The official video for the song "The Last Home" from symphonic metal masters VISIONS OF ATLANTIS can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's seventh studio album, "The Deep & The Dark", which was released in February via Napalm Records.

Says the band: "This is the album we have always dreamed of making. It is everything fans of this genre love and VISIONS OF ATLANTIS was founded for. This is the heart and soul of this band and symphonic metal. We are proud and excited that after over four years we put out the best 10 tracks the band has to offer. This is VISIONS OF ATLANTIS — this is symphonic metal!"


"The Deep & The Dark" track listing:

01. The Deep & The Dark

02. Return To Lemuria

03. Ritual Night

04. The Silent Mutiny

05. Book Of Nature

06. The Last Home

07. The Grand Illusion

08. Dead Reckoning

09. Words Of War

10. Prayer To The Lost

"The Deep & The Dark" was made available as a deluxe box set, CD digipak and digital download.

Hauntingly beautiful duets between vocalists supreme Clémentine Delauney and Siegfried Samer meet classic power metal infusions, embodying the symphonic metal cake: a must-have for all genre-fans and beyond! With "The Deep & The Dark", VISIONS OF ATLANTIS created its most powerful and perfectly executed magnum opus to date.

Clémentine told Metal Underground about the disc: "We all do believe this is the best album the band has ever released. We went back to a more melodic and symphonic metal style with an old-school touch and a production that suits the genre. We wrote diversified songs with rich arrangements using many different influences [and] I was finally able to take part in the creative process. I wrote many of the vocal lines, most of the lyrics together with Siegfried, and I wrote the last song of the album, 'Prayer To The Lost'. So, for the first time, I'm able to release really personal material and to sing about things that deeply matter to me. I've been waiting for this since I joined my first band in 2010."

In a separate interview with Distorted Sound, Clémentine spoke in more detail about the songwriting process for "The Deep & The Dark". "I feel more comfortable when I am writing lyrics when I have a melody because as a singer, it's easier to have a melody so you can let the words come out," she said. "Depending on the notes, I can see which one is more natural to sing an 'a,' another vowel or a specific word that contains a letter like a 'c' or a 't' where I know to project the sound. So, you have singing tricks that someone doesn't normally think about and sometimes, not necessarily in our music, in general the words match so well with the melody because they were created together. I like to make sure the words match the melody so it's easier for me to know the strength of the melody first and then I can shape the words and lyrics nicely to the melody rather than have a text that gets put on top of a melody, as that is difficult."

Photo by Moritz Maibaum Photography

Five years since the release of their last album, in response to fans' keen anticipation, Taiwanese metallers CHTHONIC announced their new album "Battlefields Of Asura" last month. Today, CHTHONIC has dropped the music video for first track "Millennia's Faith Undone", featuring Hong Kong singer Denise Ho, and announced a festival appearance in Japan.

Doris Yeh, the spokesperson and bassist in CHTHONIC, states that "Millennia's Faith Undone" was inspired by the era of radical change in the history of Taiwan between the '30s and the '50s, also as the prequel to their albums of story series. Birdy, the director of the music video, set the narrative after the stores in their previous music videos of "Defenders Of Bú-Tik Palace" (acoustic version) and "Kaoru" (acoustic version). With an out-of-body experience, the main character sees the White Terror victims' lives taken away by the dictators, and eventually himself being executed by shooting; all was left is his last will and testament overwhelmed in the mass of historical documents. Birdy recruited the crew and the lead actor and actress, Finn and Chia-Yu Chang, from the shoot for "Defenders Of Bú-Tik Palace" (acoustic version) and "Kaoru" (acoustic version) four years ago. Meanwhile, Doris also announced on Ho's fan page the release of the music video of The Aeon's version of "Millennia's Faith Undone" at the end of the month; the story will be told from the perspective of the lead female character. Although Birdy's interpretation and idea might not be exactly the same as CHTHONIC's narrative in the album, Doris found the process of re-interpretation of a piece from different artists a rewarding surprise.

CHTHONIC has also announced that its will play at the No Maps music festival in Japan on October 12. No Maps is a festival of a conglomerate of music, movies and technologies with its increasing importance as one of the most crucial events in the Japanese music industry. Moreover, as an event co-hosted by the Japanese government, private organizations and educational institutes, No Maps holds a significance in Taiwan-Japan interchange and liaison as well. Freddy Lim, the frontman of CHTHONIC, therefore decided to make time from their busy schedule flying to Japan over the weekend for the festival. This show is also highly anticipated by Japanese fans as it will be the only overseas stop for the tour for the new album from CHTHONIC.


"Battlefields Of Asura" track listing:

01. Drawing Omnipotence Nigh

02. The Silent One's Torch

03. Flames Upon The Weeping Winds

04. A Crimson Sky's Command

05. Souls Of The Revolution

06. Taste The Black Tears

07. One Thousand Eyes

08. Masked Faith

09. Carved In Bloodstone

10. Millennia's Faith Undone

11. Autopoiesis

According to CHTHONIC, "Battlefields Of Asura" depicts the adventure of deities in Taiwan through eleven songs carrying messages about resistance, freedom and fraternity. The journey is full of hostility, adversary, impregnable fortresses and desires but also inspires infinite courage to search for eternal wisdom. Anyone deeply touched by this album will eventually realise that it is the origin of all thrilling epic stories portrayed in the past albums. This album sounds like gods versus devils and fights among evil spirits on the surface; however, everyone can feel the empathy of fury, grief and even strength of resurgence from the lyrics.

When asked why the band named the new album "Battlefields Of Asura", Doris Yeh, the spokesperson of CHTHONIC, stated that "this album is the prologue of the albums released in the past and was inspired by and dedicated to the activists of Taiwan's first modern political reform movement back in 1920s."

Californian rockers BUCKCHERRY will enter the studio later this month to begin recording their new album for an early 2019 release. Helming the sessions will be producer Mike Plotnikoff, who previously worked with the band on 2005's platinum-certified "15" record.

Speaking to the 105.7 The Point radio station earlier today (Monday, September 3) at the Wayback Pointfest in Maryland Heights, Missouri, BUCKCHERRY guitarist Stevie Dacanay (a.k.a. Stevie D.) said about the band's planned follow-up to 2015's "Rock 'N' Roll": "Right around [September] 15th, as soon as we're done with this [tour], we go in the studio and we'll get cracking on that, chipping away at that."

Added singer Josh Todd: "We wrote 30 songs for a 10-song record. We've been writing songs since November of last year, and we really molded it into something really great. We're very excited and actually pretty anxious to get home."

Asked how they whittle down so many songs to just a 10-track album, Stevie said: "You kind of know. When you [are writing] the songs, it kind of takes a life of its own, and you can really kind of feel it if it's working or not. And if it is working, then we pursue it; if not, we kind of put it to the side right away."

On the current "Gen-X" summer tour with P.O.D., LIT and ALIEN ANT FARM, BUCKCHERRY has been playing two new songs, "The Vacuum" and "Chaos Is The Ladder", both of which are expected to appear on the upcoming LP.

BUCKCHERRY's new disc will mark the band's first release since the departures of guitarist Keith Nelson and drummer Xavier Muriel and addition of Kevin Roentgen and Sean Winchester, respectively.





‪A taste of @Buckcherry - Chaos Is The Ladder (new song) in Watertown NY - July 30th 2018 - (from the soundboard position) @genxsummer @jtbuckcherry @Loudwire @ampentertainmen ‬Posted by Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon on Monday, July 30, 2018

Decibel Geek TV has uploaded video footage of DIO DISCIPLES' August 18 performance at Herman's Hideaway in Denver, Colorado. Check it out below.

DIO DISCIPLES, which pays tribute to Ronnie James Dio and is fully supported by Dio's widow/manager Wendy, has already written several songs for its upcoming debut album, which is tentatively due next year via BMG.

DIO DISCIPLES is made up of former members of DIO, along with a rotating lineup of vocalists, including ex-JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and former LYNCH MOB frontman Oni Logan.

Billed as a "celebration of the music and legacy of the greatest singer in the world, Ronnie James Dio," DIO DISCIPLES have been playing Ronnie's music on tour in a bid to keep their old bandmate's memory alive.

Speaking to former ANTHRAX singer Neil Turbin for Canada's The Metal Voice at the fourth annual Ride For Ronnie this past May in Encino, California, Owens stated about the upcoming DIO DISCIPLES record: "We started doing [DIO DISCIPLES] to celebrate Ronnie — that was the main idea. And it kind of spawned off to, 'Let's try and do a record.' Why not? We've got all of us here, and Craig's [Goldy, guitar] wheels are always turning to write material. And Wendy was, like, 'Yeah, it's a great idea.' So Wendy started shopping the idea to people. So it's an exciting thing for us to do, because I think people wanted us to do our own music."

Added drummer Simon Wright: "Craig's got some really good ideas. So once we get in rehearsal, we'll start working on it and stuff, try to make the band have its own stamp. Ronnie will always be with us in spirit, and we'll see what comes out. So far it's sounding really good."

Asked about the musical direction of the DIO DISCIPLES material, Simon said: "I don't know yet. We've all got different influences, but hopefully it's gonna be this big mish-mash of something that's gonna be us."

Added Owens: "We're not making a DIO record. We couldn't do that. The best thing is, we've all done different types of records, but there's always some similarity to the classic metal and classic rock format, because we have this in us. But we still always move forward a little bit. But that's what it's gonna be. JUDAS PRIEST, DIO, AC/DC — all these influences are in us, and they're not gonna leave us. It's just us writing songs. It's not us writing songs to sound like something; it's us going in and writing songs."


Simon concurred, saying: "That's a good point. We're not writing to sound like somebody or something. The songs that we've already done do have a little bit of originality about them."

Several years ago, Goldy revealed DIO DISCIPLES were planning to start work on a project of original material, and they debuted three of the new songs — including one apparently called "Till The End Of Time" — during their May 2016 appearance at the "Ride For Ronnie" motorcycle rally and concert in Encino.

DIO DISCIPLES is:

* Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH) - Vocals

* Oni Logan (LYNCH MOB) - Vocals

* Craig Goldy (DIO) - Guitar

* Bjorn Englen (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - Bass

* Scott Warren (DIO, HEAVEN & HELL) - Keyboards

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

Death metal veterans MASTER will release their new full-length album, "Vindictive Miscreant", on November 28 via Transcending Obscurity Records. The disc's title track can now be streamed below.

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

"Vindictive Miscreant" track listing:

01. Vindictive Miscreant

02. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

03. Replaced

04. The Inner Strength Of The Demon

05. The Book

06. Engulfed In Paranoia

07. The Impossible Of Dreams

08. Stand Up And Be Counted

The cover artwork was created by Mark Cooper and can be seen below.

MASTER is:

Paul Speckmann - Vocals, Bass

Zdenek Pradlovsky - Drums

Aleš Nejezchleba - Guitar

In May 2018, Anneke Van Giersbergen performed two career-spanning concerts with orchestral arrangements together with Residentie Orkest The Hague. Now those special concerts will be available for all to hear when they are released as "Symphonized", an 11-track live album due out on November 16.

Taking in material from across her career, she performs stunning versions of songs by VUUR, THE GENTLE STORM and THE GATHERING as well as solo material.

Anneke comments: "'Symphonized' was recorded last May in Dutch venues 013 (Tilburg) and Paard (The Hague), as I performed alongside the wonderful Residentie Orkest The Hague conducted by Arjan Tien. The orchestra is one of the leading Dutch symphony orchestras and regularly initiates cross-over projects.

"When artistic director Sven Arne Tepl invited me to create new renditions of songs I have previously recorded, I was immediately enthusiastic. I thought it was the perfect prelude to my 25-year anniversary next year, as I made my stage debut with THE GATHERING in 1994. The compelling arrangements were written by Marijn van Prooijen and Gijs Kramers. Instead of a band with additional symphonic accompaniment, we chose to solely use the instruments of the orchestra and I'm very proud of the result!"

The album will be available as CD digipak, gatefold 2LP + CD and as digital audio download.

"Symphonized" track listing:

01. Feel Alive

02. Amity (originally released by THE GATHERING)

03. Your Glorious Light Will Shine - Helsinki (originally released by VUUR)

04. Two Souls (originally released by LORRAINVILLE)

05. When I Am laid In Earth (aria by HENRY PURCELL)

06. Travel (originally released by THE GATHERING)

07. Zo Lief (unreleased song in Dutch)

08. You Will Never Change

09. Freedom - Rio (originally released by VUUR)

10. Forgotten (originally released by THE GATHERING)

11. Shores Of India (originally released by THE GENTLE STORM)

DRESS THE DEAD, the band featuring ex-FORBIDDEN guitarist Craig Locicero and WITCH MOUNTAIN singer Kayla Dixon, has released the official music video for the song "1969". The track was produced by MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn and was engineered and mixed by Zack Ohren at Sharkbite Studios.

Dixon was announced as DRESS THE DEAD's new vocalist in January. She joined the band as the replacement for former THE HAUNTED frontman Peter Dolving, who left DRESS THE DEAD in March 2017. The split happened only three months after DRESS THE DEAD — whose lineup also includes Mark Hernandez on drums, James Walker on bass and Dan Delay on guitar — played its first two shows at Slim's in San Francisco, California as the support act for DEATH ANGEL.

Kayla stated about the "1969" video: "In today's world, anyone can use social media to say just about anything. That is both a gift and a curse. We feel it is our duty as a band to use this platform that we have to touch people's hearts, minds and inspire actions. So, before you dig into this, I'll share a few of my thoughts with you.

"This video that you are about to watch is important in so many ways. With lyrics and vocals written by Peter Dolving (back when he was still in the band), this song's meaning runs deep and is still so easy to understand. That man truly has a way with words and I am so grateful to be able to help bring those words to life in this video.


"To love is to 'take as a part of oneself.' To take others best interests as your own.

"As I live my life, I can't help but notice a general absence of love for one another on this earth. Racism, sexism, selfishness, greed and narcissism among other negative elements run rampant in this world. Metal had always felt like a safe haven to me, then I started singing in bands. This meant that I was digging deeper and becoming more immersed in the metal community. Eventually, I discovered that this safe haven that I had put up on this pedestal was also infected with racism, sexism, exclusion and other forms of discrimination… almost as much the rest of this country.

"I have been blessed to work with such amazing and level-headed people in my career thus far. So much so, that this reality almost slipped under my radar. However, I can't sit back and ignore these truths. There is some black girl out there who wants to be a part of this community who isn't having as easy a time as I've had. That is why I choose to speak up.


"Less than sixty years ago, people of color in America couldn't even enter some of the same buildings as their white equals. As I sit here, holding that reality, many of my brothers and sisters are still being discriminated against. Why can't I open Facebook without seeing videos of horrible police brutality? Why does our 'President' shrug his shoulders? Why are so many of us ridiculed, looked over, and killed for simply existing? The bottom line? Being a person of color, different sexual orientation, or just being different in America today is HARD.

"Don't believe me? I don't care.

"It's been a long time coming and not much has changed.


"We are not here to change the minds of racists, misogynists and the willfully ignorant. If you have the capacity to hold those beliefs, then our music is not for you and I strongly encourage you to shield your eyes. Lest the truth hit you over the head like a ton of bricks!


"DRESS THE DEAD is here to rock and also inspire like-minded, kind, intelligent people to KEEP FIGHTING. Let this message be an inspiration to us to do everything in our power in our daily lives to make whatever difference we can. Now is not the time to disconnect from reality. NOW is the time to lead from the heart. If we're not constantly trying to make this life better for ourselves and others, then what the fuck are we doing except slowly dying?

"If you agree with us and want to join us in helping inspire some change, please share this video like crazy."

Kayla made her live debut with DRESS THE DEAD at the January 20 benefit concert for VIO-LENCE singer Sean Killian at The Midway in San Francisco, California.

Members of MASTODON have commented on their longtime manager's cancer battle.

Late last month, the Atlanta progressive metal band canceled its tour with DINOSAUR JR. "due to a critical situation of a member of the MASTODON family," according to a statement released by the group.

Over the weekend, vocalist/guitarist Brent Hinds and drummer/vocalist Brann Dailor took to their respective Instagram pages to ask their fans to send some positive thoughts and vibes to Nick John of The Rick Sales Entertainment Group, who is undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.

Hinds wrote: "The most kind and beautiful being is in need of very strong amazing vibes more than a ever ..! My friend and manager @nickjzoso who is mainly responsible for MASTODON's success has been stricken with pancreatic cancer and has been fighting so hard that he is withering away and taking a little bit of me with him."

Dailor said: "Help send all the power and love of the universe to our dear friend and manager Nick John. I don't know where MASTODON would be without him. He is absolutely integral to the success we have achieved as a band not to mention one of the best people you'd ever hope to meet. We all deeply love and care for him. Send your love his way. Thank you"

MASTODON's tour with DINOSAUR JR. was scheduled to kick off on September 1 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

MASTODON won a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 60th annual Grammy Awards in January at Madison Square Garden in New York City. MASTODON got the nod for the song "Sultan's Curse" from its 2017 album "Emperor Of Sand", with the latter also being nominated for "Best Rock Album." It was the fourth and fifth time MASTODON had received Grammy nominations, having missed out on the three previous occasions — "Colony Of Birchmen" (2007), "Curl Of The Burl" (2012) and "High Road" (2015) — it had been up for the "Best Metal Performance" award.

In a brand new interview with Patrick Tish and Brandon "4orty" Kessel of the 96.7 KCAL-FM radio station, DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan was asked what fans can expect to hear on the band's upcoming album, "Evolution". He responded (hear audio below): "You won't know what to expect from us, 'cause we've taken so many turns on this album. [The first single] 'Are You Ready', that is probably the closest and the truest to DISTURBED that a majority of the fans know. Musically, it's something that I wrote back in 2004, so it's from that early-day era. I had the idea there — we just never finished it 'cause we had other material that was more complete back then. So I always just kind of put it in the vault; it was on the backburner. And this time around, as we were bringing up new ideas, I kind of just looked back at the archives of a few things that I never got around to finishing, and I just brought it back into the mix. David [Draiman, vocals] gravitated towards it right away and just said, 'Oh, dude, this is awesome. I've got something great for this.' And he started just kind of scatting a melody on top of it. And after it was coming together, I reminded him. I go, 'Do you realize it's something I kind of wrote in 2004?' I'm glad we were able to finally finish it now, 14 years later. But it's still very relevant and it still has that old DISTURBED sound with some of the old electronic element to it. But the rest of the material, as the fans see, we've taken a lot of big turns on this — a lot of directions in here that's gonna turn some heads."

Donegan also weighed in on Draiman's recent assertion that "Evolution" was his band's "Black Album," referring to METALLICA's self-titled fifth LP, which saw the band step in a more melodic direction than its previous thrash metal sound and helped garner a mainstream following.

"To us, we have certain albums that we'd like to try to measure up to, that have raised the bar in history," Dan said. "And, obviously, that's a big bar that was raised by METALLICA in those days. So, to us, we try to achieve that — have an album that's diverse enough that's gonna continue building an audience, continue getting our songs out to as many people as possible."

"Evolution" will be released on October 19.

"Immortalized" ended a four-year hiatus for the quartet and was its fifth album to enter the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1. It featured the band's massive hit cover of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence".

Like "Immortalized", DISTURBED's new album was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko.

DISTURBED only has one show on its schedule so far for the rest of 2018, at the Austin City Limits music festival on October 13 in Austin, Texas.

Photo by Travis Shinn

Texas-based publication JAM Magazine has cited a "reliable source inside the AC/DC camp" as letting them know that Angus Young is working on a new AC/DC album that will be dedicated to his brother, the late Malcolm Young.

According to the site, the new recordings will include "Malcolm playing rhythm guitar on all tracks!"

A posting on the JAM Magazine Facebook page reads: "Turns out, five years prior to the 'Black Ice' LP, AC/DC's 15th studio release, Angus and Malcolm Young lived to together where they literally wrote hundreds of songs, many were recorded and have been stashed away until now. Angus has decided to selected the best tracks from those recordings that Malcolm played on and is now back in the studio recording and mixing them with fellow bandmates Phil Rudd, Cliff Williams and, yes, Brian Johnson on vocals."

Malcolm, who co-founded AC/DC with Angus in 1973, died in November 2017 at the age of 64 after suffering from dementia and failing health for several years.

Two weeks ago, a new photo of Johnson and Rudd sitting on the deck of Vancouver's Warehouse Studio with AC/DC's longtime mixer, engineer, and producer Mike Fraser was posted online.

The picture was once again snapped by Vancouver residents Crystal Lambert and Glenn Slavens from Lambert's apartment, which overlooks the studio's outside deck.

In recent weeks, Lambert and Slavens have taken other pictures of Johnson and Rudd, as well as guitarists Angus and Stevie Young. The assumption is that AC/DC is making a new studio album, with Rudd and Johnson both back in the lineup after both departing at different points during the tour cycle for 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

Rudd was dismissed after completing that LP and before its accompanying tour got underway, after he was arrested on charges of drug possession and threatening to kill someone. Johnson left a little over midway through the tour when he was faced with the possibility of permanent hearing loss.

A lineup consisting of the Youngs, longtime bassist Cliff Williams, drummer Chris Slade and GUNS N' ROSES frontman Axl Rose on vocals completed the trek, but Angus has been silent ever since on whether he intended to use that lineup for recording purposes or even keep AC/DC going.

Fraser mixed and engineered several LPs by AC/DC, including the last three — 2000's "Stiff Upper Lip", 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust" — all of which were recorded at Warehouse.

AC/DC SCOOP!

We are hearing from a reliable source inside the AC/DC camp that Angus Young is working on a new AC/DC...Posted by JAM Magazine on Thursday, August 30, 2018

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan has once again ruled out the possibility of a reunion with singer Sebastian Bach, explaining that it took him and his bandmates "a long time to find the absolute perfect guy" to front the group.

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY.

In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of Bolan and guitarists Dave "Snake" Sabo and Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger.

SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I.

Speaking to Metal Wani about persistent calls for a SKID ROW reunion with Bach, Bolan said (hear audio below): "There's a couple of angles to look at, like promoters, for instance — they love reunions, because that means dollars, and they think on a big scale. I get it — I don't agree with it, but I get it. Some fans just don't like change, and that's a shame. If I were like that, then I wouldn't have liked most of the lineups of RAINBOW or [BLACK] SABBATH or AC/DC or DEEP PURPLE — you know what I mean? Things change, man. And not to get all spacy and hippy, but maybe that's the Aquarius in me that I just like change, man — I'm not afraid of change. Some people are, and whatever — that's their thing."

He added: "We're gonna keep doing this as long as we can keep doing it. And it took us a long time to find the absolute perfect guy for the band, but it's all full steam ahead right now."

SKID ROW is preparing to enter the studio to begin recording the final installment of the band's "United World Rebellion" trilogy. The follow-up to 2014's "Rise Of The Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two" and 2013's "United World Rebellion: Chapter One" will be a full-length record and will mark the band's first release with Theart, who officially joined SKID ROW last year.

SKID ROW has collaborated with several artists, including members of SLIPKNOT and HALESTORM, on the songwriting process for the new disc, which will arrive sometime in 2019. SKID ROW has also worked with songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously collaborated with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow.

SKID ROW's upcoming release will see the band reunited with famed rock/metal producer Michael Wagener, who worked on SKID ROW's first two albums, 1989's "Skid Row" and 1991's "Slave To The Grind", as well as 2006's "Revolutions Per Minute".

"We've been in pre-production," Bolan told Metal Wani. "When we play it for people, they're, like, 'Oh my God! This could be the second half of 'Slave To The Grind'.' Or, 'This could have been right before 'Youth Gone Wild' on the first record.' So we're, like, 'Okay. Cool. We know where we're going now.' It's a really good feeling. And Michael Wagener, he pulls no punches when it comes to telling his opinions of what he thinks of the songs, which is great — that's what you need a producer to do. And he [told] us, 'This is some of the best shit you guys have written, for real.' So that makes me feel really good, because I really respect his opinion."

"We're really excited about it," he said. "We're working with Michael again; he's such a good friend. That adds another element of excitement to it. The only part that makes us nervous — and it's a good nervous, because… Picking the songs to do is always the hardest part, so we're just getting in pre-production and making demos of everything, as every band does. Then it comes to the part of deciding what songs we're gonna actually put out. And this is gonna be a full-length record instead of an EP, so picking songs will be a bit difficult, but we'll get by. There's worse problems to have."

Bach has consistently expressed his desire to reunite with his former bandmates, telling Loudwire in 2016: "I don't have any reason why not to do that. I have no animosity towards anybody in SKID ROW, and the fact that we're all, five of us, still alive in this world is a pretty amazing feat. So I would someday definitely like to hear the five guys who made those records play live together again. Yes, I would. 'Cause I'm a fan too." He added: "I'm up for it, if they are."

Fan-filmed video footage of GODSMACK performing a cover version of the AC/DC classic "Highway To Hell", with a special guest appearance by SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers, on September 2 at the Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater in Wantagh, New York can be seen below.

GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna recently picked AC/DC's "Back In Black" as one of 10 records that changed in his life. He told U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine: "This was a huge record for me. They were loud, they were awesome, they were tight and they were basic... but they had really catchy songs. It was just a powerful record. Even the artwork was simple. There was nothing to it. It was just pure rock music."

GODSMACK and SHINEDOWN recently unveiled a second North American leg to their co-headlining tour, adding a string of fall dates to the two bands' itineraries after initially hitting the road together in July. The new dates begin on September 21 in Greenville, South Carolina, ending on October 11 in Portland, Oregon. ASKING ALEXANDRIA will take over in the opening slot for LIKE A STORM and RED SUN RISING, who were splitting the summer concerts.

GODSMACK's latest album, "When Legends Rise", was released on April 27. The disc follows up 2014's "1000hp" and is the band's first release through BMG after splitting with its longtime home, Republic/Universal.

Canadian metal maniacs Skull Fist are set to release their third studio album Way Of The Road, which will be out October 26th, via NoiseArt Records (Europe), Napalm Records (North America), and October 24th, 2018 on Spiritual Beast (Asia). Check out the first album trailer below:

Frontman Zach Slaughter comments: "This is the first record without all of the graphic art, It just felt right to do something a little more real this time around. The sound is more natural, I wanted the cover to be more natural as well. Raw, nothing to hide behind. The songs and lyrics can probably give you an idea on why we choose to present it all like this. We released "You belong to me" first since it's got more of a staple Skull Fist sound. If you've ever stood in a room and been told the walls are red even though you hear that voice of reason sayings its blue then you'll get this track. There's a lot of different extremes in songwriting on this record and I don't think any one song is standout on this thing. I think if you've got the time and are interested in how we see things then just listen to the whole record from start to finish. Do people still sit and listen to albums at this point?"

Tracklisting:

“You Belong To Me”
“No More Running”
“I Am A Slave”
“Witch Hunt”
“Way Of The Road”
“Heart Of Rio”
“Better Late Than Never”
“Don’t Cross Me”
“Stay True”

"You Belong To Me":

A strong moral compass in battle with even stronger drinks...

When Skull Fist set off their first riffs and deliver their third studio album full of authenticity, honesty and shady lyrics, it feels like drowning in a sea of confusing heavy metal morality. The quartet from Toronto, Canada are locked in a life long struggle with a twist on nostalgic heavy metal and a persistent desire for spiritual glory and personal peace. Relight the fire that was started with the debut record and take another step further with every note and word of the new nine song album Way Of The Road.

With their second album Chasing The Dream from 2014, the young Canadians already proved that the album title said it all and that they didn't allow any throwbacks in their career, even though more and more obstacles seemed to appear in their way. After multiple lineup rotations, a broken neck and frontman Zach Slaughter's vocal cord surgery, it temporarily seemed, as if the Fist itself was a double edged knife.

But resigning has never been an option: "It's been 3 years of surgeries and injections", Zach recalls. "I can sing in the studio but I'm still working towards getting together for live gigs. I think I can hack it though, it's a ton of workout and that's ok. I dug myself into the hole so it's up to me to climb back out of the fucker!"

Obviously, Zach somehow took advantage of this forced break by investing his recovery time into songwriting and the development of new ideas resulting in diverse and lyrically as well as musically ambitious tracks.

Mixed by Eric Ratz, Way Of The Road will see the light of day in October, and for some, the title might sound like a logical sequel to Chasing The Dream. Zach himself sees it as perfect description for the rollercoaster of emotions that had him between disillusionment and hope in the past years: "For me it's a realization that every trait is in you at all times. I guess the balance between compassion and reason. Trying to figure out what is inside your head is a real thought or emotion and what is just social circumstance behavior. I'm just trying to sort out what the flaws are, where they are coming from and how to accept it.”

And although the new album is filled with sing-alongs and passionate anthems, a genuine pain and struggle is omnipresent and seems to find salvation in the music itself: "I think all of the songs are either loosely based on something that happened or was directly motivated by a specific event in the last few years. I'm trying to take stuff that needs to be buried in the ground. Music is a lot of fun to do, but I think it's a solid way to clear up space in my head. Take all the thoughts and emotion I have about it, shove it onto a track and then try to stop thinking about it, turn them into grave markers. Make room for some nice stuff", he laughs.

(Photo - Stefanie Meyer)

Internationally acclaimed rock band Stone Sour have posted their cover of Soundgarden's "Outshined", 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.

Fans can also pre-order signed physical copies of Hydrograd Deluxe Edition via PledgeMusic. Hydrograd Deluxe Edition features 13 rare or unreleased songs including an acoustic version of the #1 rock song “Song #3”, as well as covers of hits from Rage Against The Machine, Soundgarden and Van Halen. Hydrograd Deluxe Edition arrives worldwide August 31st.

Currently on a headline European tour, Stone Sour will return to the states this August joining Ozzy Osbourne as special guests on Ozzy’s No More Tours 2 headline run. The cross-country trek will get underway August 30th and run through mid-October. Tickets for all dates are on sale now. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit stonesour.com/tour.

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)

Germany's WDR Rockpalast has posted pro-shot footage of former Scorpions guitarist Uli Jon Roth's may 20th show at the Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen. The setlist is as follows:

"In Trance"
"Rainbow Dream Prelude / Fly To The Rainbow"
"Pictured Life"
"Catch Your Train"
"All Along The Watchtower"
"Little Wing"

Fresh off his G3 European and UK tour with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci, Uli Jon Roth is widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players ever. He is one of the last greats who is still around to present his magical style of playing which he already forged in the late 60's when he was still in his teens. Uli played his first ever show in December 1968 - at the age of 13 - and to celebrate his upcoming 50th Stage Anniversary, he will play six very special UK concerts.

The UK tour starts at the Corporation in Sheffield on Thursday, November 29th, followed by University of London Union (Friday 30th November), Coventry’s Kasbah (Saturday 1 December), Manchester’s Academy 3 (Sunday 2 December), Glasgow’s Oran Mor (Monday 3 December) and Milton Keynes’ The Stables (Wednesday 5 December).  

The two hour-plus programme will consist of carefully selected highlights from Uli’s entire musical career, which - by now - is spanning no less than five decades. The amazing thing is that Uli Jon Roth keeps on getting better, as we have seen amply demonstrated by his astonishing and powerful recent appearances at the G3 Tour of Europe and the UK with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci.

In recent times, Uli has successfully revisited the early music of his celebrated Scorpions days which resulted in the superb Scorpions Revisited double CD and Tokyo Tapes Revisited DVD/Blu-Ray releases. The 50th Anniversary set will naturally include the best of that timeless material, including "The Sails Of Charon", "In Trance", "Fly To The Rainbow" and many other songs.

Dates:

November
29 - Corporation - Sheffield, UK
30 - ULU - London, UK

December
1 - Kasbah, Coventry, UK
2 - Academy 3 - Manchester, UK
3 - Òran Mór, Glasgow, UK
5 - The Stables - Milton Keynes, UK

Get tickets via the following links:

- seetickets.com
- stables.org
- ulijonroth.com/tourdates

Monuments have released a lyric video for the song "Leviathan", featured on their new album Phronesis, out on October 5th via Century Media Records. The band comments: “It’s the first song Olly Steele and John Browne wrote together and it’s a bit more straight forward and groove orientated than our older material. Lyrically it’s about dealing with negative and destructive people in your life and how hard it can be carrying all that weight around.”

Pre-order Phronesis here.

“The word Phronesis was a big part of society and philosophy in ancient Greece” , explain Monuments. “Phronesis is wisdom, but a really specific type of wisdom to do with oneself. Wisdom on your practical actions, good judgement, being excellent in character, practical wisdom. Learning what to do and what not to do based on experience, being mindful of everything around you. Something that, at times, all of us can be pretty terrible at.”

After touring the world heavily in support of their album The Amanuensis (2014) the intercontinental quintet needed to take a break and catch a breath for multiple reasons. However, the band kept working on Phronesis.

“My personal relationship with the meaning of the record starts at ‘Stygian Blue’, which was the second song I wrote for this back in 2015, which came to be while I was in the darkest place I've ever been in my 32 years”, says guitarist John Browne. “We all had a bunch of issues that needed time to let heal, so in between writing we were, you know, fixing our broken souls.”

Writing about topics that would be troubling their minds acted as a catharsis though, so Phronesis works as a turning point of the progressive metal band on many levels. The self-produced album was finally recorded between March and July of 2018 in various studios throughout the world: While guitars and bass were recorded by Jim Pinder (Bullet For My Valentine, Machine Head, While She Sleeps) at Treehouse Studios, Derbyshire, UK the drums were played, recorded, tracked and engineered by Anup Sastry (ex-Skyharbor). Chris Barretto recorded his vocals with Cristian Machado (Ill Niňo, Leeway) at Soundwars Studios, NJ, USA, then everything was mixed and mastered by Joel Wanasek at JTW Music, Milwaukee, WI.

Tracklisting:

"A.W.O.L."
"Hollow King"
"Vanta"
"Mirror Image"
"Ivory"
"Stygian Blue"
"Leviathan"
"Celeste"
"Jukai"
"The Watch"

"A.W.O.L" lyric video:

Lineup:

Chris Barretto - Vocals
John Browne - Guitar
Olly Steele - Guitar
Adam Swan - Bass
Daniel 'Lango' Lang - Drums

(Photo - Frank Wesp)

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 "This House Is Not For Sale " below:

Live clips for "Bed Of Roses", "It's My Life", "I'll Be There For You" and "Livin' On A Prayer" 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:

Night Demon performed at Germany's Rock Hard Festival on May 20th. Rockpalast has posted professionally-filmed footage from the show.

Setlist:

"Hallowed Ground"
"Life On The Run"
"Heavy Metal Heat"
"Dawn Rider"
"Screams In The Night"
"The Chalice"

Night Demon released their new triple live album Live Darkness on August 10th via Century Media Records/Shadow Kingdom Records in the US. Live Darkness is available digitally as well as on limited edition vinyl and double CD digipak. There are also be exclusive bundles available here.

Limited Edition US configurations include:

- LP 100x Black with etching on side F
- LP 100x Crystal Clear with Smoke with etching on side F
- LP 300x Transparent Red with Smoke with etching on side F
- Double CD digipak - limited to 1,000 copies

On December 2nd, 2017, Night Demon played to a packed house of longtime friends and supporters at the Beachland Ballroom in their adopted second home of Cleveland, Ohio.

Ripping through a blistering 90 minute set, Night Demon wowed concertgoers with a comprehensive, career-spanning setlist including their entire debut EP, 2013’s Night Demon, “Full Speed Ahead”, "Screams In The Night” and “Mastermind” from 2015’s Curse Of The Damned, plus “Hallowed Ground”, "Black Widow”, “On Your Own” and “Welcome To The Night” from their current release Darkness Remains.

The entire show was recorded and now sees the light of day as Live Darkness, Night Demon’s first official live document. Darkness has never shone so brightly. Pre-order Live Darkness here.

Tracklisting:

“Welcome To The Night"
“Full Speed Ahead"
“Ritual"  
“Curse Of The Damned"
“Dawn Rider"
“Save Me Now"
“Hallowed Ground"
“Maiden Hell"
“Mastermind"
“On Your Own"
“Life On The Run"
“The Howling Man"
“Black Widow"
“Ancient Evil"
“Satan"
“Evil Like A Knife"
“Stranger In The Room"
“Screams In The Night"
“Flight Of The Manticore"
“The Chalice"
“Darkness Remains"
“Heavy Metal Heat"
“Night Demon"

“Screams In The Night":

“Life On The Run" video:

“Evil Like A Knife" video:

Escape The Fate have released a video for the title track of their latest album I Am Human, released back in March via Better Noise Records/Eleven Seven. Watch the clip below. Order the album here.

I Am Human sees Escape The Fate at their most raw, real, and relatable. Produced by Grammy Award-nominated super producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Adam Lambert), this record sees an evolution of Escape The Fate’s sound that brings the band back to the excitement of their roots.

Tracklisting:

"Beautifully Tragic"
"Broken Heart"
"Four Letter Word"
"I Will Make It Up To You"
"Bleed For Me"
"Do You Love Me"
"I Am Human"
"If Only"
"Empire"
"Recipe For Disaster"
"Riot"
"Digging My Own Grave"
"Resistance"
"Let Me Be"

"I Am Human" video:

"Broken Heart" video:

On September 7th, Eagle Vision will release YES - 50th Anniversary Live At The Apollo on DVD, Blu-ray, 2CD & 3LP. Watch a video for "I've Seen All Good People" below.

In 2016, Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman combined their incredible talents and the heritage of Yes to take to the road for a series of concerts celebrating the band’s musical legacy from the seventies to the nineties. YES, featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman brought their live show to the UK in early 2017, including this sell-out performance, captured live at the Manchester Apollo.

With a setlist embracing the spectrum of their career, including classics “Roundabout,” “Owner Of A Lonely Heart,” “And You And I,” “Hold On,” “Heart Of The Sunrise,” “Rhythm Of Love,” “I’ve Seen All Good People,” “Awaken” and many more, the band were on superb form. Wakeman’s keyboard sorcery wove its spell alongside Rabin’s masterly guitar skills and founding member Jon Anderson’s unique vocal and lyrical prowess to create a special night of musical alchemy for their fans. This glorious show captures the true, enduring nature of this ever-powerful band.

Grammy Award winners YES have sold more than 35 million albums and have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Tracklisting:

Orchestral arr. "Perpetual Change" (Rabin) / "Cinema" (Rabin/Kaye/Squire/White) / "Perpetual Change" (Anderson/Squire)
"Hold On" (Rabin/Anderson/Squire)
"I've Seen All Good People": (i) "Your Move" (ii) "All Good People" (Anderson/Squire)
"Lift Me Up" (Rabin/Squire)
"And You & I" (i) "Cord Of Life" (ii) "Eclipse" (iii) "The Preacher, The Teacher" (iv) "Apocalypse" (Anderson/Bruford/Howe/Squire
"Rhythm Of Love" (Rabin/Anderson/Kaye/Squire/White)
"Heart Of The Sunrise" (Anderson/Bruford/Squire)

(CD Disc 2)

"Changes" (Rabin/Anderson/White)
"Long Distance Runaround" (Anderson) / "The Fish" (Schindleria Praematurus) (Squire)
"Orchestral Shade" (Rabin) / "Awaken" (Anderson/Howe)
"Make It Easy" (Rabin) / "Owner Of A Lonely Heart" (Rabin/Anderson/Howe/Squire)
"Roundabout" (Anderson/Howe)

"I've Seen All Good People" video:

"Roundabout" video:

"Rhythm Of Love" video:

Trailer:

Lineup:

Jon Anderson (vocals, guitar, harp); Trevor Rabin (guitar, vocals); Rick Wakeman (keyboards)

With Lee Pomeroy (bass) and Lou Molino III (drums)

Audio Mixed By: Paul Linford and Trevor Rabin

OZZY OSBOURNE will embark on the next European tour of the "No More Tours 2" in early 2019. "Special guests" on the trek will be British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST.

Ozzy said in a statement: "I've been extremely blessed to have had two successful music careers. I'm looking at this final tour as being a huge celebration for my fans and anyone who has enjoyed my music over the past five decades."

The dates are as follows:

Jan. 30 - 3arena, Dublin, Ireland

Feb. 01 - Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, UK

Feb. 03 - Manchester Arena, Manchester, UK

Feb. 05 - Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, UK

Feb. 07 - SSE Hydro, Glasgow, UK

Feb. 09 - Genting Arena, Birmingham, UK

Feb. 11 - O2 Arena, London, UK

Feb. 13 - Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany

Feb. 15 - Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany

Feb. 17 - Barclaycard Arena, Hamburg, Germany

Feb. 19 - Mercedes-Benz Arena, Berlin, Germany

Feb. 22 - Tele2, Stockholm, Sweden

Feb. 24 - Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland

Feb. 27 - Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland

Mar. 01 - Unipol Arena, Bologna, Italy

Mar. 03 - Palau Sant Jordi, Barcelona, Spain

Tickets will go on sale this coming Friday, September 7.

Despite the fact that "No More Tours 2" is being billed as his farewell tour, Ozzy Osbourne insists that he is not calling it quits. "I'm not retiring," he told Rolling Stone in an interview. "It's 'No More Tours', so I'm just not doing world tours anymore. I'm still going to be doing gigs, but I'm not going on tour for six months at a time anymore. I'd like to spend some time at home."

Osbourne, who spent the last few years touring with BLACK SABBATH before the legendary heavy metal act retired from the road, said that he wanted to "slow it down a little" and be there for his family. "I enjoy being a grandfather. I don't want to go through another generation of Osbournes without seeing them grow up."

After he completes the tour, Ozzy said that he would consider possibly making a new album. He told Rolling Stone that he had "eight or nine good song ideas" for the follow-up to 2010's "Scream", including "Mr. Armageddon" and "Crack Cocaine"." He will also play sporadic one-off shows but will not stay on the road for months at a time.

"It's what I do," Ozzy said. "It's my job. And when I say, 'It's my job,' I mean it's a passion for me. It's the greatest love affair I ever had, being in a rock band and playing for the people who come to the shows."

"No More Tours 2" is a reference to Ozzy's 1992 "No More Tours" trek, which marked the first time the singer announced the end of his days as a touring artist. The tour name was a pun based on the title of his then-most recent solo album, "No More Tears". Ozzy returned to action three years later and has been on the road ever since.

Last year, Ozzy reunited with guitarist Zakk Wylde, who played on studio albums such as "No Rest For The Wicked", "No More Tears" and "Ozzmosis" and who has toured on and off with Ozzy for nearly thirty years.

Ozzy has played a number of solo shows since doing his final concerts with BLACK SABBATH a year and a half ago. The legendary band wrapped up its forty-nine-year career with a year-long farewell tour, ending with two shows in its hometown of Birmingham, England.

JUDAS PRIEST is touring in support of its latest album, "Firepower", which was released in March via Epic.

"Firepower" entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 5, making it the band's highest-charting album ever. 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" debuted and peaked at No. 6, while 2008's "Nostradamus" landed at No. 11 and 2005's "Angel Of Retribution" came in at No. 13.

"Firepower" moved 49,000 equivalent album units in first week of release. Of that sum, 48,000 were in traditional album sales, just shy of the 54,000 copies sold by "Angel Of Retribution" in that album's first week. The "Firepower" chart position was bolstered by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer in association with the band's spring 2018 North American tour.

Longtime JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton found out he had Parkinson's disease four years ago — after being stricken by the degenerative condition at least half a decade earlier — but only recently announced he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST LP since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live. He is being replaced on the road by "Firepower" producer Andy Sneap, who is also known as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrashers SABBAT.

METALLICA kicked off the 2018/2019 U.S. leg of the "WorldWired" arena tour last night (Sunday, September 2) at the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. It marked the band's first visit to Madison since 2004 and first-ever appearance in the Kohl Center.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Hardwired

02. Atlas, Rise!

03. Seek & Destroy

04. Cyanide

05. Fade To Black

06. Now That We're Dead

07. Confusion

08. For Whom The Bell Tolls

09. Halo On Fire

10. Last Caress (MISFITS cover)

11. Fuel

12. Moth Into Flame

13. Sad But True

14. One

15. Master Of Puppets

Encore:

16. Spit Out The Bone

17. Nothing Else Matters

18. Enter Sandman

Video footage can be seen below.

METALLICA recently 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.

The 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.

Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has re-recorded the band's hit "Love Is On The Way" with vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (Sons Of Apollo, Soto). Check it out via the player below.

The track originally appeared on Saigon Kick's critically acclaimed 1992 album, The Lizard.

Love Is On The Way (still) by Jason Bieler

 

On July 14th, Bieler performed a solo acoustic show at Rockwood Music Hall in New York, NY. He has released a live album to showcase the night, available via the Bandcamp player below. This is a live direct feed from the board at Rockwood Music Hall.

Jason Bieler Live in NYC by Jason Bieler

The tracklist is as follows:

"Indian Intro"
"All I Want"
"Coming Home"
"Close To You" 
"Down By The Ocean"
"Edgar"
"God Of 42nd Street" 
"Russian Girl" 
"One Step Closer"
"Satellite" 
"Hostile" 
"Sgt. Steve" 
"The Lizard"

Bieler recently checked in with the following update:

"I gotta take a sec and tell you these solo gigs have been some of the most unexpectedly wonderful experiences I’ve ever had the pleasure to partake in. We all get together, sing a bunch of songs, a wee bit of cutting the rug, and I regale you with tales from my pirating days. How this applies to you or your life, well, I’m not sure…but I guess the idea that you are kind of toying with, the one that excites you but then the rational 'you' makes up a myriad of excuses and obligations to prevent you from taking the plunge… well, take the damn plunge. Life is strange and wonderful and sometimes shorter than you think; who has time for anything but food, love, music, and dreams? Now back to your regularly scheduled nonsense. Have a great weekend!"

Bieler's solo tour schedule is currently as follows:

September
28 - The Funky Biscuit - Boca Raton, FL
30 - 80's In The Park - Cocoa Beach, FL

October
13 - The Hotel Cafe - Los Angeles, CA

November 
2 - The Attic - Ybor City, FL

Metal warriors on a holy quest, Toronto's AxMinister's new heavy metal pounder The Crucible Of Sin was unleashed this past May. Releasing their first music video "Prey" as part their planned 5-episode series, the band returns with their second instalment for their track "Salvation".

The 5-part series is a visual guide to tell the story of The Crucible Of Sin. All five episodes / music videos in the series were produced and directed by drummer Bas Majzoub (aka Bas von Bismark).

"Being a second generation filmmaker, I've been playing with film cameras since before my years reached double digits, and as such, I have a list of dream projects I want to film, from westerns to Sci-Fi. One such dream concept has always been a medieval sword fighting revenge tale, and leading up to the recording of our The Crucible Of Sin EP, I made the decision to pen and produce five videos, corresponding with the songs, and following one storyline, delivered as five episodes. I'm super excited to share my vision with our metal loving fans. Chronicling the story of a sword wielding warrior, hell-bent on bloody revenge after a deadly assault against his family, episode II, 'Salvation', is an action packed experience, that follows our reminiscing hero, as he tracks down those who murdered his children, and abducted his wife. It's a privilege to share this with the metal world at large, those new to the band, and the true metal warriors who've been following us so far!" - Bas

"Salvation" video:

"Prey" video:

The band comments: “Our EP The Crucible Of Sin sports a sense of humour. It tries to tell a… at times, nihilistic, story about love, lust, oppression, and redemption. Following every recording and show, we try to reflect on our own mistakes, and attempt to improve. We grew to understand our 90s thrash/traditional style of songwriting, and compose accordingly. This EP has that ‘90’s warm thrash sound akin to Megadeth’s Youthanasia album. We hope old and new audiences join us on a journey that is at times fictional, visual and imaginative, while other times introspective and contemplative. We like you to dance, head bang, and mosh to it.”

EP stream:

California-based act Violation Wound was born in a beer and whiskey-soaked basement in June of 2013, driven to create 100% real punk rock. Nothing trendy, nothing wimpy, nothing pretentious, just fuelled by aggression and kick ass riffs. Violation Wound is not interested in modern, plastic or safe crap, instead honouring the raw, dirty and pissed off ways of the original innovators, while carving out a path all their own.

Featuring Autopsy (and former Abscess) mastermind Chris Reifert on guitars and vocals, alongside bassist Joe Orterry and drummer Matt O’Connell, With Man In Charge is the band’s first release for Peaceville Records, offering psychotic blasts of punk injected madness over 20 tracks.

Joining Violation Wound on With Man In Charge are guest appearances including Athenar of US act Midnight, plus Dave Hill, having recently collaborated with Chris in the rock act, Painted Doll. With Man In Charge was recorded at Earhammer Studios in Oakland Ca with Greg Wilkinson (Autopsy), with cover artwork created by Wes Benscoter (Autopsy, Slayer, Nile).

With Man In Charge is available on CD / LP and digitally. Order here, and find a new lyric video for the song "God's Plan" below.

Tracklisting:

"Humanity Burning"
"Vortex"
"Fearmonger"
"Dangerous Idiot"
"Selling Your Soul For Damage Control"
"State Of Alarm"
"Ruining Everything That's In The Way"
"God's Plan"
"Smoke And Flamesv
"Stalemate Suicide"
"Unhinged World"
"Destroy The Factory"
"Two Middle Fingers, Whiskey And Beer"
"Don't Believe It"
"Stoking The Fires Of Chaos"
"Scratched Out"
"Fuck It Up/Dumb It Down"
"Twisted Up Inside"
"Kicked In Tonight/VWIII"
"With Man In Charge"

"God's Plan" lyric video:

"Fearmonger" / "State Of Alarm":

"Stalemate Suicide":

Violation Wound are:

Chris Reifert - Guitar, Vocals
Joe Orterry - Bass
Matt O’Connell - Drums

A video for "Purgatorio", the title track of Manimal's upcoming studio album, is available for streaming below.

A band needs plenty of exceptional compositional talent to record an album that sounds monolithic despite the fact that the individual songs ooze a wide range of different details and special features. Since its foundation in 2001, Manimal from Gothenburg have successfully mastered this feat for the third time.

Despite their loyalty to traditional influences their previous albums, The Darkest Room (2009) and Trapped In The Shadows (2015), were prime examples of modern and trend-setting power metal characterized by musical enthusiasm and new ideas. Their latest recording Purgatorio sees the four-piece take their outstanding qualities to the brink of perfection: Throughout their nine new songs the musicians pull out all the stops, presenting a number of different tempos and atmospheres and impressing with chorus parts that have true anthem potential.

“Our goal has always been to write songs that we love and believe in. The challenge is to make a song with strong hooks without being too predictable. It's just a bonus when we realize that people around the world seem to have the same good taste in music that we have,” jokes frontman Samuel Nyman.

As usual, Nyman is at the epicentre of this amazing album that features one highlight after the other. Inspired by Rob Halford, Geoff Tate and Michael Kiske, among others, his voice oozes aplomb and pure passion, blending perfectly with the intelligent songwriting, courtesy of guitarist Henrik Stenroos, a true riff icon whose hooks and licks provide the foundation for Manimal’s songs. Equally important for the group’s typical flair are drummer André Holmqvist and bassist Kenny Boufadene. Holmqvist has a tight, powerful drum style that comes surprisingly close to paragons such as Tommy Lee and Mike Portnoy and he also co-wrote the lyrics on Purgatorio with Nyman, while Boufadene was in charge of mixing the new album and also produces his band’s videos.

Blessed with such diverse talents, it’s hardly surprising that Manimal took the most important studio parameters into their own hands again during the production of Purgatorio. “Just like our previous two albums, we produced this one ourselves. Mainly because we like to have full control of the production. We’re control freaks to the bone and the thought of putting our creations into the hands of an external producer simply scares us,” Nyman confesses.

However, they took renowned support on board for some aspects: The drums were recorded by Jakob Herrmann (Anthrax, Europe, Machine Head, Evergrey) at the Top Floor Studios, the album was mastered by Tony Lindgren at Jens Bogren's famous Fascination Street Studios, and the cover artwork was designed by Claudio Bergamin (Judas Priest).

So Purgatorio impresses in every respect, from the first note of the opener "Black Plague" to the final sound of the last track, "The Fear Within". The title song and "Edge Of Darkness" see the band present their typical mélange of haunting melodies, classy grooves and that latent melancholia that is one of their typical trademarks. On the other hand there are a number of tracks which are unusual for Manimal, such as "Denial" featuring a riff that brings Rammstein to mind and "Spreading The Dread" with its remarkable rhythm.

Remains only one question to be answered: Why did Manimal decide on an Italian title? Nyman: “First, it’s the title of one of the strongest songs of the album. Second, it’s a powerful word that fits perfectly as the title of a metal album in general and this recording in particular. For me, it reflects the state of mankind and the world today - the general, ongoing decay which we seem to lack the ability to stop. Many of the lyrics on the album circle around that kind of theme. Purgatorio is also the original title of the second part of great Dante Alighieri’s masterpiece The Divine Comedy. It’s not the first time that we’ve found inspiration in that specific work of literature.”

Purgatorio will be released on September 7th via AFM Records.

Tracklisting:

"Black Plague"
"Purgatorio"
"Manimalized"
"Spreading The Dread"
"Traitor"
"Behind Enemy Lines"
"Denial"
"Edge Of Darkness"
"The Fear Within"

"Purgatorio" video:

"Manimalized" lyric video:

"Black Plague":

Saate has released their new single “Once Again” via Rockshots Records. Buy the single here, and watch a video for the song below.

Named after a glacier in Nunavut, Canada, Saate is a new sensational heavy metal band from Sweden featuring Stefan Rådlund and Robert Ahlenius from power/prog metal band Binary Creed along with vocalist Rickard Thelin from fellow Swedish band Summoned Tied.

Saate is:

Rickard Thelin (Vocals)
Stefan Rådlund (Guitar)
Robert Ahlenius (Bass)
Molgan (Drums)

Kamelot have checked in with the following announcement:

"Dutch Nation and EU Kam Fans! On September 14th, Kamelot will play a unique show at the Poppodium 013 (in Tilburg, Netherlands) in support of new album The Shadow Theory. Only a handful of tickets are left for the show, it will be SOLD OUT soon. Thanks! 

This concert will be the main DVD/ Blu-ray show on the upcoming Shadows Over Europe run. Will you be a part of history?! Just a few tickets left, don't wait any more.

Attention: Fans coming to the concert, times for the show have been moved one hour ahead to accomodate all the aspects of this event. New timeline:

- 17:00 VIP Meet and Greet 
- 18:00 Doors
- 18:45 First band

*Friday night, All Ages event. Special Guests Maiden uniteD and Leaves' Eyes + special appearances by ...?? Check out video below!"

 

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

September
12 - Köln, Germany - Live Music Hall     
14 - Tilburg, Netherlands - Poppodium 013
15 - Paris, France - Elysée Montmartre
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

Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS have parted ways with singer Mats Levén and have been rejoined by Johan Längqvist.

Längqvist sang on CANDLEMASS's debut album, 1986's "Epicus Doomicus Metallicus", before exiting the group and being replaced by Messiah Marcolin.

Commented CANDLEMASS: "We wanted to find our way back to the roots of CANDLEMASS, back to the soul and essence of the band. Johan Längqvist is back and we hope this will give us some new energy and kickstart the heart of doom again. We don't know if it will last 10 more years or even five, but if it will give us just another year of having fun and playing the music that we love so much, it will be a blast! The circle is closed, Johan is back!"

Levén, who had been with CANDLEMASS since 2012, added in a separate statement: "First, let me salute all the fans in Europe, South/Latin America, North America and Japan for coming to our shows during the last six years. It's been a true privilege and joy playing for you all — thank you! Also, a big thanks to our crew, promotors and every musician filling in whenever it was necessary. I especially want to mention Per Wiberg (bass/keyboards) who's done quite a few CANDLEMASS shows and also been a splendid roommate — thanks amigo."

CANDLEMASS is currently recording a new studio album for a tentative 2019 release.

A new CANDLEMASS track, "House Of Doom", was released on May 25 as an EP with three bonus cuts via Napalm Records. The song is the soundtrack of the game with the same name, which was co-designed by the legendary Swedish doom metal band.

The "House Of Doom" soundtrack was written by CANDLEMASS bassist Leif Edling, produced by Marcus Jidell, mixed by David Castillo and mastered by Maor Appelbaum.

CANDLEMASS's most recent full-length album, "Psalms For The Dead", came out in 2012 via Napalm Records. It was the last CANDLEMASS album recorded with singer Robert Lowe, who left the band just days before its release.