After a world premiere debut at Night Visions Film Festival in Helsinki, Finland, Dream Evil Pictures announces the highly anticipated DVD release of The Mentors: Kings Of Sleaze Rockumentary. DVDs can be directly purchased at this location.

This feature length documentary explores the intrigue of The Mentors, one of the most controversial rock bands to emerge from the 1970’s. Most known for their shock rock stage presence akin to GG Allin & The Murder Junkies, a long history of false rumors and outrageous myths also helped augment their fame and notoriety. Learn how this trio inspired and offended masses worldwide using chauvinistic satire and an obscene comical act, playing an identifiable role in moral depravity and pushing the boundaries of freedom of speech.

While weaving together rare archival footage, recent tour coverage and an intimate collection of interviews, filmmaker April Jones captures the bands climb from scum to shock to success, culminating in a shocking conspiracy that involves former member, Eldon Hoke, famously known as El Duce.  Interviews include The Mentors own Stephen Broy and Eric Carlson, along with select members from Gwar, Fang, Exodus, The Dwarves and others.

“With The Mentors, there is only a fine line between offensive content and humor, but April Jones’ documentary approaches its subject from an unbiased viewpoint. Jones looks past the band’s executioner hoods and provocative outbursts, unfolding the obscene story in an entertaining way.” - Rokumentii Rock Film Festival

“The Mentors is a film with something to offend everyone…loved it!” - Gary Sherman, Director, Vice Squad & Poltergeist III

"You understand that there will be hell if they play...." - Antifa
"Despite widespread controversy, I was able to dig deep to reveal who The Mentors really are. Get ready to be rocked, shocked, and offended by yourself for laughing! This film removes the hoods and facade only to capture the truly intimate, hilarious, and surprising story of the undeniable Kings of Sleaze." - April Jones, Filmmaker, The Mentors: Kings Of Sleaze Rockumentary

"This documentary was an amazing representation of who El was. April did a great job of recording the life of someone who was truly a unique character and deserves to be remembered." - Hunter Jackson, Co-Founder/ Techno-Destructo GWAR

View a trailer below:

Juno award-winning metallic noise rock band KEN mode will release their seventh studio album Loved on August 31st through New Damage Records in Canada. The album is now available for pre-order here.

The band have released a Christopher Mills-directed video for the track "Feathers & Lips", which follows the release of the first single “Doesn’t Feel Pain Like He Should” and its companion video. Both tracks are now available as instant downloads when fans pre-order Loved.

About “Feathers & Lips” guitarist/vocalist Jesse Matthewson had this to say, “I've never understood why so many of the most aggressive and extreme/cruel political figures are also the least likely candidates to win in an actual fight. This isn't exclusive to either side of the spectrum. There's a hole in these people that is being filled with being a dick to and/or trying to control other humans with some of the most irrational bullshit. And their voices are always the ones being heard, because they tend to be yelling the loudest..."

Loved, which follows KEN mode’s critically acclaimed and Juno nominated 2015 release Success, represents yet another pivot point in the group’s sound. Moving away from the indie/noise, punk focused tracks on Success, Loved sees the band delving deeper and darker than ever before, resulting in what may be the group’s quintessential statement of violence and despair made sonic.
 
Drawing from not only the desperate noise and industrial sonics of the 80’s and 90’s, on Loved, KEN mode has mixed in the decidedly more extreme tone and presence of death and black metal, expertly captured by producer Andrew Schneider’s (Unsane, Cave In, Daughters) sick vision of noise and girth. “We entered writing for this album with one goal in mind – to please the smile”, states Matthewson, referring to the album cover piece by the band’s long-time collaborator Randy Ortiz – see below.
 

Tracklisting:

“Doesn’t Feel Pain Like He Should”
“The Illusion Of Dignity”
“Feathers & Lips”
“Learning To Be Too Cold”
“Not Soulmates”
“Very Small Men”
“This Is A Love Test”
“Fractures In Adults”
“No Gentle Art”

“Doesn’t Feel Pain Like He Should” video:

Live dates with Shallow North Dakota:

September
28 - Winnipeg, MB - The Good Will Social Club
29 - Saskatoon, SK - The Black Cat Tavern
30 - Calgary, AB - Palomino

(Photo - Brenna Faris)

Ammunition, featuring Norwegian singer Age Sten Nilsen (ex-Wig Wam), have released a lyric video for "Miss Summertime", featured on the band's self-titled album released earlier this year. Watch below.

Tracklisting:

"Time"
"Freedom Finder"
"Virtual Reality Boy"
"Gung Ho (I Told You So)"
"Eye For An Eye"
"Tear Your City Down"
"Caveman"
"Wrecking Crew"
"Miss Summertime"
"Bad Bones"
"Klondike"

"Miss Summertime" lyric video:

"Freedom Finder" video:

Lineup:

Age Sten Nilsen - lead and backing vocals
Erik Martensson - guitars, backing vocals
Victor Cito Borge - bass
Jon Pettersen - guitars
Lasse Finbråten - keyboards
Magnus Ulfstedt - drums

Chicago-based technical/progressive metal group Without Waves have released a video for "Victorian Punishment", featured on the band's Lunar album, released last year via Prosthetic Records. Watch the clip below.

Without Waves effortlessly create a rich fusion of extreme, progressive metal and cascading soundscapes with precision songwriting, showcasing blistering riffs and unorthodox time signatures paired alongside dreamy melodies and poetic chord structures. An important new addition to a new wave of young, progressive and urgent technical metal artists.

Tracklisting:

“Sewing Together The Limbs”
“Poetry In Putrid Air”
“Us Against”
“Never Know Quite Why”
“Victorian Punishment”
“EDMS”
“Lost Art”
“Fractals”
“Memento More”

“Victorian Punishment” video:

“Never Know Quite Why” video:

Brazilian death metallers KRISIUN will release their eleventh studio opus, "Scourge Of The Enthroned", on September 7 via Century Media Records. The disc was recorded at Stage One Studio (BELPHEGOR, LEGION OF THE DAMNED) in Germany with producer Andy Classen, who previously worked with the band on "Conquerors Of Armageddon", "Southern Storm" and "The Great Execution" releases. The cover artwork was created by Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, HATE ETERNAL, INCANTATION).

The band comments: "We proudly present you the cover for our new record! Based on Sumerian mythology, it shows three ancient gods transcending the beginning of creation, represented by the incredible art of Eliran Kantor.

"The sound of this record came out very organic, unlike many of the super edited/digital sounding albums these days. The songs are faster and more brutal than the previous records. Pure relentless death metal in your face!"

The first single from "Scourge Of The Enthroned" will be "Demonic III", to be released on Friday, July 13.

"Scourge Of The Enthroned" track listing:

01. Scourge Of The Enthroned

02. Demonic III

03. Devouring Faith

04. Slay The Prophet

05. A Thousand Graves

06. Electricide

07. Abysmal Misery (Foretold Destiny)

08. Whirlwind Of Immortality

KRISIUN is currently wrapping up touring plans in support of "Scourge Of The Enthroned" and has just announced a special release show in Essen, Germany with SULPHUR AEON on September 7.

Active since 1990, KRISIUN is one of the most ferocious death metal bands in history and belong to the most successful metal acts to have ever emerged from Brazil.

Professionally filmed video footage of MEMORIAM performing the song "Bleed The Same" at this year's edition of the Rock Hard Festival, which was held in May in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, can be seen below.

MEMORIAM is the Birmingham, United Kingdom-based death/grind metal band featuring Karl Willets (BOLT THROWER) on vocals, Frank Healy (BENEDICTION, CEREBRAL FIX) on bass, Scott Fairfax (CEREBRAL FIX) on guitar and Andy Whale (BOLT THROWER) on drums.

The group's second album, "The Silent Vigil", was released in March via Nuclear Blast. The disc's artwork was once again created again by Dan Seagrave (BENEDICTION, DISMEMBER, HYPOCRISY, SUFFOCATION).

MEMORIAM was primarily developed to fill the void that was left following the tragic death of Martin "Kiddie" Kearns, the drummer from BOLT THROWER, back in September 2015. BOLT THROWER subsequently placed all activity on hold for the foreseeable future which gave Karl Willetts an opportunity to develop a new project with friends that had expressed interest in forming a band for some time.

MEMORIAM is an old-school death metal band, maintaining the standards set by their previous bands, focusing on the themes of death, loss and war. Initially, the bandmembers got together to play covers of songs that had influenced them throughout their careers within the death metal scene. However, it soon became apparent that the new songs that they created were of a superior standard.

"Chocolatize", a brand new song from KYUSS and FU MANCHU legend Brant Bjork, can be streamed below. The track is taken from his thirteenth solo album, titled "Mankind Woman", which is due on September 14 via Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

Although this is indeed a Brant Bjork record, it is the first record Brant so closely collaborates with a producer and co-writer: his LOW DESERT PUNK BAND guitarist and friend Bubba Dupree. Brant and Bubba wrote and performed the music along with guest appearances by bass player Armand Secco Sabal, Nick Oliveri and vocalist Sean Wheeler, who has been a touring member of the LOW DESERT PUNK BAND. The recording took place in March of 2018 at Zainaland, a creative villa owned by Brant's wife Zaina Alwan, in the California desert town of 29 Palms. The record was recorded and engineered by Yosef Sanborn who also owns and operates Massive FX pedals in Los Angeles. Multiple pedals designed by Yosef were used by Brant and Bubba for this record. Additional tracks were recorded by Bubba Dupree at Brant Bjork's home studio in Venice Beach, California.

Brant Bjork and Bubba describe the sound of "Mankind Woman" as modern classic. It is evidently clear that both Bjork and Dupree specialize in the craft of the sound and feel of the music spawned in the '60s and '70s. This record is inspired by this great era; however, the intention was not to try to recapture or mimic in retro terms these influences but to strive for a contemporary quality. Brant Bjork might have gone deeper in the lyrics than on any record before.

Focusing on personal sensitivities, elite hypocrisies, racism, sexism and the daily struggle to find peace, love and understanding in today's American society. Once again, Brant Bjork created a record that reminds the listener that it is the ingredients of the jazz, blues and funk, that makes rock music taste so good. A must-have for all collectors, genre-fans and beyond!

"Mankind Woman" track listing:

01. Chocolatize

02. Lazy Wizards

03. Charlie Gin

04. Mankind Woman

05. Pisces

06. Swagger & Sway

07. Somebody

08. Pretty Hairy

09. Brand New Old Times

10. 1968

11. Nation Of Indica

The cover artwork was created by Robin Gnista.


In support of his new album, Brant Bjork will be heavily hitting the road again this year, with very special guest Sean Wheeler. Bjork comments: "Looking forward to returning to Europe in November and bringing all the European fans some of our fresh jams along with the classics. 'Mankind Woman' is our new record and we can't wait to turn Europe on! See you all soon!"

Fan-filmed video footage of TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider performing his new solo single, "Become The Storm", on July 2 in Tel Aviv, Israel can be seen below. The track is taken from Snider's upcoming solo album, titled "For The Love Of Metal", which 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).

The official video for "Become The Storm" was directed by Doug Quill and is expected to make its online debut in the coming days. A teaser clip is available below.

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.

PROPHETS OF RAGE bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk were interviewed by Kaaos TV before the band's June 30 show at Provinssi in Seinäjoki, Finland. You can now watch the chat below.

In addition to Commerford, Wilk and guitarist Tom Morello, all of whom previously played together in RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE, PROPHETS OF RAGE also features Chuck D and DJ Lord from PUBLIC ENEMY and B-Real from CYPRESS HILL.

Asked what the response has been like to PROPHETS OF RAGE's debut album, which came out last September, Tim said: "As far as I'm concerned, it was a great imprint of us as a band. We made a record, and it was an imprint in time, and we did that. And 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."

Although PROPHETS OF RAGE was originally formed as what Morello described in a 2016 interview as an "elite task force of revolutionary musicians determined to confront this mountain of [American] election year bullshit," the band has since made it clear that they would still be together even if Hillary Clinton was in the White House.

"I don't think anybody was putting expiration dates on it when we got together," Brad told Kaaos TV. "So we got together and started songs, and it started sounding really good and we all were into what we were doing. So that made sense to continue. And so we continued to write music. We just spent a few months writing new music, and it was an awesome experience with this guy [editor's note: referring to Tim] and with B-Real and Chuck and Tom and Lord. I think that we can continue making new music. The more new music we play live, the better it'll be."

Asked if PROPHETS OF RAGE has found more of its own sound and style with its new music, Tim said: "Here is the thing. This is the beauty of this group. And first of all, to just be in a band and be able to play music and be able to get together with other artists and make music, art and collective consciousness, work on it together and create something that we all feel great about, that is a beautiful thing. It doesn't matter if you're playing at a festival or if you're playing in your living room with your buddies, that's a great thing. But in our situation, which is that we get to make art together, but we also get to make whatever kind of art we want. We have guys like [me and Brad] who played some of the heaviest music that's ever been made, and we have people like Chuck and B-Real, who, if it weren't for their bands playing some of the heaviest music ever made, we wouldn't even exist here today. And we can make any kind of music we want. We wanna make a rock record? We make a rock record. We wanna make a hip-hop record? We can make a hip-hop record. There's so many things that we can do, and so I'm excited about just the future of making new music and what that means. And, like I said, we just finished our new musical outlook, and it's a beautiful one."

As for the musical direction of PROPHETS OF RAGE's upcoming disc, Tim said: "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."

PROPHETS OF RAGE's self-titled debut album was recorded with legendary producer Brendan O'Brien who has done notable work with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE.

Barbara Caserta of Linea Rock conducted an interview with SHINEDOWN members Brent Smith (vocals), Barry Kerch (drums) and Eric Bass (bass) on June 26 at the Santeria Social Club in Milan, Italy. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked to comment on the recent passing of Vinnie Paul Abbott, Smith said: "The very first time that we met [Vinnie and his brother Dimebag] both was at a festival in Kansas City. We played early in the day and we had a trailer that had a door in between and two doors on both sides. We didn't know who was gonna be next to us. About 4:30 in the afternoon, 'cause we played really, really early, like at noon, something like that… This is in 2003. And then, all of a sudden, you kind of hear these footsteps and people yelling, the trailer's kind of shaking and doors open and then Mr. Darrell Abbott proceeded to kick the door in between the two of us here, and walked in with Vinnie behind him and said, 'What's your name? Who are you?' And we said 'hello' and this and that, and he was, like, 'I know we just met each other, but there's not gonna be any separation for the rest of the day. At this moment, you might have not known us, and we don't know you, but at this moment in time, we're family. So here's a Black Tooth. Cheers! Knock 'em back, boys!''

He continued: "That's just kind of the way they were. They always just had that very… Everything about rock and roll that you love, that's what they were. All that makes rock and roll not a label and not a genre of music… It's why I say rock and roll is a way of life, and it is. And they embodied that."

Smith added: "I don't think — I know — that there's an incredible jam session going on right now around us — maybe in a different alternate universe. But they gave a lot to not only music but just to — in my opinion, they gave a lot to the world."

SHINEDOWN is continuing to tour in support of its sixth studio album, "Attention Attention", which was released on May 4. The disc is a concept effort which addresses a society both enabled and blinded by technology and the decline and rise of an individual in that society.

Vinnie passed away on June 22 at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. The drummer's death "did not appear suspicious," according to the official police report. Sources close to Vinnie told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he suffered a "major heart attack," but that information has not been corroborated yet by an official source.

Following is an update from journalist Greg Prato:

"On June 22, 2018, news broke that drummer Vinnie Paul had died in his sleep at his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the age of 54. Best known as the drummer for Pantera and as the brother of the late guitar great Dimebag Darrell (as well as the drummer for Damageplan and Hellyeah), Vinnie inspired an entire generation of drummers with his hard-hitting playing on such now-headbanger standards as 'Cowboys from Hell', 'Domination', and 'This Love'. 

During the '90s, Pantera could single-handedly be credited with keeping heavy metal alive. While many veteran bands either lost singers (Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Anthrax) and/or lost their way (Metallica, Megadeth, Mötley Crüe) as the decade wore on, Pantera - whose classic line-up consisted of singer Phil Anselmo, Dimebag, bassist Rex Brown, and Vinnie - issued a string of classic albums comprised of 100% pure metal, tops being 1990's Cowboys From Hell, 1992's Vulgar Display Of Power, and 1994's Far Beyond Driven.

In 2015, I tried to make sense of this troubling decade for metal, with the book Survival of the Fittest: Heavy Metal in the 1990's, which included all-new interviews with members of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Kiss, Def Leppard, Guns N' Roses, Nirvana, and Nine Inch Nails, and of course, Pantera. Here are parts from a chapter in the book, entitled "You Could Count On The Cowboys," in which Pantera's importance is fully explored - and also, can now serve as a tribute to Vinnie Paul and his musical accomplishments."

An excerpt from Prato's tribute is available below.

Rex Brown: "Metallica puts out The Black Album, and of course, it's a great record in hindsight. But at the same time, all the thrash leading up into that movement, it was kind of a disappointment to the fans that were waiting for them to put out another Master Of Puppets. They went in kind of a different direction. We had been on the road since '89, through '92. We had put out Cowboys From Hell, and then Vulgar Display Of Power. When we put out Vulgar, we've got this huge following, and there's a little, itty-bitty hole here, where we can possibly jump through and carry the genre that we loved. And we came out with Far Beyond Driven, that hit #1 on the charts (in 1994)."

Phil Anselmo: "That's a tough call, man (if Pantera was the top metal band of the '90s). Because there was - and always has been, since I've been in the business - a band named Slayer, that's very tough to argue that they were anything but heavy metal or thrash metal... which I think go hand-in-hand. I don't know, we were definitely one of them. And I think with the rapport I had with the audience, I made it very well known that we were a heavy metal band and proud to be that. So maybe that's why people might say we were the 'top heavy metal band.' But once again, at the same time, in the underground, there were really some very heavy metal bands - whether it was black metal or death metal. You cannot deny the 'metal' part of it. As far as commercially selling big, perhaps we were the top metal band aside from Metallica, who during the '90s, kind of fell from grace a little bit. But maybe it's not for me to decide. Maybe it's best that everybody else has chimed in on this."

Rob Halford (Judas Priest): "When Pantera broke through with Cowboys From Hell, it was a very exciting, potent time in metal. You have this unbelievable guitar player who was doing things that no one else was doing. Just a basic four-piece making such a noise. And the fact that we were able to take the band out with us to Europe for the first time, nobody had a clue about Pantera. And remember as well, this is just about the time when the Internet is kicking in, so prior to that, the only way you communicate is with magazines. So the word was spreading in the underground metal scene in America. But outside of there, they were completely unknown. And I used to stand on the side of the stage and watch them walk out and play, and the Priest audience would be looking, and they'd fire up 'Cowboys From Hell', and they'd just be sheer stunned. In shock and awe. By the time they'd finish their set, they had everybody in their back pocket, because everybody knew they were witnessing the birth of an incredibly powerful, important, great metal band."

Read more here.

The official Pantera Facebook page has announced A Public Celebration Of Life event for late drummer Vinnie Paul.

The event will take place on July 1st at 3:33 PM at The Bomb Factory in Dallas, TX. There are no advance tickets, lines, or lists. The line for wristbands to the event will begin 12 PM on the day of the event.

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John Katsilometes reports that the death of Vinnie Paul “did not appear suspicious” according to the official report of the event recorded by Metropolitan Police officers.

According to records of the event, officers were dispatched to a dead-body call at 5:41 PM on Friday (June 22nd) on the 6900 block of Procyon Street (Paul lived on Procyon). Medical personnel were summoned, and Paul was pronounced dead at the scene.

Metro spokeswoman Laura Meltzer added that responding officers did not take such further action as calling homicide detectives to the scene, further indication that Paul was considered medically deceased.

The Clark County coroner’s office has since picked up the investigation into the cause and manner of Paul’s death. The founder of the bands Pantera and Hellyeah died at age 54. Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin said today that official cause of Paul’s death is still pending and would likely take several days to be issued.

Updates to follow.

KORN will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its breakthrough third album, 1998's "Follow The Leader", by playing three U.S. shows in late summer. But while it was initially assumed that the band would perform the LP from front to back at those shows, guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer has confirmed that only "most" of the record will be played.

Speaking to KLOS 95.5 DJ Full Metal Jackie, Munky explained: "There's some songs that we did collaborations — we [had guest appearances by] Tre [Trevant Hardson] from THE PHARCYDE, which is a hip-hop group; Ice Cube — everybody knows Ice Cube; and Fred [Durst] from LIMP BIZKIT. So those are the songs that are, like, 'Okay, well, we can't really recreate that.' But we're gonna play a handful of the songs that people haven't heard and maybe we haven't played in 20 years."

The shows are scheduled to take place on September 12 at the Masonic in San Francisco, September 13 at the Palladium in Los Angeles, and September 15 at the Pearl Theater in Las Vegas. These will be KORN's only North American concerts of the year.

Munky told Full Metal Jackie that he looks back fondly on the "Follow The Leader" period of KORN's career. "Because we were really young, and it really was the first bit of money that we started to see from so many years of hard work," he said. "And we just really had a lot of fun. And musically, we kind of experimented with collaborations. We were in a real studio, in North Hollywood, in the middle of town. Because we recorded our first two records with [producer] Ross Robinson up at Indigo Ranch, and that was so remote and removed from anything, and that's how he liked it. But once we had the freedom and the money and the record label support to get into a real studio and have, like, a real beer budget…

"I think, honestly, the making of that album was something like 30 thousand dollars in alcohol by the time it was all done," he continued. "It was fun; that showed you how much fun we had. But, really, it was trying to figure out, 'Okay, we kind of did these two angst records. Let's kind of move into more of a song-based, lightened-mood.' Like, 'Let's have fun a little bit.' That's when we really started to kind of find who we were and make changes as far as song structures and listening to each other play. Like, 'Man, you're really good. I didn't realize it before.'"

Munky went on to say that "Follow The Leader" represented "a really special moment" in KORN's career. "That's when MTV was hitting, and everybody was watching all these boy bands," he said. "And then KORN topping the charts of all the 'TRL' stuff. I feel like it was a turning point. I feel like if you didn't like the whole boy-band thing and the pop thing, you had us over here."

According to Munky, "Follow The Leader"'s influence has reverberated beyond the hard rock world. "It's crazy" he said. "All these young hip-hop kids now are coming up to me, saying, 'Man, I love your band. Because of your band, I'm into this, this and this.' And they're all these young rapper kids with tattoos all over their faces — just super hardcore. So there's a whole new movement. So it's kind of nice for them to step up and give us an homage, I guess."

"Follow The Leader" was a massive commercial breakthrough for KORN, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, selling five million copies in the U.S. and yielding two hits singles in "Got The Life" and "Freak On A Leash".

@fullmetaljackie and @munky_korn taking over the airwaves until midnight. Tune-in now or you’ll probably regret it! A post shared by 95.5 KLOS (@klos955) on Jun 27, 2018 at 7:49pm PDT

Gretsch has honored the late Malcolm Young, whose rock-solid rhythm guitar swagger and songwriting provided the unshakeable foundation for monumental rock titans AC/DC, with the G6131-MY Malcolm Young Signature Jet.

The G6131-MY pays homage to Young's famously battle-hardened Gretsch Jet. Nicknamed "The Beast," Malcolm certainly made the instrument his own, not least by removing two of the three pickups, stripping away the finish, and pounding out some of the hardest and most memorable rhythms the world has heard.

"I mean, as soon as you hear that first… chord, you know it's him," said his brother Angus Young. "To do this… you have to be a master of rhythm, and that's exactly what Mal [was]."

This model features the essential hallmarks of one of rock's most iconic instruments including "DIY" pickup routes with simulated screw holes, chrome switch plugs, Space-Control bridge with ebony base and '60s-style tailpiece. Open-cavity thunder roars from the thin-skin satin finished chambered mahogany body and is magnified by a high-output TV Jones Power'Tron pickup.

"AC/DC had a sound of their own and this guitar was the foundation of the sweet and nasty tone we all know them for," said SOCIAL DISTORTION's Mike Ness.

Malcolm Young's fiery rock 'n' roll spirit lives on through AC/DC's enduringly timeless music, and it is Gretsch's great privilege to pay fitting tribute to him with a finely crafted instrument bearing his name.

The G6131-MY Malcolm Young Signature Jet will be available November 2018.

For more information about Gretsch, visit gretschguitars.com.

Malcolm, who co-founded AC/DC with Angus in 1973, died in November at the age of 64 after suffering from dementia and failing health for several years. His condition forced him to leave the band in 2014, with his nephew Stevie Young stepping into Malcolm's position.

Burton C. Bell, frontman and founding member of FEAR FACTORY, has announced release plans for the second album from ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS, his musical collaboration with John Bechdel (KILLING JOKE, PRONG, FEAR FACTORY, MINISTRY). After returning from a 10-year hiatus, the pair's eagerly awaited album, "Stormcrow", is set for release via the PledgeMusic platform. Check out the project page to watch the campaign's video, narrated by Bell and find out more details about the new release.

Burton is "excited and delighted" to begin recording on their second album and share this journey with their fan base, as PledgeMusic actively involves fans in the project's campaign in order to fund the album's birth and development. "Stormcrow" features the lead single "Ghost Heart", together with an enchanting video created by the Brazilian filmmaker Victor Hugo-Borges. Joining Bechdel and Bell in ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS are Edu Mussi (STILL LIFE DECAY) and Jayce Lewis (U.K. industrial/electronic artist) who will help create, produce and mix the collection at Jayce's Northstone Studios in Bridgend, Wales.

ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS was created in 2002 in Central Pennsylvania as a new creative outlet for Bell and Bechdel. Inspired by the writings within "The Book Of Enoch", they independently released the "Iconoclast" EP in 2004, which was a vision born of life, love and spirituality. The music, melodies and lyrics gives one the opportunity to share in Burton's visions as he saw them in their purest form. Their critically acclaimed debut LP, "Numinosum", was released in 2008 on Al Jourgensen's (MINISTRY, REVOLTING COCKS, LARD, PAILHEAD) 13th Planet label. Around that debut album, ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS was honored to be invited to tour the U.S. with KILLING JOKE on their reunion tour as special guests.

With the PledgeMusic campaign, ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS enables Burton's vision of an album that truly represents his true passions; sonic textures, dark melodies and lyrical melancholy. Remaining true to the concept of the fallen angels (The Watchers) from "The Book Of Enoch", the lyrical concepts in "Stormcrow" herald their penitence to their one true love that banished them from heaven.

While the ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS campaign can be found on the PledgeMusic web site with multiple purchase options, Devfire Entertainment/Cargo Records will release "Stormcrow" worldwide in the spring of 2019.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is planning to enter the studio in January to begin recording its fifth album. The disc will be the follow-up to "BCCIV", which was released last September and marked BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's first studio effort since 2013's "Afterglow".

During a brand new interview with the "Iron City Rocks" podcast, drummer Jason Bonham was asked if there are any plans for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION to play more shows in support of "BCCIV". He responded: "I believe we're gonna go back in the studio again in January. That's what I heard. And then we can focus more on touring next year."

He continued: "They definitely like to plan way ahead. They were looking at my schedule. I'm playing in Cabo at an event New Year's Eve, so I'm gonna be on the West Coast, so we'll probably go to the same studio we recorded 'IV' in."

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is the Anglo-American rock group comprising Bonham, vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, TRAPEZE), keyboardist Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL) and blues-rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa.

Just like its three predecessors, "BCCIV" was overseen by Kevin Shirley, whose catalogue of hit records for LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, JOURNEY and THE BLACK CROWES has made him one of the hottest producers that rock music has to offer. Shirley, who originally had the idea of putting Hughes and Bonamassa in a band after seeing them jamming together onstage in Los Angeles back in November 2009, is the group's unofficial "fifth member."

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's inception took place when Hughes and Bonamassa fused their styles on stage in Los Angeles in November 2009 for an explosive performance at Guitar Center's King Of The Blues event. With the help and guidance of Shirley, they further added to their rock lineage by recruiting Bonham and Sherinian.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION played two exclusive concerts in the U.K. in January.

According to Amplify, lawyers for Ozzy Osbourne have responded to AEG's motion to dismiss his anti-trust claims, calling it "baseless on the facts and the law alike." The BLACK SABBATH singer has alleged that AEG is using a practice called "block-booking" to force him to perform at the Staples Center in Los Angeles against his wishes.

Ozzy had tentatively agreed to perform at London's O2 Arena on February 11, 2019 as part of his "No More Tours 2" farewell run, but he claims that AEG added a provision stating that if Osbourne played an indoor arena within 25 miles of Los Angeles that was promoted by competitor Live Nation during the tour, he would have to play the AEG-owned Staples Center as well.

Osbourne's attorney Daniel Wall with Latham Watkins accused AEG of being a "monopolist" and trying to force Ozzy to play AEG's venue in Los Angeles in exchange for a London date at the arena.

In its motion to dismiss the lawsuit from Osbourne, AEG said that Osbourne cannot claim anti-trust injury since the policy ties the promoter to the agreement, not the artist.

Wall has since submitted a rebuttal to the motion to dismiss, writing that AEG is misleading the court and is fully aware that the policy forces artists to play their venue in Los Angeles, sometimes against their will.

"Factually, AEG misrepresents its own practices with respect to the tying requirement it enforces," Wall's rebuttal reads. "The formal venue hire agreement for the O2 referenced in the Staples Center Commitment unambiguously requires the promoter to ensure that the artist plays Staples when in Los Angeles."

AEG previously told Billboard in a statement that the company "has always worked hard to put artists first. At the same time, we must respond to the actions of those we compete with, specifically Live Nation and Madison Square Garden. Fighting for a level playing field is fair competition at its core."

Osbourne wants a judge to invalidate the provision in his contract that forces him to perform at Staples.

Variety reported that AEG's O2/Staples requirement came about in response to a challenge from MSG that found the company refusing to book acts into Madison Square Garden if they played at AEG's Staples Center in Los Angeles instead of the MSG-operated Forum. In response, AEG informed agents and promoters that acts who perform at The Forum instead of Staples will not be booked at London's O2 Arena.

Ozzy's final world tour is slated to last until 2020.

During a brand new interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian offered an update on the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2016's "For All Kings" album. He said (hear audio below): "We didn't think we were touring this year. We thought we were just gonna do that 'Killthrax' run [with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE] we finished a couple of months ago. And then the idea was we were gonna start writing and spend most of the year writing — maybe doing one-offs. But spend the year writing and then get back in the studio. And then SLAYER called. [Laughs] [And the first U.S. leg of the SLAYER tour] went so well, and then everybody's clamoring for more shows. So they booked the second leg. And then they said, 'You wanna do Europe?' And we have Europe in November and December. That's as far out as we know we're a part of it at this point. Of course, if they wanna do more, if they wanna do more, if they ask us to do more in 2019, I'm sure we would."

He continued: "But, yeah, obviously, that's kind of changed the plans as far as what we're doing about writing. Maybe we'll get together at some point this year after the second leg — we have a pretty good break between that and Europe — so it'll be nice to maybe get in a room and see if we couldn't get three or four things arranged. 'Cause there are a lot of killer ideas that have been going back and forth… There's some killer, killer ideas that Charlie [Benante, drums] has sent around — very, very exciting-sounding. And it assuages all my fears of, 'Can we do it again?', 'cause I always have that feeling when a record is done, you go out on tour and eventually you start to realize, 'Are we gonna do this again? What if the riffs don't come? What if?' And I can safely say the riffs are here. So it's an exciting feeling to know that we're gonna get back in and start hammering some of that stuff together."

ANTHRAX's upcoming 12th studio disc will be the follow-up to "For All Kings", which was widely hailed as one of the strongest efforts of the band's career.

Benante, who is ANTHRAX's main songwriter, confirmed that there are several tracks left over from the "For All Kings" sessions which did not make the final cut. However, it's unlikely that any of that material will surface on the upcoming record.

Benante told "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" last year that the new ANTHRAX music he has been writing is "sounding very pissed off and angry again. I think maybe it's just a reflection of the world and everything in general in this so-called business," he said. "I don't know why it's coming out like that, but it's coming out very — like I said — angry and pissed off and just very aggressive."

ANTHRAX's upcoming disc will be the band's third full-length release since the return of singer Joey Belladonna, who came back into the fold for the "Big Four" shows, in the process helping inspire a new wave of creativity.

Fan-filmed video footage of former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach performing a cover version of the PANTERA classic "Cemetery Gates" as a tribute to PANTERA members Vinnie Paul Abbott and "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott on July 2 at Foufounes Électriques in Montreal, Quebec, Canada can be seen below.

Back in 2015, Bach told Australia's "The Morning Show" that PANTERA was the "craziest" band to tour with. "I warm up my voice doing scales — all this boring vocal stuff — and they would warm up by doing 14 shots of Crown Royal [whisky]," he said. "'We're ready! Let's go!'"

After Dimebag was murdered on stage in December 2004, Bach released a lengthy message in which he said that "it was an absolute dream to stand on the side of the stage every night witnessing PANTERA's rise to fame, night after night, city after city," when SKID ROW and PANTERA toured together in 1992. "To have those crazy fuckers as my friends was something I will never forget," he said.

Vinnie Paul was buried on Saturday (June 30) next to his brother and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas.

Vinnie passed away on June 22 at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. The drummer's death "did not appear suspicious," according to the official report of the event recorded by Metropolitan Police officers. Sources close to Vinnie told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he suffered a "major heart attack," but that information has not been corroborated yet by an official source.

On June 30, ALICE IN CHAINS members Sean Kinney (drums) and Mike Inez (bass) spoke to Austria's Mulatschag about the recent passing of PANTERA and HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott.

"Back early on, like 1990 or so, I think we were over here [in Europe] and PANTERA were just coming up at the same time," Sean recalled (see video below). "And we were playing a lot of these little places throughout Europe, and we were kind of missing each other. And it was rooms like this. You'd leave graffiti for each other in the rooms, and there was always some gags, depending on how quick you came through. So that was always fun. I remember we were in Germany, 'it's, like, Cowboys From Schnell' — we were writing shit like that on the walls. And it's probably not funny. You know what? In hindsight, it sucked. I'm just now saying that it wasn't funny.

"They had a lot of fun," Kinney continued. "And Vinnie was an amazing guy — very hospitable, always wanted everybody to have a great time. He was pretty selfless and had a big heart. He was a crushing fucking drummer and an all-around great guy, and just a full champion of rock. He just lived it. And that's really gonna leave a big, big, big void, without him here."

Added Mike: "You don't meet many guys in this business that really live that life all the way to the end. Like Lemmy [MOTÖRHEAD], Dime [late PANTERA guitarist and Vinnie's brother, 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott], and Vinnie was like that. There's a lot of people that say they live that lifestyle, and they really don't. They like their jobs and it's fun, and stuff like that, but really living it every single night, that was Vinnie Paul. He was just such a… just a good guy. Like Sean was saying, he made sure everybody else had a great time. He was just such a great host. No matter what room he was in, he was just a big-hearted fellow, and we already miss him greatly."

Vinnie Paul was buried on Saturday (June 30) next to his brother and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas.

Vinnie passed away on June 22 at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. The drummer's death "did not appear suspicious," according to the official report of the event recorded by Metropolitan Police officers. Sources close to Vinnie told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he suffered a "major heart attack," but that information has not been corroborated yet by an official source.

Venice, California crossover thrash/hardcore punk legends SUICIDAL TENDENCIES have recruited THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's Ben Weinman to play guitar for them on their North American run of shows in July.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES announced Weinman's addition to the band's touring lineup via the band's social-media channels.

"SxTx is getting ready to take off for the July tour dates," the band wrote. "Speaking of flying, we're extremely honored and SToked to have the insane Ben Weinman @dillingerescpln playing guitar for us on these shows! Hope you are ready for this! Thanks for the support and SEE YOU IN THE PIT!"

Weinman will play the following shows with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES:

July 14 - House Of Vans, New York, NY

July 15 - Inkcarceration Festival, Mansfield, OH

July 17 - Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, Canada

July 19 - Union Hall, Edmonton, Canada

July 20 - The Palace Theatre, Calgary, Canada

July 22 - The Garrick Centre, Winnipeg, Canada

July 25 - Rebel, Toronto, Canada

July 26 - Elements, Kitchener, Canada

July 27 - Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, Canada

Guitarist Jeff Pogan announced his departure from SUICIDAL TENDENCIES on Monday. He wrote in an Instagram post: "I have decided to leave SUICIDAL TENDENCIES for personal reasons. This means I will not be playing on any of the upcoming shows or tours. I wish the guys the best of luck and am grateful for all of the experiences I had with them."

Pogan had been the guitarist for SUICIDAL TENDENCIES since 2016. During his tenure with the band, he played on their most recent full-length studio album, 2016's "World Gone Mad", and the "Get Your Fight On!" EP, which came out in March.

Drummer Dave Lombardo recently said that SUICIDAL TENDENCIES will release a new full-length album, apparently titled "Still Cyco Punk After All These Years", in September.

SxTx is getting ready to take off for the July tour dates. Speaking of flying, we're extremely honored and SToked to...Posted by SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - OFFICIAL on Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA are working on their first-ever book, "The Essence Of Epica". This unique book tells the story of the remarkable musical journey of EPICA in the bandmembers' own words, and is illustrated throughout with rare, candid and classic photographs.

"The Essence Of Epica" will contain first-person testimony from Mark Jansen (vocals, guitars), Coen Janssen (keyboards), Simone Simons (lead vocals), Ariën Van Weesenbeek (drums), Isaac Delahaye (guitar) and Rob Van Der Loo (bass) along with that of former members, friends and colleagues of the band. The story of EPICA's rise from Dutch newcomers to international symphonic metal giants is described in majestic and mesmerizing style in this official, exclusive book.

For more information, visit EpicaBook.com.

Asked in a 2017 interview with AXS what has been the greatest lesson he learned since EPICA's formation in 2002, Jansen said: "Ah, there were many lessons. The biggest things I learned though is that success is nice, but you should not take it too seriously. When I was in AFTER FOREVER, one day you are a hero to many people and then the next day I wasn't in the band anymore. Then 90 percent of the people suddenly lose interest in you. That is a big lesson. And also know that whatever people say to you… take it with a grain of salt. Because people are happy, often they mean what they say at the time, but that is because they look up to you and then it is not like that anymore. They look up to somebody else. That is a lesson I had to learn and it is a lesson that helps you keep both feet on the ground. It is a good lesson."

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN have released more official footage from their recently launched "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour. Check it out below.

IRON MAIDEN has been opening its concerts on the current trek with "Aces High" and continuing with "Where Eagles Dare". Other notable tracks aired during the set include the Blaze Bayley-era classics "The Clansman" and "Sign Of The Cross", as well as three additional songs that are being performed for the first time in years: "For The Greater Good Of God", "The Wicker Man" and "Flight Of Icarus".

This past March, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson said in an interview that there will be "one or two things" in the "Legacy Of The Beast" setlist "that people are gonna be really surprised by" and predicted that "there'll be social media madness after the first show."

The concept for the "Legacy Of The Beast" tour was inspired by MAIDEN's mobile game and comic book of the same name and the stage set design features a number of different but interlocking "worlds" with a setlist covering a large selection of 1980s material with a handful of surprises from later albums to add diversity.

"Death By Metal", the definitive documentary on DEATH frontman Chuck Schuldiner, will receive its long-awaited DVD release on July 6 via MVD Visual. A trailer for the film is available below.

Featuring exclusive interviews, rare footage and demos, "Death By Metal" is the first film of its kind to tribute Schuldiner's unparalleled role in the evolution of heavy metal. It was written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Felipe Belalcazar.

The documentary takes a thorough look at the history of metal and Schuldiner's life's work as a musician. What was unique about Schuldiner is that he never took himself or the genre too seriously. He bravely pushed the envelope and couldn't care less about what textbook metal was supposed to be like.

Although the documentary mainly focuses on DEATH and Schuldiner, it is also a compact information package about the early stages of death metal and how it evolved into its current shape. International cassette tape swapping, dedication and the will to develop as musicians are the key factors for the existence of this infernally fast-paced dark music.

Asked what it was about Chuck's story that he found so compelling, Belalcazar told Decibel: "I identified with him. As a freelancer, you might identify with being close to work and being passionate about what you do. He seemed like someone who was passionate about his work. Another thing I wanted to show in this movie: Chuck was a regular dude. If you go DEATH's Facebook page, the image that many fans have of Chuck and DEATH is often misinformed. Chuck was also an amazing family man — that came up in so many interviews."

Belalcazar added that "Death By Metal" is "an official documentary approved by the family. I did more than 22 interviews; not even all of them can be in the documentary," he said. "I'm told we did the first interview on film with his mom. She told us everything — from the first day he got a guitar to when he passed away. It was one of the hardest interviews I've ever done. We interviewed his nephew, his sister, Chris Reifert [DEATH, AUTOPSY] and two to three members from each lineup, including the CONTROL DENIED records. We also interviewed [producer] Jim Morris."

Schuldiner's life and career was tragically cut short by cancer in 2001.

Video footage of heavy rockers LUCIFER performing an acoustic version of their song "Dreamer" at the studios of Sweden's Bandit Rock radio station can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's second studio album, "Lucifer II", which will be released on July 6 via Century Media Records.

Apart from a new label home, the follow-up to 2015's "Lucifer I" also marks the first studio release of the new LUCIFER incarnation now consisting of vocalist Johanna Sadonis, guitarist Robin Tidebrink, and multi-instrumentalist Nicke Andersson, who plays drums and also took over bass and guitar when recording "Lucifer II". The band's live lineup also features Martin Nordin (DEAD LORD) on guitar and bass player Alexander Mayr.

"'Dreamer' was the first song Nicke and I wrote together," says Sadonis, while Andersson adds: "We got one horse, one cemetary and one band. That makes up for a pretty good video in my eyes."


"Lucifer II" was recorded at the Honk Palace in Stockholm. It was mixed by Ola Ersfjord (DEAD LORD, TRIBULATION, PRIMORDIAL) at Cuervo Recording Service in Madrid.


Originally, LUCIFER formed in Berlin back in 2014 consisting of Sadonis and members of CATHEDRAL, ANGEL WITCH and LADYTRON. The first seven-inch single, "Anubis", and debut album, "Lucifer I", were released by British label Rise Above Records, quickly establishing the group as a promising new act offering excellent 1970s hard rock with a good dose of proto metal and doom added to the mix. Citing BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, LUCIFER'S FRIEND, STEPPENWOLF, 70's HEART and FLEETWOOD MAC as inspiration, LUCIFER corrupted the souls of many and achieved international recognition on tours through Europe, USA, Canada and Japan.


With a shift of constellation within the band in 2016 and Sadonis moving from Berlin to Stockholm, LUCIFER is now ready for an exciting new chapter in its career. With Nicke Andersson, Sadonis found a congenial new songwriting partner, and "Lucifer II" turns out to be a strong sonic statement.

Johanna stated about "Lucifer II": "Maybe I could say it's different from the first LUCIFER album, which was because that first album was written with Gaz Jennings of CATHEDRAL. It had a very particular sound. The new album that has been written with Nicke and me is even more so in the vein of what my original vision of LUCIFER was. I'm very stoked. I think this new album digs even deeper into the record crates of the '70s and opens up even more. There's a whole variety of different moods and songs in there. I think it opens up, hopefully, to more people. For me, it certainly was an expansion."

On August 1, Dutch progressive metal formation EX LIBRIS — which features in its ranks former XANDRIA vocalist Dianne Van Giersbergen — will release the unique triptych "Ann", in which three historic women from different era are the central focus. In the first chapter, the band will take you on a musical journey through the tragic life of Anne Boleyn, Queen of England. Through the crowdfunding campaign, the fans can follow the developments around the other two chapters and actively support the band in her efforts.

"Ann" is not only the title of EX LIBRIS's third album, it is also the name that binds the three women from the different chapters together. Each of them from a different time, a different place and a different background, but all three have a remarkable story that needs to be told. Or better said, 
a story that needs to be brought back to life through the captivating voice of Van Giersbergen.

"Chapter 1: Anne Boleyn", which contains almost 20 minutes of music, will be made available on August 1. The record, that can be characterized as a wide variety of vocal colors and strong melodies, is supported by the extraordinary artwork of 2D artist and illustrator Jelle Steenhuisen. "Ann" is helmed by Dutch producer Joost Van Den Broek at Sandlane Recording Facilities. Van Den Broek is a well known name in the progressive and symphonic metal genre who has worked with big bands like AFTER FOREVER (former band of Floor Jansen from NIGHTWISH), EPICA, AYREON, and many others.

A first taste of "Ann" can be found below.


The release of the next two chapters of "Ann", which will complete the trilogy, is scheduled for 2019. During the course of this year, it will be announced which other two historic women are the central focus of these records.

Dianne quit XANDRIA last September, explaining in a statement that she was exiting because "staying in the band would cause further damage to the health problems the band has caused me." She went on to say that her attempts "to put band and management issues on the table… failed and have been ignored" and her "cries for help have been met with financial threats and emotional extortion," ultimately leaving her with "uncontrollable stress symptoms."

VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen has completed work on his debut solo album. The disc was mixed by producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE, Slash and SEVENDUST, among many others.

Baskette wrote in a social-media post: "There are no words to describe the sense of excitement and accomplishment of finishing the last mix on this amazing record I just produced for the mega talented @wolfvanhalen. It's so awesome and I'm super proud of it on all levels. It's been a long time coming but it will be very worth the wait! Proud of you... love ya @wolfvanhalen #grateful."

It was reported last year by Van Halen News Desk that Wolfgang Van Halen was "doing it all" on his upcoming disc. The VAN HALEN bassist played all the drums, bass, guitars and keyboards himself, in addition to handling all the vocal tracks. The web site spoke directly with a pair of people who had heard portions of the record, saying they "totally loved it."

Wolfgang has been posting photos and videos from the studio at his Instagram account since early 2015.

He told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that his ability to play different instruments gave him the freedom to do what he wanted on a solo project. "I mean, I feel like it's just kind of open-ended," he said. "I feel like since I can play drums, bass, guitar and kind of sing, I guess, I can kind of just decide whatever I want to do. I mean, I've always loved the whole Dave Grohl story of how he started FOO FIGHTERS — just did a whole demo album by himself."

His father described the project in 2015 as sounding like "AC/DC meets VAN HALEN meets aggressive pop," adding, "It's a little of everything and sounds like a freight train coming at you. I've never heard anything quite like it. It's so powerful that I'm jealous."

There's still no official indication as to when or how the album might see release.

Wolfgang first performed live with VAN HALEN on the band's 2007-2008 world tour, which also marked the return of original singer David Lee Roth. He made his recording debut on the band's 2012 album "A Different Kind Of Truth".

Wolfgang has also toured as a member of ALTER BRIDGE guitarist Mark Tremonti's solo band and played bass on TREMONTI's second album.