According to Billboard, hologram production company Eyellusion, which created the Ronnie James Dio hologram, has signed with the Agency for the Performing Arts (APA), represented by agency partner Steve Martin.

The Dio hologram will return to the road in April is set to hit over 100 cities in 2019.

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

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

fter the tour's initial seven-date run was completed last December, Ronnie's hologram is undergoing "some changes" before the launch of the next leg of the "Dio Returns" world tour.

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

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

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

"Message At The Tone", a song from KILL DEVIL HILL guitarist Mark Zavon, can be streamed below. The track is taken from MarK's self-titled debut solo album, which will be released on November 23 via EMP Label Group, the label founded by MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson. Described in a press release as a collection of "timeless, uptempo hard rock songs" featuring "catchy riffs and giant hooks," the 10-song offering sees Zavon handling not only on guitars, but also bass, keys, and even all the vocals.

Co-founded by Zavon in 2011, KILL DEVIL HILL released two albums, "Kill Devil Hill" (2012) and "Revolution Rise" (2013), before going on hiatus as various members pursued other projects.

With KILL DEVIL HILL inactive, Mark found himself with time on his hands and an itch for a creative outlet. "I had a bunch of tunes that needed finishing or had just never seen the light of day, so I decided to put them together and see where it took me," he says.

Zavon hired Brian Tichy (OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER) to record the drums and, with the exception of a couple of guest appearances by Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO) and Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.), handled the rest of the recording and performing duties himself at his Los Angeles studio. The effort was mixed by Josh Newell (INTRONAUT, BLACK VEIL BRIDES), and mastered by Paul Logus (STONE SOUR, THE WINERY DOGS).

ays Zavon: "I was really fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such talented people on this project; they really brought this record to life."

"Mark Zavon" track listing:


01. Message At The Tone

02. Back In The Day

03. Three Days Grace

04. Big Shot

05. South Of The Border

06. Color Of Blood

07. Whiskey Tango

08. Seven Stitches

09. Remember

10. Brick By Brick

On February 1, 2019, SOEN, the progressive heavy rock group featuring world-renowned drummer Martin Lopez (formerly of AMON AMARTH and OPETH), will release its fourth album, "Lotus", via Silver Lining Music.


Having spent the last six months digging deep into the muddy depths of their emotions, the nine songs comprising "Lotus" are intoxicating, addictive aural therapies, questioning much of today's darkness while juxtaposing them with moments of great escape and hope.


"We are all very fortunate to have this place where we can go and explore thoughts, perspectives and emotions which everyday life maybe does not have the room for," says Lopez, one of SOEN's founding members. "There are definitely things that we say, and places we go, in SOEN which would be very hard to express without us coming together and creating music."


Produced by David Castillo and Iñaki Marconi at Ghostward Studios and Studio 6 between July and October 2018, the album marks the first recorded SOEN work of new Canadian-born guitarist Cody Ford, whilst the center-point of the album remains those trademark, snap-heavy, progressive SOEN riffs. Songs such as "Rival", "Covenant" and "Martyrs" are dissertations on modern societies, fraught with poetic, finitely designed confusion and chaos, yet as the name "Lotus" suggests, there is still strength, beauty, and purity to be extracted from what at times seems like an endless cycle of human regression.


The world right now is undeniably a very strange, tense place," says Lopez. "I think the songs clearly reflect that, but they also reflect that we must now be stronger than ever in challenging, confronting, and dealing with the pandemonium life throws at us all."


The lavish "Lotus" artwork features nothing other than an enigmatic and engaging copper-reflective pyramid, offering elements of the sixth sense and greater consciousness before gate-folding open to reveal a girl touched by the copper aura.


"We each have our own personal ideas as to what it means," says Lopez, "but we'd much rather discuss what others think, what our audience thinks, what the media thinks... I think it's extremely important that we all communicate with each other and take the time to fully conceive our own meanings and interactions with life and creativity."


"Ultimately," concludes Ekelöf, "'Lotus' is about rising from whatever darkness, or dark places, you might find yourself. And its inspiration comes from a deep motivation to not just settle for the situation you might find yourself in. 'Lotus' is about changing life — both your own and your surroundings for which we must all take responsibility — and make them better rather than letting darkness pacify you and take you down."


SOEN will bring "Lotus" on the road as it tours Europe starting in March 2019.

Tour dates:


Mar. 12 - John B - Oslo, NO

Mar. 13 - TBC - Copenhagen, DK

Mar. 14 - Logo - Hamburg, DE

Mar. 15 - Roadrunner - Berlin, DE

Mar. 18 - Backsatge Werk - Munich, DE

Mar. 20 - Colos Saal - Aschaffenburg, DE

Mar. 21 - Helios - Cologne, DE

Mar. 22 - De Effenaar - Eindhoven, NL

Mar. 25 - O2 Academy Islington - London, UK

Mar. 28 - Salamandra - Barelona, ES

Mar. 29 - Caracol - Madrid, ES

Mar. 30 - Hard Club - Porto, PT

Mar. 31 - RCA - Lisbon, PT

Apr. 03 - Z7 - Pratteln, CH

Apr. 04 - Legent Club - Milano, IT

Apr. 05 - Orion Ciampino - Roma, IT

Apr. 06 - Sonic Room - Fabricia, IT


SOEN is:

Joel Ekelöf - vocals

Martin Lopez - drums

Lars Åhlund - keys, guitar

Stefan Stenberg - bass

Cody Ford - lead guitar

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH drummer Jeremy Spencer will sit out the fall leg of the band's tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN to undergo a second back surgery. Drum prodigy "The Engine" will fill in for him on all dates beginning on November 6 in Wichita, Kansas and ending on December 11 in Portland, Maine.

Produced by FPC Live (Frank Productions), the fall arena tour will once again feature 2018 breakout rock band BAD WOLVES (select dates) with Swedish heavyweights IN FLAMES on other select shows. FROM ASHES TO NEW will offer support on all fall dates, while special guest Trap-Core DJ Felmax will bring his heavy beats to round out the night of entertainment.


For the fall tour, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will donate a portion of their ticket sales to VETPAW (Veterans Empowered to Protect African Wildlife). The mission of VETPAW is to end the illegal poaching of rhinos, elephants and other endangered species. VETPAW does this by utilizing the unrivaled skills and experience of highly trained combat veterans to form anti poaching units, train local park rangers and support their communities.


BREAKING BENJAMIN will donate a portion of ticket sales to a charity the band has longtime supported, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, in an effort to help further research to end childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

b>FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "And Justice For None", which came out in May.

Since the kickoff of the "Not In This Lifetime" tour in 2016, GUNS N' ROSES has performed an astounding 140-plus shows for over five million fans to date in stadiums, arenas, and as part of festivals worldwide. This year alone the band has played at 13 stadiums as part of their epic run along with five summer festival headlining slots across Europe. The European dates in 2018 have thrilled over 750,000 fans. Produced and promoted by Live Nation, the outing featuring one of the most legendary bands has become one of the most successful tours of all time.

GUNS N' ROSES continues to take the world by storm as it continues another round of highly anticipated "Not In This Lifetime" tour dates this week. On Saturday, November 3, the band performed at the Mother Of All festival in Monterrey, Mexico and is continuing its trek with stops in Jakarta, Manila, Hong Kong, Abu Dhabi, Johannesburg, and more throughout the month of November.

The Southern California band will also rock the paradise city of Honolulu on its only U.S. date of 2018 — and its first show ever to take place in the state of Hawaii. One of the most ambitious tours in rock and roll history will play for thousands of fans at Aloha Stadium on Saturday, December 8.

Three-fifths of the classic GUNS lineup reunited in 2016 after last performing together more than two decades earlier. The "Not In This Lifetime" tour, which is now one of the highest-grossing in music history, launched in April of that year with a nightclub gig in Los Angeles and shows no signs of stopping.

oining singer Axl Rose and guitarist Slash on the "Not In This Lifetime" trek are bassist Duff McKagan, drummer Frank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, guitarist Richard Fortus and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS N' ROSES' latest studio album, "Chinese Democracy", came out in 2008 and featured only Axl from the classic lineup.

The last album on which Rose, McKagan and Slash appeared together was 1993's covers set "The Spaghetti Incident?"

A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH will release its new album, titled "When The World Becomes Undone", on January 18, 2019.

Led by founding TYPE O NEGATIVE and LIFE OF AGONY member Sal Abruscato, A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH released its debut, "And Hell Will Follow Me", in 2011 and firmly implanted its roots in the metal scene with the sophomore album, "Lay My Soul To Waste", in 2013. Both records were selected as part of Revolver magazine "Top 20 Albums Of The Year" lists in the years they were issued.

Besides Abruscato on guitars and lead vocals, A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH's lineup includes Joe Taylor and Eddie Heedles on guitars and Eric Morgan on bass. Johnny Kelly (TYPE O NEGATIVE) is also back in the band on drums.

"When The World Becomes Undone" will be made available via SPV's Long Branch Records imprint. The first single, "Love The Ones You Hate", will be released on November 16.

It's our signature combination of seemingly depressing and dark musical tones with unexpectedly pretty melodies," says 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."

"When The World Becomes Undone" 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" track listing:

01. As It Begins

02. When The World Becomes Undone

03. Love The Ones You Hate

04. Fell In My Hole

05. Succumbing To The Event Horizon

06. Vultures

07. End Of Days

08. The Woods

09. We All Break Down

10. Lay With The Wicked

11. Splinters

12. Dreams Of The End

13. Closure

"The phrase 'When The World Becomes Undone' came to me in 2014," Abruscato explains. "You could see what was beginning to happen in the world at large. Just turn on the news or look around. At the same time, there were a lot of crazy things happening in my personal life. Those struggles all became fuel for the music. It was like I had this partial sketch a while ago, and we finally filled it out this year. It evolved into what we have here."

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

A five-year gap preceded "When The World Becomes Undone" as Sal rejoined LIFE OF AGONY, which he co-founded, for a triumphant comeback tour and contributed musical arrangements to the 2017 album "A Place Where There's No More Pain".

The official music video for "Fresh Start", a brand new song from Joan Jett, can be seen below. The track is included in the Jett documentary "Bad Reputation", which was released in theaters and on demand on September 28.

The film, which premiered in January at the Sundance Film Festival, was directed by Kevin Kerslake and written by Joel Marcus.

"Bad Reputation" is described as "a look at the life of Joan Jett, from her early years as the founder of THE RUNAWAYS and first meeting with [manager/producer] Kenny Laguna in 1980 to her enduring presence in pop culture as a rock 'n' roll pioneer."

"Fresh Start" deals with the problems that rock singers face as they reach a certain age. "Sometimes you need to say to yourself, 'Am I still enjoying what I'm doing? I need to find the fire again,'" Jett told Entertainment Weekly, where the track premiered. "Part of it was just thinking about rock in general. It's always been a young person's game, writing about sex, love and partying. As rock and rollers get older, what do they write about? I'm not sure there's an answer, but we're looking for it."

he "Bad Reputation" soundtrack album was released on September 28 via Legacy/Blackheart. The career-spanning soundtrack premieres "Fresh Start", alongside definitive live and studio performances by JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS as well as tracks featuring THE RUNAWAYS, BIKINI KILL, members of THE SEX PISTOLS, and more. The album includes "Androgynous", an unreleased track performed by Miley Cyrus, Laura Jane Grace and Joan Jett.

JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS have created an unforgettable catalog of iconic recordings that can be heard around the world every day on radio as well in zeitgeist — capturing TV and motion picture soundtracks ranging from "Baby Mama", "Kick Ass", "Shrek" and "Easy A" to "Once Upon a Time", "Nashville", "CSI", "The Muppets", "True Blood", "Jessica Jones" and "The Sopranos" to Steven Spielberg's most recent science-fiction feature "Ready Player One". Jett's music has been used in a variety of commercials including campaigns for Target, Volkswagen, Hyundai and others.

An archetypal profoundly influential musician who's been called "the godmother of punk" and "the original Riot Grrrl," Joan Jett blew open the gates of rock and continues to inspire new generations of cultural revolutionaries.

Photo credit: Roger Erickson

METALLICA played a rare acoustic show this past Saturday, November 3 at the Masonic in San Francisco. The evening, dubbed the "All Within My Hands Foundation Helping Hands Concert And Auction", celebrated the first full year of METALLICA's All Within My Hands non-profit foundation, which was launched in 2017 to help creating sustainable communities by tackling the issues of hunger and workforce education and encouraging volunteerism.

In addition to acoustic versions of some of METALLICA's classic songs, the band performed covers of DEEP PURPLE's "When A Blind Man Cries", NAZARETH's "Please Don't Judas Me", BLUE ÖYSTER CULT's "Veteran Of The Psychic Wars" and Bob Seger's "Turn The Page".

Bandmembers James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett, Robert Trujillo and Lars Ulrich were joined by a quartet of backing musicians who provided additional percussion, keyboards, strings and vocal harmony.

The setlist for METALLICA's performance was as follows:

1. Disposable Heroes

02. When A Blind Man Cries (DEEP PURPLE cover)

03. The Unforgiven

04. Please Don't Judas Me (NAZARETH cover)

05. Turn The Page (Bob Seger cover)

06. Bleeding Me

07. Veteran Of The Psychic Wars (BLUE ÖYSTER CULT cover)

08. Nothing Else Matters

09. All Within My Hands

10. Enter Sandman

11. The Four Horsemen

12. Hardwired

Along with unplugged performances from METALLICA and CAGE THE ELEPHANT, the night offered attendees an opportunity to bid on one-of-a-kind auction items.

In its first six months of operation, the Foundation donated more than $750,000 to local food banks around the world — a practice the band and the Foundation have continued on METALLICA's current North American tour. They've donated $10,000 to local food banks in every city and met dedicated people who focus their daily lives on helping others.

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine has shared a short video of drummer Dirk Verbeuren working on his parts for a new song, to be included on the band's 16th studio album. Dave captioned the clip: "The Cheshire Cat is smiling! Enjoy a lil tease. ⁦@Megadeth⁩ ⁦@VerbeurenDirk⁩ #Album16" The sessions are being co-produced by Chris Rakestraw, who previously worked on 2016's "Dystopia" album.

This past August, Mustaine confirmed to Guitar World magazine that MEGADETH was working on material for the follow-up to "Dystopia". "We have been for a few weeks now," he said. "All the bandmembers are at home writing stuff and putting it in the same spot, keeping all the riffs centralized in one place. And anybody can access anybody's stuff. And then once we're done, I'll start assembling everything."

Asked if that means we will see new MEGADETH music in 2019, Mustaine responded: "Absolutely. For sure. A whole new record, I would say the chances are probably 95 percent. And at least one new song, I'd say it's 100 percent. No question."

MEGADETH's upcoming effort will mark the group's first release to feature Verbeuren, who officially joined the band more than two years ago.

b>Dave told "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" back in June that some of the new MEGADETH music is turning out to be more extreme than anything the band has done in the past. "The stuff that Dirk's been playing along to it is scary," he said. "We've never had any of those blast-beat kind of things on our music before, and some of the drumming on this is so mind-blowing. It's making me a better guitar player again, which I love. But I never thought we were gonna be playing this fast or this aggressive again."

"Dystopia" was MEGADETH's first album with guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who was previously best known for his work with ANGRA.

MEGADETH's first-ever Megacruise is scheduled to take place next fall. The boat will depart from Los Angeles on October 13, 2019 and visit San Diego and Ensenada, Mexico before returning to L.A. on October 18, 2019.

The Cheshire Cat is smiling! Enjoy a lil tease. ⁦@Megadeth⁩ ⁦@VerbeurenDirk⁩ #Album16 pic.twitter.com/33xlU3Wuln— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) November 5, 2018

Sharon Osbourne has admitted that she doesn't trust her husband Ozzy, more than two years after he apologized to the women he had extramarital affairs with.

Sharon told The Sun in a new interview: "I was a broken woman. He sent me an e-mail that was meant for one of his women. Then he took his sleeping pills. I put an extra two in his drink... and asked him everything, and everything came out.

"He would have never told me the truth, ever. He was ashamed, afraid. I knew how long. I knew who it was. I knew what he was thinking and then, you know, you leave.

"Ozzy told me it was over with this woman and I believed him. Then, six months later, I found out it wasn't and there were others.

Only then did he come out and say,'‘I'm an addict. I can't help it.'"

After Ozzy's affair with celebrity hairstylist Michelle Pugh was made public in May 2016, he underwent therapy for sex addiction. Sharon and Ozzy later reconciled and they even renewed their vows. But she told The Sun: "I don't trust him. I worry about that. I don't trust him as far as I can throw him.

"Nothing in the world hurts like infidelity. Nothing."

Explaining her decision to stand by him, she said: "Nobody is going to want to ask me out. Who would ask me out? A big-mouth, older woman? This is as good as it gets and I love him. He's my husband and I have to take care of him and you just become this woman that takes care of this person and this is my life. This is what I do."

Last year, Sharon told the British paper The Telegraph that Ozzy wasn't cheating with just one woman. "There were six of them," she said. "Some fucking Russian teenager... then a masseuse in England... our masseuse out here in Los Angeles... and then our cook. He had women in different countries. Basically, if you're a woman giving Ozzy either a back rub or a trolley of food, God help you."

Former ACCEPT guitarist Herman Frank will release a new solo album, "Fight The Fear", on February 8, 2019 via AFM.

According to a press release, "Fight The Fear" "thrills with Herman's guitar attacks, killer riffs and outstanding, powerful vocals with good hooklines and catchy choruses."

Track listing:

01. Until The End

02. Fear

03. Terror

04. Sinners

05. Hatred

06. Hail & Row

07. Hitman

08. Stay Down

09. Rock You

10. Don't Cross The Line

11. Are You Ready

12. Wings Of Destiny

13. Waiting For The Night

14. Lost In Heaven

b>Herman joined ACCEPT in 1982 shortly before the release of the band's "Restless And Wild" album and exited the group for the first time after the arrival of 1983's "Balls To The Wall" LP.

When ACCEPT reunited for festival appearances in 2005, Herman handled second-guitar duties alongside founding axeman Wolf Hoffmann, with Stefan Schwarzmann sitting behind the kit.

Frank and Schwarzmann were involved in ACCEPT's comeback with new singer Mark Tornillo and appeared on the reunited group's first three studio albums: 2010's "Blood of the Nations", 2012's "Stalingrad" and 2014's "Blind Rage".

Shortly before his exit from ACCEPT was made official in December 2014, Herman gave an interview to Metalholic in which he spoke about his frustrations at being unable to contribute to the band with his songwriting. He said: "[I've been writing] songs [for] 30 years, since I began my music career [in] a school band. And it's a shame that I can't show my talent [by] writing a couple of ACCEPT songs. I really would like to write some songs [for ACCEPT], but Peter [Baltes, ACCEPT bassist] and Wolf [Hoffmann, ACCEPT guitarist] decided, 'We are ACCEPT and we wanna do it [on] our own.' So why should I stop, 'cause I'm playing in ACCEPT, to write songs? I wrote songs for VICTORY, for HAZZARD, for MOON'DOC, for my two solo albums… for so many bands, you know. It's normal that I don't stop [writing songs]. PANZER and all these other bands give me a chance to just put out my music, which is in my head, you know?!"

Hard rockers LIKE A STORM have released a music video for their track "Pure Evil". The clip was shot south of Chicago by Vince Lundi at the abandoned Methodist Church of Gary, Indiana, notorious for being one of the most dangerous cities in America. Lyrically, the song addresses the dark side of religious and political power.

Guitarist Matt Brooks states: "The coverups, scandals and exploitation that pervade the highest levels of church and government are just sickening. 'Pure Evil' seemed like the perfect way to sum up this absolute hypocrisy — these people appear so righteous, but at their core they are the worst of the worst."


The track, which blends heavy riffs, double-kick drumming, soaring solos, and an anthemic chorus, is taken from LIKE A STORM's latest album, "Catacombs", which was released this past spring via Century Media/RED. The disc was produced by LIKE A STORM's Chris Brooks, Matt Brooks and Kent Brooks.

Just this past month, LIKE A STORM announced its December U.S. headline tour. The band, best known for innovating the use of the didgeridoo with heavy rock, will hit the road with direct support from PALISADES starting on December 11 in Lincoln, Nebraska and will wrap on December 22 in Las Vegas, Nevada.


ailing from Auckland, New Zealand, LIKE A STORM is the most successful New Zealand rock band in U.S. radio history.


LIKE A STORM has toured the globe with some of the biggest names in rock, including ALTER BRIDGE, SLASH, OZZY OSBOURNE, SHINEDOWN and THREE DAYS GRACE.

LIKE A STORM recently wrapped a massive U.S. run supporting GODSMACK and SHINEDOWN, where their high-energy live show garnered thousands of new fans on social media.

Mascot Label Group has announced the signing of CROBOT to a global recording agreement.

Known across the world for its unique blend of good old-fashioned hard rock with funk, blues and other elements of musical inspiration combining to become a howling vortex that is uniquely the CROBOT nebula, the band is currently working on their next release.


CROBOT's Brandon and Bishop state: "For almost two years, the CROBOT funk has been fermenting beneath the streets of Pottsville, Pennsylvania festering into a creature grimier than a dead rat's asshole. Now, we are extremely excited to announce we are the newest members of the insanely talented Mascot Label Group roster! Big things are happening in Fat City, Beardos so stay tuned!"


Mascot Label Group North America president Ron Burman says: "We're really excited to be working with CROBOT, I love their dirty, sexy, edgy hard rock, and Brandon and Bishop's great sense of humor that shines through in their songs and performances. They're killer live and so much fun!"


b>CROBOT's upcoming album will follow prior releases "Welcome To Fat City" (2016), "Something Supernatural" (2014) and "Legend Of The Spaceborne Killer" (2012).

The band's current lineup is Brandon Yeagley (lead vocals, harmonica), Chris Bishop (guitar, vocals), Dan Ryan (drums) and James Lascu (bass).

The official music video for "The Edge Of Sanity", the title track of the new album from SHELTON CHASTAIN, can be seen below.

SHELTON CHASTAIN is the collaboration between Mark "The Shark" Shelton, a founding member of the legendary epic metal band MANILLA ROAD, and David T. Chastain.

This past July, the heavy metal world was shocked by the unexpected death of Shelton. Mark was a musician with many projects and one of his last ones was the long-forgotten idea to release songs he did many years ago with Chastain.

In February 2018, Mark and Chastain began discussions about releasing some music they had recorded together in the late '80s. Over the following months, they worked together in getting everything ready for release in late 2018. Just two days before Mark's passing, he was sending in thoughts and comments to be included in the final product. Everyone involved knew how excited Mark was about this release and we wanted to make sure it was released exactly in the way Mark wanted.

b>Shelton and Chastain joined forces back in the late '80s to record a collection of songs that they planned to release at some point. Little did they ever envision that it would be 30 years later. While the audio quality may not be up to today's major-label studio standards, the musical quality of this demo is top notch. Mixing David's music and Mark's voice resulted in what can only be described as "classic metal for the ages."

Mark said: "David had contacted me after my band, MANILLA ROAD, had released the 'Out Of The Abyss' album with his label, Leviathan Records. He had these songs written musically but no vocal parts. He set me on the task of putting lyrics and melodies to the songs. I remember feeling very flattered and honored that he had thought of me for this endeavor.

"'Edge Of Sanity' is a song that is about a curse on a Pharaohs tomb. 'Fields of Sorrow' is about the effects of nuclear holocaust. 'Orpheus Descending' is the huge epic of these songs that was quite the challenge to write. Primarily because of the topic I chose. It is a musical retelling of the Greek tale of Orpheus going to Hades and trying to bring back his love from death with his magikal music.

"I personally have always thought that, even though these songs were demo recordings, all of them were maybe the heaviest stuff David had ever written. And I still think that his guitar work on these songs is some of the best he ever did. So I'm very pleased to see this music finally find the light of day and find its way to the ears of the public. I have always had high regard for David and his musical capabilities and it was and still is an honor to call this great musician friend. I hope you all enjoy this material as much as I do."

David added: "I have always been very impressed with Mark's intelligent lyrics, melodies and his unique and dynamic voice. Mark and myself really weren't worried about any sort of commercial success when we recorded this music and we were just having fun. I am not sure why we never went into a professional studio and recorded these songs other than maybe we didn't want the distraction from our main bands. We more or less just forgot about the music over time as we both wrote and recorded mountains of material over the years. There are a few mistakes here and there that I would like to fix but we no longer have the multi-track tapes to do so. So it is what it is, warts and all!"

No one remembers the exact completion date of the recordings. It may have been recorded over a couple of years as this was a side project; MANILLA ROAD and CHASTAIN were their main focus. However, it is agreed the project started in 1988.

David said: "I have always loved these songs and my band ZANISTER actually covered the track 'The Edge Of Sanity' back on our first album. All of these tracks are still cool to me. There are two versions of 'Orpheus Descending'. One is around 12 minutes and we have a long version that is over 20! Definitely the longest songs I have ever released. It was cool to record such epically long tracks and try to make them cohesive. Especially with two different versions! Mark's amazing epic lyrics tell the same story it is just the music that is expanded on the extended version. With Mark now gone, I will always think very highly of this music and I still marvel at his talent."

SHELTON CHASTAIN "The Edge Of Sanity - 88 Demo Session" track listing:

01. The Edge Of Sanity (4:09)

02. Orpheus Descending (11:47)

03. Fields Of Sorrow (4:52)

04. Orpheus Descending (Extended) (21:09)

All selections written by Mark Shelton & David T. Chastain

Mark Shelton - All Vocals, Lyrics and Melodies

David T. Chastain - All Guitars, Bass, Drum Programming & Kurzweil

Vocals recorded at Midgard Sound Labs in Wichita, Kansas

All other recording, mixing and mastering at Leviathan Records Studios in Cincinnati, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia

Cover artwork by Rainer Kalwitz

Logo by Piotr Szafraniec

Other artwork created by Steven Taylor

Produced by Shelton Chastain

The official lyric video for "Open Your Mind", the latest single from the Swiss all-girl heavy metal outfit BURNING WITCHES, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's second album, "Hexenhammer", which will be released on November 9 via Nuclear Blast Records. The disc was produced at the Little Creek Studio in Switzerland by the same team as its predecessor: V.O. Pulver (PRO-PAIN, DESTRUCTION, NERVOSA, PÄNZER) and DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier, who helped and advised as a close friend of the band.

The band comments: "We are very proud to present our lyric video for the track 'Open Your Mind'. The song delivers a message for all of us: don't let fear and anger control your life. We all should stand together in this time, when racism is about to grow again. We should remember that we are all the same. Open your mind, open your heart, and try to remember how to cry."

The cover artwork for "Hexenhammer" was created by acclaimed artist Gyula Havancsák from Hungary, who has also created artwork for DESTRUCTION, ANNIHLATOR, GRAVE DIGGER, STRATOVARIUS, TANKARD and many more.

Gyula says: "It is not too easy to make a 'metal' cover when the main character and focus is an attractive woman. It is much easier to create gory images with monsters or devils for me. But I remembered that my first original casette was the WARLOCK 'Triumph And Agony' album, so I felt very motivated to incorporate both of those aspects: some black magic and some beautiful ladies. I got some instructions and a sketch from the band — so I painted the witch and the altar first as a main focus and everybody loved the character and the feeling of the image. When I added the ghost images of the girls, it all aligned into a dark magic artwork with beautiful ladies."

b>"Hexenhammer" track listing:

01. The Witch Circle

02. Executed

03. Lords Of War

04. Open Your Mind

05. Don't Cry My Tears

06. Maiden Of Steel

07. Dungeon Of Infamy

08. Dead Ender

09. Hexenhammer

10. Possession

11. Maneater

12. Holy Diver

Bonus tracks:

13. Self Sacrifice

14. Don't Cry My Tears (acoustic)

Schmier previously stated about BURNING WITCHES: "Those ladies sound original, fresh and heavy! I love the classical heavy metal influence and the [Rob] Halford-inspired vocals!

He continued: "The BURNING WITCHES will sure get their fans. Their sound, in between classical [JUDAS] PRIEST and U.S. power metal like ICED EARTH, caught my attention right away."

BURNING WITCHES was founded during spring 2015 in Brugg, Switzerland, by guitar player Romana Kalkuhl. It has always been her big dream to perform with a women's heavy metal band on stage.

In 2015, Romana started to look for talented ladies for the new combo. Jeanine Grob (bass), a longtime friend, became the first official member. At a party at a festival, Romana met Seraina Telli (singer) for the first time. It clicked right away between the two girls, on a musical and on a personal level. Seraina brought in many ideas and a lot of experience because of her studies at the Music Academy and her band SURRILIUM. The guitarist and the singer became a great songwriting team right away.

Romana wrote Schmier from DESTRUCTION about her new project, and the ladies brought him onboard as a producer/consultant.

After an intensive search and different auditions, BURNING WITCHES found Lala Frischknecht the perfect drummer for the all-girl metal band.

BURNING WITCHES' latest addition is guitarist Sonia Nusselder, who joined the band in January 2018.

BURNING WITCHES is:

Seraina Telli (Vocals)

Romana Kalkuhl (Guitars)

Sonia Nusselder (Guitars)

Jeanine Grob (Bass)

Lala Frischknecht (Drums)

Nanowar Of Steel is a comedy heavy metal band from Rome, Italy. Their name is a pun on the metal band Manowar, and represents their tendency to satirize true metal. Their work mainly aims to make humorous references to and jokes about the genre, often parodying the way in which power metal bands are perceived to take themselves very seriously.

Check out the official video for their new single, "Barbie MILF Princess Of The Twilight", below. 

In 2006 the band changed their name from Nanowar to Nanowar Of Steel as a parody of the Italian power metal band Rhapsody changing their name to Rhapsody of Fire after a legal dispute.

Check out Nanowar Of Steel's official Facebook page here.

Archspire have released a guitar playthrough video for "Involuntary Dopplegänger", a track from their 2017 album, Relentless Mutation, available via Season Of Mist. Watch the clip below.

Relentless Mutation was recorded and engineered by Dave Otero at Flatline Studios (Cattle Decapitation, Cephalic Carnage, Allegaeon) and features artwork from Eliran Kantor (Hatebreed, Soulfly, Hate Eternal). Order Relentless Mutation at this location.

Tracklisting:

"Involuntary Doppelgänger"
"Human Murmuration"
"Remote Tumour Seeker"
"Relentless Mutation"
"The Mimic Well"
"Calamus Will Animate"
"A Dark Horizontal"

"Involuntary Doppelgänger" guitar playthrough:

Album stream:

According to Variety, 20th Century Fox's QUEEN biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" is on track to sell an estimated $50 million in tickets at 4,000 theaters in the U.S. and Canada this weekend, and another $72.5 million internationally, far exceeding expectations. That will set the mark for the second-best opening for a music biopic in North America, following 2015's "Straight Outta Compton" ($60.2 million).

The long-gestating movie, starring "Mr. Robot"'s Rami Malek as QUEEN lead singer Freddie Mercury, has been pegged for closer to $35 million to $40 million in the U.S. and Canada in its opening weekend.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" opened with $12.5 million in the U.K. last weekend, one of the country's largest 2018 debuts. New Regency co-financed the $52 million biopic, with Graham King producing.

While many reviews have slammed the film for its uninspired storytelling, some people have also taken issue with the movie's depiction of Mercury's sexuality — or rather, its lack thereof. The biopic focuses heavily on the relationship between the rock star's former fiancée Mary Austin, who discovers midway through the film that he's cheating on her with other men.

b>"Bohemian Rhapsody" traces the meteoric rise of QUEEN through its iconic songs and revolutionary sound, its near-implosion as Mercury's lifestyle spirals out of control, and its triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music — in the process cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.

According to Screen Rant, Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Whishaw were set to play Freddie Mercury at different stages in the movie's development, prior to Malek's casting. Cohen's vision for the film was reportedly very "adult" in tone and clashed with what the surviving members of QUEEN had in mind, leading to the actor's departure.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" began production with "X-Men" director Bryan Singer behind the camera, but the filmmaker was fired from the movie after he disappeared from set and caused production delays. Dexter Fletcher, best known for making "Eddie the Eagle", stepped in to replace Singer in the director's chair.

Los Angeles' purveyors of thrash metal violence Anger As Art are releasing their first live album (and sixth release overall) on November 23rd via Malevolence Records. The appropriately titled Fast As Fuck! includes a total of 16 incendiary tracks, including 13 career-spanning songs recorded live on February 3rd, 2018 at ChiCali Lounge in Monterey Park, CA, and three new studio cuts as a bonus (one of which is a cover of Montrose's "Matriarch").

A lyric video for the new single, "Hammer, Blade And Twisting Fire", can be found below. Pre-order Fast As Fuck! here.

Fast As Fuck! was was produced and engineered by Ronald Sandoval whose work is also credited on the band's previous release Ad Mortem Festinamus. The bonus songs were recorded at Rev Studios in Chino, CA during summer 2018.

Tracklisting:

"Gods Of Hate"
"Aim For The Heart"
"I Create Your God"
"Tombward"
"Unknowing Undead"
"Race For The War"
"Time Devours Life"
"The Crush"
"Hammer, Blade And Twisting Fire"
"Two Minutes Hate"
"Dim Carcosa"
"Never Forgive, Never Forget"
"Head Of The Snake"
"Everybody Dies" (Bonus Studio Track)
"Vicious Intent" (Bonus Studio Track)
"Matriarch" (Bonus Studio Track)*

* Montrose cover

"Hammer, Blade And Twisting Fire" lyric video:

"Vicious Intent" lyric video:

In-studio interview:

Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL will release the 20th-anniversary edition of their second album, "Legacy Of Kings", as a 2-CD/DVD box set on December 7 via Nuclear Blast.

Says HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak: "The all-important second album. After the immediate success of 'Glory To The Brave', the pressure was on us to deliver. But we weren't worried; we had a vision of the perfect heavy metal band and were intent on following through on it."

"Legacy Of Kings - 20-Year Anniversary" track listing:

CD1 (album, remastered 2018)

1. Heeding The Call

02. Legacy Of Kings

03. Let The Hammer Fall

04. Dreamland

05. Remember Yesterday

06. At The End Of The Rainbow

07. Back To Back

08. Stronger Than All

09. Warriors Of Faith

10. The Fallen One


CD2

01. Eternal Dark (PICTURE cover)

02. I Want Out (HELLOWEEN cover)

03. Man On The Silver Mountain (RAINBOW cover)

04. Legacy Of Kings (Medley 2018)

05. Heeding The Call (Live 2018)

06. Let The Hammer Fall (Live in Brazil 2017)

07. Legacy Of Kings (Live)

08. At The End Of The Rainbow (Live)

09. Stronger Than All (Live)

10. Heeding The Call (Rehearsal demo 1998)

11. Let The Hammer Fall (Rehearsal demo 1998)

12. Warriors Of Faith (Rehearsal demo 1998)

13. Back To Back (Rehearsal demo 1998)

14. At The End Of The Rainbow (Rehearsal demo 1998)

15. Dreamland (Rehearsal demo 1998)

DVD (Bonus)

01. Legacy Of Kings - Interview 2018

HammerFall - Live at Park Avenue, Jan. 19, 1999, Shure Endorsement Party

02. Heeding The Call

03. The Metal Age

04. Let The Hammer Fall

05. Steel Meets Steel

06. Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST cover)

07. Shure Endorsement Ceremony From "The First Crusade"

08. Listening Session

09. German TV Advertisement

10. Release party for "Legacy Of Kings"

11. Head Over Heels (ACCEPT cover)

12. Balls To The Wall (ACCEPT cover)

13. Breaking The Law (JUDAS PRIEST cover)

14. Outtakes And Sign Off From "The Templar Renegade Crusades"

15. I Want Out (Video montage from Hansen Studios)

16. Unchained (Live in Switzerland)

17. Legacy Of Kings (Live in the U.S.A.)

18. Remember Yesterday (Live in Japan)

19. Warriors Of Faith (Live in Chile)

20. Let The Hammer Fall (Live in Sweden)

21. I Believe (Live in Sweden)

22. Breaking The Law (Video montage)

Orlando, Florida's Meka Nism is premiering their new video “Black Sky”. The track is the band's most intimate song off their latest EP The War Inside. The band created the video in hopes that the beautiful and terrifying imagery inside the lyrics and melodies will help those listening to dig down deep into their soul, which follows their EP's message of standing up to face your inner demons, conquer your internal battles, and to help realize that you can change your life for the better. 

The band adds: 

"This song stands out amongst the rest on our EP, mostly due to the piano work. We wanted to take you on an emotional journey from start to finish. With some amazing performances from the very talented Masami Koshikawa, the Gothic ballerina Lady Cimorene from Phantasmagoria, the spiritual ceremony work of actual Shamans John Moore and Tino eagle heart along with the incredible Delilah Bryan signing in ASL; Black Sky comes to life on screen with the biggest attempt in universal communication possible. We had the pleasure of working with Jim Dougherty again, as he has done the last two videos for this EP. In the video, we chose black and white to represent the spiritual contrast between trauma and transformation. So we wanted to strip down and show ourselves to be as transparent and genuine as possible."

Meka Nism's sound is powerful, metallic, aggressive, melodic, and in your face. They are a band that fires on all cylinders and with the most charismatic front-woman "Meka"; the band returned in 2018 with their new EP The War Inside released on May 10th to follow their three previous releases Live From The Machine Shop (Live CD) (2016), The Shift (EP) (2015) and The Dance At The End of The World (EP) (2013).  The band has supported legends like Mastodon, Gojira, The Offspring, Limp Bizkit, Otep, In Flames and Jonathan Davis (Korn).

According to ABC, the 26-year-old son of ROSE TATTOO frontman Gary "Angry" Anderson has died after an alleged assault in Sydney, Australia.

Liam Anderson, who was Angry Anderson's youngest son, passed away on the way to hospital after reportedly being involved in a fight with a 20-year-old in Queenscliff, a suburb of northern Sydney, Sunday morning.

The alleged attacker, aged 20, was arrested and taken to Manly Police Station to be interviewed.

Police had to use OC spray to take the alleged attacker into custody and NSW Police Inspector Michael Boutouridis said it was "quite possible" alcohol or drugs were contributing factors.

It was quite a bloody scene," Boutouridis said. "The man we have in custody was violent and it took a number of police officers to subdue and arrest him."

Police say that Liam and the alleged attacker knew each other, but they have not yet determined a motive.

"I'm confident at this stage that this is not a random attack," Boutouridis said.

"I don't know the circumstances that led to them being at the reserve this morning. That's why I'm appealing to the community to assist us with those inquiries."

Angry Anderson's manager, Scot Crawford, asked in a statement that media and the general public respect the family's privacy.

"With the matter in the hands of NSW Police, the family will not be making any comment at this stage, nor are we as Anderson's management in a position to offer any comment on their behalf," the statement read.

Liam Anderson was a local rapper who performed under the name Ranford Bigsby.

Connecticut metal band Currents has announced the upcoming release of a brand-new EP called I Let The Devil In, which is due out on December 14th from their label SharpTone Records. The new record was produced by Ryan Leitru of the band For Today and follows the band’s acclaimed 2017 album, The Place I Feel Safest.

Today, Currents is giving fans a taste of the forthcoming EP, with the release of a brand-new single “Into Despair”.

“'Into Despair' is about the moment you fall back into old, destructive habits. We’ve all experienced the shame of being back in a place we thought we left a long time ago, and we wanted to really capture that feeling and put it into a song. This is the first time I’ve ever felt like I said exactly what I needed to say, and so I’m proud to present 'Into Despair' to all of you.”  - Brian Wille

The track is one of five new songs that have been in the works for several years and are finally seeing fruition for a record that further demonstrates the band’s intensity and ability to craft incredible and dynamic music that’s both highly skilled and accessible.

“Time is a common theme in this band; we believe that spending dedicated time on a project is the most important aspect of having a fully realized idea. I Let The Devil In is a collection of songs 3 years in the making. Each song has been reworked and revisited multiple times before finally coming to Ryan Leitru to piece them all together in their final state. We couldn’t be more excited to share I Let The Devil In with all of you, and to get you ready for what we have planned for the future of Currents.” - Brian Wille

Tracklisting:

“Into Despair”
“My Disguise”
“Feel The Same”
“The Rope”
“Forever Marked”
“Into Despair” (Instrumental)
“My Disguise” (Instrumental)
“Feel The Same” (Instrumental)
“The Rope” (Instrumental)
“Forever Marked” (Instrumental)

“Into Despair” video:

The official lyric video for "Parasites", a brand new song from the Swedish thrash metal band CARNAL FORGE, can be seen below. The track is taken from the group's upcoming album, "Gun To Mouth Salvation", which will be released on January 25, 2019 via ViciSolum Productions. It is CARNAL FORGE's first LP since 2007's "Testify For My Victims".


Founder Jari Kuusisto says: "I quit CARNAL FORGE after the last full-length album, 'Testify For My Victims', because I was just fed up with the music industry and everything about being in the band. It took some years, but I felt I was kind of missing CARNAL FORGE, so I talked to my brother Petri and I called up Lars in 2013 and said. 'Hey, let's fuckin' do it!' He had been waiting since the hibernation in 2010, so it was a 'go' right on the spot. We made this mini-CD to wake up the corpse and we did some shows but then we decided to not do any more shows until we had a new album and new fresh songs to play. It's a long boring story why it took so long time, but finally here we are now, ready to kick som serious ass again! And with us we also have Lawrence Dinamarca (NIGHTRAGE, LOCH VOSTOK) and new vocalist Tommie Wahlberg."

"Gun To Mouth Salvation" track listing:

01. Parasites

02. Reforged

03. Aftermath

04. Endless War

05. Bound In Flames

06. King Chaos

07. The Order

08. Hellride

09. State Of Pain

10. Sin Feast Paradise

11. The Stench

ormed in 1997 in Sala, Sweden, CARNAL FORGE has released seven full-length albums and one live DVD and has toured in Europe, USA and Japan with band like TESTAMENT, EXODUS, HALFORD, NILE, AMON AMARTH, THE HAUNTED, IMMORTAL, PRIMAL FEAR and PRO-PAIN.


CARNAL FORGE 2018 is:

Tommie Wahlberg - Vocals

Petri Kuusisto - Lead Guitar

Jari Kuusisto - Rhythm Guitar

Lars Lindén - Bass

Lawrence Dinamarca - Drums

After Paganizer and Crawl, it's Feral's turn to propagate pure Swedish death metal. On their new full-length Flesh For Funerals Eternal, Feral don't hold anything back and deliver a perfect Swedeath album without compromising on the brutality. This will be Transcending Obscurity's last 2018 date release – December 30th.

Flesh For Funerals Eternal sets new standards for the style entirely, taking forward the existing template and expanding upon in every way possible. They're not here to reinvent but to solidify in every imaginable way. The album is faultless - it's got everything the style needs and in the right doses. The production keeps it delectable and the gnarly artwork by the master artist Costin Chioreanu only brings to life their twisted yet meticulous music. Feral are at the forefront of the Swedish death metal scene right now and are armed to teeth to drop what could be the best album this style needs.

Tracklisting:

“Vaults Of Undead Horror”
“Black Coven Secrets”
“Gathering Their Bones”
“Dormant Disease”
“Of Gods No Longer Invoked”
“Accursed”
“Horrendous Sight”
“Stygian Void”
“Buried”
“Bled Dry”

“Horrendous Sight”:

Seven Thorns, the finest heavy/power metal band ever to come out of Denmark, are releasing “Evil Within” today. The first single from the upcoming album Symphony Of Shadows will be out on December 14th through Mighty Music.

Seven Thorns, begins a new chapter, with the release of their third album Symphony Of Shadows. Spicing up their sound with heavier, darker influences like Symphony X and Adagio, they still remember their roots in neo-classical and classic power metal in the vein of Helloween and Stratovarius. The result is strong, catchy melodies, high-end technical musicianship and a massive, dark and rich sound, and the nine tracks will leave the listener gasping for air yet yearning for more.

In the words of composer and guitarist Gabriel Tuxen: “We wanted to make an album that was FUN for us to play on stage, and one that will entertain our fanbase as well as people who see us for the first time. I think we succeeded, and more”.

To enhance the darkness and heaviness of the album, Seven Thorns worked with famed producer Tue Madsen. He turned out to be the perfect partner to make the vision come alive, making sure that every detail in the complex soundscapes stand out clearly, still creating a wall of sound full of pummeling bass drums, heavy guitars and soaring solos that will satisfy even the most demanding shred-fetishist.

Centered on the virtuoso talents of guitarist and main composer Gabriel Tuxen, keyboard player Asger Nielsen, and with the charismatic voice and persona Björn Asking handling the vocals, the ambitious melodies and songs easily come alive. The low end is kept tight and heavy by bassist Mads Molbaek and everything is paced forward hard and fast by drummer and band mastermind Lars Borup.

(Photo by: Terkel Christensen/ Aggressive Artwork)

Today, Swedish progressive metal legends Opeth release their monumental live album, Garden Of The Titans: Live At Red Rocks Amphitheatre« via Moderbolaget Records / Nuclear Blast.

This historic show was captured for the DVD, Blu-Ray and vinyl formats during their set on May 11th, 2017 at the world renowned Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado, and to give another insight, Opeth have unveiled the video for their classic "Ghost Of Perdition". Watch below:

Fans can order various formats of Garden Of The Titans: Live At Red Rocks Amphitheatre at this location .

Tracklisting:

"Sorceress"
"Ghost Of Perdition"
"Demon Of The Fall"
"The Wilde Flowers"
"In My Time Of Need"
"The Devil's Orchard"
"Cusp Of Eternity"
"Heir Apparent"
"Era"
"Deliverance"

"Demon Of The Fall" video:

"Sorceress" video:

Members of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Extol, and Sea + Air have joined creative forces as Azusa. The band's debut album, Heavy Yoke, will be released on November 16th via Solid State Records in North America. A video for the track "Fine Lines" can be found below.

Azusa's music is a carnival of contrast - it's captivating with unconventional nerve. Uniting the complementary skills of its members, Azusa's sound is a thrash-fusion tour de force. Can you imagine Kate Bush fronting Slayer? Death collaborating with Annette Peacock? These allegedly incongruent influences dissolve seamlessly in an alluring sonic alchemy.

Uncompromisingly experimental, Azusa's curated approach showcases each member's unique strengths as a reaction to previous endeavours, more so than an extension of them. Reflecting on life's existential mysteries, Azusa's lyrics seek to explore cognitive dissonances at the crossroads of upbringing, mysticism, belief and betrayal. Defying expectations by embracing contradiction, Azusa finds strength in vulnerability, harmony in dissonance, and melody in discord.
 
The band commented on its debut, saying, "This album is special for all of us and we're currently feeling the same excited feelings we got before we debuted any of our previous efforts. We are really fortunate to have been able to create these songs together and to be able to share them with fans of our former and current bands, as well as new fans."

Azusa finished by stating, "It has been such a relief crafting music without having any outside expectations placed on us. Turning to creative playfulness with a more relaxed and intuitive approach to songwriting, we feel that this collection of songs will hold a unique space in the atmosphere of heavy music."

Tracklisting:

"Interstellar Islands"
"Heart Of Stone"
"Heavy Yoke"
"Fine Lines"
"Lost In The Ether"
"Spellbinder"
"Programmed To Distress"
"Eternal Echo"
"Iniquitous Spiritual Praxis"
"Succumb To Sorrow
"Distant Call"

"Fine Lines" video:

"Heavy Yoke" video:

"Heart Of Stone":

 
"Interstellar Islands" video:

Lineup:

Eleni Zafiriadou (Sea + Air) - Voice
Liam Wilson (The Dillinger Escape Plan) - Bass
Christer Espevoll (Extol) - Guitars
David Husvik (Extol) - Drums