"Face Of Fear" encapsulates, in grand form, the prior evolution of Edge Of Paradise as the band turns a page to a whole new world of sound, revealed in the coming months of 2019, in the form of their third album, Universe.

Singer, Margarita Monet states; "I want to dedicate this song/video to a childhood friend of mine who took his own life, and to all those who battle their inner demons. There is a lot of hatred in this world, and the wide reach of internet and social media enables and disguises those behind it. This darkness about our society plays a big role on our mental state. If you experience negativity of others, just remember that all actions are rooted in love or fear, and hate is the face of fear! We can not let this effect us, instead we have to break the cycle and rise above it, be good and support one another regardless of race, social status or place of birth and remember that all life is worth fighting for.

Get the single via iTunes, and listen via Spotify. A video for the song can be found below.

Sponsored by Souls Of Rock Foundation, and directed by Val Rassi, the "Face Of Fear" video was filmed on location in the grandiose landscape of Iceland, in hopes that the beauty and magic of the planet we live on, can inspire and empower. The band chose to film in many vast remote locations, regardless of the difficulty in getting there. Both the film crew and band members embraced this challenge. For that reason, the collective decision was made to refrain from making a video full of special effects, and to focus on the massive, awe inspiring Iceland landscape, captured by our drone pilot and photographer Darren Lafreniere!.

Edge Of Paradise moves forward into 2019, featuring new members, both in the band and throughout the production team and are excited to share "Face Of Fear" as the band transitions to the new world of the upcoming album Universe.  

To enter a giveaway for a Face Of Fear 18X24 metal shifting image poster, just leave a comment in the YouTube comment section. Winner will be picked at random and announced January 27th on the band's Facebook page.

Tour dates:

January
31 - ShinyYokoBell - Yokohama, Japan

February
2 - Shimokitazawa Era - Tokyo, Japan

Vocalist Tony Harnell, who's had several stints fronting the Norwegian band, was recently interviewed by Jason "Bakko" Bakken for the Cobras & Fire Podcast, which can be heard below. At the 29:42 mark, Tony gets into how much he hates the band name TNT, an excerpt has been transcribed as follows: 

“When I joined the band in '84, one of the things I really tried to convince them right off the bat, I tried to convince them to change the name. That was one of the first things. They got sick of it because I wouldn’t let it go. I was like really harping on that quite a bit. I really hated the name. I thought it was generic. I thought we’d have trouble with it in the future. And I just didn’t think it represented the music at all. I thought the music was lush and diverse and interesting and I didn’t think that name did our music justice. So, it is what it is.”

On March 22nd, Frontiers Records will release TNT's Encore - Live In Milano on CD, DVD and Blu-Ray. The show was shot at Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy on April 30th, 2017 and features original vocalist Tony Harnell.

The tracklisting is as follows:

"Give Me A Sign"
"As Far As The Eye Can See"
"She Needs Me"
"Desperate Nights"
"Invisible Noise"
"Child's Play"
"Ironnic" (Ronni solo)
"Forever Shine On"
"Northern Lights"
"Tonight I'm Falling"
"Intuition"
"Seven Seas"
"Listen To Your Heart"
"10000 Lovers"
"Everyone's A Star"

Back in October 2017, TNT issued the following update:

“After a 35-year career... with a few scattered breaks and temporary line-up changes in that time, it is with a heavy heart that the remaining original members of Norwegian rockers TNT have made the decision to move on in separate musical directions.”

The band's management team expressed how extremely difficult this decision was for the band: “There is no easy way to break up a family.”

TNT’s message continues: “Being together for so long... even though separated by an ocean, they became brothers. Ronni (Le Tekro), Tony (Harnell) and Diesel (Dahl) wish nothing but the best for each other and will always be there for each other... although not musically.

TNT will continue with a new vocalist and new release through Frontiers Records to be announced very soon. The band will then commence international touring in early 2018 in support of the new release.

Tony will immediately start work on a new Starbreaker album, its third, also through Frontiers Records. A solo release is also in the works. Tony will start touring worldwide early in the new year, with Starbreaker shows planned after a solo tour.

You will all be hearing great music from them again very soon!!

Takk og god natt!!
Thank you and good night!!
Anata to yoi yoru o origato!!”

While Y&T was on tour in Japan last weekend, Dave & Jill's Meniketti Wines won two awards at the San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition. This was their first-ever wine competition.

Awards:

- 2017 Temptation Rosé won a Silver medal
- 2016 Forever Pinot Noir won a Bronze medal

Enjoy these award-winning wines for yourself. Meniketti Wines only have a few cases left of their 2017 Rosé, so get yours before it sells out. Order Meniketti Wines shipped directly to your door in 43 states.

Y&T performs next on January 25th at Grand Theatre Center For The Arts in Tracy, CA. Find the band's live itinerary here.

Los Angeles-based five-piece, The Crown Remnant, are gearing up for the release of their new album, The Wicked King: Part II, available tomorrow via Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Spotify and Bandcamp. The Wicked King: Part II, takes the listener on a dramatic, energetic joyride from start to finish.

In celebration of tomorrow's album release, the band have revealed a new music video for the epic track "Legacy", in which the band shows off their acting chops. Watch the music video below.

The Crown Remnant have mastered the art of melodic, theatrical, yet hard-hitting heavy metal, and the world is about to take notice. Combining a variety of metallic influences ranging from modern metalcore and prog, thrash and more, The Wicked King: Part II acts as the second part of the band's previous release, The Wicked King: Part I. Within the first month of its release, The Crown Remnant garnered over 10,000 streams of their first single cut from The Wicked King: Part I, entitled "Haunted". The band plans to follow suit and beyond with The Wicked King: Part II.

The Wicked King: Part II is loosely based on thematic concepts of oppression and tyranny. Originally recorded as one long album, the band decided to split it into two releases - with The Wicked King: Part II acting as the "darker" side of the two. Part II addresses tales of betrayal, mortality, exploring the afterlife and more. Intertwined within these ideals are scattered lyrics pertaining to the character designed on the front cover of the album: The Wicked King. He remains an everlasting shadow of a forgotten king set on immortality, with his insatiable lust for never-ending life.

The Wicked King: Part II was recorded in multiple studios throughout Southern California, with the help of S&W Audio, and producer/engineer Tyler Ruehl (Noble, At The Skylines, Taipan, Lion I Am). After a rigorous tracking process, the songs were mixed by Robin Leijon (In Dying Arms, Atena, Eternal Void).

The Wicked King: Part II tracklisting:

"Into The Depths"
"The End"
"Legacy"
"Inferno"
"The Eternal Façade"
"As Faith Fades"
"The Wicked King"

"Legacy" video:

"Inferno" guitar playthrough video:

"Inferno" live video:

Behind-The-Scenes Part 1 - "Into The Depths": https://youtu.be/qjSLgL7Wylk

Lineup:

Geordy Shallan - Lead Vocals
Will Ash - Lead Guitar
Jorge Lopez - Rhythm Guitar
Josue Lara - Bass Guitar
Art Ramirez - Drums

In November 2018, US dark melodic metal act Witherfall released their second studio album, A Prelude To Sorrow. Never resting on its laurels, the group led by the creative duo comprised of vocalist Joseph Michael (Sanctuary) and Jake Dreyer (Iced Earth) now announces the Vintage EP, with the CD, LP, and digital release to be available during the upcoming acoustic tour with Sonata Arctica and released via Century Media Records on March 22nd.

Witherfall reveals: “During the sessions for A Prelude To Sorrow, two cover songs were recorded that showed a different side of Witherfall, originally intended to be bonus tracks. A dark and somber version of Tom Petty’s 'I Won’t Back Down' with vocals recorded with Michael Wagener (Metallica, Skid Row) and an epic version of the Helloween classic 'A Tale That Wasn’t Right'. With the announcement of the Sonata Arctica Acoustic Adventures tour, it was decided to release these covers along with a few acoustic renditions of favorite Witherfall tracks.

"Along with new keyboardist Alex Nasla and session percussionist James “Timbali” Cornwell (Smokey Robinson, Earth Wind & Fire ), Joseph Michael, Jake Dreyer and Anthony Crawford retreated to Harmony Recording Studios in Hollywood, CA (Adele, Miley Cyrus) armed with acoustic guitars and bottles of wine to start working on acoustic arrangements for the tour. The sessions were fruitful and two acoustic versions of past Witherfall songs were recorded: a medley of 'Vintage' and 'Nobody Sleeps Here...' (originally on “Nocturnes and Requiems”) and an alternate arrangement of 'Ode to Despair'. Instead of keeping these as secrets and finally making the rare 'The Long Walk Home (December)' also available to an audience outside of Japan, the Vintage EP offers a collection of music that shows another dimension of the Witherfall sound.”

Mixed and mastered by Christopher “Zeuss” Harris and again featuring artwork by Kristian Wåhlin, Vintage will be released as strictly limited, hand-numbered CD digipak, on black and limited coloured vinyl as well as on all digital platforms.

Tracklisting:

Vintage Medley: "Vintage I", "Nobody Sleeps Here…", "Vintage II"
"A Tale That Wasn't Right" (Helloween cover)
"Ode To Despair" (acoustic)
"The Long Walk Home" (December)
"I Won't Back Down" (Tom Petty cover)
"Vintage" (album version)

Witherfall have kicked off the pre-sale for Vintage at www.witherfall.com/merch whereas the worldwide digital and physical pre-order via Century Media Records starts January 25th.

Furthermore, the Vintage EP also features new keyboardist Alex Nasla who will join Witherfall on the group's upcoming European tour kicking off March 13th in Oslo, Norway. An introductory clip can be viewed below:

VIXEN members Roxy Petrucci (drums), Share Ross (bass) and Brittany Denaro (guitar) have vowed to carry on with the band following the recent departure of singer Janet Gardner.

The trio issued the following statement earlier today: "To all our VIXEN friends and fans… Janet felt the time was right to pursue a solo career and devote more time to family.

"We respect Janet's bold and courageous decision to leave VIXEN and we'll always cherish the memories and music we made together as VIXEN.

"Moving forward as a band, we tip our hat to VAN HALEN who has two of the most recognizable frontmen in rock 'n' roll; Diamond David Lee Roth and the Red Rocker Sammy Hagar!

"With our new lead singer, we too will expand upon the VIXEN legacy while remaining true to our musical roots.

"VIXEN already has an amazing 2019 scheduled with a much-sought-after studio album in the works and a full slate of live performances!!!"

"More official updates and announcements forthcoming!!!"

Gardner, who released her debut self-titled solo album in 2017, broke the news of her exit from the group on January 16.

"After much soul searching and many sleepless nights, I have decided that it's time for me to step aside and let Roxy and Share pursue their vision for the future of VIXEN," she wrote.

"VIXEN will always have a very special place in my heart and I am incredibly grateful to have been a part of it," she continued.

"I would like to thank everyone for the amazing support over the years, and as Roxy and Share continue to keep the heart and soul of VIXEN alive and well and I continue on my path, your continued support to all would be greatly appreciated."

Gardner, Petrucci and Ross are considered to be part of VIXEN's classic lineup, along with founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund, who died of cancer in October 2013.

Gardner contributed lead vocals to VIXEN's most commercially successful studio albums — "Vixen" (1988), "Rev It Up" (1990) and "Tangerine" (1998) — as well as the group's latest release, last year's live album "Live Fire".

A year ago, Gardner underwent surgery to remove blood clots in her brain, a condition known as a subdural hematoma. At the time, she was touring in support of her solo album, which came out in August 2017 via Pavement Entertainment. The disc was a collaboration between the singer, who works days as a part-time dental hygienist, and her husband, guitarist/producer Justin James, who has previously worked with STAIND, COLLECTIVE SOUL and TYKETTO.

While Gardner was recovering from her surgery, VIXEN played a show in Durant, Oklahoma in March 2018 with a fill-in singer, Lorraine Lewis of FEMME FATALE.


To all our Vixen friends and fans...

Janet felt the time was right to pursue a solo career and devote more time to...Posted by Vixen on Friday, January 18, 2019

MetallicaTV has uploaded this professionally-filmed footage of Metallica performing the ...And Justice For All album track, "Harvester Of Sorrow", at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV on November 26th, 2018:

Metallica's tour schedule, which stretches into August 2019, can be found at this location.

Metallica have teamed up with Stone Brewing imprint, Arrogant Consortia, for Enter Night Pilsner. A 10-minute documentary, The Story Of Enter Night Pilsner, is available for streaming below.

"It’s certainly been no secret, but we are beyond excited to make the official announcement and introduction to Enter Night Pilsner, our collaboration with Arrogant Consortia, a Stone Brewing imprint," states a recent message from Metallica. "If you’ve been to one of our recent arena shows, you may have sipped from the black and red cans or even picked up a few in the surrounding neighbourhoods. Now we’re expanding nationwide, and come spring, taking it international covering Europe, Australia, China and beyond!

"Stone Brewing is the perfect partner for us with endless commonalities in our ideals, outlooks, and paths forward. Our views of the worlds that we each inhabit, of creativity and process, and of sense of place in relation to our peers and “The Man” are almost identical. This collaboration is beyond effortless and pure, and we can’t wait to share this incredible beverage with everyone out there. In conjunction with the leadership of Stone, we have participated throughout every step alongside their talented brewing team. From our HQ outside of San Francisco to Stone’s brewery and HQ in San Diego to many beers backstage at shows, the spirit of collaboration was powerful.

"Keep watching for Enter Night Pilsner at our shows as we fire up the tour again later this week and check out the Arrogant Consortia beer finder to locate Enter Night near you.

"Don’t see it in your neighborhood yet? Check back… our friends at Stone are putting those Enter Night cans and kegs in new locations all the time!"

1979 was a monumentous year for British hard rock with the birth of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and the subsequent rise of future giants of the genre. After 40 years and 22 studio album releases, SAXON remains one of those giants of British heavy metal and to prove the fact, the band is back in 2019 to play three iconic shows in iconic venues.

For the first time since the 1980s, SAXON will return to headlining London's legendary Hammersmith Odeon and Manchester Apollo, together with their largest Scottish show to date at Glasgow's Braehead Arena in October 2019, with a mega show featuring staples of SAXON shows past, the castle set in its enormity together with the classic Eagle Lighting rig!

In addition to the announcement of these shows, the band will release another chapter in the classic "The Eagle Has Landed Live" series of albums with "The Eagle Has Landed 4", out on general release on August 2 via Silver Lining Music. Renamed "The Eagle Has Landed 40" to commemorate the anniversary, the album will be a double CD set (available on other formats including a special box set) containing 40 songs spanning the bands career.

The tour dates are as follows:

October 18 - Glasgow, Braehead Arena

October 19 - London, Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith

October 20 - Manchester, O2 Apollo

To add to an already exciting spectacle, very special guest acts have been included on all shows to make these events no hard rock fan can bear to miss.

For London and Manchester, a four-band bill will include Swiss legends KROKUS who will play their first and only shows in the U.K. for many years together with friends and NWOBHM icons GIRLSCHOOL and DIAMOND HEAD. KROKUS have decided to retire after this year, so these will also be the band's last ever shows in the U.K.

Glasgow will feature special guests BLACK STAR RIDERS, fresh after the release of pending album No 4, together with GIRLSCHOOL opening the show.

Says SAXON frontman Biff Byford: "We are very happy to be celebrating 40 years of SAXON by playing these great venues — to be back at Hammersmith and Manchester Apollo is fantastic and to see all our Scottish friends at Braehead Arena just tops it off! The show will be the biggest and best since the classic era of the band and the set list will be…. Well let's say we'll start with 'Wheels Of Steel' straight into 'Strong Arm Of The Law' into 'Denim & Leather' … that good enough for you?"

KROKUS's Chris Von Rohr adds: "We all have very good memories about the British fans — and SAXON — long stick will go boom! Together we gonna set the damn roof on fire!"

Ricky Warwick from BLACK STAR RIDERS comments: "We are absolutely delighted to be special guests to our good friends SAXON at their Braehead Arena show. Glasgow is very dear to us and I personally … have a huge history with the City! Can't wait to see you all. This will be epic!"

Tickets go on sale Friday, January 25 at 10 a.m.

As a special offer to SAXON fans, the band have an exclusive pre-sale offer for "The Eagle Has Landed 40" from Friday, January 18 at 9 a.m. U.K. time.

Fans who pre-order the album before 8 a.m. on Friday, January 25 will receive exclusive U.K. tour ticket pre-sale access with all copies of the album including an exclusive replica of the band's Donington Monsters Of Rock 1982 set list hand signed by Biff Byford — ready to frame and display!

Metal Blade Records welcomes Tanith to its worldwide roster. Since the release of their debut 7" "Citadel" in February 2018, Brooklyn, New York's Tanith has garnered a swift rise of interest. Formed between a group of musicians and friends, this US/UK collaboration features the stellar musicianship of Russ Tippins (guitar, vocals) of Satan fame, this time around sharing lead vocals with Cindy Maynard (bass, vocals) and lead guitar with Charles Newton. The lineup is completed by Keith Robinson on drums.

Tanith comments: "It is a great honor to be working with Metal Blade. We started this band as friends, trying to make something new and exciting. Just one year later, we find ourselves signed to a label that we grew up with."

While the music is evocative of 70s-era bands like Blue Öyster Cult and Wishbone Ash, the band itself conveys a signature sound, mixing hard rock and folk elements. The dual lead voices and harmonies are warm and melodic, the twin guitars anthemic and soaring, all grounded by Robinson's adept drumming.

Their first release, "Citadel", was recorded 100% analog from tape to mixing to cutting the master direct to lathe, making it a very special record.

According to Russ, "for some time now, I've wanted to make music modelled on the organic sounding bands of the early 1970s. In particular, I wanted to record it entirely on analog tape, the way all music used to be made."

Tracked over two days by Hugh Pool at Excello Studios in Brooklyn, NY, Citadel is the sound of a full band playing live to 2" tape, with none of today's digital editing fixes. The 7" vinyl release of "Citadel" sold out in 10 weeks.

Since then, Hoove Child Records and Antheos Records have both put out cassette versions of the single, while Tanith made live appearances across the US, culminating at the Frost and Fire Festival in Ventura, California in 2018.

Following the initial release and tour, the band has been writing to record enough songs for a full-length. Fans can expect this new Tanith album in spring 2019, so stay tuned for more news coming soon.

(Photo - Chris Shonting)

Malevolent Creation have released an unboxing video for their new album, The 13th Beast, out in Europe on January 18th, and in North America on March 1st. Watch below.

The North American edition of the record - the group's first since the passing of original vocalist Bret Hoffman, who died from colon cancer earlier this year - is available now for pre-order in both CD digipak and exclusive limited-edition Silver colored vinyl (300 copies) and cassette (100 copies), via M-Theory Audio.

The band - who's new lineup consists of Phil Cincilla (drums), Josh Gibbs (bass), Phil Fasciana (guitars) and vocalist/guitarist Lee Wollenschlaeger (Throne Of Nails, Imperial Empire) - premiered a music video for the song “Decimated” last week. Watch the clip below.

Musically, The 13th Beast expands upon 2014’s Dead Man’s Path, yet also incorporates a brutality known from albums such as The Will To Kill and Eternal, which is further accentuated by Wollenschlaeger’s understandable yet deeper vocal tone and songwriting contributions. Just like Dead Man’s Path, the record offers artwork by German Latorres, and was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö at Unisound.

“We’re pleased to bring you the latest domestic release from a death metal institution,” states M-Theory Audio founder Marco Barbieri. “My experience with Malevolent Creation goes back to reviewing their demos in my fanzine back in college. I have closely followed their career ever since and even worked with the band previously while employed by Century Media. Everyone had concerns about the band’s future after Bret’s passing but I can say the group has laid down another solid and punishing slab worthy of their name.”

The 13th Beast will be released in Europe on January 18th as black and limited coloured LP plus 4-page LP booklet, CD, and digital album - pre-sales are available here.

Limited colored vinyl editions available via the links below:

- 100x clear / 200x transparent red - CMDistro
- 200x transparent green - Nuclear Blast mailorder

The 13th Beast tracklisting:

"End The Torture"
"Mandatory Butchery"
"Agony For The Chosen"
"Canvas Of Flesh"
"Born Of Pain"
"The Beast Awakened"
"Decimated"
"Bleed Us Free"
"Knife At Hand"
"Trapped Inside"
"Release The Soul"

"Decimated" video:

"Mandatory Butchery" lyric video:

Malevolent Creation lineup:

Lee Wollenschlaeger - vocals / guitars
Phil Fasciana - guitars
Phil Cincilla - drums
Josh Gibbs - bass

Sacramento, California rockers TESLA will release their eighth studio album, "Shock", on March 8 via UMC. Produced and co-written by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen, the follow-up to June 2014's "Simplicity" is available on CD, digital, black vinyl, and limited-edition translucent blue vinyl formats. Fans who pre-order the album will receive the album title track is an instant-grat free download.

"Shock" track listing:

01. You Won't Take Me Alive

02. Taste Like

03. We Can Rule The World

04. Shock

05. Love Is A Fire

06. California Summer Song

07. Forever Loving You

08. The Mission

09. Tied To The Tracks

10. Afterlife

11. I Want Everything

12. Comfort Zone

Collen previously co-wrote and produced the TESLA song "Save That Goodness", which was released in August 2016 and included on the "Mechanical Resonance Live!" album.

TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon told The Metal Voice about "Shock": "It definitely has an '80s kind of polished production... but there is no real direction. I always quote '[This Is] Spinal Tap', when Nigel [Tufnel] says, 'Changing our style is our style.' We don't really pigeonhole ourselves into one sound. We've got elements of metal, country, Americana, a lot of these different directions... This new album, it has the big production, but every song sounds different. Each guy in the band has a different influence. I'm influenced by southern rock a lot, so you're going to hear some slide guitar riffs on there, but there's also, like, [bassist] Brian Wheat, who's influenced by QUEEN and THE BEATLES, so you're going to hear these big Beatle vocals. Phil Collen obviously, you're going to hear some DEF LEPPARD-style influence... It's a combo pizza, man. It's got everything on it."

Regarding Collen's involvement in "Shock", Frank said: "Phil came to us and wanted to produce an album for us... Phil really, really helped us. I'll be honest — we were at a low point after we did [2014's] 'Simplicity'. We were really frustrated, and we were probably not going to make another album. Phil had a bunch of song ideas, and a lot of the writing on the new album is co-written with Phil. He interjected a lot of positive energy for us and helped us get back on our feet. He's bringing production quality and details that we would have not done and haven't done in the past. Some fans may not like it; some fans are probably going love it. This is something that we wanted to try, we've never worked like this before. Mutt Lange is a producer that really has techniques that are very detailed in the studio, and Phil obviously has experienced all that, and he brought that type of approach into making a TESLA record, which we'd never done before. There's a lot of killer sonics. The sound of this new record is really... I don't know how to describe it. It's just awesome; it's produced; and, like, really powerful."

TESLA's current lineup includes four of the five original members: Jeff Keith (vocals), Frank Hannon (guitars), Brian Wheat (bass) and Troy Luccketta (drums). Guitarist Dave Rude joined in 2006 as the replacement for Tommy Skeoch.

“Firelights” is the second single Swallow The Sun are releasing off of their new opus, When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light,, which will be available on January 25th.

"From the ultimate depths of Lumina Aurea we rose upon the water. Now it is time to light the first torches in the night. Death might be stronger than life, but Love is always stronger than death. This is Firelight!" - Swallow The Sun

The video was again directed and produced by Aapo Lahtela and Vesa Ranta. Watch below:

Fueled by personal loss (the album title has its origins in Trees Of Eternity's “Broken Mirror”) and powered by the will to continue, When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light showcases the group’s ability to maintain its signature sound while expanding upon horizons and diving deeper into the crevasse of doom-death metal. While the previous released single “Lumina Aurea” marks the band’s darkest and most sinister piece of music the band has ever released, When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light follows a more positive approach and continues in the vein of previous albums – first-rate death-doom in the typical style of Swallow The Sun.

Pre-order the new album here.

When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light tracklisting:

"When A Shadow Is Forced Into The Light"
"The Crimson Crown"
"Firelights"
"Upon The Water"
"Stone Wings"
"Clouds On Your Side"
"Here On The Black Earth"
"Never Left"

"Upon The Water":

Swallow The Sun recently announced their direct support slot on Children Of Bodom's upcoming North American tour. Additional support will come from Wolfheart. Summer's Circle, Hollow Cry, and Fragmentum as openers for select dates. The tour starts March 13th in Quebec City and wraps on April 19th in New York City.

March
13 -  Imperial - Quebec City, QC*
14 - Corona Theater - Montreal, QC*   
15 - Bronson Centre - Ottawa, ON *
16 - The Phoenix Concert Theater - Toronto, ON*   
18 - St. Andrews - Detroit, MI**  
19 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL**      
20 - Skyway Theater - Minneapolis, MN**      
22 - The Summit - Denver, CO **     
23 - Metro Music Hall - Salt Lake City, UT**      
25 - The Palace Theatre - Calgary, AB**  
26 - Union -  Edmonton, AB**  
27 - The Vogue Theater - Vancouver, BC**      
29 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA**   
30 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR ***   

April
1 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA***    
2 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA ***   
3 - Club Red - Phoenix, AZ***    
5 - Alamo Music Hall - San Antonio, TX ***   
6 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX ***   
7 - Canton Hall - Dallas, TX ***   
9 - The Ritz - Tampa, FL *
11 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA *
12 - The Underground - Charlotte, NC *
13 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD*   
14 - Mr Smalls Theatre - Pittsburgh, PA*
16 - Westcott Theater - Syracuse, NY*
17 - The Royale - Boston, MA*
18 - Reverb - Reading, PA  *
19 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY *

* Summoner's Circle opening (March 13-16 & April 9-19)
** Hollow Cry opening (March 18-29)
*** Fragmentum opening (March 30  April 7)

Following the tremendous success of 2017’s The Night Siren, legendary guitarist Steve Hackett (ex-Genesis) will release his new studio album, At The Edge Of Light, on January 25th. The new album, which features ten songs, sees Steve unite a vast amount of styles ranging from guitar driven rock to epic orchestration, from world music to the reflective and atmospheric all brought together in Steve Hackett’s unique style.

Today sees the release of the third single from the album, titled "Beasts In Our Time", accompanied by a brand new video which you can watch below.

Steve comments: “The track ‘Beasts In Our Time’ is the main thrust of this album, exposing fear, greed and intolerance. The eagle in the video symbolises the hatred and violence which nationalism breeds... and the clown, deceptive destructive forces which masquerade as fun and innocuous. We live in dangerous times where we stand on the edge of an abyss... But there is still the hope that the light of compassion can still win through.”

Watch Steve discuss the new album in this interview:

At The Edge Of Light is released in a number of formats including a Mediabook CD plus extra DVD with 5.1 surround sound mix & behind the scenes documentary, double vinyl LP + CD, Jewelcase CD and digital album. Pre-order here.

Steve Hackett has established himself as one of rock music’s finest and recognizable guitarists through his time with the legendary Genesis who he joined in 1971 and a solo career following his departure from Genesis in 1977 and is a hugely influential guitarist particularly in the progressive rock genre. At The Edge Of Light will be Hackett’s 26th studio album in a solo career that began in 1975 with the release of his debut solo album, Voyage Of The Acolyte.

At The Edge Of Light was mainly recorded in Steve's own studio but also around the world. The album features international artists, including Durga and Loreley of Pink Floyd vocal fame with drummers Nick D'Virgilio and Simon Phillips from USA, Sheema on sitar from India, Icelandic drummer/percussionist Gulli Briem, tar player Malik Mansurov and Swedish bass player Jonas Reingold. This album also features Paul Stillwell on didgeridoo, Rob Townsend on sax, bass clarinet and duduk, Amanda Lehmann on vocals, John Hackett on flute, drummer Gary O’Toole, Roger King and Ben Fenner on keyboards, Dick Driver on double bass, violinist and viola player Christine Townsend. All magically honed and engineered by Roger King.

Tracklisting:

"Fallen Walls And Pedestals"
"Beasts In Our Time"
"Under The Eye Of The Sun"
"Underground Railroad"
"Those Golden Wings"
"Shadow And Flame"
"Hungry Years"
"Descent"
"Conflict"
"Peace"

"Underground Railroad":

"Under The Eye Of The Sun" video:

The album is released shortly before Steve performs as special guest on the Cruise To The Edge in February 2019 and the On The Blue cruise featuring Justin Hayward, also in February.

You can find a full list of upcoming tour dates here.

(Photo - Tina Korhonen)

These four youngsters have everything that will make ‘80s thrash metal great again: Time to grab your old denim vest from your wardrobe and get back into the mosh pit, as Fusion Bomb are here to revive your Metal spirit! But let's start right from the beginning, in Luxembourg, anno 2010. Just when puberty truly struck and thrash metal has been the bee’s knees, Fusion Bomb went through a nuclear fission and the band saw the light of day. Today, puberty has mostly faded, but passion and dedication have stayed. As it's tradition, the first few years were spent with jamming and drinking beer together, while the work on Fusion Bomb''s first EP 'Pravda' started. Being a young and motivated thrash metal band, there is certainly nothing more enticing as being on stage, which is why Fusion Bomb never stand still to wait for their fortune, but instead played the crap out of stages of all sizes: As support for Megadeth, Tankard or Dust Bolt, Fusion Bomb have already impressively left their first stamp in nowadays metal scene. Inspired by bands such as Exodus, D.R.I. and Violator, Fusion Bomb are here to fight false metal and cheap pizza-thrash, and are finally set to release their first full-length on January 25th 2019 with Berlin-based label Iron Shield Records.

Today the up and coming band from Luxembourg is sharing another tasty appetizer with us and premiering a brand new music video for the track “Slam Tornado” on BraveWords! “‘Slam Tornado’ is our ‘Toxic Waltz’. A true thrash metal anthem about everything that makes this genre so great and to what it drives you live – circle pits, compound fractures and a lot of fun!” the band comments. “As you can see in the video, we had a lot of fun on and off-stage too, partying hard together with Tankard, the Swedes from Warfect and the Danes from Impalers on our second Eastern Europe tour. This was the ride of our lives and we are hungry for more. Let the slammin' begin!”

Recorded at the Holtz Sound Studios in Tuntange (Luxembourg) by the band itself, Concrete Jungle was mixed and mastered by US based producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who is known for his excellent work for bands alike Municipal Waste, Revocation or Hatebreed. The result is a timeless piece of aural assault that sounds so fierce and brutally fresh, as it can only be the natural follow-up to the band's 2016-debut EP 'Pravda'. Concrete Jungle will be available in CD and Digital Download formats January 25th on Iron Shield Records.

Tracklisting:

“Zest Of Scorn”
“Knuckleburger”
“Concrete Jungle”
“You’re A Cancer To This World”
“Blazing Heat”
“T.M.N.A.”
“Bird Of Prey”
“Nyctophobia”
“Slam Tornado”
“I Never Denied” (Excel cover)

(Photo by: Michael Ghasemian)

Frontiers Music Srl will release Ride To Nowhere, the third studio album by Inglorious, on January 25th. A music video for the album track "I Don't Know You" is available for streaming below.

In amongst their touring commitments, Inglorious spent 2018 writing and recording their third studio album, Ride To Nowhere. A much darker, more reflective album than their previous releases, the new songs further hone the Inglorious sound - the pulsating rhythms, driving guitars and infectious vocal melodies.

“This album is different in many ways. The songs came about very quickly. As with all our songs we start with a riff, and this time having new guitarist Drew added a new and heavier feel to a couple of songs. We wrote the basics mostly together all in one room on acoustic guitars and then I went away and crafted the stories I wanted to tell. For me this album is very personal. I am for the first time writing about a lot of my feelings, relationships and losses...” - Nathan James

“On this album I feel that the songs are a true reflection of what we’ve been through over the past few years - both as a band and as individuals. You’ve got the highs, the lows and lessons learned along the way. The making of this album was at a time when we all had our own personal situations and changes to deal with. I feel that this definitely comes through on the recordings and particularly songs like ‘Tomorrow’, ‘Where Are You Now?’ and ‘Glory Days”. - Colin Parkinson

The recording of Ride To Nowhere involves for the first time new guitarist Drew Lowe, who says, “The album is the next step for the band in maturity. Being that it's my first, I wasn't sure what to expect, but as soon as we started we knew what type of record was coming. Hopefully the fans will love it as they follow us on the musical journey.”

From the body blow riffs of the first single “Where Are You Now?”, to the beautiful melodies and bluesy overtones of “I Don’t Know You,” from the assault of “Freak Show” to the acoustic ballad “Glory Days”, Ride To Nowhere is an absolute gem of an album, showing not only all the influences from iconic rock albums of the 70’s, but also offering the band’s own sound and interpretation. As with Inglorious “II”, the album was mixed by the legendary Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith).

“There’s a lot of variety on this album, more so than the previous ones and that I really like. Sonically I think it sounds more fresh, contemporary in a sense and that goes for a bunch of songs on the album as well. Just the singles alone are different than how we’ve sounded in the past, but still have the Inglorious feel and vibe! Lastly I also think that musically it’s better than the previous albums, everyone plays very tasteful, soulful and collectively I feel that it’s perfect!” - Andreas Eriksson

“We’re all really happy with the way the new record sounds and look forward to seeing how the fans receive it. I personally can’t wait to play the new material live on the road!”- Phil Beaver

The album will be released on CD, Limited Edition Box Set (CD + T-shirt “L" size), Vinyl, Limited Edition Crystal Vinyl - exclusive to Frontiers online shop, Limited Edition White Vinyl - exclusive to the Inglorious online shop.

All vinyls are gatefold sleeve.

Tracklisting:

"Where Are You Now?"
"Freak Show"
"Never Alone"
"Tomorrow"
"Queen"
"Liar"
"Time To Go"
"I Don’t Know You"
"While She Sleeps"
"Ride To Nowhere"
"Glory Days"

"I Don’t Know You" video:

"Ride To Nowhere":

"Where Are You Now?" video:

Following their show stealing main stage performance at Download festival 2018, Inglorious have also announced a full UK tour. The band will be bringing their stunning live performance to venues across the UK to support the release of Ride To Nowhere. Full dates are as follows:

January (with City Of Thieves)
28 - Southampton, UK - Engine Rooms
29 - Bristol, UK - Academy
31 - Norwich, UK - Waterfront

February (with City Of Thieves)
1 - London, UK - Shepherds Bush Empire
2 - Birmingham, UK - Institute (Frontiers Rock UK Festival)
3 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
5 - Glasgow, UK - Garage
6 - Newcastle, UK - Boilershop
7 - Manchester, UK - Academy 2
8 - Bingley, UK - Arts Centre

Tickets on-sale now from all usual outlets.

An official video trailer has been released for Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund's upcoming horror-movie biopic on Norway's notorious Mayhem, Lords Of Chaos. Watch below.

The film, being released by Gunpowder and Sky, is co-produced by VICE Studios, 20th Century Fox, Scott Free Productions and Insurgent Media, opens in theaters February 8th and On Demand February 22nd.

Drawing from personal experience - Åkerlund was for a drummer for the Swedish extreme metal band Bathory for a short time in the early 80s - his adaptation of Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind's book Lords Of Chaos details of the group's rise and fall via Mayhem's co-founder/guitarist Øystein Aarseth, aka Euronymous (Rory Culkin) and his relationship with two volatile collaborators: Per Yngve Ohlin aka Pelle aka Dead (Jack Kilmer), the band's ultra-melancholic first singer who killed cats and then himself; and Varg Vikernes, aka the Count (Emory Cohen), a fellow outcast and Aarseth's eventual murderer.

Visit the official Lords Of Chaos website here.

Sweden’s Corroded have released an official music video for "Breathing", the third single from the band's fifth album, Bitter. This is the third and last episode in a trilogy of videos produced by Bullsize Productions. Watch all three clips below:

Episode 1 - "Cross":

Episode 2 - "Burn":

Episode 3 - "Breathing":

Order the Bitter album here.

Royal Tusk have released a new music video for their track “Reflection”. Directed by Keenan Kirk, this is the second music video we’ve seen from the band from their latest LP, Tusk II.

“The video for Reflection was a blast to make,” says the band. “We wanted to show the pure rawness that is a Royal Tusk live show, no bells or whistles. We avoided the usual quick edits and stylized after-effects you often see in performance videos by constructing a practical effect which was really challenging to pull off."

"Without giving too much away, We only had one chance to shoot it, so what you get is an inspired, genuine, and raw performance, flaws and all. Just like a live rock show should be. What better time to drop it as we set out for our first American tour. Give it a spin, then come see it for yourself.”

Royal Tusk has also announced a new batch of European tour dates in support of Monster Truck. “Since the release of Tusk II, we’ve been shown nothing but love and support from our European fans,” says bassist Sandy MacKinnon. “Y’all have raised the bar high, so now it’s time for us to bring it. We couldn’t be more excited to be alongside our rock n roll brethren, Monster Truck. One thing is for sure, this tour is going to rock, rock real hard!”

Dates kick off on April 18th in Bristol, UK and continue on to the Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France, Austria, Denmark, Norway and finally culminate on May 23rd in Stockholm, Sweden. This is the first time the band will embark on a full-fledged European tour.

Royal Tusk is about to embark on a batch of US tour dates on the first ever SiriusXM Accelerator Tour. The band will be supporting New Zealand rock band Like A Storm alongside Afterlife. Dates kick off on January 23rd in Anaheim, CA and stretch coast to coast before wrapping up in Beaver Dam on February 23rd.

Finally, Royal Tusk has confirmed their participation in the 2019 Rock USA Festival taking place on July 18th - 20th in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

(Photo - Brandynn Pope)

The official music video for "No More Hollywood Endings", the title track of the forthcoming fifth album from Finnish metallers BATTLE BEAST, can be seen below. Due on March 22 via Nuclear Blast, the 11-song disc was recorded by keyboardist Janne Björkroth, Viktor Gullichsen and guitarist Joona Björkroth at JKB Studio. The production and mixing duties were handled by Janne. The cover artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (KORPIKLAANI, MANOWAR), who previously worked with BATTLE BEAST on 2017's "Bringer Of Pain".

The "No More Hollywood Endings" video was directed by Markus Nieminen and produced by Oy Routafilmi AB / Tuotantoyhtiö Legenda.

Keyboardist Janne Björkroth comments on the track: "The song tells a story about living up to other people's expectations and becoming a kind of a sidekick in one's own life. Hollywood conventions and media set unrealistic expectations and narrow ideals about such things as beauty and happiness, and it's easy to get lost while trying to fit the mould. The song claims that there isn't a universal pattern for happiness, but everyone has a right to be respected as they are and live a life that suits for themselves. It's a hymn to individuality."

"No More Hollywood Endings" track listing:

01. Unbroken

02. No More Hollywood Endings

03. Eden

04. Unfairy Tales

05. Endless Summer

06. The Hero

07. Piece Of Me

08. I Wish

09. Raise Your Fists

10. The Golden Horde

11. World On Fire

Bonus tracks (digipak and 2LP only!)

12. Bent And Broken

13. My Last Dream

BATTLE BEAST singer Noora Louhimo told Metal Casino about the musical direction of "No More Hollywood Endings": "We're gonna keep the same spirit as on the previous album. With the previous album, we learned a lot what we wanna do with our music, so it's gonna be maybe even more epic [laughs] than the last time."

Noora also talked about how the songwriting process has evolved since the band's split with longtime guitarist and main songwriter Anton Kabanen and addition of Joona Björkroth. "It has changed a lot, or totally," she said. "Of course, different songwriters. The previous album, the whole band wanted to contribute, and now after we had Joona in the songwriting process and kind of changed the whole dynamics in the band, we contributed, the whole band, in the songwriting process. I think it was… Not just because of the songwriting, but also the atmosphere nowadays, I think, it's very healthy and we like each other and I love to work in this band. And I think it's great to have more than just one person doing the songwriting and giving the opinions. Of course, someone has to say, 'Okay, this is the decision,' and not everyone can just decide about everything. But we also have to do compromises, because we are six people, six different opinions. But I think we are already on the way to see everybody's… who can do what in the band. I feel like my priority is to do the good vocals and performance and visual things, and I can happily leave songwriting to our most productive guys, like Janne and Joona — they have been so productive. And also our bass player, Eero [Sipilä], has written a few songs. So we are in a good place."

"Bringer Of Pain" was BATTLE BEAST's first album to feature Björkroth, who joined the band in 2015.

BATTLE BEAST in February 2015 parted ways with Kabanen due to "insurmountable disagreements" with the other members of the band.

SKID ROW was unleashed on the world when its self-titled debut album was released in January 1989. That year, the album steadily climbed the Billboard chart to peak at No. 6 on the strength of the band's hits "Youth Gone Wild", "I Remember You" and Billboard Top 5 single "18 And Life".

Rhino celebrates the 30th anniversary of the group's multi-platinum debut with a digital deluxe edition that includes the original album remastered for the first time, expanded with the bonus track "Forever". The deluxe edition also features a previously unreleased live performance from 1989, marking the first ever release of a full live show from the band. "Skid Row: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" is available now on all digital download and streaming services.

SKID ROW was formed in 1986 in Toms River, New Jersey. Two years later, guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, bassist Rachel Bolan, drummer Rob Affuso and singer Sebastian Bach signed with Atlantic Records. To record their debut, the quintet traveled to Royal Recorders in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin to work with producer Michael Wagener (DOKKEN, GREAT WHITE, WHITE LION).

Shortly after the album was released on January 24, 1989, "Skid Row" was certified platinum, and the band began touring the world, first with BON JOVI on its "New Jersey Syndicate" tour, and later with AEROSMITH during the band's tour for the album "Pump". The extensive touring, coupled with heavy rotation of SKID ROW's music videos on MTV, helped fuel the debut album's enormous popularity.

"Skid Row" would remain in the Billboard album chart's Top 10 for three months, and the record would eventually be certified platinum five times. The first single from the album — "Youth Gone Wild" — was followed by the Top 10 hits "18 And Life" and "I Remember You". "Skid Row: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" includes the song "Forever" as a bonus track. Originally recorded in 1988 during the sessions for "Skid Row", the song remained unreleased until 1998 when it appeared on "40 Seasons: The Best Of Skid Row".


"Skid Row: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" also features an unreleased recording of the band's April 28, 1989 performance at the Marquee club in California. The show includes powerful live versions of the classic hits from the album as well as fan-favorites such as "Rattlesnake Shake", "Piece Of Me" and "Big Guns", as well as the set-closing cover of the KISS classic "Cold Gin".

"Skid Row: 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" track listing:

01. Big Guns

02. Sweet Little Sister

03. Can't Stand The Heartache

04. Piece Of Me

05. 18 And Life

06. Rattlesnake Shake

07. Youth Gone Wild

08. Here I Am

09. Makin' A Mess

10. I Remember You

11. Midnight/Tornado

12. Forever (bonus track)

Live at the Marquee, Westminster, California (April 28, 1989):

01. Makin' A Mess

02. Piece Of Me

03. Big Guns

04. 18 And Life

05. Sweet Little Sister

06. Rattlesnake Shake

07. I Remember You

08. Here I Am

09. Youth Gone Wild

10. Cold Gin

Florida-based death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE have recruited Erik Rutan to fill in for guitarist Pat O'Brien on the band's upcoming tours. Rutan will appear live with the band for the "Decibel Magazine Tour" and the upcoming U.S. leg of SLAYER's final tour happening this May alongside LAMB OF GOD and AMON AMARTH.

This won't be the first time these death metal powerhouses have worked together; Rutan has produced four albums with CANNIBAL CORPSE ("Kill", "Evisceration Plague", "Torture", "Red Before Black") and is uniquely equipped to fill the role — he is one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists and is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL (who are co headlining the "Decibel" tour alongside CANNIBAL) throughout the '90s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars and production duties for his current band HATE ETERNAL.

O'Brien was arrested on December 10 on charges of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and burglary of an occupied dwelling with assault. Deputies say he burglarized a house and charged at a deputy with a knife.

O'Brien allegedly broke into a Northdale, Florida home and shouted that "the rapture is coming" before pushing a woman to the ground. He ran toward a responding deputy with a knife and was subdued with a stun gun.

Less than half a mile from where O'Brien was arrested, a fire broke out at the house he was renting, sending flames billowing into the night sky from the roof. Fire marshals found a large cache of weapon, locked safes and potential explosive devices inside O'Brien's home.

The owner of the home where O'Brien was arrested wouldn't go on camera but told ABC Action News he thought the guitarist was hallucinating when he spoke to him and claimed "someone was after him." The homeowner added O'Brien seemed scared and at one point even hid in his closet.

At a first appearance hearing on December 11, a Hillsborough County judge told the 53-year-old musician, clad in an anti-suicide vest with his hands and ankles chained together, that he would first have to pass a drug test before he would be allowed to post bail and leave jail.

O'Brien was released from Hillsborough County jail on December 14, after posting a $50,000 surety bond.

"Currents", a new song from acclaimed Swedish dark melodic metal masters EVERGREY, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new studio album, titled "The Atlantic", which will be released on January 25. The band has worked extensively on the follow-up to 2016's "The Storm Within" (which entered the charts on high positions in numerous countries).

EVERGREY again teamed up with Jacob Hansen, who — just like with the band's previous releases "The Storm Within" and 2014's "Hymns For The Broken" — took care of mixing and mastering.

EVERGREY's Tom S. Englund stated about the album's lyrical concept: "I think during the writing for the 'Hymns For The Broken' album, I started writing the lyrics, and I figured that I was writing about somebody else — somebody who was transitioning from being one person, leaving something that he was feeling secure within his life and entering another world. During that album, I realized that I was pretty much writing about myself, so I would say that 'Hymns For The Broken' was about realizing that you needed to make a move, while 'The Storm Within' was about the realization and the honesty that, fuck, this isn't going to work anymore — I have to leave, and the frustration and the fears and the darkness and all of that that came with that, but also some sort of hope for the future. At the same time, it wasn't set in play, and that's where 'The Atlantic' comes in. That's when you put both feet in the water and start shoving out the ship and leaving. I'm not saying that I'm on the other side of the ocean yet, but at least I embarked on the journey. The Atlantic — or any ocean — represents so much of what life is, really — the crashing waves, the darkness and the depths and the loneliness and the big vastness and feeling small in a huge world, and not knowing what is on the other side of the ocean and how that's going to treat you, [and] who you're going to become."

"The Atlantic" track listing:

01. A Silent Arc

02. Weightless

03. All I Have

04. A Secret Atlantis

05. The Tidal

06. End Of Silence

07. Currents

08. Departure

09. The Beacon

10. This Ocean

The cover art was created by Giannis Nakos and can be seen below.

Rival Sons' new album, Feral Roots, arrives everywhere on January 25th via Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb's major label imprint Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records. The album track, "Look Away", is available for streaming below.

Produced by longtime collaborator Cobb at Nashville’s famed RCA Studio A and the equally legendary Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Muscle Shoals, AL, Feral Roots marks Rival Sons’ Low Country Sound/Atlantic Records debut. Featuring covering artwork painted by renowned contemporary artist Martin Wittfooth,

Feral Roots is available for pre-order today with exclusive pre-order bundles - including limited edition vinyl and autographed lithographs of the Wittfooth designed cover art - available at rivalsons.com.

Feral Roots tracklisting:

"Do Your Worst"
"Sugar On The Bone"
"Back In The Woods"
"Look Away"
"Feral Roots"
"Too Bad"
"Stood By Me"
"Imperial Joy"
"All Directions"
"End Of Forever"
"Shooting Stars"

"Look Away":

"Feral Roots" visualizer:

"Back In The Woods":

"Do Your Worst":

Rival Sons have announced plans for their first full North American headline tour. The dates include stops at New York’s Brooklyn Steel, Philadelphia’s Union Transfer and Los Angeles’ Henry Fonda Theatre. The Sheepdogs will support on most dates.

Tickets are on sale now. For complete details, please visit rivalsons.com.

April
4 - Dallas, TX - Trees
5 - Fort Smith, AR - TempleLive
6 - Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
8 - Carrboro, NC - Cat’s Cradle
9 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Heaven Stage)
10 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
12 - Charleston, SC - Ladson Exchange Fairgrounds **
13 - Orlando, FL - Central Florida Fairgrounds **
14 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena**
17 - Philadelphia, PA - Union Transfer
18 - Boston, MA - Royale Night Club
19 - Toronto, ON - Danforth Music Hall ***
21 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Steel
22 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
23 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit
25 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
26 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
27 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre
29 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theatre
30 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Commonwealth Room

May
2 - Seattle, WA - Neptune Theatre
3 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
4 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theatre ***
6 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
7 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
9 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda Theatre

* Holiday show - No Sheepdogs
** Festival Lineup
*** No Sheepdogs

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

(Photo - Jimmy Fontaine)

FM will release their new live album & video, The Italian Job, on February 22nd via Frontiers Music Srl. Today, the band has released a video for "Closer To Heaven" to give fans a taste of the performance. Watch below.

Captured at Frontiers Rock Festival 2018, the band's absolutely electric performance is a must watch/listen for fans of the band and AOR/melodic rock lovers in general. Pre-order CD/DVD, Blu-Ray, and Digital here.

Hot on the heels of the release of their 10th studio album Atomic Generation, the UK’s finest melodic rock band, FM, kicked off their tour in support of the album with a typically stunning performance at Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy in April 2018.

FM offered up a set which included fan favorites and classic cuts taken from the band’s first two records, brand new additions to the setlist taken from their last two albums Heroes And Villains and Atomic Generation and some surprises, such as “Let Love Be The Leader", a single originally released in 1987.

The band’s performance was simply faultless and breathtaking. The rhythm section of Pete Jupp and Merv Goldsworthy didn’t miss a beat while Jem Davis provided rich sonic tapestries with his keyboards. Jim Kirkpatrick was absolutely amazing on guitar while Mr. Steve Overland offered more than earned the “Voice Of Rock” tag with his performance.

Tracklisting:

Intro
"Black Magic"
"I Belong To The Night"
"Life Is A Highway"
"Let Love Be The Leader"
"Someday (You’ll Come Running)"
"Killed By Love"
"Metropolis"
"Over You"
"Closer To Heaven"
"Does It Feel Like Love"
"Story Of My Life"
"Love Lies Dying"
"Bad Luck"
"Tough It Out"
"That Girl"
"Other Side Of Midnight"

"Closer To Heaven" (Live):

Danish masters of viking metal, Vanir, have delivered a first taste of their new album, Allfather, due to be released on February 15th via Mighty Music. "Fejd", the first single, comes with a fitting new music video in a day when the Danish Vikings are confirmed in Udgårdsfest, the new pagan/folk/viking festival taking place in Pumpehuset, Denmark, May 31st - June 1st.

"Fejd" deals with one of Denmark's most significant family reigns. The story about the son Svend Tveskæg and his father Harald Bluetooth. A showdown that not only dealt with different views of the culture, where Harald stood for change and the new "Christian path", and his son wanted a more conservative direction rooted in the Nordic gods. It is also a showdown that leads to a united Scandinavia through a strong commander who ruled from Denmark to England before his death in 1014. The album Allfather is a tribute to Tveskæg's accomplishments and the importance it had not only for the northern countries but also the English and European cultural heritage. "

Clean vocals on "Fejd" are sung by Martin Steene of Danish power metallers Iron Fire. All vocals are sung in Danish.

Since the formation of the band in 2009, Vanir have released four full-length albums and is now ready to launch their fifth album, Allfather.

There is no doubt that Vanir is the greatest Viking-metal act coming out of Denmark, with a discography that ranges from folk to death / black-metal influenced Viking metal.

With Allfather, Vanir have once again created a melodic death / black metal experience with a sharp focus on melody and brutal riffs, which should appeal to all fans of Amon Amarth, Immortal, Ensiferum, etc.

Vanir has in recent years focused on the Nordic countries as well as Germany and has played over 150 shows in Norway, Sweden, Germany and Denmark. In addition, the band has performed at a number of festivals including Hörnerfest, Boarstream Open Air, Barther Metal Open Air, Copenhell, Aalborg Metal Festival to name some of them. The band has received great praise for its energetic live performance.

On January 25th, King Diamond will release a new DVD/Blu-ray, Songs For The Dead Live, via Metal Blade Records.

There is only one King Diamond, and for more than thirty years the great Dane has been dropping classic albums and putting on shows fans remember for the rest of their lives. Perhaps the only downside to having such a formidable catalogue is that there are just too many great songs to fit into a single set. However, you would be hard-pressed to find a fan who wouldn't want to hear 1987's seminal Abigail in its entirety, and Songs For The Dead Live captures this, twice, and in very different locales.

Boasting eighteen songs per set, each of the two shows - Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015 - feature a brace of classic King Diamond and Mercyful Fate tracks including "Welcome Home," "Halloween," and "Eye Of The Witch" before launching into Abigail. The performances of the all-star lineup of musicians, comprising of guitarists Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and drummer Matt Thompson, are absolutely ferocious, hammering home every single moment.

For a new preview of Songs For The Dead Live, a video for "Sleepless Nights" (Live At Graspop) can be found below.

Pre-order the release in the following formats here:

- 2DVD/CD 6-Panel Digipak
- Blu-ray (includes audio digital download of Philadelphia Show)
- special edition box set with 5 discs (2DVD, 2CD, 1 Blu-ray) plus poster, flier, laminate, setlist, ticket, sticker, and guitar pick (limited to 3000 copies)
- opaque blue with white splatter vinyl (US retail exclusive - limited to 600 copies)
- opaque red with black splatter vinyl (US webstore exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- opaque white with black splatter vinyl (US webstore exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- transparent amber marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 700 copies)
- clear ghost white vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- orange-brown/black marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- black/purple melt vinyl (Nuclear Blast exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- orange/red marbled vinyl (Napalm exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- clear lavender marbled vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- clear ash grey marbled vinyl (Bengan exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- pink blue marbled vinyl (Ebay exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

Captured on film by director Denise Korycki for Wild Wind Studios, she worked closely with King on every aspect of filming, and throughout the viewer finds themselves front and center as the shows unfold. This includes some inventive camera placement, such as riding in on the back of the wheelchair as it is wheeled out to "Out From The Asylum" at the start of the show, or looking up from the coffin at the commencement of Abigail opener "Funeral", which adds an extra dimension to proceedings. Naturally, the theatricality that has become synonymous with King Diamond is there in full force, making for an even more immersive experience. The gothic stage set and the participation of actors playing out certain scenes tying into the songs definitely increases the drama and the sense of complete disconnect from the trappings of reality, ensuring that the shows remain riveting from start to finish.

While the setlists are virtually identical, the drastic difference in the two venues make for distinctly different atmospheres. The sweeping, epic scale of Graspop and the virtual sea of baying metalheads makes for a particularly thrilling spectacle, King holding them all in the palm of his hand. The Fillmore show is immediately more intimate, and rather than a mixed bag of metal lovers drunk on a weekend of the heavy stuff, the audience is comprised entirely of the King Diamond devout, screaming back every word, their love for their hero bleeding from every frame. Songs For The Dead Live gives those who missed out on seeing these shows in the flesh a chance to vividly experience them, offering so much deeper an experience than your run of the mill live DVD.

Graspop Metal Meeting tracklisting:

"Out From The Asylum"
"Welcome Home"
"Sleepless Nights"
"Halloween"
"Eye Of The Witch"
"Melissa"
"Come To The Sabbath"
"Them"
"Funeral"
"Arrival"
"A Mansion In Darkness"
"The Family Ghost"
"The 7th Day Of July 1777"
"Omens"
"The Possession"
"Abigail"
"Black Horsemen"
"Insanity"

"Sleepless Nights" (Live At Graspop):

"Arrival" (Live At Graspop):

"Welcome Home" (Live At Graspop):

"Come To The Sabbath" (Live At Graspop):

The Fillmore tracklisting:

"Out From The Asylum"
"Welcome Home"
"Sleepless Nights"
"Eye Of The Witch"
"Halloween"
"Melissa"
"Come To The Sabbath"
"Them"
"Funeral"
"Arrival"
"A Mansion In Darkness"
"The Family Ghost"
"The 7th Day Of July 1777"
"Omens"
"The Possession"
"Abigail"
"Black Horsemen"
"Insanity"

"Black Horsemen" (Live At The Fillmore) video:

"A Mansion In Darkness" (Live At The Fillmore) video:

"Sleepless Nights" (Live At The Fillmore) video:

A release party will take place at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, NY on February 6th at 7PM.

Featuring an appearance by Abigail, this event will include a showing of both shows from Songs For The Dead Live: Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015, both of which contain a brace of classic King Diamond and Mercyful Fate tracks before launching into "Abigail". To RSVP, please email: kingdiamondparty@gmail.com.

After surprising their fans with "Insomnia", the proggy and mad first single from their upcoming album, the Swiss progressive folk rockers Cellar Darling have dropped a brand new song and have finally announced long-awaited details about their new release. 

Their second studio album will be a concept album entitled The Spell and it is set to release on March 22nd. Pre-orders are available now and you can get the album as 2 CD-digibook (featuring 13 songs + an audiobook of Anna Murphy telling the story behind the concept), black vinyl or digitally via this link
 
Along with this news, Cellar Darling have unveiled the title track of the album.

"As some of you have discovered already, over the past 13 days we have revealed the tracklist of our new album, along with amazing artwork created by Costin Chioreanu, who is also behind all of the beautiful animated videos for the new songs. The 13 tracks of  The Spell invite you to witness the journey of a girl who falls in love with Death. In the song released today, a spell has been cast on our protagonist — for now, her love shall go unfulfilled…"

Tracklist:

"Pain"
"Death"
"Love"
"The Spell"
"Burn"
"Hang"
"Sleep"
"Insomnia"
"Freeze"
"Fall"
"Drown"
"Love Pt. II"
"Death Pt. II"

After the release of the proggy and cool "Insomnia", the band, true to their characters, have kept the secrecy regarding any other details of the new album including the album title or the release date. Looks like we might finally be solving some mysteries in the coming days. Watch this space.

Watch "Insomnia" below:

Grab the first chance to see the song performed live on the March/April 2019 European tour, with more dates being confirmed as we speak. Tickets are available here.

Tour dates:

March
21 - Sheffield, UK - Studio
22 - Pwllheli, UK - Hammerfest
23 - Cardiff, UK - The Globe
24 - Birmingham, UK - Hare & Hounds
26 - Norwich, UK - The Waterfront Studio
27 - Hull, UK - The Welly 2
28 - Glasgow, UK - Audio
29 - Dublin, Ireland - On The Rox
30 - Manchester, UK - Academy 3
31 - London, UK - The Jazz Café Camden

April
2 - Utrecht, Netherlands - De Helling
7 - Retorbido (PV), Italy - Dagda Live Club
9 - Rome, Italy - Traffic Live

June
13-15 - Interlaken, Switzerland - Greenfield Festival

Lineup:

Anna Murphy - vocals, hurdy-gurdy, multi-instrumentalist
Merlin Sutter - drums
Ivo Henzi - guitars, bass