JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill spoke to Germany's M94.5 radio station about SLAYER's decision to call it quits after completing one last world tour. "SLAYER have had a great run; they really have," he said (see video below). "We love 'em to death; we're great admirers of SLAYER. And we've worked with them over the years — quite a few times, in fact, bumping into each other at festivals. They've been on tour with us as well, on two or three occasions, I believe. They probably decided their time has come. I can't speak for them — I don't know the reasons that they're quitting — but it's obviously a good time for them. So, good luck to 'em — we love 'em to death."

According to Hill, who turned 67 in January, there are no plans for JUDAS PRIEST to retire anytime soon. "We love it, people want us to do it, so why not?" he said. "If ever there comes a time when we can't put a quality show on, we'll start thinking about slowing down again. But that's not happening at the moment."

In 2011, PRIEST embarked on its world run of "Epitaph" shows, at the time billed as a farewell tour. It wasn't long, however, before the members of PRIEST changed their minds, with singer Rob Halford crediting the addition of guitarist Richie Faulkner, who replaced original member K.K. Downing just prior to the "Epitaph" tour, with rejuvenating the band and causing everyone to reconsider.

Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003.

PRIEST has just returned to the United States for a co-headlining run with fellow classic heavy rockers DEEP PURPLE.

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

Former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE drummer Shawn Drover spoke to Heavy Metal And Booze about SLAYER's decision to call it quits after completing one last world tour. He said (see video below): "Well, it's obviously something that they want to do. And it's all speculative, what you read on the Internet, which most of what I read on the Internet is full of shit anyway, so you have take that with a grain of salt. Obviously, somebody in the band doesn't wanna tour anymore, and that's fine. Look, Tom Araya [SLAYER frontman] has a wife and kids, and they've been doing it for 36, 37 years. The first record came out, I think, in '83 — I think 'Show No Mercy' came out in '83. So as a band with a record out, they've been touring for 35, 36 years now. So… it's a long time."

Drover announced his exit from MEGADETH in November 2014 to "to pursue [his] own musical interests." A few hours later, guitarist Chris Broderick revealed he was also quitting the legendary metal band, saying that he was leaving the group "due to artistic and musical differences."

Drover and Broderick are joined in ACT OF DEFIANCE by ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass),

ACT OF DEFIANCE's sophomore album, "Old Scars, New Wounds", was released last September via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Birth And The Burial" was mixed by Dave Otero, who has previously worked with CEPHALIC CARNAGE and CATTLE DECAPITATION, among others. The cover artwork was created by Travis Smith (KING DIAMOND, OPETH, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD).

Adrian Harte, the blogger whose web site, Faith No More 2.0, has become the pre-eminent source for all things FAITH NO MORE, will release the book "Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More" on September 12 via Jawbone Press.

"When I first heard about this FAITH NO MORE biography, I didn't know what to think," said FAITH NO MORE co-founder and bass player Bill Gould. "But I have to give credit where it is due. It's a quality piece. The man has done his research, and it shows. It provided me with more than a few revelations… and I'm in the band."

While not an official book from FAITH NO MORE itself, the 376-page offering features interviews with multiple band members, managers and key figures from the band’s 39-year history and has the full endorsement of the San Francisco-based group.

"Small Victories…" tells how such a heterogeneous group formed, flourished, and fractured, and how FAITH NO MORE helped redefine rock, metal and alternative music. The book chronicles the creative and personal tensions that defined and fueled the band, forensically examines the band's beginnings in San Francisco's post-punk wasteland, and charts the group's ascent to MTV-era stardom. Based on meticulous research and hundreds of interviews, the book combines a fan's passion with a reporter's perspicacity.

Harte is an experienced journalist and communications professional who works as a media intelligence manager for UEFA, the European football governing body. Since 2009 he has run Faith No More 2.0, through which he has become known and trusted by the band, their management and their fans. He lives in Aubonne, Switzerland.

DISTURBED guitarist Dan Donegan has told the South Carolina radio station 93.3 Planet Rocks that the band will begin touring in support of its new album, "Evolution", this fall. "Well, we might have a handful of shows," he said (hear audio below). "We are doing Austin City Limits in October, and we will be playing with METALLICA, which is, obviously, a huge opportunity for us. We didn't really plan on doing much touring this year, but when that opportunity came up, of course, that's undeniable; I think we instantly said, 'Of course. We'd love to do that.' So we might look into potentially building a few shows around the release date [of the new DISTURBED album] and around that show. But the majority of the touring… We're trying to finalize routing now, and we'll be hitting the road pretty hard at the beginning of the year. And the majority of next year will probably be all the territories that we usually hit throughout the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Europe, Russia…. We're gonna try to squeeze in as much as we can in all of 2019, and we'll see if it takes us into the following year or where we're at when next year ends."

DISTURBED's seventh studio album, titled "Evolution", will arrive on October 19. The band recently shared the official music video for "Are You Ready", the first single from the LP.

"Evolution" marks the first DISTURBED album since 2015's "Immortalized", which featured a cover of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence".

"Immortalized" was DISTURBED's fifth No. 1 album in a row and ended a four-year hiatus for the group.

Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio that "Evolution" contains "some really killer stuff," with "nice new twist and new turns that we're taking, and some experimenting on it. There's still always gonna be those things that are signature DISTURBED because of the way we play or the way David [Draiman] sings, there's gonna be an identity there, but there's definitely some things that we've took a departure on as well," he said.

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

Photo by Travis Shinn

Helsinki-based heavy metal quartet OCEANHOARSE has regretfully announced that Tommy Tuovinen will not be able to continue as the singer of the band due to hearing loss.

"I got my ears checked recently, and the results showed dramatic decrease in hearing," Tuovinen says. "I was basically told by the doctor that I couldn't keep exposing myself to the kind of volume that being in an active band requires — especially one such as OCEANHOARSE that is working five days a week and plans on touring for months on end for years to come. This is shattering news, but I must take it seriously. I will probably do occasional studio work and maybe some one-off shows here and there in the future, but unfortunately it looks like my active career in music is done."

"We were all shocked when Tommy told us the news," guitarist Ben Varon says. "We had just gotten off to such a great start with each single doing better than the last one; we had songs on Wreckfest game soundtrack, great shows opening for big bands, festival slots... Not to mention negotiations with record labels and plans for our first bit of touring abroad, all of which will now be put on hold. It's back to square one for us, basically.

"But all that aside, the worst part is of course that Tommy has to involuntarily step down from doing the one thing he loves. In losing Tommy's amazing voice and charisma, we're losing one fourth of what makes OCEANHOARSE what it is. Still, health comes first, and we know that there is no other option but to start thinking about a future without him in the band."

"OCEANHOARSE is thus announcing a search for a new singer! If you can sing, know how to work a crowd, prioritize music over everything else and are willing to give 120 percent of yourself to this band, you might be the one we're looking for," says bassist Jyri Helko.

Drummer Oskari continues: "We're not looking for a Tommy clone: you don't need to sound like him to land the job. What we're looking for first and foremost is character: a strong frontman (or frontwoman) with their own identity, someone who'll bring their own flavor to the band. So if you think you have what it takes to sing in a highly driven, hard-working band with its sights on world domination, don't hesitate to contact us. Drop us an email to and we'll get back to you. The journey is only about to begin!"

"Of course OCEANHOARSE will go on — that's a no-brainer," Tommy says. "Ben, Jyri and Oskari are far too good a trio not to be playing together. Their chemistry is unlike I've ever seen or heard in a band. OCEANHOARSE will go on to do great things, I'm sure of it!"

After two years of working in the shadows, OCEANHOARSE, which consists of familiar faces from the Finnish metal scene, released its debut single and video, "The Oceanhoarse", in January. It was followed by two sold-out shows in Finland supporting BEAST IN BLACK.

It was a conscious decision to hold up the launch until the band was extremely tight, the song material strong enough, and the band's own unique voice beginning to take shape. Good songs were canned along the way, if the group felt they didn't fit or weren't original enough.

Early on, the members of OCEANHOARSE also set some ground rules for themselves: There would be zero use of backing tracks or synthesizers. The focus would be on kick-ass, live-oriented heavy metal. The band would also have to be number one priority to all of its members, no exceptions.

"D.I.E.", the new video from THE AMITY AFFLICTION, can be seen below. The clip marks the conclusion of a three-part short film established by the music videos for "Ivy (Doomsday)" and "Feels Like I'm Dying", all written and directed by THE AMITY AFFLICTION vocalist Joel Birch.

"D.I.E.", "Ivy (Doomsday)" and "Feels Like I'm Dying" are taken from THE AMITY AFFLICTION's new album, "Misery", which was released on August 24 via Roadrunner Records.

Having just completed a U.S. run on the milestone final Vans Warped Tour 2018, THE AMITY AFFLICTION will head to Europe for a fall headline trek, slated for stops in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium. Support on select dates will come from DREAM STATE, THE PLOT IN YOU, ENDLESS HEIGHTS, and others.

Recorded earlier this year in Baltimore, Maryland with producer Matt Squire (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, ARIANA GRANDE, UNDEROATH), "Misery" is the long-awaited follow-up to THE AMITY AFFLICTION's acclaimed fifth studio album, "This Could Be Heartbreak". That LP made a spectacular chart debut upon its 2016 arrival, entering among the top 30 on the Billboard 200 while also charting at #1 in their native Australia — THE AMITY AFFLICTION's third consecutive time topping the ARIA album chart.

THE AMITY AFFLICTION is Joel Birch (vocals), Ahren Stringer (bass, vocals) and Dan Brown (guitar).

"Misery" track listing:

01. Ivy (Doomsday)

02. Feels Like I'm Dying

03. Holier Than Heaven

04. Misery

05. Kick Rocks

06. Black Cloud

07. D.I.E.

08. Drag The Lake

09. Beltsville Blues

10. Burn Alive

11. Nothing Left

12. The Gifthorse

"Inamorato", a new song from THE WHITE SWAN, the Canadian doom-laden sludge rock trio founded by drummer-turned-vocalist/guitarist Mercedes Lander (KITTIE), can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new EP, "Touch Taste Destroy", which will be released on September 7.

Following up from THE WHITE SWAN's previous EPs, 2017's "The White" and 2016's "Anubis", "Touch Taste Destroy" spans over three tracks with support from guitarist Shane Jeffers and bassist Kira Longeuay. It was recorded, mixed and mastered at Noble Street Studios in Toronto, Ontario, Canada with acclaimed engineer Alastair Sims (RUSH, THREE DAYS GRACE).

Regarding the previously released "Touch Taste Destroy" title track, Lander commented: "'Touch Taste Destroy' is about experiencing real romantic love for the first time. The kind of love that completely consumes you and ruins any idea of what you thought real love was like.

"The main riff came together very easily for me and was written on an Alvarez baritone acoustic on my couch in about five minutes. We had the middle part tucked away in our bank of riffs and it fit very well with the main bit of music.

"Lyrically, the song is quite sappy, which is an underlying theme with THE WHITE SWAN in general, but I really wanted to keep the verses very dark sounding, to contrast the lyrical content, and the choruses a bit more intense but in the same dark vein as the verses.

"I felt like 'Touch Taste Destroy' perfectly describes the EP's theme. Not only is it one of my favorite songs, but it speaks for the content of all three songs on the EP."

"Touch Taste Destroy" track listing:

01. Touch Taste Destroy

02. Pelvic Sorcery

03. Inamorato

"Touch Taste Destroy" will also be offered as a special limited-edition vinyl on gold variant via War Crime Recordings.

THE WHITE SWAN will hit the road this fall as they embark on a series of headlining dates across Eastern Canada stretching into the Midwest U.S.

"As The Sun Draws Near", a new song from THE SKULL, the band featuring vocalist Eric Wagner and bassist Ron Holzner, formerly of metal legends TROUBLE, can be streamed below. The song is taken from THE SKULL's sophomore album, "The Endless Road Turns Dark", which will be released on September 7 via Tee Pee Records. The LP was recorded in Chicago's Decade Music Studios with engineer Sanford Parker (YOB, TOMBS) and builds on the foundation laid by THE SKULL's debut album, "For Those Which Are Asleep", a recording that landed at or near the top of a host of 2014 year-end best of lists.

THE SKULL, which also features longtime CATHEDRAL drummer Brian Dixon, guitarist Lothar Keller (SACRED DAWN), and guitarist Rob Wrong (WITCH MOUNTAIN), creates classic SABBATH-ian doom with a psych-tinged metal vision. "The Endless Road Turns Dark" benefits greatly from the pedigree and experience of the band's members and pushes authentic, old-school metal to heavier and more foreboding places, fueled by burly riffing, metallic groove and a crushing punch. Ethereal and wonderfully moody with a heart of heavy metal beating at its center, the record delivers definitive doom metal full of powerful builds and mesmerizing dynamic range. More than a mere throwback, "The Endless Road Turns Dark" is the work of a band that respects their fans, understands their own history, and still has their ears open to the current doom metal landscape. A wicked exercise in heavy metal majesty, "The Endless Road Turns Dark" plays like a natural extension of the musicians exemplary work during their 20-plus years with TROUBLE and cements THE SKULL as modern-day doom metal royalty.

"The Endless Road Turns Dark" track listing:

01. The Endless Road Turns Dark

02. Ravenswood

03. Breathing Underwater

04. The Longing

05. From Myself Depart

06. As The Sun Draws Near

07. All That Remains (Is True)

08. Thy Will Be Done

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of MASTERS OF CEREMONY, a new project masterminded by none other than one of the most talented writers, musicians, and producers of the German heavy metal scene, Sascha Paeth.

To label Paeth a multi-talented producer, engineer, musician, and songwriter might not quite cover his full set of skills and achievements. The Wolfsburg-born German multi-musician has produced countless bands including AVANTASIA, KAMELOT, RHAPSODY and EPICA. Having worked on, produced, and engineered over 200 albums since 1988, it's fair to say he has a reputation for being at the forefront of shaping the European melodic power metal sound. Now, Paeth is taking the next step in his artistic journey by releasing his new project, SASCHA PAETH'S MASTERS OF CEREMONY.

Sascha says: "Finally, I am putting my energy into a metal project of my own. It is the sum of my experiences over the years and a bit of a revival of what I was doing in the past."

As a 15-year-old teenager, you might have found Paeth playing a more bluesy style, or VAN HALEN-meets-ACCEPT style hard rock, but it wasn't long before Paeth joined HEAVEN'S GATE, where the music was harder and heavier. The experience was where he learned to enjoy inspiration from adapting, from new styles, and from new collaborations. It was the start of a long journey through the music business, a journey that is far from over.

"It took a few years of nice, and ambitious, talks about a possible collaboration with Frontiers," says Sascha. "It's my very first metal solo album and I am looking forward to sharing the progress on the production and revealing the band members over the next weeks and months."

SIEGE OF POWER's song "Violence In The Air" can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's debut album, "Warning Blast", which will be released on September 7 via Metal Blade.

SIEGE OF POWER started in 2013 as a project without any expectations. Shortly after releasing a split album, it was left for dead, buried and almost forgotten until the rotten corpse was exhumed in 2017. This resulted in a no-nonsense extreme metal album mixed with several doomdozers. Influences vary from CARNIVORE and STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH to DISCHARGE and AMEBIX, done in their own style.

SIEGE OF POWER is:

* Chris Reifert (AUTOPSY, VIOLATION WOUND, ABSCESS, PAINTED DOLL) - Vocals

* Paul Baayens (ASPHYX, HAIL OF BULLETS, THANATOS) - Guitars

* Theo van Eekelen (HAIL OF BULLETS, HOUWITSER, GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT) - Bass

* Bob Bagchus (ASPHYX, SOULBURN, GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT) - Drums

"Warning Blast" track listing:

01. Conquest For What?

02. For The Pain

03. Bulldozing Skulls

04. Born Into Hate

05. Torture Lab

06. Uglification

07. Trapped And Blinded

08. Diatribe

09. Warning Blast

10. Mushroom Cloud Altar

11. Lost And Insane

12. Bleeding For The Cause

13. Escalation 'Til Extermination

14. Privileged Prick

15. Short Fuse

16. Violence In The Air

17. It Will Never Happen

18. The Cold Room

Comments Chris Reifert on the Metal Blade signing: "Well, this is pretty fucking cool. Metal Blade was one of the early metal labels I discovered as a young teenager while questing for the next heavy thing and I discovered tons of bands through their regular album and EP releases as well as the highly influential 'Metal Massacre' series. My history with MB is deep, whether they know it or not and here we are now working together at last. Hell yeah!"

Bob Bagchus: "The name Metal Blade is metal magic to me. Always has been since my early pubic years. Names such as METALLICA, SLAYER, TROUBLE, HALLOWS EVE are as strongly connected to Metal Blade as to my childhood when I first got into metal. Being signed by them with SIEGE OF POWER is a great feeling and perhaps the crown of my 'musical' career!"

Photo credit: Martijn Peters

German thrash metal veterans NECRONOMICON will release their ninth studio album, "Unleashed Bastards", on September 28 via El Puerto Records.

Nearly three years have passed since the arrival of "Pathfinder ... Between Heaven and Hell" — an album that thrilled fans and press from South America to Russia alike.

NECRONOMICON guitarist/vocalist Volker "Freddy" Fredrich promises "Unleashed Bastards" will contain "a full menu — everything will be there: from punk to old school, from speed to flawless thrash metal. So the band has experienced a lot since their debut album in 1986 and has a lot to tell."

The official music video for the song "Total Rejection", taken from "Unleashed Bastards", can be seen below.

"Unleashed Bastards" track listing:

01. Burn And Fall

02. Leave The Lights On

03. Total Rejection

04. Malevolent

05. We Did We Do We Always Burning

06. Imperial

07. My Name Is Vengeance

08. Forbid Me For Living

09. Unleashed

10. Religion Live Fast

11. Personal Enemy

12. The Nightmare Continues

NECRONOMICON has been known as one of Germany's cult thrash acts since the early eighties. With eight studio albums under their belts and appearances all over the world in the past three decades, they prove they have still got that metal spirit.

Norwegian alternative metallers MADDER MORTEM have released a music video for the song "Far From Home". The track is taken from the band's seventh full-length album, "Marrow", which is due on September 21 via Dark Essence Records. The symbol-laden clip was created by the noted Romanian artist Costin Choireanu.

According to MADDER MORTEM, "Far From Home" "grew out of an early morning's vocals idea, and into a very MADDER song. Everything we love is here: contrasts and melody, fragility and heaviness, anguish and hope. The lyrics are about a long night's uneasy journey into day, about the gut-wrenching worry that rides on the back of truly caring for someone."


Regarding the video itself, and the collaboration with Chioreanu, who has a long-standing history with Dark Essence Records and the Norwegian music scene, MADDER MORTEM went on to say: "When we approached artist Costin Chioreanu about creating the video for 'Far From Home', we gave him the music, the lyrics, and otherwise an absolutely free rein. The result is his unique interpretation of the song and the feeling, and when we first saw it, we were all tearing up. Costin gave the song another dimension, and we are so grateful to him for expanding our music into the visual realm."


"Marrow" sees MADDER MORTEM hungrier and heavier than ever before. The eleven-track album is complex, covering a wide variety of genres and sounds that range from moments of folk/prog to avant-garde. From delicate ballads to harsh metal. Agnete M. Kirkevaag's dynamic and immensely powerful vocals, are, as always, at the fore on an album that is more doomy than its predecessor, "Red In Tooth And Claw", as well as being at times both heavier, and catchier.

"Marrow" is about "sticking to the essence of yourself. Your ideas, your thoughts, your values". It was produced by BP M. Kirkevaag and mastered by Peter In de Betou at Tailor Maid.

With artwork by the legendary artist Thore Hansen, "Marrow" will be available in digipak CD, digital, and limited-edition green vinyl gatefold LP formats.

"Marrow" track listing:

01. Untethered

02. Liberator

03. Moonlight Over Silver White

04. Until You Return

05. My Will Be Done

06. Far From Home

07. Marrow

08. White Snow, Red Shadows

09. Stumble On

10. Waiting To Fall

11. Tethered

Photo by Janne Kim Gitmark

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"Non Serviam: The Official Story Of Rotting Christ", a full-length book created by ROTTING CHRIST frontman Sakis Tolis and Dayal Patterson (author of "Black Metal: Evolution Of The Cult", "The Cult Never Dies Vol. One" and "Into The Abyss"), will be released in late November via Cult Never Dies. The book will contain extensive interviews with Themis Tolis, Jim Mutilator, Morbid, George Tolias, George Emmanuel and members of other bands, including WATAIN, MAYHEM, ENSLAVED, MOONSPELL, BLASPHEMY, MYSTIFIER, SEPTICFLESH, BEHEMOTH, MACABRE OMEN and IMMOLATION.

ROTTING CHRIST recently entered the studio to begin recording its brand new album, to be released in early 2019 via Season Of Mist. The disc is being produced by vocalist Sakis Tolis. Jens Borgen (AMON AMARTH, KREATOR, DIMMU BORGIR, OPETH, KATATONIA) will again take on the job of mixing and mastering.

ROTTING CHRIST's "Their Greatest Spells" was released in March via Season Of Mist. This double-CD compilation features a best-of selection approved by Tolis as well as the new track "I Will Not Serve".

Tarja Turunen (ex-Nightwish) has released a video for "Over The Hills And Far Away" (Live At Woodstock) from the mediabook edition her new live-art-album and video, Act II, out now via earMUSIC. Watch below:

Filmed during Tarja's world tour The Shadow Shows, during which the influential heavy rock singer circled the world 7.5 times with over 300,000 km travelled and played over 200 shows in 40 countries in front of 1 million people, Act II consists of the singer's very intimate 75-minute set filmed and recorded live at the Metropolis Studio in London, UK and the breathtaking live performance of one of her shows in Milan, Italy, and previously unreleased interviews and photo galleries.

The theatrical rock adventure Act II combines two incredible, yet slightly different live performances on video:

The first chapter, Metropolis Alive, has been filmed two months prior to the release of Tarja's 2016 success The Shadow Self. Twenty winners from all over Europe were lucky to witness Tarja's intimate, yet rocking set at renowned Metropolis Studios in London, where the singer performed songs from her then unreleased album - for the first time in front of an audience.

Act II is the second chapter and was recorded on November 29th, 2016 at the magnificent Teatro della Luna Allago in Milan, Italy and includes numerous hits from all four Tarja albums such as "Innocence," "Die Alive," "Until My Last Breath," as well as an incredible cover of Muse's classic "Supremacy." That night's set list also enchants the soprano's long-time fans with a medley consisting of the distinctive Nightwish evergreens: "Ever Dream," "Slaying The Dreamer," and "The Riddler." It was all topped off with a remarkable acoustic set, which presented Tarja classics in a brand new way.

Even though the shows deliberately differ in look, sound, approach to the music and adrenaline, both have one thing in common: from the very first to the very last tune, the state of the art production displays Tarja's energetic performance and her graceful, charming presence.

A wide variety of exclusive, limited fan items and bundles can be found on Tarja’s official web shop here.

Legendary duo Hacavitz have resigned to Moribund Records to reap a multi-lingual whirlwind of serpentine black metal. Rooted in death metal and immersed in pre-Hispanic mythology, Nex Nihil sounds out ‘the end’ in any language.

Nex Nihil is a hook-laden blackened death metal killer, start to finish. A triumphant return to the Moribund Cult and their most rocking, accomplished and skillful album to date. With this, their fifth album, Hacavitz asserts their dominance as the #1 Hispanic metal band of our era, and elevates the mysteries of ancestral cultures into the ominous plane of occult history.

Official release date is set for September 28th. Listen to the track "Unconsecrate" below.

Tracklisting:

"Grimmagia"
"Nighte"
"Relentless Sleep"
"Perish"
"Semen Nihil"
"Unconsecrate"
"Rabid The Moon"

"Unconsecrate":

Prolific in output and undeniably fierce in execution, Eastern Sierra black/death metal quartet Valdur will release their new album Goat Of Iniquity on October 19th via Bloody Mountain Records.

The band released this statement concerning the forthcoming album: "Valdur - Goat Of Iniquity: another chain of songs containing deep extremities and primitive, suffocating atmospheres. This is not a continuation of our previous release; this album moves backwards in a far more violent structure and sound; like a death metal cassette from 1988. Goat Of Iniquity was recorded by us and us alone in the Bloody Mountain Bunker, with no triggers or other redundant studio shortcuts. Vicious underground metal recorded in a live setting. Not for trendy ears! For Valdur, Goat Of Iniquity is another step deeper into the obscure halls of integrity."

Goat Of Iniquity will be available in digipack format as well as digital download, along with a new t-shirt design exclusive to this release.

Tracklisting:

"Divine Halls Of Obscurity Pt. I"
"Goat Of Iniquity" / "Devouring The Whore Of Darkness"
"Divine Halls Of Obscurity Pt. II"
"Spiritual Exhaust (The Beyond)"
"Inhale The Floodgates Open"
"(Iniquitous)"

Promo video:

Recorded at the Bloody Mountain bunker by Valdur, winter 2018
Mixed by Matthew at Canyon Lodge studio
Cover art by FarronLoathing
Mastered by Dan Klein at Iron Hand Audio in Chicago, IL

Professionally filmed video footage of Mr. Big performing their mega-hit "To Be With You", at this year's Wacken Open Air festival in Germany, can be seen below:

Mr. Big's Live From Milan was released in July on 2CD+Blu-Ray Combo Pack, 3xLP, and MP3 (audio only). Order here.

Following the release of their 2017 album Defying Gravity, Mr. Big set out on a trek that took them all over the world to promote the new release in a live setting. Anyone who has ever had the distinct pleasure of seeing the band live knows that the virtuoso musicianship and incredible vocals are on full display in this setting. By this time, drummer Pat Torpey's battle with Parkinson's Disease had been made public, but Pat toured with the band regardless and sat behind the drum kit for select songs, while also providing background vocals and percussion on other tracks when Matt Starr was taking his turn on the kit. Captured at a stop in Milan, IT, Live From Milan has a tracklisting that will surely satisfy long-time and newer fans of the band, and of course contains bass and guitar solos from the always entertaining and awe inspiring Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert, respectively. Sadly, this would be one of Pat Torpey's last performances with the band as he passed away from complications due to Parkinson's in early 2018.

The set captures a special moment in time for the band and also serves as a "greatest hits" of sorts as they hit on all their classic songs from the early albums as well as revered material from newer releases.

"The gig was packed, really no room to breathe and it was steaming hot in there but the energy and vibe that I was feeling from the guys in the band was that we were going to lean into it...ha I know that sounds cliché coming from me but it was true , there was no holding back . I've seen the video of this concert dozens of times now and it's us... hard and heavy and still kicking out the jams," says frontman Eric Martin.

Tracklisting:

Disc 1:
"Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy"
"American Beauty"
"Undertow"
"Alive And Kickin'"
"Temperamental"
"Just Take My Heart"
"Take Cover"
"Green-Tinted Sixties Mind"
"Everybody Needs A Little Trouble"
"Price You Gotta Pay"
Paul's Solo
"Open Your Eyes"
"Wild World"
"Damn I'm In Love Again"

Disc 2:
"Rock And Roll Over"
"Around The World"
Billy's Solo
"Addicted To That Rush"
"To Be With You"
"1992"
"Colorado Bulldog"
"Defying Gravity"

Blu-Ray:
"Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy"
"American Beauty"
"Undertow"
"Alive And Kickin'"
"Temperamental"
"Just Take My Heart"
"Take Cover"
"Green-Tinted Sixties Mind"
"Everybody Needs A Little Trouble"
"Price You Gotta Pay"
Paul's Solo
"Open Your Eyes"
"Wild World"
"Damn I'm In Love Again"
"Rock And Roll Over"
"Around The World"
Billy's Solo
"Addicted To That Rush"
"To Be With You"
"1992"
"Colorado Bulldog"
"Defying Gravity"

"Colorado Bulldog" video:

"Alive And Kickin'" video:

Former Dio guitarist Tracy G’s Tracy G Group has released a new video for “Land Of Make Believe”.

“Land Of Make Believe” is the title track from his recently released album via Spooky G Music.

Tracklisting:

“Lil Diddy”
“False Reality”
“The Inside”
“Throw It All Away”
“Haunted”
“Warped Out”
“Sky Is Falling (Again)”
“Land Of Make Believe”

Dave Mustaine says that he never blamed METALLICA's Lars Ulrich for the lack of more "Big Four" shows.

The MEGADETH leader made headlines earlier in the month when he told Danish web site Heavymetal.dk that he "strongly" doubted there would be any more concerts featuring the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH and ANTHRAX. "I would do it; I think the other two bands [apparently referring to SLAYER and ANTHRAX] would do it; but there's one person that's holding it up for everybody," he said. "So you've gotta ask the right person. I have nothing to fear; I have nothing to lose. We're all supposed to be friends now, so I think that if the fans are first and foremost, then you know what? Let's go. Let's go."

After Mustaine's Heavymetal.dk comments were published, some people speculated that the "one person" Mustaine was referring to that was supposedly "holding up" more "Big Four" shows was Ulrich, whom Mustaine has frequently derided in the press. But in a brand new interview with "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", Dave dismissed the Internet chatter, calling it a "silly controversy" and "just more sophomoric journalism" that was designed "to get gossip out of me."

"I never said that Lars is standing in the way of there being a 'Big Four' show," Mustaine said (hear audio below). "What I have said, and I stand by this, is that SLAYER going away… they're choosing to go out on their terms [by embarking on one final tour], which is terrific. And I wish them the best.

"Kerry [King, SLAYER guitarist] and I have had a friendship over the years. Albeit on the outside it looks like we're not friends because of some stuff that he or I have said to each other over the years, we're friends. And the same thing with Tom [Araya] and Dave [Lombardo] and Jeff [Hanneman], when he was with us, and with Gary [Holt] now; we're friends.

"I hope that MEGADETH and SLAYER get to go one more round somewhere. I think it would be great, especially if it was a 'Big Four' show," he added. "But that's entirely up to them. And if it doesn't happen, we've had our share of SLAYER and MEGADETH shows, and I'll always appreciate those times together."

Mustaine also confirmed that MEGADETH has begun collecting ideas for the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album for a tentative spring 2019 release. "We've been putting new music up in my Dropbox, and the stuff that Dirk's [Verbeuren, drums] been playing along to it is scary," he said. "We've never had any of those blast-beat kind of things on our music before, and some of the drumming on this is so mind-blowing. It's making me a better guitar player again, which I love. But I never thought we were gonna be playing this fast or this aggressive again."

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

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

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

Mark Thompson from HardRockCore conducted an interview with vocalist/bassist Steve Tucker of veteran Floridian death metallers MORBID ANGEL prior to the band's May 8 concert at Ace Of Spades in Sacramento, California. You can listen to the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On how MORBID ANGEL fares in smaller markets:

Steve: "Honestly, we don't play that small of places. I don't know, man — it seems like people are pretty spoiled, regardless, from live video footage. People are pretty spoiled. It's different touring these days than it used to be. You're easily overexposed."

On what it's like to be a professional musician in this day and age:

Steve: "If you're doing it for money, you're kind of in the wrong business."

On what fans can expect live from a Tucker-fronted MORBID ANGEL, which has largely refrained from playing any David Vincent-era songs of late:

Steve: "Of course, we're out promoting the new album, 'Kingdoms Disdained', so we're doing quite a few of those songs and mixing in some older songs and just mixing it up."

On what he was listening to circa 1985:

Steve: "I would say probably some DIO, [IRON] MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST, MOTÖRHEAD. 'Master Of Puppets' [METALLICA], for sure, is in my arsenal. [Editor's note: 'Master Of Puppets' was released in 1986.] SLAYER. You're going to hear a lot of thrash. A lot of thrash at that point was really sort of where I was at."

On whether he thought back then METALLICA would become the biggest metal band in the world:

Steve: "I actually didn't know a lot of people that liked them. I didn't know a lot of people who were METALLICA fans at that point. A couple of years later, that story changed drastically. Just like [SLAYER's] 'Reign In Blood', it's one of those albums where those guys were peaking and everything was happening all at once. It all came out in that album. There's just those magic moments."

On SLAYER's current "farewell tour":

Steve: "I don't know what I think of it, to be honest. I maybe don't believe them. I don't know… Why would you completely say, 'Hey, I'm done with this forever.' If you say, 'Hey, we're not going to tour for a while.' Or, 'We don't know what's going on for a minute.' Okay, that's one thing. But, to just say, 'Hey, I'm done forever.' I don't know that's for real. I don't know. I see both sides of the coin. I see how you could be tired. But at the same time, there are these people who are beating the door down to see you. Why would you walk away? But, as I said, maybe a break's due."

MORBID ANGEL recently wrapped its U.S. headlining tour with support provided by ORIGIN, DREAMING DEAD and HATE STORM ANNIHILATION.

"Kingdoms Disdained" was released in December via Silver Lining Music in the U.S. and JVC in Japan. The disc, which reunites founding guitarist Trey Azagthoth with Tucker, was recorded at Mana Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida and produced by MORBID ANGEL with Erik Rutan (CANNIBAL CORPSE, HATE ETERNAL, SIX FEET UNDER, BELPHEGOR).

Joining Azagthoth and Tucker during the recording sessions for "Kingdoms Disdained" was drummer Scotty Fuller (ANNIHILATED; formerly of ABYSMAL DAWN).

SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine says that the band is not opposed to making another studio album.

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. He has since been replaced by Mikkey Dee, formerly of MOTÖRHEAD.

Asked by SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk if SCORPIONS would consider releasing a new album in the not-too-distant future, Meine said: "I think we never would say no, because it's so much in our veins to have this rhythm of touring, making records, being creative, going back into the studio.

"We just put an album out in 2015 with 19 songs, with all the extras and bonus tracks for Japan and whatsoever, so it takes a lot of time, it takes a lot of work in the studio," he continued. "And I think we might be ready next year, at least to go back and come together and start songwriting, and let's see what comes out.

"At the end of the day, to make an album, to go back into the studio, you have to have the feeling we have great material, there are great songs, and it's time now to do it, and really to top yourself — at least give it a try," Meine added. "And it only makes sense if everybody feels it in the band, if everybody wants it, and we know the fans want it. And if we feel we have the right material, the right songs, the right setup, I think we might go back into the studio and maybe surprise a lot of people. But if we do it, we'll definitely go for the harder edge of the SCORPIONS. But if that would be reality, we have to figure out, and we have to see how things will turn out at the end of this year into next year and if everybody's ready to go for another challenge and really try and go for the best. Because that's all what counts at the end of the day — if you make another album, then you'd better come out with something strong. And there are a few examples of bands [from] our generation — like JUDAS PRIEST recently; DEEP PURPLE as well — they came up with really strong new albums. So it can be done. And let's see what life will bring."

SCORPIONS will return to America on August 31 to kick off rescheduled tour dates in Phoenix, San Antonio, Dallas, Tampa, and Hollywood (Florida), as well as adding two new stops in Lake Tahoe, Nevada and Irvine, California. Joining the SCORPIONS on these U.S. dates will be QUEENSRŸCHE.

In a statement announcing the tour, Meine said: "I am extremely happy to announce that the SCORPIONS have rescheduled all the remaining American dates that we were forced to cancel last fall due to my severe laryngitis. I was so overwhelmed with all the love and well wishes from our fans when we had to cancel, that the band and I were determined to get back to the U.S. to make these dates up to our loyal and dedicated fans. I am also happy to say that QUEENSRŸCHE will join us as well for these 'Crazy World' shows! We look very much forward to seeing you out there and get ready to ROCK!"

SCORPIONS tour dates with QUEENSRŸCHE:

Aug. 31 - Lake Tahoe, NV - Harvey's Lake Tahoe

Sep. 02 - Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheatre

Sep. 05 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre

Sep. 07 - San Antonio, TX - Freeman Coliseum

Sep. 09 - Dallas, TX - Pavilion at the Music Factory

Sep. 12 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Event Center

Sep. 14 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena

Jason Rockman of Montreal, Quebec, Canada's CHOM 97.7 radio station recently conducted an interview with Rob Zombie. You can now listen to the chat below.

Asked if he ever thought he would still be touring and performing more than 30 years after the formation of his previous band, WHITE ZOMBIE, Rob said: "I don't think anyone ever thought they would be doing it this long. Just a couple of days ago, I was hanging out with Alice Cooper, 'cause he was at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and I just dropped by to say hi. He's 70, and he has no plans of retiring. I mean, Jesus Christ, Jerry Lee Lewis hasn't even retired yet.

"No rock guys have ever retired — they just… they died; that's why they retired," he continued. And when I hear, 'Oh, SLAYER are retiring,' I go, 'No fucking way! No way!' They think they wanna be home and have a life. After two years, they're gonna go cuckoo and they're gonna be back on the road. That's what we're all built for — we're all crazy and we need to do this. And I don't know why. And I don't see any retirement ever. We'll keep going until we can't go anymore.

"The only time I said I would retire is when I thought I just can't do it anymore and you know you're not good — you know the shows aren't good, you know you can't bring it," he added. "But until then, yeah. And time goes by fast, too."

Rob went on to say that he feels "better now performing" than he did 30 years ago. "I don't even get tired anymore," he said. "It's fine. I mean, I would feel more wiped out 20 years ago playing than I do now.

"I think when you're young, because you are young, you can treat yourself like shit and still do the show," he explained. "But now, everything I do is with being fit and healthy to do the show, so we actually can do it better.

"I was watching some footage of Mick Jagger from a recent [THE ROLLING STONES] show. He's 74, and he's amazing. Of course, he looks old. Who gives a shit? And you look at Ron Wood — he looks like the same guy, except he looks like an old version [of himself]. It's kind of cool. And Iggy Pop."

According Rob, people are surprised to see so many old musicians still rocking out because "no one ever saw it happen before." He added: "We thought, 'Oh, rock stars are young and cute, and then they die at 27.' But there's something cool about these… They look like they've been through the war — these battle-scarred maniacs on stage; there's something kind of cool about it."

Rob, who is also a successful filmmaker, has just signed a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to his 2016 studio album, "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser", and 2018's "Astro-Creep: 2000 Live" is due in 2019.

Zombie's next movie, "3 From Hell", was shot in California a few months ago and is tentatively due in early 2019.

*EXCLUSIVE* Jason Rockman talks with Rob Zombie!!*EXCLUSIVE* Cross this one off the bucket list! I had a one on one chat with Rob Zombie!! See him at HEAVY MONTRÉAL !! ~ Jason Rockman ( Photo by Susan Moss)Posted by CHOM 97 7 on Friday, July 20, 2018

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford paid tribute to Aretha Franklin, the "Queen of Soul," who died on August 16 after it was reported that she was "gravely ill" in Detroit. Her family said that the cause of death was advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type.

During an interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM radio station, Halford said (hear audio below): "[I] love you, Aretha — what you stood for with your music, your messages, especially with the messages of the time.

"I was 16 when 'Respect' [Franklin's best-known hit] came on the radio in England. And when you're in your early teen years, you're trying to figure out a lot of stuff, aren't you? And music sometimes can be your only friend. So when I first heard that song and the power in her voice and the soul in her voice — man, it was just a rush. So I've always been an Aretha fan. She means so much to so many people — millions of her fans around the world. But her voice is, was and will always be very special and very unique to so many people.

"To a fellow singer, to a brother singer, I relate to Aretha," he continued. "You know when you sing in the shower, how good it makes you sing. That's the thing about singing live, and that is the voice of Aretha Franklin — she has this power to touch you so deeply and move you so deeply with the emotion in her voice. And she would belt it out, and she could also sing the most beautiful ballads and melodic songs as well. She was across the borders as a performer.

"So, God bless you, Aretha. Thank you for everything you've done for us."

Franklin was 76 years old at the time of her death.

In 1987, Franklin became the first woman to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and was later named the "Greatest Singer of All Time" by Rolling Stone.

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

The band has just returned to the United States for a co-headlining run with fellow classic heavy rockers DEEP PURPLE.

Interview (audio):

According to The Pulse Of Radio, ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/singer Jerry Cantrell was asked in a new interview with Billboard for his thoughts on "Degradation Trip", the epic solo album he made in 2002 with future METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo and FAITH NO MORE drummer Mike Bordin. Cantrell responded: "I was just really fucked up back then, to be honest with you, and you can totally hear it on that record. It was done right before I got sober, and it was also done right when I was dealing with the death of my band, and then the unhappy coincidence of Layne [Staley, ALICE IN CHAINS frontman] passing away right after I released that record. So it was not a good time in my life, and it totally comes across on that record."

Cantrell added: "It's a record I don't listen to a lot anymore because of all those things I mentioned," revealing that he got sober a year after it was recorded. He continued: "But it's a record that's important to me, and I'll see Robert and Mike every once in a while and they're like, 'We should do some fucking shows, man. Some 'Degradation Trip' shows.' [Laughs] I tell 'em we'll do it someday."

"Degradation Trip" was Cantrell's second solo outing, following 1998's "Boggy Depot".

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", this past Friday (August 24).

UFO guitarist Vinnie Moore says that he doesn't know how long the band's final tour will last.

Back in May, UFO frontman and founding member Phil Mogg announced his plans to retire from the group.

The singer, who turned 70 in April, released a statement confirming that he will leave the band after UFO completes a farewell 50th-anniversary tour in 2019.

In a brand new interview with Rock Titan, Moore said that he is not entirely sure if UFO's last tour will continue beyond next year.

"From the way it's been told to me, [Phil] doesn't wanna call it a farewell tour — 'Last Orders', I think, was his official term," Vinnie said (see video below). "He basically wants to slow down. And when we got out next March, in 2019, that's basically the beginning of the end. Nobody knows how long it's gonna take to wind down. Maybe there'll be some shows in 2020. I don't know. I doubt it will be [five years] long, but maybe into 2020, you just never know. But the only thing concrete I've heard about at the moment is we're doing England next March and the fall probably America. So that's all I know about at this point."

Moore also talked about his decision to join UFO back in 2003, saying that he didn't have a lot of reservations about coming into the band as the replacement for UFO's best-know guitarist, German guitar wunderkind Michael Schenker. "I didn't think too much about it," he said. "I grew up a fan of the band — I had some of their records and I was totally into what they were doing — and so I felt like musically and stylistically, I would fit right in. And because they had had several guitar players in the band — somebody once told me that they've had, like, 17 different guitarists — so if there was only one guy, like Schenker or whatever, I think I would have been more apprehensive. But because a lot of people have been in the band… Just bring in another idiot; it doesn't matter where he's from — Delaware or Philadelphia; just bring him over. [Laughs]"

Saying that Schenker was "definitely" an early influence on his guitar playing, Vinnie was confident that his style would be a good fit with UFO's classic hard rock sound. "I was a fan when I was a kid," he explained. "And I remember learning a couple of his solos at guitar lessons — my teacher showed me some of his stuff. So, yeah, I was a big fan of the band and I was definitely a Schenker fan. So, yeah, it was, like, 'Wow!' Who would have ever thought that when I was, like, 16, 15 years old in my bedroom jamming with different records — Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW, UFO — that someday I would actually be in UFO; I never, ever would have dreamed that. This is totally surreal."

In his statement announcing UFO's final tour, Mogg said the decision was "a long time coming," adding that while "being out on the road isn't always tremendously luxurious and although the playing is as great as it ever was, the stuff that surrounds it becomes very tiresome. I always told myself that when I reached that stage, I would step down, and that's what I'm going to do. This is the right time for me to quit."

UFO's latest release was last year's covers collection, "The Salentino Cuts".

Jammcard has uploaded drum-cam footage of Art Cruz (PRONG, WINDS OF PLAGUE) performing the song "Laid To Rest" with LAMB OF GOD during the band's just-completed North American tour with SLAYER. Check it out below.

LAMB OF GOD made its live debut with Cruz on July 26 at Gilford, New Hampshire's Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion.

Cruz filled in for LAMB OF GOD's regular drummer, Chris Adler, who sat out the band's tour with SLAYER "due to unforeseen circumstances."

The North American trek, which also featured ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT and NAPALM DEATH, wrapped on August 26 in San Jose, California.

LAMB OF GOD said in a statement that Art was recruited for the gig "at the recommendation of Chris." The band added that it expects "to see Chris returning in the very near future."

In addition to LAMB OF GOD, Adler has played drums with a number of metal artists, including MEGADETH, NITRO, BLOTTED SCIENCE and PROTEST THE HERO.

LAMB OF GOD is touring in support of its covers album, "Legion: XX", which was released under the BURN THE PRIEST banner on May 18 via Nuclear Blast in Europe and Epic Records in the U.S.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE will release the song "Love To Hate" on September 7. This will be the second official single from the band's forthcoming album, "Salvation", which will arrive on October 26 via Nerve Strike Records.

"Salvation" was mixed and mastered at The Mouse House Studio in Altadena, California by veteran producer/engineer Rich Mouser, known for his work with Robert Trujillo (METALLICA, OZZY OSBOURNE), Chris Vrenna (MARILYN MANSON, NINE INCH NAILS, TWEAKER), Chris Cornell, WEEZER and DREAM THEATER. Pre-orders for "Salvation", along with additional singles from the album, will also be made available in September.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE's recent single, "Famine", debuted at No. 86 on the iTunes Metal chart and has received over 130,000 views on YouTube in the three weeks since its release.

Seann Nicols (formerly of ADLER'S APPETITE, QUIET RIOT, Bobby Blotzer's RATT) took over as the lead vocalist for WESTFIELD MASSACRE in June 2017 when the band parted ways with Tommy Vext (ex-SNOT, DIVINE HERESY), who currently sings for BAD WOLVES. Rounding out WESTFIELD MASSACRE's current lineup are Stephen Brewer on guitar, Erik Tisinger (ex-OTEP) on bass, Dio Britto on drums, and Luis Kalil on guitar.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE has a sound that can be described as a bridge between modern American and European metal. With aggressive growls, high soaring vocal melodies, impossibly fast drums, classically inspired passages and harmonized guitar leads, WESTFIELD MASSACRE aims to make their modern metal accessible to fans of all music genres.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE's self-titled debut album was released in April 2016 on Urban Yeti Records. The album made it to No. 3 on iTunes Metal chart and debuted at No. 14 on Billboard's Heatseeker chart, where it stayed in the Top 20 for several weeks. The band has toured with SEVENDUST, TRIVIUM and CANDIRIA and also performed at festivals, including Ozzfest Meets Knotfest and Dirtfest.


Photo by: Kaelan Barowsky

Vinnie Paul Abbott's cause of death has been revealed. The 54-year-old PANTERA and HELLYEAH drummer died of dilated cardiomyopathy — an enlarged heart — as well as severe coronary artery disease, a heart condition. Clark County Coroner John Fudenberg told TMZ he died of natural causes.

Dilated cardiomyopathy results in is a chronic weakening of the heart muscle, typically the main pumping chamber (or left ventricle). The ventricle stretches and thins (dilates) and can't pump blood as well as a healthy heart can.

Vinnie Paul was buried on June 30 next to his brother, PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas. He was laid to rest in a custom "Kiss Kasket" provided by KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. The casket was offered as a gift at Vinnie's family's request. Vinnie was also buried in some of his trademark clothes, including his hat, shoes and flannel.

Speakers at the service included former GRIM REAPER guitarist Nick Bowcott and SiriusXM DJ Jose Mangin. Also appearing at the event were original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, DISTURBED's David Draiman, NICKELBACK's Chad Kroeger, ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante, FOZZY's Chris Jericho and ROUGH CUTT's Paul Shortino.

According to TMZ, Vinnie Paul left the bulk of his estate to to his best friend and longtime girlfriend; Charles Jones will get 38% while Chelsey Yeager will walk away with 37%. The rest is split between Vinnie's tour manager (10%), drum tech (5%), producer (5%) and friend (5%). In addition, Vinnie is giving his interest in Dimebag's estate to the guitarist's longtime girlfriend, Rita Haney.

Vinnie's brother was buried in the original Kiss Kasket prototype in 2004 after his untimely death. The coffin featured the faces of the four founding members of KISS, the KISS logo and the words "Kiss Forever." Both Abbotts were huge fans, especially Darrell, who was shot dead by a gunman in December 2004.

A public memorial for Vinnie Paul was held on July 1 at Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas.

Vinnie passed away on June 22 at his home in Las Vegas. He had reportedly finished laying down drum tracks for the next HELLYEAH album, although there is no word yet on when that LP will see the light of day.

Canadian musician and producer Devin Townsend has praised NICKELBACK's Chad Kroeger, calling him "a real person" who is "exceptionally talented."

Even though NICKELBACK has sold over 50 million records worldwide since it formed in 1995 in Alberta, Canada, the band that peculiar dichotomy of simultaneously being one the world's most despised and popular acts.

While the Canadians appear broadly hated by a large, vocal portion of the Internet, they are praised by their fans for writing well-crafted, catchy pop-rock songs.

Townsend, whose solo albums are a mix of hard rock, progressive metal, ambient and new-age, offered his views on Kroeger in a series of tweets, crediting the NICKELBACK frontman with helping him when he "needed help."

Devin wrote: "As you progress in any field, eventually the 'lifers' in a profession find they have a lot more in common than they may have anticipated.

"For years, I was critical of NICKLEBACK for a number of reasons, not the least of which jealousy and falling into the negative public sentiment. In part, I had heard through the grapevine that the singer (who came up in the same scene I did) was critical of me as well, so when he and I unexpectedly became friends, I took some time to reflect on my thoughts on his band. I saw them play a few years back and it was great.

"Over the past few months, him and I have spent some good times together, hanging out, playing guitar, and talking. He became a big help to me in that there's no competition between us, and a lot of things I was struggling with professionally, there's no real resource for advice.

"Chad is a real person. He's exceptionally talented at what he does and he's above all a good dude who helped me when I needed help. He gets a ton of shit, but I have immense respect for the guy now. In fact, I've met very few brilliant people in this industry, but he's one of them

"We tried writing together a bit but it seems we're on very different planets from each other musically, same passion, but it's coming from a different place. Regardless, whatever anyone may think of the guy, he's not full of shit in my opinion and I'm glad to know him. Respect."

Kroeger admitted a while back that the group has never been a critical favorite. "I think we actually used to pay a little bit of attention to that, and we just kind of accepted it's, like, nope, we are never going to be one of those bands, we are never going to be the critic's darlings, and we're okay with that," he said. "Even a lot of critics are kind of, like, 'We've done our best to try and get the word out there that as many people as possible should hate this band because we hate this band.' And they've just sort of gone, 'You know what? We can't do it. We cannot convince anybody else to hate this band as much as we do.'"

The second part of Devin's "ERAS" vinyl collection will be released on August 31. This set includes the much-sought-after albums "Ocean Machine", "Physicist", "Terria", "Synchestra" and "Infinity", all in gatefold sleeves across eight pieces of vinyl, contained inside a sturdy two-piece box with an extensive LP booklet containing liner notes and comments from Devin himself. All the albums have been mastered for vinyl for the optimal listening experience.

NICKELBACK has released nine albums, six of which have gone platinum. The band is the 11th best-selling music act and second best-selling foreign act in the U.S. in the 21st century behind THE BEATLES. "How You Remind Me" was named Billboard's top rock song of the decade and reached No. 4 on the Top 10 songs of the 2000s list.

Besides nine Grammy Award nominations, the band has received three American Music Awards, a World Music Award, a People's Choice Award, twelve JUNO Awards, seven MuchMusic Video Awards and induction into C

Vocalist Caleb Johnson, who won the thirteenth season of the television singing competition series "American Idol" in 2014, will join the eastern touring troupe of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA on their annual winter tour this year, which kicks off November 14 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

As a contestant on "Idol", Johnson earned praise for his renditions of '80s hard rock anthems by WHITESNAKE and BON JOVI, in addition to covers of RUSH, AEROSMITH and JOURNEY.

Several months after winning "Idol", the 27-year-old native of Asheville, North Carolina — who is managed by SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo for McGhee Entertainment (KISS, TED NUGENT) — released his debut album, "Testify", via Interscope. Produced by Howard Benson (MOTÖRHEAD, HALESTORM, ALL THAT REMAINS), the disc included one song co-written by James Michael (SIXX:A.M.) and another written by Justin Hawkins (THE DARKNESS), while a "deluxe edition" also featured a cover of AEROSMITH's "Dream On". Among the musicians who appeared on the album were Phil X (BON JOVI), Joe Rickard (IN FLAMES) and Josh Freese (GUNS N' ROSES, A PERFECT CIRCLE, NINE INCH NAILS).

Upon its release, "Testify" debuted at No. 24 on the Billboard 200 after selling 11,000 albums during its first week of availability, the lowest first-week sales figure and chart position of any "Idol" winner. According to Wikipedia, the album has sold just over 30,000 copies to date. Johnson subsequently parted ways with Interscope and independently released an EP, "Born From Southern Ground", in 2016. He will release a new single, "Born And Raised", on September 10, with a new album to follow soon after.

Prior to hitting the road with TSO, Johnson will take part in "Bat", a touring production in which he will perform MEAT LOAF's legendary "Bat Out Of Hell" in its entirety while backed by members of the NEVERLAND BAND. "Bat" was created and is being produced by guitarist Paul Crook (ex-ANTHRAX), who has performed with MEAT LOAF since 2003.

TSO's eastern troupe also includes guitarists Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE) and Joel Hoekstra (WHITESNAKE), vocalists Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X) and Zak Stevens (SAVATAGE) and drummer Jeff Plate (SAVATAGE). Its western counterpart, meanwhile, includes two more SAVATAGE alumni — guitarist and musical director Al Pitrelli and bassist Johnny Lee Middleton — as well as drummer Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER) and vocalists Jeff Scott Soto (SONS OF APOLLO), Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS) and Dino Jelusic (ANIMAL DRIVE).

Photo courtesy of Caleb Johnson's Facebook page

Stoked to be rocking the east coast leg of the @trans_siberian winter arena tour !! See you at a show ! Dates are below ?⚡? pic.twitter.com/EnqEZRvZNo— Caleb Perry Johnson (@CalebJohnson) August 25, 2018