"Taste Of Regret", the new video from OF MICE & MEN, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's sixth album, "Earthandsky", which will be released on September 27 via Rise Records.

"'Taste Of Regret' is a song about knowing when to pick your battles, and also knowing when to shut your mouth and bite your tongue," said singer and bassist Aaron Pauley. "'Loose lips sink ships,' as the age old cliché goes. There's a lot of truth in that though. One's loud mouth can ruin their life."

Drummer Tino Arteaga weighed in on the video, saying, "Pulling inspiration from old psychological thrillers and filmmaking from the '70s and '80s, 'Taste Of Regret' continues our ongoing visual narrative of the previous three videos for this album at an alternate point in the timeline."

"Earthandsky" will include the previously released tracks "Mushroom Cloud" and "How To Survive", as well as the recently issued single "Earth & Sky".

"Earthandsky" track listing:

01. Gravedancer

02. As We Suffocate

03. Taste Of Regret

04. Mushroom Cloud

05. Pieces

06. Deceiver/Deceived

07. Earth & Sky

08. The Mountain

09. Meltdown

10. Linger

11. How To Survive

"How To Survive" marked the first taste of new music from the Southern California quartet since last year's much-praised "Defy" album.

In a recent interview, Arteaga expressed his enthusiasm for working with producer Josh Wilbur, whose credits include GOJIRA, LAMB OF GOD and SOULFLY. "He's a metalhead," Arteaga said. "We went with a metalhead producer because we wanted to make metalhead music.

"In a lot of ways, OF MICE & MEN is a metalcore band," he continued. "We're never going to escape whatever label we are. We really felt like we wanted to go in and make new music that was going to excite as us as the members OF MICE & MEN and fans of OF MICE & MEN and to really make music that from the bottom of our hearts, excited us and in our mind, would get the pits going.

"'How To Survive' is different just in the sense that it's bare-knuckle heavier. 'Defy' was fun in a very colorful way and across the spectrum of what we consider to be heavy music, whether it's emotionally heavy or drop-tuned heavy kind of shit. But, the collection of what we've got coming up, it's really exciting because it's heavy. [Laughs]

"We'll always be a heavy band," he added. "You can always count on us to do stuff like that. We realized we need to be the best and sickest OF MICE & MEN that we can be. Because if we won't do it, who will? We've got to do it."

OF MICE & MEN will embark on a headline tour this fall, with FOR THE FALLEN DREAMS, THOUSAND BELOW and BLOODBATHER in tow.

PROPHETS OF RAGE have released a music video for their new song "Pop Goes The Weapon". The supergroup features members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PUBLIC ENEMY and CYPRESS HILL.

"Pop Goes The Weapon" is the first new music from PROPHETS OF RAGE since the release of "Made With Hate", which was made available in June.

PROPHETS OF RAGE guitarist Tom Morello recently told BBC Radio 6 Music about the band's plans to release new music: "We talk among ourselves: 'What does an album mean?' There used to be one way to do it — you would write an album, you'd record an album, you'd do six months of promotion and then the record would [do] X, Y and Z. In this day and age, the process has become democratized in a way. The healthy side of that, I think, is that there's more music available all the time, and there are no barriers. Music is cheaper than water now, so there's no barriers to accessing the music. However, it's such a white noise background of so much all the time that finding the crystal and gems within it is a more difficult process than perhaps it once was."

According to Morello, fans won't have to wait very long to hear more new music from PROPHETS OF RAGE.

"When the band came together in 2016, it was a reaction to the chaotic U.S. election cycle," he explained. "And we had to do more than tweet about it. And we had a lot of great arrows in our quiver when it comes to songs, and so by putting this group together, it was a way to move the goal post and address the issues of the time to between two thousand and sixty thousand people a day. And now it's time to really get that musical message on tape."

In addition to Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk, who all played together in RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE, the band features PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D and DJ Lord along with CYPRESS HILL's B-Real.

PROPHETS OF RAGE's self-titled album came out in 2017 and debuted at No. 3 and No. 4 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart and Top Rock Albums chart, respectively.

Tomorrow, Friday, September 6, will see Swedish occult rock masters, Year Of The Goat, return with their brand new opus, Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis, via Napalm Records. A lyric video for the song "Invidia" can be found below.

Novis Orbis Terrarum Ordinis showcases Year Of The Goat's roots in the darker sounds of the 60's and 70's, while they have never sounded so bracing before. Captivating tracks such as the just released "Avaritia" indulge in the finest occult rock full of blackened heart`s blood and elegiac melody lines that will haunt your dreams.

Available on LP, CD and digital formats, the pre-order is underway, here.

Tracklisting:

"Subortus"
"Acedia"
"Luxuria"
"Ira"
"Superbia"
"Gula"
"Avaritia"
"Invidia"
"Subicio"

"Invidia" lyric video:

"Superbia" lyric video:

"Avaritia" video:

Lineup:

Thomas Sabbathi - vocals, guitar
Jonas Mattsson - guitar Linus Lundgren - guitar Daniel Melo - drums
Joona Hassinen - bass Pope - mellotron, vocals




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"Trouble Is Your Middle Name", the new music video from WHITESNAKE, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest studio album, "Flesh & Blood", which was released in May via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc follows the 2011 critically acclaimed studio album "Forevermore" and 2015's "The Purple Album", a reimagining of DEEP PURPLE classics from WHITESNAKE mastermind's David Coverdale's time in that band. The 13 original, visceral tracks on "Flesh & Blood", the band's 13th studio album, are, luckily for you dear reader, "all killer, no filler", as the saying goes.

Joining Coverdale on "Flesh & Blood" is the powerhouse band comprised of Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra on guitar, Michael Devin on bass, Tommy Aldridge on drums, and Michele Luppi on keyboards.

Since joining the band four years ago, and just in time for 2015's "The Purple Album", Chicago native Joel Hoekstra has really come into his own, not only as a highly impressive axe-slinger, but also as a very accomplished songwriter too, co-writing six of the songs for "Flesh & Blood" with singer David Coverdale. Of course, Joel's talents are hardly surprising, considering he's the son of two classical musicians.

Guitarist Reb Beach, who originally joined WHITESNAKE in 2002, has stepped up to become the group's bandleader and guides the band to implement Coverdale's musical vision. As well as bringing his impressive musical chops to the band, Reb has co-written five songs on the new album, the fourth studio album he has appeared on, commencing with 2008's highly acclaimed "Good To Be Bad".

It was the "Good To Be Bad" follow-up, "Forevermore" (2011), that saw the debut of bassist Michael Devin. The New Englander's four-string-depth-charge-bass-bombs definitively underpin and drive the sound of WHITESNAKE in the 21st century.

Rounding out the rhythm section is David's longest serving 'Snake, the renowned drummer and unstoppable percussionist Tommy Aldridge, who has been with WHITESNAKE in some capacity for 30 years. Tommy made his debut with WHITESNAKE way back in 1987 in the "Still Of The Night" video, becoming a mainstay behind the kit for successive albums and tours.

Last, but certainly not least, the band is completed by the inventive keyboards and vocals of Italian maestro Michele Luppi, who made his live debut in 2015, as documented on "The Purple Tour" live CD/DVD (2018).

The current incarnation of the band carries on the long and unwavering tradition of mainman David Coverdale being surrounded by cream of the crop players who go all in to bring fans the best hard rock humanly possible.

Episode 6 of "History Of Led Zeppelin", the sixth in a series of short stories celebrating what happened 50 years ago, when the members of LED ZEPPELIN entered Olympic Studios to record their debut album, can be seen below.

In January 1969, LED ZEPPELIN was unleashed on the world with the release of its trailblazing first LP. Just 10 months later, in October 1969, the band's equally groundbreaking follow-up album "Led Zeppelin II" was released. 50 years later, LED ZEPPELIN remains one of the most important bands in music history whose songs continue to be discovered and embraced by each new generation.

Guitarist Jimmy Page of THE YARDBIRDS and bassist John Paul Jones were young schooled London session players. Singer Robert Plant and drummer John Bonham were talented but untested English Midlands musicians whose raw musicianship and earthy feel were a surprisingly effective contrast. Together, the four redefined the limits of rock music while magnifying its visceral power, its reckless abandonment and, yes, some of its faults.

"Led Zeppelin I" received a surprising number of negative reviews from music critics, igniting a debate on whether white musicians could play Afro-American blues without negatively exploiting the originators, a debate which would dog LED ZEPPELIN for their first four now-iconic albums.

On January 17, 1969, LED ZEPPELIN thundered onto the world stage with its debut album and songs "Communication Breakdown", "Good Times, Bad Times", "Dazed And Confused" and "Babe I'm Gonna Leave You" displaying great musical diversity, dynamics, and sounds previously unheard in rock, electrifying the masses (if not rock critics) and selling north of 10 million copies in the U.S. alone.

Page told "In The Studio" host Redbeard why he believes LED ZEPPELIN was so successful from the beginning. "I think everyone was inspired in that band," he said. "I think everyone was a star. There wasn't a weakness there. Every single person was strong."

The official lyric video for "Touching The Divine", a new solo song from CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, can be seen below. The track is taken from his upcoming second solo album, "Rise", which will be released on September 13 via Cleopatra Records.

Timing, as the saying goes, is everything. And when you're a career artist like Tom Keifer, you know exactly what it takes to get to the pinnacle and just how precarious it can be once you reach the top. After years of touring and growing with his solo band, Keifer feels the timing is right for a new record with #keiferband.

Keifer with #keiferband — Savannah Keifer, Tony Higbee, Billy Mercer, Kendra Chantelle, Jarred Pope, Kory Myers — are ready to "Rise" to yet another peak in their ongoing music journey with the release of his second solo album.

Produced by Tom, Savannah and Kyle O'Connor, "Rise" scales renewed sonic heights. From the tasty slide work that stamps "Touching The Divine", the nontraditionally arranged, heavy, dark jam of "Untitled", the breakneck thrust of "All Amped Up" to the tender coda of "You Believe In Me", "Rise" signifies the ongoing evolution of the CINDERELLA frontman as a person, songwriter, and bandleader. It's the aural portrait of an artist who, to borrow a phrase, is still climbing

"When this band came together, we all felt a bit like broken souls, each with our own unique story," Tom explains. "If you ask anyone in the band, they would all say this band came along at just the right time. Every human who walks this planet faces challenges and extreme adversity they have to overcome. As a band, we feel fortunate to be able to face those things together. There is a piece of every band member in the 'The Death Of Me' as well as throughout the entire 'Rise' album."

The common thread to each song on "Rise" is the intuitive interplay between each member of #keiferband, a tight but loose collective that's spent the last six-plus years on the road honing their live craft together in support of Keifer's critically acclaimed 2013 solo debut, "The Way Life Goes". "Rise" is the studio-bred equivalent of a band just now realizing the full scope of its powers.

"We were trying to capture the feeling of what people have witnessed live with this band," Keifer explains. "There's an off-the-rails, real live feel to 'Rise' — and that's what we were going for. It shows a real kind of angst and reckless abandon that we tried not to polish too much. And when we pull it back on the ballads, it's more about the emotion, the soul, and making people feel something in a different way."

"To me, the perfect rock and roll record is perfectly fucked up," Keifer says with a hearty laugh. "You try to make each record interesting and different. I don't ever want to make the same record twice, even though there's a common thread between them. Everything doesn't have to be perfectly in place, but there is a balance you try to strike. Sometimes there may be something about it that's technically not 'right,' but there's a vibe, an energy and an attitude to it that I always try to preserve."

"Rise" track listing:

01. Touching The Divine

02. The Death Of Me

03. Waiting On The Demons

04. Hype

05. Untitled

06. Rise

07. All Amped Up

08. Breaking Down

09. Taste For The Pain

10. Life Was Here

11. You Believe In Me

Photo credit: Tammy Vega

A genuine rock star since birth, Michael Monroe innately knows exactly how to sing, swagger and walk the most glamorous and colorful of walks. "One Man Gang", the former HANOI ROCKS man's brand new offering on Silver Lining Music, is all about the fun of Friday nights, seven days a week, letting your hair down (or up!) for a dirty, dangerous, damn good time, and embracing a total escape into the rock 'n' roll dream.

The album's second single, "Last Train To Tokyo", has the sort of sticky-yet-crispy riff that was designed to take over radios from Japan to Jamaica.

"It's a groovy, rockin' track paying homage to Tokyo and Japan, one of the most rockin' countries in the world" affirms Monroe. "In the '80s HANOI ROCKS had, and I have always had a very special relationship with Japan and it will always be one my favourite countries. Plus, they still live for rock 'n' roll as it should be celebrated, they still have physical product, they still make it crazy, exhausting and really exciting every time you go there, which I am really grateful for."

The "Last Train To Tokyo" video was recorded in Japan and features footage from the band's dynamic performances at the Summer Sonic 2019 festival in Osaka and Tokyo. Directed and edited by Toni Kristian Tikkanen, "Last Train To Tokyo" fully captures the vigor and rock 'n' roll essence of Michael Monroe, Rich Jones, Steve Conte, Sami Yaffa and Karl Rockfist.

Recorded at E-Studios in Sipoo, Finland in about three weeks in March 2018, "One Man Gang" was produced by Monroe and his bandmates Rich Jones and Steve Conte. The album was engineered by Petri Majuri, who also mixed the album in the fall 2018.

"One Man Gang" track listing:

01. One Man Gang

02. Last Train To Tokyo

03. Junk Planet

04. Midsummer Nights

05. The Pitfalls Of Being An Outsider

06. Wasted Years

07. In The Tall Grass

08. Black Ties And Red Tape

09. Hollywood Paranoia

10. Heaven Is A Free State

11. Helsinki Shakedown

12. Low Life In High Places

Band lineup:

Michael Monroe - vocals, sax and harmonica

Rich Jones - guitar and vocals

Steve Conte - guitar and vocals

Sami Yaffa - bass

Karl Rockfist - drums

Guest appearances from Captain Sensible (lead guitar on "One Man Gang"), Nasty Suicide (lead guitar on "Wasted Years"), Eicca Toppinen (cello on "Low Life In High Places") and Tero Saarti (trumpet on "Heaven Is A Free State").

THE DARK ELEMENT, the project featuring former NIGHTWISH vocalist Anette Olzon and Finnish guitarist and songwriter Jani Liimatainen, will release its second album, "Songs The Night Sings", on November 8 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2017's "The Dark Element" was mixed by Jacob Hansen, who has previously worked with VOLBEAT and AMARANTHE, among others.

Joining Olzon and Liimatainen in THE DARK ELEMENT's current recording lineup are Jonas Kuhlberg on bass and Rolf Pilve on drums.

The official music video for the "Songs The Night Sings" title track can be seen below.

"Songs The Night Sings" picks up where the self-titled debut left off, with immaculate vocals from Anette and fabulous anthems written by Jani.

Anette says: "It's a thrill that we're releasing yet another album and for me it's been even easier to record this one since me and Jani now know each other really well. For me, this album is bigger and better and I believe the ones who liked the first one will really like this one too. All I can say is that I already long to do another album. Hep hep!"

Jani adds: "I think the album is very heavy, but still hyper melodic, and this time we are even exploring new musical territories we didn't on the previous album. Now that me and Anette have one album together under our belts, we have found the style we want to pursue and also the ideal way of working together. Given all this, I think it's safe to say that with this album you'll get even more of what made the first album so good, only it's gonna be bigger, better and bolder!"

"Songs The Night Sings" track listing:

01. Not Your Monster

02. Songs The Night Sings

03. When It All Comes Down

04. Silence Between The Words

05. Pills On My Pillow

06. To Whatever End

07. The Pallbearer Walks Alone

08. Get Out Of My Head

09. If I Had A Heart

10. You Will Learn

11. I Have To Go

LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda has released the music video for his solo song "World's On Fire". The track is taken from Mike's full-length solo album called "Post Traumatic", which came out last year.

Shinoda, who co-directed the clip with Juan M. Urbina, shared how his personal interest in anime has shaped the inspiration for "World's On Fire": "My music and anime have had a long history crossing paths, from the fan videos edited over LINKIN PARK's music, to our original video for 'Breaking The Habit'. This new video for 'World's On Fire' is a lighthearted video that focuses on a female protagonist as she learns to control her unique power.

"I've never taken an animated project from beginning to end," he continued. "This video, for 'World's On Fire', seemed to arrive in my head with a full story, setting, and characters all at once, and I couldn't ignore it."

Some of "Post Traumatic" was inspired by the death more than two years ago of LINKIN PARK singer Chester Bennington. The latter was found dead in his Los Angeles-area home on July 20, 2017 after hanging himself. LINKIN PARK headlined an all-star tribute concert for Bennington in October 2017 in Los Angeles but has not announced any future plans for recording or touring.

OTHERWISE will release its new studio album, "Defy", on November 8 via Mascot Records, a division of Mascot Label Group.

The Las Vegas hard-rockers flew out of the traps when they were heralded in their early days by Fox News as one of the best unsigned bands in the U.S. after their debut single, "Soldiers", sold over 10,000 copies. The song went of to feature on 2012's "True Love Never Dies", which has over 26 million Spotify streams alone and has become the band's anthem. They also became the first band to reach #1 on Sirius Octane without a record label and it was their formidable presence at satellite radio in the U.S. that built the band's following.

They were formed by Sin City-born brothers Adrian (lead vocals) and Ryan Patrick (guitar, vocals), on a diet of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, THIRD EYE BLIND and FAITH NO MORE, with Tony Carboney (bass, vocals), and Brian Medeiros (drums) completing the lineup. The quartet have also previously enlisted high-profile friends in Ash Costello (NEW YEARS DAY) on "Heaven" from their 2012 label debut and Jonathan Davis (KORN) on 2017's "Sleeping Lions". Every single they've released has reached the top 30 U.S. Mainstream Rock charts. Adrian Patrick also featured on IN THIS MOMENT's 2010 song "The Promise", the band's highest-charting single to date.

The announcement of a new label and new album has seen them push the boundaries of their signature style in terms of both songcraft and sonic experimentation alike.

"We grew up in the last era where nineties bands were soul rebels. They stood for something," proclaims Adrian. "Since the greatest risks yield the greatest return, why play it safe? In between the last album and now, we changed everything. I had two sons, and it took their births for me to go, 'Fuck it, we've got to shoot for the goddamned stars.'"

Since OTHERWISE's self-titled independent debut in 2006, they've unleashed "True Love Never Dies" (2012), "Peace At All Costs" (2014) and "Sleeping Lions" (2017). Along the way, they have shared the stage with everyone from STONE SOUR to PAPA ROACH in addition to shutting down Welcome To Rockville, Rocklahoma and ShipRocked.

On "Defy", they linked up with producer Matt Good (ASKING ALEXANDRIA, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD) for the first time, commuting from Las Vegas to his Phoenix studio in order to cut these eleven tracks.

"It's a new chapter all around, and we're fired up about it," the singer says. "Matt is the most creative, prolific producer we've ever worked with. He's the kind of guy we've always wanted in our corner."

The first single, "Lifted", proves that. A wiry riff snakes around blunt lyrics "about getting fucked up…it got me kicked off tours and banned from festivals," he admits. "It's about all of the shit that got me trouble. I've been the guy the song is about. I've lived that life. I've been there. It's real."

The opener "Bad Trip" kicks down the door with ominous electronics and glitchy echoes before a hard-hitting and hypnotic chant. "It serves as a commentary on the current nebulous state of affairs we find ourselves mired in a as a nation…as human beings on this planet." Elsewhere, "Don't Even" takes no prisoners with a stranglehold groove and knockout chorus. "We were without a label and back to being a garage band," recalls Adrian. The anthemic "Ain't Done Yet" doubles as "OTHERWISE's mission statement." Meanwhile, the emotionally charged closer "Good Fight" strikes a different chord with its orchestral build up and soaring refrain. "It's for my wife and sons as well as all of our families and friends who've had our backs in this crazy life by music," smiles Adrian. "It's the last one we did. My dad always said, 'You've got to fight the good fight'. I felt some deeper connection to the phrase. It's like it came from eons and generations ago. This notion of fighting the good fight is part of our DNA."

"When you listen to the record, I hope you go, 'I did not expect that'," Adrian leaves off. "It's personal. This is my fucking life. There's no turning back. This band is the future of my family. It means everything to me — and all of us. This is OTHERWISE."

"Defy" track listing:

01. Bad Trip

02. Money

03. Crossfire

04. Lifted

05. Picking At Bones

06. Ain't Done Yet

07. Goliath

08. Don't Even

09. Fame and Miss Fortune

10. Unbreakable

11. Good Fight

Catalan atmospheric metal band, Foscor, are streaming their upcoming release, Els Sepulcres Blancs, in its entirety. The album is out tomorrow, Friday, September 6. Listen below, and order here.

Tracklisting:

“Laments”
“Els Colors del Silenci”
“Malson”
“Secrets”
“Cel Rogent”
“Cançó de Mort”
“L’Esglai”

Album stream:

“Cançó de Mort” video:

"Malson" video:




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In a brand new interview with the "Cassius Morris Show", RIVAL SONS frontman Jay Buchanan discussed the apparent role his band is playing in carrying the torch for rock and roll. RIVAL SONS released their first four albums through Earache Records before signing with Low Country Sound, a Warner Music Group imprint in 2018. Their first release for the label, this year's "Feral Roots", netted the band a number one single on the U.S. rock mainstream charts with "Do Your Worst".

"I think about it," said Buchanan when asked about RIVAL SONS having to fly the flag for rock and roll (hear audio below). "It's mostly when I'm talking to people like you. We're talking about where does RIVAL SONS fit in the popular vernacular? In terms of responsibility… there's no pressure or responsibility. I think that if we had set out trying to do a certain thing that was unnatural to us or if we were trying to fit into a mold, and if it were a difficult suit to put on, and it didn't fit right, I think you would have trouble that way, but I think that we've just done our thing our way from the beginning, right out of the gate. We just do it. I feel like the sound of this band is a lot of the tension, like the guys are real rock and rollers. [Mike] Miley's a big jazz drummer and everything, but then he plays rock and roll, and then Scott [Holiday, guitar] loves rock and roll and psychedelic music, much more than I do. I love rock and roll, and all of that, just like everybody does. For me, I'm much more of a singer/songwriter at heart. But rock and roll music was something I was able to do."

He continued: "When we got together, I had no plans on the band being a successful as it's been. I took it on as an, 'All right, let's get this band together as a side project.' Just get some kicks around Hollywood and play some rock and roll shows here and there. I had no idea there was such a void in the world for a rock and roll band. Talking about the pressure or anything like that, I just see we're part of that lineage. I look to bands before us, THE BLACK KEYS were doing their thing, then we had Jack White, who's really carried the torch for these bands. They're really doing hybrids of rhythm and blues music. I think it's great to hear people's hybrid version of that, then before them, you had Lenny Kravitz who has been going full steam the whole time making great records. The guy just makes great records. Consistently. He's really fun to tour with and to play with. Before when THE BLACK CROWES were playing together, they carried the torch when they were just themselves. I think we fit that blueprint. We're a typical rhythm and blues rock and roll band."

This fall, RIVAL SONS will embark on a co-headlining U.S. tour alongside STONE TEMPLE PILOTS. Produced by Live Nation, the 12-city outing will kick off September 13 in Baltimore and see the two bands performing on intimate stages across the states, including The Met Philadelphia, Ford Amphitheater in New York City, The Fillmore New Orleans and more, before wrapping October 9 in San Diego. Dates in Norfolk, Pittsburgh and Cleveland were recently added.

Led by NIGHTWISH and with EPICA, DELAIN and WITHIN TEMPTATION also making headway, symphonic metal is often pigeonholed because of the bombastic traits so intrinsic to its sound. The style's formula is often duplicated by bands from all corners of the globe presenting lineups similar in formation, usually with a lone female frontwoman joined by a mostly male supporting cast. While this setup is generally the path of least resistance for newer symphonic metal acts, it is also a double-edged sword — detractors are often quick to point out the similarities between its bands.

According to VISIONS OF ATLANTIS frontwoman Clémentine Delauney, her band is committed to "redefining the borders" of symphonic metal in hopes of expanding their sound and fanbase. In a recent interview with France's Loud TV (see video below), Delauney was asked how her role in VISIONS OF ATLANTIS has expanded since she joined the band in 2013, and what it means for the band's sonic development.

"Since the previous record, 'The Deep & The Dark', I was given the amazing chance to take part in the whole writing process, the lyrical process, writing the lyrics, [which] I was involved [in] since the first record we did together," she said. "I really felt like I was starting to make this band my own when I really could convey my own ideas, my own emotions, things I really wanted to talk about throughout our music. It's even more true with our new record, 'Wanderers', because I was even more involved in writing the melodies. I wrote one personal song, again, for that record; the title track, 'Wanderers', it's a song of mine. With time, I really feel as one when I'm on stage and performing these songs and singing the lyrics that I wrote that are things that are really connected with who I am. I feel like one soul onstage with a message to deliver. There's no longer me and music. It's one now.

"I think it became a new trademark for VISIONS OF ATLANTIS to not stick to the strict definition of what symphonic metal sounds like," she continued. "We actually would like to widen the genre and the style and to do dare say, 'We do symphonic metal. But symphonic metal can sound like all these kind of songs. Not just the bombastic, highly orchestrated music.' We do have tracks like this, the opening track 'Release My Symphony'. It's the longest track on the album. It's a very epic track with a lot of things going on with the orchestral [elements], but with the more classical sort of singing. This one totally represents the symphonic metal genre. We go from that to the most intimate songs, also. This is what we're able to create. This is what we want to share with people as well. We are a symphonic band and we want to open up the genre. Sort of redefine its borders."

"Wanderers" will be released on August 30 via Napalm Records. The album will be the first to feature new male singer Michele Guaitoli.

OPETH frontman/guitarist Mikael Åkerfeldt has shared his thoughts on fellow Swede Yngwie Malmsteen, saying the legendary axeman's "records have been pretty fuckin' shit for a long time."

Åkerfeldt offered his opinion as part of a Music Radar feature dubbed "The 10 Guitarists That Blew My Mind".

Speaking about Yngwie, Mikael said: "I hate him as much as I love him. I just want to shake him around, kick him in the ass and make him wake up to something. He is fantastic and he knows it. He has the most beautiful tone of all heavy metal guitar players, bar Fredrik [Åkesson, OPETH guitarist].

"I saw his latest video for his blues album, which I thought was appalling, cruising down the Miami streets in his Ferrari. That's not what I think of when I think of blues. It's pretty horrible.

"His records have been pretty fuckin' shit for a long time, but the guitar playing has always been great. The last one I loved was 'Odyssey', but now I just sound like a disgruntled OPETH fan. After that, he went a bit cheesy and got really bad.

“I feel like he should take care of his career better and maybe calm down a bit, focus on writing great songs. He's not giving himself the credit he is due; he just wants to carry on playing neoclassical at full distortion. But I still love him."

OPETH's 13th album, "In Cauda Venenum", will be released on September 27 via Moderbolaget / Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Recorded last year at Stockholm's Park Studios, the disc will be released in two versions, in both Swedish and English languages. Various physical and digital formats will be available.

Yngwie released a new album, "Blue Lightning", in March via Mascot Label Group. On the disc, Yngwie pays homage to those from the blues world who have fueled his artistic spirit for so long. Among the songs Malmsteen tackles on "Blue Lightning" are classics by THE BEATLES ("While My Guitar Gently Weeps"), Jimi Hendrix ("Foxey Lady", "Purple Haze"), THE ROLLING STONES ("Paint It Black"), ZZ TOP ("Blue Jean Blues"), DEEP PURPLE ("Demon's Eye", "Smoke On The Water") and Eric Clapton ("Forever Man").

Fate Destroyed, the Los Angeles-based band fronted by Franccesca De Struct, has unveiled a haunting new video for their cover of the classic "In The Pines".

"In The Pines," also known as "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" and "My Girl," is a traditional folk song made famous by legendary blues artist Lead Belly and later achieved commercial success through Nirvana's take on the track.

"I saw 'In The Pines' as the ultimate musical challenge," De Struct says. "Was it possible to take a widely known folk song, something completely the antithesis of my genre, and make it industrial? The answer was a resounding yes. This passion project came from a place of musical discovery. It gave me the chance to take a base concept and see just how much I could mold it into something entirely new."

Fate Destroyed was formed by De Struct in 2016 with an aim to provide a fierce new take on the metal status quo. Led by the raw emotion of De Struct's vocals, Fate Destroyed combines visceral guitars and driving synths to leverage the gap between hard hitting '90s industrial and modern heavy metal.

Fate Destroyed is rounded out by Roger Bohlen on guitar, Nathan YoungBlood (Green Jelly/Dirty Machine) on bass and Ben Levi (Matriarchs) on drums.




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Imagika have released a video for the track “The Spiteful One”; taken from their upcoming album Only Dark Hearts Survive. 

After 10 years Imagika is back. The most successful lineup of the band with guitarist Steven D. Rice (Kill Ritual), vocalist Norman Skinner (Skinner, Niviane, Hellscream), bassist Jim Pegram (Mudface, Angerhead) and guest drummer Matt Thompson (King Diamond) have recorded a blistering new album that is a modern take on where the band left off in 2009. Their new 8-track effort, mixed and mastered by Andy La Rocque at Sonic Train Studios, is a testament to the bands overlooked talent and is scheduled to be released on September 13th via Dissonance Productions.

Imagika guitarist Steven D. Rice comments on the rebirth of the band: "While on the Kill Ritual tour  (with Iced Earth and Sanctuary) we made a stop in Sacramento, CA. which is not far from the SF Bay Area and where all the past members live, so Jim and Norm made it out for the show. Jim played with Kill Ritual that night (as he did on the European tour the year before) and Norm caught the performance. I hadn’t seen Norm in years so we drank a few (ok a lot!), bullshitted, caught up on life and had a nice reconnect. Fast forward a few months later. As I was writing the new Kill Ritual record I would have material hanging around that didn’t quite fit the KR style or direction and that with some older ideas from the past I said to myself 'Wow this really has an Imagika direction to the material', so I ran a couple ideas past Norm and he gave it his spin and before we knew it we had an album composed and ready to go. After bringing in Jim, who’s been pushing for this for years in on bass along with a guest appearance by Matt Thompson (King Diamond) to play drums it sounded great. I’m a firm believer in always moving forward and never looking back, but I’ll have to eat my words on the “Never Again” and just say it was meant to be! The new songs are definitely Imagika in 2019 with tight riffs, concise arrangements; hook laden vocals and great grooves! I think our old and hopefully new fans will absolutely love this CD. We can’t wait for you all to hear it!"

Tracklisting:

“Where Our Demons Dwell”
“Cast Into Damnation”
“Prisoners Of Fate”
“Suffocate On Hate”
“The Spiteful One”
“The Faceless Rise”
“Firefight”
“Only Dark Hearts Survive”

"The Spiteful One" video:

“Only Dark Hearts Survive”:




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On October 4th, Barcelona's Syberia will release their third album, Seeds Of Change, via Blacklight Media / Metal Blade Records. Syberia craft intricate and involving instrumental rock opuses, and they have never sounded more assured than on Seeds Of Change. Following in the footsteps of Caspian, Mogwai and Russian Circles, their instrumental works are complex yet instantly accessible, weighty, gorgeously melodic, and always deeply moving. A video for their new single, "Empire Of Oppression", is streaming below.

Syberia comments: "This record speaks about someone who tries to escape from the mass, from the dark side of society. Someone who is struggling to maintain his individuality, perhaps to protect his imagination in this grey reality we live in. We imagined our hero as the last remaining seed for a change for the better in the world - somebody that will fight until his last breath to change the establishment in one way or the other. While there is one seed for the change out there, there is hope that something beautiful can still grow. This has been our soundtrack for the last year and we hope you like it as much as we enjoyed composing it."

Tracklisting:

“Empire Of Oppression”
“Rogue Hunt”
“Beirut”
“26 Days”
“After The Uprising”
“Daring Ignorance”
“Seeds Of Change”
“Buried Idol”
“Shigir”

"Empire Of Oppression" video:

Album teaser:




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Jan Akkerman will be releasing Close Beauty, his first studio album in eight years and his first on Music Theories Recordings / Mascot Label Group on October 25. Pre-order here, and watch a video for the song "Tommy's Anniversary" below.

At 72 years old, the supremely gifted guitarist is equaled by very few and his legendary ability makes him impossible to pigeon hole. His position as Dutch royalty has been cemented, he received the Golden Harp Award in early 2005, Holland’s most prestigious music prize and in 2012 he was appointed Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau, a royal honor that acknowledged his contribution to Dutch music and his influence on musicians around the world.

Akkerman was a founding member of Focus from 1969 to 1976 where he recorded a number of breakout albums including, Focus II/Moving Waves (1971). The album spawned the mega-hit "Hocus Pocus" which reached #9 on the US Billboard Chart, #12 in The Netherlands and #20 in the UK singles chart and the song has gone on to appear on numerous TV shows such as; Top Gear, Skins, Supernatural, Vinyl, My Name is Earl and Shameless as well we the 2007 film Hot Fuzz, 2014 remake of Robocop and 2017s Baby Driver. The song has been covered by a number of other artists including Iron Maiden, Marillion, Helloween, Gary Hoey, The Vandals and Vanessa-Mae. Focus 3 (1972) featured another hit single in ‘Sylvia’ which reached #4 in the UK singles chart and led to an appearance on The Old Grey Whistle Test and Top of the Pops.. That year Melody Maker declared him the ‘Best guitarist of the world’, above Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.

Close Beauty is the return of the distinctive ‘Akkerman-sound’, which runs like a thread through twelve compositions; acoustic, electric, solo performing and accompanied by his own band, Marijn van den Berg (drums), David de Marez Oyens (bass) and Coen Molenaar (keyboards). Molenaar also produced the album, which was recorded at Marten Haak’s Studio.

From the panoramic sound of "Beyond The Horizon", "Tommy’s Anniversary" and "Meanwhile In St. Tropez", the melancholy of "Passagaglia" and "Reunion" to the fun of playing in "Good Body Every Evening" and the sophisticated opening track "Spiritual Privacy", Close Beauty is hard to categorize, in the best Akkerman tradition.

Talking about the new album, Jan says: "I’ve always been able to tell that none of my albums sound the same. Exploring new things is something that I’d always wanted to do. Harmonica player Toots Thielemans once told me: ‘your timing, that’s your signature, your autogram’. I consider Close Beauty exactly like that. If you stand very close to a cow, you can’t tell it’s a cow, after all."

He has collaborated with a number of musicians including Alan Price (The Animals), Jack Bruce and Ice T and counts fans in Brian May who said Akkerman was “totally a hero of mine, there are some people in life that no matter how old you are, you feel nervous if you meet someone, he’s one of those, he’s a real role model”. B.B. King has also talked highly of him saying, “How can you forget a guy like Jan, usually with people that are as great as he is, you know of them, but you don’t always get to know them or their music, but you know their reputation. The nights that we played together was great, I wish I could play the things that he did.” Whilst Yes guitarist Peter Banks has also lauded him calling him “an almost perfectly formed musician, his classical playing was tremendous and his improvising was second to none.”

For generations, he has impressed and inspired large numbers of guitarists with his timing, harmonics, virtuosity and his ability to perform with a wide range of musicians from various musical backgrounds.

Close Beauty can be considered as one of Jan’s most varied works, while this record is his first album in almost 30 years that also gets a vinyl release. The album took well over a year to complete and talking about it Akkerman says, “The title was inspired from a simple notion, that when you are too close to an object you cannot see the real value. The same applies to music.” “My aim is to create beauty in my music,” he continues. “I like diversity and freedom.”

Tracklisting:

“Spiritual Privacy (Sunset Tango)“
“Beyond The Horizon“
“Reunion“
“Close Beauty“
“Retrospection (Emotional Debris – The Power Behind The Throne – Hear The Trees Whistle For The Fog – Euridice)“
“Passagaglia“
“Tommy’s Anniversary“
“Don Giovanni“
“Meanwhile In St. Tropez“
“French Pride“
“Fromage“
“Good Body Every Evening“

"Tommy's Anniversary" video:

(Photo - Paul Bergen)




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Icelandic wrecking crew, Une Misère, will be unleashing their full length debut, Sermon, unto the world on November 1 via Nuclear Blast Records.

Today, the band launch their multi-part documentary series, Iceland: Beauty In Misery, which chronicles the bands grim relationship with the "picturesque" destination that has become a bucket-list location for the social media influencer elite. Watch Part 1, where the band discusses the often left out facts that Icelandic natives have to endure year-round, below:

Sermon was produced and mixed  by Sky van Hoff with mastering completed by Svante Forsbäck. The album was engineered by Marco Bayatl, Sky Van Hoff and Marco Kollenz. The album artwork was created by Niklas Sundin.

The product of a modern age; the sonic nature of Une Misère cannot be easily defined. With an inherently heavy nature, the band sits somewhere on a vast spectrum of blackened hardcore and aggressive metal.

Sermon will be available in the following formats:

- CD Jewel
- CD Bundle (CD Jewel + Patch + 3 Buttons)
- Black w/ Gold Splatter Vinyl
- Vinyl Bundle (Black w/ Gold Splatter Vinyl + Patch + 3 Buttons)

Pre-order your copy of Sermon in the format of your choice here. Pre-save the album on Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer, here.

Tracklisting:

"Sin & Guilt"
"Sermon"
"Overlooked // Disregarded"
"Burdened // Suffering"
"Fallen Eyes"
"Beaten"
"Grave"
"Failures"
"Damages"
"Offering"
"Spiral"
"Voiceless"

"Sermon" video:

"Damages" video:

Une Misère are:

Jón Már Ásbjörnsson - Vocals
Finnbogi Örn Einarsson - Guitar and vocals
Fannar Már Oddsson - Guitar and vocals
Gunnar Ingi Jones - Guitar
Benjamín Bent Árnason - Drums
Þorsteinn Gunnar Friðriksson - Bass

(Photo -  Asgeir Helgi)




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AFM Records will release the new Crystal Viper album, Tales Of Fire And Ice,  on November 22. The female fronted heavy metal act from Poland was founded by singer, guitarist and composer, Marta Gabriel.

While the band is often labeled as a new wave of traditional heavy metal act, their new album presents a bit of a different approach. New songs are heavier, more intense, but first of all: more melodic.

The album will be available as a CD, limited edition vinyl LP and digital download, the cover photo was taken by the famous Belgian photographer Tim Tronckoe, known for his cooperation with acts such as Nightwish, Delain and Epica.

CD and digital version of the album will include a bonus track in the shape of a Dokken cover, "Dream Warriors" (originally recorded for the A Nightmare On Elm Street 3 movie), while the vinyl LP version will include Crystal Viper's rendition of the I-Ten song "Alone", mainly known as the power ballad recorded by Heart.

Tracklisting:

Prelude
"Still Alive"
"Crystal Sphere"
"Bright Lights"
"Neverending Fire"
Interlude
"Under Ice"
"One Question"
"Tomorrow Never Comes (Dyatlov Pass)"
"Tears Of Arizona"
"Dream Warriors" (CD bonus track)
"Alone" (LP bonus track)

(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)




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Professionally-filmed footage of Trivium, performing the title track of their 2011 album In Waves at this year's edition of Germany's Rock am Ring festival, can be seen below:

Trivium frontman Matt Heafy recently posted an acoustic cover of the Amaranthe song "Electroheart", taken from the band's 2013 album, The Nexus.

Heafy: "This cover was recorded during KiichiChaosKaraoke - a time where subscribers of my Twitch page choose a song for me to learn; timing down the pick by 5 minutes - auction-style. Once picked, the song has to be learned and performed in its entirety - immediately - no matter how long it takes."




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Dutch metal titans, Epica, have released another video trailer for the upcoming re-release of Design Your Universe - Gold Edition. Two "Design Your Universe: Behind The Music" segments can be seen below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Design Your Universe - Gold edition contains a remastered and remixed version of the album and a newly recorded acoustic bonus disc and will be released October 4. The album and exclusive merchandise bundles are now available for pre-order, here.

Tracklisting:

CD1: Album

"Samadhi - Prelude"
"Resign To Surrender - A New Age Dawns - Pt IV"
"Unleashed"
"Martyr Of The Free Word"
"Our Destiny"
"Kingdom Of Heaven - A New Age Dawns - Pt V"
"The Price Of Freedom - interlude"
"Burn To A Cinder"
"Tides Of Time"
"Deconstruct"
"Semblance Of Liberty"
"White Waters"
"Design Your Universe - A New Age Dawns - Pt VI"
"Incentive" (bonus)

CD2: The Acoustic Universe / Bonus CD

"Burn To A Cinder"
"Our Destiny"
"Unleashed"
"Martyr Of The Free Word"
"Design Your Universe"

"Kingdom Of Heaven" lyric video:

To coincide with this release, Epica will perform a number of exclusive Design Your Universe 10th anniversary shows around the globe. Details and tickets here.




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KISS have released some professionally-filmed video footage from their concert on September 1 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, MO. Check it out below:

KISS perform tonight, Tuesday, September 3, at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, IA. Find the complete End Of The Road tour itinerary here.

Four episodes of KISS' End Of The Road Pit Stop series can be seen below:

Episode #1:

Episode #2:

Episode #3:

Episode #4:




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Norwegian black metal masters, 1349, will be releasing their seventh full-length album, The Infernal Pathway, on October 18 via Season Of Mist. The album track, "Striding The Chasm", is now available for streaming below.

The Infernal Pathway can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp and the Season Of Mist webstore.

The Infernal Pathway was recorded in Amper Tone studios and Studio Nyhagen with engineer Jarrett Pritchard earlier this year. The cover artwork for The Infernal Pathway was created by Jordan Barlow.

Tracklisting:

"Abyssos Antithesis"
"Through Eyes of Stone"
"Tunnel of Set VIII"
"Enter Cold Void Dreaming"
"Towers Upon Towers"
"Tunnel of Set IX"
"Deeper Still"
"Striding the Chasm"
"Dødskamp" (album edit)
"Tunnel of Set X"
"Stand Tall in Fire"

"Striding The Chasm":

"Enter Cold Void Dreaming":

"Through Eyes Of Stone":

1349 have announced a second batch of North American tour dates for this fall, in which they will be supported by UADA. The trek will kick off on October 25th in Jacksonville, FL and will conclude on November 16 in Atlanta, GA. Tickets will go on sale August 23rd. The updated itinerary can be viewed below.

October
25 - Jacksonville, FL - 1904 Music Hall
26 - Asheville, NC - Mothlight
27 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
28 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus
29 - Somerville, MA - ONCE Ballroom
30 - Quebec City, QC - L'Anti
31 - Montreal, QC - Piranha Bar

November
1 - Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground
2 - Chicago, IL - Cobra Lounge
3 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
4 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
5 - Denver, CO - The Oriental Theater
6 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister Bar
7 - Las Vegas, NV - Bunkhouse
8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hi-Hat
9 - Oakland, CA - Brick By Brick
11 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red
12 - El Paso, TX - Rockhouse
13 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
14 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
15 - Memphis, TN - The Hi Tone
16 - Atlanta, GA - 529

Lineup:

Seidemann: bass
Ravn: vocals
Archaon: guitars
Frost: drums

(Photo - Dmitry Valberg)




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Swedish rockers, Creye, have released an acoustic version of "Never Too Late", a song from the band's 2018 self-titled debut album.

Says the band: "Back in 2016, our journey began with the song Never Too Late. Since then we've played it live more times than we can count - and a few months ago when we were in Stockholm with our dear producer and friend Erik Gafvelin Wiss, we decided to record a new version of this tune."

This version of "Never Too Late" is available via streaming services now. Listen to the song below:

Creye album details below.

Tracklisting:

"Holding On"
"Nothing To Lose"
"Different State Of Mind"
"Never Too Late"
"All We Need Is Faith"
"Miracle"
"Christina"
"Straight To The Top"
"Love Will Never Die"
"Still Believe In You"
"City Lights"
"Desperately Lovin’"
"A Better Way"

"Lost Without You" acoustic:

"Holding On" acoustic:

"Holding On":

(Photo - Mikael Roos)




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Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen spoke to France's Duke TV about her knack for mixing a variety of musical styles and bringing together audiences from different backgrounds.

"I wouldn't call myself at all as a crossover artist — I kind of hate that word — but in a way, you need to see me like that, because I'm working in classical music, I'm doing these other projects, and I'm having a rock career at the same time," she said (see video below). "So in a way, for me, music is emotion, and I'm breaking boundaries everywhere I go, because when I go to do my classical concerts, half of the audience are metalheads and they're coming to see those ones. And the same happens in my rock concerts — it's a very mixed audience, which is fantastic. Music is emotion; it's a beautiful thing that connects people despite their age or differences or cultural differences and anything. We are still the same, and we can love the same things."

Tarja's latest studio album, "In The Raw", was released on August 30 via earMUSIC.

Last year, Tarja told Bloodlines that her new album would be "darker" and "a bit heavier" than 2016's "The Shadow Self". But she added that she would never forget "the symphonic side of mine, as my first love of music was classical music, so I will never get away from that."

Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time.

NIGHTWISH mainman Tuomas Holopainen later called the decision to split with Turunen "the most difficult thing I ever had to do."

During a brand new interview with "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer and BLIND GUARDIAN singer Hansi Kürsch spoke about the musical direction of the third album from their DEMONS & WIZARDS side project.

"First of all, we just do whatever is natural — period," Jon said. "That's the only way to keep any of our bands successful through these years, as far as I'm concerned — just to keep it real. We are this sound. I mean, it's already there — that's established. We are the artists that we are.

"There's no question that when you hear this record, it's a DEMONS & WIZARDS record," he continued. "But it is completely different than the first two. I mean, it's just got so many more elements and we've grown so much as individuals, and that's a reflection that's in the music. There's some really dark and heavy stuff, and some really fast stuff, and some really super-melodic, classic-rock type of things and progressive stuff and even a little alternative. And all of it is just a completely natural flow — it's a completely natural development."

Added Hansi: "I'm just happy about what we're having at the moment. For me, it's always a little easier than for him, because I pick up on something. Either Jon or André [Olbrich, BLIND GUARDIAN guitarist] delivers me something, which is the source I'm building up on, apart from a few songs which I started — in BLIND GUARDIAN at least. But what I can say is that the music itself, it has a very natural flow and a very natural expression, and I just wanna keep that for DEMONS & WIZARDS, of course. It would be a waste not to do so. And, really, starting considering what we are 'supposed' to do, what would people expect… This album will be DEMONS & WIZARDS one hundred percently. Yes, I see our history in it as well. But in general, it's just new, fresh material."

DEMONS & WIZARDS' as-yet-untitled third studio LP is scheduled to be released in early 2020.

The band kicked off its first tour in nearly two decades on May 31 in Saarbrücken, Germany.

The DEMONS & WIZARDS touring lineup is as follows:

* Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN) - Lead Vocals

* Jon Schaffer (ICED EARTH) - Guitar

* Jake Dreyer (WITHERFALL, ICED EARTH) - Lead Guitar

* Marcus Siepen (BLIND GUARDIAN) - Bass

* Fredrik Ehmke (BLIND GUARDIAN, SINBREED) - Drums

* Joost Van Den Broek (AFTER FOREVER, AYREON) - Keyboards

DEMONS & WIZARDS recently released remastered versions of its first two albums on all digital platforms. Remastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ICED EARTH, QUEENSRŸCHE, SANCTUARY), "Demons & Wizards" (2000) and "Touched By The Crimson King" (2005) were also released as expanded deluxe editions on June 7. The expanded editions feature liner notes by Kürsch and Schaffer as well as bonus material and were released as a limited-edition digipak, deluxe 2LP with etching and LP booklet as well as digital deluxe editions.

DEMONS & WIZARDS has just embarked on the "A Magical Encounter With Demons & Wizards" North American headline tour. The band hit the road starting August 17 in Los Angeles and will wrap up the trek with a sold-out show on September 7 in Atlanta.

CHILDREN OF BODOM bassist Henkka Seppälä (a.k.a. Henkka T. Blacksmith) spoke to Kaaos TV about the fan response to the band's tenth studio album, "Hexed", which came out in March via Nulcear Blast Records.

"Well, surprisingly, we got a lot of positive feedback," he said (see video below). We haven't been expecting any positive feedback [for] many years… The more albums you do, the more people expect and always reflect to the older stuff. Then, at some point, you just try not to expect anything; you just try to make it as good as you can. And with 'Hexed', we have had a lot of good reactions, first from the media, from the critics, and then also from the fans, what I've seen. Of course, I'm sure there's a lot of fans who don't like it. But I've seen more positive [feedback] than from the previous albums."

Asked if he pays attention to reviews of his band's music, Henkka said: "I don't actively follow [it], but, of course, sometimes I see… Of course, in this social media world, it's hard to avoid. But I don't go and look, because it makes no sense."

"Hexed" saw CHILDREN OF BODOM return to Finland's Danger Johnny Studios where the band was reunited with Mikko Karmila ("I Worship Chaos", "Halo Of Blood", "Hatebreeder", "Follow The Reaper" and "Hate Crew Deathroll") who recorded everything except keyboards and also produced the album with the group. Janne Wirman recorded keyboards at Beyond Abilities Studios. The album was mixed and mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.

Following a summer run of highly impressive summer festival appearances, Welsh ragga metallers SKINDRED have announced that they will play a special one-off show at London's Roundhouse on Saturday, November 21, 2020, to be recorded as the band's first live album.

While winning awards as being one of the U.K.'s best and most renowned live acts, including Metal Hammer magazine's prestigious "Golden God" award as "Best Live Act," SKINDRED has to date never recorded or released a iive album.

SKINDRED's manager Seven Webster from 7pm Management said: "The band have always wanted to record a live album and for us it was just a matter of finding somewhere extremely unique to record it. The Roundhouse, aside from being a landmark venue, has had some incredible rock bands play there over the years, from the likes of THE DOORS, Jimi Hendrix, the RAMONES and MOTÖRHEAD, so where else were we going to do it."

SKINDRED drummer Arya Goggin said: "We are stoked to be playing at the Roundhouse. It has been on my personal bucket list for a while, so recording it as a live album makes it all the better for us to bring our A game and put on an amazing show.

"SKINDRED are all about supporting the live industry and helping to keep historical music venues open, so playing in rooms like the Roundhouse only endorses our want to support these fantastic rooms rather than see them turned into car parks."

Tickets for the show go on sale this coming Friday, September 6 at 10 a.m., so if you want to see SKINDRED bring the Newport Helicopter to Camden's most revered venue for what promises to be an amazing night grab your tickets quickly on Friday from this location.

Meanwhile, SKINDRED's single "Big Tings", taken from the Top 40 album of the same name on Napalm Records, was recently picked up by the new and extremely well-received Sky TV show "Brassic", featuring Michelle Keagan, with the track being used to launch the whole campaign as well as being used in the show itself.

SONS OF APOLLO — the progressive metal supergroup featuring former DREAM THEATER bandmates Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, as well as guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-GUNS N' ROSES), bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, THE WINERY DOGS) and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (W.E.T., TALISMAN) — released "Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony" on August 30.

"Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony" documents the band's remarkable one-off performance at the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria alongside a full orchestra and choir, playing tracks from its debut album, "Psychotic Symphony", as well as a selection of tracks by legendary bands. It is available as a limited deluxe 3CD + DVD + Blu-ray artbook, special-edition 3CD + DVD Digipak, standalone Blu-ray and digital album.

Portnoy has uploaded an "unreleased outtake" from "Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony" — a performance clip of the AEROSMITH classic "Dream On". Check it out below.

Portnoy comments: "I've released several dozen live albums through the years with about a dozen different bands, but I have to say that this live release from SONS OF APOLLO may indeed be the most special one of them all!! Everything was aligned that evening: an absolutely beautiful Roman amphitheatre and a perfectly gorgeous summer evening, one set of SONS OF APOLLO material and one set of specially chosen cover songs, and to top it all off being joined by a symphony orchestra and choir…it was a magical evening for everybody in attendance and now we can share it with the rest of the world immortalized in this incredible live package. This package will serve as a nice souvenir to capture the band's first year on tour and should tide over all of our fans while we complete work on our sophomore studio release that will coming in January 2020."

The track listing is as follows:

CD 1:

01. God Of The Sun

02. Signs Of The Time

03. Divine Addiction

04. That Metal Show Theme

05. Just Let Me Breathe

06. Billy Sheehan Bass Solo

07. Lost In Oblivion

08. Jeff Scott Soto Solo Spot (The Prophet's Song / Save Me)

09. Alive

10. The Pink Panther Theme

11. Opus Maximus

CD 2:

01. Kashmir

02. Gates Of Babylon

03. Labyrinth

04. Dream On

05. Diary Of A Madman

06. Comfortably Numb

07. The Show Must Go On

08. Hell's Kitchen

09. Derek Sherinian Keyboard Solo

10. Lines In The Sand

CD 3:

01. Bumblefoot Guitar Spot

02. And The Cradle Will Rock

03. Coming Home

Thal recently told the Detroit radio station 101 WRIF that the next SONS OF APOLLO album "will still sound like us. That's not something we can get away from," he said. "It will be similar, I'm sure, to the first record, but maybe just turning up the intensity knob. I'd like to — I'd like the heavier stuff to be heavier, the crazy stuff to be crazier and just really up the intensity... I can't wait. It's going to be good. I just really want to make sure we outdo the last record, and the record after this upcoming one outdoes this one, and we just keep raising the bar and demanding more of ourselves and meeting that higher setting that we keep pushing [for]. In anything, you just always want to become better. You want to keep bettering what you've done and keep growing and keep improving and keep developing. I'm excited to take that step and see what we come up with."

Asked how the group prepares before it enters the studio, Ron said: "[We] come in with ideas, but a lot of things happen spontaneously. Most of the [first] record happened spontaneously. Even then, when we have ideas, the last thing you want to do is over-build the idea on your own — you want to leave room for it to grow as a band and [allow] everybody to contribute, and make it something that's truly us, not something where somebody runs with it and ends up writing the whole song. That can happen — and on the first record, that happened a bit, which is fine — but [the goal is] trying not to over-write, so if I come up with an idea, if I come up with a riff, I try to just leave it at that riff and resist the urge to make the next part and the part after that and say, 'Hey, check out this whole song I wrote.' We all want it to be a band effort where we all contribute so that it does sound like all of us."

"Psychotic Symphony" was released in October 2017 via InsideOut Music.