Ozzy Osbourne kicked off the main North American leg of "No More Tours 2" last night (Thursday, August 30) at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Osbourne, who will turn 70 in December, came out in a purple-sequined robe and performed a one-hour-and-35 minute set that touched on solo gems and BLACK SABBATH classics.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Bark At The Moon

02. Mr. Crowley

03. I Don't Know

04. Fairies Wear Boots (BLACK SABBATH song)

05. Suicide Solution

06. No More Tears

07. Road To Nowhere

08. War Pigs (BLACK SABBATH song) (with extended Zakk Wylde guitar solo)

09. Miracle Man / Crazy Babies / Desire / Perry Mason

10. Drum Solo

11. I Don't Want To Change The World

12. Shot In The Dark

13. Crazy Train

Encore:

14. Mama, I'm Coming Home

15. Paranoid (BLACK SABBATH song)

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

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.

Ozzy has previously made conflicting statements about whether or not he intends to record a new studio album, telling The Orange County Register last fall that "it's not cost-effective" to release full-length collections of tracks. "You actually lose money because people aren't buying records anymore," he said. "A couple of songs, maybe I'll do that and put that out. I'll go to Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager] and say, 'I want to do an album' and then I'll go to her and say, 'I don't want to do an album.' I really can't make up my mind."

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.

Due to "illness, manufacturing and scheduling factors," the release date of ROCK GODDESS's comeback album, "This Time", has been pushed back to February 22, 2019 from the previously announced October 5, 2018. The effort, which will be made available via the band's own label, Bite You To Death Records, in conjunction with partners worldwide and digitally via Cargo Records, was recorded earlier this year at a London studio with producer Wes Maebe (UB40, Robert Plant, NEW MODEL ARMY, PRAYING MANTIS).

ROCK GODDESS guitarist/vocalist Jody Turner said: "Really sorry we have had to push back on release. But I got ill with a terrible cold and lost my voice, so had to delay finishing my vocals. Meanwhile, our producer had other commitments so rescheduling was delayed. This is life, I guess!! Pesky bugs!! But I'm scheduled back in the studio in a couple of weeks to finish everything off. Then it's on to rehearsals with our new bass player."

The "This Time" cover artwork can be seen below. The album can be exclusively pre-ordered now on Pledge Music.

ROCK GODDESS recently parted ways with bassist Tracey Lamb. The band announced her departure after saying that she would be "unable to perform" with the group at Denmark's Metal Magic festival due to "unforeseen personal circumstances." A replacement bassist has already been found but has not yet been announced.

ROCK GODDESS's last release was a three-song EP, "It's More Than Rock And Roll", which arrived in May 2017.

The official video for the "It's More Than Rock And Roll" title track can be seen below.

ROCK GODDESS was formed in 1977 in Wandsworth South London by Jody Turner (guitar and vocals) and Julie Turner (drums) when they were thirteen and nine years old, respectively. They recruited school friend Tracey Lamb on bass guitar.

ROCK GODDESS first rose to the nation's awareness when they were first featured in Kerrang! No. 5 in 1981 in the "Armed And Ready" section as one of the bands to watch out for. After recording a four-track demo tape and an appearance at the Reading Festival in 1982, sharing a bill with IRON MAIDEN, plus regular shows at the Marquee club, the band landed a contract with the A&M label. They recorded their eponymous debut album with producer Vic Maile in 1983 and hit the lower end of the charts. A follow-up album, "Hell Hath No Fury", arrived a year later, by which time Lamb had left the band to form SHE and later to join GIRLSCHOOL.

After their contract with A&M expired in 1987, ROCK GODDESS' already recorded (in 1985) third album, titled "Young And Free", was released only in France. The effort saw the band taking on a more commercial sound.

ROCK GODDESS' career was cut short by financial and contractual problems, which forced them to disband shortly thereafter.

ROCK GODDESS did briefly reform in 2009 and was due to play Hard Rock Hell festival in Prestatyn, and was also booked to perform at the Headbangers Open Air festival in Germany the following summer, but split before they had a chance to appear at either event.

In March 2013, it was announced that the original ROCK GODDESS lineup had reunited and would start recording a new album.

The official lyric video for the song "Lead Us Into War" from Swedish death metal veterans UNLEASHED, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's 13th full-length album, "The Hunt For White Christ", which will be released on October 26 via Napalm Records.

When it comes to Swedish death metal, the traditional Stockholm way and death metal per se, there is one band you have to mention: UNLEASHED! Formed in 1989 by vocalist/bass player Johnny Hedlund, UNLEASHED has been delivering supreme death metal from day one. Dealing with Viking traditions and values, and honing their craft, they have become extreme metal pioneers, musically and lyrically, inspiring legions of other bands with their sound.

"The Hunt For White Christ" is the fourth album in the continued story line of the World of Odalheim and their Midgard warriors — a story authored by Johnny Hedlund himself, comprising of the past, present, and what Hedlund’s deems as the future of the Viking traditions and values. The album was recorded in the spring of 2018 at Chrome Studios, and does not simply mark the Swedes' 13th full-length album, it also solidifies the band's impact on history, paving the way to their 30th anniversary in 2019. Three decades of metal onslaught, and they have neither lost their bite, nor their love for pure death metal mayhem.

Hedlund states about "The Hunt For White Christ": "On our way towards the bands 30th anniversary in 2019 comes the release of our 13th full-length album, 'The Hunt For White Christ'.

"The band is very much looking forward to meeting our warriors all over the world on tours and festivals to hear your comments on the new album. And make no mistake, Odalheim will be ours! Let the hunt begin!"

Napalm Records states: "We are more than happy about the upcoming release of 'The Hunt For White Christ' by the Swedish death metal institution UNLEASHED. Beeing in business almost three decades, they proofed their standing and excellence to fans all over the world. Brace yourself for this brutal monument by the Swedish chief vikings!"

"The Hunt For White Christ" track listing:

01. Lead Us Into War

02. You Will Fall

03. Stand Your Ground

04. Gram

05. Terror Christ

06. They Rape The Land

07. The City Of Jorsala Shall Fall

08. The Hunt For White Christ

09. Vidaurgelmthul

10. By The Western Wall

11. Open To All The World

UNLEASHED is:

Johnny Hedlund: Bass, Vocals

Tomas Måsgard: Guitar

Fredrik Folkare: Guitar

Anders Schultz: Drums

Former ACCEPT and BONFIRE singer David Reece will release his long-awaited new solo album, "Resilient Heart", on November 9 through Mighty Music. The follow-up to 2013's "Compromise" is an LP "rich on full-blown melodic heavy metal," according to a press release.

The first single from "Resilient Heart", "Any Time At All", is a wonderful heavy rocker with a touch of David Coverdale and WHITESNAKE inspiration — a song with a powerful riff and a strong verse leading up to a bombastic singalong chorus, whereas a song like "Perfect Apocalypse" stands out with its progressive PRETTY MAIDS-inspired elements.

Reece says about the single: "'Any Time At All' is the first song of the new album and also the first single.

"I'm a person about challenges. Lyrically, it speaks about how to stand up against anything someone will throw at me. So, you got the challenge — I got the will — any time at all."

On "Resilient Heart", Reece has teamed up with the Danish musicians Marco Angioni (guitar), Martin J. Andersen (guitar), Malte Frederik Burkert (bass) and Sigurd J. Jensen (drums).

"Resilient Heart" comes with two different track listings — one for CD/digital and one for the limited blood-red vinyl edition (500 copies).

CD/digital track listing:

01. Any Time At All

02. Wicked City Blues

03. Karma

04. Desire

05. I Don't Know Why

06. Two Coins

07. Ain't Got The Balls

08. Forest Through The Trees

09. Perfect Apocalypse

10. Live Before You Die

11. I'm The One

Vinyl track listing:

Side A

01. Karma

02. Any Time At All

03. I Don't Know Why

04. I'm The One

05. Forest Through The Trees

Side B

06. Perfect Apocalypse

07. Heart Of Stone

08. What About Yesterday

09. Two Coins

10. Live Before You Die

Tour dates:

Oct. 26 - Rock 'N' Skull, Peoria, IL (USA)

Oct. 31 - Krater Rock City, Puertollona (ESP)

Nov. 01 - Sala Utopia, Zaragoza (ESP)

Nov. 02 - -Urban Rock Concepts, Vitoria (ESP)

Nov. 03 - Cool Stage, Madrid (ESP)

Nov. 09 - High Voltage, Copenhagen (DK)

Nov. 10 - Charles Dicken’s, Helsingborg (SWE)

Nov. 15 - Sternensall, Schiers (CH)

Nov. 16 - Ölfleck Event-Bar, Frauenfeld (CH)

Nov. 17 - Johnny’s Lion Cave, Trübbach (CH)

Nov. 24 - Backstage Bar, Trollhaten (SWE)

Lineup:

Vocals: David Reece

Guitar: Marco Angioni

Guitar: Martin J. Andersen

Bass: Malte Frederik Burkert

Drums: Sigurd J. Jensen

CHEAP TRICK guitarist Rick Nielsen has confirmed to the Lazer 103.3 radio station that the band is putting the finishing touches on a new studio album, to be released in late 2018 or early 2019. "Robin [Zander] just finished the last of the vocals about three days ago," he said (hear audio below). "And I'm going next week or the week after — I'm not sure — back to finish the last three guitar solos. So wish me luck."

Earlier in the year, CHEAP TRICK released a brand-new single called "The Summer Looks Good On You" via Big Machine Records. The band co-produced the song with longtime collaborator Julian Raymond, who also worked on CHEAP TRICK's last three albums, 2016's "Bang, Zoom, Crazy... Hello" and 2017's "We're All Alright!" and "Christmas Christmas".

CHEAP TRICK recently took part in the "Nothin' But A Good Time Tour" with POISON.

The band has released nearly 20 studio records, including three in the past two years.

A career highpoint for the quartet was its 2016 induction into the Rock And Roll Of Fame, where it accepted its award before performing three of its hits — "I Want You to Want Me", "Dream Police" and "Surrender".

CHEAP TRICK's current lineup includes three of its original members. Drummer Bun E. Carlos stopped touring with the band in 2010.

Ozzy Osbourne has told Boston Herald in a new interview that he is hoping to return to the studio after he completes his "No More Tours 2" farewell tour to record some new music. "I have a bunch of songs written and have plenty of ideas and really want to do a new album, but as to when and how it will come together, I do not really know," he said.

Earlier in the year, Ozzy told Rolling Stone that he doesn't normally work on music while on tour. "When I'm on the road, when I take a day off, I should try to rest my voice, so it's not a good idea to go and start singing and writing songs," he said. "But I've done that in the past."

Osbourne hasn't issued a solo album since 2010's "Scream" and has spent the last few years touring with BLACK SABBATH before the legendary heavy metal act retired from the road.

"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.

Ozzy has previously made conflicting statements about whether or not he intends to record a new studio album, telling The Orange County Register last fall that "it's not cost-effective" to release full-length collections of tracks. "You actually lose money because people aren't buying records anymore," he said. "A couple of songs, maybe I'll do that and put that out. I'll go to Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager] and say, 'I want to do an album' and then I'll go to her and say, 'I don't want to do an album.' I really can't make up my mind."

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.

Ozzy kicked off the main North American leg of "No More Tours 2" last night (Thursday, August 30) at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

New York hardcore legends SICK OF IT ALL will release their twelfth studio album, "Wake The Sleeping Dragon!", on November 2. The follow-up to 2014's "The Last Act Of Defiance" was produced by Jerry Farley (EVERY TIME I DIE, DEMON HUNTER) over a two-and-a-half-week period at Nova Studios in Staten Island, New York and was mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen (MESHUGGAH, THE HAUNTED, MADBALL). The cover artwork was created by Ernie Parada and can be seen below.

The official lyric video for the first single from "Wake The Sleeping Dragon!", a song called "Inner Vision", can be seen below.

Drummer Armand Majidi comments: "It's a blasting, screamer of a song in the vein of early DISCHARGE or EXPLOITED, and the lyrics deal with reacting to the horrors of the world by looking inward to find peace in difficult times."

"Wake The Sleeping Dragon!" features guest appearances by RISE AGAINST vocalist/guitarist Tim McIlrath and HOT WATER MUSIC frontman Chuck Ragan.

Working with friends is one of the key factors that are very important to SICK OF IT ALL, so asking Parada for the striking front cover was an obvious choice. "There is no reason to burn bridges in this business," says drummer drummer Armand Majidi. "Our history with Ernie Parada goes back to the late eighties, so working with him, there is a kinship that makes things easier to communicate."

Singer Lou Koller and Parada came up with the idea of doing monster-movie styled art as the cover. "The dragon climbing the Empire State was a concept I always wanted to see brought to life, so the two ideas were destined to come together this way," Lou says.

SICK OF IT ALL and Tue Madsen, who mixed and mastered "Wake The Sleeping Dragon!", have maintained a long-lasting relationship based on understanding, friendship and most importantly, good results — three factors any band would be very happy with. Jerry Farley also became a very important part of the creation of this album. After working with him at Nova Studios in Staten Island, New York, they went for a closer approach on this album. "This is the first time we've ever had a producer involved from start to finish, including the songwriting process," the band says. "His objective viewpoints helped settle a lot of little issues that could have easily become stumbling blocks, and the songs themselves ended up benefitting from them."

SICK OF IT ALL's latest release was the "When The Smoke Clears" EP, which came out in November 2016 via Century Media Records.

Photo credit: Montecruz Foto

Swedish metallers ENTOMBED A.D. have returned with a new single, "Fit For A King". The song is taken from the band's forthcoming third album, which is currently in the works.

ENTOMBED A.D.'s second album, "Dead Dawn", was released in February 2016 via Century Media.

Last fall, vocalist Lars-Göran "LG" Petrov spoke to Finland's Rauta about ENTOMBED's decision to release change its name to ENTOMBED A.D. in order to avoid a legal battle with ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker.

"[ENTOMBED and ENTOMBED A.D. are] the same thing — just some minor complications on the way," he said. "But we are here and playing music and headbanging, and that's the most important. But it's the same. It's the same."

Petrov added that he and his bandmates "don't think about" the slight alteration in the group's name. "We just let it roll. As long as we are out, nobody can stop us."

Asked what inspires him to make music and write lyrics these days, Petrov said: "It's boring to sit at home. [Laughs] No, you can always be productive and be out on tour and have no sleep. But that all doesn't matter when you come to the show and you see your brothers in metal. Then it's all worth it."

On the topic of ENTOMBED's musical evolution over the years, Petrov said: "As you go on in life, you experience new things, you wanna try out other things, and ENTOMBED has always tried to do that. Maybe more than for our own good sometimes, but now we're just going straightforward and we just do it again — over and over again. And as long as you don't get tired of it, you just continue. If you get tired of it, you should quit. You don't do it because… If you don't like it, step aside and let it roll."

ENTOMBED A.D. is:

Lars-Göran Petrov - Vocals

Nico Elgstrand - Guitar

Victor Brandt - Bass

Olle Dahlstedt - Drums

Guilherme Miranda - Guitar

The official lyric video for "Executed", the new single from the Swiss all-girl heavy metal outfit BURNING WITCHES, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's second album, "Hexenhammer", which will be released on November 9 via Nuclear Blast Records. The disc was produced at the Little Creek Studio in Switzerland by the same team as its predecessor: V.O. Pulver (PRO-PAIN, DESTRUCTION, NERVOSA, PÄNZER) and DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier, who helped and advised as a close friend of the band.

BURNING WITCHES commented: "We are very proud to show you our first lyric and performance video for the song 'Executed'. It is a very powerful and speedy track that tells the story of the 'last Witch' Anna Göldi from Switzerland and her harrowing life. A tragic and true story that fits into our 'Hexenhammer' album theme!"

The cover artwork for "Hexenhammer" was created by acclaimed artist Gyula Havancsák from Hungary, who has also created artwork for DESTRUCTION, ANNIHLATOR, GRAVE DIGGER, STRATOVARIUS, TANKARD and many more.

The band states: "We are very proud to present you our new album cover for 'Hexenhammer'. The topic is the 'Malleus Maleficarum' book that legalized the extermination of the so-called 'witches' in the medieval times. The justification of murder against the weak is still a sad subject nowadays. So we wanna pay respect and remember — most of the lyrics are dealing with this dark chapter of our history as well. Of course, we also wanted a classic and mystical metal layout that reflects our music perfectly — so it is a great mix. We hope the fans will enjoy it."

Gyula adds: "It is not too easy to make a 'metal' cover when the main character and focus is an attractive woman. It is much easier to create gory images with monsters or devils for me. But I remembered that my first original casette was the WARLOCK 'Triumph And Agony' album, so I felt very motivated to incorporate both of those aspects: some black magic and some beautiful ladies. I got some instructions and a sketch from the band — so I painted the witch and the altar first as a main focus and everybody loved the character and the feeling of the image. When I added the ghost images of the girls, it all aligned into a dark magic artwork with beautiful ladies."

"Hexenhammer" track listing:

01. The Witch Circle

02. Executed

03. Lords Of War

04. Open Your Mind

05. Don't Cry My Tears

06. Maiden Of Steel

07. Dungeon Of Infamy

08. Dead Ender

09. Hexenhammer

10. Possession

11. Maneater

12. Holy Diver

Bonus tracks:

13. Self Sacrifice

14. Don't Cry My Tears (acoustic)

Schmier previously stated about BURNING WITCHES: "Those ladies sound original, fresh and heavy! I love the classical heavy metal influence and the [Rob] Halford-inspired vocals!

He continued: "The BURNING WITCHES will sure get their fans. Their sound, in between classical [JUDAS] PRIEST and U.S. power metal like ICED EARTH, caught my attention right away."

BURNING WITCHES was founded during spring 2015 in Brugg, Switzerland, by guitar player Romana Kalkuhl. It has always been her big dream to perform with a women's heavy metal band on stage. During the music university studies, she already started her first group together with Kevin Schaffer, with whom she has recorded two albums and played several concerts.

In 2015, Romana started to look for talented ladies for the new combo. Jeanine Grob (bass), a longtime friend, became the first official member. At a party at a festival, Romana met Seraina Telli (singer) for the first time. It clicked right away between the two girls, on a musical and on a personal level. Seraina brought in many ideas and a lot of experience because of her studies at the Music Academy and her band SURRILIUM. The guitarist and the singer became a great songwriting team right away.

Romana wrote Schmier from DESTRUCTION about her new project, and the ladies brought him onboard as a producer/consultant.

After an intensive search and different auditions, BURNING WITCHES found Lala Frischknecht the perfect drummer for the all-girl metal band.

BURNING WITCHES' latest addition is guitarist Sonia Nusselder, who joined the band in January 2018.

BURNING WITCHES is:

Seraina Telli (Vocals)

Romana Kalkuhl (Guitars)

Sonia Nusselder (Guitars)

Jeanine Grob (Bass)

Lala Frischknecht (Drums)

On December 13, 2017, the worldwide metal community mourned the passing of a truly unique voice, an extremely gifted songwriter, and above all a wonderful human being, that will be dearly missed: Warrel Dane, who died of a heart attack during the recordings of his second solo album in São Paulo, Brazil.

Renowned for his work in SANCTUARY and NEVERMORE as well as a solo artist, in 2014 Warrel had teamed up with Brazilian musicians Johnny Moraes (guitar), Thiago Oliveira (guitar), Fabio Carito (bass) and Marcus Dotta (drums) as his touring band and ultimately this successful collaboration led to plans for a new studio album. Recordings for "Shadow Work", the follow-up to 2008's "Praises To The War Machine", started in fall 2017 at Orra Meu Studio, São Paulo, and Travis Smith commenced to create the artwork following a concept and ideas previously discussed with Warrel.

Then he passed away, left his fellow musicians, fans, friends and family as well as his label in shock putting the status of "Shadow Work" in limbo for a while.

After reviewing the material that could actually be completed using vocals from various studio and pre-production sessions with Warrel, the decision was made to release his final recordings as "Shadow Work" on October 26.

The first single from "Shadow Work", a song called "Disconnection System", can be streamed below.

Jens Prüter, head of A&R, and Stefan Franke, product manager of Century Media Records, say: "We are looking forward to release these 40 minutes of music in October. We and many other workmates at Century Media Records have known Warrel for years, have been through thick and thin, and are fans of his art just like the many, many people supporting him since the '80s. The dedication his band, Travis Smith and our team invested in completing 'Shadow Work' was astonishing and the entire record carries an eerie atmosphere of Warrel already feeling that this might be his last work. It is heartbreaking that he was right in the end. Rest in peace, friend."

"Shadow Work" will be released as special edition CD mediabook offering a 44-page booklet, as gatefold LP plus CD and 12-page LP booklet and on all digital platforms. Each song is illustrated by Travis Smith's art, created as his personal tribute to Warrel and further explained in his personal liner notes. Furthermore, photos, lyrics and moving statements from the musicians are included as well.

Smith said: "[Warrel] told me he wanted the cover for this one to be a personification of one of its songs, affectionately titled 'Sweet Madame Satan, And Why.' I dug up the skeleton of an old idea we'd talked about once before, and with a few details and alterations of his own, it was exactly what he had envisioned. He 'loved it,' approved it, and then gave me an outline for what he wanted to do for the back cover to complement it as a sort of prologue.

"I finished the additional artwork taking inspiration from old conversations, titles, absorbing passages from his notebooks, and some lyrics that he'd passed along earlier...

"Thank you for everything these past 20 years... It was an honor. It will be missed. You are missed. I know we did you proud."

Added Thiago, Johnny, Fabio and Marcus: "To give birth to a work like this, is for us a tribute to someone that was like family and honor his memory by sharing some of the savage poetry that he created and was ultimately so proud of.

"Warrel came into our lives like a storm, took us into a very intense ride, we roamed endless roads into the unknown, into places that we never dreamed of both inside and outside our minds, and left. He was someone who lived with us, dreamed with us and enjoyed our hospitality, and in return gave us so much back. Some of us acted like his mother, some of us saw him as a father figure, some of us took care of him in some of his darkest moments. Yet he was a friend, and somehow, will be always there.

"To record such an album, and to work alongside an artist as gifted as Warrel, is somehow like being enthralled by his brightest light, and, at the same time being engulfed by his darkest shadow. There is so much to say, and yet nothing to say. In the meantime, we are proud to share this portrait of the storm we went through in form of art. Light, peace and love."

"Shadow Work" track listing:

01. Ethereal Blessing

02. Madame Satan

03. Disconnection System

04. As Fast As The Others

05. Shadow Work

06. The Hanging Garden (THE CURE cover)

07. Rain

08. Mother Is The Word For God

FIFTH ANGEL recently put the finishing touches on its first new album in almost 30 years, "The Third Secret", which will be released on October 26 through Nuclear Blast Records. But before their fans can put their hands on the new record, there's more news to announce from the FIFTH ANGEL camp. Guitarist Ed Archer, who has already been a part of the band in the past (1983–1989, 2010, 2017), rejoins the group as a permanent member and completes the quartet.

Drummer Ken Mary states: "We are very excited to announce the return of rhythm guitarist Ed Archer to FIFTH ANGEL. Ed is a very important part of the band and to have him back with us is amazing!"

Adds Ed Archer: "I'm thrilled to be back in the fold with my friends and fellow musicians in FIFTH ANGEL, and I'm very excited about upcoming events!"

"The Third Secret" features the incredible talents of guitarist and lead vocalist Kendall Bechtel, bassist John Macko and drummer and backing vocalist Ken Mary.

Macko says: "When we began this process, we always were mindful to write songs that moved us as a band first. We felt that if we achieved that, then the music will most likely touch our fans as well." Bechtel adds: "We are very proud of the new album! We hope the fans will hear the classic threads of the FIFTH ANGEL they know and love, along with the growth and maturity the individuals of the band have gone through over the years. We hope they love the new songs as much as we do."

The cover artwork for "The Third Secret" was created by Zsofia Dankova (POWERWOLF) and can be seen below.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:


01. Stars Are Falling

02. We Will Rise

03. Queen Of Thieves

04. Dust To Dust

05. Can You Hear Me

06. This Is War

07. Fatima

08. Third Secret

09. Shame On You

10. Hearts Of Stone


FIFTH ANGEL will release the new digital single and lyric video for "Can You Hear Me" on September 7.

The Seattle music scene in the mid 1980s was a breeding ground of exceptional talent. Heavy metal was a new wave of music that was beginning to sweep the globe, and FIFTH ANGEL was one of the forefathers of the legendary Seattle music scene that also produced iconic bands such as QUEENSRŸCHE and METAL CHURCH. In 1984, high school friends Ted Pilot (vocalist) and Ed Archer (guitarist) teamed up with lead guitarist James Byrd. They filled out the lineup with drummer Ken Mary (ALICE COOPER, HOUSE OF LORDS) and bassist John Macko. Inspired by the success of QUEENSRŸCHE, who shunned playing clubs for the sake of writing, recording and releasing their own music independently, FIFTH ANGEL followed a similar path.


Concentrating on honing their writing and recording skills, FIFTH ANGEL crafted the incredible debut album, "Fifth Angel". This recording was initially an independent release funded and produced by the band, and co-produced by the famed Terry Date. "Fifth Angel" was Date's first-ever production, and Date later went on to produce platinum artists such as PANTERA, SOUNDGARDEN, WHITE ZOMBIE and DEFTONES. The album was first released in Europe through a fledgling label named Roadrunner Records based in the Netherlands and instantly became a cult classic in the European metal community.


Epic Records in New York City caught wind of the band and were so impressed with "Fifth Angel", they signed the band to a seven-album deal. Remastering the original independent recording and re-releasing the album, Epic introduced FIFTH ANGEL on to the worldwide stage in 1988. The band received rave reviews and was touted in the press as the "next big thing" in all the major metal magazines of the day, including Hit Parader, Kerrang!, RIP, Metal Edge, Metal Forces and many others. Kerrang! went as far as attaching a flexi disc of the band's music onto their cover and giving the center fold-out of the magazine to the band. During this same time period, Ken Mary was covering the drumming duties with Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame artist Alice Cooper on the "Constrictor" and "Raise Your Fist and Yell" tours. While on these world tours with Alice, Ken promoted FIFTH ANGEL in both press and radio interviews, which gave some additional momentum to the release.


The band entered the studio once again in late 1988, this time with producer Terry Brown (RUSH) and Epic released "Time Will Tell" in August of 1989. "Time Will Tell" saw the departure of lead guitarist James Byrd, and the introduction of guitar prodigy Kendall Bechtel. The video for "Time Will Tell" was released from the album and went into rotation on MTV, and the track "Midnight Love" became the theme song for shock jock Howard Stern's radio show for over four years. However, the winds of change were beginning to stir over the music industry and when grunge music hit hard in the early '90s, (ironically based out of Seattle as well), FIFTH ANGEL disbanded. But that's not the end of the story…


In 2010, some 22 years after the Epic release of "Fifth Angel", the band was asked to headline the Keep It True festival in Lauda-Koenigshofen, Germany. Gathering many of the core members and adding HEIR APPARENT vocalist Peter Orullian (Ted Pilot is now an endodontist practicing in Seattle and was not able to sing for the reunion), the band prepared a blistering set of songs from the first two albums. The reception was incredible, with the sold-out crowd singing the lyrics to every song.


FIFTH ANGEL again headlined the sold out 2017 Keep It True festival as well and this positive momentum planted the seeds for a new album. Jaap Wagemaker from Nuclear Blast Records, one of the most successful metal labels of all time, listened to a couple of demos Kendall Bechtel had been working on and expressed interest in hearing more. A few of the members began writing and recording together and the collective enthusiasm was very strong over the music that was being created. Nuclear Blast signed the band to a new record contract based on a three-song demo that was submitted.

FIFTH ANGEL is:

Ken Mary - drums

John Macko - bass

Kendall Bechtel - vocals, guitars

Ed Archer - Guitar

"The Grey", the new video from the Swedish melodic hard rock band DYNAZTY, which features in its ranks current AMARANTHE singer Nils Molin, can be seen below. The song is taken from DYNAZTY's sixth album, "Firesign", which will be released on September 28 via AFM Records.

"Firesign" will be available as a digipak, clear yellow vinyl (limited to 200 units), clear orange vinyl (limited to 200 units) and blue/yellow splatter (limited to 100 units), which is exclusively available in the AFM webshop.

"Firesign" track listing:

01. Breathe With Me

02. The Grey

03. In The Arms Of A Devil

04. My Darkest Hour

05. Ascension

06. Firesign

07. Closing Doors

08. Follow Me

09. Let Me Dream Forever

10. Starfall

11. The Light Inside The Tunnel

DYNAZTY was founded in 2007 and reached its current formation a year later with the addition of Molin. To date the band has released five albums, toured internationally, zigzagged Sweden and performed in the insanely popular Swedish Eurovision song contest qualification, Melodifestivalen event.


DYNAZTY garnered international praise and scored notable domestic chart positions with its more traditionally hard-rocking "Knock You Down" album (2011) and its successor "Sultans Of Sin" (2012). Criminally overlooked "Renatus" (2013), saw the band shedding its old-school melodic hard rock skin for a sound more modern, more defined and more addictive. Fittingly for its Latin name ("Rebirth"), "Renatus" saw the band's sound grow tighter with an arsenal of rapid rhythm patterns and machine-gun riffs, Molin's ever-present soaring vocals plus huge choruses that stuck in your head like horseflies and featuring melodic hooklines lesser bands would die for to have written. Sugar-pasted with massive arrangements, "Renatus" was an album the like of which most bands never manage to write. Yet somehow it managed to fly under the radar.


2016's "Titanic Mass" saw the Swedes present the next logical step in the never-ending flux that is the sound of DYNAZTY. This time choosing to maintain the overall bite and tightness of "Renatus" and taking a courteous nod in the direction of power metal finally, and adding a symphonic element, the band succeeded in making the songs, if possible, yet another notch more addictive than before.

DYNAZTY is:

Nils Molin - vocals

Love Magnusson - guitar

Mike Lavér - guitars

Jonathan Olsson - bass

George Egg - drums

Molin officially joined AMARANTHE in July 2017 as the replacement for Jake E.

Having previously used Chris Adam Hedman Sörbye from the band SMASH INTO PIECES as a stand-in for Jake on some of the shows in 2016 and in early 2017, AMARANTHE recruited Molin for three Swedish concerts in March 2017 and he has been part of the group's live appearances ever since.

Photo by: Tallee Savage

"AD/HD", the new Max Ljungberg-directed video from Gothenburg, Sweden-based rockers HARDCORE SUPERSTAR, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's 11th studio album, "You Can't Kill My Rock 'N Roll", which will be released on September 21 via Gain Music Entertainment. The disc consists of 12 ear-splitting anthems that drive home the fact that rock isn't dead; it is, in fact, alive and well and thriving in Sweden.

Recorded throughout 2017 and early 2018 at the beautiful Österlyckan (Wooden Hybrid) studios near Gothenburg, the album was produced by the bandmembers themselves and mixed in Stockholm by Dino Medanhodzic.


Celebrated worldwide for its explosive and uplifting live performances that are bursting with integrity and passion, HARDCORE SUPERSTAR has managed to somehow harness and capture all that passion and raw energy and translate it into the 12 songs that make up "You Can't Kill My Rock 'N Roll". This is a huge sounding album on all levels, overflowing with sure fire hits and guaranteed future fan favorites.

The album's first single, "Have Mercy On Me", was released to great critical acclaim at the end of 2017 and quickly became play listed on radio stations all over the Europe, making it a runaway success. The following singles, "Bring The House Down", "Electric Rider" and "Baboon", have built enormously on this success, creating massive amounts of excitement and anticipation amongst the fans and media in preparation for the album's release. Further singles are also planned to coincide with the band's ambitious world tour that will see them playing to audiences far and wide throughout all of 2018 and 2019.


It's safe to say "You Can't Kill My Rock 'N Roll" is an unapologetically confident and assured album full of big hooks, attitude and aggression that doesn't let up from the moment the opening track "AD/HD" kicks in all the way through to the closing track "Goodbye", with the title track being an uplifting, rallying call to arms for all fans of rock music to stand proud, united in the celebration of who we are and the music we love.

All the elements that that make up a great HARDCORE SUPERSTAR album are here in abundance. At its core, there is the great song writing and big choruses that are synonymous with every HARDCORE SUPERSTAR release. However, each song stands on its own as well as complementing the album as a whole, taking the listener through a rollercoaster of snarling riffs, heavy bass lines and relentlessly driving drums, all of which are intertwined with enslaving melodies and Jocke Berg's unmistakeable vocals.

Said the band: "'You Can't Kill My Rock 'N Roll' isn't just a statement of confrontation and rebellion, it's a celebration of everything we love, the music, the lifestyle, this is our religion, it's our choice, and it's everything we believe in."

"You Can't Kill My Rock 'N Roll" track listing:

01. AD/HD

02. Electric Rider

03. My Sanctuary

04. Hit Me Where It Hurts

05. You Can't Kill My Rock 'N Roll

06. The Others

07. Have Mercy On Me

08. Never Cared For Snobbery

09. Baboon

10. Bring The House Down

11. Medicine Man

12. Goodbye

Hagen, Germany based death grind shredders Stillbirth have unleashed their new album Annihilation Of Mankind via Unique Leader. The blistering album shows Stillbirth at their most sickeningly extreme. Get the release here, and find a full album stream below.

Annihilation Of Mankind tracklisting:

"Fictional Entertainment"
"Enemy Of The Enemy"
"Hypnotized By Lies"
"Psychological Manipulation"
"Firststrike"
"Highest Of Malice"
"Torturized"
"Plague Of Warfare"
"Torn Apart"
"Nuclear Stench"
"The Sky Turns Black"
"Annihilation Of Mankind"

Album stream:

"Highest Of Malice" lyric video:

"Psychological Manipulation" lyric video:

The official 360-degree video for the title track of "Ritual", the forthcoming eleventh album from SOULFLY, can be seen below. Due on October 19 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, the follow-up to 2015's "Archangel" was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KILLER BE KILLED, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA). Cover artwork was painted by artist Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH, SODOM). Additional booklet art was handled by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER, HATEBREED, KREATOR), who also handled the package design. The album features multiple guests, including Randy Blythe (LAMB OF GOD) and Ross Dolan (IMMOLATION).

Comments vocalist/guitarist Max Cavalera: "This song took a long time and almost didn't make the record. We recorded it as an instrumental and ran out of time in the studio. We ended up having to fly Josh Wilbur out to my house to finish the vocals. He kept on telling me he wanted more of that 'tribal shit' like some of the stuff on our first record and 'Primitive'. We ended up creating the chorus on the spot and layering something like 12 or 16 tracks of chanting for it. After we heard it and were listening back, we got really excited and were high-fiving each other. Josh just turned to me and said that was what he wanted to hear as a fan, and he was really happy to get that out of me. We both knew it was a new SOULFLY classic for the ages and had to be the album opener. I'm really proud of this song and I think old-school fans of my work are going to love it."

"Ritual" track listing:

01. Ritual

02. Dead Behind The Eyes (feat. Randy Blythe)

03. The Summoning

04. Evil Empowered

05. Under Rapture (feat. Ross Dolan)

06. Demonized

07. Blood On The Street

08. Bite The Bullet

09. Feedback!

10. Soulfly XI

States Max: "I am really stoked to be working again with two of my favorite artists, Eliran Kantor and Marcelo Vasco!

"The 'Ritual' artwork is very mystic and captures the vibe of the album perfectly. For this one, we really tried to retain the groove of early SOULFLY as well as my love for the heavy, fast stuff I'm into, like death and black metal and some hardcore.

"Working with Josh Wilbur for SOULFLY this time around has been amazing. He's a huge fan and added a lot to the record. I would fight for the fast songs and he would always push me to add more groove. I think in the end we created a really cool mix of songs that covers a lot of ground in my career. Let the Ritual begin!"

Wilbur adds: "Before I had ever recorded a record, in my formidable years, Max released the holy trinity that was (at least to me) 'Chaos A.D.', 'Roots' and 'Soulfly'. I wanted to make a record that captured what I loved about those when I was growing up! Those records inspired me and introduced me to heavy metal. Fast forward to now and I was given the opportunity to make the record I wanted as a fan! So I set up some mics, recorded some riffs, we banged on some galvanized metal, roto toms, djembes, and anything else we could get, then I told Max to 'BRING DA SHIT'!"

AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler's cover version of THE ROLLING STONES' 1971 hit "Brown Sugar" is featured on "Muscle Shoals… Small Town, Big Sound", a compilation album in tribute to Alabama's Muscle Shoals sound, which will be released September 28 on BMG. EXTREME guitarist Nuno Bettencourt also played on the track, which was recorded at FAME Studios.

Speaking with "Joe Rogan Experience" host/comedian Joe Rogan, Tyler described the song as "sick as fuck. He added about his version of "Brown Sugar": "We got all the players from way back then, the horn sections, got girls to sing it."

"Brown Sugar" by Tyler and Bettencourt will be available for instant download upon pre-ordering the album, starting August 31.

Rodney Hall's father was Rick Hall, celebrated founder of FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, who passed away in January 2017 after a half-century of making hit records — groundbreaking hit records. Rodney Hall has two brothers, and all three boys grew up in and around their father's studio. They played and watched while locals like Arthur Alexander and Percy Sledge became greats, and while greats like Aretha Franklin and Tom Jones would come into town.

The significance of Rick Hall and FAME Studios is clear. And to honor some of the quality historical productions of the studio, FAME Studios is going to release an album that pays tribute to the legacy Rick Hall anchored there in the unlikely small town of Muscle Shoals, with great contemporary musicians carrying it forward. The album, according to Rodney, is something that has been in the works and has been being discussed for a couple of decades, and has been being conceptualized in earnest for at least five years.

The compilation features many people who have recorded hits at FAME studios over the years, covering hit songs from generations earlier. You'll find artists such as Chris Stapleton, Alan Black, Alicia Keyes, Lee Ann Womack, Willie Nelson, Steven Tyler, Demi Lovato, Vince Gill, Kep Mo, Kid Rock, and even Candi Staton (now 78), who first met Rick Hall in 1968.

Rodney Hall remarked: "So this is about more than 50 years. We've got 25 artists in all, we've recorded 18 songs. It's really exciting." The effort was primarily co-produced by Rodney Hall and Keith Stegall (George Jones, Alan Jackson, Randy Travis) but is a truly collaborative effort by the community and features more than 100 local people from the music business lending a hand.

Side 1

01. Road Of Love - By Keb' Mo'

02. I'd Rather Go Blind - By Grace Potter

03. Brown Sugar - By Steven Tyler & Nuno Bettencourt

04. Gotta Serve Somebody - By Jamey Johnson, Willie Nelson, Chris Stapleton & Lee Ann Womack

05. I Never Loved A Man (The Way I Love You) - By Demi Lovato

06. Snatching It Back - By Kid Rock

07. I'll Take You There - By Aloe Blacc

08. Cry Like A Rainy Day - By Michael Mcdonald

09. True Love - By Vince Gill & Wendy Moten

10. Come And Go Blues - By Alison Krauss

11. Respect Yourself - By Mike Farris & The Blind Boys Of Alabama

12. Steal Away - By Eli "Paperboy" Reed

13. Wild Horses - By Alan Jackson

14. Mustang Sally - By Brently Stephen Smith

15. We've Got Tonight - By Chord Overstreet

16. Givin' It Up For Your Love - By Tom Johnston & Delbert Mcclinton

AGENTS, the band led by guitar legend Esa Pulliainen and Ville Valo, the frontman of the recently disbanded Finnish rock act HIM, has recorded an album of songs written by legendary Finnish singer Rauli "Badding" Somerjoki.

Pulliainen states: "This story begins three years ago. Upon finding three demo cassettes in my drawer which had been sent to me by Badding back in the day, I knew I had to contact Ville right from the get-go. I was aware he knows his Badding inside out. I'm really happy that we were able to finalize this project. Badding meant for these songs to be recorded and even if it took us 30 years to make that happen, I feel I've kept my promise."

The first single to be released by VILLE VALO & AGENTS, the Badding-penned "Orpolapsi Kiurun" ("Orphan Child Of The Skylark"), contains the voice of the author himself. The song will be released in digital form on September 21.

The debut VILLE VALO & AGENTS album will be released in early 2019 and will be followed by a tour.

HIM completed a farewell tour in 2017, closing the final chapter on the band's 26-year career.

Formed in 1991 by Valo, guitarist Mikko "Linde" Lindström and bassist Mikko "Migé" Paananen, HIM offered the world a new take on the metal genre, which became known as "love metal" (also the title of their fourth album).

HIM in 2015 parted ways with its longtime drummer, Mika Kristian Karppinen (a.k.a. Gas Lipstick), and replaced him with Jukka "Kosmo" Kröger (formerly of HERRA YLPPÖ & IHMISET).

Posted by Ville Valo on Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Hollywood glam rock pioneers LONDON, featuring frontman Nadir D'Priest, will release a new studio album, "Call That Girl", on October 12. To celebrate this release, the band is going back to the Sunset Strip for an exclusive live performance at the legendary Whisky A Go Go.

"Call That Girl" marks the band's first studio LP since 1990's "Playa Del Rock". Mixed by famed producer Dennis Ward, the album was produced and written by Nadir D'Priest and includes contributions by old friends like Chuck Wright (QUIET RIOT), Teddy Andreadis (GUNS N' ROSES, ALICE COOPER), Jack Frost (SEVEN WITCHES), Alfredo Ballesteros (THE POINTER SISTERS), Eddie St. James (TRANCE, RICHARD GRIECO) and Shrapnel Records' own Mike Varney.


Founded by Nikki Sixx in 1978, LONDON is well known for its outlandish antics and over-the-top stage shows. This was featured prominently in "The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years" film, which was inducted into the Library of Congress National Film Registry in 2016.


With previous members from bands such as GUNS N' ROSES, W.A.S.P. and MÖTLEY CRÜE, the current lineup is four years strong and includes longtime members:


Nadir D'Priest - Vocals

Alan Krigger (GIUFFRIA, IKE & TINA TURNER) - Drums

Eric Ragno (THE BABYS, JOE LYNN TURNER) - Keyboards

Billy the Fist (D'PRIEST) - Bass

Ronee Peña - Guitar


Also coming soon: the re-release of "Non-Stop Rock", LONDON's 1985 debut on Shrapnel Records.

During a recent interview with SiriusXM's Edde Trunk, SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine assured fans that there is no more talk of retirement, as there was back in 2010 with what was purported to be a final album and a farewell tour that never quite took hold. "The thing is we have a much different view now," Klaus said. "And it's a young generation — that's the fuel that keeps us going, and it's really motivating.

"To be honest, every other year, you take a look around the corner: 'Can we do this?' 'Can we still deliver on the same high level, the way we used to do it?'" he admitted. "And that's the only way, and it's only fun if you can go out there and play a great rock show, wherever you do it. Like in the last couple of weeks, we had so much fun. But then you get sick on the road, like I did last year with the severe laryngitis. What can you do? There's not a chance. And then sometimes, of course, you ask yourself, 'How long can we do this?' Especially for singers — and I know I'm not the only one. But it's always, sometimes you ask yourself, 'Klaus, c'mon, how long can you keep up this level?' And then you go out there, everything feels good."

Meine continued: "With Mikkey Dee [formerly of MOTÖRHEAD], we have a new drummer in the band since 2016 who gives us also a whole new shot of fresh energy. And it's such a great show and it feels so good. And then, if you ask me, it goes like, 'Okay, let's do it.' And then you're making plans for next year, and all of a sudden you're thinking about 2020. And you go, 'Cmon! What? 2020?' But, to be honest, to tell the truth, when you're so used to it, for so many years, all those decades, to handle it any other way would feel wrong right now."

Circling back to SCORPIONS' 2010 "farewell tour" announcement, Klaus said: "Of course, we had our moment of doubt when we said, 'Okay. Maybe we should retire. Maybe this is a good moment.' And then we realized we were wrong, because there's still a lot of sting in the tail, so to speak, and it still feels good. There's such a demand for the SCORPIONS, and we're one of the few bands who play this global stage. If there wasn't this kind of demand, of course, there's no point after so many years, and you'd better go, 'Well, I go home and take it easy.' But there's such a strong demand and that really feels good and challenging — it's a challenge. Of course, you don't do it for the business. It's a good business, yes, but you don't do it for the business and for the money — you do it for the fun, you do it for what's inside of you, what's in your blood, what's in your veins, and that's the rock and roll music. And you wanna go out and play in front of an audience, because that's what it's all about."

Klaus was speaking to SiriusXM ahead of the SCORPIONS' return to America for rescheduled tour dates in Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Tampa, and Hollywood (Florida), as well as two new stops in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and Irvine, California. Joining the SCORPIONS on these shows will be QUEENSRŸCHE.

"Coming back to the States now, we've been there so many times," Meine said. "We're so proud to have such a loyal fanbase for so many years, and we don't take it for granted. This is something really special. We're a German band, we're a European band, and there aren't too many bands that came from Europe, that came from Germany, who made it big in the United States, playing stadiums and arenas. So we're proud of that. And we will never forget what America meant for us in the early days, when we came over for the first time in 79 and played with Ted Nugent and learned from the greatest bands and became part of the international rock family. We will never forget it; that means so much."

The legendary German hard rockers' latest release, 2017's "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", was an anthology of the band's new and classic material.

SCORPIONS' last full-length collection of new recordings was 2015's "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016.

On October 5, Island Records/Ume/Universal Music will release the 30th-anniversary, 2CD deluxe edition of ANTHRAX's fourth studio album, "State Of Euphoria". The package will consist of two discs: Disc One is the fully remastered album, all of the B-sides originally released in conjunction with the album, and "Antisocial" recorded live in London at the Hammersmith Odeon in March, 1989. Disc Two, "Charlie's Archives", is a real treasure trove for ANTHRAX fans as it puts you right in the room with the band as the album's songs evolved. The package also includes a 20-page booklet that will take you right back to the time of the album's release.

"State Of Euphoria" will also be issued as a 2-LP set on standard black vinyl and limited edition red and yellow colored vinyl. Both versions are available for pre-order here.

The anniversary package was helmed by the band's drummer and longtime archivist Charlie Benante, who dove into his ANTHRAX vault to come up with the tapes that show the evolution of the album's songs. Disc Two takes you through the writing, development and recording process of the album's songs. The listener is taken into the band's writing and rehearsal sessions hearing the band members construct the song, deciding what stays and what doesn't, and then into the studio for the recording of basic tracks.

"We recorded everything back then," said Benante. "We would sit in the rehearsal room with a little two-track machine record everything we did in rehearsal while we were putting the songs together."

Also pulled from his vault were tapes of the actual recording sessions, all the takes, that also appear on Disc Two.

In addition to the original album's artwork that includes the Mort Drucker-drawn (Mad magazine) back cover, the anniversary package includes never before seen personal snapshots of the band members, tour admats/posters, plus two ANTHRAX magazine covers, all culled from that 1988-1989 period. For the booklet, the band enlisted British journalist Alexander Milas, former editor-in-chief of Metal Hammer, to write the sleeve notes, Shawn Franklin handled editing tracks and Paul Logus mastered the set. Benante also took to social media, inviting fans to tell him what "State Of Euphoria" had meant to them. He was overwhelmed with responses, and many of them are included in the booklet.

"I think fans will be really excited when they see their own quotes in the package," Benante added.

"State Of Euphoria" was produced by ANTHRAX and Mark Dodson, includes fan favorites "Antisocial" and "Be All, End All", and was certified gold a few months after release.

"'State Of Euphoria' is the album that we always felt we never got to finish properly," said Benante. "We wished we had had a little more time to spend on it. But having revisited it while putting together this package, I really got to enjoy it again, it took me back to that time when everything was a whirlwind."

In his 2014 autobiography, "I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax", ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian was extremely critical of "State Of Euphoria", calling it "ANTHRAX slumming on autopilot." He explained: "The only songs we still play from that record are 'Be All, End All' and 'Antisocial', and that's not even our song. It's by the French band TRUST. 'Now It's Dark' was a cool song and I loved the lyrics about Frank Booth, the character Dennis Hopper played in David Lynch's brilliant movie 'Blue Velvet'. 'Finale' was good, too, and featured some of Charlie's fastest double-bass playing ever, but four songs don't make a great album. There was no consistency in the writing because the rest of the record was rushed. To me, 'State Of Euphoria' simply didn't hold up compared to the previous three ANTHRAX records."

He continued: "It really fucked with my equilibrium. I can't even listen to it, and when I think back about some of those songs, I feel sick. It felt like the first time we made a mistake as a band. Instead of following our creative instincts, we let the music business dictate what we were doing. I was sure it was only a matter of time until people started realizing how shitty 'State Of Euphoria' was.

"I actually got paranoid and neurotic and started to think we were becoming a joke because I had lost confidence in myself. I had always felt like I was in charge of making the right decisions for ANTHRAX, and I began to question my judgment in a big way. We were on a tour cycle for an album I hated, and we had to play soings from the album every night. That made me angry."

Ian added: "I think I was so thrown and self-conscious because we totally could have put our feet down and told the label we needed more time to finish the record. We even could have dropped off the IRON MAIDEN tour if we had to. We had said no to offers and demands many times before. We got greedy. That's all there was to it. The brass ring was hanging in front of us — a stadium tour with IRON MAIDEN — and we grabbed it."

Track listing:

Disc One - State Of Euphoria (Remaster With Bonus Tracks)

01. Be All, End All

02. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

03. Make Me Laugh

04. Antisocial

05. Who Cares Wins

06. Now It's Dark

07. Schism

08. Misery Loves Company

09. 13

10. Finale

11. Antisocial (French) *

12. Friggin In The Riggin *

13. Parasite *

14. Le Sects *

15. Pipeline *

16. Antisocial (Live At Hammersmith Odeon) *

* Bonus Tracks

Disc Two - Statements Of Euphoria (Charlie's Archives)

01. Be All, End All

02. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

03. Make Me Laugh

04. Antisocial

05. Who Cares Wins

06. Now It's Dark

07. Schism

08. Misery Loves Company

09. Finale

"Riders On The Wind", the new video from LEAVES' EYES, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "Sign Of The Dragonhead", which was released in January via AFM Records. The disc was produced by Alexander Krull at Mastersound Studio and it features cover artwork by Stefan Heilemann (LINDEMANN, EPICA, KAMELOT).

"Sign Of The Dragonhead" is the first full LEAVES' EYES album featuring singer Elina Siirala, who joined the band in early 2016 following an acrimonious split with the group's original frontwoman, Liv Kristine. Liv was previously married to LEAVES' EYES' co-vocalist Alexander Krull.

On "Sign Of The Dragonhead", the chronicles of the Vikings is continued and reveals that the band have honed their strengths even further. At the same time, musical surprises have raised their sound to a new level. The title track is a raw number featuring martial choirs and forges a sonic arch to "King Of Kings", continuing the adventurous journey of King Harald I. Frontman Alexander Krull and virtuoso guitarist Thorsten Bauer prove to be ingenious masters when it comes to composing haunting metal hits. Every track has the musicians upping the creative ante, revealing an impressive amount of diversity without neglecting their trademark sound elements. "Across The Sea" evolves into a metal shanty with an irresistible rhythm, bound to be a definite neckbreaker. "Like A Mountain" sets to music a tragic Icelandic love saga and surprises as a bass-heavy goth rock track. An emotional song with plenty of tough elements which allows Elina to reveal the full range of her vocal skills. Confident and autonomous, her classically trained voice takes possession of the songs — gentle at times, powerful at others — lending a highly individual note to her interaction with Alex's growls.

LEAVES' EYES has succeeded in creating compositionally complex yet tangible tracks. Perfectly coordinated instrumentation — never top-heavy, always unconventional. Medieval nyckelharpas, fiddles, uilleann pipes and whistles blend naturally with the metal guise, creating catchy songs such as "Shadows In The Night" and "Völva", which whisks its listeners away to the mythical world of the seeresses and sorceresses of the Northern countries. Nobody expected a song like "Riders On The Wind", which has classic heavy metal and Celtic folk clash to create an acoustic Viking party. These musicians' deep affinity with the Viking era is revealed on "Jomsborg" about the legendary fortress and its Baltic Viking army, where in fact Alex's ancestors hail from.

"Sign Of The Dragonhead" will be released as a "tour edition" on September 7 via AFM Records.

Track listing:

CD1

01. Sign Of The Dragonhead

02. Across The Sea

03. Like A Mountain

04. Jomsborg

05. Völva

06. Riders On The Wind

07. Fairer Than The Sun

08. Shadows In The Night

09. Rulers Of Wind And Waves

10. Fires In The North

11. Waves Of Euphoria

12. Beowulf (Bonus)

13. Winter Nights (Bonus)

CD2

01. Sign Of The Dragonhead (Instrumental)

02. Across The Sea (Instrumental)

03. Like A Mountain (Instrumental)

04. Jomsborg (Instrumental)

05. Völva (Instrumental)

06. Riders On The Wind (Instrumental)

07. Fairer Than The Sun (Instrumental)

08. Shadows In The Night (Instrumental)

09. Rulers Of Wind And Waves (Instrumental)

10. Fires In The North (Instrumental)

11. Waves Of Euphoria (Instrumental)

LEAVES' EYES and Kristine have offered different accounts of the circumstances behind their breakup, with LEAVES' EYES claiming the decision to part ways was amicably made in January 2016 and Liv saying she was dismissed from the group in April 2016.

LEAVES' EYES is:

Elina Siirala - vocals

Alexander Krull - vocals

Thorsten Bauer - guitar

Pete Streit - guitar

Joris Nijenhuis - drums

"Empyrean Atrophy", the new six-track EP from American death/black metallers CAST THE STONE, can be streamed in its entirety below. The disc is due for release on August 31 via Agonia Records.

CAST THE STONE is Mark Kloeppel (MISERY INDEX, SCOUR), Derek Engemann (CATTLE DECAPITATION, SCOUR), Jesse Schobel (LEGEND, SCOUR) and vocalist Andrew Huskey. First formations of the band began in 2002, long before its protagonists departed for their better-known metal-scene mainstays. While such ties leave a clear mark, CAST THE STONE emerge not as some metal supergroup, but as a project of the original and purest intent of its membership.

Each of CAST THE STONE members is involved in writing music, and each has varying tastes. But they all seem to have one acquired taste in common: an appetite for American and Swedish death metal. On "Empyrean Atrophy", one can distinctly hear sounds similar to DISMEMBER, GRAVE, AT THE GATES, and other proponents of the genre. There are also artisan elements one could liken to more dark and progressive Swedish acts such as OPETH, EDGE OF SANITY and DISSECTION. Perhaps this reason alone, Dan Swanö was a clear choice for production (having produced or had been a member of some of the aforementioned bands).

Hybridizing the dark ferocity of Swedish death metal through a lens of American brutality, CAST THE STONE hits a creative stride with "Empyrean Atrophy". Guitarist Mark Kloeppel commented: "The band's sound is a testament to an enduring spirit that's driven us to return to our most organic influences, merge them together, incorporate disparate elements, and forge our own sound. Each person has a distinct sound unto themselves, so it's really cool how smooth and cohesive this stuff comes across. You can immediately hear how different this is from the other things we've been involved in, yet it's still very true to our individual styles. Our bassist Derek progressively weaves my guitars and Jesse's uber-creative drumming style together in a way that only he can. This is all crowned off by Andy Huskey's crazy death metal vocals which are... well, just listen."

"Empyrean Atrophy" was produced by Dan Swanö (KATATONIA, MERCILESS, EDGE OF SANITY) and features cover artwork by Gary Ronaldson of Bite Radius Designs (PRIMORDIAL, KREATOR, NAPALM DEATH). It includes five new, original compositions and "Jesusatan".

Track listing:

01. As The Dead Lie

02. The Burning Horizon

03. Standing In The Shadows

04. A Plague Of Light

05. Empyrean Atrophy

06. Jesusatan

METALLICA has partnered with master distiller extraordinaire Dave Pickerell to create Blackened, a unique blend of straight American whiskey available in select U.S. cities later this week and online at ThinkLiquor.com or SpiritedGifts.com.

This collaboration is the perfect match. Legendary in the spirits community, Dave is a chemical engineer who has revolutionized the distilling processes with techniques like solera aging and triple-finishing. He experienced the power of soundwaves during his time as a student and then a professor of chemistry at West Point, home to the world's largest church organ. When the lowest note would reverberate through the halls, "the whole building would tremble, it would really shake your guts," Dave says. With that in mind, "Blackened" isn't just the name of a song on "…And Justice For All" and now on the bottle; it literally helps to shape the flavor! That's right, the blend of bourbons, ryes, and whiskeys from all across North America, carefully selected by Dave himself, is housed in black brandy barrels and inundated with low hertz sound waves so intense that it actually enhances the molecular interaction and ultimately the finish of the whiskey.

Says METALLICA: "We are fortunate to have a long-time collaboration with Meyer Sound, who have engineered a proprietary subwoofer that amplifies the low frequency sound waves and all the planets aligned. It just so happens that the low-frequency range needed for Dave's vision was the range you hear in our music and the process of sonic-enhancement we call 'Black Noise' was born. A patent-pending process, the playlists that we create helps to shape the flavor of the whiskey.

"And you guessed it, the soundwave that fronts the bottle comes from 'Blackened' and we're pretty sure you know why the inaugural batch is labeled 081. Each batch of 5,000 bottles of Blackened American whiskey will come with an accompanying playlist at BlackenedWhiskey.com and on Spotify and Apple Music.

"Blackened will be available in stores, restaurants, and bars surrounding a handful of U.S. tour dates this fall including our first stop in Madison on September 2nd. If you're in the area before the show on August 30th, stop by the locations below, meet Dave and pick up a bottle and swing by our pre-show party at Wando's on Sunday. Keep an eye on BlackenedWhiskey.com for more events in the near future and use the locator to see where you can either sip or carry out Blackened American whiskey for yourself. You may order online at ThinkLiquor.com or SpiritedGifts.com; please note that unfortunately all states do not allow delivery of spirits. Sport the Blackened American whiskey logo on a T-shirt, hoodie, hat or beanie, available now in the Met Store.

"The ultimate goal with METALLICA is to connect with our fans through recordings, through concerts, and increasingly through any other way that further creates a bond. We want to show the world, and in this case especially the whiskey connoisseurs, how seriously we take this endeavor. We are obviously not just slapping a METALLICA label on a pre-existing mediocre whiskey, but have been working on this for the last several years and overseeing every detail from the first idea to your first taste with careful precision. The ultimate goal is to make a whiskey that fits into the METALLICA experience and sets itself apart from all the others. We can't wait for you to taste it!"

Blackened American whiskey events:

Thursday, August 30

Bottle Signing and Tasting with Dave Pickerell

Steve's Liquor

122 Junction Road

Madison, WI 53717

12-2 p.m.

Bottle Signing and Tasting with Dave Pickerell

Woodman's Liquor Sun Prairie

1099 S. Grand Ave.

Sun Prairie, WI 53590

3-5 p.m.

Sunday, September 2

Wando's Pre-show

602 University Ave.

Madison, WI 53715

Featured drinks

5-8 p.m.

The official music video for the song "Obscene As Cancer" from Birmingham extreme metal miscreants ANAAL NATHRAKH can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's 10th full-length album, "A New Kind Of Horror", which will be released on September 28 via Metal Blade Records.

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

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

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

"A New Kind of Horror" track listing

01. The Road To...

02. Obscene As Cancer

03. The Reek Of Fear

04. Forward!

05. New Bethlehem/Mass Death Futures

06. The Apocalypse Is About You!

07. Vi Coactus

08. Mother Of Satan

09. The Horrid Strife

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

The Danish/Swedish group NORDIC UNION — which features PRETTY MAIDS vocalist Ronnie Atkins and guitarist/songwriter/producer Erik Martensson (ECLIPSE, W.E.T., AMMUNITION) — will release its sophomore album, "Second Coming", via Frontiers Music Srl on Nov. 9.

The partnership between the two Scandinavians came about sometime in 2015, when Atkins was sent a bunch of demos put together for him by Martensson. The enthusiastic reaction from Atkins sparked a brand new musical alliance that culminated in NORDIC UNION's self-titled debut album, which was released in January 2016.

Musically, the duo presented a hybrid of the more melodic aspects of PRETTY MAIDS' sound mixed with elements of ECLIPSE, TALISMAN and W.E.T., while still possessing their own identity. Following requests from fans for a follow up to the debut, the two musicians decided to give NORDIC UNION another shot, so after a few months production, "Second Coming" will land soon much to the delight of melodic rock fans worldwide!

Every aspect of the album screams quality. The songwriting is of the highest standards, the musicianship faultless, and the production top notch, crispm and clear as a bell. Ronnie Atkins continues to improve with time as he deftly demonstrates throughout the album that he knows how to use his voice effectively at any given point in a song. Heavy riffs, soaring vocals, thumping beats, and a grand ballad... this album has it all and flows perfectly with songs that are memorable, rocking, and of course, melodic. Prepare to delight your ears with a great new album from the sensational Nordic musical alliance known as NORDIC UNION.

"Second Coming" track listing:

01. My Fear & My Faith

02. Because Of Us

03. It Burns

04. Walk Me Through The Fire

05. New Life Begins

06. The Final War

07. Breathtaking

08. Rock's Still Rolling

09. Die Together

10. The Best Thing I Never Had

11. Outrun You

Listen to the track "Walk Me Through The Fire" below.

Recording lineup:

* Ronnie Atkins - Lead & Backing Vocals

* Erik Martensson - Lead & Rhythm Guitar, Bass, Keyboards and Backing Vocals

* Magnus Ulfstedt – Drums

Atkins, 53, co-founded PRETTY MAIDS with guitarist Ken Hammer in Denmark in 1981. The group has released 15 studio albums to date, most recently 2016's Jacob Hansen-produced "Kingmaker", which cracked the Top 40 in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. The band plans to release a new album in 2019.

Martensson is a prolific Swedish producer, guitarist and songwriter who is best known for fronting ECLIPSE — who will also release a new album in 2019 – and serving as the "E" in the melodic rock supergroup W.E.T., whose third album, "Earthrage", was released via Frontiers on March 23.