KISS played its first concert of 2018 Saturday night (July 7) at the Rock Fest in Barcelona, Spain. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Deuce

02. Shout It Out Loud

03. I Was Made For Lovin' You

04. I Love It Loud

05. Firehouse

06. Shock Me

07. Guitar Solo (Tommy Thayer)

08. Love Gun

09. Lick It Up

10. Bass Solo

11. God Of Thunder

12. Flaming Youth

13. Say Yeah

14. War Machine

15. Psycho Circus

16. Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

17. Cold Gin

18. Detroit Rock City

19. Black Diamond

Gene Simmons recently told Sweden's Expressen newspaper that KISS will launch a three-year world tour in January 2019. Calling it the band's "most spectacular tour ever," the bassist/vocalist added that the trek will make stops on "all continents."

Simmons's latest comments echo those made by his bandmate, Paul Stanley, who told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that KISS will embark on its "biggest tour" next year.

Rumors of KISS's final run of live shows gained strength several months ago following the news that the band was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed in February to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which — should it be accepted — means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band." As it stands now, no official farewell tour has been announced.

As most fans remember, back in 2000 and 2001, KISS already performed a "Farewell Tour". The trek, which was the last to feature drummer Peter Criss, played 142 shows over five legs, covering North America, Japan, and Australia.

In a recent interview with Australia's News Corp, Simmons confirmed that he "had nothing to do" with KISS's attempt to trademark "The End Of The Road."

"The god's honest truth is that I've heard this before but I literally had never heard of it until somebody mentioned it and I had nothing to do with it," he said. "So I might learn something, but I know nothing of it. I wouldn't pull your leg, by the way.

"Kiss Catalog [the company that filed 'The End Of The Road' application] is one of our companies, that's true — but we trademark all sorts of things. I own [the phrase] 'Motion Pictures' — I actually do.

"There's always been talk, every tour, that this is the last time.

"Let me put it bluntly: One day we are going to stop and do the last show. I don't know when that is… I still look stunning in real life," he laughed.

"The band's in great shape — Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums] are fantastic. Everybody finally seems happy with their lot in life."

MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil performed with his solo band on July 3 at Rivers Casino And Resort in Schenectady, New York. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE called it quits in December 2015 following an eighteen-month tour that saw the group performing to packed houses all over the world.

A tour film about CRÜE's final shows, "The End", came out last fall, and a film adaptation of the band's 2001 autobiography "The Dirt" is in the works.

Speaking to "Trunk Nation", Eddie Trunk's show on SiriusXM channel Volume (106), Vince acknowledged that he is currently the only member of MÖTLEY CRÜE who is waving the flag for the band's music by performing CRÜE songs as a solo artist.

"It's a cool thing, because I love MÖTLEY CRÜE, I love MÖTLEY CRÜE's music, and I love singing, and I love the fans' reactions when they hear the songs," he said. "Whether we're playing in front of a thousand people or twenty thousand people, I can only see the front row anyway. So I'm happy for me and for the fans to be able to still hear that music after MÖTLEY CRÜE is finished."

Neil reiterated the fact that he doesn't mind performing in much smaller places with his solo band than he was accustomed to playing with MÖTLEY CRÜE. "I always look at it like the best of both worlds," he explained. "You know, we had the big, giant MÖTLEY stuff and everything, and then you've got… I like going out and playing… We do fifteen-hundred, two-thousand, three-thousand seaters and some festival stuff, and it's fun to go out there and just let the music do the talking, as the song goes. And I don't miss it. I like just going out there and just raw."

Even though Neil's solo set consists exclusively of MÖTLEY CRÜE material, he says that he tries to keep things fresh by occasionally throwing in "deeper" album cuts that many fans wouldn't expect to hear in a live situation.

"Like [the] songs 'Red Hot' and 'Piece Of Your Action', we didn't have [them] in the set for a long time, and then I was, like, 'Yeah, let's just go ahead and let's do this,'" he said. "Then we added 'Red Hot' and we stopped doing it for a while, and then we just added it again."

He continued: "The old songs are… MÖTLEY didn't play all these old songs, and I enjoy singing these old songs, so it's fun for me and it's fun for the band and it's fun for the crowd."

Neil's solo band includes Dana Strum and Jeff Blando from SLAUGHTER, along with drummer Zoltan Chaney.

An official karaoke-style lyric video for the Queen song "Headlong" can be seen below. The track was featured on the band's 1991 album Innuendo.

The official teaser trailer for the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is now available for streaming below. The film will be released on November 2nd.

Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.

The clip below features on set and behind the scenes stills taken from the Bohemian Rhapsody movie.

Greg Brooks, Queens’ Official Archivist was part of this process and he worked with the band and the movie production team on a daily basis for months to re-create every tiny detail of each scene and to make it as authentic as possible.

"My role was to give the Fox ‘Props’ team access to authentic Queen tapes, notes, handwriting, memorabilia, costumes and photographs - anything and everything remotely useful - which they could then create replicas of, to dress various sets."

"Working on this project with such a brilliant gathering of dedicated talented people, was a rare privilege. Fox have created a Queen universe that is scarily convincing. It is real in every way that it could reasonably be."

On Sunday night (July 8th), Ozzy Osbourne performed at Live Park in Rishon Lezion, Israel. A comprehensive review of the concert can be found at The Jerusalem Post.

Ozzy's setlist, as well as fan-filmed video from the show can be found below.

Setlist:
"Bark At The Moon"
"Mr. Crowley"
"I Don't Know"
"Fairies Wear Boots" (Black Sabbath)
"Suicide Solution"
"No More Tears"
"Road To Nowhere"
"War Pigs" (Black Sabbath) (with extended Zakk Wylde guitar solo)
"Miracle Man" / "Crazy Babies" / "Desire" / "Perry Mason"
Drum Solo
"I Don't Want To Change The World"
"Shot In The Dark"
"Crazy Train"

Encore:
"Mama, I'm Coming Home"
"Paranoid" (Black Sabbath)

Hard rock legend Dee Snider had released an official music video for the new track "Become The Storm" off his upcoming album For The Love Of Metal.  Filmed by Douglas Quill, the video can be see below.

Dee Snider about "Become The Storm": "It can be a dark world out there for people being bullied, and I know it. With 'Become The Storm' I'm hoping to lift them up and help them find the power within to defeat their adversaries. Sound serious? It is."

For The Love Of Metal will be released on July 27th via Napalm Records. The album was produced by Hatebreed vocalist Jamey Jasta and features contributions from Howard Jones (ex-Killswitch Engage), Mark Morton (Lamb Of God), Alissa White-Gluz (Arch Enemy), Joel Grind and Nick Bellmore (Toxic Holocaust) and Charlie Bellmore (Kingdom Of Sorrow). Pre-order For The Love Of Metal here.

Dee Snider on the release: "I am beyond excited to be working with one of the world's leading labels for heavy music, it's a perfect home for this album! I believe there's something for every hard rock and metal fan on this record and I cannot wait to unleash it on the world July 27th!"

Jamey Jasta comments: "I'm so happy and proud to have been a part of this project, Dee Snider is an American original, there is no other voice like his on earth, his power and passion really shine through on this album. Metal brings us all together and with Dee still at the forefront, it's a great time to be a fan of heavy music!"

Howard Jones states: "To be given the chance to write for AND sing with Dee Snider, one of the men responsible for shaping heavy music as it is today, is an absolute honor. The voice, the mind, the swagger... the man is one of a kind."

Alissa White-Gluz comments: "I am honored and humbled to sing alongside such a truly unique and talented soul. I love that Dee Snider has continued to shock people for decades just by being himself. I can't wait for everyone to hear our duet! It was no easy task matching up to Dee's level of vocal prowess but I was happy to accept the challenge and I'm in love with the results!"

Tracklisting:

"Lies Are A Business"
"Tomorrow's No Concern"
"I Am The Hurricane"
"American Made"
"Roll Over You"
"I'm Ready"
"Running Mazes"
"Mask"
"Become The Storm"
"The Hardest Way"
"Dead Hearts (Love Thy Enemy)"
"For The Love Of Metal"

“Tomorrow’s No Concern” lyric video:

Live dates:

July
12 - Cadott, WI - Rock Fest Grounds
13. - Antioch, CA - Contra Costa County Fair Grounds

August
4 - Barbaroo, WI - Ho-Chunk Gaming-WI-Dells
25 - Huber Heights, OH - The Rose Music Center
26 - Warrendale, PA - Jergels

December
7 - Oulu, Finland - Areena Oulu
8 - Lahti, Finland - Jahti Halli

(Photo - Stephanie Cabral)

Beyond The Black recently released their first single and title track of their upcoming album Heart Of The Hurricane. Today the band unleashes the second single from the album entitled "My God Is Dead“.

The band comments on "My God Is Dead“: "'My God Is Dead' is powerballad and massive battering ram at the same time. The song has an incredible energy which combines the best out of both BtB-worlds and shows the wide range of Heart Of The Hurricane!”

Get the single here, and listen via the Bandcamp widget below.

Heart Of The Hurricane will be released on August 31st via Napalm Records (GSA via Airforce1). A lyric video for the title track can be found below.

Available formats:

- 1 CD Digipack
- 2 LP Gatefold Black
- 2 LP Gatefold Gold
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Hysteria"
"Heart Of The Hurricane"
"Through The Mirror"
"Million Lightyears"
"Song For The Godless"
"Escape From The Earth"
"Beneath A Blackened Sky"
"Fairytale Of Doom"
"My God Is Dead"
"Dear Death"
"Scream For Me"
"Freedom"
"Breeze"
"Echo From The Past" (Bonus)
"Parade" (Bonus)

"My God Is Dead":

Heart Of The Hurricane by Beyond The Black

"Heart Of The Hurricane" lyric video:

Tour dates:

July
7 - Novokuznetsk, Russia - Heroes Of World Rock

August
30 - Hartenholm, Germany - Werner Rennen

September
20 - München, Germany - Backstage Werk
21 - Hamburg, Germany - Metal Dayz
22 - Köln, Germany - Live Music Hall
23 - Berlin, Germany - Kesselhaus

October
14 - Mallorca, Spain - Full Metal Holiday

(Photo - Heilemania)

Pure Steel Records will reissue Artizan’s debut album Curse Of The Artizan on August 17th.

In 2011 the first complete album Curse Of The Artizan was released, which consistently continued the class of the progressive, pathos-dripping and extremely melodic US metal sound. It caused some euphoric reactions from the press and fans, because the band has a completely independent sound up to this day. With "Ancestral Energy" and "The Furthest Reaches" two more masterpieces have been released in the meantime and in this year’s August the guys around drummer Ty Tammeus are going to unleash their next strike Demon Rider.
 
Since the debut is completely out of print, it's time for a reissue, for the first time also officially in the US.

Tracklisting:

“Trade The World”
“Rise”
“The Man In Black”
“Fire”
“Fading Story”
“Game Within A Game”
“Torment”
“Curse Of The Artizan”

Danish death metallers Baest, whose moniker translates to ‘beast’ or ‘brute’ in the band’s native language, have released "Vortex", the second single from their forthcoming debut album Danse Macabre. Set for release on August 17th via Century Media Records, Danse Macabre offers an intense Messe Macabre uniting influences from the likes of Bloodbath, Dismember, Bolt Thrower, Entombed and 90’s Morbid Angel with uttermost savagery.

Baest comments: “Gathered from the whirlwinds of decadence, this is the most aggressive track coming out of the den of Baest so far. The epicentre of the Danse, the embodiment of the seven sins combined, we give you 'Vortex'!”

Directed, filmed and edited by Søren Kahr, the "Vortex" video takes you literally into the den of Baest, as it was actually shot at the group’s rehearsal place perfectly illustrating the song’s savage intensity - enjoy the carnage!

Danse Macabre will be released as 180 gram vinyl plus CD, as jewelcase CD, and on all digital platforms. Apart from regular black vinyl, the following limited colours are available:

- 200x transparent green - BAEST exclusive-
- 100x gold - CMDistro.de exclusive-
- 200x silver - also available through CMDistro.de-
- 100x transparent red - Headbangr Edition, available alongside an exclusive t-shirt bundle via Headbangr.dk  

All pre-sales can be viewed here.

Danse Macabre, recorded with Andreas Linnemann at Output Lydstudio and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory at Obey Mastering (Firespawn, Decapitated, LIK), offers extremely focused (de)compositions perfectly blending Boss HM-2 pedal abusing buzz saw guitars, vicious blasts, deep growls and infectious hooks.

Danse Macabre tracklisting:

"Crosswhore"
"Hecatomb"
"Danse Macabre"
"Atra Mors"
"Messe Macabre"
"Ritual"
"Vortex"
"Ego Te Absolvo"

"Crosswhore" video:

Formed in 2015, Baest played over 40 shows within the quintet’s first year of existence, quickly turning heads due to their windmill headbanging skills and ferocious frontman Simon Olsen. Previously, Baest performed at Copenhell, Roskilde, Royal Metal Fest, Eurosonic and supported bands like Hatebreed, Dying Fetus, Entombed A.D. and Illdisposed, in 2018 they will play at Summer Breeze, do a Denmark headlining tour and selected shows supporting Abbath in Germany.

Tour dates:

July
12 - Devilstone - Anyksciai, Lithuania

August
3 - Grimfest - Aarhus, Denmark
10 - Dirty Days Of Summer - Copenhagen, Denmark
11 - Smukfest - Skanderborg, Denmark
16 - Summer Breeze - Dinkelsbühl, Germany

September (with Abbath)
5 - Leiden, Netherlands - Gebr. De Nobel
6 - Essen, Germany - Turock
7 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connexion Complex

September (with I’ll Be Damned)
27 - Sønderborg, Denmark - Sonderborg Hus
28 - Randers , Denmark - Turbinen
29 - Aalborg, Denmark - Studenterhuset

October (with I’ll Be Damned)
5 - Vejle, Denmark - Bygningen
18 - Fredericia, Denmark - Tojhuset
19 - Kolding, Denmark - Godset
20 - Odense, Denmark - Kansas City
25 - Roskilde, Denmark - Gimle
26 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Lille Vega
27 - Aarhus, Denmark - Voxhall

Baest is:

Mattias Melchiorsen - bass
Svend Karlsson - guitar
Sebastian Abildsten - drums
Simon Olsen - vocals
Lasse Revsbech - guitar

(Photo - Nikolaj Bransholm / Bransholm Photography)

Swedish metallers, Denied, released their new album, Freedom Of Speech, on February 13th via Sliptrick Records. A lyric video for the track “False Truth” is available below.

Freedom Of Speech was co-produced, mixed and mastered by Fredrik Folkare at Chrome Studio Stockholm, Sweden. Lead vocals on all tracks by Johan Fahlberg (Jaded Heart) except "Don't You Know Me", "The Ferryman" and "Freedom Of Speech". Keyboards and effects by Fredrik Folkare. Very special guests on the album include Chris Laney (Pretty Maids), Fredrik Folkare (Unleashed, Firespawn), Andreas Larsson, and Madde Svärd.

The cover artwork for the disc was created by Alexander Lifbom.

Germany's Mob Rules have released a new digital single and video for the song "Ghost Of A Chance", taken from their forthcoming studio album Beast Reborn.

Singer Klaus Dirks explains: "The song arose spontaneously more from a gut-feeling, than from the head. Playing straight ahead, very rhythmic with gripping arrangement, it gets to the point quickly and efficiently. The motifs of the song are presented very strongly without losing themselves. Content-wise the song tells about leaving the past behind to dare a new beginning after everything old has broken apart. It is not certain what will happen. There is the "ghost of a chance" that everything will get worse or better. It's just the exciting thing that you don't know what lies ahead."

Beast Reborn will be released on August 24th via SPV/Steamhammer on CD digipak, 2LP gatefold (incl. 1 bonus track), limited boxset (incl. CD, 2LP, towel, hand-signed photo card, 2 track bonus CD, patch, sticker etc.), download and stream. Pre-order here.

"Beast Reborn is a great album filled with catchy tunes that will stick with you. Fans of melodic metal should definitely check this one out!" - Jens Bogren (Fascination Street Studios)

Energetic, massive, focussed - that’s how Mob Rules appear on their new album. The success of their previous album Tales From Beyond was the impetus being used by the six rockers  to bundle their energies and produce this new and very straightforward album. With dense sound, straightforward songs and the familiar big melodies, Mob Rules go directly to the listener’s ears. Rough and fast-paced they move across the roots of metal, to haunting, modern compositions, which makes their sound more fresh and up-to-date than ever.

New band member Sönke Janssen also has a hand in this: Being the new second guitarist he expands and completes Mob Rules’ sound spectrum. Not only within the band things are moving, they also get input from outside: Jens Bogren took over mastering. He works with great artists like Kreator and Amorphis at his Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Bogren is a real guarantor for a punchy sound. Sebastian “Seeb” Levermann (Orden Ogan) is responsible for most of the choirs and yet again accountable for the mix of the album is Markus Teske.

Mob Rules take full advantage of their potential and show their strength precise and focussed. With Beast Reborn, Mob Rules draw the logical consequence of their progress
and at the same time dare to experiment with new things.

Tracklisting:

"Beast Reborn"
"Ghost Of A Chance"
"Shores Ahead"
"Sinister Light"
"Traveller In Time"
"Children's Crusade"
"War Of Currents"
"The Explorer"
"Revenant Of The Sea"
"Way Back Home"
"My Sobriety Mind (For Those Who Left)"

Album release shows:

August
24 - Weiher, Germany - Live Music Hall
25 - Oberhausen, Germany - Helvete Pub

September
8 - Wilhelmshaven, Germany - Pumpwerk

Watch the teaser for the shows below:

Aborted’s new album TerrorVision will be released on September 21st. Today the band reveals the official video for the first new album track, “Squalor Opera”. Check it out below.

TerrorVision will be offered in the following formats:

- Standard CD Jewelcase
- Gatefold LP+CD
- Ltd. Box set (with Digipak CD, bonus CD with the tracks of the “Bathos” EP, black belt with metal belt buckle, sticker set and button set)
- Digital

The official pre-sale starts on July 13th.

Album artwork by Par Olofsson (Exodus, Immolation, Immortal).

TerrorVision tracklisting:

"Lasciate Ogne Speranza"
"TerrorVision"
"Farewell To The Flesh"
"Vespertine Decay"
"Squalor Opera"
"Visceral Despondency"
"Deep Red"
"Exquisite Covinous Drama"
"Altro Inferno"
"A Whore D’oeuvre Macabre"
"The Final Absolution"

"Squalor Opera" video:

Aborted lineup:

Sven De Caluwe: Gurgloroth
Mendel Bij De Leij: Flesh Upon The Razor Wire
Stefano Francescini: Nocturnal Pulse
Ken Bedene: Hymen Blaster
Ian Jelekis: Immaculate Resection

Kissin' Dynamite have released their new studio album, Ecstasy, today via Metal Blade Records. It is the follow-up to Generation Goodbye (2016), which reached #14 in the official German album charts. 

In celebration of the album's release, Kissin' Dynamite are stoked to unleash their new video for the song "You're Not Alone".

Produced by Kissin' Dynamite singer Hannes Braun, Ecstasy harks back to the quintet's unpolished, energy-laden early days, while at the same time marking a turning point in their eleven-year history. In autumn, the group will embark on their first concert tour as special guest since changing labels; from October 26th on Kissin' Dynamite will accompany Powerwolf, who are currently breaking all success records, for 16 joint gigs throughout Europe.

Order the album here.

Ecstasy tracklisting:

"I've Got The Fire"
"You're Not Alone"
"Somebody's Gotta Do It"
"Ecstasy"
"Still Around"
"Superhuman"
"Placebo"
"Breaking The Silence"
"Waging War"
"One More Time"
"Heart Of Stone"
"Wild Wind"
"No Time To Wonder"

"You're Not Alone" audio stream:

"Ecstasy":

"I've Got The Fire" video:

Tour dates with Powerwolf:

October
26 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
27 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle
29 - Hamburg, Germany - Große Freiheit 36
31 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys

November
1 - Warschau, Poland - Progresja
2 - Leipzig, Germany - Haus Auensee
6 - Wien, Austria - Arena
7 - Milan, Italy - Live Club
9 - München, Germany - Tonhalle
10 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - MHP Arena
11 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Effenaar
12 - London, UK - Koko
14 - Lausanne, Switzerland - Les Docks
15 - Zürich, Switzerland - Komplex 457
16 - Geiselwind, Germany - Music Hall
17 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Saarlandhalle

Lineup:

Hannes Braun - vocals
Ande Braun - guitars
Jim Müller - guitars
Steffen Haile - bass
Andi Schnitzer - drums

(Photo - Patrick Schneiderwind)

Greyhaze Records has announced the August 24th reissue of Sarcófago's The Worst on vinyl and cassette formats. The reintroduction of this classic album for the first time on vinyl and tape, complementing the already-existing CD version, comes with massive audio and visual improvements. The album's audio went through a high-quality remastering process, including audio sourced from original master tapes. The Worst's reissue also comes with an expanded visual package including previously unavailable photos from the album's photo session.

Originally released in 1996, Sarcófago's The Worst was to be the band's last full-length album. Despite criticism on its use of a drum machine, the album serves as a manifest of metal's elemental counter-culture stance. It was a spit in the face of the then emergent rise of canned, subpar versions of heavy music such as grunge and nu metal.

Sarcófago's The Worst is so much more than the cheap criticism it has received over the years. It is one of the most cherished offerings by the band and a clear symbol that despite attacks on its very essence, true Metal cannot be tamed or boxed into a palatable package. True metal should be wild, non-conforming, bizarre satanic noise.

Tracklisting:

“The End (Intro)”
“The Worst”
“Army Of The Damned (The Prozac’s Generation)”
“God Bless The Whores”
“Plunged In Blood”
“Satanic Lust”
“The Necrophiliac”
“Shave Your Heads”
“Purification Process”

“God Bless The Whores”:

Swedish black metallers Blood Of Serpents have revealed the cover artwork and tracklist for the upcoming album Sulphur Sovereign, out September 25th on Non Serviam Records. This is the follow up album to the 2014 debut Black Dawn.

The band has taken a decided step into an extreme black metal direction, going at full speed with forceful vocals that rip and roar with equal measure. Mixed with dark melodic guitar work, and crushing riffs, Sulphur Sovereign is slated to be a standout black metal release of 2018. 

Sulphur Sovereign is produced by Lars Broddesson (ex-Marduk) and mixed and mastered by Magnus “Devo” Andersson (Marduk). Cover art by Khaos Diktator Designs.

Tracklisting:

“Mater Tenebris”
“In Darkness, Brotherhood”
“Devil’s Tongue”
“Evictor Of Christ”
“As The Temple Burns”
“Canticle”
“As Nocturnal Dimensions Beckon”
“Upon Waters Dark”
“Prophet Of A False Faith”
“A Void Between Worlds”

Announcement trailer:

Unleashing their new EP Disobey today on July 6th via Extreme Metal Music, a subsidiary of Rockshots Records, El Paso, TX's Not My Master are sharing with fans their new music video "Acadence" in celebration of its release.

Vocalist Chris Kidwell comments:

"I hope this song knocks people the fuck out. I feel like there’s some bad energy in our country. I don’t like it, I’m not feeling it. We can’t blindly follow bullshit and tarnish the word patriotism. I am not here to just obey. Silence is acceptance."

NMM have shared the stage with Death Angel, Soulfly, Nile, Rotting Christ, LA Guns, Kyng, Lord Dying and many more. They also toured across the States in several venues including Whisky A Go Go and Viper Room in Los Angeles.

Mixed and mastered by Chris Collier (Korn, Prong, Fear Factory), Disobey contains seven tracks including a cover version of Danzig's "How The Gods Kill". Extreme Metal Music / Rockshots Records will release the Disobey EP on July 6th.

Tracklisting:

"Acadence"
"Revenge"
"Where's God Now"
"Morning Star"
"Lies"
"How The Gods Kill" (Danzig cover)
"Consume"

Lineup:

Chris Kidwell - Vocals
Chelo Styes - Guitar
Rudy Barajas - Bass
Charlie Gonzalez - Drums

Pacific Northwest black-metalist With The End In Mind has released its highly regarded and praised album, Unraveling; Arising, today with Temple of Torturous Records. The record is now available for purchase and stream at the locations below. Watch a special un-packaging video for the limited edition vinyl.

With The End In Mind is an ever-changing musical entity based in Olympia, Washington. Seeking to unite disparate musical influences, and to give voice to internal struggles with spirituality, modern civilization, and inevitable societal collapse. Following the release of several EPs and tours the band recently signed with Temple of Torturous Records and has now released its most ambitious and affecting album to date, Unraveling; Arising. Order the album on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Sings The Sky”
“Anguish Symmetry”
“Unraveling; Arising”
“From The True Source”
“Wheeling, Endlessly Wheeling”

Album stream:

Unraveling; Arising by With The End In Mind

Psychedelic doom rockers, Motorowl, have launched a video for their new single “To Take” off their upcoming album Atlas, which will be released on July 27th through Century Media Records.

The band comments, "‘To Take’ is an ode to our own freedom. This is a story of letting people be the way they feel right, even if you have to take something from you. Again we put riffs and feelings together to a song that sounds like us. Be nice to each other. Don’t kill each other.”

The single “To Take” will be offered as an Instant Grat Track with all digital album preorders.

The band comments on the songwriting and recording process:

“We started writing Atlas right after the release of Om Generator to stay in the flow. Also we played a lot of concerts during the process of writing, so we were constantly playing the old songs live while we were writing the new material at the same time. We realized that the live feeling is an essential part of our music, so we decided to record the whole album live altogether as a full band in the studio.

“And when you do such live recordings, you need the perfect partner, engineer and a place where you feel comfy. We found all that at Off The Road Studios in Leipzig. It’s a marvelous place with a big library in the main studio, a fireplace and a lot of room. We met there with our friend Charlie Paschen (who works with bands like Coogans Bluff or Rotor) to record the album within ten days. The decision to let Mr. Dan Swanö do the mix and mastering again was easy. He simply knows how we have to sound like.

“Atlas combines the pain in our chests with the indestructible force that we have as a band to make this music together. We wanted to mash the power of synth driven ‘80s rock hymns with the deep crushing slowness of a doom riff.  Atlas was written by the whole band and that’s the deep essence of our music: Five very different guys who work together like a clockwork.”

The artwork was created by Pol Abram (Branca Studio).

Tracklisting:

“Infinite Logbook”
“The Man Who Rules The World”
“Atlas”
“To Give”
“To Take”
“Cargo”
“Norma Jean”

"To Take" video:

"Atlas" video:

Motorowl is: 
Max Hemmann - Guitar/Vocals
Vinzenz Steiniger - Guitar
Martin Scheibe - Drums
Tim Camin - Bass
Daniel Dettlev - Keys

SOULFLY has set "Ritual" as the title of its new album, tentatively due in October via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "Archangel" was recorded with producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA and ALL THAT REMAINS, among others.

Fan-filmed video footage of SOULFLY performing a new song called "The Summoning", which will appear on "Ritual", on June 28 in Zwolle, Netherlands can be seen below.

Max recently told PureGrainAudio about "Ritual": "I know musicians [always] say their new record is their favorite, but [this new] SOULFLY [album] really hits home, man, because it's got a little of everything that I really love about SOULFLY. It's got some of the tribal elements back in the groove, and it's got a lot of fast stuff. It's almost like a 'tribal thrash' record, which is kind of… it's never been done before. So it's a real political and spiritual [album mixed] with tribal [and] thrash [sounds]. The tribal grooves go right in hand with fast thrash, death metal stuff. So it's pretty cool, man. I think people are gonna be turned up when they hear the new SOULFLY."

Max told Jack Antonio that the new SOULFLY album would include "a song about a Navajo murder that happened on a Navajo reservation — the police killed this young girl and I was really intrigued with the whole story and we made a song out of it," he said.

As for the disc's musical direction, Max said that it has "a little bit of a 'Chaos A.D.' [SEPULTURA] kind of feeling to it — that kind of groove, but also [with elements of] thrash. It's a contemporary record — it feels like it's done right now. I'm really stoked on it. I think it does kind of have that classic 'Chaos A.D.' feeling to it, which is great; I think it's really cool to have that kind of feeling on the record."

Max also praised his SOULFLY bandmates' contributions to the new album, saying: "Marc Rizzo [SOULFLY guitarist] is doing some amazing guitar stuff. All the players — Zyon [Cavalera, Max's son and SOULFLY drummer] did a great job on the drums. I tried really hard to have different topics and different lyrics, so my vocals are a bit different and I'm touching different subjects on the album. So all that together makes it into something special."

Philip Anselmo dedicated a cover of the PANTERA classic "Slaughtered" to Vinnie Paul Abbott during Saturday night's (July 7) SCOUR concert at the Roskilde festival in Roskilde, Denmark. Anselmo simply stated, "Listen to me very closely: This is for Vince," before launching into the song from PANTERA's 1994 album "Far Beyond Driven", widely considered the heaviest metal record to ever reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. Video footage of the performance can be seen below.

SCOUR previously performed "Slaughtered" as a tribute to Vinnie Paul two nights earlier (Thursday, July 5) at the Baltimore Soundstage in Baltimore, Maryland,

SCOUR is the extreme metal supergroup featuring Anselmo alongside John Jarvis (PIG DESTROYER, AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED), Derek Engemann (ex-CATTLE DECAPITATION), Mark Kloeppel (MISERY INDEX), and Adam Jarvis (PIG DESTROYER, MISERY INDEX).

A video message from the Anselmo was played at the public memorial for Vinnie Paul. It marked the first time the ex-PANTERA singer publicly commented on his former bandmate's death.

The event, which was held on July 1 at Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas, included emotional tributes from a number of Abbott's fellow musicians, some of whom appeared in person while others sent short video speeches expressing their affection for the fallen PANTERA and HELLYEAH drummer.

Anselmo's tribute was a few seconds long and saw him speaking in his trademark deep voice. "Vince, always have love in my heart for you, man," he said. "Rest in peace."

Vinnie Paul and his brother "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Up until his death, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo.

Vinnie and Anselmo's relationship got more acrimonious when Vinnie indirectly blamed Philip for Dimebag's death, suggesting that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Back in October 2016, Vinnie Paul said in an interview that it was "sad" to see Anselmo doing "a lot of things" that have tarnished PANTERA's image in the decade and a half since the band's split.

Vinnie passed away on June 22 at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54.

The PANTERA and HELLYEAH drummer was buried on June 30 next to his brother and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Arlington, Texas.

In October, SCOUR will make an appearance at Tecate Mexico Metal Fest in Monterrey, Mexico. Additionally, the band was recently confirmed to play the 2019 edition of the Maryland Deathfest, scheduled for May 23-26.

Fan-filmed video footage of TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider performing the title track of his upcoming solo album, "For The Love Of Metal" on July 5 at the Rock Fest in Barcelona, Spain can be seen below.

"For The Love Of Metal" will be released on July 27 via Napalm Records. The disc, which was produced by HATEBREED vocalist Jamey Jasta, will feature contributions from Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD), Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Joel Grind and Nick Bellmore (TOXIC HOLOCAUST), and Charlie Bellmore (KINGDOM OF SORROW).

Speaking to Chris Annunziata of the New Jersey radio station 90.3 WMSC-FM, Snider stated about "For The Love Of Metal": "This is a really exciting album I did not expect to make, especially at this point in my life. I was doing Jamey Jasta's podcast, and he challenged me to make a contemporary rock record. And I was, like, 'Who's producing?' He said, 'I am.' And so we went in the studio [with] no record deal, and people started flocking [to appear on the LP]. It just amazed me, the enthusiasm and excitement that these younger musicians — younger than me, at least — had for working with Dee Snider and being a part of this project."

Dee went on to say that "the album turned out phenomenal," so much so that "we had a bidding war from all the major metal labels," he said. "As Jamey would say, it is hard. It harkens back to my earliest work with TWISTED SISTER, but it's very contemporary sounding with my voice. And people are astounded, actually, that I still have a very strong, very powerful, and as Jamey says, an important, iconic rock voice. So I'm very excited about this album."


Jasta previously described the LP as a "full-on metal album," adding that "people are gonna lose their minds when they hear this." He also called Dee "one of the best vocalists of our time" whose "voice is up there with Ozzy [Osbourne], [Ronnie James] Dio, [Bruce] Dickinson and [Rob] Halford to me. "And it's as powerful as ever!" he said.

"Although this album will be very heavy, the songs are anthemic and will fit well in his solo set with 'We're Not Gonna Take It', 'I Wanna Rock', 'Burn In Hell', 'We Are The Ones', 'So What' and others," Jamey promised.

Snider's last solo album, "We Are The Ones", was released in October 2016 via Red River Records. Produced by Damon Ranger, the disc was described by Dee as "an album that is think part FOO FIGHTERS, part IMAGINE DRAGONS, part THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS."

TWISTED SISTER called it quits in 2016 after completing a farewell 40th-anniversary tour.

Former MALEVOLENT CREATION frontman Bret Hoffmann has died after a battle with stage 4 colon cancer. He was only 51 years old.

The news of Bret's passing was revealed by his wife, Kimberly Karan Hoffmann. She wrote on Facebook: "Today is the saddest day of my life. I just lost my soulmate, the love of my [life]. My best friend has passed away. I will always love [you], RIP, my love."

MALEVOLENT CREATION guitarist Philip Fasciana paid tribute to his former bandmate, writing on Facebook: "Can't believe my best friend/brother has passed away! 40 years of friendship and 30 years of playing music together. There will never be ever anyone I loved more than Bret Hoffmann and writing music and traveling the world with. He was truly the best friend I ever had and will miss him deeply. R.I.P. my brother!!!!!"

In a post on the GoFundMe page launched to help him raise funds for his medical expenses and treatments, Bret explained that he discovered that he had cancer after he went to a hospital emergency room because he was having "bad pains" in his legs and feet. "I work construction, and after a few weeks of this pain every day, my wife, Kim, took me to emergency room, and she was not taking no as an option. Well, come to find out the cancer was causing my T-cell count up and thickening my blood. I had an eight-inch clot in my right calf and some broke off and went into my lungs. The doctor told us if I hadn't come in that I would've certainly been dead by that next Friday from an embolism."

Bret also urged other men to get themselves checked for cancer. "Save yourself a waking nightmare of pain, uncertainty and mental twistedness," he said.

Bret performed on the first three MALEVOLENT CREATION releases until he left the band after 1993's "Stillborn" album. Five years later, he returned and performed on "The Fine Art Of Murder" and "Envenomed" before leaving again and being replaced by Kyle Symons. He rejoined MALEVOLENT again in 2006 and appeared on the group's last three albums, 2007's "Doomsday X", 2010's "Invidious Dominion" and 2015's "Dead Man's Path". He exited the group once again two years ago and was replaced by Lee Wollenschlaeger.

More recently, Bret has been involved with the FIRE FOR EFFECT project in which he was joined by guitarist and songwriter Gio Geraca (MALEVOLENT CREATION, ASHES OF ARES), bassist Tony Choy (PESTILENCE) and drummer Mike Smith (SUFFOCATION). Smith was later replaced by Derek Roddy (HATE ETERNAL, NILE, MALEVOLENT CREATION).

In a 2015 interview with Metal Rules, Bret was asked how he developed his unique vocal style. "When I grew up, I knew I wanted to sing," he said. "I was playing bass at first and I kind of sucked at it. I tried singing and sucked at it. So I went into my room for like two years and practiced singing old JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN with [Bruce] Dickinson. I practiced those screams and could do them pretty good. Then when I transitioned over to death metal, it worked, because I learned the right way how to do those screams. It worked."

Today is the saddest day of my life I just lost my soul mate the love of my my best friend has passed away I will always love u Bret Malev Hoffmann RIP my love ❤️❤️❤️Posted by Kimberly Karan Hoffmann on Saturday, July 7, 2018

PRONG mainman Tommy Victor has confirmed to the "Thunder Underground" podcast that he has already begun working on material for the follow-up to last year's "Zero Days" album. "During the last time off [from the road], I wrote about eight songs," he said (hear audio below). "I've gotta see what they're like. I played a couple for [PRONG producer] Chris [Collier], and I didn't get a really great response from him. So probably out of that batch, maybe one song will be used.

"That's the thing about PRONG too," he continued. "On the last record — and I get a lot of compliments about this — every song is strong; we don't fool around; there's no filler in it. I just got into that mode where if we don't all like it, it just goes in the garbage can. So that's why I started the process earlier and just started writing. Now I've gotta put it in the shelf, listen to it, see what's going on, and then write new stuff. And hopefully put out a couple of songs, and a full record maybe in March next year — if the material is there. So it's all depending on that."

PRONG recently announced a short 2018 European "Zero Days" summer tour, featuring a return to Reload Festival as well as a run of headline shows. DEW-SCENTED has been confirmed as special guest on most of the shows.

"Zero Days" was released last year through Steamhammer/SPV as a CD digipak, two-LP gatefold, download and stream.

World-renowned guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani has joined forces with Stingray Qello to release his tour documentary, "Beyond The Supernova", filmed, edited, directed and produced by ZZ Satriani while on tour in 2016 and 2017. The film received high praise from fans and critics, alike, when it made its debut last October at the Mill Valley Film Festival, which also included a special intimate live performance by the star guitarist.

Satriani said of the collaboration: "Stingray Qello is the place to go for music lovers and fans who thrive on live performances from their favorite artists. I'm always finding new concerts on the site, sounding and looking great, streaming at the stroke of a key! I'm so happy our film 'Beyond The Supernova' has found a home at Stingray Qello."

The documentary highlights the 30 years since the release of his multi-platinum-selling album "Surfing With The Alien" as Satriani searches for the next step in his career. "Beyond The Supernova" is a tour documentary that offers a glimpse into the mind of the guitarist. Join Satriani while he performs music from "Shockwave Supernova" through Asia and Europe and as he looks back on his career. We learn of the autobiographical concept behind the record and how it plays into determining Joe Satriani's next creative step. We'll also go behind the scenes of the "Surfing To Shockwave World Tour" featuring performances from Joe, Mike Keneally, Bryan Beller and Marco Minnemann, as well as cameo appearances by guitarists Steve Vai and Guthrie Govan.

"It is an exciting and incredibly rewarding moment for us to announce that a legend like Joe Satriani has selected Stingray Qello as the only online streaming platform to share his critically acclaimed documentary 'Beyond The Supernova' with his fans," said Frédérick Ranger, vice-president, product marketing of Stingray. "It is our mission to create opportunities for artists to connect and engage with audiences around the world through a multitude of music and video services. Having the opportunity to work with Joe Satriani is a dream come true for all of us."

For two decades, the guitar icon has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star "G3" guitar extravaganza. Satriani's studio and live recordings have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with 15 Grammy nominations between them. His side project, CHICKENFOOT, featuring former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith, saw its debut album certified gold.

The official video for the song "Harmaja" from Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Kulkija" ("Wanderer"), which will be released on September 7 via Nuclear Blast.

The "Harmaja" clip was directed by Ville Lipiäinen, who has previously worked with NIGHTWISH, BEAST IN BLACK and POWERWOLF.

Founding member Jonne Järvelä commented: "'Harmaja' is an unusual KORPIKLAANI song with its slow tempo and emotional strength. The song is about longing and I managed to charge it with a great emotional atmosphere.

"When making the album, we mostly used the first takes; we didn't get stuck in details when there was no particular need to.

"I was surprised — although in a positive sense — that Nuclear Blast wanted to release 'Harmaja' as a single and a video. Usually they prefer more uptempo, fun, drinking songs. The new album, 'Kulkija', of course, has that material too, since being over an hour long, it contains the entire scope of different emotions.

"I bought a new classical guitar and started to re-acquaint myself with the 5-finger picking technique. I created a finger exercise that then formed the basis of the song. I sent a very basic version of the song to our lyricist Tuomas Keskimäki, who, in the same evening, sent back the lyrics for 'Harmaja'. The text refers to 'Sylvian Joululaulu', a well-known poem about longing by Zachris Topelius. I sang the demo in my home studio immediately and that was it — the song felt good and strong right away and I knew that it was going to end up on the album.

"The video was shot in the pool of the Maritime Safety Training Centre in Lohja. The water was so cold that even constant visits to the sauna couldn't stop the coldness from creeping into my bones. It was very difficult to remember the lyrics, keep my head above the surface of the water and sing — while at the same time trying to look like I wasn‘t freezing to death. All for art!

"Lipiäinen knew exactly what was needed for the video and managed to create just the right atmosphere. Lipiäinen knew exactly what was needed for the video and managed to create just the right atmosphere. The shots change slowly, there is no rush with anything and the story stays just right above the surface until the more stormy ending."

With 14 tracks and a total running time of over 71 minutes, "Kulkija" is the group's longest album to date. Working with producer Janne Saksa for the first time, the album was recorded at Petrax Studio (Hollola, Finland) and mixed at Sound Supreme Studios (Hämeenlinna, Finland). Mastering duties were handled by renowned engineer Svante Forsbäck (RAMMSTEIN). The cover was designed by Jan Yrlund (BATTLE BEAST, MANOWAR), who has already created several artworks for previous albums and singles for the band.

Järvelä commented: "We've never been as satisfied with a final result as we are with 'Kulkija'. We tried to keep it very natural. Like the wanderer, this album is a journey, one that makes you feel good."

Accordionist Sami Perttula added: "'Kulkija' isn't just a collection of songs, it's a 'real' album with a unique atmosphere guiding the listeners through a long journey. All songs were well prepared in advance and nothing needed to be arranged in the studio. Tuomas [fiddle] and I had lots of space to develop and play the folk arrangements."

Photo credit: Peero Lakanen

A new PROPHETS OF RAGE song titled "Heart Afire" has just been released via Spotify and can be streamed below. The track comes just a few days after PROPHETS OF RAGE bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk revealed in an interview with Finland's Kaaos TV that the band has already finished its second album. Commerford explained: "We're on to another record now; we've already finished a 13-song record that we are just in the process of just putting together at this moment in time. So there's a lot going on. We have a new song that comes out on July 7th. And it's on to new territory, new sounds and new music."

As for the musical direction of the new LP, Commerford remarked: "It's a different direction, it's not the same, and I love that. I grew up, and Brad grew up, listening to bands that made records and you were waiting at the record store to hear what it might sound like — the new record by some band. And so that's the way I feel like we're doing it right now. We're growing and we're creating and we're going in a new territory and I feel really good about it."

Although PROPHETS OF RAGE was originally formed as a response to the events of the 2016 election, Wilk said: "I don't think anybody was putting expiration dates on it when we got together... it started sounding really good and we all were into what we were doing. So that made sense to continue."

Guitarist Tom Morello told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that PROPHETS OF RAGE was never just about Donald Trump. "It heightens the stakes, in that the threat of environmental or nuclear disaster is closer now, but there was injustice before Donald Trump and there will be injustice after Donald Trump," he said. "However, there was also resistance to injustice before Donald Trump and that resistance will continue past him. We just have to look at our moment in time and weave our convictions into our vocation."

PROPHETS OF RAGE's debut album came out last September. In addition to Commerford, Wilk and Morello, who all played together in RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE, the band features PUBLIC ENEMY's Chuck D and DJ Lord along with CYPRESS HILL's B-Real.

On September 22, 2017, DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT played a special show at the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Devin's landmark "Ocean Machine" album in full, as well as a set of fan-requested tracks alongside the Orchestra of Plovdiv State Opera. This concert was filmed, and on July 6, 2018, it will see the light of day as "Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv".

The third video to be taken from the live release, a performance of the track "By Your Command", can be seen below.

Devin comments: "Plovdiv and this live package represents a lot to me, it signifies the end of one era, and the celebration of another. Amidst a gruelling touring year, this show came together with much blood, sweat, and tears, and the result is the culmination of many aspects of my work on one stage.


"'Ocean Machine' was released 20 years ago, and though Marty (drums) is no longer with us, I was able to finally perform the album in its entirety with the original bassist John 'Squid' Harder on this night. On a cold evening in an old city in the ancient theatre, many lifelong milestones came to a conclusion on this night and I'm exceptionally proud of it.


"I am currently writing, writing, and writing some more for the next stage of my life and work, and the team of individuals who contributed to this project, from the musicians in the band and orchestra, to the crews locally and with this, management, artists, filmographers and most importantly, the audience... made this night a powerful and strangely bittersweet moment I am proud to have documented with this work.


"This is a very special live recording of a very special night, and I hope you enjoy it as a monument to the things that inspired it all in the first place."


"Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv" will be available as a limited deluxe 3CD/2DVD/Blu-ray artbook (with liner notes from Devin and a special documentary dubbed "Reflecting The Chaos" on the second DVD & Blu-Ray), special edition 3CD/DVD digipak, standalone Blu-ray and as digital audio download.

"Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv" track listing:

By Request with Orchestra

01. Truth

02. Stormbending

03. Om

04. Failure

05. By Your Command

06. Gaia

07. Deadhead

08. Canada

09. Bad Devil

10. Higher

11. A Simple Lullaby

12. Deep Peace


Ocean Machine

01. Seventh Wave

02. Life

03. Night

04. Hide Nowhere

05. Sister

06. 3 A.M.

07. Voices In The Fan

08. Greetings

09. Regulator

10. Funeral

11. Bastard

12. The Death Of Music

13. Things Beyond Things


DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT released the much-acclaimed "Transcendence" in late 2016, before embarking on one of its biggest world tours ever. This new live release marks the end of an era, as DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT was disbanded in early 2018 to pave the way for Devin to focus on numerous other creative, musical endeavors of which he is currently hard at work on.

Late SOUNDGARDEN and AUDIOSLAVE vocalist Chris Cornell is one of the many artists whom HEART singer Ann Wilson pays tribute to with her new collection, "Immortal", due out September 14.

The album will feature Wilson's versions of classic songs by such icons as Cornell, David Bowie, Tom Petty, Glenn Frey, George Michael, Amy Winehouse, Leslie Gore and many others. The song she chose to honor Cornell was AUDIOSLAVE's "I Am The Highway". You can now listen to the track below.

"The AUDIOSLAVE number is my favorite Chris Cornell song," she previously said. "It's just all about, I'm not the thing, I'm the bigger thing, I'm not your magic carpet ride in the sky. It's a really great song. It has a lot of particular meaning to me because Chris was my friend. The words in 'I Am The Highway' talk about dissatisfaction, and alienation, and someone who is just on their way. They're not going to hang out with the friends and liars."


She added that Cornell never completed embraced his "rock star" status.

"Whenever I hear that song, I think about Chris a lot, because he was always at odds with his success," she said. "The expectations that were put on him being the voice of a generation, and a superstar of the '90s and 2000s and stuff was too much for him. It was really uncomfortable, and he wasn't just bragging about being uncomfortable, he was. It was too much. He basically was a real pure being, and complicated, but really pure, childlike. He had one foot in wanting to be famous, and one foot in just being so uncomfortable there, that he was caught somewhere in the middle. He was so beautiful and handsome, but tender. He was a really, really good person. But this world was just… he went as far as he could go."

Sadly, Wilson recalled to Rolling Stone how she commiserated with LINKIN PARK frontman Chester Bennington upon finding out about Cornell's suicide. On May 18, 2017 — the day Cornell killed himself in the early morning hours — they were both booked as musical guests on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Wilson, who didn't know Bennington that well, explained: "Someone came into my dressing room and said, 'Chester would like to talk to you.' He was really upset."

Wilson continued: "So I went in. He was really a mess. So anxious and sad and had to go onstage in a minute. I think that Chris's departure hit (him) hard because he recognized the impulse. He had been hit by this news. There was a lot of fear there. I said to him, 'Let's just breathe here and look in each other's eyes and go, 'We're still here right now, let's just do this.' A couple of weeks later, he was gone."

Chester Bennington also took his own life, on July 20, 2017 — just two months after Cornell on what would have been the latter's 53rd birthday.