British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST will release their long-awaited new album, "Redeemer Of Souls", in July through Epic/Columbia.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Dragonaut02. Redeemer Of Souls03. Halls Of Valhalla04. Sword Of Damocles05. March Of The Damned06. Down In Flames07. Hell & Back08. Cold Blooded09. Metalizer10. Crossfire11. Secrets Of The Dead12. Battle Cry13. Beginning Of The End

Bonus tracks:

14. Snakebite15. Tears Of Blood16. Creatures17. Bring It On18. Never Forget

"Redeemer Of Souls" release dates:

Friday, July 11:

AustraliaAustriaBeneluxFinlandGermanyIrelandNew ZealandNorwaySwedenSwitzerlandTurkey

Monday, July 14:

Asia (excluding Japan)Czech RepublicDenmarkFranceGreeceHungaryPolandPortugalSouth AfricaUK

Tuesday, July 15:

CanadaItalyLatin AmericaRussiaSpainUSA

Wednesday, July 16:

Japan

The "Redeemer Of Souls" title track can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The song was made available for purchase via iTunes and other digital service providers on April 29.

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton said that fans should not expect wild experimentation. "Sometimes in the past we may have come under fire for being too adventurous musically – so we have listened," he said. "From start to finish, 'Redeemer Of Souls' is 18 songs of pure classic PRIEST metal."

Speaking to Artisan News at the March 17 VIP listening party for the Ronnie James Dio tribute album "This Is Your Life" and awards gala at the Avalon in Hollywood, California, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford stated about the band's new CD: "The record is finished; it's absolutely finished as of today." He added: "It's a relief. It's a relief because whenever PRIEST makes an album, like any band, you put your heart and soul into it; it is that typical 'blood, sweat and tears.' It's not an easy thing to do 40 years later. But PRIEST has always been up for the challenge of that, and it's one of things that we love to do more than anything else as we move on through our metal years. So this is a great time for PRIEST: 40th anniversary, a brand new record. Life couldn't be better."

In a 2013 interview with Billboard.com, Halford described the new PRIEST CD's sound as "hard. It's heavy. It's something we think our PRIEST fans will be thrilled with. We know we have a reputation to maintain, and we know we have to deliver something really strong and solid. The album is going to be full of all the great things you love about JUDAS PRIEST."

Speaking to VH1 Radio Network's Dave Basner, Halford said about what fans can expect from JUDAS PRIEST's next LP: "We felt it was very important to follow up [2008's] 'Nostradamus', the last release, and that was a concept experiment and it was a real success for us and the fans loved it, but I think our fans and ourselves as a band, we want to get back to the side of PRIEST that we haven't heard for a few years and reemphasize and remake those big, heavy metal statements again."

PRIEST's next album will mark the band's first release with Richie Faulkner, most recently guitarist in the backing band for Lauren Harris (daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris).

Faulkner joined PRIEST as the replacement for original PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing, who announced his retirement from the band in April 2011.

Asked how it has been collaborating on new music with Faulkner, Halford told Guitar World in a 2012 interview: "Really, really strong. Exciting. He's riffing and saying, 'Robby, I'm thinking of this and this and this.' It's really exciting to have that kind of energy, because you feed off of it."

He added: "[Richie] went through the ritual on [the 'Epitaph'] tour, did great work on stage, the fans embraced him, so it's now time to see what we're capable of, the writing trio of Glenn [Tipton] and Richie and myself."

Regarding whether technology has changed JUDAS PRIEST's songwriting process at all, Halford said: "It's dangerous to walk around with a flash drive on a bunch of keys. [Laughs] To a great extent, it doesn't really change. The technology is amazing in terms of the advantages it brings to music now, some of it good, some of it very bad. It's all about discipline and self-belief, determination, wanting to do the best you can do and not accepting anything that's below par. We've always had that attitude in PRIEST. We've always felt really strongly about any track that goes out for our fans. We're still doing it like we always have: firing up the riffs and finding a vocal melody to go with it, me going into me wonderful world of the Roget's Thesaurus and trying to come up with a new lyric and a new idea. And that's what we've been doing for four decades."

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

ANTHRAX's May 10, 2013 concert at Teatro Caupolican in Santiago, Chile was professionally filmed for a live DVD. The show consisted of a special extended set featuring tracks from the band's whole catalog.

According to ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante, the DVD is now expected to surface at the end of the summer. He wrote on Twitter earlier today: "#Chile on Hell DVD. Everyone has been asking when it's coming out. We decided to add more footage . August/September likely timeframe."

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

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Among The Living 02. Caught In A Mosh 03. I Am The Law 04. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) 05. A Skeleton In The Closet 06. March Of The S.O.D. (STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH cover)07. In The End 08. Deathrider 09. T.N.T. (AC/DC cover)10. I'm Alive 11. Indians12. Medusa 13. In My World 14. Got The Time (Joe Jackson cover)15. Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't

Encore:

16. I'm The Man / Raining Blood (SLAYER cover)17. Madhouse 18. Antisocial (TRUST cover)

SHADOWS FALL guitarist Jon Donais, who has been touring with ANTHRAX since Rob Caggiano's departure in January 2013, handled the lead-guitar parts at the Santiago show.

"Anthems", ANTHRAX's eight-track EP that pays tribute to the classic songs by some of the band's favorite acts from the 1970s, sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 52 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released in North America on March 19, 2013 (MRI/Megaforce), and on March 22, 2013 in Europe (Nuclear Blast).

ANTHRAX's latest full-length album, "Worship Music", sold 28,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at No. 12. The band's previous studio CD, 2003's "We've Come For You All", opened with just under 10,000 units to debut at No. 122.




#Chile on Hell DVD . Everyone has been asking when it's coming out. We decided to add more footage . August/September likely timeframe

— Charlie Benante (@skisum) May 2, 2014

Fan-filmed video footage of Marty Friedman (ex-MEGADETH) and Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE) performing a cover version of the BLACK SABBATH classic "Symptom Of The Universe" on May 1 at Klubi in Tampere, Finland during their "Guitar Universe 2014" European tour can be seen below.

Friedman's new solo album, "Inferno", will be released in late May via Prosthetic Records (except in Japan, where the album will be made available through Universal Music).

"Inferno" was recorded primarily in Los Angeles with engineer Chris Rakestraw (DANZIG, CHILDREN OF BODOM) and mixed by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH) — features what Friedman recently told Guitar World is "the most intense writing and playing I can do." The album also includes notable guest appearances by several artists influenced by Friedman, including flamenco/metal acoustic guitar duo RODRIGO Y GABRIELA, CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho, SKYHARBOR mastermind Keshav Dhar and REVOCATION guitar whiz David Davidson, as well as Friedman's first songwriting collaboration with Jason Becker since the pair played together in CACOPHONY, the pioneering duo of guitar mayhem.

In addition, "Inferno" breaks all genre rules and creates new ones with an exhilarating and musically daring mash-up with Jørgen Munkeby of the acclaimed "blackjazz" act SHINING, as well as two tracks featuring vocals by rock guru Danko Jones. Overall, "Inferno" is by fa Friedman's most thrilling and adventurous effort to date.

Gus G.'s debut solo album, "I Am The Fire", entered the official chart in Greece at position No. 27. The CD sold around 700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The cover artwork was designed by Gustavo Sazes (ARCH ENEMY, KAMELOT, DREAM EVIL).

Gus handles all guitar, bass and keyboards on "I Am The Fire", and is joined by a roster of friends and guests that help bring his vision to fruition: drummers Jeff Friedl (A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUSCIFER, DEVO) and Daniel Erlandsson (ARCH ENEMY), bassists David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH) and Marty O'Brien (TOMMY LEE, WE ARE THE FALLEN, LITA FORD), and vocalists Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, THERION), Blake Allison (DEVOUR THE DAY), Michael Starr (STEEL PANTHER), Alexia Rodriguez (EYES SET TO KILL), Tom S. Englund (EVERGREY), Jacob Bunton (ADLER) and Jeff Scott Soto (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, TALISMAN, ex-JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN). "I Am The Fire" was mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR, STEEL PANTHER) and was recorded between Los Angeles and Gus' home country of Greece through the latter half of 2013. A few of the album's tracks include "Eyes Wide Open", "Redemption", "End Of The Line" and "Blame It On Me". The album showcases a well-balanced mix of active rock, classic hard rock, traditional metal and guitar-driven instrumentals, taking listeners on a diverse journey and opening doors to Gus G.'s soulful playing.

Former BRAND NEW SIN singer Joe Altier, who now has a solo project called JUST JOE, has released a piano cover of METALLICA's "Blackened". Check it out using the SoundCloud widget below.

Altier also fronts the hard rock band ELEPHANT MOUNTAIN with former BRAND NEW SIN guitarist Slider. They released their sophomore album, "Birth Of A Conspiracy" in December.

During downtime with BRAND NEW SIN, Joe took up his piano and played clubs under the moniker BRAND NEW JOE. When he split from BRAND NEW SIN, Joe developed a repertoire of more than 2500 cover songs, ranging from Frank Sinatra to METALLICA and everything imaginable in between and has played venues up and down the East Coast as JUST JOE.

Joe has released four CDs of original material: "Just Joe Solo EP" (December 2011), "My Demons, My Burden, My Life" (May 2012), "Got Joe?" (December 2012) and "So The Story Goes…" (2013).

Former KYUSS and current VISTA CHINO frontman John Garcia will release his self-titled solo album on August 1 via Napalm Records. The CD was recorded at Thunder Underground studios in Palm Springs, California with producers Harper Hug and Trevor Whatever.

The cover artwork for "John Garcia" can be seen below.

John Garcia's solo album features a guest appearance by guitarist Robby Krieger of THE DOORS.

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."

VISTA CHINO is the group comprised of two founding members of the legendary rock band KYUSS — Garcia and Brant Bjork — and guitarist Bruno Fevery.

VISTA CHINO's debut album, "Peace", was released on September 3, 2013 (one day earlier internationally) via Napalm Records. The cover artwork for the CD was created by the renowned California art collective The Date Farmers.

German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS have released the following statement regarding the reports that their American drummer, James Kottak, will spend a month in a Dubai, United Arab Emirates jail after he was convicted on Tuesday morning of insulting Islam.

"Dear fans, when James Kottak arrived in Dubai on April 3th, he ran into problems at immigrations and got busted. Whatever happened is totally out of our control and we don’t know any details about it at this point. For the concerts in Germany, Johan Franzon, a Swedish drummer, will take James' seat. Please understand, we keep you posted."

According to The National, the 51-year-old KOttak had reportedly consumed five glasses of wine on an April 3 flight from Moscow to Dubai while travelling to Bahrain on a Gulf Air flight to perform two days later at the country's Formula One grand prix. After taking a wrong turn and entering the transit hall, Kottak "started swearing and talking about 'non-educated Muslims' before he flashed his middle finger at passengers," according to witnesses. Police said he also lowered his trousers and showed people his behind.

An officer said he heard Kottak saying "what is this disgusting smell" before the drummer insulted Islam. "I didn't see anything else but I heard him," the officer said. "I then informed my supervisor, who came and took the defendant away."

A 27-year-old client service employee at the airport added: "When he [Kottak] saw the Pakistani and Afghani passengers, he covered his nose and said that there was no way he will travel with them." He added that the drummer then started swearing repeatedly at the arrivals area of Terminal 2. "He wasn't talking to a person specifically but was talking in general," the client service employee said. "He was very nervous at the time and talking loudly."

A 25-year-old Jordanian passenger services agent said Kottak came over to her and "was shouting 'non-educated Muslims' then he went to the office of the head and flashed his middle finger at the passengers."

Kottak denied that he insulted Islam, telling prosecutors: "I don't remember saying these words and I did not flash my middle finger." He also denied taking down his trousers, saying: "This is not true — I just lifted my shirt up to show the tattoo on my back" as a "spontaneous act." "There is no way that I would say such a phrase about Muslims, whether I was drunk or not," he said.

"I confess to drinking alcohol but I refuse the other two charges, I did not do them," he added.

In addition to spending one month in jail, Kottak — who has been in custody since April 3 — was fined 2,000 dirhams (approximately $545) for drinking alcohol without a license.

Kottak's time spent in detention will be deducted from his sentence.

Because of his arrest, Kottak did not perform with his bandmates at the April 5 show at the 2014 Formula One Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix and was replaced at the gig by Mark Cross (TAINTED NATION, FIREWIND, OUTLOUD, HELLOWEEN, METALLIUM).

In a 2005 interview, Kottak, who has been in the SCORPIONS since 1996, stated about his audition for the band: "I was always a SCORPIONS fan for the songs on the radio because in America they played them non-stop. I was never the guy that went out and bought their records but I always liked their songwriting and the songs and the whole vibe. Then I was in a band called KINGDOM COME in 1987-1990 and we opened for the SCORPIONS and I saw them and they were so professional on the Monsters Of Rock tour, [and] I was totally blown away. But I never went out and bought their albums, I never went out and bought any other albums either. I was a fan of all music — good or bad. It was on the radio so much, I didn't need to buy it. I spent all my money buying drums, drumsticks and cymbals. In the audition, I knew most of the SCORPIONS music from playing in cover bands. I'm from Louisville, Kentucky. That's how I earned my money in the early '80s — we played 'Still Loving You', 'Rock You Like a Hurricane', 'Big City Nights'. The flattering point with the SCORPIONS [was] when I did fly to Germany for the 'audition,' it wasn't so much an audition, more like, 'Let's get together and see how it feels.' So, I was very flattered about that because they did audition like another 25 drummers. I was very flattered to be picked."

Fan-filmed video footage of METAL CHURCH's April 27 performance at Dynamo in Eindhoven, The Netherlands can be seen below.

"Generation Nothing", the tenth studio album from METAL CHURCH — Ronny Munroe on vocals, Kurdt Vanderhoof and Rick Van Zandt on guitar, Steve Unger on bass, and Jeff Plate on drums — sold around 600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was issued on October 22, 2013 via Kurdt's label Body Of Work Recordings in conjunction with Rat Pak Records.

According to Vanderhoof, "Generation Nothing" — which was recorded at Kurdt's English Channel studio in Washingtion — marks a "return to [METAL CHURCH's] classic metal sound. It has elements of the first album and 'The Dark', but still embraces the new sound of the band without chasing the past."

Munroe said in an interview with Metal Assault that the new METAL CHURCH effort would contain material that is "very reminiscent of the old days with some stuff that's very 'now.'" He added: "There's a bit of… I'm not going to say 'prog' because it's not, but there's a couple of elements in there that are a little bit progressive. For the most part, out of this batch of songs, they really sound more reminiscent of the early days than anything we've done before with this lineup. This excites me very much, and I think the fans are really going to dig it."

Regarding the circumstances that led to METAL CHURCH's breakup in 2009, Ronny said: "Well, in a nutshell, without going into a huge and long story here, it was certain aspects of things that had continued to happen to the band throughout its career. Not having the proper management and the proper people in place that were handling us. You know, we ended up taking some shows we shouldn't have taken and that just led to where Kurdt was really getting fed up and then we all kind of got that way. Basically, we figured before we end up disbanding because of other reasons such as maybe starting to fight with one another or whatnot, we decided to go ahead and end it then. We all ended up friends and we wanted to keep it that way. So I won't go into specifics, but we all know what the music industry is like now compared to what it was like back then. We just didn't have the right people in our camp."

Asked what the band is going to do differently this time around to avoid falling into the same trap, Ronny said: "This time around we're going to release this next record on Kurdt's label. Basically, Kurdt and the band and whatnot are taking a lot more control of the situation. Yes, maybe the downloading thing is even worse than 2009, but also on the other hand, if you know what you're doing and you use the Internet correctly, you can actually have success. Kurdt's been doing that with his prog band PRESTO BALLET and whatnot. In this day and age, the time is right to go and try something on your own. If it doesn't work, you can always end up going out and searching for a label or something. We're going to take a shot at it and see what happens and I think we're probably going to have some decent success."

Cited as one of the earliest death/doom metal bands to come out of the U.S., Chicago's NOVEMBERS DOOM will release its ninth studio album, titled "Bled White", on July 15 via The End Records. The follow-up to 2011's "Apothic" was recorded at Belle City Sound with engineer Chris Wisco (JUNGLE ROT, NACHTMYSTIUM) handling recording and co-production duties, and Dan Swanö (BLOODBATH, NIGHTINGALE) spearheading the mixing.

"Every time a band writes and records a new album, they always say things like, 'This is our best yet!' and it usually isn't," says NOVEMBERS DOOM's Paul Kuhr.

"Is this our best yet? I'll let you decide that, since opinions are all objective. What I will say is this... We approached 'Bled White' differently than the past. We put a lot more focus on vocal melodies and harmonies this time around, creating a new soundscape for NOVEMBERS DOOM. The music is punishing at times with my heaviest growls to date, and others will take you to a new place entirely for us exploring new ground. It's very different at times, but it remains NOVEMBERS DOOM.

"I won't say it's our best, but I'll tell you it's the one I'm most proud of... OK. It's our best yet."

Ever since its humble beginnings in 1989, NOVEMBERS DOOM has striven to create its own unique brand of dark, brooding and melancholic metal music. Constantly evolving and pushing the restrictions of minor genre tags, the band has created a unique and identifiable sound, making its mark in the metal world.

Consisting of founder/vocalist/lyricist Paul Kuhr, Larry Roberts (guitar), Vito Marchese (guitar), Mike Feldman (bass) and Garry Naples (drums), NOVEMBERS DOOM has garnered international success by performing with such bands as AGALLOCH, SATURNUS, AJATTARA and NIGHTINGALE, as well as making high-profile festival appearances at Brutal Assault, Graspop Metal Meeting and Caos Emergente.

The band plans to tour the U.S. and Europe in 2014 in support of the new studio release.

"Bled White" track listing:

01. Bled White02. Heartfelt03. Just Breathe04. Scorpius05. Unrest06. The Memory Room07. The Brave Pawn08. Clear09. The Grand Circle10. Animus11. The Silent Dark

Razor & Tie has announced the signing of the Southern California band FINCH. The group is recording its third studio album with producer Brian Virtue (DEFTONES, 30 SECONDS TO MARS, JANE'S ADDICTION, AUDIOSLAVE) for a late 2014 release. A single will precede in June.

Comments FINCH in a statement: "It's been an incredibly productive and busy year for us.

"We're excited about our partnership with Razor & Tie and can't wait to get our new record out this year.

"Razor & Tie pursued us from the beginning of our anniversary shows last year and has shown a lot of faith in the band.

"We're making what we feel is a powerful and meaningful record and we couldn't be happier about all the support Razor & Tie have given to us."

Adds Razor & Tie A&R executive Mike Gitter who signed FINCH: "FINCH are as vital a live band and as focused a creative force as they were when 'What It Is To Burn' was released. The new songs they've spent the past year writing are classic FINCH with the poise and muscle of a band as locked-in and fired up as ever. We're exciting to be working together."

In 2013, FINCH reunited to its nearly original lineup and announced that they would embark on the "What It Is To Burn" tenth-anniversary tour. The post-hardcore band performed the full-length in its entirety with a few extra bonuses for fans along the way to sold-out crowds including Pomona, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and overseas in London and Paris.

FINCH has released two studio albums, one live album and two EPs to date, and has sold over one million albums worldwide.

FINCH is Nate Barcalow (vocals), Randy Strohmeyer (guitar), Alex Linares (guitar), Alex Pappas (drums) and Daniel Wonacott (bass).

The band is managed by Andy Harris and represented for touring by Jeremy Holgerson at The Agency Group.

Fan-filmed video footage of EPICA’s April 30 "The Quantum Enigma" record-release concert at 013 in Tilburg, The Netherlands can be seen below.

EPICA’s sixth studio album, "The Quantum Enigma", will be released in North America on May 6 via Nuclear Blast. Where the 2013 "Retrospect" performance reflected on a decade as one of the leading bands in the symphonic metal scene, "The Quantum Enigma" marks the beginning of a new EPICA: modern, heavy, and without compromises.

Says the band: "More than any of our previous albums, this album is a group effort. The only goal we had in mind: creating the album that could lift EPICA up to the next level."

"The Quantum Enigma" was produced by Joost van den Broek at the Sandlane recording facility in the Netherlands. The album was mixed by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, HATESPHERE).

"The Quantum Enigma" will be released in five different configurations:

01 - Regular jewel case02 - 2CD digipack03 - 3CD earbook04 - double vinyl05 - Digital download "The Quantum Enigma" track listing:

01. Originem02. The Second Stone03. The Essence Of Silence04. Victims Of Contingency05. Sense Without Sanity (The Impervious Code)06. Unchain Utopia07. The Fifth Guardian (Interlude)08. Chemical Insomnia09. Reverence (Living in the Heart) 10. Omen [The Ghoulish Malady] 11. Canvas of Life12. Natural Corruption13. The Quantum Enigma (Kingdom Of Heaven Part II) Digipack additional track: "In All Conscience"Earbook additional track: "Dreamscape"Vinyl additional track: "Memento"iTunes additional track: "Banish Your Illusion" Disc 2 (digipack and earbook only):

01. Canvas Of Life [acoustic version]02. In All Conscience [acoustic version]03. Dreamscape [acoustic version]04. Natural Corruption [acoustic version] Disc 3 (earbook Only):

01. Originem [instrumental]02. The Second Stone [instrumental]03. The Essence of Silence [instrumental]04. Victims Of Contingency [instrumental]05. Sense Without Sanity [instrumental]06. Unchain Utopia [instrumental]07. The Fifth Guardian [instrumental]08. Chemical Insomnia [instrumental]09. Reverence [instrumental]10. Omen [instrumental]11. Canvas Of Life [instrumental]12. Natural Corruption [instrumental]13. The Quantum Enigma [instrumental]

The official lyric video for the song "The Essence Of Silence" can be seen below.

In a recent interview with LiveReviewer, EPICA guitarist Isaac Delahaye stated about the making of "The Quantum Enigma": "It was very much our intention to really make songs. It was because we started with putting a lot of effort into the basics and we gave a lot of attention to the band part, more so than before. And, of course, Jacob Hansen mixed it and he knows how to do these things. We tried out several people and had them do a test mix of certain songs and he came out on top. It's become a heavy album, yet all the details are there. Previously, we used to go to the studio, tune our stuff and then we recorded an album. This time we did a long pre-production in the studio and we got to check out a lot of different combinations of amps and then we could record it. Previously, we just did everything in our home studios and sent each other the parts. And after that we would go into the studio and that's it. But now we sat down together and discussed a lot more, it was more of a band effort. It was working together, rather than reacting. Everyone brought songs to the table, which was very cool. With the previous album, it was mostly Mark, Coen and me writing a lot. And now even Ariën joined in and that made it all feel refreshing. It's odd to say, but it's kind of a new beginning." Longtime EPICA collaborator Stephan Heilemann once again created the stunning artwork to accompany the ideas behind the lyrics. Once you lay your hands on the album artwork, you will see that the cover is part of a bigger picture.

"Burn Eternal", a demo track from BLACKGATES — the East San Francisco Bay Area/New York metal outfit featuring former ANTHRAX singer Dan Nelson, drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, ex-TESTAMENT, EXODUS, FORBIDDEN) and guitarist Jeremy Epp (THE VENTING MACHINE) — can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The song was recorded in the BLACKGATES rehearsal room in 2012 and was mixed earlier this year.

In an October 2013 interview with Greece's Metal Kaoz, Bostaph was asked if he has any other projects going on besides his current full-time gig with SLAYER. "I still have my other band, BLACKGATES," he replied. "And we're talking about… I mean, I haven't had any time. SLAYER is main priority, but if I have some free time, I'm gonna try to do a five- or six-song EP with BLACKGATES. We have our original singer back, Dan Nelson, so we're really happy about that. I just need some time to get together with my guitar player, Jeremy Epp, and we're gonna put the material together and try to get something out. We've put, like… Jeremy and I and Dan Nelson have put, like, over four years into the material we have, so I think we just wanna put it out there. And just move on with SLAYER. And if I can do some stuff with BLACKGATES, I will, and if I can't, then at least we've put the music out there."

BLACKGATES made its live debut on May 5, 2012 at Rooster's Roadhouse in Alameda, California as part of the Cinco De Mayo Metal Throwdown.

BLACKGATES in 2012 parted ways with bassist Uriah Duffy (ex-WHITESNAKE) and replaced him with Luis Barillas (THE VENTING MACHINE). BLACKGATES's first demo was recorded in the San Francisco Bay Area with producer Tim Narducci (SYSTEMATIC, SPIRALARMS).

Nelson in 2012 settled a lawsuit he filed against ANTHRAX over the fallout from his departure from the veteran metal group. Details of the settlement were not made public.

Nelson, who was in ANTHRAX for nearly two years — from late 2007 until July 2009 — filed a lawsuit in November 2011 claiming that Charlie Benante (drums), Frank Bello (bass) and Scott Ian (guitar) falsely stated in "numerous interviews" that he had "abruptly resigned" after getting sick, forcing a cancelation of a tour. The $2.65-million suit also alleged that Benante told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that Nelson "was a bully."

The Long Island native said his ex-bandmates' "intentional defamation" has caused him a loss of income and damaged his reputation.

Fan-filmed video footage of HALESTORM's April 23 performance in Frankfurt, Germany can be seen below.

As previously reported, HALESTORM debuted two new songs at two separate shows recently. The first tune, "Heartbreaker", was performed on March 28 at the Cannery Ballroom in Nashville, Tennessee, while the second track, "Mayhem", made its debut earlier this month in England.

Asked if "Mayhem" is a good indicator of what HALESTORM fans can expect to hear on the band's next album, singer Lzzy Hale said: "Definitely. Especially since that one was the one that we felt like it needed a little bit of work, and we weren't really considering it one of our best songs. So we wanted to see how we could develop it on tour, and I think that the crowd has really gotten us excited about it now. So it might actually have a shot at being on the record."

Added drummer Arejay Hale: "It definitely will help the writing process for the rest of the songs. Now we have an idea of, kind of, how the crowd reacts to certain things. So it kind ofgives you a good guideline, I guess."

The group began writing its third album in January, after completing more than 20 months of touring behind 2012's "The Strange Case Of…"

Lzzy Hale told The Pulse Of Radio one thing the band might do differently this time. "We're probably gonna record it in Nashville instead of L.A. this time," she said. "It's a quieter vibe and a little less distractions. I think we can kind of lock ourselves into a studio [laughs] and become intimate with our inner crazy [laughs] and hopefully not kill each other in the process. [laughs]"

HALESTORM last year issued its second covers EP, "ReAniMate 2.0", which featured renditions of songs from JUDAS PRIEST, AC/DC, PAT BENATAR, MARILYN MANSON, DAFT PUNK and FLEETWOOD MAC.

Legendary British singer/songwriter Robert Plant has signed with Nonesuch Records. The label will Plant's new album later this year. Further details about the CD, which will feature the SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS band, will be announced shortly, as will upcoming tour dates.

Robert Plant made his first commercial recordings in 1966. In 1967, he formed a group called the BAND OF JOY with drummer John Bonham. Soon Bonham, Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, and bassist John Paul Jones formed THE NEW YARDBIRDS, which eventually became LED ZEPPELIN. The LED ZEPPELIN era ended in 1980 when Bonham died. Since that time, Plant has turned his wide-ranging musical talents toward solo albums as well as recordings with Jimmy Page and with bands like THE HONEYDRIPPERS, PRIORY OF BRION, STRANGE SENSATION and BAND OF JOY.

Plant's writing and performing reflects his infinite artistic and intellectual curiosity, fed by his global travels, with influences from West Coast psychedelic rock, roots blues, African music, and traditional American and European folk. His recent collaboration with Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand", further expanded his horizons. Produced by T Bone Burnett, the album won six Grammy Awards, including "Album Of The Year" and "Record Of The Year." His most recent release, "Band Of Joy", was co-produced by Buddy Miller and revived his 1967's band's name. It featured several stellar country/Americana musicians performing music from LOW, Townes Van Zant, Richard Thompson and others.

Plant says of working with Nonesuch: "I'm pleased to find such a reputable home for our renegade departures. The support and encouragement we have received has been strong and refreshing. Turn it up!"

The new album will be released worldwide by Nonesuch/Warner Brothers Records.

"Skeletons", a new song from Southern California's HEARTIST, can be streamed below. The track is taken from from the band's debut full-length album, produced by David Bendeth (PARAMORE, OF MICE & MEN, BRING ME THE HORIZON), which will be out later this summer via Roadrunner Records.

HEARTIST spent the majority of 2013 grinding it out on the road in support of its debut EP, "Nothing You Didn't Deserve", and is currently supporting BLESSTHEFALL on its U.S. headline tour. The trek, dubbed "The Hollow Bodies Tour", features Roadrunner labelmates THE AMITY AFFLICTION as well as SILVERSTEIN and SECRETS, and is set to continue through mid-May where it will eventually wrap up at Mesa, Arizona's Nile Theater.

Regarding HEARTIST's sound, the band's vocalist, Bryce Beckley, previously said: "When we first joined together, we had a collective goal that we didn't want to get stuck in a specific scene; get locked in to where we could only play heavy shows and that kind of thing. We deliberately wrote our EP so that it was kind of a transitional sound, in between heavy rock and hardcore music, with breakdowns and stuff. And we did it that way so that if we made a transition in either direction, it wouldn't be super surprising to fans. [On the upcoming] full-length, and we're going for a much heavier, dark rock sound."

HEARTIST is:

Bryce Beckley - VocalsRobby Devito - GuitarTim Koch - GuitarMatt Marquez - DrumsEvan Ranallo - Bass

FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins will guest on the forthcoming third album from SIXX: A.M., the band featuring MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx alongside guitarist DJ Ashba and vocalist James Michael. Sixx tweeted on Wednesday (April 30): "Really excited Taylor Hawkins is gonna play on some of the new SIXX: A.M. album. What a fucking honor, 'cause he is one of my favorite drummers..."

Sixx spoke to Revolver magazine last year about how the new SIXX: A.M. CD is different than its predecessors. "When we did [our 2007 debut] 'The Heroin Diaries', it was the soundtrack to a book," he said. "And when we did 'This Is Gonna Hurt', there was a lot of inspiration that drew from the photography in my book 'This Is Gonna Hurt' as well as the bandmembers' personal experiences and how they related not only to the characters in the book, but what they'd gone through growing up. Without meaning to, it hinted at this whole concept of bullying. If you're different than other people you're made fun of and you're made to believe you'll never achieve your dreams. Loosely, that's what 'This is Gonna Hurt' was about. We feel like between 'The Heroin Diaries' and 'This is Gonna Hurt', we've exposed a lot of wounds and we've talked about how to recover from them, but we haven't had a chance to really celebrate. I think this album is a celebration."

Asked if SIXX: A.M. took a different approach to writing the songs this time around, Sixx said: "We put a lot fewer restrictions on ourselves. We went into genres that you wouldn't expect us to possibly be influenced by, but unless you know the bandmembers, you don't know that there are all kinds of influences, especially from the '70s and some of the great bands that came out of that era. So when we started writing, it was almost ridiculous. The songs were so left of center that you're like, 'These could never be on a record.' We were creating something so different, and once we got the songs written, people said, 'God, it reminds me of QUEEN's 'Night At The Opera' at times. It reminds me of EDGAR WINTER GROUP 'Free Ride' and these amazing things off of 'They Only Come Out At Night'. There was still the drama and the texture that SIXX: A.M. brings, but there was this celebration happening. Then as we started layering in the guitars, bass, drums and vocals, you started to go, 'Wow, this is a SIXX: A.M. album!' But it started out as not."

Sixx also spoke about whether he is concerned that the musical diversions won't appeal to fans of the first two SIXX: A.M. albums.

"I think SIXX: A.M. fans are going to love this record and I think new people will come in and be really surprised by it and become fans as well," he said. "I don't think our first two records sound like the same type of record, but I do think there's a sound with the band and I think we're going to continue on that tradition."

SIXX: A.M., made a rare appearance — its first in four years — on April 11, 2012 at Revolver Golden Gods Awards at Club Nokia in Los Angeles.

As each band member has been kept busy with their other careers — Sixx is also a syndicated radio host; Ashba is a member of GUNS N' ROSES; James Michael is a famed rock producer who has worked on records for PAPA ROACH, HALESTORM and others — this marked the band's first chance to perform in support of their "This Is Gonna Hurt" album, which supplied the #1 rock anthem "Lies Of The Beautiful People".

"7", the latest EP from SIXX: A.M., came out in December 2011 and sold around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The effort contained acoustic versions of songs from the group's first two albums — 2007's "The Heroin Diaries" soundtrack and 2011's "This Is Gonna Hurt".

Released on May 3, 2011, SIXX: A.M.'s sophomore album, "This Is Gonna Hurt" is a companion piece to Sixx's "This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography And Life Through The Distorted Lens Of Nikki Sixx" book, a follow-up to his New York Times bestseller, "The Heroin Diaries".




Really excited Taylor Hawkins is gonna play on some of the new @SixxAm album.What a fucking honor cause he is one of my favorite drummers...

— Nikki Sixx (@NikkiSixx) April 30, 2014

Guitar Center, the world's largest retailer of musical instruments and equipment, and DirecTV, one of the world's leading providers of digital television entertainment services, will spotlight SOUNDGARDEN in the award-winning music series Guitar Center Sessions on Sunday, May 4 on DirecTV's Audience Network (Channel 239). Guitar Center Sessions features exclusive performances and intimate, enlightening conversations conducted by revered musical tastemaker Nic Harcourt.

Video footage of the "My Wave" performance from SOUNDGARDEN's Guitar Center Sessions episode — which was filmed in Austin, Texas — can be seen below.

"With 'Guitar Center Sessions', it all begins with the curation process. From legends like Peter Gabriel and Joe Walsh to buzzworthy up-and-comers like Gary Clark Jr. and FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS, this wide variety of musical acts creates a broad and unique musical journey simply unmatched anywhere on television," says Harcourt.

"With millions of viewers tuning in each month, it is clear that there is an audience seeking the type of quality music programming that has otherwise virtually disappeared from television in the past decade," says Dustin Hinz, director of music and entertainment marketing for Guitar Center.

"'Guitar Center Sessions' aims to fill that void while providing musicians with a world-class television platform that exposes their music to the masses, and inspires music enthusiasts and fans across the globe."

"Guitar Center and DirecTV have created a unique venue for these artists whereby the taping of these shows takes place directly on the premises at Guitar Center in Hollywood as they create a personal and intimate experience for our customers," said Christopher Long, senior vice president of original content and production, DirecTV.

"It's like a private concert and discussion that happens in your living room."

"Guitar Center Sessions" captures exclusive live performances and interviews from noteworthy and influential artists in stunning hi-definition and 5.1 Surround Sound in Guitar Center's iconic location on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. In addition to show-stopping performances, each episode features intimate interviews conducted by renowned journalist Nic Harcourt, offering rare insights into the celebrated careers of these icons and the inspirations behind their music. "Guitar Center Sessions" is but one example of the music retailer's efforts to support artists by creating new avenues to expose their music to large audiences in an ever-changing music industry.

Australian progressive metal quintet VOYAGER will release its fifth studio album, "V", in North America on June 3 with distribution through Nightmare Records. The Kickstarter-funded, 13-track CD was recorded at Templeman Audio with producer Matt Templeman. The band calls the release "heavy, groovy and super-catchy. This is going to be pure, polished VOYAGER with a modern feel; we are insanely excited about unleashing this."

"V" can be pre-ordered now via Bandcamp.

The track listing for the CD is as follows: 01. Hyperventilating02. Breaking Down03. Beautiful Mistake04. Fortune Favours the Blind05. You, The Shallow06. Embrace The Limitless07. Orpheus08. Domination Game09. Peacekeeper10. It's A Wonder11. The Morning Light12. Summer Always Comes Again13. Seasons Of Age With four full-length albums under its belt and shows throughout North America, Europe and Asia with the likes of DEVIN TOWNSEND, CHILDREN OF BODOM, SOILWORK, NIGHTWISH, EPICA and ORPHANED LAND, the five-piece from Oceania is now firmly entrenched in its international repute as a band with heavy grooves, driving riffs and unforgettable melodies. The band's fourth opus, "The Meaning Of I" (2011), saw rave reviews and international acclaim of the highest caliber (including #8 in Metal Hammer Germany's "Soundcheck"). The U.K.'s Prog magazine called the album a "polished collection of heavy, heavily polished anthems." Complemented by a fiery red keytar, a feisty female guitarist and vocals Chino Moreno (DEFTONES, CROSSES) recently likened to DURAN DURAN's Simon LeBon, VOYAGER is consistently a live force to be reckoned with.

After breaking the record for the longest fan-signing session in the 12-year history of ProgPower USA festival, the band will return to ProgPower Europe this year alongside CHIMP SPANNER, AGENT FRESCO, PAGAN'S MIND and more.

VOYAGER is: Scott Kay - Guitar Alex Canion - Bass/Vocals Daniel Estrin - Vocals/KeytarAshley Doodkorte - Drums Simone Dow - Guitar

According to ACDCFans.net, AC/DC's gear has arrived at the Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where the band will be working from May through July with producer Brendan O'Brien (AEROSMITH, PEARL JAM, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS), who also helmed 2008's "Black Ice". The group's next CD is tentatively due before the end of the year.

AC/DC earlier in the month issued a statement confirming widespread reports that founding guitarist Malcolm Young was stepping away from the band due to illness. The statement, however, refuted rumors that the group was breaking up as a result, saying that the legendary Australian act will "continue to make music." The statement did not indicate the nature or extent of Malcolm's condition, but several Australian reports indicated that he may have had a stroke last month that left him unable to perform, either live or in the studio.

One source told The Age that the Young family was mulling full-time care for the guitarist, who was said to be having difficulty remembering familiar faces and communicating.

While plans for a tour to mark the group's 40th anniversary remain unclear, singer Brian Johnson told the U.K.'s Telegraph that the band was "definitely getting together in May in Vancouver" to begin work on its 16th studio album.

Without naming Malcolm, Johnson also said in the interview, "One of the boys has a debilitating illness, but I don't want to say too much about it. He is very proud and private, a wonderful chap. We've been pals for 35 years and I look up to him very much."

AC/DC's last album was 2008's "Black Ice", one of the group's most successful later albums, which was followed by a nearly two-year world tour.



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Post by ACDCfans.net.

Fan-filmed video footage of ROB ZOMBIE performing a cover version of the METALLICA classic "Enter Sandman" on April 29 at the House Of Blues in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina can be seen below.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Rob Zombie not only has a live DVD, a book and a spring tour on the way, but he's already begun work on the follow-up to last year's album, "Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor". Zombie and his band started putting together his sixth solo CD in January, and told The Pulse Of Radio he plans to resume the project in May. "I don't want years and years to go by between records, even though somehow it always seems to happen," he said. "And, you know, we're really excited because we really felt that for ourselves as a band, the last record really kind of got back to something that I was looking for, and we were just excited to take it to the next level. When you're feeling inspired, you kind of want to go for it, because sometimes you don't feel inspired."

Zombie has set May 20 as the release date for his first official concert DVD and Blu-ray, titled "The Zombie Horror Picture Show". Filmed at two shows last August in Texas, the 16-song set will include live versions of solo hits, WHITE ZOMBIE classics "Thunderkiss '65", "More Human Than Human" and "Supercharger Heaven", plus Zombie's recent cover of GRAND FUNK RAILROAD's "We're An American Band". A photo book by photographer Rob Fenn will be published as a companion piece to the home video release.

Zombie will kick off a 12-date run of shows on April 26 in Fort Myers, Florida at the Fort Rock festival, mixing other major rock festival stops with headlining shows before wrapping it up on May 10 in Camden, New Jersey.

"Venomous Rat Regeneration Vendor" sold 34,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The record arrived in stores on April 23, 2013 via Zodiac Swan/T-Boy/Ume. The CD was produced by Bob Marlette, who has previously worked with everyone from BLACK SABBATH and ALICE COOPER to WILSON PHILLIPS and LYNYRD SKYNYRD.

Former NIGHTWISH singer Anette Olzon has announced the lineup of her touring band. It is as follows:

Patrik Borgkvist - DrumsMikael Mikey Nilsson - GuitarJohan Husgafvel - BassRickard Bonde Trumeel - Keyboards, Acoustic Guitar

Olzon play on June 6 at the Kivenlähti festival in Espoo, Finland and on July 5 at the Toranda festival in Torneå, Finland.

"Shine", the debut solo album from Anette Olzon, was released last month via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group.

"Shine" track listing:

01. Like A Show02. Shine03. Floating04. Lies05. Invincible06. Hear Me07. Falling08. Moving Away09. One Million Faces10. Watching Me From Afar

The "Lies" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES, SONIC SYNDICATE, KAMELOT).

"Shine", which was co-produced by Anette Olzon and Johan Kronlund, is a collaboration with some of the most successful teams in rock and pop in Scandinavia: Stefan Örn (songwriter and producer of the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest-winning track "Running Scared") and Johan Glössner. The album was mixed by Kronlund, Nicklas Flykt and Ronny Lahti (known for his work with Loreen and Roxette).

The official lyric video for the song "Falling" can be seen below.

"I am so thrilled to finally release my first solo album," says Olzon. "I've been working on it for a long time by now...

"The album is very personal with songs I have started writing already in 2009 but also very recent songs.

"The overall message of the album is that life can be really dark and filled with hardship and sadness, but you can always choose to see some light coming through, to make you stronger and full of life — making you SHINE… no matter what."

Regarding the CD's musical direction, Anette said: "In the end, it is a rock album. Well, a pop rock album, maybe, or would you call it pop metal?"

Olzon was fired from NIGHTWISH in September 2012 in the middle of the band's North American tour. She has since been replaced by former AFTER FOREVER and current REVAMP singer Floor Jansen.