This Gift Is A Curse are now streaming their upcoming album, A Throne Of Ash, in full. The album will be out tomorrow, June 14th. You can listen to the full offering courtesy of Season Of Mist now.

Order your copy of A Throne Of Ash at this location.

The band comments: "This record was defined by our record label as a 'monstrous black beast' and we think that is a rather accurate description. Our third album, A Throne Of Ash, is a natural extension of the dark, sonic maelstrom that started with I, Guiltbearer and that relentlessly keeps dragging us further down in the raging abyss that came to be This Gift Is A Curse. It does not intend to let us go – instead it forces us to refine and develop our craft, finding new dark territories to explore and dwell in. A Throne Of Ash is our final frontier, for now…".

Check out the artwork and tracklisting for A Throne Of Ash:

"Haema"
"Blood Is My Harvest"
"Thresholds"
"Gate Dweller"
"Monuments For Dead Gods"
"Wolvking"
"I Am Katharsis"
"In Your Black Halo (Mass 317)"
"Wormwood Star"

The experience that is A Throne Of Ash consists of poisoned blood, dying flesh and the dark ash from the charred body of man – both on a physical and astral plane with the underlying notion that nothing that transpires in what we call ‘reality’ has a greater meaning. 

This Gift Is A Curse vomit forth a steady stream of pitch-black venomous hate. The Swedes passionately demonstrate that black metal remains fertile ground for new sounds. Combining elements of hardcore and sludge with influences from occult black metal as well as drone, A Throne Of Ash sets a new benchmark for vitriolic viciousness and massive sonic onslaught. The third full-length of the band from Stockholm has turned out to be a vision of darkness that seeks its equal.

"Wolvking" video:

"Monuments For Dead Gods" video:

For further details, visit This Gift Is A Curse on Facebook.

 




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Germany's Emil Bulls have released a new track off their new covers album, Mixtape, out now via AFM Records. It's a cover of The Killers song "Mr. Brightside". Watch the video below, and order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"Survivor" (Destiny's Child cover)
"Tell It To My Heart" (Taylor Dayne cover)
"Mr. Brightside" (The Killers cover)
"Grenade" (Bruno Mars cover)
"River" (Eminem feat. Ed Sheeran cover)
"Rebel Yell" (Billy Idol cover)
"Jesus He Knows Me" (Genesis cover)
"You Should See Me In A Crown" (Billie Eilish cover)
"Jungle Drum" (Emiliana Torrini cover)
"The Hills" (The Weeknd cover)
"We Built This City" (Starship cover)
"Where Is My Mind" (Pixies cover)
"Every You Every Me" (Placebo cover)
"Kids" (MGMT cover)

"Mr. Brightside" video:

"The Hills" video:

"You Should See Me In A Crown" video:

"Tell It To My Heart" video:

Survivor" video:




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Old school death metal supergroup Insidious Disease, featuring Marc Grewe (ex-Morgoth) and Silenoz (Dimmu Borgir), gave way to their fury inside Bullhead City Circus at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in the summer of 2016. You can now watch the band's full set below.

Setlist:

"Secret Sorcery"
"Divine Fire"
"Nuclear Salvation"
"Rituals Of Bloodshed"
"Value In Flesh"
"Facemask"
"Soul Excavation"
"Boundless"
"An End Date With The World"




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Indestructible Noise Command have released a new single, "Beneath The Smoke", to honour fallen fire fighters as well as launching a fundraiser. Listen to the song below.

Two of the bands members are career firefighters. Lieutenant Dennis Gergely on vocals and Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi on guitar. Drummer Kyle Shepard is the son of a firefighter as well.

The lyrics of the song, written by Fabrizi and Gergely, are inspired by the loss of two brother firefighters, Lieutenant Steven Velasquez and firefighter Michel Baik who made the ultimate sacrifice while battling a structure fire. Both men were co-workers of vocalist/Lieutenant Dennis Gergely.

The track was written during the Black Hearse Serenade sessions five years ago, but the band wanted to wait to release the track while active and playing shows in order to raise awareness. People can either donate to the link found below or buy the single from which 100% of the profits will go to charity.

Buy the single via Amazon, or iTunes, or donate directly to the fund here.




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Iron Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson brought his What Does This Button Do? An Evening With Bruce Dickinson tour to Sir Temi Zammit Hall (University Of Malta) in Msida, Mata last week. Video from the event can be seen below:

New European dates for the What Does This Button Do? An Evening With Bruce Dickinson tour are listed below.

October
26 - Lisinski - Zagreb, Croatia
27 - Vienna Stadhalle F - Vienna, Austria

November
2 - Congress Centre - Budapest, Hungary
4 - Pallas Theatre - Athens, Greece
13 - Madetoja Hall - Oulu, Finland
29 - Cartuja Centre - Seville, Spain

December
1 - Hotel Catalonia - Barcelona, Spain
7 - Teatro Principal - Alicante, Spain
8 - Alua Magna - Lisbon, Portugal
13 - National Stadium - Dublin, Ireland

Get tickets here, and watch a trailer below:




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Guesting on the Eddie Trunk Podcast, guitar legend George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob, The End Machine) discussed a number of subjects, including the possibility of recording a new Dokken record featuring the classic line-up of himself, Don Dokken, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown.

Lynch: "We could make a great record, a record that would really, like, stand up to the old records that people love. To me, I want to do that because I want to put that other bookend on the shelf and try to wrap the whole thing up in a nice bow and say, 'Here it is, from 1980 to 2019 or whatever it is, here's the end of the story.'"

Check out the complete interview here.
 

Metal Express Radio recently caught up with bassist Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, ex-Dokken) to discuss his new project, The End Machine, featuring former Dokken bandmates George Lynch (guitars) and Mick Brown (drums), and Warrant vocalist Robert Mason. An excerpt is available below.

Q: With you, George and Mick working together did you ask Don to be part of The End Machine?

Pilson: "We did call Don to see if he`d be interested in doing it. He thought it`d just be like a Dokken reunion and that`d be a whole different can of worms. So, we did understand why he didn`t want to do it but we did offer it to him as the other three of us were doing it."

Q: You all last performed together in Dokken along with Don in 2016 for some shows and wrote "It`s Just Another Day" on the Return To The East live album. Was this just a one off or are there plans to work together as a unit sometime?

Pilson: "Again, that`s all down to the scheduling. We`re all friendly now and there`s communication between us so it`s not impossible but it`d have to be the right situation and as far as recording, I`d love to do one last, great Dokken record.  I wish records were a more important part of the equation these days but money and time are hard and because of that it`d be really difficult to do another Dokken record but I really hope that we do some day. The song that we did for the live album was really natural and was one of the most painless Dokken recordings that we`ve done. It was pretty cool. I hope there`s another one. As far as shows, who knows? Let`s hope so."

Read the complete interview here.




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Fan-filmed video footage of LAST IN LINE's June 12 performance at O2 Academy Islington in London, England can be seen below.

LAST IN LINE's sophomore album, "II", was released on February 22 via Frontiers Music Srl. As with 2016's "Heavy Crown", the new disc was produced by DOKKEN and FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson.

LAST IN LINE was formed in 2012, when Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain and Vivian Campbell — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — teamed up with esteemed vocalist Andrew Freeman. The debut album "Heavy Crown" was released in February 2016, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when bassist Jimmy Bain unexpectedly passed away at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. LAST IN LINE, honoring what they knew would be Bain's wish to keep the band moving, brought in renowned bassist Phil Soussan (ex-OZZY OSBOURNE) and committed to sustained touring in support of the album, hitting festivals, headlining clubs, and sharing the stage with metal luminaries such as SAXON and MEGADETH.


In late 2017, the band gathered in Los Angeles to start the recording of the second album, which was produced by the bandmembers and Pilson. Having really jelled as a band while touring in support of the first disc, the songwriting came readily to the members. They've created a record that shows a big progression in sound, while immediately being recognizable as LAST IN LINE thanks to Appice's rhythms, thunderous bass from Soussan, amazing vocals from Freeman, and the roaring guitars of Campbell.

A previously unreleased album from INCARDINE, the Swedish death metal band featuring current UNLEASHED guitarist Fredrik Folkare, will see the light of day on September 20 via Bone Records.

Based in Vikarbyn, Dalarna, INCARDINE made two demo tapes in 1992 before recording the aforementioned album the following year. The LP, which was mixed by Peter Tägtgren, was shelved after the band's original label went out of business.

"Seeds Of Doom" contains 14 songs of "catchy, technical death metal" and will be made available in the following formats:

* 300 copies on black vinyl LP

* 200 copies digipack CD

Track listing:

01. Burst Into Fire

02. Physical Repugnance

03. Moment Of Connection

04. The Final Verdict

05. No Redemption

06. Everlasting Oblivion

07. Incarnadine Ground

08. Salacious Retribution

09. Danse Macabre

10. In Reveries

11. Sins

12. The Seeds Of Doom

13. Blinded Eyes

14. Strucken By Grief

Contact Bone Records for pre-orders: [email protected]

INCARDINE lineup:

David Ahlberg - Vocals

Fredrik Folkare - Guitar, Bass

Daniel Wallner - Guitar

Jonas Tyskhagen - Drums

Folkare has been the guitarist for UNLEASHED since 1996.

BADFLOWER has released the official music video for the song "Promise Me", taken from the band's critically acclaimed debut album, "OK, I'M SICK". The track's expressive lyrics and smooth guitar riffs punctuate its message about holding on to love and the hope of youth.

BADFLOWER frontman Josh Katz stated about "Promise Me": "The concept of growing old scares the hell out of me. The thought that I won't have my youth forever, that things like love and heartbreak might not be as powerful as they once were... This video is very important to me because it confronts those fears. I hope to have the spirit of the characters we've created in this video. I hope to stay young at heart no matter what happens throughout the course of my life."

Released in February via Big Machine/John Varvatos Records, "OK, I'M SICK" debuted at No. 6 on the Hard Rock Albums chart with 7,000 equivalent album units earned. The disc was written and recorded in Los Angeles.


Through their deeply personal music, the album navigates subjects including anxiety, abuse, depression, social media and politics. The group produced a body of work that perfectly encapsulated the issues of its time.

Katz told Billboard about "OK, I'M SICK": "There's a lot of heavy lyrical content — honest, no filter, very emotive. We're a rock band, so it's a lot of guitar-driven stuff, but also there's a lot of down-tempo stuff — I guess ballad would be the word to use, but I don't really like that word. We really weren't trying to impress people on a musical level; we were just trying to be genuine and make something that sounded right and felt right."

"Promise Me" is the third single from "OK, I'M SICK". BADFLOWER previously topped Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart with "Heroin", marking the four-piece's first leader on a Billboard airplay tally.

In addition to its own headlining dates, BADFLOWER recently toured with NOTHING MORE and will join SHINEDOWN for the summer leg of the 2019 "Attention Attention" world tour, beginning on June 21 and ending on July 27.

Beheaded, Malta's premiere death metal outfit, will release their new studio album, Only Death Can Save You, tomorrow, June 14, worldwide via Agonia Records. Pre-order the album here, and listen to an advanced album stream below.

Forged from the darkest depths, Only Death Can Save You breathes violence and marches fearlessly down its death metal path. Summoning the visceral classic and the caustic edge of later death metal, the new punishing album spreads its aural horror with razor sharp precision.

To explain the title and concept of the new album, the band commented: "With Only Death Can Save You our intent was to artistically delve into the deepest, darkest corners of the human psyche and follow a creative path into the obscure frame of mind a person has when facing death, which, is the ultimate most terrifying experience and yet the only ‘salvation’ from life. This is a concept reflected in the lyrics and also captured in the album’s artwork."

On song writing and recordings, they added: "Having had a stable line up since the release of our last offering Beast Incarnate, also meant that we could work more as a unit this time around with all members giving a much stronger contribution to the song writing. This also includes our drummer Davide Billia who’s responsible for the recording process of the album and this was a key factor in nailing the sound, timbre and tone we wanted to give to this album."

Beheaded also addressed their new label home and touring: "Only Death Can Save You marks the beginning of a new chapter for Beheaded as part of Agonia Records. We are all very excited about this release and feel strongly about the album. We’re also looking forward to unleashing a number of these songs live on a string of festivals as part of our tour with Incantation and Hate, which will coincide with the release of the album, set for early summer."

Only Death Can Save You was recorded and mixed at Mk2 Recording Studio, run by the band's drummer, Davide Billa. The album was mastered at Hertz Studio in Poland. Cover artwork was painted by Daniel Corcuero (Nekronikon).

Formats:

- Jewelcase CD
- Black LP
- Neon Violet LP
- T-shirt
- Digital

Tracklisting:

"The Charlatan's Enunciation"
"Evil Be To Him Who Evil Seeks"
"A Greater Terror"
"Unholy Man"
"Embrace Your Messiah"
"The Papist Devil"
"Gallows Walk"
"Only Death Can Save You"
"From The Fire Where It All Began"

Album stream:

"The Charlatan's Enunciation" lyric video:

Lineup:

Frank Calleja - voice
David Cachia - bass
Grech Omar - guitars
Simone Brigo - guitars
Davide Billia - drums




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Portland rockers Red Fang’s digital single “Antidote” is now available on all streaming services!.The track was previously exclusive to the mobile app game Red Fang: Headbang! Listen on all streaming services here. Watch an accompanying music video, directed by Ansel Wallenfang & produced by Wieden+Kennedy, below.

Red Fang comments: "For those of you who suck at video games, now you can hear our new single, 'Antidote', uninterrupted by fun! It's now available for download as a regular old digital single. But if you are up for the challenge, see if you can beat our high score on your smartphone!"

(Photo - James Rexroad)




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

According to The Pulse Of Radio, a 13-year-old boy named Evan got the birthday gift of a lifetime when he performed "Seek And Destroy" with METALLICA at the metal legends' show Tuesday night (June 11) at the Johan Cruijff Arena in Amsterdam.

In pro-shot video posted on METALLICA's social media pages, frontman James Hetfield is seen saying: "Oh God, Lars shrunk! They put Lars in the wash. I told 'em not to put him in the dryer. He shrunk," as the camera shows Evan behind the kit, with Lars Ulrich coming over to give him some last-minute advice.

Evan then does a fine job opening the metal classic with Ulrich screaming, "That's right!" in the mic before eventually taking over the drum kit from Evan for the rest of the song.

The youngster ended up going on Instagram after the show to write: "Well well well no words I mean to play drums in front of 68,000 people with my hero's my favourite band of all time was just the best thing ever and to top it all off it was my bday !!"

METALLICA continues its European tour on Thursday night (June 13) in Cologne, Germany.

Episode 3 of "History Of Led Zeppelin", the third 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.

Armed with "Faith", the third hit single from GHOST's Grammy-nominated album "Prequelle", No. 15 in this, its fourth week at Active Rock Radio, GHOST premieres a brand-new webisode, "Chapter 7: New World Redro". This chapter first brings the viewer up to date with the Cardinal Copia-Papa Nihil-Sister Imperator storyline and then begins to lay the foundation for more backstory secrets yet to be revealed. Check out "Chapter 7: New World Redro" below.

GHOST is spending the bulk of its summer as special guest on METALLICA's four-leg "WorldWired" European stadium tour. Leg one saw GHOST playing to more than a quarter-million fans; leg two kicked off on June 8, and legs three and four will take place July and August. GHOST will perform at Heavy Montreal on July 27, and then kick off its North American "Ultimate Tour Named Death" headline arena tour on September 13.

Last month, GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge confirmed to Revolver that he will return to the studio in January 2020 to begin work on the band's follow-up to 2018's "Prequelle" album.

Forge revealed his plans for the fifth GHOST studio LP: saying, "I want to make a different record from 'Prequelle'. I want it to feel different... I definitely have a darker, heavier record in mind." Forge added that "Prequelle" turned out to be "a little ballad heavy."

Forge told The Pulse Of Radio what he had learned about the songs on "Prequelle" from playing them live for much of the past year. "I've come to realize that the songs on the record are very diverse," he said. "Not that I didn't understand that before, but I've definitely felt it now, playing them. Definitely a lot of the 'Prequelle' material is varied, which I like. It fits very well into a live set that is very long."

"Prequelle" debuted in June 2018 at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It has yielded the chart-topping "Rats" and "Dance Macabre", a well as the new single "Faith".

Bay Area thrash legends, Death Angel, are currently on their European Humanicide Tour 2019. Check out this new video:

Death Angel performs tonight, Thursday, June 13, at Legend 54 in Milano, Italy. The band's live itinerary can be found here.

Humanicide is available via Nuclear Blast. The album can be ordered here.

Tracklisting:

"Humanicide"
"Divine Defector"
"Aggressor"
"I Came For Blood"
"Immortal Behated"
"Alive And Screaming"
"The Pack"
"Ghost Of Me"
"Revelation Song"
"Of Rats And Men"
"The Day I Walked Away" (Bonus Track)

“I Came For Blood” video:

"The Pack" lyric video:

"Humanicide" visualizer:

Death Angel lineup:

Rob Cavestany - lead guitar/vocals
Mark Osegueda - lead vocals
Ted Aguilar - rhythm guitar
Will Carroll - drums
Damien Sisson - bass

(Band photo - Stephanie Cabral)




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Fan-filmed video footage of SLIPKNOT's June 11 performance in Prague, Czech Republic 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 a new single, "Unsainted", and the first live performance on this album cycle, a two-song appearance on the May 17 edition of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!"

German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION will release their 17th studio album, "Born To Perish", on August 9 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded in January and February 2019 with V.O. Pulver (PRO-PAIN, BURNING WITCHES, NERVOSA) at Little Creek Studios in Switzerland and is the first DESTRUCTION album to feature Randy Black on drums and second guitarist Damir Eskic.

A new trailer for "Born To Perish" in which the bandmembers introduce their new lineup can be seen below.

Damir is a Swiss guitar player of Bosnian decent who works as a guitar teacher, himself being a former pupil of Tommy Vetterli (CORONER). He also plays in a heavy metal band called GOMORRA and previously contributed three solos to DESTRUCTION's 2016 album "Under Attack".

DESTRUCTION previously played with two guitarists in the late 1980s (with the addition of Harry Wilkens) and then again throughout much of the 1990s (Michael "Ano" Piranio).

The cover artwork for "Born To Perish" was created by acclaimed artist Gyula from Hungary, who has also worked with ANNIHLATOR, GRAVE DIGGER, STRATOVARIUS, TANKARD and many more.

Frontman Schmier recently told France's Duke TV about the making of DESTRUCTION's upcoming album: "It's a process that took us three months — writing, recording and mixing. The new influence of the guys is there, because there's more shredding leads. Randy is a very solid, very tight player — very groovy also. You can hear that. We tried to make songs this time that are hitting on the target faster — the songs hit you right away. It's brutal, but it's very catchy. So you hear the songs the first time, right away you will remember [them]. You don't write an album like this every time. Sometimes you write songs, and after a while, you're, like, 'It's maybe too complicated,' because you wanna be an artist, you wanna express yourself. I think this time we managed to write an album that's very punchy."

Danish/American hard rock group VOLBEAT has released the official music video for its new song "Last Day Under The Sun". The clip was directed by Jakob Printzlau, who has previously directed VOLBEAT's videos for "The Devil's Bleeding Crown", "Lonesome Rider", "16 Dollars" and "Cape Of Our Hero".

VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen has revealed that the lyrics for the song were inspired by a book about Johnny Cash. "When I read his book, he went through tough times with alcohol and drugs," Michael said. "He walked into a cave to lay down to die. But he wakes up and feels like he has been given a second chance."

"Last Day Under The Sun" is taken from VOLBEAT's seventh album, "Rewind, Replay, Rebound", which will be released on August 2 via Republic Records. For the album, VOLBEAT — Michael Poulsen (guitars/vocals), Rob Caggiano (guitars), Kaspar Boye Larsen (bass), and Jon Larsen (drums) — builds upon its distinct, psychobilly, punk-tinged rock 'n' roll sound it is known for, while reaching for new creative summits.

"The whole point for us going into the studio, is because you still have something to prove — not just for the fans, but mostly for yourself," said Poulsen. "We would not be able to do this record if it wasn't for the work we have done in the past. No matter how old the band gets or how many records we do, there is always going to be that signature sound."

"Rewind, Replay, Rebound" is available for pre-order on all formats, including a 2 CD deluxe edition, a special deluxe edition box set, and transparent and blue colored vinyl, numbered and limited to 1,000 copies each.

At this point in their already storied career, VOLBEAT has opened for METALLICA, MOTÖRHEAD and SLIPKNOT, garnered the 2014 "Best Metal Performance" Grammy nomination for "Room 24" and won multiple Danish Music Awards. For this album, they mine their own personal histories and that of their genre: the song "When We Were Kids" finds VOLBEAT ruminating on immortality and innocence we all naively experience in our youth, while "Rewind The Exit" and "Die To Live" both explore how the pursuit of perfection can be a hollow goal.

"Rewind, Replay, Rebound" was produced by longtime collaborator Jacob Hansen and co-produced by Rob Caggiano and Michael Poulsen. This marks the first studio album with Kaspar Boye Larsen on bass. To achieve the album's sound, the band also drew upon a myriad of guests. In addition to again working with backing vocalist Mia Maja on several tracks, they also reunited with the Harlem Gospel Choir. CLUTCH vocalist Neil Fallon is featured on "Die To Live", the result of touring together and a love for the singer's gruff and powerful style. Raynier Jacob Jacildo (piano) and Doug Corocran (saxophone) of JD McPherson's band also lend their talents to the song. "Cheapside Sloggers" features a ripping guitar solo by EXODUS and SLAYER guitarist Gary Holt. Ultimately, VOLBEAT have not lost their passion to create and progress. It's that which keeps them hungry — and musically honest on the new album.

VOLBEAT recently announced the first leg of the "Rewind, Replay, Rebound" world tour, with support from BARONESS and DANKO JONES.

"Rewind, Replay, Rebound" track listing:

Standard CD/2LP

01. Last Day Under The Sun

02. Pelvis On Fire

03. Rewind The Exit

04. Die To Live (feat. Neil Fallon)

05. When We Were Kids

06. Sorry Sack of Bones

07. Cloud 9

08. Cheapside Sloggers

09. Maybe I Believe

10. Parasite

11. Leviathan

12. The Awakening of Bonnie Parker

13. The Everlasting

14. 7:24

Deluxe 2CD/Digital

Disc 1:

01. Last Day Under The Sun

02. Pelvis On Fire

03. Rewind The Exit

04. Die To Live (feat. Neil Fallon)

05. When We Were Kids

06. Sorry Sack of Bones

07. Cloud 9

08. Cheapside Sloggers

09. Maybe I Believe

10. Parasite

11. Leviathan

12. The Awakening of Bonnie Parker

13. The Everlasting

14. 7:24


Disc 2:

01. Under The Influence

02. Immortal But Destructible

03. Die To Live

04. Last Day Under The Sun (Demo)

05. Rewind The Exit (Demo)

06. When We Were Kids (Demo)

07. Maybe I Believe (Demo)

08. Leviathan (Demo)

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

Fan-filmed video footage of RAINBOW's June 12 concert at Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube users "Poupystar is back" and "munichhorseman").

Last month, RAINBOW released a new digital single, "The Storm", via Minstrel Hall Music. The song is said to be "a rocked-up remake" of an old BLACKMORE'S NIGHT track from the album "Fires At Midnight", which was issued back in 2001.

In April, RAINBOW released a newly recorded version of its song "Black Sheep Of The Family".

The original recording of "Black Sheep Of The Family" — a cover of a track by the band QUATERMASS from 1970 — was included on RAINBOW's debut album, 1975's "Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow".

The first new RAINBOW single since 1996, "Waiting For A Sign", was released in March 2018. The song was penned by Ritchie Blackmore, with lyrics by his wife Candice Night and vocals from RAINBOW's current singer, Ronnie Romero, who is originally from Chile but is now settled in Madrid.

The latest incarnation of RAINBOW released two new studio recordings in 2017, but they weren't original compositions; one was an instrumental song called "Land Of Hope And Glory", which was a reworking of the 1902 British patriotic song of the same name from Edward Elgar's "Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1", while the other was a re-recording of the RAINBOW classic "I Surrender", which was written by Russ Ballard and was first released by RAINBOW in 1981.

"Waiting For A Sign" is included on "Memories in Rock II", which was released in April 2018 via Minstrel Hall/Soulfood. The set also contains a double CD of the June 2017 U.K. RAINBOW concerts, a DVD containing over 80 minutes of interview footage with the band and crew, an additional backstage clip and a video for the 2017 studio version of "I Surrender".

Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT in 2016 to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of the band he had formed after quitting DEEP PURPLE.

Although Ritchie initially said that he had no plans to make a new RAINBOW album — explaining in early 2016 that he wanted to "just get back to playing the old songs one more time" — he revealed to Japan's Burrn! magazine that he changed his mind.

In addition to Blackmore and Romero, the current incarnation of RAINBOW includes STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT), and backing singers Candice Night and Lady Lynn.

The two shows RAINBOW played in Germany in June 2016 were caught on camera to produce "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", which was released in November 2016 via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, and digital formats.

After Ritchie left DEEP PURPLE for the final time in 1993, he reformed RAINBOW for one album (1995's "Stranger In Us All") and one tour, ending things in Denmark in 1997.

This Day In Music Books has announced the release of Led Zeppelin: The Day I Was There, available on June 16.

Richard Houghton’s sixth book in The Day I Was There series is a collection of over 500 eyewitness accounts of seeing one of the most successful, innovative, and influential rock groups in history - Led Zeppelin.

With fans recalling memories of the earliest Yardbirds and Zeppelin shows at UK and European clubs right through until the O2 Ahmet Ertegun Tribute Concert in 2007. With personal photographs, memorabilia, fascinating anecdotes, and fan stories that have never been published before.

Led Zeppelin has been credited with a major impact on the nature of the music business, particularly in the development of album-orientated rock and stadium rock. The biggest band of the 70s saw each of their nine studio albums placed in the top 10 of the Billboard album chart and six reached the number-one spot.

Special limited edition hardback numbered from 1-500 and signed by the author. Pre-order here, and watch a trailer below.




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

The official JayLaced Productions-produced music video for the song "I Came For Blood" from San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans DEATH ANGEL can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's ninth full-length album, "Humanicide", which is being released today (Friday, May 31) via Nuclear Blast Records.

With "Humanicide", DEATH ANGEL has maintained its throne in the universe of thrash while still managing to remain progressive in their style. They apply a wide variety of different elements to their music, always pushing to add newness to their sound. This time around they've included everything from acoustic bits to guest musicians to even (for the first time) the notes of a piano. All 10 songs flow seamlessly yet each leaves its own distinct impression.

For the fourth album cycle in a row, DEATH ANGEL returned to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.


Guitarist Rob Cavestany told United Rock Nations about the inspiration for the album's title: "'Humanicide' is basically the self-extinction of the human race. It is very dark, in a kind of a dark time [with] the way that things are going around the world these days. It's no secret — all you have to do is turn on the news, go on social media, talk to somebody on the streets. You'll see that there's a bit of a problem going on between relations of humanity. It's hard to get away from it; it's ever-present. It's not like it's a brand new situation — of course, it's been going on, but the thing is, you see it more and more now because of social media... Everyone knows the same feeling. There's just a lot of tension happening, especially between the relations of humans. Our band has experienced this since we first started in the '80s, being that for one thing, we were all young and these Filipino cousins that didn't fit the normal look of the heavy metal band. We experienced harsh people all over the place for no apparent reason but because they weren't able to accept other people, or something other than what they think is how it's supposed to be, and that seems to be the problem persisting today. People are just thinking that whatever the way they do things or the way their particular scene is, that's how it's supposed to be everywhere else. They're not accepting of others, and it's getting really blown up in a bad way these days. The powers that be are not helping these situations — a lot of them aren't. This gives great inspiration for the kind of aggressive style of a concept that belongs in heavy music like this. You need to focus on some heavy topic one way or the other — it's not like singing about lying in the park in a bed of flowers having your Valentine date with you. This kind of movie that is presented in this genre is more of an intense, dark horror film. That's kind of where we're coming from."

Regarding DEATH ANGEL's decision to work with Suecof again, Rob said: "I just love the clarity and the power of the final product of the production that we get working together out of his studio. I think his records come out sounding very clear and strong and bright, and you can hear everything. I just love the clarity and the separation of the instruments. He's like retaining an old-school feel, but combining it with a modern production feel. That's what we're shooting for. The working relationship that we have together, we've become really close friends. We've been working together now for four records over practically a decade, so we know each other really well, and we kind of know what we're thinking, we know what we're trying to get out of each other and we know how to work together."

"Humanicide" track listing:

01. Humanicide

02. Divine Defector

03. Aggressor

04. I Came For Blood

05. Immortal Behated

06. Alive and Screaming

07. The Pack

08. Ghost of Me

09. Revelation Song

10. Of Rats and Men

11. The Day I Walked Away (bonus track)

Jorn's new live album and video, Live On Death Road, is out tomorrow (Friday, June 14) via Frontiers Music Srl. Pre-order here, and watch a live video for "Ride Like The Wind", originally a hit for American singer-songwriter Christopher Cross in 1980, below.

2018 was a significant year for Jorn Lande. He celebrated his 50th birthday with the release of a comprehensive 12-album box set and played a few selected shows in the spring and summer which presented the most diverse and exciting setlists ever of his storied career. Picking forgotten gems from early albums, selected covers and choice cuts from collaborative releases, all in all those shows presented the true and ultimate legacy of Jorn as an artist and Jorn as a band.

Jorn’s headlining set at Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, in late April 2018 was recorded in it’s full glory and will now be released on 2CD+DVD and Blu-Ray formats. For fans who weren’t able to attend, you can now enjoy the epic concert performance, Live On Death Road. Jorn shines in every way possible in this monumental set.

One of the most prolific metal vocalists of the modern metal era, Jorn’s immense vocal talent has earned him a status as one the last pioneers of true classic hard rock and heavy metal. Jorn's voice is one of the finest and most powerful you will find in metal. Besides focusing on his main band Jorn, Lande has fronted various bands, among them Ark, Beyond Twilight and Masterplan. Jorn has also participated on several projects, such as the Nostradamus and Dracula Rock Operas, the Allen/Lande albums with Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen, the Ayreon and Avantasia projects.

Tracklisting:

CD1
"My Road"
"Bring Heavy Rock To The Land"
"Life On Death Road"
"Blacksong"
"World Gone Mad"
"Stormcrow"
"Sunset Station"
"Ride Like The Wind"
"Out To Every Nation"

CD2
"Shot In The Dark"
"Walking On Water"
"Traveller"
"Rock And Roll Angel"
"The Mob Rules"
"Rainbow In The Dark"
"Lonely Are The Brave"

DVD:
"My Road
"Bring Heavy Rock To The Land"
"Life On Death Road"
"Blacksong"
"World Gone Mad"
"Stormcrow"
"Sunset Station"
"Ride Like The Wind"
"Out To Every Nation"
"Walking On Water"
"Traveller"
"Rock And Roll Angel"
"Man Of The 80’s"
"The Mob Rules"
"Rainbow In The Dark"
"Lonely Are The Brave"

"Ride Like The Wind" video:

"Stormcrow" video:

"The Mob Rules" video:

Lineup:

Jorn Lande: lead vocals
Tore Moren: guitar
Alessandro Del Vecchio: Keyboards
Sid Ringsby: Bass
Beata Polak: Drums
Francesco Jovino: Drums




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Gloryhammer have released a lyric video for "Masters Of The Galaxy", the third single from their new studio album, Legends From Beyond The Galactic Terrorvortex (Napalm Records). Watch the clip below, and order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"Into The Terrorvortex Of Kor-Virliath"
"The Siege Of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)"
"Masters Of The Galaxy"
"The Land Of Unicorns"
"Power of the Laser Dragon Fire"
"Legendary Enchanted Jetpack"
"Gloryhammer"
"Hootsforce"
"Battle For Eternity"
"The Fires Of Ancient Cosmic Destiny"
I: Dundaxian Overture
II: The Battle Of Cowdenbeath
III: Return Of The Astral Demigod Of Unst
IV: The Knife Of Evil
V: Transmission

Bonus album:

"Into The Terrorvortex Of Kor-Virliath" (Symphonic Version)
"The Siege Of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)" (Symphonic Version)
"Masters Of The Galaxy" (Symphonic Version)
"The Land Of Unicorns" (Symphonic Version)
"Power of the Laser Dragon Fire" (Symphonic Version)
"Legendary Enchanted Jetpack" (Symphonic Version)
"Gloryhammer" (Symphonic Version)
"Hootsforce" (Symphonic Version)
"Battle For Eternity" (Symphonic Version)
"The Fires Of Ancient Cosmic Destiny" (Symphonic Version)
I: Dundaxian Overture
II: The Battle of Cowdenbeath
III: Return Of The Astral Demigod Of Unst
IV: The Knife of Evil
V: Transmission

"Masters of The Galaxy" lyric video:

“The Siege Of Dunkeld (In Hoots We Trust)” lyric video:

“Gloryhammer” video:

(Photo - Robert Zembrzycki)




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman recently spoke to U.K.'s Planet Rock about his singing technique, saying that he has always "tried to approach how I do what I do the same way that I feel that the great vocalists of all time would have approached it, whether it's [Rob] Halford or [Ronnie James] Dio. I try to be as pure and as direct and as resonant as I possibly can within my own respective abilities," he explained. "Not that I'm anywhere close to either one of those two — they're human freaks of nature. May one of them rest in peace and may the other stay with us for many, many years to come. Between the two of them in particular, you're talking about two of the greatest voices of all time. Certainly not to not include what, in my opinion, was one of the greatest vocalists to ever sing, but the greatest frontman that the world has ever seen, Freddie Mercury. His range, his charisma, his presence — everything about him — just the quintessential frontman."

Draiman also talked in more detail about his appreciation for Dio, saying that the legendary heavy metal singer "humbled" him about his vocal abilities.

"One time I went to see him in Chicago at the House Of Blues and was fortunate enough to go backstage and say hello," David recalled. "And he's doing his usual — he's got a glass of wine in one hand and a cigarette in the other. And I was just so taken with the opportunity to meet him — one of my greatest sources of inspiration and an idol of mine; one of the most majestic rock voices that ever existed. And I pulled him to the side for a minute. I'm, like, 'Ronnie, could I ask you a question?' 'Sure. What would you like to ask?' 'What do you do for your warm-up? How do you get ready for the show?' And he goes ahead and puts his hand on my shoulder and he looks me in the eyes and he says, 'Brother, if you have to warm up, you don't have it.' [Laughs] And I was crushed. I literally felt like four inches tall at the time. And he said that he was messing with me. But literally, the man never warmed up — the wine and the cigarettes was the warm-up. So, God bless him and his memory. I have nothing but the highest level of reverence for the memory and the legacy of Mr. Ronnie James Dio."

DISTURBED is currently in the midst of an international tour, though they did recently come home for show-stealing performances in Columbus (Sonic Temple Art & Music Fest) and Oklahoma (Rocklahoma). Upcoming dates include shows in Russia, Poland, Israel, Prague, Athens and more.

According to Deutsche Welle, RAMMSTEIN frontman Till Lindemann has been accused of assault at a hotel bar.

Lindemann allegedly got into an argument with a fellow guest at the Bayerischer Hof luxury hotel in Munich, Germany after the band's June 8 concert in the city.

The alleged victim is a 54-year-old man from Hamburg who apparently insulted a female companion of the singer, according to witnesses, by implying she was a sex worker. The woman, named Lana, told Bild: "He said to me in English, 'I would pay double for you.'" Lindemann then asked the man if he had just called his companion a prostitute and demanded an apology. In response, the man allegedly clenched his fists and asked the RAMMSTEIN frontman to walk to the door. At that point, Lindemann elbowed the man in the face, leaving him with a bloody nose and a possible broken jaw.

A day after the incident was first reported in the German media, Lindemann's former girlfriend of five years, 29-year-old German model Sophia Thomalla, defended the singer, telling Bild: "Till is the most polite person I know. I have no idea what happened to upset him. But if he snapped, his reaction was justified."

One of the most revered metal groups of all time, RAMMSTEIN is renowned for its electrifying live shows often involving spectacular pyrotechnics.

The band is touring in support of its untitled seventh studio album, which came out in May.

RAMMSTEIN's run of European stadium and arena shows kicked off on May 27 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany and will end on August 23 in Vienna, Austria.

According to The Daily Beast, the devastating fire at Universal Studios Hollywood in June 2008 was widely reported at the time - but, until now, it wasn’t publicly known that it destroyed a huge catalogue, including some of the most important music recordings in the history of popular music.

The news coverage of the event implied that it was just film that had been burned, and only copies of original work that weren’t irreplaceable. However, The New York Times Magazine reports that a storehouse of master music recordings, the original recordings from which all subsequent copies are derived, was destroyed.

Virtually all of Buddy Holly’s masters were lost in the fire, as well as work by Louis Armstrong, Bing Crosby, Ella Fitzgerald, Judy Garland, Billie Holiday, Chuck Berry, Burt Bacharach, Neil Diamond, Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Eric Clapton, the Eagles, Don Henley, Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Eminem, and 50 Cent.

The New York Times Magazine's feature, The Day The Music Burned, is available at NYTimes.com.




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

Scheduled to perform at the world-renowned Heavy Montreal on July 28th, Montreal's Mountain Dust has a new music video for their track “Stop Screaming” in support of the band's latest album Seven Storms, which was released last year. The audio for the video was actually recorded live off the floor and is not a lip-synced visual. 

The band adds: 

"We wanted to make sure that the video captured the heaviness and epic drama of the song and decided that making a truly live video shot from multiple angles in an impressive location like the Corona Theatre was the right approach. The theatre is like the 5th member of the band. It contributes so much vibe and even adds to the sound. We are very happy with the results." 

As regulars on the international festival circuit, they have toured extensively through Europe and made their place on several international charts. The grimy video is packed full of doomy southern rock vibes that is both melodic and heavy, with enough punch to keep listeners moving.




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

The Swiss melodic hard rock/metal outfit Crystal Ball is celebrating the band's 20th anniversary with the release of 2020 - their first ever best-of album - due out on August 2nd via Massacre Records. Check out first single and lyric video for "Forever And Eternally" below.

The album will include a total of 20 tracks on two CDs - there will be ten re-recorded and newly interpreted songs from the band's first decade, and ten melodic metal tracks from the band's second decade, which were either re-recorded, newly arranged and/or enhanced with additional recordings. All songs were chosen based on results of fan polls and streaming analyses. 

Stefan Kaufmann is once again responsible for the production, recordings and mastering - and along with Mattes for the mixing at ROXX Studio. Thomas Ewerhard is responsible for the cover artwork.

2020 is an album for die-hard fans that are around since the band's early days but also for those who have barely heard of the band before. Needless to say that this album should be part of every record collection. It will be available for preorder soon.

Tracklisting:

CD1
“HELLvetia”
“Moondance”
“Soul Mate”
“Lay Down The Law”
“He Came To Change The World”
“Dance With The Devil”
“Mozart Symphony”
“My Life”
“Am I Free”
“Forever And Eternally”

CD2
“Paradise”
“Mayday!”
“Alive For Evermore”
“Hold Your Flag”
“Eye To Eye”
“Suspended”
“Déjà-Voodoo”
“Anyone Can Be A Hero”
“Curtain Call”
“Director’s Cut”

"Forever And Eternally" lyric video:




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();

KISS co-founder Paul Stanley recently spoke with Matt Bahan of the Peoria, Illinois radio station 105.7 The X Rocks. The full conversation can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On finding the time to write his new book "Backstage Pass":

Paul: "It takes a lot of discipline, but it also takes a lot of passion. Obviously, you have to be passionate to get everything done, but I only believe in doing things one way, and that's the right way. I'm proud of what I do, and when I wrote 'Face The Music', my first book, it really chronicled my life as a member of the band and beyond that. People were telling me that it resonated with them and it was raw and honest and told about difficulties I had and issues I had... it was a philosophy of take no prisoners — just work, work, work and you'll succeed or get lucky. The harder you work, the luckier you get. That resonated with people, and people would come to me and say that they found themselves identifying with me in the book, so I thought, 'Let me write a book that is a self-improvement book, a self-help book,' [but] only in the sense that nobody can improve you or help you except you. Rather than me saying, 'If I were you, here's how I would do things,' the book really is about, 'Here's how I did things, and here are examples of things I dealt with and am dealing with.' It seems to connect with people. I want people to know how much we're similar, rather than thinking that people you look to are perfect. I'll tell you — from this guy's mouth, I'm far from perfect, and I've probably got most of the same issues that a lot of people have."

On his "live to win" philosophy:

Paul: "I always think that regrets are the one thing I don't want to live with. If something is appealing to me, then my philosophy is always 'Why?', not 'Why not?' Give everything a try. If it means something to you, it's better than the regret... The people who tell you what's impossible are invariably the ones who failed. I'd rather be here and be a cheerleader for people and say, 'Yeah, you can. If you're willing to work hard and you're passionate about something, there's no reason you can't have it.'"

On Gene Simmons:

Paul: "Relationships aren't always easy. Part of a good relationship and part of a good partnership is knowing its limitations — knowing what is impossible, what not to expect, what the other person can't bring to the party. That will make you less, I guess, disappointed, but there's no substitute for years and time where you see how somebody reacts to disappointment, to struggle and if they're there for you. I have to say, Gene's always been there. Sure, we've had our fights, and I would be the first to say, 'Are we different? Sure. Do we agree on certain things? No. Do I agree with some of the things he says? No.' But he's had my back and I've had for his for 40-plus years, and you can't deny that."

On KISS's "End Of The Road" tour:

Paul: "You have to love what you're doing. Here we are, 45-plus years into it, and this is by far and away the biggest, most complex and amazing show we've ever done... We're playing over two hours and we're covering all the periods of the band. We really wanted to make this the ultimate and raise the bar, not only for the fans who've been with us through different periods of the band, but people who have never seen us before who come to the shows and go, 'Why didn't I get into this earlier?' It's serious to us."

On whether he has a favorite KISS album:

Paul: "It's an impossible question to answer. KISS 'Alive!' was a pivotal album that took us from obscurity to front-page news and sold-out shows, so that's really indicative of the foundation of this band. There were a lot of great albums after that. I have to say that the last two albums we did, 'Sonic Boom' and 'Monster', are great albums, and it will take some time before those become classics. It's always interesting — when a song comes out, it's competing with songs that have memories for people, and histories. It's just interesting how it takes years for songs to get that patina, so to speak. 'Lick It Up', now, is a classic song. 'Psycho Circus' is a classic song. Those were new songs at one point, but they're not new anymore."

"Backstage Pass" was released on April 30 via HarperCollins.

KISS kicked off the initial European leg of its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on May 27 in Leipzig, Germany. The tour is expected to continue through 2020.

Gathered for a sacred rite! In the rare video below, the classic 4-piece Morbid Angel lineup, with David Vincent (bass/vocals), Trey Azagthoth (guitar) and Pete Sandoval (drums), joined by Richard Brunelle (guitar), rehearse the Altars Of Madness album track, "Immortal Rites" in Tampa, Florida in September 1990.




(function() {
var zergnet = document.createElement('script');
zergnet.type = 'text/javascript'; zergnet.async = true;
zergnet.src = (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https:" : "http:") + '//www.zergnet.com/zerg.js?id=70729';
var znscr = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0];
znscr.parentNode.insertBefore(zergnet, znscr);
})();