FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares says that he has no information to share regarding a possible release for the band's already-completed new album, tentatively titled "Monolith".

Cazares was asked about the status of FEAR FACTORY's first collection of new music since 2015's "Genexus" LP during a brand new interview with "The Metal Command" radio show.

Dino, who is promoting the debut about from his DIEKLUTE collaboration with DIE KRUPPS frontman Jürgen Engler, said (hear audio below): "I've got nothing. I was wondering when somebody was gonna ask me a question about that, but I have nothing… People ask me every day. I have no information about that."

Cazares also talked about FEAR FACTORY's musical evolution over the course of the group's 30-year existence, particularly as it relates to the decade following the release of 1998's "Obsolete" album, a period which saw Dino exit the band and focus on other projects while singer Burton C. Bell, drummer Raymond Herrera and bassist Christian Olde Wolbers carried on without him.

"[1992's] 'Soul Of A New Machine' and [1993's] 'Fear Is The Mindkiller' [EP] and [1995's] 'Demanufacture', there was only three of us — there was me, Raymond and Burt," he said. "Me and Raymond wrote all the music. We were on the same page. We were like two peas in a pod. We were on the same level [in terms of] what we wanted to create. We didn't wanna copy anything else, so we just exactly wanted to do our own thing, and we connected really well. So there was never that other outside writer coming in to bother us. We just did this, Burt would put his vocals on top, and it just worked perfectly. And then we had Rhys Fulber come in, do all the music. It wasn't until 'Obsolete' where we got another bass player. We started letting the bass player write a little bit of the music, and some of his influences started to come in. Then when we got to 'Digimortal' [2001], that bass player, that fourth wheel, he had more influence on what the record was gonna sound like. And I believe me and Raymond lost something there, because there was that other guy that you had to think about.

"Some people may take what I'm saying bad, some people may take what I'm saying good, but sometimes when you have a good thing and you try to bring outside writers in — I wouldn't say 'outside writer,' but another person to just write with you — sometimes things get lost. I believe that's what happened during that period — from 'Digimortal' on," he continued.

"So then, when I left the group, I got to go do a bunch of other projects that I wanted to do and I got to go and experience a bunch of different things I wanted to do. And when I came back into FEAR FACTORY back in 2009, I had a lot of other influences that I collected. When you go out there and jam with other people, sometimes it'll rub off on you — you learn things. And so that's what I felt — I went out there and I learned things, I came back and it was just me and Burt. There was no outside writers, nobody else clogging the system — it was just me and Burt connecting and making a sick-ass record. I think sometimes when you have too many cooks in the kitchen, it leads to arguments. Everybody wants to put their piece in there, you lose focus, you're thinking about other things, you don't wanna piss somebody else off, blah blah blah. But when it was just me and Burt, it was just me and Burt, and it was just like 'Boom!' — same page, same level, same way of thinking. We did what we wanted, and we went for it. And that's why 'Mechanize' [2010], 'The Industrialist' [2012] and 'Genexus' were very well-focused records. Yes, we did bring other people in, but initially, when me and Burt started these records, we started writing with just me and him before we brought somebody else in."

The tentative title of FEAR FACTORY's new album was revealed by Bell during an interview with SiriusXM's Jose Mangin at last November's inaugural Headbangers Con in Portland, Oregon. He also said that "legal technicalities" needed to be sorted out before the record could be released.

Back in May 2017, Bell told the Kilpop web site that the positive reaction to "Genexus" has "absolutely" inspired him and his bandmates to try to top it with their upcoming effort. "It was such a great response," he said. "Putting out that record was just positive all the way around, which just makes us drive even further and drive even harder. Now we've been working on a new album. All the new songs, I say, in my opinion, are even stronger than 'Genexus', 'cause it just seems even more tight. We're on a groove, and it's kicking ass."

In 2016, FEAR FACTORY completed a U.S. headlining tour on which it performed its classic second album, "Demanufacture", in its entirety.

FEAR FACTORY was the subject of breakup rumors in May 2017 when the band's former bassist-turned-guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers posted a since-deleted eulogy for FF on his Instagram. He wrote "RIP Fear Factory" and appended that post with the hashtag #GrownAssMenThatCantWorkOutShit.

KING'S X has entered Blacksound Studio in Pasadena, California to begin recording its new album — the band's first in over a decade — due later this year via Australia's independent record label Golden Robot Records. Helming the disc is renowned producer Michael Parnin, recognized for his work with a varied range of artists, from RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and Missy Elliott, to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Barbara Streisand.

Commenting on how it feels to be returning to the studio after 10 years, frontman Doug Pinnick says: "Good question! I haven't thought about it much. Been super busy. But got a ton of tunes to submit. I never know what to expect. I'm always surprised when it's done and can see it as a whole picture. And we're making a record after how long?! I've been waiting for this to happen for a very long time, and I'm totally looking forward to it."


Drummer Jerry Gaskill adds: "It's been a while since we've made a record together. I go back and forth between excitement and fear. But when it gets right down to it, I think excitement wins. I look forward to sharing all of our ideas together and seeing what comes of it all. If nothing else, it will be the next KING'S X record."


Guitarist Ty Tabor says: "I'm excited to see where we are at these days. We're all bringing ideas in."


Michael Parnin says about recording the new album with KING'S X: "A great story in the making... As a huge fan of the band from the beginning, I am unbelievably excited to work on the next long-awaited chapter. Some of my favorite and most artistically rewarding projects have been working with Doug over the past 10 years, namely 'Strum Sum Up' and the fun Hendrix tribute album we did together... Likewise, I'm honored and looking forward to working with Jerry and Ty who are each masters of their craft."


Derek Shulman, executive chairman of worldwide expansion for Golden Robot Records, adds: "I am delighted to finally be able to work with one of the most respected, creative rock bands of the past 30-plus years. KING'S X is not only a superb rock band with an ardent fan base, but are also a 'musician musicians' band. Golden Robot Records is determined to finally help KING'S X receive the worldwide recognition it fully deserves."

DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess has announced details for the fourth annual Jordan Rudess Keyfest, which will be held May 30, May 31 and June 1 at Sweetwater Sound in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

KeyFest is a three-day interactive keyboard gathering with Rudess and guest artists David Rosenthal and Otmaro Ruiz. During the day, these three renowned keyboardists will lead workshops on essential skills ranging from the art of soloing, keyboard technique, sound design, music apps, improvisation and more. In the evenings, they will perform intimate concerts and lead the participants in jams and master classes. In addition to interactive experiences with guest artists, KeyFest also offers intensive clinics with keyboard and software manufacturers.

"Besides all of the learning that happens during the workshops, the best part of the past three KeyFests was just having the chance to hang out with other keyboardists, share our musical ideas and geek out together," says Rudess. "Sweetwater is the ultimate musical instrument store, so it's the perfect setting for the ultimate keyboard gathering."

Registration is open now at this location.

Voted "Best Keyboardist of All Time" (Music Radar), Rudess is best known as the keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist extraordinaire for platinum-selling Grammy-nominated prog rock band DREAM THEATER. He trained at the world-renowned Juilliard School Of Music, where he first studied as a child prodigy at age nine. As a teen, he defected to synthesizers in a classic act of rock ’n’ roll rebellion. In 1994, Keyboard readers voted him "best new talent," and since then has become the universally acknowledged heir to the shredding throne of such prog-rock royalty as Keith Emerson and Rick Wakeman. He is renowned for his unique fusion of classical technique and influences with rock sensibilities.

In addition to playing in DREAM THEATER, Jordan has worked with a wide range of artists including David Bowie, Jan Hammer, Enrique Iglesias, the PAUL WINTER CONSORT, Annie Haslam, LMR, his side project with Tony Levin and Marco Minneman, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, Steven Wilson, Aviv Geffen, the DIXIE DREGS, Rod Morgenstein and Tony Williams, among others. Jordan's interest in state-of-the-art keyboard controllers and music apps are another area of his career in which he has achieved success. Jordan owns the successful app-development company Wizdom Music, creators of award-winning apps such as MorphWiz, SampleWiz, and Geo Synthesizer. Wizdom Music's latest app, GeoShred, was created in collaboration with moForte, founding members of Stanford University's Sondius team.

LINKIN PARK DJ Joe Hahn is a judge on a Korean reality TV show.

The mission of "Super Band", which premiered in South Korea last Friday, is to create a "super" band composed of versatile musicians capable of producing music spanning many musical genres.

The contestants will pair with each other to make their own bands and advance to each round. The winning band will receive prize money and the chance to embark on a concert tour.

"Thinking about popular music in Korea, I have a certain perception of it," Hahn said at a press event prior to the show's broadcast (see video below). "But looking beneath the surface, I know there is a lot of talent. That talent comes from people playing music.

"I love listening to bands and waiting for each member to really stand out and how the combinations of that really become larger than life and that makes me want to see them in concert."

Joe praised the show's name, "Super Band", saying: "It's not just a band. There are many versions of bands, but the word super to me reminds me of superheroes," the musician said.

"I love 'X-Men' and 'The Avengers' and all those super teams. But the way those stories are told… It's the really unique abilities of each individual that make up something great for the entire team. Beyond the surface of them using their powers to beat the bad guy, the stories of what their lives as individuals mean to each other and how they're gonna help each other get through life. I see that with members of the show."

"Super Band" airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on JTBC.

During a recent interview with Cutter and Kaytie of Razor 94.7 and 104.7, SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch said that his band is "a full democracy." He explained (hear audio below): "Brent's [Smith, vocals] the 51 percent, because he's gotta be the captain. Every ship has a captain… You have to have a leader, and Brent's good at it. He's driven in a way that I don't have, and he's got the gift of gab, which I can talk to you guys and talk to anybody, but when it comes to business and getting in there and getting in somebody's face, I don't have that. I'm too nice — I'm very nice."

According to Kerch, everyone in SHINEDOWN has "equal" say. "And if somebody's upset or doesn't like something, we're gonna figure it out and find a way to massage that situation to where we all agree on it," he said. "Like, we'll never do a political record, 'cause there's varying political views, so why would we bring that out there? We don't wanna alienate half or bring in a half or any of that stuff — it's not who we are as a band. Just conscious decisions like that. 'Hey, how much are we gonna spend on this show?' 'Do we need to fire this person?' We talk about it. We have meetings. And one cool thing that we always do before we kick off a tour cycle, we get in a room — the four of us — and hash it out. So we bring anything up that bothered us in the past. We sit down and have our little, like the 'METALLICA movie moment' where we just call each other out, tell each other the problems we're having, come to conclusions, and then we can start with a fresh slate. And it makes everything a lot easier."

Kerch, who said his bandmates call him "Grandpa," told the El Paso Times in 2018 interview that the SHINEDOWN members are always there for each other. "We take care of each other," he said. "That's the one blessing. I've been there from day one and I've seen it all."

"Attention Attention", SHINEDOWN's sixth studio album, debuted at No. 1 on the Top Rock Albums chart back in May 2018.

SHINEDOWN kicked off its 2019 "Attention Attention" world tour on February 20 in Estero, Florida at Hertz Arena.


Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

Listen to "Rockcast 119 - Backstage at home with Barry Kerch" on Spreaker.

Spawned out of the wastelands of dubstep and industrial metal, this hyper-aggressive collaboration between Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares and Kaosis is set to unapologetically divide the global metal audience. Love them or hate them, Kaosis have arrived.

Kaosis recently signed a deal with Atypeek Music in France. Atypeek is well known for breaking new cult bands, and were responsible for helping launch Monster Magnet’s debut album, Spine Of God.

Released on April 15th, the single "Hitech - Lowlife" conjures up images of James Cameron's Terminators battling in a war-torn futuristic soundscape; but the inspiration for the track is far more human. The collaboration between Cazares and Kaosis was fluid and completed over several file sharing sessions.

"Dino was sent the basic drum progressions, and a week later we had these heavier than god guitar tracks," says Kaosis drummer Dvoid. The accompanying music video was directed by Xen and features Cazares appearing as a hologram against the backdrop of an '80s sci-fi throwback theme. Ending with an unexpected plot twist, the narrative of the music video features an isolated person seeking violent refuge in a virtual reality of torture, violence and rape.

"I think most people will take this video the wrong way," admits vocalist Xen. "There are positive questions being raised in the narrative. Our sound is about breaking down barriers; not re-enforcing stale stereotypes. Atypeek 100% supports our bold new vision for metal and that means a lot to us and our fans."

For further details, visit Kaosis on Facebook.

 




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“I didn’t want to just ‘put out another album," begins Slough Feg vocalist/guitarist Mike Scalzi. “I remember telling people that I didn’t want to do another album just to do another album, like so often happens. So, we wrote a lot of songs and only picked the best ones.”

Such was the approach for Slough Feg’s tenth studio album, New Organon, which will see the light of day via Cruz Del Sur Music on June 14 in European territories and June 21 in North America. New Organon also marks the recording debut of drummer Jeff Griffin (who split studio duties with John Dust) and joins Scalzi and longtime members Angelo Tringali (guitar) and Adrian Maestas (bass).

New Organon is another definitive statement from one of America’s most enduring and unique true metal bands, whose penchant for Thin Lizzy-inspired guitar harmonies and Scalzi’s timeless storytelling has turned albums such as 2005’s Atavism, 2007’s Hardworlder and 2010’s The Animal Spirits into proto-metal bedrocks.

Since the release of 2014’s Digital Resistance, Slough Feg did three touring jaunts through Europe in addition to some shorter American runs, not to mention the release of the New Organon seven-inch, which was issued last year. Scalzi freely admits that real life has gotten in the way of Slough Feg making a new LP. That, and his desire to make sure the band still sounds fresh after nine studio albums.

“A lot of stuff ended up on the cutting room floor,” he says. “There were some songs we tried to work out for months but ended up dropping because they bored us. We have to be excited about new songs or there’s no point in recording them. We dropped several songs I came up with and some that the other guys came up with, too. It’s tough, but sometimes you have to be honest with yourself and the people in your band and move on when an idea is not working. So, we came up with a lot of song ideas and only kept the ones that sounded exciting for months.”

In true Slough Feg tradition, there is a strong theme running throughout New Organon, which was inspired by the 1620 book published by Francis Bacon of the same name. “It presents a new version of the scientific method, as originally presented by Aristotle 2,000 years earlier,” notes Scalzi, who is also a philosophy professor at a college in California.

“According to Bacon and others, the science method had remained stagnant for this long period, through the middle ages and renaissance, and needed a refresher. ‘Organon’ refers to a scientific ‘instrument’ or more literally, ‘organ.’ So, it represents a new method for scientific revolution. The songs are all basically about philosophy - from my lecture notes! It starts out talking about primitive tribal society like shamanism as the first philosophers and then proceeds though the pre-Socratics era and then Plato, Aristotle, medieval catholic theology, enlightenment and then existentialist philosophy - mostly in chronological order.”

Fans of the band’s early output when they went under the extended name of The Lord Weird Slough Feg will no doubt be enthused for what’s in store on New Organon. The album has a more natural, if not “rustic” feel to it, recalling the band’s halcyon Twilight Of The Idols and Down Among The Deadmen era.

“Very simply, the songs are more heavy, rough and produced rawer than the last album or two,” says Scalzi. “The themes are not about technology, but about ancient philosophy and science. It’s just more metal, but in a very primitive way - but that’s sort of our specialty anyway.”

Around the release date of New Organon, Slough Feg will be trekking across the United States with labelmates Sanhedrin. “We’ll be doing ten shows on the east coast in late May/early June, right about the time when the album comes out, including New York, Boston, Baltimore and Pittsburgh,” says Scalzi. “In early August, Sanhedrin is going to come out we’ll do another run with them up and down the west coast.”

Tracklisting:

"Headhunter"
"Discourse On Equality"
"The Apology"
"Being And Nothingness"
"New Organon"
"Sword Of Machiavelli"
"Uncanny"
"Coming Of Age In The Milky Way"
"Exegesis/Tragic Hooligan"
"The Cynic"




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"Carving The Voices", the new video from Norwegian extreme metal formation GAAHLS WYRD, fronted by renowned vocalist Gaahl (GORGOROTH, WARDRUNA), can be seen below. The song is taken from GAAHLS WYRD's debut album, "GastiR - Ghosts Invited", which will be released on May 31 via Season Of Mist. The disc was recorded last year at Solslottet Studios in Norway with Iver Sandøy (ENSLAVED).


Those who are expecting a blasting black metal offering are in for something unexpected. Even though "GastiR – Ghosts invited" is firmly rooted in extreme metal, Gaahl's vocal delivery on this record is something out of the ordinary and the first class riffing in combination with the excellent musicianship is bound to take you places you've never been before.

Gaahl is known as one of Norway's most-talked-about and respected extreme metal musicians. His work with TRELLDOM, GORGOROTH, WARDRUNA and GOD SEED has been widely regarded as some of the best the black metal scene has had to offer.


Under the moniker GAAHLS WYRD, the vocalist assembled some of Norway's finest metal musicians. The band consist of Ole Walaunet (THE BATALLION, GOD SEED, GRIMFIST), Frode Kilvik (KRAKOW, AETERNUS) and Kevin Kvåle (HORIZON ABLAZE). This highly qualified bunch recently toured a finely selected, career spanning repertoire from Gaahl's time in TRELLDOM, GORGOROTH and GOD SEED to great acclaim.

"GastiR - Ghosts Invited" track listing:

01. Ek Erilar (05:34)

02. From The Spear (04:37)

03. Ghosts Invited (04:23)

04. Carving The Voices (07:26)

05. Veiztu Hve (06:41)

06. The Speech And The Self (05:02)

07. Through And Past And Past (02:59)

08. Within The Voice Of Existence (05:25)

GAAHLS WYRD is about to embark on a European tour with TRIBULATION, UADA and IDLE HANDS.

GAAHLS WYRD is:

Gaahl (Kristian Espedal) - Vocals

Lust Kilman (Ole Walaunet) - Guitar

Eld (Frode Kilvik) - Bass

Spektre (Kevin Kvåle) - Drums

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY have released a music video for their song "My Last Breath". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Family Tree", which came out in April 2018. As was the case on 2106's "Kentucky", the BLACK STONE CHERRY members opted to produce and track "Family Tree" at David Barrick's Barrick Recording in Glasgow, Kentucky, the same studio where the four-piece recorded its eponymous debut.

BLACK STONE CHERRY said in a statement: "We're so pleased to share our new video 'My Last Breath' today.

"This video is incredibly special and personal for not only ourselves, but to so many others around the world! The fact that so many people opened up their hearts and shared some of the most emotional and personal messages on camera is what makes this so touching, vulnerable, and in our opinion, one of a kind.

"We truly hope this song will resound in your hearts and in your souls, and stir up that overwhelming, yet beautiful thought: 'If all I had left was my breath, here what I'd spend it on.'"

BLACK STONE CHERRY is in the middle of a 27-date U.S. tour in support of "Family Tree". The trek includes festival stops at Rocklahoma, Thunder Mountain Music Park and the Tail Winds Music Festival.

BLACK STONE CHERRY vocalist/guitarist Chris Robertson told Germany's Rock Bottom about "Family Tree": "I've always considered a record to be a snapshot of the band's life from the conclusion of the [previous] record until the time they put the newest record out. So there's an eight-month period in there where you're finishing up touring the previous record… 'Cause you evolve and change as people every day. And I think that's why none of our records have ever been the same. They've always brought something different each time. I don't know, man… It's just like a snapshot of who we are. So if you listen to 'Family Tree', that's the perfect representation of who we were when we were making that record. We're different even now. But those songs… We don't write songs just to write songs. Every song has a feeling or a meaning behind it — whether that be just rock and roll in general or whether it be a song like 'My Last Breath' that talks… the whole song is kind of me talking to my little boy. All the songs mean something. It's not just a song to be a song."

Atmospheric black metal artisans Wolvencrown are no newcomers to the UK metal underground, having toured and shared the stage with the likes of Saor, Uada and Obituary and rapidly accumulating a coterie of those clearly enchanted by their lyrical spells. 

Wolvencrown have revealed the spellbinding artwork created by the very talented Joe McEvoy, along with the names of eight tracks for their debut album which will be entitled Of Bark and Ash. Recorded at Stuck on A Name Studios in their hometown of Nottingham, the album is currently in the final stages of being mixed and mastered at ViterMusic Studio by members of the hauntingly inspirational Drudkh. Nick Horton, frontman for Wolvencrown, states that the album primarily focuses on themes such as nature, suicide and our dying world but also pays homage to the historic city of Nottingham with a chilling tale based on the siege of Nottingham Castle in 1194.  As of yet, an official release date has not yet been announced but is due in the forthcoming weeks.

Tracklisting:

“Earth’s Eternal Dawn”
“1194 Pt. I”
“1194 Pt. 2”
“Infernal Throne”
“Of Bark And Ash”
“Towards Broken Depths”
“Destined”
“S.A.D.”

(Photo by: Andy Pountney / Ave Noctum)




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Memorial Day weekend 2019 will bring with it a fresh supply of rock and roll for music. Friday, May 24, classic hard rock artists The Vindicated will release their debut EP, entitled Volume.

Inspired by influential rock titans (Van Halen, AC/DC, KISS, Cheap Trick) that have come before, but forging a sound uniquely their own, Kentucky rock artists, The Vindicated, prepare to leave a distinct thumbprint in rock and roll this spring. Helping to ensure an impression all their own, The Vindicated teamed with legendary heroic fantasy artist, Ken Kelly, to bring a special EP cover in the vein of classic rock albums with an attention-grabbing concept and comic flare. Kelly is well known for his work on classic and vivid album covers such as KISS - Destroyer/Love Gun/Destroyer: Resurrected, Rainbow – Rising, Ace Frehley – Space Invader, Coheed And Cambria – …No World For Tomorrow, and many others. Not to mention, a decades-long resume in the comic world, inking Conan The Barbarian, Masters Of The Universe, Star Wars, and more.

Guitarist Brady Torrance says: “The artwork that Ken created for this release is above and beyond expectations! As a kid, staring at the cover of Love Gun, I would have never imagined he would be part of helping to bring my band to life.”

Vocalist Red Straker adds: “To have our band become part of Ken’s artistic body of work is nothing short of a rock and roll dream come true!”

The debut EP, recorded from September - December 2018, at Oakwood Recording Studios in Lexington, KY, oozes classic rock inspired riffs, anthemic gang vocals, and hook-heavy, singable choruses that would appeal to music fans who have any soft spot for classic hard rock.

Producer John Howard remarked: “If you like straight forward rock and roll with a classic vibe, you’ll want to put Volume at the top of your playlist!”

The band’s debut single and title track from the EP (“Volume”) was released to positive reception across social media and online music retailers and streaming platforms on February 22. The follow-up single, to be announced in the coming days, will be released on April 12.

The Vindicated will headline a major concert event in Ashland/Boyd Co., Kentucky, planned to kick off Memorial Day weekend on Friday evening, May 24.

Bassist/backup vocalist Michael Straker notes: “We have been working under the radar, non-stop, since fall of 2017. It’s time to gear up, make the walk, step on stage, showcase what we’re about, what we can do, and give fans of rock and roll a fun and engaging experience they won’t forget. Even more importantly, we’ll be raising funds and awareness to benefit the Veterans of our country - who ARE the reasons we have music to write and perform, and a Memorial Day holiday to celebrate.”

Straker refers to a recent development, by which the concert event on Friday, May 24, and the band’s additional appearances over Memorial Day weekend, will raise awareness and funds for Honor Flight KY.




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L.A. GUNS' Tracii Guns and STRYPER's Michael Sweet are collaborating on a new metal project called SUNBOMB. The band, which apparently also features L.A. GUNS drummer Shane Fitzgibbon, is currently recording its debut album for a tentative late 2019 release via Frontiers Music Srl.

Tracii broke the news of the project's existence earlier today, writing in a tweet: "So , I'm in the middle of making the metal record I would have made when I was 17 years old . The band is called SUNBOMB . I really want to thank @michaelhsweet for making this a reality and of course @FrontiersMusic1 we are on instagram @sun_bomb"

A short time later, Sweet responded to Tracii's tweet, writing: "I'm excited to be a part of it Tracii. Who would have thought when we were young that we’d be working together. Thank you for trusting me with the vocal duties SUNBOMB is gonna be Bomb."

In a 2016 interview with "One On One With Mitch Lafon", Sweet said that pursuing other projects is very important to him because it allows him to dig deeper into his creative soul and personal expression.

"I love doing solo stuff, because it's a side of me that I get to… Even if the song sounds similar to STRYPER, it's still a different side of me that I get to express," he said. "I have all different sides… Like, I wanna do an acoustic album some day, I wanna do maybe a symphonic… I wanna do maybe a worship album some day. I mean, there's all this stuff that I'd like to do that I can't necessarily do within the realm of STRYPER."

L.A. GUNS will release a new album, "The Devil You Know", on March 29 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Sweet is working on a new solo album, "Ten", due later in the year via Rat Pak Records.

I’m excited to be a part of it Tracii? Who would have thought when we were young that we’d be working together. Thank you for trusting me with the vocal duties? SUNBOMB is gonna be Bomb? https://t.co/w8Cd7qGPWq— MichaelSweet Stryper (@michaelhsweet) March 8, 2019

Sylent Storm, ripping traditional heavy metal from Medford, USA have premiered their video single “Patriots Of Metal”, taken from self-titled EP (2018).

Following in the footsteps of bands such as Cauldron, Enforcer and Night Demon, Sylent Storm goes back to the sound of classic heavy metal that is reminiscent of the early New Wave of British Heavy Metal. They released their melodic and catchy self-titled debut in December of 2018.

The video for “Patriots Of Metal” aims to give watchers a sense of nostalgia, an urge to pound their fist, bang their head and have fun with catchy, exciting-sounding metal again.

“[It’s] exactly how I feel. Heavy metal is timeless and placeless, to me. We are all in a worldwide family brought together by the love of this one thing that’s important to us. I am patriotic toward heavy metal the way a person can be patriotic to their country. They will bravely fight for it and stand up proudly to those who oppose it. It’s our call to arms, sort of rallying the troops.” - Jym Harris (vocals)

Sylent Storm has confirmed several live dates where fans can expect an engaging performance, but for those unable to make to see them live, a tour edition cassette will be released, which includes “Patriots Of Metal” and bonus live tracks. A full-length album has been confirmed with a planned release late in 2019.

(Photo by: Shaun Barrentine Photography)




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New York hardcore/punk veterans Will Shepler (AGNOSTIC FRONT, MADBALL), Scott Roberts (BIOHAZARD, SPUDMONSTERS, BLOODCLOT) and Carlos Congate (45 ADAPTERS, URBAN NOISE, LEGION 76) have joined forces to create THE TAKE.

Shepler, a drummer of legend, is back on the scene after a long hiatus, in which time he's gained a family and a degree. He never rejoined AGNOSTIC FRONT after their initial breakup in '93 due to increasing obligations with his other legendary hardcore band MADBALL. After MADBALL, Shepler's focus fell on his family, respectively, playing in smaller circumstantial acts, and still somehow finding time to go to shows. He says now, however, that he's ready to let music retake a more prominent role in life. Will called longtime friend, guitarist/vocalist Scott Roberts who had just left BIOHAZARD only weeks before. It was perfect timing for Scott as he wanted to move on and create something new from the ground up with complete creative freedom and passion. Soon after, Scott and Will began working on what would become THE TAKE's self-titled debut record.

"The Elitist" was directed by Drew Stone in collaboration with Jeff Pliskin of Raised Fist Propaganda. Stone is known for the documentary "The New York Hardcore Chronicles Film" as well as producing videos for BIOHAZARD, KING'S X, MACHINE HEAD and TYPE O NEGATIVE and currently has a documentary on Netflix, "Who The Fuck Is That Guy? The Fabulous Journey Of Michael Alago". Stone says: "At this stage of the game, I rarely do music videos anymore unless I really love the band and especially the song. This was one of those rare cases that enticed me out of 'music video retirement.'"

THE TAKE's self-titled album will arrive in June on Demons Run Amok Entertainment. Of the disc, Shepler says: "The influences are from everything we grew up listening to and were a part of: oi!, punk, hardcore, rock'n'roll — that is our roots. It's in our soul. It's in our DNA! We are not trying to copy something, we are just playing what is within us already and trying to give it a new voice, a fresh sound."

Photo credit: Rich Zoeller

Pattern-Seeking Animals is the brand new quartet featuring the talents of current and former Spock's Beard members Ted Leonard, Jimmy Keegan and Dave Meros, as well as long-time contributing songwriter-producer John Boegehold. The band has signed to InsideOutMusic for the release of their self-titled debut album on July 5.

Of the musical direction, Boegehold comments: “My goal was to produce music that’s progressive and intricate while keeping things immediate and melodic.  Whether a song is four minutes or ten minutes long, I didn’t want more than a few bars go by without some kind of instrumental or vocal hook.”

Originally a vehicle for a few tracks John had been working on in early 2018, he quickly came up with enough music to work towards producing an album. With that in mind, he enlisted the talents of Jimmy Keegan (drums, vocals), Ted Leonard (vocals, guitar) & Dave Meros (bass), with Boegehold handling all the synths. He adds: “Besides live strings on a few songs and a female backing vocalist on another, it was all done between the four of us with Dave and Ted ending up as co-writers on some of the material.”

With the band obviously being closely associated with Spock’s Beard, John was conscious of exploring different avenues with Pattern-Seeking Animals, whether it was song structures, vocal arrangements, synth sounds or emotional textures. “Pattern-Seeking Animals was a clean slate so I found myself drawing on a few different musical influences and using some contemporary production ideas and sounds that I probably wouldn’t use with SB for various reasons.”

The album will be released on limited CD digipak, gatefold 2LP + CD & as digital album.

As John notes, as the project came together it quickly became apparent that they would want to take this material out live: “Originally it was intended to be a recording project but as it was coming together we started talking seriously about doing it as a live band. Because of the complexity of a lot of the material, it’ll require an additional musician or two to pull it off live. The plan is to tour as much as possible and to come out with a new album at least once a year. In fact, work on the second album is already well under way.”

Stay tuned for a first taste of music from Pattern-Seeking Animals in the coming weeks.




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Spanish dark metallers Totengott have revealed the cover art of their imminent second album, The Abyss, as well as the first advance single, which will be released on April 16th through Xtreem Music on CD format and Burning World on vinyl format.

Containing four long tracks, The Abyss has been recorded, produced and mixed by Totengott at The New Farm studio during 2018 and early 2019, and has again been mastered by James Plotkin (Conan, Electric Wizard, Jesu). The design of the cover was made by Néstor Ávalos.

Hear the aforementioned advance single, "Ceremony II: The Way Of Sin", below. The cover art and tracklisting are as follows:

"Ceremony I: Sic Transit Gloria Mundi"
"Ceremony II: The Way Of Sin"
"The Spell"
"Doppelgänger II: The Abyss"

"Ceremony II: The Way Of Sin":

For further details, visit Totengott on Facebook.

 




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SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor played a solo concert April 14 at Green Bay Distillery in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Billed as COREY TAYLOR & FRIENDS, the night also included an opening set by CHERRY BOMBS, the all-girl dance group led by his fiancée Alicia Dove.

Fan-filmed video footage of Corey's performance — including renditions of classic songs by VAN HALEN, GUNS N' ROSES and DEAD BOYS — can be seen below.

Tickets to the Green Bay show reportedly sold out in less than an hour when they went on sale in February.

Taylor said in a 2016 interview that it would be "super greedy" of him to launch a solo career — at least for now. Speaking with RockSverige.se, Taylor explained: "I've been getting questions about solo stuff forever. But it's a good problem to have. But, at the same time, I'm in two fantastic bands. Why would I ever?"

He added, "Unless I wanted to get super greedy, why would I try to split off and do something else. I'm very fulfilled by the music that I get to make with both bands. Is there a solo album in me? Yes. But it's not gonna be for a few more years."

Taylor spoke a while back about what he thought a solo album from him might sound like. "For me, the stuff that I write is, it would be like a cross between the [FOO FIGHTERS], SOCIAL [DISTORTION] and THE REPLACEMENTS, you know," he told The Pulse Of Radio. "I mean, real Midwestern rock. Real, just open chords, good time rock, you know. And damn the critics, basically. That's the stuff I write and that's the stuff I've always tried to write."







What a night! Green Bay, you rocked!

Thank you for the pic, Anna Kortens! pic.twitter.com/LGM3IRuqFo— this ain’t rocket surgery (@AliciaEDove) April 15, 2019



Thank you for the shot, Amber Megivern!@CoreyTaylorRock pic.twitter.com/e98vNah0Oi— this ain’t rocket surgery (@AliciaEDove) April 14, 2019

Danish guitarist extraordinaire, Soren Andersen, has signed an international record deal with Mighty Music.

Soren is the guitarist of Glenn Hughes, Jesper Binzer (D-A-D) and has worked closely together with Mike Tramp for many years. Besides being a musician, Soren is also a highly acclaimed producer at his Medley Studio.

His new solo album, Guilty Pleasure, will be released in September on LP, CD and digitally.

Soren Andersen states: "It's official! Today is a big day for me. Under the wings of Mighty Music, I'm releasing my solo guitar album in the fall of 2019. Ten tracks full-on melodic guitar rock featuring Chad Smith, Ida Nielsen and Marco Mendoza, just to name a few of those brilliant drummers and bass players who helped me doing this. Stay tuned for more info!"




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Long Beach, California's RIVAL SONS has released the official music video for the song "Too Bad" The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Feral Roots", which was released on January 25 via Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records.

"Feral Roots" was produced by Grammy Award winner Dave Cobb at Nashville's famed RCA Studio A, and the equally legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

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

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

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

The primal intensity of "Feral Roots" reflects a certain unrest at the heart of the album, sparked by singer Jay Buchanan's recent move to Tennessee. "With all the stimuli we're constantly receiving these days, I think a lot of people have a desire to live with more freedom and simplicity," noted Buchanan. "There's a longing for your truer nature to prevail, and to reclaim some sort of wildness." But with its nuanced explorations of art and love and truth, "Feral Roots" ultimately argues for pushing beyond pure survival instincts and striving for something more exalted: an unbreakable commitment to creating beauty of your own.

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

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN have released audio samples of two new songs, "Radio" and "Zeig Dich", via their YouTube channel. Both tracks are expected to appear on the band's long-awaited seventh studio album, simply titled "Rammstein". The LP comes out May 17 via UME/Spinefarm in Europe and Caroline Records in the U.S.

Last month, RAMMSTEIN released an epic nine-minute Specter Berlin-directed video for "Deutschland", the first single from "Rammstein".

RAMMSTEIN's first studio album since 2009's "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da" was produced by Olsen Involtini with RAMMSTEIN and was mixed at a Santa Monica, California studio with Rich Costey, an American producer who has previously worked with MUSE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and FRANZ FERDINAND, among others.

RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Kruspe told Metal Wani about the making of the band's new album: "Well, when I thought to do another RAMMSTEIN record, I was like, 'No, I'm going to do that. I'm not going through more suffering,'" he said. "That was four years ago. But what we did in the beginning is we said 'Let's get together and try to come up with three or four songs.' We didn't really put any pressure on us, which was very important at this time. While we were starting to rehearse and stuff and getting ideas, I thought, 'Wow, it's actually very good. Things have changed.' All of a sudden, there's a certain kind of respect that I always missed a little bit. We just had good chemistry, which reminded me of the first time when we started. Then I felt, like, 'What would interest me on a new RAMMSTEIN record?' I thought, 'Every time people talk RAMMSTEIN, it's about fire. It's all about the show.' Nobody talks about the music anymore for RAMMSTEIN, and it kind of bothered me. I was thinking, 'I want to do another record. It has to be musical in a way that can really stand out from other records.' That was my goal, or our goal."

As for the disc's musical direction and how it compares to the band's previous efforts, Kruspe said: "It's so hard to say it, because I'm working four years on the record, I'm so close. I think when I listen to the record — we're still in the process, but it's almost 'RAMMSTEIN 3D' is how I describe it. We have written a lot of stuff, but we recorded, I think, 16 songs right now. We're probably going to mix 11 songs because we're running out of time right now. I think it's going to be out in April, which will be the release date. Then, we'll be on our first stadium tour, which is very exciting."

RAMMSTEIN recently announced a batch of summer 2019 European tour dates. The run of stadium and arena shows will kick off on May 27 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany and end of August 23 in Vienna, Austria.

Rock stars have been smashing guitars for decades, few with more enthusiasm than Swedish-born guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen. Sweden's Sandvik decided to test its cutting-edge technologies by building the world's first all-metal, unbreakable guitar and letting Malmsteen unleash his smashing skills on it.

In this project, Sandvik gathered experts from across the company to demonstrate how they could use sustainable, cutting-edge techniques to make something that is both highly precise and amazingly durable.

Henrik Loikkanen, machining process developer at Sandvik Coromant, has played guitar since his youth, when he idolized Malmsteen. To understand what happens when Malmsteen destroys an instrument, Loikkanen turned to YouTube.

"We had to design a guitar that is unsmashable in all the different ways you can smash a guitar," Loikkanen said. "The engineering challenge was that critical joint between the neck and the body that usually cracks on a guitar."

Sandvik engineers eliminated the joint between the neck and body. Instead, the guitar's neck and fretboard were milled in one machine from solid bars of recycled stainless steel, a guitar construction that had never been tried before. Both the neck and fretboard extended into a rectangular "hub" that would reach deep into the guitar's body.

Long, slender components like the fretboard and neck are particularly vulnerable to distortion. Advanced software allowed Sandvik Coromant to simulate milling digitally before the first cut was made, enabling the correct choice of tools, saving manufacturing time and ensuring efficient processes.

"Precision was critical," said Henrik Loikkanen, machining process developer at Sandvik Coromant. "Our software is built on years of experience, giving tool and the cutting data recommendations that helped us mill the fretboard down to a challenging thickness of of one millimeter in places."

Inspection of the ILS (Isotropic Lightweight Structure), an integral component of the guitar. The ILS is made from Sandvik hyper-duplex stainless steel.

Meanwhile, another challenge was being tackled — how to manufacture the guitar body, an extremely complex design due to the need for high strength at low weight.

Sandvik, relying on its world-leading expertise in metal powder and additive manufacturing, decided to 3D print the body. Lasers traced a design in beds of fine titanium powder, fusing layers of material one on top of the other. The layers, each thinner than a human hair, built up into the body of the guitar.

"Additive manufacturing lets us create lighter, stronger and more flexible components with internal structures that would be impossible to mill traditionally," said Amelie Norrby, an additive manufacturing engineer who participated in the guitar project. "And it's more sustainable because you only use the material you need for the component, minimizing waste."

Tomas Forsman, a research and development specialist at Sandvik, realized that the guitar needed a special structure that was strong, stiff and light. He proposed an Isotropic Lightweight Structure (ILS), the strongest structure for a given weight ever invented.

"It looks much like any framework structure," Forsman said, "but it's actually stiffer and lighter than anything we've seen before."

Forsman also knew exactly the material the ILS should be made from: hyper-duplex steel, a grade only Sandvik produces. He wanted to sandwich the hyper-duplex ILS between the guitar's neck and fretboard.

But the fretboard could not afford any torsion, a problem with welding long, thin components together. Analysis and testing fine-tuned the welding process until the ILS could successfully be integrated.

Forsman thinks the guitar project and the collaboration it required illustrates how Sandvik's deep expertise and experience can solve unique challenges, even faced with short timeframes.

"Collaborating like this is a key for the future," said Forsman. "Our customers' challenges continue to grow more and more complex. We need to bring our expertise to work hand-in-hand with our partners and customers and keep inventing new ways of meeting those challenges."

When the guitar was finished, Sandvik gave it to Malmsteen to play. At a club in Florida, Malmsteen ripped through several songs, then started swinging the guitar at amps, at stage structures, at the floor, doing his very best to smash it.

"This guitar is a beast!" Malmsteen said after abandoning efforts to destroy it. "Sandvik is obviously on top of their game. They put the work in, they do their hours. I can relate to that. The result is amazing. I gave everything I had, but it was impossible to smash."

Video and text courtesy of Sandvik

According to the UK’s The Times, the fire-ravaged ruins of the home once owned by Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page and originally, Aleister Crowley - an occultist described as “the most evil man in the world” - is up for sale for more than half a million UK pounds.

Boleskine House on the southern shores of Loch Ness was once the home of Aleister Crowley, the notorious English writer who founded his own religious order, experimented with sex and drugs, and had an influence on the 1960s counterculture. Born in 1875, he chose Boleskine House specially to perform his black magic rituals between 1899 and 1913. He died in 1947. A major fire ripped through the home in 2015. 

Jimmy Page - who was a Crowley collector - owned the home from 1970 until 1992.




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Danish metal champions Pretty Maids rocked out on the True Metal Stage at the 24th edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in 2013. Pro-shot video of the band's full set can be found below.

Setlist:

Intro
"Mother Of All Lies"
"I See Ghosts"
"Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (Carmina Burana)"
"Back To Back"
"Rodeo"
"Needles In The Dark"
"Yellow Rain"
"I.N.V.U."
"Little Drops Of Heaven"
"Future World"
"Red, Hot And Heavy"




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Stormlord will release their new album, Far, on May 24 via Scarlet Records. Pre-order the album here, and watch a lyric video for the album opener, "Leviathan", below.

The album includes ten new songs, amongst the fastest and most aggressive ever composed by the band, with epic and solemn atmospheres and the best orchestrations they’ve ever conceived.

The lyrical concept is enriched with new nuances, ranging from the traditions of the peoples of the Mediterranean to the myth and glory of the ancient Rome, without forgetting to pay tribute to immortal icons such as Robert E. Howard (author of Conan The Barbarian), celebrated in the song "Cimmeria".

Far was recorded between the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 by Giuseppe Orlando (Novembre) and Riccardo Studer, while Simone Mularoni (DGM) took care of the mastering duties. Notable Hungarian artist Gyula Havancsak (Destruction, Annihilator) is the author of the artwork.

Tracklisting:

"Leviathan"
"Mediterranea"
"Far"
"Sherden"
"Crimson"
"Cimmeria"
"Invictus"
"Romulus"
"Vacuna"
"Levante"

"Leviathan" lyric video:




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3Teeth, the LA-based outfit who have quickly become one of rock music’s most promising new bands, release MetaWar on July 5 via RED Music.

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

3Teeth preview the Sean Beavan (Nine Inch Nails/Marilyn Manson) produced album with “American Landfill”, an unrelenting song Mincolla says is intended to convey the feel of “getting buried under the ruin of a fallen empire.” The track is available as an instant download with pre-orders, which can be found here. Watch a video for the song below.

Tracklisting:

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

"American Landfill" video:

The band will be supporting Ministry on selected European dates around the release of MetaWar.

3Teeth is:

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

(Photo - Sequoia Emmanuelle)




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15 years after the arrival of their live recording "From The Cradle To The Stage", German metal veterans RAGE have returned to SPV/Steamhammer. The band — featuring frontman Peavy Wagner, guitarist Marcos Rodriguez and drummer Vassilios "Lucky" Maniatopoulos — is working on material for its upcoming album, "Wings Of Rage" (working title), scheduled for release on January 10, 2020. The disc's first single will arrive in September, to be followed by the second single just before Christmas.

RAGE's 25th studio album, "Wings Of Rage" will be recorded at the Soundchaser Studio in Burscheid. Peavy promises an offering featuring "the essence of our musical development, the kind of songs that we have stood for since the mid-eighties."

RAGE is planning to embark on a festival tour across Europe this summer, performing the full "XIII" album with the LINGUA MORTIS ORCHESTRA live for the first time. The show had its baptism of fire at the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, and a special highlight will be RAGE's appearance at the Wacken Open Air at the beginning of August. Toward the end of the year, RAGE is scheduled to play several important winter festivals, before the "Wings Of Rage" tour kicks off in February 2020.

"We're really happy to be back with SPV/Steamhammer," says Peavy Wagner. "Since our very successful and enjoyable collaboration in the early 2000s, we've known that we're in expert hands with Olly Hahn and his team. Olly and I share a longstanding friendship. He will continue to promote RAGE with his usual commitment."

SPV/Steamhammer label manager Olly Hahn is delighted with his new signing. "It's fantastic to have a band such as RAGE on our roster again," he says. "Their outstanding role in the development of German metal is undisputed. To be in a position to release their 25th studio album fills me with great pride and ambition."

Photo (from left to right): Frank Uhle (managing director, SPV), Peavy Wagner (RAGE), Vassilios "Lucky" Maniatopoulos (RAGE), Olly Hahn (label manager, Steamhammer), Andreas Bob (LuckyBob Management)

Black metal formation, Enthroned, have released the second track from their upcoming record, Cold Black Suns, which will be released via Season Of Mist on June 7. A video for "Hosanna Satana" can be seen below.

The band comments: "The Earth with His glory! It is time to unveil the second single & video clip out of Cold Black Suns: 'Hosanna Satana'!"

Enthroned is surely a name black metal fans are no strangers to. Over the course of the last 25 years, they have pushed the boundaries of black metal and the deepness of the Left Hand Path philosophy further within. The quintet has channelled that dedication into their newest record. Cold Black Suns is a dark and crushing black metal album where cold riffing, blood chilling atmospheres, and ritualistic drumming are keys to forging their most mature and accomplished opus to date.

The band, who crawled out of the black lands of Belgium in 1993, inked their first contract less than a year after its formation, and recorded debut album Prophecies Of Pagan Fire, which is now considered an all-time classic in the genre.

By then known as The Blackened Horde to fans and the scene at large, Enthroned recruited guitarist Nornagest and within two years entered Hautregard Studios to give birth to their second album. After the recording, tragedy struck and founding member and drummer Cernunnos (1997) took his own life.

The band went on to record the album using Cernunnos’s drum tracks from rehearsal recordings which were recorded by long time friend Da Cardoen, from the Belgian band Asphyxia. Towards The Skullthrone Of Satan was thus born. Since then, Enthroned went on to tour the world and have released a total of 10 full-lengths, one live album, and a hearty handful of splits and EPs.

Now, as the band celebrates 26 years as one of black metal’s premier outfits, they are ready to unleash number 11 onto the masses. Cold Black Suns is an icy, brutal offering from the band that will see a worldwide release on June 7 via Season Of Mist, making it their debut to the label. This is the band’s first album in five years, following up 2014’s critically acclaimed Sovereigns.

Cold Black Suns can be pre-ordered in various formats here. The cover artwork was created by Neraath.

Tracklisting:

"Ophiusa"
"Hosanna Satana"
"Oneiros"
"Vapula Omega"
"Silent Redemption"
"Aghoria"
"Beyond Humane Greed"
"Smoking Mirror"
"Son Of Man"

"Silent Redemption":

Lineup:

Nornagest: Vocals
Neraath: Guitars, noise and effects
Shāgāl: Guitars
Norgaath: Bass
Menthor: Drums

(Photo - David Fitt)




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For this year's Record Store Day, Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON released a cover of LED ZEPPELIN's "Stairway To Heaven" in honor of their late manager, Nick John. John, who also managed GOJIRA, passed away last September from pancreatic cancer. All proceeds from the single will be donated to pancreatic cancer research.

You can now listen to MASTODON's version of "Stairway To Heaven" below.

MASTODON said in a Facebook post: "In early September 2018, we lost one of our closest friends and our biggest fan, our manager Nick John. He was essentially the band's Dad. From our highest highs to our lowest lows, he was always there. Every single move we made went through him first as our trust in him was marrow deep. His favorite band besides us and GOJIRA, was LED ZEPPELIN. We were asked to perform 'Stairway To Heaven' at his funeral. Afterward, finding out that someone had recorded it, we figured we should record a studio version and release it on Record Store Day as a tribute to Nick with all the proceeds to be donated to pancreatic cancer research.

"We would not be the band we are today without the help of Nick John. We miss him dearly and think of him always. We love you, buddy."

The limited-edition 10-inch vinyl features the Studio Version on Side A and a Live Version on Side B. It was made available in participating independent retailers on Saturday, April 13.

MASTODON and COHEED AND CAMBRIA will team up for a major U.S. tour this spring/summer. The 26-city "The Unheavenly Skye Tour" will see the bands performing across a range of venues from large theaters to outdoor amphitheaters this summer. MASTODON will perform its renowned "Crack The Skye" album in its entirety.

Produced by Live Nation, the rock outing will kick off May 28 in Louisville, Kentucky at the Iroquois Amphitheater and will make stops in Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping July 3 in Irving, Texas at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory.

QUEEN drummer Roger Taylor has released the official lyric video for the "purple version" of his new solo single, "Gangsters Are Running This World". The song is said to be a commentary on the current state of the world, featuring the opening lines of "There's blood in the streets / Panic in the air / The markets are trading up / In madness and fear."

This is not the first time Taylor has used music to address the political situation. Back in 2011, Taylor re-released his protest song about media tycoon — and Fox News owner — Rupert Murdoch. The track, titled "Dear Mr Murdoch", was first written in 1994 and was included on Roger's "Happiness" album.

"Everybody's got an opinion and I was just lucky enough to have an outlet for mine," Roger later told Independent. "I prefer to stay out of politics, really. I don't live in a fluffy, badger-saving world."

QUEEN's original members Taylor and guitarist Brian May will team up once more with vocalist Adam Lambert for the "Rhapsody" tour, an epic 25-date run from mid-July through late August. The North American headline tour will be produced by Live Nation.

QUEEN's biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" has grossed $890 million at the global box office. The award-winning film portrays the life and career of QUEEN frontman Freddie Mercury, who died of AIDS-related illnesses at the age of 45.

The official lyric video for the song "Our Famine" from Swedish melodic death/doom metallers OCTOBER TIDE, featuring ex-KATATONIA members Fredrik and Mattias Norrman, can be seen below. The track is taken from OCTOBER TIDE's sixth studio album, "In Splendor Below", which will be released on May 17 via Agonia Records. The follow-up to 2016's "Winged Waltz" was mixed and mastered by Karl Daniel Lidén at Tri-Lamd studios (BLOODBATH, KATATONIA, BREACH, CRAFT). It was produced by Alexander Backlund from Nailvillage Studio (THENIGHTTIMEPROJECT, LETTERS FROM COLONY) and OCTOBER TIDE. Tomarum av Christine Linde created the cover artwork.

With a history tracing back to the epicenter of melodic death metal in Sweden, OCTOBER TIDE has come a long way and has generated a spark that is strongly felt in the energy of the scene. "In Splendor Below" is the latest addition to the band's vibrant discography of guitar-driven, emotive death/doom metal art. It packs some of the most authentic and unique compositions from the capable hands of founding member and longtime KATATONIA guitarist Fredrik Norrman, his brother and guitarist Mattias Norrman (ex-KATATONIA), vocalist Alexander Högbom (DEMONICAL), bassist Johan Jönsegård (LETTERS FROM THE COLONY) and drummer Jonas Sköld (LETTERS FROM THE COLONY, THENIGHTTIMEPROJECT). While Fredrik prefers for the music to speak for itself, he finds the new album "a bit more aggressive, a bit more death metal, and with an overall colder feeling than previous records."

The band is planning a tour in support of the new album in November and December of 2019. In the meantime, they will perform at In The Grip Of Winter Festival (NL), Exit Festival (SRB) and MetalDays Festival (SI).

"In Splendor Below" track listing:

01. I, The Polluter

02. We Died In October

03. Ögoblick Av Nåd

04. Stars Starve Me

05. Our Famine

06. Guide My Pulse

07. Seconds

08. Envy Of The Moon

OCTOBER TIDE is:

Alexander Högbom - vocals

Fredrik Norrman - guitar

Jonas Sköld - drums

Johan Jönsegård - bass

Mattias Norrman - guitar