Swiss all-girl heavy metal outfit BURNING WITCHES will release its second album, "Hexenhammer", 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.

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)

The first trailer from the studio, which includes a teaser for the album's lead single, "Executed", is available below.

"Executed" will be released on August 31.

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)

British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON will release their new album, "Amo", on January 11, 2019 through RCA/Sony.

BRING ME THE HORIZON has been on a rocket of a journey over the last few years, selling over four million albums globally to date, playing sellout shows in over 40 countries, including two sold-out nights at London’s O2 plus wowing a traditionally non-rock crowd at Glastonbury Festival in 2016.

Poised now to release its sixth studio album, the band has spent the summer writing and recording in Los Angeles, with Oli Sykes and Jordan Fish handling production. What has transpired is one of BRING ME THE HORIZON's most exhilarating, genre-crossing albums to date.

Of the new disc, Oli says: "'Amo' is a love album that explores every aspect of that most powerful emotion. It deals with the good the bad and the ugly, and as a result we’ve created an album that’s more experimental, more varied, weird, and wonderful than anything we’ve done before."

On Tuesday, BRING ME THE HORIZON released a new single called "Mantra", with Sykes telling BBC Radio 1 about the track: "It felt like the first thing we wanted to show people upon our return."

Sykes said the music he and his bandmates are working on is "completely different" from "That's The Spirit", hinting, "We want to be a heavy band, but not in the way you think of heavy."

Prior to the new song's premiere, BRING ME THE HORIZON launched a mysterious campaign, including a billboard reading "Do You Want To Start A Cult With Me?" — a line that ended up being one of the lyrics in "Mantra".

While "Amo" will have some surprises, it very much sticks to the band's successful fan-pleasing formula of massive stadium-bouncing rock songs with huge singalong choruses. A sound that has earned them five A-list Radio 1 records to date.

The promotional campaign also saw the band starting a web site, joinmantra.org, with an initial message that read: "There are those who will say that only after a lifetime of sacrifice and good doing can the soul be free — that God demands conditions in the freedom and that some have the power of making mankind slaves."

The band's 16-city "First Love Tour" will kick off January 23 in Nashville, Tennessee and see them perform across the country, including stops in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and more before wrapping February 16 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tour dates:

Jan. 23 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium

Jan. 25 - Orlando, FL - CFE Arena

Jan. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy

Jan. 28 - Fairfax, VA - EagleBank Arena

Jan. 29 - Manhattan, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom

Feb. 01 - Boston, MA - Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell

Feb. 02 - Laval, QC - Place Bell

Feb. 04 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore Detroit

Feb. 05 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom

Feb. 06 - Minneapolis, MN - Armory

Feb. 08 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom

Feb. 09 - Houston, TX - Revention Music Center

Feb. 11 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore Auditorium

Feb. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum

Feb. 15 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre

Feb. 16 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

aмo
janυary 11https://t.co/rN5yN6wmY0 pic.twitter.com/hTCq5AHNGc— Bring Me The Horizon (@bmthofficial) August 22, 2018

The second trailer for "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).

The first single from the disc, "Evil Empowered", can be streamed below.

Comments guitarist/vocalist Max Cavalera: "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'!"

"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

CYHRA has entered Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark to begin recording its sophomore album. The follow-up to 2017's "Letters To Myself" will tentatively arrive in early 2019 via Spinefarm Records.

CYHRA is the band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE), guitarist Jesper Strömblad (ex-IN FLAMES), guitarist Euge Valovirta (ex-SHINING), and drummer Alex Landenburg (LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY).

In a recent interview with Metal Casino (see video below), Jake stated about the songwriting process for CYHRA's upcoming album: "When we wrote the first songs [for the debut album], we were just sitting, jamming around, and we had no plans — we had no expectations from fans or labels or anything like that — and now we have. We've been touring a lot — we've been playing a lot of shows — and now we realize that, 'Oh, the new songs, we might have to think a little bit more about how are these songs gonna work out live.' So we continue the same road with this album as the last one — it's a natural progression, music-wise — but we've been putting a little bit more effort into having the songs work out in the live set."

According to Jake, one of the biggest differences between CYHRA's next disc and "Letters To Myself" is the fact that the band no longer has a bass player, having split with former IN FLAMES member Peter Iwers earlier in the year. "We actually have more or less decided — we don't know for the future — but right now, the bass is gonna be handled by Mr. ASUS, as we call him; that's our computer," Jake said.

Asked about the inspiration for the lyrics on the second CYHRA album, Jake said: "I haven't been writing anything. We've been discussing a lot. But it was the same thing with the first album — we had tons and tons and tons of ideas and we wrote shitloads of lyrics, but it was not until the final stages, when you are in the studio, when you feel the vibe, that, 'Okay, now we know what to write.' It just falls down like this, and you know: 'Okay, now we're ready.' As the music is a natural progression, the lyrics are gonna be that as well. But I can probably say it's still gonna be personal, but maybe it doesn't have to be all about feeling bad or stuff like that, but it's still gonna have a personal touch."

"Letters To Myself" was recorded at Top Floor Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden.

CYHRA made its live debut in October 2017 at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland.

This past spring, CYHRA completed a successful North American tour opening for SABATON and KREATOR.

On September 28, Noise Records will release RUNNING WILD's "Pieces Of Eight: The Singles, Live And Rare. 1984 - 1994". A deluxe, limited-edition box set containing all the band's Noise Records singles, the re-record compilation "The First Years Of Piracy" and an expanded, double gold vinyl version of its debut live album, "Ready For Boarding", which features a whole new show on disc two, from 1989, previously only available before on VHS tape.

All of these titles have been long out of print, since their original release during the band's decade tenure on Noise. The box set also includes a collectable RUNNING WILD piece of eight coin and a two-sided poster featuring the band's classic lineup and the box set artwork.

German heavy metallers RUNNING WILD were formed in 1976 in Hamburg, but shot to fame during the emergence of the German metal scene in the early-to-mid-1980s.

Over the course of their career, they have released sixteen studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, and six singles/EPs. Although their earlier releases contained Satanic themes and imagery, they later invented the pirate metal subgenre after the band released their third album in 1987, "Under Jolly Roger", which was a switch to pirate-based and historical themes, creating and influencing the later named pirate metal subgenre of heavy metal in the 2000s in the process.

While the historical lyrics were fantasy at first, the lyrics for later albums were intensively researched, by frontman Rolf Kasparek in particular. From 1988 to 1992 (for the albums "Port Royal", "Death Or Glory", "Blazon Stone", "Pile Of Skulls" and "Masquerade"), RUNNING WILD mainly wrote history-based lyrics. In addition to lyrics about pirates like Calico Jack, Klaus Störtebeker, or the little-known Henry Jennings, the band also addressed subjects like the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Waterloo, or the colonization of the New World by the Conquistadors. They have sold over 1.8 million albums globally, making them one of Germany's largest exports.

Hungarian southern groove-thrash metal band Stonedirt have completed work on their third record, titled Backlash-Zone. The first new song, “Desolation Hammer” is already available, along with the video clip that the guys shot in February. Coming six years after Inherited Fever (2012), the new album is going to be released via Nail Records on September 14th, and can be preordered on the band’s official website.

“Forged from the purest steel in the fires of Hell, straight from Budapest! Stainless metal, combining modern and classic components, for real headbangers. All packages include a bonus air guitar that automatically appears in your hand while you're listening to the songs, and can be used anywhere!”

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

“Desolation Hammer” video:

Upon November the 17th, the first Hulkoff album Kven will be unleashed. It is warrior music, rooted in the location of the once mighty Kvenland. The Kvens are the forgotten tribe of a forgotten kingdom, yet the Kven legacy lives on to this day. A lyric video for “Beastmode” is streaming below.

Kven marks the debut of Hulkoff as a "solo" artist. Having spent decades writing and performing in band constellations (a decade of success as the songwriter/frontman of gold selling Swedish chart-topper Raubtier), it was high time to realize this idea. The album is mixed and mastered at the Black Lounge by sound maestro extra-ordinaire Jonas Kjellgren.

"I have thought about this album for a very long time" Hulkoff says, "and to finally let it see the dawn is nothing short of triumphant". The music is, as Hulkoff prefers it, iron-hard and grandiose. Melodic and aggressive, metal for the Viking-hearted. The lyrics delve into the ancient ancestry of the North, and the way of life and the religion of the Kvens, The Scythians, The Goths, The Celts, the Finns and the later Norse. Blood-soaked, of course. 

From the Bronze Age through the migration period and into the Iron Age, Fenno-Scandia (or Etunaheimar/Jotunheim) has been a kettle of cultural birth. And fierce warriors.

The musicians performing together with Hulkoff on this album, are second to none. Anders Johansson (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, Hammerfall) is nothing else than a living legend. Anders shares Hulkoff's interest in the old ways and hard music. So does Anders' son Niklas Johansson, who is playing bass on the album. "It is a great and inspiring thing, to have father and son picking up arms together,” Hulkoff proclaims. 

On the track “Ibor & Aio”, about the two warrior brothers who became chieftains and ruled the Winnili tribe together, in pursuit of a new Kingdom, Hulkoff is joined by the one and only Sabaton frontman Jocke Broden.  Together they deliver a heartfelt tribute to the Royal brothers, who managed to find a home for their tribe in what is now known as Lombardy in Italy.

Kven is a historical journey in many ways. In "Wide-Wuth”, Hulkoff experiments with ancient Gothic. The chorus and the bridge consists of Neo-Gothic poetry with a few splashes of ancient Greek and Scythian. "Imagine what it would sound like, if Theoderic the Great sang a metal tune". Ancient Hunnish can be heard on "Kurgan" and Old Norse words and phrases appear on "Jarfr". The track "Erilaz" about the Heruli warrior "Muha", has the parts of Muha's invoking of hail into his spear sung in Proto-Germanic.

The release date for Introvert, the new full-length album from Slegest, has been set for November 16th on Dark Essence Records.  Sounding more rock than ever, Introvert will be the third studio outing for the Norwegians, and will comprise eight tracks guaranteed to please the fans of Slegest's riff-laden music.

Introvert promises to be an album in which Slegest's trademark sound of black metal and classic heavy rock is well and truly defined.  The shades of the ‘80s are more present than before, and the album is filled with great riffs, ensnaring hooks and a vicious catchiness. The title, on the other hand, reflects the material's origin, as Slegest’s frontman and main composer Ese explains:

“An introvert - a person who is predominantly interested in their own inner experiences. The album is born out of a mindset and lifestyle characterized by introversion. Slegest's music has always fed on inner moods, feelings, nostalgia and heavy rock. Nevertheless, this inspiration from within has led to our most outgoing and in-your-face material ever! We are surpassing ourselves on this one, let it spin in the face of life itself!”

Bass and vocals for Introvert were recorded in Systrond and engineered by Ese. Drums and guitars were recorded at the Conclave and Earshot Studios in Bergen with Bjørnar Erevik Nilsen engineering the drums, whilst the guitars were engineered by Herbrand Larsen, who also mixed the album.  Iver Sandøy handled the mastering.

With cover artwork by Anders Røkkum, Introvert will be available in CD, Digital and Vinyl formats.

 

Tracklisting:

“Blodets Varme Gjennom Meg”
“Ungergangens Tankesmed”
“Maler Lys I Mørketid”
“Da Brenne I Glåsi”
“I Den Sanne Flamme”
“Dødskyss”
“Leitar”
“Den Onde Sirkel”

British Columbia blackened death metallers Xul have teamed up with BraveWords to premiere their new song “Life Disintegrating”. The track will be featured on their upcoming album What Lies Hidden…, scheduled for a winter 2018 release. The song is inspired by the movie Koyaanisqatsi by filmmaker, Godfrey Reggio.

Vocalist Levi Meyers comments, “We are very pleased to release the first track off our upcoming album What Lies Hidden…. This is my favourite track on the album. It’s inspired by the film, Koyaanisqatsi. I seriously recommend checking out the movie, preferably on your choice of psychedelics. This album is by far our most compelling content to date. This album portrays the evolution of a band that has established its roots in Western Canada, over the past ten years, with all original members. We hope you like it as much as we do. We are very proud of this content and want all our fans to know we appreciate their patience and support over the last several years. Cheers.”

Head to our  Featured Audio to hear “Life Disintegrating”.

Croatia's Sage have released a video for "Heaven Open Your Gates", the closing track of the band's debut album Anno Domini 1573, out on September 21st via Rockshots Records. Watch below.

The album is a concept album about the Peasants’ Revolt that took place in England in the 1300s. The album encompasses themes of the battles between good and evil, honesty and greed. Sage delivers a mix of heavy, powerful and progressive metal, which the band blends to forge a unique but recognizable sound.

"The band name Sage means both the plant sage and 'a wise old man'", comments Enio Vučeta, guitarist and backup singer of the band. "We wanted to connect this to ourselves in a way because we are composed of several generations of Croatian musicians and we have great ambitions for our music to make a breakthrough in the world."

Anno Domini 1573 has been co-produced by Casey Grillo (Kamelot), mixed and mastered by Jim Morris at Morrisound Recording Studio. It is available for pre-order in Digipak Deluxe edition CD+DVD here.

Tracklisting:

"Rivers Will Be Full Of Blood"
"Rebellion"
"Wolf Priest"
"Dragon Heart"
"Two Souls"
"Blacksmith’s Tale"
"Man Of Sorrow"
"Join Us"
"Treason"
"Battle"
"Heaven Open Your Gates"

"Heaven Open Your Gates" video:

"Treason" video:

"Battle" video:

Lou Caldarola, the drummer for Connecticut-based prog-metal outfit Soundscape has just filmed and released a drum playthough video for the band's recent single, "Insatiable".

The band, who formed in 1995 and released two full-length albums prior to breaking up in 1999, recently reunited and has been in the studio recording new material. The first single "Insatiable" was released in April on Angel Thorne Music (Caroline, Universal). Caldarola, along with singer/producer Rob Thorne, guitarist Todd Rose, and bassist Scott Waite, expect to release more songs before 2019.

“This song is all about addiction and the power it wields on both sides,” says vocalist Rob Thorne.  “As a father of three children, I see what’s going on around me - kids sitting in groups staring down at their phones not speaking to each other, kids choosing to Face Time in to a party instead of actually go. It’s weird. They’re addicted to the illusion that social media is a better experience than the world that’s happening right in front of them, and, honestly, I think it’s as scary as the opioid problem. That’s why we draw those parallels in the lyric video. And look at the companies that are profiting. Apple, Facebook, Verizon, Purdue Pharma... are they really making the world a better place? Really?”

“Insatiable” lyric video:

Progressive dark metallers Dark Millennium will release their new album Where Oceans Collide on August 24th via Massacre Records. A visualizer for the album track "In Equilibrium" can be found below. Pre-order the album here.

Dark Millennium continues its unpredictable evolution with Where Oceans Collide. The distinctive guitar work by Hilton Theissen and Michael Burmann as well as the unique voice of Christian Mertens are still dominant and highly recognizable even in a new and experimental setting.

The album, which will include 11 songs, was mixed and mastered by the band's guitarist Hilton Theissen at Wide Noise Studio in Arnsberg, Germany. The artwork was created by Alexander Freund.

Tracklisting:

"Vampire's Empire"
"Lovers Die"
"Moving Light"
"Insubstantial"
"Nights, Eternal"
"Flesh Is Weak"
"The Lie Behind The Trust"
"Diseases Decease"
"Jessica's Grave"
"In Equilibrium"
"Across Oceans Of Souls"

"In Equilibrium" visualizer:

"Lovers Die" video:

(Photo - KIKI)

German black/doom/punk chimera Mantar will release their third studio album The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze on August 24th via Nuclear Blast. Pre-order the album here, and listen to the song "Taurus" below.

Mantar have achieved more in five years than most bands twice their age and size. The product of a twenty year friendship between guitarist/vocalist Hanno Klaenhardt and drummer Erinc Sakarya, theirs is a success story born entirely of one thing: hard work, with three albums, an EP and a live release already to their name. Releasing their 2014 Svart Records debut Death By Burning, an uncompromising clash of stripped-back punk attitude and metal intensity to instant critical acclaim, the band toured relentlessly, gracing stages the world over, including the hallowed likes of Roadburn, Wacken Open Air and Maryland Deathfest. They used 2016’s Ode To The Flame, their Nuclear Blast Records debut, to further build upon their incendiary live reputation, conquering not only Europe and the US, but Russia, Japan and South Africa.

Now, following a brief period of repose which saw Hanno move to Florida, Mantar return with The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze, a short, sharp shock that hones the hungry riffs and breath-taking pace of their previous records. “We skipped the bullshit,” explains Hanno. “I wanted 3 or 4 minute songs; bam, bam, bam. Every song different, catchy - that’s what rock and roll is about.”

Tracklisting:

"The Knowing"
"Age Of The Absurd"
"Seek + Forget"
"Taurus"
"Midgard Serpent (Seasons Of Failure)"
"Dynasty Of Nails"
"Eternal Return"
"Obey The Obscene"
"Anti Eternia"
"The Formation Of Night"
"Teeth Of The Sea"
"The Funeral"

"Taurus":

"Seek + Forget" video:

"Age Of The Absurd" video:

Album snippets:

Mantar's metallic genesis is unique in that neither member classes themself as a metalhead. Hanno’s a punk kid that developed a love for black metal later in life. Erinc’s tastes are even further removed, preferring the svelte sadness of the likes of The Sisters OF Mercy. “But we have a metal audience and we are a metal band, I guess!” states Hanno proudly, “I take that as a gift.” He’s never listened to more classic metal records than when writing »The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze«, and it shows in the album’s ceaseless, hook-laden riffs and caustically blackened, nihilistic atmosphere. “Riffs, riffs, riffs are the only hard currency for Mantar - simple as fuck - that’s what I like,” says Hanno. “The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is way more metal than the previous two records; on the other hand I think the songs speak for themselves, without the need for genre classification.”

The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is a title in-keeping with Hanno’s symbolic obsession with fire on albums previous; this time disavowing mankind’s tendency to blindly follow those that would lead us into oblivion. This isn’t necessarily a political statement; more a morbid fascination with current smouldering tensions that threaten to set the minds of the masses on fire. The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is the spark that will ignite the flame - especially onstage. “I’m addicted to those moments up there,” impresses Hanno, “being loud, raw and aggressive - setting the stage ablaze, causing violence; that’s what I live for.”

The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is a title in-keeping with Mantar's symbolic obsession with fire on albums previous; this time disavowing mankind's tendency to blindly follow those that would lead us into oblivion. This isn't necessarily a political statement; but rather a morbid fascination with current smouldering tensions that threaten to set the minds of the masses on fire.

Mantar live dates:

August
24 - Kulturkombinat Bunker - Rostock, Germany
25 - Reload Festival - Sulingen, Germany

Skeletonwitch and Mantar recently announced that they will be hitting the UK and Europe this winter for a co-headline run. Support will come from Belgium thrash outfit Evil Invaders and German deathers Deathrite. Tickets on sale now.

Dates:

November
14 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
15 - Krosset - Oslo, Norway
16 - Sticky Fingers - Gothenburg, Sweden
17 - Markthalle - Hamburg, Germany
19 - Musikzentrum - Hannover, Germany
20 - Hirsch - Nürnberg, Germany
21 - Turock - Essen, Germany
22 - Dynamo - Zürich, Switzerland
23 - KJH Hallschlag - Stuttgart, Germany
24 - Rockhouse - Salzburg, Austria
26 - Backstage - München, Germany
27 - Arena - Wien, Austria
28 - Explosiv - Graz, Austria
29 - Nova Chmelnice - Prague, Czech Republic
30 - UT Connewitz - Leipzig, Germany

December
1 - SO 36 - Berlin, Germany
2 - Biebob - Vosselaar, Belgium
4 - Rebellion - Manchester, UK
5 - Mama Roux´s - Birmingham, UK
6 - Underworld - London, UK
7 - Petit Bain - Paris, France
8 - Schlachthof - Wiesbaden, Germany
9 - Baroeg - Rotterdam, Netherlands

Having achieved commercial success and plenty of critical acclaim, it may come as a surprise to some people to know that American rock band Clutch had a release on Earache way back in their early days, before the release of their first album.

Now with their 12th album coming up later this year, the label has brought back these early recordings on vinyl for the first time in over 25 years. Five tracks, including all three from the band's second ever single "Passive Restraints" which remains a key part of their setlist to this day, as well as the track "Pile Driver", previously only available on the extremely rare 12" edition of Clutch's first ever single way back in 1991.

Completing this release is the demo version of "Impetus", which has never previously been released on vinyl. Scheduled to ship on September 7th, you can pre-order this release here. Check out a video trailer below.

Tracklisting:

Impetus (Demo)
Pile Driver
Passive Restraints
Impetus
High Caliber Consecrator

Trailer:

Original Human Music, the debut album by Ultraphonix, the new creation of Corey Glover (Living Colour) and George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob), alongside the great rhythm section formed by drummer Chris Moore and Pancho Tomaselli on bass, is out now via earMUSIC. The album track "Heart Full Of Rain" is available for streaming below.

Original Human Music was co-produced by Bob Daspit (Sammy Hagar) and it displays the magic match between Corey Glover's iconic voice and George Lynch's unique style on the guitar.

The core and value of Ultraphonix lies in the songwriting and the quality of the songs. Original Human Music is an album where Glover's profound and thoughtful lyrics sound loud - together with the warm and heavy wall of sound created by George Lynch. It's all sustained by a rhythm section that can go anywhere musically.

To quote Lynch, "The album sounds like a fusion of early Chili Peppers meets King Crimson meets Judas Priest! It's a super fun band."

Drawing on (very heavy) rock, funk, and jazz influences, the band paints a picture of a band still believing that social consciousness could be celebrated through great rock songs.

Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Baptism"
"Another Day"
"Walk Run Crawl"
"Counter Culture"
"Heart Full Of Rain"
"Free"
"Wasteland"
"Take A Stand"
"Ain't Too Late"
"Soul Control"
"What You Say"
"Power Trip"

"Heart Full Of Rain":

"Counter Culture":

"Baptism":

"Another Day" video:

"Free" lyric video:

"Walk Run Crawl" video:

Swedish metal crust punks, Martyrdöd, who recently signed a three-album deal with Century Media Records for the world excluding North America, have issued the following update:

"New lineup! (Guitarist) Pontus (Redig) has come to the conclusion that he no longer can give Martyrdöd the time and dedication needed and has therefore decided to leave the band.

"We’ve had a fantastic time together throughout the years and it’s with great sadness but of course no hard feelings we part ways. Tim (Rosenqvist) will fill the spot and take on guitar duties leaving the bass for our new member. Please everybody, welcome Daniel Ekeroth!! For further info and background on Daniel just enter his name in any search engine."

Martyrdöd will enter Studio Fredman in late January to start the recording of the successor of List. The release of the yet-untitled new album is roughly set for May/June 2019.

Martyrdöd lineup:

Tim Rosenqvist - Guitar
Jens Bäckelin - D-beat
Mikael Kjellman - Guitar & Vocals
Daniel Ekeroth - Bass

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has praised AEROSMITH, calling the legendary Boston rockers "a good example of what rock and roll is all about."

Slash first got to know the members of AEROSMITH when the band took GUNS N' ROSES on their first arena tour in 1988. More recently, Slash and his band THE CONSPIRATORS (with singer Myles Kennedy) supported AEROSMITH on the North American "Let Rock Rule Tour" in 2014.

Speaking to HardDrive Radio during a press junket for his upcoming solo album, "Living The Dream", Slash said (see video below): "AEROSMITH is the kind of band that young bands need to look at, 'cause they're one of the last real ones around. There's such a natural feel that they have and just a certain kind of swagger that just comes with the combination of people. And everything they do is what's coming out of their instruments — it's not taped or fucking phoned in. So it's definitely a good example of what rock and roll is all about."

Slash previously cited AEROSMITH as a key influence on his direction as a guitarist after hearing "Rocks" as a teenager.

"It really became my band," he told Rolling Stone in a 2014 interview. "It was really sexy, grooving, hard rock, riff-based shit with an out-of-control singer. It had so much angst and soul to it. It's really the band that pointed me in a direction when I started playing guitar."

On that 1988 tour, AEROSMITH watched as GN'R grew into a confident arena rock band of peers. "Slash doesn't make any bones about the influence we had on him," AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry told Rolling Stone. "They turned into a great, great band. They sure made their mark."

Slash will release his fourth solo album and third with his band THE CONSPIRATORS, "Living The Dream", on September 21. He and THE CONSPIRATORS will hit the road next month as well, with Slash also touring again with GUNS N' ROSES in November.

Richie Faulkner says that he is "on the fence" about JUDAS PRIEST's absence from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, explaining that having a successful five-decade career and still making music that the band's fans love is "all the affirmation anyone needs."

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

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

Faulkner told Patch.com that he would like to see PRIEST get its rightful place in the Hall — even if just for the sake of its fans.

"I'm on the fence with it," he said. "Metal's always been the underdog and there are many fans who want to see their music represented there. I get that from a fan's point of view and it doesn't quite make sense that PRIEST isn't in there. But, and this is just my opinion, when you're a band that's been touring and recording for 50 years, and you're still making music that you and your fans love, that's all the affirmation anyone needs.

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

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

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

PRIEST singer Rob Halford recently said that he "would love" to see his band inducted into the Rock Hall. "I think we deserve it," he said. "We've put our 10,000 hours in and more. And beyond that, we just feel that heavy metal music deserves more space on the shelf at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

Adding that he and his bandmates "were thrilled and honored to be even nominated," Halford admitted that it's "kind of bittersweet" to find out that they wouldn't be inducted this year. "We got the nomination, which is something of a recognition for the work that you've done, but we didn't quite get in this time. But I'm hopeful that eventually we'll get some more metal [in there]."

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

STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand has admitted that staying clean and sober on the road has been "more difficult" than he expected.

Rand received treatment earlier this year for "an alcohol and Xanax dependency" which forced him to sit out one of the the band's tours.

Josh performed with STONE SOUR on the ShipRocked cruise in mid-January before stepping away for what were at the time unspecified issues.

STONE SOUR enlisted a temporary replacement for its Canadian tour, with singer Corey Taylor later saying that Rand would rejoin his bandmates in April at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Jacksonville, Florida.

STONE SOUR spent this past spring and the early part of summer playing select shows in the U.S and completing a European tour which saw them making appearances at some of the biggest rock festivals on the continent, including Rock Am Ring, Sweden Rock Festival and Hellfest.

In a brand new interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, Rand was asked if making sobriety last has been tougher than he imagined. "Honestly, yes," he responded (hear audio below). "Europe, for me, was really trying — just for the simple fact of… When I was touring in the U.S., it was easy for me to have structure, and that's one thing that I learned on both of these tours — the U.S. one and then the European summer tour — I'm a guy that needs structure. And there was definitely times when the temptation was there, and it was a challenge. But I have a great support group within the band and the people that work for us, and then my fiancée came out midway through, so that was the extra support. But it was a little bit more difficult than what I thought going into it."

Earlier this year, Rand said that "nobody had any idea" that he had been on Xanax since 2010 after he was first prescribed it for anxiety related to flying. He added: "And then, over the course of the last couple years, I started drinking, and when we started touring, I was basically day-drinking. But not drinking to get messed up, but just to maintain, I guess. Or to be able to cope, to have this buzz."

The guitarist said he just started feeling "horrible and miserable" and that things came to a head for him on the ShipRocked cruise.

Rand recalled: "We were flying from Florida back up to Canada and basically we were in the airport and I just had made the decision that I had to come home. Luckily, I had the support of the other guys and my family to make that decision. I had hit a wall and knew that I needed to regroup and deal with my stuff. So that's what I did."

STONE SOUR will release a deluxe edition of its latest album, "Hydrograd", on August 31. The two-disc set, "Hydrograd Deluxe Edition", collects unreleased covers, b-sides, live recordings and alternate versions of songs from "Hydrograd".

"Hydrograd Deluxe Edition" features 13 rare or unreleased songs, including an acoustic version of the No. 1 rock song "Song #3", as well as covers of hits from RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, SOUNDGARDEN and VAN HALEN.

STONE SOUR will support Ozzy Osbourne on the initial North American leg of the legendary vocalist's "No More Tours 2" tour, which kicks off August 30 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Former DIO keyboardist Claude Schnell has once again denounced the Ronnie James Dio hologram, saying that it "it isn't about" the singer anymore.

The legendary heavy metal frontman died in 2010 at the age of 67 from stomach cancer. His hologram was created by a company called Eyeillusion and made its debut at the Wacken Open Air festival in August 2016 in front of more than 75,000 fans.

Schnell, who joined DIO in May 1983, after the "Holy Diver" was released but before the accompanying tour was launched, offered his opinion on the holographic version of Ronnie during a lengthy interview with The Metal Voice.

"I won't presume to tell you what I think about what certain people are doing with his memory, but it just seems to me that it isn't about Ronnie anymore," he said (hear audio below). "They can say it's about keeping him and his music alive, but nobody ever made holograms of THE BEATLES, and their music is still alive. I think their decision is based on more pragmatic concerns, I'll put it that way. You've got a bunch of guys who can't find gigs, they're managed by the same woman who has contacts all around the world with agencies and promoters, and what could be a more natural thing than taking the out-of-work musicians and putting 'em on tour and making a little money while you're at it? Don't get me wrong — not to take anything away from these guys; I mean, they all do a great job, and if the fans are happy about it, that's all that matters. But you're not asking me what the fans think; you're asking me what I think."

Claude also seemed to firmly take original DIO guitarist Vivian Campbell's side in the way the current DEF LEPPARD axeman was fired from Ronnie's band. Campbell, bassist Jimmy Bain, drummer Vinny Appice and Ronnie James Dio worked together on the first three DIO albums — 1983's "Holy Diver", 1984's "The Last In Line" and 1985's "Sacred Heart" — before Irishman Campbell left to join WHITESNAKE in 1987. Vivian later publicly took issue with Ronnie's need for total control of the band, claiming that finances played a major part in the bad blood that preceded the split.

During The Metal Voice interview, Schnell called "Sacred Heart" a "transitional" album for DIO, saying: "If you think of the band, when things are good, as a tight knot where the ropes are all firmly together, by the time 'Sacred Heart' was being recorded, the knot was loosening.

"We all felt that Viv was really treated very badly — not so much by Ronnie. But it was obvious that those decisions were being handled, for lack of a better word, by Wendy [Ronnie's then-wife and manager]," he continued. "Viv was basically set up and he was put in the position where the only thing that he could do was the exact thing that would get him kicked out of the band. And when it came to pass, Wendy was chomping at the bit to walk Craig [Goldy, Vivian's replacement] into the band. And Viv just got very unceremoniously let go — in my humble opinion, for no real fault of his own."

Schnell went on to say that he wishes the original DIO lineup had lasted longer and collaborated on more music beyond the first three albums. "I think the best move for Viv, I think the best move for all of us would have been had we stayed together, had Wendy been willing to allow a more equitable split so we could all have a living wage and allow the band to develop the way bands used to develop back in the day before it became all about the money," he said.

The Dio hologram production uses audio of Ronnie's live performances from throughout his career, with the DIO band playing live, consisting of Craig Goldy on guitar, Simon Wright on drums and Scott Warren on keyboards, along with Bjorn Englen on bass. Also appearing with them are former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens and ex-LYNCH MOB frontman Oni Logan.

After the tour's initial seven-date run was completed last December, Ronnie's hologram is undergoing "some changes" before the launch of the next leg of the "Dio Returns" world tour, scheduled for 2019.

Schnell recently called the Ronnie James Dio hologram a "travesty" and "disrespectful" to the singer's memory. He went on to describe it as "cheesy" and added that he couldn't understand how Wendy could be "okay with it."

Wendy Dio, who is a member of the Eyellusion team, said that the people that criticize the Ronnie James Dio hologram should at least see it in person before voicing their disapproval. "Don't criticize it if you haven't seen it," she told "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie. "It's done with love. The band love doing it. And we just wanna keep Ronnie's memory and his music alive."

She added that a digital version of Dio makes perfect sense. "I think that Ronnie was an innovator of heavy metal music, so why not be an innovator of technology?" she said. "And I think technology is coming a long way with holograms — a lot of people are doing it now. And I think the reason is because we are losing all of our innovators; everybody is getting older. And we need to keep them alive and keep their memory and their music alive. I think it's a new way. It's like when people first came out with a CD or a cassette: 'Ooh, we don't want that.' But then it was the way of technology."

Photo courtesy of Claude Schnell's Facebook page

The title track of REVOCATION's new album, "The Outer Ones", can be streamed below. Due on September 28 via Metal Blade Records, the follow-up to 2016's "Great Is Our Sin" sees the band pushing both the death metal and progressive elements of its signature sound harder than ever.

"The Outer Ones" track listing:

01. Of Unworldly Origin

02. That Which Consumes All Things

03. Blood Atonement

04. Fathomless Catacombs

05. The Outer Ones

06. Vanitas

07. Ex Nihilo

08. Luciferous

09. A Starless Darkness

The official video for the disc's first single, "Of Unworldly Origin", directed by David Brodsky, can be seen below.

"I knew that I wanted to go in a darker direction, and this is our most death metal album to date," states vocalist/guitarist Dave Davidson.

"Sometimes when death metal bands go down the prog route, they lose some of that edge, but we wanted to keep the aggression at the forefront of what we do while still pushing our boundaries."

Moving away from the societal and historical themes that informed "Great Is Our Sin", this time Davidson has immersed himself in the fantastic, evoking one of the great writers of the sci-fi/horror genre.

"The title is my ode to H.P. Lovecraft and the entities of pure cosmic horror that rule that universe he created," Davidson says. "Since the new music we were writing was so evil and spacey in sections, it seemed to be the right title to fit the overall vibe. But while the lyrical content is largely influenced by such writings, in every allegory there is, of course, some reflection of the real world, so I enjoy writing in a way that could have one overlaying meaning and then another deeper, symbolic meaning as well."

This September/October, REVOCATION will head out on the road for its first North American headlining tour in several years, with EXHUMED, RIVERS OF NIHIL and YAUTJA as support.

REVOCATION is:

David Davidson - Guitars / Vocals

Dan Gargiulo - Guitars / Vocals

Brett Bamberger - Bass / Vocals

Ash Pearson - Drums

British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON have released a new single, "Mantra". Singer Oli Sykes told BBC Radio 1 about the track: "It felt like the first thing we wanted to show people upon our return."

Asked if the new song's arrival means that fans can expect a new album from BRING ME THE HORIZON soon, Sykes said: "I don't want to say. We're definitely working on stuff. We've got something exciting to announce in the next few days."

Prior to the new song's premiere, BRING ME THE HORIZON launched a mysterious campaign, including a billboard reading "Do You Want To Start A Cult With Me?" That line ended up being one of the lines in "Mantra". The promotional campaign also saw the band starting a web site, joinmantra.org, with an initial message that read: "There are those who will say that only after a lifetime of sacrifice and good doing can the soul be free — that God demands conditions in the freedom and that some have the power of making mankind slaves."

Sykes said the music he and his bandmates are working on is "completely different" from 2015's "That's The Spirit" album, which was criticized by some for going too far in a pop direction. He added: "We want to be a heavy band, but not in the way you think of heavy."

Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler has recruited Ariel Kamin, the singer of Argentinian GN'R tribute band SON OF A GUN, to front his group ADLER'S APPETITE. Kamin replaces Constantine Maroulis of "American Idol" and "Rock Of Ages" fame, who was the vocalist for ADLER'S APPETITE for a dozen or so dates this past May, including an Australian tour.

Adler announced Kamin's addition to ADLER'S APPETITE via Instagram, writing: "Warming up for today's rehearsal for this weeks shows with my new AMAZING singer @arielkamin"

In addition to Adler and Kamin, the latest version of ADLER'S APPETITE includes guitarist Michael Thomas and bassist Tanya O Callaghan.

Steven previously played with Ariel when the drummer joined SON OF GUN on stage in November 2016 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to perform several GN'R classics, including "You Could Be Mine" and "Welcome To The Jungle". Fan-filmed video footage of that concert can be seen below.

The new incarnation of ADLER'S APPETITE will play the following three shows at the end of this week:

Aug. 23 - The Rose - Pasadena, CA

Aug. 24 - Golden Nugget - Las Vegas, NV

Aug. 25 - The Canyon Theatre - Santa Clarita, CA

ADLER'S APPETITE FEATURING CONSTANTINE MAROULIS celebrated the 30th anniversary of GN'R's classic debut album by performing "Appetite For Destruction" in its entirety on the aforementioned Australian tour.

Back in April, when Constantine was first announced as the new frontman of ADLER'S APPETITE, Steven said: "GUNS N' ROSES are the biggest rock band in the fuckin' world now, and since the guys don't want me to play with them and I love these songs and I'm so proud of them ... now I finally have a singer who can compete with the young Axl Rose."

Warming up for today’s rehearsal for this weeks shows with my new AMAZING singer @arielkamin #gnr #rockandroll #picoftheday #doubletap @vaterdrumsticks @soultonecymbals @dwdrums @goldennuggetlv A post shared by Steven Adler (@realstevenadler) on Aug 20, 2018 at 3:52pm PDT

AUDIOTOPSY, the American heavy rock quartet featuring the deft musical talents of guitarist Greg Tribbett and drummer Matt McDonough — both of Grammy-nominated metal band MUDVAYNE — as well as SKRAPE vocalist Billy Keeton and bassist Perry Stern, will release its second full-length album, "The Real Now", on November 2 via Megaforce Records. Produced by the band with vocal production and mixing by Dave Fortman (EVANESCENCE, SLIPKNOT, MUDVAYNE), "The Real Now" is available for pre-order now via Amazon, and will be available via more digital retailers very soon. New music is set to be released in early September.


A teaser for the upcoming single "What Am I?" is available below.


According to the band, "The Real Now" explores the journey of life. Tribbett states: "This album deals with life — from addiction to depression to death. Life is a journey of unforeseen experiences."


AUDIOTOPSY began writing together in 2014 with the goal of setting themselves apart with their songwriting and dynamic presentation. Upon quickly recognizing the chemistry, they began the journey of recording their debut album, "Natural Causes".

Featuring both fast-paced headbangers and melodic, grooving anthems, "The Real Now" conjures nostalgic turn-of-the-century alt-metal influences while never sacrificing crystal clean, modern metallic drive and swagger. Heart-clenching vocals and unforgettable guitar riffs grip the listener from track one. Tracks like "Panic On The Airwaves" and "What Am I?" summon deep, numbing grooves while driving anthems like "Hologram" feature non-stop power rhythms and energy. No AUDIOTOPSY release would be complete without a melodic climax, which comes in the form of the chill-inspiring track "Hurt Down".


"The Real Now" track listing:

01. War

02. Hologram

03. Panic On The Airwaves

04. Fade Away

05. Hurt Down

06. What Am I?

07. If Only

08. A Death Benefit

JETBOY's new album, "Born To Fly", will be released on January 25, 2019 via Frontiers Music Srl.

You can watch the video for the disc's title track below.

Founded in 1983 by guitarists Billy Rowe and Fernie Rod, JETBOY continues to crank out its brand of rock 'n' roll in the 21st century with the same passion that has existed from the beginning.


Of the song and video for the title track, Mickey Finn says: "'Born To Fly' is just about the feeling of being meant to do something great and fighting and working to make it happen, never giving up or giving in and sticking to your guns to do it on your own terms.

"Remember — sometimes greatness comes in small accomplishments. If it feels great to you, then it is great!!

"We shot the video on two rooftop locations in the southside of downtown Los Angeles on one long day and night in July 2018."


"Born To Fly" — put together by the band's core of guitarists Billy Rowe, Fernie Rod and vocalist Mickey Finn, alongside former FASTER PUSSYCAT bassist Eric Stacy and drummer Al Serrato — is the first full-fledged set of new material from JETBOY since 1990.

"The band wasn't working on any new material when Frontiers approached us," says Rowe. "Mickey and I had written one or two songs a few years back, but that's about it. For myself, I've been very into writing music and got very into recording, so I had a good amount of complete musical songs that I always felt could end up as new JETBOY material, and some of it did. But the majority of the songs on this album were written within a couple of months after we got the offer from Frontiers."


Rowe continues: "Writing and recording this album came so naturally, there was no struggle at all. We feel it happened at the right time and was meant to be.

"The spirit of the band has been at an all-time high ever since we started this new album. We shared ideas via e-mail and then demoed every song before enteringthe studio. Once we started tracking this album, we all felt something special was going on."


Best described as a blend of edgy rock and roll with a traditional blues-based influence, "Born To Fly" is the perfect vehicle to exploit the commanding style of JETBOY's classic rock 'n' roll sound.

"The musical inspiration for the "Born To Fly" album came from a lifelong list of influences from bands we all grew up on from the 1970s," states Rowe.

"JETBOY has always approached its writing with a simple, stripped-down, no-nonsense rock 'n' roll structure, starting with a great riff and a catchy hook.

"This album flowed so organically, everything felt like it was meant to be. We've also all really grown as musicians, which really helped capture what we feel is some of our best work to date."


Vocalist Mickey Finn says the "lyrics flowed amazingly fast, with most songs being written in one sitting. My feelings were to stay true to JETBOY's roots and style, but to also incorporate where we are at today, pleasing old and new fans alike.

"My wife was the inspiration for 'Every Time I Go' and my firstborn son inspired 'The Way You Move Me'. Our life struggles as a band and lifelong friends inspired tracks like 'Beating The Odds' and 'Born To Fly'. 'Inspiration From Desperation' covers our political climate in America these days, 'Brokenhearted Daydream' reminds us that love is sometimes fickle and hearts get broken, but don't let it destroy your heart — we have to learn to move on and allow love to come into our lives again.

"So, all in all, lots of inspiring messages on the record, as well as some good old rock 'n' roll fun and 'Party Time!' lyrics make it a well-rounded listen!


"Born To Fly" track listing:

01. Beating The Odds

02. Born To Fly

03. Old Dog, New Tricks

04. The Way That You Move Me

05. Brokenhearted Daydream

06. Inspiration From Desperation

07. All Over Again

08. She

09. A Little Bit Easy

10. Every Time I Go

11. Smoky Ebony

12. Party Time!


JETBOY is:

Mickey Finn - Lead Vocals, Harmonica

Fernie Rod - Rhythm, Lead Guitar, Vocals

Billy Rowe - Rhythm, Slide Guitar, Vocals

Eric Stacy - Bass

Al Serrato - Drums

JOURNEY guitarist Neal Schon paid tribute to Aretha Franklin during the band's August 17 concert at the BB&T Center in Sunrise, Florida. Schon posted a clip of the performance on his official Instagram account, along with the following message: "I did tribute to Aretha Franklin- Queen Soul R.I.P. with much Love & RESPECT."

In a separate Instagram post, Schon wrote: "I've been paying respect to Aretha during my solo spot in our shows. She was the best and Huge inspiration not only as an artist but kind to all."

Franklin, the "Queen of Soul," died Thursday after it was reported last week that she was "gravely ill" in Detroit. Her family said that the cause of death was advanced pancreatic cancer of the neuroendocrine type.

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.

JOURNEY's current North American co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD has already surpassed $50 million in sales, based on box office totals from 33 shows reported to Pollstar.

The final stop on the 20-week jaunt will be a two-night engagement at the Forum in Inglewood, California on October 6-7.

Neal Schon BB&T Center Fort Lauderdale Florida last night. I did tribute to Aretha Franklin- Queen Soul R.I.P. with much Love & RESPECT @nealschon @nealandmichaeleschon #ladym ? vid @journeymusicofficial #schön #schon #nealschon #journeythroughtime #guitar A post shared by Neal Schon Music (@nealschon) on Aug 17, 2018 at 9:55pm PDT