Veteran underground rock band, Nightstalker, will release their new LP, Great Hallucinations, on October 4 via new label Heavy Psych Sounds (Nebula, Ecstatic Vision). Pre-order here.

The group's eighth studio album, Great Hallucinations, is the follow-up to Nightstalker's 2016 release, As Above, So Below.

Formed in 1989, Nightstalker has earned a cult following over the course of the last three decades due to its impressive live shows and penchant for delivering high-energy biker-boogie-punk-psych rock. Led by front man Argy - whose powerful vocals form the bedrock of the band's sound - alongside bassist Andreas Lagios (ex-Rotting Christ), guitarist Tolis Motsios, and drummer Dinos Roulos, Nightstalker delivers righteous riff-rock that is awash in stomping tempos, bone-primal rhythms, and comedown vibes.

In advance of the release of Great Hallucinations, Nightstalker has released a music video for the new song, "Sweet Knife", which can be seen below.

“The 'Sweet Knife' song and video have nothing to do with love," Argy opines. "It’s all about the endless inner battle between your good and your bad self. Sometimes the good wins; sometimes the bad wins…”

Tracklisting:

"Black Cloud"
"Sweet Knife"
"Sad Side OF The City"
"Seven Out Of Ten"
"Cursed"
"Half Crazy"
"Hole In The Mirror"
"Great Hallucinations"

"Sweet Knife" video:




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Zonal, featuring Justin Broadrick (Godflesh/Jesu/JK Flesh) and Kevin Martin (The Bug/King Midas Sound) have signed to Relapse Records. To celebrate the announcement, the band has shared two tracks to prepare for their forthcoming full-length record, coming fall 2019.

Zonal continues where their previous collaboration Techno Animal left off (R.I.P.), and combines a brutal ongoing obsession with beats, bass, dub, drone, noise and riff. Under their new guise, the duo push the parameters further and deeper, as their sound has become ever more corrupted, corroded, slower and lower; with the theme of exploring inner/outer space acts as the gelling agent for this shockingly monolithic sound.

Anyone who witnessed their sonic destruction and lyrical detonation c/o Moor Mother at both Roadburn and Unsound festivals will not be disappointed by the slo-mo meltdown.

“Cage Version” and “No Version” are available on all streaming services here. You can also listen via the YouTube clips below.

(Photo - Jose Ramon Caamaño)




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South America’s guitar virtuoso, Kiko Shred, has released the new lyric video for “Alchemy’s Fire” in support of the band’s brand new album Royal Art, which will be hitting the streets on September 20th via RFL Records.

Shred adds: “‘Alchemy's Fire’ is a very melodic song with a strong riff, one of my favorite tracks of the album. The lyrics are also full of meaning and I'm so happy because now the world will have the opportunity to hear it!”

Guitarist and band founder Kiko Shred has made plenty of noise in South America. Since he started playing guitar in 1993, he has studied with several great guitarists and has played in a multitude of high impact acts and continues to set the bar higher. With the release of two albums; 2016’s Riding The Storm and The Stride in 2017, he now looks to take the next step with the launch of Royal Art in 2019. Kiko is no stranger to the big stage having officially joined the Latin American band of former Judas Priest vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens in 2015 and played with Owen’s this past April on the South American leg of the Tour. With the release of his second album, “The Stride” in 2017, International praise intensified and Kiko launched his first solo tour in Mexico, a country that he had previously visited while in Owen’s band. In 2018 he returned to Mexico to accompany the legendary vocalist Michael Vescera (ex Yngwie Malmsteen / Loudness / Dr. Sin) for several shows and after performing the shows with Vescera, was asked to remain for a series of guitar clinics. During the trip, he received an invite from the cabinet of the presidency of Mexico where he received a medal thanking him for his presentations to the country; some amazing accolades indeed. In 2018 Kiko started the production of his third album titled Royal Art, under the production of Andria Busic. To stabilize the band for this latest project, he called upon veteran vocalist Mario Pastore to join Will Costa, Lucas Tagliari, and himself to cement the high-powered lineup. Costa and Tagliari already having developed a strong rapport with Kiko, playing shows with Ripper Owens, Vescera, UDO, André Matos, Doogie White, Blaze Bayley, make this lineup one to keep your eyes on in the coming years.

2019 marks the release of the album Royal Art and the band’s first show abroad, held at the Metal Oasis festival in Chile. From here on out there is nothing, but big things on the horizon for this Six String master. The world will soon see the talent that is Kiko Shred.

Kiko Shred Band is:
Kiko Shred - Primary Songwriter, Guitars
Mario Pastore - Lead Vocals
Lucas Tagliari Miranda - Drums, Vocals
Will Costa - Bass, Vocals




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WDR Rockpalast has posted new video of Lizzy Borden's performance on June 7 at Germany's Rock Hard Festival. Watch the band's full set below.

Setlist:

"My Midnight Things"
"Abnormal"
"Tomorrow Never Comes"
"Obsessed With You"
"Love Kills"
"Roll Over And Play Dead"
"Eyes Of A Stranger"
"Notorious"
"Master Of Disguise"
"Under Your Skin"
"There Will Be Blood Tonight"
"American Metal"
"Long May They Haunt Us"
"Me Against The World"
"Red Rum"




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KISS have released some pro-shot video footage from their show last night (July 9) at Arena Birmingham in Birmingham, England. Watch below:

KISS performs next on July 11 at O2 Arena in London, England. Find the band's complete End Of The Road tour itinerary here.




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Since its 1999 "Ecliptica" debut, SONATA ARCTICA has gradually moved away from the zippy, speedy, if not wholly saccharine, power metal sound that so defined the Finnish band's early years. Inspired heavily by their fellow countrymen STRATOVARIUS, SONATA ARCTICA rode the late '90s/early 2000s melodic and power metal resurgence alongside EDGUY, HAMMERFALL and KAMELOT. But starting with 2007's "Unia", SONATA ARCTICA began to sound more like a traditional mid-tempo rock and metal band, eschewing many of the elements — for better or worse — from their first four studio albums. The diverse tastes of vocalist and primary songwriter Tony Kakko may have something to do with that, who all along felt SONATA ARCTICA didn't stack up against its power metal contemporaries.

"There are a lot of bands that are doing power metal, always did power metal much better than we did," he told Mulatschag in a recent interview (video below). "For us, that was one phase. Even the first album ['Ecliptica'], there are a hell a lot of songs that aren't power metal at all. Like, 'FullMoon' isn't a power metal song for example; 'Replica' isn't a power metal song. There are a few. The amount got less and less on each album we created. It was just something we were excited about, like late [in the] '90s, I fell in love with the 'Visions' album by STRATOVARIUS back in '97, then we started covering them and we started writing songs in the same style for my own band. Suddenly, we had a recording contract, 'Oh shit, so we are stuck. Pleasantly stuck with this style right now.' If we had gotten our recording contract five years later, it might have just as well been a reggae album or reggae style. We might be doing something totally different."

He continued: "I'm not a really metal-oriented person at all. I have a really, really wide spectrum. I sometimes actually write techno or dance music. It's just getting a weird feeling and a nice melody, then the melody is the key to everything. Sometimes I've written a song that is some kind of club music, but it has a really good melody. Then I figure, 'This would really suit perfectly for SONATA ARCTICA, but just strip all the club things and weird things out, and put normal rock drums and guitars in.' Suddenly, you have a new SONATA ARCTICA song there. It's just a matter of arranging it.

"Every style of music is fine for me, as long as the songs develop for the duration of the song, and it's not repeating the same fucking thing for five minutes only just changing [makes sound effect] like it often is," he explained. "If you have some kind of structure and a melody, I think you have a song."

SONATA ARCTICA will release its tenth studio album, "Talviyö" (Finnish for "Winter Night") on September 6 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded between September 2018 and May 2019, produced by Mikko Tegelman and SONATA ARCTICA in Studio57. Additional recordings took place in various other places. The mixing was done by Mikko Tegelman and Pasi Kauppinen and the mastering was handled by Svante Forsbäck for Chartmakers.

Episode 4 of "History Of Led Zeppelin", the fourth 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."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows is getting his very own playable character in the "Call Of Duty: Black Ops" franchise.

The singer is featured in a new trailer for "Call of Duty: Black Ops 4"'s next content drop called "Operation Apocalypse Z", which was released on Monday via Activision and Treyarch.

During a Treyarch livestream, M. Shadows said that getting his own character in the franchise was a "career highlight."

In the newly released trailer, M. Shadows is seen at the 2:34 point when he and other Zombies survivors look out a window at an incoming horde.

"'Operation Apocalypse Z' unleashes the hordes of undead in all game modes," an announcement said. "Fans will find exciting new ways to play, including Multiplayer maps and modes that channel the Zombies legacy, a new Zombies experience, eerie changes throughout the Blackout map, and more new weapons for players to unlock and master."

"Operation Apocalypse Z" will be made avaialble first for the PlayStation 4 on July 9 and will come to other platforms later.

Last September, AVENGED SEVENFOLD released a new song called "Mad Hatter". The track was recorded for the "Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4" video game and was included on AVENGED SEVENFOLD's "Black Reign" EP. The effort contains all four songs the band has written and recorded for the "Call Of Duty: Black Ops" franchise.

"Mad Hatter" was the first original material AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released since 2017's "Dose", which originally surfaced in the Gameloft mobile game "Dungeon Hunter 5". It later appeared on the "deluxe edition" 2017 reissue of the group's 2016 studio album "The Stage".

Swedish metal band, Narnia, will release their new album, From Darkness To Light, on August 2. A video for the second single, "You Are The Air That I Breathe", can be found below.

The new album was produced by Narnia guitarist CJ Grimmark, mixed by the band‘s sound engineer Viktor Stenquist, and mastered by Jens Bogren, Fascination Street Studios (Sepultura, Symphony X, James LaBrie in Dream Theater).

From Darkness To Light will be released on CD, vinyl in different colours, and digitally, distributed by Sound Pollution (Europe, USA, Australia), King Records (Asia) and Latin America: Voice Music, Icarus Music and The Dove‘s Voice Records.

The album release will be followed up with a tour in 2019-2020, starting in South America, together with Stryper and Tourniquet.

Tracklisting:

"A Crack In The Sky"
"You Are The Air That I Breathe"
"Has The River Run Dry?"
"The Armor Of God"
"MNFST"
"The War That Tore The Land"
"Sail On"
"I Will Follow"
"From Darkness To Light (Part 1)"
"From Darkness To Light (Part 2)"

"You Are The Air That I Breathe" video:

"A Crack In The Sky" video:




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In advance of their upcoming live appearances in the United Kingdom, the Israeli symphonic/progressive metal band Scardust has unveiled a live composite video for “Dials,” a track from their recently reissued debut album Sands Of Time. The clip – which was compiled by the group's vocalist, Noa Gruman – can be seen below.

"Ever since we first played ‘Dials’ live in 2015, our fans have been asking us to make a video for it. Being the longest and most complex piece of Sands of Time, we wracked our brains, time and time again about how to do that,” explains vocalist Noa Gruman. “The truth is - the answer was there all along. As the Dials forever turn for all of us, Scardust is also moving forward, and shaping every day, as we experience our ups and downs, our changing paths and scorching scars. The re-release of this piece gave us the perfect opportunity to present a compilation of Scardust's life up to this point, with scenes taken from the beginning of the road right up to our most recent concerts."

Next week, Scardust will travel from the Middle East to the UK to play three shows, including a performance at the annual Ramblin' Man Fair, where the band will appear on the Prog In The Park Stage alongside Riverside, Pain of Salvation and Anathema. From there, the group will head to Slovenia's Metaldays, where they will perform on the festival's Newforces Stage.

Originally self-released in Israel in 2017, Sands Of Time – mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Devin Townsend, BTBAM) and featuring cover art by Drake Mefestta (Cradle of Filth, Michael Romeo, Devilment) – is now available worldwide on gatefold double LP, digital and compact disc. The new CD reissue features a bonus acoustic piano demo of the previously unreleased song “Mist,” while the limited-edition debut vinyl pressing includes the group's 2015 debut EP “Shadow” in its entirety on Side D – the first time that release has been offered on vinyl as well. Order at the M-Theory store.

“Sands Of Time” lyric video:




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New Jersey hellions Anticosm recently announced the upcoming release of their third full-length album, The Call Of The Void. The album finds the band once again pushing the boundaries of their razor-edged brand of black thrash 'n' roll. New track, "Somewhere Between Life And Death", is streaming below.

Consisting of nine tracks of furious thrash / trad metal infused with melodic black metal, The Call Of The Void is as relentless as it is memorable. It is the blood-thirsty beast that springs from the shadows with claws aimed directly at your throat. When the dust settles, you’ll be left anxiously awaiting the next attack.

Anticosm will release The Call Of The Void through their own label, Hell Kill Destroy Records on August 16th. Pre-order the album at this location. The cover art and tracklisting can be seen below:

"Viral"
"Someone Must Suffer"
"Scorched Earth"
"Call Of The Void"
"Fall Asleep"
"Somewhere Between Life And Death"
"Behold The Venom Crystals"
"The Only Truth"
"Never Enough" 

"Somewhere Between Life And Death":

"Scorched Earth":

The Call Of The Void features founding members Kirill Kovalevsky (vocals), Mark Siedlecki II (lead and rhythm guitars) and Beheader (drums), along with bassist Tom Wilson. New guitarist Keith Romanski joined the fold shortly after the album was recorded.




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After six long years, Devourment returns to raw form, embodying brutality with their ferocious new album, Obscene Majesty, set for release August 16 via Relapse Records. The track "Narcissistic Paraphilia" is available for streaming below.

For Obscene Majesty, Devourment reunited with producer D. Braxton Henry, who played in the band on their infamous track "Babykiller" and helped craft the band's sound on their first three albums. The record also sees founding member Brad Fincher back on drums, Ruben Rosas returning to lead vocals (a formation previously only heard on the legendary Molesting The Decapitated), bassist Chris Andrews handling eight-string guitar, and Dave Spencer taking over bass. The pioneers of brutal death metal have sharpened their blades once again and are unleashing some of the most disgustingly heavy slam ever.

Clubbing blows from tracks like "Cognitive Sedation Butchery," "Narcissistic Paraphilia," and "Dysmorphic Autophagia" see the veterans as imposing and menacing as ever. Buzzsaw guitars shred through limbs against head-caving, hammering drums. Deathly, blood-soaked vocals personify pain and torture. Obscene Majesty is the epitome of uncontrollable destruction from beginning to end, as Devourment crush through break-neck speeds, deafening ears and melting faces along the way. Focusing on the very elements of gore, death, and mutilation that have crowned the band as kings of the scene for over two decades, Devourment forces you to bear witness to the Obscene Majesty.

Obscene Majesty will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats. Physical packages are available for preorder via Relapse.com here. Digital downloads/streaming services are available here.

Obscene Majesty tracklisting:

"A Virulent Strain Of Retaliation"
"Cognitive Sedation Butchery"
"Narcissistic Paraphilia"
"Arterial Spray Patterns"
"Profane Contagion"
"Dysmorphic Autophagia"
"Sculpted In Tyranny"
"Xenoglossia"
"Modum Sui Morte"
"Truculent Antipathy"

"Narcissistic Paraphilia":

"Cognitive Sedation Butchery" visualizer:

Live dates:

July
23 - Hellfest 2019 - Clisson, France
26 - California Deathfest V Pre-Fest - Los Angeles, CA

August
8-10 - Chicago Domination Festival - Chicago, IL

October
3 - Gas Monkey - Dallas, TX
4 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX

Devourment lineup:

Brad Fincher - drums
Ruben Rosas - vocals
Dave Spencer - bass
Chris Andrews - guitar, vocals

(Photo - Paul Moseley)




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On September 13, Ram will unleash their new album, The Throne Within, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of the record, a lyric video for the first single, "Ravnfell", can be found below.

The Throne Within can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- jewelcase CD
- limited edition digibook-2CD (EU exclusive - includes bonus CD, slipcase, and patch)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- clear/brown marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- lilac marbled vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- purple/black A/B side vinyl (EU webstore exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- ochre-brown marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- limited edition 2LP (EU exclusive - includes clear violet marbled 2LP, poster, and patch)
* exclusive bundles with shirts, plus digital options are also available!

There can be few better ways to mark the 20th anniversary of your band than releasing the finest record of your career. In Ram's instance, this comes in the form of The Throne Within, the Swedish quintet upping their game across the board to deliver a record with deep roots in classic heavy metal but wielding an energy and freshness to it that places it very much in the now.

"It is unmistakable Ram, there are fast songs, heavy songs, mid-tempo and slower tempos as well. There's melody and there's grit. The arrangements are recognizable but some may be unorthodox," states founding guitarist Harry Granroth.

"This is a monumental album for us, and I am certain for our fans. We have worked very hard to bring our sound, songwriting and playing to the next level without leaving our Black Path of Heavy Metal Tyranny," says vocalist Oscar Carlquist.

Unlike 2017's Rod, there is no concept unifying the lyrics, each song speaking for itself, and coming from dark places. Vocally, Oscar Carlquist delivers every line with his signature style, pushing himself to give the best possible performance - with Alan Averill of Primordial also appearing on "Ravnfell".

The Throne Within tracklisting:

"The Shadowwork"
"Blades Of Betrayal"
"Fang And Fur"
"Violence (Is Golden)"
"The Trap"
"No Refuge"
"Spirit Reaper"
"You All Leave"
"Ravnfell"

"Ravnfell" lyric video:

Tour dates:

July
11 - Balingen, Germany - Bang Your Head Festival
19 - Bertingen, Germany - Rude Open Air
27 - Osterholz-Scharmbeck, Germany - Burning Q Festival

August
9 - Karnten, Austria - Sauzipf Rocks Festival

September (with Vulture)
12 - Hamburg, Germany - Bahnhof Pauli
13 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
14 - Andernach, Germany - Ironhammer Festival (no Vulture)
15 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connexion Complex
17 - Krakow, Poland - Klub Zascianek
18 - Wien, Austria - Escape
19 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse
20 - Rovallasca, Italy - Dedolor Music HQ
21 - Winterthur, Switzerland - Gaswerk
22 - München, Germany - Backstage
23 - Kassel, Germany - Goldgrube
24 - Bielefeld, Germany - Movie
25 - Berlin, Germany - Cassiopeia
26 - Hannover, Germany - Cafe Glocksee
27 - Oldenburg, Germany - Cadillac
28 - Aalborg, Denmark - Rock & Metal




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Frontiers Music Srl recently announced the release of Soleil Moon's third album, Warrior, out on August 9. Pre-order the album here, and listen to the song "Just So You Know" below.

Following the great critical acclaim that Soleil Moon gathered with the release of their first two albums. Worlds Apart (1999) and On the Way To Everything (2011), the band reconvened to record a new album in 2018. Born as a collaboration between singer Larry King (Michael Thompson Band) and keyboardist John Blasucci (Dennis DeYoung), Soleil Moon has become a personal outlet for writer and producer Larry King to "spread my wings and share a piece of my life with everyone. In order to stay in this business you have to be a Warrior. Frontiers has given me the chance to express myself my way. I am very grateful."

"The entire premise of this album is variety,” continues King. "I have been fortunate to be allowed to put great songs and personal stories on this record. No handcuffs...a peek into my life as well as the other writers. Personal stories make for more meaningful songs that others hopefully can relate to. Each song takes a journey that has its own vignette of space and time creating a little movie in your mind. I want people to listen to and see the story. John Blasucci, Khari Parker, Alan Berliant, Chris Siebold, Lee Sklar, Vinnie Colaiuta, Joie Scott, Opal Staples, Mike Harvey, Kelly Keagy (of Night Ranger), Jeff Morrow, Cheryl Wilson, Craig Bauer, Jeff Breakey, and of course, Michael Thompson have been helping me with my creations for a long time. I owe my career and life's work to this team. They have pushed and pulled me to be better every step of the way. I can never express the amount of gratitude that I have for them."

As a special treat, the album includes the song “72 Camaro”, which was released as a Michael Thompson Band single in anticipation of that band's performance at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan in 2018. Explains King, "Michael and I work together often on various projects and when we decided to do the MTB record, we both started writing. '72 Camaro' was a song about my first car and was very personal to me. It was my story. By the time the MTB record "Love And Beyond" was finished, we had mutually decided that because this was my story, it would be better suited for the Soleil Moon record."

Soleil Moon debuted in 1999 with the independently released album Worlds Apart, which also included the song “I’d Die For You,” later covered by Michael Kiske’s Place Vendome on their second album, Streets Of Fire. The album did quite well on Adult Contemporary radio with "Willingly," "Never Say Goodbye," and the title track, all of which ranked inside the Top 10 on U.S. national radio charts for the format. The follow up, On The Way To Everything came about a few years after and was acclaimed as a high quality AOR release.

Larry is a mind-bogglingly multi-talented singer, songwriter, player, producer, and band leader who has been a full-time musician, singer and songwriter since he was 12 years old. In 1997, Larry conceptualized and formed 'The Larry King Orchestra'. He hand-picked eleven top notch musicians and vocalists to form what became one of Chicago's premiere 22 piece Society Bands. The musicians chosen became such a dynamic team in this forum that they went on to feature in the recording and performance of music by Soleil Moon, Larry King's original project developed with John Blasucci, currently the keyboard player for Dennis DeYoung (ex-Styx).

Tracklisting:

“’72 Camaro”
“Here For You”
“You And I”
“Just So You Know”
“Can’t Go On”
“Halfway To Nowhere”
“How Long”
“Nothing Matters”
“When I’m With You”
“Before The Rainbow”
“Warrior”
“420” (Hidden Track)

"Just So You Know":

“Here For You”:




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Shock rock legend Alice Cooper recently guested on Appetite For Distortion, and during the interview he discussed recording "The Garden" with Guns N' Roses for the band's Use Your Illusion I album, released in 1991.

Alice: "We took Guns N' Roses on their first tour when we were in Los Angeles, 1984. They were a bar band I think, back then, and we had them open for us, it's before Appetite For Destruction or any of that. They were a wild crowd, but you know, we would hear them on stage and say 'These guys are really good,' and it raises the quality of everybody's playing when you hear somebody play that good, it brings you up. 

Axl and I were good friends, Slash and I were good friends and everything. And it's about 3:00 in the morning, Axl calls up and says, 'Hey, I got this song' - Axl works all night, you know - and he says, 'It's perfect for you.' And I said, 'Okay, I'll be right down there. But it's not gonna take six years to put this out?' He says, 'No'. I said, 'I'm gonna come down and it will probably take a couple of hours,' and I did it in two takes.

I almost forgot about it, but later on we invited them to come in and do 'Under My Wheels' with us, and so there's a version with 'Under My Wheels' with Axl and I singing and Slash playing guitar, it was really a cool version."

"The Garden" featuring Alice Cooper

"Under My Wheels" featuring Axl Rose, Slash and Izzy Stradlin




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Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing will join ex-MANOWAR axeman Ross "The Boss" Friedman for several songs at this year's Bloodstock Open Air festival on August 11 at Catton Park, Derbyshire, United Kingdom. This will be K.K.'s first public performance since October 17, 2009 when JUDAS PRIEST played the final "British Steel 30th Anniversary" date on the "Nostradamus" world tour at Japan's Loud Park festival in Chiba City, Japan.


K.K. states: "I'm really delighted and really looking forward to sharing the stage with Ross The Boss and saying hello to all our fans together. For me, as you know, it's been far too long, so I sincerely hope to see as many familiar faces as possible at this truly unique event. True metal for true metal fans at the U.K.'s truest metal festival. United we stand!"

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

Last summer, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Downing's autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", was released in September via Da Capo Press.

A founding member of MANOWAR, Ross recorded six albums with the band before leaving after 1988's "Kings Of Metal".

ROSS THE BOSS is currently recording its new album for a 2020 release via AFM Records.

The band's latest album, "By Blood Sworn", was released last year to critical acclaim.

A collection of previously unreleased demos by Joe Satriani's first band, THE SQUARES, will be made available on July 12 via his own Strange Beautiful Music imprint.

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "Best Of The Early '80s Demos" can be heard below.

THE SQUARES featured Andy Milton, who passed away in 1999, on bass and vocals, Jeff Campitelli on drums and, of course, Satriani on guitar.

"In Berkeley, California back in the late '70s, my then-brother-in-law Neil Sheehan and I decided to start a band," Satriani said. "It would be a power pop trio with me on guitar and Neil managing and writing lyrics. We sought out a drummer and a frontman/bassist, and in December of '79 we found them playing on the local Bay Area scene.

"Our lead vocalist/bassist Andy Milton was from Cleveland, Ohio. He was 6 feet tall, good looking and had a voice like a modern-day Elvis.

"Our drummer Jeff Campitelli was fresh out of high school. A local phenom who could groove like Charlie Watts but with a new ferocious energy that would help propel the band into the burgeoning New Wave music scene.

"We called ourselves THE SQUARES, or sometimes just SQUARES. There were other bands with the same name but we were determined to get to home base first and claim the name. That never happened. We were part VAN HALEN and part EVERLY BROTHERS. A mix of heavy metal, rock 'n' roll, punk and new wave. We were hard to pin down and categorize, which is most likely why we never 'made it.'

"But as we were trying our best to get a record deal and become superstars, we had a lot of good times, and we laid down some seriously good music. We were ahead of our time, which, in this case, is another way of saying we were out of step with what people were looking for back then.

"Ultimately, I left the band I started to pursue a solo career. It was gut\-wrenching to walk away from something I put all my heart and soul into, but, as it turned out, it was the right thing to do."

The demos on "Best Of The Early '80s Demos" were recorded and mixed by the band's then-sound engineer John Cuniberti. The recordings have now been restored, digitized and remixed by Cuniberti.

"We've restored the original recordings, brought them into the digital world, and with loving hands and ears, John has remixed the best of what we did in the studio," Satriani said. "They sound better than ever. John was careful to preserve the band's original intent with regards to song arrangements, sound and vibe, and in some cases, extremely creative mix ideas.

"Best Of The Early '80s Demos" track listing:

01. Give It Up

02. Everybody's Girl

03. B-Side Girl

04. I Need A Lot Of Love

05. Can't Take It Anymore

06. So Used Up

07. You Can Light The Way

08. Tonight

09. Never Let It Get You Down

10. Follow That Heart

11. I Love How You Love Me

Maryland rockers CLUTCH have released a David Brodsky-directed video for their cover version of ZZ TOP's "Precious And Grace". The track, along with CLUTCH's previously issued rendition of the Willie Dixon 1950s classic "Evil" (later recorded by CACTUS), will be included on a collection of newly recorded songs, "Weathermaker Vault Series", to be made available this summer.

CLUTCH singer Neil Fallon comments: "It should be fairly obvious by now that CLUTCH are huge fans of ZZ TOP. They're a band that we grew up listening to — and we still listen to them to this day. 'Precious And Grace', from their classic 'Tres Hombres' LP, is easily one of our favorite ZZ TOP songs and that's really the only story behind the choice."

Drummer Jean-Paul Gaster told Cory Blose of TotalRock Radio's "The Valley" about "Weathermaker Vault Series": "We got into the studio early this year. After we finished another U.S. tour, we jumped in the studio and we recorded a selection of songs. I wouldn't go so far as to call it a full album. But the idea is just to release a few things throughout the rest of the year. And these will be completely just digital releases as well. We're sort of experimenting with that format — just releasing stuff for streaming purposes. And we'll see how that goes."

He continued: "It was fun to get in the studio, and we picked some songs that sort of all meant something to us in different ways. We also re-recorded a few CLUTCH classic songs, so those will be coming out as well. I suppose maybe in some ways it's sort of just a way to tide us over until we really get the juices flowing to record another album."

Gaster said that CLUTCH's insistence on recording and releasing new music comes from a pure place.

"As we all know, there's not a tremendous amount of money to be made in releasing albums anymore, so you have to do it because you wanna do it," he said. "And also too, it just gives us an opportunity to play some new stuff when we get out there on the road and play shows. We do not wanna be a band that gets up there and just plays the hits and that would be the end of it. This is not a nostalgia thing for us. For us, this is still very much a live working rock band. We have the desire to be creative and to play music, so we try to foster that in whatever way we can."

He added: "I can say a scenario where we'll release this collection of singles and maybe a few more, and then eventually we might put these all on a vinyl record and put them out.

CLUTCH's latest album, "Book Of Bad Decisions", was released last September. The record sold 26,000 copies in America during its first week of availability, giving the group its third consecutive Top 20 album on the Billboard 200.

"Book Of Bad Decisions" was recorded was completed at Sputnik Sound studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Vance Powell.

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) — will release "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 will be available as a limited deluxe 3CD + DVD + Blu-ray artbook, special-edition 3CD + DVD Digipak, standalone Blu-ray and digital album.

A trailer for "Live With The Plovdiv Psychotic Symphony" is available 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.

Professionally filmed video footage of DEMONS & WIZARDS, the side project of ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer and BLIND GUARDIAN singer Hansi Kürsch, performing on June 21 at Hellfest in Clisson, France can be seen below.

During a press conference at Hellfest, Schaffer and Kürsch spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for DEMONS & WIZARDS' third album. Asked by one media outlet if fans can expect to hear an evolution in the sound and musical direction of DEMONS & WIZARDS' next LP, Hansi said: "There will be a huge evolution in sound. That's naturally by the 20 years in between the first album and this one. And even the 'Touched By The Crimson King' album has been recorded in 2005, so there were so many developments, I would be surprised if there's no evolution. And having five engineers involved is also making a difference, even though we go back to Jim Morris, who's going to do the final mixing, and we have done some work with him already.

"The [songwriting] process — has it changed? I don't think so," he continued. "We exchanged ideas. We were burning. That's the good thing about songwriting — you always try your best; you don't wanna do second best. It doesn't matter with [which] artist you're working and when you're working on it, it is always to deliver the best. And I have to say by what we have accomplished so far… The songs are finished in the composing; I just have to do some singing… But other than that, all the stuff is done. And I think we have 11 songs, and I personally would say they're all top notch. They define what DEMONS & WIZARDS is, for sure, but you can also figure that there are, like, 15 years in between this album and the last album, and we have changed as persons; we've become different characters. The approach was the same in many ways. Of course, Jon had a little break where he gathered energy and provided me with the stuff, but then it was [the same type of] situation as we have had in the past, and that just went perfect."

Added Jon: "This cycle was different, because at the end of [ICED EARTH's] 'Incorruptible' album cycle, I went out to the mountains in Arizona and hiked for a month and spent one week with my [ICED EARTH] bandmates, because we were going on hiatus. So the five of us went out into the desert and stayed together, and then I stayed three weeks by myself and got an enormous amount of power from that and energy from just staying away from the music business and not talking to management. I talked to Hansi about twice, and other than that, I was completely disconnected from everybody, and it was a really great thing. So when I got back to songwriting, it was, like, 'Boom!' Everything went really fast, and I knew there was really, really strong material, and it's good. And the arrangements came, and everything came, and I started sending Hansi stuff. I knew, from an instrumental standpoint, that this is some of the best material I've ever written. And then when he added his stuff on top, it was, like, 'Okay, we have something really special for the people.' And at the end of the day, I actually don't care if you guys love it, because I do, and [Hansi] does. And that sounds harsh, but that's art, and it's honest — it's actually honest. And it's real, and it is actually some of the best material I've written in my entire life, from my standpoint, and what [Hansi has] done, it's killer. And people are gonna be shocked, I think — very pleasantly shocked — by what's coming, honestly."

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 will embark on the "A Magical Encounter With Demons & Wizards" North American headline tour in the summer. The band will 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. The band will be joined by special guests LIZZY BORDEN and TÝR and will be playing major markets like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and more.

Continuing the fan frenzy they created last week when they released their mysterious video for brand new track "F***ing With My Head", Canadian rockers PALAYE ROYALE have released the clip for another brand new track, "Nervous Breakdown". Watch the video below.

The release of these two new tracks and their accompanying visuals heralds the transition into the next era of PALAYE ROYALE.

Both videos follow a story from the band's upcoming "Neutopian" graphic novel written and illustrated by the band's drummer, Emerson Barrett. They contain several hidden symbols and references to clues that the band have been including in videos and artwork since PALAYE ROYALE began. The band's rabidly obsessive fandom — The Soldiers Of The Royal Council mobilized en masse last week when the new video dropped providing their own theories on what it all means and who/what the mysterious Lieseil Inc is.

"Nervous Breakdown" takes fans even deeper down the rabbit hole of the utopian world being created by the band.

Speaking on the dawning of the new era, the band says: "'Nervous Breakdown' is the continuation of the story we started with the video for 'F***ing With My Head'. As the new era is beginning to be revealed, the viewer is cryptically introduced to Lieseil Inc and Warhol Stars.

"For the past seven years of our career, we have been hinting at this in lyrics, music videos and artwork. Like an existential maze for the fans to figure out and link together. Recently we have been posting in binary and Morse code leading the fans further into the secrets of the conceptual story. Every new piece of material released is a further insight into the world that we have created."


As well as joining the "Twins Of Evil: Hell Never Dies" tour, PALAYE ROYALE will also join MARILYN MANSON on two headline shows at Big Sky Brewing Company Missoula, Montana on July 30 and The Knitting Factory Concert House in Boise, Idaho on July 31.


PALAYE ROYALE has just returned to the U.S. from two weeks in Europe where they hit the major festival circuit with performances at legendary festivals such as Download, Isle Of Wight, Austria's Nova Rock and Pinkpop in the Netherlands. They also played a special, intimate charity show the infamous Borderline in London in aid of Nordoff Robbins, the largest independent music therapy charity in the U.K., dedicated to changing the lives of vulnerable and isolated people through the power of music. All proceeds from the show went to the charity.

The band's latest album, "Boom Boom Room Side B", was released in September 2018 via Sumerian Records.

Phil Demmel, Dave McClain and Adam Deuce reunited this past weekend for a special performance at a Northern California bar.

The three former MACHINE HEAD members were joined by a by a number of other musicians — including current MACHINE HEAD bassist Jared MacEachern — for a set of covers at the opening of Demmel's new sports bar, The Back Lounge, in Dublin.

The July 6 appearance by THE MERKINS marked the first time Demmel, McClain and Duce played together since Adam's February 2013 exit from MACHINE HEAD. Duce was replaced four months later by MacEachern. Adam then sued MACHINE HEAD, claiming that the other bandmembers "simply kicked him out of the band and presumed he would forget about over two decades of hard work, dedication, and effort" he put into the group. Duce also said his likeness was used on the band's web site and in promotions without his authorization. The lawsuit was settled out of court in July 2014.

Duce, who played on MACHINE HEAD's "Burn My Eyes" LP, isn't involved in the upcoming tour to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the classic debut album.

McClain and Demmel exited MACHINE HEAD last fall.

When he announced his departure from the band, Demmel, who first played with MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn in VIO-LENCE in the late 1980s and early 1990s, said in a statement saying that it was "simply time" for him "to step away and do something else musically." He later revealed in an interview that he was minimally involved in the making of MACHINE HEAD's latest album, 2018's "Catharsis", a record that he said he hated. He also said that MACHINE HEAD gradually "became a Robb Flynn solo project, and that isn't what I signed up for."

Last month, McClain told "Robb's MetalWorks" that he no longer believed in MACHINE HEAD's songs and musical direction toward the end of his tenure with the band.







Let it be known.

#thebackloungePosted by James Stark on Sunday, July 7, 2019


Let it be Known. Volume 1

#thebackloungePosted by James Stark on Sunday, July 7, 2019


Great time at TBL with the Merkins!Posted by Becky Davis on Sunday, July 7, 2019

Video of Helix performing the tracks "Dirty Dog" and "Rock You" live at Rock Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain on July 7 can be seen below. The footage was filmed by Helix fan and friend, Andrew Libby.

Band leader/vocalist Brian Vollmer: "What a great weekend in Spain this was! Had a blast with the guys and made a lot of memories once again. Wow-from Athabasca, Alberta to Round Lake, Ontario to Spain in 7 daze! Fly, fly, fly!

"Here we are rockin' it up with our amazing audience at Rock Barcelona last weekend. It was our first time at the festival but our fourth time in Barcelona... The first time was on the KISS Lick It Up Tour in '83, the second at a club who's name I can't remember, the third at another club in 2014, and now back to festival level at Rock Barcelona.

"I'll tell you-these Spainiards sure now how to throw a rock and roll party. Tons of shops on site to buy everything from clothes to hand made guitars, rock sculpture & art to titillate thirsty eyes, and the best classic metal bands in rock history."




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Last August, Status Quo released a pair of ‘twin’ live albums, Down Down & Dignified At The Royal Albert Hall and Down Down & Dirty At Wacken, via earMUSIC. You can now watch "Rockin' All Over The World" from the Down Down & Dirty At Wacken release.

On September 6, Status Quo will release Backbone through earMUSIC / Edel; the band’s 33rd studio album - the LP will be their 33rd 33rpm.

Some doubters said Backbone was a record that could not be made, but the 2019 lineup of Status Quo has been through a lot, they have chalked up 130 shows as a unit and travelled tens of thousands of miles. This is a group of musicians that is strong, that back each other up and are tighter than ever. Backbone features of a trio songs drawn from the classic partnership of Rossi / Young as well as contributions from all of the rest of the band.

The eleven track album was recorded at Francis' studio in the late months of 2018 and into this year. The sessions were initially just to keep the juices flowing, improvise and have fun. As the hours rolled on, songs stacked up, everyone began to believe that something special was happening. And so it proved. Even from within the group, there had been some resistance to creating a new record.

As Francis says, "This new material had to be seriously good. Quo have achieved so much and meant so much to too many people for the quality to slip now. Also, let’s face it, things have changed and we’re an easier target than ever.

"Losing Rick was hard to bear but, through Richie Malone, who was inspired to pick up a guitar by him, we can not only keep going but actually pick up the pace. The energy that he and Leon bring to Quo can’t be underestimated. I wasn’t sure I had another album in me but I couldn’t be more proud of ‘Backbone’. I hope the fans love it, but you can’t please everyone and I’m not going to start trying to now."

To have Backbone means to stand firm, to stand up for what you believe in. The title fits. The hundreds of songs recorded by Quo over half a century still resonate today, and the tracks on this album are a worthy addition to that incredible catalogue. A new Quo studio album is a cause for celebration, especially when it kicks like this one. And for the doubters? A Backbone is also a support, a unifying element that keeps things in shape. Underlying this new record are the core desires to keep creating, to be the best and to keep playing: these are the qualities that have kept Quo at the top for so long. Backbone will ensure that Francis Rossi and Quo keep standing proud. And, by naming the album Backbone, they’re ready for the 'Spinal Tap' headlines too!

Pre-order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"Waiting For A Woman"
"Cut Me Some Slack"
"Liberty Lane"
"I See You're in Some Trouble"
"Backing Off"
"I Wanna Run Away With You"
"Backbone"
"Better Take Care"
"Falling Off The World"
"Get Out Of My Head"
"Running Out Of Time"




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Their fifth studio album, Zerfall, sees Black Forest metal act, Finsterforst, return to the serious and elegiac soundscapes of classics such as the critically acclaimed Mach Dich Frei (2015). Set for release on August 2 via Napalm Records, the album can be pre-ordered here. The single mix of the song "Ecce Homo" is available for streaming below.

The Germans' emotional brand of post black metal gives vent to endless rage with pounding riffs and astonishing orchestral elements - and then flows into somber choirs. The centrepiece and culmination of it all has to be the 36-minute long "Ecce Homo" though, that unfolds into a majestic post metal journey crowning Finsterforst's songwriting skills and career to date.  A complex and mature piece of art that will without any doubt mesmerize old and new fans alike.

Zerfall tracklisting:

"Wut"
"Zerfall"
"Fluch des Seins" "Weltenbrand"
"Ecce Homo"

"Ecce Homo" (Short Single Version):

"Fluch des Seins" lyric video:

Live dates:

July
26 - Ottobeuren, Germany - Schlichtenfest Open Air 2019
27 - Bergamo, Italy - Malpaga Folk & Metal Fest

October
26 - Eisleben, Germany - 10 Years Best Of Dark Troll Festival

Lineup:

Oliver Berlin - Lead Vocals
Simon Schillinger - Guitar, Vocals David Schuldis - Guitar Tobias Weinreich - Bass
Cornelius "Wombo" Heck - Drums
Sebastian Scherrer - Live Keyboard

(Photo - Marco Sorrentino)




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Norwegian black metal masters, 1349, have unleashed a brand new single, "Through Eyes Of Stone", available for streaming below. The song is featured on the upcoming self-titled EP, out August 16 via Season Of Mist.

The new single can be found on all digital platforms and the limited vinyl can be pre-ordered here. Fans will also be able to purchase the EP during 1349's upcoming US performances, which includes an appearance at this year's Psycho Las Vegas fest. The band will be joined by label-mates Cloak during their Florida appearances.

"Through Eyes Of Stone" track listing:

"Through Eyes Of Stone"
"Riders Of The Apocalypse" (Live in Tokyo)

1349 have finished the recordings of their new full length, which will be released via Season Of Mist in the fall of 2019. Full details to follow.

Lineup:

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

(Photo - Jørn Veberg)




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Frontiers Music Srl has set August 9 as the release date for Unruly Child’s seventh studio album, Big Blue World. Pre-order the album here, and listen to the second single, "The Hard Way", below.

"For this album, there was a conscious decision to merge the best of what Unruly Child does, while still evolving. You know, melodic rock, but with that unique Unruly Child approach,” says Guy Allison. "It’s hard for us to stand still and repeat ourselves, but we also cannot help but sound like “us”, irrespective of any artistic lateral movement. While I’m sometimes surprised what catches the ears of our fans, I think that the album has something for everyone."

Guy Allison continues telling about the creative process, saying, “this album was written (except for the few songs we pulled out of our 'Rabbit Hole' writing sessions, and subsequently reworked) in about 14 days. After we get a structure roughly recorded, I’ll listen to the track until the melody magically shows up, seemingly out of thin air. Sometimes I’ll have a partial lyric, sometimes just a melody that I’m singing nonsense syllables to. I’m really lucky these days to have another wordsmith to work with. In the past, I’ve been the lyricist of most of the songs that I’ve been a writer on, but now I have Betsy Summers to do some of the heavy lifting with me in that department. On some songs I’ll say, “I’ve got this melody, what do ya got?”. On other songs I’ll say, “I’ve got the first verse, but I need a second verse, here’s a pencil”. She always delivers. The rest of the time is spent giving the recordings the attention that they need to become Unruly Child tracks. Finishing the process is a lot like having a block of marble and chipping away at it until the statue underneath is revealed. For us, it’s always been the art of discovering what the song wants to be. Sometimes it’s immediate and sometimes it takes a little longer, but we always get what we’re after. It’s not much different than it was in 1991. We just have more experience now, and better gear!"

Since the initial release of the critically acclaimed Unruly Child in 1991, all the band members have successfully pursued accomplished careers in the music industry. Marcie Michelle Free, one of the world's finest singers of recent times, and most renowned transgender vocalists, first released a solo record as Mark Free, entitled Long Way From Love, in 1993 and then another solo record as Marcie Free, Tormented in 1996. Guitarist Bruce Gowdy and keyboardist Guy Allison also kept quite busy over the years. They produced two more Unruly Child records and participated in another World Trade album with drummer Jay Schellen (YES). They have also pursued other projects and their reputation as writers, performers, and arrangers is second to none with their experience working with the likes of Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Bobby Kimball (Toto), Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs, Air Supply, and The Moody Blues, to name a few.

The group, in its constant state of evolution, has generated an exciting new album reflective of their musical roots in contemporary and classic rock. With the return to the original line-up, they have discovered that while time may pass, some things never change.

Tracklisting:

"Living In Someone Else’s Dream"
"All Over The World"
"Dirty Little Girl"
"Breaking The Chains"
"Are These Words Enough"
"Will We Give Up Today"
"Beneath A Steady Rain"
"The Harder They Will Fall"
"Down And Dirty"
"The Hard Way"

"The Hard Way":

"Living In Someone Else’s Dream" lyric video:

Lineup:

Marcie Free - Vocals
Bruce Gowdy - Guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals
Guy Allison - Keyboards, percussion, vocals
Larry Antonio - Bass, vocals
Jay Schellen - Drums




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Italian gothic folk band Elysium has released an official video for "Before The End", taken from their album Labyrinth Of Fallen Angels released via Lion Music. The video, shot in Dubai, was directed by Alex Kotov and Marzia Mete based on an idea by singer Daphne Nisi in collaboration with photography and filming done by the violinist Christian Arlechino.

Elysium was originally formed in Orvieto, Italy in early 2013 by bassist Marco Monetini, violinist Christian Arlechino, with the involvement of drummer Flavio Lovisa. The core of the group was born out of common artistic interests that the three held together with regards to songwriting style, work-ethic philosophy and mutual musical desires. The musical roots of the band's original members come from Dream Theater  Anathema, Nightwish and Vivaldi.

Between 2014 and 2015, with vocalist Vanessa Pettinelli, guitarists Igor Abbas e Camilla Giannelli and pianist Silvia Vazzola, the band wrote and recorded their debut EP Symphony Of A Forest at Bonsai Studio Recording in Orvieto, produced by sound engineer Andrea Mescolini.

From fall 2016, new members joined the band: singer Daphne Nisi, keyboard player Francesco Proietti and guitarist Simone Moratto, who have definitely changed the composition, giving a more powerful and metal sound to the band.

The band's debut full-length, Labyrinth Of Fallen Angels, includes ten symphonic songs, with folk-progressive influences. The album was recorded at Bonsai studio in Orvieto, Italy. Artwork by Giorgio Carotenuto. An official release date will be announced soon.

Tracklisting:

"Before The End"
"Close To You"
"Higher State Of Consciousness"
"Fight For All Your Love"
"Nobody Knows"
"Here I Am"
"Black Hole"
"Turn Around"
"Siren"
"Evanescent"

Elysium is:

Daphne Nisi - vocals, background vocals
Marco Monetini - bass
Christian Arlechino - violin
Flavio Lovisa - drums
Simone Moratto - guitar
Marco Sinopoli - keys & orchestra

Teaser:




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German metal veterans, Sinner, recently released a video for the new single, “Fiesta Y Copas”, featuring a guest appearance by Ronnie Romero (Rainbow). The song will be featured on the band's new album, Santa Muerte, out September 5 via AFM Records. Find the video below, and pre-order the new album here.

After having delivered a top-notch album with Tequila Suicide in 2017 (reaching #49 in the German charts), the band around mastermind Mat Sinner (Primal Fear, Voodoo Circle, Rock meets Classic, and more) has created another all-killer-no-filler album. Featuring guests like Ronnie Romero (Rainbow) and Ricky Warwick (Black Star Riders), Santa Muerte comes with an additional surprise for all the listeners: Sinner introduce Giorgia Colleluori - a permanent new member to the band, sharing vocal duties with Mat Sinner.

Mat: “I’d first noticed Georgia in her own band, Eternal Idol, that’s why we enlisted her as a background vocalist for Rock Meets Classic. During that tour it transpired that Georgia would fit in really well with Sinner. So we asked her to join us on stage for three classics during a number of shows in Australia, Japan and Germany. The audience’s reactions were awesome, so we decided to ask her to join the band on a permanent basis.” 

Colleluori’s vocal range has lent a whole new dimension to Sinner’s current songs in particular – according to Mat – “a dimension that I wouldn’t have been able to achieve by myself.”

The second innovation: in Ricky Warwick (Thin Lizzy, Black Star Riders) and Ronnie Romero (Ritchie Blackmore´s Rainbow), Santa Muerte features two of the currently most charismatic vocalists of the international rock scene as guests. 

“I met Ricky in connection with Rock meets Classic, too,” explains Mat. “We frequently sat on the tour bus together, talked for hours and have become real friends. Ricky is very similar to me, down to earth, honest, a little rough.” 

Warwick’s unique voice can be heard on ‘What Went Wrong’, a straightforward rock number with an Irish-inspired Thin Lizzy flair. Ronnie Romero on the other hand, whose voice features on ‘Fiesta Y Copas’, came to Sinner’s attention in 2015 for the first time at a major festival in Italy, where Mat’s power metal act Primal Fear and Romero’s Spanish band Lords Of Black played on the same stage. Other guests on Santa Muerte are Swedish guitarist/co-songwriter Magnus Karlsson (Primal Fear, Allen/Lande) on ‘Death Letter’ and background vocalist Sascha Krebs, who already contributed fantastic choir parts to (almost) all songs on Sinner’s previous release, Tequila Suicide.

The album was produced by Mat Sinner and Dennis Ward (Amon Amarth, Helloween, Van Canto and more).

Tracklisting:

"Shine On"
"Fiesta Y Copas" (feat. Ronnie Romero)
"Santa Muerte"
"Last Exit Hell"
"What Went Wrong" (feat. Ricky Warwick)
"Lucky 13"
"Death Letter" (feat. Magnus Karlsson)
"Craving"
"The Wolf"
"Misty Mountain"
"The Ballad Of Jack"
"Stormy Night"
"Sorry" (Bonus Track)

Tour dates:

September
11 - Essen, Germany – Turock
12 - Siegburg, Germany  – Kubana
13 - Mannheim,  Germany – MS Connexion Complex
14 - Burgrieden, Germany  – Riffelhof 

October
4 - Regensberg,  Germany – Eventhall Airport
5 - Reichenbach,  Germany – Die Halle
6 - Bamberg,  Germany – Live-Club

"Fiesta Y Copas" video:

(Photo - Dominic Pencz)




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MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro says that Dave Mustaine is "doing fine," less than a month after he publicly revealed that he is battling throat cancer.

The 57-year-old MEGADETH leader announced his cancer diagnosis on June 17 on social media. He said that he has already begun treatment as part of a plan that his doctors feel has a "90% success rate."

Loureiro spoke about Mustaine's health status during a video chat on Sunday (July 7) from Franklin, Tennessee where MEGADETH is in pre-production for its upcoming album.

"He's doing fine," Kiko said about Dave. "He's doing the treatment. But today is Sunday. We don't work [in the studio]. Yesterday, we kind of stayed together for an hour only. Every day, he's coming here and then we work — I don't know — a few hours, and then take a break, and he rests or [goes] and [does] something else, and then he comes back. So we might be working, like, five or six hours with Dave, and then a little bit more with the producer, with [Chris] Rakestraw. We're listening to the stuff we did and changing little things and sometimes even trying to write new ideas. We have a lot of ideas here, a lot of songs. So while Dave has energy, we're working.

"We're not recording yet, so we're just composing — creating ideas and taking the time before we go to the studio," Kiko explained. "And it depends on Dave's ability to sing, of course. But he's playing guitar, so we're still developing the songs and ideas. That's what we're doing without any other more specific plan, because every day we see what's happening."

Although most of MEGADETH's previously announced 2019 tour dates have been canceled as Mustaine undergoes treatment, the MEGADETH-curated Megacruise — which is set to take place October 13-19 — will still depart as scheduled, and the band will be a part of it in some form.

Kiko made his recording debut with MEGADETH on 2016's "Dystopia" album, whose title track was honored in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 2017 Grammy Awards.

Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson are the two remaining original members of MEGADETH, which was formed in 1983, following Mustaine's dismissal from METALLICA.