Manchester's Leeched have unveiled the second single from their upcoming album You Took The Sun When You Left. Watch a video for "The Stone and The Steel" below.

"'The Stone And The Steel' is one of our personal favourites from the album. It's no frills and straight to the point. The same applies to the video, and it was perfect as a single because of this. The track covers themes of oppression and the decay of life. We wanted it to be as hard-hitting and violent as possible. The song doesn't follow a standard structure it progresses in way that felt natural when it was written." states Leeched vocalist/bassist Laurie on the new track.

You Took The Sun When You Left will be released on August 24th via Prosthetic Records. Pre-order here.

Barely a year after they formed, and with an incessantly intense EP - Nothing Will Grow From The Rotten Ground - already under their belts, Leeched are taking a fast-paced swipe at the world around them. Bands sharing a distaste for the status quo, or a dissatisfaction for the world around them may not be something new, but few bands are doing it with the vitriol and vehemence that is offered up on You Took The Sun When You Left.

Tracklisting:

"Cripple The Herd"
"Rope"
"The Stone And The Steel"
"By The Factories"
"Guilt"
"A Mouth Full Of Dirt"
"Born In Sand"
"Raised By Lead"
"Hollow-Point Weddings"
"Harrow The Pastures"
"You Took The Sun When You Left"

"Guilt":

Taking influence from every dark and dingy corner of extreme music, Leeched may be moving at break-neck speed, but they're a band who are quickly finding their feet - both in the studio and out on the road.

Tour dates:

July
23 - Think Tank - Newcastle, UK *
24 - Slade Rooms - Wolverhampton, UK *
25 - Sticky Mike's - Brighton, UK *
26 - The Anvil - Bournemouth, UK *
27 - Borderline - London, UK *

August
20 - Asylum 2 - Birmingham, UK ^
21 - Trillians - Newcastle, UK ^
22 - Rough Trade - Bristol, UK ^
23 - The Underworld - London, UK ^
24 - The Green Door Store - Brighton, UK ^
25 - Break The Chains Festival - Leeds, UK

* - With Employed To Serve
^ - With Full of Hell

Leeched is:

Laurie - Bass/Vocals
Judd - Guitar
Tom - Drums

(Photo - Polarise Photography)

Los Angeles metalcore outfit SPADES AND BLADES has released the official video for the brand new track "Beat The Odds". The song was produced by Dino Cazares of FEAR FACTORY fame and was engineered by Damien Rainaud (ONCE HUMAN, DRAGONFORCE). The video was produced by Tommy Jones of Videohammer (KATAKLYSM, TESTAMENT, DIMMU BORGIR, SLAYER). This song is an anthem for warriors in every day life, never letting anything or anyone get in the way of their goals, forging ahead with power and strength to conquer and beat the odds!

SPADES AND BLADES was formed in 2006 by Jason Todd (vocals) and Justin Bullock (guitar, vocals). The band's debut album, "Blood Of The Innocent", was released in 2010. An EP, "Proud To Be Loud", followed in 2013, with another LP, "The End Is Near", arriving in 2016.

Since 2014, SPADES AND BLADES has toured the U.S. multiple times, sharing the road with FEAR FACTORY, SOILWORK, INCITE and STRAIGHT LINE STITCH, among others.

The band is currently working on new music for a fall 2018 release.

Metallica performed the ...And Justice For All album track "One" at at Comerica Park in Detroit, MI on July 12th, 2017. Watch pro-shot video of the performance below:

Germany's Mothergrid recently posted a series of videos taking fans behind-the-scenes of the staging and production of the European leg of Metallica's WorldWired Tour. Watch four segments below.

Part 1: Rob Koenig, Gene McAuliffe and Michael "Kilty“ Petite talk about the visual system of the Metallica WorldWired Tour at Olympiahalle München.

Part 2: System Tech Tom Lyon talks about the sound system for the Metallica WolrdWired Live Tour at Olympiahalle München. The sound system consists of Meyer Sound LEO element and Meyer Sund 1100 LFC subwoofer elements.

Part 3: Metallica's Lighting Designer for the WorldWired Tour - Rob Koenig - leads us head by head through the lighting rig setup in Olympiahalle München. The lighting system consisted mainly of fixtures from Robe Lighting, Martin by Harman and SGM Lighting plus some Flares.

Part 4: A chat with "Big Mick“ Hughes and Markus Wilmsmann in front of the mighty setup of the 2018 WorldWired Tour: about the microphones from Audio-Technica, DPA and Shure that are to used to the Fractal Amp Emulators. A Meyer Sound Line Array PA system was flown over the center stage at Olympiahalle München. Big Mick Hughes mixes the show on a Midas XL8 Digital Audio Console.

Only about a year and a half after the arrival of its self-titled debut album, German-Italian melodic metal act THE UNITY is ready to strike again: September 14 will see the release of the band's follow-up effort, "Rise", on SPV/Steamhammer. The recording features 13 brand-new songs and was cut by drummer Michael Ehré (GAMMA RAY) at the B Castle Studio. "Rise" was produced by the bandmembers themselves and, like its predecessor, mixed and mastered by Spanish sound engineer Miquel A. Riutort at the Psychosomatic Recording Studio. The first single to be released from the album, "No Hero", will make its online debut on August 10; the second single will be supported by an elaborate video clip.

Aside from Ehré, THE UNITY continues to consist of guitarists Henjo Richter (GAMMA RAY) and Stef, vocalist Gianbattista Manenti, bassist Jogi Sweers and keyboardist Sascha Onnen.

"The new songs reflect the amazing energy and extremely enthusiastic responses at our shows, but also the very positive media reactions," Ehré sums up the material on "Rise".

With its debut album, THE UNITY was unanimously voted "Newcomer Of The Year" category by the two leading German metal magazines, Metal Hammer and Rock Hard. Subsequently, the six-piece enthralled their fans at tours with EDGUY and SINNER and performed at festivals such as Bang Your Head!!!, Metalfest and Winter Masters Of Rock.

Soon after its release, "Rise" will also be presented to THE UNITY's rapidly growing fan base as part of an extensive tour: from mid-October 2018, THE UNITY will accompany AXEL RUDI PELL and his band, and the date of the big release show at Ehré's hometown of Nordenham has already been announced. So the second round of THE UNITY's triumphal march is about to kick off!

"Rise" track listing:

01. Revenge

02. Last Betrayal

03. You Got Me Wrong

04. The Storm

05. Road To Nowhere

06. Welcome Home

07. All That Is Real

08. No Hero

09. The Willow Tree

10. Above Everything

11. Children Of The Light

12. Better Day

13. L.I.F.E.

THE QUIREBOYS' album "Homewreckers & Heartbreakers" will be re-released as a 10th-anniversary limited-edition digipack on September 3 via Off Yer Rocka Recordings.

A decade after releasing the album that cemented a long-overdue comeback, THE QUIREBOYS will be joined by H.E.A.T., AARON BUCHANAN & THE CULT CLASSICS and THOSE DAMN CROWS at London's O2 Forum on September 14. The one-off gig will be an opportunity for fans to snap up the re-released version of "Homewreckers" — a QUIREBOYS classic that continues to delight a decade down the line with some quality bonus live tracks from the 30th anniversary aptly titled "Back At The Moon", where they played their very first gig.

The 2008 album will be played in its entirety at the hotly anticipated show. And according to Guy Griffin, it's impossible to underestimate the importance of THE QUIREBOYS' critically acclaimed fifth studio album.

"'Homewreckers & Heartbreakers' was the record that re-established the band," insisted the long serving guitarist. "We'd been back together for a few years but until then we were still testing the waters.

"'Homewreckers & Heartbreakers' was the start of something special - until then everything had been done in fits and starts. But we'd played a lot of shows, we'd identified our sound and we had a settled lineup. We went into a great place in Bedfordshire, called Lost Boys Studio, to make the record. It's in the middle of nowhere and there were no distractions. We came out with an album that, in my view, is second only to 'A Bit Of What You Fancy'."

A decade down the line, "Homewreckers & Heartbreakers" is still writ large across a QUIREBOYS live show — and for good reason. "Love This Dirty Town" and the epic "Mona Lisa Smiled" are timeless classics and the latter still has a special place in the heart of frontman Spike. "The idea came to me when I was working on another project in Spain," he explained. "I was told about Salvador Dali and his wife Gaya and it was their lives and deaths that inspired the song. It's a bittersweet love story and it's a song that's always been popular with our fans." Griffin added: "The lyrics for 'Mona Lisa Smiled' are some of Spike's best. It's a fantastic song."

"Homewreckers & Heartbreakers" boasts myriad highlights — including the brilliant "Blackwater". "That's one of my favorite QUIREBOYS songs," added Spike. "It's about Jack Daniels — so that might be why! But it's also about any journey that you make, only to realise that what you're looking for might not be there after all."

Ten years after "Homewreckers & Heartbreakers" proved THE QUIREBOYS' comeback was no flash in the pan, the fan favorite is long overdue a well-deserved reappraisal. "Looking back, it was a real labor of love," added Griffin. "We had the time we needed to make the record we wanted. And it shows."

Track listing:

01. I Love This Dirty Town

02. Mona Lisa Smiled

03. Louder

04. Hello

05. Blackwater

06. Fear Within The Lie

07. One For The Road

08. Late Nite Saturday Call

09. Hall Of Shame

10. Take A Look At Yourself

11. Josephine

12. Too Much Of A Good Thing (Bonus Live)

13. Homewreckers and Heartbreakers (Bonus Live)

14. Mona Lisa Smiled (Bonus Live)

15. Mother Mary (Bonus Live)

16. I Love This Dirty Town (Bonus Live)

With their melodic black/death metal, The Spirit have already made waves in the European underground scene and with their self-released debut album Sounds From The Vortex being strictly limited and nearly sold out on their homepage, the band is now reissuing their icy black / death metal chimera through Nuclear Blast on August 10th. Pre-order the album here. An official video trailer can be found below.

The seven virtuosic tracks of the quartet hailing from Saarbrücken, Germany, freshly revive the past of the genre and immediately induce nostalgia with their clashing melodies and authentically rough sound.

Sounds From The Vortex is now available for pre-order as CD, LP (black and clear) and download. Get the version of your choice here.

Tracklisting:

"Sounds From The Vortex"
"Cosmic Fear"
"The Clouds Of Damnation"
"Cross The Bridge To Eternity"
"Illuminate The Night Sky"
"The Great Mortality"
"Fields Of The Unknown Of The Unknown"

Trailer:

"The Clouds Of Damnation" lyric video:

At this year's Party.San Open Air, the band will play a release show for Sounds From The Vortex, and you can also witness the band's sinister live atmosphere and live skills at Summer Breeze and Metal Invaders. Later this year, in October and November, the quartet will join their label mates Kataklysm and Hypocrisy on their extensive Death... Is Just The Beginning European Tour.

Dates:

August
9-11 - Schlotheim, Germany - Party.San Open Air
15-18 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze

September
22 - Schwerin, Germany - Metal Invaders Vol. 2

October (with Kataklysm, Hypocrisy)
18 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
19 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
20 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
23 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
24 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
25 - Wrocław, Poland - Zaklęte Rewiry
26 - Geiselwind, Germany - MusicHall
27 - Milan, Italy - Live Music Club
28 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
29 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao
31 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Mon

November (with Kataklysm, Hypocrisy)
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
2 - Limoges, France - CC John Lennon
3 - Paris, France - La Machine du Moulin Rouge
4 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
5 - Hamburg, Germany - Docks
6 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Trädgår'n
7 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset
9 - Helsinki, Finland - The Circus
10 - Tampere, Finland - Pakkahuone
12 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
13 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Neushoorn
14 - Berlin, Germany - Kesselhaus
15 - Dresden, Germany - Eventwerk
16 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle 2
17 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser

December
8 - Münster, Germany - Wintermelodei

(Photo - Natalia Kempin)

OPETH guitarist Fredrik Åkesson has confirmed to FaceCulture that the band has commenced the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2016's "Sorceress" album. "We're very much into the demoing," he said (see video below). I've recorded a lot of solos so far. And Mikael [Åkerfeldt, guitar/vocals] has almost already written 12 songs for the new album, so we have more material than enough for an album. But I think we will at least try to finish 15 songs. So hopefully we'll work on song ideas very soon."

According to Åkesson, OPETH is hoping to release its 13th studio album in the first quarter of 2019. "I'm not sure if it's gonna happen, but we're working towards that, and the songwriting goes very well," he said. "Mikael has been very productive these last… since January, basically. We did the last touring for 'Sorceress' in November."

Regarding the musical direction of the new OPETH material, Fredrik said: "Compared to the last three albums, I would say, if I can reveal anything, this album is more complex, more energetic, and I think it's gonna be something."

Åkesson went on to say that OPETH always tries to explore new ground with every album and it isn't overly concerned with how its music will be received by its fans. "The first filter is the guys in the band, I would say," he said. "If we enjoy it, we can only hope that people that enjoy listening to OPETH will enjoy it; that would be nice. But if we're happy with it, we will release it; it's quite simple. I think this is kind of a Mikael question in a way, since he's the creative director for the band, so I know, speaking for him a little bit here, that he always tries to push everything into something new. And I think people will enjoy this new album."

"Sorceress" was released in September 2016. For the band's first effort for Nuclear Blast via OPETH's imprint label Moderbolaget Records, the group returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from QUEEN, RUSH and JUDAS PRIEST, where the Swedes had tracked "Pale Communion" in 2014 with Tom Dalgety

In a recent interview with Über Röck TV, Mike Portnoy (DREAM THEATER, THE WINERY DOGS, SONS OF APOLLO) was asked what it feels like to be considered to be the one of the best rock drummers in the world by so many people. "I prefer the word 'favorite,'" he responded (see video below). "I don't think there's such a thing as a 'best' drummer.

"Anytime I see these polls or whatever, it's flattering to be winning them and everything, but music isn't a sport or competition," he continued. "So I prefer the word 'favorite.' It's nice when somebody says that you're their 'favorite' drummer. Okay, that's okay, 'cause it's subjective. In any case, it's flattering. I don't think I'm the 'best' — I know I'm not the best — but it's nice to be a favorite."

Pressed to name his favorite drummer, Mike said: "I don't have one; I have several. I mean, some of my heroes are John Bonham, Keith Moon, Neil Peart, Ringo Starr, Terry Bozzio, Bill Bruford… The list goes on and on and on."

Mike is currently touring Europe with SONS OF APOLLO in which he is joined by former DREAM THEATER keyboardist Derek Sherinian, as well as guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (ex-GUNS N' ROSES), bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, THE WINERY DOGS) and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (W.E.T., TALISMAN).

SONS OF APOLLO's debut album, "Psychotic Symphony", was released last October by InsideOut Music.

Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson have released their joint cover version of THE BEATLES' classic song "Helter Skelter". You can now listen to it below.

Zombie and Manson will kick off their 29-date North American trek tonight (Wednesday, July 11) in Detroit, Michigan.

The two artists previously toured together in 2012 on the "Twins Of Evil" tour.

Asked how the idea for him and Manson to cover "Helter Skelter" came about, Rob told Rolling Stone: "We had been talking about doing something together for these shows — that he should come onstage during my set and we'd do a song. But we couldn't think of what song. After we talked, later that night I was home and I just thought the obvious song is 'Helter Skelter'… It's so obvious that neither one of us thought of it! And then I figured, 'Well, rather than us just doing it onstage, why don't we take it one step further and record it and put a new spin on it?' That way, rather than just doing some impromptu jam together, now the fans will go, 'Oh, there's the song I've already heard, and now they're doing it."

Regarding how they approached the song in the studio, Rob said: "Well, my thought when it comes to covers is to stick close to the original. Because in my mind, what's the actual point of doing a cover if no one can recognize it? So with our version, I think it varies as much as it can from the original, but not so much that it becomes a different song."

Zombie said that although his band was used during the recording sessions for "Helter Skelter", "Manson and I did our parts separately. I was on the East Coast and he was in, like, Spain or something, on tour," Rob explained. "We were communicating the whole time, but it wasn’t possible to get in the studio together."

Zombie released his latest album, "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser", in 2016. Manson issued "Heaven Upside Down" in 2017.

The modern dark metal band Negacy has signed with Massacre Records and will release its new album Escape From Paradise later this year. None other than Raphael Saini (ex-Iced Earth) helped the guys out and played the drums on the upcoming album.

The band has been around since 2005 and performed under the name Red Warlock until autumn 2012, changed their musical style a bit and underwent some line-up changes.

In 2016, Negacy welcomed its new vocalist Leonel Silva with whom the band toured through China in spring of the same year.

The upcoming album promises to be more melodic and violent than its predecessor.

More details will be revealed soon.

Negacy's current line-up consists of vocalist Leonel Silva, guitarists Andy Mornar and John Sindiryan, bassist Adrián Serrano and drummer Claudio Sechi.

Tacoma, Washington natives Aethereus recently announced the August 10th release of their debut album Absentia through The Artisan Era. It is the follow up to 2015's Ego Futurus EP which featured Oblivion/ex-The Zenith Passage drummer Luis Martinez. The album opener "Cascades Of Light" is available for streaming below.

Absentia is the group's first release with new members Matt Behner on drums (ex-Fully Consumed/ex-Year of Desolation) along with Vance Bratcher (Vocalist) and Scott Hermanns (Bassist) who play in the highly praised Seattle symphonic death metal outfit The Devils of Loudon. The new line-up rounds out an already strong musical foundation set by founding guitarists Kyle Chapman and Benjamin Gassman who have been writing together since their early days in 2008 and onwards in their previous project known as Seker.

Right from the get-go, Sam Nelson's (Allegaeon, First Fragment, Vale Of Pnath) ethereal cover artwork draws you into the richly textured and often beautiful world Aethereus creates musically on Absentia. The group's take on progressive death metal deftly combines elements of atmospheric death metal, ferocious technical death metal, and more overtly melodic death metal focused ends of the spectrum into a sound all their own. Aethereus cites influences ranging from Obscura, Spawn of Possession, Cynic, and Gorod which rightly shows in the ambitious and smartly crafted songs found on Absentia. Aethereus - Absentia is a prime death metal experience fans of the genre will go crazy for.

Guitarist Kyle Chapman comments on the upcoming release of Absentia: “Work on Absentia started back in January of 2016 shortly after the release of Ego Futurus. Shaun and Kyle had already been working on mapping out new songs and developing potential lyrical concepts. However, because of Shaun’s untimely passing, the album became something completely different. It went from a sort of weird self-indulgent sci-fi story to be about depression and loss, becoming both a point of frustration and catharsis. Absentia is loosely structured around the Kübler-Ross Five Stages of Grief (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance). Musically, lyrically, and conceptually, the album follows the stages of grief and describes the experience of losing a loved one and the lasting impact that person’s absence has on an individual, a group, and life as a whole. It begins in a chaotic and bombastic manner, goes into some somber places, but ultimately ends on a somewhat hopeful note."

Pre-order the album via Bandcamp, or The Artisan Era.

Tracklisting:

“Cascades Of Light”
“Writhe”
“Mortal Abrogation”
“Fluorescent Halls Of Decay” (feat. Brody Uttley of Rivers Of Nihil)
“Absentia”
“That Which Is Left Behind”
“The Black Circle”
“With You, I Walk”
“The Pale Beast”

"Cascades Of Light":

“The Pale Beast” lyric video:

Tarja has released a new trailer for her upcoming live-art-album and video Act II, out on July 27th via earMUSIC. Check it out below:

Tarja recently revealed the second song from Act II. The thrilling live version of "Undertaker", taken from Tarja's live performance in Milan, portrays her unique talent for combining crystal clear classical vocals, a heavy rocking metal sound, and the dynamics of a film score.

In Milan, Tarja and band performed a stunning and powerful set in front of an enthusiastic crowd. After releasing "Love To Hate" from the intimate show at the historic Metropolis Studio in London, "Undertaker" discovers a slightly different side of the queen of heavy rock and gives a powerful taste of the forthcoming live release Act II showing a different angle of the art/video production. Watch "Undertaker" below. The track is also available here.

Tarja previously revealed the first song from Act II, “Love To Hate”.

The bombastic live version of “Love To Hate” has been recorded at renowned Metropolis Studios in London, UK, and showcases Tarja’s impressive vocal range and talent for compositions. In London, Tarja and band performed an intimate, yet rocking version of the fan favourite in front of 20 lucky winners from all over Europe. The song, originally from her worldwide chart success The Shadow Self, gives a powerful taste of the forthcoming live release and can be found on the video version of Act II only.

Watch the video below. “Love To Hate" (Live In London) is also available to stream and download here.

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.

Act II will be released on July 27th via earMUSIC as 2CD digipak, 3LP Gatefold (180g, black), DVD, Blu-ray, Limited Mediabook 2CD+2BD (including two full live shows filmed at Hellfest in France and Woodstock Festival in Poland as bonus) and Digital.

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

Tracklisting:

CD1
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"

CD2
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Acoustic Set:
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Undertaker"
"Too Many"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
 
3LP + Download Code

Side A
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"

Side B
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"

Side C
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Side D
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

Side E
"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Too Many"

Side F
"Undertaker"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
 
BD//DVD

Filmed at Metropolis Studios, London, UK, June 6, 2016
"No Bitter End"
"Eagle Eye"
"Sing For Me"
"Love To Hate"
"The Living End"
"Medusa"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Die Alive"
"Innocence"
"Until My Last Breath"
"Too Many"

Filmed at Teatro della Luna Assago in Milan, Italy, November 29, 2016
"Against The Odds"
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Acoustic Set:
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Undertaker"
"Too Many"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"

Bonus Material
- Interviews with Tarja and band members
- Photo Gallery 1: Through the eyes of the fans
- Photo Gallery 2: From stages and streets by Tim Tronckoe

Limited Mediabook

BD1
Filmed at Metropolis Studios, London, UK June 6, 2016
"No Bitter End"
"Eagle Eye"
"Sing For Me"
"Love To Hate"
"The Living End"
"Medusa"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Die Alive"
"Innocence"
"Until My Last Breath"
"Too Many"
 
Filmed at Teatro della Luna Assago in Milan, Italy, November 29, 2016
"Against The Odds"
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Acoustic Set:
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Undertaker"
"Too Many"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
 
Bonus Material
- Interviews with Tarja and band members
- Photo Gallery 1: Through the eyes of the fans
- Photo Gallery 2: From stages and streets by Tim Tronckoe
 
BD2
Filmed at Woodstock Festival, Poland, 16th of July, 2016
"Against The Odds"
"No Bitter End"
"Demons In You"
"500 Letters"
"Ciaran’s Well"
"Supremacy"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Innocence"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
"Over The Hills And Far Away"
 
Filmed at Hellfest, France, June 19, 2016
"No Bitter End"
"Never Enough"
"Ciaran’s Well"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
 
CD1
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
 
CD2
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Acoustic Set:
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Undertaker"
"Too Many"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"

Brazilian heavy/thrash/death metal band Drowned have released the official video for "The Bitter Art of Detestation," the opening track on new album 7th. 7th is out now on Greyhaze Records, under license from Brazil's Cogumelo Records.

The band's almost 20-year career is synthesized on the album's 11 tracks, which showcase a varied and unique style of heavy metal that recalls the different styles of bands like Amorphis, Nevermore, Anthrax and Bolt Thrower.

On 7th, which as the title implies is the band's seventh release, Drowned seeks new horizons, while preserving and refining the band's most treasured musical essence of traditional heavy metal songs built into a death/thrash metal twin-guitar attack. The musical onslaught serves as backdrop to lyrics that lay bare thoughts of sickened and deranged visions, injustice and gratuitous violence. In other words: notions that are unfortunately a reality of life in South America's biggest nation.

Tracklisting:

“The Bitter Art Of Detestation”
“Rage Before Some Hope”
“Toothless Messiah”
“Murder, Sex, Hate, And More…”
“Violent March Of Chaos”
“Damaged Wood Coffin”
“Elitist Heaven Ruled By Devil”
“Epidemic And God Selfishness”
“Timebomb Conscience”
“KRH317”
“Ministry Of National Inquisition” 

“Rage Before Some Hope”:

“Murder, Sex, Hate, And More…”:

The official video for "Melody", the new single from the German a cappella metal band VAN CANTO, can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's seventh studio album, "Trust In Rust", which will be released on August 10 via Napalm Records.

VAN CANTO comments: "'Melody' wraps up what VAN CANTO means to the band members: lots of voices, dynamic changes and drums, a positive message and — a lot of melodies that hopefully will be joined by our fans when we play live."

Since 2006, they have brought pure vocal power to the metal world. Now made up of seven members, VAN VANTO's "Trust In Rust" covers a wide stylistic range, from melodic to bombastic, showcasing the band's takes on ballads, hard rock ballbreakers and speed metal anthems. Covers, ranging from HELLOWEEN's "Ride The Sky" (featuring HELLOWEEN's Kai Hansen) to AC/DC's "Hells Bells", give listeners a completely fresh glimpse at the vocal crew. The sound of "Trust In Rust" reflects VAN CANTO's varied experiences on the road with unbroken power and passion for the human voice in heavy metal.

VAN VANTO comments on the new album: "If you release seven albums in 12 years, you aren't able to rust. Nevertheless, the new album is rougher and more metal. It's a composite work of all seven bandmembers, full of new ideas but without losing the good old VAN CANTO style. We are still excited about what we are doing and believe in ourselves — 'Trust in Rust'!"


"Trust In Rust" track listing:

01. Back In The Lead

02. Javelin

03. Trust In Rust

04. Ride The Sky (feat. Kai Hansen)

05. Melody

06. Neverland

07. Desert Snake

08. Darkest Days

09. Infinity

10. Hells Bells

11. Heading Home

CD 2: Best Of - Orchestral Versions (available in the digipack)

01. The Mission (Orchestral Version)

02. Rain (Orchestral Version)

03. Hero (Orchestral Version)

04. Take To The Sky (Orchestral Version)

05. Water Fire Heaven Earth (Orchestral Version)

06. My Voice (Orchestral Version)

07. If I Die In Battle (Orchestral Version)

08. The Higher Flight (Orchestral Version)

09. Unholy (Orchestral Version)

10. The Other Ones (Orchestral Version)

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe

"Where Did You Go", a brand new song from ENUFF Z'NUFF, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Diamond Boy", which will be released on August 10.

ENUFF Z'NUFF is the living, breathing example of what a rock 'n' roll group should be. Now centered around bass player and vocalist Chip Z'nuff, ENUFF Z'NUFF is still alive and kicking with a legion of loyal fans, who can't get enough of the band's power pop melded with hard rock stylings.

This record is the first ENUFF Z'NUFF release where Chip handles all of the vocal duties, which was quite a task, but one he was certainly up for.

"[Singing on the entire album was] very challenging," Chip says. "I'm taking the place of my brother who I consider one of the greatest singers of our generation. The songs on this record are solid as a boulder."

He describes the album as "a fresh new chapter that should have been written a long time ago. Picture David Bowie and THE BEATLES fighting and CHEAP TRICK comes in to break it up."

In addition to Chip Z'nuff, the band features longtime guitarist Tory Stoffregen, ex-ULTRAVOX singer/guitarist Tony Fennell, and Chicago native Daniel Benjamin Hill on drums. ENUFF Z'NUFF continues to tour and record relentlessly and this new record shows once again what a truly gifted hard/power pop act they are. With no shortage of hooks and awesome songs, "Diamond Boy" is another gem in ENUFF Z'NUFF's crown.

Originally formed in 1984 in Chicago, Illinois, ENUFF Z'NUFF received its big break in 1989 when they to Atco/Atlantic Records. Founding members Chip Z'Nuff and Donnie Vie were joined by guitarist Derek Frigo and drummer Vikki Foxx and they commenced work on their major label debut. The self-titled album was a monster hit and spawned two evergreen singles, "New Thing" and "Fly High Michelle". Both received constant airplay on radio and heavy rotation on MTV, spending over 60 weeks in the Top 10. 1991 saw the band release their sophomore album, "Strength". The album had more of a hard rock overtone and sustained the success achieved on the first album. The band made high-profile television and radio appearances through the likes of David Letterman and Howard Stern and were featured in Rolling Stone's Hot Issue as "The Next Big Thing." They soldiered on during the new musical climates of the '90s and went on to release another 12 studio records.

"Diamond Boy" track listing:

01. Transcendence

02. Diamond Boy

03. Where Did You Go

04. We're All The Same

05. Fire & Ice

06. Down On Luck

07. Metalheart

08. Love Is On The Line

09. Faith, Hope & Luv

10. Dopesick

11. Imaginary Man

"Catastrophe", a brand new song from Japanese metal juggernauts CROSSFAITH, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Ex_Machina", which was released on August 3. The disc features lead single "The Perfect Nightmare" as well as cameos from ENTER SHIKARI frontman Rou Reynolds and industrial hip hoppers Ho99o9.


On "Ex_Machina", singer Kenta "Ken" Koie explains: "After we released our last album 'Xeno', we were thinking about what the next theme is for us. We decided on 'awake the individuality,' because we're always trying to make new things and that's a big part of the band's attitude.


"This album is a grave warning for our future. I hope you guys listen to this and think about what the meaning of this album is for you and feel how you feel through this album and start something for your future."


"Ex_Machina" is a concept album set in an alternative near future in which the ruling class, known as Angels, maintain their world through artificial intelligence and other technology, which dehumanises people and effectively turns them into drones — as explained in the opening title track, "Deus Ex Machina".


The other 12 songs featured on the album represent the voice of the resistance — in the form of underdogs known as Demons. Kenta was inspired to include these figures by Devilman Crybaby, particularly on the SLIPKNOT-esque "Catastrophe", the frantic, bloodcurdling "The Perfect Nightmare", and the epic assault of "Daybreak", rather than because they wanted to provide a comment on religion.


"There's no particular religious message," clarifies Ken. "In order to explore the dualism of humans, we decided to include angels and demons, which are opposing elements just like fire and water."


"Angels aren't necessarily good and demons aren't necessarily bad," he explains. "The most important theme is that we should never stop questioning the world around us."


"Ex_Machina" is a relentless album that strives for the listener's attention, and is unquestionably the heaviest that CROSSFAITH have put their name to since forming in their native Osaka in 2006.

Since their inception, CROSSFAITH have been on the edge of a fusion of rock, metal, electronica and big ideas on their albums; and the edge of euphoria with their live shows. "Ex_Machina" is the album on which they walk that fine, fiery line more skillfully and seismically than ever.


"Ex_Machina" track listing:

01. Deus Ex Machina

02. Catastrophe

03. The Perfect Nightmare

04. Destroy (ft. Ho99o9)

05. Freedom (ft. Rou Reynolds from ENTER SHIKARI)

06. Make A Move

07. Lost In You

08. Wipeout

09. Milestone

10. Eden In The Rain

11. Twin Shadows

12. Daybreak

13. Faint (ft. Masato from COLDRAIN)

A true spectacle to be witnessed, Lords Of The Trident is a daring adventure metal quintet that has been delighting their audiences and fans all over the world for ten years. To continue on their epic quest of bringing spectacular and entertaining metal to global fans these power metal warriors will be unleashing their 7th album Shadows From The Past on August 24th. In celebration of this new beast from their discography, Lords Of The Trident are offering fans a FREE track download of their first single "Death Dealer", a song influenced by the game Diablo and lyrics written based on the storyline of Diablo 1 and 2. Download the song at this location and stream the song below.

Vocalist Fang VonWrathenstein comments: “This album is our most ambitious musical work to date, and the first album with our new members Baron Helleshaar and Master Herc. Fans who have been with us for a while will notice that our new songs are a bit more complex, and our songwriting continues to mature. The new songs are definitely still Lords songs, but explore some new musical themes. I believe the new album will be our strongest offering yet, and contain some songs that are sure to be fan favourites going forward.”

North American tracklisting:

"Death Dealer"
"Zero Hour"
"Tormentor"
"Burn It Down (With Fire)" Feat. Brittney Slayes (Unleash The Archers)
"Figaro"
"The Party Has Arrived"
"Brothers Of Cain"
"Reaper's Hourglass"
"Chasing Shadows"
"The Nameless Tomb"
"The Gatekeeper"

Japanese bonus tracks:

"Cross The Line"
"Desolation (Haze Of The Battlefield Pt. 2)"

"Death Dealer":

And Patreon backers will receive an extra exclusive track entitled "Fire And Sand".

In addition to the upcoming release of Shadows From The Past, Lords Of The Trident started a kickstarter campaign that went live on June 1st. The band has now reached their objective of $6,000 plus 1st stage stretch goal, which will now gives those who pledged for a physical copy of the album to receive multi-color Shadows From The Past custom guitar picks.

The band are still asking fans to answer the call to help them make their extra stretch goals, which includes a red blood double vinyl (included in any over $100 pledge or $25 added to any already made pledge) and full color zip up hoodies (design TBA) (for any pledge of over $250 or $50 added to any already made pledge).

Visit the Lords Of The Trident Shadows From The Past kickstarter ahere to view rewards that include merch, lessons from band members, festival tickets, private concerts and a copy of the video game Coffee Crisis that the band has partnered with to feature one of their songs for one of the levels along with band members as NPCs (non-playable characters).

(Photo - Mary Sweeney)

Vocalist Sonny Sandoval of San Diego, California-based rockers P.O.D. (PAYABLE ON DEATH) has confirmed to Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that the band is putting the finishing touches on its new album for a tentative late 2018 release via the Mascot Label Group.

"I just finished a couple of days of vocals," he said (hear audio below). "I think right now it's kind of just being all cleaned up and put together, and then once the label and everybody hears it, then it will go to mixing. And hopefully an album by the end of the year."

Regarding the musical direction of the new P.O.D. material, Sonny said: "We did something different this time. If you listen to [P.O.D.'s] early stuff from even early '90s, we had a DJ; we were mixing in certain sounds — mixed reggae music and punk and hardcore and rock and even poppy stuff — so it's not like a surprise. But on this record, we worked with the Heavy [the Los Angeles-based production/songwriting team consisting of Jason Bell and Jordan Miller]. And this is the first time that we really kind went in the studio vulnerable and open for more of a writing session, whereas we've always written our own music before. We still wrote our music, but it was more open to change, or at least them adding kind of their feel to it. These guys worked with a bunch of pop bands — they just did the DIRTY HEADS — and they just have more of a… I was gonna say 'younger,' but just more of a cleaner, poppier tone to it. So we went in really open-minded, and then, here we are at the end of the record, and we're, like, 'Man, we don't even have that many heavy songs.' [Laughs] Everything is fun — it's fun, it's experimental when it comes to programming and some drum loops and stuff like that. We've done that before, but it was always kind of hidden, whereas now it's, like, a whole verse could be just an electronic bass or a drum kit. So it's fun, it's catchy, and I definitely think it's just P.O.D. 2018."

Over the span of two decades, P.O.D. has released 10 studio albums, including the triple-platinum "Satellite". They have had several hit songs, including "Southtown", "Alive", "Youth Of The Nation" and "Boom", and most recently with their Active Rock singles "Higher", "Beautiful" and "Lost In Forever", which reached No. 1. The band has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, racked up four No. 1 music videos, and contributed songs to numerous major motion picture soundtracks.

P.O.D.'s 10th studio album, "The Awakening", was released in 2015.

West Coast metal band Khôrada, featuring ex-members of Agalloch and Giant Squid, has revealed a new song called “Seasons Of Salt” today. The track is featured on the band’s highly-anticipated debut, full-length album, SALT, which will be released on July 20th from Prophecy Productions.

“This is a personal favorite song of mine as it's one of the earliest representations of Don and I writing together; one of the first examples of what Khôrada could and would sound like. Everyone in the band has their undeniable stamp on this song, from moments of calm, exotic sections, and blasting rage. For me, it's the perfect representation of Khôrada's combined capabilities and our hunger to create something vastly different from our prior work." - Aaron Gregory

 As a completely fresh concept, Khôrada is an opportunity for the musicians to explore new soundscapes while creatively challenging themselves. With SALT, Khôrada forges breathtaking swathes of sound that swell, stretch, submerge and recede with panoramic power.

At once atmospheric, aggressive and apocalyptic, the album's emotion is driven by the band members' view of today's world; these are precarious times. SALT was written under the pressure and uncertainty of the beginning of the Trump-era, standing as a musical exploration of the landscape in which, we now live. Paired with the surreally visceral artwork of internationally renowned painter & sculptor Cedric Wentworth, the visual explorations prove to be as haunting as the ethereal vocals of Aaron himself.

“SALT is what a collection of musicians, each with over 20 years of experience, sound like when they start over from zero. All the music on this album was composed immediately following the conclusion of both Agalloch and Giant Squid. For all of us, this is what rebuilding, reorganizing, and reimagining sounds like.” - Don Anderson

SALT will be released as Digisleeve CD, Gatefold 2LP, 2CD book edition (hardcover, 18x18cm, 36 pages with enhanced artwork, liner notes and Rudimentary Peni cover song) and ltd. complete box set; including Gatefold 2LP, 2CD book edition, 7" single featuring a B-side cover of Rudimentary Peni’s “Shard,” art prints and signed/numbered certificate. Find preorders at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Edeste”
“Seasons Of Salt”
“Water Rights”
“Glacial Gold”
“Augustus”
“Wave State”
“Ossify”

"Season Of Salt":

"Glacial Gold":

“Ossify”:

(Photo by: Cody Keto)

A new release has been scheduled for Diamonds Productions with a project called Rock’n’roll Children, A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio, formed by Wild Steel, frontman of  Italian power metal band Shadows Of Steel and Federico Di Pane, Arca Hadian’s guitarist. 

Rock’n’roll Children consists of other Shadows Of Steel and Arca Hadian members, and Mindlight. Various special guests took part, such as Roberto Tiranti and Olaf Thorsen from Labyrinth. Tracklist consists of 13 tracks, and contains classical anthems from Dio, Black Sabbath and Rainbow.  “Stars”, the closing theme, has guests from bands of Genoa’s area, like Ruxt, Bellathrix, No Man Eyes, Malignance. Release date is August 1st with distribution through Diamonds Prod/Black Tears Mailorder and worldwide by Goodfellas.

Scape Records has announced the signing of Assault, the West Coast Canadian thrash/speed metal act.

30 years after their cult classic, Survival In The Street, in 1987, Assault are back with the album Kill For Your Life.

Kill For Your Life features ten all-new tracks dug out of the Assault archives recorded in the late-‘80s that was meant as the follow-up to Survival In The Street. Release date is set for August 10th. 

Tracklisting:

“Slow Painful Death”
“Interlude”
“Save Us All”
“The Living Dead”
“Searching For Shelter”
“In God We Trust”
“Outro”
“Evil Nightmares”
“In God We Trust” (Alt Version)
“Kamakazi”*

*Ray Hartmann on drums, Ams Prasad on bass

Lineup:

Russ Dunaway – vocals
Jeff Zgalijic – guitar
Tom Davidson – bass
Wes Hallam – drums 

Virginia's heavy psychedelic quartet Windhand have announced a full fall North American tour with Satan's Satyrs and give us a glimpse of what's to come on their forthcoming album, Eternal Return, coming October 5th on Relapse. Check out the trailer video below.

Eternal Return represents a new era for the group, a chrysalis moment that takes them to new and unforeseen heights. Once again the band have joined forces with producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden) with vivid artwork by Arik Roper (Sleep, High On Fire). Equally informed by heavy, fuzzed-out psych along with the iconic grunge / alternative groups of the 90s, Windhand have crafted a record brilliant in scope, powerful in execution, and perfect for an era of increasingly blurry yet still heavy borders.

Check below for a full list of tour dates.

July
29 - Chicago, IL - Wicker Park Fest

October
8 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl #
9 - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa #
10 - Houston TX - White Oak Music Hall #
11 - Dallas, TX - Club Dada #
12 - Austin, TX - Barracuda #
14 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister #
15 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar #
16 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre #
17 - Oakland, CA - Starline Social Club #
19 - Portland, OR - Aladdin Theatre #
20 - Vancouver, BC - Venue #
21 - Seattle, WA - Neumos #
23 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge #
24 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room #

November
1 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts #
2 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere #
3 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall #
4 - Montreal, QC - Le Belmont #
5 - Toronto, ON - The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern #
7 - Chicago, IL - Subterranean #
8 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line Music Cafe #
9 - Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club #
10 - Indianapolis, IN - The Hi-Fi #
11 - Nashville, TN - The Basement East #
12 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar #
13 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups #

# - with Satan's Satyrs

London, UK-based trio Rock Goddess, featuring sisters Jody Turner (vocals, guitar) and Julie Turner (drums, backing vocals), have parted ways with bassist Tracey Lamb.

Says the band: "Owing to unforeseen personal circumstances, Tracey is unable to perform at Metal Magic Festival this weekend and unfortunately the band will not be appearing. It is also with regret, she will no longer be able to commit to Rock Goddess and leaves with immediate effect. We wish her all the very best for the future.

"The band will be announcing a new bassist in due course. Thank you so much for the continued support and we can't wait for you to hear the new album. See you on the road soon."

Rock Goddess recently launched a pre-order for This Time, their first album in over 30 years. Check out the pre-order page here.

US power/thrash veterans Meliah Rage have released a video for "Idol Hands", the title track of their ninth studio album, out now. Watch the video below.

Idol Hands marks the return of Paul Souza (the vocal powerhouse that replaced original singer Mike Munro and can be heard on 2004's Barely Human, 2006's The Deep And Dreamless Sleep and 2011's Dead To The World. The album is a veritable feast for power metal fans, complete with Nichols' unmatched rhythmic mastery and Souza’s versatile voice. Still killing to survive... 30 years strong!

And yes, the album title is quite significant, given the fact that Nichols broke his wrist in late 2013 and  was uncertain if he’d play guitar again after three serious surgeries. Meliah Rage is rounded off by original guitarist Jim Koury, drummer Stuart Dowie and bassist Darren Lourie.

Check out a glowing BraveWords review of Idol Hands at this location and watch for a major BraveWords feature on Meliah Rage coming soon.

Idol Hands is available to order on CD and as digital download (in lossless formats) from their Bandcamp page.

Idol Hands tracklisting:

“The Kill-All Rule”
“Dark As Your Thoughts”
“Idol Hands”
“Crushed Beneath My Heel”
“Sentenced To Life”
“Absolute Power”
“Infernal Bleeding”
“Where Darkness Lies”

“Idol Hands” video:

“Dark As Your Thoughts” video:

“Infernal Bleeding”:

Production credits:

Produced, mixed and mastered by: Peter Rutcho
Rhythym guitars: recorded by John Bean Cats Liar Studios
Drums: recorded by Joel Hopkins at Red Devil Studios
Lead guitar and bass: recorded by Peter Rutcho
Vocals: recorded and produced by Rich Spillberg at Solstice Studios

On September 28th, Revocation will release their new album The Outer Ones via Metal Blade Records. For a preview of The Outer Ones, a video for the first single, "Of Unworldly Origin" (directed by David Brodsky), can be found below.

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

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

The Outer Ones sees Revocation pushing both the death metal and progressive elements of their signature sound harder than ever.

"I knew that I wanted to go in a darker direction, and this is our most death metal album to date," states vocalist/guitarist Dave Davidson. "Sometimes when death metal bands go down the prog route they lose some of that edge, but we wanted to keep the aggression at the forefront of what we do while still pushing our boundaries."

Moving away from the societal and historical themes that informed 2016's Great Is Our Sin, this time Davidson has immersed himself in the fantastic, evoking one of the great writers of the sci-fi/horror genre.

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

The Outer Ones tracklisting:

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

"Of Unworldly Origin" video:

This September/October, Revocation will head out on the road for their first North American headlining tour in several years, with Exhumed, Rivers Of Nihil, and Yautja as support. Dates are listed below.

September
17 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery
18 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
19 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
21 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
22 - Austin, TX - Come & Take It Live
23 - Ft. Worth, TX - Rail Club
24 - Tulsa, OK - The Vanguard
26 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
27 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
28 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
29 - Los Angeles, CA - Union
30 - Petaluma, CA - Phoenix Theatre

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

* - No Exhumed

Revocation lineup:

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

Strapping Young Lad founder Devin Townsend recently decided to "take a break" from the Devin Townsend Project. Following his announcement that he had put the Devin Townsend Project on indefinite hiatus, two members of DTP teamed up with a couple of members of Townsend's former group, Strapping Young Lad, to form a new band, Imonolith. Joining drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen and guitarist Brian "Beav" Waddell (who played bass in DTP) are bassist Byron Stroud, second guitarist Jed Simon and vocalist Jon Howard.

The band has checked in with the following update:

"Here's a teaser clip of Brian 'Beav' Waddell tracking guitars for the Imonolith song, 'Instinct'; we released a drum cam of this song the other week. Now you can get an idea of what the song sounds like instrumentally with some of Beav's demo guitar tracks. 'Instinct' is another ass-whooper with some awesome vocal melodies spread throughout... which you will hear eventually.

We're working hard on our music and the best way to get it out to you all ASAP. We obviously plan on touring once we have music out to you guys. We're just working on the big plan and then executing it the best we can. Stay posted for more music and updates to come and thanks for your support!"

The band recently issued the following:

"As voted by our supporters, here's the public debut of 'The Reign'. Thanks to all of you worldwide who are supporting us in the very early stages of this band.

'The Reign' is about how society can negatively influence the mass majority. Life is all about living it your own way and not trying to be someone you're not. Be yourself. This may be an aggressive and heavy sounding song, but it has a positive underlying message.

This is just ONE side to Imonolith's overall sound. 'The Reign' represents part of the heavier side of our music. On the flip side, you can expect a lot of melody (vocally and instrumentally), with vocal hooks, memorable guitar riffs and creative, plotting rhythms throughout our music. Imonolith was based and built off of being versatile. Stay posted for more music to come soon!

Thanks as always for your awesome support!"

Band lineup:

Jon Howard (Threat Signal) - vocals
Jed Simon (Vimic, Strapping Young Lad, Scar The Martyr) - guitar
Brian "Beav" Waddell (Devin Townsend Project) - guitar
Byron Stroud (Strapping Young Lad) - bass
Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Townsend Project) - drums

Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale and drummer Arejay Hale spoke with uDiscover Music when they performed at Ramblin' Man Fair 2018 in Maidstone, Kent, UK for the first time. They discuss the making of the band's new album, Vicious, and working with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who brought a distictive live feel to the record. Fan-filmed video from Halestorm's July 1st show is also available below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

"Black Vultures"
"Love Bites (So Do I)"
"Mayhem"
"Mz. Hyde"
"Amen"
- drum solo -
"I Am the Fire"
"Apocalyptic"
"I Get Off"
"Freak Like Me"
"Uncomfortable"
"I Miss the Misery"

Halestorm have released an official visualizer for “Black Vultures”, the lead track from their upcoming album Vicious, out July 27th. The song is the second unveiled from the album, following the lead single, “Uncomfortable”. Watch the new clip for "Black Vultures" below.

Recorded earlier this year at Nashville, Tennessee's Rock Falcon recording studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Rush), Vicious is available for pre-order at all DSPs and streaming services.

Deluxe album packages are available for pre-order exclusively at the band’s official webstore, including the new album on standard vinyl, plus a limited edition opaque purple double vinyl with enhanced cover art and bonus tracks, limited to 1,500 units worldwide. Also exclusively available at the webstore are a limited edition t-shirt, dog tag necklace, autographed poster, and a free album cover magnet with physical album purchase while supplies last.

Vicious tracklisting:

"Black Vultures"
"Skulls"
"Uncomfortable"
"Buzz"
"Do Not Disturb"
"Conflicted"
"Killing Ourselves To Live"
"Heart Of Novocaine"
"Painkiller"
"White Dress"
"Vicious"
"The Silence"

"Black Vultures" visualizer:

"Uncomfortable" video:

"Uncomfortable" behind the scenes:

On album release day (July 27th) Halestorm will kick off the second leg of their co-headline tour of all female-fronted rock bands with In This Moment and New Year’s Day.

Find Halestorm's live itinerary here.

Metallica performed the Hardwired... To Self-Destruct album track "Halo On Fire" at Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle in Stuttgart, Germany on April 9th. Watch pro-shot video of the performance below:

Germany's Mothergrid recently posted a series of videos taking fans behind-the-scenes of the staging and production of the European leg of Metallica's WorldWired Tour. Watch four segments below.

Part 1: Rob Koenig, Gene McAuliffe and Michael "Kilty“ Petite talk about the visual system of the Metallica WorldWired Tour at Olympiahalle München.

Part 2: System Tech Tom Lyon talks about the sound system for the Metallica WolrdWired Live Tour at Olympiahalle München. The sound system consists of Meyer Sound LEO element and Meyer Sund 1100 LFC subwoofer elements.

Part 3: Metallica's Lighting Designer for the WorldWired Tour - Rob Koenig - leads us head by head through the lighting rig setup in Olympiahalle München. The lighting system consisted mainly of fixtures from Robe Lighting, Martin by Harman and SGM Lighting plus some Flares.

Part 4: A chat with "Big Mick“ Hughes and Markus Wilmsmann in front of the mighty setup of the 2018 WorldWired Tour: about the microphones from Audio-Technica, DPA and Shure that are to used to the Fractal Amp Emulators. A Meyer Sound Line Array PA system was flown over the center stage at Olympiahalle München. Big Mick Hughes mixes the show on a Midas XL8 Digital Audio Console.

After six long, harsh years of absence, the mighty Pig Destroyer have reassembled to eradicate eardrums and split skulls with their highly anticipated sixth full-length opus, entitled Head Cage (named after a grisly medieval torture device). Head Cage is due out September 7th on CD/LP/CS/Digital via Relapse Records.

Watch the official music video for “Army Of Cops”, directed by David Brodsky and featuring guest vocals from Richard Johnson (Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Enemy Soil, Drugs of Faith), below.

Physical pre-order packages are available via Relapse.com here plus the album pre-save and new single are available via Streaming Services here.

Additionally, Pig Destroyer announce the official Head Cage record release show on September 22nd at Gramercy Theatre in Manhattan, NY. Additional confirmed live appearances are available below.

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.

Album art by Mark McCoy.

Head Cage tracklisting:

"Tunnel Under The Tracks"
"Dark Train"
"Army Of Cops"
"Circle River"
"The Torture Fields"
"Terminal Itch"
"Concrete Beast"
"The Adventures Of Jason And Jr"
"Mt. Skull"
"Trap Door Man"
"The Last Song"
"House Of Snakes"

"Army Of Cops" video:

Tour dates:

September
22 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre (Record Release Show)
28-29 - Salt Lake City, UT - Crucialfest 8

December
1-2 - Los Angeles, CA - Decibel Metal & Beer Fest

(Photo - Joey Wharton)