Nuclear Blast has announced the signing of Greek symphonic death metallers SEPTICFLESH to a worldwide deal.

The group's unique blend of symphonic arrangements, avant garde elements, atmosphere and eviscerating extreme metal has been converting legions into fans since the '90s. Now, with a streak of modern classic albums under their belt such as "Sumerian Daemons" (2002), "Communion" (2008), "The Great Mass" (2011), "Titan" (2014), and "Codex Omega" (2017), there seems to be no stopping this creative juggernaut.

"We are honored to have signed with one of the world's leading record labels, Nuclear Blast Records," commented the group. "SEPTICFLESH has always been a hard-working band looking to the future while keeping traditional elements and utilizing a modern and dark feel to our music. We needed someone who would understand this and we are happy to have found our new home with Nuclear Blast. In the meantime, our latest album, 'Codex Omega', continues to gain ground worldwide. We will keep touring in support of it and prepare for the conquests set before us."

Nuclear Blast stated: "We at Nuclear Blast are fans huge fans of SEPTICFLESH, and we're extremely excited to be working with one of the most revolutionary and forward thinking extreme metal bands around. We very much look forward working with the band on their upcoming pieces of sonic art!"

SEPTICFLESH plans on releasing its Nuclear Blast debut in 2019.

"Codex Omega" was the first SEPTICFLESH album to feature former DECAPITATED drummer Kerim "Krimh" Lechner. Months of hard work and experimentation crafted the album, and resulted in 10 compositions of dark sonic bliss. Lyrically and musically, "Codex Omega" is by far the most infernal release of SEPTICFLESH to date. The album was helmed by acclaimed metal producer Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, KREATOR). Besides the orchestral side represented once again by the Filmharmonic Orchestra of Prague, the band utilized traditional instruments such as Oud and Duduk and also a 12 string electro-acoustic guitar, enhancing the mystical atmosphere of the compositions. Of course, as always, "Codex Omega" is dominated by the relentless death guitar riffing and the pale melodies that are the trademark of SEPTICFLESH.


SEPTICFLESH is:

Seth (brutal vocals, bass)

Christos Antoniou (guitars, orchestral)

Sotiris V. (guitars, clean vocals)

Kerim "Krimh" Lechner (drums)

Rufus Publications will release the book "Bernie Marsden - Tales Of Tone And Volume" in November.

Bernie Marsden is one of the U.K.'s foremost rock and blues guitarists, famous for his time in professional bands since 1972 and a founding member of one of the biggest rock acts of all time, the mighty WHITESNAKE.

But there is a lot more to this man, from his first band UFO to treading the boards of the National Theatre in London, on stage with Ringo Starr in Monaco, playing the Beacon Theatre in New York with THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND, writing and playing with Joe Bonamassa and MOTÖRHEAD.

His long-term friendships with so many top names in the guitar business, Billy Gibbons, Steve Lukather, Warren Haynes, rejoining the new WHITESNAKE lineup of recent years and a solo career that keeps him both on the road and in the studio. He became interested in guitars as a teenager watching THE BEATLES, his fascination continues to this day.


Bernie has developed one of the most unique and expansive private guitar collections in the world.

Over the last two years, the collection has been extensively photographed by Melvyn May and the Rufus team using a special "light painting" technique to reveal them in all their glory, from the unseen wonders of the world-famous "The Beast" to the intricate detail on his much signed and cherished Martin Coletti. Every guitar comes with its own story, from how it was acquired to where and when it was played. You will be able to see the very guitar he used during the writing and recording of some rock classics, many anecdotes of some pretty famous people encountering his guitars on the road and in the studio.

The images have been assembled into this beautiful, 340-page-plus full-color luxury book, available in three stunning editions. Accompanying the book will be a CD of original guitar backing tracks written just for this project. The CD will contain a backing track for the user, plus lead guitar from a vintage guitar seen in the book. The two high-end editions also ship with a genuine piece of an original '50s Lifton guitar case, taken from Bernie's collection and carefully cut down to include with each copy.

As Bernie says: "I love guitars and I've seen and collected many books on the subject. The time and effort spent creating these images and the finished book makes this an extraordinary book by any standard. I'm really proud of what has been created here. I'm bound to say it, but if you are a guitar collector, a player, or simply an official guitar nerd, you are going to love this book. And the photographs of 'The Beast' took my breath away."

A great cross section of vintage Gibson, Fender, Gretsch and Martin guitars, the PRS Bernie Marsden Prototype, his legendary Les Paul, the 1920s acoustic Martin Coletti signed first by bluesman Honeyboy Edwards, Gary Moore, Peter Green, Billy Gibbons and many, many more musicians Bernie has worked with and admires.

"The Beast Edition" is a large A3 Portrait book, quarter bound in brown re-cycled leather, that comes in a wooden clamshell case, engraved with "The Beast" logo. It also ships with exclusive framable prints of "The Beast", a CD of music, a seven-inch vinyl single and a folder containing a piece of vintage 1950s Lifton guitar case. Limited to 100 Signed and numbered copies worldwide.

The Deluxe Edition is also an A3 Portrait book, bound in black leather, that comes in a special embossed clamshell case. It also ships with exclusive framable prints of guitars from the book, a CD of music, and a folder containing a real piece of 1950's Lifton guitar case. Limited to 350 Signed and numbered copies worldwide.

The standard Edition is an A4 Coffee Table book that comes in its own card slipcase and is a brilliant way to enjoy this beautiful book. This book is not limited.

For more information, go to this location.

Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee have reunited for a studio project.

A picture of the MÖTLEY CRÜE bandmates was posted on the band's Facebook page, along with the caption "28th August 2018." Appearing them in the photo is longtime MÖTLEY CRÜE producer and collaborator Bob Rock. In addition, a brief video of Lee playing drums was posted on his Instagram, with the drummer captioning the clip: "It's that new shit!!!"

MÖTLEY CRÜE fans have speculated that they the trio were working on music for the film adaptation of the group's biography, "The Dirt - Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band".

The movie, which is being helmed by "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" director Jeff Tremaine, is being produced by LBI Entertainment's Julie Yorn and Rick Yorn, along with Erik Olsen and Amanda Adelson, who wrote the script. Netflix will distribute the project, which was previously at Focus and before that at Paramount.

Back in late 2016, Sixx shot down any possibility of the CRÜE returning as a recording act, telling TeamRock that there was "no chance" of the band making another record. "I want to just leave it intact," he said. "I see no reason. We couldn't be creative as a band, so how the hell can we continue? But I'm glad the way it finished — we did it all, we did what we said we were going to do, and now I'm excited about the future."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's last studio album was 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", which was followed by a 2009 "Greatest Hits" compilation.

A tour film about MÖTLEY CRÜE's final shows, "The End", came out in 2016.

In 2015, MÖTLEY CRÜE completed "The Final Tour", closing the book on the band's iconic career after performing a total of 164 shows in 72 markets, grossing over $100 million.

To cement the sense of finality, the four members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in 2014 publicly signed a "cessation of touring" contract that prevents any of them from performing under the CRÜE name in the future.

28th August 2018Posted by Motley Crue on Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Boomz!!!!!! A post shared by ☨☯ɱɱ¥ ᒪ☰☰ (@tommylee) on Aug 26, 2018 at 11:30am PDT

"Take Me Away", the new video from Finnish metallers KALMAH, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "Palo", which was released on April 6 via Spinefarm Records.

Once again recorded at Tico Tico with trusty old Ahti Kortelainen manning the helm and finalized by studio sorcerer Svante Forsbäck (RAMMSTEIN, VOLBEAT, APOCALYPTICA), "Palo"'s poignant, almost beautiful melodies intertwining with relentless rip-your-face-off aggression are everything its equivocal name suggests and more — a testimony to and a prime example of burning passion for music; a piece of unbridled all-consuming wildfire of melodic death metal mastery likes of which come by maybe once in a decade.

Guitarist Antti Kokko states: "Almost 30 years of swamp madness and here we are today representing our eighth album with fishing tridents sharpened shiny. The album stands strongly on the very roots of KALMAH sound yet introduces fresh breath from the Swamplord's tar-stained lungs."

In a time when others in the melodic death metal genre increasingly lap up influences from more commercial and contemporary genres of music, KALMAH stays true to its roots of death metal, Finnish melodic heritage, cantankerous never-say-die attitude and themes of Northern nature and the folly of mankind. "Palo" presents its listeners with a set of songs that with their web of melodies and in-your-face aggression exemplify the band's ongoing evolution towards becoming an international death metal powerhouse.

"Palo" track listing:

01. Blood Ran Cold

02. The Evil Kin

03. The World Of Rage

04. Into The Black Marsh

05. Take Me Away

06. Paystreak

07. Waiting In The Wings

08. Through The Shallow Waters

09. Erase And Diverge

10. The Stalker

KALMAH is:

Veli-Matti Kananen - Keyboards

Timo Lehtinen - Bass

Pekka Kokko - Vocals, Guitars

Antti Kokko - Guitar

Janne Kusmin - Drums

On October 5, Polish black/death overlords BEHEMOTH will unleash their new album, "I Loved You At Your Darkest", upon the world via Metal Blade Records in North America and Nuclear Blast in Europe. In the clip below, frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski discusses the disc's artwork.

Of course, BEHEMOTH is no stranger to blasphemy. Over the course of the last 27 years, they've pushed the boundaries of black metal and heresy alike. While anti-Christian sentiment might seem like stale bread where most metal bands are concerned, for BEHEMOTH such ideas represent a very real threat to their physical freedom. Time and again, the government of their native Poland has charged them with various "crimes" such as tearing up a bible onstage in 2007 and using the Polish coat of arms on a BEHEMOTH t-shirt in 2017. "Obviously, stuff like that can piss you off. But I think it's good to be pissed off," Nergal says with a laugh. "Anger can be a massive driving force, especially when you make extreme music. But politically and socially, Poland is a very disparate country. You can never feel totally safe here. That makes it easier for me to get inspiration. If I lived in Holland or Australia, I don't think I'd be doing what I do now. You can do or be anything you want there. I'm a huge fan of that kind of freedom, but I don't really have it here. Struggling with that on a daily basis makes me who I am, and fuels my passion for this music."

Nergal and his bandmates — Orion (bass) and Inferno (drums) — have channeled that passion into "I Loved You At Your Darkest". A crushing salvo of black metal majesty replete with hellish riffs, thundering drum cannonades and soaring liturgical choirs reminiscent of classic horror cinema, the album is also bejeweled with nimble-fingered rock guitar solos on songs like "God = Dog", "Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica" and "Sabbath Mater".

"I really wanted to redefine ourselves with this record," Nergal explains. "'I Loved You At Your Darkest' is a more dynamic record. It's extreme and radical on one hand, but it's also more rock-oriented than any other BEHEMOTH record."

Nergal doesn't view the heightened rock influence as a conscious creative decision so much as a renewed interest in the historical origins of the music he makes. "We don't give consideration to musical direction, we simply create what naturally comes to us," he says. "But 15 years ago, if you had asked me who I thought was the best band on the planet, I probably would have said MAYHEM or MORBID ANGEL. Today if you asked me, I'd say AC/DC. That should give you a clear indication of why this album is more rock-based. It all comes down to the songwriting."

Lyrically, "I Loved You At Your Darkest" revels in the kind of religious provocation that BEHEMOTH do best. "It's very religion-driven, maybe more than anything we've done before," Nergal offers. "But it's not just cheap goading. I believe this is some deeper metal language. It's art."

Unlike "The Satanist", which was primarily recorded in one studio, "I Loved You At Your Darkest" saw its production spread across Poland and the United States. It was produced by the bandmembers themselves, with drum co-production by Daniel Bergstrand (MESHUGGAH, IN FLAMES), mixing by Matt Hyde (SLAYER, CHILDREN OF BODOM) and mastering by Tom Baker (NINE INCH NAILS, MARILYN MANSON). Which is to say nothing of the 17-piece Polish orchestra arranged by Jan Stoklosa and engineered by Tomasz Budkiewicz. Or as Nergal sums it up: "Pretty much every instrument was recorded in a different studio, and a lot of amazing people were involved."

"I Loved You At Your Darkest" track listing:

01. Solve

02. Wolves Ov Siberia

03. God = Dog

04. Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica

05. Bartzabel

06. If Crucifixion Was Not Enough...

07. Angelvs XIII

08. Sabbath Mater

09. Havohej Pantocrator

10. Rom 5:8

11. We Are The Next 1000 Years

12. Coagvla

Portland rockers Red Fang have shared a cover of the 1978 cult hit “Listen to the Sirens” originally performed by Gary Numan’s Tubeway Army. Watch the official music video, directed by Ray Gordon, below.

The music video which is a departure from Red Fang’s usual antics, showcases the band playing the song in their rehearsal place while taking in the sites and sounds of their hometown, Portland.

The group commented about the cover/video: "We've been a fan of Tubeway Army for a long time. It was a blast to record a song of theirs with Adam Pike and equally great to make a video with Ray Gordon! I hope people get as creeped out by our version of 'Listen To The Sirens' as the original!"

Additionally, Red Fang begin their US Fall headlining tour next week with support from Big Business, Monolord (select dates), and Dead Now. Red Fang has also announced a string of New Year’s Eve shows in the Pacific Northwest. Select dates with Thunderpussy, R.I.P., Wizard Rifle and Gaythiest. All confirmed tour dates are available below.

September (with Big Business, Dead Now)
7 - Raleigh, NC - Hopscotch Music Festival ^
8 - Richmond, VA - Capital Ale House #
9 - Washington, DC - Rock & Roll Hotel #
11 - Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit Hall
12 - Columbus, OH - A&R Music Bar
13 - St. Louis, MO - Firebird
14 - Omaha, NE - The Waiting Room
16 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon
18 - Harrisburg, PA - Stage on Herr - HMAC
19 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
20 - Hamden, CT - Space Ballroom
21 - Boston,  MA - The Sinclair
22 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
24 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
25 - Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme
26 - Detroit, MI - El Club
28 - Indianapolis, IN - The Hi-Fi

^ Red Fang Only
# with Monolord and Dead Now, no Big Business

December
28 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom (with Thunderpussy & Gaythiest)
29 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom (with R.I.P. & Wizard Rifle)
31 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox (with Thunderpussy)

Metallica has uploaded footage covering Budgie’s “Breadfan” live on the European WorldWired Tour.

 

Metallica has announced their newest collaboration as the Nixon x Metallica hardcore watch collection is now available for pre-order at Metallica.com, in stores, and online at Nixon.com on November 5th of this year.

Nixon, who began in the '90s in Southern California with the goal of “making stuff a little better” with a line of custom-built watches, have grown to become one of the premiere lifestyle watch companies, working with some of the greatest action sports athletes in history, including Tony Hawk, John John Florence, Leila Hurst and scores of others; as well as with amazing franchises like Star Wars & Disney. They are the perfect partner for Metallica... independent and unique, with a focus on creativity and quality, and they’ve been looking forward to working with them again since their first experience back in 2010 when they teamed up for a series of limited edition rocker watches using old guitar straps and leather jackets from various ‘Tallica members to create watch bands (with proceeds going to the Musicians Assistance Program).

The Metallica collection includes eight hard rocking models, plus one special limited edition. Prices range from $125 to $750.

Metallica are currently taking a break from the road. The band launch a North American arena tour on September 2nd at Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Find their live itinerary here.

 

The Man Who Loves To Hurt Himself, the powerful documentary about Today Is The Day's Steve Austin, sees its official release through global entertainment distribution operation Gravitas Ventures on all digital platforms as well as DVD and Blu-ray today, August 28th. A new clip from the film can be seen below.

Directed and filmed by Anthony Short, The Man Who Loves To Hurt Himself is not your typical music documentary, but rather a film that focuses on the story of the iconic Steve Austin himself, and what it means to express yourself on an existential level no matter what the cost. The trailer for this film on YouTube had over twenty-thousand hits within three months of being posted and has received a wide array of awards through its screenings at various international film festivals over the past year.

Steve Austin offers, "Surround yourself with people you love. The struggle is real. You can never give in if you truly believe in what you are doing. I hope this film reaches out to everyone who is following their dreams."

The film's director Anthony Short humbly offers, "After three long years, I'm happy this film is finally getting released. I'm thankful for all the people standing by us during this process."

The Man Who Loves To Hurt Himself is out now via Gravitas Ventures on Blu-ray, DVD, and across all video on demand and digital platforms. Find the film at iTunes here, at Target on DVD here and Blu-ray here, and at Barnes & Noble on DVD here and Blu-ray here.

Steve Austin, whose noise-laden, experimental and fiercely aggressive musical output over two decades has served as testimony, touched hearts and myriad troubled lives. Not many people can say they have so fully dedicated themselves to what they love and believe as Steve Austin has. To many, he defines the word "legend." The loose but subdued methodical subtlety of the movie stands in sharp contrast to an artist known in the worldwide underground of extreme music for abrasive, loud, chaotic spectacle and neo-violent imagery through a slow, brooding and emotional ninety-three minutes that covers a year of conversations and ride-a-longs with the casual aesthetic of natural conversation supported by raw grainy fan shot footage, old pictures, personal home videos, career spanning amulets, in a self-examination of the psyche of a modern-day "madman" and "master."

Ride along as Austin's first-person account brings balance to these opposing forces, reckoning and stretching himself from the drive to create his musical vision, engaging and performing intense shows around the world, to being home with his wife and children. How one near-death experience led him to connect with the love of his life and begin the transition, fulfilling his destiny as a loving family man while completing his mission to bring relief his followers, and overcome being the man who loves to hurt himself.

Anthony Morgan of Metal Forces recently conducted an interview with MOONSPELL vocalist Fernando Ribeiro. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On new MOONSPELL DVD "Lisboa Under The Spell":

"It's a big project, and it seems like people are really getting into it. To be honest, DVDs and live recordings are sometimes something that bands just put out there, and I've never been a huge fan of live recordings myself. Obviously, I really like 'Live After Death' by IRON MAIDEN [1985] and 'Earth Inferno' by FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM [1991], but it's rare. However, I do understand that especially for the fans, they really like alternative releases, and not only music. A lot of people saw us live, and they want to have kind of a document. When we set up to do 'Lisboa Under The Spell', I told Napalm that it would have to be really different from what's out there. With all due respect to the 'Live At Wacken' DVDs that bands tend to release, I said, 'We have a history, so let's try to tie it together and really show.' That's why we played the three albums as a whole. The feeling and the attitude going into the DVD was definitely to give people something a little bit different; something more entertaining, and more representative of what MOONSPELL is. At the end of the day, I think we definitely came up with a very different idea for the DVD, with all of the big show and also the documentary — the fact that we are also showing more private parts of our lives. I think that was really the deal breaker for us, that the DVD definitely had to be something that could get the fans' attention, and not something that was just put on the shelf. So, definitely. We worked hard to make something… It's not like MOONSPELL is a spectacular band every time onstage. It's not what we mean with the DVD, but we mean that MOONSPELL is a different band, and that we definitely want people to know about that."

On the decision to play the albums "Wolfheart" [1995], "Irreligious" [1996] and "Extinct" [2015]:

"The idea behind that was quite obvious. I think hands down, 'Wolfheart' and 'Irreligious' are the foundations of our fanbase. There was no discussion about that, but we also have a big musical thread that holds up after 'Irreligious', of course. Many people would have probably split up after making two such amazing albums, but that was never the plan. We never wanted to be defined by just two albums. I think that music is a process, and definitely a longer path than just getting lucky with the first couple of albums. We kept that in mind, rather than the band crumbling, so that people didn't lose track. We definitely wanted to play 'Extinct' onstage, which is an album that we really love. It was our latest album, released before '1755' [2017] — '1755' is musically about the Portuguese / Lisbon earthquake. On the other hand though, 'Extinct' is also the album where musically and also probably concept-wise we're gonna pick when we set ourselves next year to make a new album. So, there's a lot more from MOONSPELL. I think that there's formidable playing though, and these three are integral sing-along albums. It's great. We could have done it with a lot of other albums, but I think this fit 'Lisboa Under The Spell', which is more of a travel through time type of concert. We definitely wanted to show the time, as it unveils, for us, which isn't always being caught up in our glorious past. There's also the fact that every day, on the scene, with all of the bands and all of the competition, we are still trying to make great music."

On founding Alma Mater Books & Records:

"It's just a small project. I wanted the old repertoire from MOONSPELL to be well taken care of. Sometimes I saw editions that I weren't happy with and that the fans weren't happy with as well. I definitely wanted to change that, so I founded Alma Mater Books & Records. The first thing we did was to get in touch with Century Media — and they've been an incredibly supportive partner — and re-release stuff that's already sold out, like 'Irreligious' on vinyl. Also, for the first time ever, our single 'Opium' – probably our most famous song — is on vinyl as well. It was sold out. We decided to not put the money in our pockets, but to invest more in the label, and that's what we did. Right now, we are re-releasing the old repertoire of MOONSPELL. They're very collector oriented with amazing editions and releases, but also we extended it a little bit. There used to be big companies like Universal and Sony in Portugal but I wasn't happy with them, so we decided to take it in our own hands. From that moment on, we started thinking of signing bands with just a click. We have a concept of signing only Portuguese bands, so far. I think many bands — whether they be English, French, Swiss — get signed, but the Portuguese bands don't get signed, and I don't know why. So, I decided to sign them myself with Alma Mater Books & Records, and also to try to make a good job with them – trying to use MOONSPELL's contacts, etcetera. We signed a death metal band called OKKULTIST, and that's going to be out next year. I worked on getting my own book translated into English; there's a poetry book called 'Purgatorial', which you can buy from Alma Mater. Also, we've released the second poetry book by Till Lindemann ['On Quiet Nights'], the singer of RAMMSTEIN. For the first time though, there's going to be a Portuguese version. All in all, it's a lot like MOONSPELL. It came out of something I love, and now it's becoming a little bit serious because we are doing stuff right. Also, I've been in business with Century Media, Napalm Records, Steamhammer, Nuclear Blast, etcetera, so we have a little bit of all that knowledge put together as well, and hopefully we can use it for our own bands. For now and up until we change this, we'll just be signing Portuguese bands and not bands from any other country."

On writing sessions for the forthcoming MOONSPELL album:

"I've already written a lot of lyrics for what's going to be the forthcoming album of MOONSPELL, and the other guys are working on some music that I know of. I think that people can expect us to go into the studio in 2019, and probably release an album in 2019, 2020. We want to take our time. We want to make a big album, so absolutely. I think it's a constant process. That's what we love to do the most, is write new stuff and discover new stuff, and not to go to the old repertoire and put something together. I think it's interesting if you like what I like, but our guitar player and our keyboard player may have a different opinion, so that's why we write music. I think we're going to write new music, definitely. We're always doing it, sort of, and I think next year we will be able to release an album. If not next year, then maybe 2020. We're not in any rush."

Read the entire interview at Metal Forces.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by Travis Shinn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Misery" track listing:

01. Ivy (Doomsday)

02. Feels Like I'm Dying

03. Holier Than Heaven

04. Misery

05. Kick Rocks

06. Black Cloud

07. D.I.E.

08. Drag The Lake

09. Beltsville Blues

10. Burn Alive

11. Nothing Left

12. The Gifthorse

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Touch Taste Destroy" track listing:

01. Touch Taste Destroy

02. Pelvic Sorcery

03. Inamorato

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

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

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

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

"The Endless Road Turns Dark" track listing:

01. The Endless Road Turns Dark

02. Ravenswood

03. Breathing Underwater

04. The Longing

05. From Myself Depart

06. As The Sun Draws Near

07. All That Remains (Is True)

08. Thy Will Be Done

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SIEGE OF POWER is:

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

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

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

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

"Warning Blast" track listing:

01. Conquest For What?

02. For The Pain

03. Bulldozing Skulls

04. Born Into Hate

05. Torture Lab

06. Uglification

07. Trapped And Blinded

08. Diatribe

09. Warning Blast

10. Mushroom Cloud Altar

11. Lost And Insane

12. Bleeding For The Cause

13. Escalation 'Til Extermination

14. Privileged Prick

15. Short Fuse

16. Violence In The Air

17. It Will Never Happen

18. The Cold Room

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

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

Photo credit: Martijn Peters

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

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

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

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

"Unleashed Bastards" track listing:

01. Burn And Fall

02. Leave The Lights On

03. Total Rejection

04. Malevolent

05. We Did We Do We Always Burning

06. Imperial

07. My Name Is Vengeance

08. Forbid Me For Living

09. Unleashed

10. Religion Live Fast

11. Personal Enemy

12. The Nightmare Continues

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

"Marrow" track listing:

01. Untethered

02. Liberator

03. Moonlight Over Silver White

04. Until You Return

05. My Will Be Done

06. Far From Home

07. Marrow

08. White Snow, Red Shadows

09. Stumble On

10. Waiting To Fall

11. Tethered

Photo by Janne Kim Gitmark

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

"Unconsecrate":

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

Promo video:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

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

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

"Colorado Bulldog" video:

"Alive And Kickin'" video:

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On how MORBID ANGEL fares in smaller markets:

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

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

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

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

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

On what he was listening to circa 1985:

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

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

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

On SLAYER's current "farewell tour":

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SCORPIONS tour dates with QUEENSRŸCHE:

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

Sep. 02 - Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheatre

Sep. 05 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre

Sep. 07 - San Antonio, TX - Freeman Coliseum

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

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

Sep. 14 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena