Former YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and current SONS OF APOLLO vocalist Jeff Scott Soto has released a cover version of the song "What Was" from ex-JOURNEY singer Steve Perry.

Soto said: "In celebration of Steve Perry's return to the music world with his new album 'Traces', my longtime friends at Frontiers came to me with the idea of throwing out a cover of one of SP's tunes as a 'welcome back' of sorts.

"As this idea came about a week before I was scheduled to embark on the current SONS OF APOLLO tour, I had little time to put this together, so I called on my VERY busy friend Alessandro Del Vecchio and asked if he could help me put something together. He enthusiastically squeezed me in and quickly knocked out the music to a song he had suggested called 'What Was'. This song was only available on the 'Greatest Hits + Five Unreleased' album.

"And so here it is, a thank you, welcome back and celebration for Mr. Perry's return… I owe so much to this man and the influence he gave me as a singer, I only hope I did this song justice for you all to enjoy!"

b>Jeff Scott Soto's career spans over 30 years. He was first introduced to the public as the vocalist for guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen's iconic first two solo albums before going on to front the esteemed hard rock band TALISMAN. He is also one of the vocalists for the wildly popular TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, the lead vocalist for supergroup W.E.T. (featuring JSS alongside members of ECLIPSE and WORK OF ART), creative visionary for the more metal-leaning SOTO, and frontman for the new supergroup, SONS OF APOLLO (which also features Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal and Billy Sheehan), among many other musical activities he has been and is involved in. He also held a stint fronting Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers JOURNEY and was one of the vocalists for the officially sanctioned QUEEN tribute QUEEN EXTRAVAGANZA. His incredible voice has led to many invitations to do guest lead or background vocals on a multitude of albums, including, but not limited to, STRYPER, Joel Hoekstra, SAIGON KICK, Fergie Frederiksen, Lita Ford, STEELHEART and many more.


In 1994, he released his first solo outing "Love Parade", followed by the acclaimed "Prism" (2002), "Lost In The Translation" (2005), "Beautiful Mess" (2009), "Damage Control" (2012) and "Retribution" (2017).

Swedish progressive metal veterans OPETH will release "Garden Of The Titans: Live At Red Rocks Amphitheatre" on November 2 via Moderbolaget Records/Nuclear Blast Entertainment. This historic event was captured for the DVD, Blu-ray and vinyl formats during the band's May 11, 2017 performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, Colorado. Both the DVD and Blu-ray formats include CDs containing the audio as well.

The second trailer for "Garden Of The Titans: Live At Red Rocks Amphitheatre" is available below.

Video footage for "Garden Of The Titans" was overseen by The Deka Brothers (CARPENTER BRUT, THE PRODIGY) and audio was mixed by David Castillo (KATATONIA, BLOODBATH). All versions feature the masterful artwork of revered artist Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, KATATONIA, TESTAMENT).

"Garden Of The Titans: Live At Red Rocks Amphitheatre" track listing:

1. Sorceress (live)

02. Ghost Of Perdition (live)

03. Demon Of The Fall (live)

04. The Wilde Flowers (live)

05. In My Time Of Need (live)

06. The Devil's Orchard (live)

07. Cusp Of Eternity (live)

08. Heir Apparent (live)

09. Era (live)

10. Deliverance (live)

OPETH will release the limited 10inch vinyl "Ghost Of Perdition (Live)" on October 19 in the following formats:

* 10" pink sparkle in sleeve (limited to 700)

* 10" violet sparkle in sleeve (NB mailorder exclusive, limited to 300)

* 10" toffee in sleeve (NB mailorder exclusive, limited to 250)

* 10" summer bronze in sleeve (NB mailorder exclusive, limited to 250)

Side A contains the haunting live version of the band's classic "Ghost Of Perdition" (live), while the previously released "Sorceress" (live) can be found on Side B.

OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson recently told FaceCulture that the band has commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2016's "Sorceress" album. "We're very much into the demoing," he said. "I've recorded a lot of solos so far. And Mikael [Åkerfeldt, guitar/vocals] has almost already written 12 songs for the new album, so we have more material than enough for an album. But I think we will at least try to finish 15 songs. So hopefully we'll work on song ideas very soon."

According to Åkesson, OPETH is hoping to release its 13th studio album in the first quarter of 2019. "I'm not sure if it's gonna happen, but we're working towards that, and the songwriting goes very well," he said. "Mikael has been very productive these last… since January, basically. We did the last touring for 'Sorceress' in November."

Regarding the musical direction of the new OPETH material, Fredrik said: "Compared to the last three albums, I would say, if I can reveal anything, this album is more complex, more energetic, and I think it's gonna be something."

Åkesson went on to say that OPETH always tries to explore new ground with every album and it isn't overly concerned with how its music will be received by its fans. "The first filter is the guys in the band, I would say," he said. "If we enjoy it, we can only hope that people that enjoy listening to OPETH will enjoy it; that would be nice. But if we're happy with it, we will release it; it's quite simple. I think this is kind of a Mikael question in a way, since he's the creative director for the band, so I know, speaking for him a little bit here, that he always tries to push everything into something new. And I think people will enjoy this new album."

"Sorceress" was released in September 2016. For the band's first effort for Nuclear Blast via OPETH's imprint label Moderbolaget Records, the group returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from QUEEN, RUSH and JUDAS PRIEST, where the Swedes had tracked "Pale Communion" in 2014 with Tom Dalgety.

The official lyric video for the song "Caught In The Witch's Eye" from RIOT V, the band featuring members of legendary metal pioneers RIOT, can be seen below. The track is taken from RIOT V's latest album, "Armor Of Light", which came out on April 27 via Nuclear Blast.

Donnie Van Stavern, a longtime collaborator with RIOT founder Mark Reale, plays bass in RIOT V and is one of its chief songwriters.

After Reale passed away in 2012, the surviving members of RIOT announced they would continue as RIOT V. They recruited singer Todd Michael Hall and released the critically acclaimed "Unleash The Fire" in 2014.

The band commented: "We offer a conceptual lyric video from our latest album 'Armor Of Light' on the great Nuclear Blast Records, 'Caught In The Witch's Eye'. Donnie Van Stavern composed the music and Todd wrote the lyrics about a witch that wants to sell your soul to the devil type of tale; she promises to take away your troubles, but you'll end up hating the price you have to pay!"

sked in a new interview with Lords Of Metal if he was afraid the name change would cause a bit of confusion in the metal community, Van Stavern said: "Well, maybe it does a little bit, but it was a conscious choice of us to do so. We didn't have to do it as there were no legal issues whatsoever as we own the band name, but even though Mike [Flyntz, guitar] and I had been in the band longer than anybody, I felt that this was the fifth chapter of the band. Let's convey to the people that we not only trying to live on the legacy of the old RIOT, but that we are a band for the future. Chapter one was the period with Guy Speranza, chapter two was with Rhett Forrester, chapter three featured Tony Moore, chapter four were the Mike DiMeo years and now chapter five features Todd Michael Hall as the RIOT vocalist. Therefore I thought it would be cool to add the 'V' to the logo to clarify that this is the fifth chapter of the band. It's a name change, but in a way it isn't, as it just means that a new chapter in the book is written. It don't think it causes any confusion as the people know that it's still the same band and as always we still stand for great power metal music."

Van Stavern also talked about the songwriting process for "Armor Of Light", saying: "We started after we did our last tour for 'Unleash The Fire'. We first had to get some legal and personal stuff done, and once we got that out of the way, we started writing for the new record. I myself am always writing music, however, and I had already many song ideas available. About six months after the tour, we really started the writing process for 'Armor Of Light' and exchanging the ideas that we had. We knew that we needed a record that would appeal to the older RIOT fans as well as the new fans that we're trying to acquire. Even though it's an older band with a lot of history, we wanted to make a fresh record. I wrote songs in the style that I'm known for which is reminiscent to the 'Thundersteel' style, while Mike channeled his gears in the DiMeo years, which is a little bit more in the DEEP PURPLE vein. We had that conscious effort going to combine our best songs and we had a lot to choose from. We picked the tunes that we felt that everybody would like and which would appeal to the RIOT fans. We wanted to deliver a very aggressive record, but melodic at the same time."

Sharon Osbourne fired back at Philip Anschutz, founder of concert promoter AEG, after her husband, Ozzy Osbourne, dropped his antitrust lawsuit against the company.

In the filing, Ozzy said that he had tentatively agreed to perform at London's O2 Arena on February 11, 2019 as part of his "No More Tours 2" farewell run, but he claimed that AEG added a provision stating that if Osbourne played an indoor arena within 25 miles of Los Angeles that was promoted by competitor Live Nation during the tour, he would have to play the AEG-owned Staples Center as well.

After AEG issued a statement claiming a "victory" following the dismissal of the lawsuit, which came after the company agreed to end its practice of blocking artists from playing certain venues, Sharon slammed Anschutz by intentionally misspelling his name and telling him to "bite on our assholes."

Sharon Osbourne's statement in full:

We know Mr. Anshultz (aka 'Daddy Big Bucks') is living in his billionaire bubble, but the fact is that Ozzy sued AEG for the right to perform at the O2 in London. We won the case and Ozzy's show at the O2 went on sale on September 5 for a show next year (February 11, 2019) — so in my world that means we won the case. Ozzy is playing the O2 without having to play the Staples Center, which is all that mattered to us. From the start of this dialogue in February, this has been a battle about respect for the artists and their personal preferences. It wasn't then and isn't now a battle between promoters, which is how this is being portrayed by the recent statement from AEG claiming this as a 'victory.'

"To say that this 'suit was instigated by Azoff and paid for by MSG and Live Nation,' and that 'it was hatched on the back of an artist who we believe had no idea what he was biting off,' is untrue and disrespectful to Ozzy, myself and the entire team working on this tour. Whatever differences you have with Irving Azoff, don't presume you know who instigated the lawsuit or you know anything about Ozzy Osbourne, because you obviously don't know anything about Ozzy's history or mine. So stop with your hubbildy, bubbuldy BULLSHIT and your little pissing contest with Live Nation and MSG.

"Regarding the allegations in the AEG statement that this 'suit was a transparent public relations ploy,' if that was indeed the case, why then did AEG rush out a statement of victory? While we, throughout this process, until now have only made one statement around the initial filing.

"Ozzy's preference was to perform at The Forum, a venue that has been a part of his music history for more than 46 years. From the start, this was not a battle solely for Ozzy, as much as one for other artists who were being forced to abide by these rules and regulations. Let's not all forget why you're here... the artists.

"The only thing remotely interesting in your statement was your pitiful attempt at humor with your quote that Ozzy 'had no idea what he was biting off.' If you're interested, Ozzy and I have got something nice for you bite on... our assholes... see ya loser!"

AEG previously told Billboard in a statement that the company "has always worked hard to put artists first. At the same time, we must respond to the actions of those we compete with, specifically Live Nation and Madison Square Garden. Fighting for a level playing field is fair competition at its core."

Osbourne wanted a judge to invalidate the provision in his contract that forces him to perform at Staples.

Variety reported that AEG's O2/Staples requirement came about in response to a challenge from MSG that found the company refusing to book acts into Madison Square Garden if they played at AEG's Staples Center in Los Angeles instead of the MSG-operated Forum. In response, AEG informed agents and promoters that acts who perform at The Forum instead of Staples will not be booked at London's O2 Arena.

Ozzy's final world tour is slated to last until 2020.

PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix spoke to Rock Sound about the progress of the recording sessions for the follow-up to the band's 2017 album "Crooked Teeth". He said (see video below): "We did work with the same producers [Nicholas 'RAS' Furlong and Colin Brittain] that did 'Crooked Teeth'. So this is like the follow-up and it feels great. We played a bunch of tracks for our friends in BEARTOOTH and some other folks last night, and everybody was feeling it. So it's exciting to play new music for people and they're, like, vibing it. So it felt good. Unless they're totally bullshitting us. And if that's the case, they are great bullshitters."

Elaborating on PAPA ROACH's decision to re-team with the "Crooked Teeth" producers on the upcoming disc, Jacoby said: "We have a rhythm going with these guys. We were supposed to go on tour with OF MICE & MEN at the beginning of the 'Crooked Teeth' record cycle, and Austin [Carlile, then-OF MICE & MEN singer] had gotten really sick. And so the tour was canceled. So we were, like, 'All right. Well, if we're not gonna be out on the road, let's go create.' So we went in and we created five or six songs then. And then we went back in June and July and took another stab at it, and we have 12 songs that are… There's bangers in there. We're gonna go back and do one more track and see if we can beat one of the songs. And we'll have a full-length record ready to go. And so either later this year or early next year for a release."

Guitarist Jerry Horton told Morgan Richards Interviews that PAPA ROACH's new material sees him and his bandmates "really trying to explore more dynamics and not just be a wall of guitars all the time."

Shaddix described the musical direction of the new PAPA ROACH songs to the Lazer 103.3 radio station as "a pretty bold evolution," saying that the tracks that have been laid down so far are "so inspiring and just unique and different and rocking and anthemic and passionate."

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Slash has paid tribute to Lemmy, saying "the planet is a lesser place without him." The GUNS N' ROSES guitarist told Revolver: "Lemmy was such a fucking awesome individual. We were good friends since we met in 1987, which is when GUNS first went to London. MOTÖRHEAD was doing a record. We went down to meet them for the first time and we all hit it off. Lemmy and I kept in touch and became good friends over the years.

"He was such a great example of what rock and roll was all about," Slash added. "You can put on all kinds of labels — heavy metal, hard rock, whatever — but he embodied the spirit of what rock and roll is. For years and years, I could be anywhere in the world and somehow Lemmy was there. The planet is a lesser place without him. I really miss him a lot."

Lemmy was the featured guest on the song "Doctor Alibi", which appears on Slash's 2010 self-titled solo album.

In a March 2010 interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, Slash stated about the experience of recording "Doctor Alibi" with Lemmy, "That was another great moment; having Lemmy come down. Because Lemmy was one of those guys that I so looked up to and I still do. When I was a kid, I was one of those Lemmy fans that would bow in his presence. And we got to be friends and he's always sort of taken me under his wing kind of thing and he's always been really cool.

Lemmy is one of those kinds of guys who can have a real serious attitude if he wants to," he continued. "He's actually a really nice guy in general. I always thought he was sort of intimidating but he was always really nice to me. And I've had a chance to work with him; I've played on one of their records ['March or Die'] and I've done a lot of gigs with 'em. I asked him if he'd be interested and I sent him the thing and he got it right away and he came down to the studio... We had bottle of Jack Daniel's and a couple bags of potato chips and it reminded me of when I used to show up at sessions. It was great."

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on December 24, 2015, learned two days later that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28, 2015, at his home in Los Angeles.

The MOTÖRHEAD frontman had dealt with several health issues over the past few years, including heart trouble, forcing him to cut back on his famous smoking and Jack Daniel's habits.

MEGADETH has announced plans to stage the first-ever Megacruise in 2019. No further details have been revealed except that it will launch in the Pacific Ocean next year.

You can join the Megacruise mailing list and be the first to know about artist additions, events and more.

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine told "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" back in June that the release of the band's next album would coincide with the launch of a new MEGADETH-curated event, to be held in at least two separate installments over the course of several months. "We've got a huge festival that we're gonna be announcing," he said. "It's really a big deal. It's kind of the equivalent of Gigantour, but it's a much fresher idea. We've got that set up in about 10 cities in April, and then we're gonna do it again for a three-day weekend in the middle of the year, and we're gonna do probably about another 10 of those dates at the latter part of the year."

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

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

In 2018, MEGADETH is celebrating its 35th anniversary all year long, with special releases, exclusive merchandise items, and one-of-a-kind events and opportunities for fans worldwide.

An incredible line-up of world-class musicians and vocalists gathered together, under the helm of Grammy award-winning producers Bob Kulick and Bruce Bouillet, to recreate 11 classics from the catalog of one of music’s greatest, best-loved bands, the icons of theatrical shock rock, the mighty KISS. Originally released as Spin The Bottle in 2004, the resulting album has received a complete makeover this year and will be reissued October 19th with all new artwork. Now titled, Pure Fire - The Ultimate KISS Tribute, the album features unique combinations of A-list performers including former KISS member Bruce Kulick plus some of the bands biggest friends and fans including Tommy Shaw (Styx), Lemmy Kilmister (Motörhead), Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), Steve Lukather (Toto), Chris Jericho (Fozzy), Buzz Osbourne (The Melvins), Dug Pinnick (King's X), C.C. DeVille (Poison) and so many more. 

This special multi-media edition also comes with a bonus making-of DVD that features interviews and stories from the artists, including those who are no longer with us, recorded 14 years ago - it’s like a beautifully preserved time capsule showing what these artists looked like, sang like and played like, and what they thought about KISS back then. Hear producer Bob Kulick, Tommy Shaw, Tony Franklin, Aynsley Dunbar, Robin McAuley, Robben Ford , Lemmy , Greg Bissonette, Doug Aldrich, Kip Winger, Carmine Appice, Mike Porcaro,  Fred Coury, and many others share their personal stories and recollections about Paul, Gene, Ace & Peter. No self-respecting KISS fan should be without this release.

“After being friends with KISS, knowing them for years, playing on Paul’s solo record, it was my pleasure to play on this tribute CD. And also working with Bob Kulick was great fun. I thought it came out great. It ROCKS!” - Carmine Appice (Vanilla Fudge/ Beck, Bogert, Appice)

“I really liked the new arrangement they had and we screamed through it pretty fast. Wild combinations of players and singers, and in the end a very new twist to some KISS classics.” - Steve Lukather (Toto)

“KISS is and forever will be the most exciting band in the land!” - Kip Winger (Winger)

“What fun it is to do anything with Bob. Giving KISS some love. I tried to do Gene proud. We’re all parasites, baby!!” - Dug Pinnick (King’s X)

“I was thrilled to play on this record, especially with Mark Slaughter and Ryan Roxie, with whom I have played before. The song ‘Cold Gin’ was special for me because of one morning back in 1990 when I was awoken by a phone call from Gene Simmons inviting me to come up on stage to play a song with them that night. It was indeed a great moment for me!” - Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne)

“Such an honor to be included then and now, in this list of immensely talented musicians on this KISS tribute. Put your KISS face on and turn it up. Enjoy!!!” - Robin McAuley. (MSG)

“Some seriously great performances by an insane bunch! Being involved on many of the assorted songs, I had the pleasure of enjoying all the different folks and the cool and varied interpretations they all were bringing to the table.” - David Glen Eisley (Giuffria/Dirty White Boy)

Tracklisting:

Disc 1: CD

“Detroit Rock City” – Dee Snider, Doug Aldrich, Marco Mendoza, John Tempesta
“Love Gun” - Tommy Shaw, Steve Lukather, Tim Bogert, Jay Schellen
“Cold Gin” - Mark Slaughter, Ryan Roxy, Robben Ford, Phil Soussan, Steve Riley
“King Of The Night Time World” - Chris Jericho, Rich Ward, Mike Inez, Fred Coury
“I Want You” - Kip Winger, Paul Gilbert, Greg Bissonette
“God Of Thunder” - Buzz Osbourne, Bruce Kulick, Blasko, Carmine Appice
“Calling Dr. Love” - Page Hamilton, Mike Porcaro, Greg Bissonette
“Shout It Out Loud” - Lemmy Kilmister, Jennifer Batten, Bob Kulick, Samantha Maloney
“Parasite” - Dug Pinnick, Bob Kulick, John Alderete, Vinnie Colaiuta
“Strutter” - Phil Lewis, Gilby Clarke, Jeff Pilson, Bobby Rock
“I Stole Your Love” - Robin McAuley, C.C. DeVille, Tony Franklin, Aynsley Dunbar

Disc 2: Bonus DVD
Interviews and stories with:
Paul Gilbert, Bob Kulick, Tommy Shaw, Tony Franklin, Aynsley Dunbar, Robin McAuley, Robben Ford, Lemmy, Greg Bissonette, C.C. DeVille, Doug Aldrich, Kip Winger, Carmine Appice, Mike Porcaro, Fred Coury, Jennifer Batten, Bobby Rock, Mark Slaughter, Page Hamilton, Tim Bogert, Steve Lukather, Samantha Maloney, Chris Jericho and Bruce Kulick

U.S. thrash/heavy metal veterans TOURNIQUET have released a lyric video for the single "Sinister Scherzo". The track, which features guest appearances by former JUDAS PRIEST and ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and ex-MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland, is taken from the band's forthcoming album, "Gazing At Medusa", which is due mid-October via TOURNIQUET's own label, Pathogenic Records.


Drummer and songwriter Ted Kirkpatrick comments: "We're thrilled with the response to the first two singles. This album took considerably longer to record than expected, but we feel the fans will find it to be worth the wait. It's been great to work with Tim and Chris on this one."


This past March, TOURNIQUET released the "Gazing At Medusa" title track, cover art and lyric video. The song featured guest appearances by Deen Castronovo (JOURNEY) on lead vocals and Poland on lead guitar.

"Gazing At Medusa" was mixed and mastered by Aaron Pace.

Guest musicians on previous TOURNIQUET albums have included Chris Jericho (FOZZY), Corey Glover (LIVING COLOUR), Michael Sweet (STRYPER) and Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) on vocals, and Marty Friedman (MEGADETH), Pat Travers, Scotti Hill (SKID ROW) and Bruce Franklin (TROUBLE) on guitar.

SOULFLY mainman Max Cavalera spoke to United Rock Nations about the inspiration for his new song "Evil Empowered", taken from the band's upcoming 11th album, "Ritual". "It's about the corruption of leaders and about every leader that gets elected, pretty much, with the exception of very few, gets this corruption disease and they just use their power for evil means instead of for good, instead of for the people," he said (hear audio below). "Brazil has been a victim [of] that for many years now, since I was a kid. We only had one good president, and he was murdered after they took power. And it just goes to show, if somebody's good, they kill you; they don't want good people involved. It's the system; it's [how] the whole society, the whole system works. It's pretty much similar around the world, I think, everywhere.

"I'm going to Brazil in November. I love to play there, so I get to see firsthand how the place is, how the vibe of the people is," he continued. "My mother lives there, and I talk to her all the time.

"It's too bad, 'cause it's a really great country, I think, with a lot of possibilities to be really, really good," Max added. "And it's kind of been wasted with corruption and just doing the wrong thing — instead of helping the country, they do the opposite. And it kind of sucks. Hopefully one day it will be better."

"Ritual" will be released on October 19 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The follow-up to 2015's "Archangel" was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KILLER BE KILLED, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA). Cover artwork was painted by artist Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH, SODOM). Additional booklet art was handled by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER, HATEBREED, KREATOR), who also handled the package design. The album features multiple guests, including Randy Blythe (LAMB OF GOD) and Ross Dolan (IMMOLATION).

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In a brand new interview with The Guardian, former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Ken "K.K." Downing revealed that he actually sent two resignation letters to his bandmates more than seven years ago when he decided to quit the legendary heavy metal group. The first is described in the article as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing told The Guardian that he believes the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST following Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease.

K.K., who is promoting his newly released autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", also said the other members of PRIEST have tried to remove him from his ongoing position as a co-director of the PRIEST organization, a role he's unwilling to relinquish.

Despite all the bad blood, Downing said he hopes he and the other members can repair their relationship before it's too late. "If something happened to me, I'd like to think the guys would come to my funeral, and vice versa," he said. "You never know what's going to happen."

b>K.K. announced his retirement from PRIEST in April 2011. He has since been replaced by Richie Faulkner, who was once the guitarist in the backing group for Lauren Harris, daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

Downing has called Faulkner his "clone" and revealed that he "never found" Tipton "to be particularly easy to get along with. Very early on, I was fully aware of the limited conditions under which he operated," K.K. wrote in his book. "If you were going to relate to him, you would do so entirely on his terms."

"Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest" was released on September 18 via Da Capo Press. The book was co-written by the Scottish author and journalist Mark Eglinton, whose previous collaborations include "Official Truth, 101 Proof" with Rex Brown of PANTERA and "Confessions Of A Heretic" with BEHEMOTH's Adam "Nergal" Darski.

New acoustic Wardruna album ‘Skald’ featuring Einar Selvik’s solo material will be released on By Norse Music in November 23. For years now Wardruna founder Einar Selvik has done acoustic concerts and lectures, performing Wardruna songs on his own, as well as creations made for the TV-show “Vikings” in an acoustic format. Now parts of this material has finally been recorded “live in studio” in Solslottet Studio in Bergen (Norway). All formats of the album contains an extensive booklet with all lyrics translated as well as a solid introduction to the Skald and Old Norse poetry written by the acclaimed Icelandic author and Old Norse philologist Bergsveinn Birgisson.

The album will be available in CD, vinyl and digital formats. Pre-order here:
Wardruna EU based store: https://wardruna.aisamerch.de/shop-en
Wardruna US based store: https://wardruna.aisamerch.com/pre-orders
Digital: http://radi.al/WardrunaSkald

HQ video footage of Metallica performing "Harvester Of Sorrow" on September 15th at SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (Canada) can be seen below:

It was a record-setting performance for Metallica in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on their current WorldWired tour, reports Global News. SaskTel Centre said 16,874 fans turned out for the concert, smashing the facility’s all-time attendance record of 15,806.

A strong 18-song set was highlighted by the hit "Nothing Else Matters", which Metallica dedicated to the Humboldt Broncos, the junior ice hockey team that were involved in a bus crash on April 6th. 16 people were killed and 13 injured when a semi-trailer truck struck a coach bus near Armley, Saskatchewan.

Metallica also made a $10,000 donation to the Saskatoon Food Bank through their All Within My Hands Foundation.

Thank you to everyone attending #MetInSaskatoon for your help raising money for @yxeFoodBank, a local organization committed to ensuring a food secure community where all people have access to safe, affordable, and nutritious food. #MetallicaGivesBack #AWMH pic.twitter.com/nIC8jnyBJm
— All Within My Hands Foundation (@AWMHFoundation) September 16, 2018

Metallica performs next on September 26th at Dreamfest @ City Hall at Civic Center Plaza in San Francisco, CA. Find the band's complete live itinerary here.

 

Big Concerts has confirmed that Judas Priest will be heading to South Africa for the very first time performing in Cape Town on March 20th, 2019 at Grand Arena, GrandWest and March 22nd, 2019 in Johannesburg at the Ticketpro Dome.

Tickets go on sale Friday, September 28th at 9 AM. Go to bigconcerts.com for all the information. Discovery Cardholders get an exclusive 48-hour pre-sale from today Wednesday, September 26th. Go to discovery.co.za for more information.

Finnish melodic death/thrash metallers Re-Armed have released an official video for their new single, "Built To Last". Check it out below.
 
Re-Armed's third studio album, The Era of Precarity, was released in the fall of 2016 and it’s the band’s most acclaimed release so far. The band toured for the first time in Japan and Spain to support the release. In the fall of 2018, after the numerous tours and shows on behalf of the third album, the band is releasing the new single “Built to Last” via Finland's Inverse Records, introducing their newer line-up with three guitars. The band comments on the new single:
 
"The music is more melody-oriented than before, among the kick-ass attitude. Since the last release we have got two new members, meaning we have three guitarists right now, so writing and producing needed some extra brainstorming. The message is about positivity, regarding mankind, that a light might shine at the end of the tunnel and hope is all we have left. We ended up with a very anthem vibe chorus on this one, which makes this a killer track.”

 

Lineup 2018:

Iiro Karjalainen - drums
Jouni Matilainen - lead vocals
Juhana Heinonen - bass, backing vocals
Oskari Niekka - guitars, backing vocals
Allan Välimaa - guitars
Jussi Venäläinen - guitars

Check out the band's official Facebook page here.

Necroart’s Caino album will be released November 30th, 2018 by The Goatmancer Records.

Formed in 1999 and after releasing three demos and three critically acclaimed full lengths, Necroart are finally back.

Born and grown up taking influences from the ‘90 extreme metal sonorities (read Moonspell and the early Swedish death metal scene), the band renewed its sound focusing on a more progressive yet extreme approach in the vein of Arcturus and Schammasch, starting a new journey into obscure territories and esoteric themes.

“Mastodon Rising”:

Montreal prog quartet Fractal Cypher are getting ready to release their mini-album Prelude To An Impending Outcome on November 8th and have just unveiled the artwork and the track listing. This four song mini-album promises to be a roller coaster of genres across completely different sounding songs with intimate lyrics influenced by personal experiences.

“Prelude To An Impending Outcome is a mini album of four songs that are completely different from one to another to create a maximum roller coaster effect and make it nonlinear and interesting to listen to. The clash of style is more important and more obvious than our previous album, but the songs have gained in maturity in term of songwriting and sound. The vibe of this album is really more intimate, due to the lyrics and the overall ambiance/universe of the songs. The melodic side of the band is still really present, offering catchy vocal lines and outstanding solos all over the songs.” - Fractal Cypher

Each track has a different prominent genre influence from power ballad, blues, djent and jazz with the band’s heavy and melodic base as an anchor. The album artwork was done by Silent Q Design out of Montreal and foreshadows the moody and existential prog metal that lies within. Although this album is more intimate with different textures and influences, the reception to its predecessor should be a prime indication of the talents of Fractal Cypher; this next release is sure to be a masterwork.  

Tracklisting:

“Coming Back To Life”
“The Grandeur Of It All”
“From The Above And To The Stars”
“Red Lady”

"New Bethlehem/Mass Death Futures", a new song from Birmingham extreme metal miscreants ANAAL NATHRAKH, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's 10th full-length album, "A New Kind Of Horror", which will be released on September 28 via Metal Blade Records.

When writing about "A New Kind Of Horror" in the record's liner notes, ANAAL NATHRAKH vocalist Dave Hunt is succinct in his description: "This is not a happy album; it is bitter, vengeful, sarcastic, sardonic, violent, terrified and horrified, terrifying and horrifying in equal measure. Above all, it is human, and all that that entails. It's as sincere as we could make it."

Those exposed to the ten tracks comprising the band's tenth full-length will be unable to deny the truth to these words, for lyrically, musically and sonically it is a punishing listen mired in darkness and seething with raw emotion. With multi-instrumentalist Mick Kenney pushing their distinctive hybrid of symphonic black metal, death metal, industrial and grindcore ever forward, Hunt draws lyrical inspiration primarily from the horrors of the First World War, contemporary politics, and the letters of D.H. Lawrence, creating one of the most powerful, timely and unique releases of 2018.

"There's a lot that goes into our albums, of course, but it all comes about as a natural result of who we are, and for 'A New Kind of Horror' we felt early on that it was clearly its own thing," Hunt says. "It doesn't have to stand in comparison with anything, because to us it's in a class of its own."

b>"A New Kind of Horror" track listing

01. The Road To...

02. Obscene As Cancer

03. The Reek Of Fear

04. Forward!

05. New Bethlehem/Mass Death Futures

06. The Apocalypse Is About You!

07. Vi Coactus

08. Mother Of Satan

09. The Horrid Strife

10. Are We Fit For Glory Yet? (The War To End Nothing)

Legendary death metal band Master have set November 28th as the release date for their new album Vindictive Miscreant, via Transcending Obscurity Records. Listen to new track, "Replaced", below.

Vindictive Miscreant is the perfect encapsulation of the band's trademark gritty sound backed with experience and skills. Few bands were able to continue on the path they carved in, and over three and a half decades later, Master still do it with remarkable aplomb. They've set standards for bands, old and new, to follow. There's nothing here that doesn't reek of pure integrity, passion for the art form and flawless execution in delivering what they've set out to achieve. They've been doing it for decades and they're only honing their craft. This time they're hungry. Vindictive Miscreant is among Master's strongest albums and it will blow you away with its vitriolic intensity, riffing prowess and memorability. It makes death metal relevant again.

Tracklisting:

"Vindictive Miscreant"
"Actions Speak Louder Than Words"
"Replaced"
"The Inner Strength Of The Demon"
"The Book"
"Engulfed In Paranoia"
"The Impossible Of Dreams"
"Stand Up And Be Counted"

"Replaced":

"Stand Up And Be Counted":

"Vindictive Miscreant":

Band lineup:

Paul Speckmann - Vocals, Bass
Zdenek Pradlovsky - Drums
Aleš Nejezchleba - Guitars and solos

Blending a sound that is a complex mix of classical orchestrations, cosmic synths, and extreme metal to portray the epics of parallel worlds, Hickory, NC, based Rapheumets Well (Ra-few-mets) bring forth a voyage enriched with lore, fabricated from scratch to show the depth in which represents them as artists. From the birth of organic matter to great wars that tear the fabric of space/time, the story of Rapheumets Well’s music serves to immerse you into a world of oddities.

Inspired by the fictitious universe of the Atai, Rapheumets Well have unleashed three albums over the years, Dimensions (2014), Exile (2016) and Enders Door (2017) that progressively told a larger story portrayed in a complex saga of the Atai (ancient architects) who aid in the propagation of sentient life throughout the multi-verse. Returning in 2018, the sci-fi metallers are releasing their epic “The Elder’s Anthology” on October 26th on Test Your Metal Records. The release is a trilogy of sorts featuring selective tracks remixed and remastered from their three previous albums.

The band comments:

"The Elder's Anthology is a collection of songs (we felt) are important in re-igniting the lore of the previous albums. With new changes and new members, we felt it was important to transpose their skills into the foundation of the band. The Elder's Anthology is remastered with updated guitars, vocals, and baselines and we fell this was appropriate for moving forward with the next full-length album!"

Rapheumets Well have a new video "Witch of Darkspire" to present to fans in two versions, one is NSFW uncensored and the other censored. 

Tracklisting:

“Resurrecting The Blood Gate”
“Dimensions”
“Crucible Of Titans”
“Resurgence”
“Witch Of Darkspire”
“The Betrayer (Part One)”
“They Cometh In Fire”
“Distress On The Aberrant Planet”
“Ghost Walkers Exodus” 

“Witch Of Darkspire” NSFW video:

Athens, GA based alternative rock band Lullwater has release the official music video for their socially critical single "American Glutton." Directed by Jason Thrasher, the song is off of the band's Revival album, released in 2015.

"No matter your age or political beliefs, we hope this video inspires you to continue to challenge the status quo and always question the "fake world on the TV screen." - John Strickland (vocals, guitar)

Back in August, Lullwater issued the official music video for their cover of Pearl Jam's "Release," off of the 1991 hit album TEN. "Release" features live footage with Dave Krusen (Pearl Jam, Candlebox) and Kevin Martin (Candlebox), and was recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, WA, where TEN was originally recorded, with engineering and mixing by Justin Davis.

"The entire experience of recording Pearl Jam's ‘Release' in London Bridge Studios was so surreal. Pearl Jam is one of my favorite bands and to cover that song in the same room as they did, was very emotional for me. I had no idea that a couple of years later we would be performing it live with Dave Krusen and Kevin Martin on the Candlebox tour; it’s such an odd and incredible feeling of living and experiencing the moments we've made because of ‘Release.' It's by far the coolest thing that’s ever happened to me as a musician. Thinking back to when I was in my adolescent years playing that song over and over and then one day to be performing it live with the original drummer, is simply crazy for me. ‘Release' has a special place in my heart and is one of my favorite songs to play live.” - John Strickland (vocals, guitar)

With their recently released full-length debut Warmageddon turning (and banging) heads around the globe, the Oakland-based thrash quintet Cultural Warfare has unveiled a music video for a song from the new album, “Eyes Of The Land.” The clip, which was directed by Mike Sloat (Testament, Machine Head), captures the spirit of the song's lyrics, which celebrate the Native American heritage of vocalist Jacques Serrano.

Says Serrano, “Cultural Warfare are very proud to have created a song that represents Native Americans. The song captures their spirit and strength and puts them in a light that is positive. It was fun to tell a story about them and the video encapsulates the lyrics while showing the performance aspect of the band. The entire process from music to video was very rewarding to all of us.”

Physical copies are available to order via M-Theory Audio.

Warmageddon is the follow-up to the Cultural Warfare's 2017 debut EP Future Kill. Recorded at California's Trident Studios with producer Juan Urteaga (Machine Head, Exodus) and mastered at Sweden's Fascination Street Studios by Jens Bogren (Sepultura, Kreator), Warmageddon is a “look into the future” where a “new world chaos” reigns supreme, according to the band. The album's artwork was designed by Brian Lewis (DevilDriver, Black Label Society).

Guitarist Billy Garoutte details the concept of Warmageddon further: “Decade after decade, humanity has been in constant battle. Now set in a post-apocalyptic time, there is a new form of humanity now known as the blood machines and the eye of the future that live off of what once was. The extinction of mankind has brought forth the Warmageddon and a new world order.”

Cultural Warfare create music that stays true to the classic Bay Area while creating a modern twist in the music to create a melodic, yet aggressive sound. With all five members of the band having long-standing roots in the Bay Area dating back to the golden age of thrash metal, Cultural Warfare understands the rich history and lineage of the classic bands that paved the way for the heavy bands of the modern age. With that said, the group has created a sound of their own while flying the flag for the legendary music that inspired them along the way.

Upon releasing Future Kill last year, the group performed throughout the Western United States alongside the likes of Warbringer, Apothesary, The Agonist, Hatriot and others. Whereas the EP found Kevin Doughty playing drums, Warmageddon sees him join Billy Garouette on guitar to make room for new percussionist Bones Padilla, a former tech for Biohazard.

The Bay Area has a legacy for great music throughout the decades, and the influence of the region’s thrash metal bands on the international scene is unparalleled. With their unique combination of traditional metal and aggressive, melodic thrash, Cultural Warfare furthers the area's legacy and proves that thrash is undoubtedly alive and well.

“Divided We Crawl” lyric video:

Eisregen, the German masters of the macabre, have released a lyric video for the new song "Knochentorte", featured on their upcoming 13th studio album, Fegefeuer, out on October 26th via Massacre Records. Watch the clip below.

From a musical point of view, Eisregen stayed true to themselves. The macabre and genius lyrics by M. Roth will once again cause mixed reactions - you'll either love them or find them distasteful... there's no middle ground.

Fegefeuer will be available as CD, limited 2CD Digipak (Mediabook format), limited vinyl LP, stream, download as well as limited box-set with exclusive content.

Standard cover:

Digipak cover:

Tracklisting:

“Vorhölle”
“Fegefeuer”
“Knochentorte”
“Oben auf dem Leichenberg”
“Alice im Wundenland”
“Axtmann”
“Es lauert”
“Opfer”
“Die Bruderschaft des 7. Tages”
“Fahlmondmörder”
“Ich mach dich bleich”

Digipak bonus tracks:

“The Gate Of Nanna” (Beherit cover)
“Black Magic Mushrooms” (Mysticum cover)
“Das 4. Tier aß den Mutterwitz” (Bethlehem cover)

“Knochentorte” lyric video:

On November 16th, Metal Blade Records will finally release Skull Pit, the self-titled debut album from the American/Japanese collaboration. For a preview of Skull Pit, the video for the first single, "Fire Breather", can be found below.

Skull Pit is a tale of two musicians from opposite sides of the heavy metal spectrum and the planet: Tatsu, hailing from Tokyo/Japan, is the bassist and mastermind behind the internationally acclaimed doom outfit Church Of Misery; Mem, from New York/USA, is the singer and front-man of German thrash pioneers Exumer.

The album can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- ltd. Digipak-CD
- 180 g black vinyl
- silver/black marbled vinyl (ltd. 200 - EU-exclusive)
- red/black marbled vinyl (ltd. 200 - EU-exclusive)
- gold/black splattered vinyl (ltd. 100 - EU-exclusive)
- gold/silver splattered vinyl (ltd. 100 - US-exclusive)

Skull Pit vocalist Mem comments: "This album perfectly captures the entire spectrum of what we were passionate about as youths and now as adults: unfiltered, honest and straight-forward heavy metal. The 'Fire Breather' video clip basically combines all the key elements of Skull Pit's global sonic attack in every frame. Shot in and around the desert of Las Vegas/Nevada, the clip was edited by known Japanese director Kazuaki Kimura, who immediately came on board after listening to the Skull Pit album!"

The two veterans endeavoured to combine their favourite elements of bands like Motörhead along with the countless outfits of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal into one blistering and highly energetic nine-track album. The songs on Skull Pit's debut are a clear departure from what Exumer or Church Of Misery usually sound like. Stepping away from Exumer's lighting fast rhythms and Church of Misery's slowed down, Iommi-inspired riffs, Skull Pit creates melodies in the vein of 70s hard rock and 80s NWOBHM with Lemmy's punk attitude.

Mixed in Tokyo by O-mi Kihara, Skull Pit was recorded in New York and Japan during Exumer's and Church of Misery's time off from playing live around the globe. The result is a free-flowing album that switches effortlessly between genres and boundaries, but always with the intent to deliver a razor sharp riff or a memorable hook.

Skull Pit didn't shy away from further expanding their all-inclusive attitude when it came to choosing and recording a cover song as a bonus track: Rose Tattoo's "All The Lessons". The song features Brian "Mitts" Daniels (ex-Madball), who produced Mem's vocal tracks in New York.

Skull Pit tracklisting:

"Double Cross"
"Roller"
"Fire Breather"
"Year Of The Dog"
"Soul Raiders"
"Blood Titan"
"Marauders"
"The Line"
"Wolf Spirit"
"All The Lessons" (bonus track)

"Fire Breather" video:

(Photo - Nikos Mixas)

K.K. Downing has confirmed to the "Focus On Metal" podcast that Scott Travis was the only member of JUDAS PRIEST to contact him following his 2011 announcement that he was leaving the band. Asked if he was surprised to hear from the drummer, Downing replied (hear audio below): "No, not really. I was surprised that the other guys didn't [get in touch]. But Scott did acknowledge [my departure] and wished me well and said some nice things, and that was good."

The guitarist went on to say that he thought he was friends with all the other members of PRIEST before his exit from the group and singled out bassist Ian Hill as the former bandmate he is "particularly" disappointed in. "We went to infant school, junior school, secondary school… Ian was just like a brother [to me]," K.K. said. "And that's why I was kind of shocked, really, that certain announcements were made just that far left that came from Ian. And the relationship just soured in general. I don't know what prompted that, really; I really don't."

He continued: "Rob [Halford, vocals], Ian and Scott knew that I was suffering [toward the end of my tenure with PRIEST], and we all were — it really was getting to be hard work; the rigors of touring and recording and playing shows weren't enjoyable so much for me. But people do things different ways, and I just felt that we just weren't… I knew we were all getting older, but that's when we have to try harder, I think, and I didn't really see that. I felt that I was trying as much as I possibly could to do what I've always done before… It's probably just one of those things — people getting older, slowing down, Glenn [Tipton, guitar] liking to drink beer before [the show] and on stage, and everything slowed down — the performance slowed down. And it wasn't really as tight musically as it could have been. I was just getting a bit nervy, really, going out there every night."

K.K. announced his retirement from PRIEST in April 2011. He has since been replaced by Richie Faulkner, who was once the guitarist in the backing group for Lauren Harris, daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

b>Downing's autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", was released on September 18 via Da Capo Press. The book was co-written by the Scottish author and journalist Mark Eglinton, whose previous collaborations include "Official Truth, 101 Proof" with Rex Brown of PANTERA and "Confessions Of A Heretic" with BEHEMOTH's Adam "Nergal" Darski.

Interview (audio):

Norwegian death metallers Obliteration will release their fourth studio album titled Cenotaph Obscure on November 23rd. The record’s first single “Detestation Rite” is streaming here.

The band will also hit European roads this Winter, together with The Ugliest Band in the World, Aura Noir, and Norwegian thrash force Vorbid.

"Cenotaph Obscure is the fourth album from Norway's death metal custodians Obliteration. Following their now classic Nekropsalms (2009) and the harrowing Black Death Horizon (2013), the latest offering further expands on the quartet's trademark sound; lead heavy old-school death metal with distinct flavours of both doom and black metal. Inventive yet never difficult to grasp, technical without wankery and obscure without being diffuse, Obliteration are masters at their craft. Cenotaph Obscure was recorded in Studio Cobra, Stockholm with Martin "Konie" Ehrencrona at the helm, lending the album an organic yet in your face production. In perfect keeping with the music, the lyrics deal with dystopic, apocalyptic themes, extinct civilizations and interdimensional portals etc. With Cenotaph Obscure, Obliteration cement their status as leaders in the Norwegian death metal scene, delivering a grizzly yet flawless monument to Death metal the way it was meant to be; obscure, ominous and unpredictable."- Einar Sjursø (Virus, Infernö. Duplicate Records)

Tracklisting:

“Cenotaph Obscure”
“Tumulus Of Ancient Bones
“Orb”
“Eldritch Summoning”
“Detestation Rite”
“Onto Damnation”
“Charnel Plains”

In a brand new interview with the "DOMKcast", TRIVIUM frontman Matt Heafy was asked to weigh in on the current state of the heavy metal scene. He responded: "Metal is alive and well. There's too many records to even list of how many incredible bands there are. There is no shortage of incredible bands making incredible music.

"Anyone saying that metal is not making anything good right now is incorrect; it means they're not looking and they're not listening to the pulse of what's going on," he continued. "There's this record label called Holy Roar Records out of the U.K.; they're releasing countless insane records. This band called CONJURER — it's like post-death metal, kind of sludgy, hardcore tech-death. It's freakin' awesome; I think it's one of the best records of the year. This band called MØL from Denmark — they mix black and shoegaze, weird atmospheric rock. POWER TRIP is definitely a band that deserves so much of the [recognition] they're getting. CODE ORANGE was nominated for a freakin' Grammy.

"There is no shortage of metal, there is no shortage of fantastic records," he added. "And anyone who needs to know what records to listen to, just look at my Spotify. For any guy that's, like, 'There's nothing good going on in heavy music,' go to my Spotify right now and look at the top records of 2018, 2017, 2016, and I will show you otherwise."

Heafy, however, was less enthusiastic about the rock scene as a whole, insisting that originality is sadly lacking with many of the newer bands.

There still are some really great bands doing great things in rock, but I do feel like there are some bands trying to fit into a specific thing," he said. "They are maybe looking across platforms, they are saying, like, 'Oh, this is doing really well on alt rock [radio stations]', or, 'This is doing really well on indie rock. We should make our rock band sound like these bands who are singing alt rock and indie rock.' And that's where it starts to get scary for rock; that's where it starts to make things kind of go the wrong direction versus trying to break out and be different. Look at a band like AVENGED [SEVENFOLD], look at a band like SLIPKNOT — they totally break the formula. Or even now GHOST — it's so awesome that GHOST is doing well at rock radio, because they're doing something that's so different.

"I feel rock is supposed to be rebelling against the other formats, and it's supposed to be the answer to being away from that stuff," he continued. "And that's why I love metal so much, 'cause metal is even more so the rebellion against everything else. So I would just encourage individualism in bands. And if you wanna be a rock band, make stuff but different. Make songs that you love that [are] gonna connect with people, but don't feel like you have to try to sound like something else that's a success.

"I think the same thing happens in metal and the same thing happens in pop where genres will see something that is a success and go, 'We need to do that,'" he added. "But when you say that, that person is already on the next step… So you'll see things like that where that happens in heavy music, and, obviously, that'll happen in rock as well where people see, like I said, an alt-rock band do really, really well and they're, like, 'We should try to make a song that sounds like that so that we can get those people to come over.' But that's not the answer. The answer is to keep making something that's different than what the other guys are doing. And that's a band like SLIPKNOT, I feel, [has become] a household name — they do something that's so different than everyone else is doing. Or when DISTURBED first came out, it was such a different thing. So there are those bands that are riding that line between being heavy and rock, where they can get [non-metal fans] into it. And I feel like that's where we fit in as well — we're absolutely a metal band first, but we are able to cross over and bring some people to the dark side, show people who like rock, 'Hey, here's metal. Come check this out. And there's a lot more genres within it.' And that's a very good thing."

TRIVIUM will continue its successful "The Sin And The Sentence" world tour with another leg of North American dates this fall. The band will hit the road on a headline run this October. The bill will feature very special guest AVATAR and LIGHT THE TORCH. The 25-date trek kicks off on October 3 in Tampa, Florida and runs through November 3 in Berkeley, California, with several stops in Canada.

TRIVIUM's latest album, "The Sin And The Sentence", was released last October via Roadrunner. The disc was recorded with producer Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA) at Santa Ana, California's Hybrid Studios. The LP features the band's first recordings with new drummer Alex Bent, who joined the band in 2016.

Listen to "Matt Heafy Of Trivium Defends The Metal Genre" on Spreaker.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and PROPHETS OF RAGE guitarist Tom Morello has released his cover version of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap". The reworked "Dirty Deeds" will appear on "Appleseed's 21st Anniversary: Roots And Branches", an upcoming compilation celebrating protest music label Appleseed Recordings. Bruce Springsteen, Donovan, Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Jackson Browne, Bonnie Raitt and Tim Robbins also contributed to the 57-track set, due out October 19.

Morello tweaked AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" to include references to "fake news" and U.S. foreign policy. "You got a head of state; you want him gone, but you ain't got the guts," he sings. "They won't do what Uncle Sam says, drives the world bank nuts."

Appleseed founder-president Jim Musselman told Rolling Stone about Morello's cover: "Tom is someone I deeply admire for his music and commitment to social justice. 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap' is a parody of the original song; Tom wrote it to reflect U.S. foreign policy. It hits at the core of so many things our country is dealing with.

"With the new songs on the first CD of 'Roots And Branches', I wanted to cover many major issues facing this country: gun control, heroin deaths, the U.S. border, anti-war and violence, the environment, racism and so much more.

We as a label have taken stances on so many issues over the 21 years we have been around. We are proud of being on the right side of so many of those issues with our music and our artists."

Morello will release a new solo album, "The Atlas Underground", on October 12 through Mom + Pop Music. The guitarist recruited a number of other guest artists to appear on the 12-track LP, including GZA, Gary Clark Jr., K. Flay, Pretty Lights, Portugal. The Man, Whethan, Marcus Mumford, RISE AGAINST's Tim McIlrath, Carl Restivo, Nico Stadi, Leikeli47 and Herobust.