British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST kicked off their North American tour with URIAH HEEP Friday night (May 3) at Hard Rock Event Center inHollywood, Florida. In front of a rapturous crowd, the band interwove brand new songs with classics and rarities never before performed for a live audience.

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.

Guitarist Glenn Tipton, who is not touring with PRIEST due to his battle with Parkinson's disease, rejoined his bandmates for the two-song encore, consisting of "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

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

PRIEST's setlist was as follows:

01. Necromancer 00:00 (live debut)

02. The Sentinel 04:50 (performed for first time since May 26, 2012)

03. Heading Out To The Highway 10:41 (performed for first time since May 26, 2012)

04. Spectre 15:29 (live debut)

05. (Take These) Chains 20:00 (live debut)

06. Judas Rising 23:30 (performed for first time since May 26, 2012)

07. Out In The Cold 27:38 (performed for first time since December 16, 1986)

08. Traitors Gate 34:09 (live debut)

09. Starbreaker 39:55 (performed for first time since May 26, 2012)

10. Steeler 44:30 (performed for first time since October 17, 2010)

11. Halls Of Valhalla 49:30

12. Killing Machine 56:02

13. No Surrender 59:46

14. Victim Of Changes 01:03:10

15. All Guns Blazing 01:12:16 (performed for first time since August 19, 1991)

16. Hell Bent For Leather 01:17:10

Encore:

17. Breaking The Law (with Glenn Tipton) 01:21:51

18. Living After Midnight (with Glenn Tipton) 01:24:25

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 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.

Rob Halford photo credit: David Lovitt

Metallica launched their summer 2019 European stadium tour on May 1st and on May 3rd, nearly 70,000 people witnessed the band at Valdebebas - IFEMA in Madrid, Spain. Check out a touching recap video below:

Metallica's setlist can be found below along with fan-filmed footage:

"Hardwired"
"The Memory Remains"
"Disposable Heroes"
"The God That Failed"
"The Unforgiven"
"Here Comes Revenge"
"Moth Into Flame"
"Sad But True"
“No Leaf Clover” (followed by Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujilo’s solos “Brutus”, “ManUNkind” and “Orion”) 
"St. Anger"
"One"
"Master Of Puppets"
"For Whom The Bell Tolls"
"Creeping Death"
"Seek & Destroy"

Encore:

"Lords Of Summer"
"Nothing Else Matters"
"Enter Sandman" (with “The Frayed Ends of Sanity” outro) 

 

 

 

 




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Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has checked in with the following update:

"Warmest greetings from the command center, deep inside mount Bieler in the audio propulsion laboratory! This is what happens when I watch Weird Science and randomly start thinking of the singer from Bow Wow Wow."

Weaponize Your Sex by Jason Bieler

Bieler recently posted the following message to the fans:

"Long story, short... I've released over 150 songs on Bandcamp and have plans for so much more, more shows, more records, more members, more collaborations, scaling everything up exponentially. So, I've decided to check out this new Bandcamp subscription option. This is not just about selling stuff, and I've resisted the crowdfunding concept whereby you send me $ for some promised future project. Instead, this is a way for you to help support these efforts (only if you can afford to, and desire to) and really help us go forth and conquer like a band of non-violent music creating Vikings.

Sure, you can buy my entire discounted catalog for around $50 if you feel like it, or for $5 (or more) a month you can get all the music and a bunch of extra exclusive content, live tracks, demos, chats, merch exclusives and more.

To be clear, I will still do all the things I've been doing, so nothing will be taken away; this will just be something 'extra' for those who want to help me amass a war chest for the upcoming land assault on the eyes and ears of the planet. Examples of where this support goes, recording, video content, musicians, travel, gear, expanding the team, promotion, etc. One love big up and respect!"

Check out Bieler's new Bandcamp subscription page here.

The Madness Of It All EP by Jason Bieler




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Mighty Music recently signed Danish symphonic metal act Ethereal Kingdoms. BraveWords is premiering the debut video and single for “Heartchamber”.

“Heartchamber” tells the story of a broken connection between two people, however when we have forged a bond to someone, it doesn’t break just that easily. It grows inside our chests, and we may remain in each other’s hearts for ages - sometimes for better, but often for worse. Like lost ghosts, we walk inside the chambers of each other’s hearts, even if we are the cause of each other’s misery. Despite the bond being broken, the connection is still strong through the pain and heartbreak that inevitably follows in the trail of romance. We bleed because we loved. Somehow, it is beautiful in all its destructive glory. A beautifully bittersweet glistening tale of love and loss.

The story draws on connections to the tales told in the band’s 2018 dual singles “Beginnings” and “Endings”, and the voice of the wrongdoer is embodied by Sofia Schmidt’s emotional vocals, featuring award-winning singer-songwriter Amalie Skriver on backing vocals.

“Heartchamber” is taking from their upcoming debut album, due for release this fall. 

Lineup:
Sofia Schmidt: Vocal, compositions, arrangements
Christian Rasmussen: Guitar, composition, arrangements
Jakob Holm: Bass
Jon Elmquist: Drums




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Benediction would like to formally announce that after much agonizing and deliberation, it has been mutually agreed that vocalist Dave Hunt will leave the band after the shows in Germany and the Czech Republic this coming July.

Dave’s schedule has become increasingly congested with his commitments to both Benediction and Anaal Nathrakh as well as his relentless studies for his PhD. Therefore Dave will vacate the role in Benediction he has commanded with such strength for over 20 years.

As Dave says, "With the writing for the new Benediction album almost complete, it sadly became clear that it would be impossible for me to give Benediction the full commitment it so richly deserves, for the album, the release and the inevitable shows and other events around it in the future. To me, Benediction is more than a band, more than a bunch of brothers I never had, more than one of the most important things in my life for half the time I’ve been on the planet. It is an institution. And I genuinely believe it’s in an incredibly strong place, especially with the new material. There are great things ahead for Benediction, and although I’m gutted I can’t be part of them, the guys have my total respect, affection and support".

Benediction have begun working with his replacement and have already completed the writing for a number of vocal tracks for the new album. But his identity will remain private for the time being. Dave will still complete the shows booked between now and July, and we would like to make it clear that all shows currently booked will happen, both before and after the changeover. A further announcement regarding the identity of the new singer will be made nearer to July.

Benediction would like to take this opportunity to thank Dave for his superb performance and his loyal service over his time with the band and wish him every success in the future and will remain close friends with him long into the future. They comment: "Much respect and many thanks mate".

Tour dates:

May
11 - London, England - Incineration Festival
25 - Baltimore, MD - Maryland Deathfest XVII

July
19 - Bertingen, Germany - Rock unter den Eichen
20 - Tři Dvory, Czech Republic - Symbolic Open Air

August
23-24 - Wörrstadt, Germany - Neuborn Open Air

November
2 - Hamburg, Germany - Awaking Corpses Death Metal Fest




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Ex-AMON AMARTH drummer Fredrik Andersson says that it's "hypocritical" of singer Johan Hegg to complain about payouts from music-streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music.

In a recent interview with Australia's Wall Of Sound, the AMON AMARTH frontman said that the music-streaming companies "are not paying the artists nearly enough." He added that "one of the dangers" of bands not receiving "a fair amount of money" is that "it's gonna be difficult for new artists to have the opportunity to do this full time. If you can't make enough money from doing it, how are you gonna be able to do it? People sometimes forget that, yes, it is a passion, it's art, but it's also a job, and artists need to pay their bills as well," he said.

After BLABBERMOUTH.NET published an article on Thursday highlighting Hegg's comments, Andersson took to his Facebook page to offer his two cents. He wrote: "While I feel it's quite hypocritical of the man, who recently basically said I do not deserve to get paid as much as the other members, complaining about not getting enough money I think he fails to realize that it's an enormous privilege to even get paid for the music, not a right. And historically, these few decades of musicians getting wealthy are quite unique."

A year ago, Andersson slammed his former bandmates, saying that he was "forced out of the band" and was given a final "payout that still to this day feels demeaning."

Andersson was fired from AMON AMARTH in March 2015, just as the band was preparing to enter the studio to begin work on its "Jomsviking" album. AMON AMARTH opted to enlist a session drummer, Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY, CUT UP), during the recording sessions for the disc, but hired Jocke Wallgren to join them on the road. Wallgren was named a permanent member of AMON AMARTH in September 2016.

In a social media post, Andersson revealed that he and his former bandmates "had our issues and differences for a long period of time and it all added up into what eventually became a harsh split. For a long time, I felt I wasn't respected and treated as a full member despite all the years in the band and I guess it came to a boiling point from both sides." He claimed that he was only given his "share of the public performance rights" following his dismissal and "nothing else." He said: "At a very hostile last meeting, where I felt both insulted and threatened, I had no alternative but to accept the terms I was offered."

In a 2016 interview with Brazil's "Wikimetal" podcast, AMON AMARTH guitarist Olavi Mikkonen stated about the band's split with Andersson: "I don't really wanna go into details regarding Fredrik, but, basically, we just separated. It's kind of like a marriage that doesn't work, and you get divorced. And that's kind of what happened to our band."

AMON AMARTH bassist Ted Lundström described Wallgren as "a super-solid drummer" who is "very professional" and "very on-the-spot all the time." He added: "It is much easier to play if you have a drummer who is [tight]. It makes our lives easier."


While I feel it’s quite hypocritical of the man, who recently basically said I do not deserve to get paid as much as the...Posted by Fredrik Andersson on Thursday, May 2, 2019

In a brand new interview with Australia's Heavy, former QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate was asked if he thinks heavy rock music has become more popular or accepted in the nearly four decades since he first launched his career.

"Well, when I first started back in the early, early '80s — '81 [or] '82 — metal especially was really the revolutionary music at the time," Geoff responded (hear audio below). "It was really extreme compared to what was popular, what was playing on the radio — that kind of thing. And for many years, record companies wouldn't play metal on the radio — it was thought to be way too over the top. But in time, it got to be very popular, accepted, genrefied to the point where it's almost ridiculous now the type of subgenres there are to describe it. And it's become so accepted that there are clothing styles and they're called lifestyle stores now that you can go into and completely deck yourself out in all the gear that you need to be a fan of the music. [Laughs] So it's gone from being an outcast, revolutionary, dangerous sort of music to completely accepted and watered down and genrified to the point where it's now a lifestyle choice. [Laughs]"

He continued: "When I started out, my generation was all about the art. It wasn't about being a rock star. In fact, the term 'rock star' was an insult. A 'rock star' was somebody that didn't have any real talent. They were just sort of a poser who dressed the part and maybe had a skill at fashion that they really weren't a musician — they were a rock-star poser. But now 'rock star' is a completely changed term. The new generation, the younger generation is completely into the exploitation of the brand that they've created now, which my generation found completely distasteful. You'd never align yourself with Nike or Adidas or some company like that — you'd never do that; that was just completely wrong for my generation. But that's all changed now. Bands have bobbleheads and merchandising and their name on everything possible, from make-up to tennis shoes to sporting wear — you name it. It's on everything. And it's a completely different mindset."

Tate's next release will be the debut album from SWEET OBLIVION, which will arrive on June 14 via Frontiers Music Srl. The project sees Tate teaming up with a stellar cast of Italian musicians led by Simone Mularoni, the mastermind of prog metal masters DGM.

For most of 2018 and the first couple of months of 2019, Tate celebrated the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Operation: Mindcrime" by playing the iconic concept album live in its entirety.

Tate is currently on on the road with EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project, which is touring in support of its latest album, "Moonglow".

Listen to "heARTfelt moments with GEOFF TATE" on Spreaker.

RAINBOW will release a new digital single, "The Storm", on May 17 via Minstrel Hall Music. The cover artwork can be seen below.

Last month, RAINBOW issued a newly recorded version of its song "Black Sheep Of The Family".

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bangalore-based '80s inspired old school heavy metal band, Kryptos, will release their new album, Afterburner, worldwide on June 21st via AFM Records. New track, "Red Dawn", is streaming below.

Exploding with razor sharp riffs, screaming solos and rapid fire twin guitar attacks, Afterburner proudly follows in the best traditions of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Accept and Thin Lizzy.

Neon outlaws, extraterrestrial infiltration, vampire biker gangs, witchcraft and sorcery - if there's one thing you can be damn sure of it's that this record will take you on a one-way ride through everything that made the ‘80s so limitless and electrifying. And the spirit of the ‘80s is certainly alive and well in the stunning, retro-drenched, Painkiller-meets-Masters Of The Universe album sleeve designed by the inimitable Bill Hauser.

Mixed and mastered once again by Anupam Roy, Afterburner is just the album you need to shut out the rest of the world and go back to a time when real heavy metal ruled the airwaves.

You won't have to wait long to bang your heads to these new tunes either. Kryptos will be hitting Europe in the summer of 2019, so wear those leather jackets and mullets with pride, grab some beer and get ready to rage like never before.

You can pre-order Afterburner here.

Tracklisting:

"Afterburner"
"Cold Blood"
"Dead Of Night"
"Red Dawn"
"On The Run"
"The Crimson Queen"
"Mach Speed Running"
"Into The Wind"

"Red Dawn":

(Photo - Kryptos Facebook)




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Soon to release their seventh studio album Hexhammaren on May 10th via Century Media Records, Swedish metal crust punks Martyrdöd are releasing their newest single “Pharmacepticon” via a lyric video.

And Martyrdöd checked in with the following comment: “We're pleased to finally show off this other mid-tempo side of Martyrdöd with a single!”

Notice: Just as with a few other songs on the album, the lyrics for “Pharmacepticon” are in Martyrdöd’s native Swedish language, but a special translation of the words to English can be found in the info-box of the YouTube clip.

Martyrdöd checked in with the following comment: “Helveteslarm: It's the sound of hell on earth. The sound of evil forces ravaging the world for power. War dogs, warmongers using liberation as a pretext for profiteering. The video was planned and shot over a couple of days only a few weeks before release. The Idea was to portray some of the real driving forces behind armed conflict in the world and their ruthlessness.”

The recording is again done by Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman (Wolfpack, At The Gates, In Flames) in Gothenburg, Sweden. This album marks the band’s first release on Century Media Records and is planned for May, 2019.

Overview of all format options for Hexhammaren:

-Ltd. CD Edition in O-Card            
-black LP 
-transp. magenta LP (Ltd. 100x copies via CM EU webshop)
-transp. orange LP (Ltd. 200x copies via CM EU Distro)
-transp. petrol green LP (Ltd. 100x copies via Green Hell)
-lilac LP (Ltd. 100x copies via Martyrdöd directly)
-Digital album (Bonus Track Version)

Live dates:

April
13 - Kharkiv, Ukraine - LF Club
14 - Kiev, Ukraine - Volume Club
21 - Rennes, France - Neuronoise Festival II

October
11-12 - Stockholm, Sweden - Scandinavia Deathfest 2019

Liineup:

Jens Bäckelin - Drums
Mikael Kjellman - Guitars and vocals
Tim Rosenqvist - Guitars
Daniel Ekeroth - Bass

(Photo - Jens Bäckelin)




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Trad-metal powerhouse Ravensire will release its third full-length album, A Stone Engraved In Red, June 21st on Cruz Del Sur Music.This is timeless traditional metal from the heart of Portugal — including a memorable tribute to fallen Manilla Road leader Mark “The Shark” Shelton.

Ravensire’s quest for global metal prominence continues A Stone Engraved In Red, an album of might, spirit and will — dedicated to Mark “The Shark” Shelton and Hartmuth “Barbarian Wrath” Schindler.

Geographic isolation — even during the Internet age — can be a prime deterrent for a band looking to make their presence known on an international scale. The obstacles are many, in particular, lack of funds to travel in order to build a global fanbase. But, nothing worth having is ever easy, just ask one of Portugal’s leading metal exports, Ravensire. Since their 2011 formation, the band has steadily been putting a dent into continental Europe, including spots at the Riddle of Steel and Up the Hammers festivals. The proof is in the response: Ravensire is regularly hounded by concertgoers to return — a sign that their brand of epic traditional metal is connecting with audiences. Now with two full-lengths, two EPs and two splits under their belts, Ravensire takes the next logical step forward with their third album, A Stone Engraved In Red.

Recorded at Studio 13 in Lisbon with engineer Paulo “Paulão” Vieira at the helm, A Stone Engraved in Red finds Ravensire expanding upon the songwriting prowess found on their acclaimed 2016 The Cycle Never Ends full-length. Traditional Ravensire elements like charging guitar riffs, mountainous lead segments and the impassioned delivery of bassist/vocalist Rick are present, but this time, the band (who are rounded out by the guitar team of Nuno and Mário and drummer Alex) has added new moods and dimensions to their songs. Acoustic passages, complex arrangements and a new degree of melody and flair in the guitar solo department from Mário has enhanced cuts like “Procession of the Dead” and “A Stone Engraved in Red,” capitalizing upon the album’s theme of “perpetuity” that was driven by Rick’s background as an archaeologist.  

The album’s most triumphant moment comes in the form of “After the Battle,” Ravensire’s tribute to fallen Manilla Road leader Mark “The Shark” Shelton. Shelton passed away in July 2018, leaving behind an unmatched legacy of epic metal, ultimately paving the way for bands like Ravensire. “After the Battle” is a fitting tribute to Shelton, complete with a guest vocal spot from Terminus’s James Beattie and a chorus that will surely make Shelton smile down from Valhalla: “After the battle - all is lost/After the battle - I have died/After the battle - longing for/ After the battle - a wild horse to ride.”

A Stone Engraved in Red is also dedicated to Hartmuth ‘Barbarian Wrath’ Schindler — a longtime friend and supporter of Ravensire who is currently in a vegetative state with very slim hopes of ever recovering. While it would appear Ravensire carried a heavy heart into the making of the album, their ingrained perseverance and dedication to metal rises above all. The band had one goal when recording A Stone Engraved in Red: Create music that will stand the test of time. Mission accomplished.  

Tracklisting:

“Carnage At Karnag”
“Thieves Of Pleasure”
“Gabriel Lies Sleeping”
“Dawning In Darkness”
“Bloodsoaked Fields”
“After The Battle”
“Smiting God”
“The Games Of Titus”

“Carnage At Karnag”:




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The Greek heavy/power metal band Diviner have released a lyric video for "The Earth, The Moon, The Sun", the second single from their new album Realms Of Time.

Realms Of Time is out on June 7th via Ulterium Records. The album will be available on CD, LP and digital.

The band's debut album Fallen Empires was released in November 2015 and received very good reviews and feedback from around the world. After the release of the album the band played many shows and big festivals in Greece and also in Germany, Netherlands and Switzerland, and became known for being a great and energetic live band gaining a strong following.

Diviner entered Devasoundz Studios in Athens last year to record Realms Of Time. The final result show improvements on every level since the band's debut album and the album won't leave fans of heavy and power metal disappointed. The album is heavy, melodic and epic and it’s full of energy, power and emotion. 

Realms Of Time was produced and mixed by Fotis Benardo (SepticFlesh), mastered by Henrik Udd (Powerwolf, Hammerfall, Myrath) and the artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (Battle Beast, Apocalyptica, Korpiklaani).

Tracklisting:

“Against The Grain”
“Heaven Falls”
“Set Me Free”
“The Earth, The Moon, The Sun”
“Cast Down In Fire”
“Beyond The Border”
“King Of Masquerade”
“Time”
“The Voice From Within”
“Stargate”

"The Earth, The Moon, The Sun" lyric video:

"Heaven Falls" video:

Diviner is:
Yiannis Papanikolaou - Vocals
George Maroulees - Guitar
Kostas Fitos - Guitar
Herc Booze - Bass
Fragiskos Samoilis - Drums




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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 today's 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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After the great success of 2018’s Heart Of The Hurricane, Beyond The Black deliver a special gift for their fans worldwide, by re-releasing Heart Of The Hurricane as Black Edition with three bonus tracks and a "Best Of" CD compromising the best songs from their previous two albums.

Says the band: "To celebrate this we also just released a brand new music video for the song 'Through The Mirror'!"

The three bonus tracks are no leftovers from some old recording session - they are consequent beacons leading into the future and all that is to come for Beyond The Black.

Heart Of The Hurricane / Black Edition is out via Napalm Records on June 7 (Europe (excl. GSA), and June 28 (North America). The album is available as 2CD digipack and digital album. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

CD1:

"Hysteria"
"Heart Of The Hurricane"
"Through The Mirror"
"Million Lightyears"
"Song For The Godless"
"Escape From The Earth"
"Beneath A Blackened Sky"
"Fairytale Of Doom"
"My God Is Dead"
"Dear Death"
"Scream For Me"
"Freedom"
"Breeze"
"Echo From The Past"
"Parade"
"Spiderweb Of Eyes" (Bonus Track)
"We Will Find A Way" (Bonus Track)
"Still Breathing" (Bonus Track)

CD2:

"In The Shadows"
"Lost In Forever"
"When Angels Fall"
"Beautiful Lies"
"Songs Of Love And Death"
"Hallelujah"
"Love’s A Burden"
"Unbroken"
"Written In Blood"
"Nights Will Fade"
"Love Me Forever"
"Forget My Name" / Re-Record
"Shine And Shade"

Together with Heart Of The Hurricane / Black Edition, Beyond The Black’s first two albums - Lost In Forever and Songs Of Love And Death - will be physically released for the first time outside of Germany, Austria and Switzerland on June 7 (Europe) and June 28 (North America).

Pre-order here.




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Frontiers Music Srl will release the debut album, Nowhere To Run, from UK rockers The Brink, on May 17th. A music video for the song "Are You With Me" is available for streaming below. The band is part of the label's New Breed roster, a stable of young, up and coming bands forging the future of hard rock and metal. Pre-order the album here.

Influenced by classic bands of both the past and present, but with a modern edge added to the mix, The Brink bring new life and energy to the British hard rock scene with their vibrant 21st Century form of balls-to-the-wall rock ’n roll.

Starting out in the Cambridge area, the group have worked their way up the ladder to headline in cities such as London, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield and Nottingham, while support slots have included a well received UK tour with The Departed in the autumn of 2018.

Following two self-released EP’s, The Brink signed to Frontiers in 2017 and are now set to release their debut album, Nowhere To Run, which has been produced by Nick Tauber (Thin Lizzy, UFO, Marillion). Weaving delicate vocal and instrumental harmonies around driving rock riffs, the record is packed with fist-pumping anthems and solid ballads befitting early Def Leppard and Bon Jovi, although their fresh new style has already enticed fans from a variety of rock genres.

Singer Tom Quick states that the lyrics have “a theme of unity and compassion, and an understanding that no matter who you are, there is always a place for you in this world. The songs are written from the perspective of personal situations that the band members have been through and our hope is that listeners will be able to relate to what we are talking about and be inspired by it.” Musically, he continues, "it’s filled with hard hitting riffs, sing-along choruses and kick ass ballads!”

As for the new single, "Break These Chains", Tom explains that the song “was inspired by friends of band bassist Gaz Connor, who “both had very strong work ethics in well paid jobs, but they never felt it was paying off and they knew there had to be more to life. They had to break the chains that bound them. Lexi [Laine, guitarist] wrote a hard hitting riff to back up the message behind the lyrics, to really make them come to life and tell the story.”

Tracklisting:

"Little Janie"
"Break These Chains"
"Never Again"
"Save Goodbye"
"Take Me Away"
"One Night Only"
"Wish"
"Said And Done"
"Fairytale"
"Don’t Count Me Out"
"Nothing To Fear"
"No Way Back"
"Are You With Me"
"Burn"

"Are You With Me" video:

"Save Goodbye":

"Break These Chains" lyric video:

The Brink lineup:

Tom Quick - vocals
Lexi Laine - lead guitar
Izzy Trixx - rhythm guitar
Gaz Connor - bass
Davide Drake Bocci - drums




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Former ANTHRAX singer Neil Turbin joined ex-IRON MAIDEN vocalist Blaze Bayley on stage last night (Thursday, May 2) at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California to perform the MAIDEN song "Man On The Edge". Check out video footage below (courtesy of The Metal Voice).

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including three under the moniker BLAZE and six under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort.

Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999, recently announced that he will play a special MAIDEN setlist at select festivals in 2019. Choosing songs from his era with the band, these shows will celebrate 25 years since Blaze joined IRON MAIDEN. This will be the first and last opportunity to see such a setlist.

The band at these shows will be Blaze's regular touring and recording outfit taken from British band ABSOLVA, plus ICED EARTH bassist and ABSOLVA guitarist Luke Appleton.

The two MAIDEN albums Blaze appeared on, "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI", sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

"Sign Of The Cross", the 11-minute opening track from "The X Factor", was performed during MAIDEN's "Legacy Of The Beast" European tour last year, the first time since 2011 that the song had been performed live. The tour also saw the band perform "The Clansman", a "Virtual XI" track inspired by Mel Gibson's 1995 film "Braveheart" that they had not played live since 2003.

Ex Iron Maiden Blaze Bayley & Ex Anthrax Neil Turbin Man on the Edge- Duet at Whiskey
Ex Iron Maiden Blaze Bayley & Ex Anthrax Neil Turbin 'Man on the Edge'- Duet at Whiskey

Official Blaze Bayley

Special thx

Video by Betsy Elizabeth

Manager @Mark Appleton

Nicolas HoubrePosted by The Metal Voice on Friday, May 3, 2019

SHINEDOWN has released a stunning new piano version of its anthemic single "Get Up", which has become a crossover hit and is about to break into the Top 30 at Hot AC after spending several weeks at No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart.The new stripped-down version, propelled by the undeniable power of frontman Brent Smith's voice, shines a light on the song's urgent and universal message of hope, empathy and encouragement in the face of struggle.


Reaching far beyond any genre or label, "Get Up" quickly became a beacon of light for listeners around the globe, connecting with both those going through hardships of all types and those supporting loved ones who may be struggling. Speaking to the human spirit in a time of need, "Get Up" was born from a very personal and vulnerable place, inspired by Brent watching his friend, SHINEDOWN bassist Eric Bass, deal with clinical depression.

The song has racked up more than 36 million streams, landed the band on "Live With Kelly And Ryan", and was heard during the Walter Payton Award during the Super Bowl pregame show, among other television spots. Garnering praise fromthe likes of Huffington Post, Salon, Rolling Stone, Consequence Of Sound, Buzzfeed, Parade, Grammy.com, No Depression and more with key playlisting on Spotify and Apple Music, "Get Up" broke a new record for SHINEDOWN, giving the band the most Rock Airplay Top 10s ever and their 13th No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart (the second most in the history of the chart, tied with VAN HALEN).

"Get Up (Piano Version)" arrives as SHINEDOWN is gearing up to head to Memphis, Tennessee to join DAVE MATTHEWS BAND, THE KILLERS, Cardi B, Khalid, ONE REPUBLIC, Gary Clark, Jr. and more at the Beale Street Music Festival tonight (May 3). SHINEDOWN will return to its roots in Jacksonville, Florida for an epic set at Welcome To Rockville tomorrow (May 4), before kicking off a limited run of "An Evening With Shinedown" shows. Beginning May 6 in New Orleans at The Fillmore, these special performances will offer fans a more intimate live experience, with back-to-back nights planned in Atlanta, Myrtle Beach, and Nashville.

SHINEDOWN's "Attention Attention" world tour has been selling out arenas and receiving rave reviews, backed by the band's biggest, most eye-popping production yet. On June 21, SHINEDOWN kicks off a summer headlining run with support from BADFLOWER, DINOSAUR PILE-UP and BROKEN HANDS on coast-to-coast dates produced by Live Nation, and will headline WNOR Lunatic Luau 2019 on May 17 in Virginia Beach, Virginia; MMRBQ on May 18 in Camden, New Jersey; Rocklahoma on May 24 in Pryor, Oklahoma; Inkarceration Festival on July 12 in Mansfield, Ohio; and Riff Fest on July 13 in Detroit, Michigan.

Photo credit: Sanjay Parikh

According to EDMTunes, the UK Government’s National Cyber Security Center has added passwords like Metallica and Slipknot to a global password risk list seen here.

For its first cyber-survey, the NCSC analysed public databases of breached accounts to see which words, phrases and strings people used.

Top of the list was 123456, appearing in more than 23 million passwords. The second-most popular string, 123456789, was not much harder to crack, while others in the top five included "qwerty", "password" and 1111111.

The most common name to be used in passwords was Ashley, followed by Michael, Daniel, Jessica and Charlie.

“People who use well-known words or names for a password put themselves people at risk of being hacked,” said Dr Ian Levy, technical director of the NCSC. “Nobody should protect sensitive data with something that can be guessed, like their first name, local football team or favourite band," he tells the BBC.

The NCSC's Cyber UK conference was held in Glasgow this past week.




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Unlike some of his contemporaries, PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix doesn't believe that rock music is dead. "Rock 'n' roll is a lifestyle — it's a culture," he tells Consequence Of Sound in a new interview. "People have a lot of interesting things to say about it, and I look at it, and it's so strong, in my opinion, because so many other genres pick and steal form rock 'n' roll. We might not be on the front cover of every magazine, but if you look at how these hip-hop or pop kids are influenced by punk-rock and hard rock and heavy metal, it's trippy to see these kids wearing all these patched up pants and edgy styles, and I'm like, 'You know where that came from, right?' I think it's exciting."

Back in 2015, Shaddix said that there was already "a resurgence in rock" and he predicted that the genre would be "the biggest thing on the planet again" in five years. He told Australian radio DJ Dave "Higgo" Higgins: "I feel it coming back pretty strong, man. There's the contingent of bands that have stuck around through it all, like KORN, P-ROACH, DEFTONES, INCUBUS… And then there's this new wave of younger, heavier bands that's coming up — OF MICE & MEN, BRING ME THE HORIZON, WE CAME AS ROMANS… a lot of these younger kids that are… FALLING IN REVERSE, ESCAPE THE FATE… [They are coming out] with this fresh, new rock sound, but these were the kids that were listening to PAPA ROACH, KORN and DEFTONES and INCUBUS when they were kids. And so there's kindred spirits between our bands, because they're, like, 'Yo, dude, you guys inspired us back in the day.' And we're looking at these bands, going, 'You guys are inspiring us now.' 'Cause there's similarities in the vibe and the music and the groove and the bounce and stuff like that."

PAPA ROACH's tenth studio album, "Who Do You Trust?" , was released in January via Eleven Seven.

The band recently released the official music video for "Elevate", one of the singles from "Who Do You Trust?" PAPA ROACH has accumulated over 10 million streams globally with the song, which has also made it into the Top 15 on the Active Rock U.S. radio chart.

In a brand new interview with Australia's Wall Of Sound, AMON AMARTH frontman Johan Hegg was asked for his views on music-streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music. He responded: "Well, technically, I think, streaming could be a positive thing. I think one of the issues with streaming today is that the companies who offer it to people, unfortunately, are not paying the artists nearly enough — frankly. That's the way it is. But the problem is for an artist, there's literally no real alternative, because if you don't have streaming, people will download it illegally instead, and that's gonna hurt you even more. So, as an artist, you're kind of stuck in a situation where you're gonna have to deal with that. I think one of the dangers, if we aren't paying artists a fair amount of money, is that it's gonna be difficult for new artists to have the opportunity to do this full time. If you can't make enough money from doing it, how are you gonna be able to do it? People sometimes forget that, yes, it is a passion, it's art, but it's also a job, and artists need to pay their bills as well. So it's a difficult situation. But hopefully this will change and this will happen, but it's hard to tell."

AMON AMARTH's new album, "Berserker", will be released on May 3 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2016's "Jomsviking" was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, URIAH HEEP and STONE SOUR.

AMON AMARTH enlisted a session drummer, Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY, CUT UP), during the recording sessions for "Jomsviking", following the departure of longtime drummer Fredrik Andersson. The band tapped OCTOBER TIDE drummer Jocke Wallgren as Andersson's permanent replacement three years ago.

You can also catch AMON AMARTH supporting SLAYER on the next leg of the thrash metal legends' farewell tour, which kicks off May 2 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen will release her new studio album, "In The Raw", on August 30 via earMUSIC.

As the saying goes, not all that glitters is gold. But then again, not all that is gold necessarily glitters. It was this idea that struck Tarja as she began work on "In The Raw".


"Gold, we think, is something polished and perfect, sophisticated, a luxury — but in its natural state it's a raw element," explains Tarja. Just like the music on her upcoming album: a combination of sophisticated and refined orchestration, choir and her classically trained voice with a raw, dark heavy musical core. Simply put, "In The Raw" is a gold-plated work of wonder.

The first look at the album, the brand-new song "Dead Promises", is all this and more. Matching the stunning power of Tarja's voice with a thunderous guitar, the aggression she speaks of is brought to the front, not threatening to shatter something fragile, but reinforcing its power.

"I really like how the guitar sounds: in your face," she says. "If I'm singing powerfully, I need something powerful behind me so that I don't feel like I am left alone."

Fans will find that the album includes an amazing duet version of the song with guest vocals by Björn "Speed" Strid of SOILWORK.

"In The Raw" track listing:

01. Dead Promises (with Björn "Speed" Strid)

02. Goodbye Stranger (with Cristina Scabbia)

03. Tears In Rain

04. Railroads

05. You And I

06. The Golden Chamber: Awaken / Loputon Yö / Alchemy

07. Spirits Of The Sea

08. Silent Masquerade (with Tommy Karevik)

09. Serene

10. Shadow Play

Last year, Tarja told Bloodlines that her new album would be "darker" and "a bit heavier" than 2016's "The Shadow Self". But she added that she would never forget "the symphonic side of mine, as my first love of music was classical music, so I will never get away from that."

Turunen was fired from NIGHTWISH at the end of the band's 2005 tour by being presented with an open letter which was published on the NIGHTWISH web site at the same time. In the letter, the other members of NIGHTWISH wrote: "To you, unfortunately, business, money, and things that have nothing to do with emotions have become much more important."

NIGHTWISH mainman Tuomas Holopainen later called the decision to split with Turunen "the most difficult thing I ever had to do." For her part, Tarja said the way she was kicked out of the group proved that her former bandmates were not her friends. "Maybe one day I'll forgive, but I will never forget," she said.

Fan-filmed video footage of WHITESNAKE's May 2 concert at Xcite Center at Parx Casino in Bensalem, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

WHITESNAKE is touring in support of its upcoming album, "Flesh & Blood", which will be released on May 10 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc follows the 2011 critically acclaimed 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.

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 Coverdale.


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 mainman David Coverdale being surrounded by cream of the crop players who go all in to bring fans the best hard rock humanly possible.

WHITESNAKE's "Flesh & Blood" world tour features songs from the new studio record alongside the band's biggest hits and songs from one of the greatest back catalogues in rock 'n' roll history, spanning over 40 years.

THE CULT kicked off a North American tour in celebration of the 30th anniversary of its "Sonic Temple" album Thursday night (May 2) in Houston, Texas.

The British group that's led by vocalist Ian Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy played a setlist culled from THE CULT's 10 studio albums, with the centerpiece being a super set that's focused on the core songs from "Sonic Temple"; some of these songs had not been performed since the album (their fourth) was originally released in 1989.

The setlist for the Houston concert was as follows:

01. Sun King

02. New York City (performed for first time since 2010)

03. Automatic Blues (performed for first time since 1991)

04. Sweet Soul Sister

05. American Horse

06. Soul Asylum (performed for first time since 1989)

07. Edie (Ciao Baby)

08. Fire Woman

09. Lucifer

10. American Gothic (performed for first time since 2002)

11. Rise

12. Spiritwalker

13. The Phoenix

14. She Sells Sanctuary

Encore:

15. Saints Are Down (performed for first time since 2011)

16. Rain

17. Love Removal Machine

Fan-filmed video footage of last night's show can be seen below.

"Sonic Temple" — a pivotal, game-changing album that brought together the alternative and hard rock audiences — will be reissued in a 30th-anniversary edition by Beggars Banquet Records. "Sonic Temple" features the singles "Fire Woman", "Edie (Ciao Baby)", "Sweet Soul Sister" and "Sun King".


Each show is a gathering and celebration for THE CULT fans — an opportunity to come together for one night — an event that will be memorable for all who attend. In Los Angeles only, where Astbury and Duffy live, the band has created something extra special. The Greek Theatre will become "A Sonic Temple" on June 15 with a diverse multi-act bill that has roots in THE CULT lead singer Ian Astbury's pioneering pre-Lollapalooza festival "A Gathering Of The Tribes" (1990). PRAYERS, ZOLA JESUS and VOWWS will join headliners THE CULT.

Asked what he hopes audiences will take away from the "Sonic Temple" 30th-anniversary tour, Billy said: "I think as time has passed our music has endured fairly well. I'd like fans to not only allow themselves a little indulgence into maybe simpler happier times of the late '80s for a few hours at a 'Sonic Temple' '19 show but also be happy that the music is now really their possession, not ours, and to do with it what they will. For the most part, once an album is done, Ian and I never look back too much and let it go out there with few regrets. Let them celebrate those good times back then but not dwell in them and even more so look forward to new and different experiences in the future."

FIRESPAWN — the Swedish death metal project featuring Lars Göran Petrov (vocals; ENTOMBED) and Victor Brandt (guitar; ENTOMBED), Alex Friberg (bass; NECROPHOBIC), Fredrik Folkare (guitar; UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) and Matte Modin (drums; DARK FUNERAL, DEFLESHED) — will release its third album, "Abominate", on June 7 via Century Media Records.

The second single from the disc, "The Hunter", can be streamed below.

Brandt says: "It's a great feeling to be able to release the third FIRESPAWN album and to be more pleased with the outcome than you could expect. Everyone's efforts (band, producer, painter, photographer, layout, label) have been above and beyond."

The artwork was once again painted by Paolo Girardi.

Friberg comments: "On this album, we pushed ourselves more then before outside our comfort zone. You will hear a lot more heavy metal influences on this album.

"We never aimed to be a death metal band in the ordinary death metal genre. We make exactly the kind of music that we like and that is more to the extreme side but we always try news things and think outside the box and that is what's so great with FIRESPAWN. Always refreshing great fucking metal! This album is no exception, quite the opposite. On 'Abominate', we explore new ground that not many death metal bands have before. Listen to it and you'll know what I'm talking about."

FIRESPAWN's sophomore album, "The Reprobate", was released in April 2017. The follow-up to 2015's "Shadow Realms" was described in a press release as "a merciless piece of evil, ferocious and blasphemous death metal."


Hailing from Stockholm, FIRESPAWN is the unholy union of five death metal veterans with the aim to create blasphemous, sacrilegious and evil death metal, played by sharp minds with ancient souls.


FIRESPAWN is:

Lars Göran Petrov (ENTOMBED) - Vocals

Victor Brandt (ENTOMBED) - Guitar

Alex Friberg (NECROPHOBIC) - Bass

Fredrik Folkare (UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) - Guitar

Matte Modin (DARK FUNERAL, DEFLESHED) – Drums

ALICE IN CHAINS has released the sixth episode of "Black Antenna", a dark sci-fi thriller set against the backdrop of the band's Grammy-nominated album "Rainier Fog" (BMG). Further episodes will be released throughout the coming months.


"Black Antenna" tells the story of Alpha (played by "Green Book" actor Paul Sloan) and his 21-year-old daughter, Beta (Viktoriya Dov), who drive their beat-up truck across California in silence, speaking only telepathically. Together they rob and steal from the men the girl seduces, taking phones, laptops and whatever they can find.


Alpha is trying to build something — an antenna — desperately trying to find a way to get a message to their people back home. Meanwhile there are unspeakably dark forces who have discovered their existence and are now hell-bent on tracking them down and eradicating them before more of their kind can come and join them.


"Black Antenna" was directed by Adam Mason, written by Paul Sloan and Adam Mason and produced by Elizabeth Mason and Nick Vallelonga, who recently won two Oscars ("Best Original Screenplay" and "Best Picture") for "Green Book".


"This movie came out of nowhere for me," says Mason. "As soon as I heard the album, the music and lyrics spoke to me on a profoundly personal level and the film and subject matter was born directly out of that. I've always been a huge fan of ALICE IN CHAINS, and this has been a dream come true for me. 'Black Antenna' is a perfect synergy of the band's lyrics, and 'Black Antenna' paints a dark and beautiful canvas of the deeply conflicted world we live in today."


The release comes ahead of ALICE IN CHAINS' European tour this summer, which sees them play numerous dates and festivals including three arena shows in the U.K., starting at Glasgow's Braehead Arena on May 23 before a show at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on May 24, and ending with a date at London's Wembley Arena on May 25. The shows will be the biggest headline shows the band have played to date in the U.K.


ALICE IN CHAINS is touring in support of its latest album, "Rainier Fog", which became the group's first Top 10 U.K. album, hit No.1 across Billboard's Rock, Alternative and Hard Music charts and the iTunes Rock Album chart, and earned the band a ninth Grammy nod for "Best Rock Album."


Photo credit: Pamela Littky

TURILLI/LIONE RHAPSODY — featuring original RHAPSODY members Luca Turilli and Fabio Lione, alongside former RHAPSODY members Dominique Leurquin, Patrice Guers and Alex Holzwarth — will release its debut album, "Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution)", on June 28 through Nuclear Blast (King Records in Japan and rest of Asia).

Comprised of 10 tracks, the record was produced by Luca and Fabio themselves, while Simone Mularoni (Domination Studio, San Marino) took care of its recording, engineering, mixing and mastering. Guest appearances by Elize Ryd (AMARANTHE) and Mark Basile (DGM), among others, round off TURILLI/LIONE RHAPSODY's first studio album. The contemporary cover artwork was designed by Stefan Heilemann (EPICA, PAIN, LINDEMANN), who has previously worked on both LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY records.

The official lyric video for the single "Phoenix Rising" can be seen below.

Lione states: "'Phoenix Rising' represents the bridge between our past and our artistic future, including some elements of the traditional symphonic metal school combined with heavy guitars, the modern sounds we love nowadays and an ethnic interlude featuring the unique voice of Mongolian artist Uyanga Bold. Once recorded, 'Phoenix Rising' got immediately stuck in our head and we found ourselves singing the chorus all day long. For all these reasons we consider it as the perfect opener for our debut album and for our upcoming live shows!"

Turilli adds: "Fabio's emotional performance underlines the intense lyrics inspired by sacred geometry, quantum physics and the secrets of the ancient wisdom, telling about a human being and his dramatic process of self-realization after experiencing an inner quake and the impelling need to move beyond the illusion of duality and the loops related with the material aspects of life in order to reach a higher level of consciousness and find his place in the geometry of existence."

"Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution)" track listing:

01. Phoenix Rising

02. D.N.A. (Demon And Angel) [feat. Elize Ryd]

03. Zero Gravity

04. Fast Radio Burst

05. Decoding The Multiverse

06. Origins

07. Multidimensional

08. Amata Immortale

09. I Am [feat. Mark Basile | DGM]

10. Arcanum (Da Vinci's Enigma)

11. Oceano [feat. Sascha Paeth, Arne Wiegand] (bonus track on digipak and 2LP only)

Luca states: "'Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution)' is much more than an album title. It is a real band mantra underlining the evolution of a great artistic collaboration, a modern-day approach and the intention to evolve the band's sound to a new frontier, conceptually, musically and lyrically.

"This debut album will definitely present the multiple faces of our new band: modern ultra-heavy guitars, a vocal roller coaster inspired by QUEEN's masterworks, dramatic arrangements, breathing soundscapes enriched by ethnic music elements from different continents and surely the most emotional and intense lyrics we ever had. The new artwork realized by Heile represents the synthesis of such evolution and the deep heartfelt message related with it."

Adds Fabio: "'Zero Gravity (Rebirth And Evolution)' represents the perfect evolution of a musical vision we had, a great artistic collaboration to create a new fresh sound with amazing ideas, great production, hard work from great musicians and people involved and most importantly, a fantastic start for this new band. The new artwork realized by Heile represents the synthesis of such evolution in music and an amazing work that underlines the musical adventure you will have and feel listening to the record."

In support of the album, TURILLI/LIONE RHAPSODY set up a crowdfunding campaign to finance the recording process, through which it collected €60,000 (approximately $67,000) from its loyal and dedicated fanbase.

Legendary U.S. metal band THE RODS will release a new album, "Brotherhood Of Metal", on June 7 via SPV/Steamhammer. The official lyric video for the disc's first single, "Louder Than Loud", can be seen below.

Drummer Carl Canedy says: "'Louder Than Loud' was the first song written for the new album. It was also the working title for the album until the very last moment. The idea was to write about how we approach our stage show. It has to be loud, and if you can make it louder, then definitely CRANK IT UP! This is also one of the songs I'm most anxious to perform live. It's a balls-to-the-wall track from beginning to end!"

Spring 1980 saw the foundation of the group surrounding vocalist/guitarist David "Rock" Feinstein, a cousin of the unforgotten Ronnie James Dio and former member of their joint band, ELF. Six years and five albums later, THE RODS decided to go separate ways in 1986 and disappeared from the scene for more than twenty years, rising again like a phoenix from the ashes in 2011 with their outstanding comeback album "Vengeance".

The three musicians — Feinstein, Canedy and bassist Garry Bordonaro — have recorded eleven songs for "Brotherhood Of Metal" (a twelfth track will be included as a bonus track on the vinyl edition). Recorded at the Barn Castle and the Nire Studio, engineered by Lonnie Park, Carl Canedy and Eric Chesek, the album features spectacular cover artwork courtesy of Belgian artist Eric Philippe and brings a breath of fresh air to the band's classic metal.

The "Brotherhood Of Metal" album title reflects the musicians' attitude to life, and what is more, it's the general philosophy of this exceptional band.

Says Carl: "David, Garry and I are still close friends all these years later. We're a band of brothers and proud that we're heavier than ever and making great RODS music for the fans."

"Brotherhood Of Metal" will be released as a CD digipak, 2LP gatefold (incl bonus track "Crank It Up (35 Years)"), as a digital download and via stream music services.

Track listing:

01. Brotherhood Of Metal (7:28)

02. Everybody's Rockin' (3:57)

03. Smoke On The Horizon (4:47)

04. Louder Than Loud (4:15)

05. Tyrant King (4:38)

06. Party All Night (2:49)

07. Tonight We Ride (4:40)

08. 1982 (5:16)

09. Hell On Earth (4:20)

10. The Devil Made Me Do It (3:54)

11. Evil In Me (6:26)

UPON A BURNING BODY will release a new album, "Southern Hostility", on June 7 via Seek And Strike. The disc's first single, "King Of Diamonds", is a face-melter and its official music video, directed by Scott Hansen (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, SEVENDUST), can be viewed below.

UPON A BURNING BODY guitarist Ruben Alvarez states: "We simply felt it was time for a change. This new album is definitely a huge statement for us. It was time to reinvent ourselves and get back to our roots — pure heavy fucking metal! The energy of this album takes us back to our first two, but with much more maturity. We worked for two months with Christopher Mora (producer) and our younger brother, Thomas Alvarez (co-producer). They are both amazing songwriters and were able to help us create fresh and infectious ideas. The four of us worked together to create a fresh, raw and energetic sound. We took influences from some of the greatest metal bands of all time (PANTERA, METALLICA, etc), in order to fill a void that many people are craving and need. Once we finished tracking and putting the final touches, we realized we created an album that would change everything for us. This is what everyone has been waiting for: no gimmicks and just straight-in-your-face metal!"

UPON A BURNING BODY will play a series of Texas-area headlining record-release shows between June 6 and June 8.

THE WINERY DOGS — the hard rock power trio featuring guitarist/vocalist Richie Kotzen (POISON, MR. BIG), bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH) and drummer Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, DREAM THEATER) — kicked off its first tour in nearly three years on April 30 at Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, New Hampshire.

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

During a December 2018 appearance on "Trunk Nation LA Invasion: Live From The Rainbow Bar & Grill" on SiriusXM, Mike spoke about THE WINERY DOGS' decision to play together again. He said: "Everybody assumed we broke up. We all just went off to do our… All three of us do all these other things, so we just decided to take a break and do some other things, but we always knew there'd be a time we'd come together. It was never gonna be a one-time thing."

Asked how the April-May 2019 tour came about, Mike said: "Richie came out to see SONS OF APOLLO when we played L.A. in the spring, or whenever it was, and I remember talking with him, saying, 'Hey, it'd be fun to just play live. We don't have to commit to doing a new album. We don't have to make out this big schedule, this big plan.'… It was great for the three of us to see each other, and it was, like, 'Hey, it would be fun to play some gigs next year — whenever we can. Not have to commit to an album, not have to commit to a year schedule or whatever.' So that was it. It was as simple as that."

Richie concurred, saying: "What we wanted to do is get together and not forget about what we have. There's a lot of people that love the band, but we love the band too, so we wanted to just find a window where we could actually play together. And what Mike was saying, the idea of committing to this and committing to that, with my recent experience, making plans is a waste of time, 'cause you just don't know what's gonna happen. But we wanted to at least get together and play. And so, in my estimation, I would imagine that we would play together and I would say, 'I really miss you, Mike,' and then Billy, 'I really miss you, Billy.' And, 'Hey, by the way, Richie, I have this really cool bass riff I was working on.' And then, suddenly, 'That sounds like a song.' And then let it evolve."

According to Kotzen, there has been no concrete discussion about THE WINERY DOGS making another studio album. "You know me how I am — I don't make a lot of plans," he said. "And Mike knows — I'm like water, and if the water flows in the right direction, we're gonna make another record at some point. But initially, now, we just wanna have that feeling of playing together, capturing that magic we had in my garage when we wrote the first record."

Added Mike: "It's like when you have a new band starting out. And before you even have your first record deal, you're doing it for the fun of it; you're doing it because you you like playing together. You wanna write together, you wanna play shows together, and then as soon as you sign that record deal, then suddenly you have commitments. 'Oh, we've gotta commit to this timeline. Let's block out this year.' And blah blah blah. Writing a record takes months, recording a record takes months, and it takes months to put it out. Then you've gotta commit to a tour. We wanna just have fun. We just wanna play for the fun of it, not commit to another album yet, and just enjoy the window of opportunity to jam and have fun, and leave it as simple as that."

Richie continued: "Yes, there's gonna be a record at some point. C'mon — of course there's gonna be a record. Of course there will be. I'm not gonna tell you when, 'cause I want it to be a surprise."

Since wrapping up an extensive world tour in support of their sophomore album, "Hot Streak", in the summer of 2016, THE WINERY DOGS had performed live on just two occasions — during the inaugural "Monsterwood" West Coast edition of the Monsters Of Rock cruise in the fall of 2016, and nearly a year later during an "Ultimate Jam Night" tribute to late ADRENALINE MOB, SOTO and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA bassist David Zablidowsky at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

Over the past two and a half years, each of the members of THE WINERY DOGS has toured extensively with other acts — Kotzen with his long-running solo band; Sheehan with SONS OF APOLLO and MR. BIG; and Portnoy with SONS OF APOLLO, THE NEAL MORSE BAND and SHATTERED FORTRESS.

THE WINERY DOGS were founded in 2012 after Portnoy and Sheehan — who initially aimed to collaborate with former WHITESNAKE and BLUE MURDER guitarist John Sykes — reached out to Kotzen, who played with Sheehan in MR. BIG from 1997 to 2002. The group's 2013 self-titled debut reached No. 27 on the Billboard 200 after selling more than 10,000 copies in the U.S. during its first week of availability. The initial sales of "Hot Streak" were even better, as the album debuted at No. 30 in late 2015 after shifting 13,000 equivalent album units in America during its first week of availability.

Despite the band's success, Kotzen expressed a desire to return to his solo career after the end of the "Hot Streak" touring cycle. "I wanted to go back to what I was doing my whole life, which is making my music and my records," he said during an appearance on the satellite radio program "Trunk Nation" earlier this year. He reiterated that sentiment during a subsequent interview with Sofa King Cool. "I thought in my mind, 'Well, this worked. It was fun. It was really cool. But I kind of want to go back to being Richie for a while and doing what I was doing before,'" he said.

On May 10th, Abnormality will release their third full-length, Sociopathic Constructs, via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of Sociopathic Constructs, the new single, "Monarch Alpha", can be heard below.

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

- jewelcase-CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- root beer marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- turquoise marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- amber / red marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

Exclusive bundles with shirts, plus digital options are also available.

The album was tracked primarily at The Brick HitHouse in Hyannis, Massachusetts with producers Peter Rutcho (Revocation, Ravage) and Shane Frisby (Becoming The Archetype, Bury Your Dead) with vocals produced by Zdenek Sikyr at Studio Hostivar (Cult of Fire, Master's Hammer) in Prague. Having worked with Rutcho since 2010, it was a painless, professional process, the band also bringing in Chaney Crabb of Entheos to add a guest vocal to the devastating "Penance".

"Sociopathic Constructs is the result of tons of hard work and shows the progress we have made as a band since Mechanisms (2016)," asserts Sundaramurthy. "We feel the time is now for such an album, the brutality perfectly reflects the darkness, violence, and harsh reality of our world."

Sociopathic Constructs serves to further cement Abnormality's place at the cutting edge of savage ultra-technical death metal. With this release, the quintet have stepped up their game across the board, making for a record that is as violent, complex and thought provoking as any you will hear in 2019, and the band were not afraid to explore and mix things up.

"I think this record we felt free enough to just go where we wanted to within a song," states guitarist Jeremy Henry. "We had no qualms with switching styles and approaches from riff to riff. To have a whole section grinding away and then just switch gears, hit the brakes and drop a slow, old school Morbid Angel warship groove in there. We felt free to follow our instincts, and just let our influences shine through."

Sociopathic Constructs tracklisting:

"Monarch Alpha"
"Penance"
"Kakistocracy"
"Transmogrification Of The Echoborgs"
"A Catastrophic And Catalyzing Event"
"Aeturnum"
"Dying Breed"
"A Seething Perversion"
"Curb Stomp"

"Monarch Alpha":

"A Catastrophic And Catalyzing Event":

"Curb Stomp" video:




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