from not having spoken to Bruce for a couple of weeks, but talking to our manager, he was in amazing spirits, considering the brutality of the radiology, and he had three chemo sessions. So it's been pretty hard, as you can imagine. And he's apparently doing very well. He was in the office Wednesday last week, and apparently he went out. He goes down the pub… although he can't taste his beer. He said, 'At least I know it's a Trooper [IRON MAIDEN's official beer]. I've got the bottle in my hand.' [Laughs] I said, 'Does it still work?' 'Oh yeah!' [Laughs]"

McBrain added: "So, just to let everybody know, from what we can gather, he's really in great hands, and he's doing extremely well. So we expect him to have a full recovery in the next couple of months. And then, watch this space, really. We have made an album. The album was ready to go this year… and it still is. When I say 'was,' we were planning on going out and doing some work around the album, which now, we're all just holding on, and once Bruce is up and running, hopefully in the next couple of months, we'll… You never know when this might happen. You just never know, do you? [Laughs]"

IRON MAIDEN has yet to make an official announcement about a new studio album, but the band's members have reportedly been spotted in Paris, France in recent months, along with their longtime producer, Kevin Shirley, who is said to have helmed the new effort.

Sony Music Entertainment and Legacy Recordings, Sony's catalog division, have signed a worldwide-rights deal with The Metal God, Rob Halford. Frontman of the legendary heavy metal band JUDAS PRIEST, Rob Halford brought his iconic charisma and influential vocal style to a variety of side projects since 1992, notably his bands FIGHT, TWO and HALFORD. The new Sony/Legacy agreement with Rob Halford will include individual album catalog titles and audio-visual releases. Upcoming Rob Halford anthology titles will include an "Essential" and "Playlist" collection with plans for a definitive "Complete Albums Box".

Born Robert John Arthur Halford on August 25, 1951, Rob Halford rocketed to fame as the lead singer for the Grammy Award-winning heavy metal band JUDAS PRIEST. One of the genre's most powerful, distinctive and influential vocalists, Halford set the standard for generations of metal singers. After leaving JUDAS PRIEST in 1992, Halford formed the band FIGHT and, between 1993 and 1995, recorded two albums, "War Of Words" and "A Small Deadly Space", and an EP, "Mutations", with the band. Following FIGHT, Halford moved into the realm of industrial metal with his TWO project. In 2000, he launched the straight-ahead no-nonsense pure metal ensemble HALFORD. The Sony/Legacy release agreement includes virtually all of Rob Halford's work with FIGHT, TWO and HALFORD from 1992 onward. Coming on March 31, Columbia/Legacy Recordings will release "The Essential Rob Halford" (2 CD; 30 tracks).

Metallica have checked in with another Live Metallica Monday update, posted on March 23rd:


Metallica are offering a free download of their complete show from February 9th at Pier 48 in San Francisco, CA. The band performed at the corporate gig for cloud computing firm Salesforce.com. Fly-on-the-wall footage shot by the MetOnTour reporter can be seen below. Footage includes the band warming up in the Tuning Room, and "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" from the show.

Tracklisting:

“Hit The Lights”
“Master Of Puppets”
“Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”
“Sad But True”
“The Unforgiven”
“Fuel”
“Wherever I May Roam”
“One”
“For Whom The Bell Tolls”
“Battery”
Kirk Solo
“Nothing Else Matters”
“Enter Sandman”
“Creeping Death”
“Seek and Destroy”

Get your free download at LiveMetallica.com.

In a brand new interview with CrypticRock.com, STRYPER guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet was asked what he thinks about the current Christian metal and rock scene "I do not really keep up with it," he replied.

"I come from a different school of thought and I do not like all the labels. I do not like being referred to as a Christian rock band.

"We are not a Christian rock band; we are a rock band comprised of Christians.

"Just like any other rock band out there, you have rock bands that are comprised of drug addicts, you have rock bands that are comprised of Satanists, and you have rock bands that are comprised of Catholics, like SLAYER.

"BLACK SABBATH [bassist] Geezer Butler [wrote] the song 'After Forever', which is about Christ, but they were not labeled a Christian band. Actually the opposite; they were labeled a dark, almost at times a Satanic band, and they are not.

"My point is that I just do not like all the labels.

"If you are going to label a band a Christian band, then you got to label all the other bands.

"If U2 is made up of members that are Catholic, then are they going to be called a Catholic rock band?"

He continued: "I do not know where the label 'Christian rock band' came from. It is hard for me to wrap my mind around it… It instantly puts you in a box. When they put you in a box, it limits what you are put on this earth to do.

"I just feel like it does limit the band. Some people misinterpret that as saying that I am ashamed of my faith or I am running from my faith. I think the exact opposite. We never ran from our faith, we have always been the most full Christian rock band that is comprised of Christians the whole time. We have never held back a punch."

Sweet added: "People certainly cannot say that we deny Christ or our faith, but I just do not like being called a Christian rock band. We are a rock band.

"I have been trying to break down that theory for a long time now, although I do not think I ever will. There is a genre of Christian rock and I guess that will always be."

STRYPER entered SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts last month to begin recording its new album, "Fallen", for a late 2015 release via Frontiers. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Let There Be Light", 'Big Screen Lies", the title track and a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "After Forever".

"Fallen" will include a song that was co-written by SEVENDUST guitarist Clint Lowery.

FEAR FACTORY's Burton C. Bell is "putting the finishing touches on his vocals" for the band's new studio album, tentatively due this summer via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD is being recorded in part at NRG Recording Studios in North Hollywood, California with longtime producer/collaborator Rhys Fulber and engineer Mike Plotnikoff. The effort will be mixed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with MEGADETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, EXODUS, TESTAMENT and ACCEPT, among many others.

Speaking about what FEAR FACTORY is trying to accomplish with its forthcoming album, the band's first since signing with Nuclear Blast, guitarist Dino Cazares said: "It's still just to be who we are. We are 'cyber metal,' whatever you wanna call it, but it's still a lot of the killer riffs, killer double bass, Burt's beautiful, melodic vocals. Conceptually, it's always still futuristic, man-versus-machine type of thing, but, you know, we thought we're gonna keep it real, keep it what we are and who we are."

Asked about how it feels to be celebrating the 20th anniversary of FEAR FACTORY's classic "Demanufacture" album in 2015 with only two members of the band's classic lineup remaining in the group, Dino said: "The two main members are in the band right now. The soul of the machine is still intact, and that's me and Burton. And I don't think anything has changed, really."

He continued: "Every album we do always has to have something a little different. From the beginning, from the first album, 'Soul Of A New Machine', it was very death metal inspired, [with] a little bit of industrial. The second album, 'Demanufacture', the classic album… Every record changes. 'Obsolete' was a big difference, you know what I mean?! But my right hand is still there, the passion is still there, Burt's killer melodic vocals are still there. So I think that's all that matters."

In an interview with Silver Tiger Media, Bell stated about the new FEAR FACTORY album: "It's classic FEAR FACTORY sound, the sound that fans have always expected, but I think because we are taking our time, the songs are really well crafted. Without losing the edge or the angst. Without losing the essence of FEAR FACTORY, but they are well-crafted songs. We have an album title that we are happy with which really represents a good FEAR FACTORY title." Asked if there is a particular subject focus of the album, Bell said: "It's based on science-fiction, essentially futuristic concepts. It's bringing the concept of man versus machine around again, but this time, the way I'm thinking about the machine is that it's fully cognitive and fully understands where its place is and what it needs to do. So the machine has very human qualities now."

In addition to Cazares and Bell, FEAR FACTORY's current touring lineup features drummer Mike Heller and bassist Matt DeVries.

FEAR FACTORY's latest album, 2012's "The Industrialist", sold 9,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Classic metal fans are in for a treat as the muscle-bound thunder god of heavy metal, Thor, sees his pivotal 1983 Unchained EP reissued on both CD and vinyl with amazing bonus material.

Unchained is the EP that put Thor atop the Mt. Olympus of the metal music world with unforgettable, fist-pumping metal anthems such as “Lightning Strikes”, “Anger”, and “When Gods Collide”. The CD comes with 12 rare bonus tracks including the ultra-rare 1982 Unchained master recordings. The bonus DVD contains two full hours of metal mayhem featuring the “Anger” concept video with behind the scenes footage as well as vintage concert performances from 1982-85. The special limited edition vinyl release comes in either blue or orange colored vinyl, includes the 1982 masters, and also contains a 20-page comic book reproducing the original Unchained comic plus additional unpublished art. These are truly deluxe editions worthy of the gods. And they will be available starting March 31st only from Deadline Music.

To coincide with these exciting reissues, Thor will be hitting the road, performing at select engagements alongside theatrical screenings of I Am Thor, the brand new documentary film about Thor’s incredible 40+ year career from award-winning body builder to mega-sized rock star to wacky B-horror movie actor. The film is an official selection of the 2015 Slamdance Film Festival and earned solid reviews from Variety and Slug magazines. These very limited, multi-media events begin in April and will continue through September.

Thor will release his brand new studio album The Metal Avenger this fall.

Unchained tracklisting:

Disc 1
“Lightning Strikes Again”
“Anger”
“Rock The City”
“Lazer Eyes”
“When Gods Collide”
“Death March”

Bonus tracks (CD only)
“War Hammer”
“Rebirth Of The Hero”
“Ride From Hell”
“Rag-Na-Rock”
“Unchained (When Rises The Moon)”
“She’s A Nightmare”

Original 1982 Master:
“Anger”
“Lightning Strikes Again”
“Lazer Eyes”
“I Am Your Sire”
“Rock The City”
“When Gods Collide”

Disc 2 (Bonus DVD)
-“Anger” concept video
-Raw footage
-Live in NY 1982 (Unchained release party)
-Live from Queens, NY 1985
-Live at St. Alban’s Hall 1984 (with Nik Turner as Loki)
-Live at the Marque 1984

I Am Thor movie tour:

April
3 – Chattanooga, TN – Chattanooga Film Festival
10 – Budapest, Hungary – Titanic International Film Festival
12-15 – Orlando, FL – Florida Film Festival
15 – Helsinki, Finland – Night Visions Film Festival (with Finn Thor)
18 – Calgary, AB – Calgary Underground Film Festival (Thor live performance and Q&A)
20 – Philadelphia, PA – Cindelphia Film Festival
25 – Germany – Keep It True Festival (with Iron Thor)

May
28 – Alvesta, Sweden – Muskelrock Festival (with Thor live show)

June
5 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Film Festival (with Thor live show)

August
7 – Little Rock, AR – Little Rock Horror Picture Show Festival (with Thor live show)

September
5 – Portland, OR – Portland Film Festival (with Thor live show)

Celebrating the official release of the self-titled debut ep from North Carolina’s King Hitter, the band has premiered the first video by the band for the song “Feel No Pain”.  Featuring vocalist Karl Agell (ex-Corrosion Of Conformity) and his Leadfoot band mate, guitarist Scott Little, the EP is available now via iTunes, Amazon, FYE, and other fine outlets throughout North America.  European release is set for April 6th.

 
“King Hitter means so much to me as it represents the first metal release I have been involved with since Corrosion Of Conformity’s Blind album came out on November 5th, 1991,” asserts Agell.

Taking their name from the 1975 song by Australian pop icon Stevie Wright, King Hitter introduces the band to heavy music fans globally.  Working with producer James Lugo (Fuel, Matt Sorrum, 311), it features five comfortably familiar yet fresh sounding tracks that showcase the band’s highly tempered chops.  The band will perform a hometown show this weekend at Southland Ballroom in Raleigh alongside ASG plus Drill And the Hell No before Agell and Little connect with current COC drummer Reed Mullin for a cross-country trek with their other band, COC Blind. Agell says, “It will be a month long US tour where we will perform Blind in its entirety.
 
The video for “Feel No Pain” was created by Michael Dickinson.  He notes, “as soon as I heard the song I knew that the accompanying visuals had to be just as strong and forceful as the track.  ‘Feel No Pain’ is tough and mean, who is tougher and meaner than the likes of Warren Oates, Charles Bronson and James Coburn?  The video is a celebration of bad-ass and heroic; I hope it does justice to this great song."  

About the song itself, Agell says it is “a homage to triumphant, big heavy metal,” shares Agell.  Throughout the tune, there are lyrical 'Easter eggs' which pay tribute to many of the great bands that paved the way (Motorhead, Priest, Sweet, Aerosmith, AC/DC, etc).  In the same way, this video collage highlights some of our favorite moments from action classics like Tombstone, Runaway Train, Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia, Bloodsport, Deathwish, and many more.  Charlie Bronson helps make this King Hitter go down smooth.”

King Hitter tracklisting:

“King Hitter”
“Drone Again”
“Feel No Pain”
“Suicide (Is The Retirement Plan)”
“The End”

King Hitter is available on CD and digital download via Restricted Release; distribution in the US via RED Music, Canada via Sony Music, and Europe via Plastic Head Music.

King Hitter is:

Karl Agell - vocals
Scott Little - guitar
Mike Brown - guitar
Jon Chambliss - drums
Chuck Manning - bass

Ghosts Of The Road is an intimate day-in-the-life-of portrait series, featuring some of today’s top rock and metal acts as they navigate a rigorous life on the road. Filmed entirely on one day during a band's tour, these episodes capture the everyday goings-on of a modern rock tour from arrival until the band hits the stage. This fly-on-the-wall perspective aims to offer more to the fans than the traditional mic-in-the-face interview.

Ghosts Of The Road presents a personal portrait of today’s top acts as they work hard to bring the rock to the masses. New episodes every Thursday.

Episode 10 features the Devin Townsend Project:

Melodic blackened metallers Withering Soul will release Adverse Portrait June 9th on Mortal Music. The album from the Chicago band follow's 2011's No Closure.

Adverse Portrait, which features guest vocals from Steve Sagala (ex-Enforsaken) on "No Longer Within", was engineered and mixed by Chris Wisco at Belle City Sound, and mastered by Dennis Israel at Clintworks Audio. Cover art is by Pierre-Alain D of 3mmi Design.

Withering Soul will be performing at Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago with Against The Plagues, Kult Ov Azazel, and several others on April 3rd.

Adverse Portrait tracklisting:

“Vestige”
“No Longer Within”
“The Dreadful Echo”
“Awakening”
“Hour Of Obstinacy”
“Hex Illusion”
“Shadow Path”
“In Absence”

The official video of “Alive”, the third single of Ravenscry is out, along with the hashtag #iLiveALive.

The ballad, taken from the album The Attraction Of Opposites describes and denounces a case of violence and opposes to the other single “Noir Desire”, released on January 12th, which was released to introduce “Alive”, describing instead a different perspective of the abuses suffered by women.

 

“We tried to deal with the ‘violence against women’ theme with these last two videos of ‘Noir Desire’ and ‘Alive’" said the band. "This is just our way to say to all those women who are suffering violence that we are with them, no matter what; violence is never justified and all the people who are against this should raise their voice and join the battle: #iLiveAlive is the hashtag to create a network of thoughts, pictures, videos and everything that could help the victims to connect with the world, because you deserve more than this and you must have the courage to report those crimes. Today in 1911 the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory burnt down with 123 women and 23 men who died in it. A lot of things changed in the world, but gender equality is still a battle worth fighting for. This is the official video-clip of Alive, the extended and full version of it. It's our way to remember and to fight for gender equality all over the world."

“Noir Desire” video:

April 17th will see the release of Avantasia's milestone albums The Metal Opera Pt. 1 and The Metal Opera Pt. 2, for the first time ever as double picture vinyl editions. The LPs will be limited to 1000 units worldwide.

The project's title is a combination of the words "avalon" and "fantasia" ("fantasy") and describes "a world beyond human imagination".

But Avantasia is without a doubt far more than a usual metal project. Next to Edguy’s mastermind Tobias Sammet, it features the following musicians: Markus Grosskopf, Henjo Richter, Alex Holzwarth, Kai Hansen, Andre Matos (Ex-Angra), David DeFeis (Virgin Steele), Oliver Hartmann (ex-At Vance), Rob Rock (Impellitteri), Sharon den Adel (Within Temptation) and several friends and  companions which can be numbered among the biggest inspirational sources of Tobias Sammet. They have strongly influenced him and his style of writing and composing music. Avantasia is not all about the names of the involved musicians, but above all it convinces the listener with powerful and moving songs, supported by a fascinating and exciting story.

The Metal Opera Pt. I tracklisting:

Side A
“Prelude”
“Reach Out For The Light”
“Serpents In Paradise”
“Malleus Maleficarum”

Side B
“Breaking Away”
“Farewell”
“The Glory Of Rome”

Side C
“In Nomine Patris”
“Avantasia”
“A New Dimension”
“Inside”
“Sign Of The Cross”

Side D
“The Tower”
“Avantasia” (radio edit, bonus track)

The Metal Opera Pt. II tracklisting:

Side A
“The Seven Angels”

Side B
“No Return”
“The Looking Glass”
“In Quest For”

Side C
“The Final Sacrifice”
“Neverland”
“Anywhere”

Side D
“Chalice Of Agony”
“Memory”
“Into The Unknown”

Preorders are available at the AFM Records webshop.

Oakland-based atmospheric doom quintet and recent Metal Blade signees, Secrets Of The Sky, will release their sophomore full-length this May. Titled Pathway, the mammoth thirteen-track follow-up to 2013's To Sail Black Waters full-length was engineered, mixed, mastered and co-produced by Juan Urteaga of Trident Studios with Secrets Of The Sky and finds the band at their most poignant.

Dark, brooding, pure, eclectic, Pathway features Garett Gazay fluctuating between monstrous growls and clean, soothing vocal cascades, all the while complimenting the twisted compositions of guitarists Andrew Green and Clayton Bartholomew. Bassist Ryan Healy and drummer Lance Lea round out the lineup, their rhythms and distinctive voices adding further depth to the collective's meticulous, blackened soundscapes. Sonically, Secrets Of The Sky aimed for a massive, clean, and organic sounding production. Much time was invested in obtaining huge drum sounds and the focus was on single performance takes throughout the process. The result is an ambitious foray into conceptual storytelling, coupled with emotional music full of peaks and valleys.

Comments Bartholomew of first single, "Three Swords": "'Three Swords' was the first song we put together for the new album when we started writing it back a year or so ago. In fact, the songs on the album were written in the order they appear on the record. The first album, To Sail Black Waters, ends with a single guitar part fading out, and the same riff fades in to the Pathway album via 'Three Swords'. The song is just a piece of the overall puzzle that constitutes Pathway, which I believe as an album is more well-rounded and dynamic as a whole than any of our previous work."

Pathway tracklisting:

“I”
“Three Swords”
“II”
“Angel In Vines”
“Another Light”
“III”
“IV”
“Garden Of Prayers”
“V”
“Fosforos”
“VI”
“Eternal Wolves”
“VII”

“Three Swords”:

Pathway will be released on May 15th via Metal Blade Records. Preorder bundles can be purchased at MetalBlade.com.

After their 2013 debut album Manipulation Under Anesthesia Bay Area progressive metal wizards Abnormal Thought Patterns are now ready to show again their creative magic’s with the new album Altered States Of Consciousness.

Following the path of bands' debut, the Californians expand the framework of what progressive metal can be with their new album. The participation of well-known guests such as Tommy Rogers (Between The Buried And Me), Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore), Michael Manring, Tim Roth (Into Eternity), and John Onder (Artension-MSG) confirms the special position Abnormal Thought Patterns have among their peers and expresses the quality-conscious attitude, which underlies all band activities.

Twin brothers Jasun (guitar) and Troy Tipton (bass) along with Mike Guy (drums) are the collective creative force behind Abnormal Thought Patterns. Prior to forming this group in 2008, the trio was the backbone of prog-metal powerhouse Zero Hour.

Altered State Of Consciousness is set to be released on June 29th in Europe and June 30th in North America.

Following a six-year slumber, Illinois enigmatic sound conjurors, Minsk, are readying to unveil the otherworldly fruit of their new studio creation, The Crash & The Draw. The album track, “When The Walls Fell”, can be heard below:

Scattered between the sleepy city of Peoria and metropolis of Chicago and drawing inspiration from a remote Belarusian city that has been burned to the ground only to be rebuilt like a phoenix rising from its own ashes, Minsk has been cultivating sonic exploration and alchemical outpourings since 2002. Rooted in the post-metal landscape that brought forth visionaries like Neurosis and Isis, with their latest offering, The Crash & The Draw, Minsk step out of the shadows of the giants of their genre to create a psychedelic blend of melodic, trance-inducing heaviness.

Recorded almost exclusively in The Prairie State, The Crash & The Draw was captured by the band alongside Sanford Parker (Twilight, Voivod, Eyehategod, Yob) at Earth Analog in Tolono, mixed by Parker and Minsk at Hypercube in Chicago and mastered by Collin Jordan (Eyehategod, Indian, Wovenhand, Voivod) at The Boiler Room in Chicago with additional vocal tracking by Scott Evans (Kowloon Walled City, Old Man Gloom, Floor) at Antisleep Audio in Oakland, California and further tracking, editing, and mixing by Kevin Rendleman at Trash Rocket Audio and Aaron Austin at We Know Who You Are, both in Peoria. The record includes the striking cover creation of Orion Landau (Yob, Inter Arma, Red Fang).

The Crash & The Draw is a thematic continuation of the group's long standing fascination with alchemical and esoteric ideologies, with marked nods toward the thought and writings of perennial inspiration, Kahlil Gibran, and the espoused words of Hermes Trismegistus, the fabled author of the Corpus Hermeticum and other sacred texts. The album boasts eleven arresting movements that transcend the confines of post-metal, sludge and psychedelia. A crucial sonic passage through dark and light that's at once crushing, hallucinatory and at times, spiritually illuminating, tracks ebb and flow with a pastoral elegance and tangible urgency.

 

 

The Crash & The Draw tracklisting:

“To The Initiate”
“Within And Without”
“Onward Procession I. These Longest Days”
“Onward Procession II. The Soil Calls”
“Onward Procession III. The Blue Hour”
“Onward Procession IV. Return, The Heir”
“Conjunction”
“The Way Is Through”
“To You There Is No End”
“To The Garish Remembrance Of Failure”
“When The Walls Fell”

“The Way Is Through”:

“To The Garish Remembrance Of Failure”:

The Crash & The Draw will be released via Relapse Records in North America on April 7th, April 3rd in Germany, Benelux and Finland and April 6th in the UK and rest of the world and will come available on CD, double LP and digitally. Pre-order your copy today at this location. For digital orders, go here.

 

UDR Music celebrates the 40th anniversary of guitar god Tommy Bolin’s classic solo album Teaser with a deluxe triple-vinyl set - the Teaser 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition Box Set.

Tommy Bolin - recognized for his work with groups such as Zephyr, The James Gang, and Deep Purple - was a bright, young American guitar god who created a whirlwind with his loud, stylish, free-form fusion performances before his untimely death at the age of 25 in 1976. Released in 1975 during his time with Deep Purple, Teaser was the solo masterpiece and eventual cult-classic that Bolin never got the chance to properly promote.

Now, 40 years after the album was originally released and unfortunately buried with time, Teaser is finally getting its time to shine.

On May 19, 2015, UDR Music will release the official Teaser 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition Box Set, a three-album deluxe vinyl box-set supplemented with two live CDs, celebrating the 40th anniversary of this legendary release. Featuring long-lost outtakes and alternative mixes from the original Teaser studio sessions, plus two live CDs comprising performances from Ebbets Field, The Northern Lights, My Father’s Place and Albany, the Teaser 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition Box Set is set to satiate the appetites of Bolin fans worldwide.

 

 

Tracklisting LP’s:

LP 1
Side A:
“Teaser”
“Flying Fingers”

Side B:
“Wild Dogs”
“Cookoo”

LP 2
Side C:
“Chameleon”
“Lotus”

Side D:
“The Grind”
“Crazed Fandango”

LP 3
Side E:
“Homeward Strut”
“Dreamer”
“Savanah Woman”
“Oriental Sky”

Side F:
“People People”
“Smooth Fandango”
“Marching Powder”

Tracklisting Live CDs:

CD 1:
“Teaser” - My Father's Place
“People People” - My Father’s Place
“The Grind” - My Father’s Place
“Wild Dogs” - Live at The Northern Lights
“You Told Me That You Loved Me” - Live in Albany
“Stratus” - Live at Ebbets Field
“Post Toastee” - Line in Albany
“Hoka-Hay” - Energy KBPI Broadcast
“Homeward Strut” - Live at Ebbets Field

CD 2:
“Shake The Devil” - Live at The Northern Lights
“Marching Powder” - My Father’s Place
“Lotus” - My Father’s Place
“Homeward Strut” - Live at The Northern Lights
“You Know, You Know” - Live at Ebbets Field
“Crazed Fandango” - Live at Ebbets Field
“Post Toastee” - Live at The Northern Lights
“Walk In My Shadow” - Live at Ebbets Field

 

 

Tommy Bolin was a shooting star, a fiercely bright, ferociously driven and a guitarist whose soul spoke through his fingers and fretboard. Bolin was an American axeman of the caliber rarely seen or heard before (or since) his untimely death at the age of 25 on December 4th 1976. Bolin allowed the power of funk and the fury of rock to find such finite expression through his inspiration. His expression never sounded more fluent than on his 1975 solo album debut Teaser. The album embraced a tour de force of styles from jazz to hard rock to Latin music, all of which were expressed in a glorious musical stew.

At the age of 17, Bolin formed Zephyr, whose blues rock was coated in psychedelic tendencies. Despite opening for the likes of Led Zeppelin and growing a strong fan-base, Bolin left the group in 1971 to form Energy (a jazz-rock project) before Joe Walsh recommended him to The James Gang, where he recorded the Bang! and Miami albums in 1973 and ’74 respectively. Bolin also appeared on legendary drummer Billy Cobham’s Spectrum solo album, and his ability to enjoy (and make the grade with!) such improvisational jamming style sounds left Bolin as that rare bird. A man who could be a rock star or a man who could be a musician’s musician at cafes across America.

Bolin moved to LA seeking confirmation of the stardom his enormous talents promised, and the foundations for the legendary Teaser album were laid. Featuring session musicians such as Glenn Hughes, David Sanborn, Jan Hammer, Stanley Sheldon and Phil Collins, Teaser represents the fulcrum point of Tommy’s solo-artist work. As he completed work on it, Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore quit the band, and Bolin was invited to join Purple by singer David Coverdale. Come Taste The Band came out towards the end of 1975, before Purple disbanded and left Bolin free to do his second album Private Eyes. Opening for Peter Frampton and Jeff Beck, Bolin was just starting to enjoy the sort of attention and recognition that would surly have seen him rise to the next level of revered guitar God. Sadly, Bolin’s addiction issues would not allow it, and in 1976, he died at the tragically young age of 25.

Bolin’s legacy is superbly reflected in Teaser 40th Anniversary Vinyl Edition Box Set - get your copy while they last!

Swedish blues rock trio, Kamchatka, will release its sixth studio album, Long Road Made Of Gold, on May 22nd via Despotz Records. Long Road Made Of Gold was recorded in Kamchatka's own studio and rehearsal room, the "Kamchatka shelter”, and mixed and mastered by Russ Russell (Napalm Death, Dimmu Borgir).

 

 

"Even though our music is rooted in '60s and '70s music, it's important for us to have a contemporary sounding album," explained drummer Tobias Strandvik. "We don't want to repeat ourselves either, and having Russ Russell mixing and mastering certainly gives it the punch and power we wanted. Russ is mostly known for extreme metal like Napalm Death etc., but embraced this project with open arms and the sonic outcome is definitely our strongest to date."

Album artwork comes courtesy of Hippograffix, creator of all the Kamchatka graphics since day one.

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Take Me Back Home”
“Get Your Game On”
“Made of Gold”
“Human Dynamo”
“Rain”
“Who’s To Blame”
“Mirror”
“Slowly Drifting Away”
“Long Road”
“To You”
“No One That Can Tell”
“Devil Dance”
 
“Get Your Game On”:

Long Road Made of Gold follows Kamchatka's 2014 release, The Search Goes On. Stay tuned for more information.

Kamchatka is:

Per Wiberg - bass/vocals
Tobias Strandvik - drums
Thomas "Juneor" Andersson - guitar/vocals

Having inked a blood pact with underground overlords Relapse Records, Miami, Florida's unhinged deathgrind maniacs, Maruta, will declare war on society by unloading their charged label debut, Remain Dystopian LP, now set to disrupt in early June.

It is inarguable that Maruta's Relapse debut, Remain Dystopian, is their most punishing and focused album to date. Recorded in various studios including drums with Pig Destroyer's Scott Hull and vocals with Torche's Jonathan Nuñez, Remain Dystopian is a vicious, seventeen-song blast of relentless and infectious deathgrind mayhem. Featuring guest vocals from the legendary Tomas Lindberg (At The Gates, Disfear) and Pig Destroyer's J.R. Hayes, plus layers of noise from Agoraphobic Nosebleed's Jay Randall, Remain Dystopian raises the bar for what 21st Century grind can accomplish.

Seekers of top-tier extreme metal punishment in the tradition of Napalm Death, Nasum, Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, Nails, Discordance Axis and the like should keep Remain Dystopian on their radar as tracks from the record and more are released onto the masses. While you suffer in anticipation for more, Relapse has issued the full info for the album including the cover artwork by Alex Eckman-Lawn, the tracklisting, pre-orders, along with the track, "Stand In Defeat”, streaming below.

Remain Dystopian will see release on CD, LP and digital platforms June 2nd in North America, preceded by May 29th in Germany, Benelux and Finland, and June 1st in the UK and the rest of the planet. Pre-orders for the physical versions are available here and digital pre-orders here.

 

 

Remain Dystopian tracklisting:

“Genocide Interval”
“Hope Smasher”
“The Void Within”
“Minimal Progress”
“Protocol For Self Immolation”
“Absolutist”
“Stride Endlessly Through Scorched Earth”
“Submergence aka Barren Oceans Of Infinity”
“Erode”
“Stand In Defeat”
“Remnants Of Failed Utopia”
“I, Usurper”
“Durandal”
“Psalm For The Withered”
“Return To Zero”
“Slaying Jehova”
“Immune”

“Stand In Defeat”:

Named after a special project during World War II in which the Imperial Japanese Army used human beings for torturous scientific experiments, Maruta has pummeled eardrums abroad through grueling tour ventures and inundated the masses with their bludgeoning, death-infused, grindcore concoction over the past decade. As organized as it is a clusterfuck of blinding rage, the band's malicious dedication and potent material has gained them a dedicated fanbase, on stage as well as through the release of their In Narcosis debut full-length through Willowtip Records in 2008, followed by the critically lauded Forward Into Regression full length in 2011.

For the next phase of their extinction protocol, Marutasigned with Relapse Records in August of last year, and the task of creating their next full-length atrocity began, now to rear its head as Remain Dystopian.

 

 

Maruta lineup:

Mitchell Luna - vocals
Eduardo Borja - guitar
Mauro Cordoba - guitar
Danny Morris - drums

 

British AOR/melodic rock group, Romeo's Daughter, will release their new album, Spin, on April 20th via RD Records/Cargo Records. The album artwork, track listing and a video sampler can be found below.

This is the eagerly awaited 4th studio album from Romeo's Daughter. It is slightly darker in its lyrical content than the last three, but still has the sound that fans of Romeo's Daughter have grown to love.

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Touch”
“Already Gone”
“Love Will Come To Those Who Wait”
“Enemy”
“Didn’t See It Coming”
“Radio”
“Tonight”
“All Because Of You”
“Perfect Plan”
“Tall Buildings”

Sampler:

From the release of their debut album in 1988, produced in part by the infamous Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange, it was surely to be only a matter of time before Romeo's Daughter hit the headlines. And that, they certainly did. During a whirlwind tour of the US their single “Don’t Break My Heart” leapt up the US Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. The calibre of their songs attracted many established artists; Heart covered the single “Wild Child” on their 3 million selling album Brigade, achieving #2 on the Billboard Rock All Play chart. Eddie Money, Bonnie Tyler and the recently reformed Steps too, have had recording successes with other Romeos’ titles. Their track “Heaven In The Backseat” was the also the opener for the film, Nightmare on Elm Street 5.

 

 

They have kicked off 2015 with a stunning performing at HRH and will be touring with FM in May:

May
1 - Bristol, UK - Bierkeller
2 - Wolverhampton, UK - Robin 2
3 - Portsmouth, UK - Wedgewood Rooms
5 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
8 - Newcastle, UK - 02 Academy
9 - Manchester, UK - Academy 2
10 - London, UK - 02 Shepherds Bush Empire

They’ll be touring again in October/November - dates to be announced soon.

The band’s pedigree is second to none, with each member having previously worked at the highest levels with artists such as: Bonnie Tyler, Whitney Houston, Roxette, Meatloaf, Tom Jones, John Parr, Dexy’s Midnight Runners’ Kevin Rowland and, Ex GoGo, Jane Wiedlin.

 

 

Start Again

Romeo's Daughter are:

Leigh Matty - Vocals
Craig Joiner - Guitars
Ed Poole - Bass
Andy Wells - Drums

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have signed Philadelphia's old school death metal maulers, Percussor, and are set to release the new album Proclamation Of Hate on April 21st on CD and digital formats.

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

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

 

 

Tracklisting:

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

Pre-order the CD for only $10 with free shipping at this location. Pre-order the Digital Download for only $6.66 here.

"Ripped Apart As I See Fit”:

 

Florida based melodic metal act, Artizan, have released a four minute video teaser including samples from their upcoming release, The Furthest Reaches. The sci-fi concept project features guest vocals by Matt Barlow (ex-Iced Earth, Ashes Of Ares) as the voice of The Keepers, and Sabrina Cruz (Seven Kingdoms) as Mother Earth. Fantasy artist Marc Sasso created the illustration for the standard CD.

A distress signal has been shot into space from the bowels of The Great Pyramid, which is discovered to be a device built by The Keepers thousands of years ago. The Keepers are awakened by the signal after their long slumber and race towards Earth. Are they returning to aid mankind? Or, did something else trigger the distress call?

The CD will be available in both standard and limited editions. The limited edition CD includes alternative artwork by Eliran Kantor with a slipcover, as well as the bonus track, “Come Sail Away”.

 

 

Standard Version Artwork by Marc Sasso

 

 

Tracklisting:

“Coming Of Age”
“Summon The Gods”
“Hopeful Eyes”
“The Furthest Reaches”
“The Cleansing”
“Wardens Of The New World”
“Heed The Warning”
“Supernova”
“Starchild”
“Into The Sun”
“Come Sail Away” (Limited Edition bonus track)

 

 

Limited Edition Artwork by Eliran Kantor

 

 

The Furthest Reaches will be released April 24th via Pure Steel Records, coinciding with their appearance at the legendary Keep it True festival in Germany. Pre-orders are now available at the official Artizan website.

Album sampler:

 

Frontiers Music SRL presents an album from legendary Grammy Award-winner and founding member of Survivor, Jim Peterik, created around the 5-octave instrument that is Marc Scherer's voice. The resulting CD, Risk Everything, is slated to drop on April 17th in Europe and April 21st in North America.  

Fans can now enjoy the new video for the lead single “Cold Blooded” which features none other than Lee Ann Marie, the girl-now woman who is featured on the original Survivor video “Can’t Hold Back”.

 

The song is available now along with the title track “Risk Everything” as an Instant Gratification Track on iTunes worldwide when you pre-order.

Jim discovered Scherer's talent while Marc was recording vocals for his band at Jim Peterik's World Stage International studios in Burr Ridge, outside Chicago. Impressed with what he heard, Peterik chose Marc to demo the tunes he wrote for the Pride of Lions album, Immortal. Scherer's back-up singing blended so seamlessly with frontman Toby Hitchcock's voice that Peterik was then inspired to write songs specifically for it.

"When I first heard Marc's amazing voice pouring through my studio door, I could not believe my ears", says Jim. "Truly, one of the best voices I've heard – and I've worked with the best!"

 

 

One of the songs originally intended for Immortal - "Change Everything" - became Marc's debut single on a compilation of melodic rock artists titled MRCD - 15 Years Later.

Risk Everything, co-written by both artists and produced by Peterik, provides the perfect frame for Scherer's gift – a voice of such astonishing clarity and glass-shattering power that it is hard to believe he isn't already a major star.

An integral part of Peterik's genius is his ability to tap into and perfectly utilize the talent that surrounds him. For this project, he called on Pride Of Lions drummer Ed Breckenfeld and Buddy Rich's grandson, Nick Rich, for percussion. Then, he got bassists like Klem Hayes (also from Pride Of Lions), Survivor's Bill Syniar and noted studio musician Bob Lizik to contribute. POL's Mike Aquino was smoking hot on guitar, along with Jim, who doubled on keys. Guest vocalists Toby Hitchcock, Santana's Alex Ligertwood and Broadway star of Wicked, Shoshana Bean, rounded out the creative brain trust.    

As Scherer says, "Jim and I have had a few near-miss opportunities to work together, but the stars didn't align until this project. I am utterly in awe of the man's songwriting, producing and musical talent. He takes guitar playing to another level. His work on Cold Blooded is so nuanced and expressive, it's like another voice singing along with me."

One listen to that Survivor-inspired track or the Styx-influenced "Thee Crescendo" proves that Risk Everything has brought out some of the finest songwriting of Jim Peterik's phenomenal career, enhanced by Scherer's powerful, off-the-chain, melodic rock tenor.

Scherer will appear as a special guest of Pride of Lions when they headline at Frontiers Rock Festival II on April 12th in Trezzo Sull'Adda (Milano), Italy. There will also be a special surprise festival only release from Jim Peterik (featuring Marc Scherer and more legendary artists) to be announced shortly.

 

 

Risk Everything tracklisting:

"Risk Everything"
"Chance Of A Lifetime"
"Cold Blooded"
"Desperate In Love"
"Thee Crescendo"
"The Dying Of The Light"
"How Long Is A Moment"
"Brand New Heart"
"Broken Home"
"Milestones And Independence Day"

EPK:

Lineup:

Lead Vocals: Marc Scherer
Guitar: Mike Aquino, Jim Peterik
Keyboards: Jim Peterik
Drums: Ed Breckenfeld, Nick Rich
Bass: Klem Hayes, Bob Lizik, Bill Syniar
Guest and Backing Vocals: Toby Hitchcock, Alex Ligertwood, Shoshana Bean

Produced by Jim Peterik.

 

Swedish metallers, The Poodles, are back with Devil In The Details, their sixth studio album and follow-up to Tour de Force. The evolution of the band's sound is evident as a result of their continued collaboration with producer Mats Valentin. This is rock n' roll straight up, no chaser. In many ways this represents the second coming of The Poodles and you are cordially invited to experience the epic-ness and majesty of Devil In The Details.

 

 

Tracklisting:

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

 

 

Listen to the full album at this location.

Wisconsin metallers Lords Of The Trident have confirmed the addition of their new lead guitarist to their dual six-string weapon department.

Lead vocalist Fang VonWrathenstein has checked in with the following update: “We are extremely excited to announce that we have confirmed a new immortal lead guitar player. His name and the story of how we met will be announced soon, but we can let you know that for a time, he masqueraded as "Brian Koenig", a mortal lead guitar player in the band Luna Mortis, signed to Century Media. Prepare your faces, because they're going to get melted like never before!”

 

 

Brian states: “It is with great ardor and privilege that I join forces with the Lords Of The Trident on lead guitar. I eagerly await the pillaging, plundering, sonic mayhem and world domination that will undoubtedly ensue!"

Lords Of The Trident are currently in the process of filming and editing a music video for "Knights Of Dragon's Deep”, off of their recently released new album, Frostburn.

 

 

“Suspended Over The Abyss”, a track from Entheogen, the upcoming second album from Costa Rica-based death metal outfit, Corpse Garden, can be heard streaming below. Entheogen will be released on May 15th through both Russian label Satanath Records and German label RTM Productions, with North American distribution through Sevared Records.

Vocalist Felipe Tencio elaborates: “This album is dark, dense and aggressive. However, there are certain parts of it which focus mainly on psychedelic, hypnotizing passages that help build the atmosphere we want to create. We were immensely influenced by 70's progressive rock bands for this album so it's a more experimental approach to death/black metal.”

The Entheogen artwork was designed by Alexander L.Brown (BNB Illustration and Design).

 

 

Entheogen tracklisting:

“The Quantum Rapture”
“In The Womb Of Chaos”
“Portal To The Oneiric”
“The Arrival Of Saturn”
“Suspended Over The Abyss”
“Evoking A Dead Sun”
“Sulphur”
“Neux Ex Machina”
“The First Incarnation”
“A Balance Of Opposites”
“The Emerald Vision”
“Red Pulvis Solaris”
“Enantiodromia”

“Suspended Over The Abyss”:

Suspended Over The Abyss by Corpse Garden

Formed in 2009, Corpse Garden released one EP before settling down to record their debut full-length release Burnt By The Light (2012). Riding high from the great response from their debut, the band powered on to win the Central American heat in the worldwide Wacken Metal Battle competition and represented the area at the 2012 Wacken festival in Germany. With a comprehensive lineup change in 2013 to what is their current set-up, Corpse Garden settled down to compose and write what would become Entheogen. Entering the Bushido Audio Production Studio in 2014 with producer Juan Pablo Calvo, the album was mastered by Eri Román at SoloHit Studios in San José.

Scott Weiland has apologized to fans that attended the former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and VELVET REVOLVER singer's March 14 VIP meet-and-greet session at the Brighton Music Hall in Boston, Massachusetts, explaining that he "acted like a total asshole."

Three different Weiland fans posted their descriptions of the event at a STONE TEMPLE PILOTS fan forum, including one fan who claimed that Weiland said to him, "Let's suck a d**k!"

The first fan, under the name "PigsInZen," wrote that Weiland and his band "sounded kickass," but that when he went backstage for his photo with Weiland, things did not go as well.

He wrote, "Scott didn't even look at me when I was talking to him, he put his arm around me and literally said 'Lets get this s**t done with.' As I fakely smiled for my photo, I couldn't believe what just came out of my hero's mouth… Scott should not be saying that when people paid 150$ for a brief picture with him after the show."

Meanwhile, "Matthew" wrote, "I did the meet and greet as well and he said 'Let's suck a d**k!' to me and that was it. Over and done in 10 seconds. He was definitely drunk and ready to get outta there."

Finally, "Toahiaph" wrote, "Add me to the list of fans who Scott was not so nice too. The other members of the band all cool and with it… Scott seemed hammered."

When "Toahiaph" went up for his picture, "[Scott] says something like, 'OK hurry up I don't want to hear it.' I stand next to him and smile for my picture… meanwhile he was complaining the whole five seconds that it was taking too long. I will NEVER pay to shake his hand again."

In a posting on his Facebook page earlier today, Weiland wrote: "I would like to make a sincere apology to the fans that were at the meet and greet in Boston. I'm embarrassed by my behavior and some of the things that I said. Fans don't deserve that. Without our fans and supporters, we would not be able to do what we're doing. I put my all into the show that night and honestly was just beyond exhausted… either way, I acted like a total asshole and for that I'm truly sorry."

Scott Weiland and his band THE WALKABOUTS' new album, "Blaster", arrives on March 31.

Jacky BamBam of Philadelphia's 93.3 WMMR radio station recently conducted an interview with Y&T guitarist/vocalist Dave Meniketti. You can now listen to the chat at this location.

Asked about the time in 1976 when then-AC/DC singer Bon Scott traveled on Y&T's tour bus while the two bands were on the road together, Dave said: "Our tour bus was not much of a tour bus. We had a Dodge van. [Laughs] And it was a really long Dodge van, and it was a unique one, because I've never seen one since like this. It had a bent seat in the front — the driver, passenger and somebody else, I suppose — and a bent seat in the very back — way back — and just a padded bunch of carpet in between. And so a lot of us just sat on the floor while we traveled across the country. And so did [Bon], as a matter of fact."

He continued: "Yeah, Bon Scott, the very first day that we did soundcheck together, he came back and he started talking to us and everything. And he was, like, 'What are you guys travelling in?' And we showed him. And he was, like, 'Would you mind if I come with you?' He goes, 'These guys are really boring.' He goes, 'They won't let me drink. They won't let any groupies on the bus.' So he figured, a bunch of young kids out on the road for not too many years, he's gonna have more fun with us. And I'm absolutely certain he did."

Meniketti also spoke about Y&T's April 24, 1981 concert at the Starwood in West Hollywood, California, which featured a support set from MÖTLEY CRÜE in what was the latter band's first-ever gig.

"Oh, yeah. Absolutely I remember that," Dave said. "I didn't know if was their first show until years and years later. And I guess they put out their first book and it came out in that that show was their very first show in L.A., their hometown. I didn't know that. But all I know is that they were supposed to be this up-and-coming thing, and I remember Phil [Kennemore] and I, our old bass player, sitting in the balcony at the Starwood overlooking the stage and watching a few songs, going, 'These guys are crap.' [Laughs] And I ate those words a million times over. And then we ended up opening for them. Well, they opened up for us a couple of more times. They came up to our hometown area, when we headlined a place called Concert Pavilion, one of those big outdoor kind of places. And then after that, of course, they took off and we ended up opening for them in the mid-'80s. So it was cool."

A short video clip of a drummer — believed to be Chris Adler (LAMB OF GOD) — laying down tracks for MEGADETH's new album has been posted on the band's official YouTube channel and can be seen below.

A photo that was taken on March 19 of MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and Adler having a discussion at what appeared to be a fast-food restaurant or a coffee shop was posted on Twitter by former MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE drummer Bob Bryar.

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET exclusively reported on March 14, MEGADETH is rumored to have hired Adler and Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro (ANGRA) to play on the band's new CD.

If true, Adler's involvement with MEGADETH would apparently be limited to studio work only, and he would not be expected to join the band on the road to promote the effort, which is currently being recorded in Nashville, Tennessee.

MEGADETH was still finalizing the recording lineup for its new album earlier in the month, with Mustaine tweeting on March 10 that he was "excited to be auditioning one of my final picks for my new guitarist today."

The band has yet to officially announce replacements for drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick, who quit the group last year.

Speculation has been rife over the last three months as to whether fans could expect a reunion of MEGADETH's classic late 1980s and early 1990s lineup featuring Nick Menza on drums and Marty Friedman on guitar.

Both Menza and Friedman indicated in recent interviews and online postings that they weren't opposed to rejoining MEGADETH, with Menza saying: "I'm open to whatever could possibly happen. That's up to Dave [Mustaine." Friedman, who was also part of the band's "Rust In Peace" lineup, said in January that he "would not be against considering" a possible return to the band as the replacement for Broderick, but cautioned that fans shouldn't "get [their] hopes up either."

Fan-filmed video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's March 21 performance at Cactus Petes Resort Casino in Jackpot, Nevada can be seen below.

As previously reported, QUEENSRŸCHE has tapped Chris "Zeuss" Harris (pictured below; ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, SOULFLY, SHADOWS FALL) to produce the band's new album, due later in the year via Century Media. The CD is being recorded at Uberbeatz Studio in Washington.

In an interview with Metal Nation Radio, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre spoke about what fans can expect to hear on the band's follow-up to 2013's self-titled album. He said: "When you've got five guys that, everyone has different musical backgrounds… I mean, we all have a common likeness for a style and sound… But, you know, I'm always pushing for… It's a fine line, because I'm always pushing for heavy. And it has to be QUEENSRŸCHE; it can't be over-the-top heaviness… I don't wanna change the dynamic. Nobody in the band wants to change the real core sound and dynamic and style of the band. With that being said, QUEENSRŸCHE's never been afraid to try new things."

La Torre added: "The songs that we have right now are, I would say, melodic. There are some heavy tunes on there that are just, like, really rocking. I mean, some of the songs remind me, again, of 'Rage For Order', '[Operation:] Mindcrime'… We'll probably slip in something that's got a commercial… Not that we're trying to… Something with a more commercial appeal, like the song 'In This Light' did on the record that I did before. But, overall, I'm hopeful that, when it's all said and done, this record will have a really good drive, great, melodic choruses, great guitar parts, very dynamic... A little more prog… There's a little more proggy elements…

"When you've got two years [between albums], you don't want [people] to say, 'Wow, that's the best they could come up with?' You never want that. You always want, 'Hell yeah! This is another great QUEENSRŸCHE record.' And that's all that you can really hope for. But it's definitely going to have, again, what I consider all of the elements that the true QUEENSRŸCHE fans will enjoy: great drumming, solid foundation, bass driven, great guitar work and harmony things… Vocally, there's some things where I get into the upper register pretty good.

"I always wanna keep that metal… [Laughs] Sometimes I think [the other guys in the band] get sick of hearing me saying that. I'm, like, 'I wanna melt their fucking faces off.' [Laughs] But I have to do what the music calls for. And, overall, it's been a great process. It's always a learning experience.

"I'm finding, as a songwriter, what my stylistic things are, musically. I love ALICE IN CHAINS harmonies; they always had these interesting harmonies in their music. And I always find myself, when I'm writing and I'm recording, doing new things, I kind of lean on those types of harmonies. So I'm finding out things about myself as a writer that I didn't know before. And so it's a lot of fun."

QUEENSRŸCHE's latest, self-titled album sold around 13,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 23 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on June 25, 2013 via Century Media Records.

Fan-filmed video footage of PHILM's March 6 performance at Fabrica in Bucharest, Romania can be seen below.

PHILM features former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo alongside guitarist/vocalist Gerry Paul Nestler (CIVIL DEFIANCE) and bassist Francisco "Pancho" Eduardo Tomaselli (WAR).

Asked what prompted the decision to forgo the improvisational aspect of the first PHILM album in favor of a more structured, creative approach on the group's follow-up effort, "Fire From The Evening Sun", Dave told Full Metal Jackie: "Well, I heard the reviews and read the reviews and took in consideration what journalists and fans were feeling and saying, and I felt it was time us to make an album like this. We showed them what we could do in the avant grade world and the improvisational style of writing, but that was something for that album. And on this one, we just wanted to make it a little more concise and complete with some solid structures and songs that would appeal more to, let's say, the metal fan base rather than to a more avant garde or jazz style. Which makes total sense, 'cause that's where my fans are, so I need to give them what they want."

Regarding what the most unusual thing is for him about being in a more creative role in PHILM than he was in some of his previous projects, Dave said: "I think it's how fluid the creative process is. We are all in a room together and we press 'record' and we start playing, and whatever it is that happens at that moment is captured. And what we do is listen back to those recordings. They can be, like, 20 minutes to a half-an-hour improvisation session. Then what we do is listen for the… I call them little gems that you cut out of these session. And then we take that music and then we'll structure a complete song around that improvisation. So that's unique and it's unusual for me, because I've worked in the past with musicians that give you a set idea on what they want. And it leaves no room for creativity. It's just from one person; it's not like a fusion or a collective effort."

"Fire From The Evening Sun" was released on September 16, 2014 (one day earlier internationally) via UDR.