Irish thrashers Gama Bomb have released a video for "Give Me Leather", featured on the band’s sixth album Speed Between The Lines, out October 12th via AFM Records. Watch below.

Bassist Joe McGuigan on Speed Between The Lines: “Our aim with this record was keep refining the Gama Bomb thrash formula. It’s got faster and more punky riffing, battling axes and catchy, memorable choruses from Philly, who’s back with the Halford / Belladona notes after injuring his voice a few years back.”

Speed Between The Lines was produced by longtime Gama Bomb collaborator Scott Atkins (Cradle of Filth, Sylosis). The album will be available as CD, clear yellow gatefold vinyl (ltd. to 250 units), turquoise gatefold vinyl (ltd. to 250 units), clear/red gatefold and vinyl red/black splatter (ltd. to 100 units) which is exclusively available in the AFM webshop.

Tracklisting:

"Give Me Leather"
"A Hanging"
"666teen"
"Bring Out The Monster"
"R.I.P. U"
"Motorgeist"
"Alt-Reich"
"Stay Rotten"
"We R Going 2 Eat U"
"Kurt Russell"
"World Gone To Hell"
"Faceblaster"

"Bring Out The Monster" video:

"666teen" lyric video:

Faster Pussycat guitarist Ace Von Johnson has quite simply stated, "I’ll be on tour with L.A. Guns starting next week."

LAG lead guitarist Tracii Guns has corroborated this on Twitter, writing: "I’d like to welcome @acevonjohnson into the @laguns family . He will be joining us on tour starting next week." Tracii also posted the following photo:

Von Johnson will be filling in for rhythm guitarist Adam Hamilton, who needs to be at home due to family matters.

Catch L.A. Guns live at the following shows:

October
4 - The Eclectic Room - Angola, IN
5 - The Machine Shop - Flint, MI
6 - Ground Zero - Traverse City, MI
8 - Shank Hall - Milwaukee, WI
9 - The Cabooze - Minneapolis, MN
11 - The Forge - Joliet, IL
12 - Riverside Ballroom - Green Bay, WI
15 - 37 Main Buford - Buford, GA
17 - The Basement East - Nashville, TN
18 - The International - Knoxville, TN
19 - Mulcahy's Pub And Concert Hall - Wantagh, NY
21 - Fish Head Cantina - Halethorpe, MD

November
23 - Coach House Concert Hall - San Juan Capistrano, CA
24 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
29 - Proof Rooftop Lounge - Houston, TX

December
6 - The Royal Grove - Lincoln, NE
7 - The State Theatre - Harrah, OK
8 - IDL Ballroom - Tulsa, OK
28 - Count's Vamp'd - Las Vegas, NV
29 - Count's Vamp'd - Las Vegas, NV

Check out the lyric video for "A Drop Of Bleach" from The Missing Peace.

Prior to headlining The Rockpile in Toronto, Ontario, L.A. Guns guitarist Tracii Guns - who recently reunited with vocalist Phil Lewis - invited BraveWords scribe Aaron Small on board the band’s tour bus for an exclusive chat about all things LAG.

First matter of discussion was the recent L.A. Guns lineup change. In March of 2018, guitarist Michael Grant (who had been with the group since 2013) and LAG parted ways. Then Johnny Monaco (Enuff Z’nuff) joined the band for a very brief stint, and now Adam Hamilton - who played bass on LAG albums Waking The Dead, and Tales From The Strip - is the new rhythm guitarist. “We had (guitar) pics made that just say Stage Right on them; we never know who’s coming or going on that side of the stage,” jokes Tracii. “Adam’s been in the band forever (from 2001 - 2007). I just thought it would be really cool to have this kind of shredder guitar player on the other side; make a spectacle of it. But I guess in the end, that’s not really what L.A. Guns is. Having Adam, even at rehearsal before the shows, it was like, ‘oh, that’s solid!’ I’m always trying to improve things that don’t need to be improved. Right now, it’s nice.”

Last month Tracii took to Instagram saying he was about to record “what has to be the best guitar work I have ever done.” Reflecting upon that posting, Tracii admits, “That’s where the stress lies. People are paying attention to me all of a sudden, which they really didn’t for years. It’s got to be good, it’s got to be something. I think we managed to raise the bar a little bit with the one that’s going to be out next.”

That next album is nearly complete, with all the music in the can. “Just waiting for Phil to finish (his vocals). Everything’s done. All the lyrics are written, all the melodies. The songs are done, he’s got five in the bag, so he’s got to do seven more.” We’re looking at a twelve-track album then? “I think it’s going to be eleven with a bonus track. Wait, no, no, it’s 13 songs; all original, no covers. No ballads. There’s something close to a ballad; it’s a murder ballad, ‘One More Season In Hell’. We have a song that is like The Cult - Sonic Temple, it’s called ‘Gone Honey’ - that’s a really cool, different kind of thing. A lot of the album’s really heavy. There’s ‘The Devil You Know’, ‘Loaded Bomb’, ‘Boom’, ‘Rage’ - we have some with one-word titles and some with all these words in the title. The album’s going to be called Wasn’t Tomorrow Great.”

When it comes to artwork, that title lends itself to so many different possibilities. “Yeah, we were thinking about calling the album Gravity’s In Control. But, last minute change. Phil’s wife was coming up with this concept for the globe hanging in space, but it was the L.A. Guns logo. I think that’s still in order, cause you’re looking at the world - Wasn’t Tomorrow Great - when you dream, it’s always about something that’s going to happen. The dreams are usually great.”

Tracii handles all of the guitar parts on Wasn’t Tomorrow Great; lead and rhythm. “It was recorded just me, Johnny (Martin - bass), and Shane (Fitzgibbon - drums),” confirms the six-stringer. Wasn’t Tomorrow Great is coming out really quickly as the previous studio album, The Missing Peace, was released in October 2017, and the live album, Made In Milan, was just released in March 2018. New material is always welcome, but why such a rush? Why not tour on The Missing Peace more? “Because we toured so much before The Missing Peace,” answers Tracii. “And, people have a short attention span. It’s nice to hear now - today - how much people are still listening to The Missing Peace. We weren’t going to do one this quick, we were going to wait about another six months from this point, but we had a break and I was home, and I wrote all the music really quickly; not intentionally. I didn’t sit down and say, ‘ok, got to write an album now.’ It was like, ‘we’re supposed to start writing soon…’ Then all this really, really cool stuff came out. Me and Phil, we have a co-writer, this guy Mitch Davis. I just started sending him demos and he was like, ‘Holy Shit!’ I was like, ‘Jesus Christ, let’s just do this.’” And the potential release date? “We’re looking at March through Frontiers Music.”

Once again, Tracii is producing the album. “I did the last one, I did this one. I don’t wanna fuck with the system; the system works. We did do an upgrade on this. We went to a really nice studio - Big Bad Sound LA - to record drums, to record all the instruments. Where on the last album, we went to pretty nice studios to do the drums, and then everything was done in my studio after that. But I managed to get 95% of the guitar done in the same room where we recorded drums, which adds a certain kind of togetherness. I used the same room mics for the guitars that we used for the drums. It’s like, wow! You just pull the faders up and it doesn’t need to be mixed, everything fits. It was like a Godsend.”

All counted, there’s seven L.A. Guns albums of original material featuring both Tracii and Phil. Does that mean the songs found on Tales From The Strip (2005) and Hollywood Forever (2012) - which featured guitarist Stacey Blades in place of Tracii Guns - are dead and buried, never to be played live again? “Fuck those songs man. That’s not L.A. Guns, I’m not on those records.” To be fair, the unexpected does happen occasionally. Case in point, Guns N’ Roses performing “Slither” by Velvet Revolver live. Of course, Velvet Revolver featured GN’R members Slash and Duff McKagan, along with Stone Temple Pilots vocalist Scott Weiland. No one ever thought Axl Rose would sing that song, but he is. “I think Axl’s being nice,” offers Tracii. “It is a good song, it was massive on radio. But nobody knows shit off those fucking L.A. Guns records; it’s the truth. Nobody knows shit off half the records I did with L.A. Guns either. The first three, maybe a glimpse of Vicious Circle, a glimpse of Waking The Dead. Those are records we love, and there’s certain songs from those that the audience knows, but overall, to be realistic, the first two records and ‘Kiss My Love Goodbye’ and ‘Over The Edge’ off Hollywood Vampires - that is by far and away the most popular stuff. Then there’s The Missing Peace - it came out of nowhere.”

(L.A. Guns photo by Amy Maglieri, Tracii Guns photo by Aaron Small)

Nita Strauss, the incredibly talented guitarist who has rocked out on stage with ALICE COOPER, FEMME FATALE, Jermaine Jackson, THE IRON MAIDENS and more, will release her debut solo album, "Controlled Chaos", on November 16 via Sumerian Records.

The electric and fiery music video for "Our Most Desperate Hour" is the first look into what's to come from this new chapter of Nita's career. You can check out the clip below.

On the upcoming album, Nita shares: "From bright and fun to aggressive and dark, from peaceful to chaotic, this album is a way for me to give the listener a glimpse into my personality and what goes on inside my mind."

"Controlled Chaos" is available for pre-order at NitaStrauss.com.


b>Strauss has been fighting to make a name for herself in the guitar world for years. She is one of the most sought-after clinicians in the industry and has done extensive clinic tours across multiple continents. Her consistent touring schedule has shown her to play in front of over a million audience members per year consistently for the past several years. 2018 has already proven to be a banner year for Nita with her being named as the first-ever female Ibanez signature artist in the company's 60-year history. She played WWE suprstar Shinsuke Nakamura's entrance music at "WrestleMania" in New Orleans in front of an audience of 78,000 fans and millions streaming worldwide just before surpassing her Kickstarter campaign eight times over, allowing her to self-produce and record "Controlled Chaos".


The 11-track album was a challenge to Strauss and an opportunity for her to reconnect with what inspired her to pick up a guitar in the first place. She says: "I started playing guitar because of instrumental guitar music. All my real heroes made instrumental albums. All my own career has been spent playing in bands, but I never forgot that dream of what inspired me to pick up the guitar in the first place."


"Controlled Chaos" track listing:

01. Prepare For War

02. Alegria

03. Our Most Desperate Hour

04. Mariana Trench

05. Here With You

06. The Stillness At The End

07. The Quest

08. Hope Grows

09. Lion Among Wolves

10. Pandemonium 2.0

11. The Show Must Go On

Earlier this year, Strauss said that she always intended to keep the production costs for her solo disc relatively low. "I'm not planning on making a 'Chinese Democracy' here," she said, referring to GUNS N' ROSES' last studio effort, which reportedly took more than a decade and cost in excess of ten million dollars to record. "It's an instrumental guitar record. I can make it on a good budget. I have a home studio, so the only thing I'll really need to spend the money on, as far as recording, is some equipment and, of course, drums, 'cause I don't wanna do drums at my house, and mixing and mastering. So the budget for the actual recording is fairly modest. And the rest of it already was planned to go towards a tour and towards publicity for the record and making it as cool as it could be. So now that we've reached the goal and then some, there will definitely be a tour. And there will definitely be quite a few tours to support it."

Asked if she has given any thought as to whether she might use the same musicians that are playing on the album as her backing band on tour, Nita said: "I'll definitely use the same drummer; yeah, it my boyfriend [Josh Villalta]. He played drums on my single, 'Pandemonium', which came out last year. And besides it being really great to work with somebody that you have such great chemistry with, he's also the best drummer that I know, so it's a match made in heaven right there. And then as far as bass and second guitar, it really just depends who else is on the tour. I'm not gonna be putting really a band together for this project; it's really just gonna be me and the backing musicians, aside from the consistent drummer, of course, Josh. So I'll either be sharing a backing band with some of the other musicians on the tour or hiring people on a need-to-hire basis."


Strauss will perform at this year's U.K. Guitar Show on Sunday, September 30.

Nita's skill, exuberant stage presence and love for all things about her instrument have earned her a stellar reputation in the music industry and endorsements including Ibanez Guitars, Marshall Amplification, DiMarzio pickups, Monster Energy and more.


Photo credit: Larry Dimarzio

Japanese avant garde metal veterans SIGH will release their 11th studio album, "Heir To Despair", on November 16 via Candlelight Records.

While the previous album, "Graveward" (2015), was rather symphonic orchestral stuff, "Heir To Despair" is pointing at the completely opposite direction. Heavily inspired by old crazy progressive bands like BRAINTICKET, EMBRYO, AGITATION FREE, BETWEEN, GENTLE GIANT, OS MUTANTES, MODULO 1000, BLACK WIDOW, etc., "Heir to Despair" turned out to be a heavy, psychedelic and exotic album filled with vintage keyboards and flute.

"Homo Homini Lupus" is the first track to be shared from the record featuring guest vocals from Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT).

Vocalist Mirai Kawashima comments: "'Homo Homini Lupus' is one of the fastest and the simplest tracks on 'Heir To Despair'. Don't expect other songs to sound like this.

'Homo Homini Lupus' means 'man is wolf to man' in Latin. Thomas Hobbes referred to this verb to describe how men would act in the state of nature before we were civilized. The world shown in 'The Walking Dead' series should be the best example of what we truly are. Men become wolves, or should I say men are wolves in their real nature. Look what our ancestors did during the wartime! Look what our ancestors did during famine! We have own wolves inside."


Mirai met Philip 20 years ago when they were both in U.S. death metal band NECROPHAGIA. Mirai said: "It is a great honor for us to finally have him on our album! He added a great atmosphere to the song with his very deep voices! It should be VERY easy for you to tell which parts were sung by Phil."

What the band describes with this album is the world through the eyes of madness. Yes, the album is about insanity. Music on the album is varied as a mad man's thoughts. It starts with psychedelic and exotic "Aletheia" but the following "Homo Homini Lupus" is rather a straightforward thrashy song with the typical SIGH twist. "In Memories Delusional" is a brutal tune with heavy Asian touches, which must be an new experience for everybody, while "Heresy Trilogy" is the representation of pure madness and insanity with lots of crazy stuff going on, which has nothing to do with metal at all. The album ends with the title track, which is a 10-minute-long progressive epic song.

It should be nothing surprising for SIGH fans, but the album got everything from extreme metal, '60s/'70s rock, jazz, classical, world music, dub, and noise. The music styles it covers are as wide as the world through the eyes of madness. Also "Heir to Despair" can be taken as SIGH's first attempt to intentionally take in Japanese/Asian musical feel. Mirai used some Japanese traditional singing techniques and the ex-Estradasphere Shamisen (the Japanese traditional instrument) master Kevin Kmetz is featured on several songs. Moreover, 90% of the lyrics are in Japanese, which never happened on the past SIGH albums.

The album was mixed by a Canadian engineer, Phil Anderson and mastered by Maor Appelbaum, who has worked with a lot of great artists such as FAITH NO MORE, YES and Yngwie Malmsteen, to name a few. Phil and Maor have a perfect combination and they have worked together on many projects. Thanks to them, "Heir To Despair" turned out the heaviest SIGH album.

The cover artwork, which exactly fits the concept of the album, was again drawn by Eliran Kantor. Eliran did the artworks for the past SIGH albums such as "Scenes From Hell" (2010) and "In Somniphobia" (2012).

Mirai adds: "I just suggested to Eliran that the album is about insanity and gave him some Japanese psychotropic drug advertisement from the '60s / '70s, which I love, to show him what kind of artwork I wanted. The result was perfect. The woman on the artwork looks ostensibly happy but the plant she's watering is withering, and her room looks like a mess. This is what true insanity is about. This is what true horror is about. These days people are trying to pretend to be as happy as possible on SNS, but what kind of darkness do they have in their mind? You cannot draw the line between sanity and insanity any more."

SIGH is:

Mirai Kawashima: Vocals, Flute, Piccolo, Keyboards, Guitar, Taishogoto

Dr. Mikannibal: Vocals, Alto Saxophone

You Oshima: Guitar

Satoshi Fujinami: Bass

Junichi Harashima: Drums

"Heir To Despair" track listing:

01. Aletheia

02. Homo Homini Lupus

03. Hunters Not Horned

04. In Memories Delusional

Heresy Trilogy

05. Heresy I: Oblivium

06. Heresy II: Acosmism

07. Heresy III: Sub Specie Aeternitatis

08. Hands Of The String-Puller

09. Heir To Despair

Tomorrow, Friday, September 28th, Revocation will release their new album The Outer Ones via Metal Blade Records. An advanced album stream is available below.

The album can be pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- jewelcase CD
- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- transparent olive green marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)
- transparent red/black marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- clear w/ red, blue & green splatter (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- clear water blue marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- transparent dark green/black marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 100 copies)
- transparent blue w/ black smoke vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 750 copies)
- purple w/ kelly green splatter vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- transparent grey inside opaque grey vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
- opaque cyan / aqua vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
* exclusive bundles with a shirt, plus digital options are also available!

Produced by Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Queensryche, Whitechapel, etc.),The Outer Ones sees Revocation pushing both the death metal and progressive elements of their signature sound harder than ever.

"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 2016's 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. 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."

The Outer Ones tracklisting:

"Of Unworldly Origin"
"That Which Consumes All Things"
"Blood Atonement"
"Fathomless Catacombs"
"The Outer Ones"
"Vanitas"
"Ex Nihilo"
"Luciferous"
"A Starless Darkness"

Album stream:

"Of Unworldly Origin" video:

Revocation is currently on the road for their first North American headlining tour in several years, with Exhumed, Rivers Of Nihil, and Yautja as support. Dates are listed below.

September
27 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
28 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
29 - Los Angeles, CA - Union
30 - Petaluma, CA - Phoenix Theatre

October
1 - Sacramento, CA - Holy Diver
3 - Vancouver, BC - Astoria*
4 - Spokane, WA - The Pin
5 - Seattle, WA - Highline
6 - Portland, OR - Analog
7 - Boise, ID - Shredder
9 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
10 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
11 - Minneapolis, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Grill
12 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
13 - Kent, OH - The Outpost
14 - Detroit, MI - Loving Touch
15 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck*
16 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks*
17 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques*
18 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
19 - Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge
20 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

* - No Exhumed

In November, Revocation will head over to Europe for a full headliner run. Comments the band: "We are very excited to announce our first headline tour across Europe! We'll be playing a bunch of new music off "The Outer Ones" along with some classics and a few deep cuts as well. Also joining us on this excursion are the tech death masterminds in Archspire, Soreption and Rivers Of Nihil. This tour has been a long time in the making, thanks to all our fans that have helped to grow this band overseas, we cannot wait to headbang with you all!"

Dates:

November
28 - Berlin, Germany - Badehaus
29 - Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall
30 - Hannover, Germany - Chez Heinz

December
1 - Dresden, Germany - Puschkin
2 - Poznan, Poland - U Bazyla
3 - Brno, Czech Republic - Melodka
4 - Vienna, Austria - Viper Room
5 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Orto Bar
6 - Munchen, Germany - Backstage
7 - Milano, Italy - Circolo Svolta
8 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
9 - Marseille, France - Jas Rod
10 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
11 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol
12 - Porto, Portugal - Hard Club
13 - Bilbao, Spain - Stage Live
14 - Pau, France - l’Ampli
15 - Paris, France - Petit Bain
16 - London, UK - Underworld
17 - Birmingham, UK - Mama Roux
18 - Bristol, UK - The Fleece
19 - Manchester, UK - Rebellion
20 - Brussels, Belgium - Magasin 4
21 - Nijmengen, Netherlands - Doornroosje
22 - Essen, Germany - Turock

Revocation lineup:

David Davidson - Guitars / Vocals
Dan Gargiulo - Guitars / Vocals
Brett Bamberger - Bass / Vocals
Ash Pearson - Drums

MVD Entertainment Group has announced October 19th as the release date for YES' Yessongs on Blu-ray. A video trailer for the release can be found below.

YES has always been regarded as a unique rock group and progressive rock legends. Never afraid to innovate or draw their inspiration from music that traversed the spectrum from symphonic to rock, YES has been at the forefront of progressive rock and became a major force in popular music selling over 30 million albums and reaching platinum status multiple times worldwide.

During the late 1960's, YES were renowned for their live performances culminating in their seminal album and film of the same name, Yessongs. Filmed in 1972 at London's Rainbow theatre, this feature film was released theatrically in the UK the following year with a quadrophonic sound track. The film features their new line-up of the time - Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe, Rick Wakeman and Alan White.

Tracklisting:

"All Good People"
"The Clap"
"And You And I"
Rick's Solo
"Roundabout"
"Yours Is No Disgrace"
"Wurm"

A "writing in progress" verson of METALLICA's "The Shortest Straw", recorded in December 1987 in drummer Lars Ulrich's garage in El Cerrito, California can be heard below. The track will be included on the 30th-anniversary reissue of METALLICA's breakthrough fourth album "…And Justice For All", due on November 2 via the band's own Blackened Recordings.


The re-release of "…And Justice For All" has been remastered for the most advanced sound quality overseen by Greg Fidelman, and will be available in multiple digital and physical configurations. Pre-orders begin today at Metallica.com where fans can see the full package details and track listing.


Pre-orders of all configurations will receive an instant download of "Dyers Eve (Remastered)" , while pre-orders of the expanded and deluxe editions will receive an additional instant download of "Eye Of The Beholder (Live At Hammersmith Odeon, London, England On October 10th 1988)" .


The "…And Justice For All" reissue will be available physically as a Standard Double 180 gram LP, Standard CD, 3 CD Expanded Edition, Cassette, Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set and digitally as a Standard album (available to stream and download), an Expanded Edition (available for download only), and a Digital Deluxe Box Set (available for streaming and download).


he Expanded Edition will include previously unreleased demos, rough mixes, previously unreleased live tracks, and an expanded booklet of never-before-seen Ross Halfin photos. The one-pressing-only Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set will include the remastered double 180g LP, a "One" picture disc, 3 LPs featuring their iconic performance from Seattle in 1989 remixed by Greg Fidelman, 11 CDs, 4 DVDs, a set of four patches, a Pushead print, a tour laminate, lyric sheets, a download card for all material in the set, and a deluxe 120-page book with never-before-seen photos and never-before-told stories from the people who were there.


Watch METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett unbox the reissue below.

"…And Justice For All" was originally released — despite what the Internet might tell you — on September 7, 1988, on Elektra Records.

While "...And Justice For All" is considered one of METALLICA's classics, it has been criticized almost since the day it was released in 1988 for the lack of any bass guitar on the record. Jason Newsted's playing is virtually buried in the mix — and many fans feel that drummer Lars Ulrich, who had very specific ideas for how he wanted his drums to sound, is to blame.

"...And Justice For All" was Jason Newsted's first full-length album with METALLICA after he replaced late bassist Cliff Burton in 1986.

The album was the first by the band to sell more than a million copies and featured their first radio hit, "One", which was also the basis of the group's first music video.

The record was nominated for the first-ever Grammy for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance", but infamously lost to JETHRO TULL's "Crest Of A Knave".

In a 2015 interview with Ultimate-Guitar.com, one of the "...And Justice For All" album mixers, Steve Thompson, revealed that Ulrich was the culprit for the lack of any bass guitar on the record. Ulrich apparently wanted his drums to sound a certain way — even if it meant cutting out the bass.

Thompson explained: "We had to get the drum sound up the way he had it. I wasn't a fan of it. So now he goes, 'See the bass guitar?' and I said, 'Yeah, great part, man. [Newsted] killed it.' He said, 'I want you to bring down the bass where you can barely, audibly hear it in the mix.' I said, 'You're kidding. Right?' He said, 'No. Bring it down.' I bring it down to that level and he says, 'Now drop it down another 5 dB.' I turned around and looked at [guitarist/vocalist James] Hetfield and said, 'He's serious?' It just blew me away."

Thompson added that a terrific performance by Newsted was wasted due to Ulrich's meddling, saying: "My only regret is that we didn't have enough time to at least mix it the way we heard it… It was all there but I think they were looking for more garagey-type sound without bass. And the bass was great; it was perfect."

Thompson said that he spoke out because he was tired of being blamed for the lack of bass. He remarked: "They flew us out [to METALLICA's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2009] and I'm sitting with Lars. He goes, 'Hey, what happened to the bass in 'Justice'?' He actually asked me that. I wanted to cold cock him right there. It was a shame because I'm the one getting the shit for the lack of bass."

Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that fans were extremely vocal about the sound of the album at the time of its release. "I mean, it was unbelievable, you know, '...And Justice For All', " he said. "People were saying, 'That's the worst-sounding record, where's the bass, and it sounds like it was recorded in a garage, and...' But, you know, listen, you do the best you can in the moment and then you move on."

Photo credit: Ross Halfin

Fifth Angel will release their first new album in almost 30 years, The Third Secret, on October 26th via Nuclear Blast. Pre-order the album here, and watch a first video trailer below.

The band recently announced that guitarist Ed Archer, who has already been a part of the band in the past (1983–1989, 2010, 2017), has rejoined the group as a permanent member and completes the quartet from now.

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

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

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

Says bassist John Macko, "When we began this process, we always were mindful to write songs that moved us as a band first. We felt that if we achieved that, then the music will most likely touch our fans as well."

Adds lead vocalist and guitarist Kendall Bechtel, "We are very proud of the new album! We hope the fans will hear the classic threads of the Fifth Angel they know and love, along with the growth and maturity the individuals of the band have gone through over the years. We hope they love the new songs as much as we do!"

The cover artwork was created by Zsofia Dankova.

Tracklisting:

"Stars Are Falling"
"We Will Rise"
"Queen Of Thieves"
"Dust To Dust"
"Can You Hear Me"
"This Is War"
"Fatima"
"Third Secret"
"Shame On You"
"Hearts Of Stone"

Trailer #1:

"Can You Hear Me" lyric video:

Lineup:

Ken Mary - drums
John Macko - bass
Kendall Bechtel - vocals, guitars
Ed Archer - guitars

Greek heavy/doom metal band Sorrows Path have checked in with the following:

"We are really pleased to present you the new Sorrows Path lyric video for the song “My Chosen God”. The song was included on the recent Touching Infinity album that was out late 2017 via German label Ιron Shield, and features Thiago Oliveira, the guitarist for the upcoming final album of legendary Warrel Dane that will be out later in 2018 via Century Media! Thiago honored us to perform this awesome solo and we thank him from the very bottom of our doomed hearts!"

Ge the Touching Infinity album here.

"Intro To Infinity"
"Fantasies Will Never Die"
"Leneh"
"My Chosen God"
"Metaphysical Song"
"The Subconscious"
"Beauty"
"Forgiveness"
"Revival Of Feminine Grandeur"
"Touching Infinity"

San Francisco Bay Area metal veterasn SKINLAB have inked a deal with Art Is War Records. The newly launched full-service label is providing artist services with physical and digital distribution in partnership with Amplified Distribution.

SKINLAB is putting the finishing touches on its fifth studio album for a 2019 release.

Lucas Joyner, CEO of Art Is War Records, states: "Art Is War Records is a label that was meant for a band like SKINLAB. The grind... the struggle... everything that goes into creating music is all out war, so signing SKINLAB as the first artist to help drive the war machine was a no-brainer. I'm honored to have them as a part of the label and to call them my friends."

Fans can expect the first new SKINLAB music video in nearly a decade to surface in the days ahead. In the meantime, a teaser has been issued for the official video for "Dead Tomorrow", recorded with Juan Urteaga at Trident Studios.

arlier in the year, SKINLAB announced the return of guitarist Steve Green, best known to fans as Snake. Snake remains a member of THE DEVIL IN CALIFORNIA, with whom he's been performing since 2015.

Formed in 1994, SKINLAB has released four studio albums: 1997's "Bound, Gagged And Blindfolded", 1999's "Disembody: The New Flesh", 2002's "ReVolting Room" and 2009's "The Scars Between Us".

SKINLAB has had different lineups throughout its history, with vocalist/bassist Steev Esquivel and drummer Paul Hopkins as the only mainstays.

FIGHT THE FURY, the new metal project from SKILLET frontman and bassist John Cooper, will release its debut EP, "Still Breathing", on October 26 via Atlantic Records. The disc's first single, "My Demons", can be streamed below. The song is available as an instant grat track for all fans who pre-order the record.

FIGHT THE FURY also features SKILLET guitarist Seth Morrison, along with drummer Jared Ward and guitarist John Panzer III.

"'My Demons' is the first song that I wrote for the project about five years ago when I first had the idea to start FIGHT THE FURY," Cooper shared, offering some insight into the track. "It's a good first taste for fans because it's got all of the ingredients of the band: aggression, melody, screaming, angst, a touch of progressive rock, and frenzied chaos. It touches on some dark themes that can be related in general to most people's individual struggles in life."

He continued: "However, I wrote it specifically for those who have been victims of abuse. Some scars run so deep that we never fully heal. My hope is that through the lyrics, people will vent their anger and see that there is always light at the end of the tunnel."

b>Cooper previously commented on the genesis of FIGHT THE FURY, explaining: "I am so pumped about the release of FIGHT THE FURY! This is a side of me and my music that I don't get to show very often. It takes me back to when I first heard metal and the reason I fell in love with music. It's raw and unfiltered and emotional."

Cooper added: "FIGHT THE FURY is for all of the fans out there who like the heavy side of SKILLET, but want a super-heavy album. I hope they feel the emotion of the songs that we have put together because this project is for them."

"Still Breathing" track listing:

01. My Demons

02. Dominate Me

03. Still Burning

04. I Cannot

05. Lose Hold Of It All

While the Grammy-nominated SKILLET has proven to be one of the most successful rock bands of the 21st century, having sold more than 12 million units worldwide, Cooper wanted to flex his creative muscles outside of his main outfit with FIGHT THE FURY. The music crackles with a metallic, anthemic, and riff-driven intensity, along with unforgettable hooks. The songs that populate the band's forthcoming EP will take up residence in your brain for days at a time.


FIGHT THE FURY will embark on its first-ever tour in Russia this December. Details regarding future North American tour plans will be announced in the coming weeks.

"I am so thrilled to announce to Russian fans that FIGHT THE FURY will be playing our first show ever, on our very first tour ever, in Russia," Cooper enthused. "I'm happy about that because Russian fans are some of the very best in the world. I believe that Russia will embrace FIGHT THE FURY and I look forward to performing! We will have many surprises for you!"


FIGHT THE FURY is:

John Cooper - Vocals/Bass

Seth Morrison - Guitar

John Panzer III - Guitar

Jared Ward - Drums

Swedish extreme tech-metal pioneers MESHUGGAH have announced a very special vinyl reissue collection celebrating the band's legacy. The collection offers a limited one-time-only pressing that includes reimagined cover artwork, redesigned gatefold jackets, and audio mastered for vinyl. The first five albums will be released via Nuclear Blast on November 30.

Watch the trailer about the upcoming MESHUGGAH reissues below.

The first five reissues being released on November 30 are as follows:

* "Meshuggah" EP (1989)

Clear with Black Splatter (limited to 500)

"Contradictions Collapse" (1991)

Bone/Grey Swirl (Limited to 500)

* "None" EP (1994)

Bronze with Black Splatter (Limited to 500)

* "Destroy Erase Improve" (1995)

Gold/Brown Swirl (Limited to 500)

* "Chaosphere" (1998)

Swamp Green with Mint Green Splatter (Limited to 500)

The re-designed album artwork was completed by Keerych Luminokaya who created the artwork for the band's 2012 release "Koloss". For the remastering of the albums, the band returned to Thomas Eberger of Stockholm Mastering, who worked with the band on "The Violent Sleep of Reason".

MESHUGGAH drummer Tomas Haake recently said that fans shouldn't expect to see a new studio album from the band before "2020 at the earliest."

The Swedish group's last disc, "The Violent Sleep Of Reason", came out in 2016 and resulted in a "Best Metal Performance" Grammy nomination for the song "Clockworks".

"The Violent Sleep Of Reason" was produced by the band and was engineered by Tue Madsen of Puk Studios in Kaerby, Denmark.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

01. That's Why I Play The Blues

Vocals - Jon C. Butler

Guitars - Tim Gaze

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Keyboards - Clayton Doley

02. The Blues Just Got Sadder

Vocals - Joe Lynn Turner

Lead Guitar - Steve Lukather

Rhythm Guitar And Slide Guitar – Tim Gaze

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Keyboards - Clayton Doley

03. Empty Rooms

Lead Vocal, Keyboards – Neil Carter

Bass Guitar, Harmonica, Backing Vocals – Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Guitars - Illya Szwec

Backing Vocals - Rosanna Daisley

04. Still Got The Blues (For You)

Vocals - Danny Bowes

Guitars - John Sykes

Keyboards - Don Airey

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

05. Texas Strut

Vocals - Brush Shiels

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Guitars - Tim Gaze

Drums - Rob Grosser

06. Nothing's The Same

Vocals - Glenn Hughes

Fretless Acoustic Bass – Bob Daisley

Cello - Ana Lenchantin

Guitars - Luis Maldonado

07. The Loner

Guitars - Doug Aldrich

Drums - Eric Singer

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Keyboards - Don Airey

08. Torn Inside

Vocals, Lead Guitar – Stan Webb

Bass Guitar, Riff Guitar – Bob Daisley

Drums - Darrin Mooney

Keyboards - Lachlan Doley

09. Don't Believe A Word

Vocals, Lead Guitar – Damon Johnson

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Rhythm Guitar - Illya Szwec

10. Story Of The Blues

Lead Vocal - Jon C. Butler

Bass Guitar, Riff Guitar, Backing Vocals – Bob Daisley

Lead And Rhythm Guitar – Tim Gaze

Drums - Rob Grosser

Keyboards - Lachlan Doley

Backing Vocals - Rosanna Daisley

11. This One's For You

Vocals - Gus Moore

Lead Guitar - Jack Moore

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Rhythm Guitar - Illya Szwec

12. Power Of The Blues

Vocals - Joe Lynn Turner

Lead Guitar - Jeff Watson

Bass Guitar, Riff Guitar – Bob Daisley

Drums - Darrin Mooney

Rhythm Guitar - Illya Szwec

13. Parisienne Walkways

Guitars - Steve Morse

Vocals - Ricky Warwick

Bass Guitar - Bob Daisley

Drums - Rob Grosser

Keyboards - Clayton Doley

Suidakra's new album,  Cimbric Yarns, will be released on November 16th through AFM Records. Instead of their characteristic bombastic melodic death metal, the musicians impress with an acoustic, ambient masterpiece that takes the audience into a mystical land far before time.

Based on a fantasy world which was created during the artwork/soundtrack collaboration between the painter Kris Verwimp and Antonik on Realms Of Odoric, the Belgian artist explains: "Continuing the Realms Of Odoric saga, Cimbric Yarns harks back to where it all began. Thousands of years before Odoric’s time, there existed an advanced civilisation that perished in a great cosmic cataclysm. Cimbric Yarns is an attempt at recreating its mythology, inspired by ancient Celtic texts and megalithic sites from all over the world. It weaves a fine thread between history and fantasy, chronicling the fate of its main characters Cruàc, Arma and Aenea in 10 compelling acoustic songs."

 Tracklist:

"Echtra"
"Serpentine Origins"
"Ode To Arma"
"A Day And Forever"
"Black Dawn"
"At Nine Light Night"
"Snakehenge"
"Birth And Despair"
"Assault On Urlár"
"Caoine Cruác"
 
The album will be available as Digipak and clear orange, gatefold Vinyl (ltd. to 300 units)

Check out a teaser from the album below. Release details will be made available soon.

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 "What You Say" 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"

"What You Say":

"Soul Control":

"Ain't Too Late":

"Take A Stand":

"Wasteland":

"Heart Full Of Rain":

"Counter Culture":

"Baptism":

"Another Day" video:

"Free" lyric video:

"Walk Run Crawl" video:

As part of Zeptember, Planet Rock's celebration of LED ZEPPELIN's 50th anniversary, HALESTORM's Joe Hottinger and Lzzy Hale performed a stripped-back cover of "That's The Way" live at the U.K. digital rock music radio station's studios. Check out video footage below.

Lzzy told Revolver magazine that LED ZEPPELIN's "Led Zeppelin III" (1970) was one of the records that shaped her life. "One of my favorite songs on this is 'That's The Way'," she said. "It's such an amazing performance. And the record is so good. What I love about ZEPPELIN is that you can listen to their entire catalog and kind of see where they were at in the moment. They were so comfortable with themselves, and especially on this record, they kind of settled in and were just talking about what they were feeling at the time. It feels really natural and comfortable and they aren't trying to be anything that they're not. So I just love the record."

HALESTORM's latest album, "Vicious", was released on July 27 via Atlantic. The disc was recorded last year at Nashville, Tennesse's Rock Falcon recording studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz.

Raskulinecz is an acclaimed producer who has previously worked with RUSH, KORN, ALICE IN CHAINS and DEFTONES, in addition to having produced HALESTORM's third covers EP, "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP", which came out in January 2017.

div align=center>

CHROME DIVISION — the Norwegian band featuring DIMMU BORGIR frontman Shagrath (a.k.a. Stian Thoresen) on guitar — will release its fifth and final album, "One Last Ride", on November 30 via Nuclear Blast.

Four years after "Infernal Rock Eternal", CHROME DIVISION joins forces again with its first lead singer, Eddie Guz, and brews up a new masterpiece crackling with metallic energy and spinning wheels.

Shagrath states: "Finally the time is here… The Doomsday Raiders return from the wastelands for 'One Last Ride'!

"The band is super stoked and proud to announce that the fifth album is coming soon on Nuclear Blast Records; this time with the return of the original singer Eddie Guz and a guest appearance by Missselia.

Be prepared for a kick-ass ride of 13 new songs, including a Spanish version for our South American fans. Doomsday Rock Legion Forever!"

The lyric video for the first single and title track, "One Last Ride", can be seen below.

CHROME DIVISION fired Guz in August 2009 "due to lack of dedication and commitment to the band." His replacement, Shady Blue (a.k.a. Athera), originally filled in for Guz at the Winterfire Festival at Hessenhallen in Giessen, Germany in February 2009 after Eddie was unable to make the gig.

In 2012, CHROME DIVISION parted ways with bassist Björn "Burn" Luna and guitarist Ricky Black.

CHROME DIVISION 2018 is:

Eddie Guz - lead vocals

Shagrath - guitar, bass, backing vocals

Mr. Damage - lead guitar, bass, backing vocals

Tony White - drums, cowbell, percussion

Epica have have launched a short teaser for their upcoming release, Beyond The Matrix - The Battle, a unique collaboration with the Dutch Grammy-award winning Metropole Orkest.

In the summer of 2017, with the help from their massive fan base, Epica won a high-profiled competition organized by the Metropole Orkest. First prize was a recording of a song of their choice with the orchestra. In between Epica's heavy touring schedule, the band was able to conjure up a unique, never-before-seen 'Big Band meets Symphonic Metal' rendition of "Beyond The Matrix". As a bonus to all voters, runner-up in the competition and friend of the band, Arjen Lucassen (Ayreon) contributed a beautiful guest-solo to the song.

Simone Simons comments: "The short teaser of Beyond The Matrix - The Battle gives you a small preview of our upcoming release. Never before did we have such a unique collaboration as with the Metropole Orkest. Expect to be blown away, literally and figuratively!”

Epica vs Metropole Orkest - "Beyond The Matrix" - The Battle will be released as a limited-edition vinyl and digital download on October 26th through Nuclear Blast. You can pre-order the limited-edition 10-inch and bundles from the band‘s webshop  or from the Nuclear Blast Mail Order.

Shortly before heading out on a European headlining tour kicking off October 7th in Stockholm, Lucifer invite you check out their version of "Evening Wind".

Singer Johanna Sadonis comments: "After a great run of festivals this summer here in Europe and the US, we are now excited to hit the clubs on our European fall tour. We are also happy to announce additional Scandinavian dates for December and will come forward with another run of shows for January soon.

"We are extremely thrilled to also announce the release of our 70s Scorpions cover 'Evening Wind', previously released as the B-side for our 7" single 'California Son' and as a bonus track of the Japanese edition of our new album Lucifer II. Since many have asked we are happy to make the song digitally available for everyone now. The Scorpions are my favourite German band and it was long overdue for me to pay respect to their mighty album 'In Trance' released in 1975. We hope you dig it! See you soon out on the road!"

Listen to "Evening Wind" below. Stream/download here.

Find the band's live itinerary here.

Japanese pop metal act BABYMETAL will release a 12-inch vinyl single, "Distortion", on November 23, including a special version as part of Record Store Day Black Friday in the U.S. and Canada.

BABYMETAL's song "Distortion" was released with sudden surprise in this May. In showing its new "Dark Side" on stage during the band's world tour, BABYMETAL's performance of "Distortion" had upsurged the audience in U.S. and Europe.

In addition to the studio recording, the new vinyl includes the recording of their live performance at this year's Download festival on June 9.

Watch the band play "Distortion" live at Download below.

s BABYMETAL is now preparing for its headline show at Makuhari Messe and Kobe World Hall, which will be held in Japan as part of its word tour, the band has also confirmed its first festival type music event at Saitama Super Arena on October 28. This event, which will also feature SABATON and GALACTIC EMPIRE, is associated with autumn festivals such as Halloween and Day Of The Dead.

Z2 Comics and Amuse Group USA recently announced plans to issue a second version of BABYMETAL's upcoming graphic novel "Apocrypha: The Legend Of Babymetal". In addition to the $24.99 regular edition, "Apocrypha" will be released as a limited deluxe edition, with only 500 copies being made available. Along with a copy of the book signed by artist GMB Chomichuk, the deluxe edition — which will come in a 10-by-16 clamshell box — will include three original prints.

Formed in 2010, BABYMETAL is the offshoot of the Japanese pop idol group SAKURA GAKUIN that performs a distinctly Japanese mix of schoolgirl J-pop and heavy metal.

Photo courtesy of earMUSIC

BraveWords is exclusively premiering the music video for "Last Call", featured on Hollow Cry's new album, From Ashes To Flames, out today via Into Records. Order the album at this location, and watch the new video below.

Says the band: "'Last Call' came out from the most stressful period we experienced as a band. We'd just signed with Metal Music Bookings and were asked to produce three new songs for the EPK. In two weeks. We thought we wouldn't make it. Then our drummer bailed out. We couldn't understand why, after so much struggle, he'd quit right when his big opportunity was in front of him. The song is about that, about taking risks in life. It also goes into the duality of day and night, determination and abidance; believing in something so much you're willing to go upstream, or renouncing and following the herd. That contrast is shown in the music video through two opposite backgrounds: a dark, closed space, and a bright, open place."

Spain possesses a fertile heavy metal and hard rock scene, of which the fast-rising Hollow Cry are the sonic proof - as evidenced with the arrival of their new album, From Ashes To Flames.

Hailing from the town of Tremp and initially started as a covers band in 2007, Xavi (lead vocals) had always wanted to start a band and on meeting a friend at a Taekwondo class who suggested themselves as drummer, the early formations of Hollow Cry took form. The wheels were in motion, shortly after Xavi recruited friends Marc, on rhytmic guitar, and Aleix on lead guitar, to give the band a more solid sound. Ek-tombe had been born.

In the winter of 2010. Playing metal turned out to be more demanding than expected, so after finding a replacement for the original drummer, Xavi began to focus solely on his singing and Marc picked the guitar to help Aleix with the melodies. Bass was needed, and the new drummer's cousin Joan joined the band.

Ek-tombe had given way to Hollow Cry. The guys had their big debut the following summer, in FestiPallars 2011, the biggest music festival of their region. They established a notorious fan base and kept playing in similar scenarios with crowds of 1-2,000 thousand people, juggling college, work and music, covering bands such as Avenged Sevenfold and occasionally throwing in a few originals of their own.

In 2012 they competed in Barcelona's biggest contest for emerging bands, Emergenza. They reached the final over a pop band whose members were disguised as farm animals, but the judges took a last minute controversial decision and left them out of the contest. The guys decided to focus on their own material then, and it wasn't easy. After a year of sporadic gigs, the band went into a one-year hiatus and didn't regroup until the fall of 2014, when Xavi told them he had composed songs of his own that could do well for a debut album. The band had been re-fueled and reignited, ready to hit the road with more energy than ever.

Hollow Cry entered the studio to record their first demo EP, meanwhile choosing their shows carefully, to ensure their music hits where it is most greatly received. In recent months Hollow Cry signed to worldwide agency Metal Music Bookings and Management, and have undergone a revival; the name change to Hollow Cry (from WinterShades), a new approach, and an array of epic tracks ready to be unleashed to the public. The underground metal scene is still emerging in Spain, and the newly launched Hollow Cry feel they are at the forefront. This is the result of that journey, the final leap, this is the beginning of Hollow Cry - and From Ashes To Flames is a mighty/bold step forward.

Tracklisting:

"Shades Of Winter"
"My Way Out"
"Procrastinated"
"From Ashes To Flames"
"Heaven’s Jail"
"Beyond Defeat"
"Tears In Rain"
"Never Enough"
"Last Call"
"Years Gone By"

 

German metal wizard Axel Rudi Pell has released a new digital single and lyric video for the song "The Wild And The Young". The song is taken from the current studio album, Knights Call.

Says Axel: "'The Wild And The Young' is, after the intro, the opening number of our latest longplayer Knights Call and also the concert opener of our recent tour. Highly acclaimed by the fans, we will also open the second leg of our upcoming tour, which will last from October 18th till November 4th, with that track. I personally think, that this song is one of the strongest I wrote so far, very powerful and well equipped with a catchy chorus. We're looking forward to the tour and can't wait!"

Knights Call was released worldwide through Steamhammer/SPV in March 2018 as limited boxset, CD digipak version, CD jewel case version,  2LP coloured version, download and stream. Get it here.

The album entered the charts in Germany at #9, in Switzerland at #15 and in Austria at #26. It also charted in Sweden, Belgium, UK and the US.

Tour dates:

October
18 - Bremen, Germany - Aladin
19 - Prague, Czech Republic - Palac Akropolis
20 - Zlin, Czech Republic - Masters Of Rock Cafe
21 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra Music Club
23 - Zvolen, Slovakia - Music Garden
24 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
26 - Memmingen, Germany - Kaminwerk
27 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser
30 - Langen (Frankfurt), Germany - Neue Stadthalle
31 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage

November
2 - Emden, Germany - Live Music Center
3 - Weissenhäuser Strand, Germany - Metal Hammer Paradise
4 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik

Swedish classic/progressive rock supergroup, The Night Flight Orchestra, have announced that they will be re-releasing their early albums; their debut, Internal Affairs, as well as its successor, Skyline Whispers. The records include modern classics like "West Ruth Ave", "Transatlantic Blues", "Living For The Nighttime" and "Stiletto", amongst many more.

The albums will feature exclusive bonus tracks, revamped artwork, and will be available on vinyl for the first time ever. Pre-order here.

Internal Affairs and Skyline Whispers will be released on November 23rd, 2018 via Nuclear Blast.

Internal Affairs tracklisting:

"Siberian Queen"
"California Morning"
"Glowing City Madness"
"West Ruth Ave"
"Transatlantic Blues"
"Miami 502"
"Internal Affairs"
"1998"
"Stella Ain't No Dove"
"Montreal Midnight Supply"
"Green Hills Of Glumslöv"

Bonus track:
"Song For Ingebörg"

Skyline Whispers tracklisting:

"Sail On"
"Living For The Nighttime"
"Stilletto"
"Owaranai Palisades"
"Lady Jade"
"I Ain't Old I Ain't Young"
"All The Ladies"
"Spanish Ghosts"
"Demon Princess"
"Skyline Whispers"
"Roads Less Travelled"
"The Heather Reports"

Bonus track:
"September, You're A Woman"

Lineup:

Björn Strid - vocals
Sharlee D'Angelo - bass
David Andersson - guitars
Richard Larsson - keyboards
Jonas Källsbäck - drums
Sebastian Forslund - guitars, percussion, special FX
Anna-Mia Bonde - backing vocals
Anna Brygård - backing vocals

Following their show stealing mainstage performance at Download festival 2018, Inglorious are pleased to announce a full UK tour across January and February 2019. The band will be bringing their stunning live performance to venues across the UK to support the forthcoming release of their new studio album.

Nathan James says “I cannot believe we get to play THE Shepherds Bush Empire on this tour! One of my favourite venues of all time. I'm so excited to share this new album with everyone as well as the big tunes from our first and second albums.”

Tour dates:

January (with City Of Thieves)
28 - Southampton, UK - Engine Rooms
29 - Bristol, UK - Academy
31 - Norwich, UK - Waterfront

February (with City Of Thieves)
1 - London, UK - Shepherds Bush Empire
2 - Birmingham, UK - Institute (Frontiers Rock UK Festival)
3 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
5 - Glasgow, UK - Garage
6 - Newcastle, UK - Boilershop
7 - Manchester, UK - Academy 2
8 - Bingley, UK - Arts Centre

The band have spent 2018 locked away recording their forthcoming studio album, Ride To Nowhere, again mixed by the legendary Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith). The first music from the album is set for release imminently, in late 2018, with the full album release coming in early 2019. The album will be released through Frontiers Music Srl.

March of 2018 saw the release of the latest Monster Magnet masterpiece Mindfucker on Napalm Records. Today, the band has released a brand new lyric video for the track "When The Hammer Comes Down". Watch it below:

Tonight, the band kicks off their North American tour supporting Mindfucker in Toronto, ON. The tour runs through October 28th in Boston, MA. Electric Citizen and Dark Sky Choir will open the tour. A complete list of dates can be found below.

Dave Wyndorf's excitement for this upcoming run is summed up perfectly with the following statement: "And the electrified circus leaves town! Time to ROCK, bitches!"

Tour dates:

September
28 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
29 - Pontiac, MI - The Emerald Theatre
30 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life Festival*

October
2 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge
3 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
5 - Denver, CO - The Bluebird Theater
6 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
8 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
9 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
10 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
12 - San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside
13 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival*
15 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
16 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
17 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
19 - San Antonio, TX - Paper Tiger
20 - Dallas, TX - Canton Hall
21 - Houston, TX - White Oak (Upstairs)
23 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
24 - Nashville, TN - Basement East
26 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
27 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
28 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair

* Festival Appearance

Lineup:

Dave Wyndorf (vocals, guitar)
Garrett Sweeny (guitar)
Phil Caivano (guitar)
Chris Kosnik (bass)
Bob Pantella (drums)

(Photo - Jeremy Saffer)

On September 27, 1968, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant convened in Olympic Studios in London to begin recording their debut album as LED ZEPPELIN. A mere 36 hours in the studio followed and "Led Zeppelin" was complete. Produced by Jimmy Page, the album was released in January 1969 on Atlantic Records and commenced one of the most legendary canons in rock 'n' roll history.


To celebrate this historic golden anniversary, the band unveiled three new digital-only releases today on all digital download and streaming platforms.


"Led Zeppelin X Led Zeppelin" is a comprehensive, career-spanning 30-track collection traversing all eight of the band's landmark studio albums including definitive tracks such as "Immigrant Song", "Whole Lotta Love", "Kashmir", "Ramble On" and "Stairway To Heaven". The set also includes the "Sunset Sound Mix" of "Rock And Roll", making its digital debut here after being released for the first time earlier this year on Record Store Day as a limited edition seven-inch vinyl single, which is now the best-selling release in Record Store Day history.


"An Introduction To Led Zeppelin" serves as a 10-track entry point to one of the most essential catalogs in rock 'n' roll and features all the previously mentioned classic songs along with "Black Dog", "Good Times Bad Times", "Going To California" and "Over The Hills And Far Away".


he final release is the digital version of the band's first-ever Record Store Day release, previously available earlier this year as a limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single. The two-track set features the digital debut of the "Olympic Studios Mix" of "Friends", a stripped down version without the orchestration of the final mix, along with the aforementioned "Rock And Roll" (Sunset Sound Mix).


"Led Zeppelin x Led Zeppelin" track listing:


01. Immigrant Song

02. Rock And Roll (Sunset Sound Mix)

03. Whole Lotta Love

04. Black Dog

05. Stairway To Heaven

06. Good Times Bad Times

07. Going To California

08. Ramble On

09. Kashmir

10. Over The Hills And Far Away

11. Hey Hey What Can I Do

12. D'Yer Maker

13. When The Levee Breaks

14. All My Love

15. Babe I'm Gonna Leave You

16. Heartbreaker

17. Dazed And Confused

18. The Song Remains The Same

19. Fool In The Rain

20. The Ocean

21. What Is And What Should Never Be

22. Houses Of The Holy

23. Since I've Been Loving You

24. Misty Mountain Hop

25. Communication Breakdown

26. Thank You

27. No Quarter

28. Trampled Under Foot

29. I Can't Quit You Babe

30. In The Evening

The official lyric video for the song "Trust" from TREMONTI, the band comprised of Mark Tremonti on vocals/guitars, Eric Friedman on guitars, and Garrett Whitlock on drums, can be seen below. The track is taken from TREMONTI's fourth album, "A Dying Machine", which was released on June 8 via Napalm Records. The disc was produced by Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has helmed all previous TREMONTI albums along with ALTER BRIDGE's last four long-players.

From the militant drum assault of the album opener "Bringer Of War" to the instrumental closer "Found", "A Dying Machine" is TREMONTI's most-diverse musical offering to date. Songs like "From The Sky", "Throw Them To The Lions" and "A Lot Like Sin" are signature TREMONTI that fans have come to love from the trio. Tracks like "Trust", "The First The Last" and "Desolation" take the listener to new places sonically, all backed by Tremonti's signature vocal style.

"A Dying Machine" is the first concept album of Tremonti's career and the music is inspired by a story that came to Mark while on the last ALTER BRIDGE tour. During that time, the epic title track "A Dying Machine" was born. The story, which is being turned into a full-length work of fiction authored by Mark Tremonti and John Shirley, takes place at the turn of the next century where humans and fabricated beings called "vessels" are trying to co-exist. Tremonti and Shirley are working on finishing the novel to release alongside the record.

Whitlock is sitting out TREMONTI's current tour due to a necessary leave of absence for undisclosed personal reasons. Drummer Ryan Bennett, a longtime friend of guitarist Eric Friedman, is filling in on drums.

div align=center>

Roadrunner Records group COHEED AND CAMBRIA has unveiled a fourth new track from its highly anticipated new LP, "The Unheavenly Creatures". "Old Flames" can be streamed below.

"The Unheavenly Creatures" is a sprawling 15-track, 78-minute epic which finds COHEED AND CAMBRIA returning to the conceptual narrative of "The Amory Wars".

Set for release on October 5, the box set includes an exclusive 80-plus-page hardcover illustrated sci-fi novel with strikingly realistic color imagery by Chase Stone, as well as the complete "Act 1" novella written by frontman Claudio Sanchez and his wife, Chondra Echert. The set also houses a fully wearable hard-plastic mask of the main character in "The Unheavenly Creatures", a CD copy of the album, as well as the exclusive bonus album, "The Crown Heights Demos", showing the songs in their original written form. Additional items include a three-panel fold out poster of expanded album cover art, and "The Unheavenly Creatures Black Card" which will allow all card holders early access to tickets and early entry to COHEED AND CAMBRIA headline dates.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA recently released "The Unheavenly Creatures"' 10-minute prog manifesto, "The Dark Sentencer", which was leaked to fans by frontman Claudio Sanchez along with the opening paragraphs from the album's aforementioned novella.

b>"The Unheavenly Creatures" track listing:

01. Prologue

02. The Dark Sentencer

03. Unheavenly Creatures

04. Toys

05. Black Sunday

06. Queen Of The Dark

07. True Ugly

08. Love Protocol

09. The Pavilion (A Long Way Back)

10. Night-Time Walkers

11. The Gutter

12. All On Fire

13. It Walks Among Us

14. Old Flames

15. Lucky Stars