The new Ronnie James Dio hologram played the third show of its month-long U.S. tour last night (Monday, June 3) at Center Stage in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Dio hologram production uses audio of Ronnie's live performances from throughout his career, with the DIO DISCIPLES band playing live, consisting of Simon Wright on drums, Craig Goldy on guitar, and Scott Warren on keyboards, along with Bjorn Englen on bass. Also appearing with them are former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and ex-LYNCH MOB frontman Oni Logan.

The 90-minute concert includes all of the DIO fan favorites — such as "Holy Diver", "King Of Rock And Roll" and "We Rock" — plus select tracks from RAINBOW and BLACK SABBATH.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Atlanta show can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "Memnoch's Unhappiness").

In his review of the tour's opening concert in Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers News-Press writer Charles Runnells wrote: "Hologram Dio never really felt real. His mouth didn't quite sync with Dio's recorded, awe-inspiring vocals (lifted from various live Dio concerts). His movements looked too herky-jerky, manic and non-stop to feel life-like. And the whole thing lacked that hard-to-nail-down but immediately recognizable spark of life. It didn't help that the hologram was set all the way to the back of the stage, behind the band, making the always short Dio appear even shorter and almost elf-like (hey, he did play in a band called ELF)."

Setlist:

01. King Of Rock And Roll

02. Mob Rules

03. Children Of The Sea

04. The Last In Line / Holy Diver

05. Stand Up And Shout

06. Don’t Talk To Strangers

07. Egypt (The Chains Are On)

08. Gates Of Babylon

09. Invisible

10. Stargazer

11. Heaven And Hell / Man On The Silver Mountain

12. Rainbow In The Dark

13. We Rock

14. Neon Knights

The legendary heavy metal singer died in 2010 at the age of 67 from stomach cancer. His hologram made its debut at the Wacken Open Air festival in August 2016 in front of more than 75,000 fans.

After the tour's initial seven-date run was completed in December 2017, Ronnie's hologram underwent "some changes" before the launch of the 2019 leg of the "Dio Returns" world tour.

Hologram production company Eyellusion, which created the Dio hologram, recently signed with the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA), represented by agency partner Steve Martin.

Eyellusion CEO Jeff Pezzuti said: "Ronnie James Dio was not only known for his amazing vocals, but also his incredible stage shows and performances. This show is a must-see for all fans of Ronnie, new and old. The new stage production we have created, plus the brand new Ronnie James Dio hologram, have to be seen to be believed. This is a first-ofits kind -metal show! We are celebrating Ronnie, with his live vocals, with his band he toured with for the last 17 years, and with a show that his fans will love! It's an over-the-top metal experience that will have the fans raising their horns throughout the show! We are excited for everyone to see what we have in store for the U.S. and the world to follow!"

Ronnie's widow and longtime manager, Wendy Dio, who is a member of the Eyellusion team, spoke to Patch.com about the new Ronnie James Dio hologram. Asked what is different about it, Wendy said: "Technology has come a long way since the first one was created. I'm much happier with the new one. It's a million times better. I wasn't happy by the end of the last tour. I wanted Ronnie to look more like Ronnie. I was very picky about the eyebrows actually. Maybe someone else wouldn't have noticed it but I noticed it. I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. He's also now in the same line as the band, in front. Before, he was at the back of the stage."

According to Wendy, "about a year" of planning and design went into creating the new hologram. "It's like a cartoon," she said. "Every stroke, every eyelash, has to be done individually. Then there's me going, 'I don't like that!' The people involved really care about it. We're all there during the creation, making it exactly what we wanted to do."

Wendy told Patch.com that critics of the Dio hologram are "entitled to their opinion. I just ask that people come and see the show first before criticizing," she said. "We got a lot of flak in the beginning but I think more and more people are getting used to it. It's for the fans. It's for the fans who would love to see Ronnie back up on the stage and the ones that never got a chance to see him. I think Ronnie would approve. If anybody saw the 'Sacred Heart' tour in 1986 we tried to make a hologram then. We had Ronnie in a crystal ball hanging from the stage talking through it. Also he was an innovator in music, so why not be an innovator in technology."

Entombed, featuring original members Nicke Andersson, Uffe Cederlund and Alex Hellid, have entered the Swedish charts with their Live Clandestine album, released via Threeman Recordings last month. The album achieved the following chart positions:

#13 - Album List
#3 - Physical List
#3 - Vinyl List
#2 - Heavy Metal List

25 years after the release of the album, the original members were reunited together on a stage in Malmö for a unique concert where the groundbreaking work is performed from beginning to end, from the opening "Living Dead" to the end "Through The Collonades".

A message from Alex, Uffe & Nicke states: "Big thanks to everyone who helped Live Clandestine crash into the charts! We are extremely happy for unparalleled support from partners and friends!! THANK YOU ALL."

The album is available on CD, CD bundle with exclusive t-shirt & 2LP 180gr deluxe vinyl incl. poster. Order here.

Tracklisting:

Intro
"Living Dead"
"Sinners Bleed"
"Evilyn"
"Blessed Be"
"Stranger Aeons"
"Chaos Breed"
"Crawl"
"Severe Burns"
"Through The Colonnades"
"Left Hand Path"

"Stranger Aeons":

"Sinners Bleed":

Lineup:

Guitar: Alex Hellid Drums: Nicke Andersson
Guitar & Backing Vocals: Uffe Cederlund
Vocals: Robert Andersson
Bass: Edvin Aftonfalk




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Frontiers Music Srl has set August 9 as the release date for Unruly Child’s seventh studio album, Big Blue World. Pre-order the album here, and watch a lyric video for the single "Living In Someone Else's Dream", below.

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

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

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

Lineup:

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




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Ahead of Judas Priest's June 5 concert at Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, CO, frontman Rob Halford spoke with Colorado Springs Independent about the recently passed Equality Act, writing an autobiography, and his band being the heavy metal version of Queen. An excerpt follows:

Q: I have a question about your current tour-mate Mick Box’s recent description of his band Uriah Heep as “The Beach Boys of Heavy Metal.” If you were to draw a similar comparison with Judas Priest, what would it be?

Halford: "Well, ironically enough, given your last question, I think that calling us a heavy metal version of Queen would be quite a decent comparison. I’ve been a huge Queen fan all of my life. And when I think back on all the songs that Judas Priest has created over the last four decades or so, I think we do have a bit of a Queen vibe about us, in terms of not putting blinkers on oneself, letting the music take you where it needs to go, and being from the heart. Because Queen was a band that never let itself be boxed in."

Read the complete interview at Colorado Springs Independent.

Judas Priest's current tour itinerary, with special guests Uriah Heep opening, can be seen below.

May
29 - Austin, TX - Moody Theater
31 - Dallas, TX - Bomb Factory

June
1 - Little Rock, AR - Riverfest Ampitheatre
3 - St. Louis, MO - Stifel Theatre
4 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads *
5 - Colorado Springs, CO - Broadmoor World Arena
8 - Saskatoon, SK - Sasktel Centre
10 - Lethbridge, AB - Enmax Centre
11 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
13 - Dawson Creek, BC - Encana Events Centre
14 - Prince George, BC - CN Centre
16 - Kelowna, BC - Propera Place
17 - Abbotsford, BC - Abbotsford Centre
19 - Spokane, WA - Northern Quest Casino
21 - Seattle, WA - Showare Center
22 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
24 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield
25 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield
27 - Los Angeles, CA - Microsoft Theater
28 - Ontario, CA - Citizens Business Bank Arena
29 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint

* Uriah Heep only




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APOCALYPTICA has completed work on the long-awaited follow-up to its 2015 album, "Shadowmaker".

The Finnish cello rockers recorded the new all-instrumental disc over a three-month period at Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki.

In a brand new interview with Ghost Cult, APOCALYPTICA drummer Mikko Sirén said that "it's been really fun to go back" to the band's roots with the new LP, explaining that APOCALYPTICA's musical direction has been influenced by the ongoing tour behind the re-release of its epic debut, "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos".

According to Sirén, APOCALYPTICA's last three studio albums — "Worlds Collide" (2007), "7th Symphony" (2010) and the aforementioned "Shadowmaker" — "are siblings to each other" in the sense that "they follow each other the same kind of a way," with the band releasing "a lot of singles, doing radio stuff, playing radio festivals, then after a tour, going back to the studio, writing music again. And it was fantastic, and we really think they are great albums, but then, all of a sudden, to have a break from all that — it was a four-year gap between the latest studio [album] until now — it's kind of like a breath of fresh air and it really impacted a lot to the way we wanted to compose the new album," he explained.

"Shadowmaker" was APOCALYPTICA's first album to feature just one singer — former SCARS ON BROADWAY guitarist Franky Perez — instead of guest collaborators. The disc was recorded with Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON).

Prior to enlisting Perez, APOCALYPTICA released eight albums that melded the classically trained cello mastery of the three core bandmembers with the harder elements of the rock world, including drums and guest vocalists, such as Gavin Rossdale from BUSH and Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR fame.

Last July, APOCALYPTICA's Eicca Toppinen stated about the band's decision to make an all-instrumental album at this point in the group's career: "On the previous ones, we always combined the instrumental songs with the vocal songs, and it was great to have the featuring artists, it was great to work with Frank Perez for the 'Shadowmaker' album. But then, on the other hand, it became a bigger interest for us, like, okay, it would be interesting to make a full instrumental album, so there's no compromise with anything. So maybe it's gonna be something really, really crazy… that nobody did before."

View this post on Instagram This pair of Genelec speakers has been set up on the road every day, so we have been able to finalize our work for our ninth studio album!!! These amazing speakers with SAM-system has been helping us to create reliable monitoring for every backstage. Thank you for providing these #genelec @genelec_oy @genelec_usa A post shared by Apocalyptica (@apocalypticaofficial) on May 31, 2019 at 11:05pm PDT

MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST's Japanese record company, Ward Records, has unveiled the cover artwork of the band's upcoming second album, "Revelation". Due on September 20, the disc, which will be made available in the rest of the world via Nuclear Blast, features an oil painting-style cover that recreates the ancient crucifixion scene. Michael Schenker, as Jesus, is crucified on a giant Flying V guitar. As the Romans raise the legendary German axeman, his bandmembers, filling in for the Apostles and dressed in full metal regalia, are being held back by the Roman warriors.

"Revelation" was produced by Michael Schenker and Michael Voss and was recorded and mixed by Voss at Kidpool Studio Greven & Kidwood Studio in Münstertal, Germany between December 2018 and March 2019.

"Michael Voss is a fantastic musician with great input as a co-producer," Schenker said. "Our chemistry is something else. We have a way of working together that is extremely creative."

The follow-up to 2018's "Resurrection", "Revelation" was mastered by Christoph "Doc" Stickel for CS Mastering in Vienna, Austria. Additional recordings were completed as follows: Simon Phillips's drums were recorded by Jason Mariani at Brotherynstudios in Ojai, California. Bodo Schopf's drums recorded by Rolf Munkes at Empire Studios in Bensheim, Germany. Graham Bonnet's and Robin McAuley's vocals were recorded by Jimmy Waldo at Where's That Track Studio in Los Angeles, California.


"Based on the fun that we had recording 'Resurrection', the success of the album and the surrounding tours we undertook that were just fantastic, I was deeply inspired to make a start on writing new songs for a new MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST album," said Schenker. "It is even a step up from 'Resurrection', with amazing input from all singers and all musicians. I could not ask for a better result. The songs are blazing, snappy, energetic, melodic and with drummers like Simon Philips and Bodo Shopf, we got amazing results. This time we even managed to record three great mid-tempo songs with all singers involved, singing their hearts out."


Regarding the "Revelation" title, Schenker said: "The album title and cover concept expresses things that have happened in my past as well as what is still happening at the present time. It's about passion and purity versus greed and corruption. There is much to say. It's about time I let people know about some of this."

Besides the four vocalists — Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, Robin McAuley and Doogie White — Schenker also reveals a guest singer on one track. "An incredible thing happened; we had this song that was ready to be worked on and Michael Voss suggested Ronnie Romero from Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, who Voss had worked with in the past, to sing on this song as a guest," Michael said. "What came out of it was classic. Amazing vocals with blazing music that absolutely rocks!"

He continued: "We are ready to present this unique album to the world and I am very much looking forward to getting this album out there. Our label Nuclear Blast is totally happy with this record and I was especially happy getting a message from Markus Staiger, the founder of Nuclear Blast, saying how much he loves this album."

Schenker recently announced that he will be welcoming back Simon Philipps and Bodo Schopf — who each played drums in MSG — to the MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST lineup. Simon, who played on the MSG debut album, has returned as the main drummer on the upcoming second album. Due to his schedule, he was unable to be the live drummer for the just-completed U.S. tour. This role was filled out by Bodo Schopf, who played on "Perfect Timing" and "Save Yourself". With the sudden passing of Ted McKenna, Bodo will be featured on the upcoming record but in a smaller role as he had the important job of preparing for the U.S. tour.

A prominent player in the prog metal scene since he was a teenager, Paul Masvidal reveals his songwriter roots with a solo acoustic album. Now available is the first of a trilogy of EPs, "Mythical Human Vessel", featuring a new direction that may earn the attention of a brand new audience in tune with his ethereal aesthetic and progressive point of view.

After an acclaimed career as the songwriter and guitar player for CYNIC and DEATH (whose album "Human" earned a spot among Rolling Stone's "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time"), Masvidal delivers his first solo effort under the moniker MASVIDAL.

Produced by three-time Grammy winner Warren Riker (LAURYN HILL, FUGEES, SANTANA), the album is a departure from what his legions of fans have heard from Masvidal before. Ben Ratliff of The New York Times described Masvidal as one who "can expand his own sense of calm into an aggressive, extravagant art." In this offering, Masvidal channels music that is quietly powerful. Drawing on influences from musicians John Lennon, Brian Eno, Chet Baker, Russill Paul and Elliott Smith to visual artists Mark Rothko, Ai Weiwei, Hilma af Klimt and Cai Guo-Qiang, the songs are concise and starkly arranged with Masvidal's acoustic guitar playing and vocals front and center. In spite of the songs often painful subject matters of loss, depression, and heartache, the melodies are memorable.

"These are songs of healing and transformation, and I hope they will have a similar effect on who hears them." says Masvidal.

Each song on "Mythical Human Vessel" uses "Isochronic Tones" designed by Dr. Stephane Pigeon, creator of the Brian Eno-celebrated web site MyNoise. The tones are a groundbreaking type of sound therapy for increasing serotonin, alleviating depression and stress, improving focus, and aiding in restful sleep. "Mythical Human Vessel" is intended as "an inherently relaxing listening experience, and adding the tones multiplied the benefits," Masvidal says. "More serotonin for all!"

"My wish is that these songs will bring more ease to people, and if anything, remind us to slow down and embrace life's circumstances, as courageously as possible."

Among the video offerings with the album release is "Parasite" created by experimental artists Greymar; Apocalyptic landscapes are the backdrop to Masvidal's haunting vocals and the otherworldly pedal steel of Joshua Grange (SHERYL CROW, K.D. LANG).

The first video of Vinnie Paul Abbott's grave marker next to that of his brother, PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, can be seen below (courtesy of Tom Bachonski).

Vinnie Paul's grave marker was officially installed on May 24. That same day, two pictures of the gravesite were released via PANTERA's social media, along with the message: "We ask that you please be respectful when visiting the brothers' graves."

A message engraved on Vinnie Paul's grave marker reads: "Don't ever think it's not a good time, if you do think it's not a good time. A good time is a good time, a bad time is a bad time, and a wonderful time is irreplaceable. Hellyeah!"

The PANTERA and HELLYEAH drummer was buried on June 30, 2018 next to Dimebag and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas. He was laid to rest in a custom "Kiss Kasket" provided by KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. The casket was offered as a gift at Vinnie's family's request. Vinnie was also buried in some of his trademark clothes, including his hat, shoes and flannel.

Speakers at the service included former GRIM REAPER guitarist Nick Bowcott and SiriusXM DJ Jose Mangin. Also appearing at the event were original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, DISTURBED's David Draiman, NICKELBACK's Chad Kroeger, ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante, FOZZY's Chris Jericho and ROUGH CUTT's Paul Shortino.

Vinnie's brother was buried in the original Kiss Kasket prototype in 2004 after his untimely death. The coffin featured the faces of the four founding members of KISS, the KISS logo and the words "Kiss Forever." Both Abbotts were huge fans, especially Darrell, who was shot dead by a gunman in December 2004.

A public memorial for Vinnie Paul was held on July 1, 2018 at Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Not long before his death, Vinnie laid down the drum tracks for HELLYEAH's sixth album, "Welcome Home", which will be released in September.

QUIET RIOT performed without drummer Frankie Banali at the Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival in Richardson, Texas. The May 17 show apparently marked the first time ever that the band played without any of the members from its classic lineup: Banali, singer Kevin DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo and bassist Rudy Sarzo.

Banali was reportedly unable to make the gig for an undisclosed reason and was replaced by Johnny Kelly (DANZIG, TYPE O NEGATIVE). Completing the group's lineup at the festival were James Durbin (vocals), guitarist Alex Grossi (guitar) and Chuck Wright (bass).

Banali resurrected QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after the death of founding member and singer Kevin DuBrow.

QUIET RIOT initially featured the late guitar legend Randy Rhoads and went through some early lineup shifts before securing the musicians that recorded the band's multi-platinum-selling 1983 album "Metal Health".

Wright has been a part of QUIET RIOT, on and off, since 1982, having initially been involved in the "Metal Health" recordings (he played bass on the tracks "Metal Health" and "Don't Wanna Let You Go"). Grossi was in the last version of the band, from 2004 through 2007, before Kevin passed away, and was asked by Banali to return in 2010.

QUIET RIOT went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Jizzy Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT in October 2016 and was briefly replaced by Seann Nichols, who played only five shows with the group before the March 2017 arrival of "American Idol" finalist Durbin.

Having left Trapeze in 1973 to join Deep Purple, Glenn Hughes spent many years in the wilderness before rejoining his band Trapeze for a one off US tour. It turned out that the band played a batch of American and European dates that also included veteran blues guitarist, Craig Erickson accompanying Mel Galley on both lead and rhythm guitar. Check out a report with live footage below:

  




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The pirate label El Puerto Records has signed Australian crushers Envenomed in Australia. Active since 2005, the band is now making the leap from Melbourne to Europe. Now the band has released the artwork and tracklist for The Walking Shred. Similarities to known TV series may not be completely ruled out, and even though John Price may be the new drummer for the band, Dan Presland from NeObliviscaris holds this position on the album.

Envenomed are a melodic thrash metal four piece from Melbourne. They have released previously a debut album, Evil Unseen, which was released under Italian label 18 Punishment Records and 2 EPs. They combine the riff heavy elements of Megadeth, Metallica and Testament with the expansiveness of Iron Maiden and Symphony X. They have played a number of shows around Australia and are planning their overseas tour. Recently, they supported The Iron Maidens, Loudness, Dragonland and Anvil.

Tracklist:

"The Walking Shred"
"Abandon Hope"
"The Dead"
"Aware"
"Fate Closes The Door"
"Rebellion"
"Through The Cold"
"The Haunting"
"All That Remains"
"Sacrifice"
"Are You Gonna Go My Way"
"Metal United"




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Joe Elliott joined Billy Joel on stage last night (Sunday, June 2) at Madison Square Garden in New York to perform DEF LEPPARD's classic "Pour Some Sugar On Me". Fan-filmed video footage of Elliott's appearance can be seen below.

The DEF LEPPARD singer previously performed the same song with Joel in August 2018 at Boston's Fenway Park.

According to Billboard Boxscore, Joel grossed $70.2 million in ticket sales during 2018, playing for 589,813 fans at 24 shows.

In January, Joel announced his sixth consecutive year of stadium shows, including a June 22 concert at Wembley Stadium in London.

DEF LEPPARD will make a number of European festival appearances this spring/summer before embarking on a Canadian tour in July.

DEF LEPPARD's second Las Vegas residency will take place this summer. The band will take over Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino for 12 nights between August 14 and September 7.

New York death metal giants, Immolation, have released the music video for "The Distorting Light", off their latest release, Atonement.

The video was created and directed by Robert Vigna while Angelo Damanti handled the camera work as well as served as the technical advisor and equipment specialist. The band performance was filmed at Dark City Studios in Yonkers, NY.

Immolation will spend the remainder of the year touring in support of their 2017 release, Atonement. Catch them live at the following worldwide dates:

June
19 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Copenhell
21 - Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany - Metal Frenzy Open Air
22 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
23 - Clisson, France - Hellfest
26 - Krakow, Poland - Mystic Festival

July
2 - Quito, Equador - Teatro Demetrio A. Malta
3 - Bogota, Colombia - Ozzy Bar
4 - San Salvador, El Salvador - Buhos
5 - Guatemala City, Guatemala - Rock Al Vuh
6 - San Jose, Costa Rica - Pepperґs Club
7 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Indie Rocks

August
9 - Brutal Assault Fest - Fortress Josefov , Czech Republic
10 - Obermehler, Germany - Party San Open Air
23 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates - El Barrio
25 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - KL Metal Cam
29 - Manila, Philippines - 123 Block

September
1 - Bangkok, Thailand - Hollywood Bangkok
5 - Brisbane, Australia - The Triffid
6 - Sydney, Australia - Crowbar
7 - Melbourne, Australia - Max Watts
10 - Osaka, Japan - Pangea
11 - Nagoya, Japan - Imaike 3 Star
12 - Tokyo, Japan - Cyclone

Recently, the band announced The Last Atonement Tour - North America 2019. Joining them as direct support on their headlining run are Denver-based death metal merchants, Blood Incantation.

September
19 - New Bedford, MA - The Vault Music Hall
20 - Elmhurst, NY - Blackthorn 51
21 - Brooklyn, NY - Kingsland
22 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz
23 - Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge
24 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club
25 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
26 - Ybor City, FL - Crowbar
27 - Margate, FL - O’Malley’s
28 - Winter Park, FL - The Haven
29 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Hall
30 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar

October
1 - San Antonio, TX - Rock Box
2 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
3 - Dallas, TX - Trees
4 - Albuquerque, NM - Launch Pad
5 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunshine Studios
6 - Denver, CO - Hermans Hideaway
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Liquid Joe’s
8 - Tempe, AZ - Club Red
9 - W. Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go
10 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
11 - Santa Ana, CA - Malone’s
12 - Sacramento, CA - Holy Diver
13 - Portland, OR - Dantes
14 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
15 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
16 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
17 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Ballroom
19 - Winnipeg, MB - The Good Will Social
20 - St. Paul, MN - Amsterdam
21 - Milwaukee, WI - Walker’s Point Music Hall
22 - Joilet, IL - The Forge
23 - Buffalo, NY - Mohawk Place
24 - Toronto, ON - Lee’s Palace
25 - Ottawa, ON - Maverick’s
26 - Quebec City, QC - L’Anti
27 - Sherbrooke, QC - Bar Le Magog
28 - Montreal, QC - Foufounes
29 - Portland, ME - Geno’s Rock Club




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KISS have released some pro-shot video footage from their End Of The Road tour date in Essen, Germany. Watch below.

KISS performs next on Tuesday night, June 4, at Waldbuhne in Berlin, Germany. Find the band's complete tour itinerary here.




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LA-based outfit, 3Teeth, have released a lyric video for the track "Affluenza", from their forthcoming album, MetaWar, out on July 5 via Century Media. Pre-order the album here, and watch the new clip below.

“If our debut album was focused on man vs. the world, and our sophomore album was man vs. himself, then I really wanted to MetaWar to focus on the idea of world vs world, and the notion that if man doesn’t create his own world then he’s often crushed by the world of another,” explains 3Teeth frontman Alexis Mincolla. “This album is meant to be sonic attack on the wide scale perception management systems that currently grip our respective worlds. It’s a sort of counter-measure in the invisible silicon war of ideology that is constantly moving avatar pawns on the battleground of our large-scale prosthetic digital nervous system. Thematically it’s centered largely around concepts of accelerationism and the political heresy of inviting the end as an opportunity as a fresh start. MetaWar is here to tear down the walls of our memetic concentration camps.”

Tracklisting:

"Hyperstition"
"Affluenza"
"Exxxit"
"American Landfill"
"President X"
"AltÆr"
"Time Slave"
"Bornless"
"Surrender"
"Sell Your Face 2.0"
"Blackout"
"The Fall"
"Pumped Up Kicks"

"Affluenza" lyric video:

"Exxxit" video:

"American Landfill" video:

3Teeth is:

Alexis Mincolla (vocals)
Xavier Swafford (keyboards)
Andrew Means (modular synth/bass)
Chase Brawner (guitar)
Justin Hanson (drums)

(Photo - Sequoia Emmanuelle)




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FLYING COLORS — the "prog/pop" supergroup featuring guitarist Steve Morse (DEEP PURPLE), keyboardist Neal Morse (THE NEAL MORSE BAND, TRANSATLANTIC, ex-SPOCK'S BEARD), bassist Dave LaRue (DIXIE DREGS), drummer Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, THE WINERY DOGS, ex-DREAM THEATER) and vocalist Casey McPherson (ALPHA REV) — will release its third album, "Third Degree", in September via Mascot Records.

FLYING COLORS was originally assembled by executive producer Bill Evans, who hoped to curate a band that combined virtuoso musicians and complex musicianship with a pop singer and accessible songwriting. The group's 2012 self-titled debut, produced by Peter Collins (RUSH, QUEENSRŸCHE), was supported by an 11-date, six-country European tour, as well as shows in Los Angeles and New York City. A performance in Tilburg, Holland was recorded for the 2013 live album/Blu-ray/DVD "Live In Europe".

2014's "Second Coming" saw the group play another limited engagement-style tour, during which it performed three shows in America before doing a week's worth of European dates. A concert in Pratteln, Switzerland was filmed and released as the 2015 live album/Blu-ray/DVD "Second Flight: Live At The Z7".

In 2017, the group performed a surprise set aboard the prog-themed Cruise To The Edge as part of Portnoy's 50th-birthday performance. Later that year, the band self-released a "raw" version of its first record, "True Colors", which included unmastered versions of the album's material as originally recorded by Grammy Award-winning mixing engineer Michael Brauer (COLDPLAY, John Mayer).

FLYING COLORS made another surprise appearance during this year's Cruise To The Edge, when the group reunited to perform four songs as part of Portnoy's "Mike Portnoy & Friends" set.

Due to Morse's ongoing touring commitments with DEEP PURPLE, FLYING COLORS will perform just 10 shows in support of "Third Degree" — five in America, four as-yet-announced concerts in Europe and another appearance on Cruise To The Edge in 2020. The U.S. dates are as follows:

Aug. 30 - Cross Plains, TN - MorseFest 2019

Sep. 05 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Theater

Oct. 07 - New York, NY - Sony Hall

Oct. 11 - Glenside, PA - Keswick Theater

Oct. 17 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theater

FLYING COLORS is:

Casey McPherson - vocals

Dave LaRue - bass

Steve Morse - guitar

Neal Morse - keyboards

Mike Portnoy - drums

BUCKCHERRY has released the third music video from its latest album, "Warpaint". The track "Right Now" is the disc's second official single, following the arrival of "Bent" earlier in the year.

The MMA-themed "Right Now" video was filmed at the Affliction Training Center in Seal Beach, California and was directed by Billy Jayne. The clip follows various fighters throughout their training regimen and sparring sessions as they attempt to achieve notoriety in the highly competitive MMA universe.

"Warpaint" was released on March 8 via Century Media/RED Music. The 12-song disc, featuring 11 new BUCKCHERRY songs along with a cover of the NINE INCH NAILS classic "Head Like A Hole", was produced by Mike Plotnikoff, whose last collaboration with the band was the platinum-certified album "15".

Leg two of BUCKCHERRY's "Warpaint" North American tour kicked off on May 18 in Waco, Texas and will run through August 15 in Kansas City. JOYOUS WOLF, which supported BUCKCHERRY on leg one, remains on the bill on most of the leg-two dates. BUCKCHERRY will also open for AEROSMITH in Shakopee, Minnesota and be direct support for NICKELBACK for two shows in Ravinia, Illinois.

Speaking about BUCKCHERRY's longevity, singer Josh Todd told the Greenville Journal: "The whole time we've been together, we’ve never really been a mainstream act. When we dropped our first record, a lot of those rap-rock bands or bands like WEEZER were really popular, and we haven't been mainstream since. And sometimes it's served us and sometimes it hasn't. I think the whole point of it is that you have to be passionate about what you do, and you've got to be relentless in your approach, and that's our philosophy. Plus, we've based our reputation on our live show, and that's something that's never going away."

"Afterall", the new video from BEARTOOTH, can be seen below. The song is taken from BEARTOOTH's third album, "Disease", which was released last September via Red Bull Records. The disc was recorded at BlackBird studio in Franklin, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz (DEFTONES, KORN, FOO FIGHTERS).

Vocalist Caleb Shomo has called "Disease" "by far the hardest" album to make so far. "This was hands down the most difficult record I've ever made — it's the most depression and anxiety-fuelled album I've ever made" he said. "It was a really, really hard thing to get through. Emotionally, I mean, good Lord! By the end, I was in a really fucking bad place. It was tough to fight through.

"Once I've committed to making a record a certain way, there's no fucking backing out," he added. "Say I'm doing a drum track, and a few of the snare hits are off, you just throw a drum sample on and nobody knows any difference. But I couldn't do that, because I chose for it to be real instruments. So I would sit there and do fucking drum take after drum take, and it was this psychotic fucking thing of, 'It probably can't be played any better, but it's not fucking good enough!' And then freaking out and playing it over and over again. There was a whole lot of stress that I felt making this album. It was basically between the fight of: 'Do I really make a fucking true and honest record?' or: 'Do I just cop out and make the singles that I know people are going to want to hear? What do I do?' But I chose to make an honest record, and I'm really glad I made that choice."

Cluj-Napoca, Romania-based progressive extreme metallers, Left Hand Path, have set June 17 as the release date for their self-titled debut EP, in collaboration with Loud Rage Music. A lyric video for the single, "Left Hand Path", can be found below.

Pre-order the EP in jewel-case CD, and digital editions.

The cover artwork was designed by Alexandru Das.

Tracklisting:

Intro
"The Hole In Man"
"Cognitive Ills"
"Egoschism"
"Left Hand Path"
"Greater Than Us"

"Egoschism" video:

Left Hand Path are:

Szenasi Attila (bass) - You've most likely heard him play with Negura Bunget, where he spent about a decade and with the brutal death metal band Malpraxis.

José Morales (drums) - Behind the drum set, straight from South America, Jose, who joined the band after playing in Marchosias and Dark Aevum.

Ádám András (guitars) - After a lot of gigging playing guitar with The Hourglass and Toy Machines, he is now ready to bring you our fresh flavor of modern metal.

Wagner Tamás (guitars) - Tamás played guitar for Malpraxis and bass for Spiritual Ravishment, and is a big fan of heavy rhythms and groovy riffs.

Cristian Aionese (vocals) - The former vocalist of Skullp and co-founder of Malpraxis, he is going to shout, scream, growl, and squeal everybody's face off! Beware of the butcher.

For further information, visit Left Hand Path on Facebook.




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"Outstrider", the title track of the second album from ABBATH, the solo project of former IMMORTAL frontman Abbath (real name Olve Eikemo), can be streamed below. Due on July 5 via Season Of Mist, the disc was recorded at Dub Studios in Kristiansand, Norway with producer Endre Kirkesola, who has previously worked with BLOOD RED THRONE, GREEN CARNATION, SIRENIA and IN VAIN, among others.

Track listing:

01. Calm In Ire (Of Hurricane)

02. Bridge Of Spasms

03. The Artifex

04. Harvest Pyre

05. Land Of Khem

06. Outstrider

07. Scythewinder

08. Hecate

09. Pace Till Death (BATHORY cover)

The artwork was created by Kim Holm and Olav Iversen.


When Abbath announced that he had left IMMORTAL, it sent massive shockwaves through the metal scene. The iconic frontman had long become the "face" of the Norwegian black scene, his image synonymous with the genre. Upon releasing his debut album with his eponymous new band, ABBATH, in 2016, trve fans were satiated with a dose of icy, blackened fury.


Now, the Norwegian giant returns for round two, armed with a refined lineup and ready to strike with a sophomore effort that is sure to once again exceed the expectations of ABBATH's loyal fanbase. "Outstrider" sees a maturation in sound, delivering a tighter, well-rounded offering from the band as they come into their own identity.


While there are moments that certainly channel the frosty hallmarks of IMMORTAL, there is no danger of ABBATH repeating that formula. ABBATH draws from NWOBM and melodic influences, adding a fresh new flavor to the sound that the band's founder came to define.


"Oustrider" consists of eight, crushing original songs and concludes with a fiery BATHORY cover. The album promises a full-on aural assault from start to finish with frigid riffage and a robust pocket that are layered with vocals from one of the most identifiable voices in black metal.

ABBATH 2019 is:

Abbath - Vocals, Guitar

Ole Andre Farstad - Guitar

Ukri Suviletho - Drums

Mia Wallace - Bass

Guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen recently spoke with Guitar.com about his new album, Blue Lightning. He also discussed his breakthrough as a guitar virtuoso, his signature sound, and how he saved Fender from going out of business. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

On being the first guitarist to have a signature Fender Stratocaster

Malmsteen: “Yes, I’m very proud of that. But not only was I the first guy to get a signature model, I was the first guy to ever get a guitar for free from those guys. Fender never gave guitars to anybody! They didn’t give to Blackmore, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, Hank Marvin or whoever. So I was the first guy, and they told me why, too. 

The story in interesting. In the late '70s, two things happened. Fender almost went out of business, and by '81, they were bought out by two other guys. They started over, basically and they were trying to put all these people with all these hard-rock guitars and stuff – everyone else wanted one because of Van Halen, right? They had been struggling a bit, then my Rising Force album came out and not only did the album turn everything upside, but what’s on the cover? A Fender Strat. That fucking album saved their company! They said that when that album came out, they couldn’t build guitars fast enough; before that they were selling nothing. So they came to me.

Before that happened, I was being offered guitars from every guitar company and every amp company in the world. You name it. Gibson, even! 'Whatever you want, we will give it to you.' I said: 'No thanks, Fender Strats, that’s it.'"

Read the complete interview here.




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The new Ronnie James Dio hologram kicked off a month-long U.S. tour last night (Friday, May 31) at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall in Fort Myers, Florida.

The Dio hologram production uses audio of Ronnie's live performances from throughout his career, with the DIO DISCIPLES band playing live, consisting of Simon Wright on drums, Craig Goldy on guitar, and Scott Warren on keyboards, along with Bjorn Englen on bass. Also appearing with them are former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and ex-LYNCH MOB frontman Oni Logan.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Fort Myers concert can be seen below (courtesy of John Meyer).

In his review of last night's show, Fort Myers News-Press writer Charles Runnells wrote: "Hologram Dio never really felt real. His mouth didn't quite sync with Dio's recorded, awe-inspiring vocals (lifted from various live Dio concerts). His movements looked too herky-jerky, manic and non-stop to feel life-like. And the whole thing lacked that hard-to-nail-down but immediately recognizable spark of life.

"It didn't help that the hologram was set all the way to the back of the stage, behind the band, making the always short Dio appear even shorter and almost elf-like (hey, he did play in a band called ELF)."

Setlist from Friday's show:

01. King Of Rock And Roll

02. Mob Rules

03. Children Of The Sea

04. The Last In Line / Holy Diver

05. Stand Up And Shout

06. Don’t Talk To Strangers

07. Egypt (The Chains Are On)

08. Gates Of Babylon

09. Invisible

10. Stargazer

11. Heaven And Hell / Man On The Silver Mountain

12. Rainbow In The Dark

13. We Rock

14. Neon Knights

The legendary heavy metal singer died in 2010 at the age of 67 from stomach cancer. His hologram made its debut at the Wacken Open Air festival in August 2016 in front of more than 75,000 fans.

After the tour's initial seven-date run was completed in December 2017, Ronnie's hologram underwent "some changes" before the launch of the 2019 leg of the "Dio Returns" world tour.

Hologram production company Eyellusion, which created the Dio hologram, recently signed with the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA), represented by agency partner Steve Martin.

Eyellusion CEO Jeff Pezzuti said: "Ronnie James Dio was not only known for his amazing vocals, but also his incredible stage shows and performances. This show is a must-see for all fans of Ronnie, new and old. The new stage production we have created, plus the brand new Ronnie James Dio hologram, have to be seen to be believed. This is a first-ofits kind -metal show! We are celebrating Ronnie, with his live vocals, with his band he toured with for the last 17 years, and with a show that his fans will love! It's an over-the-top metal experience that will have the fans raising their horns throughout the show! We are excited for everyone to see what we have in store for the U.S. beginning on May 31 and the world to follow!"

Ronnie's widow and longtime manager, Wendy Dio, who is a member of the Eyellusion team, spoke to Patch.com about the new Ronnie James Dio hologram. Asked what is different about it, Wendy said: "Technology has come a long way since the first one was created. I'm much happier with the new one. It's a million times better. I wasn't happy by the end of the last tour. I wanted Ronnie to look more like Ronnie. I was very picky about the eyebrows actually. Maybe someone else wouldn't have noticed it but I noticed it. I wanted to make sure that everything was perfect. He's also now in the same line as the band, in front. Before, he was at the back of the stage."

According to Wendy, "about a year" of planning and design went into creating the new hologram. "It's like a cartoon," she said. "Every stroke, every eyelash, has to be done individually. Then there's me going, 'I don't like that!' The people involved really care about it. We're all there during the creation, making it exactly what we wanted to do."

Wendy told Patch.com that critics of the Dio hologram are "entitled to their opinion. I just ask that people come and see the show first before criticizing," she said. "We got a lot of flak in the beginning but I think more and more people are getting used to it. It's for the fans. It's for the fans who would love to see Ronnie back up on the stage and the ones that never got a chance to see him. I think Ronnie would approve. If anybody saw the 'Sacred Heart' tour in 1986 we tried to make a hologram then. We had Ronnie in a crystal ball hanging from the stage talking through it. Also he was an innovator in music, so why not be an innovator in technology."


DIO RETURNS! First night of the US Tour tonight in Ft Myers !Posted by John Meyer on Friday, May 31, 2019

DEMONS & WIZARDS, the side project of ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer and BLIND GUARDIAN singer Hansi Kürsch, kicked off its first tour in nearly two decades Friday night (May 31) in Saarbrücken, Germany. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

After the show, DEMONS & WIZARDS took to social media to write: "Saarbrücken!! The Demon and the Wizard thank you for the amazing response to our first show in 19 years! You were simply incredible! The band had an amazing time and we're all excited for the rest of the tour."

The DEMONS & WIZARDS touring lineup is as follows:

* Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN) - Lead Vocals

* Jon Schaffer (ICED EARTH) - Guitar

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

* Marcus Siepen (BLIND GUARDIAN) - Bass

* Fredrik Ehmke (BLIND GUARDIAN, SINBREED) - Drums

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

DEMONS & WIZARDS recently released remastered versions of its first two albums on all digital platforms.

Remastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ICED EARTH, QUEENSRŸCHE, SANCTUARY), "Demons & Wizards" (2000) and "Touched By The Crimson King" (2005) will also be released as expanded deluxe editions on June 7. The expanded editions will feature liner notes by Kürsch and Schaffer as well as bonus material and will be released as a limited-edition digipak, deluxe 2LP with etching and LP booklet as well as digital deluxe editions.

DEMONS & WIZARDS is currently working on material for its as-yet-untitled third studio LP, which is scheduled to be released in early 2020.


Schaffer spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to "Touched By The Crimson King" during a December 2018 appearance on the ICED EARTH-centric podcast "Podcast In Stone". He said: "I have written some of the best instrumental pieces in my entire career in the last few weeks, and I'm very, very excited to hear what Hansi does on top of these things. So, the feeling is really good. He's very into what I sent him.

"We had three songs going that we started working on a few years ago, but everything got busy for me with ICED EARTH and him with BLIND GUARDIAN," Jon continued. "But I'm stoked with the stuff that I've written — I mean, very, very happy. We're gonna be taking people on a journey, man — for sure."

"Touched By The Crimson King" was partially based on the "The Dark Tower" series of books (written by Stephen King) in which the Crimson King is the main antagonist. The album was released in Japan in September 2005 with the following bonus tracks: "Lunar Lament", "Wicked Witch" (slow version) and "Spatial Architects". The CD also included the "Terror Train" video. The disc featured an appearance by HALFORD and SEBASTIAN BACH drummer Bobby Jarzombek.

Schaffer said in a 2009 interview that he felt "Touched By The Crimson King" was a bit rushed and he was determined to do things differently next time around. "We had this window of opportunity where we had to get it done and we kind of let time dictate the schedule instead of our feelings, and that was probably a mistake," he explained. "I mean, I'm proud of that record and it sold killer and it's a good album, but I think Hansi and I are capable of a lot more, especially when we get back to the root reasons of why we did this thing together."

DEMONS & WIZARDS will embark on the "A Magical Encounter With Demons & Wizards" North American headline tour in the summer. The band will hit the road starting August 17 in Los Angeles and will wrap up the trek with a sold-out show on September 7 in Atlanta. The band will be joined by special guests LIZZY BORDEN and TÝR and will be playing major markets like New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and more.






Saarbrücken!! The Demon and the Wizard thank you for the amazing response to our first show in 19 years! You were simply incredible!

The band had an amazing time and we’re all excited for the rest of the tour.Posted by Iced Earth on Saturday, June 1, 2019

Video footage of Lita Ford's May 26 performance at Buffalo Rose in Golden, Colorado can be seen below (courtesy of Decibel Geek TV's Rockin' Ron).

Earlier this year, Lita Ford told The Metal Voice that she was putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to 2012's "Living Like A Runaway" album. Helming the new project once again is guitarist/producer Gary Hoey, who contributes some guitar playing to the disc, alongside the rest of Ford's backing band, which continues to consist of guitarist Patrick Kennison, drummer Bobby Rock and bassist Marty O'Brien.

"It's a concept album," Lita said. "We have to keep the songs consistent so they all work together."

Although Ford declined to reveal the specifics of the concept, she confirmed that the LP will include a song called "Monsters", which was inspired by infamous cult leaders like Charles Manson and David Koresh. "It's just really dark and nasty stuff — brainwashing people and all the stuff [Koresh] did, and got all those people to drink Kool-Aid. But then again, it could be someone like your attorney, or it could be someone like your mom who is the monster in your life. It could be your manager. You never know who the monster in your life is gonna turn out to be."

Describing the music on her new disc as "dark and riffy," Lita said that she is "very excited about it." She added: "It's got a cool feel. It's all done and written and exciting. It'll be out really soon — really soon. We just have to put pen to paper to a new record deal, and then we can tell [everybody more about it]."

Last year, Ford told KBACK Radio that she "was going through a real hard time in my life" during the making of "Living Like A Runaway", "and music was my outlet. I dumped everything into my music, because I didn't wanna start drinking or doing drugs or hurting myself in any other way, so I just rocked out — I put everything into my music, and it really shows in the songs and the lyrics of that album," she said. "They are true — it's a true story, that entire album. But the next album that we're doing is something that I've had in the can for quite a while and it's resurfaced in my life and I'm carrying on with it and I'm making it come to life, and it's really awesome. I don't wanna give it away yet, but I think people are going to be happy with it. It's very riffy, very memorable choruses — stuff that sticks in your head with the riffs and the choruses, the melodies. A real cocky attitude. I love it. I'm very happy with it."

Ford's last release was 2016's "Time Capsule", a collection of songs that were recorded by Lita in the past, but never before made available.

Three years ago, Lita released an autobiography, "Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir", via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

SEETHER is preparing to enter the studio to begin recording the follow-up to 2017's "Poison The Parish" LP for a tentative early 2020 release. Drummer John Humphrey told T95 The Rock Station at last weekend's Rocklahoma festival: "We've been home since the holidays, kind of recharging our batteries. We've done a couple of shows, and we'll go in at the end of summer and early fall and track a new album, work on a new album… We've got some material brewing. Shaun's [Morgan, vocals/guitar] sending out demos to everybody to kind of get prepared. And, yeah, we'll head into the studio here pretty soon and start tracking new stuff."

SEETHER's seventh full-length studio album, "Poison The Parish" was the first release via Morgan's label imprint Canine Riot Records. The disc was recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee and marked the first album produced in its entirety by Shaun.

Two years ago, Humphrey told the Dallas Observer about the more guitar-driven sound of "Poison The Parish": "The intention was to turn up the guitar and bring back a little edge to SEETHER. We've had the honor of working with some great producers, but maybe in the end a few albums were mixed not entirely how we envisioned them."

Rounding out SEETHER's current lineup is bassist Dale Stewart.

Photo credit: Marina Chavez

Fan-filmed video footage of Canadian thrash metal pioneers EXCITER performing on May 29 at The Abyss in Gothenburg, Sweden can be seen below.

EXCITER's current lineup includes Daniel Dekay, who replaced original guitarist John Ricci last fall.

EXCITER bassist Allan Johnson told The Metal Voice that Ricci's exit from the band was "still somewhat of a mystery… He didn't give a solid reason why," he said. "I don't know what he meant by 'fed up,' but he said he was fed up. I confirmed with him. I said, 'Are you sure about this?' And he said, 'Yeah, I'm definitely out.'"

Ricci previousy left EXCITER in 1985 following the release of the band's first three classic albums — "Heavy Metal Maniac" (1983), "Violence & Force" (1984) and "Long Live the Loud" (1985).

EXCITER's latest album, "Death Machine", which featured Ricci as the sole remaining original member, was released in October 2010 via Massacre Records.

Ricci, Beehler and Johnson reunited as EXCITER in 2014 and had been playing sporadic shows ever since.

Fan-filmed video footage of SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE's May 25 concert at Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "Steve Easton").

THE CIRCLE, Sammy Hagar's critically acclaimed supergroup also featuring Michael Anthony, Jason Bonham and Vic Johnson, released its first album of all-original material, "Space Between", on May 10 via BMG.

Hagar told the Broward Palm Beach New Times about the lyrical themes covered on "Space Between": "It's about the misconception that money is the root of all evil, because the truth of the matter is that it isn't money at all. You can feed the poor, you can heal the sick, you can make people happy, you can stop a war with money, but it's greed that is the problem. That's what the whole record is about. It's what I discovered by being both rich and poor."

SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE kicked off its 23-city North American on April 19 in Reno, Nevada and will end it on June 7 in Chicago, Illinois.

Every ticket purchased to the North American tour includes one CD copy of "Space Between". In addition, a digital copy of "Space Between" will also be delivered to customers who redeem the CD.


Formed in 2014, the acclaimed supergroup quickly established itself as one of the most emphatic and exciting live acts on tour today, seamlessly ripping through career-spanning hits from MONTROSE, VAN HALEN, SAMMY HAGAR AND THE WABORITAS and LED ZEPPELIN.

BMG signed a worldwide label deal with SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE for "Space Between", and will also include select Hagar catalog titles.

Lyrically and musically, the collection of songs on "Space Between" build from intimate and introspective eye-openers to heart-pumping anthems. The music draws on the bands' substantial careers independently and collaboratively; presenting a veteran band still at the peak of its game.

THE CIRCLE released a concert album, "At Your Service", in May 2015. Recorded on tour in 2014, it featured live performances of hits from Sammy's four decades of rock (MONTROSE, solo, VAN HALEN, THE WABORITAS, CHICKENFOOT) as well as classic tracks from the LED ZEPPELIN catalog.

ALTER BRIDGE has completed work on its sixth album for a tentative fall release.

Bassist Brian Marshall tweeted earlier today that the band had finished recording and mixing the follow-up to 2016's "The Last Hero". He added: "Album artwork looking sick! Can not wait for you all to hear this."

Guitarist Mark Tremonti, who has spent much of the last year touring with his band TREMONTI, spoke about ALTER BRIDGE's next LP during a recent interview with Audio Ink Radio.

Asked about the direction of the new ALTER BRIDGE music, Tremonti said that he was "trying to come from a different place. It's hard to explain. I'm trying to make it not be the same," he said. "We always try to reinvent ourselves with every record… But I'm trying to make it sound a little different than it has in the past. We'll see how it turns out."

ALTER BRIDGE's fifth studio album, "The Last Hero", was released in October 2016 via Caroline Records in the United States/Canada and Napalm Records throughout the rest of the globe. The 13-track opus was produced by longtime friend and collaborator Michael "Elvis" Baskette (SLASH, TREMONTI, TRIVIUM) and mastered by Grammy Award winner Ted Jensen.

From Brian - AB6 recording and mixing complete. Album artwork looking sick! Can not wait for you all to hear this. pic.twitter.com/GykAE5PJEF— Alter Bridge (@alterbridge) June 1, 2019

Guesting on WSOU, Lamb Of God frontman Randy Blythe commented on the follow-up to the band's album, VII: Sturm Und Drang, released in 2015, saying "I wouldn't believe anything you read on the Internet or believe any rumors. I don't ever talk about records until they're done. In fact, I will say this: the record doesn't exist. That's a fact. So, if the record doesn't exist, I'm not gonna talk about it. That would be like talking about plans you're gonna make with all this money you're gonna earn at your job to go on vacation. And it's bad luck."

To commemorate the 15th anniversary of Lamb Of God's classic debut album, Ashes Of The Wake, the landmark album is reborn as the new Ashes Of The Wake - 15th Anniversary Edition - a special double-vinyl re-release of the album that catapulted the band to iconic status. The two LP set - which includes four exclusive tracks, including the B-Side "Another Nail For Your Coffin", and three previously unreleased demos - is available today in both vinyl and digital formats. Order here.

In celebration of the release of Ashes Of The Wake - 15th Anniversary Edition, Lamb Of God have revealed a lyric video for the special B-Side "Another Nail For Your Coffin".

Guitarist Mark Morton: "As a musician, the timeline of Ashes of the Wake was very intimidating for me. With that first Burn the Priest album, we wrote the songs over four or five years. Then between that and 'New American Gospel,' we had a solid two years; we were still working our day jobs and playing shows up and down the East Coast. Then another two years between 'Gospel' and 'As the Palaces Burn.' But right after 'Palaces' dropped, we got signed to Epic, so we had to go right back into writing mode. Not only did we now have the pressure of being on a major label, but we had just recorded what we thought was a really killer album, and then we had to do it all over again. But the stakes were way higher."

Each double-vinyl includes a download card, and is manufactured on limited Green Smoke vinyl for the Lamb Of God store only. Additional retailers will carry standard black vinyl. A digital version is also available on all DSP's. Order Ashes Of The Wake - 15th Anniversary Edition here.

Tracklisting:

Side A
"Laid To Rest"
"Hourglass"
"Now You've Got Something To Die For"
"The Faded Line"

Side B
"Omerta"
"Blood Of The Scribe"
"One Gun"
"Break You"

Side C
"What I've Become"
"Ashes Of The Wake"
"Remorse Is For The Dead"

Side D
"Another Nail For Your Coffin"
"Laid To Rest" (pre-production demo)
"Ashes Of The Wake" (pre-production demo)
"Remorse For The Dead" (pre-production demo)

Guitarist Mark Morton states, "This year, Lamb Of God will celebrate the 15th anniversary of the release of our third studio album, Ashes Of The Wake. As I recall that moment in time, it was a pivotal point for our band. We were transitioning from the relative comfort of an underground scene that we felt confident and natural in, to a much higher profile with higher stakes and more critical eyes upon us. It was our first release on a major label and our first to be aggressively marketed through mainstream channels. I remember feeling a mixture of pressure and confidence, along with a pervasive uncertainly as to whether our brand of bottled insanity would translate to a larger audience. Ultimately, I think our biggest strength in that situation was that we never let pressure, expectation or the potential for failure effect our creative process. We stepped up our collective focus and concentration to rise to the occasion, but we stuck together and stayed true to our identity, artistically and otherwise. That tunnel vision approach to our creative process is part of our DNA as a band. I believe it's a large part of what keeps us honest and motivated to this day.

"For Ashes Of The Wake to be remembered and celebrated 15 years later is a true honor. I think I can speak for all of us when I say that it is incredibly special to know that these songs have touched people's lives in a positive way and that they are still relevant so many years later. Thanks to all of our fans for an incredible ride so far... and cheers to the years to come!"

Lamb Of God are currently supporting headlining legends Slayer on the Leg 5: North America portion of their final world tour. The tour will culminate at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA on May 25. Lamb Of God, Amon Amarth and Cannibal Corpse will support Slayer on all Leg 5: North America dates.

Tickets, Lamb Of God VIP Side Stage and VIP Merch upgrade packages are available here.

Lamb Of God is also scheduled to perform at Domination Mexico Festival in Mexico City on May 4 and Sonic Temple Festival, taking place at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus, OH on May 18. The band will begin a run of European festivals and headline dates on June 13. Dates and info here.




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According to IAM RoadSmart, research by Auto Express magazine and road safety charity IAM RoadSmart has found that heavy-metal music could cause motorists to lose their cool behind the wheel. 

In a study to discover the effects of different types of music on driving style and safety, Auto Express and IAM RoadSmart used the high-tech racing rig at simulator experts Base Performance Simulators near Banbury, where drivers from the world’s top racing series go to hone their skills. 

During the test, consumer reporter Tristan Shale-Hester was tasked with undertaking two simulated precision laps of the Grand Prix track Red Bull Ring in Austria while listening to songs at full volume from four different genres of music – thrash metal, hip-pop, classical and pop.

The two-lap test involved fast acceleration, a series of technically challenging corners and a speed-limited zone, completed by a controlled stop on the finish line at the end of the second lap.

After setting a control lap time with no music of four minutes 34 seconds, Tristan tried the same test again while listening to the fast and noisy song ‘(sic)’ by heavy-metal band Slipknot.

Tristan was a staggering 14 seconds slower and his throttle movements were far more jagged while listening to the metal compared to the control lap, and admitted listening to Slipknot made it harder to concentrate on the circuit layout.  

Read more at IAM RoadSmart.




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