Prior to Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS's February 7 performance in Paris, vocalist Johan Längqvist spoke with Duke TV. The full conversation can be seen below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On rejoining CANDLEMASS in 2018, 32 years after he performed on the group's debut album "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus":

Johan: "When they called me up, they said they wanted to get back to where it started again, to get some new inspiration, new energy. [They said,] 'Would you like to come over [and] listen to the album, and then if it feels good for you and you can do it?' The first time I went into the studio and I head this new album, I said, 'Pow — let me give it a try' immediately, and so we did. I started the recording almost immediately, because the songs really hooked me. They're great songs."

On his contributions to the group's new album, "The Door To Doom":

Johan: "When I came in, the album and the music and the lyrics, they were already written. The only thing I could do when I arrived was put my voice and my sound to it."

On the level of commitment he expressed upon rejoining the band:

Johan: "I said, 'If I'm going in with you guys, I'm putting everything I'm into aside,' so [there's] nothing else for me right now — it's only CANDLEMASS, and nothing else."

On "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus":

Johan: "I was so young the very first time, but I think we did that album very fast. I was young, and I was thinking, 'Wow, I'm going to do a record with the CANDLEMASS guys.' At that time, I was involved in my own band, but they wanted me to do the album, and it was a great thing for a young singer to do."

On Tony Iommi, who contributed a guest guitar solo on the new album's "Astorolus - The Great Octopus":

Johan: "BLACK SABBATH and especially Tony Iommi's guitars, they're one of the reasons that I'm into music. I've got them in my heart all the way. They've done so many amazing songs, and I'm pretty sure that they will last forever. They're one of the greatest bands in this genre that we've ever had, so they will always be with us, even if they [stop] going out on tour. They're great, and have always been."

On CANDLEMASS's future:

Johan: "As long as we are having a good time and think, 'Well, we love this'... I can't tell you or give you a promise on that, but if I feel fine about it and they do, there'll be another record, but there's nothing in the planning stage right now."

CANDLEMASS's twelfth studio album, "The Door To Doom", was released on February 22 via Napalm Records. The disc unsurprisingly follows the plot line mastermind, songwriter and bass player Leif Edling established in years past: epic, world-class doom metal that relies on slow mammoth riffing.

"The Door To Doom" is CANDLEMASS's first full-length album since 2012's "Psalms For The Dead", which featured singer Robert Lowe, who left the band just days before its release. He was replaced by Mats Levén, who fronted the band until Längqvist rejoined in late 2018.

Längqvist sang on CANDLEMASS's debut album, 1986's "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", before exiting the group and being replaced by Messiah Marcolin.

The wait is over! MANOWAR have finally confirmed the impending release of “The Final Battle I”, an EP comprised of eagerly awaited brand new material. Fans will first get their chance to own this initial instalment in a trilogy of thunderous EPs in an exclusive pre-sale at the merchandise booth of the band’s “The Final Battle World Tour 2019”, starting with their show in Frankfurt/Germany on March 29, 2019.
An exclusive digital presale period will start on iTunes the same day.

“The Final Battle I” is guaranteed to blow your speakers and your heads off with a whirlwind of crushing sonic destruction, orchestral majesty and epic, pulverising insanity.

The first of three parts which will constitute the highly anticipated new MANOWAR album, this EP is destined to go down in heavy metal history as one of the most insanely epic releases of all time. An imperious demonstration of the band’s undisputed mastery of both skull-crushing metal anthems and extraordinary feats of symphonic bombast, these four new molten metal tracks have been inspired by MANOWAR’s “The Final Battle World Tour” and fuelled by the support and energy of their fans. All music was conceived, recorded and mixed at MANOWAR’s very own VALHALLA STUDIOS, utilizing the unparalleled power of their PMC statement monitors with over 27,000 watts of ground-shaking clarity.

“The sheer power of these four songs is mind-blowing! We simply couldn’t release more songs at one time; it’s just too much!” says Joey DeMaio. “We want to give our fans the chance to take in every note, every word. Gain more strength from this experience and then be ready for the battles they fight every day. And join us on the road, on The Final Battle!”

“The Final Battle I” covers a vast amount of musical ground in its quest to deliver the ultimate heavy metal experience. The opener, the epic fantasy-brought-to-life March Of The Heroes Into Valhalla re-imagines MANOWAR’s music in vivid, cinematic form, providing a deeply moving journey through the warrior’s life, from bloody battles to ascension into Valhalla. The battle filled mood continues with the spine-shattering might and fury of the new anthem Blood And Steel. Next is Sword Of The Highlands, one of the most explosive and dramatic songs DeMaio has ever penned: a profound and stirring tribute to heroes long perished, it begins with exquisite elegance before erupting into a grand crescendo of power and glory, exemplified by a possible career best vocal performance from the ever impressive Eric Adams.

Finally, the most startling surprise arrives in the dark, lurking, brutal and merciless form of You Shall Die Before I Die; a hypnotic and coruscating epic that delivers a vengeful statement of intent and invincibility… with lead vocals by Joey DeMaio himself!

(by Dom Lawson)

“The Final Battle I” comes with a crushing new artwork by iconic fantasy artist Ken Kelly, masterfully echoing the emotional rollercoaster you’ll be taken on.

Magnificent, monstrous and heavier than Hell, “The Final Battle I” will first be unleashed exclusively at the merch booth during MANOWAR’s “The Final Battle World Tour”, starting in Frankfurt/Germany on March 29, 2019 and on all further dates on this tour leg. It will also be available digitally on iTunes worldwide at the same date. The roll out will then continue into retail and online stores on May 30, 2019 and digitally on Amazon and Google. Play.
Parts II and III of the trilogy will arrive in course, inspired by MANOWAR’s adventures on the remainder of
“The Final Battle World Tour”.

Follow MANOWAR on manowar.com , Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all tour dates and constant updates.

Upcoming MANOWAR tour dates – The Final Battle World Tour 2019:
Mon, MAR 25, 2019 – Hala Vodova – Brno, Czech Republic
Tue, MAR 26, 2019 – Ostravar Arena – Ostrava, Czech Republic
Fri, MAR 29, 2019 – Jahrhunderthalle – Frankfurt, Germany
Sat, MAR 30, 2019 – Westfalenhalle 1 – Dortmund, Germany
Mon, APR 1, 2019 – Valby-Hallen – Copenhagen, Denmark
Wed, APR 3, 2019 – Velodrom – Berlin, Germany
Fri, APR 5, 2019 – Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle – Stuttgart, Germany
Sat, APR 6, 2019 – Zenith – Munich, Germany
Tue, APR 9, 2019 – Scandic Scene – Hamar, Norway
Fri, APR 12, 2019 – Konserthuset – Stavanger, Norway
Sat, APR 13, 2019 – USF Verftet – Bergen, Norway
Tue, APR 16, 2019 – Kulturhuset – Longyearbyen, Norway
Fri, APR 19, 2019 – O2 Academy – Birmingham, England
Sat, APR 20, 2019 – O2 Academy – Birmingham, England
Sat, JUN 8, 2019 – Hallenstadion – Zurich, Switzerland
Fri, JUN 14, 2019 – Plateia Nerou – Athens, Greece
Sun, JUN 16, 2019 – Arena Armeec – Sofia, Bulgaria
Fri, JUN 21, 2019 – Hellfest – Clisson, France
Sat, JUL 20, 2019 – Maçka Küçükçiftlik Park – Istanbul, Turkey

HeavyMetal.dk conducted an interview with vocalist Eddie Guz and guitarist Shagrath (real name: Stian Tomt Thoresen; also of DIMMU BORGIR) of Norwegian rockers CHROME DIVISION prior to their February 17 concert at Beta in Copenhagen, Denmark. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On what led to the 2004 formation of CHROME DIVISION:

Shagrath: "This idea started in my head in '99, actually. After DIMMU BORGIR was finishing rehearsals, me and another guy used to jam some riffs and stuff which we taped in the rehearsal room. Ever since that time, it's kind of been in the back of my mind that I wanted to do something more rock and roll-ish type of stuff, which I'm very much into since I was very young. Growing up with bands like KISS and stuff like that. There is a lot of good rock bands out there, but for me personally, there were too many bands tuned in standard E with too much 'boogie' for my taste. I had this idea of creating something a bit more, not extreme, but more dark and dirty than many of the other rock bands that were around. The closest thing I could find at that time was BLACK LABEL SOCIETY type of things. I remember we did a long U.S. tour, the Ozzfest tour with DIMMU BORGIR. After it was done, we were going to have our break anyway, then I approached first the previous bass player, Björn Luna, so we kind of started building ideas together and jamming and stuff like that. We started with this song called 'Chrome Division'. After also listening to the debut of THE CARBURETORS, 'Pain Is Temporary, Love Is Forever'. It's a really great album. I was so hooked on that album for a long time while driving my car: 'We need a singer with that type of approach, with a kind of bulldog attitude.' I would say we clicked pretty fast. We gave him [Eddie] that song, then he developed his stuff into it. It all bloomed from there."

Eddie: "Very quickly. I think we had, after two weeks, we had three songs. I was, like, 'Whoa. This is going fast.' We had a musical connection right away, how we wanted it to sound. Yeah, it was really cool, the whole beginning of the project. It was really fascinating how fast we developed it."

Shagrath: "It was also an idea to get away from daily routines, meet up once a week and have fun, have a good time. From there, it kind of developed into a lot of jam sessions, which we recorded and put the songs together. This is rock and roll. It's a much more primitive way — that spontaneous way of creating, not analyzing the songs too much. If we like it, then we go for it. Therefore, it's been song after song after song. [Laughs] This band is built on friendship and having a good time. It was never the idea of becoming big or making money or anything like that. It's all about having a good time with good friends, which we still do."

On the band's latest and final studio album, "One Last Ride":

Shagrath: "This was actually material that we had laying around for a couple of years because, as I said, we used to meet up every Tuesday to rehearse. Then, it ended up with almost two and a half hours of music in total. But the lineup we had when Shady Blue [a.k.a. Athera, ex-SUSPERIA] was singing and all that stuff, we're all so busy and it was getting harder and harder to meet up for that one weekday. We have other priorities in life. It was kind of laying around for quite some time. Yeah, I think we were just focusing on different stuff and there was a while where we were not too eager to do anything at all. My focus has been also working with DIMMU BORGIR, making the album ['Eonian'] and touring and stuff. Then I called Damage [Kjell Karlsen], the other solo guitar player and we decided — we have two and a half hours of music. It shouldn't be wasted. It's a lot of good material. From there, we kind of started to glue the songs together. Some of the songs were intended — Shady Blue was supposed to sing and they faded out in a way. We had an idea — I remember in the rehearsal room —have Shady Blue and Eddie Guz do a song together, do one verse each. We had the song and Eddie came down to rehearsal. After two hours, we had the lyrics ready already. [Laughs] That kind of put the spark on for the rest of us to work. He gets stuff done. [Laughs] That's really cool. We took it from there."

Eddie: "I got a phone call and we had a couple of beers and he told me, 'I'm thinking about making the last album.' I said, 'It would be so cool if I could sing one song on the last record.' After a few weeks, I got another phone call: 'How would you like to do the whole album?' I said 'Sure, I would love to do the last album of CHROME DIVISION.' We had already worked on some songs. There was the one I was going to do together with Shady. They sent me more of the material he and Damage were working on. I'm a spontaneous guy. If I hear a song, I get an idea and I run with it. Yeah, I think it went pretty fast from there until we were ready to go and start the recording process."

On why "The Last Ride" is CHROME DIVISION's final album:

Shagrath: "I think it kind of came to mind actually a couple of years ago when I figured out that it was really hard to just find three hours in a week to meet up. After a while, you start to figure out, 'Is there any point in putting more time into this?' It's just that we have other priorities, other bands and families, kids and stuff to do. It has taken away a little bit of the focus, I guess. It felt good. It's almost like a circle. Five albums. It was supposed to be one song in the first place and it ended up being five albums in total."

Eddie: "When I started writing the lyrics for this album, I wanted to represent, I don't know if I managed to do that, but that was my idea, to represent the whole history of CHROME DIVISION. Also, celebrating everything we've done together. I wanted it to have not a sad angle to it, but a memorial angle to it. We had a really good time. 'Yeah, here it is!'"

Shagrath: "That's kind of the concept of 'The Last Ride'."

Eddie: "A celebration in many words."

Shagrath: "The first gig we did on this tour was meeting with all the ex-members of CHROME DIVISION. They all entered the stage for a few songs. That was a special moment for all of us."

"One Last Ride" was released last November via Nuclear Blast.

Queen singer Freddie Mercury tragically passed away on November 24, 1991, from bronchial pneumonia resulting from AIDS. Mötley Crüe biopic, The Dirt, premiers on Netflix today, March 22nd.

In an interview with Pollstar, Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx is asked how he would compare The Dirt to the hugely successful Queen film, Bohemian Rhapsody, and here's what he had to say:

"The Queen movie was important because it initiated conversations about gender identity in 2019. The interesting thing was Freddie [Mercury]’s life choices were, in the end, what killed him, but he brought a massive change in awareness. The music was wonderful - Queen is one of my favorite bands - but it also took to the masses an important dialogue that should be had right now."

Read more at Pollstar.

The Dirt is an unflinching and uncensored story about sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll, fame, and the high price of excess. Director Jeff Tremaine (Jackass co-creator) shows us just how Nikki Sixx (Douglas Booth), Mick Mars (Iwan Rheon), Tommy Lee (Colson Baker aka Machine Gun Kelly), and Vince Neil (Daniel Webber) took Mötley Crüe from the Sunset Strip to the world stage, and what it meant to become the world’s most notorious rock band.

The 18-song soundtrack mastered by Grammy winner, Dave Donnelly features a collection of Mötley Crüe classics that meaningfully underscore significant moments that shape the film. The album includes 14 fan-favorites and chart topping tracks such as “Dr. Feelgood” that charted at #6 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and the anthemic “Girls, Girls, Girls” which reached #2 on Billboard’s Top 200 amongst others. Additional hits featured are “Kickstart My Heart,” “Same ‘Ol Situation (S.O.S.),” “Shout At The Devil” and the iconic ballad, “Home Sweet Home” that landed the band mainstream recognition.

Exclusive to the film’s soundtrack, Mötley Crüe recorded four new songs featuring the single, “The Dirt (Est. 1981) (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)” with effortless rap verses surrounding signature guitar riffs. The three remaining songs conclude the album with the catchy “Ride With The Devil,” “Crash And Burn” and the band’s own spin on Madonna’s, “Like A Virgin.”

BraveWords' review of The Dirt soundtrack can be found at this location. Read Aaron Small's review of the film here.

The Dirt Soundtrack tracklisting:

"The Dirt (Est. 1981)" (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)
"Red Hot"
"On With The Show"
"Live Wire"
"Merry-Go-Round"
"Take Me To The Top"
"Piece Of Your Action"
"Shout At The Devil"
"Looks That Kill"
"Too Young To Fall In Love "
"Home Sweet Home"
"Girls, Girls, Girls"
"Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)"
"Kickstart My Heart"
"Dr. Feelgood"
"Ride With The Devil"
"Crash And Burn"
"Like A Virgin"

"Crash And Burn":

"Ride With The Devil":

"Like A Virgin":

"The Dirt (Est. 1981)" (feat. Machine Gun Kelly) video:

Film trailer:




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Century Media Records has announced the signing of DEMONS & WIZARDS to a worldwide deal.

Founded in 1999 by Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN) and Jon Schaffer (ICED EARTH), DEMONS & WIZARDS released two highly acclaimed albums, 1999s' "Demons & Wizards" and 2005's "Touched By The Crimson King". The band is currently recording its as-yet-untitled third studio LP, which is scheduled to be released in early 2020.


Kürsch comments: "It is a great pleasure and a big honor for me to finally become a full part of the Century Media family. Jon and I both feel that Century Media is the perfect match for our upcoming DEMONS & WIZARDS missions. And there will be plenty of them.

"Right at the moment, we have not only finalized a re-boot of our first two albums, but are also working with full forces on the successor of 'Touched By The Crimson King'. Good things are on its way. Expect nothing but the best and do not miss us on the road this summer, unless you want to risk another 20 years of waiting."


Philipp Schulte of Century Media Records adds: "To say that we are stoked to be finally working with Hansi and Jon on a new DEMONS & WIZARDS album would be an understatement.

"This is a very important signing to the label: A top-tier metal band and a great addition to the label’s roster.

"The fans have been patiently waiting for DEMONS & WIZARDS’ return. And now the time is near!

"We start our cooperation by re-releasing the band's two classic albums, before they are conquering the festival stages all across Europe. And then, in the beginning of 2020, after 15 years of waiting, DEMONS & WIZARDS will finally return with a new studio album. It is time to hoist the sails for the storm to come. Welcome aboard!"


Prior to the release of the new studio album, Century Media will release DEMONS & WIZARDS' first two albums as reworked special editions. Remastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ICED EARTH, QUEENSRŸCHE, SANCTUARY), these two releases will be out on June 7 as limited-edition digipak and limited deluxe 2LP releases with bonus material and liner notes by both members.


On March 29, the digital standard versions of the remastered albums will be made available in order to promote the band's festival run in Europe.

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

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

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

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


DEMONS & WIZARDS tour dates:

May 31 - Garage, Saarbrücken (DE)

Jun. 01 - Z7, Pratteln (CH)

Jun. 02 - Batschkapp, Frankfurt (DE)

Jun. 19 - Copenhell Festival, Copenhagen (DK)

Jun. 21 - Hellfest, Clisson (FR)

Jun. 22 - Graspop Metal Meeting, Dessel (B)

Jun. 29 – Dokk'em Open Air, Dokkum (NL)

Jun. 30 - Islington Assembly Hall, London (UK)

Jul. 04 - Barcelona Rock Fest, Barcelona (ES)

Jul. 06 - Chania Rock Festival, Chania (GR)

Jul. 21 - Metaldays, Tolmin (SVN)

Aug. 01-03 - Wacken Open Air, Wacken (DE)

Sep. 5 - ProgPower, Atlanta (US)

Redemption keyboardist Vikram Shankar has posted the following update:

"My new single, 'The Clouds Parted, If Only For A Moment', is out now. I'm deeply proud of this one... what started as a humble improvisation turned into a one-take performance that captures so much of my current emotional and mental struggles. Check out the full song on YouTube and all streaming sites, and I hope this track brings some light and peace into the minds of those who need it."

Check out a BraveWords interview with Shankar from 2017 at this location. His Ocean Machine medley is available below.




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German bashers M.I.GOD. have released a lyric video for the song "The Solitary Ghost", taken from their new concept album, Specters On Parade, out now through Fastball Music Check it out below.

Specters On Parade was released in February 2019 and is the first of two concept albums from M.I.GOD. It features 21 tracks in total, 13 being full songs connected with short interludes to tie the concept together. Specters On Parade in the follow-up to M.I.GOD.'s 2012 album, Floor 29, marking an epic return following the tragic death of bassist Matt Weber that sidelined the band. 

The tracklist is as follows:

"Vertigo"
"The Solitary Ghost"
"Tongues Of Poison"
"We All Belong To The Dark"
"Embracing The Neon"
"Titans Of The Void"
"The Sleeping Cruelty"
"Atelier Macabre"
"Specters On Parade"
"Sonata In Tenebris (Interlude I)"
"Tears Of Today"
"What's Your Favorite Scourge"
"Chances"
"The Call"
"Weight Of A Million Souls"
"Cluster (Interlude II)"
"Bound To A Daydream"
"Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea"
"The Threshold"
"Terminus Life"
"I Feed You My Love"

For information and updates on M.I.GOD. go to the band's official Facebook page here.




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Wisconsin heavy metal band Rig Time! has released a brand-new video today for their song “Garbage.” The video’s track is featured on the band’s latest album, War, which is available now from Innerstrength Records. The video also arrives in time for the band’s kick off of their U.S. tour with hardcore band Crafter.

Speaking on the lyrical content of the single and new video, vocalist and drummer Bryan Fleming says, “‘Garbage’ is about visualizing all the ignorant, naive and close minded hate people spew out into the world without a care. When I wrote the lyrics, I saw all these words taking a physical form of trash piling up and imagined what it would look like if all this hate was a physical mass. The video is meant to highlight what it's like to be in the crowd at our shows. I edited it to feel chaotic and like you're right there in the video with us.”

Rig Time! is an angry, caustic and vehemently heavy trio based in La Crosse, WI. Their full length album War was released on October 20, 2017 via Innerstrength Records, following the self-released full-length Sick of It (2016) and two EP’s (2014’s Awful and 2015’s Devout). Featuring a sound that is the audio equivalent of a tank column entering a besieged city, the crunch and clangor of War is a game-changer. Forged in the fires of hardcore, sludge, and power-violence, War epitomizes Rig Time!‘s scorched-earth tactics and demonstrates the natural chemistry of the band.

War was recorded/mixed by Pete Grossman at Bricktop Recording in Chicago, IL (Weekend Nachos, Harm’s Way). The album was mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege in Portland, OR.




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Tryglav, black metal from Croatia has released a new single “Night Of Whispering Souls” off the debut album of the same name, which will be unveiled May 31st, 2019 via Extreme Metal Music / Rockshots Records. The solo act comes from the dark mind of Boris Behara, who was looking to express his vision in his own way and have full control over the music.

Tryglav is a god in Slavic mythology that represents the sky, the earth and the afterlife. Channeling this power since 2018, Behara creates melodic, aggressive classic black metal with 80’s horror imaginary that is suitable for all fans of the genre looking for something fresh to bang their heads to.

The new album is the perfect combination of velocity and melody, some tracks are fast and brutal but still catchy and others are melodic with catchy chorus that are easy to pick up during the first listen. The single is Behara’s favorite song off the album and a perfect introduction to his vision.

“This is my favourite song off the album and it’s the song that I took the name of the album from. This song was so different at the beginning. I think that when I started to play drums to find some good patterns this song changed 3 or 4 times. It’s fast and melodic but also has some slowed down moments and a nice chorus. I really like the final part… pure headbanging!”

Tracklisting:

“Under My Skin”
“Night Of Whispering Souls”
“Deadline”
“Evil Dead”
“Creature Of The Night”
“Werewolf”
“Beyond The Limit”

“Night Of Whispering Souls”:




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Heavy Load are known as the "First Viking Metal band ever", and all their releases are an absolute classics of the classic heavy metal genre. Death Or Glory is their second studio album, originally released in 1982, and includes the ultimate metal hymns such as "Heavy Metal Angels" and "The Guitar Is My Sword". The No Remorse Records reissue is the FIRST OFFICIAL ONE and made in full cooperation with the band, since the Japanese version released in 1996 - remastered from the original source tapes by the Wahlquist brothers, including bonus tracks, and coupled with an amazing booklet.

The album will be available as: regular CD version, deluxe digipak CD, black vinyl LP with bonus CD, limited edition red vinyl LP with bonus CD, and a limited edition box set that includes: blue vinyl LP with bonus CD, digipak CD, as well as an exclusive t-shirt and a patch. Each preordered CD at this location comes with a free patch, and each LP comes with a free poster with the album artwork.




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KISS icons Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley recently spoke with Guitar World about the band's ongoing End Of The Road tour. An excerpt from the interview is available below.

GW: It’s no secret that fans are hoping to see the original KISS lineup, with Ace and Peter, reunite somehow, somewhere, on this tour.

Simmons: "Well, let me address that. You know, in life, mother nature is nonjudgmental. Whether you’re a baby and have never experienced life or whether you’re old and grey and have gone through the trials and tribulations, both of you, when you put your hand into the fire, get burned equally. So life doesn’t give you three chances. You get one chance. But Ace and Peter have gotten three chances. They were in and out of the band — fired — three times. For drugs, alcohol, bad behavior, being unprofessional… all the clichés are clichés. Even suicide is overrated. It’s been done many times. So the only reason Ace and Peter were let go the first time, and then the second time and then the third time, is that they weren’t carrying their load. You can’t be in a car with two flat tires. It’s not going to go anywhere. It’s your responsibility to change the fucking tires so that the whole car doesn’t stop. It’s nothing personal. Because remember — being in a band is a gift. You hardly work. Physically, anyway. So the short answer to your question is we’d love to have Ace and Peter join us here and there. And if they don’t, it’s not going to be because of us. But they’re never going to be in KISS again."

GW: That’s pretty definitive.

Simmons: "Three times is the charm. 'I promise I’ll pull out' doesn’t work. It’s the boy who cried wolf : 'Oh, I’ve been straight for a million years.' Terrific! Have a good life! Would we welcome Ace or Peter to jump up onstage for a song or two? Of course. Could we depend on either Ace or Peter to do a full set night after night? Not on your fucking life."

Read the complete interview here.

Find the End Of The Road tour itinerary here, and see pro-shot footage from the tour below:




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Fan-filmed video footage of KISS's March 22 concert at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York can be seen below.

In a recent interview with StarTribune, KISS frontman Paul Stanley was asked how he is taking care of his voice on the "End Of The Road" trek, in light of the fact that it has sounded diminished on many recent tours. "I try not to talk to guys like you, for one," Stanley replied. "It's hard to stay away from smoke, because the arenas are filled with it. But I do shut up as much as possible, and try other things.

"There's no denying, whether you're an athlete or singer, that life goes on, and you aren't who you once were," he continued. "That's life. I always say if you want to hear me sound like I did on 'Alive!', go listen to 'Alive!' That said, I have no problem doing what I'm doing and standing by it. The songs sound awesome."

Ever since KISS's "End Of The Road" trek launched in JAnuary, there has been persistent online chatter about Paul allegedly singing to a backing tape. The speculation stemmed from the fact that Stanley had been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years.

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach defended KISS against claims that the band is using pre-recorded tracks during its farewell tour, saying that Stanley sang "his ass off LIVE" during a recent concert in California. "I have seen way more obvious use of backing tracks than with KISS," Sebastian wrote.

Bach's comments came just hours after MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx called out another band for using taped vocals during its live performances after it previously derided other groups for doing the same thing.

Sixx wrote on Twitter: "Certain band out on the road right now putting other bands DOWN and saying that they are a REAL rock band, no background singers,and other old people cranky comments except his lead vocals are on tape.People in glass houses shouldn't throw rocks. #GetOffMyLawn #WizardOfOz"

Most fans assumed that Sixx was referring to KISS, especially since KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has previously slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

After KISS played on NBC's "America's Got Talent" last September, Stanley was asked by Rolling Stone if that was actually a live performance or if he and his bandmates tracked it earlier. "What you tend to do is record it live and that way you know that everything is as it should be," he responded. "It's not like going into the studio or anything like that. It's… with all its imperfections, it's live."

MetallicaTV has uploaded two new pro-shot live videos from recent Metallica concerts. Watch the heavy metal legends perform the classics “Phantom Lord” from Grand Rapids, MI from March 13th and “Fight Fire With Fire” from Indianapolis, IN from March 11th.

According to Ticket News, the upcoming Metallica concert with the San Francisco Symphony this fall took the top spot on yesterday’s best-selling events list, Ticket Club sales data reveals. View the complete list at Ticket News.

"In celebration of the historic Grand Opening of San Francisco’s Chase Center, we are beyond honored to be joining together with the San Francisco Symphony for the first time in 20 years!," states a recent message from Metallica. "Join us on Friday, September 6th for S&M²: a one-night-only show featuring the SF Symphony and legendary conductor Michael Tilson Thomas."

James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich joined Michael Tilson Thomas, along with representatives from the Golden State Warriors and San Francisco mayor London Breed, to make the announcement at the Chase Center. Watch the announcement here.

The original S&M concerts were performed by Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony conducted by the late Michael Kamen in spring of 1999 at the Berkeley Community Theatre. The S&M² concert will feature the first live performances of these arrangements in 20 years, plus the first ever Metallica/San Francisco Symphony renditions of songs written and released since the original S&M, with new orchestral charts by Bruce Coughlin.

Tickets will go on sale the general public on Friday, March 22nd at 10 AM, Pacific Time, here.




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Bay Area thrash metal legends, Death Angel, will release their long-awaited ninth full-length album, Humanicide, on May 31st via Nuclear Blast Records. Today, the band has unveiled the artwork, tracklisting and the record’s first new single, the title track, via visualizer. The new record will be preceded by Death Angel’s US tour with Overkill and Act Of Defiance.

With their forthcoming album Humanicide, Death Angel has maintained their 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 energizing the listener.

Osegueda remarks: “I wanted to write something that metal fans could really grasp onto. Something dark and intense, that still makes sense. Right now I think it’s so apparent that the earth is in a sickened state.”

“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!” - Rob Cavestany

For the foutth album cycle in a row, Death Angel returned to their producer and friend Jason Suecof of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White providing the ominous cover artwork.

“I'm ecstatic to present Death Angel’s 9th 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 expressed through our music, 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!” - Rob Cavestany

Pre-order Humanicide in various formats, here. Pre-order the album digitally to receive “Humanicide” instantly (Amazon and iTunes only).

Humanicide tracklisting:

"Humanicide"
"Divine Defector"
"Aggressor"
"I Came For Blood"
"Immortal Behated"
"Alive And Screaming"
"The Pack"
"Ghost Of Me"
"Revelation Song"
"Of Rats And Men"
"The Day I Walked Away" (Bonus Track)

"Humanicide" visualizer:

Tour dates (with Overkill, Act Of Defiance):

April
19 - Reno, NV - Jub Jubs*
20 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex*
21 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep*
23 - Indianapolis, IN - Black Circle*
24 - Huntington, WV - V Club*
25 - Baltimore, MD - Sound Stage/Rams Head
26 - Philadelphia, PA - Theater of the Living Arts
27 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater
28 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
29 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom
30 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall

May
1 - Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
2 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
3 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
4 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
5 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
6 - Nashville, TN - The Cannery
7 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogarts
9 - Rochester, NY - Anthology
10 - New York, NY - PlayStation Theater (+ Life Of Agony)
11 - Boston, MA - Paradise
12 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Loft at The Chance*
14 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street*
15 - Lubbock, TX - Jakes*
16 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad*
17 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red*
18 - West Hollywood, CA - Whiskey A Go Go*
19 - San Francisco, CA - DN Lounge*

* no Overkill
 
Death Angel lineup:

Rob Cavestany - lead guitar/vocals
Mark Osegueda - lead vocals
Ted Aguilar - rhythm guitar
Will Carroll - drums
Damien Sisson - bass

(Photo - Stephanie Cabral)




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Pat Becker has issued the following update on her son, legendary composer/guitarist Jason Becker, who had a procedure to drain an abscess in his lung on March 21st.

Says Pat: Jason is home. All went well and we are waiting on the lab results, but the doctor was encouraging and didn’t see anything concerning. Next stop, Tuesday for an echo cardiogram. Serrana says that is so they can determine the sex of the alien in his heart. And she is a nurse so she knows. Jason sends his love and huge gratitude!"

Becker’s latest album, Triumphant Hearts, was released back in December 2018. Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Triumphant Heart" (feat. Marty Friedman, Glauco Bertagnin, Hiyori Okuda)>
"Hold On To Love" (feat. Codany Holiday)>
"Fantasy Weaver" (feat. Jake Shimabukuro)>
"Once Upon A Melody">
"We Are One" (feat. Steve Knight)>
"Magic Woman" (feat. Uli Jon Roth & Chris Broderick)>
"Blowin' In The Wind" (feat. Gary Rosenberg)>
"River Of Longing" (feat. Joe Satriani, Aleks Sever, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse)>
"Valley Of Fire" (feat. Michael Lee Firkins, Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Gilbert, Neal Schon, Mattias IA Eklundh, Marty Friedman, Greg Howe, Jeff Loomis, Richie Kotzen, Gus G., Steve Hunter, Ben Woods)>
"River Of Longing" (feat. Trevor Rabin)>
"Taking Me Back">
"Tell Me No Lies">
"Hold On To Love" (feat. Codany Holiday) [Chuck Zwicky Remix]>
"You Do It"

Trailer:

"Hold On To Love" video:

"Valley Of Fire" video:




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Wisconsin’s Product Of Hate celebrate the legacy of Mötley Crüe with a crushing new take on the band's 1983 classic, “Shout At The Devil”. Available now as a streaming exclusive via Spotify, YouTube, Pandora, Apple Music, and most digital services, the non-album, fan-requested single arrives as the Netflix Original Film, The Dirt, is released - based on Mötley Crüe’s bestselling book. Listen below.

“When we were on tour with Mushroomhead, ‘Shout At The Devil’ became a nightly part of the set,” says lead guitarist, Geno Rathbone. “Without fail, every single night, we’d be asked if there was a studio version available, or if we had plans to record it. Our answer at the time was ‘no’ - but in the years since, we’ve still been hearing the same requests, and after playing it a few times last year, we decided that it was time.”

“We’ve played the song at a lot of shows over the past few years, and people have gone crazy for it,” says frontman Adam Gilley. “It’s a classic that everyone knows and can sing along with.”

“Our version of this iconic song is being released as a gift to our fans, and in tribute to legacy of Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx, and Tommy Lee,” adds Rathbone.

“Shout At The Devil” was recorded by Scott Creekmore (Broken Hope, Lionheart), with mixing and mastering completed by Chris Collier (Korn, Prong, Whitesnake).

Product Of Hate recently completed their second full-length album. A tracklisting and title will be announced in the near future as the final release plan and partnerships are revealed.




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To be published in September, Agony Walk: On The Road With Sentenced is a unique 100-page picture book about a band that loved playing shows but hated touring.

Drummer Vesa Ranta captured the daily life of his group into photos during the years 1995 - 2003 when the band was most actively touring the world. The pictures of the book illustrate the group’s tale and allow the viewer to witness situations that the fans were otherwise unable to see.

Ranta became a trained, professional photographer already when Sentenced was active. Previously he has published two books, Lottovoittajien pöydässä – Tarinoita köyhyysrajan taka (2017) and Reunalla – Tarinoita Suomen tyhjeneviltä sivukyliltä (2018), the latter of which received the Botnia Award. Agony Walk: On The Road With Sentenced  is the first pure picture book by Ranta. The book contains the author’s introduction in Finnish, English and German.

”This is my personal, illustrated testament about the journey of our group. While I was going through my photo archives, I realised that these pictures deserve a life also outside my negative sleeves that were already gathering dust. I believe that the book will have something to offer to the people who have faithfully followed us on our path. These images will help the viewers understand what it was like to be on the road as a group. They store a little piece of Finnish rock history, too.”

The release date for the book is September 2. Pre-order issuers will receive an authentic signed photo with their copy.

The book is published by Ranta’s own company, Western Siberia Media House. The exclusive retailer both in Finland and internationally through its online store is Levykauppa Äx, the leading chain of record stores in Finland.

A limited edition is on pre-sale now, here.




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Progressive metallers DREAM THEATER kicked off their 2019 North American tour Wednesday night (March 20) at the Balboa Theatre in San Diego. The band's 19-song setlist included several tracks from the latest album, "Distance Over Time", as well as a second act that consisted of a performance of the group's 1999 LP "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory" to mark its 20th anniversary.

DREAM THEATER's setlist for the San Diego concert was as follows:

Set 1

01. Untethered Angel (live premiere)

02. A Nightmare To Remember

03. Paralyzed (live premiere)

04. Barstool Warrior (live premiere)

05. In The Presence Of Enemies, Part I

06. Pale Blue Dot (live premiere)

Set 2: "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From a Memory"

07. Regression

08. Overture 1928

09. Strange Deja Vu

10. Through My Words

11. Fatal Tragedy

12. Beyond This Life

13. Through Her Eyes

14. Home

15. The Dance Of Eternity

16. One Last Time

17. The Spirit Carries On

18. Finally Free

Encore

19. Pull Me Under

When DREAM THEATER's "Distance Over Time" tour was first announced, guitarist John Petrucci told Rolling Stone: "The tour is going to be 'An Evening With,' and part of the evening will be playing some of the new record and some older songs in our catalog, and then also playing 'Scenes From A Memory' in its entirety. So it going to be a lot of fun. And that was a really important record for us, speaking of storytelling and all that. Because it was our first concept record."

Petrucci said that "Metropolis Pt. 2" was significant for him because "it was our first album with [keyboardist] Jordan [Rudess], so that was important. And it was the first album where we didn't use an outside producer. I remember back then having a conversation with Mike [original DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy] where we said, 'Let's not do that anymore. Let's produce ourselves.' And we basically have ever since. So in that respect, 'Scenes From A Memory' might have actually been a record that was a reaction to the previous one. And then we also figured that we hadn't done a concept album yet, and we decided that it was time. It was like, let's make our 'Operation: Mindcrime', our 'Tommy', our 'The Wall'. It was definitely a conscious decision to do something bold and new and different."

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

"Distance Over Time" marks DREAM THEATER's first album for Sony Music's progressive imprint InsideOut Music. The group spent the past 25 years recording under various labels in the Warner Music Group system, most recently Roadrunner Records, which released five albums by the band between 2007 and 2016.

The "Distance Over Time" tour of North America will run for seven weeks before wrapping up in Mexico City on May 4.

On May 17, Music Theories will release "Behold Electric Guitar", Paul Gilbert's newest album with 12 new original songs, all with Paul's most expressive, and inspired guitar playing to date.

After his recent move to Portland, Oregon, Paul set out to connect with the best and grooviest musicians in the area, and record an album in his brand new hometown. Brian Foxworth (drums) and Asher Fulero (keyboards) were both obvious choices to play Paul's mix of rock, blues, jazz, and pop flavors. When Paul's regular Portland bassist Kelly Lemieux was unavailable (due to his touring with BUCKCHERRY), Paul reached out to New Orleans bass legend Roland Guerin. Roland came to Portland weeks before the recording dates for intense rehearsing and arranging sessions.


With the band complete, Paul enlisted legendary producer and engineer John Cuniberti. John is well known for his work with Joe Satriani, but Paul was primarily interested in John's expertise with "one mic" recording. Paul explains: "It's so easy to make albums with overdubbing and editing these days, but I really prefer playing live and just getting the music to sound right because the musicians, the songs, and the performances are good." After hearing Paul's band, John recommended a few more mics, but still agreed that the music worked best as live performances with no overdubs. "There is not one overdub on the record. Everything you hear is four guys jamming, listening to each other, and making room for each other. The music almost mixes itself that way! And it's just a great mindset to have. When you know that you won't be fixing or adding parts later... It keeps your mind very active to get things right!"

"Behold Electric Guitar" track listing:


01. Havin' It

02. I Own A Building

03. Everywhere That Mary Went

04. Love Is The Saddest Thing

05. Sir, You Need To Calm Down

06. Let That Battery Die

07. Blues For Rabbit

08. Every Snare Drum

09. A Snake Just Bit My Toe

10. I Love My Lawnmower

11. A Herd Of Turtles

12. Things Can Walk To You

The official music video for the first single, "Havin' It", can be seen below.

Paul comments on the track: "I finally wrote a song with long guitar solos! It took me decades to stretch beyond my pop song structure habits, and it feels great to be FREE, and just play, and play, and play. The song still has melodies and themes, and those were inspired by the idea that when you have something good... You still want MORE. Havin' it... don't make me stop wantin' it!"

Paul will be touring with his band this year to support "Behold Electric Guitar".

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

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

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

The artwork was once again painted by Paolo Girardi.

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


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


FIRESPAWN is:

Lars Göran Petrov (ENTOMBED) - Vocals

Victor Brandt (ENTOMBED) - Guitar

Alex Friberg (NECROPHOBIC) - Bass

Fredrik Folkare (UNLEASHED, NECROPHOBIC) - Guitar

Matte Modin (DARK FUNERAL, DEFLESHED) - Drums

Canadian black metal outfit Panzerfaust has announced their signing to Eisenwald, a union which will culminate in the group’s most ambitious achievement to date: a four-chapter soundtrack acting as the musical equivalent to “a boot stamping on a human face forever."

The Ontario-based quintet was almost killed in 2017 after an auto accident caused their van to flip and become submerged in sub-zero waters. Luckily, the band escaped mostly unharmed and managed complete their run of dates with Belphegor and Cryptopsy. The near-death experience galvanized the group to commit to their grandest venture yet.

The first chapter of their upcoming tetralogy revolves heavily around the history of this past century, specifically events exemplifying humanity – or the lack thereof – which further alludes to the unbridled notion that war is the artform from which all others were created.

Panzerfaust has issued the following statement:

“The past three years we have been of a singular mind forging what is a testament to our incorruptible will. Having undergone trials, tribulations and near-death; we have let this take everything from us. We live by a code of ‘war all the time.’ putting our souls into every fibre of this record. We present to you the first chapter of this monument.”

In further news, the band will return to Europe for the second time for an extensive run of dates later this year. More on that will be announced at a later date.

Panzerfaust is:

Goliath – vocals
Brock "Kaizer" Van Dijk – guitar, vocals
Thomas Gervais – bass
Alexander Kartashov – drums




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Japanese metal band Crystal Lake has released an explosive new video for their latest single, “Hail To The Fire,” today. The song is featured on the band’s newly released album, Helix, that’s available everywhere now from SharpTone Records.

Crystal Lake are on track to becoming Japan’s biggest metal breakout act in years. With the release of Helix, the band has become a global phenomenon, infiltrating the ears and hearts of metal and heavy rock fans while confirming their place among the genres’ most talented acts.

Crystal Lake just wrapped their first ever U.S. tour with August Burns Red, Fit For A King and Miss May I.

"Devilcry" video:

"Lost In Forever" video:

“Aeon” video:




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Pink Floyd performed "Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun" on Forum Musiques in Paris, France on January 22, 1969. Watch this rare video:

Available below is the restored promo video for Pink Floyd's "Point Me At The Sky". It was the fifth UK single by the British band, released on December 17, 1968.

"Let There Be More Light" is the opening track on Pink Floyd's second album, A Saucerful Of Secrets. This performance took place on Surprise Partie in Paris, France on November 1st, 1968.




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Hard rock titans collide for The End Machine, a brand-new project that features classic-era Dokken members George Lynch, Jeff Pilson, and Mick Brown as well as current Warrant singer Robert Mason. The band's self-titled debut album is out today via Frontiers Music Srl.

Order The End Machine's self-titled album on CD/LP/Digital here. A limited amount of signed CDs & LPs, merch bundles, VIP Packages & more are available here.

Watch a new video for the track "Leap Of Faith" below.

Surely, some fans may be wondering to themselves, isn't this just Dokken without Don Dokken? "Musically, of course there's bound to be moments that will be reminiscent of Dokken. That's only logical," says bassist Jeff Pilson. "But, my guess is there will be less of that than people would expect. Some people who've heard it say they think it's closer to Lynch Mob than Dokken, but really it is pretty much its own thing. We allowed ourselves to get a little deeper than either of those projects really have, while still staying extremely melodic and not being afraid of good old-fashioned guitar rock. Maybe Lynch Mob, a bit of Dokken, but then some 70's guitar rock added in. George [Lynch] is playing fantastic on this... very inspired. Everyone is really, but George covers some new territory here and it's very cool. Plus, the songs as compositions took on their own life, especially adding Robert [Mason] to the writing. That's what I'm most proud of, is the way this stands on its own. It doesn't step on our legacy together one bit, but it has it's own personality and I think that's important."

"This is decidedly not me 'stapled' onto a Dokken record," adds Mason. "I wouldn't have been involved if that was the intent. Fans will hear bits of our styles in this collection of songs, and while reminiscent signatures are undeniable, The End machine was purposely built to stand apart and on its own merit."

Tracklisting:

"Leap Of Faith"
"Hold Me Down"
"No Game"
"Bulletproof"
"Ride It"
"Burn The Truth"
"Hard Road"
"Alive Today"
"Line Of Division"
"Sleeping Voices"
"Life Is Love Is Music"

"Leap Of Faith" video:

"Burn The Truth" lyric video:

"Alive Today" video:

Catch The End Machine on tour on the US West Coast this April. Dates listed below.

April
4 - Los Angeles, CA - Whisky A Go Go
5 - Las Vegas, NV - Vamp'd
6 - Tucson, AZ - Club XS

Limited amount of VIP Packages available here.

Lineup:

Robert Mason - Vocals
Mick Brown - Drums
Jeff Pilson - Bass
George Lynch - Guitars




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Guitar legend Yngwie Malmsteen will release his new album, Blue Lightning, on March 29th via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group. An official lyric video for the title track is available for streaming below.

The album will be available on CD, Lightning Blue Marble 2LP (webshop exclusive) and Ltd Edition CD Box Set. Pre-order here.

To call Yngwie Malmsteen a 'maestro' or 'virtuoso' is to state the obvious. But such terms don't do sufficient justice to either his talent or impact. There are innumerable guitarists who have copied a small part of the vast musical spectrum that defines him, but nobody comes close to achieving what he has over a period of nearly four decades.

This man is an undoubted pioneer, someone whose style and creativity has inspired so many others. While he first came to everybody's notice in Los Angeles with Steeler's self-titled album (1983), followed by Alcatrazz's No Parole From Rock 'N' Roll the same year and Live Sentence ('84), it's been what he's done since in a distinguished and far ranging career as a solo performer and band leader that has momentously shown Malmsteen's craft and worth as one of the elite guitarists on the planet. Combining skills that span a vast spectrum of inspirations, he stands as a giant, melding melody, technique and an epic scope in a unique and inclusive fashion.

Now, with Blue Lightning, the man highlights not only his enduring dexterity and diversity, but also pays homage to those from the Blues world who have fueled his artistic spirit for so long.

“I have always played around with old songs, both live and also in the studio. I did a similar album called Inspirationa while ago (1996), and it was Mascot who came to me and suggested I do a blues record.”

“Now, I grew up in a classically trained family, and people know me for playing in what is called a neo classical style. But when I got a guitar for my fifth birthday, what I would try to emulate were John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers - I would jam along to what they did on record with Eric Clapton (Bluesbreakers With Eric Clapton album). That's something people don't realize about me - I do have a strong interest in the blues. So, when Mascot came to me with the suggestion of doing an album of songs in this style, it didn't faze me at all. In fact, it seemed so natural.”

What Malmsteen has done here is combine choices which might seem almost obvious with some that will turn heads. He shares, “There were songs that were immediately clear I wanted to do. These were the likes of 'Purple Haze' and 'Smoke On The Water' which I have been playing since I was a kid. But then I also went for something like 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' which I wasn't sure I could do. In this case, it's about trial and error. I am delighted that I was able to do justice to the original.”

Anyone who is expecting Malmsteen to copy exactly the way the original versions sound is in for a shock. Because that is not what he has done. He reflects, “I have never been one of those people who wants to sit down and mimic the way in which a song sounds on record. I don't see the point in doing that. If all you want to hear is a song the way you remember it, then the originals are there for you. What I have done is add in my own vibe and personality, while paying tribute to what you already know. That way I feel I am being myself, yet also being respectful to those artists.”

One thing this album has allowed Malmsteen to do is to challenge himself, which is certainly the case of Eric Clapton's “Forever Man.” He offers, “I heard this on the radio, and honestly I didn't know whether I could do it for this album. But I sat down and tried things, and they worked out. I had to rise to the occasion and am delighted to have done exactly that.”

This track showcases not only Malmsteen's celebrated guitar qualities, but also his maturing individual vocal confidence. He reflects, “On the singing side with 'Forever Man,' I did it all in one take. I got the lyrics through, went into the studio, and just got them done. I am not someone who likes to do take after take. I feel you should be able to get it right the first time around. That applies to the vocal parts and also my guitar playing. And for the most part, this is the way I did Blue Lightning.”

The man has also paid homage to a particular favorite. He shares, “When I was ten years old, I got Deep Purple's Fireball album, which I have always thought was very undervalued. And the song that really killed me was 'Demon's Eye.’ And I was very keen to do it for the album. Thankfully, the key was just right for my voice, and I had so much fun doing it. In fact, I would say that I had a great time doing all the songs here.”

Aside from the covers, there are also four original tracks included. And these clearly bring to the fore Malmsteen's abiding love for the blues, as well as his capacity for doing interpretations possessed of emotion and depth. He offers, “I have always featured songs with a blues groove on albums. So, having my own material in this vein was very natural for me.”

The album is self-produced, and Malmsteen has followed a traditional manner in the way this was recorded. He shares, “In the old days, a band would go into the studio, do a couple of songs, then go out on tour, before returning to the studio to do a couple more new tracks. That's the way I did things this time. I have been so busy on the road in recent times that it was the most pragmatic way to do the album. In all, it took me about ten months to get it done, but by going in the studio in between touring commitments, I feel it kept everything fresh.”

Blue Lightning tracklisting:

"Blue Lightning"
"Foxey Lady" (Jimi Hendrix)
"Demon’s Eye" (Deep Purple)
"1911 Strut"
"Blue Jean Blues" (ZZ Top)
"Purple Haze" (Jimi Hendrix)
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (The Beatles)
"Sun’s Up Top’s Down"
"Peace, Please"
"Paint It Black" (Rolling Stones)
"Smoke On The Water" (Deep Purple)
"Forever Man" (Eric Clapton)

"Blue Lightning" lyric video:

"While My Guitar Gently Weeps":

"Sun’s Up Top’s Down" lyric video:

Trailer:




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Swedish riff lords Grand Magus will release their new studio album, Wolf God, on April 19th via Nuclear Blast. Pre-order the album here.

Today, the band releases the second single, entitled "Brother Of The Storm". Watch the lyric video below.

Band frontman and general overlord JB states: "The moon has returned, and with it comes a change. It could be someone you know, it could be you. An aspect of yourself that has always been there."

Pre-order Wolf God now digitally and receive "Brother Of The Storm" and the title track instantly (on Amazon and iTunes).  

Recorded in Sweetspot Studio in Sweden, together with producer Staffan Karlsson, the corner stone was laid for another triumphal procession. As the majority of the songs were recorded on the first take, they have an honest, diverse and yet down-to-earth sound that envelops the trio’s true power.

Tracklisting:

"Gold And Glory"
"Wolf God"
"A Hall Clad In Gold"
"Brother Of The Storm"
"Dawn Of Fire"
"Spear Thrower"
"To Live And Die In Solitude"
"Glory To The Brave"
"He Sent Them All To Hel"
"Untamed"

"Wolf God" lyric video:




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Baltimore, Maryland-based death metallers, Misery Index, released their new album, Rituals Of Power, earlier this month via Season of Mist. A video for the song "Naysayer" can now be seen below.

Rituals Of Power sees the powerhouse quartet unleash a barrage of ferocious death metal as violent as it is savvy. Their vicious vocals spit venom, laying bare the ills of a dystopian society gone mad. As rampaging new tracks like "New Salem", the title track, and "I Disavow" so brashly prove, Rituals Of Power is world-class modern extremity and Misery Index only grows more powerful with time.

"Rituals Of Power is a disavowal and warning against the consequences of our so-called 'post-truth' age," says the band. "Each of the nine songs revolves loosely around this theme, yet each track also stands very much on its own. As an album however, they are all brought to life as one 'reanimated' monster; it's roughly thirty-five minutes of unhinged, yet cohesive, riff-driven aural ballistics. We were pissed off and on fire during both the writing and recording, and we think it shows in spades. We set out to write the best album we could, based on what we would want to hear first as fans of this music, and we could not be happier."

Rituals Of Power will be released on several formats including jewel case CD, limited LP, limited cassette, limited deluxe digibox which includes bonus cover tracks - Nailbomb's "Wasting Away" and M.O.D.'s "Man Of Your Dreams" (featuring Rob Barrett from Cannibal Corpse) - as well as a carabiner with key strap and bottle opener, a patch, and three vinyl stickers, and digitally. For pre-order options head here.

Cover art by Raphael Gabrio at Insane Visions.

Tracklisting:

"Universal Untruths"
"Decline And Fall"
"The Choir Invisible"
"New Salem"
"Hammering The Nails"
"Rituals Of Power"
"They Always Come Back"
"I Disavow"
"Naysayer"

"Naysayer" video:

"Rituals Of Power" lyric video:

"New Salem" video:

"I Disavow" lyric video:

"The Choir Invisible" lyric video:

Album stream:

A European tour with Wormrot and Truth Corroded starts this weekend.

March
23 - Heidelberg, Germany - Heidelberg Deathfest
24 - Nürnberg, Germany - Z-Bau
25 - Wien, Austria - Escape Metalcorner
26 - Brno, Czech Republic - Melodka
27 - Dresden, Germany - Chemiefabrik
28 - Kassel, Germany - Goldgrube
29 - Berlin, Germany - Cassiopeia
30 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Grindhoven
31 - München, Germany - Backstage

April
1 - Zürich, Switzerland - Werk21
2 - Segrate MI, Italy - Circolo Magnolia
3 - Genf, Switzerland - Usine
4 - Paris, France - Glazart
5 - Sint Niklaas, Belgium - De Casino
6 - Essen, Germany - Turock

(Photo - Heidi Strengell)




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Steve Perry has released his first official music video in nearly 25 years, for "We're Still Here", a track from his latest album, Traces. A series of live performance videos were released previously in support of Traces, however, the new clip for "We're Still Here" represents Perry's first official video as a solo artist since "Missing You" in 1994 and his first official video overall since Journey's "When You Love A Woman" in 1996.

The neo-noir inspired clip, directed by Myriam Santos (Common, Andra Day, Tommy Lee) captures Perry driving a shiny, black '70 Chevelle SS through the same Hollywood streets that moved him to co-write this reflective, affecting ballad with Canadian producer/songwriter Brian West.

Perry shared the story behind "We're Still Here": "Brian and I had just started writing the song and were sketching it out in the studio. When we broke for dinner I went to this place down the street, and that was the first time I'd been in Hollywood in a long time. There I was on Sunset Blvd. and Hollywood and Vine just walking around. I saw a whole new generation of 16 and 17-year old's running around just...alive. And through these kids I felt a kinship. We're still here doing the same thing."

Upon its release last fall, Steve Perry's Traces was met with wide-acclaim and tremendous excitement from fans and critics all over the world. The album entered the Billboard 200 Albums chart at #6, Perry's highest debut as a solo artist and earned the Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer his best-ever chart entries in the UK, Germany, Canada and Japan.

Now Traces getsthe deluxe treatment. The album's full, expanded tracklist of 15-songs (the standard album plus 5 bonus tracks from the Traces sessions) is now widely available for the first time in a variety of formats. Fans can purchase the album digitally, on CD and in two 180-gram 2LP vinyl versions, one that features a collectible, limited-edition 3D lenticular cover. (The full tracklistings are below.) In addition, brand-new, special edition merchandise is now available exclusively on Steve's online store.

"These bonus tracks - 'October In New York', 'Angel Eyes', 'Call On Me', 'Could We Be Somethin' Again', and 'Blue Jays Fly' - are some of my most favorite songs in this 15-song collection," stated Perry. "I'm so glad they will now be available everywhere."

Listen to and buy Traces here.

CD tracklisting:

"No Erasin'"
"We're Still Here"
"Most Of All"
"No More Cryin'"
"In The Rain"
"Sun Shines Gray"
"You Belong To Me"
"Easy To Love"
"I Need You"
"We Fly"
 
Bonus Tracks:
"October In New York"
"Angel Eyes"
"Call On Me"
"Could We Be Somethin' Again"
"Blue Jays Fly"
 
Vinyl tracklisting:

Side A
"No Erasin'"
"We're Still Here"
"Most Of All"
"No More Cryin'"
"In The Rain"

Side B
"Sun Shines Gray"
"You Belong To Me"
"Easy To Love"
"I Need You"
"We Fly"

Side C
"October In New York"

Side D
"Angel Eyes"
"Call On Me"
"Could We Be Somethin' Again"
"Blue Jays Fly"

(Photo - Myriam Santos)




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Two new MÖTLEY CRÜE songs, "Ride With The Devil" and "Crash And Burn", can be streamed below. The tracks appear on "The Dirt Soundtrack" that accompanies the upcoming Netflix film "The Dirt", based on The New York Times best-selling 2001 autobiography by CRÜE and Neil Strauss.

Due on March 22, the 18-song soundtrack mastered by Grammy winner Dave Donnelly features a collection of MÖTLEY CRÜE classics that meaningfully underscore significant moments that shape the film. The album includes 14 fan favorites and chart-topping tracks such as "Dr. Feelgood" that charted at No. 6 on Billboard's Hot 100 and the anthemic "Girls, Girls, Girls" which reached No. 2 on the Billboard Top 200, among others. Additional hits featured are "Kickstart My Heart", "Same 'Ol Situation (S.O.S.)", "Shout At The Devil" and the iconic ballad "Home Sweet Home" that landed the band mainstream recognition.

Exclusive to the film's soundtrack, MÖTLEY CRÜE recorded four new songs featuring the single, "The Dirt (Est. 1981) (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)" with effortless rap verses surrounding signature guitar riffs. The three remaining songs conclude the album with aforementioned "Ride With The Devil" and "Crash And Burn", plus a cover of Madonna's "Like A Virgin".

MÖTLEY CRÜE's members signed a pact that they would not tour again, but bassist Nikki Sixx said this about the new songs: "During the filming of our movie, we got excited and inspired to write new music. Getting back in the studio with [producer] Bob Rock just fueled the creative fires for us. To me, the music sounds like classic MÖTLEY. The lyrics were written for the movie and are a reflection of our life."

"The Dirt" movie, which was helmed by "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" director Jeff Tremaine, was picked up by Netflix after being previously developed at Focus Features and before that at Paramount.