"Brutal Realty, Inc." is an absurd black metal satire film from award-winning director Erik Boccio ("Blood Bath", "Wiretap Scars"). Set for release this summer and starring actor/musician London May of Glenn Danzig's SAMHAIN, the 15-minute short also features Sarah Burns from HBO's "Barry" and a decimating musical score composed by Sanford Parker (BURIED AT SEA, CORRECTIONS HOUSE, MIRRORS FOR PSYCHIC WARFARE), Dallas Thomas (PELICAN), Bruce Lamont (YAKUZA, CORRECTIONS HOUSE, SICK GAZELLE) and Charlie Fell (LORD MANTIS, COBALT).


The Summoner (London May) is a black metal demon rocker, but that's just his day job. He works a nine-to-five like every other average Joe — or in his case, average ghoul — and becomes increasingly disillusioned by life's daily grind. Yearning to be more than a mere weapon wielded for evil, The Summoner sets his sights on his true passion: flipping houses. It's a struggle at first, but when an attack from a vicious gang of competing realtors forces him to embrace his intrinsic powers of destruction, The Summoner gains the confidence necessary to achieve his dreams.


"Brutal Realty, Inc." will see release this summer. Watch for the official trailer, film festival announcements, and further info in the weeks to come.

"Red Before Black", the new video from Florida death metal veterans CANNIBAL CORPSE, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's latest album, which was released in November 2017 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2014's "A Skeletal Domain" was recorded at Mana Recording Studios in Saint Petersburg, Florida with producer/engineer Erik Rutan (SOILENT GREEN, BELPHEGOR, HATE ETERNAL), who previously worked with CANNIBAL CORPSE on 2006's "Kill", 2009's "Evisceration Plague" and 2012's "Torture".

The "Red Before Black" clip is from the mind of horror FX veteran Doug Sakmann. The concept builds upon the world brought to life by Zev Deans in the previously released "Code Of The Slashers" video but adds significantly to the visual gore department. Sakmann shot the concept in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the live footage was captured by Jesse Davis in San Francisco, California. The video stars adult performers Nadia White and Talia Satana, as well as actresses Sonja Century, Kim Reo, and actor Alex Webster as the final kill of the video.

"Red Before Black" was edited by Metal Blade's own Vince Edwards and then meticulously processed by colorist/senior lead flame artist Luc Job (a pioneer in digital imagery for the last 25 years who has worked with directors David Lachapelle, Ridley Scott and Darren Aronofsky and clients like BMW, Dolce & Gabbana), who was all too happy to assist to bring the gratuitous bloodshed and gore to life for CANNIBAL CORPSE.

CANNIBAL CORPSE is currently on tour with SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD and AMON AMARTH.

Rutan made his live debut with CANNIBAL CORPSE at the opening show of the "Decibel Magazine Tour" on February 17 in San Antonio, Texas. He is playing with the band as the temporary replacement for guitarist Pat O'Brien, who was arrested in December for burglary and assaulting a police officer while his Florida home was in flames.

Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, has defended his decision to participate in the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. Gus served as the spokesperson that gave the final voting results on behalf of Greece at the event, where 26 nations were battling to be crowned Europe's best pop act.

The grand final of the 64th Eurovision Song Contest took place on Saturday, May 18 in Tel Aviv, Israel, with the semi-finals held on Tuesday, May 14 and Thursday, May 16.

Earlier today, Gus took to his Facebook page to write: "OK, so I know a lot of you were shocked (whether it was in a good way or not) to see yours truly on Eurovision last night.

"When the Greek national television asked me to be the official spokesperson, I was somewhat hesitant for the obvious reason that 'a metalhead like me doesn't belong in a pop culture type of show.' But music should know no boundaries, and we should all respect that, regardless of our musical tastes. After all, there's been plenty of collaborations between rock/metal artists and pop artists over time.

"For the record, I look at Eurovision Song Contest as a huge televised musical event production and as entertainment. Under no circumstances I look at this from a political angle and I'm sorry for those that mixed it all up. I'm glad I got to shred '80s style' and bring the rock spirit for a few seconds inside the homes of tens of millions of people. If you were entertained last night, then we did good. I certainly had fun doing it.

"Thanks to ERT for the opportunity & thanks to you all for your encouraging and positive feedback."

Gus's latest solo album, "Fearless", was released in April 2018 via AFM Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Brand New Revolution" marks his first release since exiting Osbourne's band in 2017.


OK, so I know a lot of you were shocked (whether it was in a good way or not) to see yours truly on Eurovision last...Posted by Gus G on Sunday, May 19, 2019

Fan-filmed video footage of Yngwie Malmsteen's May 7 concert at Tower Theatre for the Performing Arts in Fresno, California can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user fresnosean379).

Malmsteen told the Los Angeles Daily News about his current string of California shows: "They'll be pretty much the same what I always do: just craziness, a lot of guitar solos, a lot of smoke machines, a lot of Marshall stacks. I've got to throw in some of the new songs too, but it's not going to be like I'm going to sit in a chair and play the blues. It's going to be a full-on blast, Malmsteen-style show."

Yngwie released a new album, "Blue Lightning", on March 29 via Mascot Label Group. On the disc, Yngwie pays homage to those from the blues world who have fueled his artistic spirit for so long. "Blue Lightning" also includes four original tunes that bring to the fore Malmsteen's love for the blues. "I have always featured songs with a blues groove on albums," he said in a press release. "So, having my own material in this vein was very natural for me."

Among the songs Malmsteen tackles on "Blue Lightning" are classics by THE BEATLES ("While My Guitar Gently Weeps"), Jimi Hendrix ("Foxey Lady", "Purple Haze"), THE ROLLING STONES ("Paint It Black"), ZZ TOP ("Blue Jean Blues"), DEEP PURPLE ("Demon's Eye", "Smoke On The Water") and Eric Clapton ("Forever Man").

Sammy Hagar's sixth annual "Acoustic-4-A-Cure" benefit concert took place last night (Wednesday, May 15) at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Artists performing at "Acoustic-4-A-Cure VI" included (in alphabetical order): Tom Johnston (THE DOOBIE BROTHERS), Chad Kroeger (NICKELBACK), Lukas Nelson, Joe Satriani, Rick Springfield, Nancy Wilson (HEART) and SAMMY HAGAR & THE CIRCLE, featuring Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham. "Acoustic-4-A-Cure" is a concert benefiting The Pediatric Cancer Program at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.

"Acoustic-4-A-Cure" opened up strong with a rendition of PINK FLOYD's "Comfortably Numb" featuring Hagar, Wilson, Satriani, Anthony and Bonham. Watch video of the performance below.

Now in its sixth year, "Acoustic-4-A-Cure" has quickly become one of the year's hottest tickets, with legendary artists performing acoustic sets, epic collaborations and impromptu jams from the stages of intimate and storied San Francisco venues like The Fillmore. The benefit was created by Bay Area rock legends Sammy Hagar and James Hetfield, whose vision was to raise needed funds and awareness for the pediatric cancer research by throwing a must-see concert for fans and donating all of the proceeds to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. In past years, artists, including Billie Joe Armstrong, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Jerry Cantrell, Kevin Cronin, Melissa Etheridge, Mick Fleetwood, Dave Grohl, Sammy Hagar, James Hetfield, Vic Johnson, Tommy Lee, Taj Mahal, Sarah McLachlan, Pat Monahan, Linda Perry, Chad Smith, Adam Sandler, Joe Satriani, Bob Weir, Nancy Wilson, and more, have performed remarkable sets.

For more information, visit: Acoustic4acure.com.

Fan-filmed video footage of GHOST's May 10 performance at Letzigrund Stadion in Zurich, Switzerland as the support act for METALLICA can be seen below.

Last week, 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 last June 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".

The band will embark on a North American tour this fall in support of the disc, starting on September 13 in Bakersfield, California and wrapping on October 26 in Glens Falls, New York.

Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean Cobain, along with NIRVANA members Dave Grohl and Krist Novoselic have joined together for the legal battle against designer Marc Jacobs over a design featured in the brand's "Redux Grunge" collection. According to court documents obtained by The Blast, Marc Jacobs is planning on calling all four of them as witnesses in the case.

Last year, Nirvana L.L.C. sued Marc Jacobs accusing the famed designer of ripping off the iconic NIRVANA image of a squiggly yellow smiley face, which it claims to have trademarked in 1992. The Marc Jacobs version features an M and a J instead of Xs for its eyes (as in the NIRVANA version), and it reads "HEAVEN" instead of "NIRVANA" in a typeface similar to the band's font.

Jacobs defended himself, saying that he basically introduced the world to grunge. The designer claims that since his original "grunge" collection, he has referenced the style in many collections. He says the smiley face is his work and not NIRVANA's. He is demanding the lawsuit be tossed.

The exact origin and meaning of the iconic NIRVANA "smiley face" logo with its crossed-out eyes and its drooling mouth are unclear, but most people believe it was drawn by Kurt Cobain and made its first appearance on a flyer for the release party for his band's "Nevermind" album in September 1991.

Kurt Cobain took his own life at his house in Seattle on April 5, 1994 at the age of 27.

The 20th anniversary of his death led to a resurgence of interest in its circumstances, which was heightened by the release of never-before-seen photos from the scene.

The anniversary fell just a few days before NIRVANA was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. The surviving members of the band gave a four-song performance at the ceremony, with Joan Jett, SONIC YOUTH's Kim Gordon, Lorde and St. Vincent singing in place of Cobain.

Lords Of Black guitarist Tony Hernando is one of the most exciting guitarists, writers, and producers in the European metal and rock scene today. With his many talents, it was a natural next step for him to stretch out and work on a solo album after the promotional cycle for Lords Of Black's third album, Icons Of The New Days, wrapped up.

Hernando has always been passionate about melodic hard rock music, so the idea of pairing him with some of the best singers from his fellow labelmates' bands to lay their vocals over his songwriting seemed not only logical, but destiny. Thus, Restless Spirits was born and the self-titled debut is out now via Frontiers Music Srl. Order the album here, and watch a video for the song "Stop Livin' To Live Online", below..

Aside from Hilli, guest vocalists include none other than Johnny Gioeli (Hardline, Axel Rudi Pell), Deen Castronovo (Revolution Saints, ex-Journey), Dino Jelusic (Animal Drive), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Hardline), and Diego Valdez (Dream Child and now, the new vocalist for Hernando's main project, Lords Of Black). In addition to vocal duties, Deen Castronovo also takes care of drums on every track.

Hernando says, "Restless Spirits is a melodic hard rock record featuring several singers that showcases some different sides of my playing and songwriting. We have rockers, ballads, and everything in between. I had the opportunity to work and co-write with some of the best guys in the business. I hope everyone can enjoy this album as much as I did recording it!”

Restless Spirits is an album that showcases some of the most outstanding vocal talents operating in the melodic hard rock scene right now, while also offering truly exciting and adventurous melodic hard rock songwriting. Enjoy!

Tracklisting:

"Stop Livin' To Live Online" (Johnny Gioeli on vocals)
"Unbreakable" (Deen Castronovo on vocals)
"I Remember Your Name" (Kent Hilli on vocals)
"'Cause I Know You're The One" (Dino Jelusic on vocals)
"Nothing I Could Give To You "(Johnny Gioeli on vocals)
"Calling You" (Deen Castronovo on vocals)
"Live To Win" (Deen Castronovo on vocals)
"You And I" (Alessandro Del Vecchio on vocals)
"When It Comes To You" (Alessandro Del Vecchio on vocals)
"Lost Time (Not To Be Found Again)" (Dino Jelusic on vocals)
"In The Realm Of The Black Rose" (Diego Valdez on vocals)

"Stop Livin' To Live Online" video:

"'Cause I Know You're The One":

"Calling You":

"I Remember Your Name":




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FOZZY members Rich Ward (guitar) and Frank Fontsere (drums) joined Nita Strauss and her solo band on stage on May 15 in Greenville, South Carolina to perform a cover version of the STUCK MOJO classic "Pigwalk". Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Strauss supported FOZZY on three shows during the band's run of dates this week.

Ward and Fontsere are also members of STUCK MOJO, which formed in 1989 and is considered to be one of the pioneers of rap metal.

Nita previously said that "Pigwalk" was the first song she and her boyfriend/manager Josh Villalta — who also plays drums in her band — ever jammed together when they first started dating.

Strauss has been playing with Alice Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Nita's debut solo album, "Controlled Chaos", was released in November via Sumerian Records.

STUCK MOJO issued its latest LP, "Here Come The Infidels", in June 2016.

In addition to Ward and Fontsere, "Here Come The Infidels" featured STUCK MOJO's latest additions, vocalist Robby J and bassist Len Sonnier.

Fresh off a triumphant seven-city North America tour this week, which included a stop at the famous Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES have unveiled the brand-new song "The Boogieman Surprise". At the aforementioned L.A. performance, Steven Tyler, the AEROSMITH frontman and longtime musical partner of Joe Perry, turned up for a guest appearance, as did Marilyn Manson. Johnny Depp took lead vocals on David Bowie's "Heroes" and the "world's most expensive bar band," as proclaimed by Alice Cooper, delivered a live master class of rock 'n' roll, which included "The Boogieman Surprise".

The song has been part of the band’s live set since the 2018 world tour and is a highlight of every HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES live show. Written by the band, it features the undeniable chemistry between rock and roll royalty Perry, Hollywood superstar Depp and shock rock icon Cooper. A laid-back groove, grinding guitars, and smooth strings create an epic, ominous, outsider anthem with Cooper's vocal sounding as fierce as ever. Their stage telepathy is showcased in the accompanying live video, filmed at the Montreux Jazz Festival 2018.

"Rise", the band's second album, is some of the purest, unapologetic and most enjoyable rock and roll of the year, made by masters of the craft and true fans of the form.

Unlike their 2015 debut record, "Rise" consists mainly of original material, written by the band. There are however, in the spirit of the VAMPIRES' original mission, three covers of songs originally written and recorded by some fellow rockers who died far too young: an intimate and intense version of "Heroes", again beautifully performed on record by Depp; the JIM CARROLL BAND's "People Who Died" and Johnny Thunders's "You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory", sung by Perry.

Produced by Tommy Henriksen and the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, "Rise" will be released on June 21 on earMUSIC as a CD digipak, 2LP+download and digital.

"Rise" track listing:

01. I Want My Now

02. Good People Are Hard To Find

03. Who's Laughing Now

04. How The Glass Fell

05. The Boogieman Surprise

06. Welcome to Bushwackers (feat. Jeff Beck + John Waters)

07. The Wrong Bandage

08. You Can't Put Your Arms Around A Memory

09. Git From Round Me

10. Heroes

11. A Pitiful Beauty

12. New Threat

13. Mr. Spider

14. We Gotta Rise

15. People Who Died

16. Congratulations

Completing the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES live lineup are rock star musician friends Glen Sobel (ALICE COOPER) on drums, Chris Wyse (THE CULT) on bass, and Buck Johnson (AEROSMITH) on keyboard and vocals.

Duke TV has released video footage of Angra performing the Ømni album track, "Magic Mirror", at Salle Multi de La Méduse in Québec on September 15, 2018. Watch the clip below, and check out a video interview here.

Ømni is Angra's ninth studio album is a result of months and months of hard work and blood, sweat and intense dedication. Produced by Jens Bogren, the concept album is a mark not only for the band but also for the Brazilian metal scene.

Tracklisting:

"Light Of Transcendence"
"Travelers Of Time"
"Black Widow's Web"
"Insania"
"The Bottom Of My Soul"
"War Horns"
"Caveman"
"Magic Mirror"
"Always More"
"ØMNI - Silence Inside"
"ØMNI - Infinite Nothing"

"Magic Mirror" video:

"Light Of Transcendence" video:

"Black Widow's Web" video:

"Insania" video:

"War Horns" video:

"Travelers Of Time" lyric video:




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Florida-based metallers, Trivium, have released another previously unreleased track from The Sin And The Sentence sessions. You can get "Drowning In The Sound" here, and listen to the song below:

Trivium previously released a cover of Type O Negative's 2003 song, "I Don't Wanna Be Me", featured on the latter band's Life Is Killing Me album.

You can buy Trivium's version now via iTunes. Listen to the single below:

(Photo - Jake Owens)




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Fan-filmed video footage of THE DAMNED THINGS' May 6 concert at the Chameleon Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

The supergroup comprised of members of EVERY TIME I DIE, ANTHRAX and FALL OUT BOY recently confirmed the addition of ALKALINE TRIO bassist Dan Andriano to its ranks. He replaces Josh Newton (EVERY TIME I DIE), who hasn't been part of the band since it was reactivated three years ago. Also gone from THE DAMNED THINGS is guitarist Rob Caggiano (VOLBEAT, ANTHRAX).

THE DAMNED THINGS' second album, "High Crimes", was released on April 26 via Nuclear Blast.

"Normally, when career bands say they made a record for fun, they didn't — but we actually did. Maybe that's why this band doesn't have a career?" said THE DAMNED THINGS' Joe Trohman. "Anyway, we're genuinely proud of it."

"High Crimes" was produced by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR, AMON AMARTH) and is the follow-up to 2010's "Ironiclast".

Trohman — who also plays in FALL OUT BOY — told Kerrang! magazine that the band was originally planning to release a new EP "but then it got to the point where we just made a whole record. The more we put into it, the more we were, like, 'Okay, let's just do this,'" he said. "I hate using the terms 'organically,' because it's a pretty shitty buzzword, but it happened organically. [Laughs]"

Trohman also spoke about some of the individual tracks on "High Crimes", saying: "I originally wanted to open the record with this song called 'Storm Charmer' because it was really slow and ominous, which is probably a bad idea. [Laughs] I think I love 'Cells' — that is one of my favorite songs on the record. 'Cells', 'Omen' and 'Carry A Brick' are some of my favorites.

"Honestly, I've been sitting with the demos for nearly two years, and I still haven't got sick of any of it," he continued. "I don't listen to it in a self-serving way. I'll listen to them and think, 'When am I going to hate them?' And every time I listen to them, I really like all these songs. It's the first time I've listened to a record and found there's not a lot I would change. With making anything, I could tweak it forever, but I think with this one, the mentality was just: go in, write these songs, and when they're done, they're done. Don't overthink anything. Hopefully, by approaching it in a 'Let's make them sound really cool and not tweak them forever' stance, then they would be the rawest possible version. I though the last record was definitely a little flippant in production, and I just wanted to pull back on that."

THE DAMNED THINGS was formed a decade ago, when FALL OUT BOY's Andy Hurley and ANTHRAX's Scott Ian started writing music together. The band played its first show two years later and released its debut album, "Ironiclast", in December 2010. After performing a few gigs together, the members took a hiatus and returned to their respective bands.

In addition to Ian and Hurley, "Ironiclast" featured EVERY TIME I DIE frontman Keith Buckley, Trohman, Newton and Caggiano.

"Ironiclast" sold 6,200 copies in the first week of release and reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Heatseekers chart.

Whitesnake released their Flesh & Blood album on May 10th via Frontiers Music Srl.  It has hit #3 on Germany's official album charts, making it the band's highest chart position of their career in Germany.

Tracklisting CD / 2xLP:

"Good To See You Again"
"Gonna Be Alright"
"Shut Up & Kiss Me"
"Hey You (You Make Me Rock)"
"Always & Forever"
"When I Think Of You (Color Me Blue)"
"Trouble Is Your Middle Name"
"Flesh & Blood"
"Well I Never"
"Heart Of Stone"
"Get Up"
"After All "
"Sands Of Time"

Whitesnake recently released a new track-by-track video, in which David Coverdale discusses the title track. Watch below:

Joining Coverdale on the forthcoming Whitesnake album is the powerhouse band comprised of Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra on guitar, Michael Devin on bass, Tommy Aldridge on drums, and Michele Luppi on keyboards. For an inside look at the players that make up the band check out the clip below.

Flesh & Blood follows the 2011 studio album Forevermore and 2015’s The Purple Album, a reimagining of Deep Purple classics from Whitesnake mastermind’s David Coverdale’s time in that band. The 13 original, visceral tracks on Flesh & Blood, the band’s 13th studio album, are, luckily for you dear reader, “all killer, no filler”, as the saying goes. But would you expect anything less from the ’Snakes?

David Coverdale, the mastermind behind Whitesnake & co-composer of "Shut Up & Kiss Me" with guitarist Reb Beach, commenting on the forthcoming release said that "after the intense darkness of our last video 'Burn', if anything, it’s ‘light’ snake, you know? We’ve got some really dark energy going on in the world right now, so we’re gonna write & record a fun, knees up, song about falling in love with a fabulous babe. You’re over-talking, over-compensating & she just looks at you, takes the reins & says, 'Shut Up and Kiss Me!' and that’s it!! My video director and creative partner Tyler Bourns and I discussed a great storyline for the video, which involves a surprise guest: my fabulous old white Jaguar. We ended up cleaning and detailing it, as it has been in storage since I moved to Lake Tahoe, then we dusted off my old turquoise silk jacket from the original ‘Here I Go Again’ video and I was thinking, "man, this is going to be fun!" It’s a respectful acknowledgment and positive nod to the past, just fun stuff.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

The current incarnation of the band carries on the long and unwavering tradition of main man David Coverdale being surrounded by cream of the crop players who go all in to bring fans the best hard rock humanly possible. 40+ years into their existence, the ‘Snakes fangs have only grown sharper and are ready to inject fans with more of that rock ‘n roll venom they crave.

"Hey You (You Make Me Rock)":

"Trouble Is Your Middle Name":

"Shut Up & Kiss Me" video:

"Shut Up & Kiss Me" video behind-the-scenes:

EPK (Electronic Press Kit):

(Second band photo - Tyler Bourns)




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Fan-filmed video footage of JUDAS PRIEST's entire May 12 concert at the Anthem in Washington, D.C. can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user Dennis Justus).

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Necromancer

02. Heading Out To The Highway

03. The Sentinel

04. Spectre

05. (Take These) Chains

06. Judas Rising

07. Out In The Cold

08. Traitors Gate

09. Starbreaker

10. Steeler

11. Halls Of Valhalla

12. Killing Machine

13. No Surrender

14. Victim Of Changes

15. All Guns Blazing

16. Hell Bent For Leather

17. Breaking The Law

18. Living After Midnight

JUDAS PRIEST kicked off its North American tour with URIAH HEEP on May 3 at Hard Rock Event Center in Hollywood, Florida.

Several tracks were aired for the very first time, including three songs from PRIEST's latest album, 2018's "Firepower": "Necromancer", "Spectre" and "Traitors Gate". Also making its live debut was "(Take These) Chains", from 1982's "Screaming For Vengeance". "All Guns Blazing", from 1990's "Painkiller", was performed live for the first time in nearly 18 years. Elsewhere, "Out In The Cold", from 1986's "Turbo", was dusted off after 33 years.

Singer Rob Halford recently told the St. Louis radio station Real Rock 99.3 that PRIEST was rehearsing "close to 15" new songs for the current trek, including "Rapid Fire" (from 1980's "British Steel").

Back in January, JUDAS PRIEST performed "Killing Machine" live for the first time since 1978 during a concert at Zénith de Paris in Paris, France.

During last year's "Firepower" U.S. tour, JUDAS PRIEST's set included rarities like "Running Wild", "Bloodstone" and "Tyrant", plus "Saints In Hell", which had never been performed live before.

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003.

"Firepower" was released in March 2018 via Epic.

Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett played a cover version of Johnny Hallyday's "Ma Gueule" during METALLICA's May 12 concert at Stade De France in Paris, France. Professionally filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

"Ma Gueule" was part of the fun and unusual feature METALLICA added to its shows on the band's recent tours: at each stop, Hammett and Trujillo have been covering songs from some of their musical heroes — often choosing songs that are far removed from the band's traditional metal sound. The "doodles," as the band refers to them in their setlists, have been showing up right before Trujillo's solo on "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth". The songs are pared-down interpretations — just bass and guitar and sometimes Trujillo singing in front of music stands.

METALLICA kicked off the spring/summer 2019 European leg of its "Worldwired" tour on May 1 at the Estádio Do Restelo in Lisbon, Portugal. The band's 18-song setlist included three tracks that hadn't been performed for a number of years: "Disposable Heroes", which was last played electrically in 2015; "The God That Failed", which was aired in 2012; and "Frantic", which hadn't been heard since 2011.

"WorldWired" has played more than 130 shows across the world since its 2016 kick-off.

METALLICA is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release.

Last November, drummer Lars Ulrich told The Mercury News that the trek could last through early 2020.

Italy's Last Union have posted the first in a series of live video clips from their recently Twelve European Tour:

"Enjoy a small preview of some backstage, to savor the spirit of our concerts."

On January 18th, Last Union performed at Florentia Rock Live in Porto D'Ascoli, Marche, Italy. They have posted full multi-angle live clips of the songs "Ghostwriter", "Back In The Shadow" and "Purple Angels" from the show.

Last Union recently released a new music video and single for "President Evil". The track is taken from their debut album, Twelve, released on December 21st, 2018 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. Watch the clip below.

The album was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren, best known for his work with Arch Enemy, Symphony X, Devin Townsend, Angra, and Opeth, to name a few. The album artwork was created by Thomas Ewerhard (Avantasia, Rage, Threshold).

The quiet city of Tolentino in the Marche region of Central Italy not only boasts a rich historical background, it is also the place progressive metal band Last Union calls home. Founded by vocalist Elisa Scarpeccio, guitarist Cristiano Tiberi and keyboardist Claudio Feliziani in 2007, the band - originally known as Blazing Ice - embarked on their journey in the pursuit of sharing their thoughts and feelings about life, and ultimately their art, with the world. With the assistance of professional session bassists and drummers, the trio established themselves on the Italian scene with a string of shows that helped them evolve and refine their craft. Over the course of 20 shows, Last Union presented songs that would eventually make the final cut for their debut album.

Strong and positive reactions to their music spurred Scarpeccio and Tiberi on to take the first of many bold steps. The first was to invite drummer Uli Kusch to join the fold, who expressed interest in joining the band as a full member rather than just a touring drummer after hearing the music. A similar scenario played out with Symphony X bassist Mike LePond and Last Union was officially born. The icing on the cake, however, was getting Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie to sing on three tracks.

Tracklisting:

"Most Beautiful Day"
"President Evil" (Feat. James LaBrie)
"Hardest Way"
"Purple Angels"
"The Best Of Magic"
"Taken" (Feat. James LaBrie) - Radio Edit
"18 Euphoria"
"A Place In Heaven" (Feat. James LaBrie)
"Ghostwriter"
"Limousine"
"Back In The Shadow"
"Taken" (Feat. James LaBrie)
"President Evil" (Feat. James LaBrie) - Video Version

"President Evil" video:




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Ram It Down Records has announced the signing of Norway’s prog / power metal act Divided Multitude to a worldwide deal. The new album, Faceless Aggressor, was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Evergrey, Pretty Maids, Volbeat) and is scheduled for an August 24th release.

The band was founded in 1995 and released their debut album four years later. Five more albums were following, with the latest, simply titled Divided Multitude, arriving in 2015. Not too long ago, vocalist Jan Thore Grefstad (known from Saint Deamon, Highland Glory and his successful participation on the Norway’s Idol show), joined the group's ranks.

For information and updates on Divided Multitude go to the band's official Facebook page here.

Divided Multitude is:

Christer Harøy - guitars
Anders Vinje - drums
Rayner Harøy - bass
Jan Thore Grefstad - vocals
Sindre Antonsen - guitars / vocals




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Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has released another new solo song called "Death Rattle Blues". It is now available for purchase via the Bandcamp player below.

Death Rattle Blues by Jason Bieler

Bieler recently released the new four-song Things & Stuff EP, featuring an acoustic version of the Saigon Kick track "One Step Closer", which was originally recorded for the band's 1993 album, Water.

Things & Stuff EP by Jason Bieler




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AVANTASIA vocalist Tobias Sammet recently spoke with writer Clay Marshall in conjunction with an OC Weekly story about the group's upcoming performance in Anaheim, California. Some select "outtakes" follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On AVANTASIA's new album "Moonglow":

Tobias: "It's not trendy. It's not flavor of the week, but it's put together with a lot of love for detail. If you like MEAT LOAF and you like IRON MAIDEN and you don't have any disdain for QUEEN, check this out. There's a bit of Wagner in there, and Hans Zimmer, you can hear that we're coming from the same region in Germany. [Laughs]"

On how the album's cover of Michael Sembello's "Maniac", which was featured in the 1983 film "Flashdance", has been received by AVANTASIA fans:

Tobias: "Mostly good. Some of it's terrible, and that's good — we get a reaction. Nothing's worse than getting no reaction at all. Some people really hated it. Most people really love it, and sometimes, if you're convinced about something, you have to shove it down people's throats [laughs], because as an artist, you would be a very, very poor artist if you would just do what people want to hear. You have to be convincing — you have to give people something that is of value, and that is honest, and not just give them just what they want to hear. The radio is full of stuff that people want to hear, tailored to a target audience. I always liked the song. I know it was overplayed in the '80s, and it was overdone, and it was on the radio, and people have those pop connotations when they hear the song. It was covered for no other reason than pure hedonism. I just had the idea — 'Let's do a cover version. If we don't use it, we can afford producing the song and just listening to it ourselves and not releasing it.' That's the luxury of artistic freedom, but we produced it and it turned out to be so great, so we said, 'Okay, let's put it on the record.'"

On why he plays bass on AVANTASIA albums himself instead of recruiting famous musicians to do so:

Tobias: "I sometimes enjoy doing it myself, but I have to say, I'm losing more and more interest in doing it myself. I do [almost] all the bass on the records. Some of it has been done by Sascha [Paeth, producer and guitarist]. Whenever it gets complicated... I'm a lousy bass player. I think I have the feeling for it, and I used to be the bass player in EDGUY as well, and I used to take that instrument very seriously. You have to if you want to be a good bass player, but down the line, the bass is a very, very... it has to fill a certain purpose, but still, it's not a very important instrument. It has to play a certain role in AVANTASIA, and that role is not a very dominant role. That's why I don't want to get one of those bass stunt men into the game that would say, 'Oh, we should turn the bass louder and I should play all these crazy licks here.' If we have those crazy licks, Sascha can play them. He did a slap solo in 'Requiem For A Dream'. I talked him into doing it, because he's not a show-off at all. I said, 'If I was a bass player, I would love to do it.' I mean, I am a bass player, but I can't do these kinds of things. I don't have the patience, to be honest, to rehearse when it comes to an instrument that nobody really takes note of. [Laughs] Lead singer's disease!"

On whether he has a "bucket list" of singers that he'd like to have participate in AVANTASIA:

Tobias: "I try to get Bruce Dickinson every single time. [IRON MAIDEN manager] Rod Smallwood, he's always very, very protective. He always turns down my request in a very polite way, I have to admit. It's always a very, very nice 'no.' I try not to have a bucket list, because a bucket list always seems very, very nerdy — like somebody's just making check marks behind something that he wants to do to impress other people, or that he's left to do before he passes away. I try not to have a bucket list — I try to enjoy myself and do things that make sense in a musical way. I want to be happy, and having a bucket list of artists would be disrespectful to all the people that I work with, that I have around me at this very moment. Those great singers, if there was a bucket list, they are on that bucket list. I have made my check marks, and yet, I want to continue working with them, because they are amazing. Of course, if Paul Stanley, if that would happen one day, or Gene Simmons, I'd love it — I'm a huge KISS fan, and they've been very influential to me. Meat Loaf would have been great. It didn't work out, but it 's not that I have this huge bucket list or something like that. I try not to think in those terms."

On SAVATAGE's Jon Oliva, who sang on AVANTASIA's 2010 song "Death Is Just A Feeling":

Tobias: "Jon is such a great musician, and a nice guy. I remember we got to know each other — it was in Spain, actually, when a flight got canceled. There was a festival, and we were stuck at the airport. It was EDGUY, HELLOWEEN and Jon Oliva. We were stuck at the airport for hours — 12 hours, then eventually, the flight got canceled. We hung out together and we spoke all day. We were in a taxi together going to another city. It was all paid by the airline. We got to know each other, and that's when we became acquainted, and later on, we worked together. He's a great guy, and he's a great, great musician, and a very intense personality. You can hear that by the way he sings, by the way he puts his soul into the music. We're brothers in mind, so to speak, because he's one of the founders of the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. He's up there with the very, very, very best, I think."

On whether he's reconsidered his past comments hinting that AVANTASIA wouldn't continue:

Tobias: "I've always tried to be careful and not put too much pressure and weight on my own shoulders. Whenever I've perceived, 'This can't be any better' [or] 'This can't get any bigger'... The early records, they were a lot of work, and I was a young guy. I jumped in at the deep end and did that project, worked with all these musicians and didn't know what would come out in the end, and if I would probably not lose a whole fortune with it. Once I had accomplished something with it, I thought, 'Wow, great. I got away with it. How can it be any better? This is as good as it gets. Leave me alone. That's it.' I believed it, but I don't want to call it quits because I don't know what the future holds. Nobody knows, and I don't want to be a cog in the machine. I just really want to do what I feel, and I want to go step by step and not think in very long terms. I have a contract for another album, I have to say. I signed that, and there will be another album. I don't know know if there will be another world tour or not, but I hope so. I don't know what the future holds, but I certainly don't intend to retire any time soon. It's just, I want to enjoy what I do, and I think that when you become a part of the machine — which a lot of musicians become in the music business — you lose the excitement for it. It becomes a burden; it becomes a routine. When you lose the excitement, you can't expect to come up with something great. I just want to go and see what the future holds, but I don't intend to stop."

"Moonglow" was released on February 15 via Nuclear Blast. The album debuted at No. 1 in Germany and also cracked the Top 10 in Sweden, Switzerland, Austria and Spain.

AVANTASIA's six-date North American tour kicks off May 17 in San Jose, California.

Greek melodic power metal masters FIREWIND, the group led by guitar wizard and former OZZY OSBOURNE bandmember Gus G., have signed a worldwide deal with the German metal label AFM Records.

The collaboration between FIREWIND and AFM already started with the band's last album, "Immortals", which AFM released in the North American territory. Subsequently, Gus signed with AFM for the release his solo albums.

Gus states: "After working together with AFM Records on my latest solo album, 'Fearless', and seeing the great results that were achieved, the passion and care they put into the project, it felt natural to extend our partnership and bring FIREWIND under the same roof. This is something I'm very excited about and I'm also happy to announce that we're already working on the follow-up of 'Immortals'. We plan to enter the studio after our summer tour with QUEENSRŸCHE wraps up in August. Stay tuned for further announcements!"

"Fearless" was released in April 2018. The follow-up to 2015's "Brand New Revolution" marked Gus's first release since exiting Osbourne's band in 2017.

On "Fearless", Gus joined forces with vocalist/bassist Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69, UNISONIC) and drummer Will Hunt (EVANESCENCE).

"Immortals" marked the first time FIREWIND used an outside co-producer, having worked with Ward, who not only engineered, mixed and mastered the album, but also co-wrote it together with Gus. The disc was also FIREWIND's first release with singer Henning Basse (METALIUM, SONS OF SEASONS), who previously toured with the band on various continents in 2007 and was the singer in Gus's solo touring group.

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Moth Into Flame" on May 10 at Letzigrund in Zurich, Switzerland can be seen below.

"Moth Into Flame" is taken from METALLICA's latest studio album, "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct", which was released in November 2016 via Blackened Recordings.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield spoke to Guitar World magazine about the lyrical inspiration for "Moth Into Flame", which describes a Britney Spears-like pop queen that crashes and burns. Asked if he had someone specifically in mind when he was writing the track, James said: "The 'pop queen' in the song is not really female or male. It's about how people think popularity or fame is going to solve their problems. Or whether fame should even be a goal for a musician. For us, fame has sometimes been a burden, like, how do we get rid of this thing? [Laughs] It's a Pandora's box that often makes you wonder, Okay, how do I become un-famous? Some people have felt that urge so strongly they've taken their own lives to escape it."

He continued: "The song was somewhat inspired by the Amy Winehouse documentary, 'Amy'. When I watched it, it really made me sad that a talented person like that fell for the fame part of it. But, to some degree, I see that mentality reflected in everyday life — people obsessively taking selfies and sending them to friends for validation."

Hetfield also talked about how "autobiographical" "Moth Into Flame" is, considering that the members of METALLICA were "pop queens" for a while during the "Black Album" period. "The 'Some Kind Of Monster' film is a prime example of believing that people need you in a certain way, and if you don't deliver, they'll hate you," he said. "I've experienced some aspect of that almost all my life. If you're not aware of it enough, the monster that is fame can swallow you up. During that period, we were being swallowed. We stopped caring about each other. We didn't care what METALLICA meant to us and other people. We could only see the ugly side and we wanted to get away from it. We couldn't see what was beautiful about our lives. Whatever you focus on, you start working toward, and at that point in our lives we were thinking, this is a hell for us. We lost perspective. Eventually we realized it wasn't about the fame and that we needed to care for the band and each other· That was a hard lesson to learn."

METALLICA's "WorldWired" tour has played more than 130 shows across the world since its 2016 kick-off.

Last November, drummer Lars Ulrich told The Mercury News that the trek could last through early 2020.

New Orleans-based thrash metal pioneers EXHORDER have completed work on their third album for a late 2019 release via Nuclear Blast. The long-awaited follow-up to 1992's "The Law" was recorded at OCD Studios in Metairie, Louisiana with producer Duane Simoneaux and was mixed by Jens Bogren (AMON AMARTH, OPETH, SEPULTURA) at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Mastering duties were handled by Tony Lindgren and Jens Bogren at Fascination Street.

Commenting on the long journey to recording EXHORDER's third album, the band's founding guitarist Vinnie La Bella says: "27 years? Man, that's a big number! A lot has transpired over the course of such an extended amount of time, and this record touches on it all. There is material on this record that is literally 27 years old along with material that was written just six months ago, and everything in between.

"There are truly no words to express the emotions which are connected with this moment. And that's pretty convenient because I prefer to do my talking in the ring/stage anyway. But the people who really made this what it is cannot go without mention: my incredible bandmates; Simon and crew at AISA Management; all at Nuclear Blast Records; and Duane Simoneaux at OCD Recording. Jens Bogren was an unquestionable genius! So honored to have him on this.

"This is, without a doubt, for the first time in our career, the album we intended to give you. Production, sound, art, it's all there, with no compromise! I'm eternally grateful for all who helped make it happen. And to all that have waited for it, prayed for it, begged for it, or even dreaded this moment, much love and I'll see you in the 'ring!'"

EXHORDER will embark on a North American tour with KATAKLYSM in September.

The band now features founding members LaBella and Kyle Thomas (vocals) along with Jason Viebrooks (HEATHEN) on bass, Marzi Montazeri (ex-SUPERJOINT RITUAL, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) on guitar and Sasha Horn (FORBIDDEN) on drums.

EXHORDER relased two albums in the early 1990s through the Roadrunner label — 1990's "Slaughter in the Vatican" and 1992's "The Law" — before breaking up, with Kyle going on to form FLOODGATE and also briefly appearing live as the vocalist for TROUBLE, which he later joined on a full-time basis (and is still a member of).

EXHORDER is cited by many as the originator of the riff-heavy power-groove approach popularized by PANTERA.

GUNS N' ROSES bassist and New York Times best-selling author Duff McKagan has released "Last September", a new track from his much-anticipated solo album, "Tenderness".

As McKagan tells it, the spare and compelling "Last September" was inspired by the harrowing experiences shared by #MeToo abuse survivors.

"I heard and read some awful stories," he says. "As the father of two girls, I felt the need to write this song. If I have any job in the world, it's to protect the women in my life."

"Last September" lyrics:

No she can't remember

They said there's too much pain

It happened last September

From some familiar man

Why, d'she/he have to think about a plan

(And why, if she had been so kind and understanding)

To get away, fight and scream, a frantic plea against the pain

His mom

ma didn't raise a man

He went and lost his temper

He went and lost his brain

Her tears brought his anger

It sent him in a rage

He's blind, what she wore, he said she planned it

He lied to himself, said she could have ran

She said no, he said yes, he took

her down and choked her neck

His momma didn't raise a man

Darkest secrets get released

These manic pigs and their disease

He cries when he gets what comes his way

His momma didn't raise a man

Darkest secrets get released

These manic pigs and their disease

Why, d'she/he have to think about a plan

(And why, if she had been so kind and understanding)

To get away, fight and scream, a frantic plea against the pain

But life goes on, and so will she,

Getting stronger, shedding skin

Scrapes and scars will fade away

Those memories will always stay [End of lyrics]

"I wanted to make the man in the song as awful as possible," says McKagan. "I wanted to make him a warning. We hear stories of people showing signs beforehand...and we hear also, that something could have been done. I don't have an answer, and the song doesn't either. The hope is to simply raise awareness of distressing signals that some may display."

"Last September" follows the recent release of "Don't Look Behind You", "Chip Away" and "Tenderness".


The full track listing for "Tenderness" is as follows:

01. Tenderness

02. It's Not Too Late

03. Wasted Heart

04. Falling Down

05. Last September

06. Chip Away

07. Cold Outside

08. Feel

09. Breaking Rocks

10. Parkland

11. Don't Look Behind You


Also available for pre-order is a special limited-edition "Tenderness" deluxe book, which includes the album on 180-gram yellow-and-red starburst vinyl, the CD, and features an exclusive lithograph signed and numbered by McKagan. The hard cover book contains 40-pages of photos from the recording sessions and also presents liner notes written by Duff detailing his experiences with each song and the project as a whole. The vinyl features 10 tracks and a unique sequence carefully selected by McKagan and the album's Grammy-winning producer Shooter Jennings, while the CD includes 11 tracks.


"Tenderness" sees McKagan reflecting on his experiences traveling the globe over two and a half years on GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour. Encountering heartbreak, anger, fear, confusion and divide on his travels during this tumultuous time in our world history, McKagan channeled a collective hurt into songs of monolithic power.


"We're becoming divided at a time when we need each other most," says McKagan. "When huge industries get replaced because of modernization, it's time to retrain and bolster up those who get swept aside. Homelessness and drug addiction are avoidable in this country if we come together and get private and public cogs turning together in a positive direction. We can at least try to tackle mental illness while we're at it. But alas, we stump and lie, point fingers and divide. We're way better than this. As a father, I must say and do something now because I love my girls and my wife, and I love my country, and I feel I must be strong and use my voice now, do it while I'm able or perhaps never get a chance ever again."


McKagan and Jennings began recording "Tenderness" a year ago, working out of Station House studios, located in Echo Park, California, where they wrote and recorded in-between McKagan's tour with seminal rock band GUNS N' ROSES and the release of Jennings's eponymous album, "Shooter". "Tenderness" features Jennings and his band along with appearances by The Waters and The Suicide Horn Section (which features Duff's brother Matt McKagan on trombone), amongst others.


More than a year later, they're gearing up to take these songs on the road for a North American tour that kicks off May 30 at TLA in Philadelphia.

Derek Davis, frontman and songwriter for former Arista Records and Frontiers Records recording artists, Babylon A.D. has just released his new solo single and video “Mississippi Mud”. The track is from his upcoming new album, Resonator Blues, which lands worldwide on June 1st via Southern Blood Records / Perris Records.

Resonator Blues is Derek’s third solo album after his initial 2012 release, Re-Volt. His second offering, the 2017 Revolutionary Soul, ushered in some great retro soul. In total, Davis has performed and written on twelve albums. With a wide range of influences: hard rock, southern blues rock, old school R&B soul, and now the blues.

On his latest offering Derek Davis weaves early Delta blues, Americana, folk, hillbilly twang, southern rock, traditional and jump blues all into one. The twelve mesmerizing tracks, of which, ten, Davis has written, pin the listener’s ears back and demand they sit up and take notice. Bottleneck-slide is prevalent on nearly all the tracks, along with some wailing harmonica and sometimes a blistering Texas Telecaster lead will be heard. This is a multifaceted album, a journey of sorts all rolled into one great magical music ride across America down highway 61.

The vision of Derek Davis, who not only sings and plays all the different guitars and bass on the record, also does a masterful job creating lyrical landscapes with amoving production. The voice of Derek Davis is unmistakable. He belts out each song with emotion, passion and power, using his amazing gift to reach the listener and weave his tales. The voice is gritty yet melodic and every song is sung as it should be. His guitar work is exceptional, raw, and captivating.

To sum it all up, Davis has made one hell of an American blues album. In a day and age where it seems music is made by computers and programmers that have sucked the life out of the music of today, it’s great to find a hidden gem that can and will stand the test of time. Vinyl anyone?

Tracklisting:

"Resonator Blues"
"Sweet Cream Cadillac"
"Mississippi Mud"
"Penitentiary Bound"
"Jesus Set Me Free"
"Red Hot Lover"
"Death Letter"
"Whiskey And Water"
"Unconditional Love"
"It Hurts Me Too"
"Back In My Arms"
"Prison Train"

For further details, visit Derek Davis on Facebook.

 




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The Tampa, Florida-based melodic death metal group The Absence have unveiled a blistering cover of Bad Religion's “Do What You Want.” A video for the 69-second track – which can now be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp and other digital platforms – can be streamed below.

Says vocalist Jamie Stewart, “'Do What You Want' is named appropriately. Fuck norms, fuck stigmas, fuck walls – do what you want. Makes sense to us. Bang your head! Special thanks to our friend Stanley Soares for mixing this bastard.”

“Do What You Want” is included on a limited-edition three-song cassette featuring cover art by Mark Riddick (Morbid Angel, Revocation, Dying Fetus) that the band is offering exclusively during their current North American tour with Deicide, Origin and Jungle Rot. The cassette also contains the previously unreleased original track “Walking Shadows” – which was recorded during the sessions for the group's acclaimed 2018 comeback album A Gift For The Obsessed – as well an exclusive live version of “Septic Testament.”

“We will see all of you maniacs out on the road in May and June. Bring an extra face – you’ll definitely need it once we’re done playing!”




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On May 10, Life Of Agony premiered their new song, "Empty Hole", for audiences at Playstation Theater in New York City. Watch the video below. The track will be included on the band's new album, The Sound Of Scars, coming soon via Napalm Records.

Life Of Agony tracked their sixth studio album, The Sound Of Scars, with esteemed producer Sylvia Massy (Tool, System Of A Down) at her recording studio Studio Divine in Ashland, Oregon. Additional recording took place at various studios in New York. Sylvia Massy also handles mixing duties for the album. The Sound Of Scars is expected to drop this fall. Watch an album trailer below.

“Sylvia has a deep understanding of what this band is all about and we’ve wanted to work with her for a very, very long time,” says bassist Alan Robert. “Especially, since this is a concept album continuing the story of River Runs Red, we’re extremely grateful to have her on board to help capture the darkness, raw emotion and heaviness of the new material.”

“Life Of Agony began boldly over 25 years ago with its hard musical discourse into the human condition, a darkly hued story which continues to evolve today,” explains Sylvia Massy. “This is a unique band with a remarkable history of personal discovery - a phoenix tale of flight, fire and resurrection. This month we begin again to record the latest chapter. I am excited to be the witness to the creation of the new Life Of Agony album!”

The Sound Of Scars marks the first Life Of Agony album with new drummer Veronica Bellino, who joined the group last January and performed all-year long on LOA’s highly successful Rise Of The Underground tour. Bellino is best known for her work with Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer Jeff Beck, DMC, Richie Sambora/Orianthi, and Carmine Appice/Slamm.

Besides work on the album, Life Of Agony has already announced a handful of dates for 2019, including Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany on August 2, and Rhein Riot Festival in Cologne, Germany with Body Count on August 3.

(Photo - Tess Wiegerinck)




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Ahead of Judas Priest's back-to-back nights at the Palace Theatre in Albany, NY on May 18 and 19, Albany Times Union has released a new interview conducted with frontman Rob Halford. Read an excerpt below:

Playing two nights in a row does have its perils for Halford as a vocalist. He has to perform carefully so he can maintain the ability to hit the piercing high notes and offer up the operatic vocal style that's made him one of the greatest and most beloved lead singers in heavy metal history.

"On this tour, we're doing lots of songs I haven't done in a long time," he noted. "I have to find a way of finding a comfort zone, otherwise things can get really difficult and it's very easy to blow your voice out.

"It's all about technique, I have to really think through the set," Halford added. "I'm lurching toward 68, most people this age would be in retirement. I'm a relic on the metal altar. I laugh about it because I love it so much."

Read the complete interview at Albany Times Union.

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

May
15 - Huntington, NY - Paramount Theater
16 - Uncastville, CT - Mohegan Sun
18 - Albany, NY - The Palace
19 - Albany, NY - The Palace
20 - Sellersville, PA - ST94 *
22 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
23 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater
25 - Chicago, IL - Rosemount
28 - Austin, TX - Moody Theater
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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