Dallas-based hard rock outfit BRAND NEW MACHINE have premiered their video for their song ‘Girls Like You’. The track is the lead single from Brand New Machine's new album, The Devil Made Me Do It, which is scheduled for a June 25th release via Epochal Artist Records/Capital Music Group.

"Brand New Machine is living life full throttle with no regrets, and no apologies. This music is a lifestyle and we wear it like a badge," says vocalist Brantley Thompson. "For this video we wanted to capture a day in the life of the band, so we hired a camera crew to follow us on tour, in the studio, and to our band rehearsals. They captured all the girls, guitars, fast cars, and rock 'n' roll perfectly for this video."

The Devil Made Me Do It was recorded at Validus Recording Studios in Los Angeles, CA under the watchful eye of producer/mixer Ryan Greene (ALICE COOPER, CHEAP TRICK). The album takes the band's hard-living lifestyle and mixes it with arena ready rock anthems to create a soundtrack for debauchery.



The Devil Made Me Do It tracklisting:

'Here I Am'
'Girls Like You'
'Devil Made me Do It'
'Dust The Sky'
'Here And Gone Today'
'Living for Another Day'
'Always On The Run'
'Blackout Overdose'
'Lettin It Roll'
'What Do I Gotta Do'
'Let Me Go'

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Italian contemporary extreme metallers SECRETPATH will release their debut opus, entitled Wanderer And The Choice, via Art Gate Records in Spain on June 7th, with Europe and rest of the world to follow later in June.

The artwork cover has been designed by Dantemanuele de Santis from Italy.

Wanderer And The Choice tracklisting:

‘The Path’
‘From The Woods Of Lilith’
‘Nunc Sunt Flores’
‘Still Darkness’
‘I’ve Chosen’
‘Essence Of Chaos’
‘The Dark Forest Of My Insanity’
‘In Praecipiti Esse’
‘…And So I Return To The River’
‘I’m Your Guide’

Teaser:
Wanderer And The Choice combines all the diverse influences from Secretpath, giving a result that is the personal and unique sound of the band, not categorized in any specific genre.

Pre-order the album here.

The official lyric video for the song "Never Enough" from former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen can be seen below. The track comes off her her new album, "Colours In The Dark", which will be released in Europe on August 23 via earMUSIC, the Hamburg, Germany-based international rock label which is part of Edel Group. The CD wil be made available in North America on August 27 through Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records.

The"Never Enough" lyric video was filmed in Zlin, Czech Republic. Tarja says: "I didn't want to make a traditional, boring lyric video for the song, so I appear on the video not just the lyrics of the song…. This video is not what we can call the official first music video from my new album, but just an improved version of a lyric video. The filming took only couple hours with Martin, who worked also on directing my first solo live rock DVD, 'Act I'."

The cover artwork for "Colours In The Dark" was created by Dirk Rudolph and can be seen below. Also available is the artwork that will grace the CD's "special edition."

Despite her light and shiny personality, Tarja's music has always been dressed "in black" — the color of heavy rock, of mystery and elegance.

With Tarja's new album, fans will find out what happens when a splice of color is added to the mix. Or — better said — when the full-color spectrum enters the picture it does not cover the black but makes it shine through with many emotions and landscapes.

Following up on the success of the multi-platinum and gold-awarded previous records "My Winterstorm" (2007) and "What Lies Beneath" (2010), Tarja finally returns with her long-awaited new rock album.

Mixed and mastered by Tim Palmer (PEARL JAM, U2) in Austin, Texas, the songs on "Colours In The Dark" do not shy away from taking a risk and surprising musical turns, introducing new sounds and new musical atmospheres. Still, they maintain a heaviness that will surely bring a big smile to the hardest of rockers. With its grand orchestra and choir arrangements, Tarja's next milestone emphasizes once again the impressive vocal range of the Finnish artist and shows her artistic growth. With ten brand new songs and over one hour of music, "Colours In The Dark" is definitely going to be one of the brightest moments for rock in 2013.

In a recent interview with the Music Legends web site, Turunen stated about her upcoming CD: "I have just recently found my style and sound so I would like to establish it with the third studio album. The elements on the album will remain the same as in my previous albums, also the versatile style of songs. I like to keep the big dynamic changes between my songs, so that album songs feel radically different from each other.

"I am not stressed at all this time, even though I am producing the album on my own again. I have been lucky to gather around a group of musicians who are willing to work with me, so everything is going smoothly."

Tarja and her husband/manager Marcelo Cabuli recently became the parents of their first child.

"Act I" was released in North America on September 4, 2012 in 2-CD, 2-DVD and Blu-ray format via the Eagle Rock imprint Armoury Records, in conjunction with earMUSIC.

Tarja's sophomore solo album, "What Lies Beneath", sold around 1,300 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 24 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

A cover version of the MEGADETH song "How The Story Ends" from Italian guitarist Aldo Giuntini's GIUNTINI "Project IV" album can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. Released on May 24 via Escape Music, the CD features lead vocals by none other than Tony Martin (pictured below; ex-BLACK SABBATH), with the help of Ezio Secomandi (on drums), Dario Patti (on keyboards) and Fulvio Gaslini (on bass).

Says Martin of the "How The Story Ends" cover: "[This is] not my usual style but [it was] MASSIVE fun to do ... Respect to the deths \m/\m/ ... ohhhhhh yeah!"

Regarding the six-year gap between the last two GIUNTINI albums, Aldo says: "My way of writing and producing the songs needs a lot of time. One could say I am a perfectionist, but when I have musical ideas for my guitar, I often have the other guys working with their own inputs: Also I need to have Tony Martin to work on the lyrics at the end, so this takes away a lot of time."

He adds: "I wanted to have Tony again, because he is my favorite voice and I think that the blend of our styles is just perfect!

"'Project IV' continues the line of 'Project II', 'III', musically and I'm sure that who loved my second, and third work will appreciate the 'IV' album in the same way and more, since the production work is a lot improved this time and produced by Dario Mollo (MOLLO / MARTIN)."

According to a press release, "The sound of Giuntini's work is a combination of the warmth and the power of BLACK SABBATH's 'Headless Cross', 'Tyr', RAINBOW's 'Long Live Rock & Roll' and 'Rising' and DIO's 'Holy Diver' with energetic sound of LOUDNESS, the Japanese metal heroes! Giuntini's guitar playing is mainly influenced by Akira Takasaki, Vivian Campbell, Edward Van Halen, Jake E. Lee, John Norum and, of course, Yngwie Malmsteen."

GIUNTINI "Project IV" track listing:

01. Perfect Sorrow (3:08)
02. Born In The Underworld (5:17)
03. Shadow Of The Stone (3:58)
04. Cured (4:08)
05. I Don't Believe In Fortune (4:03)
06. If The Dream Comes True (4:45)
07. The Rise And Fall Of Barry Lyndon (4:33)
08. Bring On The Night (4:20)
09. Not The Jealous Kind (4:32)
10. Saint Or Sinner (3:57)
11. Last Station: Nightmare (5:19)
12. How The Story Ends (4:24)
13. Truth Never Lie (5:12)

"Live At Luna Park", DREAM THEATER's live concert, which was previously scheduled for release in May via Eagle Rock Entertainment, will now drop in North America on November 5 as a Blu-ray, 2DVD, 2DVD + 3CD, Blu-ray + 3CD, deluxe edition with 40-page book, Blu-ray + 2DVD + 3CD, and digital video via iTunes.

Comments the band: "Due to extenuating circumstances, the release date for 'Live At Luna Park' has been pushed back from its originally scheduled spring release. In an effort to make this project as special as possible, and deliver the ultimate live experience for DREAM THEATER fans, these delays proved necessary. It will be abundantly clear why the extra time was needed come November."

"Live At Luna Park" was filmed over two nights in South America — home to one of DREAM THEATER's most ardent fanbases. The DVD was filmed August 19 and August 20, 2012 at Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina after a 15-month world tour, hitting 35 countries.

"This is, without a doubt, the closest a viewer at home will come to experiencing a live DREAM THEATER concert," states guitarist and founding member John Petrucci. "Between the hi-def and 3D video, the huge audio mix and the documentary-style behind-the-scenes footage, you are truly transported to the arena and completely immersed in the entire live experience."

"We have the greatest fans on the planet and the people of Argentina are no exception!" adds Petrucci. "The energy and vibe at Luna Park was truly electric and contagious. The perfect synergy between band and audience. We are immensely proud of this DVD and incredibly excited to share it with everyone!"

A trailer for the set can be seen below.

The setlists for the two concerts were as follows:

August 19, 2012

01. Bridges In The Sky
02. 6:00
03. The Dark Eternal Night
04. This Is The Life
05. The Root Of All Evil
06. Lost Not Forgotten
07. Drum Solo
08. A Fortune In Lies
09. The Silent Man (with a string quartet)
10. Beneath The Surface (with a string quartet)
11. Outcry
12. Surrounded (preceded by Jordan Rudess' keyboard solo)
13. On The Backs Of Angels
14. War Inside My Head
15. The Test That Stumped Them All
16. The Spirit Carries On (preceded by John Petrucci's guitar solo)
17. Breaking All Illusions

Encore:

18. Metropolis Pt. 1: The Miracle And The Sleeper

August 20, 2012

01. Bridges In The Sky
02. These Walls
03. Build Me Up, Break Me Down
04. This Is The Life
05. Caught In A Web
06. Lost Not Forgotten
07. Drum Solo
08. A Fortune In Lies
09. Wait For Sleep (with a string quartet)
10. Far From Heaven (with a string quartet)
11. Outcry
12. Surrounded (preceded by Jordan Rudess' keyboard solo)
13. On The Backs Of Angels
14. War Inside My Head
15. The Test That Stumped Them All
16. The Spirit Carries On (preceded by John Petrucci's guitar solo)
17. Breaking All Illusions

Encore:

18. Pull Me Under

Roadrunner Records e-mailed guitarist John Petrucci and keyboardist Jordan Rudess to get their thoughts on these special shows.

Roadrunner Records: You played four songs with a string quartet over the two nights. Who did the arrangements?

Jordan Rudess: All the string parts were written by Eren Basbug, the young and talented Turkish musician that I discovered online through his beautiful orchestrations of DREAM THEATER's music and then his great work orchestrating and conducting the premiere of my own composition, "Explorations For Keyboard And Orchestra". For two of the songs we did live with the quartet ("Beneath The Surface" and "Far From Heaven") I had originally arranged and recorded quartet-like string parts from my keyboard, and that is what you hear on "A Dramatic Turn Of Events". Eren was able to take those two songs and really make sure what I wrote worked for real players, as well as add some nice touches! For the other two songs, "The Silent Man" and "Wait For Sleep", he created original quartet arrangements.

Roadrunner Records: How much rehearsal time did you have with the quartet?

John Petrucci: We played through each song with them a couple of times at soundcheck. We probably spent about an hour in total making sure they were comfortable and that they knew certain cues, etc.

Jordan Rudess: We had one rehearsal before the first show. I had sent all the music to coordinator Luis Gorelik (who is a well known conductor in South America) and he helped organize the players.

Roadrunner Records: How did their presence alter the way you guys in the band played those songs? Obviously they weren't just sawing away in the background; they were integral to the music, so…in what ways?

John Petrucci: Honestly, we played the songs just as we have been and they followed us. On "Beneath The Surface" and "Far From Heaven", they basically played the arrangements that are on the album. Original arrangements were created for "The Silent Man" and "Wait For Sleep".

Jordan Rudess: In our rehearsal, I was literally conducting them and we all worked quickly to get things into shape and make sure the players really understood the music and what was going to happen in the chain of events on stage. The good thing was that these four songs all really are totally suitable for real strings, so it was an easy conceptual/musical addition to our presentation.

Roadrunner Records: Other than the new album (which was played almost in its entirety each night), the albums you played the most material from were "Images And Words", "Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence" and "Awake". Why those albums, from your perspective?

John Petrucci: We try to create a show that has a certain curve to it. The way that it begins, unfolds and concludes are all carefully thought about. We have so much material at this point that it's difficult to fit in songs from each album. Based on what we played on past tours as well as the flow and arc of the show, we thought these were the strongest choices.

Jordan Rudess: There are so many factors that are in play to create a setlist. Generally, we all felt that we offered a night of music that was a well-balanced mixture of our material that not only spanned a lot of our albums but also flowed really well for the course of the evening.

Roadrunner Records: On the second night, you guys played "Pull Me Under" as the encore, which you've been playing a lot more on tour this year than in the past few years… but only outside the U.S. Is that a song foreign audiences want to hear more than fans at home?

John Petrucci: "Pull Me Under" always goes over, no matter what country we are in. It just has that kind of power and familiarity, I guess. We really thought that it sounded great with [new drummer] Mike Mangini playing it and wanted to share that with our listeners.

Jordan Rudess: I don't know — but I will tell you that they literally were trying to rush the stage in Buenos Aires when we played it. It was nuts!

"Shadows Of A Doubt", the new video from FREEDOMS REIGN, the band led by Victor Arduini, original guitarist and founding member of FATES WARNING (having played on 1984's "Night On Brocken" and 1985's "The Spectre Within"), can be seen below. The song comes off FREEDOMS REIGN's self-titled debut album, which was released on April 30, to celebrate the Walpurgis Night that originally influenced FATES WARNING to release their "Night On Bröcken" debut exactly 29 years ago. The CD was recorded at Dexters Lab Recording in Milford, Connecticut with Nick Belmore (TOXIC HOLOCAUST) and was made available via Cruz Del Sur Music.

Keeping his original, charismatic and unmistakable guitar style untouched, Arduini returns under the spotlights with fresh enthusiasm and dedication, producing a notable effort of true American-styled heavy metal with a classic OZZY OSBOURNE/BLACK SABBATH flavor.

FREEDOMS REIGN was introduced to Cruz Del Sur by long-time friend and "occasional A&R" Tom Phillips (WHILE HEAVEN WEPT) who said about FREEDOMS REIGN's music: "I think FREEDOMS REIGN would be a welcome addition for anyone into classic heavy rock, early FATES fans, those into both the recent proto-metal movement, and the wave of classic metal bands that evolved on the outer fringes of the doom scene!"

In addition to Arduini (guitar/vocals), FREEDOMS REIGN features Tommy Vumback (guitar), Michael Jones (bass) and Chris Judge (drums).

FREEDOMS REIGN has been active in the Connecticut metal scene since 2011. The idea behind the band's formation was to simply make some great music that returned the musicians involved to their roots and could deliver on their commitment to making some old-school metal that would be relevant in today's scene.

According to ABC10, AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis posted bail earlier today (Thursday, May 30) and left the Vista Detention Facility in Vista, California.

Lambesis was arrested on May 7 on suspicion of solicitation to commit murder for allegedly hiring someone to kill his estranged wife. He has pleaded not guilty.

The singer, who at one time has said he considered himself to be a Christian and acknowledged that he found inspiration for lyrical content from biblical texts, was taken into custody without incident at a Barnes & Noble bookstore in Oceanside, California, according to San Diego Sheriff's Department.

Lambesis had his bail lowered from $3 million to $2 million during a May 17 bail review hearing.

Prosecutors initially requested that Superior Court Judge Martin Staven set Lambesis' bail at $20 million, saying the singer remains "substantially motivated to kill his wife."

Lambesis' defense attorney, Tom Warwick, had asked for bail of $250,000.

Warwick blamed Lambesis' steroid use for the alleged murder-for-hire plot. He also revealed that Lambesis was going through steroid withdrawal while in custody.

Lambesis' attorney said the "gym culture" led to "changes in [the singer's] physiological and mental status," with Tim's bodybuilding obsession causing him to go from 170 to 220 pounds after first taking supplements, then steroids. "[He] was not the same person. He was irritable and lost God."

Prosecutors allege Lambesis had twice told a man at a gym that he wanted his wife killed, then met with an undercover detective known as "Red", and gave the agent an envelope containing $1,000 in cash, photographs of his wife, and the security gate code to her house. He also allegedly told the agent the dates he would be with the couple's three adopted children, in order to give himself an alibi.

"When specifically asked do you want her dead, he said, 'Yes that's exactly what I want,'" Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso told the judge. "The victim now is terrified and living in seclusion."

In court, Grasso said that Lambesis did not flinch when told the hit on his wife would cost $20,000. "He was very willing to pay that," she said, according to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Lambesis, who was originally booked into jail on suspicion of two felonies — conspiracy and murder-for-hire — was ordered to wear a GPS monitor and turn in his passport and was warned by the judge that he must stay away from his immediate family. The conspiracy charge was dropped before Lambesis was arraigned.

Lambesis' wife, Meggan, filed papers in September 2012 in San Diego Superior Court seeking a dissolution of the couple's marriage.

"Ropes", the new video from Swedish metallers IN FLAMES, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's tenth album, "Sounds Of A Playground Fading" (Century Media), which sold around 14,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart.

IN FLAMES started the project "Making Of 'Ropes'" at the beginning of 2013. The idea was to let fans, worldwide, contribute with video clips of anything related to IN FLAMES, such as live footage, home videos, tribute bands, guitar/vocal/bass/drum videos, or simply fans showing their love for IN FLAMES. The project received massive respons worldwide, since this is one of the few 100-percent-fan-made videos out there.

Says the band: "We do believe in crowdsourcing and giving our fans the same love and support that they show us on a daily basis. This is our way of taking the fans one step closer to us."

For several months, IN FLAMES posted teasers and artwork on their social media web sites. The Jester's Curse represents an all-new collaboration combining the musical power of IN FLAMES and the visual language of comic books.

Conceived and illustrated by Blake Armstrong and co-written by Scott Bramble, the series will chronicle the back-story of the band’s enigmatic mascot: The Jesterhead. Each book will follow The Jesterhead's journey — exploring the truth behind where he came from and where his destiny will ultimately take him.

The first book, "Lunar Strain: Part 1", produced and written by Space Boy Comics, will be released this summer.

For more information and a free preview, go to this location.

"Sounds Of A Playground Fading" was the first IN FLAMES album to be recorded without founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, who quit the band in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction.

SLAYER's Tom Araya and Kerry King are very pleased to announce that Paul Bostaph has rejoined the band on a full-time basis. Bostaph will be behind the drum kit beginning June 4 when SLAYER kicks off the first leg of its 2013 international tour in Warsaw, Poland. EXODUS' Gary Holt will continue to fill in for fallen guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

SLAYER's 2013 itinerary will have the band playing 35 dates that will include headline shows as well as a number of major summer festivals in Europe, Eastern Europe and South America between June and October.

"Paul's a great drummer and a good friend, and we're very happy that he's decided to rejoin the band," said Tom Araya. "We're still pretty numb from the loss of Jeff, but we don't want to disappoint our European and South American fans, and we need to begin moving forward... Having Paul back in the band makes that a whole lot easier."

"I'm very excited to be rejoining SLAYER," added Bostaph. "We spent a very intense ten years of our lives together, had a lot of fun, made a lot of great music, so for me, this feels like coming home."

Bostaph was SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band — the gold-certified "Divine Intervention" (1994), the 1996 punk covers album "Undisputed Attitude", "Diabolus In Musica" (1998), "God Hates Us All" (2001) that received a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance", as well as the DVD "War At The Warfield" (2001), also certified gold. In addition to SLAYER, Bostaph has been a member of FORBIDDEN, EXODUS, SYSTEMATIC and TESTAMENT.

Pictured below: Paul Bostaph at public memorial celebration for Jeff Hanneman on May 23 at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, California (photo credit: Stephanie Cabral)

Fan-filmed video footage of DOWN's May 25 performacne at Maryland Deathfest XI festival in Baltimore can be seen below.

DOWN's latest EP, "Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", was released on purple vinyl on February 26.

"Down IV Part I" sold 12,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 35 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP", DOWN's first in a series of four EPs to be released over the next few years (with a year between EPs), each touching on a different aspect of the band's sound, came out on September 18, 2012.

"Down IV Part I - The Purple EP" heralds the sound of DOWN going back to its roots, with influences from BLACK SABBATH, SAINT VITUS and WITCHFINDER GENERAL.

Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's entire May 7 performance at Adelaide Entertainment Centre in Adelaide, Australia can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. War Pigs
02. Into The Void
03. Under The Sun
04. Snowblind
05. Black Sabbath
06. Behind The Wall Of Sleep
07. N.I.B.
08. Fairies Wear Boots
09. Symptom Of The Universe (instrumental)
10. Drum Solo
11. Iron Man
12. God Is Dead?
13. Dirty Women
14. Children Of The Grave

Encore:

15. Paranoid

According to The Pulse Of Radio, BLACK SABBATH frontman Ozzy Osbourne has provided perhaps his most candid comments yet on original drummer Bill Ward's decision to back out of the band's reunion album and tour. In a new interview with Mojo magazine, Ozzy explained, "I guess it's to do with finances or something. But there was also another side to it. When Bill came along, we all had to ask, 'Can he do an hour-and-a-half, two-hour gig? Can he cope?' My suggestion was that we run through a set and see how he got on because he was so out of condition and the drummer is the most demanding job in the whole band. We looked at Bill, and he couldn't remember what the fuck we were doing."

Ozzy added that it "would have been cool" for the band to tour with a back-up drummer or just have Ward play a portion of the set, but that Ward "didn't come clean and say, 'I can't cut this gig.'"

Ozzy continued, "I get where he's coming from, though. His pride was hurt and I get it. I really do get it. The guy will always be a dear, dear friend and a brother to me . . . I'm not gonna give Bill a hatchet job, but at the same time we haven't got the patience to deal with it."

Ward was on board for the reunion when it was first announced in November 2011, but backed out soon after, claiming that he was given contractual terms that were not fair.

SABBATH has used Ozzy's regular touring drummer Tommy Clufetos since then for live work. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk laid down the drum tracks on the band's upcoming album, "13", due out June 11.

SABBATH finished the Australian leg of its world tour earlier in the month and played Japan's first-ever Ozzfest on May 12. A North American trek begins on July 25 in the Woodlands, Texas.

"Spirit Breaker", a brand new song from the Manheim, Pennsylvania-based quintet AUGUST BURNS RED, can be streamed at MerchDirect.com. The track comes off the band's fifth album, "Rescue & Restore", which will be released on June 25 via Solid State Records.

The new effort, described by guitarist and principal songwriter JB Brubaker as the band’s "most ambitious album yet," turns a critical eye to the oft-maligned genre of metalcore, leading by example to prove that bands can still find exciting new ways to expand the genre.

"'Rescue & Restore' is about challenging other bands and ourselves, as well as fans of this music, to want more than whatever happens to be the current buzz," explains Brubaker.

"We’ve done our best with each new album to try to push our sound in new directions and we’d like to see our peers do the same.

"People need to realize that there’s not much of a difference between a metalcore song that has a couple breakdowns with a repeating chorus and the latest LADY GAGA song. This genre used to be better than that. It can still be better than that."

Throughout the album, AUGUST BURNS RED continue to do their part to challenge the conventions of heavy music. Over the course of 11 tracks, the band artfully blend piano, cello, violin, trumpet, various percussive elements and more into their sonic arsenal, taking their music into new aesthetic territory and contorting the boundaries of the genre.

In support of "Rescue & Restore", AUGUST BURNS RED will perform all summer long as a mainstage act on the 2013 Vans Warped Tour, marking their third appearance overall and first since 2011.

With "Rescue & Restore", AUGUST BURNS RED have proven that it is possible to reshape music in a way that challenges listeners, reinvigorates fans and puts art first. But for any fans who fear AUGUST BURNS RED turning their back on the sound that catapulted them to the forefront of a genre, Brubaker advises them not to worry.

"At the end of the day, we are still a very heavy band," he explains. "'Rescue & Restore' still has plenty of really heavy stuff, techy odd meter riffs, and all the stuff that people have come to expect from us; it just has a lot more surprises along the way."

"Rescue & Restore" track listing:

01. Provision
02. Treatment
03. Spirit Breaker
04. Count It All As Lost
05. Sincerity
06. Creative Captivity
07. Fault Line
08. Beauty In Tragedy
09. Animals
10. Echoes
11. The First Step

Danish melodic progressive power metal band ANUBIS GATE has set "Horizons" as the title of its sixth album, due before the end of the year via Nightmare Records.

Regarding the musical direction of the follow-up to 2011's self-titled CD, ANUBIS GATE states: "We can say that it every bit as progressive as 'The Detached' albeit not in the same manner. Some of the songs will take longer for you to 'get into.' A good deal of very complex compositions, though very melodic, and as usual free of the usual long 'synth/guitar unison progmetal standard stuff.'"

ANUBIS GATE earlier in the year parted ways with drummer Morten Sørensen and replaced him with Morten Gade Sørensen (PYRAMAZE, WUTHERING HEIGHTS).

Morten Gade Sørensen is known for his excellent drumming in such bands as PYRAMAZE, WUTHERING HEIGHTS and LANCE KING.

ANUBIS GATE is Henrik Fevre (vocals, bass), Michael Bodin (guitar), Kim Olesen (guitar, synths), Morten Gade Sørensen (drums).

Swedish female-fronted heavy rockers SISTER SIN will have a newly remastered version of their first studio album, "Dance Of The Wicked", released as a CD+DVD package on June 25 via Victory Records.

The CD includes:

* All eight tracks from the original album "Dance Of The Wicked", released in 2003
* Three bonus previously unreleased demo tracks
* Two cover songs, one of which features a guest appearance by Doro Pesch
* All-new artwork in a digipack
* Full-color foldout gig poster

The DVD includes:

* All 10 music videos on one DVD
* Additional bonus material

"Dance Of The Wicked" reissue track listing:

01. Kiss The Sky
02. Dance Of The Wicked
03. Fall Into My Dreams
04. End Of The Beginning
05. Love Lies
06. Dirty Damn I
07. Paint It Black (THE ROLLING STONES cover)
08. Tragedy Loves Company
09. Minor You (Major Me) (Demo)
10. Writings On The Wall (Demo)
11. Head Over Heels For Love (Demo)
12. Rock 'N' Roll (MOTÖRHEAD cover, featuring Doro Pesch)

SISTER SIN's third album, "Now And Forever", entered the official chart in the band's home country of Sweden at position No. 44. Released on October 23, 2012 via Victory Records, the CD was recorded at Standstraight Studios in Stockholm with producer Chris Snyder and was mixed by Cameron Webb (MOTÖRHEAD, SOCIAL DISTORTION, DANZIG).

In a 2012 interview with Loudwire, SISTER SIN singer Liv Jagrell stated about the new album title: "The title 'Now And Forever' is kind of a statement for us as a band. As a band and as individuals, we have been through quite a lot of things, a lot of troubles and things that might break up bands but we're so dedicated to this band. So that's the title — we are here now and hopefully forever. We won't give up even if something goes wrong."

Asked what keeps the band going after all these years, Liv said: "Yes, it's been almost a decade — at least for me and Dave [Sunberg], the drummer — because we started the band from the beginning, and yeah, it's kind of a decade now; that's a long time. It's really hard today with the business, there's so many bands, so much competition out there, no money whatsoever and all the things with downloads. I mean, it could be good but also bad, depending on how you look at it. When I started to play music at 15, the music business and scene was totally different and you could actually make money from it. When I was 15, I just decided, 'I'm going to play music my whole life and I'm going to be a rock star' — that kind of attitude. So I spent all 15 years to convince myself that that's the only thing I will ever, ever do, so that's why I can't give up because I programmed my brain to believe that I will do this forever. I think that's why we don't give up and why sometimes other bands do — they find other opportunities and other things they love, too, they have something else you actually can do and you'll probably do that because that will make you money and a better living. If you just prepare your whole life to be in the music business and tell yourself, 'This is what I'm going to do, I'm not going to do anything else,' it's kind of foolish and childish, but in that way you just can't give up. People, of course, give up and I'm not saying I'm not going to do it years from now, but right now I still feel like I have to fight for that dream that I had as a teenager. Obviously, we all have gained a lot and experienced so much, but we're still a little bit far away that whole kind of — living with the music or for the music thing — close but still far away. [laughs] I think that's what drives us."

"Gemstones", the new video from Danish thrashers ESSENCE, can be seen below. The song comes off the band's new album, "Last Night Of Solace", which was released on March 29 via NoiseArt Records. The effort was made available as a limited CD in a slipcase and will include a bonus track. The CD was recorded, engineered and produced by Swedish mastermind Peter Tägtgren (PAIN, HYPOCRISY, IMMORTAL, CHILDREN OF BODOM, DIMMU BORGIR) at his Abyss Studio.

Commented ESSENCE: "'Last Night Of Solace' is very different from our last album. We have matured in our songwriting, our abilities and our expression.

"It is difficult to describe the album with words, but 'enormous' covers a lot of what the listener will hear on the record.

"We needed to make this album the way it is today, because it is a statement and it will serve as a point of reference in the future. Also, we did what came naturally and 'all by itself' to us.

"There is nothing 'forced' on this album and it is just our clean personal energy captured on in 10 tracks. You can hear that the album is recorded in extreme sub-zero temperatures and in the middle of a frozen Swedish winter."

"Last Night Of Solace" track listing:

01. Intro
02. Final Eclipse
03. Arachnida
04. For The Fallen
05. Children Of Rwanda
06. Gemstones
07. Dark Matter
08. Last Night Of Solace
09. Opium
10. Fractured Dimension (bonus track)

ESSENCE was awarded the deal with NoiseArt Records as part of a contest launched by the Austrian management and booking company Rock The Nation. This unique competition was presented and promoted by several leading European metal magazines, including Noizeletter, Metalnews.de, Stormbringer.at and Rock Hard Italy.

The Rock The Nation Award was launched in 2009 and has resulted in record and booking deals for STEELWING, SUICIDAL ANGELS (2009), SKULL FIST (2010), KRAMPUS and NEXUS INFERIS (2011).

ESSENCE has already shared stage with such acts as IN FLAMES, ENTOMBED and VADER nas has played the Roskilde (Denmark) and Vagos Open Air (Portugal) festivals, among others.

Ricky Warwick and Damon Johnson of BLACK STAR RIDERS sat down for The Orchard’s stairwell series and performed an acoustic version of their new song, ‘Someday Salvation’.

Black Star Riders' debut album, All Hell Breaks Loose, is out now via Nuclear Blast and the band is gearing up for their first show ever this Thursday, May 30th, at The Marshall Theatre at Milton Keynes, UK, which is sold out. Check out their stage set-up below:

Produced and mixed by the legendary Kevin Shirley (LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, RUSH), All Hell Breaks Loose contains the following 11 songs:

'All Hell Breaks Loose'
'Bound For Glory'
'Kingdom Of The Lost'
'Bloodshot'
'Kissin’ The Ground'
'Hey Judas'
'Hoodoo Voodoo'
'Valley Of The Stones'
'Someday Salvation'
'Before The War'
'Blues Ain't So Bad'

A special edition digi-pak will feature a bonus track, 'Right To Be Wrong', and a Making-Of DVD. Listen to the album streaming below:
Check out the review from BraveWords scribe Martin Popoff here.

Black Star Riders has the following shows booked:

May
30 - The Marshall Theatre - Milton Keynes, UK

June
1 - Max-Aicher-Arena - Inzell, Germany
2 - Loreley - St. Goarshausen, Germany
8 - Sweden Rock Festival - Solvesborg, Sweden

November
22 - O2 Academy - Bournemouth, UK
23 - Shepherds Bush Empire - London, UK
24 - O2 Academy - Bristol, UK
26 - Junction - Cambridge, UK
27 - UEA - Norwich, UK
29 - Hard Rock Hell - Gwynedd, North Wales
30 - Wulfrun Hall - Wolverhampton, UK

December
1 - University Solus - Cardiff, UK
2 - O2 Academy - Oxford, UK
5 - Ironworks - Inverness, Scotland
6 - Picturehouse - Edinburgh, Scotland
7 - O2 Academy - Newcastle, UK
8 - O2 Academy - Leeds, UK
10 - The Assembly Rooms - Leamington, UK
12 - Rock City - Nottingham, UK
13 - Ritz - Manchester, UK
14 - Academy - Dublin, Ireland
15 - Limelight - Belfast, N. Ireland

German dark metal band SCHWARZER ENGEL have released their new video, for the track 'Schwarze Sonne', the title track of the band's new EP, and also to be included on the group's upcoming full length album, In Brennenden Himmeln (due in July).
The video was directed by Schwarzer Engle mastermind Dave Jason and produced by Maximilian Schwarz of Bloody Orange.
Formed in 2007 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Jason, Schwarzer Engel has released two full-length albums, 2010's Apokalypse and 2012's Träume Einer Nacht.

Check out the video for ‘Königin Der Nacht’, taken from Träume Einer Nacht below:

For more info visit Facebook.

Puerto Rico-based metal veterans TAVÚ will independently release their new album, titled Clamor Victorium, Clamor Silentii, on June 1st. The self-produced album was mixed and mastered by renown sound engineer Leo Alvarez (MATTADOR, Tavú, MESSAGE TO VENUS, COABEY, SLIMMY NUGGETS, etc.) in Soundjunkies Recordings in Cupey, Puerto Rico, and includes a collaboration with award winning sound designer Cesar Dávila-Irizárry, known for the foreboding musical composition of the title sequence for the American Horror Story television show on FX, as well as his experimental electronic rock creations with LEJOSFAR.

“This is the heaviest, most technical, and yet most melodic collection of songs we have ever created,” says longtime drummer, David F. McCloskey. “We are extraordinarily proud of what we have crafted in this album.”

The album includes songs in both English and Spanish, reflecting the band’s multicultural background. “Living in Puerto Rico, which is a colony of the United States yet has a distinct Latin American history, our cultural influences are diverse,” states founding member and vocalist Marcos Reyes. “We believe that the lyrical content of a song deserves as much work and dedication as the music, and the unique multicultural viewpoint of our island gives us a much wider palette of lyrical expression. Some songs flow better in English, while others feel natural in Spanish.”

The artwork for “Clamor Victorium, Clamor Silentii” was created by Angel Resto (ANKLA, ANOTHER BLACK DAY, FOURTH DIMENSION, STEREOSIDE, MIGUEL TITO RODRIGUEZ), who also worked on their first full-length album.
Clamor Victorium, Clamor Silentii tracklisting:
'Clamor Victorium'
'Sin Miedo'
'Take a Bow'
'Jack'
'A System Without Honor'
'Antipoesía'
'Courtesy'
'Words of Salt and Ash'
'Apología'
'My Kingdom Falls'
'Clamor Silentii'

The band have released a new video, for the album track 'Sin Miedo':
Since their creation in 1996, Tavú has shared the stage with artists like ANTHRAX, MUNICIPAL WASTE, D.R.I., THE ABSENCE, FULL BLOWN CHAOS, SWASHBUCKLE, GOD FORBID, WALLS OF JERICHO, PUYA, ANKLA, and many more.

Clamor Victorium, Clamor Silentii is Tavú's first full-length release in nine years, since their 2004 self-titled debut album, as well as their first release since the extremely limited independent release of their X Años EP in 2006. This would also be their first full-length release as an independent band.

“We actually self-produced our first album for an independent 2003 release,” McCloskey explained. “But just before release, ShowCase Records approached us, and we signed a distribution deal. They eventually released it in 2004. It made getting the album out easier, but the label wasn’t very good with their artists. We were doing better independently, and when the contract ended, we never looked back. With this album, we are sticking to releasing it independently. Whatever happens after, we will be ready for it.”

“We have worked hard as an independent band to have the new album reach as many metal fans as possible,” stated McCloskey.
Tavú is:

Marcos Reyes – vocals
David F. McCloskey – drums, vocals
Joen Blanco – guitars
Carlos “Yogi” Benitez – bass, vocals

More on Tavú at this location.

"I Feel No Pain", a brand new song from DUSKMACHINE, the band featuring PRIMAL FEAR/ex-ANNIHILATOR drummer Randy Black, ex-ANNIHILATOR bassist Russ Bergquist, guitarist Nikolai Wurk and vocalist Joe Comeau (ex-OVERKILL guitarist and former singer for such bands as ANNIHILATOR, TAD MOROSE and LIEGE LORD), can be streamed below. The track comes off DUSKMACHINE's self-titled sophomore album, which will be released on July 26 via Massacre Records. Other songtitles set to appear on the CD include "Hands Of Fate" and "Endless", the latter of which the band recently filmed a music video for. Several photos from the video shoot can be found at this location.

DUSKMACHINE's debut album, "The Final Fall", came out in November 2005 through Twilight in Germany.

Legendary guitarist Michael Schenker performed a brand new song, "Horizons", from his forthcoming album, "Bridge The Gap", on May 8 at Essigfabrik in Cologne, Germany. Backing Schenker at the show, and the rest of "Temple Of Rock - Lovedrive Reunion Tour 2013", were fellow former SCORPIONS members Herman Rarebell (drums) and Francis Buchholz (bass), along with singer Doogie White (RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and keyboardist Wayne Findlay. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Regarding the songwriting process for "Bridge The Gap", Schenker told Metal Forces in January, "When I'm writing, of course, I have Doogie in my head because I know he's gonna be doing the vocals. He's a more metal singer, and so automatically it will be more metal. It will be more on the level of 'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead' [from 2011's 'Temple Of Rock'] of course, because that's Doogie singing there. Doogie has more of a heavy metal voice. Automatically, when I've been writing this time I've been writing with Doogie in my head, but I have a very good concept usually. When I wrote 'Temple Of Rock', I didn't know what I was doing in the beginning. I just started and went for it, but this time I have a concept. I already know that the title of the album is gonna be 'Bridge The Gap', and so this time I have a blueprint in my head, like a map that I see. I can see that it's a concept I have, and so I have a very clear direction of what I'm doing."

Michael Schenker's "Temple Of Rock: Live In Europe" was released on CD, DVD, Blu-ray and as a limited deluxe edition containing all three formats on December 3, 2012 in Europe and was made available on January 15, 2013 in North America via Inakustik. This essential live rock'n'roll release includes songs performed live in Tilburg, The Netherlands in May 2012, and at London's High Voltage festival in 2011.

The Tilburg gig, recorded May 2012, features Schenker (lead guitar), Doogie White (vocals; RAINBOW, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TANK), Herman Rarebell (drums), Francis Buchholz (bass) and Wayne Findley (rhythm guitar, keyboards). London's 2011 High Voltage festival features Michael Voss (vocals), Rudolf Schenker (SCORPIONS), who plays rhythm guitar on "Rock You Like a Hurricane", "Hanging On" and "Doctor Doctor", UFO's Pete Way, who plays bass guitar on "Doctor Doctor", and vocalists Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) and Doogie White, who both sing on "Doctor Doctor".

Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER are in the studio recording the follow-up to their Grammy-nominated album "A Dramatic Turn Of Events". According to a new online post by the band's guitarist, John Petrucci, "all vocals are done" and he is currently "cutting solos" for the CD, which is expected at the end of the summer via Roadrunner Records.

Asked whether having drummer Mike Mangini involved in the songwriting process this time around has made a difference in the new CD's overall sound, keyboardist Jordan Rudess recently said: "It really has. This is the first album where Mike Mangini [who joined the band in Ocober 2010] has been there and really part of the writing process. He's such a sweet guy and he has so much energy, and it's just great to have that energy involved when we're writing the music, 'cause he'll come up with stuff that's really cool. We'll be composing along our merry way and stop to maybe look at the next part, and he offers this other perspective which we never had in the same way that we have it with him, which is that he has a super math brain — a rhythmic math brain; he's really an expert in that field, more so than myself or [guitarist] John Petrucci or anybody in the band — so he can say, 'Guys, if you play 10 measures at 7, and if you play triplets five times, and you do this and that, it's all gonna equal out in 21 measures. Go ahead and try it.' And at first, we're , like, 'What?' But he kind of sees that; he sees that map."

In a recent interview with Roadrunner Records, Petrucci stated about the making of DREAM THEATER's new CD: "First of all, it's been going great with [Mangini], and as much as we've been a band together for about 15 years, we haven't really experienced that process together. We've been in the studio for a few weeks now, and he's been amazing. Chemistry is great, the writing process and the whole vibe is great, and his role is to let his personality shine as a drummer, creatively and to have his input and his musical personality really come through. And I gotta tell you, it's happening. When people hear the drumming on this album, they're gonna be pretty freaked out. On the last album, he did a great job, but he wasn't there for the writing process and he was interpreting drum parts that I had programmed. Even though he used his creativity, of course, to change them up and do his thing, I feel like now he's just Mike Mangini unleashed. It's all him. It's all his creativity, all his decisions and ideas and man, the guy's an animal."

"Live At Luna Park", DREAM THEATER's live concert captured on 2DVD, Blu-ray, Digital Video, 2DVD/3CD, Blu-ray/3CD, and a deluxe edition (2DVD/Blu-ray/3CD), will drop later this year via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

"Live At Luna Park" was filmed over two nights in South America — home to one of DREAM THEATER's most ardent fanbases. The DVD was filmed August 19 and August 20, 2012 at Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina after a 15-month world tour, hitting 35 countries.

Industrial metal pioneers MINISTRY will release their final live DVD, "Enjoy The Quiet - Live At Wacken 2012", on August 2. The disc captures the final show of the band's 2012 "Relapse" tour at Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany. Frontman Al Jourgensen was still battling severe dysentery when he took the stage at Wacken on August 3, 2012 in front of 75,000 screaming fans. Through sheer willpower, he was able to hold himself together and perform in Wacken at his utmost peak with a band of traveling bandits he considered close friends as well as gifted musicians.

Tragically, MINISTRY's longtime guitarist and Jourgensen's best friend Mike Scaccia died less than five months later after tracking songs for MINISTRY's final album, "From Beer To Eternity", which is scheduled for a September 6, 2013 release.

"Mikey was in his version of heaven at Wacken," Jourgensen says. "His guitar playing was the heart and soul of MINISTRY and he loved that band more than everyone — even me. He's the one who convinced me to continue when I swore I was done with it."

"From Beer To Eternity" is dedicated to the memory of Scaccia, as is "Enjoy the Quiet - Live At Wacken", which will debut at the already sold-out 2013 Wacken Open Air festival in Germany August 1-3, 2013. The project is a collaboration between 13th Planet Records and UDR/Wacken Records GmbH.

Jourgensen says: "Not only is this DVD a great recording of Mikey at his absolute best performance, in his element, having the time of his life, it's one of the last live official videos of the band ever. If you didn't see the tour, you'll want to catch what you missed. And if you were there, well, you saw a piece of history and the DVD will make a great souvenir — or a great drink coaster."

"Enjoy The Quiet" captures the transcendent chaos of MINISTRY's sixth-to-last performance in all its kinetic glory. The fourth live MINISTRY release, the DVD may be their best yet. The members were all clean and the chemistry between the musicians was spellbinding.

"Seriously, the Wacken show was special," Jourgensen says. "The crowd was great and the band were so tight and heavy, they blew everyone away."

Usually bands at major festivals draw major reaction for their greatest hits and the audience members cross their arms when the groups play their newer material. But the Wacken crowd was just as excited to hear MINISTRY blast through songs from their 2012 album, "Relapse" — the show opener "Ghouldiggers", "99%ers" and the title track — as they were to hear "New World Order (N.W.O.)" from the band's 1992 classic "Psalm 69: The Way To Succeed And The Way To Suck Eggs".

"Enjoy The Quiet" was shot in high-definition video on a multitude of cameras with 5.1 stereo sound. The DVD features eight songs from the last four MINISTRY albums; "Just One Fix" and "New World Order (N.W.O.)" from "Psalm 69"; and "Thieves" from 1989's "The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste", the record that established MINISTRY as an industrial metal force long before the genre had a name. The DVD also features music videos for "Ghouldiggers" and "99%ers", shot by Zach Passero.

The 2012 Wacken performance marked Jourgensen's second appearance at the legendary festival. MINISTRY had previously played Wacken in 2006 on their "Rio Grande Blood" tour the same day as AMON AMARTH, CELTIC FROST, CHILDREN OF BODOM, CARNIVORE, SIX FEET UNDER and others.

With 16 million records sold worldwide, six Grammy nominations and kudos from industrial and metal bands including NINE INCH NAILS, SLIPKNOT and KORN, Al Jourgensen has earned the title "godfather of industrial metal." Subversive, political and ever able to develop new methods of sonic demolition, Jourgensen remains the voice of generation anarchy at a time when most rock veterans have relented to releasing half-assed albums and touring a yearly greatest-hits package to maintain the upkeep on their mansions.

"Enjoy The Quiet - Live At Wacken 2012" track listing:

Wacken 2012

01. Ghouldiggers
02. No "W"
03. Rio Grande Blood
04. LiesLiesLies
05. 99 Percenters
06. Life Is Good
07. Waiting
08. Relapse
09. New World Order (N.W.O.)
10. Just One Fix
11. Thieves

Bonus Disc: Wacken 2006

01. Fear Is Big Business
02. Señor Peligro
03. No "W"
04. Rio Grande Blood
05. The Great Satan
06. Waiting
07. LiesLiesLies
08. Worthless
09. Wrong
10. New World Order (N.W.O.)
11. Just One Fix
12. Thieves
13. Khyber Pass
14. Psalm 69

MINISTRY lineup on "Enjoy The Quiet - Live At Wacken 2012":

Al Jourgensen: vocals, guitar
Mike Scaccia: guitar
Sin Quirin: guitar
John Bechdel: keyboards
Casey Orr: bass
Aaron Rossi: drums

Finnish metallers KALMAH will release their new studio album, "Seventh Swamphony", on June 17 via Spinefarm Records. The follow-up to 2010's "12 Gauge" was recorded at Tico-Tico Studios in Kemi, Finland, and was mixed and mastered at Fascination Street studios in Örebro, Sweden by Jens Bogren (OPETH, SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST). The new CD will feature cover artwork by Juha Vuorma, who worked on the first three KALMAH albums as well as releases from USURPER, METUJA, DEATHMARCHED and ALTARS OF DESTRUCTION. The CD's first single, "Seventh Swamphony", was released digitally on May 6.

After 15 years together, with six full-length albums under their collective belt, 2013 sees the Finnish musicians delivering album No. 7 — an eight-track release showcasing this Oulu outfit's trademark frantic, yet melodic death metal style, tempered here by a newfound "epic mournfulness."

Commented KALMAH lead guitarist Antti Kokko: "This album marks a milestone in our careers. We have a new keyboard player, which has given a fresh edge to the music, and we are, of course, very satisfied with the new material. That is why we wanted to give the songs the best possible chance without compromise; we feel very lucky and privileged to have worked with Jens Bogren."

"Seventh Swamphony" track listing:

01. Seventh Swamphony
02. Deadfall
03. Pikemaster
04. Hollo
05. Windlake Tale
06. Wolves on the Throne
07. Black Marten´s Trace
08. The Trapper

The song "Deadfall" can now be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below (courtesy of Decibel magazine).

The official video for the title track, "Seventh Swamphony", can be seen below. The clip was directed by Jukka Vidgren.

Keyboardist Marco Sneck left KALMAH in 2011 after seven years and three albums with the band.

KALMAH's sixth album, "12 Gauge", entered the official chart in the Finland at position No. 15.

"Deadfall" audio stream:

Norwegian metallers THUNDRA, who feature in their ranks former members of EINHERJER and ENSLAVED, has just released their fourth album, "Angstens Salt", via their own label, Black Dimension Records.

"We decided to do everything ourselves this time — the recording, production, CD printing etc.," the band states. "And we're never been more exited and satisfied with a release, as this one."

Physical CD copies of "Angstens Salt" are only available for ordering online, and upon purchase you'll also get a instant downloadable copy.

"Angstens Salt" track listing:

01. Discipline Made For Destruction
02. Silence Welcomed
03. Tired Soul
04. Angstens Salt
05. Despise The Masquerade
06. Purpose
07. Faded Lights

THUNDRA is:

Steven Grindhaug - Vocals
Rune Fredriksen - Guitar
Ruben Osnes - Guitar
Stein Sund - Bass
Harald Magne Revheim - Drums
Nils Harald Revheim Johansen - Keyboards

Vinny Cecolini of JAM Magazine recently conducted an interview with QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Geoff Tate about the events of the past year, what his current plans are and what might or might not happen once a judge rule this November in his legal conflict with his former bandmates. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

JAM Magazine: For you, what would be the best possible outcome and what would be the worst possible outcome?

Geoff Tate: Legally, I can't say a lot, but what I think would be helpful for people to understand is that this is strictly a corporate dispute. There is no "winning the name QUEENSRŸCHE" or anything like that. It's just about who can afford to pay the name. Corporate disputes have rules of engagement that you have to follow that are dictated by the state and the federal government. You cannot fire a corporate member without compensation and proper protocol, which happened in this case. I have to be compensated for my part in the corporation. If they can't pay me, I will get compensated in some other way. We have to figure out what that is. It is strictly nuts and bolts dollars.

JAM Magazine: It is like a divorce.

Geoff Tate: There is no adultery. [laughs] It is just simple nuts and bolts. There is a formula.

JAM Magazine: For longtime fans, unfortunately, it has been difficult to deal with.

Geoff Tate: I wish it happened differently. I wish it would have been handled with a lot more privacy and decorum. I wish we could have settled it like gentlemen and moved on with our lives without stretching it out for a year and playing it out on the Internet like some sick drama.

JAM Magazine: During your time in QUEENSRŸCHE, could you have ever imagined the brotherhood ending on such a sour note?

Geoff Tate: It never was a brotherhood. It was a bunch of kids that got together and achieved success at an early age. We got used to that success and continued doing the things we did to get that success. We found comfort in our way of working. It's just that simple. We were never close. We never hung out doing stuff and sharing life. It was always just, "Hey, we have another record to make. Anyone have any ideas? Let's try to make a record. Here we go."

JAM Magazine: Obviously, you're now in a more comfortable space.

Geoff Tate: I'm in a comfortable space where I can feel creative; where I am not trying to operate with my hands tied behind my back.

JAM Magazine: This coming November, should you be awarded the QUEENSRŸCHE name, will the music you've written be released under the QUEENSRŸCHE name? Will you maintain your solo career?

Geoff Tate: I don't know. I don't have an answer on that just yet. I think maybe after November I'll have a clear picture on that. I just want to be able to write what I feel. And I don't want to be dictated to by anyone. I don't want anyone to say, "You can't do that because, fill in the blank!" I don't believe in categorization or genre-fication. I think that ruins art. I think that is elitist. Art is not meant to be confined or put in a box. It's an uphill climb, because so many people want you to conform. They want you to be what they think you should be.

JAM Magazine: One of the benefits of being on a record label like Deadline Music is you have creative freedom.

Geoff Tate: I never had that issue with record labels. The only time I ever experienced that was during the recording of QUEENSRŸCHE's first album, "The Warning". We went $300,000 dollars over budget and the label (EMI) took the record out of our hands and gave it to someone else to mix.

JAM Magazine: And critics complained it was overproduced.

Geoff Tate: The guy that mixed the album had no clue what QUEENSRŸCHE was. He never listened to hard rock music and didn't take input from anyone in the band. He just mixed it according to how he thought it should sound. No one in the band could listen to that record. We all hated it.

Read the entire interview from JAM Magazine.

Veteran San Francisco Bay Area guitarist Craig Locicero (pictured below; FORBIDDEN, MANMADE GOD, SPIRALARMS) has posted the following message on his Facebook page regarding the passing of SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman:

"I haven't said very much publicly about the passing of Jeff Hanneman, because I really didn't ever know him very well. The one conversation we did have was basically a question he asked me when Paul Bostaph [former FORBIDDEN drummer] and all of the SLAYER guys came to a show FORBIDDEN did in Hollywood and I met them for the first time since Paul had joined [SLAYER]. Jeff was introduced to me and looked me in the eye and said, 'Good guy or bad guy?' I knew what he meant. He was referring to how I took Paul joining SLAYER back in '91. I didn't take it well at all. I was young, naive and hurt. I answered point blank, 'Bad guy.'

"FORBIDDEN was going to sign a record deal with RCA when Paul got the offer. Of course he said yes; who wouldn't have? Because of that, and a combination of music changing its landscape to the grunge era, the deal fell through. So, yes, I was the bad guy and deserved that little quip from Jeff.

"I look back on those days and wonder who I was back then. I should have been as happy for Paul as I am these days. These days, we are so much of better friends than we ever where before. Playing with SLAYER would have been a dream come true for this thrash kid. Hell, I was the first person to play SLAYER to Paul. So, yes, I was jealous! To play with one of the greatest riff artists in metal who was one of my guitar heroes , Jeff Hanneman... Wow! It was beyond my comprehension back then.

"Anyhow, fast forward two decades and all of the history since... When I look at the pictures from the [Jeff Hanneman] memorial [in Hollywood], I got a little choked up. Many people I worked with in attendance. People I love, respect... acquaintances, business partners, great friends, brothers and sisters that all loved Jeff immensely. Seeing Dino Paredes from American [SLAYER's record label to which MANMADE GOD was briefly signed to], I remember him telling me how much he loved Jeff and cared about his health over 12 years ago. I have not seen him since MANMADE GOD called it a day in 2004. Rick Sales and Kristen Mulderig from RSM [SLAYER's management company]. They were all a part of my life and it was hard looking at those shots without having all of the emotions coming back.

"Anyhow, as apparently shy as Jeff was... his riffs and music transcended far beyond anybody's words can describe. He helped forge a culture. Whether he realized it or not, he influenced this kid and I am more proud then ever to know that my brothers, Paul Bostaph and Gary Holt, have had different parts in the history of SLAYER.

"Looks like Jeff had a proper tribute and send-off.

"R.I.P. Jeff."

Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE kick off their summer headline tour in support of their latest album, "Disarm The Descent", on Thursday, May 30 at the Diamond Ballroom in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The region was hit by a devastating tornado on May 20. Therefore, the band has decided to donate a portion of the proceeds from the evening's tickets sales to the Regional Food Bank Of Oklahoma.

Also, fans are encouraged to look for a special KILLSWITCH ENGAGE t-shirt, where 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to the RFBO.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's fifth studio album, "Disarm The Descent", sold around 48,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 7 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores on April 2 via Roadrunner Records.

"Disarm The Descent" is KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's first album with original singer Jesse Leach at the vocal helm since 2002's now-classic, genre-defining "Alive or Just Breathing". Leach returned to the band in January 2012 after a decade-long absence. The artwork for the new CD was created by bassist Mike D'Antonio.

Christian hard rockers STRYPER have completed work on their new studio album, "No More Hell To Pay", due this fall via Frontiers Records. The CD will include STRYPER's cover version of "Jesus Is Just Alright", a gospel song written by Arthur Reid Reynolds. STRYPER guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet said, "It rivals our cover of EARTH, WIND & FIRE's 'Shining Star' — riffs!"

"Jesus Is Just Alright" was first recorded by Reynolds' own group, THE ART REYNOLDS SINGERS, on their 1966 album, "Tellin' It Like It Is". It was later covered by THE BYRDS and THE DOOBIE BROTHERS.

"No More Hell To Pay" track listing:

01. Revelation
02. No More Hell To Pay
03. Saved By Love
04. Jesus Is Just Alright
05. The One
06. Legacy
07. Marching Into Battle
08. Te Amo
09. Sticks & Stones
10. Water Into Wine
11. Sympathy
12. Renewed

Regarding the musical direction of STRYPER's new material, Michael Sweet told Screamer Magazine: "The song 'God', which is on 'The Covering'; if you took that song along with 'Bleeding From Inside Out' and 'Blackened' [from 'Second Coming'], and you put it on the same album, that's a pretty good indication of where we are going and where we are at right now. But at the same time this album is all its own."

He added: "Every song has a hooky guitar riff. Everything is in minor keys, so it's a little darker sounding and a little tougher. It's definitely our heaviest record and I think people will be pleasantly surprised.

"The people who do like the poppier side of STRYPER, like 'Calling On You' and 'Holding On', this record isn't going to really give them that. There are a lot of vocal hooks and melodies going on, but it's a little darker, and a little edgier. To reference, there is less songs like 'Calling On You' and more songs like 'To Hell With The Devil'. It's more in that vein than the poppier vein."

Michael Sweet previously stated that the new STRYPER CD would contain "the best [songs] of our career [with] no pop or fluff musically or lyrically." He added: "I'm counting the days for its arrival and when it does arrive, it will be like a train speeding down the tracks — fast, heavy, unstoppable and loud! I get excited for every record, but I've never quite been this excited before. This record will be one for the books, and in my humble opinion, our best yet bar none. No pride here, just confidence that it's going to be great — really, really great."

In a 2012 interview with Guitar World, Michael Sweet stated about STRYPER's plans for the next album: "We're going into this new record with the mentality and thinking of making it like a 'To Hell With The Devil 2'. That's not to say it will actually sound like that album, but we really want it to be as great as 'To Hell With The Devil', which was our biggest album. We want people to put on this record and go; 'Whoa! Wow! This is as good as or better than 'To Hell With The Devil'!' We want the new album to be a powerhouse and we're going to do whatever it takes to make that happen."

Frontiers Records in January announced the signing of STRYPER to a multi-album deal. The first CD to be made available the agreement was a collection of re-recorded versions of the band's classic songs, released in North America on March 26. Entitled "Second Coming" and produced by Michael Sweet, the album contains a total of 16 cuts — two from "The Yellow And Black Attack", six from "Soldiers Under Command", six from "To Hell With The Devil", as well as two new tracks, "Bleeding From Inside Out" and "Blackened".

Photo credit: Tina Enos

San Francisco Bay Area titans HIGH ON FIRE will release "Spitting Fire Vol. 1" and "Spitting Fire Vol. 2" on June 18. The track listing spans the course of the band's history with hits like "Fertile Green", "Frost Hammer" and "10,000 Years".

"Spitting Fire" was recorded live in two marquee New York City venues; The Music Hall Of Williamsburg on December 1, 2012 and the Bowery Ballroom on November 30, 2012. It was later mixed by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, California, with additional engineering by Kurt Ballou.

Multiple pre-order options are now available, including limited-edition vinyl bundles and iTunes.

HIGH ON FIRE cannot be defined by their sound on tape alone. "Spitting Fire" is a vivid snapshot of the band's massive sounding live show, which for fans who have yet to witness, are clearly missing out.

"Spitting Fire Vol. 1" track listing:

01. Serums Of Liao
02. Frost Hammer
03. 10,000 Years
04. Devolution
05. Last
06. Fertile Green
07. Speedwolf

"Spitting Fire Vol. 2" track listing:

01. Rumors Of War
02. DII
03. Fury Whip
04. Madness Of An Architect
05. Face Of Oblivion
06. Hung Drawn and Quartered
07. Blood From Zion
08. Snakes For The Divine

HIGH ON FIRE's latest album, "De Vermis Mysteriis", sold around 7,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 63 on The Billboard 200 chart. Released on April 3, 2012 via eOne Music, the CD was recorded in Salem, Massachusetts' GodCity Studios with producer and CONVERGE guitarist Kurt Ballou. The 10-song effort — touted as "direct, eye-opening and powerfully supernatural" — is the band's sixth studio recording and the follow-up to 2010's "Snakes For The Divine" which debuted at No. 62 on The Billboard 200 chart and has been called "wonderful" by The New York Times and "an exhilarating rush" by the Chicago Tribune.