Maynard James Keenan has offered an update on TOOL's long-awaited new album. The singer took to his Twitter account earlier today to write: "Scratch vox tracked awhile ago. AJ [Adam Jones] deep in guitars now. Final vox after. Step back. Adjust. Mix. Adjust. Re-Adjust. Master. Adjust. Re-Adjust. Long way 2 go but much closer." He then added the hashtags #TOOL and #2019.

Earlier in the year, Maynard publicly called out his bandmates during TOOL's show at the Northern Invasion festival, asking them to finish recording their parts for the band's new disc so that he could record his parts and finally complete the LP. Keenan said from the stage: "Eventually you wonderful people are going to run out of fucking patience. So I beg you, Danny [Carey, drums], Adam and Justin [Chancellor, bass], please finish your parts so I can finish mine."

The new TOOL album, its first since 2006's "10,000 Days", will likely arrive at the end of next year. Recording commenced in March, with Carey laying down his drum tracks first and Chancellor recording his parts next.

Maynard attempted to explain the long gap between TOOL albums in a 2017 interview with "The Joe Rogan Experience". Speaking about his bandmates, the singer said: "Their writing process is so drawn out. And I'm sure there's a lot of reasons why the delay has been long. Their process is very analytical, and I think, at some point, maybe because so much time has gone by from the last album, there has to be a little bit of fear in here. [You think to yourself] 'Is this record gonna be as good as the last one?' The anticipation now is… Now the pressure is huge, so I'm sure there's some of that [that] goes into play."

Keenan has spent part of 2018 touring with A PERFECT CIRCLE, whose first album in 14 years, "Eat The Elephant", came out in April.

Update- Scratch Vox tracked awhile ago. AJ deep in Guitars now. Final Vox after. Step back. Adjust. Mix. Adjust. Re-Adjust. Master. Adjust. Re-Adjust. Long Way 2 Go But Much Closer. #TOOL #2019— Maynard J Keenan (@mjkeenan) September 10, 2018

Lykaia, Soen's third album, will be reissued this Friday (September 14th) via Silver Lining Music. Titled Lykaia Revisited, the offering features live tracks from the band's 2017 European tour, updated artwork by Paul Tippett, and is enriched by everything the progressive metal unit experienced while performing songs from the album on the road. "Lucidity" (Live In Rome) from the release is available for streaming below.

In addition to the live version of "Lucidity", fans purchasing physical product will enjoy "Sectarian" from the RCA Club in Lisbon and "Lucidity" from the Largo Venue in Rome. Those opting for the digital format will hear "Jinn", also from the RCA Club in Lisbon. Pre-order here.

"The tour was great, and when you have the chance to play songs live night after night, they take on another perspective," says Soen drummer Martin Lopez, "and on reflection, we all felt that Lykaia could greatly benefit from being remastered; that there were improvements which could be made that would seal the Lykaia era perfectly."

Paul Tippett's updated artwork also comes as a result of allowing a great concept to produce a further angle.

"Again, we just felt we could improve and realize another version of the art," says Lopez, "and the great thing about this version is that it has a very 'iconic-logo' feel, taking the main element of the first sleeve and giving it a more emblematic perspective and serving as a great visual way to close the Lykaia chapter of Soen."

Lykaia Revisited tracklisting:

"Sectarian"
"Orison"
"Lucidity"
"Opal"
"Jinn"
"Sister"
"Stray"
"Paragon"
"Vitriol "
"God's Acre"
"Sectarian Live" (Live in Lisbon)
"Jinn" (Live in Lisbon)*
"Lucidity" (Live in Rome)

* only available on digital formats

"Lucidity" (Live in Rome):

 
Lineup:

Joel Ekelöf - vocals
Martin Lopez - drums
Stefan Stenberg - bass
Lars Åhlund - keyboard, guitar
Marcus Jidell - guitar

Slash has lamented the state of the music industry, saying that the current market conditions are especially difficult for younger artists.

Major record labels were caught off guard by new technology in the late 1990s and tried to force the issue by suing the original Napster file-sharing service out of existence rather than making partnership deals, then hastily allowing Apple's iTunes store to take over the download business for years.

"All the warning signs were there, and the record business didn't want to hear it," the GUNS N' ROSES guitarist told LA Weekly in a new interview. "At this point, you've got your big commercial artists that are in your sort of upper echelon of Top 40 that the labels pay out these massive advances to, and they get their money back in every way possible. Then you have other artists that, if they don't conform to the Top 40 standard, they've got one shot. If they don't make it, they're out. There's no A&R people, there's no one going out to all the venues looking for new talent to develop. All things considered, even with GUNS N' ROSES, there was the nucleus of a great group or a great artist that needed to hone in their skills and put out one, two, even three records before they really fucking hit, but there was promise and they saw that and they had the vision. That just doesn't exist anymore."

Partly in an effort to find new paths to fans and profitability in the Wild Wild West chaos of the digital frontier, Slash started his own label, Snakepit Records, in 2010 as a vehicle for his own music.

"I don't want to sign on to a big major," he told LA Weekly. "I just started my own label, and I have majors distribute. That works great for me — I'm in control and my own boss. I don't have to pay everything I make to somebody else. It's a crazy business right now, especially for up-and-coming rock bands."

Slash's new album, "Living The Dream", will be released on September 21 via Snakepit. It is Slash's fourth solo album and third since putting together the CONSPIRATORS, which also features singer Myles Kennedy, drummer Brent Fitz, bassist Todd Kerns and guitarist Frank Sidoris. The group's North American headlining tour begins September 13 in Los Angeles, visiting 20 major cities before ending on October 14 in Sacramento.

The first single from "Living The Dream", a song called "Driving Rain", was released in late July.

Zakk Wylde believes that most of heavy metal's legendary bands will eventually be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal groups like IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that band's first year of eligibility.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for this year's class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but ultimately didn't clinch the nomination.

Asked in a new interview with the Cleveland Scene if he thinks the Rock Hall has a bias against heavy metal, Zakk responded: "Does it even matter that Mickey Mantle is in the Baseball Hall Of Fame? Everyone already knows he belongs there. My guitar is in the Rock Hall. It's my first Les Paul. It's the one I had when I graduated high school. It's, like, 'We'll take the guitar, but you, not so much.'

"But the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is awesome," he continued. "You celebrate all those bands. You can't put everyone in in one year because there's no reason to have another party the next year.

"Everyone makes such a big deal about it, but there are artists who have sold gazillions of records and had massive success and been a huge part of people's lives but aren't in there. I think it's just because we can't put all of them in there in one year. I think they'll get in eventually."

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of a monumental project titled "Jesus Christ - The Exorcist", a progressive rock opera written and produced by legendary musician and singer Neal Morse with performances by Neal and an all-star cast of singers and musicians.


Neal explains: "Sometimes providence comes with a whisper; sometimes it comes with an unexpected phone call.

"A friend of mine who works in the music business called me from New York one day in 2008 and said, 'Hey, man, a friend and I were listening to 'Jesus Christ Superstar' last night and were saying, 'Man, somebody ought to do a new rock opera based on the Jesus story.' I told my friend, 'I know the guy!' He went on to tell me I ought to write an epic prog piece based on the gospels. With a New York accent, he said, 'Ya gotta do it!' I laughed and said, 'Well, I'm busy right now, but I'll think about it.' Over the next couple of months, I began to feel that 'yes' inside and spent a few months writing the first draft. The strong sense that I was on to something continued to grow and the people that sang on the original version were really into it. However, my friend from New York (Michael Caplan) shopped it around and a lot of people loved it, but it never found a home.... until NOW! Again, the phone rang and it was Michael. He said, 'You're not gonna believe this, but I've got a company interested in the musical!' I replied, 'That's great, 'cause I am in the middle of a rewrite as we are putting it on at [Morse]Fest 2018 in a few months.' Very timely! The company is called Frontiers Music Srl and after some communication, we struck a deal! Cool! So, here we are...ready to record and release this collection of songs and themes that is very dear to my heart and I believe tells the greatest story ever told in a powerful, new way."

With a cast of amazing singers and musicians like Ted Leonard, Eric Gillette, Nick D'Virgilio, Randy George, Bill Hubauer, Matt Smith, and others, this progressive rock opera is a landmark event that will leave its mark on every listener. "Let him who has ears to hear...let him hear!"


With recordings set to commence imminently, the record will be released in 2019 on a double album set featuring about two hours of music that will encompass all the spectrums and genres Neal Morse is known for and will, of course, tell the Story of Stories. In the meantime, you can hear an audio sample of demos of the musical below.

Additionally, the project will be performed live for the very first time on Saturday, September 15 at [Morse]Fest 2018 in Cross Plains, Tennessee. "Jesus Christ - The Exorcist", the world premiere of a musical written by Neal Morse, will be performed by a prog rock all-star cast featuring Neal Morse (keys, guitar), Paul Bielatowicz (lead guitar), Bill Hubauer (keys), Randy George (bass), and Eric Gillette (drums). Featured vocalists will include Ted Leonard (SPOCK'S BEARD, ENCHANT), Nick D'Virgilio (BIG, BIG TRAIN, SPOCK'S BEARD), Jake Livgren (PROTOKAW), Matt Smith (THEOCRACY), Wil Morse and more. Also, John Schlitt (PETRA) and Rick Florian (WHITE HEART) have been added to the performance as well.


Full cast:

Ted Leonard - Jesus

Talon David - Mary Magdalene

Nick D'Virgilio - Judas

Rick Florian - The Devil

John Schlitt - Caiaphas

Matt Smith - John the Baptist, Pharisee 3

Jake Livgren - Peter, Pharisee 4

Neal Morse - Pilate, Demon 1, Disciple 1

Mark Pogue - Israelite 1, the Madman of the Gadarenes, Pharisee 2

Wil Morse - Israelite 2, Demon 3, Pharisee 1,

Gabe Klein - Demon 2, Pharisee 4

Gideon Klein - Demon 4

Julie Harrison - Servant Girl


Plus strings, horns, orchestral percussion, vocal ensemble, and choir.


Visuals by Christian Rios


Widely regarded as one of the world's leading progressive rock musicians, there is now no doubt that Neal Morse is a prolific musical driving force and his desire to move people through his music burns brighter than ever before. Born in California in 1960 to a musical family, Morse played in many bands during his youth, learning and mastering several instruments along the way. In 1995, he wrote and recorded "The Light" with his then-new band SPOCK'S BEARD. It was an album grounded strongly in the then-unfashionable progressive rock genre, but the album and especially the title track became modern prog classics and brought Morse and the band global recognition. Over the next seven years, SPOCK'S BEARD released six critically acclaimed studio recordings and multiple live recordings, while establishing a passionate fan base in the prog rock community.


In 2000, he formed the prog supergroup TRANSATLANTIC with drum legend Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, THE WINERY DOGS, DREAM THEATER), MARILLION's Pete Trewavas, and THE FLOWER KINGS' Roine Stolt. In a remarkably brief but productive few days together, they knocked out "SMPTe", a richly received, massive work of vintage, long form prog. Two years later, the sophomore release, "Bridge Across Forever", solidified TRANSATLANTIC's global appeal. Additionally, in 2008 he also joined another prog rock supergroup, FLYING COLORS, featuring Dave LaRue (DIXIE DREGS, STEVE MORSE, JOE SATRIANI, STEVE VAI), Steve Morse (DIXIE DREGS, DEEP PURPLE, KANSAS), Portnoy and Casey McPherson. The band has released two studio albums and two live releases.


In 2001, Morse shocked his followers with word that he was stepping away from secular music... with no indication of where he was heading. Morse was now walking an unknown road. After success with SPOCK'S BEARD, he was starting all over again, this time boldly declaring his Christian faith and risking fan rejection and financial failure. He needn't have worried. As the "Testimony" live DVD triumphantly documented, his solo tour was full of magical moments and was a deeply life affirming experience. Morse returned to the studio with Portnoy and touring bass player Randy George to record 2004's "One", a conceptual album that was a vast, rewarding piece of music that reached new heights. Morse, Portnoy and George stayed on this musical journey together until Bill Hubauer and Eric Gillette were added as permanent members of the NEAL MORSE BAND in 2015 on "The Grand Experiment" album. This collective effort saw collaboration between all of the members and has subsequently yielded another studio album, the astonishingly brilliant "Similitude Of A Dream", and two live releases.

Phoenix, Arizona sludge fiends Twingiant have gone on indefinite hiatus after the departure of drummer Jeff Ramos.

Guitarist Nikos Mixas commented, "After a productive and fun eight and a half years,  Twingiant has been put on ice indefinitely. Recently, Jeff informed everyone of his intention to leave the band. The rest of us had been mulling over the future of Twingiant even before Jeff informed us of his decision. This is not a goodbye, but rather let's wait and see what happens down the line. And a huge thank you to anyone that had supported us throughout this time."

"In addition, we'd like to let everyone know that we're having a fire sale on all merch items. All big ticket items including LPs and shirts are only $5 with many things only costing $1."

 

Canadian extreme metal veterans CRYPTOPSY are something of an enigma. Having gotten their start way back in '92, only a few short years after the birth of death metal, the band, nearly thirty years later, continues to out-brutalize bands half its age. That is some serious intestinal fortitude.

If you had any doubt, well, let's put that to rest right now with the visually stunning video for the brand new single "Sire Of Sin". The song is culled from the forthcoming EP, "The Book Of Suffering - Tome II".

CRYPTOPSY comments: "We knew that the video had to be as chaotic as the song. To accomplish this, we strived to remove all full-band performance shots and replace them with extreme close-ups on individual members. In order to match the frantic pace of the music, we challenged Chris Kells (director, editor, producer) to make a myriad of seamless edits between multiple angled and minimally lit shots. We must say that we are blown away with what he accomplished."

Much like 2015's critically acclaimed "The Book Of Suffering - Tome I", "Tome II" promises an inhuman musical journey that once again defies the universal laws of gravity, rhythm, vibration, polarity, and chaos. Almost unbelievably, "Tome II" amps up the chaos, delivering an even more ferocious- and superior-sounding experience, thanks in part to the knob-twiddling magic of longtime guitarist Christian Donaldson.

Pre-orders for "The Book Of Suffering - Tome II" are available now via CRYPTOPSY's Bandcamp page as well as on iTunes. Upon pre-order, fans will receive a digital single of "Sire Of Sin".

"The Book Of Suffering - Tome II" will be released on October 26. The cover art was created by Remy C. from Headsplit Designs and can be seen below. The effort was produced, mixed and mastered by Donaldson at The Grid studio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

"The Book Of Suffering - Tome II" track listing:


01. The Wretched Living

02. Sire Of Sin

03. Fear His Displeasure

04. The Laws Of The Flesh

Photo by Eric Sanchez

Internationally acclaimed rock band Stone Sour have posted the song "Subversive", taken from the deluxe release for their acclaimed 2017 album Hydrograd. The two-disc set, Hydrograd Deluxe Edition, collects unreleased covers, b-sides, live recordings and alternate versions of songs from Hydrograd.

The deluxe edition is highlighted by “Burn One Turn One”, a previously unreleased b-side from Hydrograd, which is streaming now accompanied by an official lyric video (watch below). “Burn One Turn One” is also available as an instant grat download with all pre-orders and available today at all digital service providers.

Hydrograd Deluxe Edition tracklisting:

Disc 1:

"YSIF"
"Taipei Person /Allah Tea"
"Knievel Has Landed"
"Hydrograd"
"Song #3"
"Fabuless"
"The Witness Trees"
"Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)"
"Thank God It’s Over"
"St. Marie"
"Mercy"
"Whiplash Pants"
"Friday Knights"
"Somebody Stole My Eyes"
"When The Fever Broke"

Disc 2:

"Burn One Turn One"
"Bootleg Ginger"
"Live Like You’re On Fire"
"Subversive"
"Unchained"
"Bombtrack"
"Outshined" (Live at Sphere)
"Song # 3" (Acoustic)
"Mercy" (Acoustic)
"Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)" (Acoustic)
"The Witness Trees" (Acoustic)
"Mercy" (Live at Sphere)
"Fabuless" (Live at Sphere)

German-American power/thrash metal act Them will release their sophomore album, Manor Of The Se7en Gables, on October 26th via SPV/ Steamhammer. The first single and lyric video for "Witchfinder" is streaming below. 

Singer KK Fossor says about the song: "In the wake of several deaths, Peter Thompson, the last witch hunter, has been contracted by the town of Sweet Hollow to seek out and bring Klaus König Fossor to trial (or death) for the heinous crimes he is being accused of!"

With an impressive concept that combines the most significant components of US power and thrash metal and songs that focus on lyrics about spooks and horror, Them are one of the most unusual new metal acts. Their debut album Sweet Hollow (2016) already more than hinted at the artistic potential of the six-piece. Their successor release Manor Of The Se7en Gables sees the group surrounding frontman KK Fossor present an album that takes up thematically where its predecessor left off but goes on to explore the stylistic extremes of this musical genre even further.

“Manor Of The Se7en Gables sounds harder, darker and technically more sophisticated than Sweet Hollow,” main songwriter Markus Ullrich sketches the benchmark data of the latest release, adding: “At the same time, fans may be taken by surprise by a number of changes because we have unmistakably continued to evolve as a band during the past two years.”

The German guitarist, who was among the founder members of prog metal band Lanfear before joining Them in fall 2013 and continues to be a member of speed/thrash metal act Septagon and instrumental project A Cosmic Trail, values this evolvement: “I like it when songs also live up to certain technical standards. Luckily, we can easily fulfil those technical standards thanks to this outstanding line-up.”

Ullrich speaks respectfully of his American colleagues KK Fossor, guitarist Markus Johansson (Sylencer, 4ARM) and drummer Angel Cotte (Demolition Hammer), and the German contingent consisting of bassist Alexander Palma and keyboardist Richie Seibel (Lanfear, Ivanhoe). Courtesy of their impressive technical skills, they have as little difficulty mastering the demanding songs on Manor Of The Se7en Gables as American bassist Mike Lepond (Symphony X, Ross The Boss), who supported Them during the studio production as a guest musician and – as on Sweet Hollow – put the icing on the cake (or rather the songs) with his musical experience. Not forgetting Paul Sabu (Alice Cooper, David Bowie), who further refined the material as a chorus vocalist.

Manor Of The Se7en Gables was mixed by Dave Otero at the Flatline Audio studios in Denver. The band will then go on to strike on all fronts at the same time. Ullrich: “We played 30 shows to support the release of our debut. Now we’re set to top that number with the new songs.” An ambitious target which definitely seems realistic in view of this fantastic recording.

Manor Of The Se7en Gables will be released on CD DigiPak, 2LP Gatefold, download and stream.

Tracklisting:

"Residuum" (Intro)
"Circuitous"
"Refuge in the Manor"
"Witchfinder"
"A Scullery Maid" (Interlude 1)
"Ravna"
"As the Sage Burns"
"The Secret Stairs"
"Peine Forte Et Dure" (Interlude 2)
"Maleficium"
"Seven Gables to Ash"
"Punishment By Fire"

"Witchfinder" lyric video:

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "No Leaf Clover" for the first time in nearly seven years on September 4 in Minneapolis, Minnesota can be seen below.

METALLICA's performance at the 19,000-capacity Target Center basketball arena marked the band's first appearance in Minneapolis since playing to thrice as many fans two years ago for one of the opening-weekend concerts at U.S. Bank Stadium.

In his review of the Minneapolis concert, Ross Raihala of the Pioneer Press described the inclusion of "No Leaf Clover" in METALLICA's setlist as a "divisive moment." He wrote: "It was one of two new tracks they wrote for 1999's 'S&M', a live album METALLICA recorded in collaboration with the San Francisco Symphony. While some folks appeared pleased to hear the rarely performed song, most used the excuse to pull out their phones or hit the restrooms."

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.

The song "Still Got The Blues (For You)" from the upcoming tribute album dedicated to legendary guitarist Gary Moore can be streamed below. The track features Danny Bowes on vocals, John Sykes on guitar, Don Airey on keyboards, Bob Daisley on bass and Rob Grosser on drums.

Due on October 26 via earMUSIC, "Moore Blues for Gary - A Tribute To Gary Moore" is the brainchild of Bob Daisley, who had played bass with Gary since the early eighties.

The sky was crying when Moore passed away on February 6, 2011. From THIN LIZZY to COLOSSEUM II, together with his solo hits "Parisienne Walkways" and "Out In The Fields", Gary influenced a whole generation of guitar players and guitar playing.

Daisley is known for suggesting to Gary that he should make a blues album — the rest is history. "Still Got The Blues" was an immense hit, followed by a series of classic modern blues albums. Bob, also known for his contributions to RAINBOW and OZZY OSBOURNE, was the driving force behind "Moore Blues For Gary".

"In my opinion, Gary was one of the best guitarists who ever lived," says Bob Daisley. "It was an honor for me to have worked with him and to have known him so well.

"When Gary passed away in 2011, the world lost one of the all-time greats. I don't think that enough was said or done at the time to acknowledge the loss of such a great player so I took it upon myself to pay personal tribute to the man and record some new versions of his music, mostly from his blues catalog.

"I asked many members of the Gary Moore family tree, and some other great players, to contribute to the project. The response was not only encouraging but very moving. It seems that the name Gary Moore is also synonymous with the words 'respect', 'honour' and 'greatness.'

"I didn't set out to recreate anything that Gary had done, or to compete in any way. These arrangements and performances represent a 'hats off' to Gary and nothing more.

"Long live the memory of Robert William Gary Moore. Yes, he was another 'Bob' — something that I wasn't aware of for all of those years that I worked with him.

"I feel such gratitude towards the people who contributed to this album and I'm honored to have worked with them all."

John Sykes (ex-THIN LIZZY, WHITESNAKE) makes a triumphant return after a long absence with an uber-emotional rendition of "Still Got The Blues", with the soulful vocals by Daniel Bowes (THUNDER) complementing each other.

"Parisienne Walkways" is played by Steve Morse (DEEP PURPLE, DIXIE DREGS) and Ricky Warwick (THIN LIZZY, BLACK STAR RIDERS, THE ALMIGHTY), with the unlikely pair resulting in a miraculous chemistry.

Gary's friends are here — his rocking keyboard / guitar / vocal sidekick Neil Carter sings "Empty Rooms", which he co-wrote with Gary. Don Airey (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW) and Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE) had joined forces with Gary on numerous occasions, together with Eric Singer (KISS) and Darrin Mooney (PRIMAL SCREAM). Brush Shiels, the leader of Gary's first professional band SKID ROW, also makes an appearance.

Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE, DIO), Steve Lukather (TOTO), Joe Lynn Turner (RAINBOW), Jeff Watson (NIGHT RANGER), Damon Johnson (BLACK STAR RIDERS, ALICE COOPER) and Stan Webb (CHICKEN SHACK) also unsparingly pour all their emotions to show their appreciation to Gary.

Gary's sons Jack and Gus are also involved, playing guitar and singing on "This One's For You", showing that the "Blood Of Emeralds" still runs their veins.

During his blues days, Gary made two albums to thank the guitarists that made him who he was: "Blues For Greeny" for Peter Green of FLEETWOOD MAC, and "Blues For Jimi" for Jimi Hendrix. Now, this is his turn to be rewarded with an album full of love and respect. We still got the blues for you.

"Moore Blues for Gary - A Tribute To Gary Moore" track listing and personnel details:

01. That's Why I Play The Blues

Vocals - Jon C. Butler

Guitars - Tim Gaze

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Keyboards - Clayton Doley

02. The Blues Just Got Sadder

Vocals - Joe Lynn Turner

Lead Guitar - Steve Lukather

Rhythm Guitar And Slide Guitar – Tim Gaze

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Keyboards - Clayton Doley

03. Empty Rooms

Lead Vocal, Keyboards – Neil Carter

Bass Guitar, Harmonica, Backing Vocals – Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Guitars - Illya Szwec

Backing Vocals - Rosanna Daisley

04. Still Got The Blues (For You)

Vocals - Danny Bowes

Guitars - John Sykes

Keyboards - Don Airey

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

05. Texas Strut

Vocals - Brush Shiels

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Guitars - Tim Gaze

Drums - Rob Grosser

06. Nothing's The Same

Vocals - Glenn Hughes

Fretless Acoustic Bass – Bob Daisley

Cello - Ana Lenchantin

Guitars - Luis Maldonado

07. The Loner

Guitars - Doug Aldrich

Drums - Eric Singer

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Keyboards - Don Airey

08. Torn Inside

Vocals, Lead Guitar – Stan Webb

Bass Guitar, Riff Guitar – Bob Daisley

Drums - Darrin Mooney

Keyboards - Lachlan Doley

09. Don't Believe A Word

Vocals, Lead Guitar – Damon Johnson

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Rhythm Guitar - Illya Szwec

10. Story Of The Blues

Lead Vocal - Jon C. Butler

Bass Guitar, Riff Guitar, Backing Vocals – Bob Daisley

Lead And Rhythm Guitar – Tim Gaze

Drums - Rob Grosser

Keyboards - Lachlan Doley

Backing Vocals - Rosanna Daisley

11. This One's For You

Vocals - Gus Moore

Lead Guitar - Jack Moore

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Rhythm Guitar - Illya Szwec

12. Power Of The Blues

Vocals - Joe Lynn Turner

Lead Guitar - Jeff Watson

Bass Guitar, Riff Guitar – Bob Daisley

Drums - Darrin Mooney

Rhythm Guitar - Illya Szwec

13. Parisienne Walkways

Guitars - Steve Morse

Vocals - Ricky Warwick

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Keyboards - Clayton Doley

Highly-acclaimed alt-metal/heavy rock band The Clay People, who have taken many forms over the years experimenting with many styles and sounds, are back with the much-anticipated release of their new album Demon Hero and Other Extraordinary Phantasmagoric Anomalies & Fables on September 28th. Featuring 11 tracks, “Illuminatus” is streaming below in the form of a lyric video.

Lead Singer Dan Neet describes the release as “capturing us at a creative peak that was forged from what was, at times, a tenuous, cathartic and finally unifying recording process that reinvigorated and focused the band.”

The riveting new release exposes lead singer Neet’s battles with depression, mania, fear, paranoia and addiction through his baritone bello and is backed by Guitarist Brian McGarvey's’ slithering calculated leads and Drummer Dan Dinsmore’s high BPM thunder. The record captures the band at its best, navigating what Neet has previously described as “finding common ground” between electronic acts like The Chemical Brothers and the dark bravado of bands like Tool.

Never afraid to take on controversial issues, Demon Hero calls out the corrupting influence of modern politics, the silver tongue of the modern demagogue, the ills of groupthink and the band’s experience with the music industry.

The band called in extended members of its musical family to contribute to Demon Hero. Chris Wyse of The Hollywood Vampires, Ace Frehley, The Cult and OWL, contributed bass to the band’s reinterpretation of fan favorite “Strange Day” and “Gen RX”. Walter Flakus of Stabbing Westward and one-time Clay People member contributed keys. Wade Alin who added programming to the band’s self-titled release returns on Demon Hero as well. The album was recorded at OverIt Studios in Albany, NY.

Tracklisting:

“Utopian Lie”
“BloodLetter”
“NOW”
“Illuminatus”
“genRX”
“Own Worst Enemy”
“HeX Machine”
“Strange Day”
“Palegod”
“Colossus”
“Firestarter”

“Illuminatus” lyric video:

California metalcore band ATREYU will release its seventh full-length album, "In Our Wake", on October 12 through Spinefarm.

The latest single from the effort, "The Time Is Now", can be streamed below.

Following a hiatus post-"Congregation Of The Damned" in 2009, Alex Varkatzas (vocals), Brandon Saller (drums, vocals), "Big" Dan Jacobs (guitar), Travis Miguel (guitar) and Porter McKnight (bass) returned firing on all cylinders with "Long Live" during 2015. It crashed the Top 30 of the Billboard Top 200 and earned widespread acclaim. Along the way, the boys sold out countless headline shows in addition to sharing the stage with everyone from SLIPKNOT and LINKIN PARK to Chris Cornell and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

As they commenced writing for their seventh full-length, the band posed an important question…

"What are you going to leave behind?", asks Brandon. "We named the album 'In Our Wake' because a lot of the concepts address this question. There are lyrics about dealing with your own personal demons and darkness. Some of it is about our children, which his who we live directly in our wake. Others are about the general public and the outpouring of hate and fear — especially in our country. We created something of a concept record without even trying."

"Everything we do causes a ripple or a wake," adds Alex. "It can be positive and good, or it can be fucked up and horrible. However, we are the masters of our own destiny. We want to leave something good behind."

Following a two-year tour cycle for "Long Live", ATREYU regrouped in Southern California and started sharing ideas for what would become offering number seven. Ceremoniously, they all agreed it would be the right time to reunite with producer John Feldmann who famously helmed "Lead Sails And Paper Anchor".

"'Long Live' was really heavy and reminiscent of our early material," continues Brandon. "While we were on the road, fans kept asking to hear more from 'Lead Sails And Paper Anchor'. It made us revisit that era of the band. It was a fun, experimental, and explorative time for us, which is so fun. We wanted to give ourselves and the landscape of heavy music a jolt, so we reached out to Feldmann."

The band recorded in two chunks bookended by Brandon's touring obligations for HELL OR HIGHWATER. Working out of Feldmann's Los Angeles studio, they embraced this new approach as the producer still made them"wonderfully uncomfortable and willing to push harder," according to Alex.

"Every song with the exception of two was fully written in the studio," says Brandon. "We'd split off into groups and crank out two ideas per day. We'd never written a fresh idea from scratch every day. Spontaneity makes things flow so much better though. We also never spread an album out like this either. We laid the foundation with five recordings, sat with them, and finished with a better picture of where we wanted to go."

As a result, the record sees ATREYU once again evolve. The first single and title track "In Our Wake", hinges on a slow burning, but bombastic percussive buildup before charging ahead with an undeniable chant and fiery fretwork.

"It's a deep one," admits Alex. "We looked up to Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington, and their deaths were fresh during the writing process. It made us think of what we'll leave in our wake. We have a choice to change the lives of others for the better."

A ticking clock gives way to a stadium-size chant on follow-up single "The Time Is Now". It seesaws between a robust beat and scorching call-and-response by Alex and Brandon as they carry the carpe diem chorus.

"It's all about just grabbing life by the balls, picking yourself up by your bootstraps, and realizing you only have one shot at this," Brandon goes on. "That was very reminiscent and reflective of this album. In our heads, there's no time to fuck around or just do what we've always done. We have to really fucking go for it. Tomorrow isn't promised, so we went for it."

Meanwhile, "Terrified" swings from a hypnotic refrain into an acoustic bridge, illuminating the diversity at the heart of "In Our Wake". Closer "Super Hero" (featuring M. Shadows of AVENGED SEVENFOLD and Aaron Gillespie of UNDEROATH) conjures visions of "ATREYU meets QUEEN meets Disneyland meets E.L.O." with its cinematic orchestration, horns, flutes, and grandiose production.

"It's about being your kid's superhero, so we invited other singers who are fathers to join us," Brandon explains. "Everyone wrote his own respective part and gave perspective on what fatherhood meant to him. I wanted it to feel like the music from the Soaring Over California ride at Disney's California Adventure park. It ends on such a huge note and offers a breath of fresh air."

In the end, "In Our Wake" doesn't just reaffirm ATREYU's legacy, it expands it like never before.

"We want to give listeners an experience," Alex concludes. "Every track functions as its own moment. There's something that you can hopefully come back and listen to again and again."

"I feel like this is the record that people will remember our band by," Brandon states. "I'm saying that because the best parts of ATREYU happened on it. We're continuing something we began a long time ago. This band means everything to me. We've been through incredible highs and incredible lows. We've loved each other, and we've wanted to kill each other. Somehow, twenty years later, it's reached a whole new level. I feel like we're alive, and ATREYU has never been more on fire than we are now."

"In Our Wake" track listing:

01. In Our Wake

02. House Of Gold

03. The Time Is Now

04. Nothing Will Ever Change

05. Blind Deaf & Dumb

06. Terrified

07. Safety Pin

08. Into the Open

09. Paper Castle

10. No Control

11. Anger Left Behind

12. Super Hero

Released in 1983, "The Final Cut" is the title track from Pink Floyd's album The Final Cut. The Final Cut is an anti-war concept album, who Roger Waters alone is credited for writing. The music explores what Waters regards as the betrayal of fallen British servicemen - such as his father - who during the Second World War sacrificed their lives in the spirit of a post-war dream. A rare video for the song can be seen below:

"Welcome To The Machine" is the second song on Pink Floyd's 1975 album Wish You Were Here. The song is said to be inspired by George Orwell's book 1984, in which a man is trying to escape the government which is brainwashing its citizens with TV shows and oppressive rules. The iconic video was created by Gerald Scarfe initially as a backdrop film for when the band played the track on its 1977 In The Flesh tour.

''See Emily Play'' was the second single released by Pink Floyd. Published in 1967, it was initially thought to be a non-album single but was later included on the US debut album The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn. Watch a video for the song below:

''Arnold Layne'' was Pink Floyd's first single, released in 1967. The video, directed by Derek Nice, was made in late February 1967 and was filmed on the beach in East Wittering, West Sussex, England. The song was later published on the 1971 album Relics, the 1983 Works and the album Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd. It is also included in the Early Years box set.

Pink Floyd's "Not Now John" was released in 1983 and was the only single released from the album The Final Cut. "Not Now John" is the only song on the album with David Gilmour as the lead vocalist singing the verses and Roger Waters singing the refrains and interludes. Watch this rare video:

"One of These Days" is the opening track from Pink Floyd's 1971 album Meddle. The song is instrumental and only has one spoken/sung sentence by drummer Nick Mason, "One of these days I'm going to cut you into little pieces." This video was created the British artist and filmmaker Ian Emes who became widely known for his creative animations and for being the original animator for Pink Floyd.

Pink Floyd released "Point Me At The Sky" as their fifth UK single in 1968. The song has become one of the rarest official recordings of Pink Floyd and was not successful at the time, with it's B-side "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" becoming more popular.

Pink Floyd's "Paintbox'', written and sung by keyboardist Richard Wright, was first released in 1967 as the B-side to the single "Apples And Oranges". The promotional film was shot for a Belgian television programme. In the video, the band is miming to the song on a bridge in Brussels. This is David Gilmour's first appearance on film with Pink Floyd.

"Apples And Oranges" is the third UK single by Pink Floyd, released in 1967. It was the final song written by Syd Barrett with the group. After David Gilmour replaced Syd Barrett, the band recorded a promotional video in Belgium in a fruit market with Roger Waters lip-synching to the song.

All of the above tracks are included in The Early Years 1965–1972. Get it here.

On September 28th, Pink Floyd Records will release, for the first time on vinyl,  A Foot In The Door - The Best Of Pink Floyd, a collection of classic Pink Floyd tracks, chosen by members of the band.

Originally released in 2011 on CD only, the artwork for this compilation is the last work of long-term Floyd designer, the late Storm Thorgerson. This is the perfect Pink Floyd album for both devoted fans and those discovering their music for the very first time.

The career-spanning compilation features some of the best-known album tracks from 1967 - 1994, including the band’s first UK Top 10 single "See Emily Play", and the iconic "Wish You Were Here", "Comfortably Numb", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "High Hopes".

The tracks have been newly mastered for vinyl by longstanding Pink Floyd associate James Guthrie, with Joel Plante, and with lacquers cut by Bernie Grundman of Grundman Mastering in Los Angeles, California. The 2-LP version features the reinstated version of "Time", with the ringing alarm clocks at the start of the track restored, after being omitted on the CD release.

The original sleeve design, has been amended by Pink Floyd Creative Director Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis and Peter Curzon, to include alternate versions of the photographs used in the original CD version. The album package comes in a gatefold outer sleeve, with two separate printed inner bags, and is pressed on heavyweight 180-gram vinyl.  

Tracklisting:

LP1 Side A
"Hey You"
"See Emily Play"
"The Happiest Days Of Our Lives"
"Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2"
"Have A Cigar"

LP1 Side B
"Wish You Were Here"
"Time" / "Breathe" (Reprise)
"The Great Gig In The Sky"
"Money"

LP2 Side A
"Comfortably Numb"
"High Hopes"
"Learning To Fly"

LP2 Side B
"The Fletcher Memorial Home"
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
"Brain Damage"
"Eclipse"

The lyric video for "Wreck It Like Beckett", the new single from Northern Ireland rockers THERAPY?, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's 15th studio album, "Cleave", which will be released on September 21 via Marshall Records. Roughly themed around notions of duality and division, the band's follow-up to 2015's acclaimed "Disquiet" — and their first recording for Marshall — is a sharply focused, fiercely intelligent, impassioned and empowering set of songs from a band operating at a creative and artistic peak. A scathing, incisive state-of-the-nation address, investigating the schisms in contemporary society and the motivations of those seeking to propagate disjuncture, it's a powerful, challenging, uncompromising collection from a band never afraid to confront and dissect humanity's darkest impulses.

Frontman Andy Cairns stated about "Wreck It Like Beckett": "This song originated with Michael. He told me he had a riff which reminded him of 'She Watch Channel Zero' by PUBLIC ENEMY and he sent me over a bass riff, a guitar riff and a drum beat. I thought the riff was incredible, and so we chopped it up in the rehearsal room, to make it more stop-start, like [classic THERAPY? tracks] 'Knives' or 'Screamager', and that really worked. Lyrically, it's about trying to start anew. The reason that [Irish playwright and poet] Samuel Beckett is referenced in the title is that each time Beckett began a new project he used to imagine that he was sitting at a desk and could swipe his arm across the desk to clear away all the sheets of paper so that he could make a fresh start. This is a song that sets the album up as a new chapter for THERAPY?"

From the thrillingly propulsive assault of "Wreck It Like Beckett" via the addictive "Callow" (the album's first single, out now) and the unsettling "I Stand Alone" to the disquieting, bleakly beautiful "No Sunshine", the ten tracks which make up "Cleave" coalesce to paint a portrait of a fractured, dislocated world rent by unprincipled, mendacious masters.

Cairns is justifiably proud of the unified drive and restless creativity evident in this powerful, questing collection and says this about the forthcoming opus.

"I know that we can be a difficult sell, because we have no particular niche and no desire to conform," he admits, "but THERAPY? have always been the kind of band that when people discover us, they immerse themselves deep and keep us close to their hearts. We've never been part of a trend, so we've never been cast aside when fashions changed.

"'Cleave', to me, is THERAPY? at our most focused. I love our more experimental side, but I also love that this record sounds like it was made by a band who're all reading from the same script and moving forward with the same determination and hunger."


"We're living in a time riven by conflict," Andy Cairns states baldly. "You look at what's happening in the United States at present, what's going on with Brexit in the U.K., with North and South Korea, with Palestine and Israel, and it's impossible not to see turmoil and turbulence. Some of these conflicts have been going on as long as I can remember, but they seemed to really reach a head again around the time we were writing the album. 'Cleave' is our response to the divisions we see all around us."

Cairns credits producer Chris Sheldon (FOO FIGHTERS, BIFFY CLYRO, FEEDER), who worked with the band on 1994's "Troublegum", 1998's "Semi-Detached" and 2003's "High Anxiety", for keeping the band fixated upon delivering their new material with maximum impact, streamlining arrangements and stripping away extraneous fat, setting aside ego in service of the songs.

The result is one of the most formidable, provocative and impactful albums of THERAPY?'s storied 29-year career, once again proving that the band's pre-eminence as one of the U.K.'s most inventive, fearless and individualistic musical artists.

THERAPY? is:

Andrew James Cairns - Vocals/Guitar

Michael McKeegan - Bass

Neil Cooper - Drums

Photo credit: Tom Hoad

Attacker have just released their new EP today entitled, Armor Of The Gods which was produced by renowned producer/engineer Alex Perialas (Anthrax, SOD, Overkill, Testament, Vio-lence) This is fitting for the band since it's the 30th Anniversary of The Second Coming album which was also produced and engineered by Perialas.

The disc also features two live tracks recorded at the Up the Hammers Festival in Athens, Greece in May of 2017. The live tracks were mixed by Tom Beaujour at Kaleidoscope Sound in Union City, NJ on March 6th, 2018.

The first single "Skinwalker" was released well as a live video of the track "Glen Of The Ghost" from their 2017 Athens festival appearance.

The EP is released on Metal On Metal Records, Attacker's home since 2013's Giants Of Canaan and 2016's Sins Of The World. Order the EP at this location.

Attacker with be making festival appearances at the Pyrenean Warriors of Metal Open Air in Torreilles, France in just over a week and the Frost and Fire Festival in Ventura, California in October, as well as NJ shows supporting Metal Mike of Halford on Sept. 28th and the debut performance Mike Lepond's Silent Assassin's on Dec. 22nd. 

According to drummer Mike Sabatini "Even though metal fans prefer a full album, doing the EP was more cost effective for us at this time. The state of the music business has led to rethinking strategies and even doing singles here and there might have to come into play at some point. We only do this for the love of the music."

“Skinwalker”:

“Glen Of The Ghost”:

One week after the release of their biggest and most infectious album yet, Omnium Gatherum release their home recorded playthrough video for “Over The Battlefield”. Dedicated to the countless fan playthrough videos online, the band decided to do one themselves by simply setting up their cameras at home and shredding through this heroic death metal masterpiece off their newest album The Burning Cold.

Fans are encouraged to join in on the action by recording themselves letting loose to the band’s songs and tagging @omniumgatherumofficial in their Instagram stories! The band will then feature these tagged posts on the official account!

Head here to order all physical and digital formats of The Burning Cold

The cover artwork for the album was once again created by Olli-Pekka Lappalainen, who has been responsible for every single artwork for the band since the very first demo. The Burning Cold was mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö and produced and engineered by Teemu Aalto.

The Burning Cold tracklisting:

"The Burning"
"Gods Go First"
"Refining Fire"
"Rest In Your Heart"
"Over The Battlefield"
"The Fearless Entity"
"Be The Sky"
"Driven By Conflict"
"The Frontline"
"Planet Scale"
"Cold"

Track-by-track video:

Unboxing video:

"Refining Fire" video:

"Gods Go First" video:

Lineup:

Jukka Pelkonen - Vocals
Markus Vanhala - Guitar
Tuomo Latvala - Drums
Aapo Koivisto - Keyboards
Joonas Koto - Guitar
Erkki Silvennoinen - Bass

Lemmy Kilmister, the founding member and frontman of the British heavy metal band MOTÖRHEAD, makes a guest appearance on LEADER OF DOWN's debut album, "Cascade Into Chaos", which will be released on September 28 via Cleopatra Records. He can be heard on the track "Paradise Turned Into Dust", the official music video for which can be seen below.

LEADER OF DOWN is the brainchild of Grammy-nominated former MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Michael "Würzel" Burston and bass player Tim Atkinson.

LEADER OF DOWN was formed in 2008 by Würzel and Atkinson, who busied themselves in a London rehearsal studio writing dozens of tracks in preparation for recording an album. They then recruited drummer Steve Clarke (ex-FASTWAY) to join the ranks and continue preparing for the studio sessions.

The name LEADER OF DOWN came from Würzel mishearing the lyrics to the STATUS QUO track "Down, Down". Würzel found this extremely funny as he had been singing the wrong words "Down Down, Leader Of Down" for over 30 years.

"Cascade Into Chaos" is named after a phrase that Würzel and Tim liked during the initial songwriting sessions. It seemed a very obvious choice and was the only title that the two of them ever really discussed.

The band started recording the initial tracks for the album which included a reworking of Würzel's solo release from the '80s, "People Say I'm Crazy". These initial sessions also included a track that was always intended for Lemmy to sing on, as Würzel said, "We think it would suit him". This track eventually became "Paradise Turned Into Dust", with Lemmy finishing his recording at Paramount Studios in Los Angeles in 2015 shortly before his own passing, at a very emotional session with Tim Atkinson and Steve Clarke. It is unmistakably Lemmy Kilmister with his unique voice on "Laugh At The Devil".

Although there are several guest vocalists on the album such as Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE), the lineup of LEADER OF DOWN is completed by vocalist Matt Baker and guitarist Alex Ward.

After Würzel's tragic death in 2011, LEADER OF DOWN continued to finish the album and enlisted the help of some friends to honor the great man, including Lemmy, Phil Campbell (who joined MOTÖRHEAD on the same day as Würzel in 1984), "Fast" Eddie Clarke (who has also sadly passed away beginning of 2018), Crane, Lee Richards (ex-GODSMACK), Bruce Foxton from THE JAM, and Cliff Evans from TANK.

Says Tim Atkinson: "It is a very bittersweet feeling now that the album is being released.

"It feels very strange without Würzel being here, and I know he would be thrilled with the final result.

"It was a real pleasure writing with Würzel, as we instinctively knew what both of us were thinking when we put our ideas forward.

"We always wanted Lemmy to sing on 'Paradise Turned Into Dust', and it was a very emotional session in Los Angeles when Lemmy completed the track and I just wish that Würz had been there to see it.

"It was amazing that so many friends helped us to finish the album with guest appearances and I can only thank them from the bottom of my heart.

"To hear Phil playing with Würzel again was absolutely fantastic."

"Cascade Into Chaos" features 10 blockbusting tracks, all mixed by MOTÖRHEAD's Grammy-winning producer Cameron Webb at Maple Studios in California.

The album is, of course, a tribute to Würzel and the other fallen MOTÖRHEAD heroes but it is also just the beginning for LEADER OF DOWN, who, after a successful appearance at Hard Rock Hell, will embark on a tour with PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS in November 2018, and will be very busy next year, with live shows already planned.

"Cascade Into Chaos" track listing:

01. Paradise Turned Into Dust (Lemmy on vocals, Tim Atkinson on additional bass)

02. Cascade Into Chaos

03. People Say I'm Crazy

04. Serial Killjoy (Bruce Foxton on additional bass with Tim Atkinson)

05. Children Of Disease (Whitfield Crane on vocals, Lee Richards and Whitfield Crane on backing vocals, Phil Campbell on second guitar solo)

06. Snakebite ("Fast" Eddie Clarke on all guitars and vocals)

07. Punch And Geordie

08. Feel Good (Cliff Evans on first guitar solo)

09. The Killing Rain (the last song Würzel ever recorded)

10. Laugh At The Devil (Lemmy on vocals and all guitars by "Fast" Eddie Clarke)

German thrash metal veterans SODOM will release a new EP, "Partisan", on November 23 via SPV/Steamhammer. The effort will be made available as a CD digipak, 10-inch clear vinyl, download and stream.

"Partisan" will contain three tracks, including a live recording from this year's Rock Hard Festival.

Track listing:

01. Partisan

02. Conflagration

03. Tired & Red (live at the Rock Hard Festival 2018)

SODOM bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such is joined in the band's current lineup by guitarist Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik (also formerly of KREATOR, ASSASSIN), drummer Stefan "Husky" Hüskens (ASPHYX, DESASTER) and second guitarist Yorck Segatz (BEYONDITION). Blackfire previously played with SODOM on the seminal albums "Persecution Mania", "Mortal Way Of Live" and "Agent Orange".

Commented Such: "We're a real family again. We all really enjoy the new lineup. There's a real team spirit again; we're having a great time together, every one of us is interested in everything and — really important! — everybody is there for everybody else. Obviously that kind of atmosphere is bound to have a positive effect on the songwriting."

Former SODOM guitarist Bernd "Bernemann" Kost and drummer Markus "Makka" Freiwald released a joint statement in January claiming that they were fired from the band by Tom via messaging platform WhatsApp even before Tom had a chance to hear any of the material the duo had been working on for the group's next album.

SODOM, DEATH ANGEL and SUICIDAL ANGELS will join forces for the 2018 installment of the "MTV Headbangers Ball" European tour in November and December.

Birmingham, United Kingdom-based death/grind metal band MEMORIAM has announced the departure of drummer Andy Whale.

The group said in a statement: "Those who know Andy will know he is a fiercely proud family man and father.

"He wants to be with the first love of his life, which is his partner and children, more and we cannot see a better and more admirable reason for a band departure.

"We are sure that Andy will continue playing in the future but we think he may well follow his more punk routes than death metal.

"This is not an acrimonious departure and we are sure that in the future he will jump behind the kit again with MEMORIAM on stage for a bit of a bash!

"So, on the 28th and 29th of September in Germany (Erfurt and Oberhausen), Andy will be doing his last live shows with MEMORIAM.

"So those that can, please come along and enjoy the events, join our party, have fun and give Andy a right good send-off.

"All other shows will still go ahead, but for now, let's all wish Andy well in whatever endeavour he chooses to move on with.

"We have achieved so much in such a short time together as a band and our love for you will never diminish.

"Our love and respect always."

MEMORIAM features in its ranks Karl Willets (BOLT THROWER) on vocals, Frank Healy (BENEDICTION, CEREBRAL FIX) on bass and Scott Fairfax (CEREBRAL FIX).

Whale was previously a member of BOLT THROWER from 1986 to 1994.

MEMORIAM's second album, "The Silent Vigil", was released in March via Nuclear Blast.

The band was primarily developed to fill the void that was left following the tragic death of Martin "Kiddie" Kearns, the drummer from BOLT THROWER, back in September 2015. BOLT THROWER subsequently placed all activity on hold for the foreseeable future which gave Willetts an opportunity to develop a new project with friends that had expressed interest in forming a band for some time.

We have some news.

Our bandmate and wonderful friend Andy Whale is going to be moving on from Memoriam.

Those who...Posted by Memoriam UK on Saturday, September 8, 2018

Legendary Detroit hard rockers, Madam X, have released a video for the title track of their studio album Monstrocity released back in October 2017. Watch below:

Formed in 1981 by sisters Roxy and Maxine Petrucci, Madam X recruited bassist Chris “Godzilla” Doliber and vocalist Bret Kaiser, who released their classic, Rick Derringer produced, Jet Records debut, We Reserve The Right, in 1984, spawning the hit single “High In High School”. Four years later, after Roxy departed to join future arena rock superstars Vixen, and original vocalist Kaiser was briefly replaced by an unknown Canadian vocalist named Sebastian Bach, Madam X disbanded, and would remain mostly inactive until 2014, when the original lineup reunited at the Sweden Rock Festival.

Fast forward to 2017, when the Petrucci sisters collaborated with vocalist Mark Slaughter on a Lemmy Kilmister tribute track for their VIP Aftershow project, Slaughter who introduced Roxy to EMP Label Group head of A&R Thom Hazaert, who released a 12” “Kilmister” single for Aftershow, and the conversation soon shifted to the upcoming Madam X release.

The album features 12 hard-hitting slabs of rock, including the pummelling title track “Monstrocity”, “Resurrection”, “Nitrous”, and an updated version of their 1984 hit, “High In High School”.

FLAT EARTH, the new band featuring former HIM members Mikko "Linde" Lindström (guitar) and Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen (drums) alongside ex-AMORPHIS bassist Niclas Etelävuori and POLANSKI singer Anttoni "Anthony" Pikkarainen, has inked a deal with Drakkar Entertainment for Europe excluding Finland. The band's debut album is due before the end of the year. The disc was recorded at Finnvox in Helsinki with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa, who has previously worked with HIM, AMORPHIS, THE 69 EYES and APOCALYPTICA, among others.

Says Etelävuori: "We are stoked to sign with Drakkar! We have been working on this album for quite some time now and are super excited that we finally can release the first FLAT EARTH album in Europe through Drakkar. Can't wait to get it out and get on the road and play again."

Adds Jonathan Geschwill of Drakkar: "We are very happy to have FLAT EARTH join the Drakkar roster because this band has a lot of potential and comes with considerable knowledge and skill. Both on a musical as well as on a personal level, it's easy to see that these are musicians who have mostly been working professionally for more than 20 years in the industry. Finland has always been a good place for Drakkar in this regard and of course the goal is to establish the band as quickly as possible across Europe as well."

FLAT EARTH's "Blame" video was mainly shot during the recordings of the disc in February and March by Tommi Mattila, who followed the band to capture some documentary material.

FLAT EARTH was formed after Etelavuori fell out with the manager of AMORPHIS and exited the latter band. Suddenly, Niclas was left stranded. He decided to show the world that he still had a lot to give, so he started looking for possible bandmates.

Niclas explains: "After over two decades playing with bands, I was at a point thinking that maybe I start doing something else. But then I knew I had these songs on my hard drive still, and nothing was done with them. And I just wanted to get rid of them and see what happens. But then it kind of took over and I started to focus more on that."

Linde first sprang to mind, even though he still had his hands full with HIM at that time. Nevertheless, the two of them kept meeting regularly, and started working on ideas for new songs. Getting Anthony on board provided additional inspiration. And when their old bandmate Karppinen finally joined on drums, the group's lineup was completed.

While Linde was busy playing the States and Europe on HIM's farewell tour, the remaining trio spent their time recording drums to seven pilot demos that had previously been taped in Niclas's basement studio. Gas brought along two of his own songs, and Anthony composed a new track for the band. Linde found an old song of his he had first fleshed out when he was only 13. The rest of the tracks were Niclas's ideas mainly, treated to the band's arrangements, with Anthony providing both the vocal melodies, as well as the lyrics. The basic structure for the first album was ready.

Linde remembers: "Our common friend, who's been helping us get this band off the ground, recommended a guy named Anttoni 'Anthony' Pikkarainen, who had been singing in a band named POLANSKI. The band had made a record, and after we'd listened to it, we had to set up a meeting immediately.

"I have a great feeling about our new band. Anthony had recorded with Hiili Hiilesmaa before, and the rest of us have known each other for years. It feels as if all the stars have finally aligned."

FLAT EARTH is:

Mikko "Linde" Lindström (HIM) - Guitar

Mika "Gas Lipstick" Karppinen (HIM) - Drums

‪Niclas Etelävuori (AMORPHIS) - Bass

‪Anttoni "Anthony" Pikkarainen (POLANSKI) - Vocals

THREE DAYS GRACE, the internationally acclaimed and multi-platinum certified Canadian band with over a billion streams on Spotify, has made history with "Infra-Red", its 14th No. 1 single on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart. With this latest achievement, the band has broken VAN HALEN's two-decade record of topping the Billboard chart.

"Infra-Red" is featured on "Outsider", THREE DAYS GRACE's sixth full-length album and fifth consecutive Top 40-charting LP on the Billboard Top 200. Additionally, the song is the 15th No. 1 single on Mediabase Active Rock chart. Watch the music video for "Infra-Red" below.

Said drummer Neil Sanderson about the latest record: "If you had told me when we were 14 and making noise in our garage that someday we'd set the record for most No. 1 rock songs in America, I would've called you bat-shit crazy!! Accomplishments like this are never done individually. We want to thank our family who's supported us from day one, rock radio who get our music to the masses, our label and friends in the industry for believing in the band, and most importantly all our loyal fans on this amazing journey with us."

THREE DAYS GRACE's other No. 1 singles include "Misery Loves My Company", "Chalk Outline", "World So Cold", "Never Too Late", "Just Like You", "Animal", "Pain" and "Home".

The Canadian act also consistently averages 3.9 million monthly listeners on Spotify, remaining one of the most listened-to rock bands in the world.

Sanderson said a while back why he thinks the band continues to connect with listeners. "One thing that hasn't changed with us is that we write about real things in our lives and the lives of people around us, and observations of just sort of life itself, you know," he explained. "And I think THREE DAYS GRACE fans have attached themselves to that and I think that sometimes, you know, that's a powerful thing if you can put into words what other people are thinking."

Fan-filmed video footage of STRYPER's September 8 performance at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois can be seen below.

This has been a challenging summer for STRYPER. On August 11, guitarist Oz Fox suffered a medical emergency while performing with a side project in Las Vegas. An onstage seizure led to the discovery of some previously unknown "spots" on the brain. Oz has been released from the hospital, although additional testing and treatment will be necessary. However, he should be released to work this fall while his medical team decides the best course of action moving forward.

Oz was forced to sit out the Australia tour dates last month, and he'll miss the September dates as well due to air travel restrictions from his doctor. However, he intends to rejoin STRYPER on the road in October. Oz handpicked Los Angeles-based guitarist Howie Simon to fill in for him on the September dates, allowing Oz additional time to rest and recover. Simon will be a familiar face to many STRYPER fans, with performance credits that include NELSON, Jeff Scott Soto, SCRAP METAL, TALISMAN, Eric Martin, WINGER and more.

"Howie Simon and I have been friends for well over a decade now," says Oz. "It is great to have him help us out and fill in for me while I am in recovery. I am looking forward to catching some fan videos of him online. He's an excellent performer and his guitar playing outranks so many in the business. In my opinion, it is very important for the band to fulfill dates that have been booked for so long. I am thankful for the continued support of the fans while my STRYPER family and I face this detour in my career, and I look forward to seeing many of you on the road in October and November."

"We appreciate all the support, thoughts and prayers from everyone at this time," says frontman Michael Sweet. "We look forward to having our brother Oz back as quickly as possible. We're also very grateful to Howie for working so hard learning the material and parts to be able to sit in with us for the time being. We'll do our best to bring you the absolute best show possible until Oz returns."

Formed 35 years ago, STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen" and the band's latest effort, "God Damn Evil".

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman will release a new live album, "One Bad M.F. Live!!", on October 19 via via Prosthetic Records.

A track from the disc, "Mutation Medley", can be streamed below.

"One Bad M.F. Live!!" was recorded at the final concert of Friedman's most recent tour, on April 14 at "Guitarfest 2018", which was held at Centro Cultural Roberto Cantoral in Mexico City.

"This live album is a tip of the hat to the live albums that blew my mind when I was a kid," explains Friedman. "The musical content itself is modern and atomic-powered, but the presentation is decidedly old school. The pacing of the show, the audience participation stuff, the special live arrangements of the songs, these are the things that got me all jacked up as a kid. I like to give the audience the feeling that they are really getting something unique, something that only happens at their show, not just a recital of the songs exactly as they know them. There are lots of happy accidents, once-in-a-lifetime ad libs, things that could have only happened because we were high on that particular audience's energy."


"One Bad M.F. Live!!" was recorded on the tour in support of Friedman's latest solo album, "Wall Of Sound", which was released in August 2017 on Prosthetic Records, and debuted on Billboard's Heatseekers chart at No. 12.

"I've had albums that have charted higher, sold more, and got more attention over my career," says Friedman, "but 'Wall Of Sound' is the album I've been striving to make ever since I picked up a guitar. I have an almost unhealthy amount of pride towards that album. The thrill I get from playing the 'Wall Of Sound' stuff live is something that I wanted documented, and that's what 'One Bad M.F. Live!!' is."

Joining Friedman on "One Bad M.F. Live!!" are his bandmates Kiyoshi on bass, Jordan Ziff on guitar and Chargeeee on drums.

Friedman will celebrate the release of the disc with an October 21 show at The Viper Room in Los Angeles. A full U.S. tour will take place in 2019.

"One Bad M.F. Live!!" track listing:

01. Street Demon

02. Elixir

03. Amagi Goe

04. Inferno

05. Self Pollution

06. Devil Take Tomorrow

07. Mutation Medley (featuring "Asche zu Asche", "My Oh My", "Forbidden City", "Tornado Of Souls")

08. Ripped

09. Whiteworm

10. Undertow

11. Dragon Mistress

12. Kaeritakunatta Yo

"Wall Of Sound" was produced by Friedman, engineered by Paul Fig (GHOST, RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS) and mixed by Jens Bogren (KREATOR, OPETH, SEPULTURA). The disc was recorded in part at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in California and was previously described by Friedman as "a way more intense version" of 2014's "Inferno": "deeper, sadder, happier and more aggressive."

VAN HALEN frontman David Lee Roth performed at the Brent Shapiro Foundation's Summer Spectacular on Friday (September 7) at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The invite-only gala — which also featured a performance by CLETO AND THE CLETONES (house band from "Jimmy Kimmel Live!") — celebrated the 13th year of the foundation, which has raised over $3 million for drug awareness and prevention, focused on high-risk communities.

Video footage of Roth's appearance can be seen below. Photos are available at GettyImages.com.

Hosted by Mario Lopez ("Extra"), this year's gala bestowed the foundation's Spirit Of Sobriety Award upon Emmy-winning actor, producer and director Joe Manganiello. The award is given to an individual who is open about their own recovery or that of a friend or family member. Foundation creators Robert and Linell Shapiro also presented college scholarships to two members of its educational outreach program Brent's Club for successfully completing high school without failing a drug test.

Prominent entertainment industry leaders and celebrities gathered to recognize advances in the fight against addiction and rally around the growing movement to end the disease.

VAN HALEN has been inactive since it completed its U.S. tour in October 2015 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.

The trek was VAN HALEN's first since an aborted North American run three years earlier in support of its then-new studio album, "A Different Kind Of Truth".

Released in 2015 was "Tokyo Dome In Concert", VAN HALEN's first-ever live collection featuring Roth, despite numerous pro-shot concerts from the band's original heyday being heavily booted for years.

Behind-the-scenes footage from EVANESCENCE's current North American co-headlining tour with violin virtuoso Lindsey Stirling can be seen below. The trek, produced by Live Nation, kicked off July 6 in Kansas City, Missouri at the Starlight Theatre and is making stops in 31 North American cities. The trek will wrap September 8 in Ridgefield, Washington at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater.

Both artists' shows are accompanied by a full orchestra, highlighting both acts' musicality and incredible performance abilities. The orchestrated performances also perfectly accent the astounding amphitheater venues across the U.S. and Canada that the two are performing in, making for a magical summer evening.

Stirling made a guest appearance on EVANESCENCE's recently released single, "Hi-Lo". The track is one of two new songs that are included on EVANESCENCE's latest album, "Synthesis". The set is a reimagining of some of EVANESCENCE's best-loved tracks is the band's first full-length effort since its 2011 self-titled release.

EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee is joined on the road this summer by her husband, Josh Hartzler, and their 4-year-old son, Jack.

"I feel really grateful that I'm able to do both and not have to stop making music and being who I am to be a mom," Lee told People.

"I think when I was a lot younger, I always thought it was one or the other: You are either fully focused working your butt off on your art, or you're a mom and you don't have time for that anymore," she said. "And actually, now that I'm in it, I realize that it’s super important that I keep being who I am."

THE HEARD, the new Swedish rock band featuring former CRUCIFIED BARBARA guitarist Klara "Force" Rönnqvist Fors, bassist Ida "Evileye" Stenbacka and drummer Nikki Wicked (a.k.a. Jannicke Lindström) alongside DEATHSTARS bassist Jonas "Skinny Disco" Kangur (on lead guitar) and burlesque performer, model and singer Pepper Potemkin, has released a new single, "Tower Of Silence". The song is taken from the band's upcoming debut album, "The Island", which is due on November 2 via Despotz Records.

THE HEARD made its live debut at the Where's The Music festival in Norrköping, Sweden on February 10.

THE HEARD's Facebook page describes the group as being about "heavy riffs, misty songs, dark waters and a death supreme."

THE HEARD is:

* Klara Force (CRUCIFIED BARBARA) - Guitar

* Ida Evileye (CRUCIFIED BARBARA) - Bass

* Nikki Wicked (CRUCIFIED BARBARA) - Drums

* Jonas "Skinny Disco" Kangur (DEATHSTARS) - Lead Guitar

* Pepper Potemkin - Vocals

CRUCIFIED BARBARA announced its breakup in June 2016, two years after the release of the band's fourth album, "In The Red". The group explained at the time that "our lives have parted and we need to move on. The last years have taken its toll on all of us and the joy of playing together got lost somewhere along the way."

Bon Jovi have released another official live video, shot in Philadelphia, PA on the 2018 This House Is Not For Sale tour. Watch the band perform "Bad Medicine" below:

More footage from the Philadelphia show can be seen below:

A series of videos recapping the North American tour leg of Bon Jovi's This House Is Not For Sale can be seen below:

Episode #1:

Episode #2:

Episode #3:

Episode #4:

Episode #5:

Cruz Del Sur Music has shared the first track stream from Beyond Celestial Echoes, the forthcoming new album from Greek speedsters Sacral Rage, scheduled for release on October 19th. Listen to "Necropia" via the audio player below:

Beyond Celestial Echoes by Sacral Rage

The band had this to say about choosing "Necropia" as an introduction to the new album: "We chose to start with 'Necropia', a song you might already know if you have had the opportunity to see Sacral Rage live in the past few months. We think it's a perfect bridge between the material on Illusions In Infinite Void and the new album. Beyond Celestial Echoes will indeed transport the band into new territories, maintaining their identity but also pushing their creativity to a next level."

Tracklisting:

“Progenitor”
“Eternal Solstice”
“Vaguely Decoded”
“Suspended Privilege”
“Samsara (L.C.E.)”
“Necropia”
“Onward To Nucleus”
“The Glass”

CD and limited edition vinyl pre-orders are now available at this location.