British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have set "Redeemer Of Souls" as the title of their long-awaited new album. The CD will be released through Epic/Columbia on the following 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.

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 last month's 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 — I don't think I can say anything more than that without being hung, drawn and quartered."

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

Fan-filmed video footage of VOLBEAT's entire April 18 concert in La Crosse, Wisconsin can be seen below.

VOLBEAT's latest album, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", was re-released in a special "tour edition" on November 4, 2013. The new version of the act's fifth studio album contains new bonus tracks and a live DVD. The latter features footage of the group performing at a number of major summer festivals in Europe, including the Download festival in the U.K., Rock Am Ring and Rock'n'Heim in Germany, Hellfest in France and Denmark's Roskilde Festival.

"Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" debuted at No. 1 in several countries when it arrived in April 2012, with the disc entering the Billboard album chart at No. 9.

"Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies" has sold more than 200,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

VOLBEAT has just returned to North America as part of a tour that is bringing the Danish/American quartet coast to coast. The run began at The Fillmore in Denver, Colorado and will wrap the second week of May on the East Coast, with TRIVIUM and DIGITAL SUMMER supporting.

The Pulse Of Radio reports that despite Robert Plant revealing last year that he wasn't the one keeping a LED ZEPPELIN reunion from happening — it now seems that he is. While promoting the June 3 reissues of ZEPPELIN's first three albums, both Plant and Jimmy Page spoke to BBC Radio, and when the question of another ZEPPELIN reunion concert — like their 2007 London gig — came up, Page said, "I'm sure people would love to hear it. I'm not the one to be asking, I don't sing." When Plant was asked what the chances were for a ZEPPELIN reunion, Plant simply offered up: "Zero." It certainly was a change of tune from Plant's 2013 interview with Australia's "60 Minutes" when he revealed: "Y'know, the two other guys are Capricorns and they keep schtum. They don't say a word. But they are quite contained in their own worlds and they leave it to me. . . and I'm not the bad guy." When reminded that the fans long believed him to be the "bad guy," Plant said, "Well then, you need to see the Capricorns — 'cause, I've got nothing to do in 2014."

During LED ZEPPELIN's 2012 New York City press conference to publicize "Celebration Day", Robert Plant admitted that the pressure of making music under the LED ZEPPELIN moniker is tremendous. "I think expectations are horrific things," he said. "I mean, if you go off and play in North Africa, or something like that, you just, you know you're going to have a good time and you're going to work with people and there's nothing else about it. That's how we started, in a little room with Jason's dad [Bonham] all that time ago. So, to actually, to do anything at all together is such a kind of incredible weight, because I think we were really propelled by Jason and his enthusiasm."

Coming on June 3 will be deluxe editions of LED ZEPPELIN's first three albums: "Led Zeppelin", "Led Zeppelin II" and "Led Zeppelin III". The launch of the reissue program, which is being led by Jimmy Page, includes the band opening "its vaults to share dozens of unheard studio and live recordings, with each album featuring a second disc of companion audio comprised entirely of unreleased music related to that album."

The albums are being issued in six different versions — the Super Deluxe Box; Deluxe Edition; Deluxe Edition Vinyl; Single CD; Original Album Vinyl; and Digital Download.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, shock rocker Marilyn Manson will make his TV scoring debut with composer Tyler Bates on the song "Cupid Carries A Gun", to be featured in the April 27 episode of WGN America's period drama "Salem".

"The song 'Cupid Carries a Gun' was the last track we just finished for my new album," says Manson. "The occult and witchcraft [are] so often used in cinema with a heinous disregard for even researching its origins. However, I liked the themes of 'Salem'. It looks at the witch trials without being cliche like most modern films."

Bates, who has a variety of credits to his name, including movies, TV and videogames, explains: "Manson and I wrote a draft of 'Cupid Carries A Gun' shortly before I began working on the score for 'Salem'. A couple weeks later I saw the title sequence and the song immediately came to mind. I showed it to Manson for fun more than anything, and it inspired us to finish the song that night. The next day I played it for Brannon Braga and he said that 'Cupid Carries A Gun' was the perfect tone and attitude for the show's main titles."

A preview of "Cupid Carries A Gun" is available at HollywoodReporter.com.

On April 8, Kurt Sutter, creator of the American television drama series "Sons Of Anarchy", tweeted that he has been listening to one of the new songs from Marilyn Manson. He described the track as "potent," "creepy" and "cool."

Sutter previously revealed that he had written some lyrics for Manson and that he wanted to feature some of Manson's new music in the seventh and final season of "Sons Of Anarchy".

Sutter tweeted: "Look for [Manson] in season 7. He'll be the guy riding the dragon."

Manson has appeared in a handful of movies and TV shows before, most recently on the Showtime series "Californication" — where he played himself — and the Sundance Channel program "Wrong Cops".

He spent most of last year touring behind his 2012 album, "Born Villain".

It’s not everyday that never-before-seen ANGEL footage from the 1970s surfaces. Even more rare, this live film contains the only publicly-available moving images of the infamous Angel introduction which featured all five band members "magically" appearing in their own cubicle box. This is the first time in 36 years, any footage has been seen of Angel's now legendary illusions.

The Super 8mm film, which includes the original concert audio, was frame by frame restored and is viewable in it's native aspect ratio in 720p below:

It was recorded on May 10, 1978 during a stop on the band's White Hot tour in Fresno, California which also featured THE GODZ.

Along with label mates KISS, Angel were signed to Casablanca Records during their 1975-'80 peak years. Angel's live introduction's was previously written about in great detail in the 2009 book, And Party Every Day: The Inside Story Of Casablanca Records by Label VP Larry Harris (with Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs) and a feature-length movie, directed by Spike Lee called Spinning Gold begins production this fall. It stars Justin Timberlake as Casablanca Records President Neil Bogart. The film is slated to be released in 2015.

According to Action Figure Fury, NECA (National Entertainment Collectibles Association) has released the details of an IRON MAIDEN retro-cloth figure, to arrive in stores this September for around $30.

The Mummy Eddy was created in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the classic metal masterpiece — IRON MAIDEN's "Powerslave". This eight-inch tall Eddie features a real metal chain that can be connected to the mouth or unhooked for when he breaks free. Mummy Eddie is also going to be coming with an alternate, unwrapped head sculpt that really shows the true beast hiding underneath the bandages.

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley has once again slammed the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, saying that the organization "hates" the band and that the Hall Of Fame had "no choice" but to induct KISS after the group's fans demanded it.

In his halftime speech during yesterday's (Saturday, April 26) LA KISS Arena Football League game against the San Jose SaberCats at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, Stanley — who brought out his Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame award and was holding it in his left hand — said (see video below): "I want you to know something, in case you didn't know already. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame hates us. You've gotta know that when it takes 14 years to get invited to a party, they don't want you at the party, but you insisted, you demanded, and they had no choice. This is your award. Nobody sitting behind a desk with a suit and tie is gonna tell you what rock and roll is. You are the ones who decide, and we honor you. And it is my pleasure and my privilege to say thank you for this award."

Stanley's feud against the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame recently turned personal against the Hall's co-founder, Rolling Stone owner and publisher, Jann Wenner. Most KISS fans were expecting that with the honorable way all four co-founding members acted towards each other on April 10 during the band's induction, that the controversy between Stanley — who rejected the Hall's insistence that only the four original co-founders be inducted — was put to rest. During his brief acceptance speech, Stanley couldn't help but take a few shots at the Hall and its voting committee, who had passed over inducting KISS every year since 2000, saying, "Here we are, basically inducted for the same things that we were kept out for. The people are speaking to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and what they're saying is that they want more. They don't want to be spoon-fed with a handful of choices. The people buy tickets, the people buy albums, the people who nominate do not. Let's not forget that these are the people who make it all possible. We just benefit from it. I am here tonight because of the people who inspired me, but I am also here because of the people I inspired. So God bless you all. It's a wonderful night."

Stanley's two tweets from April 12 that took a decidedly unforgiving and personal twist, first saying: "Our treatment at the RRHOF confirmed my worst suspicions. Wenner and the rest are spineless weasels."

He went on to post: "Jann Wenner & his RRHOF made sure to treat us as uninvited guests. No passes. No schedule and on. We were great and he remains a small man."

Paul Stanley told The Pulse Of Radio that ultimately what the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and what KISS choose to celebrate are two very different things. "I certainly want to celebrate what we continue to do and what we have developed. What the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame decides they want to celebrate is purely up to them. But it doesn't dictate how I picture this, 'cause as far as I'm concerned, we've always been in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Not a private club, not a place with a self-appointed board, we've been in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame because of the millions of fans who believe that's where we belong."

HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale makes a guest appearance on "Shatter Me", the title track of the new album from the American violinist, dancer, performance artist and composer Lindsey Stirling. The CD will be released on April 29 and is accompanied by a video for "Shatter Me", also featuring Hale. You can now check out the clip below. Also available is a seven-minute video clip featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the recording sessions for "Shatter Me".

Stirling, a 27-year-old native of Orange County, California, and an "America's Got Talent" alum (she placed fifth in 2007), has sold more than 100,000 copies of her self-titled, independently released debut album since its arrival in the fall of 2012. She also has about 2.5 million Facebook fans and 274,000 Twitter followers.

Regarding how her collaboration with Lzzy came about, Lindsey said: "This song is very, very — obviously — different for a Lindsey Stirling track, because I've never written lyrics before, I've never gotten to blatantly say what I feel. I mean, all my songs have meaning behind them and I try to express that very strongly through the emotion that I want the song to feel for everyone. This time I got to literally say, 'This is what I want to share.' It was so important for me to find the right singer for it, becase I had in my mind the idea of who I wanted. I love vocalists like Hayley Williams from PARAMORE and Amy Lee from EVANESCENCE, so I really wanted a powerhouse, rock-star female vocalist. I came across Lzzy Hale's videos and HALESTORM's stuff, and I was just blown away by the energy that Lzzy has on stage, on camera, in her tracks. I immediately got really excited and was just keeping my fingers crossed that she would have a window to come and do this with me. So I reached out to her management, and really quickly, they responded right back that Lzzy was really excited about the track."

She added: "I had actually never heard of Lzzy before, I'm ashamed to admit it. And it's even funnier because she had never heard of me, and we both kind of became immediate fans of each other's work."

"Shatter Me" video:

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have been revealing via their Facebook page pieces of artwork which may end up being the cover art of the band's much-anticipated new studio album. The latest image can be seen on this page.

JUDAS PRIEST on April 23 launched a countdown suggesting that it will announce full details about its new CD tomorrow (Monday, April 28) via the band's official web site, JudasPriest.com.

Speaking to Artisan News at last month's 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 — I don't think I can say anything more than that without being hung, drawn and quartered."

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

Reunited thrash metal pioneers DARK ANGEL performed live for the first time last night (Saturday, April 26) at The Metal Fest in Santiago, Chile. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

DARK ANGEL guitarist Jim Durkin commented on the band's new logo and 2014 return: "I can't tell you how happy I am about the return of DARK ANGEL in 2014. These are a great bunch of guys and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"We went back to our roots and got Ed Repka involved in the redesign of the classic logo.

"DARK fuckin ANGEL have been working very hard on the music, I cannot wait to bring this monster back to the fans."

DARK ANGEL reformed for a limited number of appearances in 2014 in the U.S. and select festivals in Europe.

The confirmed lineup for these rare and unique, select 2014 shows is:

* Gene Hoglan (drums)* Eric Meyer (guitar)* Jim Durkin (guitar)* Ron Rinehart (vocals)* Michael Gonzalez (bass)

During an appearance on the September 8, 2013 edition of the "Heavy Metal Mayhem" radio show, Hoglan spoke about the DARK ANGEL reunion, saying: "The most important thing for, I think, any of us, and especially me, and I know a couple of the other guys that are involved that the legacy of the band is very important. And if the band has attained some of kind of underground legendary status over the years, then if we do wanna return, a lot of people have great expecations of us, we'd better exceed those expectations.

"Like Ron Rinehart said, the definition of 'good' is 'not bad.' [laughs] We don't wanna come out and even be great; we wanna be No. 1. And that's a very heartening attitude.

"If some of the people that might wanna get involved with this… You've gotta do it for the right reasons. This is for the fans. And we're gonna come out and disappoint the fans, don't do it. If we're gonna come out and make the fans go, 'Yes, I expected something great and I got godly.' Then there's a reason for doing it."

DARK ANGEL released two albums with Don Doty on vocals — 1984's "We Have Arrived" and 1986's "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Ron Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987). The band issued two more studio LPs — 1989's "Leave Scars" and 1991's "Time Does Not Heal" — before calling it quits in 1992. Rinehart, Hoglan and Meyer reassembled DARK ANGEL more than a decade ago but were forced to abandon their reunion plans after health issues reportedly put an end to Rinehart's singing career.

Japanese metallers LOUDNESS will release their new studio album, "The Sun Will Rise Again", on June 4.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

CD

01. Nourishment Of The Mind02. Got To Be Strong03. Never Ending Fire04. The Metal Man05. Mortality06. The Best07. The Sun Will Rise Again08. Rock You Wild09. Greatest Ever Heavy Metal10. Shout11. Not Alone

DVD

01. The Sun Will Rise Again (Music Video)02. Track-by-track interview with Akira Takasaki

A teaser for the video for the CD's title track can be seen below.

Fan-filmed video footage of LOUDNESS performing a brand new song, "Mortality", from "The Sun Will Rise Again", on March 31 aboard the Monsters Of Rock cruise, can be seen below.

LOUDNESS released its 25th studio album, "2012", in August 2012 via Tokuma Communications.

The band in 2012 inked a deal with FrostByte Media for the release of the "Eve To Dawn" outside Japan. The CD was originally made available in the group's home country in September 2011.

LOUDNESS released a CD+DVD set entitled "Live Loudest At The Budokan '91" on December 23, 2009 via Warner Music Japan. The album was recorded on May 31, 1991 in Tokyo, Japan and features Mike Vescera (OBSESSION, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on vocals.

In a 2012 interview with Examiner.com, LOUDNESS singer Minoru Niihara stated about the band's songwriting process: "First we have basic concepts and ideas for songs in Japanese and translate them into English. After that, we work with English-speaking songwriters. Then the songwriters will read lyrics and record them for us for pronunciation and intonation. We listen to them over and over to master them. It takes time to master them all, but in the studio I sing them so many times, recording, that I can sing them by heart by the time the recording is done. Memorizing songs for live performances is the same both in English and Japanese."

He added: "The hardest thing is pronunciation. My English has a heavy accent and not that great, but that is sort of my signature, I think. To make it easier, I just have to practice. Performing on the stage over the years has given me poise and self-confidence."

Asked about LOUDNESS' current drummer Masayuki Suzuki, who replaced the late Munetaka Higuchi in 2008, Niihara said: "His nickname is Ampan. Akira [Takasaki, guitar] jammed with Ampan in Sapporo and felt that he is 'our guy' and brought him to Tokyo to do an audition. [Bassist] Masayoshi [Yamashita] and I had never heard of him or seen him perform before he came to Tokyo with Akira. I loved his powerful playing style once I saw him in the audition and also loved the fact that it was very different from Munetaka's. Because Munetaka was such a great drummer, I understand that Ampan is constantly under pressure from being compared to him, but I believe he's the best at what he does and is a wonderful drummer."

He added: "Before he joined LOUDNESS, [Ampan] was working as a music producer and has written lots of songs in many different styles. He’s already written various songs from thrash metal to beautiful ballads for the band. Also, as a drummer he's brought the band a new groove. After Munetaka's passing, his playing has breathed new life into LOUDNESS. His twin bass drums have such a destructive power. We are extremely lucky to have found him."



"The Sun Will Rise Again" video teaser:

Fan-filmed video footage of reactivated Massachusetts hard rockers EXTREME performing on April 25 at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland can be seen below.

EXTREME's "Take Us Alive" live CD and DVD came out on May 4, 2010 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records.

In 2008, following a 13-year hiatus, EXTREME returned to the stage for its "Take Us Alive" world tour, which encompassed 75 cities and multiple continents in support of the band's latest record, "Saudades de Rock".

This brilliant performance was recorded on the last night of their tour at the House of Blues on August 8, 2009 in EXTREME's hometown of Boston.

Danish extreme metallers ILLDISPOSED will release their new album, "With The Lost Souls On Our Side", on June 27 via Massacre Records. The cover artwork was created by Lasse Hoile (PORCUPINE TREE, BLACKFIELD, STEVEN WILSON) and can be seen below.

"With The Lost Souls On Our Side" track listing:

01. Going Down02. The Way We Choose03. Light In The Dark04. I Am What I Am05. Tugging At Your Heart06. A Dreaded Pursuer07. To Be Dealt With08. On A Clouded Morning09. No More Devil To Show10. The Plan11. Life Equals Zero (limited digipak bonus track)12. Reversed (limited digipak bonus track)

The bonus tracks are re-recorded versions of songs that originally appeared on ILLDISPOSED's1992 album, "Four Depressive Seasons".

The song "Light In The Dark" can be streamed in the YouTube clip below.

ILLDISPOSED last fall announced the addition of drummer Kim Langkjaer Jensen (KOLDBORN, ex-DAWN OF DEMISE) to the group's ranks.

Thomas Jensen announced his departure from ILLDISPOSED on October 5, 2013. The band explained in a statement that Thomas "lost his motivation to go on."

ILLDISPOSED's last album, "Sense The Darkness", entered the official chart in Denmark at position No. 78. Released on September 21, 2012 via Massacre Records, the CD was recorded at Antfarm Studio in Aabyhøj, Denmark with producer Tue Madsen (MOONSPELL, DARK TRANQUILLITY, GOREFEST, SICK OF IT ALL). The artwork was created by Mircea Gabriel Eftemie.

AndrewHaug.com, Australia's first-ever dedicated 24/7 rock and metal online radio station launched by Andrew Haug, the former host of Triple J Australia's "The Racket" radio show (originally "Full Metal Racket"; 2001-2011), has uploaded video footage of SKID ROW and UGLY KID JOE performing a cover version of the AC/DC classic "Highway To Hell" on April 25 at the Palace in Melbourne, Australia. Check it out below.

SKID ROW — Johnny Solinger (vocals), Scotti Hill (guitar), Rachel Bolan (bass), Dave "Snake" Sabo (guitar) and Rob Hammersmith (drums) — will release its new seven-song EP, "United World Rebellion - Part 2", on August 5 via Megaforce Records. SKID ROW will team up with BLACK STAR RIDERS for a brief tour of the West Coast, which starts May 8 in Tucson, Arizona at the Rialto Theatre. Once that concludes on May 16, SKID ROW will play headlining shows across the U.S., including a stop at the legendary Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood, California on Saturday, May 17 and an appearance at this year’s Rocklahoma festival on May 23 in Pryor, Oklahoma. They will then head to Europe in June for various festivals, including Download in Donington, England on June 14. Once the U.S. trek concludes in July, SKID ROW will travel to Kostrzyn, Poland, where they’ve been invited to headline one of the biggest festivals in Europe, Woodstock, on July 31. SKID ROW's last EP, "United World Rebellion - Chapter One", was released in Europe on May 24, 2013 via Germany's UDR Music. The European version of the EP includes two bonus tracks, both of them cover tunes: "Fire Fire" (EZO) and "United" (JUDAS PRIEST).

UGLY KID JOE's new CD + DVD, "Stairway To Hell", was released on October 4 via Metalville. The set contains the band's latest EP, "Stairway To Hell", which was originally released independently in 2012, plus three bonus acoustic tracks and a special bonus DVD, including the 2012 Download festival concert, two new video clips and a "making-of" segment.

"Stairway To Hell" heralds UGLY KID JOE's return, containing songs spanning the full repertoire of influences which made the band one of the prime soundtracks for young snowboarders, surfers, keggers and characters worldwide. Whether it's "Devil’s Paradise", with its hypnotic riffery and hook line, grooving and grinding its hips seductively, the melodic power-fueled darkness of "No One Survives" or the irrepressibly memorable chug-and-chorus of "I'm Alright" it's clear that UGLY KID JOE have everything they started with plus fatter chops and a (frankly) superior curve on songwriting.

BLACKWELDER, the brand new metal experience featuring some of the top names in power prog metal today, has inked a deal with Germany's GoldenCore Records/ZYX Music. The band is currently recording and mixing its as-yet-untitled album for a late 2014 release. The CD will be mixed by Matt Smith (THEOCRACY).

One of the best singers in all of metal, Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR, ex-GAMMA RAY) fronts this extraordinary outfit at the top of his game, alongside guitar virtuoso Andrew Szus (SEVEN SERAPHIM). Bjorn Englen (DIO DISCIPLES, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Aquiles Priester (HANGAR, ex-ANGRA) round out this unstoppable team of what quite possibly could be one of the greatest lineups metal has ever seen.

BLACKWELDER is:

Ralf Scheepers (PRIMAL FEAR, ex-GAMMA RAY) - VocalsAndrew Szucs (SEVEN SERAPHIM) - GuitarBjorn Englen (DIO DISCIPLES, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - BassAquiles Priester (HANGAR, ex-ANGRA) - Drums

BLACKWELDER began as the long-awaited follow up to SEVEN SERAPHIM's "Believe in Angels". Bit by bit, as the songs materialized, it became evident to mainman Andrew Szucs that this music should carry the banner of a new musical entity, emerging from a richer, darker source thus, BLACKWELDER was born.

Andrew began this musical journey alone, however, once he completed the framework for all of the songs, the band members began to fall into place like pieces of a puzzle.

Bjorn Englen was the first to climb aboard, expertly adding his bass lines to the songs. Bjorn would later go on tour with Tony MacAlpine alongside drummer Aquiles Priester, after which, it seemed only natural to keep this rhythm section in tact for BLACKWELDER.

Once Andrew's guitars were recorded, it became evident that a true powerhouse vocalist was needed to carry these songs to completion. Not just any voice would do. BLACKWELDER would need the stratospheric vocal stylings characterized by the rich tradition of European heavy metal, and who better to do that than the voice of PRIMAL FEAR: Ralf Scheepers. Like a dragon with its fire, Ralf's voice and lyrical themes are a natural fit to the songs of BLACKWELDER; blending and contrasting with the Marshall-based guitar tones in perfect harmony.

Topping off this powerful lineup is the unparalleled drumming of Aquiles Priester. Andrew and Aquiles agreed to finish the songs with Aquiles' unique pyrotechnic display of progressive metal drumming techniques and what a display it is.

BLACKWELDER is a winning formula of raw musical virtuosity that holds the listener's ears right from the start. This act is surely not one to be missed and cannot be denied!

After months of blood, sweat and tears from Dutch symphonic metallers WITHIN TEMPTATION, the band's new album, "Hydra", is now on the road. While the group is on tour, singer Sharon den Adel is keeping a video diary of the trek that shows you what happens during and in between shows, and what it's like for the band to bring "Hydra" to the stage and see people respond to the new songs for the first time.

The seventh episode of the diary evolves around a very special show: Wembley! Sharon tells you about what playing at this magnificent venue meant to her, guitarist Robert Westerholt stops by, you get to see images of the soundcheck and the band meets fans before the show.

WITHIN TEMPTATION's new album, "Hydra", sold around 15,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 16 on The Billboard 200 chart.

WITHIN TEMPTATION's previous CD, "Unforgiving", opened with 12,000 units back in March 2011 to land at No. 50.

"Hydra" was released in North America on February 4 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, the new U.S. partnership between Nuclear Blast owner Markus Staiger and former Roadrunner Records A&R chief Monte Conner. The album was made available in several luxury formats. The cover artwork was created by Romano Molenaar ("X-Men", "Batman", "The Unforgiving").

The digital premium album, complete with digi-booklet, was made available on iTunes and includes 18 audio tracks and a music video. The digital premium album features bonus "Evolution Versions" of four new songs, which contain audio commentary from guitarist Robert Westerholt and singer Sharon Den Adel and give you unique access to the development of the songs, their lyrical inspiration and the sound of the initial demos and vocals.

In a recent interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, WITHIN TEMPTATION vocalist Sharon Den Adel stated about the songwriting process for "Hydra"": "A lot of bands were inspired by the '80s at the time we were writing 'The Unforgiving' album. There was a lot of music based on the '80s coming out and it had a lot of '80s flavors. With this new album, even though we're only a few years further up the road, you can feel that music has changed again. Music is not inspired on the '80s, but more like there are different influences in the music again. Music's always organic, and you feel things are changing comfortably."

She added: "When people asked us after 'The Unforgiving', 'Are you gonna make another 'Unforgiving' album?" we said, 'Of course.' Because we were really full of it in a positive way. We really like the album a lot and still do like it a lot but we really feel there's an '80s feel to the songs. When we started writing this album, again we felt like we were already knowing we were gonna go a different direction also."

Fan-filmed video footage of HALESTORM's April 22 performance in Berlin, 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.

"Close To You", the new video from VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS, the Dutch rock band led by former VANDENBERG and WHITESNAKE guitarist Adrian Vandenberg, can be seen below.

VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS' self-titled debut album was released on February 24 via Mascot Label Group.

"Vandenberg's Moonkings" is a sensational mix of blistering rock songs and powerful ballads from the Dutch guitar hero Adrian Vandenberg, and includes a newly recorded version of Vandenberg's ex-band WHITESNAKE's classic "Sailing Ships". Special guest David Coverdale adds his unique vocals to the equation, to complement Vandenberg's powerful riffs for a welcome moment of nostalgia.

Asked how Coverdale's guest appearance on "Vandenberg's Moonkings" came about, Adrian told Myglobalmind: "Well, David has been pushing me a lot over the last ten years to record a record. Finally, when I told him that I was working on one, David said that 'it would be an honor for me if I could sing a song on your album.' I replied that the honor would be completely mutual. David was then on the road for the whole year, so we didn't have the time to write a new song.

"I always wanted to do another version of [WHITESNAKE's] 'Sailing Ships', because I wrote the song and the music for it actually for my mom. She was always saying for me to write another acoustic song for the album. I originally intended it to be a little more understated than it ended up on the 'Slip Of The Tongue' album. I really thought that I could add something to it by making it a little bit more melancholic and more reflective. Bringing in real violins, which I had always pictured with it, so I made it a little slower. I thought it would be great to do a different version and also what I like about how it ends up on the album is that it is like a symbolic nod to my years with WHITESNAKE. I thought that it worked great, because if I had put like a new track somewhere in the middle of the album it would have been strange. David in the middle with a similar song." Multi-talented Adrian Vandenberg — who has designed all of his album sleeves since his very first record with TEASER at the age of 22 — took care of the artwork for this record. VANDENBERG'S MOONKINGS is:

Adrian Vandenberg (guitar)Jan Hoving (vocals)Sem Christoffel (bass)Mart Nijen Es (drums)

For more information, visit www.moonkingsband.com.

New York hardcore veterans MADBALL have set "Hardcore Lives" as the title of their ninth studio album, due on June 27 via Nuclear Blast. The CD was tracked and engineered by UNEARTH guitarist Ken Susi and mixed and mastered by longtime collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, AGNOSTIC FRONT, SOULFLY, TERROR, WHITECHAPEL). Official promo photos were taken by LAMB OF GOD's very own Randall D. Blythe.

Commented MADBALL frontman Freddy Cricien: "I shouted 'Hardcore Lives' on MADBALL's first release, 'Ball Of Destruction'. I was twelve then. It wasn't pre-planned or written down... It was an ad-lib that I just threw out there and we kept it!

"Back then, there was no choice, really, not the way we were recording — two-track live at Don Fury's... NYHC style!

"I feel the sentiment behind the expression still holds true today, maybe even more so. Hence the reason we finally chose to use it as a title. Sure, it's about waving the flag for our genre/culture, etc.

"I've always felt that 'we as a scene' had to scream just a lil louder... to be heard! That said, 'Hardcore Lives', at least to us, is not just about a cool 'catchphrase,' it's about that rebellious spirit that doesn't give in... in life, music, whatever. It's about growing, evolving, and maintaining your integrity in the process. It's about family, overcoming adversity, and respect. All the things that matter inside and outside of the music realm. It's for everyone and anyone with an open mind and heart."

"Hardcore Lives" will be available as limited-edition digipak and on black vinyl, both including two additional bonus tracks: "The Beast", which also appeared on 2012's EP "Rebellion", and "Spit On Your Grave", from 1994's landmark release "Set It Off". Both tracks have been exclusively re-recorded for the inclusion on "Hardcore Lives". The album will also include guest appearances by some of hardcore's most notable singers: Scott Vogel (TERROR), Toby Morse (H20) and Candace Puopolo (formerly Kucsulain, WALLS OF JERICHO).

"Hardcore Lives" track listing:

01. Intro02. Hardcore Lives03. The Balance04. Doc Marten Stomp05. DNA06. True School (feat. Scott Vogel)07. The Here And Now08. Nothing To Me09. My Armor (feat. Toby Morse)10. Beacon Of Light11. Born Strong (feat. Candace Puopolo)12. Spirit13. Mi Palabra14. NBNC15. For The Judged

Bonus tracks:

16. The Beast17. Spit On Your Grave 2014

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

MADBALL has embarked on the fifth installment of the band's renowned Rebellion tour with BIOHAZARD, DEVIL IN ME, WISDOM IN CHAINS and FINAL PRAYER.

"The Beauty Of Destruction", the debut album from DEVIL YOU KNOW, the creative union of Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Francesco Artusato (ALL SHALL PERISH) and John Sankey (DEVOLVED), will be released on both physical and digital formats on April 25 in Europe and April 29 in North America via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

"The Beauty Of Destruction" was produced by Logan Mader (FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, GOJIRA, DEVILDRIVER, SOULFLY) and mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, SOULFLY). Artwork for the album was created by noted painter and illustrator Travis Smith (OPETH, DEVIN TOWNSEND).

"When Travis Smith presented us with the initial sketches we were blown away,” commented Jones. “He captured the concept of the album perfectly. It’s hugely different than anything that’s out there and will be immediately recognizable as DEVIL YOU KNOW."

"The Beauty Of Destruction" track listing:

01. A New Beginning02. My Own03. Embracing The Torture04. For The Dead And Broken05. Seven Years Alone06. It's Over07. A Mind Insane08. Crawl From The Dark09. The Killer10. I Am The Nothing11. Shut It Down12. As Bright As The Darkness13. Sacrifice (bonus track - vinyl LP only)

The official lyric video for the song "A New Beginning" can be seen below.

As previously reported, DEVIL YOU KNOW will support BLACK LABEL SOCIETY on this year's Revolver Golden Gods Tour, which will kick off on April 16 in Portland and wrap up on June 7 in Los Angeles. Also appearing on the bill is DOWN.

DEVIL YOU KNOW's touring lineup is completed by guitarist Roy Lev-Ari and BLEEDING THROUGH bassist Ryan Wombacher.

DEVIL YOU KNOW made its live debut on February 15 at Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California. The group also took part in the 2014 edition of Australia's Soundwave Festival.

DEVIL YOU KNOW was born out of Artusato and Sankey's creative quest to stretch beyond their extreme metal backgrounds. The two had written over a dozen songs before even attempting to lock down a singer. "We were unsure if Howard would be interested," said Sankey." Yet, when KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's former frontman received the material, a creative ideal began to solidify.

Finally connecting in Los Angeles during the last months of 2012, a highly distinctive sound began to become apparent. "It turned from bare-bones musical ideas into something that surpassed any of our expectations," said Jones. "It went from something we thought was going to be a fun, heavy project into something very real." It was during a recording session at the start of 2013 with producer and former MACHINE HEAD and SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader that DEVIL YOU KNOW's ideas began to alchemize into something none of the bands members would ever expect. "It became a departure from what I'm known for," said Artusato. "I wasn't focusing on technical guitar parts (even though I still love that aspect of writing) but simply on writing what felt best for each individual song."

The writing and recording process for DEVIL YOU KNOW's debut album "was surprisingly easy," stated Artusato. "When we get together it just works." The band is also quick to sum up the studio vibe with producer Mader as "intensely creative," said Sankey. "Logan definitely helped us realize and define the DEVIL YOU KNOW sound." Jones agreed: "He went from producer, to unsung member, to friend."

"It's a different style of music for me," said Jones of DEVIL YOU KNOW's unique sound. "It's heavy as anything any of us are known for but I get to do some different things people won't expect. I've been singing almost all my life. Being around good songwriters and musicians in my former bands really helped mold me into who I am now."

"A New Beginning" lyric video: