The waiting time is finally over and thank Marius for that. On November 30th 2018, Crime Records will release the awaited Part 2 of Legend of Valley Doom by Marius Danielsen.

Part 1 was highly praised by the power metal fans around the globe. If you enjoyed Part 1, you’re definitely in for a positive surprise. Where Part 1 took 10 years in the making and consists of a variety of free-standing masterpieces, Part 2 took Marius only 3 years and will take you to the next level of this epic metal opera trilogy. Breathtaking songwriting performed by some of the best metal musicians of our time and guided by a fantastic storyline. It doesn’t get much better than this.

The story: “The next chapter in the Legend of Valley Doom will continue where Part 1 left us. The Dark Lord defeated Valley Doom, and King Thorgan fell in battle. The Valley Doomians are forced to flee to their allies in the west - The Kingdom of Eunomia. It is
up to the Warrior King to lead the people of Valley Doom to safety. Together with King Eunotrian and Arigo the Wise they need to find a way to defeat the Dark Lord. What went wrong with the prophecy? The answers lie in the Crystal Mountains.”

Line-up on The Legend of Valley Doom Part 2:

Vocals: 
Michael Kiske (Helloween, Avantasia, Unisonic)
Tim Ripper Owens (ex-Judas Priest)
Blaze Bayley (ex-Iron Maiden, Wolvesbane) 
Olaf Hayer (ex-Luca Turilli, Symphonity) 
Michele Luppi (Whitesnake, ex-Vision Divine) 
Daniel Heiman (ex-Lost Horizon, Harmony) 
Mark Boals (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen) 
Alessio Garavello (ex-Power Quest, A New Tomorrow) 
Mathias Blad (Falconer) 
Jan Thore Grefstad (Highland Glory, Saint Deamon) 
Diego Valdez (Helker, Iron Mask) 
Raphael Mendes (Urizen) 
Per Johansson (Ureas) 
Kai Somby (Intrigue) 
Simon Byron (Sunset) 
Anniken Rasmussen (Darkest Sins) 
Peter Danielsen (Darkest Sins) 
Marius Danielsen (Darkest Sins)

Bass: 
Jari Kainulainen (ex-Stratovarius, Masterplan) 
Magnus Rosén (ex-HammerFall) 
Barend Courbois (Blind Guardian) 
Jonas Kuhlberg (Cain's Offering) 
Giorgio Novarino (ex-Bejelit) 
Rick Martin (Beecake)

Guitars: 
Bruce Kulick (ex-KISS) 
Matias Kupiainen (Stratovarius) 
Jennifer Batten (ex-Michael Jackson) 
Tom Naumann (Primal Fear) 
Tracy G (ex-Dio) 
Jens Ludwig (Edguy) 
Jimmy Hedlund (Falconer) 
Timo Somers (Delain) 
Olivier Lapauze (Heavenly) 
Luca Princiotta (Doro) 
Andy Midgley (Neonfly) 
Mike Campese 
Billy Johnston (Beecake) 
Sigurd Kårstad (Darkest Sins) 
Marius Danielsen (Darkest Sins)

Keyboards: 
Peter Danielsen (Darkest Sins) 
Steve Williams (Power Quest)

Drums: 
Stian Kristoffersen (Pagan's Mind) 
Vinny Appice (ex-Dio, ex-Black Sabbath) - On bonus tracks

Choirs:
Marius Danielsen (Darkest Sins)
Peter Danielsen (Darkest Sins)
Jan Thore Grefstad (Highland Glory, Saint Deamon) 
Anniken Rasmussen (Darkest Sins)
Alessio Perardi (Airborn)

Tracklisting:

“King Thorgan’s Hymn”
“Rise Of The Dark Empire”
“Gates Of Eunomia”
“Tower Of Knowledge”
“Visions Of The Night”
“Crystal Mountains”
“By The Dragon’s Breath”
“Under The Silver Moon”
“Angel Of Light”
“Princess Of Lariana’s Forest”
“Temple Of The Ancient God”
“We Stand Together”
“Tower Of Knowledge” (Bonus Track)
“Crystal Mountains” (Bonus Track)

The Austin, Texas-based trio, Empty Trail - Rick Lambert (vocals/guitar), Shane Wallin (bass), and Rom Gov (drums) - has returned with a brand new single, “My World,” which perfectly showcases the band’s equally melodic and metallic sound. Produced by Rick Lambert and Kfir Gov, recorded and mixed by Kfir Gov at Evil Snail Studios in Austin, and mastered by Maor Appelbaum at Mao Appelbaum Mastering Studios in Los Angeles, CA, the song is already creating a buzz, and has made an admirer out of Ill Niño’s Cristian Machado. 

“I remember when I told my producer, Kfir Gov, I wanted to record a single with him,” recalls Rick.  “He  wanted  me  to  start  writing  and  we  would  decide  together  what song  we  felt  was  the  strongest.  ‘My World’ just clicked.  It essentially just came out and I knew it was a good song.  Kfir agreed and we produced it together.  Kfir pushed me out of a lot of comfort zones, but I’m really happy with what we accomplished, especially since this song has stirred up a lot of positive attention.  I would say that everyone in this band is a pretty stellar musician, so the recording process was pretty quick.”

And it turns out the song contains a deep meaning, lyrically. “We ALL have a ‘world’ of our own that very few people know about- for some of us, no one.  It’s about having to put on a fake face and get through the day, when inside you are fighting a battle no one knows. An urge to be honest with the world.  I can’t be the only one who’s feeling this way?  No one says anything; we just ignore it.  I think that’s where true connection lies as we are much more a like then we are different.  Although everyone wants to point out our differences.”

The singer/guitarist also has a handle on his band’s sound, and what makes them unique. “I think Empty Trail’s sound takes bits and pieces of the most iconic hard rock/metal bands while maintaining authenticity. I’ve always wanted things to be relatable and believable. I don’t really want to be limited to a box. I’m sure every artist says this, but it’s  true! I think it fits the mold of catchy and even pop-y at times, which seems to be what’s going around, but it comes from a real place. I’m in music because this keeps  me going. I have something I need to say, something that I need to let out, because if I bottle it up it is destructive. Yes, it’s rock, and it’s exciting and I want everyone to have a great time, but if you are listening, I hope it makes you feel understood. Somewhere where you can be free and not judged for who you are.”

As is the case with many modern day rock bands, Empty Trail plans on issuing a steady stream of singles - rather than an album’s worth of tunes. “I’d like to just focus on singles. As much as a full-length would be cool, I don’t see how it makes sense for how the market is. I’d rather spend time on specific songs then an album that only a few people will have the patience to listen through. Sad but true.” Hopefully, the buzz surrounding Empty Trail will soon lead to a full-on tour. “I would love to tour when it makes sense to. I want to connect with people who get this in any fashion. Maybe this is my personality, but I want to go where we are wanted!”

And lastly, where can fans connect and correspond with the band?  “We are almost everywhere you would imagine.  The most activity tends to be on Instagram, until a new platform comes around and knocks that one out. Connect with us there!

Unleashing their second EP II unto the world through their own independent label Old Haunt Records this past July, Creatures are kicking it "Old Style F.A." with their new video. The video was filmed during the band's hometown show in Toronto at the Bovine while they were on their Ontario tour this past summer.

The band explains the track: 

"This song is a light-hearted story about a typical Friday night going out with your friends. Starting from the pre-drink at your house to hitting up the bar and ending up in a fight to back your friend up."

Spawned in the Toronto murk in 2015, Creatures is a group effort with a long history that intertwines the lives of numerous local bands to summon a truly devastating soundscape of unbridled chaos. Inspired by bands such as Necrophagist, Despised Icon and Thy Art Is Murder, Creatures is a band playing heavy and catchy deathcore, taking intense sounds and mixing in small elements of extreme and black metal.

Their latest effort II reaches into a large porcelain cup of topics. Instead of just merely presenting their themes to their listeners Creatures smashes the grail in their faces making sure their themes cut deep and stay with them. Whether they are lyrics about the futility of existence with a cartoon metaphor, or the bond of brotherhood within an intense party setting, there is a message for everyone to latch onto. Regardless, the songs are a visceral insight into the band’s life.

Canadian bashers Untimely Demise are extremely proud to premiere "Incoming Pestilence", the second single from our fourth full-length album, No Promise Of Tomorrow. Check it out below.

"With our first single ('Lethal Enforcers') we went for a more traditional thrash sound with some Iron Maiden and Judas Priest vibes. For this track we employed a brutal, Florida death metal atmosphere, particularly the Chuck Schuldiner Death sound. This is evident in the use of fifth harmonies, blatant transitions into triple meter grooves. It’s also one of the only cuts on the album that has some held out chords to compliment the solo passages. We are honoured and grateful to have the legendary Bobby Koelble from Death playing a guest solo on this track. When we opened for the Western DTA 2014 tour we met Bobby and are stoked that he shreds on this tune.

As we have with our past releases, frontman Matt Cuthbertson composed all of the music and performs all leads, solos and rhythm guitars on the album, as well as handling the vocal duties. Bass guitar and lyrics (except the track ‘Idle Hands’) were played and penned by Murray Cuthbertson. We procured the percussive talents of Winnipeg drum maniac, James Burton (Endless Chaos) for the album and couldn’t be more pleased with the results."

Pre-order No Promise Of Tomorrow here or below. It will be released on October 31st.

No Promise Of Tomorrow by Untimely Demise

The band’s current live lineup features:

Matt Cuthbertson (lead guitar, vocals)
Murray Cuthbertson (bass)
James Burton (drums)
Adam Sweeney (rhythm guitar/ backing vocals)

Being so stoked with how the last album Black Widow (2016) was received, Untimely Demise had producer/engineer Justin Bender (Into Eternity/ Third Ion/ Digital Doomzday) return to undertake production of the new album, at Divergent Sounds studio in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Drum tracking and guitar reamping was done by Ryan Forsyth at Grimfrykt Studios in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Thrash/Horror icon, Ed Repka (Rust In Peace/ Leprosy, etc) visually brings the record to life with a stunning cover illustration. On top of the plethora of Matt’s solos, this album also features guest solos by Bobby Koelble (Death), Tim Roth (Into Eternity) and Justin Bender. 

U.K. groove/thrash band Hostile has released a video for “Retribution”.

Hostile is groove thrash band hailing from the West Midlands U.K., the birthplace of heavy metal. Their debut album Eve Of Destruction, as well as their sophomore album were produced by the legendary K.K. Downing of Judas Priest and were both well received by the press. Hostile toured their debut album all over Europe supporting bands such as Machine Head, Soulfly and Hatebreed - and more recently Megadeth at Moscow's live Stadium - going down a storm at every tour. The band is currently planning to release a handful of singles as well as embark on an Eastern Europe tour in 2019.

Soulfly are set to unleash their new album, Ritual, on October 19th via Nuclear Blast. Today, the band has released the seventh of several album trailers. Watch guitarist/vocalist Max Cavalera discuss working with guest vocalists Randy Blythe (Lamb Of God) and Ross Dolan (Immolation), below:

To celebrate on the day of release, fans are invited to listen to the new ​record with Max Cavalera and Zyon Cavalera at the Affliction​ studios in Seal Beach, CA (1799 Apollo Court, Seal Beach, CA 90740). The event will be hosted by Jose Mangin ​and will have Borracho Tacos​ outside for purchase. $10 cash/card at door gets you entry + Ritual CD, poster, event laminate + your chance to win a LTD signature series Max Cavalera guitar from ESP Guitars. Doors are at 7 PM.

Soulfly recently announced their first tour in support of the album, which will take place next January/February.

Joining them are Montreal based melodic death metallers Kataklysm, as well as Incite, Chaoseum, Alukah, and Skinflint.

Commented vocalist/guitarist Max Cavalera: "Fuck yeah! We’re finally getting ready to tour America and Canada! We have the almighty Kataklysm and thrash masters Incite with us to pulverize city after city, night after night! We are gonna destroy everything that comes in our path! Join us and let the ritual begin!!!"

Tickets go on sale everywhere on Friday October, 19th at 10 AM local time. Purchase links will be available at soulfly.com/shows so check back for details. Confirmed dates are listed below.

January (with Incite)

25 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
26 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
27 - Austin, TX - Come & Take It Live
28 - New Orleans, LA - Santos
3 - Feb 4 - 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise (Soulfly only)

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

Ritual was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (Lamb Of God, Gojira). Cover artwork was painted by artist Eliran Kantor (Testament, Iced Earth). Additional booklet art was handled by Marcelo Vasco Arts (Slayer, Kreator), who also handled the package design. The album features multiple guests including Randy Blythe (Lamb Of God) and Ross Dolan (Immolation).

Pre-order Soulfly's eleventh studio album in various physical and digital formats here.

Ritual tracklisting:

"Ritual"
"Dead Behind The Eyes" (feat. Randy Blythe)
"The Summoning"
"Evil Empowered"
"Under Rapture" (feat. Ross Dolan)
"Demonized"
"Blood On The Street"
"Bite The Bullet"
"Feedback!"
"Soulfly XI"

"Dead Behind The Eyes" visualizer:

"Ritual" 360° video:

"Evil Empowered":

Trailers:

Quebec’s Trollwar prepare to march on the warpath once again with their new album Oath Of The Storm, introduced with their first single "Summoning". The track takes the listener through a harrowing tale calling forth a devastating force from the depths.

Oath Of The Storm maintains the folk metal roots that the band has garnered acclaim for, but the party has been ever evolving and ensures a more symphonic experience than from albums past. 

The band comments:

“The new release will be way darker and deeper than Earthdawn Groves, but Trollwar is always following the same path. Starting from a blend of blackened folk metal, we worked really hard to develop the melodic and dynamic aspects that forge our sound. Prepare for something really epic. Adding an orchestral aspect to both the album production and live act will be a great phase for us.”

Produced by Christian Donaldson (Cryptopsy, The Agonist, Beyond Creation) from The Grid, the production has been raised to a new level and "Oath of The Storm" contains four remastered songs with refined orchestration from their 2017 EP The Traveler’s Path as well as eight brand new adventurous and epic tracks perfect for the soundtrack of your upcoming raids.

Taking notes from bands such as Wintersun, Ensiferum and Finntroll, Trollwar is sure to be appreciated by fans in a multitude of realms including melodic death, folk, black and power metal.

Oath Of The Storm will be available to add to your inventory on November 16th.

Tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Summoning”
“Into Shadows”
“The Forsaken One”
“In Defiance”
“Hymn For The Vanquished”
“Forgotten”
“Omens Of Victory”
“Home Of Forbidden Lore”
“Shores Of Madness”
“Winter’s Night”
“Outro”

“Summoning”:

Dutch innovative death metal masters Phlebotomized return to form with their upcoming album Deformation Of Humanity, a logical follow up to their Immense Intense Suspense album. The album is set for a January 2019 release via Hammerheart Records. The fantastic artwork is done by Elena Sai.

The album took what Demilich wrote on Nespithe and build on it. The band took what Nocturnus did on The Key and added their own little twist. It has got the twisting and amorphous song structures of early At The Gates, and then some. It had a melancholic feeling only achieved better by the mighty old My Dying Bride.

From those days, to the present: Deformation Of Humanity was written and recorded during a long process from 2015 until 2018 and sees the band return to their roots, back to where they left us in 1994. The majority of Deformation Of Humanity is still doomy and mid-paced, but also contains really fast parts. It actually creates a great atmosphere, thereby putting the keyboards to proper use. It sounds very inspiring and atmospheric, full of details, skilled musicianship and has a top-notch production which is very warm and rich. The first thing you notice - hovering above the pounding guitar riffs - are the keyboard passages that serve the rhythm section. Melancholic, yet brutal, the songs present a story. The music does not really have a true defined form. You will hear grunted vocals, as well as the occasional clean vocal passage. Acoustic guitars open songs, while the keyboards are ever-present. A gloomy atmosphere is placed, while the keyboard dances with violent death metal guitar riffs.

Tracklisting:

“Premonition (Impending Doom)”
“Chambre Ardente”
“Descent To Deviance”
“Eyes On The Prize”
“Desideratum”
“My Dear…”
“Proclamation Of A Terrified Breed”
“Until The End”
“Deformation Of Humanity”
“Until The End – Reprise”
“Ataraxia II” (CD only)

Teaser:

GODSMACK has been forced to postpone its previously announced European tour following the unexpected death of the son of guitarist Tony Rombola.


Vocalist/guitarist Sully Erna said in a statement: "With my deepest regrets, and on behalf of our guitarist Tony and his wife Sue, I am personally writing this message to all of our fans worldwide to inform you that Tony and his family have suffered a loss that no parent should ever have to endure.


"Tony and Sue's son Joe Fay passed away last week, unexpectedly, at the young age of 34. He was one of the kindest and most humble guys I had ever met. And most importantly, he was a FAN. Just like all of you. He literally lived the success of GODSMACK through his dad. He was always so excited and proud just to be around all of us, and we will all miss him deeply.


"As we await more information on how this happened, we humbly ask that you respect Tony and his family's privacy as they take time to process this and heal.


We appreciate all of your patience, prayers and support in this very trying time. And I promise you, we ARE coming back bigger and stronger in the beginning of 2019, and we WILL honor all of these tour dates in Europe and across this globe. So be ready!"


The month of European dates were set to kick off October 29 in Stockholm and follow the group's cross-country summer U.S. tour. The band's final show was Saturday, October 13 at the Aftershock festival in California. These dates will now take place in early 2019, details of which will be announced soon.

Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based melodic death metallers KATAKLYSM have released a new music video for the song "…And Then I Saw Blood". The band explored a new creative and artistic side when its hired acclaimed Romanian visionary artist Costin Chioreanu to tell the story of the song. The clip chronicles a post-apocalyptic world dominated by A.I. Two dying brothers are brought to a facility where their minds are uploaded into a digital virtual world dominated and controlled by oppressors of mankind. As hope appears to defy the system in place, the two brothers are forced to make a decision to either follow their human instinct or their new found conscious.

KATAKLYSM frontman Maurizio Iacono comments: "'…And Then I Saw Blood' can be interpreted in many different ways as it has an open concept to it. Everyone can see it the way they want but we wanted an animated video done with an artistic flair. Costin was the perfect artist to do it. I told him the central theme of the track deals with the betrayal of two close friends. I asked him to bring in his own world on how he envisioned the song and theme. Costin totally out did himself in this futuristic but realistic interpretation of where we are headed as people continue to get absorbed by technology and this urge to create something bigger, stronger, and more intelligent in this obsession to become godlike."

"…And Then I Saw Blood" is taken from KATAKLYSM's latest album, "Meditations", which was released on June 1 via Nuclear Blast. The 10-song disc was produced by the band's guitarist Jean-François Dagenais and drummer Oli Beaudoin, and was mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR). Mastering duties were handled by Paul Logus (PANTERA).

The "Meditations" cover artwork was created for Ocvlta Designs by Surtsey, who also crafted the artwork for KATAKLYSM's previous record, "Of Ghosts And Gods".

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A revamped version of KINGDOM COME — comprised of guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank, drummer James Kottak, along with singer Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB) — is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album on a month-long U.S. tour which kicked off on September 27 at Club Sur Rocks in Seattle, Washington. Original singer Lenny Wolf declined to participate in the trek, which marks Kottak's first run of shows since embracing recovery after a longtime battle with alcoholism got him kicked out of the SCORPIONS.

Asked by Sally Steele of Vegas Rocks! magazine how the KINGDOM COME reunion came about, Kottak — who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996 and played with the band for 20 years — said (see video below): "We've been talking about it since 2008, actually. And then SCORPIONS were saying 'farewell,' and then we got together in 2013, but, unfortunately, we had to put it in the backburner, 'cause SCORPIONS said, 'No farewell. We're doing another album and tour.' But we finally got it together this year."

He continued: "As you know, or don't know, Lenny retired, so we wish him well, and he wishes us well, and we brought in our secret weapon, Keith St. John; he sang with MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB and everybody. And we're just ecstatic to be out here. It's taken so much effort. We've been working full time since January/February to get here."

Steier said that performing with his KINGDOM COME bandmates again is "like old friends that you don't talk to that often, but when you reconnect with them, it's like we picked up right where we left off. So it's awesome that way," he explained. "What I love is we've become better players over the years; a lot of these bands, they get worse. So we've become better players, and we got a little older, but we've still got the stage vibe going on, which… you can feel it when we're playing."

his past June, Wolf issued a statement via his official web site in which he said that "the KINGDOM COME ship has reached its final destination, at least during my visit on our planet earth." He added that his decision was "mainly caused by experiences I made throughout the last three years, during which the fun factor disappeared more and more, and our energy and hopes have repeatedly been crushed by people and circumstances beyond our control. Some folks out there may not believe it, but it's NOT all about money," he said. "I realized that chasing something which seems is not meant to be, trying to force things, would never lead to something good. Therefore it's time to let go."

After its early run of success in the '80s, KINGDOM COME released several albums, with Wolf remaining the only constant member of the band. The group's most recent effort was 2013's "Outlier".

Oli Herbert, guitarist of Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS, has died. He was reportedly only 48 years old. The news of his passing was broken by the group in a social post earlier today.

Oli's bandmates wrote in a statement: "We were devastated to learn that Oli Herbert, our friend, guitar player, and founding member of ALL THAT REMAINS, has passed away.

"Oli was an incredibly talented guitarist and song writer who defined rock and metal from the Northeast. His impact on the genres and our lives will continue indefinitely.

"No further details are available at this time. The band and family request that you please respect their privacy and remember Oli by celebrating the great music he made."

Being a longtime teacher of over 20 years, Oli found a recipe to help budding guitarists achieve new levels of proficiency. In 2009, his metal guitar instructional program for Rockhouse earned him "instructional DVD of the year," and set the bar for all other metal guitar instruction.

Asked what originally got him into playing guitar and making music, Oli told Tone Freqs in a 2013 interview: "I got into metal around 1986, and started listening to MÖTLEY CRÜE, DOKKEN, OZZY OSBOURNE and stuff like that. Right before I started playing, I got into METALLICA and MEGADETH.

"When I was younger, I'd started playing piano, and I liked playing all the new age and pop stuff because keyboard is often the main instrument in those songs," he said. "But when I started listening to metal and rock, guitar was suddenly the main instrument I was listening to. So I think my ear has always been in tune with the lead instrumentalist."

ALL THAT REMAINS's ninth full-length album, "Victim Of The New Disease", is due on November 9 via Fearless.

Visionary singer-songwriter and musician Perry Farrell has signed an exclusive worldwide record deal with BMG to release his new solo album, "Kind Heaven", a musical scene-setter for his immersive entertainment destination "Kind Heaven" set to open at The LINQ Promenade in Las Vegas next year.

Slated for release in 2019, "Kind Heaven" marks the first solo album release from the JANE'S ADDICTION and PORNO FOR PYROS frontman since 2001. Conceived by Farrell and produced by Tony Visconti, "Kind Heaven" features Taylor Hawkins (FOO FIGHTERS), Mike Garson (DAVID BOWIE), Matt Chamberlain (SOUNDGARDEN), Chris Chaney (JANE'S ADDICTION), Tommy Lee (MÖTLEY CRÜE), Peter Distefano (PORNO FOR PYROS), Dhani Harrison, Elliot Easton (THE CARS), Joachim Garraud (DAVID GUETTA), and other notable star turns. Sonic highlights include orchestral scoring by Hollywood composer Harry Gregson Willams, striking duets with Etty Farrell, and a first-of-its-kind sound mix by IMN Creative to create an all-new music experience for fans.

Farrell said: "Every concept I've ever had began with music as its bedrock: JANE'S ADDICTION, Lollapalooza and now 'Kind Heaven'. I am energized by my partnership with BMG and their commitment to my music, and to powering it with state-of-the-art technology. 'Kind Heaven' is mixed in Dolby Atmos, binaurally, and, of course, in stereo."

Ahead of the album release, Farrell will be marking the debut live performance of his new band and music at a special concert at the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco on December 2, headlining the "Festival Of Lights" benefit in support of the Bill Graham Memorial Foundation.

b>Fred Casimir, EVP global recordings, BMG, said: "Perry Farrell has been a ground-breaking force in rock culture for three decades. With Lollapalooza he has been a pioneer in creating new music-based experiences. With 'Kind Heaven', Perry is now taking things on to another level and we are delighted to partner with him on this extraordinary album."

Kate Hyman, the A&R executive overseeing the deal at BMG, said: "Perry Farrell has created a unique and powerful album. Peppered with Perry's optimism shining throughout, His ability to bring his vast concepts to life is absolutely magical. This will certainly be worth the wait."

After dissolving his post-punk band PSI COM in 1984, Farrell co-founded influential pioneers of the Los Angeles underground JANE'S ADDICTION, building a rabid fan base behind their legendary, high-energy shows. The band would go on to release the ground-breaking platinum-certified "Nothing's Shocking", two-times-platinum "Ritual De Lo Habitual", gold compilation "Kettle Whistle" and gold-certified "Strays", among their nine album releases.

Farrell subsequently became frontman and co-founder of PORNO FOR PYROS, whose eponymous debut album reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200, yielding the No. 1 single "Pets", and went on to be certified gold, with "Good God's Urge" following three years later. As a solo artist, Farrell released the compilation "Rev" in 1999, followed by his debut solo album "Song Yet To Be Sung" in 2001. Performing as SATELLITE PARTY, he released the album "Ultra Payloaded" in 2007. Farrell is the co-founder and organizer of Lollapalooza, the renowned global festival brand, as well as an environmentalist and human rights activist.

ETERNAL ODYSSEY, the new project featuring brothers Kent (vocals, guitars, bass) and Brent Smedley (drums; ICED EARTH), has signed to EMP Label Group, the U.S.-based label of MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson. The band's debut album, "Awakening", will be released on March 15, 2019 via Combat Records, the relaunched imprint now run and operated by EMP Label Group.

Formed in Jacksonville, Florida, ETERNAL ODYSSEY is a melodic hard rock band crafted from soaring vocals, blistering guitars, thunderous drums, and masterfully crafted songscapes, as showcased on "Awakening", which is described in a press release as "the culmination" of Kent and Brent's "collective life and musical experiences."

Says Kent: "When we started talking to the team over at EMP and Combat, we really felt the love. They wanted to work with us, and were really into what we were doing, which, to me, is the most important thing. We've spent so much time on this record, and these songs, and it was so important for us to align with people who would get behind it, and really get what we do. We're excited to partner with Combat and EMP, and finally start this new musical journey with Thom and David at the helm."

Adds Combat's Thom Hazaert: "When I first started talking to Brent and Kent, we were really excited, and the guys had put a lot of care and time into this project and these songs, and that really shows in the quality of the product. They are both absolute world-class musicians and wonderful guys, and, obviously, Brent has an incredible history in ICED EARTH, and we're extremely excited to welcome ETERNAL ODYSSEY to the Combat roster."

hile all studio duties were handled by Kent and Brent, the band will recruit world-class musicians to fill out the touring lineup. Kent says: "This isn't just a studio project; our intention is for this to be a real band — we plan to tour, and really get it out there. We already have a line on some great guys to fill out the lineup, and we're excited to not only bring the record to people, but a first-class live experience as well."

Combat Records was relaunched in 2017 and is distributed in North America by Amped and in Europe by SPV. The label features an updated roster including Marc Rizzo (SOULFLY), HATCHET, SWORD (Canada), DEAD BY WEDNESDAY, WRATH, AUTUMN'S END, HELSTAR, and more.

In an interview with Greece's "TV War", VOLBEAT frontman Michael Poulsen was asked if the band's new song "The Everlasting", which the band has been performing at some of its recent live shows, is indicative of the direction of the band's next studio album. He responded: "The last album [2016's 'Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie'] turned out to be more like a rock album. And you can have certain ideas when you sit down and write your songs, and going through the material that what kind of direction you're going, but at the end of the day, when I write, everything changes every day.

"When we go to the rehearsal room, you can have a certain feeling about, 'This is a keeper. This is a song that's gonna end up on the album,'" he continued. "And then five or six rehearsals later, it goes, 'Oh, that doesn't work.' So we skip a lot of material to get to the right songs, where we feel, 'This seems right.' Because, at the end of the day, it has to be fun to play in the rehearsal room, and it has to be fun playing it two hundred times. And it has to be fun to record it, and it has to be fun to go on the road and play it live.

"The new song, 'The Everlasting', definitely has a heavy touch, but it's impossible for me to say if that's the direction for the next album, because we have so much material right now that we have to go through.

"After this show [at the Rockwave festival in Athens], which will be our last show this year, we go home to Denmark and start to finish up all the writing for the coming album," Michael added. "And we will go into the studio in November.

Lemmy actually said it the best way. There was a guy interviewing Lemmy from MOTÖRHEAD. [The interviewer] said, 'So you released a new album. It pretty much sounds like all the other MOTÖRHEAD albums.' And he said, 'Well, thank you very much. Because the last time I checked, I was still in MOTÖRHEAD.'

"When you have that signature sound, it's so much in your DNA how to write songs and how you sound like. But we're still in the process where we can develop the VOLBEAT style and progress the VOLBEAT style."

Asked if VOLBEAT has plans to invite guest musicians to appear on its next album, Poulsen said: "When it comes to guests, it's always about when we write the songs that when you keep on playing them in the rehearsal room, sometimes you hear different singers or guitar players or musicians being on top of that. [You think] 'Wow, this could be amazing with Danko Jones,' or, 'This could be amazing with Mille from KREATOR,' or something like that, or Barney from NAPALM DEATH. So we've never really been writing stuff where we sit down and say, 'Who are we gonna bring to this album?' and then we write the song. We always write the material and then listen to the songs and see if it could fit other artists out there. But we do have plans for certain guests that we're flirting with a little bit right now. Some of them are already installed; others we just have to wait and see. I can't say anything, because it can change. So who knows?"

VOLBEAT bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen confirmed to France's Loud TV that the band's upcoming LP will once again be produced by the group's longtime collaborator Jacob Hansen.

"Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie" arrived in June 2016 and featured the chart-topping "Black Rose" and "The Devil's Bleeding Crown", in addition to the Top Five title track.

Former NIGHTWISH vocalist Tarja Turunen recently spoke with Bloodlines about her new live release, "Act II". The full conversation can be viewed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On "Act II":

Tarja: "You might think that working on a production for a live album wouldn't take that much time for an artist, but for me, working on a live record is as important as my work for a studio record. It is important because it actually is showing... the place I am at the moment artistic-wise in the world of music, but also for my audiences that haven't been there — the one that hasn't been in my concert yet, or the one that has been in my concert yet, where I'm at. I had this opportunity to make this very intimate London show. It was [an] incredible experience. You never get to perform in that kind of thing, if it's not your brother's birthday party with the family. I don't do that kind of thing naturally, so it was a very special and very emotional experience to sing for the hardcore fans that were just right in front of me, breathing the same breaths I was taking [in] the same little tiny room. Then, to work on Woodstock for a half-million people in front of you... That 'Act II' live record includes eight hours and a half of material when it comes to music and material, so you just can imagine how much editing I had to do and go through the material. That took [the] longest time. I was working [on a] daily basis for over six months on this record at home. [I worked with a] great, talented team of people — I was never left alone — but the end word was mine. There are artists probably that don't really work on the productions like I do. I am there — in every process, I am present, because I want to be, I need to be. I breathe for that. It's my art. 'Act II', I wanted to make it in an arty way so that you can have that experience by being in your living room [and] experience the emotions that are involved in a live concert."

On touring America:

b>Tarja: "It has been difficult for me to come over as a solo artist carrying all the responsibility on my own. I'm carrying a big crew of people with me, and it's not easy to cross the continent in general. I've had the time of my life on this whole tour... I'm really grateful that all my fans, they've been very supporting and really loyal to me through all these years. I get that support and I appreciate that very much."

On what inspires her:

Tarja: "Everything that I have experienced in my journeys, in general, everything that I write in my music, they have something to do with my life. It's just natural that way. Maybe I would be able to write a song from a perspective that wouldn't touch me personally, but it wouldn't be real for me. I need to have that kind of soul-ness in it, when I'm writing songs... It's very important to carry all that experience inside of me, because they make me who I am today. I wouldn't be the same person without going along that long journey that I've done... My life is about organizing it properly. When I'm an artist that works at home, I'm also a mother of a 6-year-old. It's a 24-hour job. Where to separate the family life from the artistic life? They are very united in my life in general, because when I'm at home, I don't want to go anywhere. It's my haven — I work at home, I record at home, I prepare my songs at home. Everything is happening at home, so I'm very blessed to have a place where I can feel free to create my own art when I am there. I really do enjoy my freedom I'm having today."

On whether she's started working on a new album:

Tarja: "I can't tell you too much about it, but definitely, I've been writing songs. I've been writing plenty of songs, actually — I have more songs than needed for the album itself. I'm working on the lyrics at the moment. I feel that the album is pretty much darker than the previous one, even a bit heavier maybe. Nevertheless, never forgetting the symphonic side of mine, as my first love of music was classical music, so I will never get away from that."

On her experiences as a female vocalist in metal:

Tarja: "I've always been very respected as a female singer in metal, or in general as a female singer. I've always enjoyed the respect from my male colleagues or my audiences all over the world. I've never suffered by the fact of being a woman on the road. Maybe the first couple of years were tough for me trying just to keep yourself sane in all this madness going around, and again, [to] keep yourself healthy, which for my type of singer, is absolutely the most important thing, because my vocals are pure, they are clean. I need to really take good care of my instrument, which is my body, so that requires a lot of work. When you are touring, it's tough, but talking about the respect, I have never needed to show more than I have. Maybe because the voice I have is powerful enough in a way for people to embrace me. I don't know the reasons for that. Maybe the other reason might be that I have always been very true to the metal world, true to the classical world. I have never had them colliding in my life. People that have had the classical education or the teachers that I have been working with in my past, they've always been respecting me because I've been true to them. I've always been very clear what I'm doing, how I'm doing, working hard. That has required me to work very hard, but when you do your job good enough, there is no words needed — they can see the results. I'm super-proud that they're so many girls around. I've been honored to talk with many of these girls seeing me as their role model. It's incredible how much beauty exists in the world of music and how many artists you can really inspire with your own work... When I sit down to write a song, I do not think about any of that. I do the songs for myself. I write a song for myself because I need to come out with that particular song. It's for me, and then, after I've produced a record and put it out, if someone finds that song of mine important, it's just [an] unbelievable gift."

Tarja's most recent studio album, "The Shadow Self", was released in 2016. Her new LP is expected to be released next year.

"Act II" — filmed during Tarja's world tour "The Shadow Shows", during which the vocalist circled the world 7.5 times with over 300,000 km traveled and played over 200 shows in 40 countries in front of one million people — was released on July 27 on earMUSIC as 2CD digipak, 3LP gatefold (180g, black), DVD, Blu-ray, limited mediabook 2CD+2BD (including two full live shows filmed at Hellfest in France and Woodstock festival in Poland as bonus) and digital.

Former KISS and current GRAND FUNK RAILROAD guitarist Bruce Kulick recently spoke with Rock Titan. The full conversation can be viewed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his upcoming KISS-themed performances with bassist Todd Kerns and drummer Brent Fitz of Slash's backing band, THE CONSPIRATORS:

Bruce: "The songs that I'm going to be doing for those events, many have never been done before, so that's super-exciting, but it's also a lot of pressure. Do I need to go over 'Unholy'? Yes, but I [only need to] play it once or twice. It's in my DNA; I've performed it many times; I've done it at clinics for many, many years, so no big deal. But even a simple song — it's not super-simple, but 'Uh! All Night', for example, from 'Asylum', which we never did [live]. We did a great video with it, with the girls running around pushing, I don't know, cribs or something — I couldn't quite figure out that video — do I need to go over it repeatedly? Yeah, because I hadn't played it in over 30 years. I take performing very seriously, where I always want to be my best. The GRAND FUNK shows, we have that down so well that I can be a little more relaxed about hitting the stage... I want to do my best. You can imagine how I feel about performing material from my era never performed before, and to have to relive it, rehearse it. Some of that stuff is a lot more complicated than I ever imagined, and being 30 years on doesn't make it easier. That's why I have a lot of respect for [Paul] McCartney, Mick Jagger and all who have been doing their thing for all these years now and they still really excel at it. I have my heroes to look up to, but the pressure for me to be as great as I can be is part of my DNA I can't help."

On whether he plans to play other KISS-themed concerts in the future:

b>Bruce: "I can see this going on forever if I continue to do my gigs, GRAND FUNK schedule permitting. That band has been good to me, and I do love playing with them. I'm going for some stuff that I've never played, stuff that I personally like. One song that was never released, but all the KISS fans know it — something that was cut for 'Crazy Nights'... The hardest thing is me figuring out some of my solos. I realized that I'm going to have to maybe interpret a few, because I definitely had a certain approach then. The early '80s, everything was about flash and speed, yet later on, not that I wasn't flashy or interesting on 'Revenge', but it was a little different style, a little more aggressively played. It's been a real learning curve. It's exciting too, because I recognize how special those songs are, and I'm hoping if they come off even half as good as I think they can, the people are going to be blown away."

On the "Kiss Kruise":

Bruce: "I'm really proud of the band to open it up. I know years ago, I really hoped to be on the 'Kruise', and I remember Gene [Simmons] just kind of saying, 'Well, if you were going to be on the 'Kruise', then we'd have to ask maybe Ace [Frehley] or Peter [Criss].' Over time, I think they realized, that's what the KISS fans really wanted — they wanted more KISS content. Let's face it — you've got real KISS die-hards on the 'Kiss Kruise'. There's many that go every year. These people have a wonderful time; these people have a true passion for it. I think the cruise thing is a wonderful way for people to enjoy music... This year, now that they kind of broke the wall bringing me last time, now they were able to Ace to be on board. This one's going to be really special, obviously. At one point, they were cautious about that, and now it's completely the other way. What an exciting time for the KISS fans — decades of KISS, that's what's going to be represented on that boat. There's only so much that the current makeup band is going to do representing my era. I always joke around and say, 'I wave the flag for my era,' but there were many, many fans that got introduced to KISS from the non-makeup years. There's something about KISS that's unique and special and wonderful that really, really strikes a chord in people, that they hang in there, even when it's controversial. Even when they don't necessarily agree with something or like something, they still always hang in there."

On leaving KISS:

Bruce: "I always thought that there could be a reunion, and Ace and Peter would be in the band. Then how it evolved from there where they realized, 'Makeup is probably the best way for us to continue. We're way more unique this way,' and I wasn't upset, although I missed being in the band. I did feel very much that giving it to someone like Tommy Thayer, who's such a good guitarist [and] who knew that kind of world and could be Ace — the Spaceman, rather — absolutely was the right guy for the job, because they weren't going to continue and start to do 'Asylum' material or 'Revenge' material that way. Then, of course, going to Eric Singer, perfect height, great player, when Peter wasn't going to work out for them anymore, those were the perfect two guys to become the Cat and the Spaceman...nTo become the Spaceman wearing that outfit, that would be a disconnect for me."

On whether he'll ever write a book:

Bruce: "People always ask, 'Are you going to write a book?' I did start one years ago, and then I kind of backed away from it. Eventually. I think I've got great stories. I used to do a lot of stuff on my web site, where I would talk about each tour around an anniversary of something. I held back on 'Asylum' because I know a lot of people would like that story, and I kind of got stingy with it, because once it's on the Internet, then it's there. But I'd like to look at my book as being more like through the years of my entire career, but certainly when it comes to the KISS years, my experience of what it was to be creative in such a huge band. I'm not looking at a slam kind of thing. I learned so much from those years, and I don't have to go there."

On KISS's upcoming farewell tour:

Bruce: "I kind of knew that they were gearing up to that about a year ago. I still don't really know any particulars. I know they're going to put together a terrific show, [but] beyond that, I don't know. I know a lot of fans are talking about, 'Oh, they should have some former members appear.' I know Paul [Stanley] was asked that, [and] he handled it like he doesn't know if he wants to or will do that. Either way, I'm very supportive. I think it is important for them, if they realized they want to go out big, to get it out there. I think that they mean it, by the way, in the sense of a real 'touring' touring. I know with a band, it's very easy to do a one-off whatever afterwards, or suddenly, you might decide to do a residency, because that's not really going on tour. I don't know, and I can't fault them ever if you want to do something and you get the offer and you commit and the people support it and enjoy it... I wish them the best, and obviously, if there's ever an opportunity where they did want to pay a little tribute to any of the other eras, they know I'd be there. I'd love to be there for that. We'll see what happens."

Kulick joined KISS in 1984, soon after then-guitarist Mark St. John left the band after being diagnosed with Reiter's Syndrome, a form of inflammatory arthritis. He recorded five studio albums with the group — "Asylum", "Crazy Nights", "Hot In The Shade", "Revenge" and "Carnival Of Souls" — and can also be heard on the band's "Alive III" and "Kiss Unplugged" live sets. He joined GRAND FUNK RAILROAD in 2001 and continues to serve as the band's lead guitarist today.

According to WLOX, former 3 DOORS DOWN bassist Todd Harrell has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for possession of a firearm by a felon.

Harrell has been in jail since June, when deputies responded to an alarm that went off during an alleged domestic dispute at Harrell's home in St. Martin, Mississippi, a community in Jackson County. Deputies said they saw guns and drugs.

Judge Robert Krebs gave Harrell the maximum penalty for the crime at his sentencing Thursday in Jackson County Circuit Court.

He still faces a jail contraband charge after his wife allegedly mailed him the prescription drug Suboxone at the Jackson County jail in August.

ack in 2013, Harell was charged with vehicular homicide in Nashville for driving drunk and killing 47-year-old Paul Shoulders.

While awaiting trial on that charge, Harrell was arrested again on a DUI charge for driving under the influence of drugs — a charge which led to his firing from 3 DOORS DOWN.

Harrell pleaded guilty in 2015 and was sentenced to two years in prison. With credit for good behavior, he served roughly a year, according to media reports.

Harrell was an original member of 3 DOORS DOWN, which formed in 1996.

Another original 3 DOORS DOWN member, guitarist Matt Roberts, died of an overdose in 2016 after retiring from the group in 2012.

In a new interview with music writer Joel Gausten, drummer James Kottak (Kingdom Come/ex-Scorpions) discusses a variety of topics including staying active in the music industry after 30-plus years. An excerpt from the chat appears below:

Gausten: Lenny Wolf is not involved in this current incarnation (of Kingdom Come). I do know there have been some positive statements made on his behalf online wishing you guys well. For the benefit of those fans who have that initial question of where he is, where does Lenny stand with you guys? What’s the current relationship like?

Kottak: "We have an understanding, and everything’s cool. He got sick of it, and he’s kind of had some bad breaks in the business. It’s a sucky business; it’s terrible. We talked from last September through Christmas. In January, he called and said, ‘You know what? I just don’t want to do it.’ He announced a year ago that he was retiring and putting Kingdom Come away. I was going, ‘Come on, dude. Just one last hurrah, at least for a year.’ When Lenny says he’s made up his mind, that’s it; there’s no talking him out of it. We’re still friends; everything’s great. It’s just that he doesn’t want to go through all of this madness again."

Gausten: Where does Kingdom Come go from here? What are the band’s future plans beyond this tour?

Kottak: "We’re not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We’re using this as a launching pad; we’re going to get the vibe and see what our friends, family and fans and everybody out there says as feedback. But I know so far from doing interviews with guys like you that the reception has been wonderful. I have no idea; we’ll take it from there. If you plan too far ahead, you don’t live in the now and you end up screwing now up. Now is all we have today. There’s a million ideas floating between the band, journalists and fans online. We’ll get to that next and see what happens."

The complete interview is available at this location.

Kingdom Come was formed in 1987 and quickly signed to Polydor Records. The band released their first single "Get It On" which held a stranglehold on rock radio in early 1988, prompting their self-titled debut album to ship gold.

The quintet, comprised of guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank, drummer James Kottak, and singer Lenny Wolf, took to the road immediately as part of the North American Monsters Of Rock tour alongside Van Halen, Scorpions, Metallica, and Dokken. In addition to touring and extensive radio airplay, they also became MTV favourites with such videos as "Get It On" and "What Love Can Be", helping the band to sell over two million debut albums worldwide.

2018 marks the 30th anniversary of the release of that classic album prompting drummer James Kottak to revive Kingdom Come. Along with original members Danny Stag, Rick Steier, Johnny B. Frank, a tour to commemorate the success of the band and album is born. Original singer Lenny Wolf declined to participate in the tour, but wishes the rest of the guys all the success and best in the world! Keith St. John (formerly of Montrose & Lynch Mob) will be stepping up to fill that large void, “but is definitely up to the job” according to the band members.

Guitarist Danny Stag says, “...we all love each other like brothers, get along, and laugh a lot. It's like a miracle that this is finally happening!" Bassist Johnny B. Frank adds, “It was 30 years ago The Wolf recruited us, The Rock produced us, MTV aired us and Van Halen made us Monsters Of Rock. Grateful to Rock another day!!!"

Kingdom Come will tour in 2018 - 2019 performing songs from their legendary debut album along with music from their second album In Your Face. More dates have been announced and the current itinerary can be found below.

Visit the band’s website for information on VIP Meet and Greets.

Tour dates:

October
17 - Pittsburgh, PA - Jergel’s Rhythm Grille
18 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater
19 - Halethorpe, MD - Fish Head Cantina
20 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
21 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall
23 - New Bedford, MA - Greasy Luck Brewpub
26 - Granite City, IL - Eddie's Bar & Grill
27 - Kansas City, MO - The Scene KC Rock Bar

Kingdom Come lineup:

James Kottak - Drums
Johnny B. Frank - Bass
Danny Stag - Guitar
Rick Steier - Guitar
Keith St. John - Vocals

Bonfire will release Legends, an outstanding tribute album to all the rock legends that take part in the Bonfire & Friends tour in November 2018. The album will be available via AFM Records on October 19th. Their take on Survivor's smash hit "Eye Of The Tiger" is available for streaming below.

Tracklisting:

CD 1:

"Africa"
"Hold The Line"
"Rosanna"
"Man On The Silver Mountain"
"I Surrender"
"Stone Cold"
"Death Alley Driver"
"Black Masquerade"
"Burning Heart"
"Eye Of The Tiger"
"Caught In The Game"
"Doctor Doctor"
"Lights Out"
"Rock Bottom"
"Child In Time"

CD 2:

"Jet City Woman"
"Silent Lucidity"
"Eyes Of A Stranger"
"Tears In The Rain"
"The First Time"
"Save Up All Your Tears"
"Hot Cherie"
"Dr. Love"
"Hallelujah"
"Rebellion"
"Heavy Metal Breakdown"
"Love Don't Lie"
"I Wanna Be Loved"
"King Of Dreams"
"Frei wie die Geier"
"Erinnerung"
"Alt wie ein Baum"

"Eye Of The Tiger":

"Africa":

Find out more about their upcoming Bonfire & Friends tour here.

Lineup:

Alexx Stahl (Vocals)
Hans Ziller (Guitar)
Frank Pané (Guitar)
Ronnie Parkes (Bass)
Tim Breideband (Drums)

German power thrashers, Septagon, are streaming the new song "Weight Of The World", featured on the band's forthcoming sophomore album, Apocalyptic Rhymes. Watch the lyric video for the track below.

Apocalyptic Rhymes will be released November 9th on Cruz Del Sur Music. Preorders available at this location.

As if being in Lanfear and Them wasn't enough for German guitarist Markus "Ulle" Ullrich, his power/thrash outfit Septagon provides another canvas for him to color. Formed in 2013 with Atlantean Kodex vocalist Markus Becker, Septagon (who are completed by second guitarist Stef Binnig-Gollub, bassist Alexander Palma and drummer Jürgen "General" Schrank) was created to harness Ullrich's desire to write fast and tight thrash with a vocalist who could carry the songs over the top. Becker, already known for his work in epic metallers and labelmates Atlantean Kodex, was the obvious choice. Born was their 2016 Deadhead Syndicate debut, an album quickly recognized for its knifing blend of Bay Area thrash and classic power metal bravado. Figuring they could better the debut, Septagon soon wrote and recorded ten songs that would become their sophomore album, the appropriately-titled Apocalyptic Rhymes.

Recorded across a variety of studios and produced by the band, Apocalyptic Rhymes is punctuated by a raw, but snappy production job. In turn, the album finds the band offering a variety of styles and flavors both musically and lyrically, from the punchiness of opener "Weight of the World" to the bass-driven "Home, Sweet Hell" up through the churning title track, where fiery guitar solos from Ullrich and Binning-Gollub and Becker's vocal acrobatics take form. Even as the album ascends into the spiraling melodic heights found on "The Unfathomable Evil," it goes on the attack on "P.O.T.U.S.A.," a song inspired by Becker's time in America and is critical of the current presidential regime that has divided the country. Apocalyptic Rhymes eventually crests on the closing "Sunset Blood," a lush, epic construct that allows Septagon to stretch out musically to include acoustic guitars, twin guitar harmonies and carefully-plotted vocal spots.

An album sure to stand out among the dime-a-dozen traditional thrash and power metal entries, Apocalyptic Rhymes is an unapologetic bold step for Septagon, a band unafraid to not only push musical boundaries, but political and social ones as well.

Tracklisting:

“The End”
“Weight Of The World”
“Home, Sweet Hell”
“Apocalyptic Rhymes”
“Make A Stand”
“The Unfathomable Evil”
“P.O.T.U.S.A.”
“Cosmic Outrage”
“Nothingness Awaits”
“Sunset Blood”

“Weight Of The World” lyric video:

“Home, Sweet Hell” lyric video:

Italian progressive metal band, Last Union, featuring Mike LePond (Symphony X) on bass, Uli Kusch (ex-Helloween, ex-Masterplan) on drums, and as guest James LaBrie (Dream Theater) on vocals, have signed a multi-album deal with ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records.

Last Union just finished the work on their debut album, which was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren, best known for his work with Arch Enemy, Symphony X, Devin Townsend, Angra and Opeth to name a few.

Strong and positive reactions to their music spurred Scarpeccio and Tiberi on to take the first of many bold steps. The first was to invite drummer Uli Kusch (ex-Helloween, ex-Masterplan) to join the fold, who expressed interest in joining the band as a full member rather than just a touring drummer after hearing the music. A similar scenario played out with Symphony X bassist Mike LePond and Last Union was officially born.

The icing on the cake, however, was getting Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie to sing on three tracks.

The quiet city of Tolentino in the Marche region of Central Italy not only boasts a rich historical background, it is also the place progressive metal band Last Union calls home. Founded by vocalist Elisa Scarpeccio, guitarist Cristiano Tiberi and keyboardist Claudio Feliziani in 2007, the band - originally known as Blazing Ice - embarked on their journey in the pursuit of sharing their thoughts and feelings about life, and ultimately their art, with the world. With the assistance of professional session bassists and drummers, the trio established themselves on the Italian scene with a string of shows that helped them evolve and refine their craft. Over the course of 20 shows, Last Union presented songs that would eventually make the final cut for their debut album.

Last Union is:

Elisa Scarpeccio - Vocals
Cristiano Tiberi - Guitars
Mike LePond – Bass (Symphony X)
Uli Kusch – Drums (ex-Helloween, ex-Masterplan)
Feat. James LaBrie on vocals (Dream Theater)

America’s preeminent progressive rock band, Kansas, will be touring select cities in the United States and Canada next spring, expanding the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of their massive hit album Point of Know Return. For the first time in history, the band is performing the album Point of Know Return in its entirety. The tour showcases more than two hours of classic Kansas music including hit songs, deep cuts, and fan favorites. Tickets and Kansas VIP Packages for most dates go on sale to the general public Friday, October 19, 2018. Ticket information can be found at this location.   

The first leg of the Kansas: Point of Know Return Anniversary Tour premiered September 28, 2018, in Atlanta, GA. The tour has already performed to large and enthusiastic audiences in Atlanta, GA; Nashville, TN; Glenside, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Milwaukee, WI; and Chicago, IL

In 1977, Kansas followed up the success of Leftoverture by releasing the album Point of Know Return. Containing the smash hit and million-selling single “Dust in the Wind”, along with fan favorites such as “Portrait (He Knew)”, “Closet Chronicles” and “Paradox”, Point of Know Return became the band’s greatest selling studio album. The album peaked at #4 on Billboard’s Album charts, reached sextuple-platinum status with more than six million copies sold, and had three Billboard Hot 100 singles.

"After the success of the album Leftoverture, it was hard to imagine when we released Point of Know Return that this album would be even bigger, but it was," comments Kansas guitarist, and original member, Richard Williams. "From the album artwork to the song ‘Dust in the Wind,’ the album Point of Know Return is really ingrained in Rock N Roll history and even in popular culture. For two years we played around 80 select shows performing the album Leftoverture in its entirety. We have been blown away by the positive fan response. Our hope is that fans will enjoy this Point of Know Return Tour just as much, and hopefully even more! So far, that has been the case and we hope to continue it!"

Throughout the tour, live shows not only culminate with the album Point of Know Return performed in its entirety, but Kansas also performs classic hits, deep cuts, and fan favorites. The band has not publicly performed some songs in the more than two-hour Kansas musical event in decades.

Kansas lead vocalist Ronnie Platt adds: “I often joke that I cannot be in charge of putting together a set list, because there are too many songs that I really want to perform. These shows, though, will be about as close as it gets. Of course, there will be hits like ‘Carry On Wayward Son,’ but to know we will be performing songs that Kansas has not performed live for twenty or thirty years, or even ever, that is just really exciting. It is going to be a lot of fun.”

Kansas is currently comprised of original drummer Phil Ehart, bassist/vocalist Billy Greer, keyboardist David Manion, vocalist/keyboardist Ronnie Platt, violinist/guitarist David Ragsdale, guitarist Zak Rizvi, and original guitarist Richard Williams. The band continues to perform in front of large and enthusiastic audiences around the world.

The updated tour schedule is as follows, featuring a new run of dates from March through May 2019:

October 
19 - Kansas City, MO - Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland
20 - St. Louis, MO - The Fabulous Fox Theatre
26 - Kalamazoo, MI - The State Theatre
27 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre

November 
2 - San Antonio, TX - The Tobin Center for Performing Arts
3 - Dallas, TX - Majestic Theatre – SOLD OUT
9 - Cincinnati, OH - Taft Theatre
10 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theatre at Old National Centre
16 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount
17 - Worcester, MA - The Hanover Theatre
23 - Wilkes-Barre, PA - F.M. Kirby Center
24 - Baltimore, MD - The Modell Lyric
30 - Asheville, NC - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium

December 
1 - Columbia, SC - Township Auditorium
6 - Mobile, AL - Saenger Theatre
8 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
14 -  Daytona Beach, FL - Peabody Auditorium
15 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Au-Rene Theater at Broward Center

March 
8 - Des Moines, IA - Hoyt Sherman Place
9 - Peoria, IL -  Peoria Civic Center Theater
15 - Salina, KS - The Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts
22 - Charleston, WV - Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences
23 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace Theatre
29 -  Beaver Creek, CO - Vilar Performing Arts Center
30 -Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre

April 
2 - Tucson, AZ - Fox Tucson Theatre
4 - San Diego, CA - Balboa Theatre
6 - Los Angeles, CA - The Orpheum Theatre
7 - Santa Barbara, CA - Arlington Theatre
10 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre
12 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
13 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
24 - Vancouver, BC - The Orpheum
26 - Edmonton, AB - Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium
28 - Calgary, AB - Jack Singer Concert Hall
30 - Saskatoon, SK - TCU Place

May 
1 - Regina, SK - Conexus Arts Centre
3 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre for Performing Arts
10 - Rockford, IL - Coronado Performing Arts Center
11 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Foellinger Theater

Texas Metal Outlaws have released the official video for “Echoes Of Memory,” a track from the all-star project’s self-titled debut album. 

The song features: vocalist James Rivera (Helstar, Distant Thunder, Destiny’s End);  guitarist Robert Williams (Ignitor, Witches Mark); guitarist Stuart Laurence (Agony Column, Ignitor); guitarist Larry Barragan (Helstar, Eternity Black), bassist Stony Grantham (Shadowkeep, Byfist); and drummer Cody Gilliland (Immortal Guardian).

The forthcoming self-titled album from Texas Metal Outlaws is now streaming in its entirety. Listen below via the Bandcamp player:

Texas Metal Outlaws by TEXAS METAL OUTLAWS

The heat, the attitude, the metal! Texas doesn't do subtly and it sure as hell doesn't do mellow, as evidenced by the forthcoming self-titled album of molten Lone Star metal from Texas Metal Outlaws. Scheduled for release on CD (Heaven And Hell Records) and vinyl (Texas Metal Underground Records) on October 26th, each of the album's nine tracks features a unique lineup of players from the deep well of Texas metal talent. The official video for the album's eponymous opening track is available below.

The track features Jason McMaster (Watchtower, Dangerous Toys, Broken Teeth, Ignitor, Evil United), Stuart Laurence (Agony Column, Ignitor), Robert Williams (Ignitor, Witches Mark), Donnie Van Stavern (S.A. Slayer, Riot, Pitbull Daycare), and Felix Griffin (D.R.I., Bat).

Though barely scratching the surface of the magic on offer, some particularly interesting aspects of the album include:

- The appearance of every member of Witches Mark on "Malt Liquor Maniac".
- Bonus track "Black And Green" features every member of Agony Column, plus guitarist Robert Williams (Ignitor, Witches Mark) and is the first thing Agony Column has recorded since 1995's Way Back In The Woods album.
- The Burt Bacharach/Carole Bayer Sager-penned cover of "That's What Friends Are For" features a complete previous lineup of Ignitor plus Logan Orlando Perez (Against The Plagues, Vex, Whore Of Babylon).
- The cover song "Running From The Law" from Riot's Born In America album was recorded as a tribute to Mark Reale and Rhett Forrester and even features Donnie Van Stavern (Riot) on bass.

The complete list of players on Texas Metal Outlaws is as follows:

- Jason McMaster (Watchtower, Dangerous Toys, Broken Teeth, Ignitor, Evil United)
- Stuart Laurence (Agony Column, Ignitor)
- Donnie Van Stavern (S.A. Slayer, Riot, Pitbull Daycare)
- Felix Griffin (D.R.I., Bat)
- Robb Bockman (Witches Mark, UADA)
- Scott Palmer (Witches Mark, Byfist, Demontuary)
- Carlos Zema (Immortal Guardian, Vougan, Heaven's Guardian, Outworld, David Shankle Group)
- Billy Dansfiell (Agony Column, Ignitor, E.K.U., Zero Percent)
- Ross The Boss Friedman (Manowar, Death Dealer, Ross The Boss Band, The Dictators)
- Cody Gilliland (Immortal Guardian)
- Richie Turner (Agony Column)
- Chris Alaniz (Agony Column, Cheetah Chrome)
- Mike Soliz (Militia, Assalant, Oblivion Knight)
- Mark Zammaron (Odometer, Las Cruces, Wicked Angel, Passage Temple)
- Pat Doyle (Ignitor, The Offenders)
- Michael Paul Toupin (Raging Saint, Force Of Rage)
- Al Berlanga (Syrus)
- Stan Martinez (Target 7, Social Slut)
- James Rivera (Helstar, Distant Thunder, Destiny's End, Seven Witches, Malice, Flotsam and Jetsam, Agent Steel, Shadowkeep)
- Larry Barragan (Helstar, Eternity Black, Santa Oscuridad)
- Stony Grantham (Shadowkeep, Byfist)
- Brendon Bigelow (Ignitor, Death Of Millions)
- Logan Orlando Perez (Against The Plagues, Vex, Whore Of Babylon)
- Robert Williams (Ignitor, Witches Mark)

Texas Metal Outlaws tracklisting:

"Texas Metal Outlaws"

Jason McMaster - Vocals
Robert Williams - Guitar
Stuart Laurence - Guitar
Donnie Van Stavern - Bass
Felix Griffin - Drums

"Malt Liquor Maniac"

Robert Williams - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Robb Bockman - Guitar
Scott Palmer - Drums

"Rebel Years"

Carlos Zema - Vocals
Robert Williams - Guitar
Stuart Laurence - Guitar
Ross The Boss Friedman - Guitar solo
Billy Dansfiell - Bass
Cody Gilliland - Drums

"Black And Green"

Richie Turner - Vocals
Stuart Laurence - Guitar
Robert Williams - Guitar
Billy Dansfiell- Bass
Chris Alaniz - Drums

"Running From The Law" (Riot cover)

Jason McMaster - Vocals
Mike Soliz - Vocals
Robert Williams - Guitar
Stuart Laurence - Guitar
Donnie Van Stavern - Bass
Felix Griffin - Drums

"Sound Of Scorn"

Mark Zammaron - Vocals
Robert Williams - Guitar, Bass
Stuart Laurence - Guitar
Pat Doyle - Drums

"Within The Spell"

Michael Paul Toupin - Vocals
Robert Williams - Guitar
Stuart Laurence - Guitar
Al Berlanga - Guitar solo
Stan Martinez - Bass
Scott Palmer - Drums

"Echoes Of Memory"

James Rivera - Vocals
Robert Williams - Guitar
Stuart Laurence - Guitar
Larry Barragan - Guitar solo
Stony Grantham - Bass
Cody Gilliland - Drums

"That's What Friends are For"
(Original recording by Dionne Warwick / Reworked by Williams/Laurence of Texas Metal Outlaws with lyrics by Williams)

Logan Orlando Perez - Vocals
Jason McMaster - Vocals
Robert Williams - Guitar, Vocals
Stuart Laurence - Guitar
Brendon Bigelow - Bass
Pat Doyle - Drums

"Texas Metal Outlaws" video:

Doomsday Outlaw have released a video for "Hard Times", the title track of their new album, released back in May. Watch below, and order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"Hard Times"
"Over And Over"
"Spirit That Made Me"
"Into The Light"
"Bring It On Home"
"Days Since I Saw The Sun"
"Will You Wait"
"Break You"
"Come My Way"
"Were You Ever Mine"
"Too Far Left To Fall"

"Hard Times" video:

"Bring It On Home" video:

"Over And Over" video:

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").

One of those studio tracks, "Vicious Intent," has been released as the album's first single. A lyric video for the song is available below. Both "Vicious Intent" and "Everybody Dies" are indicative of where Anger As Art is headed musically.

An in-studio interview with Anger As Art during which the members discuss the "Vicious Intent" single, as well as a little history about the band, can also be found below.

"Vicious Intent" is available for streaming/purchase on Bandcamp. The song will eventually be made available on most digital and streaming platforms such as iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Google Play, CD Baby, Amazon Music, Deezer, etc.

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

"Vicious Intent" lyric video:

In-studio interview:

With Metallica set to reissue their classic album ...And Justice For All (available everywhere on November 2nd), the band are posting live versions of each song from the album from over the years. In the video below, Metallica performs "Dyers Eve" at The Forum in Inglewood, CA on March 5th, 2004:

More rare live videos can be found at the bottom of this article.

Says Metallica: "Next up in our line of reissues is …And Justice For All! As many of you know, we’ve been rereleasing our albums remastered for the most advanced sound quality possible along with special deluxe editions including previously unreleased audio and video recordings. Next up is …Justice, coming to your favourite music retailer, Metallica.com and the Probity Merch UK/EU Metallica Shop on November 2nd with pre-orders beginning today.

"Available in both physical and digital versions, there will be multiple options to suit your taste... double LP on 180-gram vinyl, CD, cassette, 3-CD expanded edition and deluxe box set, all remastered as overseen by Greg Fidelman. The 3-CD set includes the remastered album, two discs including never before released rough mixes, demos and live tracks, and an expanded booklet including unseen photos taken by the master, Ross Halfin. The limited edition, one-pressing-only deluxe box set includes the remastered CD and double LP versions of the album, “One” 10” vinyl picture disc, triple live LP set featuring a newly mixed version of the band's iconic show from Seattle ‘89 by Greg Fidelman, 4 DVDs, 11 CDs of unreleased demos, rough mixes, interviews and live tracks, many of which have never been available and were pulled from our personal collections. There’s also a 120-page hardcover book with rare and never-before-seen photos from Ross Halfin’s vaults and friends and family, along with essays by those who were with us for the madness. Still not enough? The box also includes a set of four patches, a Pushead print, a tour laminate, lyric sheets and a download card for all the audio goodies included.

"Pre-order your copy now and we’ll send you a digital remastered version of “Dyers Eve” (streaming below), while pre-orders of the expanded and deluxe editions will receive an additional instant download of “Eye Of The Beholder" (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England – October 10, 1988) (streaming below). Several additional instant grats will be sent to all pre-orders between now and November 2nd.

"Deluxe box sets are limited edition collectors’ items, so get yours before they are gone! You may pre-order all the configurations in the Met Store now and also our store serving European fans and beyond, and of course …And Justice For All will be available at your local record stores around the world on Friday, November 2nd."

Tracklistings:

...And Justice For All (Remastered) - Available on Vinyl, CD, Cassette and Digitally

"Blackened"
"...And Justice For All"
"Eye Of The Beholder"
"One"
"The Shortest Straw"
"Harvester Of Sorrow"
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity"
"To Live Is To Die"
"Dyers Eve"

Remastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, Los Angeles, CA

...And Justice For All (Remastered): 3-CD Expanded Edition

Disc One: ...And Justice For All (Remastered)

"Blackened"
"...And Justice For All"
"Eye Of The Beholder"
"One"
"The Shortest Straw"
"Harvester Of Sorrow"
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity"
"To Live Is To Die"
"Dyers Eve"

Remastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, Los Angeles, CA.

Disc Two: Demos & Rough Mixes - Previously Unreleased

"Blackened" (November 1987 Demo)
"...And Justice For All" (November 1987, Writing in Progress)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (November 1987, Writing in Progress)
"One" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"The Shortest Straw" (December 1987, Writing in Progress)
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity" (November 1987 Demo)
"To Live Is To Die" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"Dyers Eve" (January 1988 Demo)

Disc Three: Live from the Damaged Justice Tour - Previously Unreleased except where noted

"Blackened" (Live – Seattle ’89) - Previously released on Live Shit: Binge & Purge. Newly mixed by Greg Fidelman.
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" (Live at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA – December 7th, 1988)
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England – October 10th, 1988)
"Leper Messiah" (Live at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA – December 7th, 1988)
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England – October 10th, 1988)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England – October 10th, 1988)
"Seek & Destroy" (Live at the Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA – May 24th, 1988)
"Creeping Death" (Live at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX – February 5th, 1989) - Previously released as a b-side to one of the many singles for One. Newly remastered.
"One" (Live – Seattle ’89) - Previously released on Live Shit: Binge & Purge. Newly mixed by Greg Fidelman.
"…And Justice For All" (Live at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA – December 7th, 1988)
"Whiplash" (Live at the Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA – May 24th, 1988)
"Breadfan" (Live at Seattle Coliseum, Seattle, WA – August 30th, 1989) - Previously released on The 6 1/2 Year Anniversary EP as part of The Good, The Bad & The Live box set. Newly remastered.

...And Justice For All (Remastered): Deluxe Box Set

LP 1 & 2: ...And Justice For All (Remastered)

Side One
"Blackened"
"...And Justice For All"

Side Two
"Eye Of The Beholder"
"One"

Side Three
"The Shortest Straw"
"Harvester Of Sorrow"
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity"

Side Four
"To Live Is To Die"
"Dyers Eve"

Remastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, Los Angeles, CA
Vinyl lacquers by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA

LP 3: "One" 10" Picture Disc

Side One
"One"

Side Two
"Seek & Destroy" (Live at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX – February 5th, 1989)

Artwork by Pushead
Remastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, Los Angeles, CA

LP 4, 5 & 6: Seattle ‘89

Side One
"The Ecstasy of Gold"
"Blackened" (Live)
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" (Live)
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (Live)

Side Two
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (Live)
"The Four Horsemen" (Live)
"The Thing That Should Not Be" (Live)

Side Three
Bass Solo (Live)
"Master of Puppets" (Live)
"Fade to Black" (Live)

Side Four
"Seek & Destroy" (Live)
"...And Justice For All" (Live)
"One" (Live)

Side Five
"Creeping Death" (Live)
Guitar Solo (Live)
"Battery" (Live)

Side Six
Encore Jam (Live)
"Last Caress" (Live)
"Am I Evil?" (Live)
"Whiplash" (Live)
"Breadfan" (Live)

Recorded live on August 29th and August 30th, 1989 at Seattle Coliseum in Seattle, WA
Mixed by Greg Fidelman
Mastered by Reuben Cohen at Lurssen Mastering, Los Angeles, CA
Vinyl lacquers by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering, Hollywood, CA

CD 1: ...And Justice For All (Remastered)

"Blackened"
"...And Justice For All"
"Eye Of The Beholder"
"One"
"The Shortest Straw"
"Harvester Of Sorrow"
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity"
"To Live Is To Die"
"Dyers Eve"

CD 2: Interviews

KSDT Interview with Jason
Circus Magazine Interview with James
KNAC Report from LA Monsters of Rock
KHDX Interview with Kirk
Metal Forces Magazine Interview with Lars

CD 3 & 4: Riffs, Jams & Demos

Disc One

"Blackened" (1987, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"Blackened" (1987, From James’ Riff Tapes II)
"…And Justice For All" (1987, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"…And Justice For All" (1988, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (1987, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (1987, From James’ Riff Tapes II)
"One" (1987, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"The Shortest Straw" (1986, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"The Shortest Straw" (1986, from James’ Riff Tapes II)
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (1987, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity" (1987, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"To Live Is To Die" (1986, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"To Live Is To Die" (1988, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"Dyers Eve" (1986, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"Dyers Eve" (1987, From James’ Riff Tapes)
"Blackened" (October 1987, Writing in Progress)
"…And Justice For All" (October 1987, Writing in Progress)
"…And Justice For All" (October 1987, Writing in Progress II)
"One" (October 1987, Writing in Progress)
"The Shortest Straw" (October 1987, Writing in Progress)
"…And Justice For All" (November 1987, Writing in Progress)
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity" (November 1987, Writing in Progress)
"One" (November 1987, Writing in Progress)
"Dyers Eve" (November 1987, Writing in Progress)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (November 1987, Writing in Progress)
"To Live Is To Die" (November 1987, Writing in Progress)
"The Shortest Straw" (December 1987, Writing in Progress)
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (December 1987, Writing in Progress)

Disc Two

"Blackened" (November 1987 Demo)
"…And Justice For All" (November 1987 Demo)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (November 1987 Demo)
"One" (November 1987 Demo)
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity" (November 1987 Demo)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (January 1988 Demo)
"The Shortest Straw" (January 1988 Demo)
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (January 1988 Demo)
"Dyers Eve" (January 1988 Demo)
"To Live Is To Die" (January 1988 Demo)

CD 5: Rough Mixes from the Vault

"Blackened" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"…And Justice For All" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"One" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"The Shortest Straw" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"To Live Is To Die" (Acoustic Intro) (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"To Live Is To Die" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"Dyers Eve" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"Breadfan" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)
"The Prince" (Work in Progress Rough Mix)

CD 6 & 7: Live at the Troubadour, West Hollywood, CA - May 24th, 1988 + B-Sides

Disc One

"Creeping Death" (Live)
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" (Live)
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (Live)
"The Four Horsemen" (Live)
"Whiplash" (Live)
"Fade to Black" (Live)
"Seek & Destroy" (Live)
"Master of Puppets" (Live)
"Encore Jam (Live)
"Last Caress" (Live)
"Am I Evil?" (Live)
"Battery" (Live)

Disc Two

Encore Jam #2 (Live)
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (Live)
"Leper Messiah" (Live)
"Blitzkrieg" (Live)

B-Sides
"Breadfan" (Remastered)
"The Prince" (Remastered)
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" (Live) *
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (Live) *
"Seek & Destroy" (Live) *
"Creeping Death" (Live) *
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (Live) **
"One" (Live) **
"Breadfan" (Live) ***
"Last Caress" (Live) ***

* Recorded live at Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX on February 5th, 1989
** Recorded live at Seattle Coliseum, Seattle, WA on August 29th, 1989
*** Recorded live at Seattle Coliseum, Seattle, WA on August 30th, 1989

CD 8 & 9: Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, London, England - October 10th, 1988 + Radio Edits

Disc One

"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (Live)
"The Four Horsemen" (Live)
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (Live)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (Live)
Bass Solo (Live)
"Master of Puppets" (Live)
"Damage, Inc." (Live)
"One" (Live)
"Seek & Destroy" (Live)
"…And Justice For All" (Live) * Note: there is a tape cut on this track

Disc Two

"Encore Jam (Live)
"Creeping Death" (Live)
"Fade to Black" (Live)
Guitar Solo (Live)
"Battery" (Live)
Encore Jam #2 (Live)
"Last Caress" (Live)
"Am I Evil?" (Live)
"Whiplash" (Live)

Radio Edits
"Eye Of The Beholder" (Radio Edit)
"One" (Radio Edit)
"...And Justice For All" (Radio Edit)

CD 10 & 11: Live at Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA - December 7, 1988 + More

Disc One

"Blackened" (Live) *Note: there is a tape cut on this track
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" (Live)
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (Live)
"Leper Messiah" (Live)
"Harvester Of Sorrow" (Live)
"Eye Of The Beholder" (Live)
Bass Solo (Live)
"Master of Puppets" (Live)
"One" (Live)
"Seek & Destroy" (Live)

Disc Two

"…And Justice For All" (Live)
Encore Jam (Live)
"Creeping Death" (Live)
"Fade to Black" (Live)
Guitar Solo (Live)
"Battery" (Live)

Live at UIC Pavilion, Chicago, IL - November 18th, 1988
"Last Caress" (Live)
"Am I Evil?" (Live)
"Whiplash" (Live)

DVD 1: ...And Camcorder for All & "One"

...And Camcorders For All - Featuring previously unreleased footage shot on Lars' camcorder

Intro
Barcelona
Leiden
San Francisco
San Antonio
Dallas
Philadelphia
Buffalo
Auckland
Osaka
Hoffman Estates
Richfield
Thornville
Greenville
Atlanta
Biloxi
Concord
Irvine (Night #2)
Irvine (Night #3)
São Paulo (Night #1)
São Paulo (Night #2)

"One"

2 of One Introduction with Lars
"One"
"One" (Jammin’ Version)
"One" (Live at the 31st Annual GRAMMY® Awards)

"One" B-Roll - Previously Unreleased

Intro
Band
Lars
Kirk
James
Jason
More Band

DVD 2: Live at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA - September 15th, 1989 - Previously Unreleased

"The Ecstasy of Gold"
"Blackened"
"For Whom The Bell Tolls"
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"
"Harvester Of Sorrow"
"The Four Horsemen"
"The Thing That Should Not Be"
Bass Solo
"Master of Puppets"
"Fade to Black"
"Seek & Destroy"
"…And Justice For All"
"One"
"Creeping Death"
Guitar Solo
"Battery"
Encore Jam
"Last Caress"
"Am I Evil?"
"Damage, Inc."
"Blitzkrieg"
"Breadfan"

DVD 3: Live at the Stone Balloon, Newark, DE - August 7th, 1989 - Previously Unreleased Fan-Shot Footage

Backstage Shit
"The Ecstasy of Gold"
"Creeping Death"
"For Whom The Bell Tolls"
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"
"The Four Horsemen"
"Harvester Of Sorrow"
"Phantom Lord"
Bass Solo
"Master of Puppets"
"Fade to Black"
"No Remorse"
"Seek & Destroy"
"Last Caress"
"Am I Evil?"
"Motorbreath"
"Hit the Lights"
"Blitzkrieg"
"Damage, Inc."
"Breadfan"

DVD 4: Justice On Wheels, Masa Ito Interviews, Raw Live Footage

Justice On Wheels - A MuchMusic Documentary

Intro
The Road Crew
The Fans
The Band
The Video

Masa Ito Interviews - Previously Unreleased

Lars
James
Jason
Kirk

Raw Live Footage (Live at JFK Stadium, Philadelphia, PA – June 11th, 1988) - Previously Unreleased

"Whiplash"
"Fade to Black"
"Seek & Destroy"

Raw Live Footage (Live at RPI Field House, Troy, NY – March 15th, 1989) - Previously Unreleased

"Master of Puppets"
"One"

Raw Live Footage (Live at Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Ontario – April 8th, 1989) -Previously Unreleased

"Master of Puppets"
"One"
"Seek & Destroy"

"The Shortest Straw" "writing in progress" demo:

Unboxing video:

"Dyers Eve" (Remastered):

Rare live videos:

"Blackened" at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, Michigan on December 31st, 1999:

"The Shortest Straw" at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. on July 17th, 1992:

"Eye Of The Beholder" (Live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, England - October 10th, 1988):

"Harvester Of Sorrow at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Donington, England on August 17th, 1991:

Juno award-winning metallic noise rock band, KEN mode, have released a video for "Learning To Be Too Cold", a track from their seventh studio album, Loved, out now New Damage Records in Canada and Season Of Mist in Europe. Order here, and watch the video below.

Loved, which follows KEN mode’s critically acclaimed and Juno nominated 2015 release Success, represents yet another pivot point in the group’s sound. Moving away from the indie/noise, punk focused tracks on Success, Loved sees the band delving deeper and darker than ever before, resulting in what may be the group’s quintessential statement of violence and despair made sonic.

Drawing from not only the desperate noise and industrial sonics of the 80’s and 90’s, on Loved, KEN mode has mixed in the decidedly more extreme tone and presence of death and black metal, expertly captured by producer Andrew Schneider’s (Unsane, Cave In, Daughters) sick vision of noise and girth. “We entered writing for this album with one goal in mind – to please the smile”, states Matthewson, referring to the album cover piece by the band’s long-time collaborator Randy Ortiz – see below.

Tracklisting:

“Doesn’t Feel Pain Like He Should”
“The Illusion Of Dignity”
“Feathers & Lips”
“Learning To Be Too Cold”
“Not Soulmates”
“Very Small Men”
“This Is A Love Test”
“Fractures In Adults”
“No Gentle Art”

“Learning To Be Too Cold” video:

“Not Soulmates”:

"Feathers & Lips" video:

“Doesn’t Feel Pain Like He Should” video:

(Photo - Brenna Faris)

Brainstorm have released a video for "When Pain Becomes Real", featured on the band's latest AFM release, Midnight Ghost. Watch below.

Midnight Ghost was produced by Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan, Rhapsody Of Fire), the cover artwork was created by Gyula Havancsak (Annihilator, Stratovarius).

The album is available as CD, CD/DVD Digibook, blue vinyl (limited to 400 units), yellow/blue splatter vinyl (limited to 100 units and exclusively available in the AFM webshop), and box set.

Midnight Ghost tracklisting:

CD:

"Devil's Eye"
"Revealing The Darkness"
"Ravenous Minds"
"The Pyre"
"Jeanne Boulet (1764)"
"Divine Inner Ghost"
"When Pain Becomes Real"
"The Four Blessings"
"Haunting Voices"
"The Path"

Digibook bonus DVD: Scary Creatures Over Europe 2016 at LKA Stuttgart:

"The World To See"
"Firesoul"
"Fire Walk With Me"
"Highs Without Lows"
"We Are"
"Worlds Are Coming Through"
"Shiva's Tears"
"End In Sorrow"
"How Much Can You Take"
"Falling Spiral Down"
"All Those Words"
"Shiver"

"Revealing The Darkness" lyric video:

"Ravenous Minds" video:

"The Pyre":

Singer Andy B. Franck was over the moon when contacting BraveWords.com about the success of Midnight Ghost. "Heard the news? We have entered the official German Album Charts at position #25! Oh man... I am so proud! So so proud! This is a dream came true!"

Prior to the proclamation, the band wrapped up a quick string of dates, in their homeland and will now focus on the upcoming six-country trek, kicking off in January 2019.

(Photo - Alex Kühr)