German deathcore quintet, Call Of Charon, has signed with Massacre Records, and will release its debut album this fall.

The band around vocalist Patrick, guitarists Arthur & Tobias as well as drummer Christoph already made quite an impression both live as well as with various split releases and a compilation.

The band is currently preparing the release of their debut album, which was mixed and mastered by none other than Zack Ohren, who already worked with bands like Machine Head, The Ghost Inside and All Shall Perish.

Call Of Charon's upcoming debut album will also feature contributions of a few well-known guest musicians. Further information about the upcoming debut will be released soon.




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Fan-filmed video footage of SLIPKNOT performing the new song "Unsainted" on June 18 at TUI Arena in Hanover, Germany can be seen below.

SLIPKNOT played its first full concert in two and a half years on June 7 at Rockfest in Hyvinkää, Finland.

The band's European tour will run through a July 5 appearance at the Resurrection Fest in Spain. It will be followed by the "Knotfest Roadshow" headline tour of North America. VOLBEAT, GOJIRA and BEHEMOTH will join as special guests on all dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 29-city outing will kick off July 26 in Mountain View, California at Shoreline Amphitheater and continue through September 8 where it will conclude with a performance at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Texas.

Singer Corey Taylor admitted a while back that it takes a few days for the band to really get cooking onstage. "It takes a little bit for us, you know. I mean, because we are very active," he told The Pulse Of Radio. " You know, it usually takes a couple of shows before we dial it in and everything's there, you know. It takes our bodies about a week to acclimatize. But, I mean, by the time we get into it, it's all automatic. So we come together pretty quick — at our age, as well. I mean, you know, we're no spry chickens anymore."

The group's sixth studio album, "We Are Not Your Kind", will arrive on August 9. It has been preceded by the release of "Unsainted", and the first live performance on this album cycle, a two-song appearance on the May 17 edition of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

RIVAL SONS have shared the official music video for "Sugar On The Bone" from their acclaimed album "Feral Roots". The clip was shot by Patrik Skoglow during RIVAL SONS' recent European headline tour and documents sold-out performances in Oslo, Norway; Stockholm, Sweden; and Copenhagen, Denmark.

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 13t 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 have been recently added, with the latter two on sale this Friday.

"Feral Roots" was released in January via Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records. The disc was produced by Grammy Award winner Dave Cobb at Nashville's famed RCA Studio A, and the equally legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Guitarist Scott Holiday told Guitar.com about "Feral Roots": "I think it offers a couple of things that you’ve never heard from the band before that you probably wanted to hear… I think. It's more expansive, but you don't have to worry about us going to Atlantic and selling our souls and being something crappy. They literally didn't do anything to bother us while we made it — they let us make the record that we wanted to make, and then they fucking loved it."

Regarding the songwriting process for "Feral Roots", Scott said: "We spent more time writing, passing things back and forth. We spent a week in this place called Hohenwald, Tennessee, we had this little writing cabin. It was real far out, really quiet and beautiful, and we would just wake up and start writing together, then go out into nature, swim in the creek and then meet back up later, make a fire and talk about the things we'd seen that day. It really set the tone for what we wanted to do, writing-wise, and gave us the energy. Then we went home and began to work on those songs, passing it around until things were beaten into shape.

"Once you're all together, something new is going to happen, and that's how we interact both onstage and when we record together," Scott continued. "We challenge each other, we're inspired, and we become improvisational to a degree. So you're still getting something that's to a degree unpolished, and is really in its first living moments."

RIVAL SONS are: Jay Buchanan (vocals), Scott Holiday (guitar), Dave Beste (bass guitar) and Mike Miley (drums).

Danish rock band Junkyard Drive have created their own version of the Michael Jackson hit, “They Don’t Care About Us” as 2019 marks 10 years since Michael Jackson passed away.

Junkyard Drive would like to pay their tribute to Michael Jackson's music and the incredible effect he has had on modern music and show that "just" because you play hard rock, you are also inspired and influenced by soft pop, as well as other genres.

The choice fell on "They Don't Care About Us" as it must be described as one of Michael Jackson's most timeless, meaningful, and strong songs, while it just sounds really good in rock version.

Junkyard Drive's cover is not a song that is played live, it is not a track that goes on an album, it is made solely as a studio recording which, with the big production, only can be solved live, using backing tracks. Junkyard Drive DO NOT use backing tracks, they are the real deal! The song is recorded in Medley Studio and produced by Soren Andersen who is also known to work with Glenn Hughes, Mike Tramp, Phil Campbell, Electric Guitars.




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Blacktop Mojo has announced the release of their third album, Under The Sun, on September 13th. The album follows Burn The Ships which featured the singles “Where The Wind Blows” and their cover of Aerosmith’s “Dream On”. Under The Sun is available now for pre-order at all download platforms. Anyone preordering Under The Sun will receive the first single “Can’t Sleep” as an instant grat track.

The video for “Can’t Sleep”, based on an original concept by singer Matt James, can be seen below.

The cover art and tracklisting for Under The Sun are as follows:

"Lay It On Me"
"Set It Free"
"Come Get Your Coat"
"Keep"
"It Won't Last"
"All Mine Now"
"Can't Sleep"
"The Lashing (Ghost)"
"The Void"
"Under The Sun"

As previously announced, Blacktop Mojo will be doing extensive touring throughout 2019 and 2020 in support of the album. The first leg of touring currently on sale is listed below. VIP meet and greets are available for all shows at this location.

July
12 - The Blue Lights - Dallas, TX
13 - Aftershock - Kansas City, MO
14 - Apollo Theatre – Rockford, IL
16 - Spicolis – Waterloo, IA
18 - Durty Nellies – Palatine, IL
19 - Rock USA - Oshkosh, WI
20 - Bike Rally – Sturgis, KY
21 - Exit/In – Nashville, TN
23 - Winchester – Cleveland, OH
25 - Hard Times Four Mile Fork – Fredericksburg, VA
26 - Muddy Creek Saloon – Heath, OH
27 - Cotter Pin – La Crosse, WI
28 - Q and Z – Ringle, WI
31 - Token Lounge – Detroit, MI

August
1 - Manchester Music Hall – Lexington, KY
2 - Madam Caroll Boat – Monticello, IN
3 - Moefest – Monticello, IN
4 - Madison Live – Covington, KY
6 - Hard Rock Café – Pittsburgh, PA
7 - The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY
8 - Wally's - Manchester, NH
9 - Alchemy – Providence, RI
10 - Spook Hill Bar & Grill - Adams Center, NY
11 - Woodbury Brewing Company - Woodbury, CT
14 - Eclectic Room – Angola, IN
15 - Illinois State Fair – Springfield, IL
16 - Rose Music Hall – Columbia, MO
17 - Abate Summerfest – Bristol, IN
18 - The Warehouse – Clarksville, TN
20 - Sidetracks – Huntsville, AL
21 - 1884 Lounge - Memphis, TN
22 - Commandry – Ft. Smith, AR
23 - City Limits - Oklahoma City, OK
24 - Downstream Casino – Quapaw, OK




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Nashville based rock vand The Fell - Stephen Vickers (vocals), Mike Krompass (guitars), Billy Sheehan (bass), Scott Westervelt (keys), Rich Redmond (drums) - has released the official music video for their new single, "Dancing On A Glass Floor".

"We’re excited to finally release our new single ‘Dancing On A Glass Floor’ under 1225 Label Group with global distribution through Sony / The Orchard. We’re loving the new direction of the forthcoming album and feel that there’s some ear candy treats that could appeal to music lovers of all genres," says The Fell. 

The Fell is a modern alternative band that balances guitar based rock with pop sensibility. Taking their explosive mix of grunge, '80s pop, and infectious grooves to new heights, the end result is anthemic rock arrangements that are sure to leave you wanting more. 

Currently, The Fell is in the studio recording their full-length debut album and preparing to embark on a tour across North America and Europe.

For further details, visit The Fell on Facebook.

 




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For the first time ever, after four decades, a previously unreleased version of "Time", recorded in 1986 by Freddie Mercury for the concept album of the hit musical of the same name, has finally emerged after two years of work by the globally successful musician, songwriter and producer Dave Clark, a longtime friend of Freddie's, using the song's full title, "Time Waits For No One". The track is set for release via UMe on June 20, along with a powerful and deeply moving new video.

"Time Waits For No One" shows Freddie Mercury at his most compelling; a completely stripped-down performance, accompanied by just a piano, showcasing one of music's most beloved and show-stopping voices.

"Time" was the brainchild of Dave Clark, former leader of the hugely successful multi-million selling group THE DAVE CLARK FIVE, and one of the U.K.'s most prolific and celebrated musicians, songwriters and producers. "Time", the West End musical, which opened at London's Dominion Theatre in April 1986, merged sci-fi, rock music and ahead-of-its-time special effects and multimedia. With a cast including Sir Laurence Olivier and Cliff Richard, it broke box office records and played to over a million people during its two-year run.

For the show's multi-million selling star-studded concept album, Dave had a song in mind for Freddie ("In My Defence"), and despite industry naysayers claiming he wouldn't do it, Freddie agreed to fly to London from his then-home in Munich, Germany, to record the song at Abbey Road Studios in October 1985. Of Dave's minimal band of four session musicians, Mike Moran, who had never met Freddie, was introduced on piano having known Dave for many years; such was the subsequent relationship born with Freddie that Mike went on to write "Barcelona" with the QUEEN frontman years later. The "Time" session was recorded in a haze of late nights and fueled by "fabulous food, vodka and Cristal Champagne," courtesy of Freddie's personal chef Joe Fanelli.


Dave Clark further recalls of the recording session: "We got on great...if I didn't like something I'd say, and vice versa...we were both aiming for the same thing: to make something special."

When asked by Freddie if he had anything else, Dave replied with an affirmative, offering the musical's title track, "Time". In January 1986, they returned to Abbey Road Studios with a group of amazingly talented musicians to record the song. Dave wrote the song with John Christie, unbeknownst to them at the time at how the words ‘Time waits for no one' would be so relevant today. Starting off as a rhythm track, the session recorded 48 tracks of backing vocals (Freddie plus John Christie and Peter Straker), 2 x 24 track tapes locked together — which had never been done before for that amount of backing vocals at Abbey Road — and the final version of "Time" comprising of a huge production of 96 tracks.

The video for the song was filmed in three hours on a Tuesday at the Dominion Theatre and was quickly wrapped to allow the musical to prepare for that evening's performance — it had opened earlier that month with Freddie attending opening night. Worried about capturing the full performance, it was a four-camera shoot, which was cut together quickly in order to turn it around for that week's broadcast of the U.K.'s hit music TV program "Top Of The Pops". Going straight to video, not the original 35mm film it was shot in, the song was released on May 6 of that year, and the original footage was consigned to the vaults.

Dave Clark had always remembered that performance of Freddie Mercury at Abbey Road Studios from 1986. The original had sold millions, and in his own words "worked." But the feeling he had during the original rehearsal, experiencing "goosebumps," hadn't dissipated over the decades, and he wanted to hear this original recording — just Freddie on vocals and Mike Moran on piano. After much searching through the vaults to find the version without all the backing vocals, he finally retrieved it from his tape archive in the spring of 2018.

Bringing in original keyboardist Mike Moran to record a new piano track, restoring the huge potential of this historical performance at the latter's studio in Buckinghamshire, Dave, firmly believing "the impossible was possible," eventually produced the performance he had longed to revive — stripping back the 96-track version to a version with just one: Freddie Mercury.

But the audio needed a visual and Dave didn't want to just cut old footage together. He had the negatives from the four-camera shoot and the unprocessed film which was being stored for a time at Rank Laboratories in Pinewood but returned to Dave after his 2014 documentary "Glad All Over: The Dave Clark Five And Beyond". A four-day lockdown in a special facility to pore through the negatives with his editor led to the discovery and production of this visual masterpiece, a perfect representation of Freddie's "magic performance...he tasted every word."

"Time Waits For No One" is a tribute to the musical force of Freddie Mercury; the performance, the drama, the vocal range, and after four decades waiting in the wings, is finally out for new and old fans alike; a stunning eulogy to the QUEEN frontman, produced and directed by one of his closest friends.

The Sabaton History Channel has launched Episode 020 - "Rise Of Evil" - Adolf Hitler And The Nazi Party.

A message states: "After the Great War, many different movements and parties tried to replace the by many despised Weimar Republic. One of them was the NSDAP, the National Socialist German Workers Party. Headed by Adolf Hitler, the NSDAP transformed Germany into a country that would once again bring war and destruction to Europe. The Sabaton song ‘Rise Of Evil’ is about Hitlers rise to power, and in this video we dive into the historical context behind the song."

Sabaton are set to release their new album, The Great War, on July 19 via Nuclear Blast. The album will be available in the following formats:

- CD-Digi (History Edition) incl. narrated parts in addition to the album tracks
- CD (Album Edition)
- 2CD Earbook (Album + History Edition)
- 180g LP in various colors (History Edition)
- 180g LP in various colours (Album Edition)
- 3CD/3LP Box (The Great Box Edition) includes: Earbook incl. “The Soundtrack To The Great War” CD,  regular, History & Soundtrack LPs [180g, green], one out of 11 Great War propaganda posters [chosen at random], postcards, emblem, poem on sheet) – limited to 1000

Pre-order here.

The Great War tracklisting:

"The Future Of Warfare"
"Seven Pillars Of Wisdom"
"82nd All The Way"
"The Attack Of The Dead Men"
"Devil Dogs"
"The Red Baron"
"Great War"
"A Ghost In The Trenches"
"Fields Of Verdun"
"The End Of The War To End All Wars"
"In Flanders Fields"

"The Red Baron" lyric video:

“Fields Of Verdun” video:

"Bismarck" video:

"Bismarck" video "making of" footage:

Artwork trailer:

The Great War Album Stories, Part 1:

Sabaton will make their triumphant return to North American this fall for The Great Tour. The headline excursion will feature support from special guest Hammerfall, and will begin in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on October 4 and will end in Silver Spring, MD on November 3.

Says Sabaton: “North America, prepare for a Swedish invasion! We will reach your shores in early October with our new album The Great War, a bigger production than before & the templars of steel in Hammerfall as special guests! Get ready for a damn good dose of Swedish heavy metal!”

Sabaton's trek to North America coincides with the band’s upcoming 20th Anniversary and their highly-anticipated ninth full-length record, The Great War, which will be released on July 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. Keeping with their tradition of metallic battle hymns about the feats of man in wartime, the new record will be a concept album dedicated entirely to the World War I.

Tour dates:

October
4 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
5 - Tampa, FL - Jannus Landing
6 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
8 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
10 - Phoenix, AZ - Van Buren
11 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
12 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency
14 - Portland, OR - Roseland Ballroom
15 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SODO
16 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theater
18 - Edmonton, AB - Union Hall
19 - Calgary, AB - The Palace Theater
21 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
23 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theater
25 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theater
26 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theatre
27 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora Ballroom
29 - Toronto, on - The Danforth Music Hall
30 - Montreal, QC - M Telus

November
1 - Worcester, MA - Palladium
2 - New York, NY - PlayStation Theater
3 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore

(Photo - Timo Isoaho)




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Chaos Magic have released the new video below, in which Caterina Nix and Nasson perform an acoustic version of "I'd Give It All", a track from the band's new album, Furyborn, out now via Frontiers Music Srl. Order the album  here.

Chaos Magic is centered around Chilean vocalist Caterina Nix who, for this sophomore release from the band, worked in close collaboration with fellow Chilean producer, singer, and musician Nasson. Together, they have created an absolute gem of a metal album.

Nix pulled in some talented singers for a few duets on the album: Tom Englund (Evergrey) on the title track, Ailyn (ex-Sirenia) on “Bravely Beautiful”, and Ronnie Romero (Rainbow and CoreLeoni singer, ex-Lords of Black) on "Path Of The Brave". Producer Nasson also duets with Caterina on “Falling Again”, while Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson, Rob Rock) appears on keyboards on “Beware of Silent Waters”.

"These are incredible voices and all the guest singers gave the album the textures I desired to each of the songs they participated in,” says Caterina.

Also of note, the album was mixed to perfection by none other than Danish studio master Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Pretty Maids, The Dark Element).

Caterina Nix is a superb young vocalist from Chile, who was found by chance by former Stratovarius composer and guitarist Timo Tolkki during one of his tours of South America. Timo was supremely impressed and confident in Caterina’s singing abilities and he wrote and produced the first Chaos Magic album, in addition to having her perform on the second Avalon rock opera album Angels Of The Apocalypse.

While these two things brought Caterina to the forefront more on the International stage, she had already started her career in the band Aghonya, who released their first and only album Oxygen in 2008, in which she wrote all the lyrics and vocal lines. Released independently, the band and Caterina received rave reviews, which gave them the opportunity to open shows in Chile for bands like After Forever, Edguy, and Within Temptation.

Tracklisting:

"You Will Breathe Again"
"Furyborn" (Feat. Tom Englund)
"Like Never Before"
"Beware Of Silent Waters" (Feat Mistheria)
"Falling Again" (Feat. Nasson)
"Bravely Beautiful" (Feat. Ailyn)
"Throw Me To The Wolves"
"I’d Give It All"
"Path Of The Brave" (Feat. Ronnie Romero)
"My Affliction"
"I’m Your Cancer"

"I'm Your Cancer" video:

"Furyborn" (Feat. Tom Englund) lyric video:

"Like Never Before" video:

Lineup:

Caterina Nix - Vocals
Nasson - Guitars, vocals, piano, programming, acoustic guitars & additional bass.
Franco Lama - Programming
Carlos Hernandez - Drums
Hermaunt Folatre - Bass




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It’s been a long time anticipated, and now it’s official: 1980’s speed metal veteran, founder/vocalist John Cyriis, has resurrected his brand creation, the “Agent Steel band and its new incarnation in 2019 ...is finally upon us!”

The band’s current lineup consists of guitarist Nikolay Atanasov, and original Agent Steel guitarist Bill Simmons; Mr. Simmons is the first/original guitarist of the Agent Steel lineup, as the band first appeared throughout the L.A. club circuit in 1983. Also included in this classic/new lineup are bassist Joe McGuigan (Gama Bomb) and drummer Dennis Kruse Strømberg.

This incarnation of Agent Steel is the long-awaited reactivation featuring Agent Steel founder, brand creator, vocalist John Cyriis, who appeared on all three original classic albums, (i.e., Skeptics Apocalypse, Mad Locust Rising, and the platinum seller Unstoppable Force). John is very pleased with this new lineup, which he is confident will arise as the very best lineup in the band’s history and whom he believes are certain to compliment the band’s legacy, and about manifest an about-face - that to counter and transcend the band’s “less than competent performance” by a stand-in and unofficial lineup at the KIT festival 2019.

The official new Agent Steel lineup are currently working on the band’s fourth true and official studio album, titled No Mercy From The Godz - which is scheduled for an October 18 release. The band are also preparing for their forthcoming shows at various privileged confirmed dates - beginning on Friday, December 6 and Saturday, December 7 in Milan and Firenze, Italy. John and the new Agent Steel incarnation are also preparing for a monumental first time appearance in Greece as headliners, performing at Up The Hammers festival in Athens, Greece - March of 2020. This headlining performance is forecast as being fertile metal soil for the band’s first live Agent Steel DVD/album to be captured as fronted by original founding vocalist John Cyriis.

Expect this lineup to be the best ever incarnation of Agent Steel - stronger, faster, and deployed to demonstrate just who are the True Masters of Metal. Be on the lookout for the Agent Steel craft to land in your country - certain to energize all you bangers with hammering speed metal.

John and the band are inviting all Agent Steel bangers to come rage with them in Italy and Greece, December 2019 and March 2020. Looking forward to seeing all you diehard Agent Steel fans on tour in the fall of 2019 - and throughout 2020.

Steve Beatty Dissonance head honcho: "What’s not to like! The Unstoppable Force returns and is about to land an epic slab of killer speed metal on my label! Soooooo excited about this record and can’t wait to see the band firing on all cosmic engines live soon!"




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L.A.-based rockers, Angeles, featuring Gwendolyn Casella on lead vocals, have released an official video for their new single, "Freedom". The song is available worldwide, here. The cover art was created by Dark Star Records' Jeffrey A. Swanson.

The band comments on "Freedom": "We're so excited about 'Freedom'! It's our 4th of July song, it's all about being free and living free! Enjoy and spread the word, spread the Freedom!"''

On June 8th, Angeles performed at Canyon Club in Santa Clarita, CA. Watch the full show below:

Tour dates:

July
14 - Chili Cook Off and Car Show - Garden Grove, CA (Private Fundraiser event)
20 - Petie's Place - Tarzana, CA

August
16 - Universal Bar And Grill - North Hollywood, CA

September
1 - Backyard Bash - Rainbow Bar - West Hollywood, CA
6 - Backstage Bar & Billards - Las Vegas, NV
7 - Barbary Coast Saloon - Murray, UT
20 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CA

October
4 - Whisky A Go Go - West Hollywood, CA (with Angel)

The October 4 show with Angel will also be Angeles' release party for the upcoming album, coming out on October 1 via Dark Star Records. More information will be revealed soon.

Lineup:

Demon Dale aka Dale Lytle - Guitar
Gwendolyn Casella - Vocals
Cal Shelton - Bass Guitar
Danny Basulto - Drums




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Canadian black/death metal horde, Necronomicon, will be releasing their sixth full-length record, Unus, on October 18 via Season of Mist. You can watch a trailer for the upcoming record below.

Necronomicon vocalist/guitarist Rob the Witch comments on the album, "When all is said and done, one most return to the start and begin a new life. Unus is the first major Arcana that starts a new cycle in the evolution of any living things. Welcome to our new incarnation."

With Advent Of The Human God, Necronomicon presented themselves at a new height in their long lasting career, which began as early as 1988 with the founding of the band by guitarist and singer Rob "The Witch" in the deep northern part of Canadian province Quebec, called the "Fjord of Saguenay." Now, they continue to push the envelope with their sixth studio album, Unus.

Unus is a searing cacophony that blends blistering riffs, machine-like drums, and a symphonic ambience, culminating in a sound that calls to various metal icons such as Dimmu Borgir, Septicflesh, Behemoth, and Deicide. The record combines the furious elements of death metal with the symphonic prowess of black metal, creating the perfect synthesis of both genres.

Recorded at Sliver Wings studio, produced by Rob The Witch. Mixed and mastered at Darth Mader music studio by Logan Mader (Machine Head).

Artwork: Dragon caduceus design by Nestor Avalos, layout and artwork by Simon Bossert.

Tracklisting:

"From Ashes Into Flesh"
"Infinitum Continuum"
"Paradise Lost"
"The Price Of A Soul"
"Singularis Dominus"
"The Thousand Masks"
"Ascending The throne Of Baator"
"Fhtagn"
"Cursed MMXIX"
"Vox Draconis"

Trailer:

 
Lineup:

Rob The Witch: Guitar/vocals
Divider: drums

Recording lineup:

Rob The Witch: Guitar/vocals/bass
Divider: drums

Special feature: Geirlioz (Dimmu Borgir) on piano on ''From Ashes Into Flesh''




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THE SIGN is a new multinational rock band formed by Swedish virtuoso bassist Magnus Rosén (ex-HAMMERFALL, BILLIONAIRES BOYS CLUB) and Sri Lankan-born veteran vocalist Chitral "Chity" Somapala (RED CIRCUIT, ex-AVALON, FIREWIND), with the lineup completed by Rosén's fellow countryman, the versatile session guitarist Jörgen Alnevall.

Influenced by '70s classic rock bands such as BAD COMPANY, DEEP PURPLE and URIAH HEEP, and hard rock/metal greats from the '80s like SCORPIONS, WHITESNAKE and DIO, Chity and Magnus have taken this sound with THE SIGN and put their own individual, modern stamp on it.

THE SIGN is planning to release a single in the near future called "The Land Gone Dark", a track from the band's upcoming debut album.

It’s not often that you could describe a band as sounding like a mix of ‘80s synth pop hooks and melodies with the atmospherics of Deftones, and the heavy ferocity of Slipknot and Pantera. But this is indeed a fitting description of the band Heartsick - as heard throughout their new album, Sleep Cycles.

Hailing from Lansing, Michigan, Heartsick is comprised of Alfonso Civile (vocals), Richard “Jerred” Pruneau (guitar), Waylon Fox (bass), and Justin Robison (drums), the band has already assembled an impressive list of accomplishments. Tops on the list include 15.4k monthly listeners on Spotify, 200k+ total streams, Sleep Cycles reaching #48 on Soundscan sales charts first week sales, radio rotation on Q106.1 FM Lansing, MI and 105.7 FM Peoria, IL, touring Puerto Rico (3 shows 800 total paid attendance combined shows), playing Mayhem Fest in 2009, 2011, 2015, Billboard Heatseekers Central Midwest Charts #6 debut, and support for 36 Crazyfists, Straight Line Stitch, Gwar, Every Time I Die.

“A lot of extremely late nights and long days,” is how Alfonso describes the writing and recording of the just-released disc. “For a year straight the band wrote and recorded over 20 demos. We recorded demos all while trying to maintain an established presence. The recording process was challenging. Trying to push the music to new territories and vocally creating a new approach to the songs.”

Tracklisting:

"Affair"
"Snakeman"
"Hate Anthem"
"Burning Bridges"
"Mike & Drew"
"Code 105"
"Miami"
"Methelyne Blue"
"Loveletter"
"Her Heart"
"Shadow"
"Slave Labor"
"Fallujah"

And it turns out that one of the album’s standout tracks, “Methylene Blue,” will soon get a music video premiere. “The video will be a very abstract video. A slight image to 80s videos while still conveying and creating a feeling of tension and ominous.”

Soon, fans will be able to catch the band live - as tours are confirmed for US dates in the Midwest, southeast, and east coast, plus shows coming soon in the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Europe. Find the band's tour itinerary here.

Godsize Records, an upstart record label based out of Chicago Illinois, led by Frank Horvath & Nic Bell, has signed an exclusive North American distribution agreement with EMP Label Group, the label founded by Megadeth bassist, David Ellefson and A&R legend Thom Hazaert. The label has announced the signing of Michigan metal act, Heartsick to the roster.




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KISS brought their End Of The Road tour to Tauron Arena Kraków in Kraków, Poland last night (Tuesday, June 18). Pro-shot footage from the concert can be seen below:

KISS performs tonight, Wednesday, June 19, at Eden Arena in Prague, Czechia. Find the band's complete End Of The Road tour itinerary here.




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UNVEIL THE STRENGTH is the name of the new band featuring former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Matt Snell. He is joined in the group by Mark Wölfe, Andy James, Matt Guillory and Tim Hassemer. An introductory video, featuring UNVEIL THE STRENGTH's upcoming track "War Inside Us All", can be seen below.

Says Snell: "We want to put the grown man back in metal — that spirit is being lost in the shuffle. We're going back to the roots, to real fucking metal."

Despite UNVEIL THE STRENGTH's old-school approach to writing, they're taking a contemporary approach to marketing their music. For its upcoming album, UNVEIL THE STRENGTH will not do a traditional record release. Snell reveals: "The landscape has changed so much regarding how to successfully get music to the public, so we're going a different route. Right now, we're halfway through the album and we have video concepts for every song. Instead of releasing all 10 songs at once that will just be put up on the Internet to be stolen, our idea is to constantly release new songs all the time. We want to unveil this record to the public, with a video to go along with each song."

Although UNVEIL THE STRENGTH is officially based out of Austin, Texas, it is truly an international band, with members in London, Nevada, California, Colorado, and Texas. All of the musicians have professional studios where they can record their own instrument's tracks, so the group easily collaborates by file sharing.

UNVEIL THE STRENGTH's first song, titled "Foundations", was recorded in Austin. They wanted an edgier sound than what is currently being produced in the States, so they have been working with Rob Kukla of Studio Fredman and Henrik Udd of Henrik Udd Recording in Gothenburg, Sweden. Udd is known for his impeccable production with acts such as ARCHITECTS, BRING ME THE HORIZON, AT THE GATES and DELAIN. The upcoming album, slated for a 2019 release, is still being recorded.

Snell says: "The production is amazing on the new album. It accentuates that we're an active rock band — but we're a little bit heavier, a little bit edgier. It illustrates that we can write, and that we have an ear for metal."

Snell is especially proud of Mark's lyrics, which he describes as "real." Snell goes on to praise Mark's extraordinary writing ability, saying: "Mark has had an amazing life. He is a Marine; a veteran. He's lived on the streets, ya know? He's seen and done a lot. He writes from his core being and writes real songs that relate to the band's message."

The official trailer for the new RUSH film "Cinema Strangiato: An Annual Exercise In Fan Indulgence" is available below. The movie will get a one-night-only cinematic screening on August 21.

The film, which takes viewers behind the scenes of RUSH's 2015 "R40" 40th-anniversary tour, will feature song performances, unreleased soundcheck and backstage footage, and new interviews with producer Nick Raskulinecz and RUSH fans Tom Morello, Billy Corgan, Taylor Hawkins, violinist Jonathan Dinklage and more.

RUSH singer/bassist Geddy Lee, who released "Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book Of Bass" in December, said: "I'm excited for fans to see some new clips from our 'R40' tour but also a peek behind the scenes of making the 'Big Beautiful Book Of Bass'."

The Trafalgar Releasing and Anthem Entertainment event has been made possible through a partnership with Concord Music Group.

Trafalgar Releasing senior vice president for acquisitions Kymberli Frueh said: "Trafalgar Releasing is thrilled to bring 'Rush: Cinema Strangiato 2019' to theatres around the globe for the first of what we're hoping will become an annual event — bringing fans together to experience a celebration of one of the world's most popular rock bands."

Tickets go on sale today (Thursday, June 20).

The new lineup of the melodic hard rock group FAITHSEDGE, which features singer/songwriter Giancarlo Floridia, MR. BIG/ACE FREHLEY drummer Matt Starr, ex-STRYPER bassist Timothy Gaines and former DOKKEN guitarist Alex De Rosso, will release its new album, "Bleed For Passion", on July 26 via Scarlet Records (Spiritual Beast in Japan). I

Produced, mixed and mastered by De Rosso, "Bleed For Passion" takes the listener back to the days of big guitars and powerful melodic vocal lines of the '80s and early '90s, but keeping an up to date view on the lyrics and subject matter.

The track listing is as follows:

01. Back From This

02. Angelic

03. Acceptance

04. Through The Scars

05. I Know I Need To Let You Go

06. Girl When

07. Sky

08. I've Changed

09. Bleeding With The Memories

10. Reflecting A Voice

The cover artwork was made by Federico Mondelli.

What do you get when you combine an international rock star, Mikkey Dee of MOTÖRHEAD and SCORPIONS, with a lawnmower powered by Briggs & Stratton? Well, we know the answer. A hell of a lawnmower, that's for sure.

On a cold winter day in 2019, Mikkey Dee met with the Briggs & Stratton top-notch team to create a lawnmower of his dreams — a MOTÖRHEAD mower. Amazing stories from the road were told. (Not all of them G-rated, to be honest). Loud music was played. The room was filled with creativity. That's pretty much what you can expect from one of the best rock 'n' roll drummers in the world.

The mower will be auctioned for charitable purposes later this year.

Briggs & Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is focused on providing power to get work done and make people's lives better. Briggs & Stratton is the world's largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment, and is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of power generation, pressure washer, lawn and garden, turf care and job site products through its Briggs & Stratton, Simplicity, Snapper, Ferris, Vanguard, Allmand, Billy Goat, Murray, Branco and Victa brands.

Briggs & Stratton products are designed, manufactured, marketed and serviced in over 100 countries on six continents.

Midwest death machine Casket Robbery have premiered the official video for new single "From Hell." 

Casket Robbery vocalist Megan Orvold had this to say about the single and video:

"From Hell was inspired by the gruesome slayings in London by Jack The Ripper in 1888. Lyrically we tried to keep it pretty 'classic' Casket, very dark and tongue-in-cheek. My favorite lyric is 'fried her kidney in a pan (yum yum), sent half, signed catch me when you can'. We also really wanted to get our amazing fans involved so we ran a contest where they could send in their best evil laugh. We actually layered them all together into different parts of the song, it was a blast! We are super excited to have Chris Collier mix and master this song, he did a fantastic job bringing this to life. For the video, we were very lucky to work with Eddie Curran of Enterprise Films. This was our first time working with him and his enthusiasm and energy for this video really came through. We're very proud of the artwork that we will unveil later on for the single as well and we have a bunch of Midwest dates coming up. We can't wait to see you on the road!"




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German epic metal pioneers, Equilibrium, have released a first video trailer for their upcoming sixth studio album, Renegades, out on August 16 via Nuclear Blast. Watch the clip below, and pre-order the album here.

Renegades was recorded and produced from September 2018 through March 2019 by the band itself and Swedish producer Robin Leijon. It's the first Equilibrium album to feature Skar with his clean vocals and Skadi Rosehurst on synths.

Mastermind  René Berthiaume states: "We can't wait to return with new music after 3 years. Musically as well as lyrically Renegades has definitely become our most uncompromising and personal album to date. We are especially proud of the introduction of our new members: Skadi has been one of the driving forces behind Equilibrium for many years now. She has mainly been responsible for artwork, designs, musical and lyrical input and will now support us live on the synths in a few months’ time.

"Skar, on the other hand, has become a completely new part of the Equilibrium family. Some of you might already know him from his work on YouTube as Skar Productions. On the current album he gave us outstanding additional (clean) vocals as well as bass tracks and the logical consequence was that he joined us permanently. So there's a lot going on with us right now. At the same time we want to say a big thank you to Makki who smashed the bass live for us during the past 2,5 years. You rock!

"We love to develop further; standing still would be our inner death. So you can be curious about what's coming!"

Tracklisting:

"Renegades - A Lost Generation"
"Tornado"
"Himmel und Feuer"
"Path Of Destiny" (feat. The Butcher Sisters)
"Moonlight"
"Kawaakari - The Periphery Of The Mind"
"Johnny B"
"Final Tear"
"Hype Train" (feat. Julie Elven)
"Rise Of The Phoenix"

Trailer:




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Spearhead of melodic death metal, the grim harbingers of Finnish melancholy, Insomnium are releasing their 8th studio album worldwide on October 4 via Century Media. In November the band shall embark on a comprehensive European tour with the support from the US extreme metal kings The Black Dahlia Murder and Finland’s fiercest quintet STAM1NA.

The Insomnium camp comments: ”Needless to say, we are really stoked about the new album! With ten songs and over an hour of music we really feel we have something special in our hands. There is fury and aggression, doom and gloom, heartache and longing. The whole spectrum of Finnish man’s emotions from despair to regret. In the name of Nordic collaboration the Swedish wizard Jens Bogren has been doing marvelous job with the mixing and mastering, so this is the best sounding Insomnium album ever.

"We are also very excited about the upcoming European tour that takes us around the continent in great company. It will be a truly killer package with the support from The Black Dahlia Murder and Stam1na. Surely a night not to be missed!”

The Black Dahlia Murder comment: ”We are beyond excited to have been recognized by Finnish melodic death metal wizards Insomnium as worthy touring companions. I feel like our music is a near perfect match and that it will be an amazing opportunity for us in The Black Dahlia Murder to reach some new fans this Winter. Europe... prepare yourselves for the ultimate melodic metal onslaught!”

Dates:

November
12 - Paris, France - Alhambra
13 - Bordeaux, France - Barbey
14 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
15 - Bilbao, Spain - Santana 27
16 - Madrid, Spain - Cats
18 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao
19 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
20 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
21 - Kracow, Poland - Kwadrat
22 - Wroclaw, Poland - Pralnia
23 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Winter Masters Of Rock
24 - Dresden, Germany - Reithalle
27 - Munich, Germany - Backstage Werk
28 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Rockfabrik
29 - Lindau, Germany - Club Vaudeville

December
1 - Rome, Italy - Largo
2 - Trezzo Sull'Adda (Milan), Italy - Live Club
4 - Leipzig, Germany - Felsenkeller
5 - Leeuwaarden, Netherlands - Neushoorn
7 - Geiselwind, Germany - Christmas Bash (*)
8 - Berlin, Germany - Astra Kulturhaus
9 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
10 - Hannover, Germany - Capitol
11 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
12 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Den Atelier (*)
13 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix (*)

(*) without STAM1NA




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Tim "Ripper" Owens has dismissed Rob Halford's recent claim that a straight man can't front JUDAS PRIEST as a "fun" comment that didn't mean anything.

Earlier this month, Halford told the Edmonton Journal about his position in PRIEST: "A straight man can't do my job. That's the way I view it. Freddie [Mercury] said it wasn't important, but if Freddie hadn't have been gay, QUEEN would've been a totally different band."

Asked by Radioactive Mike Z, host of the program "Wired In The Empire", which airs on the Riverside, California radio station 96.7 KCAL-FM, if he had a response to Rob's latest remark, Owens said (hear audio below): "Rob and I are friends, and I really don't care [about his comment]. What's he supposed to say? Rob is the band. He is the singer, and Rob's gay, so what you can say? I don't care that he said it. He's the singer of JUDAS PRIEST. I think it's funny. Obviously, someone else can sing in [the band]. Maybe I'm gay and I didn't know it."

He continued: "I love Rob. He's so amazing — he's an amazing guy. We're friends, and he's the singer of JUDAS PRIEST. He's the Metal God... I don't think he means anything by it. He just said it. I don't care. JUDAS PRIEST was my college. I do what I do now because of JUDAS PRIEST... I sang with them; I had a great time; and comments like that, those are just fun comments."

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Halford in 2003,

Halford previously said that a straight man couldn't do his job in PRIEST during a 2008 interview with The Dallas Morning News. The singer — who revealed he was homosexual during a 1998 appearance on MTV — explained why he believed that he was the only man capable of fronting PRIEST. "To be brutally honest, 'Jugulator' and 'Demolition' were affected by my not being in the band, much like when Bruce Dickinson went away from IRON MAIDEN, the way VAN HALEN [was] affected when David Lee Roth left. But I don't think a straight man can do my job in JUDAS PRIEST. I've never said that before. I'm sorry, but they can't."

Earlier today (Monday, June 17), MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke to "The Classic Metal Show" in what was quite possibly his first interview since the band's leader, Dave Mustaine, announced his throat cancer diagnosis. You can now listen to the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

On Mustaine's revelation that he has been diagnosed with throat cancer:

Ellefson: "We were kind of bracing for the bomb today, knowing that we had to get an announcement out about it. Prayers from everybody… Thoughts and prayers are always welcome. Dave has started his treatment. We've been in Nashville for the last almost month and a half working on the [new MEGADETH] album, so we were sort of watching this all unfold before us. And Dave, he has begun treatment, so things are moving forward with that. It just became a reality where it was, like, look, in order to do this treatment properly, follow the doctor's orders, Dave can't be undergoing treatment for cancer and [be] out playing big rock concerts. So we had to say, 'All right. We've gotta just stop. We've gotta clear the deck and put this as the number one priority,' which is what the announcement was today — just addressing it and giving everybody a heads up that some shows are gonna have to go away until this all gets worked out. We are keeping the [Megacruise]. The cruise, I think, is a beast of a different nature, because it's so many people on it, and we're kind of trying to figure out, and we may not totally know MEGADETH's full participation in that until we see where Dave is at with healing after all the treatments and everything by that point. But we're optimistic that on some level, the band or band members, or who knows, maybe even the whole band, maybe we can have a participation on that. In the meantime, we've been working hard on the new album and it's coming along well. I think us getting down there back in May, last month, when we all convened at the studio there — it's like a house that we rented that we're working in. It's nice, 'cause me and Dirk [Verbeuren, drums] and Kiko [Loureiro, guitar] sleep there, and we wake up and all the stacks and gear and Pro Tools and everything's right there in the living room. So you can make music until you go to bed and make music as soon as you wake up or wake up one day and say, 'I don't wanna make any music at all. I'm gonna go stare at the cows on the pasture,' you can do that too. So it's a really good situation there. But we've made a lot of progress on the album, and I think that's something we can continue to do. If Dave hits a wall and needs to take a break just to get off the clock, then we'll do that. But at least we can be working productively and getting some stuff done on the album right now."

On whether the upcoming album will be the first time that Mustaine maybe won't have his finger on every note of a MEGADETH record due to his cancer battle:

Ellefson: "Dave and I have been through our share of the shitshow — just everything that we've gone through. Ups and downs and drug addictions and breakups and makeups and everything else in between that we've been through and the challenges of it all. And, look, this is another one. We're optimistic about, obviously, the treatments. And the success rate is usually pretty good on this one, so I think there's a lot of optimism at the end of this whole thing.

"Look, going through this journey, it can't help but not affect you… And it affects everybody. Cancer is kind of like addiction — it touches the lives of all those around the one who's afflicted; everyone is affected by it to some level. Uncertainty — certainly emotional. And you're right — with Dave always being at the helm and wanting to oversee things… He already has sort of taken the hand off of a couple of things to just, [say] kind of, 'Hey, roll with that and keep me posted. Keep me in the loop.' Take some liberties and roll off of that and see what you guys come up with. And that's really been a beautiful thing.

"One thing about this band is… We are an amazing band. I have not felt this good about the MEGADETH band as I have since probably… certainly the 'Rust In Peace' era and kind of right in the middle of it, like probably 'Youthanasia', which was kind of the middle and the sweet spot of that lineup. That album in particular, because we'd already made two records together and we'd already done two big world tours together. And this lineup has toured almost two and a half, almost three years together. Me, Dave and Kiko, of course, made 'Dystopia'. But Dirk is a great writer. And he's written all this death metal stuff, and this grindcore stuff, and obviously, MEGADETH is quite different from that. But Dirk writes stuff on guitar, and because he's not really a guitar player, he reaches for these very odd intervals on the guitar that probably a normal guitar player wouldn't go for, and as a result, you're, like, 'Dude, that was some really cool note choices you just grabbed right there.' And it's really brought some cool stuff in. And I say that, because I think everybody obviously can't wait to hear Dirk play drums on the album, but I'm here to tell you, one of the fun things that Dirk's brought in is some really kick-ass guitar riffs and some things that we were completely not expecting. And I think that's the fun of making this album right now."

On whether he thinks there is a possibility that there will not be another MEGADETH album, especially with the nature of Mustaine's cancer and Dave being the band's singer:

Ellefson: "Well, I think, at this point, we're optimistic about the treatments. Other cases have shown that it's… throat cancer is treatable. It's at a place where it's certainly, I don't think, beyond a point of repair. So I think it's good, and that's why I think shutting down right now, at least the touring side of it, is good, because I think if we tried to continue to go out and force Dave to sing and perform, yeah, that may not have such a good outcome. And it's funny, I think about it when I broke my foot a couple of years ago — this was three years ago now. The 'Dystopia' tour was just rolling, man, and we were just right in the middle of it, and I freaking break my foot backstage. And I was going, 'Dave, I'll play the next three shows.' And he was, 'No. You're going home. We're going home right now.' He goes, 'If that doesn't heal right right now, you can have lifelong problems. So we've gotta shut down and you've gotta go home.' And we did. And I know some fans, obviously, were upset and disappointed, as you would expect. I would be too, if I was a fan in the audience. But it was real, and we had to do it. So I was thinking about that same thing today with Dave, that the best thing we can do for him, certainly as a singer and as a member of our group, but also as a human, let him… Let's just shut down. Let's take the pressure off of him. And fortunately, the studio, the house that we have is right next door to Dave's property in Franklin [Tennessee] — literally, he can drive his little ATV over there; it's that close. So it's easy enough to be able to check in on stuff. And the days when Dave's feeling good, great. If there's days he's not, hey, no worries. The good Lord has set up a pretty workable scenario that it's not like we're in some situation where we're way behind the eightball on an album or way in debt. Believe me, we've been in those situations before years ago, where it's, like, 'Oh my God.' It's, like, 'We couldn't break up now if we wanted to. We couldn't stop if we wanted to. There's no way out except forward.' And I think we're in a good position now to be able to have this break. And you never know when creativity hits. Sometimes creativity hits in some of your darkest moments. The darkest moments where there's struggle can often bring about some of the greatest music. 'Dystopia' was an album like that. I mean, we'd been through a management change, a lineup change… I mean, we were down to just me and Dave. Everything was completely just in shambles, and out of that, we made a Grammy Award-winning album. Dave's a warrior, he's a fighter, and he's got pretty good sensibilities about when to hit the gas and when to hit the brake. So it's what it needs to be right at this exact time."

MEGADETH has earned its spot as one of metal's most influential and respected acts of all time. Over the course of its illustrious 36-year career, the band has sold more than 38 million albums worldwide, notched six consecutive platinum efforts, seven Top 10 albums, and has earned numerous accolades, including 12 Grammy nominations and a 2017 Grammy Award in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the "Dystopia" title track.

MEGADETH's "Rust In Peace", "Youthanasia" and "Cryptic Writings" albums were all certified platinum, while "Countdown to Extinction" went double-platinum. The latter record, released in 1992, is also the band’s highest-charting release, as it made it to No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS will release its fifth full-length album, "How It Feels To Be Lost", on September 6 via Sumerian Records. The follow-up to 2017's "Gossip" was recorded at MDDN Studios in Los Angeles and produced by Zakk Cervini (YUNGBLUD, GOOD CHARLOTTE) and Matt Good (ASKING ALEXANDRIA).

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS has released the first track from the disc, "Leave It All Behind", which saw its live debut when the band played All Points East in the U.K. earlier this month and received an overwhelming seal of approval from attending fans. Accompanying the track is the official music video, which can be viewed below.

SLEEPING WITH SIRENS singer Kellin Quinn told Alternative Press last year that the band's new LP was "all about depression and anxiety. It's something that I think needs to be talked about, and it's something that I struggle with and deal with all the time," he said. "I wanted to make a record that was just purely honest about it, and I think that it's for those people that need that record."

Since emerging in 2010, SLEEPING WITH SIRENS has tested the boundaries of rock by walking a tightrope between pop, punk, metal, hardcore, electronic, acoustic, and even a little R&B. This high-wire balancing act attracted a faithful fan base known as "Strays," generated global album sales in excess of 1.5 million, ignited over half-a-billion streams, and achieved a trio of gold-selling singles: "If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn", "If You Can't Hang" and "Scene Two-Roger Rabbit". They launched two albums — "Feel" and "Madness" — into the Top 15 of the Billboard 200. Additionally, they collaborated with MGK on "Alone" and PIERCE THE VEIL on the gold-certified "King For A Day". Beyond selling out shows worldwide and receiving acclaim from The New York Times, Alternative Press crowned them "Artist Of The Year" at the Alternative Press Music Awards, proclaimed "Kick Me" the 2015 "Song Of The Year", and featured them as cover stars a whopping seven times.

"How It Feels To Be Lost" track listing:

01. Leave It All Behind

02. Never Enough

03. How It Feels To Be Lost

04. Agree To Disagree

05. Ghost

06. Blood Lines

07. Break Me Down

08. Another Nightmare

09. PS Missing You

10. Medicine

11. Dying To Believe

Photo credit: Joshua Halling

STATIC-X kicked off its reunion tour Tuesday night (June 18) in Tempe, Arizona. The North American trek, which celebrates the 20th anniversary of STATIC-X's platinum-certified "Wisconsin Death Trip" album and pays homage to late STATIC-X frontman Wayne Static, features co-headliner DEVILDRIVER and support from DOPE.

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

While the identity of STATIC-X's touring singer has not been officially revealed, strong rumors suggest that DOPE frontman Edsel Dope is pulling double duty during the trek and performing with drummer Ken Jay, guitarist Koichi Fukuda and bassist Tony Campos.

Two months ago, Jay, Fukuda and Campos released a statement in which they addressed the criticism they received from some STATIC-X fans who were seemingly offended by what they perceived to be a cheap attempt to present the band's new singer as a pale imitation of Wayne.

They wrote: "The search for a touring vocalist for STATIC-X was not an easy one. First, we wanted to keep the continuity that STATIC-X has always had on stage. It has always been four guys. Drummer, guitarist, bassist and a singer who also plays guitar. In addition, we wanted to select someone that we had familiarity with. Someone who knew us and someone who knew Wayne and someone who had a connection to our community. Someone who would take this personally, because this is very personal to all of us.

"Once we found our guy, we began to discuss the stage show and the visual presentation for the tour. In the end, it was actually our touring vocalist who suggested that he wear a mask on stage. Out of respect for Wayne and for the band, he didn't feel that it would be right for his own image or identity to be placed in the center of something that he had nothing to do with creating. This struck the three of us as an incredibly selfless and humble gesture.

"The truth is, he could have been very self-serving and looked at this as an opportunity for him to raise his own profile and to put his name and face out there for all of you to see. Instead, he expressed the exact opposite intentions. He also explained that the idea of wearing a mask would allow him the freedom to get lost in the vibe of STATIC-X and to completely disconnect from his own identity and ultimately serve STATIC-X better. Further, he expressed that the mask itself, along with his performance each night could act as a unique part of the memorial to Wayne. A tribute, for lack of better words.

"Before we moved forward with any of our creative decisions, we first shared our ideas and designs with Wayne's family. They have given us their full support every step of the way.

"Let us also acknowledge that Wayne was much more to STATIC-X than our talented vocalist and guitarist. His trademark static-electrified hair proved to be just as unique and identifiable to STATIC-X as his incredible voice. In time, the STATIC-X hair would become a signature part of the band's identity as well as its identifiability.

"The mask was already something that was decided on, so the hair just naturally followed…

"All of this has allowed us to channel the vibe and the spirit of STATIC-X through another vocalist, without taking any of the focus away from the four people who originally created STATIC-X and brought you 'Wisconsin Death Trip' 20 years ago.

"The motivation is simple and the result is undeniable… The mask, the hair, and the overall presentation we have chosen immediately makes you think of Wayne Static and STATIC-X. In the end, that is ALL that this is about.

"This is about STATIC-X. This is about the 20th anniversary of 'Wisconsin Death Trip', and the nightly / global memorial to our brother Wayne Static. Anyone who doesn't 'get it' is just not looking closely enough.

"We OBVIOUSLY wish that Wayne was here doing this with us. Ufortunately, that is not an option. Rather than putting someone else's face in his place for our 20th-anniversary tour, we have chosen to memorialize him and to ultimately to immortalize him. In our hearts, there is no greater display of respect than what we are doing.

"We were never interested in performing with a hologram and using pre-recorded vocals. We didn't feel that STATIC-X performing with a 'special guest' singer that everyone recognized would accomplish the 'Wisconsin Death Trip' vibe or experience.

"For us, this is all materializing better than we could have hoped and we have no doubts that we are gong to to bring the fans an amazing 'Wisconsin Death Trip' experience. The stage production is insane and the band is sounding legit as fuck!

"In closing, we know that Wayne would be honored by all of the love and effort that has gone into this. We know that Wayne will be with us each night, in spirit, as we celebrate 'Wisconsin Death Trip' around the world.

"Project Regeneration", featuring the last recordings of Static, will be released later this year. The rest of the group's original lineup will also be featured on the album and in the music videos.

STATIC-X is currently focused on finishing 12 tracks for "Project Regeneration", with almost all of them set to feature Wayne's lead vocals.


STATIC-X is in the process of finalizing a label partner in order to ensure that "Project Regeneration" will be promoted and distributed worldwide, just like all of the band's previous albums.

Last fall, STATIC-X released a teaser featuring clips from a brand-new music video, as well as five new STATIC-X tracks — "Road To Hell", "Something Of My Own", "Terminator Oscillator", "Hollow" and "Disco Otsego" — along with a personal message from Campos about the inspiration behind "Project Regeneration".


Wayne Static died in November 2014 after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner's report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.

German hard rockers, The New Roses, are back to climb the rock Olympus with their fourth studio album, Nothing But Wild, out on August 2 via Napalm Records. Pre-order the album here, and watch a music video for the single, "Down By The River", below.

After successful live appearances all over the world, lately opening for KISS, and the invitation to tour with the legendary Scorpions in summer, the four-piece, centered around vocalist/guitarist Timmy Rough is ready to deliver the long awaited follow up for One For The Road (2017), which hit the top 20 in Germany.

Says the band: “On Nothing But Wild, we fully concentrated on catchy songs with big melodies. Our goal was to record a strong and energetic rock n' roll album without any frills and fillers. Simply true, simply loud, simply wild!”

Tracklisting:

"Soundtrack Of My Life"
"Can‘t Stop Rock & Roll"
"Down By The River"
"Nothing But Wild"
"Heartache"
"The Bullet"
"Runnin' Out Of Hearts"
"Unknown Territory"
"As The Crow Flies"
"Give & Take"
"The Only Thing"
"Meet Me Half Way"
"Glory Road"

"Down By The River" video:

2019 will be another year of constant touring for the band. Find their current live itinerary here.

Lineup:

Timmy Rough - vocals, guitar
Norman Bites - guitar
Hardy -  bass
Urban Berz - drums

(Photo - Frank Dursthoff)




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The upcoming album by Norway’s avant-garde metallers Borknagar, entitled True North, will be released via Century Media Records/Sony Music on September 27. Following up 2016’s Winter Thrice release, the new Borknagar effort has once again been mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden.

Borknagar founder and guitarist Øystein G. Brun comments: “This has indeed been a thunderous ride, and we are truly excited to finally start revealing some news about our upcoming album. We have spent almost 2 years writing, recording and producing True North and we are extremely proud of what we have achieved this time around. On behalf of the whole band, I can firmly say that we have pushed the limits of our musical exploration, while our musical roots have grown even deeper into the northern ground. This is the most diverse, powerful and grandiose Borknagar album to date! Let there be no doubt!

"Yet again we have been working with Thor Erik Dullum and Marcelo Vasco for cover and layout design. From the very beginning of the process, we wanted this album to have a very clear, crisp and organic cover that spearheads the cold and northern essence of the album. So what could be more natural than basing it on our very own Nordic surroundings? Furthermore, we are also very happy to reveal that we have extended our deal with Century Media Records. Onwards!”

Borknagar live:

June
22 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting

August
15 - Falun, Sweden - Sabaton Open Air

December
6 - Madrid, Spain - Madrid Is The Dark

Lineup (pictured above, from left to right)

Øystein G. Brun - Clean and Electric Guitars
Lars A. Nedland - Keys and Vocals
ICS Vortex - Bass and Vocals
Bjørn Dugstad Rønnow - Drums
Jostein Thomassen - Lead Guitars

(Photo - Jørn Veberg)




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The Defiants are back with their sophomore album, Zokusho. Comprised of Paul Laine, Bruno Ravel, and Rob Marcello, The Defiants are three fabulous musicians who, as fans in the know will immediately recognize, all have ties to popular hard rockers, Danger Danger.

Today, the band has released the first single and video from the album. Enjoy "Fallin' For You" below. Stream the single and pre-order Zokusho here.

On how the new album compares to their debut, bassist Bruno Ravel says, "I think the “sound” of the album, while very similar to the debut, is a bit more focused. I also think that the songs, as a collection, are stronger than the debut."

Vocalist/guitarist Paul Laine says, "I think the sound of the record is a natural progression from the first record. I think both Bruno and I felt pressure to deliver a record that we could feel as proud of as the first one. On a personal note, I feel the Bruno really outdid himself on the mix of the album. To me, it is sonically beautiful."

Guitarist Rob Marcello adds, "It’s basically more of the same. Why mess with a winning concept! Haha I’m very proud of the last one, but I feel the songs are stronger on the new album."

The songwriting process for Zokusho was, "the same as the debut. Paul and I sift through ideas, refine them and what you hear is the end result," tells Ravel. "Bruno and I tossed the idea ball back and forth until the album was completed. Discipline and hard work, with a focus on the same passion that we had making the first album," adds Laine. Marcello chimes in that, "Bruno and Paul have such a great formula for writing songs, so when I get to them they’re pretty much complete. Then I get to decorate them with some Scandinavian flavor!"

The Defiants debut album was greeted with a great acclaim as a glorious return to the “in your face” melodic hard rock that enraptured millions of fans back in the '80s and '90s and is currently enjoying a renaissance here in the 21st century, so a follow-up album was a no-brainer. The brand new album, Zokusho, a Japanese word meaning "sequel” or "the next chapter”, is now set for release on September 13. This album also features Steve West of D2 on drums. Needless to say, this album has all the ingredients to thrill D2 and The Defiants fans. A BIG melodic rock album with big choruses, hooks and soaring guitars and vocals.

On first single, "Fallin' For You", Ravel explains that he, "came up with the hook first, then mixed elements from ’80’s AOR, and tried to give them an updated more aggressive approach. That’s what The Defiants do! As for what it is about, boy is lost, meets girl, falls hard for her… BOOM!"

Laine's take on it is that, "it was the last song written for the album. I don't ever like to talk about what the lyrics are about, save for the fact that I only ever write what I know. Songs mean different things to different people, and that's the beauty of a song, isn't it? And it's never going to mean the same thing to you as it does to me most likely, as you haven't put the miles in my shoes. With the title of the aforementioned song, everybody is going to think it means what it says, but does it? Read your lyrics kids...just like the old days...then you tell me what it means."

Marcello simply adds, "you'd have to ask Bruno and Paul about that one, I like the guitar solo though!"

Best known for being the D2 vocalist on four studio albums over the course of 12 years, Paul Laine came back to work with his former bandmates Bruno Ravel and Rob Marcello, who are the other two pillars of The Defiants, for the band’s self-titled debut album in 2015. The guys reunited at the suggestion of Frontiers' President Serafino Perugino, who really wanted these current and former Danger Danger members to offer fans of that band some new music. The resulting album was pleasing not only to the D2 fans, but also to ALL the fans out there who are into the classic sound of the era from which D2 emerged.

Tracklisting:

"Love Is The Killer"
"Standing On The Edge"
"Hollywood In Headlights"
"Fallin' For You"
"Hold On Tonite"
"Allnighter"
"U X'd My Heart"
"It Goes Fast"
"Stay"
"Alive"
"Drink Up!"

"Fallin' For You" video:

Lineup:

Bruno Ravel: Bass
Paul Laine: Vocals, Guitar
Rob Marcello: Guitar
Steve West: Drums




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New Delhi-based Indian folk metal band Bloodywood will be bringing their Raj Against The Machine Tour to Germany, France and the UK in July. In anticipation of the road trip, the band has released "Machi Bhasad (Expect A Riot)". Check out the video below. 

Raj Against The Machine tour dates are as follows:

July
13 - Dong Open Air - Stadt Neukirchen-vluyn, Germany    
14 - Bei Chez Heinz - Hannover, Germany    
15 - Cassiopeia - Berlin, Germany    
17 - Das Bett - Frankfurt Am Main, Germany    
19 - Backstage Concerts GmbH - München, Germany    
20 - RnP - Wiesloch, Germany    
21 - Bastard Club - Osnabrück, Germany    
22 - Gibus Club - Paris, France    
24 - The Lanes - Bristol, United Kingdom    
25 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, United Kingdom    
26 - Rebellion - Manchester, United Kingdom    
27 - O2 Academy Islington - London, United Kingdom    
29 - The Craufurd Arms - Milton Keynes, United Kingdom    

August
1 - Wacken Open Air - Wacken, Germany
3 - Taman Festival - Krasnodar, Russia    




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