A Pale Horse Named Death will release their third studio album, When The World Becomes Undone, on January 18th via Long Branch Records; an imprint of SPV. The title track can be heard below.

Beauty often blossoms at the root of darkness. A Pale Horse Named Death siphon strangely blissful melodies from apocalyptic heavy metal awash in swells of cavernous gothic keys and grunge song-craft. The band continue to excavate vulnerability from venom on their anxiously awaited third full-length album, When The World Becomes Undone. A delicate dichotomy drives the avowed and acclaimed "Brooklyn Lords of Doom."

"It's our signature combination of seemingly depressing and dark musical tones with unexpectedly pretty melodies," affirms Sal Abruscato. "There's a hypnotic phenomenon that happens when you take super heavy riffs and add a harmonic sensibility. It allows you to drift off and zone out."

The new album was mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Meat Loaf, Yes, Sepultura, Halford) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering while the artwork was once again created by Sam Shearon (Rob Zombie, Fear Factory, Cradle Of Filth).

When The World Becomes Undone is available for pre-order here.

Available album formats:

- Box-Set
- Limited and serially numbered (550 copies worldwide) incl. exclusive green-black marbled 2LP Version, CD Digipak, Beanie, Patch, Guitar pick, Sticker)
- Long Branch Records Shop Bundle
- EMP Bundle
- 2LP Edition incl. 180g black vinyl, printed inner sleeves and download code
- CD Digipak
- Download
- Stream

Tracklisting:

"As It Begins"
"When The World Becomes Undone"
"Love The Ones You Hate"
"Fell In My Hole"
"Succumbing To The Event Horizon"
"Vultures"
"End Of Days"
"The Woods"
"We All Break Down"
"Lay With The Wicked"
"Splinters"
"Dreams Of The End"
"Closure"

"Vultures":

"Love The Ones You Hate":

(Photo - Sandi Ryan Golightly Photos)

After releasing the remixed and remastered versions of their first seven studio records, Blind Guardian now start the pre-order for their next and final three reissues, The Forgotten Tales, Tokyo Tales and Live, on 2CD digipack and 2LP / 3LP gatefold vinyl format, in a variety of limited edition colors. The three reissues will be out on April 12th.

Pre-order your copies here.

The Forgotten Tales

CD1 (remastered 2012)
"Mister Sandman"
"Surfin’ USA"
"Bright Eyes"
"Lord Of The Rings"
"The Wizard"
"Spread Your Wings"
"Mordred’s Song"
"Black Chamber"
"The Bard’s Song - In The Forest"
"Barbara Ann"
"A Past And Future Secret"
"To France"
"Theatre Of Pain"
"All The King’s Horses"
"Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
"Don’t Talk To Strangers"
"Beyond The Realms Of Death"
"Hallelujah"
"In A Gadda Da Vida"
"You’re The Voice"

CD2 (original)
"Mister Sandman"
"Surfin’ USA"
"Bright Eyes"
"Lord Of The Rings"
"The Wizard"
"Spread Your Wings"
"Mordred’s Song"
"Black Chamber"
"The Bard’s Song - In The Forest"
"Barbara Ann"
"A Past And Future Secret"
"To France"
"Theatre Of Pain"

2LP (33 RPM)

Side A
"Mister Sandman"
"Surfin’ USA"
"Bright Eyes"
"Lord Of The Rings"
"The Wizard"
"Spread Your Wings"

Side B
"Mordred’s Song"
"Black Chamber"
"The Bard’s Song - In The Forest"
"Barbara Ann"
"A Past And Future Secret"
"To France"

Side C
"Theatre Of Pain"
"All The King’s Horses"
"Dream A Little Dream Of Me"
"Don’t Talk To Strangers"

Side D
"Beyond The Realms Of Death"
"Hallelujah"
"In A Gadda Da Vida"
"You’re The Voice"

Tokyo Tales

CD1 (remastered 2012)
"Inquisition"
"Banish From Sanctuary"
"Journey Through The Dark"
"Traveler In Time"
"The Quest For Tanelorn"
"Goodbye My Friend"
"Time What Is Time"
"Majesty"
"Valhalla"
"Welcome To Dying"
"Lord Of The Rings"
"Lost In The Twilight Hall"
"Barbara Ann"
 
CD2 (original)
"Inquisition"
"Banish From Sanctuary"
"Journey Through The Dark"
"Traveler In Time"
"The Quest For Tanelorn"
"Goodbye My Friend"
"Time What Is Time"
"Majesty"
"Valhalla"
"Welcome To Dying"
"Lost In The Twilight Hall"
"Barbara Ann"

2LP (33 RPM)

Side A
"Inquisition"
"Banish From Sanctuary"
"Journey Through The Dark"
"Traveler In Time"

Side B
"The Quest For Tanelorn"
"Goodbye My Friend"
"Time What Is Time"

Side C
"Majesty"
"Valhalla"
"Welcome To Dying"

Side D
"Lord Of The Rings"
"Lost In The Twilight Hall"
"Barbara Ann"

Live

CD1 (remastered 2012)
"War Of Wrath"
"Into The Storm"
"Welcome To Dying"
"Nightfall"
"The Script For My Requiem"
"Harvest Of Sorrow"
"The Soulforged"
"Valhalla"
"Majesty"
"Mordred’s Song"
"Born In A Mourning Hall"
 
CD2 (remastered 2012)
"Under The Ice"
"Bright Eyes"
"Punishment Divine"
"The Bard’s Song - In The Forest"
"Imaginations From The Other Side"
"Lost In The Twilight Hall"
"A Past And Future Secret"
"Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill)"
"Journey Through The Dark"
"Lord Of The Rings"
"Mirror Mirror"

3LP (33 RPM)

Side A
"War Of Wrath"
"Into The Storm"
"Welcome To Dying"
"Nightfall"

Side B
"The Script For My Requiem"
"Harvest Of Sorrow"
"The Soulforged"
"Valhalla"

Side C
"Majesty"
"Mordred’s Song"
"Born In A Mourning Hall"

Side D
"Under The Ice"
"Bright Eyes"
"Punishment Divine"
"The Bard’s Song - In The Forest"

Side E
"Imaginations From The Other Side"
"Lost In The Twilight Hall"
"A Past And Future Secret"

Side F
"Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill)"
"Journey Through The Dark"
"Lord Of The Rings"
"Mirror Mirror"

Swedish metal veterans Axe Witch have joined Skol Records. Saying that Sweden has a great tradition when it comes to heavy metal, is as obvious as saying that the sky is blue. Axe Witch maybe weren't as known as let's say Candlemass, Heavy Load or Europe, but managed to leave a great legacy, and all four albums they released back in the day, have these days legendary status. 

In 1982, shortly after doing first demo tape, the band debuted with a 4-track EP entitled Pray For Metal. While they were never hiding the fact that they were inspired by British acts such as Judas Priest, their very first recordings already presented their very own and unique sound. Skol Records will present CD reissues of the entire back catalogue of this premier Swedish act. The first one in the series, Pray For Metal, will hit the streets on March 15th, and will include 12 bonus tracks.

The new video below highlights some of Queen’s most epic moments of the 80s as they move onto playing stadium shows and their sound adapts to match. Including the legendary Wembley concerts and Rock In Rio, where they performed to the largest paying crowd in concert history. Also included are official videos for "Don’t Stop Me Now" and "Under Pressure", among many other gems.

Select cinemas across the globe are now offering sing-along showings of Queen biopic, Bohemian Rhapsody.

Click here to book tickets and get more info. Watch a trailer below:

Celebrate the iconic and heart-pounding music of Queen and Freddie Mercury when Bohemian Rhapsody comes to Digital and Movies Anywhere January 22nd and 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and DVD February 12th. Fans can experience the story behind the band and the making of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the #1 streamed song of the 20th century and other favorites like “We Will Rock You”, “Somebody To Love”, “We Are The Champions” and more, for a musical adventure that will make you laugh, sing, dance, and cry.

The cast of Bohemian Rhapsody recreated the 1985 Live Aid performance with precision. Watch this side-by-side video:

Bohemian Rhapsody is an enthralling celebration of Queen, their music, and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury (Malek), who defied stereotypes and convention to become one of history’s most beloved entertainers. Following Queen’s meteoric rise, their revolutionary sound and Freddie’s solo career, the film also chronicles the band’s reunion and one of the greatest performances in rock history.

For the first time, fans can experience a true one-of-a-kind music movie event with the complete Live Aid Movie Performance featuring two never-before-seen songs (“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” and “We Will Rock You”) packed into a 22-minute collective experience recreating the original event. In addition, on Blu-ray & Digital, fans will get a look behind the making of the film including interviews with Queen, the cast and creative team.

Bohemian Rhapsody Digital, 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray special features:

- The Complete Live Aid Movie Performance Not Seen in Theatres (featured in 4K Ultra HD HDR on the 4K Ultra HD Disc)

- Rami Malek: Becoming Freddie

- The Look and Sound of Queen

- Recreating Live Aid

Bohemian Rhapsody DVD features:

- The Complete Live Aid Movie Performance Not Seen in Theatres

Bohemian Rhapsody was awarded with the "Best Motion Picture - Drama" award on Sunday (January 6th) at the 76th Golden Globe Awards. Rami Malek, who portrays late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in the film, took home the award for "Best Performance By An Actor In A Motion Picture".

"I think it's the biggest surprise of our career, really," said Queen guitarist Brian May in reaction to the award. "Unbelievable, completely unexpected, and completely joyous. How extraordinary."

"We're kind of lost for words," said drummer Roger Taylor. "Rami really deserved to win. This is just so much icing on the cake, and I'm not even in the movie!"

Asked how it felt accepting his award, Rami Maklek revealed, "I honesty don't remember one thing I said up there. It was a euphoric feeling. I thought that the height of this adrenaline and euphoria was on that Live Aid stage. If anything can match that, it was being up there right now, accepting this award."

He continued, "To share this with Queen, it's an out of body experience."

UK thrash metal band, Omicida featuring a Benediction member and former White Wizzard members, have released a new lyric video for “Dead Eyes See No Evil”, the track is taken of their debut album Defrauded Reign, due out on March 15th.

The album was mixed and mastered by Ralph Patlan (Megadeth, White Wizzard) at Stealth Sound Studios in Phoeniz AZ.

Omicida's main influences have always been Slayer, Testament, Kreator, Overkill, Coroner, Exodus, just to name a few.

Omicida is a new modern-day thrash metal band, as they wear their influences on the sleeves while adding their own unique flare with their extreme precision and break-neck, dual-guitar shredding. The band does not try and re-invent the wheel, they just add some new dynamics to it. Formed in Los Angeles (2014), the band was founded by ex-White Wizzard, Monument member Giovanni Durst (drums). Originally Omicida was joined by ex-White Wizzard member Erik Kluiber (guitar), along with ex-Devil You Know member Roy LaVari (guitar), Roman Kovalik (bass) and Giovanni Barbieri (vocals) replacing former singer Joseph Michael. The band released their first 7 song EP “Certain Death” in 2015 and continuing to release two more singles “State of Terror”, “Protect and Serve” in 2016, 2017. 

Due to logistics issues Giovanni Durst (drums) had to relocate to Europe. The band’s future though was far from being over. Instead, Omicida relocated to London in 2018 as band’s new HQ. Giovanni Barbieri kept his place behind the mic in the new formation, adding new guitarists Will Wallner (ex-White Wizzard), Dan Baune (Monumnent) and bassist Dan Bate (ex-Monument).

Tracklisting:

“Hostage In The Pit”
“Violent Resolution”
“Omicida”
“Protect And Serve”
“Divine Uncertainty”
“State Of Terror”
“Burn The Cross”
“Sentenced”
“The Supremacist”
“Unborn”
“Dead Eyes See No Evil”

"Dead Eyes See No Evil" video:

Omicida is:

Giovanni Barbieri - Vocals
Will Wallner - Guitar (ex-White Wizzard)
Dan Baune - Guitar (Monument)
Daniel Bate - Bass (Benediction, ex-Monument)
Giovanni Durst - Drums (Monument, ex-White Wizzard)

DEF LEPPARD has released a video recap of the 2018 leg of the band's "Hysteria & More" tour of U.K. and Ireland, celebrating 31 years since the release of its seminal "Hysteria" album, which was played in its entirety in track order. The clip, which was created by Lee Ford and Ben McFarlane, can be seen below.

Essential listening for fans across the board, "Hysteria" indisputably ranks as one of the most decorated and revered rock albums of all time. As the group's second consecutive RIAA Diamond-certified record (ten million sales in the U.S.), it would go on to sell over thirty million copies worldwide and twelve million in the U.S. Moreover, the record staked a spot in the U.S. Top 40 for ninety-six weeks matched only by "Born In The U.S.A." Rolling Stone touted it on the prestigious "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list, and a poll in Q placed it among the "100 Greatest Albums of All Time". Dominating multiple charts, it captured No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 and U.K. album charts, bolstered by immortal Top-5 anthems such as "Pour Some Sugar On Me", "Animal", "Love Bites", "Hysteria", "Rocket" and "Armageddon It".


"Hysteria" left an indelible mark on rock 'n' roll. Powered by stadium-filling drums, rapturous guitars, and unshakable choruses, the record saw DEF LEPPARD rightfully claim their place among rock's divinities forever. As a result, its influence now reverberates through three generations of artists to follow. It also historically marked their third straight collaboration with producer Robert John "Mutt" Lange.

In a 2017 interview with Forbes, DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott stated about "Hysteria": "Having an album like 'Hysteria' is kind of like having a tattoo — you make that decision and we lived this album pretty much every day of our lives since then. There are twelve songs on the album. Off the top of my head, three, four, maybe five of them we played every show since because they're just so important in the live environment. We don't buy into this school of, 'I'm not playing the hits.' Some of the songs off the A list are mostly off 'Hysteria' 'cause it's an important statement by the band at this time and luckily for us it remains one. That's the great thing about it — it's not one of these records that sold really well, then fell off the planet. It stayed alive, the way 'Hotel California' or 'Rumours' or 'Led Zeppelin 4' did. It's still, I wouldn't say an active record, but actively part of our audience's life as much as ours. They buy the shirts for it. It's the go-to record for both of us."

An official second trailer for Megalife: The Autobiography Of Nick Menza by J. Marshall Craig featuring unreleased drum-cam footage of Menza during the 1991 Clash Of The Titans Tour is available below. The book was released on December 11th via Post Hill Press.

Limited to 125, the premium bundle includes: Limited edition Nick Menza remembrance t-shirt / transparent vinyl, sticker decal and the 240-page paperback of the uncensored story of one of rock’s greatest drummers who died doing what he loved best.

An official book synopsis reads: With Nick Menza behind the kit, Megadeth transitioned from celebrated cult band to international superstars. Rust in Peace, the first album to feature Menza and Marty Friedman, was instantly considered a classic, sold over a million copies, got nominated for a Grammy Award, and established what many consider to be the definitive Megadeth lineup. It was the beginning of a remarkable run in which the band would release three career-defining albums and tour the world many times over.

Success was a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows: sobriety and addiction, peace and tension, laughter and anger. Until one day it all came crashing down. Despite his contributions to the band’s most iconic and enduring work, when Menza was forced to seek treatment for a debilitating tumor in his knee, he awoke from surgery to learn he was being fired from the band by the man he considered a brother and mentor, the ever-enigmatic Dave Mustaine. The devastating news sent him into a spiral of anger and frustration, followed by a dark period of self-medication that nearly killed him.

Megalife: The Autobiography Of Nick Menza is an unflinching look at life inside of one of metal’s most successful bands, from the back of the stage to the bunks on the bus, as well as a blow-by-blow account of the tumultuous, complicated relationship between Menza and Mustaine. It is also the singular story of a self-taught musician who achieved his dreams through sheer will and determination, watched it all disintegrate, and then rebuilt himself from scratch.

J. Marshall Craig previously stated: “I spent a year living with late, great, heavy metal drummer Nick Menza at his home in Studio City, California, trying to get the enormously private and proud man to open up and let me write his story. A story of the heights of rock and roll stardom, dreams come true and dreams shattered. We spent a lot of time talking, listening to music, playing music, and even began filming a drum-clinic video that comprises the final chapter of his book.

“On May 23rd of 2016, Nick was preparing to visit me here at my Cape Cod home and publishing offices for the final round of interviews on a project that was nearly four years in the making. Tragically, Nick didn’t make it. He died two days before, almost instantly from a massive heart attack, while on stage at the Baked Potato with Chris Poland and Robert Pagliari in their band Ohm.”

)rder the standard edition of the book at Amazon.

German heavy metal band, Bloody Times, have released a lyric video for "Die In A Hole", taken from their new album, On A Mission, out now. The album features guests Ross The Boss (ex-Manowar), and former Iced Earth members John Greely and Raphael Saini. Check out the video below.

The album was mixed and mastered by OGrego (Winter’s Dawn, Necrorgasm, Emerald). Album artwork by Stan-W Decker (Ross The Boss, Primal Fear, Masterplan). Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Alliance"
"Fort Sumter"
"Die In A Hole"
"Curse Of Genevieve" (reworked)
"Future Secret"
"Operation Focus"
"The Warning (Until Blood Boils Pt.1)"
"The Revenge (Until Blood Boils Pt.2)"
"Day Of Collapse"

"Fort Sumter" lyric video:

"Alliance" trailer:

Lineup:

Ross Friedman - Rhythm and solo guitar (Ex-Manowar, Ross The Boss Band)
John Greely - Lead and backing Vocals (Ex-Iced Earth, Seventh Servant)
Raphael Saini - Drums (Ex-Iced Earth)
Marco Cossu - Rhythm and solo guitar (Inexhibit)
Rainer Pfundstein - Rhythm and solo guitar (Big Mama)
Balasz Fleischhauer - Rhythm and solo guitar
Simon Pfundstein - Bass and backing vocals

In 2014 the name “Bloody Times” was first used for a collection of recorded riffs and demos by bassist Simon Pfundstein, who is therefore known as the founder of Bloody Times. Unlike a classic band formation, Bloody Times slowly evolved out of a solo project. What was created as a hobby led to the production of the first album two years later. The Fire Of Immortality was released as debut album in November 2016. On this album, Simon was supported by former Iced Earth drummer Raphael Saini. All other instruments were recorded by Simon.

In the following year, two of the existing songs were re-recorded with John Greely (Seventh Servant). Since the release he has been the main singer of Bloody Times. John is known for his performance on the album Night Of The Stormrider, which he recorded together with Iced Earth.

Work on a second album began in late 2017 with John on vocals and Simon on bass. While Raphael is also on drums in this production, different guests were on guitar. Five different guitarists contributed their skills and were also partly involved in the songwriting process, which was otherwise mainly done by bassist Simon. The passion for music and metal unites all the members and guests of the project.

A special guest and supporter of the resulting album On A Mission is Ross Friedman (Ross The Boss), who founded the heavy metal band Manowar together with Joey DeMaio in 1980. Since his retirement from Manowar, Ross has been working on his own albums and projects, but his fans adore him most of all for his contribution to the “immortal” albums from Battle Hymns to Kings Of Metal.

Inspired by the mentioned metal giants and other heavy metal classics, a fantastic album has been created. It strongly reminds of “old school metal” and makes you want to hear more impressive songs, which Bloody Times will surely also release in the future.

Death metal masters, Deserted Fear, will release their new album, Drowned By Humanity, on February 8th via Century Media Records. A music video for the new single, "The Final Chapter", can be seen below.

Says the band: "Cold Weather? You’ll need some fire then! We’re thrilled to present you the second single 'The Final Chapter' off our upcoming album Drowned By Humanity today! This song is especially important to us. Not only does it refer to our last record, but also the topic, riffs and emotional melodies are a blast, like no other Deserted Fear song. Enjoy!”

Pre-order Drowned By Humanity here.

Available formats:

- Tranparent blue vinyl – limited to 100 copies worldwide, only available at CMDistro EU
- Clear vinyl – limited to 200 copies worldwide
- Transparent red – limited to 300 hand-numbered copies worldwide, only available at the band’s store and on tour
- Transparent green – limited to 100 hand-numbered copies worldwide, only available at the band’s store and on tour
- Black vinyl - unlimited
- Digital album
- Ltd. CD Digipak

The Ltd. CD Digipak includes the brand new track “Die In Vain” and a re-recorded version of “Tear Of My Throne” as bonus tracks.

In just a decade, Deserted Fear have grown out of death metal's underground in a rapid tempo. Today they vividly teach the meaning of fear to their international fellows. Not only that their last work, Dead Shores Rising, climbed into the Top 50 of Germany's album charts, they even played their distinct groove into the hearts and ears of thousands with a steady and overwhelming live presence in Europe and on countless festivals. Not to forget the impressive list of club shows: Wherever they made trouble, they always came off as winners of the night.

On February 8th, their fourth studio album, Drowned By Humanity, will hit the streets. For the first time Deserted Fear hoist the sails off to emotions, establishing a forcing contrast to their gigantic groove grenades. Deserted Fear create spaces that make your mind exploring itself. And that's also the lyrical content of Drowned By Humanity: Question society. Environment, downfall and departure. In a forthright storm of blasphemy Deserted Fear remind nature protection and exhort the carelessness of people. The young and wild latitude is still on fire, while their grown-up earnestness alter the course.

This time none other than the Swedish producer Henrik Udd took them by the hand. He paid his dues in world famous Studio Fredman that stands out for inventing the Swedish death metal sound with bands like In Flames, At The Gates, Soilwork and Arch Enemy.

Feeling the power and endless energy to glide into new worlds that evolve out of fascinating creativity. Drowned By Humanity is such a bloodcurdling refreshment.

Drowned By Humanity tracklisting:

"Intro"
"All Will Fall"
"An Everlasting Dawn"                   
"The Final Chapter"
"Reflect The Storm"
"Across The Open Sea"
"Welcome To Reality"
"Stench Of Misery"
"A Breathing Soul"
"Sins From The Past"
"Scars Of Wisdom"
"Die In Vain" (bonus track)
"Tear Of My Throne" (re-recorded)

"Welcome To Reality" video:

Deserted Fear have announced a string of spring tour dates in support of their upcoming Drowned By Humanity album. Dates are listed below.

March
14 - Hamburg, Germany - Knust
15 - Berlin, Germany - Musik & Frieden
16 - Dresden, Germany - Beatpol
19 - Hannover, Germany - Lux
21 - Köln, Germany - Club Volta
22 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Kesselhaus
23 - München, Germany - Backstage
26 - Luzern, Switzerland - Schür EG
28 - Leipzig, Germany - Naumanns
30 - Wien, Austria - Arena

In addition, Deserted Fear will play two shows on the release weekend to celebrate Drowned By Humanity:

February
8 - Essen, Germany - Turock
9 - Jena, Germany - F-Haus

Lineup:

Manuel Glatter - guitar, vocals
Fabian Hildebrandt - guitar, bass
Simon Mengs - drums

Ghost Iris have released a lyric video for "Final Tale", a track from the third studio album, Apple Of Discord, which will be released on February 22nd via Long Branch Records. Watch below.

Not only is Ghost Iris one of the leading progressive metalcore bands out of Denmark, but also serves as a perfect example for the modern days musical market. Having started as a DIY internet phenomenon in 2015 the band not only managed to build a strong team behind them, but also made their mark in the main metal community in a rather short space of time.

In 2016 the band achieved having the most streamed Danish metal album on Spotify at 1,6 million streams, and at the time of writing their general streams are in excess of 5 million.

Their two first albums, Anecdotes Of Science & Soul and Blind World, have both received grand praise for their playful, yet catchy approach to technical metal. Technically enhanced, yet melodic guitars; fast-driven, yet groovy drums and an extraordinary wide vocal range from diverse angry growls to striking clean vocals are the bands signature. With the aim to provide the listener an experience that is as catchy and varied as it is hard-hitting, Ghost Iris manages to explore diverse moods and atmospheres.

The album will reflect the fundamental transformation the band has made since their founding only a few years ago. A transformation based on relentless motivation and optimism, personal and musical progress & growth and numerous touring experiences.

The album contains 10 songs of intensity, wrath and of course: the antidote. With Apple Of Discord, Ghost Iris is aiming to step up their touring game even more and will be heading out on multiple national and international tours throughout 2019 and onwards.

The new album was mastered by Buster Odeholm (Humanity's Last Breath, Oceano, Enterprise Earth, Currents) at Impact Studios while the artwork was created by Dixon Jong (Intuitive Designs).

Apple Of Discord is available for pre-order in the following formats:

- Long Branch Records Shop Bundle
- Bandcamp Bundle
- LP Edition (140g purple vinyl + Bandcamp download code)
- CD 8-panel-Digipak
- Download
- Stream

Tracklisting:

"Apple Of Discord"
"The Devil's Plaything"
"Final Tale"
"After The Sun Sets Pt. II"
"Beauty In Expiration" (feat. Don Vedda)
"The Rat & The Snake" (feat. Tyler Shelton of Traitors)
"Heaven Was Pure Hell"
"Cowardly Pride"
"Magenta Moon" (feat. Chad Ruhlig of For The Fallen Dreams)
"Virus"

"Final Tale" lyric video:

"Cowardly Pride" video:

Tour dates (supporting Soen):

March
12 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
13 - Copenhagen, Denmark - tbc
14 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo
15 - Berlin, Germany - Roadrunner
16 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos Saal
17 - Stuttgart, Germany - ClubCANN
18 - Munich, Germany - Backstage Werk
20 - Hagen, Germany - Kultopia
21 - Cologne, Germany - Helios
25 - London, England - O2 Academy Islington
28 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra
29 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol
30 - Porto, Portugal - Hard Club
31 - Lisbon, Portugal - RCA

April
2 - Paris, France - Backstage
3 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
4 - Milano, Italy - Legend Club
5 - Rome, Italy - Orion Ciampino
6 - Fabricia, Italy - Sonic Room

(Photo - OD Visuals)

Hailing from the ashes of Charlotte, North Carolina, comes the blackened death trio, Oculum Dei. Mixing different elements and influences of black metal, the band is set to bring forth a horde of darkness and engage listeners into a realm of deep, chaotic experiences.

First forming as a studio project in 2016 by Tenebris (bass / drum and keys programming), Camalus (guitar) and Zebulv (vocals / guitar), the band has taken their influences of Emperor, Behemoth and Dark Funeral to push an eclectic unholy blasphemy as far as it will go in the Southern USA's Bible Belt.

Not content to remain as a studio project, the trio has begun performing locally and have shared the stage with Carach Angren, Wolfheart, and Mors Principum Est. Clad in corpse paint with an elaborate and continuously evolving stage show, Oculum Dei has heavily invested into their extreme visionary madness.

A team effort behind all their songwriting, Oculum Dei has been working on their first album for almost three years and now the dark demonic war chants of their debut, Dreams Of Desire And Torment will be unleashed on February 22nd.

The band comments: "The album as a whole is an eclectic mix of slow dark black metal jumping into extreme black riffs sometimes slowed down with a death metal riff and into acoustic guitars. There is no set template for this one, just a groove and feel that each of us has brought to the table."

The first single off the debut, "Blinded By Gods", is a tribute to old school black metal with riffs and slings lyrics towards Christianity being a fake while saying only God exists in us. Watch the lyric video for "Blinded By Gods":

Dreams Of Desire And Torment artwork and tracklisting:

"Involuntary Pandemic"
"Ghost In The Corridors"
"Kingdom Of Hell"
"Dreams Of Desire And Torment"
"A Cold Winters Plight"
"Blinded By Gods"
"A Mist Of Heaven Inside Of Hell"

For further details, visit Oculum Dei on Facebook.

 

"Astorolus - The Great Octopus", a brand new song from Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS, can be streamed below. The track, which features a guest guitar solo by none other than BLACK SABBATH's Tony Iommi, is taken from the band's 12th album, "The Door To Doom", due on February 22, 2019 via Napalm Records. The disc unsurprisingly follows the plotline mastermind, songwriter and bass player Leif Edling established in the past years: epic world-class doom metal that relies on slow mammoth riffing.

Commented Iommi: "CANDLEMASS are a major force in Scandinavian heavy rock and have always acknowledged the influence we had on their music. They asked if I'd contribute to a track which sounded pretty good so I thought, 'Why not?'"

Added Edling: "We feel very honored that Tony Iommi said yes to play the solo on 'Astorolus'. The song was sent to the management and amazingly enough, the master agreed to let his mighty SG sing on the track! For me personally, this is a dream come true. Tony Iommi has always been my hero and guiding light when it comes to heavy music, so to hear that he likes the song and also would like to play on it gave me chills down the spine! I'm still in shock! But kudos to him to be so cool to even listen to it. Hats off! Tony Iommi is and will always be God!"

"The Door To Doom" marks the recording comeback of newly returned singer Johan Längqvist, who recently replaced CANDLEMASS's frontman of the past six years, Mats Levén.

"The Door To Doom" track listing:

01. Splendor Demon Majesty

02. Under The Ocean

03. Astorolus - The Great Octopus (feat. Tony Iommi)

04. Bridge Of The Blind

05. Death's Wheel

06. Black Trinity

07. House Of Doom

08. The Omega Circle

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

CANDLEMASS's most recent full-length album, "Psalms For The Dead", came out in 2012 via Napalm Records. It was the last CANDLEMASS album recorded with singer Robert Lowe, who left the band just days before its release.

CANDLEMASS is:

Leif Edling: Bass

Mats "Mappe" Björkman: Guitars

Jan Lindh: Drums

Lars "Lasse" Johansson: Guitars

Johan Längqvist: Vocals

Photo by Anders Pålsson

MEGADETH will release a greatest-hits album, "Warheads On Foreheads", on March 22. The disc will feature 35 remastered tracks hand-selected by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine.

The cover artwork for the effort can be seen below.

MEGADETH recently released a 25-second video teaser for "Warheads On Foreheads" featuring a snippet of the band's classic track "Take No Prisoners".

This is not the first time MEGADETH has released a greatest-hits collection. Back in 2005, the band issued "Greatest Hits: Back to the Start", the track listing for which was selected by fans in a poll at the band's official web site. That effort packed 17 top hits and favorites on a 78-minute single disc, including "Peace Sells", "Symphony Of Destruction", "In My Darkest Hour", "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Sweating Bullets".

Prior to the arrival of "Warheads On Foreheads", MEGADETH will reissue two of its iconic records, 2001's "The World Needs A Hero" and 2004's "The System Has Failed", through BMG on February 15.

The band is also working on the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album for a tentative summer/fall release. The LP will be MEGADETH's first to feature drummer Dirk Verbeuren (ex-SOILWORK), who joined the group nearly three years ago.

On the touring front, MEGADETH will support OZZY OSBOURNE on the next North American leg of the BLACK SABBATH singer's "No More Tours 2" in May, June and July. This will be followed by MEGADETH first-ever Megacruise aboard the Norwegian Jewel, which will set sail on October 13 from Los Angeles, California and hit ports of San Diego, California and Ensenada, Mexico before returning on October 18.

The official music video for the song "Weightless" from acclaimed Swedish dark melodic metal masters EVERGREY can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, titled "The Atlantic", which will be released on January 25 via AFM Records.

EVERGREY again teamed up with Jacob Hansen, who — just like with the band's previous releases 2016's "The Storm Within" and 2014's "Hymns For The Broken" — took care of mixing and mastering.

"The Atlantic" sees the five EVERGREY members — frontman/songwriter Tom S. Englund, guitarist Henrik Danhage, bassist Johan Niemann, drummer Jonas Ekdahl and keyboardist Rikard Zander — manifest their excellent reputation as one of the most unusual and innovative progressive metal acts worldwide, presenting the third part of their "Hymns For The Broken" trilogy about the adventure of life, part one having been launched in 2014.

"As on 'Hymns For The Broken' and its 2016 successor 'The Storm Within', the new album is about events and experiences in our lives," Englund explains. "It's about relationships, beauty and darkness, about fortune and grief, about love, hate, despair, joy and everything connected with it. Life is like a journey across the ocean, on the way to distant shores."

In line with the programmatic album title and its expressive cover artwork (designed by Greek artist Giannis Nakos, renowned for his work for OCEANS OF SLUMBER and HADES RISING, among others), EVERGREY takes its fans on a tempestuous expedition across the rough (prog metal) seas. The album kicks off with "A Silent Arc", one of the probably fiercest and toughest numbers that EVERGREY have ever recorded. "I love this song," confesses Englund. "It's really brutal in a certain kind of EVERGREY way, with guitars that you might expect from a band like BEHEMOTH, but certainly not from us. We've never sounded as dark or as raw before."

The first two singles, "Weightless" and the anthemnic "All I Have", are both diverse highlights of a thoroughly haunting LP.

"As with every album, we've given this one our all to come up with the optimum result," enthuses Englund, who produced "The Atlantic" together with drummer Jonas Ekdahl, about the driving sound. The 10 songs on the album all stand out with their amazing power, but also with their depth and exciting detail. "Departure", for example, embeds its vocals mainly in bass, drums, piano and acoustic guitar. "That kind of songwriting is something we've enjoyed doing on every album of this trilogy," Englund explains proudly, adding: "This number sounds like an expedition instead of being arranged like your typical three-and-a-half minute hit."

Which applies to "The Atlantic" in general. Englund says: "It's probably our most complex and progressive release so far and includes all the elements that our fans love."

"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 official video for the song "Rain Of Fury" from Italian symphonic power metal kings RHAPSODY OF FIRE can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Eighth Mountain", which will be released on February 22 via AFM Records. The disc will be the band's first collection of brand new material to feature vocalist Giacomo Voli and drummer Manu Lotter, who joined RHAPSODY OF FIRE in 2016.

The track listing for the disc is as follows:

01. Abyss Of Pain

02. Seven Heroic Deeds

03. Master Of Peace

04. Rain Of Fury

05. White Wizard

06. Warrior Heart

07. The Courage To Forgive

08. March Against The Tyrant

09. Clash Of Times

10. The Legend Goes On

11. The Wind, The Rain And The Moon

12. Tales Of A Hero's Fate

RHAPSODY OF FIRE will perform in more than 17 cities all around Europe in February and March.

The band's latest release was 2017's "Legendary Years", a compilation album featuring re-recorded versions of songs from "The Emerald Sword Saga", a five-concept-album-long story started on RHAPSODY's first album "Legendary Tales" in 1997 and concluded on "Power Of The Dragonflame" in 2002.

Asked how he chose Giacomo Voli to be the replacement for RHAPSODY OF FIRE's longtime singer Fabio Lione, keyboardist Alessandro "Alex" Staropoli said: "I saw Giacomo performing on TV. I felt he was surely a person I wanted to meet. I contacted him to sing and to gather singers for the epic choir recordings for our latest studio album, 'Into The Legend'. So I finally had the pleasure to meet and work with him for the first time back then. He is one of the sweetest guys I've ever meet. I feel truly blessed. After Fabio left, I immediately thought about Giacomo and called him up. I am very satisfied. As a producer, I tend to push people to their limits and I have to say Giacomo reacted quite well, very professional and dedicated. I am the main composer of RHAPSODY OF FIRE, but lately I have worked with my brother Manuel Staropoli as well, and, of course, also with Roby De Micheli, both for the electric guitar side and for some songwriting. Roby has a lot of talent for guitar riffs especially and I really like to enrich our music with heavy riffs. Said that, I always leave the door open to someone's ideas. So, if Giacomo comes with an idea that literally shocks and excites me, well, that would be great, of course. I'm doing this music genre for more than two decades, so I can openly say that I exactly know what I am doing; I can recognize a great idea that would perfectly fit for this band when I hear it."

Regarding how he writes RHAPSODY OF FIRE songs, Staropoli said: "When I write for RHAPSODY OF FIRE, I often imagine movie landscapes, or natural scenarios. I was born in Trieste, Italy, a beautiful town where mother nature was really generous. We have the sea, the mountains, lakes, rivers, lots of caves and by driving just a few hours we can reach the alps. Trieste is a dream town and all those natural elements are always with me everywhere I go. So my sources of inspiration are strongly radicated in me. I have to sit in my studio, alone, and play my piano keys. Usually I never play randomly, I prefer to sit down with a specific idea and a goal to reach, then the notes come smoothly and fluent. I just do it."

The official music video for the song "Masters Of Destiny" from Dutch metallers DELAIN can be seen below. It is one of the four brand new studio tracks that are part of DELAIN's upcoming effort, "Hunter's Moon", which will be released on February 22 via Napalm Records. Also included is a live Blu-ray from the band's sold-out "Danse Macabre" 2017 European tour.

Commented DELAIN on the new video: "This is an exciting release for us, and a special one too on account of the fact that we chose one of our more elaborate and unconventional compositions for our first single, showcasing another side of ourselves as a band. We wanted to make the video like an extension to the music; to match the orchestral, instrumental and vocal bombast of the song with visuals of nature in all its grandeur, and we found the perfect backdrop for this in beautiful Iceland. We are very proud to present to you the music video for our brand new track 'Masters Of Destiny'. We hope you enjoy the journey."

"Hunter's Moon" is the final reelase in a trilogy, and follows on from DELAIN's EP "Lunar Prelude" and the full-length album "Moonbathers".

"Hunter's Moon" includes four brand new tracks, ten live songs, and a Blu-ray shot at the infamous Utrecht Tivoli, featuring many special guests, including NIGHTWISH's Marco Hietala. The Blu-ray truly encapsulates DELAIN's breathtaking stage performance and showcases the band's stunning stage production.

The cover art for "Hunter's Moon" was created by Cam Rackam and can be seen below.

"Hunter's Moon" track listing:

Brand new studio tracks

01. Masters Of Destiny

02. Hunter's Moon

03. This Silence Is Mine

04. Art Kills

Live from Utrecht

05. Hands Of Gold - Live (feat. George Oosthoek)

06. Danse Macabre - Live

07. Scarlet - Live

08. Your Body Is A Battleground - Live (feat. Marco Hietala)

09. Nothing Left - Live (feat. Marco Hietala)

10. Control The Storm - Live (feat. Marco Hietala)

11. Sing To Me - Live (feat. Marco Hietala)

12. Not Enough - Live

13. Scandal - Live (feat. Marco Hietala)

14. The Gathering - Live (feat. Marco Hietala)

DELAIN stated: "Along with the live Blu-ray are four new studio tracks. Two of these offer a preview of what we are working on for our new full-length studio album, which we expect to release in 2019. 'Masters Of Destiny' is a dramatic, cinematic track. The title track, 'Hunter's Moon', has more of a catchy feel and will hopefully appeal to our fans featuring heavy riffs, orchestrations, a large chorus and as a novel feature, Timo's screams. Our guitarists stepped to the forefront on this release in writing 'This Silence Is Mine' (Timo Somers) and 'Art Kills' (Merel Bechtold). With fond live memories, classic and new sounds we're excited to present 'Hunter's Moon' to the world!"

Hietala stated about the "Danse Macabre" tour: "I was really pleased to do the tour, because it gave me a chance to challenge myself in different surroundings and band dynamics. In the end, it comes down to the same old but great thing. I love doing good shows with good people for good audiences. All for one and one for all!"

DELAIN said about the live Blu-ray: "The 'Moonbathers' tour has been a hell of a ride and the 'Danse Macabre' shows were an absolute highlight. We are excited to share the footage of our show at Tivoli Vredenburg with you on this brand new Blu-ray. It was great to finally perform all of our collaborations with Marco live, something our fans have been asking for for such a long time! Also gracing the stage were George Oosthoek, who gave his signature sound to 'Hands Of Gold', and Elianne Anemaat, who adorned 'Scarlet' with her beautiful cello tones. The Tivoli show had such an amazing atmosphere and was one of the highlights of our career. Plus a home match for some of us! We are thrilled to have this Blu-ray as a physical souvenir of the night and we hope that our fans will enjoy it as much as we did."

DELAIN is:


Martijn Westerholt - Keyboards

Charlotte Wessels - Vocals

Joey Marin de Boer - Drums

Otto Schimmelpenninck van der Oije - Bass

Timo Somers - Guitar

Merel Bechtold - Guitar

Photo credit: Sandra Ludwig

Greg Puciato, singer and songwriter for THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and THE BLACK QUEEN, will release his first book, "Separate The Dawn", a collection of poetry and photography largely written and taken during THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's final year and a half, on February 12 via Federal Prisoner. This is the second release for the label/publishing house, following THE BLACK QUEEN's 2018 album, "Infinite Games".

Says Puciato: "This is the heaviest and most brutal, but ultimately positive and necessary piece, in a series of thematically connected output for me, during what I now see as a long transitional arc, of realization, processing, shedding, accepting, and then finally coming out of the other side into a different place. A walk through a broken mirror. Chronologically, this goes after 'Dissociation', and before 'Infinite Games'. It's also a surprising and welcome reconnection with a medium that was my first creative love, even before music, and an equally surprising fascination with a new one. I guess it's essentially my fist (and maybe only) solo release.

"Thanks to everyone who picks this up, for continuing to encourage me to keep creating with zero regard for parameters of gene or medium. Also, Lebron James is not greater than Michael Jordan."

A limited-edition hardcover version is available now via FederalPrisoner.net, with digital pre-orders available via Amazon.

News of the book's release arrives as THE BLACK QUEEN preps for its first full North American tour as well as a sold-out Australian tour.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN called it quits at the end of 2017 after playing a trio of sold-out shows at New York City's Terminal 5. The band announced its impending breakup upon detailing its final record, "Dissociation".

Photo credit: Stephen Odom

"Fall Into The Light", a brand new song from progressive music titans DREAM THEATER, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming 14th studio album, "Distance Over Time", which will be released on February 22. The disc showcases a newfound creativity for DREAM THEATER while maintaining the elements that have garnered them devoted fans around the globe. The album also marks the first for the band's new label InsideOut Music. The artwork was created by long-time cover collaborator Hugh Syme (RUSH, IRON MAIDEN, STONE SOUR). "Distance Over Time" was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, mixed by Ben Grosse and mastered by Tom Baker.

Petrucci told Rolling Stone about Fall Into The Light: "'Fall Into The Light' is an example of a very guitar-riff-driven song on the album. And there's a few of them. This one, actually, three components. One is that opening riff, which I came up with backstage when I was on the 'G3' tour. I had my signature Mesa Boogie [the JP-2C] with me, I dialed in a really heavy sound and that riff came out. I took out my iPhone and I recorded it and labeled it, like, 'Cool Riff in E. [Laughs] And that sparked the METALLICA-esque style of the song. Then there's some faster passages that are very riff-y and right-hand-heavy, and the third component is the mellow section in the middle, which gets sort of orchestral and very melodic. That was something that I had written in my basement on an acoustic guitar. I think I called it 'Cowboy Section' because it has a Western-y vibe. So 'Fall Into The Light' was a case where I brought these parts into the studio and then we put it together as a band. And it's a really fun song to play, especially for me, because it's very riff-driven metal."

"Distance Over Time" will be available as: standard CD jewel case, special edition digipak (including one bonus track), 180g gatefold 2LP edition (including one bonus track, an eight-page-LP-booklet and the entire album on CD), limited-edition artbook (including one bonus track, 5.1 mix with video animations, instrumental mixes and high-res files of the album, stems for "Untethered Angel", extended liner notes, additional artwork, including photos from the writing session and additional video content), as deluxe collector's box set (including lenticular cover card, artbook, 180g 2LP gatefold edition with exclusive artwork and exclusive white vinyl, exclusive picture 7", 60 x 60 cm poster, 10 art cards, slipmat, patch, pin and a hand-numbered certificate of authenticity) and as digital album (including one bonus track).

"Distance Over Time" track listing:

01. Untethered Angel (6:14)

02. Paralyzed (4:17)

03. Fall Into The Light (7:04)

04. Barstool Warrior (6:43)

05. Room 137 (4:23)

06. S2N (6:21)

07. At Wit’s End (9:20)

08. Out Of Reach (4:04)

09. Pale Blue Dot (8:25)

10. Viper King (4:00) (Bonus)

"Distance Over Time" is available for pre-order at this location.

Says Petrucci: "When I listen back to the album, I can distinctly recall every moment of the writing process; where I was standing in the room, what inspired us in that instant and the meaning behind each song. As a producer, my goal was to try and create the best-sounding DREAM THEATER record we've ever made so that listeners can just be enveloped in the music. I really wanted this recording to truly reflect the spirit, joy and passion that went into making the album and for people to walk away feeling some of the organic nature, personality and raw energy that the band captured while together in the studio. For me, I think it accomplishes that and I hope that other people will feel the same way."

In June 2018, the members of DREAM THEATER secluded themselves in a private location in upstate New York to begin writing for the new record. While spending the summer living together in the property's adjacent residence, the band spent their days and nights crafting the music that would make up the new album in the "Yonderbarn"; a beautiful and spacious barn that had been meticulously transformed into a state-of-the art film and recording studio. Following an intense and extremely productive period of group writing sessions and wanting to retain the magic that was captured in this scenic and inspiring location, they decided to record the album in the very room they had all convened to write together in. Living together during the writing and recording for "Distance Over Time" marked another first for the band's 33-year career. The result is a heavier collection of songs that showcases the early roots of the band while exploring new territory as musicians and as friends.

"It was like going back to summer camp," says singer James LaBrie. "Being around each other the whole time made it that much more of a profound experience. I think the songs reflect the energy. It was a lot of fun to have a situation so powerful at this point in our career."

It has been three years since DREAM THEATER released new music. To announce the details of the brand new album, DREAM THEATER enlisted the help of one lucky contest winner to break the news of the record to the loyal fans of the band. An Alternate Reality Game was launched that encompassed a "treasure hunt" whereby fans were able to search for clues hidden in various photos, videos, social media posts, and more. Ultimately, one lucky winner was given access to content before everyone else including the release date and cover artwork, and the winner would be the one to share the first taste of never-before-heard music.

DREAM THEATER is also planning to hit the road in support of the new album. The "Distance Over Time" tour of North America was recently announced and kicks off on March 20 in San Diego, California. The tour will run for seven weeks before wrapping up in Mexico City on May 4. Information on tickets for all upcoming shows as well as VIP packages can be found at DreamTheater.net.

BURNING RAIN, the hard rock band founded by guitarist extraordinaire Doug Aldrich (REVOLUTION SAINTS, THE DEAD DAISIES, WHITESNAKE, DIO) and vocalist Keith St. John (MONTROSE, KINGDOM COME), will release its fourth studio album, "Face The Music", on March 22 via Frontiers Music Srl.


In conjunction with the album announcement, the band has shared the latest single, "Midnight Train", along with an accompanying music video.


When asked why the band chose to release "Midnight Train" as the first single, Aldrich explained: "It's been some time since the last BURNING RAIN record, and we wanted to come out swinging! 'Midnight Train' encompasses the sound of BURNING RAIN. It sounds fresh and heavy. I thought it was a cool lead off track to reintroduce the band.

"People normally have different ideas about favorite songs and there are a number of tracks that could have been first, but we just went with 'Midnight Train'."


"'Midnight Train''s message, albeit fully ensconced in carnality, is about wanting something so brutally bad when you can't have it," added St. John. "The main character here is basically a deeply tortured soul during all the daytime hours. The phallic likening to the train and its track along with the blackness, the bed of nails, and the cravings of the night are meant to further fortify the extremity of sexual addiction.

"Doug had all the basic music together including bass, drums, and all when he first played me a demo of the song. I loved it immediately. The first experimental vocal track I scatted out had the basic framework for the chorus, which we both felt had good potential, but the original verse began with a higher, bluesier part that seemed to not quite fit. After I fashioned a new verse with a lower, more growly approach, we both felt it really complemented the chorus and we knew this track was in good standing!"


BURNING RAIN was founded by Aldrich and St. John. The lineup for the new album is rounded out by Brad Lang (Y&T) on bass and Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER) on drums.

"Face The Music" track listing:

01. Revolution

02. Lorelei

03. Nasty Hustle

04. Midnight Train

05. Shelter

06. Face The Music

07. Beautiful Road

08. Hit And Run

09. If It's Love

10. Hideaway

11. Since I'm Loving You

In an interview with the "Friday NI Rocks Show", Aldrich stated about "Face The Music": "I wanted to work it so that it was not gonna interfere with THE DEAD DAISIES at all. Because last time, when we released the last record, it was just in the middle of a WHITESNAKE album process. And as with THE DEAD DAISIES, if I'm working on an album process, it's kind of hard to promote the record properly. So I wanted to time it so that I could actually do some things with BURNING RAIN to promote the album."

According to Aldrich, the follow-up to 2013's "Epic Obsession" sounds "great." He added: "Keith St John sounds amazing. The last two records we mixed it ourselves and did everything ourselves, but this time we've got Alessandro Del Vecchio, who I've worked with on REVOLUTION SAINTS, and he is mixing it and mastering it. So it's nice to be able to pass off to someone with good ears who can hit it fresh."

As for the possibility of live shows from BURNING RAIN, Aldrich said: "I would love to do that. I think probably what will happen is… I'm actually looking at doing some guitar clinics and bringing Keith with me to where I would do a little bit of a guitar, meet-and-greet, clinic situation, and then Keith would join me for an acoustic promotion for that record in the spring before THE DEAD DAISIES ramps up. THE DEAD DAISIES has a plan that starts in May, I believe, so we'll probably just do some promotion first. And then when THE DAISIES has a break, I can book some BURNING RAIN shows. But I definitely wanna bring the guys over. It's a great group of guys and the new songs are gonna be really fun to play live."

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have posted the first part of a video recap of the band's "Emperor Of Sand" tour.

Says the group: "As we gear up to jump back on the road, we wanted to share a little behind the scenes from our last tour. Our good buddy, Danger Ehren, joined us on the road for a few days to capture the magic! Here's the first clip of Troy talking tour life as he works on his knuckle ball! Stay tuned for more!"

As previously reported, MASTODON has recorded a "heavy" new song which it plans to release soon. The track was recorded last month at the band's new studio and marks MASTODON's first new material since 2017's "Emperor Of Sand".

Speaking to U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine, MASTODON guitarist Brent Hinds described the tune as "a fun listen," while fellow axeman Bill Kelliher said that it was "a basher" and "brutal." Drummer Brann Dailor concurred, telling the publication: "It's as heavy as I've heard us in a while."

MASTODON's new song, which will feature a guest appearance by NEUROSIS's Scott Kelly, is scheduled to receive a digital release ahead of the band's upcoming U.K. shows.

Last August, Dailor told Consequence Of Sound that MASTODON will begin work on the follow-up to "Emperor Of Sand" in earnest this year.

"We're always a work in progress, trying to figure out what we're going to do next," he said. "We're letting the ideas just come and setting them to the side for future work, and once in a while just sort of saying out loud what those ideas might be — whether they're collected onstage when we're doing soundcheck or if they are something that gets worked on backstage. You hear somebody noodling, and you're, like, 'Oh, what's that?' Whenever the ears perk up to either Brent or Bill doing something backstage, that's always a nice little surprise."

He added: "Once we get home, and we decompress from the 'Emperor Of Sand' tour cycle, sometime early next year, we'll start dumping out the riffs and seeing what's new and seeing what's fresh and what we're digging on, and then we'll just start working — do what we normally do."

MASTODON won a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 60th annual Grammy Awards in January 2018 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. MASTODON got the nod for the song "Sultan's Curse" from "Emperor Of Sand", with the latter also being nominated for "Best Rock Album." It was the fourth and fifth time MASTODON had received Grammy nominations, having missed out on the three previous occasions — "Colony Of Birchmen" (2007), "Curl Of The Burl" (2012) and "High Road" (2015) — it had been up for the "Best Metal Performance" award.

Legendary drummer Carmine Appice is scheduled to re-release his GUITAR ZEUS project, a compilation album featuring a who's who list of the best and world-renowned guitarists on the planet backed by his core band featuring Tony Franklin (THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER) on bass, Kelly Keeling (TSO, MSG) on vocals, keys and rhythm guitar, and Appice on drums.

Originally released as two separate albums in 1995 and 1997, this new re-mastered album (by Stephen DeAcutis; VANILLA FUDGE, Corey Glover, OVERKILL, Cyndi Lauper) combines both releases as one complete version on January 18 for the first time ever across all digital platforms, as well as feature five brand new songs with Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Pat Travers, John Norum, and top Japanese guitarists RaiZi and Char. Select songs will also be available on a special limited-edition vinyl and CD.

Carmine Appice's GUITAR ZEUS showcases the complete and prolific talents of many world-renowned rock guitarists, including Brian May, Slash, Neil Schon, Yngwie Malmsteen, Bruce Kulick, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, Paul Gilbert, Mick Mars, Richie Sambora, Zakk Wylde, Bob Daisley, Dweezil Zappa, Vivian Campbell, Leslie West, Warren DeMartini, Steve Morse, Ty Tabor (KING'S X), Ted Nugent, Doug Pinnick, John Norum and others.

"The GUITAR ZEUS project, for me, was an amazing experience that has never been done before by a drummer, especially with so much talent on one album!" Carmine said. "You get your money's worth! Writing all the songs with my band (Tony and Kelly) and then picking out songs for each guitarist was a fun and time-consuming process, especially coordinating everybody's schedules and recording sessions.

"From the opening note, one can tell this is going to be something special. I consider these drum tracks to be some of the best performances in my career, topped off with working with so many great guitarists and singers. The combination of players and song selection is something special with some of the tunes is out of the ordinary and ahead of their time!"

Said Brian May: "As soon as I heard the track, I thought it had a very haunting quality, evoking the '60s, but with a very modern slant. I also found the backing track very powerful and appealing, driven by Carmine's very recognizable style; so I was keen to play on the track straight away."

CARMINE APPICE'S GUITAR ZEUS track listing:

* "Mothers Space" (feat. Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal) + **

* "Gonna Rain" (feat. Richie Sambora) + **

* "4 Miles High" (feat. Steve Morse) +

* "Nobody Knew" (feat. Brian May) + **

* "Where You Belong" (feat. Slash) +

* "Out of Mind" (feat. Neal Schon) + **

* "This Time Around" (feat. Yngwie Malmsteen & Dug Pinnick) + **

* "Nothing" (feat. John Norum) +

* "Doin' Fine" (feat Vivian Campbell) +

* "Under The Moon and Sun" (feat. Mick Mars / Edgar Winter) + **

* "Code 19" (feat. Zakk Wylde) + **

* "Days Are Nights" (feat. Ted Nugent) + **

* "Do Ya think I'm Sexy" (Sung by Carmine, feat. Pat Travers)

* "Angels" (feat. Char)

* "Guitar Zeus, Pt. 1" (feat Jennifer Batten)

* "Safe" (feat. Neal Schon)

* "Dead Wrong" (feat. Dweezil Zappa)

* "Trippin' Again" (feat. Ty Tabor)

* "Even Up The Score" (feat. Ted Nugent)

* "Dislocated" (feat. Paul Gilbert)

* "Stash" (feat. Stevie Salas / John McEnroe)

* "Perfect Day" (feat. Warren DeMartini)

* "Killing Time" (feat. Ty Tabor)

* "So Long" (feat. Doug Aldrich)

* "My Own Advice" (feat Kenji Kitajima)

* "Time To Set Alarms" (feat Elliot Easton / Bob Daisley)

* "GZ Blues" (feat. Seymour Duncan / Steven Seagal)

* "Guitar Zeus, Pt. 2" (feat. Leslie West / Jennifer Batten)

* "Where You Belong" (feat Paul Gilbert)

* "Cruzin" (feat. Denny Laine)

* "Couldn't Be Better" (Feat. RaiZi)

* "Score" (Feat. Ted Nugent)

* "Snake" (feat. Bruce Kulick)

+ CD Release

** Vinyl Release

The official lyric video for the song "Die By The Blade" from BEAST IN BLACK can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's sophomore album, "From Hell With Love", which is scheduled for a February 8 release via Nuclear Blast.

BEAST IN BLACK is the Helsinki, Finland-based metal group led by former BATTLE BEAST guitarist and main songwriter Anton Kabanen.

The follow-up to 2017's "Berserker" was once again recorded in Anton's Sound Request Studio, and true to the motto "never change a winning team," the cover artwork was created by Roman Ismailov, who worked on "Berserker" as well as the first record Kabanen wrote with BATTLE BEAST, "Steel" (2012).

Anton comments: "This album was forged with passion, fury, love, dedication and I would even dare to say with maniacal obsession. And once again, the stunning artwork by Roman perfectly captures the essence of what it was made of. This album is truly a creation that will burst from hell with love."

Adds Ismailov: "It resembles a love-hate relationship in things that are part of our lives. Some things are like a beast that is almost impossible to tame. Then there is the love in what you do, which can overcome even the hardest obstacles."

"From Hell With Love" track listing:

01. Cry Out For A Hero

02. From Hell With Love

03. Sweet True Lies

04. Repentless

05. Die By The Blade

06. Oceandeep

07. Unlimited Sin

08. True Believer

09. This Is War

10. Heart Of Steel

11. No Surrender

Bonus tracks (digipak and 2LP only!)

12. Killed By Death (MOTÖRHEAD cover)

13. No Easy Way Out (ROBERT TEPPER cover)

Kabanen told Kaaos TV that BEAST IN BLACK was pleased with the reaction to "Berserker". "We had no expectations, basically," he said. "We felt that, 'Okay, we did a good job,' and were happy with the album and the reviews kept coming in and they kept coming and it was more than we expected. Good and bad, but mostly good. YouTube is a big part nowadays for every band and there, we also kind of took a 'rocket launch' beginning. People are watching the video very much, the first music video we released. That also plays a big role nowadays. One song can matter very much. People don't have that much album listening going on in this world nowadays. They listen to single songs in their playlists, so we've had help with that."

Anton went on to say that he was relieved that BEAST IN BLACK has gotten off to such a strong start. "I remember when we finally released the first song and the feedback started to come. It felt like I was out of jail, so to speak. It's been a long process. When you work on something for quite a long time, you don't know any more what's the reality, is it good or bad, you become blind to your own stuff, but you do. When it was out, the first song, it felt like, 'Yes! It's working. People like it.' We did something that's meaningful and that feels rewarding. It's like an out-of-the-jail feeling, although I've never been in jail, but mental jail, mental prison."

Kabanen was dismissed from BATTLE BEAST in February 2015 due to what was described at the time as "insurmountable disagreements" with the other members of the band.

Heavy metal frontrunners Incite - lead by frontman Richie Cavalera - are set to release their upcoming fifth full-length album, Built To Destroy, on January 25th via Minus Head Records. Produced by Steve Evetts (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Suicide Silence) and mastered by Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed), Built to Destroy is a visceral, urgent, voracious distillation of modern metal with reverence for the past, and boasts a progressed, matured sound for Incite.

Today, Incite follows up on the release of their previous two singles, "Ruthless Ways" and "Built To Destroy", with a new track, entitled "Poisoned By Power". The track features guest vocal contributions from Chris Barnes of Six Feet Under. Listen to the track below.

Richie Cavalera says, "We're pumped to give the metalheads another taste of what this album is all about - pure heavy metal! We're honoured to have Chris Barnes of Six Feet Under throw down his brutal pipes as a special guest on this track. This song is about powerful people screwing over the rest of us. It's heavy, it's got a killer breakdown and will definitely start the pit!"

Built To Destroy is available for pre-order now via Bandcamp, iTunes and Amazon.

Tracklisting:

"Built To Destroy"
"Ruthless Ways"
"Backbone"
"Resistance"
"Human Cancer"
"Confronting Darkness"
"Leech"
"Poisoned by Power"
"Cessation"
"Hate for Life"
"Savior Self"

"Built To Destroy" video:

"Ruthless Ways":

Incite recently announced their massive North American tour with headliners Soulfly and direct support artist Kataklysm, beginning on the same day as the new album's release. The tour will visit several cities across North America, coming to an end on February 26th in Los Angeles, CA. The tour will feature additional support from Chaoseum, Alukah and Skinflint on select dates. Tickets are on sale now. See below for all confirmed tour dates.

January
25 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater*
26 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey*
27 - Austin, TX - Come & Take It Live*
28 - New Orleans, LA - Santos*

February
5 - Orlando, FL - Soundbar #
6 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade #
7 - Frederick, MD - Cafe 611 #
8 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz #
9 - Reading, PA - Reverb #
10 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall #
11 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre #
12 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club &
13 - Flint, MI - Buick City Events Center &
14 - Joliet, IL - The Forge &
15 - Ft Wayne, IN - Piere's &
16 - Dayton, OH - Oddbodys &
17 - Lexington, KY - Manchester Music Hall &
18 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room &
19 - Colorado Springs, CO - Sunshine Studios Live ^
20 - Grand Junction, CO - Mesa Theater ^
22 - Spokane, WA - The Pin ^
23 - Seattle, WA - Club Sur Rocks ^
24 - Portland, OR - BossaNova ^
25 - Petaluma, CA - Phoenix Theatre ^
26 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720 Club ^
 
Support lineup key:

* with Incite supporting Soulfly
# with Kataklysm, Incite, Chaoseum supporting Soulfly
& with Kataklysm, Incite, Alukah supporting Soulfly
^ with Kataklysm, Incite, Skinflint supporting Soulfly

Incite is:

Richie Cavalera - Vocals
Lennon Lopez - Drums
Christopher "EL" - Bass
"Dru Tang" Rome - Lead Guitar

(Photo - Jeremy Saffer)

Mascot Label Group and Gary Hoey have announced a March 15 global release date for "Neon Highway Blues" via Provogue Records. The album's eleven tracks display Hoey's confidence and assuredness alongside the freshness of someone who's still in the process of discovery and refinement. Hoey produced the album himself at his New Hampshire-based home studio, while also enlisting friends Eric Gales, Lance Lopez, Josh Smith and his 17-year-old son Ian for guest appearances. He shares: "I really wanted to make sure this album had a lot of blues on it. I kept sticking to the blues and listening to the classic players, all the Kings — Albert King, Freddie King, B.B. King — and finish with some Burger King… [Laughs] …I tried to get that to be a focus of this record — and still put some songs for that my long-time, die-hard fans expect; instrumentals and some rockin' [LED] ZEPPELIN-type stuff. There's definitely a variety here."


Hoey's 21st album, "Neon Highway Blues" kicks off with "Under The Rug", a funky, Jeff Beck-style workout with Eric Gales. Up next is the dynamic 6:29 slow blues "Mercy Of Love", featuring Josh Smith, with biting guitar solos. Hoey gets his Texas swing on for "Still Believe In Love" and settles into some roadhouse shuffles on "Your Kind Of Love". "Damned If I Do" is a big, stomping blues rocker with Lance Lopez trading licks. And those majestic instrumentals he mentioned? Check out "Almost Heaven", "Waiting On The Sun" and the cinematic title track, all showcases of virtuosity that complement the grittier fare around them.


A very personal highlight for Hoey is "Don't Come Crying", an aching blues track that features his son Ian Hoey, then only 16, planting his flag in the family business. "I'm so blown away my son is actually on the record," Hoey says. "He loves the blues. I said, 'If it turns out good enough, I'll have you on the record, and he did a great job. After it was mixed and I listened to it, I totally forgot where he was playing and where I was playing. It brought tears to my eyes."


"Neon Highway Blues" "wasn't a quick record to make," nor was it easy, according to Hoey, and displays the care that came with the time spent on it. "I always say that's why they call it the blues, because it ain't easy," he notes. The album took about a year and a half, he estimates, much of it done during gaps in his heavy touring schedule. "I just kept going in and trying to come up with the right licks or the right lyrics, and some days it just wouldn't come," Hoey recalls. "It was really about staying in there and trying things, abandoning some ideas, going on to new ideas. There was a lot of that on this record. I'm kind of a stickler for making sure I'm happy with it — even though I had people breathing down my neck to get it done."


"Neon Highway Blues" will, of course, take Hoey back on the highways and byways for plenty of touring and playing, well, the blues — and more. He can't yet predict where the next road will take him, but Hoey is confident it will be an adventure. "My son and I were talking about new music, some new technique I just found on guitar, and he said dad, 'You've been playing 44 years and still get excited,'" he says. "I was, like, 'Yeah, man, that's the amazing thing about music — you never really get there. If you think you're there, that's when you're in trouble because it's all about the journey."

"Neon Highway Blues" track listing:

01. Under The Rug (feat. Eric Gales)

02. Mercy Of Love (feat. Josh Smith)

03. Your Kind Of Love

04. Don't Come Crying (feat. Ian Hoey)

05. Still Believe In Love

06. Almost Heaven

07. I Felt Alive

08. Waiting On The Sun

09. Damned If I Do (feat. Lance Lopez)

10. Living The Highlife

11. Neon Highway Blues


Hoey will appear on both the Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise (February 3-10) and the Rock Legends Cruise VII (February 14-18), after which he'll visit Nashville to participate in Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp (February 28 - March 3). Additional confirmed appearances include Bull Run in Shirley, Massachusetts (March 8), Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania (March 29), Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, New Hampshire (May 3) and the Sellersville Theater in Sellersville, Pennsylvania (May 24). A complete itinerary for spring, summer and fall will be announced shortly.

On November 25th, 2018, Behemoth's art show, Thou Art Darkest, made it's final stop in Los Angeles, California. The band has posted this recap video:

After recently completing a North American headlining tour with At the Gates and Wolves in the Throne Room, Behemoth are bringing this must-see show to Europe, starting today.

In anticipation of the trek, the band has launched a new video for "Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica" (directed by Grupa 13), taken from their latest album, I Loved You At Your Darkest, which landed at #1 on BraveWords' BravePicks 2018 list. Watch the new video below.

Orion (bass & vocals) comments: "Behemoth Legions! As this 'ILYAYD' adventure continues onwards, we want to share a new video with you! Since we began the writing process, 'Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica' was a stand-out contender to be featured as a single and music video. As the song evolved during rehearsal and recording, it gained this lively, furious vibe... which you hear now - thus, it includes live performance elements which we've not done in quite some time. We are happy to work with Grupa13 once again - and once again, they showed their super-professional approach at every step of the shooting and video production. Two separate locations, hours of preparation, but it was all worth it. In absentia dei, we evangelize! Enjoy!"

Tour dates are listed below. Tickets can be purchased here.

Ecclesia Diabolica Evropa 2019 e.v., with At The Gates, Wolves In The Throne Room

January
10 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
11 - Munich, Germany - Tonhalle
12 - Prague, Czech Republic - Forum Karlin
13 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
15 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex 457
16 - Milano, Italy - Alcatraz
17 - Lyon, France - Le Transbordeur
18 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
19 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
21 - Toulouse, France - Le Bikini
22 - Paris, France - Bataclan
23 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
24 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
25 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
26 - Stockholm, Sweden - Annexet
27 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
29 - Helsinki, Finland - The Circus
30 - Tampere, Finland - Pakkahuone

February
1 - Hamburg, Germany - Grosse Freiheit 36
2 - Utrecht, Netherlands - TivoliVredenburg
3 - Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique
4 - Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal
6 - Bristol, UK - Marble Factory
7 - Birmingham, UK - O2 Institute
8 - London, UK - O2 Forum Kentish Town
9 - Manchester, UK - O2 Ritz
10 - Dublin, Ireland - Vicar Street
11 - Glasgow, Scotland - QM Union

Behemoth lineup:

Nergal - vocals & guitars
Orion - bass & vocals
Inferno - drums & percussion
Seth - live guitar

On March 8th, the Faroe Islands' Týr will release their eighth full-length, Hel, via Metal Blade Records. Hel is a collection of ruthlessly melodic and irresistibly compelling progressive folk metal that will immediately resonate with any who have followed the band at any point over the two decades of their storied career.

For a preview of the album, a lyric video for the first single, "Fire And Flame", can be found below.

Hel can also be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- digipak-CD
- box set (digipak CD, drinking horn, leather belt clip, poster, autographed photo card - limited to 1000 copies)
- steel-blue / gray marbled vinyl (US retail exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- clear mushroom brown marbled vinyl (US webstore exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- blue / white / black / red splatter vinyl (US webstore exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- turquoise blue marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- clear / blue marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- bordeaux red /black marbled vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- olive marbled vinyl (Nuclear Blast exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- white / blue marbled vinyl (Tutl exclusive - limited to 100 copies)

Known for their prolific nature - dropping their first five full-lengths in the space of just seven years - the six-year gap between Valkyrja (2013) and Hel is by far the longest between any two of their records. During that period the band toured hard, taking the album around the world, including a support run with Children Of Bodom in North America and an appearance on the 70,000 Tons Of Metal cruise. However, other factors played into this extended break between releases.

"We approached this one differently because I learned that if I continue doing albums in the way we had up to now, I would die from a heart attack before I'm 50!" says guitarist/vocalist Heri Joensen. "That's one of the reasons we changed our method and took such a long time on this one."

That this tactic - which also includes more songwriting contributions from bassist/vocalist Gunnar Thomsen and guitarist Terji Skibenæs than on previous releases - has been beneficial is borne out in the finished product, which is perhaps more immersive than those that came before.

"Musically it leans a bit towards our album, 'Ragnarok' (2005)," states Thomsen. "It's a bit more epic and also much better worked through than any of our previous albums." It also marks the recording debut of drummer Tadeusz Rieckmann, who has manned the drum throne for Týr's live shows since 2016.

Hel tracklisting:

"Gates Of Hel"
"All Heroes Fall"
"Ragnars Kvæði"
"Garmr"
"Sunset Shore"
"Downhill Drunk"
"Empire Of The North"
"Far From The Worries Of The World"
"King Of Time"
"Fire And Flame"
"Against The Gods"
"Songs Of War"
"Alvur Kongur"

"Fire And Flame" lyric video:

UK heavy metal act Forged In Black have just inked a deal with Fighter Records for the worldwide release of their upcoming second album, Descent Of The Serpent, scheduled for international release March 5th.

Forged In Black was born in 2013 after changing their moniker from Merciless Fail (2007-2013). Their self-titled debut album was released that same year, followed by three EPs: The Tide (2013), Fear Reflecting Fear (2016), and Sinner Sanctorum (2017). These releases got a great response within the British heavy metal scene and paved the way for their second full-length, Descent Of The Serpent, recorded in 2018, once again with producer Romesh Dodangoda, with cover art made by Dan Goldsworthy (Alestorm, Hell, Accept).

The style of Forged In Black is fresh, melodic, and powerful heavy metal where you can find classic elements from British bands like Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, or Angel Witch, with a slight dose of Candlemass and hints of thrash in the vein of bands like Flotsam & Jetsam, Heathen, and Metal Church. 

About their signing to Fighter Records, Forged In Black had the following to say: "We are absolutely thrilled at the prospect of working with Fighter Records. To be added to their already stellar roster is overwhelming, and we cannot wait to see what this partnership brings. This album is the culmination of ten years of hard work, and we are certain that this release has something to love for all metal fans. We are currently working on a host of shows to support the release and can't wait to display our most ambitious live performance to date. See you down the front!"

International release date for Forged In Black's Descent Of The Serpent will be March 5th through Fighter Records on CD format. In the meantime, hear the first advance song, "Descent Of The Serpent", via the clip below. Album cover and tracklisting follow.

"Seek No Evil"
"One In The Chamber"
"Shadowcasters"
"Descent Of The Serpent"
"One Last Sign"
"Palm Of Silver"
"Aphelion Tormentor"
"Vendetta"
"When Hell Is Done"

For further details, visit Forged In Black on Facebook.

 

"Alive Today", the first video from THE END MACHINE, the new band featuring three members of the classic DOKKEN lineup — George Lynch (guitar), Jeff Pilson (bass) and Mick Brown (drums) — along with former LYNCH MOB and current WARRANT singer Robert Mason, can be seen below. The song is taken from THE END MACHINE's debut album, which will be released on March 22 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The "Alive Today" clip was filmed with director Jamie Brown, who has previously worked with DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, LAST IN LINE and KXM.

Pilson said: "We think that, notwithstanding the obvious nod to our past experiences together, THE END MACHINE sound has a unique identity. Sonically, this is not just ex-DOKKEN members with a different singer or a rebooted incarnation of LYNCH MOB. This is a new sound. Everyone has been doing great on the album and there is a lot of energy and a lot of focus."

Asked if the songs for THE END: MACHINE's upcoming debut album were written for the recent reunion of DOKKEN's classic lineup, Pilson told "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon": "I will say that the very early songwriting sessions, with George and I writing the music, we were thinking, 'Well, this could be DOKKEN. Who knows?' We just got together and started writing. But the thought in the back of our mind was, 'Well, maybe there is…' There was a lot of talk, and there was business talk about a possible DOKKEN record. So we wanted to just start writing. We wanted to write and that was kind of probably foremost on our mind. But we also realized very quickly, 'Well, this is kind of becoming its own animal.' And then when Robert got involved, it totally became its own animal. So, I would say it's kind of branched out of the writing that we did for the [recent DOKKEN CD, DVD and Blu-ray, 'Return To The East Live (2016)'], but not very much — only a slight degree."

Pilson also talked about the musical and songwriting chemistry between him, Lynch, Brown and Dokken, saying: "What's so funny about the bonus track ['It's Just Another Day'] on the DOKKEN record ['Return To The East Live (2016)'] is that was one of the least painful recordings DOKKEN has ever made. [Laughs] It was so comfortable and natural — Don's vocals happened very quickly. It's ironic, really, because the band supposedly has so much strife within it or whatever. But on a musical level, chemistry-wise, we kind of can't help but do what we do. Don has a very distinctive voice, and very distinctive melodic sense, George has such a distinctive way of playing, and I think when Mick and Don and I sing, it's very unique. I mean, that is the chemistry — but that was the beauty of DOKKEN, and we appreciate that; we all do. And the thing is, [fans] have to realize is we're still kids at heart, so when George and I get together and start writing, we wanna keep writing. So if the DOKKEN thing doesn't happen for whatever reason, we wanna keep writing. And that's kind of where [THE END: MACHINE] sort of came into being, and that's a good thing — that's music happening organically. And I love that. And that's how I feel about this whole record — it just organically became what it is. It goes from very simple, straight-ahead groove-oriented rock to some kind of musical little adventures that are very, very cool. And, like I said, I'm just really, really proud of it."

According to Jeff, who has been a member of FOREIGNER since 2004, the plan is to develop THE END MACHINE into a full-fledged band, with more albums and touring activity to follow. "I look at it in a very long-term way, 'cause I love playing with these guys — I just do," he said. "And yes, for the time being, the amount of live shows we could do will be limited — there's no question. I mean, FOREIGNER has no signs of slowing down yet. But I love playing with these guys and I love making music with these guys. So, yeah, I'm looking at it in the long term; I'm not just thinking of us as a side project for one record. We're looking at it as a band — a band that has contraints because of everyone's schedules, but that doesn't mean we don't have plans and hope in the future to nurture this into something more. There's only one challenge, but it is by far the biggest, and it's very overwhelming, and that's scheduling. The amount I tour with FOREIGNER, which, as I said, will not slow down, at least for the next couple of years. That's a very daunting challenge — it's very hard to work things out."

"The End Machine" track listing:

01. Leap Of Faith

02. Hold Me Down

03. No Game

04. Bulletproof

05. Ride It

06. Burn The Truth

07. Hard Road

08. Alive Today

09. Line Of Division

10. Sleeping Voices

11. Life Is Love Is Music

THE END MACHINE will play its first set of shows in April. Brown will be unable to make the dates and will be temporarily replaced by EVANESCENCE's Will Hunt.

The details are as follows:

April 04 - Whisky A Go Go - Los Angeles, CA

April 05 - Count's Vamp'd - Las Vegas, NV

April 06 - Encore - Tucson, AZ

DISTURBED was the musical guest on last night's (Thursday, January 10) episode of "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" The band performed several songs — including "Are You Ready" and "A Reason To Fight" — on the show's outdoor stage in front of a standing-room-only crowd. Check out video footage below.

DISTURBED released its seventh studio album, "Evolution", in October.

David Draiman recently revealed that DISTURBED will no longer tour at the frequency he and his bandmates were known for in the past. Speaking about the group's "Evolution" trek, which kicked off January 9 in San Diego, California, the singer told KROCK host Rainman: "One thing I will caution everyone on is because we're doing this tour the way that we are, because we're doing arenas on our own, because we're doing the two-hour-long set, because we're targeting things the way that we are, it's not gonna be as frequent as DISTURBED used to be. So when it does happen, come, 'cause it may not be a year or two or three till we see you. So, come on out — be a part of it. Let's make it a night to remember."

He continued: "The days of just the machine rolling and rolling and rolling are just past where we're at as people, as individuals. We're all family men now, and there's a yin and yang. And not only that — but it'll end up being healthier for everybody. I think that instead of people's expectation that we're coming around more often, if they view that we're not coming around as often, then each time we do, it really becomes a celebration, it really becomes an event for everyone — like a big family reunion. So I think it'll end up working out for the best."

DISTURBED's North American tour will make stops in cities like Denver, Houston, Nashville, New York, Pittsburgh, and Toronto before wrapping up in Rosemont, Illinois on March 8. Support on the 27-city jaunt is coming from Canada's THREE DAYS GRACE.

Following the U.S. leg of the tour, DISTURBED will travel overseas to play in Spain, Czech Republic, Italy, and more countries throughout Europe. Their last slated show, as of right now, is on July 2 in Israel.