Welsh "ragga metal" band SKINDRED has released a new lyric video for fan-favorite track "Loud And Clear", taken from its U.K. Top 40 hit album "Big Tings" (Napalm Records). The release comes ahead of the band's upcoming tour supporting DISTURBED and heralds exciting times for SKINDRED.

"We are currently gearing up for a very heavy year of extensive touring and are also hoping to work on writing new material in the gaps," says drummer Arya Goggin, "The track 'Loud And Clear' from 'Big Tings' was a very popular choice with our fans, so we have decided to put it out to coincide with our tour with DISTURBED.

"We hit the road with DISTURBED in April, with shows throughout Europe and the U.K., then we are literally straight into festival season; finally to round off the year we are taking the 'That's My Jam' tour to Europe (with BLOOD COMMAND as our special guest), which finishes in late December. So, in short, it's going to be a roller coaster of a year!"

"Loud And Clear" gets a gritty yet dreamy, uber-colorful urban-themed video, with neon-style lyrics on top of mesmeric clips of a spraycan-wielding graffiti painter. This is mixed with the usual energetic live footage of SKINDRED doing what they do best, killing it live with Newport Helicopters, energy, style and appeal.

SKINDRED's tour as DISTURBED's special guest runs from April 18 to May 15 and covers the nations of Europe, reaching U.K. shores on May 11, playing dates at London, Glasgow and Manchester. Many dates are already sold out.

The band's headline "That's My Jam" European tour (with special guests BLOOD COMMAND) likewise covers many nations on the continent and runs from November 29 to December 19.

The first trailer for "Humanicide", the upcoming ninth full-length album from San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans DEATH ANGEL, is available below. The disc will be released on May 31 via Nuclear Blast Records.

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

The first single and title track, "Humanicide", triumphantly represents the entirety of the album, immediately energising the listener. Singer Mark Osegueda remarks: "I wanted to write something that metal fans could really grasp on to. Something dark and intense, that still makes sense. Right now, I think it's so apparent that the earth is in a sickened state."

Guitarist Rob Cavestany adds: "When I wrote the music for our song 'Humanicide', I was shooting for an album opener that would have all the elements of an epic thrash opus. This meant a classic metal style intro leading into a ferocious 'Bay Area Thrash Riff-o-Rama' — complete with a crazy middle build-up section to ramp up the circle pit until it's all whipped up into a frenzy by the time the frenetic guitar solo hits, then concluding with a maniacal musical section leading into the outro. All it needed was the lyrics and vocal delivery to match the intensity and Mark went above and beyond the call of duty. Some of his best work, in my opinion. One of my favorite DA songs, for sure, it feels like the follow-up to our song 'Thrown To The Wolves'. Can't wait to play it live."

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


Adds Cavestany: "I'm ecstatic to present DEATH ANGEL's ninth studio album, 'Humanicide'. This collection of songs represents the band in its current state — united, vital, intense and (still) hungry like the wolf! I wanted this record to be quite diverse stylistically while obviously keeping with the parameters of metal. DA has been known to push the envelope and we absolutely did this time. So many emotions are expressed through our music, I'm very much looking forward to adding these songs into our live set list. As I savor this rare feeling of satisfaction, we proudly unleash this beast upon thee."

"Humanicide" track listing:

01. Humanicide

02. Divine Defector

03. Aggressor

04. I Came For Blood

05. Immortal Behated

06. Alive and Screaming

07. The Pack

08. Ghost of Me

09. Revelation Song

10. Of Rats and Men

11. The Day I Walked Away (bonus track)

DEATH ANGEL will celebrate the record's release by undertaking a European tour later this year, which includes a U.K. performance at Bloodstock Open Air on August 9.

Less than two years since the release of "The Missing Peace" — the first L.A. GUNS album since 2002's "Waking The Dead" to feature founding guitarist Tracii Guns and vocalist Phil Lewis — the group will issue a follow-up effort, "The Devil You Know", on March 29 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The official music video for "The Devil You Know" title track can be seen below.

Sonically, "The Devil You Know" covers a lot of ground and incorporates influences from BLACK SABBATH to LED ZEPPELIN to KYUSS to THE HELLICOPTERS, all while distinctly sounding like L.A. GUNS. The band is rejuvenated and inspired after relentless touring and is taking no prisoners.

"After the success of 'The Missing Peace', a lot of people requested that the next record stay on track with the more metal side of the band's music, which is my personal favorite side of the band," says Guns. He continues: "I drew from my typical influences of NWOBHM [New Wave Of British Heavy Metal], while still not forgetting my earlier influences of the late '60s and early '70s."

"It's loaded with attitude and most of it bad," says Lewis of the album's lyrical content. You want a love song — [fuck] off and listen to JOURNEY. They say write about what you know, and lord knows we've all known some evil bitches and dudes that have gone out of their way to make life difficult for us. We say unanimously from the whole band — [fuck] you, we're going places you could only dream about. We know what it's like to be put down, poked, ridiculed... but guess what, looks like we get the last laugh. This band has always been fueled by adrenaline and anger and this record is a glimpse inside the carnival of rage that dwells deep inside our collective souls. Not much sunshine and hold tight to your lollipop... This is gonna be a fast, loud, bumpy ride!"

"The Devil You Know" track listing:

01. Rage

02. Stay Away

03. Loaded Bomb

04. The Devil You Know

05. Needle To The Bone

06. Going High

07. Gone Honey

08. Don't Need To Win

09. Down That Hole

10. Another Season In Hell

11. Boom (bonus track; CD and digital only)

When "The Missing Peace" was released in October of 2017, it added a new and unexpected chapter to the long and often confusing history of L.A. GUNS, who, along with W.A.S.P., are the longest-running, continuously active group of the 1980s Sunset Strip scene.

Since being founded by guitarist Guns and drummer Rob Gardner in 1983, more than 50 musicians have performed under the L.A. GUNS moniker, including Axl Rose (who fronted the group prior to forming HOLLYWOOD ROSE, and then again for a brief period after that band's breakup), Ralph Saenz (better known as Michael Starr of STEEL PANTHER), Jizzy Pearl (LOVE/HATE, QUIET RIOT), Chuck Garric (ALICE COOPER), Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.) and Keri Kelli (NIGHT RANGER, RATT).

In 1987 — two years after Guns left the original lineup of GUNS N' ROSES to restart L.A. GUNS with a group of musicians, including Mick Cripps — the band 's "classic lineup" was solidified with the additions of vocalist Lewis (GIRL), bassist Kelly Nickels and drummer Steve Riley (W.A.S.P.). Those five members appeared on the group's first three albums — its eponymous 1988 debut, 1989's "Cocked & Loaded" and 1991's "Hollywood Vampires".

When Riley left the band in 1992, it began a rotating door lineup that continues in full force in 2019. The group's current lineup officially features Guns, Lewis, drummer Scot Coogan, bassist Johnny Martin and bassist-turned-guitarist Adam Hamilton, who played with the band from 2001 to 2007 and rejoined last year after the departure of Johnny Monaco (ENUFF Z'NUFF). Because Hamilton is unable to tour extensively, however, the group announced that FASTER PUSSYCAT guitarist Ace Von Johnson will join them on longer tours.

The first look at the new Ronnie James Dio hologram that will make its U.S. live debut on June 1 is available below.

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

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

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

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

"The big question when we first toured Dio through Europe was 'Is anyone actually going to show up?'" Eyellusion CEO Jeff Pezzuti told Billboard. "We sold out the last three shows in Europe and we did really, really well. We're such believers in what we were doing and we're all such massive fans — in my sixth-grade class picture, I'm wearing a DIO shirt, so you can imagine taking this all the way across the finish line has been a dream come true."

Ronnie's widow and longtime manager, Wendy Dio, who is a member of the Eyellusion team, previously said that the people that criticize the Ronnie James Dio hologram should at least see it in person before voicing their disapproval. "Don't criticize it if you haven't seen it," she told "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie. "It's done with love. The band love doing it. And we just wanna keep Ronnie's memory and his music alive."

She added that a digital version of Dio makes perfect sense. "I think that Ronnie was an innovator of heavy metal music, so why not be an innovator of technology?" she said. "And I think technology is coming a long way with holograms — a lot of people are doing it now. And I think the reason is because we are losing all of our innovators; everybody is getting older. And we need to keep them alive and keep their memory and their music alive. I think it's a new way. It's like when people first came out with a CD or a cassette: 'Ooh, we don't want that.' But then it was the way of technology."

U.K. rockers THE QUIREBOYS will release their new album, "Amazing Disgrace", on April 5 via Off Yer Rocka. The official lyric video for the disc's first single, "Seven Deadly Sins", can be seen below.

On their essential new album, THE QUIREBOYS amazed themselves. "The new music has surpassed all of my expectations," admitted longtime guitarist Guy Griffin. "It's the most diverse album we've ever done," added fellow six-stringer Paul Guerin. And for a band celebrating its 35th anniversary in 2019, that's saying something.


"Amazing Disgrace" is the sixth QUIREBOYS album in seven years but quality over quantity remains the mantra. Twelve typically frank and familiarly evocative rock and roll classics soundtrack a band at the peak of its creative powers.


And the decision to lay down "Amazing Grace" at the world famous Rockfield Studios turned out to be an inspired decision as the weight of history created a unique pressure on a band determined to evolve.


"Getting everyone together at one of the most iconic studios in the world has definitely given the new music a different vibe," said Griffin. "Everyone was a lot more up for it because each band member felt so involved in the process.


"I was actually more apprehensive than usual going in to the studio. I didn't know how things would turn out but the music we came out with was better than anyone could have expected.


"We're at the point in our career where we don't really give a shit what anyone else thinks! I don't mean that in a negative way but we write songs that we can play with freedom within a live show.


"As Paul says, 'Amazing Disgrace' is one of our most diverse records yet. I don't think there's anything we can't do or that we wouldn't try. The last few records have proved that."


Guerin conceded that treading in the revered footsteps of Freddie Mercury, Brian May et al across the hallowed Rockfield turf was an unforgettable experience in its own right. Emerging from the studio with an album prepped to take on all-comers in 2019 was the icing on the cake.


"You come out of the front door and on the right handside you can see up to the window of the room where Freddie Mercury wrote 'Bohemian Rhapsody'," added Guerin. "Look up again and you can see the weather vane referenced in the song.


"If you're of a certain vintage, it's just mind-blowing. I was like a kid in a sweetshop. And if you can't draw inspiration from recording in that environment, then you're probably in the wrong job!"

Guerin is clearly in the right job. And the job satisfaction will surely spike again when THE QUIREBOYS headline a special one-off show celebrating 35 years as self-styled rock and roll rebels.

The band returns to London's O2 Kentish Forum on September 14 and the two-hour 35th-anniversary special will feature iconic album "A Bit Of What You Fancy" played in its entirety for the first time ever. Fans will be treated to the best of "Amazing Grace" and choice cuts from a bulging back catalog of hits and masterpieces.


"It's always time for a party where THE QUIREBOYS are concerned," said frontman Spike. "But even by our standards, this looks like being one hell of a party!"

Former MANOWAR guitarist David Shankle is scheduled to undergo surgery next week after doctors found a tumor in his head during a recent brain scan.

Shankle revealed his health battle on March 23 in a post on his Facebook page. He wrote: "I have to deal with some serious medical issues. I have found out on Monday [March 18] that I have a tumor in my head and I have surgery scheduled for April 1st. Doctors are trying to get me in sooner. At this point, [it] is too early to talk about bening, or malign... we shall see.

"After five hand surgeries, [it] seems like nothing compared to this.

"I must kill this beast that is inside me and continue on like a Viking warrior that I am. I will never stop.

"I will win this new battle, the biggest one yet that is in front of me, and until then, please send me your best thoughts and positive energy because I need it.

"I will read all of your comments, but at the moment have no time to get back to you guys. Please respect that and don't feel bad if I don't get back to you shortly as I always do.

"My project with FEANOR doesn't change. The album is in the middle of the mixing process and you all can be sure of something... that record will be something really special, not only for me, but for all of you as well.

"Thanks all of you one more time for your immense love. You know that I love you all.

"Please send me your positive energy and let's fight this shit together one more time, back to back, like true brothers of metal."

David was a member of MANOWAR from 1988 to 1994, playing on the epic album "The Triumph Of Steel" and co-writing "Master Of The Wind", "The Burning", "Ride The Dragon" and "Demon's Whip". David left in 1994, after countless sold-out tours all over the world, and attended Roosevelt Music University in Chicago to improve his jazz and classical guitar skills.

Last fall, Shankle posted a statement on his Facebook page in which he revealed that he has composed the sequel to "The Triumph Of Steel' and that he was recording these songs with a band called FEANOR.

Photo courtesy of France's Duke TV


Announcement: Now for the BAD NEWS..

I have to deal with some serious medical issues. I have found out on Monday that I...Posted by David Shankle on Saturday, March 23, 2019

Finnish epic speed metallers Chevalier will release their full-length debut album, Destiny Calls, April 26th on Gates of Hell Records. Check out new track, "Stormbringer", below.

Destiny Calls is separatist speed/epic metal from the frozen climes of Finland that relishes in the unexpected while giving metal fans exactly what they want. Chevalier whips up ferocious speed metal while stretching itself out with epic song arrangements, all capped off by the not-for-the-faint-of-heart vocals of Emma Grönqvist. 

Bands are often the sum of their influences. Some wear them on their sleeves almost too much, where every riff, vocal line and drumbeat is practically telegraphed, thus, negating any sort of individuality. Others, like Finland’s Chevalier are masterful at disguising what brought them into the metal game in the first place. While their avoidance of genre clichés and norms is commendable, it’s the band’s ability to push the envelope while maintaining an air-tight grip on memorable songwriting that makes their first full-length, Destiny Calls, the intrepid endeavor it is. 

Recorded across two separate sessions in November 2018 at Black Floyd Analog Studio in Hämeenkyrö, Chevalier made it a point to ensure the rough and ragged atmosphere found on last year’s Chapitre II EP was captured. The album’s nine cuts — including a re-recording of The Curse Of The Dead Star from Chapitre II — find Chevalier weaving between their speed metal template and labyrinthine song arrangements. It’s a difficult balance to strike, but the band (vocalist Emma Grönqvist, the guitar tandem of Tommi and Mikko, bassist Sebastian Bergman and drummer Joel) found a formula that works for them, namely, the usage of momentous intro segments to kick off each song. From there, it’s off to the races with a deft combination of old-school metal savvy influenced by underrated metal heroes ADX and Omen, mixed with progressive song builds. 

Grönqvist, handpicked to front Chevalier because of her superlative range and the band’s desire to avoid having a generic “metal karaoke” vocalist, is critical to the overall sound of Destiny Calls. She capably controls her powerful lungs on “The Immurement,” “Road of Light” and “Stormbringer,” while teaming up with Tommi on the album’s lyrics, which deal with themes of life, death, freedom and destiny.  

Even though Chevalier is firmly embedded in Finland’s capital of Helsinki, they see themselves as outsiders in a fertile, growing scene. Fitting in or going with current trends is contrary to Chevalier's overall purpose, who, admittedly, are less concerned with recreating the sounds of yore and more inclined to carve a path of their own. It shines through on Destiny Calls, an album that breaks with convention while setting an entirely new speed metal pace.

Tracklisting:

“Introduction”
“The Immurement”
“The Curse Of The Dead Star”
“Road Of Light”
“…As The Clouds Gather”
“Stormbringer”
“In The Grip Of Night”
“Prelude To The End”
“A Warrior’s Lament”

"Stormbringer":

Destiny Calls by Chevalier




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New Zealand death metal trio, Ulcerate, have joined the Debemur Morti Productions roster.

Issues the band of the new union, "We are extremely happy to be moving head-first into this next chapter with a partnership that aligns so clearly with our own vision. Debemur Morti has always been in our peripheral gaze - the attention to detail and high level of curation is second-to-none."

Death metal has always had roots in themes of humanity, darkness, and oppression, but when Ulcerate formed in Auckland, New Zealand in 2000, their unconventional approach to the genre quickly redefined the meaning of those concepts throughout death metal and beyond. The trio's distinctive treatment of dynamics alongside in-depth lyrical content established the band as a formidable force long before they became the standard-bearers for a new era of death metal, one defined by meticulous passages of understated melodic sensibilities and jarring, tooth-scraping dissonance. The band's inexorable march from 2007's Of Fracture And Failure (2007) to the unparalleled Shrines Of Paralysis (2016) has been terrifying. And it appears the best is yet to come.

Further details on the band's as-yet-untitled new full-length will be released in the months to come. In the meantime, don't miss Ulcerate on their upcoming European tour set to commence April 10 and run through April 21. The trek includes an appearance on this year's edition of Roadburn. See all confirmed dates below.

April
10 - IF Performance Hall Besiktas - Istanbul, TR
11 - Roadburn Festival 2019 - Tilburg, NL
11 - B52 The Club - Bucharest, RO
12 - Armageddon Descends VI - Vilnius, LT
17 - The Grand Social - Dublin, IE
18 - Audio - Glasgow, UK
19 - The Star And Garter - Manchester, UK
20 - Nambucca - London, UK
21 - Exchange - Bristol, UK




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Swedish collective Thenighttimeproject - founded by current and former members of Katatonia, October Tide, and Letters From The Colony - has announced the details of their impending second LP, Pale Season, now confirmed for release through Debemur Morti Productions on June 28th. The album's artwork, track listing, and other details have been posted.

Melancholic progressive rock quartet Thenighttimeproject is comprised of Fredrik and Mattias Norrman, (guitars and bass, respectively), who spent fifteen years in Katatonia, and are now also active in October Tide, as well as guitarist/vocalist Alexander Backlund and drummer Jonas Sköld, who both also currently hold rank in Letters From The Colony.

The album title, Pale Season - despite what some might think - does not refer to the eight months where the weather in Sweden is a signature grey. Instead, it refers to those less-colorful patches of memory - years that fly by without anything spectacular happening, which pale in comparison to the vividness of one's childhood or the early days of romance. This, in other words, is an album for all those moments lost in between the extremes of the emotional spectrum. Elements of Porcupine Tree, Opeth, Anathema, Katatonia, and A Perfect Circle combine to create a record that is sublime in every way. A paean to melancholia, Pale Season is also not without its moments of physical and emotional heft and will launch Thenighttimeproject on to the international stage.

Guitarist Fredrik Norrman comments, "I'm very pleased to finally be able to give some info over what we've been doing the past year. This is easily one of the best albums I've ever been part of. Very proud of what we've managed to achieve."

Pale Season was recorded at Valley Sound Studio/Nailvillage, mixed by Alexander Backlund at Nailvillage, mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, and completed with cover art by Denis Forkas and design by Kadriel Betsen.

Debemur Morti Productions will release Thenighttimeproject's Pale Season on CD, LP, and all digital platforms on June 28th. Stand by for audio previews, preorders, and much more to be issued in the weeks ahead.

Tracklisting:

“Hound”
“Rotting Eden”
“Binary”
“Final Light”
“Embers”
“Pale Season”
“Anti Meridian”
“Signals In The Sky”
“Meridian”

“Anti Meridian” video:

Thenighttimeproject:
Alexander Backlund - guitars, vocals
Fredrik Norrman - guitars
Mattias Norrman - bass
Jonas Sköld - drums




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Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice recently spoke to legendary guitarist Michael Schenker. Schenker spoke about his upcoming new Michael Schenker Fest studio album the musical direction and guests, the second leg of the tour that is beginning in April 2019, the sad passing of his drummer Ted Mckenna and comments on his and his brother Rudolf’s relationship.

When asked if there will be any news guests on the new album:

 "Yes, I don't know how much I can say, but on the 23rd of August we have some really cool surprises coming up. Michael Voss wrote four songs that was supposed to be used as the all singer songs but only used three; he then had this idea to have Ronnie Romero to sing on the fourth song, who he worked with before and who sings for Ritchie Blackmore and it turned out fantastic, incredible. It's Called, ‘We Are The Voice.'  I also wanted to put a Japanese guitarist on our Japanese album bonus track for Japan. So I chose the guitarist of Loudness, Akira Takasaki is jamming on one part of the song."

Michael Schenker Fest will kick off their US tour on April 15th at the Whisky A Go Go. The trek will include performances in Vancouver, Chicago, and New York before concluding on May 18th in Austin, TX. Check out a new tour trailer below.

North American tour dates:

April
15 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky a Go Go
16 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky a Go Go
17 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky a Go Go
19 - San Francisco, CA - Palace of Fine Arts
20 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
21 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
22 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre
24 - Calgary, AB - The Palace Theatre
27 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
28 - Kansas City, MO - The Truman
30 - Louisville, KY - The Bourbon Hall

May
2 - Kalamazoo, MI - State Theatre
3 - Milwaukee, WI - The Pabst Theater
4 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
5 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Piere’s Entertainment Center
7 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall
9 - Albany, NY - The Egg
10 - Worcester, MA - Palladium
11 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
12 - Westbury, NY - The Space at Westbury
14 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!
15 - Richmond, VA - The National
16 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
18 - Austin, TX - Empire Garage




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American thrash metallers, Sacred Reich, have finished recording their new studio album - a first in 23 years - entitled Awakening. The album is due this summer. A first new song called "Don't Do It Donnie" will be released April 19 on a split 7" with Iron Reagan.

Comments Phil Rind: "We are stoked to do a split with Iron Reagan. When we began as a band in 1986 we were influenced lyrically by punk bands and the Reagan era. This is a great way to get back to our roots. The song is a heavy and cheeky middle finger to the politics of today. You'd think we'd have learned by now. There is a reason our first record is called 'Ignorance'."

Iron Reagan are participating with the exclusive song "They Scream". There will be 1,000 black copies avialable of the 7" and nothing else. Pre-order from EMP or eBay.

The new Sacred Reich album, Awakening, has been recorded with producer Arthur Rizk and engineer John Aquilino at The Platinum Underground in Arizona. More details on Awakening shortly.

Sacred Reich's tour schedule can be found here.

(Photo - Stephanie Cabral)




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Cult melodic rock/AOR heroes, Fortune, are back with a new studio album, II, due for release on April 26th via Frontiers Music Srl. Pre-order the album here, and watch a video for the song "Freedom Road", below.

The seeds of Fortune were planted by brothers Richard and Mick Fortune, who came from a family of professional musicians. Their mother was a singer and their father a singer and bassist. Richard started playing the guitar when he was 16 and went on to play guitar and tour with the likes of Buddy Miles, Booker T & The MGs, and Spirit, while Mick started out as an accordion, keyboard, and trombone player before switching to drums. The brothers formed Fortune in the '70s and cut a self-titled album, Fortune for Warner Brothers in 1978, but by 1982 had totally revamped the group. A key acquisition for the new version of the band being the recruitment of Roger Scott Craig. A classically trained pianist from the age of 8, the Irish born keyboard player was previously known for a successful stint with the Scouse pop group Liverpool Express in the '70s. The lineup was rounded out by Larry 'L.A.' Greene, also of Top Gun soundtrack fame, on vocals and Detroit area session player and Elton John bassist Bob Birch.

Fortune eventually released their second self-titled album in 1985 (not to be confused with the 1978 album) to a warm reception, especially in Japan and Europe. It is still highly regarded today by fans of the genre as being a crucial AOR/melodic rock release of the time period. For many fans, it is indeed considered one of the best, if not THE best AOR album of all-time. While this is of course very much open to debate, the reality is that Fortune’s album is one of those lost gems from yesteryear that has aged like fine wine while the years have passed.

Camel/MCA Records (the same label that had, at the time, launched Night Ranger and Giuffria to stardom) was the label home for the '85 album, but unexpectedly declared bankruptcy for undisclosed reasons not long after the release and refused to give up the masters of the album, making an album re-release impossible until fairly recently. The band remained silent for years and while Larry Greene and Roger Scott Craig started working together with the band Harlan Cage (who released several albums in the second half of the 90’s and early 00’s), the Fortune brothers started the band back up again as a trio in 2006, until a proper band reunion happened in 2016 when the band performed at the Rockingham Music Festival that same year and then - thanks to the acclaim that followed that performance - in 2017 as well. These appearances ultimately led to discussions with Frontiers about a new studio album, "II". Fortune hasn't lost a step and their new studio album promises to be one of the AOR highlights of 2019!

The band will also perform live at Frontiers Rock Festival on April 28th in Milan, Italy.

Tracklisting:

"Don’t Say You Love Me"
"Shelter Of The Night"
"Freedom Road"
"A Little Drop Of Poison (For Amy W.)"
"What A Fool I’ve Been"
"Overload "
"Heart Of Stone"
"The Night"
"New Orleans"
"All The Right Moves"

"Freedom Road" video:

"Shelter Of The Night":

Lineup:

Mick Fortune - Drums
Richard Fortune - Guitar
Larry Greene - Vocals
Ricky Rat - Bass
Mark Nilan - Keyboards




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Alaska-based metal band, Distance Defined, are streaming the new song "Voids" featuring guest vocals by Brock Lindow of 36 Crazyfists. Listen below. The band's new EP, Hollow Hearts, is out now via AIW Records.

“We welcome the Distance Defined boys to the label and look forward to watching them kill stages in 2019 and beyond. With strong lyrics and song structure the Hollow Hearts EP is a solid start to a long music career." - Lucas Joyner, AIW Records

In the midst of harsh cold winters and limited daylight, Distance Defined is the product of a combined effort to push through the limitations of being separated from the rest of the world.

Focusing on hard hitting mountainous riffs combined with heart filled melodies and lyrics, they strive to set themselves apart from the scene by grabbing your attention from the first song and not letting go.

Says the band: "Perfecting and working the song into the final product with the influence of Brock brought it to life with his energy and signature voice.

(Photo - Jeremy Stegman)




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Genesis Publications has announced a new book by Jimmy Page, "The Anthology", due out later this year. This is British publishing company's second book with Jimmy and follows the 2010 sell-out success of the official signed limited edition, "Jimmy Page By Jimmy Page", which was Genesis's fastest limited-edition title to sell out. (The trade edition continues to sell steadily at stores worldwide.)


"Jimmy Page By Jimmy Page" was photographic autobiography and visual history of Page's career as one of the world's most iconic guitar players.

Jimmy sifted through thousands of prints to accomplish the final selection of photographs, arranging the content into its narrative sequence and annotating and reviewing the design to arrive at the finished book.

Last October, LED ZEPPELIN released its first and only official illustrated book, "Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin". It was a unique collaboration between Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones, who gave Reel Art Press unrestricted access to the LED ZEPPELIN archive.

Commemorating 50 years since their formation, this 400-page chronology spanned half a century of the band's unparalleled career. It comprised hundreds of carefully curated images and artworks personally selected by the band, from the iconic to the unseen. To accompany the visual journey, the bandmembers wrote their own exclusive annotations.

ZEPPELIN last performed in December 2007 in London with drummer Jason Bonham filling in for his late father John Bonham.

Page explained that, quite simply, LED ZEPPELIN was built to stand out from everything that came before and after it. "When I formed LED ZEPPELIN, I formed it with the idea and the ethos that it was going to change music," he said. "That's what I wanted it to do — and it clearly did. And it brought to the forefront these master craftsmen that were involved with that band."

Modern power metal quintet, Stormhammer, will release their new album, Seven Seals, on May 24th via Massacre Records. Listen to new single and lyric video for "Prevail" below.

The upcoming album features new vocalist Matthias Kupka, as well as a revamped sound. Kupka is also responsible for the mix and mastering of Seven Seals at Maxiwork Studio. Jan Yrlund is resonsible for the album's artwork.

Heavy and modern sounds are colliding on Seven Seals. You can look forward to thrashy power metal as well as melodic songs with catchy refrains. Harsh riffs will meet well-engineered melodies and solos.

Tracklisting:

"Sleepwalker"
"Prevail"
"Under The Spell"
"Taken By The Devil"
"Seven Seals"
"Your Nemesis"
"Keep Me Safe"
"One more Way"
"Downfall"
"Deal With The Dead"
"Old Coals"

"Prevail" lyric video:

Live dates:

April
25 - Augsburg, Germany - Spectrum Club
26 - Reichenbach, Germany - Die Halle
30 - Hagen, Germany - Kultopia

(Photo - Akastos Tanarosson Photography)




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On April 5th, AntropomorphiA will release their new album, Merciless Savagery, via Metal Blade Records. New single for "Luciferian Tempest" is streaming below. Find preorders at MetalBlade.com.

Album formats:
–Digipak-CD
–180g black vinyl (EU exclusive) 
–grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies) 
–dead gold marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies) 
–black/white splatter vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 120 copies) 
–brown marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 100 copies)

In the year marking the 10th anniversary of their reunion, AntropomorphiA has delivered an extreme metal opus that more than maintains the high standards upheld over the course of their storied career. Further building on the monstrous sounds of 2017's Sermon Ov Wrath, Merciless Savagery lives up to its name, attacking with unrepentant ferocity and holding nothing back. Vocalist/guitarist Ferry Damen comments: "'Sermon Ov Wrath was our most raw and honest statement and an album where we transcended certain genre limitations, capturing the essence of AntropomorphiA, and I would say the new record's atmosphere is darker, heavier and more punishing, but still has hooky riffs and grooves. I think it's the logical step forward. It’s a different chapter, even more diverse while being very cohesive, but you can immediately hear it’s AntropomorphiA." 

Prior to Sermon Ov Wrath, Damen never felt that AntropomorphiA's music called for female vocals, but this time around, he had the specific intention to bring in someone to add this extra dimension: the track "Luciferian Tempest" features a guest appearance from Farida Lemouchi (The Devil's Blood, Molasses), bringing a different feel to the song. "I think our fans know what to expect from us, they know our sound and know that we are not that generic extreme metal band," Damen explains. "We paint with a dark pallet, but we paint with lots of shades of darkness."

Tracklisting:

“Merciless Savagery”
“Requiem Diabolica”
“Womb Ov Thorns”
“Cahtedral Ov Tombs”
“Apocalyptic Scourge”
“Wailing Chorus Ov The Damned”
“Luciferian Tempest”
“The Darkest Light”
“Unsettling Voices”

"Luciferian Tempest" single:

"Womb Ov Thorns" video:

“Merciless Savagery”:

AntropomorphiA line-up:
Ferry Damen - vocals, guitar
Jos van den Brand - guitar
Jeroen Pleunis - bass
Marco Stubbe – drums




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Frontiers Music Srl will release the debut album, Nowhere To Run, from UK rockers The Brink, on May 17th. The song "Save Goodbye" 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"

"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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In this new video, Thomas Zwijsen performs an acoustic classical/flamenco guitar cover of Dio's "Holy Diver":

The clip below features Iron Maiden's "Alexander The Great" performed in a classical fingerstyle solo guitar arrangement:

Zwijsen recently joined forces with former Iron Maiden vocalist Blaze Bayley for a new classical acoustic album, entitled December Wind. A music video for the track "The Love Of Your Life", as well as a performance video for "The Crimson Tide", can be found below.

The album is available now at ThomasZwijsen.com with worldwide shipping.

Tracklisting:

"Eye Of The Storm"
"Love Will Conquer All"
"2AM" (Iron Maiden)
"Miracle On The Hudson"
"December Wind"
"We Fell From The Sky"
"The Crimson Tide"
"The Love Of Your Life"
"Stealing Time" (Blaze)
"Russian Holiday"
"Soundtrack Of My Life" (Blaze)
"One More Step"
"Sign Of The Cross" (Iron Maiden)

"The Love Of Your Life" video:

"The Crimson Tide" performance video:

"December Wind" video:




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Jave Patterson of Two Doods Review recently conducted an interview with guitarist John Petrucci of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER about the band's new studio album, "Distance Over Time". You can listen to the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether he thought DREAM THEATER would be able to sustain such a long period of success when the band was starting out:

John: "You know, it's crazy. When you're younger, it's like you don't think that far into the future. We worshiped bands like RUSH and IRON MAIDEN, so we saw what they were doing. We'd go to their shows and see how they interacted with the fans and watch the live DVDs or videos back then. It's like we had tunnel vision. That's just what we wanted to do. That's what we were going to do. We tried to take everything we did to take us in that direction. But it is crazy. Our first album ['When Day And Dream Unite'] came out 30 years ago this year. That's just insane. That's insane to me."

On whether veteran drummer Bobby Jarzombek (HALFORD, RIOT, SPASTIC INK) declined to audition for DREAM THEATER after Mike Portnoy left in 2010:

John: "Yeah, I think we did ask Bobby. Basically, we kind of were pursuing some people that we knew or at least knew of and it was only really a handful of guys that we initially asked. We did reach out to him. I don't remember… It was like going on eight years ago, which is crazy. I don't remember the exact — it was kind of a whirlwind when that whole thing happened, so I don't remember the exact circumstances."

On drummer Mike Mangini's songwriting contributions to "Distance Over Time":

John: "The way that we set everything up this time around — we took a guys' trip. We went away together. We rented this big property and it was a converted barn that was a studio then a house where we all hung out and stayed in. It was just the environment was incredibly inclusive and Mike came in, as was discussed, that everybody was going to be involved. He came in with a ton of ideas. He even contributed a song lyric for the first time since he's been in the band. He absolutely contributed one hundred percent in the songwriting. It was really great to finally get his perspective and hear his thoughts and have his musical input. I think the album is better for it. The outcome is a more of a collective of us doing it together."

On the whereabouts of original DREAM THEATER keyboardist Kevin Moore, who left the band in 1994, but shortly reappeared as a solo artist under CHROMA KEY, then launched OSI with FATES WARNING guitarist Jim Matheos:

John: "Rumor has it that he's some sort of doctor or something. That's the last I heard. That he got into — I don't know if it's holistic medicine or something. I haven't talked to him in ages and ages, which is unfortunate. We actually grew up together. We were best friends. After he left the band, he went his own way. Early on after he split, we kept in touch a bit, but I've not heard from him in a long time. The reason I know this is because some of my high school friends stay in touch and our parents. We literally grew up together — our parents are friends. I'll hear from my mom every so often [about Moore]. Other than that, it's kind of sad I've lost touch. I haven't talked to him in a long time."

On what's left on DREAM THEATER's "bucket list":

John: "There's some things like that. As our career goes on, we're really fortunate enough to be able to play in all different parts in the world and go to places like India and UAE [United Arab Emirates] and places that a lot of bands don't go to too often and that's amazing. One of the countries in the U.K., in the city of London, there's a venue that has eluded us, which is the Royal Albert Hall. We always talk about how we've played Wembley and everywhere else, but we haven't played there. That's on our bucket list. That's kind of the Radio City of London."

On whether "Pull Me Under" is his least favorite DREAM THEATER song to play live:

John: "It's funny because 'Pull Me Under' was the only time we had a radio, or I guess a rock-radio hit. Other than that, we're kind of not a singles band, so we don't have all these songs that we have to kind of play to death. I think that DREAM THEATER fans actually appreciate when we sort dig in and play material that maybe we don't play too often. It's kind of like the RUSH mentality. Although RUSH did have a lot of really successful singles. Yeah, so it never got to that point. Honestly, I enjoy playing 'Pull Me Under' just as much as the other songs. It's a fun song. And the audience gets into it."

DREAM THEATER's 14th studio album, "Distance Over Time" was released on February 22. The artwork was created by longtime cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR). The disc was produced by Petrucci, mixed by Ben Grosse and mastered by Tom Baker.

L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns recently spoke with Ultimate Guitar about the current metal scene. Following is an excerpt from the chat.

UG: What's your view on the current rock and metal scene these days? Do you like any of the younger bands? Is there anyone that stands out?

Guns: "Yeah, there's this great younger band called Judas Priest (laughs)."

UG: But except for them, anyone else?

Guns: "You know... nothing grabs me. I don't want to lie and be gratuitous about it. Pantera, to me, was probably the last metal band that was still new to me when it came that really knocked me off my feet. But it doesn't mean I'm not listening to music I haven't heard before. Right now, I'm really starting to discover black metal. And beyond that, bands like Satyricon... a lot of the stuff like that. I'm learning about it, I'm listening to all that music. And it's really interesting to me. And the culture and a lot of it has to do with... I'm married to a Danish woman, so she's brought a lot of Scandinavian metal into the house. That's very interesting to me.

"The current rock scene is really good for L.A. Guns. I mean, I can look at it that way. There's not a lot of bands doing exactly what we do, and we're not doing anything that anybody else is really doing. And that doesn't mean there's not a lot of rock bands. There are rock bands and they're doing stuff. But I think that in rock, everybody's kind of doing their own thing, and that's healthy. Like, the new band that everybody's talking about, Greta Van Fleet. They've got that garage-rock thing going on. So they're capturing that vibe and that audience. Other than them, I don't really know."

Read the complete interview here.

Frontiers Records has concocted another meeting of the minds, this time bringing Tracii Guns and Stryper frontman Michael Sweet together for a new project dubbed Sunbomb. Guns announced the collaboration via Twitter.

 
 
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

— Tracii Guns ❄️ (@traciiguns) 8. März 2019

 
 
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) 8. März 2019

L.A. Guns have premiered the video for the opening track of their upcoming new album, The Devil You Know, which is set for release on March 29th via Frontiers Music Srl. Check out "Rage" below.

Pre-order The Devil You Know on CD/LP/Digital here. Signed LPs, limited edition red vinyl, merch bundles and more available from the band store. Limited edition yellow vinyl on offer at this location.

Sonically, The Devil You Know covers a lot of ground and incorporates influences from Black Sabbath to Led Zeppelin to Kyuss to The Hellicopters, all while distinctly sounding like L.A. Guns. The band is rejuvenated and inspired after relentless touring and are literally taking no prisoners.

"After the success of The Missing Peace, a lot of people requested that the next record stay on track with the more metal side of the band's music, which is my personal favorite side of the band," says Tracii Guns. He continues, "I drew from my typical influences of NWOBHM [New Wave Of British Heavy Metal], while still not forgetting my earlier influences of the late '60s and early '70s. I wanted to lead with the track "Stay Away" because it’s a familiar L.A. Guns sound, but even a bit more metal. Something to get everyone’s palate wet."

"It's loaded with attitude and most of it bad," says vocalist Phil Lewis of the album's lyrical content. You want a love song ---- off and listen to Journey. They say write about what you know, and lord knows we've all known some evil bi----s and dudes that have gone out of their way to make life difficult for us. We say unanimously from the whole band ---- you, we're going places you could only dream about. We know what it's like to be put down, poked, ridiculed... but guess what, looks like we get the last laugh. This band has always been fueled by adrenaline and anger and this record is a glimpse inside the carnival of rage that dwells deep inside our collective souls. Not much sunshine and hold tight to your lollipop... this is gonna be a fast, loud, bumpy ride!"

L.A. Guns are truly one of the great American hard rock bands of the last 30 years. Since their self-titled debut in 1988 to the widely praised 2017 comeback album The Missing Peace, L.A. Guns, led by Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis have always delivered solid rock ‘n roll to their fans.

This current incarnation of the band has been touring non-stop and the cohesiveness of the unit, not to mention Phil’s stunning and unique vocals and Guns’ mind-bending guitar playing, are on full display here. A must hear and listen for all fans of the band, both new and old!

Tracklisting:

"Rage"
"Stay Away"
"Loaded Bomb"
"The Devil You Know"
"Needle To The Bone"
"Going High"
"Gone Honey"
"Don't Need To Win "
"Down That Hole"
"Another Season In Hell"
"Boom" (bonus track)

"Stay Away":

The current lineup of L.A. Guns is as follows: Phil Lewis on vocals, Tracii Guns on guitar, Johnny Martin on bass, Shane Fitzgibbon on drums, Ace Von Johnson on guitar.

In live news, L.A. Guns will return to the stage on March 29th at Yost Theater in Santa Ana, California. To view their complete tour schedule, visit the band's official website.




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METALLICA's Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone that his recent contribution to the soundtrack of the Netflix film "Triple Frontier" has made him ponder the idea of doing more scoring work in the future. "I started thinking what it would be like one day to make a score for a film only out of drums and rhythmic instruments," he said. "It would not have a score or any kind of melodic instruments — just rhythms and pulses and beats. You can go so many places in how you manipulate the sound. It would be super fun."

Released earlier this month, "Triple Frontier", which was directed by J.C. Chandor ("Margin Call", "All Is Lost", "A Most Violent Year"), stars Ben Affleck, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund and Pedro Pascal as a group of five former special forces operatives who reunite to steal a drug lord's fortune.

Lars got involved with "Triple Frontier" last fall when Chandor called him out of the blue with the offer of drumming on the movie's soundtrack. Ulrich recorded his parts before Christmas in the studio at METALLICA's headquarters in San Rafael, California and worked through the scenes. Greg Fidelman, who produced METALLICA's last LP, "Hardwired … To Self-Destruct", helmed the session. "It was hitting hard and hitting softer and sort of imagining there was a 'thunder' button to make things louder or softer," Ulrich said. "It was awesome."

METALLICA performed the final North American show of the "WorldWired" touring cycle on March 13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The band's 18-song set closed out a run of arena shows that set several attendance records this year, including recent dates at venues in Wichita, Kansas, Raleigh, North Carolina, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Indianapolis.

The trek was the band's second on these shores in support of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", following a summer stadium jaunt in 2017. The tour was METALLICA's first full-length tour of North America in eight years.

METALLICA will head to Europe and Australia later this year before ending the tour cycle for "Hardwired".

Drummer Gil Sharone has announced his departure from MARILYN MANSON.

The Los Angeles native joined Manson's band in 2013 and was featured on the shock rocker's last two records, "The Pale Emperor" and "Heaven Upside Down". He has also performed with a number of other notable acts, including one of Maynard James Keenan's projects, PUSCIFER, with whom he recorded the "V Is For Vagina" album.

Sharone confirmed his exit from MARILYN MANSON in a social media post earlier today (Wednesday, March 27). He wrote: "After five amazing years playing drums for @marilynmanson, I've decided to leave the band. It's been one of the highlights of my career but it's time for me to pursue other current and future projects. Much love to @marilynmanson and the homies I shared the stage with; @jeordie @tylerbatesofficial @paulwileymm @j_alderete and to the fans. It's been a blast."

Gil is a multiple-time industry award winner, an educator/clinician, and an active member of the bands STOLEN BABIES and TEAM SLEEP. His work further extends into film and television scores, including "Deadpool 2", "Guardians Of The Galaxy 2", "John Wick 1" and "2", "The Punisher" and "Kingdom". He also co-wrote and performed on songs for DC Comics' "Dark Nights: Metal" soundtrack with Tyler Bates and Mike Elizondo.

Gil established himself in the Jamaican styles playing with legends like Eek-A-Mouse, HR of BAD BRAINS, and Dave Wakeling, which inspired him to author an award-winning DVD and book, "Wicked Beats".

Photo courtesy of Gil Sharone's web site


After five amazing years playing drums for @marilynmanson, I’ve decided to leave the band. It’s been one of the...Posted by Gil Sharone Official on Wednesday, March 27, 2019

STATIC-X has released a new video featuring the as-yet-undisclosed guitarist/vocalist — rumored to be Edsel Dope from DOPE — who will join the band's surviving members on the "Wisconsin Death Trip" 20th-anniversary tour in June. DOPE will provide support on all legs of the tour — including in North America, Europe and Australia — with DEVILDRIVER co-headlining in North America, and WEDNESDAY 13 joining the trek in Australia, and SOIL and WEDNESDAY 13 appearing on all shows in Europe.

Drummer Ken Jay says about the addition of the new vocalist: "For us, the goal was 100% about recapturing the vibe and the spirit of STATIC-X. We were never interested in using a hologram or using Wayne's pre-recorded vocals. It has to be real and it has to have a soul and a pulse. STATIC-X has always been four guys. Two guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. We didn't want to mess with that formula. This is the most electric version of 'Wisconsin Death Trip' 2.0 that we can imagine, without actually having Wayne here with us."


Guitarist Koichi Fukuda adds: "At first, I was actually a little skeptical of how we could do all of this, but after I heard him sing, I was sold! I am so impressed with how far it has come in a short amount of time. We are working very hard to bring something very special to you all. I know that Wayne would be very proud of how much heart and effort has been put into this. It is truly an honor."


States bassist Tony Campos: "We were very lucky to find somebody who could fill such a unique role. We've all toured together and our bands came up together back in the day. This is just as special for him as it is for us. He was never interested in trying to make this about him and he was actually the one who suggested that the mask be the face of the memorial."

STATIC-X plans to perform the majority of its debut album at each show. The dates will serve as memorial events to honor Static, who passed away more than four years ago.

STATIC-X will release a new album titled "Project Regeneration", featuring the last recordings of Static, later this year. The rest of the group's original lineup will also be featured on the album and in the music videos.

On Tuesday, STATIC-X announced via its social media sites that it has "unexpectedly uncovered even more unreleased tracks left behind by Wayne. Because of this, the album will have fewer guest vocalists and more complete songs featuring lead vocals by Wayne Static," the group said.

STATIC-X is currently focused on finishing 12 tracks for "Project Regeneration", with more than half of them set to feature Wayne's lead vocals.


STATIC-X is in the process of finalizing a label partner in order to ensure that "Project Regeneration" will be promoted and distributed worldwide, just like all of the band's previous albums.

Last fall, STATIC-X released a teaser featuring clips from a brand-new music video, as well as five new STATIC-X tracks — "Road To Hell", "Something Of My Own", "Terminator Oscillator", "Hollow" and "Disco Otsego" — along with a personal message from Campos about the inspiration behind "Project Regeneration".


Wayne Static died in November 2014 after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner's report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.

On May 31, BMG will release SLADE's "Feel The Noize - The Singlez Box", a strictly limited-edition box set comprises of 10 rare internationally released seven-inch singles, including an extremely rare seven-inch promo copy in a lift off lid box.

"Feel The Noize - The Singlez Box" features five U.K. No. 1s ("Coz I Luv You", "Take Me Bak 'Ome", "Mama Weer All Crazee Now", "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me"), three No. 2s ("Gudbuy T'Jane", "My Friend Stan" and "Far Far Away"), plus the Top 3 single "Everyday", all from the band's imperial phase. The set also includes 1981's "Night Starvation", not previously commercially released as a seven-inch single.

SLADE is without doubt one of the most exciting bands to come out of Great Britain. With their unique blend of perfect pop-rock'n'roll, outrageous flamboyance and pure fun, and no less than 23 Top 20 singles, of which six were No. 1 smash hits, plus six smash albums, SLADE has become a firm favorite in the hearts of pop fans all over the world.

SLADE's chart career has spanned three decades and its enduring songs "Cum On Feel The Noize" and "Coz I Luv You" are still featured today in TV commercials for some of the world's biggest companies.

SLADE first hit the road in 1966, touring throughout Great Britain and Europe and becoming a regular concert attraction. Joining forces with the former ANIMALS bass guitarist and JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE manager Chas Chandler, SLADE achieved its first chart hit in May 1971 with the Bobby Marchan song "Get Down And Get With It" then, released in October of the same year "Coz I Luv You" was the band's first No-1 and a huge hit across Europe.

Throughout the seventies, SLADE became one of Europe's biggest bands, touring and recording continually and making regular trips to America, Japan and other parts of the world. SLADE's catalogue of hits is synonymous with the era: "Take Me Bak 'Ome", "Mama We'er All Crazee Now", "Cum On Feel The Noize", "Gudbuy T' Jane", along with many others, provided a soundtrack to the Glam Generation and are still today, heavily featured on any retrospective of the time.

"Feel The Noize - The Singlez Box" track listing

* Country of origin for each single sleeve in brackets

01. Coz I Luv You / My Life Is Natural (France)

02. Take Me Bak 'Ome / Wonderin' Y (Germany)

03. Mama Weer All Crazee Now / Man Who Speeks Evil (France)

04. Gudbuy T'Jane / I Won't Let It 'appen Agen (Germany)

05. Cum On Feel The Noize / I'm Mee I'm Now And That's Orl (Italy)

06. Skweeze Me, Pleeze Me / Kill 'em At The Hot Club Tonite (France)

07. My Friend Stan / My Town (Spain)

08. Everyday / Good Time Gals (Belgium)

09. Far Far Away / O.K. Yesterday Was Yesterday (France)

10. Night Starvation / When I'm Dancin' I Ain't Fightin' (UK)

To purchase this strictly limited-edition "The Singlez Box", go to this location.

For the first time, the full SLADE catalogue will receive a global digital release across all digital service providers on April 12.

Photo credit: Barry Plummer

Veteran U.K. thrashers XENTRIX have inked a deal with Listenable Records. The band's new album, "Bury The Pain", will be released in the summer. The disc was produced by Andy Sneap and mastered by Russ Russell. The cover artwork for the album was created by Dan Goldsworthy and can be seen below.

XENTRIX made its live debut with new guitarist/vocalist Jay Walsh (BULL-RIFF STAMPEDE) in August 2017 at the Bloodstock Open Air festival at Catton Hall, Walton-On-Trent, West Midlands, United Kingdom.

Walsh joined XENTRIX as the replacement for Chris Astley, who left the band at the end of 2015.

Originally thrust into the public eye in the late '80s after their demo received a five-K review in Kerrang!, which in turn caught the attention Roadrunner Records, XENTRIX soon found themselves in the studio making "Shattered Existence".


Of course, their now-infamous cover of "Ghostbusters" remains a firm favorite with fans old and new as does the band's phenomenal second album, "For Whose Advantage?", which is regarded as a bonafide thrash classic.


The band went onto enjoy a short-but-successful career that saw them share stages with SLAYER, TESTAMENT, SEPULTURA, ANNIHILATOR, SABBAT, TANKARD and SKYCLAD before calling it a day in 1996, having become disillusioned with the U.K. metal scene.

XENTRIX released four albums on Roadrunner Records: "Shattered Existence" (1989), "For Whose Advantage" (1990), "Dilute to Taste" (1991) and "Kin" (1992). They also issued "Scourge" (1996) on Heavy Metal Records with Simon Gordon on vocals and Andy Rudd on guitar.

XENTRIX — with Chris Astley on guitar and vocals — played its first show in almost seven years in April 2013 at the Moses Gate in Bolton, England.

Prior to that, XENTRIX had reunited with its original lineup in 2006 for two gigs in the band's home country.

XENTRIX 2019 is:

Kristian Havard - Guitar

Chris Shires - Bass

Jay Walsh - Vocals/Guitar

Dennis Gasser - Drums

MANOWAR has recruited Anders Johansson as the band's new drummer.

The Swedish musician made his live debut with MANOWAR on March 25 in Brno, Czech Republic.

Johansson can be heard on MANOWAR's new EP, "The Final Battle I", which will be made available on Friday, March 29 in an exclusive pre-sale at the merchandise booth of the band's "The Final Battle World Tour 2019".

The initial instalment in a trilogy of EPs will be released to retail and online stores on May 30 and digitally on Amazon and Google Play.

In an interview with Lords Of Metal, Anders named Simon Phillips, Deen Castronovo and Virgil Donati as "great players" whom he admires, but he added that there "are not really particular metal drummers I like. Of course, there are also good drummers in this scene, but many of them are better at the athletic part of drumming — you know, very fast, thousand-beats-a-second kind of guys. It is not music anymore. I miss the groove. It's more like they are doing sports. But still it's very impressive."

Johansson left HAMMERFALL in 2014 after the release of the band's "(r)Evolution" album. Guitarist Oscar Dronjak later described Anders's exit as "a huge shock and a huge disappointment because he didn't say anything to us. He didn't even notify us when it happened. We found out from our booking agency, actually… It's a typical Anders way of doing things, and it felt weird. It was the end of the relationship. It felt like being dumped by your girlfriend after 15 years without her telling you why, basically. To this day, I still don't know why it happened, because I haven't spoken to him."

Photo courtesy of Anders Johansson's Facebook page

Fan-filmed video footage of Bruce Dickinson ending his spoken-word show in Norway earlier in the month by belting out the opening of the IRON MAIDEN song "Revelation" can be seen below.

Last fall, the IRON MAIDEN singer spoke to the New Zealand TV show "The Project" about his speaking tour, which features the rocker sharing stories from his autobiography, "What Does This Button Do?",

"The show I do, basically, it's a one-man show," he said. "And it morphed out of being initially promo for the book. The publisher said, 'We're gonna rent a little theater and you just do some readings,' and I thought, 'Well, that's kind of dull, really.' So, years ago, when I was an undergraduate in college, my then-girlfriend persuaded me to go and see a one-man show by a guy called Quentin Crisp. So I had to be dragged along: 'Oh, who is this guy?' Anyway, it was absolutely brilliant. And one of the things he did in the second half was he took cue cards from the audience who wrote questions down, and he basically came and did almost like an improv thing where he answered the questions. So I thought that would be nice to do. So I sort of constructed this show, as it were, and just winged it. And it was so good, they asked me back to do the Edinburgh [International Book] Festival. And then the next thing after that was I've ended up doing a bunch of them in Scandinavia, and I'm now doing Israel and Greece and more shows in Scandinavia and everything else. So, all of a sudden, I've got myself this little extra gig."

"What Does This Button Do?", landed at No. 10 on the New York Times "Hardcover Nonfiction" best sellers list. It was released in the U.S. in October 2017 via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

"What Does This Button Do?" is Dickinson's third book. He has previously published two satirical novels, "The Adventures Of Lord Iffy Boatrace" about the English upper classes and "The Missionary Position" about televangelism.

Dickinson joined IRON MAIDEN in 1981, replacing Paul Di'Anno, and made his recording debut with the band on the 1982 album "The Number Of The Beast". He quit the band in 1993, pursuing several solo projects, and rejoined in 1999.

Dickinson, who turned 60 in August, has several other interests beyond music. He is a licensed commercial pilot and owns an aviation company. He has also done some acting and brewed beer.

Francis Rossi, founder of the mighty Status Quo, released of a collaborative album with vocalist Hannah Rickard, earlier this month via earMUSIC. The song "I've Tried Letting It Go", is available for streaming below.

We Talk Too Much is the title of the album by Rossi / Rickard – the pair met when Hannah Rickard worked with Status Quo on the hugely successful Aquostic projects. Reconnecting with one of Rossi’s true loves, this is a collection of country-flavoured duets.

Featuring all brand-new material, and boasting writing credits for Rossi and Rickard as well as Quo stalwart Bob Young, this album has been a true labour of love. Order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"I'll Take You Home"
"I've Tried Letting It Go"
"Oughta Know By Now"
"But I Just Said Goodbye"
"Waiting For Jesus"
"I'm Only Happy"
"Rearrange"
"I Talk Too Much"
"Heartbreaker"
"Good Times Bad Times"
"Sinking In Blue"
"Maybe Tomorrow"

"I've Tried Letting It Go":

"I'll Take You Home":

"Maybe Tomorrow":

"I Talk Too Much":

Audio samples:




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