Founding MORGOTH member Carsten Otterbach has died after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. The 48-year-old guitarist, who also headed up his own artist management company Direct Management, played on the band's first two EPs, "Resurrection Absurd" (1989) and "The Eternal Fall" (1990), as well as the first three full-length albums, "Cursed" (1991), "Odium" (1993) and "Feel Sorry For The Fanatic" (1996).

Century Media Records co-founder Robert Kampf, whose label released all of MORGOTH's studio albums, released the following statement via his Facebook page: "With a very heavy heart, I learned that a close friend of 28 years, Carsten Otterbach, has passed. Carsten had a decade long battle with MS (multiple sclerosis). While he was a trooper and battled it hard for a long time, it was one of those battles that eventually take you down.

"I will always remember Carsten as a very sharp-minded, well-read, business-savvy and, at the same time, very fun-loving, tolerant and simply great guy. He will always live in my heart.

"Carsten fought very hard for his artists and was honorable as it gets. Legendary are the fights between my late partner Oliver Withöft and Carsten. The two of them fighting was scary if you were in the room, but always a fun story afterwards. Both were good friends and, unfortunately, did not make it to age 50.

Farewell, Carsten. You will not be forgotten and [will be] held in very high acclaim by your friends and by several generations of metal artist."

DEMOLITION HAMMER guitarist Derek Sykes also paid tribute to Otterbach, writing: "Our first tour ever was in 1990 with OBITUARY and MORGOTH. Three young bands from three different cultures crammed together on a bus for two months exploring parts of the world we had only read about. We all formed a bond during those months that even decades later still remain in one form or another. That being said, we mourn the loss of Carsten Otterbach, (original guitar player from MORGOTH). So many great memories from those days and Carsten (along with Frank Watkins [OBITUARY] and, of course, Vinny Daze [DEMOLITION HAMMER]) were central figures in all of them. Rest in peace, brother, and our condolences to your friends and family."

THE DAMNED THINGS has announced its first live show in seven years. The supergroup comprised of members of EVERY TIME I DIE, ANTHRAX and FALL OUT BOY will perform at the 2019 edition of the Welcome To Rockville festival on May 4 in Jacksonville, Florida.

THE DAMNED THINGS was formed a decade ago, when FALL OUT BOY's Andy Hurley and ANTHRAX's Scott Ian started writing music together. The band played its first show two years later and released its debut album, "Ironiclast", in December 2010. After performing a few gigs together, the members took a hiatus and returned to their respective bands.

In addition to Ian and Hurley, "Ironiclast" featured EVERY TIME I DIE frontman Keith Buckley, FALL OUT BOY's Joe Trohman, EVERY TIME I DIE's Josh Newton, and Rob Caggiano of VOLBEAT (and formerly ANTHRAX).

Caggiano is not believed to be involved in THE DAMNED THINGS' comeback, which will likely include the release of new music in early 2019.

ast year, Buckley uploaded a short clip of what appeared to be a new song from THE DAMNED THINGS. The singer also revealed THE DAMNED THINGS had a fresh EP in the works.

"Ironiclast" sold 6,200 copies in the first week of release and reached the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Heatseekers chart.

Earlier this year, Ian said that the supergroup may have a follow-up to "Ironiclast" on the way in the near future.

"We always knew with THE DAMNED THINGS, it was always going to be something that we would get to do schedules permitting, because we are all in extremely busy bands," he explained. "But, look, we're all friends and we're all in contact with each other on a regular basis and I can say that there is, possibly, a record, but that's all I'm going to say about it."

Former MACHINE HEAD and VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel says that he is "beyond honored" to fill in for Gary Holt on a SLAYER tour.

Holt, who also plays with EXODUS, announced on Sunday that he would miss the rest of the current SLAYER European trek in order to return home and be with his dying father.

Demmel will make his live debut with SLAYER tonight (Monday, December 3) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Earlier today, Demmel posted the following message on his social media sites: "Full circle. Karma. It's so crazy how things work out. I got a text less than 24 hours after I played my last MACHINE HEAD note.

11 years ago (almost to the day), I had to leave a tour to fly home and be with my family when my father passes away. Some amazing dudes stepped in to cover for me and to help the band out.

"I am filling in for a legend who has replaced a legend in a legendary band on their farewell tour.

"Despite the fact that SLAYER is the reason I wanted to play heavy music, it's beyond my utmost honor to [be] asked to do this. Learning 19 songs (not just songs — SLAYER songs) has been a daunting task and I have worked very hard to do Gary and the entire camp proud.

"As we all here send our love and support to Gary Holt as he goes through a life-altering time, the rallying this camp has done is amazing.

"Thank you all for your support as I grab the baton for a few shows and fly the Bay Area flag high on stage right.

"And lastly, the biggest hero is Marta [Phil's wife] for being so selfless after having her partner home for two days, sends him off to follow this crazy dream. All hail the Queen."

Holt began filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at live shows in 2011, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS.

Demmel joined MACHINE HEAD a decade after his previous band, VIO-LENCE, broke up; VIO-LENCE being the band that he and Robb Flynn, MACHINE HEAD's lead singer and guitarist, launched together as teenagers. Robb went on to form MACHINE HEAD in 1992 and Phil joined them in 2003.

Demmel announced in October that he would leave MACHINE HEAD at the end of the band's fall 2018 North American tour, explaining in a statement that it was "simply time" for him "to step away and do something else musically."

View this post on Instagram Full circle. Karma. It's so crazy how things work out. I got a text less than 24 hours after I played my last MH note. 11 years ago (almost to the day), I had to leave a tour to fly home and be with my family when my father passes away. Some amazing dudes stepped in to cover for me and to help the band out. I am filling in for a legend who was replaced a legend in a legendary band on their farewell tour. Despite the fact that Slayer is the reason I wanted to play heavy music, it's beyond my utmost honor to asked to do this. Learning 19 songs (Not just songs, SLAYER songs) has been a daunting task and I have worked very hard to do Gary and the entire camp proud. As we all here send our love and support to @garyholt_official as he goes through a life altering time, the rallying this camp has done is amazing. Thank you all for your support as I grab the baton for a few shows and fly the Bay Area flag high on stage right. And lastly, the biggest hero is @martarino for being so selfless after having her partner home for 2 days, sends him off to follow this crazy dream. All hail the Queen. A post shared by Phil Demmel (@demmelitionmh) on Dec 3, 2018 at 7:18am PST

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 first track taken from the new album, and you can watch the video for "Under The Eye Of The Sun" below.

Steve comments: “'Under The Eye Of The Sun' celebrates the wonder and spirit of the amazing rock-scapes I've experienced: Monument Valley, Sedona, Grand Canyon, Uluru and Arabian desert. This picture video by Leigh Harris and Franck Avril along with the song captures the sharp contrasts of bright light and mysterious darkness through the Shamanic heartbeat of these awe-inspiring places... Enjoy!”

Of the new album, Steve adds: “In these dangerous times, deep shadows feel even sharper than usual and we find ourselves standing at the edge of light... The contrast between dark and light weaves its way throughout the album in many ways, from the sense of good fighting evil through to the interplay of dark and light opposites magically combining in cultures, including the heartbeat of India and primal tribal rhythms. Ultimately, this album embraces the need for all musical forms and cultures to connect and celebrate the wonder of unity in this divided world.”

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"

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.

Hackett recently played a series of Genesis Revisited shows with Orchestra and will perform two UK dates with acoustic sets in early December before touring Europe in April/May 2019 and has just announced a UK tour in November 2019 with a much anticipated Selling England By The Pound & Spectral Mornings & Album Highlights set. You can find a full list of upcoming tour dates here.

(Photo - Tina Korhonen)

"Lean", a song from the Los Angeles based post-metal group DAWN FADES, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's self-titled debut album, which will be released on February 8, 2019 via Metal Assault Records.

Metal Assault has worked with DAWN FADES for a couple of its events in the L.A. area this year, and the band's live performance was mesmerizing and magnetic every single time, striking an unimaginable and often unattainable balance between ferocity and finesse, and always exhibiting a wide spectrum of musical expressions within the finite 30-minute duration typically allotted to it as a support act.

"Dawn Fades" will be made available on limited-edition vinyl (black and gold color variations) and all digital platforms.

Track listing:

1. Lean (5:06)

02. Conceal (6:10)

03. Ashes (5:36)

04. -(pause)- (0:40)

05. Shackle (5:25)

06. See (4:07)

07. Freeze (6:56)

DAWN FADES will celebrate the album's release with a performance at 5 Star Bar in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 16.

DAWN FADES is:

Sam Sherwood (vocals)

Adam El-Gerbi (guitar)

Markus Erren Pardiñas (bass)

Scott Quist (drums)

Nate Hertweck (guitar)

Photo credit: Elizabeth Gore / Lone Wolf Productions

Dawn Fades by Dawn Fades

Bassist Geezer Butler (BLACK SABBATH), guitarist Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL, VINCE NEIL), drummer Matt Sorum (GUNS N' ROSES, VELVET REVOLVER) and singer Franky Perez (APOCALYPTICA) have joined forces in a new supergroup called DEADLAND RITUAL.

DEADLAND RITUAL is scheduled to appear at the Hellfest festival in Clisson, France next summer. The group will perform on the main stage on June 22, 2019 before such other acts as KISS, DEF LEPPARD and WHITESNAKE.

After BLACK SABBATH played its final show in February 2017, Butler admitted: "I felt relief that it was all over, that it was done with, that we'd done a good show, and quite sad in a way to think that we’d never do it again. It really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, actually. It just felt right. We've been around for 49 years now, and it's time to call it a day."

In a 2017 interview with Billboard, Butler spoke about his post-BLACK SABBATH plans, saying: "I'm not in a hurry to do anything… I'm traveling a lot, seeing the places [the band] only stayed for one night and going back and spending some time there. We've recently moved house this year and I'm going to be building my home studio, but it's taken me ages. Next year I'll see if I can get back into music."

ast year, Butler told Rolling Stone that he had "about 120 riffs written down" for his next musical project, adding that he just needed "to pick a guitarist and sort through them."

Butler's last solo album, "Ohmwork", which was released under the band name GZR, sold less than 900 copies during its first week of release back in May 2005, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Geezer's first project under the GZR banner was 1995's "Plastic Planet". 1997's "Black Science", which was credited to GEEZER, featured vocalist Clark Brown, who also performed on "Ohmwork".

A founding member of BLACK SABBATH, Butler is also the lyricist of such SABBATH classics as "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Paranoid" and others.

Posted by Geezer Butler on Saturday, December 1, 2018

View this post on Instagram Coming Soon…. A post shared by DeadlandRitual (@deadlandritual) on Nov 28, 2018 at 12:06am PST

View this post on Instagram ???????? ?????? coming soon A post shared by DeadlandRitual (@deadlandritual) on Nov 30, 2018 at 11:45pm PST

The film adaptation of MÖTLEY CRÜE's biography, "The Dirt - Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band", will be released on March 22, according to Vince Neil. The movie, which is being helmed by "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" director Jeff Tremaine, was picked up by Netflix after being previously developed at Focus Features and before that at Paramount.

The MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman revealed "The Dirt" release date in a tweet on Sunday (December 2). He wrote: "Wow!!! Just left Netflix offices. Just saw 'The Dirt' movie!! Fuckin awesome!! Can't wait for everyone to see it! Released March 22!! Yea!!!"

MÖTLEY CRÜE recently recorded four new songs for "The Dirt" movie. Bassist Nikki Sixx described the recordings as "real and raw. Everybody is playing like mad and the songs crush," he wrote on Twitter. "[Producer] Bob Rock brought the sounds. Plus we have a surprise that will confirm that we're outta our minds."

The movie will reportedly star Daniel Webber ("The Punisher") as Neil, Douglas Booth as Sixx, Machine Gun Kelly as drummer Tommy Lee, and Iwan Rheon ("Game Of Thrones") as guitarist Mick Mars. Playing rock and roll legend Ozzy Osbourne in the film is actor-comedian Tony Cavalero, while Rebekah Graf ("The Amityville Murders", "Lycan") is playing actress Heather Locklear, ex-wife of Tommy Lee.

b>"The Dirt" is being produced by LBI Entertainment's Julie Yorn and Rick Yorn, along with Erik Olsen and Amanda Adelson, who wrote the script.

Neil previously told Las Vegas Magazine that "The Dirt" movie script stays "pretty close to 'The Dirt', so if you've read 'The Dirt', it's really something to look forward to."

Asked how it struck him that he would be seeing an actor playing him on screen, Vince said: "That's gonna be strange. It's funny, I saw the table read of the last script. They have these different actors playing each person, and even just the table read of the script was weird when the Vince guy was talking. [Laughs] It wasn't the guy that's gonna play me, but it was just kind of weird hearing somebody say your words. It's a bit of a trip."

In 2015, MÖTLEY CRÜE completed "The Final Tour", closing the book on the band's iconic career after performing a total of 164 shows in 72 markets, grossing over $100 million.

To cement the sense of finality, the four members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in 2014 publicly signed a "cessation of touring" contract that prevents any of them from performing under the CRÜE name in the future.

A tour film about MÖTLEY CRÜE's final shows, "The End", came out in 2016.

Wow!!! Just left Netflix offices. Just saw “The Dirt” movie!! Fuckin awesome!! Can’t wait for everyone to see it! Released March 22!! Yea!!!— Vince Neil (@thevinceneil) December 2, 2018

Christian metal band DEMON HUNTER will release two new albums, "War" and "Peace", on March 1, 2019. The news comes just a couple of weeks after the group relaunched its fan community, "The Blessed Resistance."

"War" track listing:

01. Cut To Live

02. On My Side

03. Close Enough

04. Unbound

05. Grey Matter

06. The Negative

07. Ash

08. No Place For You Here

09. Leave Me Alone

10. Lesser Gods

"Peace" track listing:

1. More Than Bones

02. I Don't Believe You

03. Loneliness

04. Peace

05. When The Devil Come

06. Time Only Takes

07. Two Ways

08. Rescue Myself

09. Bet My Life

10. Fear Is Not My Guide

DEMON HUNTER formed in Seattle in 2001. The lineup features singer Ryan Clark alongside co-founder Jonathan Dunn (bass), drummer Tim "Yogi" Watts (drums, since 2004), lead guitarist Patrick Judge (since 2008) and guitarist Jeremiah Scott (since 2011). Clark remains the primary songwriter, with increasing contributions from Judge.

DEMON HUNTER's dedicated supporters wear the group's symbol and lyrics on their shirts, vests, backpacks, and in many cases, on their skin. Based in both Seattle and Nashville, the group embraces brazenly transcendent melodies, without apology, while maintaining a defiant heaviness reminiscent of the most timeless of metal.

A regular attraction at festivals, in theaters, and clubs, DEMON HUNTER has visited Europe, Australia, and South America, while touring North America several times. They were a headlining act on "Scream The Prayer", co-headlined with the band RED, played as direct support to IN FLAMES and introduced their fans to bands like AUGUST BURNS RED and HASTE THE DAY, whom they took on tour with them early in their career.


WAR. PEACE. TWO brand new Demon Hunter albums. March 01. PREORDER NOW merchconnectioninc.com/collections/demon-hunter. Blessed Resistance members receive 10% off. BlessedResistance.comPosted by Demon Hunter on Monday, December 3, 2018

Capital Chaos TV has posted two-camera video of Unearth performing their classics "My Will Be Done" and "Watch It Burn" at Holy Diver in Sacramento, CA on November 28th. Check out the clips below.

Unearth have released an unboxing video for their new album, Extinction(s), out now via Century Media Records. Watch below:

Will Putney (Every Time I Die, Body Count, Gojira, Thy Art Is Murder, Silent Planet) handled the production duties for Extinction(s) at Graphic Nature Studios.

Tracklisting:

"Incinerate"
"Dust"
"Survivalist"
"Cultivation Of Infection"
"The Hunt Begins"
"Hard Lined Downfall"
"King Of The Arctic"
"Sidewinder"
"No Reprisal"
"One With The Sun"

"One With The Sun" video:

"Survivalist" lyric video:

"Incinerate":

In support of the album, the band has announced a co-headline European tour with Darkest Hour in March/April 2019. Support acts will be Misery Signals, Malevolence and Left Behind.

Unearth frontman Trevor Phipps comments: “It's been over two years since we've set foot in Europe and we are more than ready to return for the Death to False Metalcore tour. Hitting the road alongside our brothers in Darkest Hour as well as the stacked package of Misery Signals, Malevolence and Left Behind is something we are very much looking forward to. See you soon Europe!”

Dates are as follows:

March
21 - Köln, Germany - Essigfabrik  
22 - Brugge, Belgium - Het Entrepot  
23 - London, UK - ULU (w/o Malevolence)  
24 - Utrecht , Netherlands - Tivoli Pandora  
25 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof  
26 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle  
27 - Berlin, Germany - SO36  
28 - Munich, Germany - Backstage   
29 - Leipzig, Germany - Conne Island  
30 - Prague, Czech Republic - Futurum  
31 - Budapest, Hungary - A38 

April
1 - Vienna, Austria - Arena

More Unearth live dates can be found here.

Progressive power metallers, Blind Guardian, have re-released three more classic titles from their back catalogue. The remixed and remastered versions of Imaginations From The Other Side, Nightfall In Middle-Earth and A Night At The Opera are out now on 2CD digipack and 2LP gatefold vinyl format, in a variety of limited edition colours.

Singer Hansi Kürsch comments: "So great that Imaginations From The Other Side, Nightfall In Middle-Earth and A Night At The Opera will finally be re-released on vinyl and as limited-edition CDs. I really love the bonus material for each album. Always great to re-visit these albums. Have fun."

Today, the band release the second part of the official documentary, Imaginations Revisited. Watch two segments below:

Part One:

Part Two:

Order the reissues here.

Imaginations From The Other Side (1995), remixed 2011/2012,  remastered 2012

- 2 CD-DIGI (remixed/remastered CD+original CD)
- LP in gatefold

Tracklisting:

"Imaginations From The Other Side"
"I’m Alive"
"A Past And Future Secret"
"The Script For My Requiem"
"Mordred’s Song"
"Born In A Mourning Hall"
"Bright Eyes"
"Another Holy War"
"And The Story Ends"

Bonus:
"The Wizard"
"System’s Failing"

Nightfall In Middle-Earth (1998), remixed 2011/2012,  remastered 2012

- 2 CD-DIGI (remixed/remastered CD + original CD)
- LP in gatefold

Tracklisting:

"War Of Wrath"
"Into The Storm"
"Lammoth"
"Nightfall"
"The Minstrel"
"The Curse Of Feanor"
"Captured"
"Blood Tears"
"Mirror Mirror"
"Face The Truth"
"Noldor (Dead Winter Reigns)"
"Battle Of Sudden Flames"
"Time Stands Still (At The Iron Hill)"
"The Dark Elf"
"Thorn"
"The Eldar"
"Nom The Wise"
"When Sorrow Sang"
"Out On The Water"
"The Steadfast"
"A Dark Passage"
"Final Chapter (Thus Ends…)"

Bonus:
"Doom"
"The Tides Of War"

A Night At The Opera (2002), remixed 2011/2012,  remastered 2012

- 2CD-DIGI (remixed/remastered CD+original CD)
- LP in gatefold

Tracklisting:

"Precious Jerusalem"
"Battlefield"
"Under The Ice"
"Sadly Sings Destiny"
"The Maiden And The Minstrel Knight"
"Wait For An Answer"
"The Soulforged"
"Age Of False Innocence"
"Punishment Divine"
"And Then There Was Silence"

Bonus:
"Age Of False Innocence" (demo)
"Under The Ice" (demo)

Guitarist Gary Holt will miss the rest of the current SLAYER European tour in order to return home and be with his dying father. He will be replaced for the remaining shows on the trek by former MACHINE HEAD and VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel. Demmel will make his live debut with SLAYER Monday night (December 3) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Holt, who also plays with EXODUS, broke the news about his departure from the SLAYER tour in an Instagram post earlier tonight (Sunday, December 2). He wrote: "First things first, I want to say thank you to Berlin for the AMAZING show tonight!! BEST CROWD EVER! But what I've got to say has been very very hard for me these last ten days or so.

"My father is very near the end of his journey. I've been playing these last several shows with the heaviest of hearts. And with that heavy heart, I have to announce I am leaving the SLAYER European tour. I must return home to help care for my dad in his final moments.

"Tonight ended with me in tears while finishing 'Angel Of Death'. But the crowd brought out the best in me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all.

And that having been said, I want EACH AND EVERY SLAYER fan to give their biggest screams for Phil Demmel!! Bay Area legend!!! My dear friend, who having JUST finished a tour, agreed to help me and the band out and learn an entire SLAYER set in days and come out here so I can return home for my dad. Thank you, Phil. You are family, love you bro! Please give him your warmest welcome. And most of all, I gotta thank SLAYER — Tom Araya [bass, vocals], Paul Bostaph [drums] and Kerry King [guitar]. You guys are TRULY my family, and have had my back through all what has been the roughest time in my life on tour. And thanks to our ENTIRE crew, and LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX and OBITUARY and their crews, knowing you all have been there for me through this, FAMILY. Love all of you. To my fans, thanks from the bottom of my black heart, I'll be back in March to crush once more. And more than anything, thanks to my wife, Lisa Holt, had I been alone for this, my meltdowns would have been even greater. Love you baby. See all of you soon. Thank you. And MUCH LOVE to my bros in EXODUS! They know what's going on, and no one has my back more, EXODUS, you guys are my rock."

In a June 2012 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, King stated about Holt: "I always regard Gary as the Glenn Tipton of our era — really good, really polished and nobody talks about him. To this day, nobody really references [JUDAS] PRIEST and Tipton that much as guitar players and I feel the same way about Gary. EXODUS have a huge following but a little more overlooked than METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX — the 'Big Four,' so to speak, so [it is great] to be able to bring him to the forefront and shove him down people's throats and say, 'Hey, this motherfucker kicks ass. Pay attention.'"

Holt joined EXODUS in 1981 shortly after their formation, and has been the band's main songwriter ever since. Holt has performed on every EXODUS album, and is considered highly influential in the world of thrash metal. In 2011, he began filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at live shows, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS. In October 2014, EXODUS released its tenth studio album, "Blood In Blood Out", on the Nuclear Blast label.

This past January, SLAYER announced that it would do one last concert tour around the globe to thank their fans for all of their support over the years, for making the last three and a half decades so packed with good times and unforgettable experiences, and then move on.

A spokesperson for the venue where a BRING ME THE HORIZON fan died says that the "tragic medical incident" was "unrelated to the extensive security measures in place" for the concert.

After BRING ME THE HORIZON played at London's Alexandra Palace on Friday night, the venue posted a message on Twitter the next day saying that "a medical incident occurred" at the show. Earlier today, a spokesperson for Alexandra Palace told The Independent: "Following the statement made last night, we would like to clarify that this was a tragic medical incident and unrelated to the extensive security measures in place at all of or our events. However, we feel we must address the inaccurate information quoted on social media. There were over 150 security personnel on site for the concert.

"Alexandra Palace has an experienced events team with security and full medical team stationed throughout the site. We work closely with our local authority, licensing and the emergency services to ensure that regulations and requirements relating to the planning of an event are always executed to a high standard."

It is unclear how the fan died, but some of the concert attendees claim a man named "Ali" was carried out of the crowd at the 10,000-capacity venue by security.

mergency services were called to reports of someone feeling unwell at the venue on Friday shortly before 10 p.m. but were unable to save the man.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said the man died at the scene.

The spokesperson said: "We sent an ambulance crew, a paramedic in a fast response car, an advanced paramedic and our hazardous area response team to the scene. Our first medic arrived in less than three minutes."

On Saturday, BRING ME THE HORIZON issued a brief statement, saying: "Words cannot express how horrified we are feeling this evening after hearing about the death of a young man at our show last night. Our hearts and deepest condolences go out to his family and loved ones at this terrible time. We will comment further in due course."

IMONOLITH, the new Canadian metal band featuring members of THREAT SIGNAL, DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, will release its first official single, "Hollow", on January 18, 2019.

IMONOLITH was launched following Devin Townsend's announcement that he has put the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT on indefinite hiatus while he works on other projects.

Joining drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen and guitarist Brian "Beav" Waddell (who played bass in DTP) are bassist Byron Stroud, second guitarist Jed Simon and vocalist Jon Howard.

Regarding how IMONOLITH was chosen as the moniker for the new band, Van Poederooyen said: "Jed Simon had a list of over 50 band names he thought of over the years. He sent them to all of us in the band. The word 'Monolith' was one of the band names. It caught my attention and I started playing with the word. At first, I thought of various names with words in front of, or after the word Monolith, then I thought of 'I Monolith.' But it didn't sound right, so I added the letter 'i' to the front of the word 'Monolith' and voilà… IMONOLITH was born. A brand new word used for a band name. The guys dug it when I brought it up to them. It sounds heavy and is easy to say. So we're sticking with it! It still somewhat carries the meaning of Monolith, which is a monumental, black stone of significance. Sounds metal enough for us!"

b>IMONOLITH (the first "i" is pronounced like the "i" in the word "impossible") is:

* Jon Howard (THREAT SIGNAL) - Vocals

* Jed Simon (VIMIC, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, SCAR THE MARTYR) - Guitar

* Brian "Beav" Waddell (DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT) - Guitar

* Byron Stroud (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) - Bass

* Ryan Van Poederooyen (DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT) - Drums

Photo credit: LIM SANG Photography

ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann recently spoke with Rodrigo Altaf of Sonic Perspectives. The full conversation — which took place prior to the departure of bassist Peter Baltes — can be streamed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On playing with an orchestra at the 2017 Wacken Open Air festival, a performance captured on the group's new album, "Symphonic Terror":

Wolf: "It just came up, because I was asked to play a show with my solo album, 'Headbangers Symphony'. I was invited by the Wacken people, and then one thing led to another, and all of a sudden, it was like, 'Hey, you are there, ACCEPT is there, the symphony orchestra is there. Why don't you guys play some ACCEPT songs? ' We agreed to that, and there it is, for the first time ever. I've had a lifelong fascination with classical music and orchestra sounds and whatnot, and finally, after all these years, it's a lifelong dream come true."

On whether he was nervous about how his performances of "Headbangers Symphony" material would be received:

b>Wolf: "I was. The guys didn't really care, because it was not their necks sticking out — it was me. [Laughs] I was surely nervous, because I had no idea how that sort of festival crowd [was] going to react to instrumental stuff based on classical themes. That's why I picked the more metal songs, the more uptempo songs off my record, because I knew that they could get into that maybe a little easier than if I was, say, [to] play some really slow Bach or something."

On whether there were any difficulties combining ACCEPT's music with an orchestra:

Wolf: "I started about a year before the show with my good friend Melo Mafali. He's sort of the architect or the maestro in all these arrangements. He and I'd just sit together in the studio and pick out some songs that we felt were right for orchestration. Some others, we didn't even attempt, but everything that we did attempt worked really well thanks to the way that he happened to write this stuff."

On whether he's considering recording a third solo album:

Wolf: "Not yet. The next thing on my agenda is the next ACCEPT album first and foremost. Sometime down the road, I might write another classical album. Now that we've played that Wacken show, we've got a little bit of a taste of the whole thing. We wanted to do some more shows, so we booked some more orchestra shows for next year, starting in Europe. We're going to go all over the world with it. I think it's metal enough for metal fans to get into it, but it's also different enough to where other people that don't normally go to rock shows can maybe enjoy that sort of stuff a little bit. It's a little bit of a crossover effect, I believe."

On whether he feels the band's recent material rivals the quality of their classics:

Wolf: "I do, actually, and a lot of fans tell me they even think the new material is maybe even stronger than anything we've done in the '80s. When I hear that, that makes me very happy, because that's sort of the highest compliment ever if you can get better with age... There's a lot of output that's really consistent, and fans really appreciate that. There's younger fans that discover ACCEPT now and go back in time and discover earlier records, so it's not just fans that have followed us for forty years. There's younger guys out there, and that's a great sign. I'm super-happy about that whole development."

On German metal fans:

Wolf: "Germany is less trend-oriented, maybe. In America, it's always [that] something is super-hot, and then everybody jumps onto the next super-hot thing and forgets about the past, where Germany, it's much more long-term. They don't really care what's hot on the radio – they love their metal, and they stay true to it. I don't know why that is; I just notice that it is, and that makes me very happy of course, because it's great for us."

On producer Andy Sneap:

Wolf: "We've worked with him four times in a row because we really like [him], so I almost forget how it is — I can't even imagine right now how it would be to work without him. We're a great team; we work together really well; and I hope we can continue to use him even now that he plays with JUDAS PRIEST. I think we'll find the time to work together again. He gets that sound — he really gets that sound. I don't know how he does it, and I leave him alone with it. I know he does it and he does it well, so I don't question it and I don't interfere. He's doing his part, and he's doing it well. I love Andy — he's great."

"Symphonic Terror - Live At Wacken 2017" was released last month via Nuclear Blast.

California rock and party legends STEEL PANTHER have survived a career of living a decadent lifestyle surrounded by loud music, fast cars and beautiful women. That lifestyle of debauchery and proclivity towards random sexual encounters has finally caught up with the band's bassist. Lexxi Foxx has voluntarily checked himself in to an undisclosed "sex rehab." He will have to miss the current U.S. tour that recently kicked off in Chicago. The band's friend of over 30 years and backstage doorman Spyder will be filling in on bass for the upcoming tour dates.

"We love Lexxi Foxx… and his mother," explains drummer Stix Zadinia. "We support his decision to enter sex rehab. We can't wait for him to get back on the road with us after he learns how to have better sex."

Fans will still be able to see Lexxi Foxx alongside Michael Starr, Satchel and Stix Zadinia in the new season of Steel Panther TV, which debuted recently. Cineminute, the band's new YouTube show, premiered last week with their parody of the Bryan Singer classic "The Usual Suspects". The weekly episodic show returns on December 4 with their unique interpretation of 2005's Ang Lee Academy Award winner "Brokeback Mountain".

STEEL PANTHER guitarist Satchel recently confirmed to Meltdown of the WRIF radio station that the band has commenced the recording process for its fifth album. The follow-up to 2017's "Lower The Bar" is once again being produced by Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR and URIAH HEEP, among others.

b>"Lower The Bar", was released in March 2017 via Kobalt Music Recordings. The disc included eleven songs recorded at studios in North Hollywood and Sherman Oaks, California, with an additional two tracks on a Best Buy deluxe edition.

Corey Taylor has called Adam Levine a "schmuck" after the MAROON 5 singer blasted the current rock scene as lacking the "innovation" of hip-hop.

In a brand new interview with Variety, Levine was asked which genre of music he and his bandmates fit into: pop, rock or urban. He responded: "Something unique to this band is that we have always looked to hip-hop, R&B, all rhythmic forms of music, from back when we were writing our first album to now.

"Rock music is nowhere, really," he continued. "I don't know where it is. If it's around, no one's invited me to the party.

"All of the innovation and the incredible things happening in music are in hip-hop. It's better than everything else. Hip-hop is weird and avant-garde and flawed and real, and that's why people love it."

b>Levine added: "My goal is to make songs that don't sound dated 10 years later. My main criteria for a song is, can I live with it forever? And if I can't, I just don't have the heart to do it. It's that simple."

After a fan tagged Taylor on Twitter by saying that Levine's comments "angered" him so much that he needed the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR singer "to rip him a new one or something," Corey happily obliged, writing: "Just because you claim to have 'Moves Like Jagger' doesn't mean you come anywhere CLOSE to ROCKING like Jagger. Tell that schmuck to go back to The fucking 'Voice'"

STONE SOUR producer Jay Ruston, who has also worked with ANTHRAX, URIAH HEEP and STEEL PANTHER, chimed in, tweeting: "When Adam Levine or anyone else in that genre can consistently sell out stadiums around the world like METALLICA, MUSE, SLIPKNOT, IRON MAIDEN, RAMMSTEIN, AC/DC, GUNS N' ROSES and THE ROLLING STONES then I'll care what he has to say about the death of rock."

Taylor previously dismissed the notion that rock is dead, telling Tina Smash of the Jacksonville, North Carolina radio station Rock 105.5 in a 2014 interview: "Rock and metal ain't dead. They're just waiting to kill you. And I mean that. It's an ebb and flow. It's like that probably every — what? — ten [or] fifteen years. There's an ebb. But it's definitely coming back."

The 39-year-old Levine has been a judge on "The Voice" since the Emmy award-winning NBC music competition show's very first season.

Just because you claim to have ‘Moves Like Jagger' doesn't mean you come anywhere CLOSE to ROCKING like Jagger. Tell that schmuck to go back to The fucking ‘Voice' ?? https://t.co/tFm0VHvV82— Sofa King Awesome (@CoreyTaylorRock) November 30, 2018



When Adam Levine or anyone else in that genre can consistently sell out stadiums around the world like Metallica, Muse, Slipknot, Iron Maiden, Rammstein, AC/DC, Guns N Roses and the Rolling Stones then I'll care what he has to say about the death of rock. https://t.co/KjWvv8gy7t— Jay Ruston (@jayruston) November 30, 2018

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, AUDIOSLAVE and PROPHETS OF RAGE bassist Tim Commerford has confirmed his split with his wife of nearly two decades. According to The Blast, Aleece Commerford filed documents on November 28 to end the couple's 17-year marriage.

Tim Commerford said in a statement: "After 17 years of marriage to Aleece Dimas, I am saddened to announce our divorce. This decision was made after much careful thought and consideration.

"I want to send my deepest appreciation to my family and friends who have supported us through these changes. We remain committed and loving parents to our two boys.

"Our family asks in advance for your kindness and sensitivity at this difficult time."

he 50-year-old rocker and Aleece Commerford were married in 2001 and have two sons together, Xavier and Quentin. In the documents obtained by The Blast, Aleece listed the date of separation as November 27, and is asking for physical custody of the two children. She is also seeking spousal support from Tim.

The family lives in Malibu. Aleece reportedly works in the medical field, and as an AIDS activist. It’s unclear what caused the split between the couple.

In a 2016 interview with Forbes, Tim stated about his family, "I love being a dad, I love my wife and my kids are amazing to me and I love the challenge of making music and family work. They influence me musically and emotionally."

Commerford and the rest of PROPHETS OF RAGE are reportedly preparing to release their second album sometime in early 2019.

"Sweet True Lies", the new video from BEAST IN BLACK, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's sophomore album, "From Hell With Love", which is scheduled for a February 8, 2019 release via Nuclear Blast.

Comments bassist Mate Molnar: "After the huge success of 'Blind And Frozen', we wanted to come out with something more interesting and original as the second official music video of the band. I believe 'Sweet True Lies' is loveable but also shocking at the same time and I'm sure it will move the hearts of our fans!"

BEAST IN BLACK is the Helsinki, Finland-based metal band 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).

b>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."

BEAST IN BLACK is supporting NIGHTWISH on a European tour, which kicked off on November 2 in Gothenburg, Sweden.

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.

METALLICA, DEF LEPPARD/JOURNEY, FOO FIGHTERS and GRETA VAN FLEET are among the nominees at the 30th annual Pollstar Awards honoring the top achievers in the live entertainment industry. The ceremony will conclude the 30th annual Pollstar Live! Conference, which runs February 11-13, 2019 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. The awards, presented by Live Nation, recognize the most successful artists, executives, venues, events and companies in the thriving global live entertainment business.

Pollstar Awards nominees for the "Major Tour Of The Year" award include epic treks by Beyonce & Jay-Z, Bruno Mars, Drake, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift and U2. This year's emergent new talent nominees include Billie Eilish, Kane Brown, Luke Combs, Post Malone and Travis Scott who are up for "Best New Headliner" honors.

Other artists recognized for their live achievements include Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake, Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, Elton John, PANIC! AT THE DISCO, Pink, Travis Scott, Luke Bryan, Shania Twain, J Balvin, Kenny Chesney, Luis Miguel, Harry Styles, Bad Bunny, Billy Joel, Billie Eilish and Celine Dion.


The 2018 Pollstar Awards nominees were selected by a panel of more than 2,000 agents, managers, promoters, venue operators and professionals who work in the live entertainment industry. With the largest, most diverse nomination committee in the history of the awards, Pollstar announces several changes to the program for its 30th-anniversary event, both in terms of award categories and in the methodology calculating winners. These changes are geared to increase relevancy, recognize the evolution of the industry, and acknowledge the standard bearers from the preceding touring year.

For 30 years, the Pollstar Awards have been the definitive recognition for achievement in the touring industry, and we are honored and privileged to again recognize the elite artists, venues, and executives in the world of live entertainment," said Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group, parent company of Pollstar. "This is a thrilling time to be in the business of live, and we remain inspired by the level of professionalism, creativity and fan engagement exhibited by those who make up our nominees for the 2019 Pollstar Awards, and across the industry."


While the Pollstar Awards will remain predominantly an industry peer-voted honor, Pollstar will for the first time use its industry-leading box office data in designating winners for certain awards with a weighting of 30 percent (15 percent average gross revenue and 15 percent average ticket sales) applied to vote total to determine final winners. Also, certain executives and artists must be affiliated with specific tours, venues and events from the preceding touring year in order to maintain relevance to the year being considered.


Pollstar has also continued its focus on artists, adding new awards in 2018 based on genre, along with categories for a wider range of acts that contribute significantly to the overall touring economy, including "Best Residency", "Best Support/Special Guest", "Best Non-Music Tour", "Best Brand Partnership", "Best Touring Musician" and "Best Soft Ticket Act". Pollstar will also soon announce special awards for lifetime achievement and philanthropy, and engage fans with the first fan-voted award in the history of the event.

In recognition of the 30th anniversary (and in an effort to not take itself too seriously), Pollstar will celebrate the larger-than-life personalities and unique nature of the business via such irreverent categories as "The Unavailable", "Best Hang", "Most Dreaded Phone Call" and "The Back In My Day". The entire slate of awards is geared toward presenting a compelling ceremony that salutes the touring industry's illustrious past while celebrating its current vitality and promising future.


"The changes made for the 2019 Pollstar Awards reflect our ongoing efforts to present the most relevant and accurate representation of the 'year in touring' and the highest-achieving artists and professionals that make up this dynamic, passionate business," said Ray Waddell, president of OVG's Media & Conferences division. "We also wanted to try and have some fun because, while this industry is definitely made up of the hardest working men and women in show business, they also know how to have a good time."


The 2019 Pollstar Live! Conference & Awards runs February 11-13, beginning with a day focused on production with Production Live! (programmed this year with legendary production guru Jake Berry) followed by two days of insightful sessions, keynotes, Q&As and presentations on the most relevant topics facing the global live business.

For a complete list of 2019 Pollstar Awards nominees, visit Pollstar.com.

After a highly successful touring run across North America together with BEHEMOTH and WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, Swedish melodic death metal pioneers AT THE GATES are not only starting a special short run of European dates today in Greece, but also announcing the release of two EPs for early January.

To enhance the beginning of their massive European tour with BEHEMOTH and WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM, AT THE GATES will release both a strictly limited seven-inch EP titled "The Mirror Black" and a special digital EP titled "With The Pantheons Blind" on January 11, 2019.

The seven-inch EP features the two songs "The Mirror Black" and "Daggers Of Black Haze" off AT THE GATES' current album "To Drink From The Night Itself" in the versions that come with guest vocals by Rob Miller (AMEBIX, TAU CROSS).

"The Mirror Black" seven-inch EP track listing:

Side A: The Mirror Black (Featuring Rob Miller) (04:38)

Side B: Daggers Of Black Haze (Featuring Rob Miller) (04:47)

This collector's item is limited to 1,000 copies worldwide, as follows:


* Black seven-inch: 400x copies (CM Distro Europe wholesale & online shop)

* Golden seven-inch: 100x copies (CM Europe online shop)

* Clear seven-inch: 300x copies (CM Distro Europe Wholesale & Onlineshop)

* Transparent Red seven-inch: 200x copies (Exclusively from the band on tour)

The digital EP "With The Pantheons Blind" contains all six bonus tracks from "To Drink From The Night Itself" recording sessions, now available digitally for the first time: "Daggers Of Black Haze" and "The Mirror Black" featuring guest vocals by Rob Miller (AMEBIX, TAU CROSS); "The Chasm" featuring guest vocals by Per Boder (GOD MACABRE); "A Labyrinth Of Tombs" featuring guest vocals by Mikael Nox Pettersson (CRAFT); a demo version of "The Chasm" and a merciless re-recorded version of the early AT THE GATES classic "Raped By The Light Of Christ", originally featured on the band's sophomore album "With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness" from 1993.

"With The Pantheons Blind" digital EP track listing:

01. Daggers Of Black Haze (Featuring Rob Miller) (04:47)

02. The Chasm (Featuring Per Boder) (03:21)

03. A Labyrinth Of Tombs (Featuring Mikael Nox Pettersson) (03:32)

04. Raped By The Light Of Christ (2018) (02:57)

05. The Chasm (Demo Version) (03:21)

06. The Mirror Black (Featuring Rob Miller) (04:38)

The pre-order for this digital release starts o December 7.

AT THE GATES vocalist Tomas Lindberg checked in with the following comment about the seven-inch EP release: "The idea of getting guest vocalists on board for the bonus tracks for the album was us trying something new again... This time we wanted to get other artists involved in our music, getting their takes on our new songs. It was a pleasure working with everybody and all songs grew immensely in the process.

"The songs we did with Rob Miller was for me personally something extra. Of course, people who know me know that I am a massive AMEBIX fan. And I love the more recent stuff with TAU CROSS too.

"I had no idea what to expect. But the songs grew so goddamn much together with Rob's powerful voice.

"We decided early on that these versions were worthy of their own release. This is for me personally one of the greatest achievements of my career, to share the vocal space with one of my favorite vocalists of all time. I am so proud of this release. Hope everyone else gets as much joy out of it as I do."

In celebration of their 30th anniversary, British rockers THUNDER revisit and reinterpret their finest songs in a way you've not heard before. Released in North America on Friday, January 18 via BMG, "Please Remain Seated" is the sound of a band taking a strange journey into their own music, but also distilling thirty years of playing together in order to create something truly compelling, taking in flavors of rock, blues, jazz and soul along the way.

"She's So Fine" was the album's first single, and today the band are releasing the second single/video from "Please Remain Seated", for the song "Miracle Man". This version of the track has been given a completely new slant and fully underlines the fresh, innovative and daring approach taken by the band during the "Please Remain Seated" sessions. The video can be viewed below.

"Please Remain Seated" will be available in various formats: standard 1CD, deluxe 2CD (bonus tracks), 180-gram standard black, gatefold double vinyl, limited-edition transparent orange double vinyl (indie store exclusive, limited to 500), Digital - HD, MFiT and standard. The album has been mastered at half speed on vinyl for dynamic range.

Danny Bowes said: "We've never been the kind of band that wanted to make the same album over and over, and we've never been scared to try new things. In fact, making THUNDER music over the past 30 years has taught us that the more we challenge ourselves, the better we get. Having re-imagined and re-recorded 'Love Walked In' in 2017, we were very stimulated by the process, and wanted to try it on other songs. We made it as live as possible, jamming ideas until we found an arrangement that felt good. We set ourselves three rules: work fast, don't aim for perfection, and make it different to the original. Some songs fell together spontaneously, and some took a series of strange left turns before ending up in a place none of us predicted.

By shaking up old tunes in this way, we forced ourselves to rethink how we felt about them. We think it'll probably be the same for fans when they hear them. It's not supposed to be a 'Best Of', and it's not a change of direction, it's just another brief stop along the journey to where we're heading (wherever that is). We really like it, and we hope others will too."

"Please Remain Seated" track listing:

01. Bigger Than Both Of Us

02. Future Train

03. Girl's Going Out Of Her Head

04. I'm Dreaming Again

05. Fly On The Wall

06. Just Another Suicide

07. Empty City

08. Miracle Man

09. Blown Away

10. Loser

11. She's So Fine

12. Low Life In High Places

Since forming in 1989, THUNDER has notched up twenty Top 50 singles, two gold albums, and cultivated a reputation as consummate live performers. Their last album — 2017's "Rip It Up" — hit No. 3 in the U.K. album charts, giving the band their highest chart placing in 22 years. "Please Remain Seated" is the result of all those miles on the clock and represents the sound of a band having fun. The smiles on their faces are almost audible, and the occasional bit of inter-band banter that made the final cut just underlines the d'esprit de corps that has always been there with THUNDER. Half of the tracks feature additional musicians who've performed at the famed Christmas shows and there's even a choir on one track!

"Please Remain Seated" may be a quieter album — the delicate sound of THUNDER if you will — but this collection underlines the strength of the songwriting and musicianship, and it also proves that great [even unexpected] things can happen when a band is prepared to step out of its comfort zone and challenge itself, even after 30 years.

Photo credit: Jason Joyce

Erik Lindmark, CEO and founder of Unique Leader Records and vocalist, guitarist and founding member of DEEDS OF FLESH, has passed away following a several-month battle with sclerosis. He was only 46 years old.

The label has released the following statement:

"It is with great sadness that we must announce that our CEO and founder, Erik Lindmark, passed away today after battling with sclerosis.

"The indelible mark he has left on the death metal genre is monumental, both as a businessman and as a musician. After building this label from scratch with his DEEDS bandmates, Erik took Unique Leader to a level he had never expected it, or the genre, to get to.

During his time in hospital, Erik was absolutely implicit with his instructions to staff to go full steam ahead with the label in his absence — which is exactly what we intend to do. That being said, we will not be releasing anything in January so that we can make the necessary adjustments and delegations within the company.

"We would like to thank you all for your well wishes, support and kindness toward Erik on socials and via private correspondence.

"There is a Gofundme set up for Erik's daughter Bella (5) and his wife.

"Rest in peace, Erik. You were a true warrior."

Guitarist Jesper Strömblad has announced that he will sit out CYHRA's live appearances for the remainder of 2018. He will be temporarily replaced by Marcus Sunesson from ENGEL.

The former IN FLAMES axeman explained in a statement: "Due to personal reasons concerning my family, I must step aside from CYHRA's current activities for the rest of the year. I need to focus on some personal matters, and my family's health. And therefore, I will not be able to give the band the 100% commitment that is needed.

"I'd appreciate a respect of my privacy during this special time.

"I am happy that our friend and great guitarist Marcus Sunesson from ENGEL can fill in for me for the upcoming CYHRA shows. Please welcome him in with open arms and give him the love and respect you all have given to me.

Next year I'll be back with recharged heart and soul, and I can't wait to get back on the road to perform the songs from our new album that I am extremely proud of!

"I'll be back."

The other members of CYHRA added in a separate statement: "We are definitely going to miss our good friend Jesper while he takes some time away from the band. However, we know that he will return very soon, ready to unleash his killer riffs and melodies, and most-likely more tattooed than ever!

"Marcus has already done a few shows with us, and he has done an amazing job. We feel that he is already very much part of the CYHRA family.

"We have two shows left for this year (in Sweden; Eskilstuna on November 30th and Stockholm on December 1st) and those are going to be awesome as always.

"2019 will be a big year for us as our second album will be released, and we are planning to (FINALLY!) tour all over the world.

"Please come and have a good time and hang out with us.

"See you all on the road very soon!"

CYHRA recently finished recording its as-yet-untitled second album for an early 2019 release via Spinefarm Records. The follow-up to 2017's "Letters To Myself" was laid down at Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark and will be mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, AMARANTHE).

Regarding the songwriting process for CYHRA's upcoming album, vocalist Jake E told Dhaka Tribune: "I am the main lyricist, but on this album all the others have contributed with ideas as well. Euge [Valovirta, guitar; ex-SHINING] and Jesper are the ones between the solos but it's [the three of us] that usually write most of the songs. Euge has been doing a great job on songs on this album and Euge and I actually sat down and wrote three songs together for this album."

CYHRA's current lineup is completed by drummer Alex Landenburg (LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY).

In a recent interview with Metal Casino, Jake stated about how CYHRA approached the making of its second LP: "When we wrote the first songs [for the debut album], we were just sitting, jamming around, and we had no plans — we had no expectations from fans or labels or anything like that — and now we have. We've been touring a lot — we've been playing a lot of shows — and now we realize that, 'Oh, the new songs, we might have to think a little bit more about how are these songs gonna work out live.' So we continue the same road with this album as the last one — it's a natural progression, music-wise — but we've been putting a little bit more effort into having the songs work out in the live set."

According to Jake, one of the biggest differences between CYHRA's next disc and "Letters To Myself" is the fact that the band no longer has a bass player, having split with former IN FLAMES member Peter Iwers earlier in the year. "We actually have more or less decided — we don't know for the future — but right now, the bass is gonna be handled by Mr. ASUS, as we call him; that's our computer," Jake said.

"Letters To Myself" was recorded at Top Floor Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden.

CYHRA made its live debut in October 2017 at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland.

This past spring, CYHRA completed a successful North American tour opening for SABATON and KREATOR.

Legendary rockers FOREIGNER played the third of four "Double Vision: Then And Now" concerts Friday night (November 30) in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The show, which marked the 40th anniversary of FOREIGNER's second album, "Double Vision", featured all current bandmembers plus the original musicians who helped to put the iconic group on the map more than forty years ago. Singer Lou Gramm, drummer Dennis Elliott, keyboardist Al Greenwood, guitarist/saxophonist Ian McDonald and bassist Rick Wills joined Mick Jones and FOREIGNER to rock through some of the best-selling songs from the band's albums.

The setlist was as follows:

Current lineup without Mick Jones:

01. Cold As Ice

02. Head Games

03. Waiting For A Girl Like You

04. That Was Yesterday

05. Headknocker

06. Urgent

07. Juke Box Hero

lassic FOREIGNER lineup:

08. Feels Like The First Time

09. Double Vision

10. Blue Morning, Blue Day

11. Long, Long Way From Home

12. Dirty White Boy

Current and classic members performing together:

13. I Want To Know What Love Is

14. Hot Blooded

Asked by USA Today why he chose to commemorate "Double Vision" with these reunion shows, Mick said: "Well, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band's foundation, I wanted to do something special and a little unexpected. We did a couple of shows earlier in the year together and everybody hit it off so well. My two lead singers, Lou Gramm and [current frontman] Kelly Hansen, really hit it off like a house on fire, and the rest of the guys were happy to be a part of it. It was very emotional. It brought up a lot of stuff from the past, but it just felt natural and we fell right back into it."

Gramm said that it wasn't hard to get all the guys back together. "Everybody was actually pretty boned up on their instruments, and with a little bit of practice, it was sounding good," he said. "Everyone was anxious within reason. We didn't want to make more of it than what it was, but it ends up being a lot of fun."

FOREIGNER's first-ever ticketed reunion concert featuring all original members took place in August at The Sturgis Buffalo Chip in Sturgis, South Dakota.

Gramm and Jones's June 2013 performance of "I Want To Know What Love Is" and "Juke Box Hero" at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in New York City marked the first time the pair performed together in a decade after Gramm left FOREIGNER for a second time. Hansen has fronted the group since 2005. Jones is the sole remaining founding member in FOREIGNER's current lineup.

A performance video of "Enter Sandman", taken from APOCALYPTICA's upcoming live set, "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four Cellos - A Live Performance", can be seen below.

Two decades ago, APOCALYPTICA's first and most important album, "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos", was released, selling over 1.5 million copies to date and leading to a carefully remastered, critically acclaimed new album version with three bonus tracks in 2016.

In celebration of the trailblazing album's 20th anniversary, the avowed live band is honoring its career-defining release with the extensive "Plays Metallica By Four Cellos" world tour since early 2017.

The highly emotional, all-instrumental shows across the continents feature four cellos and a drum set and METALLICA covers only, taking audiences back to the sound and track listing of the original album as well as thrilling them with more METALLICA songs APOCALYPTICA covered over the years.

how stopping highlights are cello versions of hits such as "Enter Sandman", "Master Of Puppets" and "Seek And Destroy", as well as incredibly dense encores like "Nothing Else Matters" and "One".

Just in time for the tour break, APOCALYPTICA has announced the much-anticipated live recordings, "Apocalyptica Plays Metallica by Four Cellos - A Live Performance", to be released as a 2CD+1DVD digipak as well as a digital album version on December 7.

The DVD delivers the band's full two-hour concert at the renowned Finnish Savonlinna Opera Festival in the breathtaking scenery of Olavinlinna Castle, featuring previously unreleased METALLICA covers. The accompanying CD/digital (and later vinyl) formats present the band's slightly heavier rock flavor, displayed at one of the band's three sold-out shows at the iconic Tavastia club in Helsinki in September.

This year's release will be followed by a lavish 3LP+1DVD+download code package dropping in 2019.

"Feed The Fire", the new video from BILLYBIO, the solo project of BIOHAZARD and POWERFLO guitarist Billy Graziadei, can be seen below. The song is the title track of BILLYBIO's debut album, which is being released today (Friday, November 30) via AFM Records.

Music has always been the central, unifying force in Graziadei's life. Early musical training took place on the Graziadei family's old, forever out-of-tune upright piano and he began studying music under the guidance of his grandfather and uncle, both of whom he had always admired. So he expanded his musical vocabulary while growing up, finding inspiration in so many forms of music but it wasn't until he stumbled into the underground world of punk-rock music that his musical taste was really sparked into growth.

Immersing himself in the sounds, perspective, and culture of the punk underground, Billy's desire to create new, innovative music led him to the late-'80s hardcore scene in New York City, from Sunday-matinee hardcore shows at CBGBs to Friday-night metal shows at Brooklyn's L'Amour metal/rock club. It was here that he found his musical home and it was here that Billy helped form a band that would take the metal/hardcore scene by storm. It was the birth of BIOHAZARD. As one of the first bands they combined the urban sounds of hardcore, metal and rap with scorching lyrics describing the forces at work in our modern urban lives.


With an audio-engineering degree and years of experience recording BIOHAZARD, Graziadei opened Firewater Studios. This studio became an incubator for Billy's creativity, where he continues to cultivate his talent while producing upcoming bands. During the years of touring with BIOHAZARD, Graziadei collaborated with many different musicians. As a result of this, the friendship with CYPRESS HILL singer Sen Dog turned in 2016 into the supergroup POWERFLO along with bassist Christian Olde Wolbers (ex-FEAR FACTORY) and guitarist Roy Lozano (DOWNSET). While Graziadei continues to work on new POWERFLO songs as he tours around, he decided that the time finally has come for his solo venture.


b>Billy states: "I've always wanted to do a solo release and the timing of everything that I have been working on just seemed to fall in place.

"I always let the creative juices flow, I don't try and restrict them to fit a certain genre.

"With BILLYBIO, it's 100% me. No influence from anyone else. This is who I am and what I've become. I'm a product of everyone I've met, talked with, shared my stories with… and a bit of their stories as well.

"Anyone who's a fan of what I've done, especially with BIOHAZARD, will love this! There's something there for every fan of heavy underground music!"


According to Billy, "Feed The Fire" is "heavy, fast, groovy and full of energy. I couldn't have it any other way," he says. "It's full of my roots but modern."

Producer Tue Madsen, who worked on "Feed The Fire", agrees. "When I was brought in to mix this record, it was with big expectations, and boy, were they met," he says. "These songs keep the energy level so high and have so much to say. Great deliverance, great songwriting and now me mixing the whole thing. I couldn't be happier."

Photo credit: Melissa Hummel

A four-minute video documentary about the formation of BIAS, the new band featuring former KORN drummer David Silveria, can be seen below. David is joined in the Orange County, California-based group by bassist Chris Dorame, guitarists Joe Taback and Mike Martin and singer Rich Nguyen.

Silveria, Dorame and Taback previously played together in CORE 10, which "imploded" earlier this year after releasing a couple of singles and playing a number of local shows.

Taback said about BIAS: "We received hundreds of submissions from all over the world and heard a lot of amazingly talented people. Rich came in and we just instantly vibed. The songs flowed without a hitch. We were able to get a lot done with him in a very short span of time."

Added Dorame: "I felt that he immediately connected with what we are trying to portray musically; he fit right in. His style is unique, yet familiar enough to be the perfect voice for our music."

b>Silveria concurred. "Rich's work ethic drives us all to work harder in the studio; it's amazing," he said.

As for the name of the band, Silveria said: "We chose BIAS because everyone has their own opinions and preferences that influence their actions in some way or the other. Whether we know it or not, we all have our own version of bias." Nguyen adde: "It's also short and simple."

BIAS is currently in the studio with Chris Collier (KXM, PRONG) writing and recording material for its debut release. "The songs are all a bit different from one another — some are heavy, some melodic and some are both. I think people will be pleasantly surprised," said Nguyen.

BIAS will make its live debut on January 25, 2019 at an as-yet-undisclosed venue in Anaheim, California.

Silveria, who left KORN in late 2006, sued his former bandmates in February 2015, claiming that his exit from the group was merely a hiatus and that he was rebuffed when he tried to return to the band in 2013. Silveria said he still had ownership interest in KORN and was asking a judge to force the band to reveal how much money they've made since he left so that he can get his rightful share.

Silveria was said to be especially upset over the fact that KORN welcomed back guitarist Brian "Head" Welch five years ago but wouldn't do the same for him. Welch left the group in 2005 and continued as a solo artist before rejoining in 2013.

KORN singer Jonathan Davis told The Pulse Of Radio that he believed Silveria had lost his passion for playing music, saying, "The first two albums, I think, he really enjoyed playing drums and then after that he just lost his love for playing drums. It happens."

Silveria told fans in 2013 that KORN was not the same since he left, saying, "Until they have the real 'funky drummer' it's just not gonna groove the way it could. I've made it clear that I would come back and restore the groove."