METALLICA, SLIPKNOT, SHINEDOWN and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE are among the featured artists on the soundtrack to WWE's upcoming video game "WWE 2K19". Interestingly, the songs were chosen by a host of WWE superstars themselves, bringing a variety to the selections that's as varied as the WWE roster.

Various wrestlers, including AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan and Samoa Joe, picked the songs for "WWE 2K19", making it the most diverse soundtrack a WWE game has had in years. Baron Corbin chose "Devil" by SHINEDOWN, while Triple H picked "Spit Out The Bone" by METALLICA.

Here's the complete list of superstars and their chosen tracks.

* "Ungrateful & Thankful" by WALE (New Day's choice)

* "Passion" by AWOLNATION (Daniel Bryan's choice)

* "Skin" by BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE (The Miz's choice)

* "Survival" by EMINEM (AJ Styles's choice)

* "Spit Out The Bone" by METALLICA (Triple H's choice)

* "Champion" by FALL OUT BOY (Alexa Bliss's choice)

* "Work Hard" by MIGOS (Samoa Joe's choice)

* "Ric Flair Drop" by OFFSET & METRO BOOMIN (Flair Family's choice)

* "The 11th Hour" by RANCID (Sami Zayn's choice)

* "Rockstar" by POST MALONE ft. 21 Savage (Elias's choice)

* "Override" by SLIPKNOT (Seth Rollins's choice)

* "Devil" by SHINEDOWN (Baron Corbin's choice)

he standard edition of "WWE 2K19" will be released on October 9. Players who opt for the "WWE 2K19" deluxe and collector's editions gain early access four days ahead of time on October 5.

Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA recently announced that they are working on their first-ever book, "The Essence Of Epica". This unique book will tell the story of the remarkable musical journey of EPICA in the bandmembers' own words, and is illustrated throughout with rare, candid and classic photographs.

Speaking to Metal Wani, EPICA guitarist Mark Jansen stated about the band's plans for the coming months (hear audio below): "At this moment, we are very busy with the book, so I'm also collecting old pictures that I find on my old computers. And I'm also collecting old things that I find, what can be interesting for the book. And besides that, I wrote one song already for a future EPICA release. But we will have a lot of time now, because we will probably hit the studio at the end of 2019, so there's plenty of time to write new stuff. And that's also intentionally like this, that we don't rush it too much this time."

"The Essence Of Epica" will contain first-person testimony from Mark Jansen (vocals, guitars), Coen Janssen (keyboards), Simone Simons (lead vocals), Ariën Van Weesenbeek (drums), Isaac Delahaye (guitar) and Rob Van Der Loo (bass) along with that of former members, friends and colleagues of the band. The story of EPICA's rise from Dutch newcomers to international symphonic metal giants is described in majestic and mesmerizing style in this official, exclusive book.

For more information, visit EpicaBook.com.

lso in the works is EPICA's unique collaboration with the Metropole Orkest. The Metropole Orkest is a world-renowned Dutch orchestra which has performed and/or recorded with the world biggest superstars such as Sting, Bono and Brian Eno.

EPICA VS METROPOLE ORKEST "Beyond The Matrix - The Battle" will be released as a limited-edition vinyl and digital download on October 26 through Nuclear Blast.

EPICA's "Attack On Titan" EP was made available outside of Japan on July 20 via Nuclear Blast Records. The release features metal versions of the theme songs from the highly successful manga-series-turned-worldwide-aired anime "Attack On Titan".

Jansen's MAYAN project will release its new album, "Dhyana", on September 21 via Nuclear Blast.

In a brand new interview with the Pioneer Press, JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford spoke about what it's like to be an openly gay man in America circa 2018. "Where do I start?" the singer, who splits his time between the U.S. and England, said. "I knew I was gay when I was 8 or 9. I've been through a lot. Stonewall in New York, many, many similar things in England. It's been a fucking slog. When I was a teen coming to terms with it, I thought when I was an old man, all of this will be forgotten, the color of your skin, your orientation, your religion. Boy, was I wrong.

"With the current administration, it doesn't look particularly healthy right now. On the other side of it, (much has changed) so we can reach this level of equality. There is still a hell of a lot more to be done and it's taking forever. Sometimes it's like one step forward, two steps back. But these types of challenges only make us stronger, you know?

"When I walk out on stage, the last thing I think about is that I am a gay man in a heavy metal band. And to me, that is a victory. There's something to be said about standing there and not saying a word. On the flip side of that, I make a hell of a lot of noise on that stage."

Halford, who revealed he was gay 20 years ago, also talked about the importance of coming out, saying: "When people realize they know gay people, it makes them confront their own intolerance and homophobic tendencies. They're the ones who have to deal with it and face up to their prejudice. That is a win/win situation. We win every time."

uring a 1998 interview with MTV, Halford addressed the subject of his sexuality publicly for the first time, telling the music channel: "I think that most people know that I've been a gay man all of my life, and that it's only been in recent times that it's an issue that I feel comfortable to address, and an issue that has been with me ever since recognizing my own sexuality."

JUDAS PRIEST's latest album, "Firepower", was released in March via Epic.

Las Vegas based rockers Crash Midnight have revealed a new single and video for “Another Day In Hell”.

Vocalist Shaun Soho tells BraveWords: 

“We wrote Another Day In Hell about a year and a half ago during our trips back and forth to L.A. meeting with Sony reps to discuss an album deal.  After being wined and dined, told how excited they were to bring us on board, and that they'd be drawing up the papers that week - hell, we left with fucking Sony coffee mugs as gifts haha.  The week went by and the contracts never came and the calls went un-returned.

“We finally got a weak explanation of something to the effect of the budget being an issue and the timing etc.  This is what led us to say the hell with labels and just do it all ourselves since major distro is cheap and easy, terrestrial radio is on life-support, and streaming is where it's at. 

“I really dig how the track came out.  It has sort of a Leonard Cohen via Hank Moody from Californication vibe to it.”

Crash Midnight recently released their single and video for “Diamond Boulevard”.

Soho told BraveWords:

“This song has been with us for a long time.  We had several producers try to put their own stamp on it, but we always liked it the way we originally wrote it.  After we got the song back from our last label, we decided to put this thing out the way we intended and that's what you're getting.  

“‘Diamond Boulevard’ was written about the reality of this situation going on with the band in our early days when things were beginning to take off.  We had so many people coming out of the woodwork looking to lock us into deals and take a piece of what we were doing.  To everyone on the outside, it looked like things were great, but behind the scenes, everything was fucked - from some bullshit contracts we'd been naive enough to get pushed into signing to just a lot of empty promises from ‘industry’ people.  That's why we started closing every show with this song and still do to this day.  It's become our anthem railing against everything that tried to hold us back or get in our way.

“It's real cool that this original version of the song is going to come out right in time for the first of our Crash The Boulevard recurring headline nights at Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas, June 1st.  We're going to be performing it the way it was originally written for the first time in years that night.  Crash The Boulevar" is a scene night that we've put together with Brooklyn Bowl to showcase some of best breakout artists in the Las Vegas scene and really put this town back on the map for rock ‘n' roll.  Brooklyn Bowl has even been genius (or insane) enough to let us throw one of our infamous after-parties upstairs in their Roxy Room after the show.  So this thing is going to be just like one of our early shows back in Boston, just with a lot bigger budget."

Head to this location for more information on the Crash The Boulevard event.

Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH will release a new DVD and Blu-Ray, "The Pursuit Of Vikings: 25 Years In The Eye Of The Storm", in November. The set will include a documentary as well as footage of the band's 2017 performance at the Summer Breeze festival in Dinkelsbühl, Germany.

AMON AMARTH is working on material for its next album, tentatively due in early 2019. The follow-up to 2016's "Jomsviking" will mark the band's recording debut with drummer Jocke Wallgren, who joined AMON AMARTH more than two years ago.

"Jomsviking" debuted at No. 19 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 21,000 equivalent album units in the week ending March 31, 2016. The disc was released via Metal Blade in North America and Sony Music internationally. The first concept record in AMON AMARTH's storied career was produced and mixed once again by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT).

AMON AMARTH enlisted a session drummer, Tobias Gustafsson (VOMITORY, CUT UP), during the recording sessions for "Jomsviking", following the departure of longtime drummer Fredrik Andersson.

b>AMON AMARTH bassist Ted Lundström previously described Wallgren as "a super-solid drummer" who is "very professional" and "very on-the-spot all the time." He added: "It is much easier to play if you have a drummer who is [tight]. It makes our lives easier."

The band of Mat Sinner (also Primal Fear, Rock Meets Classic, etc) SINNER and German label AFM Records extend their partnership for one more album after the Top 50 success of the latest SINNER album „Tequila Suicide“ (2017).

Mat Sinner comments: Thanks for the trust & partnership Nils, Timo, Jochen & the great AFM team. We are ready & very happy to continue our great cooperation! It was so much fun to write, record & tour Tequila Suicide, we’re excited for our next musical journey!

Next SINNER shows

With Primal Fear:
11.11.2018 Japan - Tokyo
12.11.2018 Japan - Nagoya
13.11.2018 Japan - Osaka
16.11.2018 Australia - Melbourne
17.11.2018 Australia - Sydney
Festivals:
07.12.2018 Germany - Geiselwind
08.12.2018 Germany - Balingen

"My Antidote", a new song from SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Living The Dream", which will be released on September 21 via Slash's own label Snakepit Records, in partnership with Roadrunner Records.

"Living The Dream" is Slash's fourth solo album, and third with Slash and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass and vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar and vocals). The band has launched a physical pre-order for "Living The Dream" including: a limited-edition deluxe premium 2LP yellow vinyl within a premium "Living The Dream" vinyl-size 20 page hardback book, an exclusive one-sided seven-inch single of "Driving Rain" featuring an etching on the B-side with a special set of Slash guitar picks, standard digital and physical CD album, poster as well as a limited-edition t-shirt and hoodie are available.

The band has also unveiled the album cover art and tracklisting for "Living The Dream". The artwork was created by renowned visual artist Ron English.


"Living The Dream" track listing:


1. The Call Of The Wild

02. Serve You Right

03. My Antidote

04. Mind Your Manners

05. Lost Inside The Girl

06. Read Between The Lines

07. Slow Grind

08. The One You Loved Is Gone

09. Driving Rain

10. Sugar Cane

11. The Great Pretender

12. Boulevard Of Broken Hearts

From the barnstorming, high-octane riffery of opener "Call Of The Wild" to the wah-drenched funk rock of "Read Between The Lines", the haunting majesty of "Lost Inside The Girl" to the swaggering deep-in-the-pocket seventies grooves of "Serve You Right", the stately, quasi-classical melodic themes of "The Great Pretender" to the massive hooks and anthemic, singalong choruses of first single "Driving Rain", "Living The Dream" packs a compendium of sounds and styles into 12 tightly arranged and sharply executed tracks, all of it shot through with Slash's trademark electrifying and dynamic riffing and high-wire, lyrical solos.

"It's a natural progression from 'World On Fire', for sure," Slash says of the new album. "I think it has a little more diversity — some of the ideas are not really what I would consider to be predictable." At the same time, he adds, "The record is also a bit more structured, with songs that are shorter and more to the point than last time." Kennedy concurs. "I don't know that there are as many of those sort of 'epic sonic journeys' that we took on the last record," he says. "Although there are songs that take you on a trip, like 'Lost Inside The Girl'. But overall, a lot of these songs — things like 'My Antidote', 'Read Between The Lines', 'Slow Grind' — they're pretty precise statements, and they definitely fall in line with the type of sound we're known for. There's a certain type of sonic calling card that we've developed over the years, and you can hear it front and center on this record."

"It's just a snapshot of where we're at," Slash continues, summing up "Living The Dream". "Which is what we're going for with each new album — to be present in what we're doing and come up with something that is representative of and reflects this moment in time."

For Slash and the band, this moment in time has been unlike any in their past. The seeds of what would become "Living The Dream" were first planted back on the "World On Fire" tour, when Slash began bringing in material for the band to work on at soundchecks.

"Historically, the way we write is we'll be on the road and I'll have my guitar with me, coming up with ideas sitting in the hotel room or in the dressing room or even sometimes on the bus," Slash explains. "When I have something, I'll bring it to soundcheck and I'll start jamming it out with Frank and Todd and Brent. Then Myles will start humming ideas into the recording apparatus on his telephone, and that's how the nucleus of these songs will start."

"I can tell you that's the way it happened for some of the early songs, like 'Lost Inside The Girl' and 'Serve You Right'," Kennedy says. "We were touring Europe in 2015, and at soundchecks Slash would start playing one of those riffs and everybody would jump in. I remember grabbing my phone and singing some ideas into it right then and there, just being really excited about those two tracks. And at that point there were pieces of a few others, like 'The Great Pretender' and 'The One You Loved Is Gone'. So we were definitely embarking on the songwriting process for a new album."

The plan, according to Slash, "was that we would finish up the 'World On Fire' tour, take a little break and then go right into preproduction and get started on a new record." Which, of course, was not quite what happened. Instead, the GUNS N' ROSES reunion was announced, and Slash went directly into rehearsals with that band. As GN'R hit the road, Kennedy reconvened with his other group, ALTER BRIDGE, for an album and tour, and eventually began writing and recording his solo debut ("Year Of The Tiger"). Any work on a new CONSPIRATORS record was put on indefinite hold.

It wasn't until December of 2017, in fact, that Slash, with GN'R on a break, returned to L.A. and resumed writing in earnest for THE CONSPIRATORS. In addition to the songs that had already been worked up, he used his time at home to write a few new ones, among them the slinky rocker "Slow Grind" and the track that would become the album closer, "Boulevard Of Broken Hearts". Then, in January of this year, Slash and THE CONSPIRATORS finally came back together in a rehearsal space in L.A. to pick up where they had left off years earlier. "I wouldn't even call what we did rehearsals," Slash says. "It was really about just getting back into shape after being apart for so long." But even as the band was finding its groove again, the new songs kept coming. The barnstorming "Mind Your Manners", powered by a turbocharged Slash riff and a double-time rhythm, was written on the very first day of rehearsal. "I just sort of came up with it on the spot to give us something to warm up with," Slash says. "It was the very first thing we jammed on. And from there we fell back into revisiting the old songs, polishing them up and getting the arrangements together. Then we rehearsed everything and jumped into the studio and started recording."

The "Living The Dream" sessions, which commenced in late March, saw the band reunite with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who also helmed "World On Fire". But while the producer stayed the same, the studio this time changed, with Slash opting to move operations to his newly active recording facility, Snakepit Studios. "At some point a couple years ago, I bought a small residential property in L.A. and put together a rehearsal space and studio," he explains. "It has a 16-track digital board, and we did pretty much everything there except the drums. It's just a very homey and cool and cozy spot."

"The environment there is definitely 'Slash,'" says Kennedy of Snakepit Studios. "It's got a lot of the things that over the years I've come to equate with him — dinosaurs, pinball machines, photos of guitar players like Rory Gallagher and Keith Richards on the walls, stuff like that. It's a vibey hang. It was good for the creative process."

To demonstrate just how good for the creative process it was, Kennedy points to the lyrics to one new song, "Serve You Right", which he says were partly inspired by a painting hanging on the bathroom wall at the Snakepit — "a picture of this kind of devilish nun," he says. "That's the only way I can describe it." "It's actually a masturbating nun," Slash clarifies, then laughs. "I've never talked to Myles about it, but the lyrics he came up with for that song, which are insanely suggestive for him, I knew they were influenced by that picture."

Dinosaurs and devilish nuns aside, the sessions at the Snakepit went quick. Recording was completed by early May, at which point the album was mixed and mastered… and then held, as Slash headed back on the road with GN'R for a European tour. "That was definitely a weird feeling," Slash says. "I've never done a record where I've had to wait four or five months for it to come out after we recorded it." He laughs. "Now I understand what actors feel like after they finish shooting a movie…"

As it stands, that pause will be the last extended break for THE CONSPIRATORS for the foreseeable future. The band will be heading out on the road in September for what will be the beginning of a lot of touring across a lot of the world. "We're going to do the U.S. this fall, and then I'll be out with GUNS N' ROSES in in November and December," Slash says. "Then we'll get together and do Europe, and after that it'll be South America, Australia… we'll try to hit as many places as we can. Because as much as I enjoy the writing and recording process, when I'm creating music it's always with the intent that it should be played in front of an audience. For me, that's always the endgame — to get out there with the band and perform the music live. That's what I love the most."

You could say, then, that Slash is, in fact, living the dream. But he'll only laugh in response. "Well, you know, the album title is actually meant to be a sarcastic statement about the world we're living in at the moment," he explains. "I never wax political on records, but it was just something that came to mind — this tongue-in-cheek thing directed at social political events across the globe."

That said, Slash continues, "If you do take it in the literal sense, then, yeah, making records and touring and getting up onstage every day and playing music with these guys, that is the essence of living the dream. And that's why I was always dead-set on getting back together with this band and continuing to do this. And I always knew it would happen. Because THE CONSPIRATORS story is not over yet."

The group's North American headlining tour wil visit 20 major cities, including New York, Denver, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, DC, Chicago, Austin, Houston, and more before ending October 14 in Sacramento.

METAL ALLEGIANCE — the all-star collective anchored by Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT), David Ellefson (MEGADETH) and Mark Menghi — will perform BLACK SABBATH's debut album in its entirety during the band's October 27 performance at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, New York.

The group will also perform a "special set of original METAL ALLEGIANCE songs" from its two studio albums — its 2015 self-titled debut and the recently released "Volume II - Power Drunk Majesty".

While Ellefson will not participate since MEGADETH will be performing in Indonesia that same night, the group will be joined in Brooklyn by OVERKILL vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at this location.

b>METAL ALLEGIANCE's second album, "Volume II – Power Drunk Majesty", was released on September 7 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The thrash-worshiping disc merges old-school legends with the modern metallers of the scene to produce groove-driven, adrenaline-soaked anthems while tackling the frustrating state of the world.

Guest musicians on "Volume II – Power Drunk Majesty" include Ellsworth, Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, SEPULTURA, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY), Trevor Strnad (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER), John Bush (ARMORED SAINT), Mark Tornillo (ACCEPT), Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH) and Johan Hegg (AMON AMARTH). The album also marks the return of Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) and Troy Sanders (MASTODON).

"Volume II – Power Drunk Majesty" was produced by Menghi and Skolnick while Mark Lewis of MRL Studios handled the mixing and mastering. The cover artwork was created by renowned artist Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY, HATEBREED) and Rafael Tavares.

" Freight Train", the new video from New York hardcore veterans MADBALL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "For The Cause", which was released on June 15 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Hardcore Lives" was co-produced by Tim Armstrong (RANCID), who also makes a guest appearance on the song "The Fog". It was mixed and mastered by renowned producer Tue Madsen (MESHUGGAH, THE HAUNTED, SICK OF IT ALL) at Antfarm Studios in Denmark. Former MADBALL guitarist Matt Henderson laid down the guitar tracks in the studio, but is not touring with the group.

MADBALL frontman Freddy Cricien told Grasser Production about "For The Cause": "It's the most diverse record we've done, period. It's one of my personal favorites, but that's me, you know. Everyone's different. Some people are going to say 'Set It Off' was their favorite because that's when they got into our band in that time period, but overall, the feedback has been super-positive from old-school heads and new people, so that's a good thing. But we personally love the record and we needed to start diversifying a little bit. We're known for a certain sound and a certain style and that's great that we're known for a certain style within our scene, but you also have to grow a little bit and I feel like we did a lot of growing on this record. A lot of diverse stuff; it's all MADBALL, but it's different little flavors here and there and I think the record is the most diverse record we've done and we're happy with that and we hope everybody else is happy with that."

Legendary rapper, actor and frontman Ice-T (BODY COUNT) guests on the song "Evil Ways" from "For The Cause".

"I met him in New York and he made an impression on me and I kept him in mind," Freddy told Metal-Heads.de. "I was thinking of a song where I pictured Ice-T on it and I just reached out to him and yeah, he was all about it, because when I met him, he had a lot of respect for MADBALL and New York hardcore. He made it a point to tell me that, and I remembered that and I thought that was very cool of him. Then, when this song popped up, it's called 'Evil Ways', I said, 'Man, that'd be a good song for Ice-T.' It just happened. There was a lot of respect being thrown back and forth."

n October 2017, MADBALL parted ways with longtime guitarist Brian "Mitts" Daniels. The New York outfit called the split "a very hard and heartbreaking decision for all involved."

Freddy told Metal-Heads.de: "Just to clarify, Mitts didn't leave us while we were writing the record. Unfortunately, it was left up to me — I had to let him go during that time because we just came to a point where something had to change. And Mitts is an old friend and I love him dearly and he's still my friend. We're still very dear friends. The reality is, I value the friendship and so, better to end it on a good note than be weird. I mean, Mitts would have stayed in the band no matter what. He loved traveling, he loved playing MADBALL, he loved doing all this. He loves playing his instrument — he's a good guitar player. But the reality is, sometimes relationships come to a point and someone has to say, 'Hey, this is over.' And that someone had to be me because that's where I'm left with that executive decision. But,it was no ill will. There was nothing bad, it's just something we did, then we moved forward and kept writing the record and that's it. The only person that could have played guitar on this record is Matt Henderson and he was very excited."

MADBALL will join SUICIDAL TENDENCIES on the "Still Cyco Punk After All These Tours" later this month.

A new AVENGED SEVENFOLD song, "Mad Hatter", has been released and can be streamed below. The track was recorded for the "Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4" video game.

"Mad Hatter" will be included on AVENGED SEVENFOLD's upcoming EP, "Black Reign", containing all four songs the band has written and recorded for the "Call Of Duty: Black Ops" franchise. Frontman M. Shadows told Kerrang! magazine about the track: "The song is dark and brooding. We wanted to capture a difference feeling than a straight-ahead 'zombie killer' track. These songs are good places for us to experiment with our sound. I would put this in the category of 'dark alternative.'"

Asked how the new song came about and whether it was written with "Call Of Duty" in mind or if it was a leftover cut from "The Stage" sessions, M. Shadows said: "I did a Twitter takeover where a fan asked me about doing music for 'Black Ops 3'. The team at [games developing company] Treyarch saw it and asked us to participate. I went into the studio and saw what they were working on. We only had a month to get them a finished product, because of our European tour. We wrote what we felt would be a departure for not only us, but Treyarch as well."

A video "using game footage" will be released "to present the song," according to the singer.

b>M. Shadows stated about the decision to make the tracks available on a separate EP: "We just felt these songs needed a place to live, instead of being scattered all over streaming services. We will also be releasing 'Jade Helm', which is the multiplayer score we did for 'Black Ops 3'. Until now, that has only been available on YouTube and in the game."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ previously told HardDrive Radio about "Mad Hatter": "It's a fun song — it's a little bit of a departure from I think what our fans would expect, but I guess that also makes sense because they expect crazy from us now."

"Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4" is scheduled to come to PS4, Xbox One and PC on October 12.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD contributed music to the previous three installments of the game series, and even appears (virtually) in the second chapter, when they can be seen performing the song "Carry On" in an epilogue after the closing credits.

The "Call Of Duty" song will be the first original material AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released since last year's "Dose", which originally surfaced in the Gameloft mobile game "Dungeon Hunter 5". It later appeared on the "deluxe edition" 2017 reissue of the group's 2016 studio album, "The Stage".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will probably start working on its eighth studio LP this fall for a 2019 release.

The band recently canceled its summer tour with PROPHETS OF RAGE and THREE DAYS GRACE after M. Shadows was struck by a viral infection that left him "voiceless."

Hungarian southern groove-thrash metal band Stonedirt’s new album Backlash-Zone is out now, and can be previewed, downloaded, streamed and bought on multiple popular online platforms (Spotify, Tidal, Google Play, Deezer, Amazon), as well as from the band’s official website.

Backlash-Zone was recorded at Standing Waves Studio in Egerszalók, Hungary with the assistance of Péter Sohajda and Béla Badarász (Burning Full Throttle). The cover art was designed by Krisztián “Mr Zero” Viszokai.

“Waiting for this record took a bit longer this time, but at least we provided the maximum, as always. We believe the album turned out to be an exciting and versatile one, a mixture of old school and modern elements.” - The band added.

Two videoclips have been released so far off the album, for the songs “Steadfast” and “Desolation Hammer”, and the band issued the following call to their fans to help them make their third one, and also appear in it:

"Attention! Take part in the music video of ‘In Metal We Trust’ song from our upcoming album! All you have to do is send us a 2-5 second video of you either partying with your friends, or headbanging, showing devil horn, pointing at your favorite metal band t-shirt, or holding up any kind of metal relics you own, or breaking a guitar, etc., so please send a very short video of you doing anything that is metal! :)"

Send your videos to mail@stonedirtmusic.com

Tracklisting:

“Steadfast”
“In Metal We Trust”
“Rebel Revolution”
“Unbreakable”
“Beyond Control”
“Worms Of Despair”
“Cosy Coffin Rot”
“Desolation Hammer”
“Ambivalent Recreated Humanization”

"Steadfast" video:

“Desolation Hammer” video:

Members of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Extol, and Sea + Air have joined creative forces as Azusa and will sonically shock listeners with one of most experimental and mesmerizing releases of the year. Azusa's debut album Heavy Yoke will be released on November 16th via Solid State Records in North America. The album track "Heart Of Stone" is available for streaming below.

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

"Heart Of Stone":

 
"Interstellar Islands" video:

Lineup:

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

(Photo - Simon Skreddernes)

German folk metal band Suidakra have posted a teaserf or their forthcoming acoustic album, Cimbric Yarns. Check it out below. Release details will be made available soon.

The artwork for the album is available below.

Suidakra frontman Arkadius Antonik checked in via Instagram earlier this year with the following:

 

Dutch hard rock band Chinawhite have released a new audio video for “Money”, the track is taken from their fourth album Different, which was released in June via Rock Company.

Chinawhite is characterized by their catchy combination of melodies, rhythms and succeeds in making a combination of melodic hard rock with symphonic frill.

The album was recorded at Down The Road Studio, except drums at Drums By Mail and vocals at The Musik Room (USA). Mixed and Mastered by Erwin Hermsen at Toneshed.nl. Artwork by Blekkmark. Rolf Vossen adding organ, piano and keyboards on some tracks.

Chinawhite is:

Peter Cox - orchestrations, keyboards and all guitars (Forest Field)
Sander Stappers - bass (Souls Of Deaf, Tributor)
Phil Vincent - vocals (Tragik, D'Ercole, Cranston)
Hans In t Zandt - drums (Praying Mantis, ex Vengeance and Mad Max

On September 14th, Kamelot performed a unique show at the Poppodium 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands in support of new album The Shadow Theory. This concert will be the main DVD/ Blu-ray show on the upcoming Shadows Over Europe run. Fan-filmed video is available below.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)" (with Lauren Hart)
"Rule the World"
"Insomnia"
"The Great Pandemonium"
"When the Lights Are Down"
"My Confession" (with Eklipse)
"Veil of Elysium"
"Under Grey Skies" (with Charlotte Wessels - live premiere)
"RavenLight" (with Sasha Paeth on guitar)
"End of Innocence"
"March of Mephisto" (with Alissa White-Gluz)
"Amnesiac"
"Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)" (with Alissa White-Gluz and Elize Ryd)
- keyboard solo - 
- drum solo - 
"Here's to the Fall"
"Forever"
"Burns to Embrace" (with Children's Choir - live premiere)

Encore:
"Liar Liar" (Wasteland Monarchy)" (with Alissa White-Gluz)

Below is Kamelot's updated world tour schedule in support of their latest album, The Shadow Theory.

September
16 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
18 - Berlin, Germany - Astra Kulturhaus
20 - Göteborg, Sweden - Pustervik
21 - Malmö, Sweden - Kulturbolaget
22 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene    
23 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Klubben
25 - Helsinki, Finland - Nosturi    
26 - Tampere, Finland - Tullikamarin Pakkahuone
29 - München, Germany - Backstage
30 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Konzertfabrik Z7

October
2 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connexion Complex
4 - Toulouse, France - Le Metronum
5 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
6 - Barcelona, Sopain - Razzmatazz 2
7 - Lyon, France - CCO Villeurbanne
9 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra Music Club
10 - Praha, Czech Republic - Palác Akropolis
12 - London, UK - KOKO
13 - Brugge, Belgium - Het Entrepot

November
28 - Tokyo, Japan - Shibuya O-East
29 - Osaka, Japan - Club Quattro

December
3 - Brisbane, Australia - The Triffid
4 - Melbourne, Australia - Max Watts
6 - Canberra, Australia - The Basement
7 - Sydney, Australia - Manning Bar

Groundbreaker, featuring singer Steve Overland of FM and Robert Säll of Work Of Art and W.E.T., have released their self-titled debut album. A new video for the song "Will It Make You Love Me" can be seen below.

Tracklisting:

"Over My Shoulder"
"Will It Make You Love Me"
"Eighteen Til I Die"
"Only Time Will Tell"
"Tonight"
"Standing Up For Love"
"Something Worth Fighting For"
"The Sound Of A Broken Heart"
"The First Time"
"The Days Of Our Life"
"The Way It Goes"

"Will It Make You Love Me" video:

"Something Worth Fighting For" video:

"Over My Shoulder" video:

"Making of" video:

Lineup:

Steve Overland - Vocals
Robert Sall - Guitars
Nalley Pahlsson - Bass
Herman Furin - Drums
With Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards

2017 marked SAGA's 40th anniversary. The band that has combined hard rock, progressive rock and pop like no other celebrated their anniversary with a tour around the globe, saying thank you and farewell to the fans… for now. Now, one year later, the exciting live recording "So Good So Far - Live At Rock Of Ages" sees its release.

Featuring the most iconic of songs that SAGA has been known and loved for by fans for more than 40 years, "So Good So Far" delivers the epitome of the band's long and proud history — all recorded at the Rock Of Ages festival in Seebronn, Germany in 2017 on both audio and video. SAGA, the headliner of the evening played, an energetic one-and-a-half-hour set in front of thousands of festival goers, featuring the best of 21 SAGA studio albums with classics such as "On The Loose", "Humble Stance", "Wind Him Up" and "Don't Be Late".

Says Michael Sadler: "SAGA has a very special history with the legendary Rock Of Ages festival in Seebronn, Germany. Founder Horst Franz invited us to perform for the very first one in 2006! Fast forward to 2017 — SAGA returns to the coveted Saturday night stage by special request, celebrating the band's 40th anniversary with our 'Final Chapter' tour.

"This release captures the sound and atmosphere of that spectacular night with our musical family and friends that will never be repeated... or will it?"

Adds Ian Crichton: "Over the years, it's been a privilege to play to audiences in Europe; it all started in Germany!"

"So Good So Far - Live At Rock Of Ages" is going to be released as 2CD digipak, 2LP gatefold+download code, DVD, Blu-ray and digital on September 28 on earMUSIC.

Track listing:

CD1

01. Take A Chance

02. On The Loose

03. Help Me Out

04. Keep It Reel

05. Time's Up

06. Will It Be You? (Chapter Four)

07. Careful Where You Step

08. Frog Bite (Drum Solo)

09. What's It Gonna Be?

CD2

01. Someone Should

02. Humble Stance

03. Scratching The Surface

04. You're Not Alone

05. Don't Be Late

06. The Flyer

07. Wind Him Up

DVD/Blu-ray

01. Take A Chance

02. On The Loose

03. Help Me Out

04. Keep It Reel

05. Time's Up

06. Will It Be You? (Chapter Four)

07. Careful Where You Step

08. Frog Bite (Drum Solo)

09. What's It Gonna Be?

10. Someone Should

11. Humble Stance

12. Scratching The Surface

13. You're Not Alone

14. Don't Be Late

15. The Flyer

16. Wind Him Up

2LP

Side A

01. Take A Chance

02. On The Loose

03. Help Me Out

04. Keep It Reel

Side B

01. Time's Up

02. Will It Be You? (Chapter Four)

03. Careful Where You Step

04. Frog Bite (Drum Solo)

Side C

01. What's It Gonna Be?

02. Someone Should

03. Humble Stance

04. Scratching The Surface

Side D

01. You're Not Alone

02. Don't Be Late

03. The Flyer

04. Wind Him Up

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Dream No More" live at Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota on September 8 can be seen below. The concert drew an audience of almost 17,000. The stadium holds 21,000.

"We did not break the [attendance] record, but had an excellent turnout and we appreciate the community's support in this exciting event," said Anna Rosburg, general manager of the Alerus.

Earlier in the year, METALLICA landed on Pollstar's Global Concert Pulse chart with concert grosses of more than $2 million per market appearance on the band's European tour.

The San Francisco-based metal giants averaged 20,451 tickets per market, at an average ticket price of $104.

he 19 market reports included a two-night stand at Stuttgart, Germany's Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle, which grossed $3.3 million. Both shows were sold out, with an attendance of 14,695 per concert.

Touring in support of its latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", that arrived in November 2016, METALLICA launched the world tour in Latin America a month before the disc's release. In early 2017, prior to the North American stadium tour, the band made festival appearances and headlined concerts at venues in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Although METALLICA played U.S. stadiums last summer, the band was mostly indoors for the first leg of its European tour last fall.

METALLICA's European tour included the first drone swarm for a major touring act. It consisted of 120 autonomous micro drones that emerge from the main-stage prop lifts during the song "Moth Into Flames" and swarm into several formations over the band's heads, according to Pollstar.

The 2017 dates on the "WorldWired" tour, which included stadium shows across the U.S., grossed $110.3 million in North America and $152.8 million worldwide.

Drummer James Kottak says that he is "doing really well," two years after he was fired by the SCORPIONS during his well-publicized battle with alcoholism. He has since been replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.

Speaking to Meltdown of Detroit's 101 WRIF radio station, Kottak said about his current health status (hear audio below): "As anybody knows who has an addiction, it's a work in progress — you don't just wake up one day and go, 'I'm cured.' I'm not like that.

"Over the last 10 years, I would say I was 90 percent sober, and then I'd have these struggles and I'd go through a bad two- or three-week period," he continued. "So right now it's, like I said, to use a cliché, it's one day at a time and I work the program. I still go out, and if you wanna drink a bottle of Jack in front of me, go for it — [it's] no big deal — but it is, like I said, a work in progress."

Kottak went on to say that it's more common for recovering addicts to relapse after treatment than it is for them to stay sober on their first try. "Part of recovery is the relapse," he explained. "And that doesn't mean you're gonna go and, you know, blah blah blah, but it does happen, because I have the gene and I'm an alcoholic. And there are millions of alcoholics. But the thing is you have to acknowledge it and be honest with yourself. And it's a rough road."

b>Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996 and played with the band for 20 years, says that he, like many other people, turned to alcohol to alleviate his suffering, especially while on tour. "I always kept occupied," he said. "Being a drummer, I always had to get out and have a nice walk every day, which I still do. I ride my bicycle and I swim as much as I can. But for me, one of my problems was just chronic pain from 35, 40 years of just non-stop drumming and singing. So between taking [the over-the-counter painkiller] Aleve and some booze, you don't feel anything. But, unfortunately, it eventually comes to a head where none of it works. And that's where I ended up."

It has been estimated that between 70 and 90 percent of all people who complete an addiction rehabilitation program will have at least one mild to moderate relapse before they are able to remain sober for any extended amount of time.

SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs recently said that he and his bandmates "had to make" the decision to fire Kottak, explaining that they gave the drummer "all the chances" to get better. "We reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it," Jabs said.

Kottak will tour this fall with a revamped version of KINGDOM COME, also featuring guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, and bassist Johnny B. Frank, along with singer Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB). Original frontman Lenny Wolf declined to participate in the trek, which will kick off on September 27 in Seattle, Washington.

London heavy metal bruisers Amulet have announced the addition of talented new permanent singer Federico "Mace" Mazza and have finished their writing second album.

Mace joined in the early summer following a successful show supporting Cirith Ungol and Angel Witch at The Underworld in Camden in May 2018. Since that show the new line-up have been working hard with Mace to finish writing their long-gestating second album. The band are excited about the addition of his powerful pipes and confident about the 12 heavy new songs they are preparing. Mace has lived in London for several years and has fronted tasty Italian metal act Asgard since a teenager 15 years ago. He replaces original singer Jamie Elton who moved to Sweden in 2016. Amulet said farewell to Jamie with a German tour in June 2018.

New song “Siren’s Call”:

Austin, TX based rock band Black Heart Saints has released the official music video for the title track off of their 2017 released LP, Alive, which features a live performance of the foursome live.

"This video was shot during our performance opening for Steel Panther in Austin, Texas. It captures some of the intimate moments that you normally don't see: loading in, setting up, etc. – all of the hard work that it takes to bring about a killer rock show.” - Black Heart Saints

The band just finished their most recent tour, The Road to Sturgis Tour 2018, where they performed at the 78th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, as well as opened for Faster Pussycat on August 19th, and will be supporting Slash & Myles Kennedy Featuring the Conspirators on September 24th. Both shows are in Austin, TX.

The soaring vocals of front-man Josh Ross have drawn comparisons to Myles Kennedy and Chris Cornell. While the band is influenced by the likes of Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, and other legendary hard rock acts, the commanding presence of Black Heart Saints' live show brandishes an updated take on the genre.

UPON A BURNING BODY has inked a deal with Seek And Strike. The band's new full-length album will arrive in the spring.

Danny Leal (vocals) and Ruben Alvarez (guitar) comment on the signing: "We are excited to announce that UPON A BURNING BODY will be joining the team at Seek And Strike.

"UPON A BURNING BODY has always taken the road less traveled and this next step is a testament to our growth and will to challenge ourselves.

"We are ready to bring a bigger and badder sound to everyone who follows us, and can't wait to unleash our new music upon the world. It's going to be our heaviest yet and we hope that all our friends and fans will join us in this new chapter.

"We are eternally grateful to those who have believed in and supported the band thus far. Get your metal horns ready!"

Seek And Strike is a label founded for one purpose: to fill a void in today's metal scene while developing a slew of new talent. Other acts signed to Seek And Strike are Los Angeles's HYVMINE and New Jersey's UNCURED.

Rex Brown working on material for his second solo album. The former PANTERA and DOWN bassist wrote on Instagram: "Slugging it out in the studio, writing & recording Solo record #2...Stay tuned Folks, this is getting Good!!! #rexbrown #pantera"

Rex's debut solo disc, "Smoke On This…", was released in July 2017 via Entertainment One (eOne). The effort marked the first time in Brown's career where he served as both lead vocalist and guitarist in a band.

Last fall, Rex completed a handful of German shows with his solo band, which consisted of Joe Shadid on guitar, John Luke Hebert on drums, Francisco "Pancho" Tomaselli on bass and Lance Harvill on guitar.

Prior to embarking on the German tour, Rex played a one-off show at Mercy Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee in July 2017.

n December 2017, Rex told "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, that he was planning to record an album of covers as the follow-up to "Smoke On This…". He said that the collection would be a way to release "more material and also to give the fans something cool."

Rex tracked lead vocals, rhythm guitars, and bass for "Smoke On This…", working with his primary collaborator and old friend Lance Harvill, a Nashville-based guitarist and songwriter, on the album's songs. Drums were tracked by Christopher Williams, whose talent has been utilized by country music star Lee Greenwood, the reconstituted BLACKFOOT and, most recently, metal legends ACCEPT. The album was produced by New Yorker-turned-Nashville-transplant Caleb Sherman, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked on records by LITTLE BIG TOWN and PORTER BLOCK, among others.

View this post on Instagram Slugging it out in the studio, writing & recording Solo record #2...Stay tuned Folks, this is getting Good!!! #rexbrown #pantera A post shared by Rex Brown (@rexbrownofficial) on Sep 16, 2018 at 11:17am PDT

Long running New York death metal legends Internal Bleeding have premiered a new music video for their song "Focus".

“We are not much of a ‘concept video’ band” states founding guitarist Chris Pervelis. “We’d much rather shoot something that gives fans a better understanding of who we are, and how passionate we are about the music write.” This video, shot in three different locations in Long Island, NY by director/producer Sean Ageman of Washed up Media captures Internal Bleeding in all their fury, as they perform “Focus” — a song written about seizing the moment, harnessing your personal strength and never letting anyone or anything get in your way. “'Focus' is about going out there and killing it every single day,” vocalist Joe Marchese said, “It’s about digging deep and finding huge reservoirs of strength you never knew you had.”

“Focus” is from the band’s sixth full-length album, Corrupting Influence, which contains nine songs of the band’s pioneering — and often imitated sound. It will be released worldwide on Unique Leader Records on October 19th. Produced by Internal Bleeding and Joe Cincotta, and recorded at Full Force Studios, Corrupting Influence also features guest backing vocals from original Internal Bleeding frontman Frank Rini, and Jason Netherton from Misery Index.

Preorders:
Physical
Digital
UK / EU

Tracklisting:

"Compelled To Consume"
"Corrupting Influence"
"Fatal Dependency"
"Focus"
"Surrounded From The Inside"
"Unreality"
"Litany Of Insincerity"
"Final Justice"
"The Supreme Sacrifice"

"Focus" video:

To coincide with the release of Corrupting Influence, Internal Bleeding will take part in the Bloodletting North America Tour XII along side Decrepit Birth, Arsis, Pyrexia, Angelmaker, and Within Destruction. Dates below.

October
12 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
13 - Pomona, CA - The Glasshouse
14 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red
16 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar and Grill
17 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live!
18 - Laredo, TX - Ethos Bar
19 - Houston, TX - Acadia Bar
20 - New Orleans, LA - The Howlin' Wolf
21 - Orlando, FL - The Haven
24 - Virginia Beach, VA - Shakas
25 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz
26 - Brooklyn, NY - The Kingsland
27 - Manchester, NH - Bungalow
28 - Quebec, QC - Salle Multi
30 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques
31 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks

November
1 - Detroit, MI - Harpos
3 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
4 - Mirriam, KS - Aftershock
6 - Denver, CO - The Roxy Theater
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
9 - Seattle, WA - Club Sur Rocks
11 - Watsonville, CA - Appleton Bar and Grill

"Midnight Song", the new video from DREAM CHILD, the band featuring former members of DIO, AC/DC and QUIET RIOT, can be seen below. The song is taken from DREAM CHILD's debut album, "Until Death Do We Meet Again", which is being released today (Friday, September 14) via Frontiers Music Srl.

The "Midnight Song" clip was directed by Jamie Brown, who has previously worked with DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB and KXM.

DREAM CHILD is:


* Craig Goldy (DIO, GIUFFRIA): Guitar

* Wayne Findlay (MSG): Guitar, Keyboards

* Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO, OPERATION: MINDCRIME): Drums

* Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE, DIO): Bass

* Diego Valdez (HELKER): Vocals

ommented Goldy: "When Chas West and I wrote 'Midnight Song', I had the music and he and I had the melody lines — but we needed a story line and a title to start the lyrics off with. Then Chas told me about an old term called a 'midnight song.' It's whatever's bugging you and keeping you from sleeping at night. Whatever that is, that's your midnight song! I thought that was a cool premise to write about within the confines of our melody lines.

"I think it turned out rather well. It has a bit of a WHITESNAKE / RAINBOW / DEEP PURPLE kinda thing going on, with a tough yet sleazy sort of feel. I've always liked that sort of song-element combination.

"The video was fun," Goldy added. "Jamie is a great director/videographer. He got a studio where there were individual rooms that had a very authentic look to them — a jail cell, an interrogation room, an apartment, bar, hospital bed and so forth. When he and I were discussing the videos, he'd pick up on things in the lyrics that I didn't think about using as a 'scene,' much like he did for our first video, 'Under The Wire'. There were a lot of great people at this shoot; we had a lot of fun, and Jamie never seemed to run out of creative ideas — especially in the post-production of this video, where his gifts really shine."

"Until Death Do We Meet Again" track listing:

01. Under The Wire

02. You Can't Take Me Down

03. Game Of Shadows

04. It Is What It Is

05. Playin' With Fire

06. Light Of The Dark

07. Midnight Song

08. Until Death Do We Meet Again

09. Washed Upon The Shore

10. In A World So Cold

11. Weird World

12. One Step Beyond The Grave

Goldy stated about DREAM CHILD's formation: "The band DREAM CHILD was conceived during a brainstorming session with Serafino (president of Frontiers) and I one day while discussing other matters.

"I had been listening to my favorite bands a lot recently, DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW's 'Rising' album, among others in that style, and had noticed that many people who also love those bands often have the very same comments as one another: 'They don't make music like that anymore!' Even though I said that in passing, Serafino asked me a question that would forever shape my future. He simply asked, "Well, can you?" and I said, 'Yes!!!'


"During the very first public memorial for our most beloved Ronnie James Dio, I had mentioned that whenever I do start writing original material again that I would utilize everything that I had learned from working side by side with the Master for so many years in such a way that I would hope to make him proud... and here it is! The name is inspired by one of his lyrics on the 'Dream Evil' album and the nickname he gave me at the time, Dream Child!


"We are so very fortunate to have bassist Rudy Sarzo as a featured guest, Simon Wright on drums, Wayne Findlay on guitars and keyboards, and a surprise vocal discovery from Argentina, Diego Valdez, whose voice will send shivers up your spine!


"This album will bring back memories of the days most people have thought were long gone and never to return, yet it is also new and fresh enough to be unique with some unexpected twists and turns!! No more 'same old, same old' here, no fillers. Every song is an oasis in the desert and a rare gem in the coalmines of life in this new world that thinks the past greatness of rock would remain in the past. We've brought it back to life once again!!


"I am very proud of this album and all who have made this become a reality. There are some big names who've lent a hand in the writing and I am amazed at the new and aggressive sound that producer Alessandro Del Vecchio has brought to these songs! I hope you all agree...."

Transcending Obscurity is set to release Nattravnen's new album, Kult Of The Raven. The track "Suicidium, The Seductress Of Death" is available for streaming below.

Transcending Obscurity label owner Kunal Choksi states, “I’ve been waiting for this release for a long time and finally things are completely ready. The timing is just perfect, as it follows the release of Jonny’s band Heads For The Dead and also the mighty Master. It’s also the first time we’ll be working with the legend Kam Lee, so we’re all very excited about it. Above all though, the music is exceptional and both Jonny and Kam have outdone themselves here - it’s dark death metal with elements of black and atmospheric doom. Needless to say, it’s one of the most awaited releases this year for us.”

Nattravnen‘s vocalist Kam Lee comments, “I am very excited for this album. First off it was during the making of The Grotesquery‘s 4th full length album, when Rogga Johansson told me about Jonny, and that he was looking for a vocalist to put lyrics and vocals to some music that he had. Rogga already knew by working with me previously on the three albums for The Grotesquery my ability to be able to put concept albums together with a storyline. And that this was something that possibly Johnny was looking to do with the music he had. Also I knew Jonny’s work from other bands like Wombbath, Ashcloud, Just Before Dawn & Henry Kane, so when I found out that I had a chance and opportunity to work with this great musician I jumped on it. Once I heard the music I knew exactly the tone that this album needed to take and it was perfect with the theme I was working on. As well it was like synchronicity… as if the universe wanted something to happen because I just so happen to be working on my own gothic horror fairy tale at the time and was leaning towards doing something with Scandinavian mythology. Johnny and I got to talking and he told me about this legend that his grandmother used to tell him as a child about the Night Raven. As soon as he told me the name of this mythical creature everything just fell into place. And that’s how everything came to be. The name of the band, the entire concept story, the mythology, everything all based on the Nattravnen.”

Nattravnen‘s music composer Jonny Pettersson adds, “This album have been in the making for a long time. I started working on these songs many years ago, but never felt that I could give them the vocal justice they needed. Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Down Among the Dead Men and many more) introduced me to Kam who accepted the task of vocal mastery. It’s been an honour to complete the album with Kam, and with once again mighty Transcending Obscurity backing us up, and with label boss Kunal’s pure dedication, I’m positive this is one for the books.”

Artwork by Juanjo Castellano (Carnation, Revel In Flesh)

Tracklisting:

"The Night Of The Raven"
"Suicidium, The Seductress Of Death"
"Corvus Corax Crown"
"Upon The Sound Of Her Wings"
"Return To Nevermore"
"From The Haunted Sea"
"The Anger Of Despair When Coping With Your Death"
"Kingdom Of The Nattravnen"
"Kult Av Ravnen"

"Suicidium, The Seductress Of Death":

Label Sampler 2018 by Transcending Obscurity Records

Lineup:

Kam Lee - Vocals and lyrics (ex-Death, ex-Massacre, The Grotesquery)
Jonny Pettersson - All instruments (Heads For The Dead, Wombbath, Henry Kane)

AOP Records has set November 9th as the international release date for Anomalie's new EP, Integra, on CD and 12" vinyl formats. To coincide with the announcement, the first track to be revealed from Integra, a song called "Aurora", is available now for your enjoyment:

Authenticity. Creativity. Passion. Since 2011, the fundament of Anomalie lies within the boundless will to surpass the past by constantly evolving those intense soundscapes that became the trademark of this Austrian collective led by multi-instrumentalist Marrok, also known for his live duties with Harakiri For The Sky.

Featuring all-new material, Integra delivers nearly a half hour of hauntingly atmospheric and multi-dimensional metal that underlines what made Anomalie's Visions album last year such a far-reaching and devastatingly emotional experience. The four highly dynamic tracks comprising the EP reveal Marrok's strong connection to his black metal roots clearer than ever, all while opening the gates to a profound musical voyage telling of metaphysical reincarnation and ways to manifest your very own identity beyond social and cultural barriers.

As ever, Anomalie continue to push beyond those barriers - and plenty of others - with Integra, pointing the way forward for redemption and renewal. The path has been cleared by Marrok...who will follow?

Tracklisting:

"Rebirth"
"Aurora"
"Temples"
"Delieverance"

For further details, visit Anomalie on Facebook.

(photo credit: Sunvemetal)

 

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "Pleased To Eat You", the upcoming album from NASHVILLE PUSSY, can be streamed below. The disc will be released on September 21 via earMUSIC.

Lemmy personally blessed NASHVILLE PUSSY calling them "America's last great rock 'n' roll band" — and Lemmy should know.

Formed in 1997, NASHVILLE PUSSY preached its sleazy gospel over the past couple of decades alongside MOTÖRHEAD in every rock outpost from Asia to Europe and back again.


Raised on a diet of Marshall stacks, Gibson guitars, Jack Daniels, and weed, NASHVILLE PUSSY are the bastard offspring of foul-mouthed, demented hillbilly ice-cream man Blaine Cartwright and tractor-driving, nude art school model, and guitar prodigy Ruyter Suys. NASHVILLE PUSSY quickly gained a reputation for being like "AC/DC with a female Angus" in Ruyter's blues-meets-punk frenzied guitar solos and Blaine's hilarious "jailhouse nursery rhyme" lyrics.


he band's bass player — Bonnie "Bon" Buitrago — began as a teenage fan of the band sneaking into shows, determined to make the leap from audience member to member of the band by mastering her craft on bass. Atlanta native and ex-landscaper Ben Thomas on drums has quickly become known for his showmanship, precision, and all-around sensuality behind the kit.


"We are rock 'n' rolls' dirty little secret — blissfully outliving musical trends we never knew existed," says Suys. "More than ever, everyone needs to escape to a place where they can pretend they don't give a shit, let their hair down and get loud, sweaty and dirty. NASHVILLE PUSSY provides that unpretentious refuge. Everyone is welcome — just don't dress up 'cause it's gonna get messy."


The Gods of Rock smiled upon on NASHVILLE PUSSY in creating the band's brand new studio album, "Pleased To Eat You". Combining the talents of producer Daniel Rey (RAMONES, WHITE ZOMBIE, Ronnie Spector and RAGING SLAB) and studio engineer David Barrick (BLACK STONE CHERRY, THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS, MARSHALL TUCKER BAND), the band was fresh off an international tour and hungry for new songs to sink their teeth.


"Pleased To Eat You" is their seventh studio album and certainly another milestone recording by the band you'll need to share with your mom: Bourbon, BBQ, horse farms, good people, and a great fucking record. Seriously, you'll hardly find a band that manages to act so easy, so fast and yet so impulsive as NASHVILLE PUSSY — a band that is not shy about expressing opinions loud and clear.

"Pleased To Eat You" track listing:

01. She Keeps Me Coming And I Keep Going Back

02. We Want A War

03. Just Another White Boy

04. Go Home And Die

05. Low Down Dirty Pig

06. Testify

07. One Bad Mother

08. Woke Up This Morning

09. Drinking My Life Away

10. Endless Ride

11. Hang Tight

12. CCKMP

13. Trying To Pretend That I Give A Shit