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

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

"Ritual" track listing:

01. Ritual

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

03. The Summoning

04. Evil Empowered

05. Under Rapture (feat. Ross Dolan)

06. Demonized

07. Blood On The Street

08. Bite The Bullet

09. Feedback!

10. Soulfly XI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Side 1

01. Road Of Love - By Keb' Mo'

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

03. Brown Sugar - By Steven Tyler & Nuno Bettencourt

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

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

06. Snatching It Back - By Kid Rock

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

08. Cry Like A Rainy Day - By Michael Mcdonald

09. True Love - By Vince Gill & Wendy Moten

10. Come And Go Blues - By Alison Krauss

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

12. Steal Away - By Eli "Paperboy" Reed

13. Wild Horses - By Alan Jackson

14. Mustang Sally - By Brently Stephen Smith

15. We've Got Tonight - By Chord Overstreet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Posted by Ville Valo on Wednesday, August 29, 2018

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

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


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


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


Nadir D'Priest - Vocals

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

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

Billy the Fist (D'PRIEST) - Bass

Ronee Peña - Guitar


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Track listing:

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

01. Be All, End All

02. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

03. Make Me Laugh

04. Antisocial

05. Who Cares Wins

06. Now It's Dark

07. Schism

08. Misery Loves Company

09. 13

10. Finale

11. Antisocial (French) *

12. Friggin In The Riggin *

13. Parasite *

14. Le Sects *

15. Pipeline *

16. Antisocial (Live At Hammersmith Odeon) *

* Bonus Tracks

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

01. Be All, End All

02. Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

03. Make Me Laugh

04. Antisocial

05. Who Cares Wins

06. Now It's Dark

07. Schism

08. Misery Loves Company

09. Finale

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

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

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

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

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

Track listing:

CD1

01. Sign Of The Dragonhead

02. Across The Sea

03. Like A Mountain

04. Jomsborg

05. Völva

06. Riders On The Wind

07. Fairer Than The Sun

08. Shadows In The Night

09. Rulers Of Wind And Waves

10. Fires In The North

11. Waves Of Euphoria

12. Beowulf (Bonus)

13. Winter Nights (Bonus)

CD2

01. Sign Of The Dragonhead (Instrumental)

02. Across The Sea (Instrumental)

03. Like A Mountain (Instrumental)

04. Jomsborg (Instrumental)

05. Völva (Instrumental)

06. Riders On The Wind (Instrumental)

07. Fairer Than The Sun (Instrumental)

08. Shadows In The Night (Instrumental)

09. Rulers Of Wind And Waves (Instrumental)

10. Fires In The North (Instrumental)

11. Waves Of Euphoria (Instrumental)

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

LEAVES' EYES is:

Elina Siirala - vocals

Alexander Krull - vocals

Thorsten Bauer - guitar

Pete Streit - guitar

Joris Nijenhuis - drums

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

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

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

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

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

Track listing:

01. As The Dead Lie

02. The Burning Horizon

03. Standing In The Shadows

04. A Plague Of Light

05. Empyrean Atrophy

06. Jesusatan

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blackened American whiskey events:

Thursday, August 30

Bottle Signing and Tasting with Dave Pickerell

Steve's Liquor

122 Junction Road

Madison, WI 53717

12-2 p.m.

Bottle Signing and Tasting with Dave Pickerell

Woodman's Liquor Sun Prairie

1099 S. Grand Ave.

Sun Prairie, WI 53590

3-5 p.m.

Sunday, September 2

Wando's Pre-show

602 University Ave.

Madison, WI 53715

Featured drinks

5-8 p.m.

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

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

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

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

"A New Kind of Horror" track listing

01. The Road To...

02. Obscene As Cancer

03. The Reek Of Fear

04. Forward!

05. New Bethlehem/Mass Death Futures

06. The Apocalypse Is About You!

07. Vi Coactus

08. Mother Of Satan

09. The Horrid Strife

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

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

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

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

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

"Second Coming" track listing:

01. My Fear & My Faith

02. Because Of Us

03. It Burns

04. Walk Me Through The Fire

05. New Life Begins

06. The Final War

07. Breathtaking

08. Rock's Still Rolling

09. Die Together

10. The Best Thing I Never Had

11. Outrun You

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

Recording lineup:

* Ronnie Atkins - Lead & Backing Vocals

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

* Magnus Ulfstedt – Drums

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

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

As Sensory Records prepares for the release of The Persistence, the new LP from Italian prog outfit Kingcrow, the band has issued the album's first video single. The video for the song "Father" has been premiered as the band prepares to begin their European tour supporting Pain Of Salvation this week.

The video for "Father" was filmed by Devilnax, directed by Devilnax and Kingcrow's Diego Cafolla. With the premiere of the new song, Cafolla offers, "This is a song that was written very quickly. I had the whole first part written with just a basic drum machine loop and Thundra came up with that hypnotic drums pattern, which I liked a lot. It's a pretty dark song and the only one we already played live in a show in Rome and it worked beautifully. I think it shows very well our interest in both trip hop atmospheres and heavy stuff and I like that a lot of things happen in less than five minutes, from the atmospheric first part to the heavy, proggy ending."

The Persistence will be released on CD, 2LP, and digital formats worldwide on September 7th via Sensory Records. The vinyl version features three bonus tracks recorded at ProgPower USA have a new mastering by Alan Douches on the D-side. Find preorders here.

The release of The Persistence is tied in conjunction to Kingcrow's support slot for Pain Of Salvation, which will run from August 31st through September 20th.

Cafolla offers of The Persistence, "With the last record, Eidos, we finished what we call the 'life trilogy' which included Phlegethon, In Crescendo, and Eidos, and when we started talking about the new chapter everyone agreed we needed somehow to step a bit outside of our confort zone and refresh our sound. With that in mind, I started to write a lot of music, which ended up being three hours of music more or less, trying different things until I came up with a couple of songs that sounded interesting and fresh to us and showcased the 'X factor' of the new record. 'Everything Goes' and 'Devil's Got A Picture' were the first two written. These early songs sounded different from what we did in the past but still somehow sounding like us, with a kind of a dark ambient, more modern vibe mixed with a heavier rock attitude. Devilnax was also determined to have a different cover style for the album, and after nights spent listening to the demos and discussing the lyrical content, for the first time all by vocalist Diego Marchesi, he came up with that very powerful image that fits beautifully with the main vibe of The Persistence."

"Night's Descending":

"The Persistence":

(Photo by: Devilnax)

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke to Metalshop TV about his band's plans for the follow-up to 2017's "Machine Messiah" album. "We're always working," he said. "I have a few demos with a drum machine and a few ideas — very raw still. I know Eloy [Casagrande, drums] has some stuff on drums, Derrick [Green, vocals] already wrote some ideas, and we're gonna start gathering and putting together the ideas pretty soon. But we have something where to start from — we have a few ideas to develop for the future."

Kisser added that a new SEPULTURA album won't arrive before 2020. "We're still gonna take our time and really work hard to do a better album than 'Machine Messiah'," he said. "That's our challenge."

"Machine Messiah" was released in January 2017. The disc was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with Swedish producer Jens Bogren. The CD's cover artwork was created by Filipino artist Camille Della Rosa.

SEPULTURA's official documentary, "Sepultura Endurance", will tentatively be released on DVD and Blu-ray in late 2018 or early 2019.

SEPULTURA has released 14 studio albums to date.

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST played their classic song "Delivering The Goods" live for the first time in 38 years last night (Wednesday, August 29) at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

As part of its ongoing "Firepower" world tour, PRIEST has been playing a number of tunes from its classic '70s albums that created the blueprint for modern metal. Earlier this year, the band performed "Saints In Hell" from 1978's "Stained Class" and dusted off 1976's "Tyrant".

JUDAS PRIEST and DEEP PURPLE have joined forces for a co-headlining North American tour. The 25-date trek launched August 21 in Cincinnati and concludes September 30 in Wheatland, California.

JUDAS PRIEST is touring in support of its latest album, "Firepower", which was released in March via Epic.

"Firepower" entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 5, making it the band's highest-charting album ever.

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Singer Rob Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then returned to PRIEST in 2003. Founding guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Richie Faulkner. Earlier this year, Tipton stepped down from touring with the band due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. His spot in the band is being filled by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap.

Atlanta progressive metallers MASTODON have canceled their previously announced tour with DINOSAUR JR. The dates were scrapped "due to a critical situation of a member of the MASTODON family," according to a statement released by the band. Tickets and VIP upgrades will be refunded at point of purchase.

The members of MASTODON "would like to extend their sincerest thanks to their loyal fans as well as the fans of DINOSAUR JR. for their support and understanding at this time," the statement continues. "The band hopes to make up these shows at a future time, but as of now, no plans for rescheduling have been set. "

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.

CANCELLATION ALERT: @mastodonmusic regrets to inform fans that due to a critical situation of a member of the Mastodon family, their upcoming tour with Dinosaur Jr. will be cancelled. Tickets and VIP upgrades will be refunded at point of purchase.

Clyde box office (260) 747-0989— The Clyde Theatre (@ClydeTheatre) August 30, 2018



.@mastodonmusic regrets to inform fans that due to a critical situation of a member of the Mastodon family, their upcoming tour with @dinosaurjr will be cancelled.

Tickets and VIP upgrades will be refunded at point of purchase. More info » https://t.co/M4SAKBKegJ pic.twitter.com/gpxYZM8kOq— The Rave / Eagles Club (@therave) August 30, 2018

On September 7, Metal Blade Records will release "Cruel Magic", the new album by NWOBHM legends SATAN. The cover artwork for the disc was created by renowned artist Eliran Kantor, who has previously worked with TESTAMENT, HATEBREED, SOULFLY and KATAKLYSM, among many others.

For another preview of "Cruel Magic", listen to the third single, "Death Knell For A King", below.

SATAN comments on the new single: "Playing this song in rehearsals is such a rollercoaster, and it's obvious already that it's going to be part of the SATAN live show for some time to come. This song has been in the making since 2014 and we are so excited to finally unleash it on the new record. It's our album opener, so turn up the volume and hold on!"

Bearers of the NWOBHM movement and responsible for '83's seminal "Court In The Act" and '87's "Suspended Sentence", SATAN makes it abundantly clear with its upcoming album that in 2018, it is not interested in simply capitalizing on past glories. Comprised of 10 tracks of searing metal, it is blatantly and profoundly the work of the Newcastle upon Tyne natives at their very best, infusing their signature sound with a more raw, wild and spontaneous vibe than they showcased on 2015's mighty "Atom By Atom" — and in the process, displaying more passion and energy than slews of bands half their age.

Tracking the album at First Avenue Studio, they further demonstrated their trust and rapport with past collaborators, recruiting engineer Dave Curle and Dario Mollo to handle the mix, letting them handle the technical side of things so the quintet could focus all of their energies on giving the best performances. Confident in the songs they had written and how they wanted them to sound made the process a very easy one, walking out of the studio with a record of which they are understandably proud, and will reign supreme in the speakers and headphones of metalheads the world over when it drops in September.

"We truly feel we've got it 100 percent right this time, the balance between considered content and reckless performance," SATAN says. "We always break loose on stage so why not on record?"

"Cruel Magic" track listing:

01. Into The Mouth Of Eternity

02. Cruel Magic

03. The Doomsday Clock

04. Legions Hellbound

05. Ophidian

06. My Prophetic Soul

07. Death Knell For A King

08. Who Among Us

09. Ghosts Of Monongah

10. Mortality

In support of "Cruel Magic", SATAN will head out on the road this October for a USA tour, which includes an appearance at the Frost And Fire IV festival in Ventura, California.

U.S. dark melodic metal masters WITHERFALL will release their sophomore album, "A Prelude To Sorrow", on November 2.

Songwriters Joseph Michael (vocals, SANCTUARY) and Jake Dreyer (guitar, ICED EARTH) succeeded in perfectly combining the group's technical proficiency with an appropriate eerie and somber atmosphere, manifesting also in Kristian Wåhlin's majestic cover painting. For mix and mastering, WITHERFALL again worked with Chris "Zeuss" Harris (SANCTUARY, QUEENSRŸCHE, ICED EARTH).

Regarding the follow-up to 2017's "Nocturnes And Requiems", WITHERFALL said: "'A Prelude To Sorrow' is a concept record, though not in the sense that most people have come to know the form. Ours is not a story where each song acts as a chapter. The inspiration lays in the supremely dark reality that was the passing of our drummer and one of our best friends, Adam Sagan.

"These songs are raw emotional reflections, composed in the witching hours under the influence of wine and sorrow, while watching and helping our friend fight and ultimately lose his battle with lymphoma. 'Nocturnes And Requiems' was dedicated to Adam after the fact. 'A Prelude To Sorrow' is written specifically about his and our personal tragedy.

"Like 'Nocturnes and Requiems', the songs have been arranged to still have the peaks and valleys that any great record should. With 'Prelude', these peaks just might be a little steeper and the valleys might be a little deeper, alternating between violence and beauty.

"The titles initials are an acronym for 'Adam Paul Sagan.' He came up with 'Nocturnes And Requiems' so we suppose it is kind of fitting that he also inspired this title. Hope he doesn't come knocking on our door for royalties.

"We hope that this will be a fitting requiem for our friend and talented musician."


An album artwork trailer can be seen below.

"A Prelude To Sorrow" track listing:


01. A Prelude To Sorrow

02. We Are Nothing

03. Moment Of Silence

04. Communion Of The Wicked

05. Maridian's Visitation

06. Shadows

07. Ode To Despair

08. The Call

09. Vintage

10. Epilogue


The album will be released as limited-edition digipak, jewelcase CD (U.S. only), gatefold 2LP plus poster and etching on Side D as well as digital album.


WITHERFALL is:

Jake Dreyer - Guitar

Joseph Michael - Vocals/Keyboards

Anthony Crawford - Bass

Fili Bibiano - Guitar

Steve Bolognese - Drums

KING'S X frontman frontman Doug "dUg" Pinnick has confirmed to Rock Titan that the band is preparing to enter the studio to begin working on the long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "XV" album. "We've decided to make a record," he said (see video below). "We officially decided yesterday. We had a meeting with our manager, and we said, 'Okay. It's a go. Move forward.' So that's the next thing. He's gotta work the contract out, the logistics of where to make the record, who's gonna produce it, where we're gonna stay, how we're gonna do it, how we're gonna rehearse before, how we're gonna go there and write together, how we're gonna bring songs in — how we're gonna do it. So that's the next step. But it's getting done. And that's a good thing. Before, it was just talk for years and years and years. Now we have a commitment. I'll see how long that lasts, but I'm waiting."

"XV" was KING'S X's highest-charting album since 1996's "Ear Candy".

In 2005, VH1 included KING'S X in its list of "100 Greatest Artists In Hard Rock."

In addition to Pinnick, KING'S X features drummer Jerry Gaskill and guitarist Ty Tabor.

In a 2016 interview with The Sacramento Bee, Pinnick said that KING'S X wasn't in a hurry to work on new material.

"We have a lot of songs to choose from [for performances], and that's probably why we haven't done a record in so long," he said. "In a way, we've kind of pulled all the tricks out of our bag.

"To this day, we're perceived by our fans and outsiders as some huge thing even though we never had a really big hit," he added. "I just think we weren't considered a good flavor so we were left on the shelf."

KING'S X was sidelined by several health scares in recent years, including Pinnick's two hernia operations and two near-fatal heart attacks suffered by Gaskill.

Indian heavy metal band Against Evil are taking the road with their third video “Mean Machine”. The song is taken from their full-length album titled All Hail The King. The album features also their famous song “Stand Up And Fight!” whose official video went viral. Also the second video for “Sentenced To Death” with guest appearance by Jeff Loomis (Nevermore, Arch Enemy) is from All Hail The King.

The band released All Hail the King as their second album on April 6th, 2018 independently. It is available via the Bandcamp widget below. 

All Hail the King (Heavy Metal) by AGAINST EVIL (India)

The complete tracklist is as follows:

"Enemy At The Gates"
"The Army Of Four"
"All Hail The King"
"Stand Up and Fight!"
"Sentenced To Death" (feat. Jeff Loomis)
"Bad Luck" 
"We Won't Stop" 
"Gods of Metal"
"Mean Machine"

20 Buck Spin presents Frights, the new album by Slasher Dave, set for release this Halloween season. The album's first single "Fulzzi" is streaming below.

Slasher Dave, the formidable frontman of Detroit's Acid Witch, and 20 Buck Spin have united forces to bring a special treat for this year's Halloween loot bag. On Frights, his fourth solo record, Slasher Dave introduces a heavier side to the instrumental synth album world. Terrifying industrial rhythms pulse through a stark electronic soundscape of analog synthesizers, pounding bass, distorted guitars, warped lo-fi horror samples and sedulous sound design. The entire album is written, recorded, mixed, and produced by Slasher Dave, and, as with his past solo releases, he handled all artwork and design as well.

Timed for release as All Hallow's Eve approaches, Slasher Dave's Frights is as creepy as it is entertaining. These twelve nightmares of deranged horror-synth are sure to send chills down the spine on Halloween but will fulfill any horror fiends' lust for the strange and unusual year around.

With the debut of the track "Fulzzi" Slasher Dave delves, "'Fulzzi' started out as more of a Fabio Frizzi influenced track with the Mellotron and repeating kick drum pattern but morphed into a heavier track along the way. The samples are warped and glitchy. I don't write with modular synth too much but there is a modular patch at the beginning, middle, end, and in the background of the heavier parts if you listen closely, just enough to add a little flavor and rawness to the track, and there's a little bit of guitar and amp feedback I blended together to make that heavy pumping effect. A perfect introduction to Frights."

Frights will see release through 20 Buck Spin on LP, CD, and digital formats - including an exclusive glow-in-the-dark vinyl version available only through 20 Buck Spin mailorder - on October 26th. Watch for additional audio premieres, album preorders, and more to be issued over the weeks ahead.

Tracklisting:

“Corpse Magician”
“Frights”
“Death Chamber”
“In The Dark It Glows”
“Shrieks And Creaks”
“Fulzzi”
“Blue Labyrinth (Fogmaze)”
“Strobe Room”
“Let The Creeps Inside”
“Video 1 (Late Fees)”
“Asylum Head”
“Neon Shadows”

“Fulzzi”:

Tampa Bay, Florida-based thrash/death metal band, Generichrist will release their limited EP Rotting In The Swamp in late November. It will be the band’s first musical offering since 2015's Taste Of Death album that was released on Philadelphia label Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. Generichrist spent a major part of 2018 working with Mark Prator at Red Room Studios, Prator produced the bands last two records, Taste Of Death and House Of Ill Repute. 

The band has also unveiled the artwork for the Rotting In The Swamp EP that was done by artist Ipoet Poetra. The three song EP will be the beginning of a busy 2018/2019 for Generichrist who will release their next full-length Ego Killer in early 2019.

Generichrist recording lineup:

Tony Anderson (Fleshreaper, Doomsilla) - vocals
Joe  Hujbar ( ex-Mass Mutilation ) - guitar
Marco Escalante - guitar
Ed Webb (Hideous, ex-Massacre, ex-Diabolic, ex-Eulogy) - bass/vocals
Chris Maraman (ex-Sorcerer, ex-Unearthed) - drums

Florida-based melodic power metal band Artizan released their new album Demon Rider on August 17th via Pure Steel Records. An official lyric video for "Soldiers Of Light" can be found below.

The sensational Demon Rider artwork was illustrated by Berlin based artist Eliran Kantor, who has created numerous masterpieces for the likes of Testament, Iced Earth and Hatebreed.

The album is available as standard and limited edition CD, as well as standard vinyl with bonus poster. The limited edition CD will include a bonus track featuring vocalist Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer), live tracks, and isolated drum and bass tracks, showcasing the extraordinary performance of guest bassist Joey Vera.

Orders are now available here.

Tracklisting:

Standard Edition

“Demon Rider”
“The Hangman”
“Soldiers Of Light”
“The Endless Odyssey”
“When Darkness Falls”

Limited Edition

CD1
“Demon Rider”
“The Hangman”
“Soldiers Of Light”
“The Endless Odyssey”
“When Darkness Falls”
“Demon Rider” (feat. Harry Conklin)
“Hopeful Eyes” (live)
“I Am The Storm” (live)

CD2
“Demon Rider” (instrumental, drums-bass)
“The Hangman” (instrumental, drums-bass)
“Soldiers Of Light” (instrumental, drums-bass)
“The Endless Odyssey” (instrumental, drums-bass)
“When Darkness Falls” (instrumental, drums-bass)

"Soldiers Of Light" lyric video:

“The Hangman” lyric video:

"Demon Rider":

The VAN HALEN episode of "Breaking The Band", the new original docu-series from the Reelz TV network, will re-air on Saturday, September 1 at 10:00 p.m. ET / PT. The special, which features new interviews with Michael Anthony and Sammy Hagar, was originally broadcast this past June.

A new "Breaking The Band: Van Halen" preview clip, featuring Anthony, can be seen below.

Michael said via Instagram that being interviewed for "Breaking The Band" "brought up many great memories," while Hagar added that the interviewers "were great."

Show synopsis: "They were the biggest rock band in the world and infamous for their excess and raucous live performances. With strutting front men, wild hair and a penchant for spandex, they were the archetypal '80s rock band. But behind the scenes, all was not well inside VAN HALEN and a battle for control raged between the brothers at the heart of the band and its lead singer, David Lee Roth. Years of touring, substance abuse and personality clashes had left them on the brink. When Roth's ambitions grew beyond the band, the VAN HALEN brothers forced him out. Millions of fans were devastated, but VAN HALEN rose from the ashes with a new front man, Sammy Hagar. Against the odds, they reached even greater heights with a string of No. 1 albums. But with the new success, tensions emerged again. 'Breaking The Band' sits down with band members including Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony to ask what finally split up VAN HALEN?"

After "Breaking The Band: Van Halen" first aired back in June, Eddie Van Halen's wife, Janie, who is also his publicist, tweeted: "Great job @ReelzChannel on the inaccuracies, bad wigs and overall embarrassing(for u and those who participated) junk tv. Fucking hysterical?. It’s amazing what gets produced these days."

Last November, Hagar said that he had lost hope there would ever be another VAN HALEN reunion, explaining that Eddie and Alex Van Halen did not want to reconnect with him as friends.

Hagar, who exchanged tweets with Eddie Van Halen in January 2016, hasn't made music with Eddie or Alex since his final tour with VAN HALEN back in 2004.

In 2007, the Van Halen brothers, Wolfgang Van Halen and Roth announced they would be hitting the road for a reunion tour. Anthony later told Music Radar that he "found out about that tour like everybody else did — in the press."

Anthony has played primarily with Hagar in the 14 years since he last performed with VAN HALEN, in groups like CHICKENFOOT and THE CIRCLE.

The brainchild of mercurial Cambridgeshire mystic Kevin Starrs, UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS have been making extraordinary music since 2009. Now they return with their fifth full-length album. 47 minutes of vital, audacious and frequently bewildering heavy psychedelia, it bears the title "Wasteland" and is instantly recognizable as Starrs's most immersive and evocative body of work yet. The album is set to be released on October 12 via Rise Above Records.

Always too bold and idiosyncratic to be easily pigeonholed, they emerged from an obscure corner of the labyrinthine English underground as shadowy purveyors of a new and overwhelmingly psychedelic take on the gruff and gritty rudiments of hard rock and turbo-blues, powered by the dark, lysergic heart of the late '60s and early '70s and drenched in woozily macabre imagery. Steeped in both the wayward melodies and mischievous arrangements of psychedelic pop and the dissonant thunder of proto-metal and doom, Starrs's greatest feat has been to create an entirely fresh sonic world from these most familiar of ingredients.

"There's not enough melody or harmony in new music for my liking," says Starrs. "I wanted to go even further with all of that this time, and really force it down people's throats! It's important to me that someone keeps it going, especially in heavy music. I always write to my own tastes, so as long as it appeals to me, I don't really think about it. But I would say that it's all been an instinctive progression."

A disorientating journey through Starrs's wonkiest dreams, "Wasteland" glides majestically from punchy and direct psych-rock anthems like "I See Through You" and "Shockwave City" to the vicious, somnambulant ooze of the eight-minute "No Return" and the twinkly-eyed bad trip of the album's mesmerizing title track. Recorded at the legendary Sunset Sound studio in Los Angeles, "Wasteland" boasts the kind on irresistibly raw and exuberant sound that only the greatest bands can generate.

"We recorded the basic tracks the way we always do," says Starrs. "Everyone in one room, live and straight to tape. We worked with a great engineer called Geoff Neal (NINE INCH NAILS, MOTÖRHEAD), who really understood what we were going for and how to capture it. Playing in the same room where so many classic albums were made definitely inspired us. Even small things like running the guitars through the same echo chamber that VAN HALEN used in the '70s, it all added to the overall experience."

While most musicians seem content to chase their own (or other people's tails), UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS remain proud and resolute individualists and "Wasteland" is simply their most powerful and memorable spurge of creativity to date. Masterfully echoing the magical atmospheres of heavy music's turbulent past while sounding entirely unlike anything else available to human ears, this is what happens when the shadows come to life and suffocating darkness, UNCLE ACID & THE DEADBEATS style, is the only show in town.


The band will only play one North American show in 2018, at the Desert Days festival in Lake Perris, California, the weekend of October 12-14.


"Wasteland" track listing:

01. I See Through You

02. Shockwave City

03. No Return

04. Blood Runner

05. Stranger Tonight

06. Wasteland

07. Bedouin

08. Exodus

The official lyric video for the song "Invaders From The Sky" from THE THREE TREMORS, the new project featuring acclaimed heavy metal singers Tim "The Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN), Harry "The Tyrant" Conklin (JAG PANZER) and Sean "The Hell Destroyer" Peck (CAGE, DEATH DEALER, DENNER/SHERMANN), can be seen below.

THE THREE TREMORS' self-titled debut LP is due later this year. Check out additional audio samples on THE THREE TREMORS' PledgeMusic page.

"Sean's band, CAGE, opened for JUDAS PRIEST on the 'Jugulator' tour in San Diego — that is where I first met him," recalls Ripper. "He hit me up about resurrecting the idea and actually doing a record, and then a band, to put this out in the live setting also, and I thought it sounded really cool. The record came out really strong and I think the fans deserved to have a thing like this actually exist. We performed two of the songs live already when I was out in San Diego shooting the video for the first single, and it was a blast."

"It was about five years ago, I was camping and thinking about the whole THREE TREMORS urban legend from long ago and what a shame it was that it never happened," says Sean. "Then I started thinking about if there was a resurrected 2018 version of it, who would I get, and Tim and Harry were at the top of my list. I immediately reached out to Tim, who agreed to embark on this adventure and Harry quickly joined next. It took a long time to put it together, create the right songs, and get it properly arranged, but the results are beyond my wildest expectations. I think the fans are really going to freak out on what we have done with this record, and live it's going to be almighty I assure you!"

"Sean and I ended up at a party together in Germany, where we were both playing the same festival, and he told me about the THREE TREMORS album he was putting together and asked if I would be into it," adds Harry. "He described the concept and how he wanted to bring this old idea to actual life and I said I was in. Once I started hearing the songs that were being sent over for me to record, I knew this thing was going to be really powerful. Then when I got sent the final mixes with all three of us on it, my jaw hit the floor on how well it all came together. For heavy metal fans, this is the ultimate."

THE THREE TREMORS nourish in heavy metal anthems, and feature the illustrious chops of guitarist Dave Garcia, whose tenacity fuels the fire, allowing the music to naturally flow in complimentary tone. Second guitarist Casey Trask picks up the pace and pushes the boundaries alongside bassist Alex Pickard, who highlights a melodic sensibility giving character to the overall tonality. On drums, the thrash machine Sean Elg adds in his perfectly placed fills and signature double bass patterns.

THE THREE TREMORS' self-titled debut highlights artwork ingeniously created by renowned artist Marc Sasso (DIO, HALFORD, ADRENALINE MOB, DEATH DEALER), to showcase an apocalyptic battle between demonic hyper-wolves and the Three Tremors, who marched into an underworld overshadowed by evil forces only armed with bullets powered by heavy metal sorcery to reclaim the dystopian lands.

THE THREE TREMORS' self-titled debut album will feature 12 new songs that depict monumental stories of time honored heavy metal themes as written by Peck, focusing on original concepts to highlight three of the most revered and relentless voices in heavy metal.

"The Three Tremors" track listing:

01. Invaders From The Sky

02. Bullets For The Damned

03. When The Last Scream Fades

04. Wrath Of Asgard

05. The Cause

06. King Of The Monsters

07. The Pit Shows No Mercy

08. Sonic Suicide

09. Fly Or Die

10. Lust Of The Blade

11. Speed To Burn

12. The Three Tremors (bonus track)

THE THREE TREMORS was the provisional name given to a proposed project featuring Bruce Dickinson (IRON MAIDEN), Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE) and Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST).

It was announced in 2000 that Tate would be joining Dickinson and Halford in the all-star group, which was slated to record an album's worth of material with Dickinson's solo guitarist and Roy "Z" Ramirez.

Dickinson said that he and Roy wrote "about three songs" for THE THREE TREMORS during a session in Los Angeles before he "realized it was going to take us a lot longer than three weeks to write a project with three singers that would work."

Before Dickinson's proposed collaboration with Halford and Tate was officially scrapped, the name THE THREE TREMORS was changed to TRINITY because "we figured they would sue our ass if we called it THE THREE TREMORS," Bruce explained in an interview several years ago.

Back in late 2016, Owens, Tate and ex-IRON MAIDEN singer Blaze Bayley played a number of U.S. shows under the "Trinity" banner. Owens later said that while the tour "was a lot of fun," he would not be working with Tate again.

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.

Kottak, who played on KINGDOM COME's first two albums, 1988's "Kingdom Come" and 1989's "In Your Face" before leaving, spoke to IndiePower.com about the band's setlist for the upcoming tour.

"What's funny is, we went through this, and everybody said, 'You've gotta play the entire first album,'" he said (see video below). "Okay, we are doing that. There's only 10 songs — that's 48 minutes. But the second album is really awesome, so we picked about four or five songs from that. And then also, because Keith St. John and myself played with MONTROSE, we're doing a MONTROSE song, and, of course, man, we're gonna play some [LED] ZEPPELIN — 'cause I love me some ZEPPELIN.

"It's gonna be fun, it's gonna be a party — it's not all seriousness," he continued. "It's about entertaining the troops and everybody who's here. And we wanna make everybody happy and deliver everything — not just KINGDOM COME. Because, quite honestly, after an hour and 15 minutes, it's, like, 'Next.' I wanna play some rock and roll — I wanna play everything."

Kottak also talked about his September 2016 dismissal from the SCORPIONS during his well-publicized battle with alcoholism. (He has since been replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.) Calling his exit an "amicable departure," he said: "I have had my problems with alcoholism — I will not deny that. I've been in recovery for about two years. I'm not perfect; I've struggled. I've been up, I've been down, I've been in and out. But the thing is that I'm working my program, and I'm working hard, and I don't preach it — I'm not going, 'Don't drink.' Eff that, man. This is my personal situation. I've had my problems with alcoholism. Thank God I was never a pill addict — that was never my cup of tea. And it is what it is. And I acknowledge that, and I'm working on it. And it's a thing. And I have the gene — I'm an alcoholic. But the thing is I'm working on it…"

The drummer, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996 and played with the band for 20 years, continued: "I'm not special. I'm a guy — I play rock and roll drums in a rock band, and I'm just a guy. The thing is I have the gene and I'm an alcoholic. But I'm working on it. And it's progress, not perfection — and that's what it's all about."

This past June, Wolf issued a statement via his official web site in which he said that it was "time" for him "to let go" of KINGDOM COME. "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," he said. "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".

The new lineup of ADLER'S APPETITE was joined by former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson for a performance of the GUNS N' ROSES classic "Sweet Child O' Mine" on August 25 at The Canyon in Santa Clarita, California. Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

ADLER'S APPETITE's current lineup includes former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler alongside Ariel Kamin, the singer of Argentinian GN'R tribute band SON OF A GUN, plus guitarist Michael Thomas and bassist Tanya O Callaghan.

Kamin replaced Constantine Maroulis of "American Idol" and "Rock Of Ages" fame, who was the vocalist for ADLER'S APPETITE for a dozen or so dates this past May, including an Australian tour.

Steven previously played with Ariel when the drummer joined SON OF GUN on stage in November 2016 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to perform several GN'R classics, including "You Could Be Mine" and "Welcome To The Jungle".

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

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

Frontiers Music Srl has announce the signing of Alan Parsons. Alan is working on a new studio album, tentatively scheduled for release in the spring of 2019.

Alan and Frontiers' relationship began in 2010 when the label released "Eye 2 Eye - Live in Madrid". They have kept in close contact since, with the ultimate goal to release another album together. Alan wanted it to be a really special album and only recently have the right plans and ideas fallen into place where Alan felt ready to enter the studio to record what he had in mind.

"The writing and recording sessions are going incredibly well," says Alan. "The album already has a working title, which is 'The Secret', and it will include musical and lyrical themes that are very close to my heart and my own interests and passions. I do not really want to reveal a lot about it, except that for the moment everything that surrounds 'The Secret' is going to be just that… a secret!"

The overall musical approach of the album is expected to be in keeping with the symphonic rock that Alan explored on his earlier solo records and the "Project" albums. But, of course, there will be new twists and turns and robust new creative inspiration behind the album. Some special guests will be on the album, but those will be revealed later... again, in keeping with the working title of the album, "The Secret".

Frontiers president Serafino Perugino commented: "This is pretty much a dream come true for me. For Frontiers being able to represent the artistry and the talent of such a huge artist is a magnificent opportunity. We look forward to this release as much as Alan's fans and it will see the light of day in multiple exciting formats. Stay tuned!".

Parsons said: "I wish to thank Serafino and the team for the commitment and the patience to make this happen. To the fans… we'll see you soon on a world tour!"

Parsons's music career started at 19 when he earned one of his his first credits as assistant engineer on THE BEATLES' "Abbey Road", an album recorded in the legendary London studios of the same name. He soon become a well-respected studio engineer, working for Paul McCartney, THE HOLLIES, and many others. He is particularly renowned for his work as recording engineer on the PINK FLOYD masterpiece "The Dark Side of The Moon". This classic album was recorded in 1972 and Parsons experimented with many of the most advanced recording techniques of the time. As a producer, he enjoyed many successes with PILOT, STEVE HARLEY AND COCKNEY REBEL, John Miles, and Al Stewart, including the masterwork "Year Of The Cat".

In 1975, Alan Parsons formed THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT along with principal songwriter (and occasional singer) Eric Woolfson. The PROJECT consisted of a group of studio musicians and vocalists, often involving the members of three bands Alan produced: PILOT (Ian Bairnson, Stuart Tosh and David Paton), COCKNEY REBEL's Stuart Elliott on drums, and (on the first album) American progressive pop/rock band AMBROSIA.

THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT released ten acclaimed studio albums, but never performed live during the heyday of the albums, even after several U.S. and European Top 20 hits. The PROJECT made its final album at the end of the '80s with the album "Gaudi". Since then, Alan has released a number of recordings under his own name using several musicians that also appeared on the "Project" releases.

As well as receiving gold and platinum awards from countless countries, Parsons has received eleven Grammy Award nominations for his engineering and production work. In 2007, he was nominated for "Best Surround Sound Album" for his studio album "A Valid Path".

In 1994, Alan Parsons started touring regularly as THE ALAN PARSONS LIVE PROJECT and has released a number of live releases in audio and video. His live concerts continue to this day.

"Mt. Skull", the new video from PIG DESTROYER, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's first album in six years, "Head Cage" (named after a grisly medieval torture device), which will be released on September 7 via Relapse Records.


The "Mt. Skull" clip was directed by Joe Stakun. The band states: "Did someone say banana peels?!?! We here at Pig Destroyer Industries are happy to announce our third video in conjunction with Joe Stakum, so get out your coffins and skate 'Mt. Skull'!"

A visceral vortex of animalistic rage and extreme sonic brilliance, "Head Cage" is a true work of extreme metal art, that with the addition of a bass player, is hands down their most dynamic and heaviest recording to date. Across twelve tracks, PIG DESTROYER weave together harrowing tales of philosophical dualities, touching on mortality and depression, fear and violence, and the darkest complexities of the human condition, all told through the distorted lens of delightfully transgressive vocalist/lyricist JR Hayes. Musically, the band continues to push the boundaries of metal, grindcore, noise and punk, ramping up the intensity and leaving you bludgeoned in a state of utter shock, all in less than 33 minutes.


"Head Cage" was recorded by guitarist Scott Hull at Visceral Sound Studios, mixed and mastered by Will Putney (EXHUMED, EVERY TIME I DIE, BODY COUNT) and features striking artwork by Mark McCoy (FULL OF HELL, NOTHING) along with guest vocal appearances by AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED's Richard Johnson and Kat Katz plus FULL OF HELL's Dylan Walker.


The "Head Cage" cover artwork was created by Mark McCoy and can be seen below.


"Head Cage" track listing:


01. Tunnel Under The Tracks

02. Dark Train

03. Army Of Cops

04. Circle River

05. The Torture Fields

06. Terminal Itch

07. Concrete Beast

08. The Adventures Of Jason And Jr

09. Mt. Skull

10. Trap Door Man

11. The Last Song

12. House Of Snakes

Photo credit: Joey Wharton