Acclaimed rock duo and basically everyone's favorite band ever TENACIOUS D — comprised of Jack Black and Kyle Gass — will release not one but two incredible works this fall. Both are called "Post-Apocalypto". Both are amazing. Here's what you need to know:

"Post-Apocalypto" — the series — is an original, six-part animated video series from the minds of TENACIOUS D. Each frame of every episode was hand-drawn by Jack himself, with every character voiced by Black and Gass. The series begins rolling out on September 28 via TENACIOUS D's YouTube page, with a new episode every Friday after that.

All six episodes feature new TENACIOUS D songs, culminating in a new TENACIOUS D album — also called "Post-Apocalypto" — released on November 2. As each episode goes up, a song from that episode can also be heard via all DSPs. Produced by John Spiker, and featuring longtime collaborator Dave Grohl on drums, "Post-Apocalypto" — the album — is a genius addition to the D's already-scintillating catalogue of rock greatness.

True to the title, "Post-Apocalypto" finds TENACIOUS D thrust into a world of complete and utter destruction following the drop of an atomic bomb. Surviving the attack in classic cinematic fashion (a good old imperishable 1950s refrigerator), the duo quickly learns that new forms of evil have spawned from the blast. One thing becomes apparent — for humanity to prevail, TENACIOUS D must save the world.

With unimaginable twists and turns, an insane visit to the White House, a time machine, a space adventure, and the help of some tried and true daddy issues, "Post-Apocalypto" is as hilarious as it is political, and as brilliant and multi-faceted as its incredible creators. The songs are damn good, too.

"Post-Apocalypto" (the album) will be available digitally, on CD, and on translucent green vinyl. There is also a limited-edition "Post-Apocalypto" vinyl picture disc that will only be available on the band's online store.

TENACIOUS D will be playing sold out shows across the country this fall. Tour dates are below.

The dates are:

Oct. 06 - San Bernardino, CA @ Cal Jam 18

Nov. 03 - Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre

Nov. 04 - Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre

Nov. 05 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues

Nov. 07 - Washington, DC @ The Anthem

Nov. 08 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore

Nov. 09 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE

Nov. 10 - Columbus, OH @ Express Live! Indoor Pavilion

Nov. 12 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore

Nov. 13 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre

Nov. 14 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre

Dec. 10 - Calgary, Canada @ Grey Eagle Resort and Casino

Dec. 11 - Edmonton, Canada @ Show Conference Centre

Dec. 13 - Vancouver, Canada @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Dec. 14 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre

Dec. 15 - Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom

Dec. 17 - Oakland, CA @ FOX Theater

Dec. 31 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint

"Viva Morte", a new song from Greek black metallers LUCIFER'S CHILD, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's second studio album, titled "The Order", which will be released on November 9 via Agonia Records. The band, featuring members of ROTTING CHRIST, NIGHTFALL and CHAOSTAR, recorded eight new songs clad in artwork by Daniele Valeriani (DARK FUNERAL, DISSECTION, MAYHEM).

LUCIFER'S CHILD originates from Athens. Its music is a bridge to the world of atmospheric black metal, and a vessel for spiritual self-expression through lyrics. The goal of unifying these two elements gleamed clearly in the eyes of George Emmanuel, a prolific guitarist primarily known for his work as part of ROTTING CHRIST (and a former guitarist of CHAOSTAR), when he formed the band together with bassist Stathis Ridis (a member of another long-running Hellenic metal unit, NIGHTFALL) in 2013. Born from a partnership between two talented musicians, the duo quickly expanded to take in vocalist Marios Dupont (KARMA VIOLENS) and drummer Nick Vell (CHAOSTAR), and delivered their debut album, "The Wiccan", in 2015. Encouraged by the album's keen reception, followed by several festival appearences (including Inferno Festival, Blastfest and Incineration Festival), LUCIFER'S CHILD returns in a darker, more extreme shade, passionate in outperforming its bold debut.

"The Order" was recorded, mixed and mastered in Emmanuel's own recording studio, Pentagram. He commented on the new album: "After three years of converging and sculpting our ideas and sounds we are ready to present our second full-length album entitled 'The Order'. Lucifer awaits!".

"The Order" track listing:

01. Viva Morte

02. The Order

03. Fall Of The Rebel Angels

04. Through Fire We Burn

05. El Dragón

06. Black Heart

07. Haraya

08. Siste Farvel

LUCIFER'S CHILD is:

George Emmanuel - guitars

Stathis Ridis - bass

Marios Dupont - vocals

Nick Vell - drums

In a brand new interview with the "Iron City Rocks" podcast, ex-JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing was asked if he would ever entertain reconnecting with his former bandmates if the opportunity presented itself. "I don't know what happened," K.K. said. "I tried to leave discreetly [and] quietly, and that was it. But when things start to appear in the press and that, I don't know why — maybe it's misinterpretation, but things happen, and I'm thinking this kind of mutual-respect thing seems to be drifting away, and it kind of gets to be like that. But my intention was to hopefully not burn any bridges at all, because I'm of an age now where it's not a good thing to permanently burn bridges through life. I would like to be in a situation where — and I'm sure it would happen — we could meet, shake hands, hugs and embraces after such a long time, and keep the relationship intact.

"With Glenn's [Tipton, guitar] condition, it's something that, I think, was a surprise to everyone. But I heard that Glenn was in Montreal a few days ago at a show, so that's good. And I'm sure that everyone, with me, wishes him, obviously, the best. The guys are scheduled to tour, I believe, I've just heard, with Ozzy [Osbourne] next year in the U.K. and do some big shows there, so that's a show not to be missed. So I'm more than happy and enthusiastic that we'll have a good day when we eventually do get together."

Downing, who is promoting his upcoming autobiography, "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", also talked about a point he makes in the book about JUDAS PRIEST never becoming as big as he thinks it could have been. "It was just really an observation," he said. "To most people, JUDAS PRIEST were this gigantic machine, a powerhouse and really successful, but we didn't achieve, in a way, [what] a lot of other bands achieved, and a lot of bands, essentially, did kind of pass us in the success and album-sales ratio. DEF LEPPARD would be a prime example, going from supporting JUDAS PRIEST to selling an album that, in the States, did five [or] six million, and then the next album did nine, 10, 11 million. I think our biggest-ever-selling record in the States was 'Screaming For Vengeance', [which] may have done something in between two to three million maybe. So that kind of ratio. And there's lots of other bands doing similar sort of things. Even the band QUIET RIOT, I think, had an album that was five or six million, which was double or more than what we had achieved. So who's to say, really? I think timing is very, very critical. Hence I say DEF LEPPARD [did] these mega-selling albums in '83 and '84 — I'm guessing — and we [came] out with the 'Turbo' album in '85 or '86. It's just about timing, really, as to how people are feeling at a certain point in a decade. But, yeah, we could have done a lot worse, so no complaints at all. I'm very, very proud of my achievement, the band's achievement, and the greatest respect to not just my bandmates, but also, obviously, to all of the fans and music lovers worldwide."

"Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest" will be released on September 18 via Da Capo Press. The book was co-written by the Scottish author and journalist Mark Eglinton, whose previous collaborations include "Official Truth, 101 Proof" with Rex Brown of PANTERA and "Confessions Of A Heretic" with BEHEMOTH's Adam "Nergal" Darski.

K.K. announced his retirement from PRIEST in April 2011. He has since been replaced by Richie Faulkner, who was once the guitarist in the backing group for Lauren Harris, daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

Earlier this year, Downing released a statement in which he said that he was "shocked and stunned" that he wasn't approached to rejoin JUDAS PRIEST following Glenn Tipton's announcement that he would no longer be touring with the band due to his battle with Parkinson's disease.

A revamped version of KINGDOM COME — comprised of guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank, drummer James Kottak, along with singer Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB) — will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's self-titled debut album by embarking on a U.S. tour in the fall. Original singer Lenny Wolf declined to participate in the trek, which will kick off on September 27 in Seattle, Washington.

Tour dates:

Sep. 27 - Seattle, WA - Club Sur Rocks

Sep. 28 - Vancouver, WA - Cascade Bar & Grill

Sep. 29 - Sacramento, CA - Holy Diver

Oct. 03 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go

Oct. 05 - Las Vegas, NV - Vamp'd

Oct. 06 - Ramona, CA - Ramona Mainstage

Oct. 07 - Scottsdale, AZ - Blk Live

Oct. 08 - Santa Fe, NM - Camel Rock Casino

Oct. 11 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre (with special guests KILLER DWARFS)

Oct. 12 - Westland, MI - The Token Lounge

Oct. 13 - Versailles, OH - BMI Speedway (co-headlining with AUTOGRAPH; special guests are KILLER DWARFS)

Oct. 14 - Louisville, KY - The Bourbon Hall

Oct. 17 - Pittsburgh, PA - Jergel's Rhythm Grille

Oct. 18 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater

Oct. 19 - Halethorpe, MD - Fish Head Cantina

Oct. 20 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance (supporting ZEBRA)

Oct. 21 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall

Oct. 23 - New Bedford, MA - Greasy Luck Brewpub

Oct. 26 - Granite City, IL - Eddie's Bar & Grill

Oct. 27 - Kansas City, MO - The Scene KC Rock Bar

Kottak, who played on KINGDOM COME's first two albums, 1988's "Kingdom Come" and 1989's "In Your Face" before leaving, spoke to "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" about his decision to resurrect the group. "I've been itching at this," he said. "We tried to launch it back in 2012-13; it just didn't happen because my duties with SCORPIONS took over. And here we are now. We've got the original four — me, myself, Danny Stag on guitar; Johnny B. Frank on bass; Rick Steier on guitar — and then introducing Keith St. John, the vocalist who sang for MONTROSE, LYNCH MOB, etc. And I'm so excited. It's gonna be so awesome."

Regarding Lenny's decision to sit out the tour, James said: "Lenny is just kind of Lenny. To know him is to love him, and I love him and respect his wishes. We've gone back and forth over the last five, six years about this KINGDOM COME reboot, but recently, back in November [or] December, I approached him and I gave him everything on a silver platter, but he said, 'You know what? I just don't wanna do it.' He's just kind of done. He wants to retire. He's got his life. He's up in Hamburg, Germany, and he just doesn't wanna deal with it. And I can understand that and I respect that.

"I had this desire to do this for so long, and he knew that — he knew this going into it, that I wanted to do it, and I'm not gonna let anything stop me," he continued. "So I'm taking it out — KINGDOM COME; it's my name — 'cause it was my band too. So we're out there, and Lenny gave us [his] blessing. I really wish he was onboard, [but] he's just not, and it is what it is. And you do what you have to do, and that's it. It's rock and roll, man."

Asked if the new KINGDOM COME will perform only cuts from the self-titled debut or if it will include other material in its set, Kottak said: "We're gonna play the entire first album, but also we're gonna include songs from the second album, and then also what we thought we would do is add in some MONTROSE, because me and Keith were both with MONTROSE. We're gonna add in some… a little bit of this, and maybe a WARRANT song, and maybe this song and that song, and a little bit of everything to keep it interesting. I mean, we're gonna play some LED ZEPPELIN. Are you kidding? GRETA VAN FLEET is killing it. And we wanna include everything, because we don't wanna be a one-dimensional band, like, 'Oh, it's KINGDOM COME, KINGDOM COME. We're playing the first album.' We wanna include everything, we wanna involve everybody and we wanna make it interesting, because, face it or not, people's attention spans have gotten very short. And we want to entertain everyone — in an hour and 15 minutes, we want to provide you with 24, 28 songs. Maybe it's not the complete songs, but you know what you're gonna get? You're gonna get a rock and roll extravaganza, [and] you're gonna get entertainment."

Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996 and played with the band for 20 years, went on to say that he hopes KINGDOM COME can continue well beyond the upcoming U.S. tour. "For me, this is something I wanted to reboot years ago, but SCORPIONS didn't end," he said, referring to the German group's aborted farewell tour. "What I would like to see happen is we do this to reboot it and we get it up and running at the end of September through October, and then we keep going and going. And I would like to tour on it and I would create some new music, or some new singles — something. But I want it to continue on, because I love rock and roll, and I love KINGDOM COME. And maybe Lenny will contribute some music towards it… I just want things to go forward — I want things to be big. Because if the music isn't there, I'm not there, man."

He continued: "I've been offered so many situations, to play with this one and that one and whatever, and do this and that, whatever, and, honestly, I just don't wanna do it. I wanna do what I wanna do. I've worked my ass off for 35 years, and I wanna do what I wanna do. I wanna be creative and I wanna be involved in what I wanna do. And that's selfish, but…

"I love rock and roll and I like good rock and roll, and KINGDOM COME, to me, is the best of the best. So let's see what happens, man."

Keith St. John also made an appearance on "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" to address his involvement with the revamped KINGDOM COME. The singer, who has known Kottak for more than two decades, said that he decided to front the project after careful consideration over a year-long period.

"As a vocalist, when you're gonna go out and either sub in or become the new guy in a band that's been seen and is kind of iconic and especially that had a lot of video exposure, it's a big decision for me, as a singer, because the vocalist is hard to miss, and especially for the fans — it's hard to miss that there's a different vocalist when people come out to see a band," he explained. "So I'm really careful about picking and choosing what I'll do. And suffice it to say, living in L.A. and being a guy that most of the, let's say, '80s, hair-band kind of genre knows about, I get called to do this kind of thing. And for me, my basic philosophy, as I've been getting middle-aged, or whatever you wanna call it — a little older — has been, if I can't be me and just do my thing and have it just fit in with the style of the band, then I really have to pass these days.

"The KINGDOM COME thing came about out of the blue, when James and I were talking, probably close to a year ago," he continued. "And I listened to the material and I thought about it, and I was, like, 'Man, this stuff really could be done in a way… I mean, I can sing this my way and it'll still sound authentic, like it's supposed to sound, and I can have a lot of fun with this stuff.' And as also part of my due diligence, I said to myself, 'Well, you guys [have] really gotta make sure that you wanna do this, because, by and large, for me' — I always tell this to bands, and I'm sure everybody else feels the same way — 'if the original guys are alive and you can get together, get together, man. Do it. Because there's only so much time.' But, for whatever reason, this is something that probably has to remain the way it is, as far as Lenny doing his own thing and the band doing its own thing. And that's cool — they spent a lot of time working it out. So I waited until they did their diligence and they were really sure. A bunch of months went by — like a half a year — and we said, 'Are you sure? Are you sure? Okay.' And we said, 'Okay, let's go for it, man. [We've] got a month or more worth of dates in the fall. Let's try it out. Let's start it there, see how it goes.' And we're either gonna have a really big super-win or we're gonna have a whole bunch of angry fans going, 'Thumbs down.' [Laughs]"

This past June, Wolf issued a statement via his official web site in which he said that "the KINGDOM COME ship has reached its final destination, at least during my visit on our planet earth." He added that his decision was "mainly caused by experiences I made throughout the last three years, during which the fun factor disappeared more and more, and our energy and hopes have repeatedly been crushed by people and circumstances beyond our control. Some folks out there may not believe it, but it's NOT all about money," he said. "I realized that chasing something which seems is not meant to be, trying to force things, would never lead to something good. Therefore it's time to let go.

"It's been a fantastic 30-year-long musical ride, for which I can only be VERY grateful," the singer added. "Having gone through good and bad times, in the end it was an exceptional way to explore our planet, having met countless wonderful people around the globe and building up memories that can not be taken away from me, or you.

"I'm not saying that I will never write a song again, or never again enter a stage, but the chapter called 'KINGDOM COME' is now closed. One day I may revisit the music scene with a new band called 'IRON BANANA', but until then, it is what it is.

"I hope the KINGDOM COME songs have given many of you energy, joy and strength, as they did for me," Lenny said. "The KINGDOM COME songs will live on, long after we all have turned to dust, and will hopefully do the same for many generations to come, unless of course, we have blown up our planet before then."

After its early run of success in the '80s, KINGDOM COME released several albums, with Wolf remaining the only constant member of the band. The group's most recent effort was 2013's "Outlier".

Udo Dirkschneider has confirmed to Greece's Rock Overdose that he will no longer perform any ACCEPT songs live once he has completed his current touring obligations with his DIRKSCHNEIDER project. "I did now the DIRKSCHNEIDER thing for nearly three hundred shows — I played only ACCEPT songs," he said. "If [the fans] wanna hear some ACCEPT classic stuff, what can I say? Then please go to [see] ACCEPT; they're still touring.

"I would say as long as ACCEPT is existing, I don't play any ACCEPT songs anymore," he explained. "If they maybe split up and I'm still continuing to tour, then it's a possibility to play some ACCEPT songs. But at the moment, they're still going on tour and they play also a lot of old ACCEPT classic stuff, so here we go. I mean, I have now 16 U.D.O. albums out and I think we have enough songs to do a setlist without ACCEPT songs."

Asked if he still has any contact with his former bandmates, Udo said: "No. No contact anymore. Definitely no contact. There was too many bad things [that] happened. I don't wanna be in contact with them anymore."

Back in 2015, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann dismissed Dirkschneider's comment that the band's current lineup — which includes ACCEPT's singer of nearly a decade, Mark Tornillo — performs live "without any emotion," "It's just hilarious at this point," Wolf said. "It's just a big joke in our lives. And we just go on about our lives, and we do our thing, and we just… We let these things go by and laugh about it. He's actually sort of our press agent, in a way. He keeps us [in the news]."

The DIRKSCHNEIDER tour, which was originally supposed to conclude with the band's North American run in January/February 2017, has now been extended through the fall of 2018.

In addition to Udo and his son Sven (drums), the DIRKSCHNEIDER and U.D.O. bands include bassist Fitty Wienhold and guitarist Andrey Smirnov.

DIRKSCHNEIDER released "Live - Back To The Roots - Accepted!" in August 2017 as a DVD/2CD, Blu-ray/2CD and gatefold triple vinyl in two different colors.

U.D.O.'s new album, "Steelfactory", was released on August 31 via AFM.

Julien's Auctions is paying tribute to one of the most influential heavy metal heroes and forefathers of headbanging music with the "Property From The Estate Of Ronnie James Dio" auction, live at The Hard Rock Café in New York on Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15 and online at JuliensLive.com.

Nearly a dozen video trailers for the "Property From The Estate Of Ronnie James Dio" auction have been posted online and can be viewed below.

Highlights of the auction will feature items from the legendary singer's stellar career with iconic bands RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and DIO, including several pieces of original album artwork including the acrylic painting by Barry Jackson used as the cover for the 1984 DIO album "The Last In Line" (estimate $20,000 - $30,000); his pair of moon and stars patchwork jeans worn extensively on stage with RAINBOW (estimate $2,000 - $4,000); Dio's custom-made violet suede vest with tails and red leather shin guards worn on stage and in promotional photographs for the 1985 "Sacred Heart" tour (estimate $2,000 - $4,000); a personalized BLACK SABBATH hooded velour robe from the 1981 "Mob Rules" tour worn regularly backstage (estimate $1,000 - $2,000); Dio's personal rolling wardrobe case (estimate $800 - $1,200); some of the most ambitious and spectacular stage design rock has ever seen with props such as a monumental animatronic sphinx on plinth base from the 1984 "The Last In Line" tour (estimate $2,000 - 4,000) and a massive animatronic dragon's head from the 1985 "Sacred Heart" tour (estimate $3,000 - 5,000); an array of Dio's studio and stage used instruments and gear such as a custom Charvel guitar featuring a one-of-a-kind wizard paint motif (estimate $3,000 - $5,000); a 1978 "gold" record award commemorating Australian sales of the RAINBOW album "Rising" (estimate $600–$800) and a 1978 "gold" record award for the album RAINBOW "On Stage" (estimate $600 - $800) and much more.

"I am glad that Ronnie's extensive collection of items will go to his fans, museums and collectors around the world to be displayed for all to see and enjoy," Dio's widow Wendy said in a statement. "These items are very special to me but I recognize the historical importance of anything to do with Ronnie and he would want his fans to be able to own, enjoy and see these items for many years to come."

Darren Julien, CEO and president of Julien's Auctions, said: "Dio stands atop the colossal rock legends of our time as the definitive heavy metal hero whose voice, style and persona influenced heavy metal and today's music icons like no other.

"Julien's Auctions salutes Dio's enduring legacy in this larger-than-life collection of his artefacts that will surely be the ultimate metal auction of the season."

Video footage of Swedish doom metal legends CANDLEMASS rehearsing their classic song "Solitude" with newly returned singer Johan Längqvist can be seen below.

CANDLEMASS announced yesterday that it had parted ways with Mats Levén and reteamed with Längqvist.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ian Gillan has reunited with his pre-DEEP PURPLE band THE JAVELINS to record the group's debut album. "Ian Gillan And The Javelins" was released August 31 as a CD digipak, a vinyl LP and a digital download. The 16-track collection features covers of American blues, rock 'n' roll, soul and country tunes, including renditions of rock classics like THE CONTOURS' "Do You Love Me", Roy Orbison's "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)" , Chuck Berry's "Memphis, Tennessee" and "Rock And Roll Music", Jerry Lee Lewis's "High School Confidential", Buddy Holly's "It's So Easy", Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightnin'" and Ray Charles's "What I'd Say".

In the video below, Ian Gillan and THE JAVELINS share some stories from the 1960s.

Every DEEP PURPLE true lover knows how much their magic and powerful style is the result of many different influences brought in by the single members, all merging into the powerful sound loved by millions of rock fans. Ian Gillan's love for American soul and R&B as well as skiffle and early rock and roll has been well documented in many articles and interviews.

Founded in the early 60s, THE JAVELINS were influenced by pop, soul, country, jazz and blues artists from America. They soaked up the music of their heroes, added their own stamp and went from town to town to perform their favourite songs in front of a small but ever growing audience — becoming local heroes themselves.

This was the time when Ian Gillan discovered himself, broke the chains and "found his voice."


THE JAVELINS paved the way for the Ian Gillan who, only a few years later, wrote music history with DEEP PURPLE, becoming one of the most iconic frontmen of all time and, together with very few others, shaped rock music the way we know it today.

"These contemporary recordings (2018) by THE JAVELINS are drawn from our set lists, circa 1963, when I was 18 years old. Now, a few years later, I have the privilege and joy of working with my old mates from the original group; Gordon Fairminer (lead guitar); Tony Tacon (rhythm guitar); Tony Whitfield (bass guitar); Keith Roach (drums), as we make a long-overdue LP."

Ian Gillan has defined this new studio album as "a collection of catchy rhythms and feel-good melodies". This understating definition shows Gillan's ability to still look at those songs and his whole career with the same eyes of the 18-year-old boy who sang them many years ago.

But there is a lot more to this recordings…

By paying tribute to music legends such as Chuck Berry, THE DRIFTERS, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley, IAN GILLAN & THE JAVELINS have not only managed to do that.

Avoiding the use of any modern technology, the band has managed to find the spontaneity and true sense of freedom of pop and rock and roll music of 50 years ago, probably without completely realizing it themselves.

One world superstar and four friends who have taken very different directions in life (none decided to "turn pro" as they would say it) but still able to capture the essence of what being a performing band is about.

This album is what happened during four days of recordings in a studio in Hamburg, Germany, where instruments, microphones, lyrics sheets and memories were the only tools allowed.

This album is not an act of nostalgia, or a celebration of the purity of the old days versus modernity. This is simply what the Javelins were in 1963… and this is what they are now, if they happen to meet in the studio, embracing their guitars and look at each other with a big smile on their face.

This is where it all started.

"Ian Gillan & The Javelins" has been recorded at the Chameleon Studios during a five-day recording session in Hamburg, March 2018, Germany. It features Don Airey (DEEP PURPLE) as special guest on piano.

Gillan told Kaaos TV about THE JAVELINS: "The guys in the band, most of them tickled along at the occasional gig and they practiced, but most of them haven't really played in any progressive way for 50 years or more — 55, 56 years now.

"I prepared all the material with Steve Morris, my old partner from Liverpool — not Steve Morse; Steve Morris. And we sent the tapes, 16 songs, to each of the guys, and said, 'Okay, practice like crazy for six weeks.' And so we all met in the studio in Hamburg and we recorded 10 songs on the first day. And the whole 16 were recorded in two days, and then the solos and extra bits and pieces, a few mistakes, were repaired on a Wednesday, and then we did a video, and that was it. It was unbelievable."

He continued: "I was listening to the rough mixes, before we put on the vocal backings, the girls, and the brass section, because a lot of those old songs, like THE COASTERS and Ray Charles, had brass sections on them, so we're doing it authentically, augmenting the band. But, you know, because they hadn't played professionally for 50 years, they didn't evolve at all — they kept playing in the style which was in 1962, and consequently, when I'm listening to it, I think, 'My God! This is so authentic. It sounds just exactly as it did in those days.' It's not musicians from today trying to do a retro version of those songs, which I've heard plenty of, and they're always high production — there's no breathing space; no nothing. It sounds, to me, just as I remember it.

"Of course, we're all in our 70s, and we're like a bunch of school boys in the studio," he added. "We had a reunion a couple of years ago — at Christmas, we all went on a boat up the river Thames and had a fantastic night. And it was great — the old banter was still there, the jokes and the sense of humor. And it was wonderful — just truly wonderful. A great experience for these guys who have not been in a studio like that before. We did try another project a few years ago and made another set. So I think there were some nerves and some apprehension prior to the session, but by God, they went through it great. After every day's work, we sat down, we had a meal and drank some beers together and just talked about things. It was great. It was certainly a fantastic experience."

After heavy touring for the first part of 2018, STRYPER will return to the road this fall for the second half of its "God Damn Evil" world tour. And there is good news for STRYPER fans… guitarist Oz Fox intends to return to the road for most of the dates this fall.

This has been a challenging summer for Oz and his bandmates. On August 11, Oz suffered a medical emergency while performing with a side project in Las Vegas. An onstage seizure led to the discovery of some previously unknown "spots" on the brain. Oz has been released from the hospital, although additional testing and treatment will be necessary. However, he should be released to work this fall while his medical team decides the best course of action moving forward.

Oz was forced to sit out the Australia tour dates last month, and he'll miss the September dates as well due to air travel restrictions from his doctor. However, he intends to rejoin STRYPER on the road in October. Oz handpicked Los Angeles-based guitarist Howie Simon to fill in for him on the September dates, allowing Oz additional time to rest and recover. Simon will be a familiar face to many STRYPER fans, with performance credits that include NELSON, Jeff Scott Soto, SCRAP METAL, TALISMAN, Eric Martin, WINGER and more.

"Howie Simon and I have been friends for well over a decade now," says Oz. "It is great to have him help us out and fill in for me while I am in recovery. I am looking forward to catching some fan videos of him online. He's an excellent performer and his guitar playing outranks so many in the business. In my opinion, it is very important for the band to fulfill dates that have been booked for so long. I am thankful for the continued support of the fans while my STRYPER family and I face this detour in my career, and I look forward to seeing many of you on the road in October and November."

"We appreciate all the support, thoughts and prayers from everyone at this time," says frontman Michael Sweet. "We look forward to having our brother Oz back as quickly as possible. We're also very grateful to Howie for working so hard learning the material and parts to be able to sit in with us for the time being. We'll do our best to bring you the absolute best show possible until Oz returns."

Formed 35 years ago, STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen" and the band's latest effort, "God Damn Evil".

Tour dates:

Sep. 07 - Rocktember Music Festival - Hinkley, MN

Sep. 08 - The Arcada Theatre - St. Charles, IL

Sep. 13 - House of Blues Orlando - Lake Buena Vista, FL

Sep. 15 - “Rockin’ Vivo Fest” at Vivo Beach Club - Carolina, Puerto Rico

Oct. 12 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN

Oct. 13 - Delmar Hall - St Louis, MO

Oct. 14 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK

Oct. 18 - Stampede - Aurora, CO

Oct. 20 - LeatherHheads - Draper, UT

Oct. 25 - The Marquee - Tempe, AZ

Oct. 26 - The Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ

Oct. 27 - The Club @ Cannery Casino Hotel - North Las Vegas, NV

Oct. 31 - Whiskey A Go Go - West Hollywood, CA

Nov. 02 - San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino - Highland, CA

Nov. 03 - The Canyon Theater - Santa Clarita, CA

Nov. 04 - Ace of Spades - Sacramento, CA

Nov. 06 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA

Nov. 11 - Virginia St Brewhouse - Reno, NV

Nov. 14 - Pub Station Ballroom - Billings, MT

Nov. 17 - Anthem @ Hard Rock Casino - Sioux City, IA

Jan. 31 - Tupelo Music Hall - Derry, NH

Feb. 01 - Wolf’s Den @ Mohegan Sun - Uncasville, CT

Feb. 09 - Kawasaki Club Citta - Tokyo, Japan (Rescheduled)

Feb. 10 - Kawasaki Club Citta - Tokyo, Japan (Rescheduled)

STONE SOUR's music video for an acoustic version of the song "Mercy" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's acclaimed 2017 LP, "Hydrograd", which was released as a deluxe edition on August 31. The two-disc set, "Hydrograd Deluxe Edition", collects unreleased covers, b-sides, live recordings and alternate versions of songs from "Hydrograd". The deluxe edition is highlighted by "Burn One Turn One", a previously unreleased b-side from "Hydrograd". "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.

"Hydrograd Deluxe Edition" track listing:

Disc 1:

01. YSIF

02. Taipei Person /Allah Tea

03. Knievel Has Landed

04. Hydrograd

05. Song #3

06. Fabuless

07. The Witness Trees

08. Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)

09. Thank God It's Over

10. St. Marie

11. Mercy

12. Whiplash Pants

13. Friday Knights

14. Somebody Stole My Eyes

15. When The Fever Broke

Disc 2:

01. Burn One Turn One

02. Bootleg Ginger

03. Live Like You're On Fire

04. Subversive

05. Unchained

06. Bombtrack

07. Outshined (Live at Sphere)

08. Song # 3 (Acoustic)

09. Mercy (Acoustic)

10. Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I) (Acoustic)

11. The Witness Trees (Acoustic)

12. Mercy (Live at Sphere)

13. Fabuless (Live at Sphere)

"Hydrograd" was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

STONE SOUR drummer Roy Mayorga told Topeka's rock station V100 about the making of "Hydrograd": "It came about pretty natural. It's just a collective of everyone. A lot of it was written together, live at my house. We demoed all of it at my studio at my house and just kind of pieced everything together there. We did five or six songs at a time, and every three months we'd get back together and do it that way. Corey [Taylor, vocals] would bring in some songs; Josh [Rand, guitar] would bring in some songs; Christian [Martucci, guitar] brought in a lot of stuff; I would submit some riffs to Christian and he would put 'em together… We wrote about, I'd say, 28 to 30 [songs], and we whittled it down to what you hear. You write as many as you can, you write the best songs you can, and then just pick from there."

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

The first trailer for the upcoming self-titled debut album from NORTHWARD, the hard rock project featuring current NIGHTWISH singer Floor Jansen and PAGAN'S MIND guitarist Jørn Viggo Lofstad, can be seen below. The disc will be released on October 19 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the album was created by Hannes Van Dahl and Chris Rörland and can be seen below.

NORTHWARD's recently released music video for the "While Love Died" single was produced by Ville Lipiäinen (NIGHTWISH, PAIN).

"Northward" track listing:

01. While Love Died

02. Get What You Give

03. Storm In A Glass

04. Drifting Islands

05. Paragon

06. Let Me Out

07. Big Boy

08. Timebomb

09. Bridle Passion

10. I Need

11. Northward

It was during the "all-star jam" at ProgPower USA festival in 2007 when Jansen and Lofstad spontaneously joined forces on stage for some cover songs and noticed a certain creative magic between them. Although the two musicians had never met before, they soon discovered their mutual love for stripped-down hard rock and decided to write some songs together. In 2008, still barely knowing each other, they composed an entire album's worth of material in next to no time — but due to their tight schedules with their main bands, their new project named NORTHWARD never found its way to the spotlight, until today!

In 2017, the year of NIGHTWISH's break, Floor took the opportunity to contact her old friend Jørn Viggo again to see if he was still interested in resurrecting NORTHWARD — and of course he was!

"Jørn Viggo was positive about the project and we started to make the overall plans, meeting again in March of 2017 in Sweden to go through all the material together to see if we still felt happy with what we had created", recalls Floor.

Stepping free from boundaries, NORTHWARD's sound is strong, euphoric and straight in the tradition of SKUNK ANANSIE, FOO FIGHTERS and ALTER BRIDGE but also bands such as DEEP PURPLE and LED ZEPPELIN.

With the help of producer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT), the two forged a raw diamond composed of heavy riffs and Floor's incomparable voice, free from influence of the musicians' main bands. And although the songs had originally been written in 2008, they just felt as fresh and alive upon a second hearing as they had on the very first day of their creation.

"The music is melodic, but also in-your-face and kick-ass rock," says Floor. "Cool riffs, good melodies and tasteful arrangements. We would simply like to call it 'good music.' We wanted to explore a basic rock sound, with drums, bass, guitar and vocals. Not the heavy layers of keyboards, choirs etc.".

Alongside Jansen and Lofstad, Morty Black (TNT) handled bass duties, while drums were recorded by Django Nilsen and Stian Kristoffersen (PAGAN'S MIND). You will also hear a guest appearance by Floor's sister Irene Jansen, singing a duet on the song "Drifting Islands". And finally, Ronny Tegner from PAGAN'S MIND played the piano on one song.

This year NORTHWARD is ready to break free. Jansen states: "We are happy and excited to be able to release this rock album under Nuclear Blast's name. They accepted the challenge of bringing this non-metal album into the world by believing in us as musicians, and also for the pure love for music that sounds good to them. We have both put our heart and soul into this album. We are very proud of it and we can't wait to show it to you all!"

WURMgroup has announced the signing of the newly reunited ONESIDEZERO.

Formed in 1997, ONESIDEZERO has released two albums: its acclaimed 2001 debut, "Is This Room Getting Smaller", which was produced by Jim Wirt (INCUBUS) and mixed by David Botrill (TOOL), as well as the 2007 self-titled follow-up, which was helmed by Ulrich Wild (PANTERA, DEFTONES, STATIC-X). Through the years, the band has toured with the likes of INCUBUS, SEVENDUST, STATIC-X, SOULFLY and 311, and has also appeared on the HBO show "Reverb" with LINKIN PARK.

Now armed with a new lineup, ONESIDEZERO is looking to further cement its mark in the rock world. The band is currently in the studio working on new music with WURMgroup founder, producer and mixer Ulrich Wild, and has planned a re-release of its self-titled second album. This new edition will feature a new mix, as well as a previously unreleased song.

In regard to the new songs and album, singer/guitarist Jasan Radford said: "We've always written what we've felt, and I think we're 100 percent back to doing that again. It's still very much like an original onesidezero sound, but it's more 'adult.' … We've grown up and appreciate everybody and the people we're playing with."

WURMgroup was founded in 2015 by Wild as a place for artists to find a home and build their recording careers.

ONESIDEZERO made its live comeback on August 18 at The Viper Room in Hollywood, California. This marked the group's first live appearance with its new lineup, featuring founding members Radford and Levon Sultanian (guitar), along with new drummer Michael Tarabotto and bassist Marello Dias (formerly of SOULFLY and ABLOOM).

PAPA ROACH's Jerry Horton has revealed to Morgan Richards Interviews that the band is "about 85 percent finished" making the follow-up to last year's "Crooked Teeth" album. The new disc will arrive "either at the end of this year or the beginning of next year," according to the guitarist.

Speaking about how PAPA ROACH's upcoming LP will be a musical progression from "Crooked Teeth", Horton said (see video below): "We're at the point, I think, in our career where we want to… we're really trying to explore more dynamics now and not just be a wall of guitars all the time. So you can do that, but if it's loud all the time, then you don't know when it's supposed to be loud and when it's supposed not to be loud. So we're trying to balance and trying to get some more impact, and I think we started that off really well with [the 'Crooked Teeth' song] 'Help' — and 'Born For Greatness' was another one. We're trying to imagine how it's gonna go [over] live, when we write the song. So that's kind of how 'Born For Greatness' happened, where we were just, like, 'We want something that people can bounce to.' So we're continuing that on the next one. And it's been really good."

PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix recently told the Lazer 103.3 radio station that the band had "13 or 14 songs written and recorded" for the upcoming album. He described the musical direction of the new PAPA ROACH material as "a pretty bold evolution," saying that the tracks that have been laid down so far are "so inspiring and just unique and different and rocking and anthemic and passionate."

"Crooked Teeth" was released in May 2017 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc was written and recorded in a cramped North Hollywood studio with producers Nicholas "RAS" Furlong and Colin Brittain, with the exception of "Born For Greatness", which saw the band collaborate with writer/producer Jason Evigan (Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, Zedd, MAROON 5).

Multi-camera video footage of SLAYER's August 26 performance at the SAP Center in San Jose, California can be seen below (courtesy of Capital Chaos TV).

SLAYER kicked off its farewell tour on May 10 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California.

This past January, SLAYER announced that it would do one last concert tour around the globe to thank their fans for all of their support over the years, for making the last three and a half decades so packed with good times and unforgettable experiences, and then move on.

SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya talked about his possible retirement in a 2016 interview with Loudwire. He said: "At 35 years, it's time to collect my pension. [Laughs] This is a career move." He continued: "I'm grateful that we've been around for 35 years; that's a really long time. So, yeah, to me, it is. Because when we started off, everything was great, because you're young and invincible. And then there came a time where I became a family man, and I had a tough time flying back and forth. And now, at this stage, at the level we're at now, I can do that; I can fly home when I want to, on days off, and spend some time with my family, which is something I wasn't able to do when [my kids] were growing up. Now they're both older and mature. So now I take advantage of that." Araya added: "Yeah, it just gets harder and harder to come back out on the road. 35 years is a long time."

Tom also revealed another reason for his diminished enjoyment of the touring life. He said: "There's things that have gone on in my life that have made me change how I play as a bass player. I had neck surgery, so I can't headbang anymore. And that was a big part of what I enjoyed doing what I do — singing and headbanging. I liked knowing that I was one of the fucking badass headbangers. That played a big part. Now I just groove with the music, which is cool, because I'm grooving with the music and the feel of the songs, so that's changed a little for me."

SLAYER has been touring in support of its latest album, "Repentless", which was released in September 2015 via Nuclear Blast. That effort marked the band's first release since the death of SLAYER's co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, in January 2011 from a spider bite in his backyard. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

Original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was effectively fired from the band after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of SLAYER. He has since been replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band.

SLAYER will embark on the European leg of its "farewell" tour in the fall. Support on that trek will come from LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX and OBITUARY.

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

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


"The Deep & The Dark" track listing:

01. The Deep & The Dark

02. Return To Lemuria

03. Ritual Night

04. The Silent Mutiny

05. Book Of Nature

06. The Last Home

07. The Grand Illusion

08. Dead Reckoning

09. Words Of War

10. Prayer To The Lost

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

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

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

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

Photo by Moritz Maibaum Photography

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

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

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


"Battlefields Of Asura" track listing:

01. Drawing Omnipotence Nigh

02. The Silent One's Torch

03. Flames Upon The Weeping Winds

04. A Crimson Sky's Command

05. Souls Of The Revolution

06. Taste The Black Tears

07. One Thousand Eyes

08. Masked Faith

09. Carved In Bloodstone

10. Millennia's Faith Undone

11. Autopoiesis

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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





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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

DIO DISCIPLES is:

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

* Oni Logan (LYNCH MOB) - Vocals

* Craig Goldy (DIO) - Guitar

* Bjorn Englen (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) - Bass

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

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

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

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

"Vindictive Miscreant" track listing:

01. Vindictive Miscreant

02. Actions Speak Louder Than Words

03. Replaced

04. The Inner Strength Of The Demon

05. The Book

06. Engulfed In Paranoia

07. The Impossible Of Dreams

08. Stand Up And Be Counted

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

MASTER is:

Paul Speckmann - Vocals, Bass

Zdenek Pradlovsky - Drums

Aleš Nejezchleba - Guitar

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

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

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

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

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

"Symphonized" track listing:

01. Feel Alive

02. Amity (originally released by THE GATHERING)

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

04. Two Souls (originally released by LORRAINVILLE)

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

06. Travel (originally released by THE GATHERING)

07. Zo Lief (unreleased song in Dutch)

08. You Will Never Change

09. Freedom - Rio (originally released by VUUR)

10. Forgotten (originally released by THE GATHERING)

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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


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

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

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


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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Evolution" will be released on October 19.

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

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

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

Photo by Travis Shinn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AC/DC SCOOP!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

"You Belong To Me":

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Photo - Stefanie Meyer)

Internationally acclaimed rock band Stone Sour have posted their cover of Soundgarden's "Outshined", taken from the deluxe release for their acclaimed 2017 album Hydrograd. The two-disc set, Hydrograd Deluxe Edition, collects unreleased covers, b-sides, live recordings and alternate versions of songs from Hydrograd.

The deluxe edition is highlighted by “Burn One Turn One”, a previously unreleased b-side from Hydrograd, which is streaming now accompanied by an official lyric video (watch below). “Burn One Turn One” is also available as an instant grat download with all pre-orders and available today at all digital service providers.

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

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

Hydrograd Deluxe Edition tracklisting:

Disc 1:

"YSIF"
"Taipei Person /Allah Tea"
"Knievel Has Landed"
"Hydrograd"
"Song #3"
"Fabuless"
"The Witness Trees"
"Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)"
"Thank God It’s Over"
"St. Marie"
"Mercy"
"Whiplash Pants"
"Friday Knights"
"Somebody Stole My Eyes"
"When The Fever Broke"

Disc 2:

"Burn One Turn One"
"Bootleg Ginger"
"Live Like You’re On Fire"
"Subversive"
"Unchained"
"Bombtrack"
"Outshined" (Live at Sphere)
"Song # 3" (Acoustic)
"Mercy" (Acoustic)
"Rose Red Violent Blue (This Song Is Dumb & So Am I)" (Acoustic)
"The Witness Trees" (Acoustic)
"Mercy" (Live at Sphere)
"Fabuless" (Live at Sphere)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dates:

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

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

Get tickets via the following links:

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

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

Pre-order Phronesis here.

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

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

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

Lineup:

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

(Photo - Frank Wesp)