"MRI", the new video from Derek Smalls, the bass force formerly of the fabled heavy metal band formerly known as SPINAL TAP, can be seen below. The song is taken from his first full-length solo venture, "Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing)", which was released on April 13 via Twanky Records/BMG on digital, CD and vinyl.

"Smalls Change" is a poignant and oftentimes furious contemplation on aging that explores the passing of time and all things loud. With styles that cross the gamut of musical genres, the album possesses the edgy rawness and rock god sensibility that was always shared by Derek and his fellow former bandmembers Nigel Tufnel and David St. Hubbins. The album also features some of the greatest talents of rock and roll music and beyond, including Peter Frampton, Donald Fagen, Dweezil Zappa, Rick Wakeman, Richard Thompson, Steve Lukather, Joe Satriani, Waddy Wachtel, Michael League, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, Paul Shaffer, Steve Vai, Larry Carlton, Judith Owen, Jane Lynch and The Hungarian Studio Orchestra. "Smalls Change" is produced by CJ Vanston (SPINAL TAP, RODNEY CROWELL).

Derek told United Rock Nations that it took him so long to record a solo album because he "kept thinking that SPINAL TAP was going to un-dissolve. We don't break up, but we do dissolve a lot, much like a fast-acting pain tablet," he said. "After 2009, we played Glastonbury festival outside London and Wembley Arena in London, and I thought, 'Right, here we go,' and I waited for the phone to ring. It didn't ring, so naturally, the first thing I did was call the telephone company and go, 'Is there a problem?' They said no, and I realized, no, it was the band dissolving again. I did a few other things, and I ended up in Albania hanging with a friend, Eddie Drake, who has a near-death metal band called CHAINSAW VERMIN. I would sit in with them every once in a while, and I thought, 'This is not the way it's going to end, being a sit-in bass player [with] CHAINSAW VERMIN.' I saw this advert from a U.K. outfit called the British Fund For Aging Rockers, and they're giving grants. Apparently, this is the money left over from austerity. I applied for it, and that's how this record came to be made. I didn't want to wait any longer."

Regarding the album's material, Derek said: "They're all new songs. I wrote one with [SPINAL TAP vocalist] David St. Hubbins when we thought we were going to do a SPINAL TAP tour. That's called 'It Don't Get Old'. The others were all written specifically for this record, because when the Fund For Aging Rockers was interviewing me, they said, 'Well, what's your idea?' I said, 'My idea is that you give me money and I make a record.' They said, 'No, no, no — what's your idea, idea?' — they said it twice, as if that meant something — and I thought, 'They say write about what you know. What do I know about? I know I'm getting older.' So that became the theme of the record. They said, 'Well, don't you think you're narrowing your target audience a bit doing that?' I said, 'There are only two types of people in the world — people who are getting older, and dead people. So we're aiming at the active part of the market."

"Smalls Change" track listing:

01. Openture - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra

02. Rock 'N' Roll Transplant - Derek with Steve Lukather (guitar, TOTO), drum legends Jim Keltner (George Harrison) and Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS)

03. Butt Call - Derek with Phil X (guitar, BON JOVI) and Taylor Hawkins (drums, FOO FIGHTERS)

04. Smalls Change - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra, Judith Owen (vocals) Danny Kortchmar (guitar, Don Henley) and Russ Kunkel (drums, James Taylor)

05. Memo To Willie - Derek with Donald Fagen (vocals), Jeff "Skunk" Baxter and Larry Carlton (guitars, STEELY DAN) and The Snarky Puppy Horns

06. It Don't Get Old - Derek with Peter Frampton (guitar, vocals) and Waddy Wachtel (guitar Keith Richards).

07. Complete Faith - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra

08. Faith No More - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra and Todd Sucherman (drums, STYX)

09. Gimme Some (More) Money - Derek with Paul Shaffer (piano and organ), Waddy Wachtel (guitar) and David Crosby (vocals)

10. MRI - Derek with Dweezil Zappa (guitars)

11. Hell Toupee - Derek with The Hungarian Studio Orchestra

12. Gummin the Gash - Derek with Steve Vai (guitar), Gregg Bisonnette (drums, Ringo Starr) and Jane Lynch (vocals)

13. She Puts The Bitch In Obituary - Derek with Richard Thompson (guitar) and Jane Lynch (vocals)

14. When Men Did Rock - Derek with Michael League (bass), Joe Satriani (guitar), Rick Wakeman (keyboards) and The Hungarian Studio Orchestra

Photo credit: Rob Shanahan

The official lyric video for GUNS N' ROSES' previously unreleased acoustic version of "Move To The City", taken from the "Locked N' Loaded" box reissue of the band's classic 1987 debut album, "Appetite For Destruction", can be seen below.

The "Appetite For Destruction: Locked N' Loaded" box is the one true GN'R Holy Grail. The box includes the Super Deluxe Edition with four CDs featuring the album newly remastered for the first time ever; "B-sides N' EPs" newly remastered; the previously unreleased 1986 Sound City Session N' More recordings; a Blu-ray Audio disc with the album, bonus tracks and music videos in brand new 5.1 surround sound along with the unearthed music video for "It's So Easy" originally shot in 1989 but never finished; and a 96-page hardcover book showcasing unseen photos from Axl Rose's personal archive and a wealth of memorabilia.

Among the rare and previously unreleased material are two songs GUNS N' ROSES recorded with producer Mike Clink, "Shadow Of Your Love" — laid down during a trial session that resulted in Clink getting the production job — and an acoustic version of "Move To The City", which was recorded during the "GN'R Lies" sessions. Additional highlights of the unreleased audio include the first two work-in-progress recording attempts of the 1991 epic masterpiece "November Rain" which was originally penned as the ballad for "Appetite", covers of songs like Elvis Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel", AEROSMITH's "Mama Kin", two distinctly different recordings of THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" (one electric, one acoustic) and two never-finished tracks/jams, "The Plague" and "New Work Tune".

On the vinyl front, the original "Appetite For Destruction" album has been broadened to 2LPs for the first time, including expanded gatefold jacket art and a limited-edition foil printed plastic slipcase. The music itself is being presented on three sides only for maximum audio fidelity, with the fourth side featuring a vinyl Hologroove Hologram of the band's iconic logo. Seven seven-inch singles are also included: the five original singles from the album, plus one for "Patience" and a new song, the aforementioned "Shadow Of Your Love". All of the bonus tracks appearing on 12-inch vinyl will only be available in the "Locked N' Loaded" box, including a reissue of the band's first EP, "Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide".

"Appetite For Destruction: Locked N' Loaded" track listing:

Disc One - Appetite For Destruction

01. Welcome To The Jungle

02. It's So Easy

03. Nightrain

04. Out Ta Get Me

05. Mr. Brownstone

06. Paradise City

07. My Michelle

08. Think About You

09. Sweet Child O' Mine

10. You're Crazy

11. Anything Goes

12. Rocket Queen

Disc Two - B-sides N' EPs

01. Reckless Life

02. Nice Boys

03. Move To The City (Live)

04. Mama Kin

05. Shadow Of Your Love (Live)

06. You're Crazy (Acoustic Version)

07. Patience

08. Used To Love Her

09. You're Crazy

10. It's So Easy (Live)

11. Knockin' On Heaven's Door (Live)

12. Whole Lotta Rosie (Live)

Disc Three - 1986 Sound City Session

01. Welcome To The Jungle (1986 Sound City Session)

02. Nightrain (1986 Sound City Session)

03. Out Ta Get Me (1986 Sound City Session)

04. Paradise City (1986 Sound City Session)

05. My Michelle (1986 Sound City Session)

06. Think About You (1986 Sound City Session)

07. You're Crazy (1986 Sound City Session)

08. Anything Goes (1986 Sound City Session)

09. Rocket Queen (1986 Sound City Session)

10. Shadow Of Your Love (1986 Sound City Session)

11. Heartbreak Hotel (1986 Sound City Session)

12. Jumpin' Jack Flash (1986 Sound City Session)

Disc Four - 1986 Sound City Session N' More

01. Shadow Of Your Love

02. Move To The City (1986 Sound City Session)

03. Ain't Goin' Down No More (Instrumental Version - 1986 Sound City Session)

04. The Plague (1986 Sound City Session)

05. Nice Boys (1986 Sound City Session)

06. Back Off Bitch (1986 Sound City Session)

07. Reckless Life (1986 Sound City Session)

08. Mama Kin (1986 Sound City Session)

09. New Work Tune (1986 Sound City Session)

10. November Rain (Piano Version - 1986 Sound City Session)

11. Move To The City (Acoustic Version - 1986 Sound City Session)

12. You're Crazy (Acoustic Version - 1986 Sound City Session)

13. November Rain (Acoustic Version - 1986 Sound City Session)

14. Jumpin' Jack Flash (Acoustic Version- 1986 Sound City Session)

15. Move To The City (1988 Acoustic Version)

Blu-Ray Audio

01. Welcome To The Jungle

02. It's So Easy

03. Nightrain

04. Out Ta Get Me

05. Mr. Brownstone

06. Paradise City

07. My Michelle

08. Think About You

09. Sweet Child O' Mine

10. You're Crazy

11. Anything Goes

12. Rocket Queen

Bonus Tracks

01. Shadow Of Your Love

02. Patience

03. Used To Love Her

04. You're Crazy

05. Move To The City (1988 Acoustic Version)

Music Videos

01. Welcome To The Jungle

02. Sweet Child O' Mine

03. Paradise City

04. Patience

05. It's So Easy (Brand New Video From 1989)

Metal Blade Records announces the signing of Skull Pit, a new band featuring the talents of Mem V. Stein (Exumer) and Tatsu Mikami (Church Of Misery).

Skull Pit is a tale of two musicians from opposite sides of the heavy metal spectrum and the planet. One hailing from Tokyo, Japan, the other from New York, US, and meeting each other in cyber space in order to strike up a friendship and musically celebrate the spirit of their youth.

Comments Skull Pit about signing to Metal Blade: "We are beyond excited to have signed to Metal Blade Records, as they are the original metal merchants since 1982. Our style of music could not find a more fitting home, as Metal Blade is best suited to release our music in terms of tradition, vision and our expression of heavy metal."

Prior to writing and recording Skull Pit's debut album, founding members of Exumer, Mem V. Stein, and Church Of Misery, Tatsu Mikami, corresponded for some years online due to their mutual love and respect for each other's band, before embarking on their own joint venture.

The two veterans endeavoured to combine their favourite elements of bands like Motörhead along with the countless outfits of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal into one blistering and highly energetic album. The songs on Skull Pit's debut are a clear departure from what Exumer or Church Of Misery usually sound like. Stepping away from Exumer's lighting fast rhythms and Church Of Misery's slowed down Iommi-inspired riffs, Skull Pit creates melodies in the vein of 70s hard rock and 80s NWOBHM with Lemmy's punk attitude.

The debut album of Skull Pit will drop in the fall of this year. Stay tuned for more news coming soon.

Bay Area progressive, extreme metal band Aenimus have signed a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast. Today, the band announces they will be joining Pathology as direct support on the Brutal Annihilation tour this summer.

"We are proud to announce that we signed a world wide deal with the biggest metal independent label, Nuclear Blast and have joined Continental Concerts for all booking in North America, Central and South America!," exclaimed bassist Seth Stone. "We're looking forward to showing our most ambitious album to date and touring heavily this coming year!"

Check out the announcement video below:

In August of 2013, Aenimus released their debut full length album,Transcend Reality. The following years were spent touring in support of the album with the likes of Rings Of Saturn, I Declare War, and Arsonists Get All The Girls to name a few. Following this relentless tour cycle, the band focused the next two years crafting their upcoming album, Dreamcatcher.

Stay tuned for more information on their sophomore album.

On August 13th, the band is hitting the road as direct support for San Diego Death metallers Pathology. The 14-date Brutal Annihilation tour will make stops in San Diego, Vancouver, and Denver before concluding on August 18th at 1720 in Los Angeles. Opening the tour is Parasitic Ejaculation.

Dates:

August
3 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA     
4 - Full Circle Brewery - Fresno, CA           
5 - X Bar - San Jose, CA       
6 - Holy Diver - Sacramento, CA
7 - Analog Theater - Portland, OR        
8 - Astoria - Vancouver, BC   
9 - Club Sur Rocks - Seattle, WA   
10 - The Pin - Spokane, WA      
11 - Elks Lodge - Pocatello, ID        
12 - The Roxy - Denver, CO                    
14 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM                          
16 - Club Red - Mesa, AZ               
17 - Eagle Aerie Hall - Las Vegas, NV    
18 - 1720 - Los Angeles, CA

Aenimus is:

Alex Green - Vocals
Sean Swafford - Guitar
Jordan Rush - Guitar
Seth Stone - Bass
Cody Pulliam - Drums

In 2018 the cult band Danzig celebrates it's 30th anniversary. To commemorate this occasion, some well-known musicians came together to record a tribute under the name Gdansk. Included are great musicians such as Doro, Sinner, Thundermother and Critical Mess. In addition to well-known Danzig songs, the album also contains interesting versions of Misfits and Samhain classics. Gdansk sees itself not as a cover album but as a tribute to one of the most influential artists of the last decades. Played by musicians from different genres of rock and metal. Danzig will be touring Europe in the late summer and an appearance at the Wacken Open Air festival will let the cult live on.

Tracklisting:

“777” (feat. Luca Princiotta, Thobbe Englund)
“Death Comes Ripping”
“Kiss Of Steel” (feat. Critical Mess)
“I Demond” (feat. Andi Bock)
“Let The Day Begin”
“Mother” (feat. Thundermother)
“She”
“Skull”

“Mother” lyric video:

Trailer:

Oakland’s Silence In The Snow, the dark ethereal collaboration of guitarist/vocalist Cyn M., and drummer Trevor DeSchryver (Wolves In The Throne Room, Lycus, Dispirit, ex-Deafheaven) have signed with the US division of Prophecy Productions. Their dark rock and post-punk influences seep into a melancholy dream, echoing with color and vibrancy while leaving the listener adrift in a trance.
 
Their 2016 debut album Break In The Skin, comprised an intentionally minimalistic palette to produce a simple, yet emotionally substantial sound. In early 2017, Silence In The Snow's sound dramatically evolved with the inclusion of live drums, shifting towards complex and intricate melodies. Their live shows are a unique experience, sharing the stage with acts like Hide, Drab Majesty, and King Dude.
 
On signing, Silence In The Snow says, “We're honored and excited to be working with Prophecy Productions on the release of our next album. We admire the label's passion for dark, atmospheric music and the intimate nature of their relationships with their artists. We're striving to contribute as much as possible musically, emotionally, and culturally to this highly reputable roster.”
 
Recording at Atomic Garden Studios with iconic producer, Jack Shirley (WITTR, Deafheaven, Bosse-de-Nage), Silence in the Snow will release their sophomore album, Levitation, through Prophecy Productions. Release date to be announced.

My Ruin guitarist Mick Murphy has checked in with the following update:

"Every day above ground is a good day. Every day above ground making music is a great day! Notch another year and another record on that belt. Today, for my birthday, I'm releasing the new Neanderthal album, Cave Math. Been casually slowly working on this for the past year. Did it all myself (ragtag style) in the home 'studio', The Magick Room (named after our kitty, cause he hangs out there). I have a deep life long love of instrumental music and have enjoyed the hell outta making it ever since I first wired two cassette decks together (circa 86?) in order to multitrack guitar over a half broken Synsonics drum machine (sounded like someone flicking paper). Anyway, it's a fun form of personal therapy and a necessary creative release that keeps me charged. 

Thanks for all the B-day love! Y'all are rad! Special thanks to Tairrie B. Murphy for the killer cover art. Love you!!! Also thanks to Chuck Getsi and Zak Stinnett for learning & playing live versions of Neanderthal songs with me! It's been a blast jamming this stuff in a live setting! Y'all rock! More gigs to come ASAP!"

Fans can download Cave Math for free via the player below.

Cave Math by NEANDERTHAL

The tracklist is as follows:

"3 x 6 = 9"
"Right This Second"
"Hahaha Is Hahaha" 
"Randall Pink's Advice"
"Hellzone Overload"
"Darkthrasher" 02:06
"New/Old Strat Field Test"
"Submergency"

Prophecy Productions has announced the signing of Seattle’s heavyweight stoner doom duo, Year Of The Cobra.
 
Formed in 2015, Year of the Cobra became a rapidly ascending, radiant star in the horizon of the doom/stoner-scene for a reason: This powerhouse duo, consisting of Amy Tung Barrysmith (vocals/ bass) and Jon Barrysmith (drums), use their limitation in instrumentation to their advantage. Leaving space for every instrument to breathe and to shine, they create a vast, larger than life sound aesthetic. Their songs drift relentlessly from classic epic doom laments into oppressive heavy riff architecture; from catchy, almost upbeat rock moments into transfiguring psychedelia. 
 
In 2016, just a year and one EP into their career, Year of the Cobra released their full-length debut, ...In The Shadows Below. Using the natural, three-dimensional and massively heavy production of Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Sleep) they present themselves as an unbelievably mature and confident band who knows exactly what they want. Following their sophomore EP Burn Your Dead, they had successful tours of Europe and the US, playing a number of well-known festivals along the way, including Psycho Las Vegas, Freak Valley Festival, and Stoned Meadow of Doom. They are currently working on new material for their 2019 follow-up full length with legendary engineer/producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Tad, Soundgarden), and are confirmed to play the inaugural Prophecy Fest USA, taking place this November at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory.

Old-school heavy metal quartet from Serbia, Thundersteel, has released a brand new single and official video called “Armageddon Age”, first time after their last release The Exorcism from 2015 and are officially presenting their new line-up and have announced something very heavy from their kitchen in the near future.

“‘Armageddon Age’ presents literally everything that was obstructing us to stay active and to write new music over the past three years. Many bad events and issues have occurred and we are very happy to be back, especially with the fresh line up! Our wish is to let people know that we’re still alive and that we’re not gonna stand down for sure! We were lucky to have the guys from MEMO Workshop record our video, they did a fantastic job and there was no better way to say ‘thank you’ to every single person for the continuous support during these last three years.  We’re also heading back to the songwriting process and we’re planning to release new EP in the near future, but more info about that soon. So much effort, so much energy and good spirit was put into everything and it kept the flame burning in us so it’s time to pay back with some good old heavy music!” comments the band.

“Armageddon Age” was recorded and produced by MEMO Workshop team and Aleksandar Madžarević from Novi Sad and the song was recorded, mixed and mastered in Alpha Design studio in Novi Sad, Serbia, by Vladimir Perović. Single was officially released under Grom Tmina Records.

Armored Saint vocalist John Bush talked about the band's next album in a new interview with The Metal Voice.

Says John: “There is certainly a lot to write about, the way I usually write lyrics that are not about one particular topic. The songs I write have three different meanings running through them. I kind of feel if I am writing about a subject that is about a current time period, then it takes it away from being timeless. So I use metaphors and sometimes puns so there are double meanings. We have demoed five songs for the new album so far. I would like to get a new album out by the later part of 2019.”

Coming November, Armored Saint will embark on a European tour commemorating their classic Symbol Of Salvation album. On this special run, the band will perform Symbol Of Salvation in its entirety.

John Bush comments: "Looking forward to coming to Europe in November to play the Metal Hammer Paradise show and others! Plus were playing some cities for the first ever. Milan, Budapest and Zagreb! All this and Symbol Of Salvation in its entirety. Should be an awesome tour. Come on out metal heads. Saint will heat things up on these cold fall nights."

Dates:

November
2 - Enschede, Netherlands - Atak
3 - Weissenhäuser Strand, Germany - Metal Hammer Paradise
4 - Essen, Germany - Turock
6 - Nürmberg, Germany - Hirsch
8 - Budapest, Hungary - A38
10 - Zagreb, Croatia - Mochvara Club
11 - Milan, Italy - Legend Club

Armored Saint will head over to Europe for selected festivals and headline shows in August. On the headline shows the Saint will perform Symbol Of Salvation as well in its entirety.

Dates (with Act Of Defiance)

August
6 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
7 - München, Germany - Backstage Halle
8 - Josefov, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault Festival
10 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Dynamo

North American Symbol Of Salvation dates (with support from Act Of Defiance) are listed below.

July
17 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club
18 - Cleveland, OH - The Cambridge at House of Blues
20 - Detroit, MI - Shelter
21 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's
22 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall

August
16 - Las Vegas, NV - Count's Vamp'd
17 - Anaheim, CA - Parish at House of Blues
18 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent

The Mon, the new solo project by Urlo - best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and synth player in heavy trio Ufomammut - has shared a video from the upcoming debut full-length expected this fall.

The video for The Mon's "Her" is the first one of a series titled "Solve et Coagula" - the formula that the alchemists used to effect the transformation from base metal into gold. It could also be described as a process where something is broken down to its elements, a process which produces energy that compels reconstitution in a purer form. The video for "Her" was created by Lu of Malleus Rock Art Lab.

Urlo further explains the video: "'Her' is one of the most memorable sonic explorations for me, and perhaps the most distant from what I do with Ufomammut. Even compared to the previous track 'Relics' which was more direct, 'Her' is essentially a folk song, which explores subtly smooth, unconventional melodies in a new way for me, it is also one of the more personal songs I've been working on for The Mon's full-length. The video by Lu captures the beauty of the music and retains an element of mystery behind the whole creative project. I'm looking forward to sharing another side to my musical personality with the next video."

Where Ufomammut creates mind-expanding, heavy psychedelic, almost other-dimensional sounds, The Mon by comparison is far more intimate, looking inward, as Urlo explores and examines his inner most thoughts through music. In his own words, the aim of The Mon is, "to reach the boundaries of a spiritual soundscape in which the music becomes purification and atonement, a way to bring out to the world inside my soul."

The Mon builds layers of brooding sounds which sometimes unfurl at a glacial pace and other times lurch with rhythmic propulsion, each piece distinct, densely packed, and all-consuming in their evocative atmospheres.

Listen to the previously released The Mon tracks "Relics" and "Soulloop" here.

Watch for the album title, cover art, release date, further audio and visual insights into the album, and more to be released over the weeks and months ahead, preceding the album's release via Supernatural Cat.

They're back! The kings of comedy rock Psychostick have a new album out now called Do, and it only took four years to follow their extremely fan loved IV: Revenge Of The Vengeance. And it wasn't because they were lazy... no. But because these geniuses of blending comedy, metal, heavy rock and the occasional spoof cover have been super busy releasing viral videos and touring the world.

Do may have passed fans by real quickly as the band just recently surprised the globe by releasing it during their live webcast on Twitch on July 24th. The band was originally going to reveal just album details but decided what's better than sharing the whole darn thing with them.

The band comments: "Whelp, here it is! Do. This whole "surprise, nerd! New album!" experiment was extremely fun, and we're beyond appreciative of your patience and understanding. We agree with you - four years is way too long. We hope to fix that despite what Murph says!

"Do is our first 100% independent, label-free release since 2003! Our production process is still completely internal, but this time all profits go straight to Psychostick. This is extremely huge for us and we can't thank you enough.

"2018 marked the fifteenth anniversary of our first album, and we're beyond excited that we're still kickin', making globs upon globs of comedy metal. We aim to do this until they kick us out of the old folks' home or off of Mars. That's right. We're goin' to Mars, damnit."

Do continues Psychostick's reign as one of the funniest bands to listen and laugh to. The album features over an hour of variety of laugh track headbanging tunes including singles "Adulting", because who really wants to grow up and "From The Heart", a ballad for those you really dislike. Watch their videos below for yourself.

Do is available on CD and download exclusively here, and will be available as of July 27th on iTunes and Spotify.

Tracklisting:

"We Are a Band"
"You Can (Maybe) Do It"
"Tuesday"
"Adulting"
"From The Heart"
"Do"
"Got_no_breaks_demo.Wav"
"Introvert Party Time"
"Thinkin' With Yer Dick"
"Uncle Material"
"Bacon, Egg, & Cheese On Toast with Sriracha"
"Uhhhnngg"
"Stream Stutter"
"Got_no_breaks_mix_ver3.Wav"
"Socks & Sandals (Pajama Pants)"
"Keys"
"Gurrrrrr"
"Moving Day"
"Rent In Peace"
"Got_no_brakes_finalmix03_final07.Wav"
"Outtakes Episode V: Outtakes Strike Back"
"FLOP"

"Do" video:

"You Can (Maybe) Do It!" lyric video:

"Adulting" video:

 
"From The Heart" video:

The band are coming to a town near you in Canada and US for The Very Serious Business Tour with support from Texas electro-metallers Urizen for the first half of August followed by dates supporting Mushroomhead on their Summer Of Screams Tour for the second half of the month. All dates listed below. For more info and tour dates, head to Psychostick.com.

Denver based band Ritual Aesthetic is reigniting the industrial metal scene with the upcoming release of their awaited, second full-length album, Wound Garden, on July 27th via Cleopatra Records. Today, they add fuel to the fire with the debut of a video for their new single “The Analog Flesh”. Watch the clip below, and pre-order the album here.

Wound Garden Tracklisting:

"Stasis"
"Life Amnesia"
"The Analog Flesh"
"Divided"
"Dread"
"Malefaktor"
"Mechanism Of Desire" (Electronic Substance Abuse Remix)
"Chemical Weapons" (Seraphim System Remix)
"Amnesiac" (Xentrifuge Remix)

"The Analog Flesh" video:

Brutal Panda Records announce the signing of Atlanta, Georgia's Dead Now. Consisting of current and former members of Torche, Riddle of Steel, Tilts and Day Old Man, Dead Now are a veritable power-trio who play dynamic, melodic heavy rock that is best enjoyed LOUD! Listen to their debut single "Ritchie Blackmourning" below.

The group recently recorded their self-titled debut with Who Cares at None Of Your Business with album art designed by Orion Landau (Red Fang, YOB). The self-titled debut will see a September 7th release on LP/digital formats via Brutal Panda just in time for their upcoming tour with Red Fang, Big Business and Monolord. Additionally, a record release show on September 30th in Atlanta with noise rockers Metz has been announced.

Physical pre-orders are available here, with digital pre-orders at Bandcamp here.

Dead Now frontman Andrew Elstner commented on the signing and new material: “Myself, Derek and Bobby couldn’t be more hyped for this. Killer label, amazing people and now we’re desperate to get the jams in front of some faces and just crush.  Things came together so quickly, it feels like the Gods are pleased.”

Dead Now tracklisting:

"Brunette"
"Ritchie Blackmourning"
"Bird Leaf"
"Powershapes"
"Motorekt"

"Ritchie Blackmourning":

Lineup:

Bobby Theberge - Drums (Day Old Man)
Derek Schulz - Bass (Day Old Man)
Andrew Elstner - Vocals / Guitar (ex-Torche, Tilts, Riddle Of Steel)

(Photo - David Parham)

On September 28, Reprise Records will release "An American Treasure" — a career-spanning Tom Petty box set. The 60-track set unveils dozens of previously unreleased recordings, alternate versions of classic songs, rarities, historic live performances and deep tracks that spotlight Tom's remarkable depth and evolution as a revered and tremendously influential songwriter, recording artist and performer. "An American Treasure" marks the first release of Tom Petty music since the artist's tragic passing in October 2017.

The first single from "An American Treasure" is "Keep A Little Soul" — a previously unreleased recording from 1982 sessions that resulted in TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS' classic album "Long After Dark". Watch the video featuring rare never-before-seen footage of the band below. The song is also available today with box set pre-order. To add to the celebration of this announcement, a newly redesigned web site at TomPetty.com has been launched.

Tom's daughter, Adria Petty, and his wife, Dana Petty, were the primary catalysts for the commission, creation and release of "An American Treasure" — a tribute and love letter pointing to the music in between the hits, and a strong musical portrait of the person they know in their hearts. Adria and Dana both serve as the project's executive producers, and, together with Tom's bandmates of 45 years, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench, and his studio collaborator, Ryan Ulyate, curated the box set's track list from Petty's rich song catalog. Campbell, Tench and Ulyate also produced "An American Treasure".

The creation of "An American Treasure" was a true labor of love, as Adria Petty and Dana Petty explain: "Everyone involved in this project chose each track with tremendous care and deep respect for the body of work Tom Petty created over the course of 40 years. He also accumulated a wealth of unreleased music in his vaults, and we have collectively uncovered one gem after another that will keep us all listening and discovering new facets of Tom's talent for many years to come. We can't wait to share with Tom's fans this musical portrait of an artist who deeply affected our culture and indelibly touched the lives of fans the world over."

The custom cover artwork for "An American Treasure" was created by prominent American artist Shepard Fairey from an image of Petty by renowned photographer Mark Seliger.

"An American Treasure" will be released in multiple formats:

* "An American Treasure: Deluxe Edition" — A 4-CD set that features all 60 tracks, plus a 52-page booklet with rare and previously unseen photographs of Tom, his bandmates, family and friends. The booklet also features detailed track-by-track liner notes by noted journalist and Tom Petty aficionado Bud Scoppa, who drew upon his previous interviews with Tom and new conversations with Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench and Ryan Ulyate, as well as Adria and Dana Petty.

* "An American Treasure: Super Deluxe Limited Edition" — A 4-CD set that features all 60 tracks and an 84-page hardbound book expanded from the Deluxe Edition to include many additional photographs and an essay by renowned author Nicholas Dawidoff — written especially for "An American Treasure" — that speaks to Tom Petty's presence in our lives and influence on our culture for more than 40 years. This special package also includes a newly-created lithograph of Shepard Fairey's cover artwork, as well as custom reproductions of Tom Petty's handwritten lyrics to four songs featured in this collection and a numbered certificate of authenticity.

* "An American Treasure: Vinyl Edition" — A 6-LP set that features all 60 tracks and a 48-page booklet containing all of the photographic and editorial elements found in the CD Deluxe Edition. This set also includes the Nicholas Dawidoff essay. This special vinyl edition will be released on Friday, November 23, but is available for pre-order now.

* "An American Treasure: Standard Edition" — A 2-CD set that features 26 career spanning tracks chosen from the Deluxe editions, as well as Bud Scoppa's detailed track-by-track.

All newly released recordings on "An American Treasure" have been mixed by Ryan Ulyate from pristine transfers of the original studio multitrack masters. All 60 recordings have been re-mastered for this collection by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering.

Future Slum by Backwoods Payback is not a pretty record; it's set for an August 3rd release on CD, vinyl and digital formats.

It’s not the clean and well-manicured one sitting awkwardly at a table in the local watering hole, it’s the grizzled one propping up the bar and regaling the crowd with conspiracy theories. Mike Cummings, guitarist and vocalist of Backwoods Payback - the ones responsible for this lumbering hulk of stoner rock n’ roll - certainly fits the bill, whether he’s yowling his head off or singing in an eerily hypnotic manner. Meanwhile, Jessica Baker is the reliable anchor on bass, and Erik Larson (he of Alabama Thunderpussy and the legendary hardcore band Avail, no less) gives a thumping performance on his kit. A friend pops her head round the door too - Mlny Parsonz of Royal Thunder trades words in her usual melodious tones on the apathetic "Whatever", yet also pulling out a surprising rasp.

Backwoods Payback are also able to spin a good yarn about their travels - sharing stages with Fu Manchu, Scissorfight and Third Eye Blind, a bewildering list when put side-by-side, but each represents an important factor in this band’s aesthestic. Fu Manchu demonstrate the “gloryfucked fuzz,” as Backwoods Payback so eloquently put it; Scissorfight showcase the no-holds-barred burly brawling such as on “Generals”; Third Eye Blind for the occasional moments of calm (!) like in “Big Enough”, giving brief respite from the warning shots being fired throughout the rest of the record.

Five albums in, Future Slum is the fruit of a hard slog for 15 years. Understandably, they are excited for it to see the light of day, not least for its cryptic subject matter. “It all revolves around the idea of feeling lost and disenfranchised with your surroundings, finding your people, and losing yourself within them. Have you ever followed?” Mike finishes, quoting from second track “Lines”. It’s up to you if you can read between them.

Tracklisting:

"Pirate Smile"
"Lines"
"Whatever" (featuring Mlny Parsonz of Royal Thunder)
"It Ain’t Right"
"Threes"
"Cinderella"
"Generals"
"Big Enough"
"Alone"
"Lucky"

Future Slum was recorded and mixed in February 2018 at Noisy Little Critter in Downingtown, PA by Mike Bardzik. It was mastered at The Mastering House by Tom Volpicicelli, and features artwork by Nick Potts. A brief teaser can be seen below:

For further details, including tour dates, visit Backwoods Payback on Facebook.

 

Entierro, a collective from Connecticut joins forces with ex-Fates Warning Guitarist Victor Arduini to begin a new chapter with the release of a lyric video for new song "Cyclonic Winds." The track is taken from the band's forthcoming self-titled debut album (targeted for September release).

The Entierro sound can best be described as focused on heavy drum and bass interplay, twin guitars harmonizing over visceral riffs with dynamic, multi-layered vocals. Founding member Christopher Taylor Beaudette (vocals/bass), who has played with Jasta and Kingdom Of Sorrow, provides a unique blend of captivating melodies mixed with soaring harmonies, as the band seamlessly blends NWOBHM with a bit of Thrash and a touch of Doom into captivating and surprisingly catchy songs. Entierro is a modern classic heavy metal band that is focused on using their past influences to create an intense expression of powerful riffs and handcrafted slabs of undisputed sonic steel that any fan of the genre will appreciate and enjoy. 

When asked what led to his joining up with the band in early 2017 Arduini stated:

"They were the one band from my area I was really digging. Their sound was true old school metal that just had some really cool heavy riffs and songwriting. They have elements of doom, bit of thrash and yet it comes across a class metal for the new ages. They took me out of my comfort zone as I had to learn a few new tricks which I've been embracing. I was a fan the first time I heard them. Chris is a great front man and after going to see them play a few shows I learned one of their guitarists was leaving and I was asked if I'd be interested in joining them. The timing was perfect. After finishing the Arduini/Balich album I pretty much needed a break from all that writing/producing I did and this allows me to just be a part of a band again without it all falling on my shoulders. With the great writing skills of the others I can focus on putting my style over what they come up with and occasionally add a riff or two when needed. It helped keep me actively playing and I've just been having a blast playing these songs with such awesome musicians."

Entierro has played extensively throughout the Northeast, surprising fans of all types of heavy genres with their energetic and precise live shows, and have released two EPs since 2014. Entierro is ow set to release their first self-titled debut album, which was recorded at Dexter's Lab in Milford, CT by engineer Nick Bellmore. The band will be performing a series of shows throughout New England in support of their new release.

Tracklisting:

“Cyclonic Winds”
“Dybbuk”
“Turn Out The Lights”
“Cauldron Of War”
“Valley Of Deceit”
“Santa Murete”
“Live To Tell”
“Controlled Burn”

“Cyclonic Winds” lyric video:

Swedish progressive doom rock band Kingnomad will release its new LP, The Great Nothing, on July 6th via Ripple Music. Delivering six haunting tracks of hazy, hook-laden hard rock, the album beams with magic melodies and angelic atmosphere, upping the ante on the band's 2017 debut, Mapping the Inner Void. New track, “Cosmic Serpent”, is streaming below.

A magnificent blend of ghostly pop-metal and darkened down rock, The Great Nothing showcases the Swedes' sumptuous songwriting and pitch-perfect hard rock dynamics. Tracks such as the bristling "Cosmic Serpent" and bouncing "The Mysterious Agreement" spotlight Kingnomad's light and dark interplay, as the group rides catchy guitar lines, spectral organ hum and soaring choruses straight to the devil's doorstep. Expertly paced, the record builds momentum and mood before perfectly pivoting to the climatic closing of its epic, 22 minute title track.

Tracklisting:

“The Yoga Of Desolation”
“Cosmic Serpent”
“The Mysterious Agreement”
“All Those Things”
“Collapsing Pillars Of The Earth”
“The Great Nothing”

“Cosmic Serpent”:

British goth metal band Her Despair have released their new track "Valentine's Mourning". The song is taken from their upcoming release Mournography, which will be released later this month.

The band commented: “Valentine’s Mourning” is as much a display of adoration to the punk rock of the 2000’s as to the gothic music of the 1980’s. Veering more towards romance than repentance, we wanted to showcase a song which is more upbeat than usual. A faint light in the approaching dark."

Listen to the song below:

Her Despair, formed in 2015, began as a solo project with the release of debut album Hymns For The Hopeless. Showcasing the melodramatic sound and aesthetic of gothic music with the accessibility of punk and the stylings of heavy metal, the solo studio project has subsequently evolved into the current full lineup. With nods toward fellow countrymen The Sisters Of Mercy and Paradise Lost, to bands such as HIM and Rammstein, the band create their own unique twist on the styles that they are influenced by.

Mournography, the brand new follow-up EP and first as a full-fledged band, was recently completed by the band with Matt Bew at Whitehouse Studios (Reading, UK), and is described as such: “Mournography is an exploration into the mysteries of tragedy, blasphemy, death, and love; both literally and figuratively. The mourning of some, the lust of others. These songs praise and pervert the Word of God simultaneously: providing a deeply unsettling spiritual experience set to a bleak backdrop of melancholia.”

From their location in Berkshire UK, the band is set to unleash new convocations upon locations which have included London, Oxford, Bournemouth and Reading. Continuing to expand their fan base throughout live performances, clouds of smoke and lights theatrically immerse the audience, providing a perfect setting to experience the compelling material.

THE LOCAL BAND, the Finnish covers act featuring Alexi Laiho (CHILDREN OF BODOM), Jussi 69 (THE 69 EYES), Olli Herman (RECKLESS LOVE) and Archie Kuosmanen (SANTA CRUZ), performed on June 10 at Kaisaniemi Park in Helsinki, Finland as the support act for the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES. Fan-filmed video footage of the entire concert can be seen below.

Featured songs:

00:00 Lay Your Hands On Me (BON JOVI)

06:24 Looks That Kill (MÖTLEY CRÜE)

11:00 Sunglasses At Night (COREY HART)

17:00 Fallen Angel (POISON)

21:24 Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love (VAN HALEN)

25:47 Nightrain (GUNS N' ROSES)

30:43 Untouched (THE VERONICAS)

35:41 Nothin' But A Good Time (POISON)

39:57 Out Of The Darkness (LITTLE STEVEN)

44:33 Piece Of Me (SKID ROW)

48:24 Panama (VAN HALEN)

53:38 Livin' On A Prayer (BON JOVI)

THE LOCAL BAND made its live debut in December 2013 and has been playing sporadic shows ever since.


It was a warm dark night before Christmas in Los Angeles in 2013. Jussi 69 and Alexi Laiho met in Hollywood, had a couple of drinks and decided to put together a covers band that would perform songs from POISON, MÖTLEY CRÜE and others classic acts of the 1980s. They shook hands and swore that they really were going to make this happen. The key word and the whole idea behind THE LOCAL BAND would be to have fun. No stress, no pressure, and definitely no business plans.

Right after Jussi and Alexi decided to do this, it was obvious they would need a charismatic singer, one who could handle all the classic hard rock super hits, from "Jump" to "Girls, Girls, Girls", among all their other favorites. Jussi decided to send a message to RECKLESS LOVE's Olli Herman.

"Naturally, I was immediately excited and kept saying: 'Yes — HELLYEAH!!!' over and over again while listening to Jussi talk me through the idea," says Olli. "Nothing could've kept me from taking part after I heard we would only perform killer songs from all the greatest '80s hair metal bands. I couldn't believe it. All my favorites!! I was ecstatic."

To complete the lineup, they got Archie Cruz from SANTA CRUZ to play bass. Now this crazy crew was ready to rock!

Says Archie: "When I got the call from Jussi, my jaw basically hit the floor. I had been watching these guys, these huge rock stars since I was a kid, and never in a million years thought I'd be in the same band with them when I was practising BODOM riffs in my bedroom, or watching a 69 EYES show as a kid. The fact that we're playing pretty much all of my favorite songs makes it even cooler. Being a part of THE LOCAL BAND is a dream come true for me and it's been one of the coolest things in my life to be a part of this."

THE LOCAL BAND was supposed to last for one night only, for a single show at the legendary Tavastia club in Helsinki, with just one interview, no rehearsals and half a soundcheck. But the universe had some other plans for these rock gods, and the mighty quartet decided to spread its good vibes around the world: their "Locals Only - Dark Edition" debut EP, full of all-time classics, was released in December 2015.

If you ask Jussi, the idea of recording an EP was written in the stars.

Jussi: "Some weeks after our first show, I walked into a bar in New York and they were playing 'Shout At The Devil' by MÖTLEY CRÜE — which was our opening song at the Tavastia show — followed by 'Sunglasses At Night' by Corey Hart. I saw this as a sign, and called Alexi to say that we can't leave this cool thing here. We have to do this, we need to record a single, and 'At Night' is the most perfect song for us to cover. Alexi agreed immediately. We didn't want to cover the most obvious songs that every other cover band plays, as those songs are perfect the way those bands originally recorded them. We wanted to surprise people with unexpected, twisted songs. Suddenly recording just one song expanded into an EP. And it's a perverse, totally unexpected collection of songs that me and Alexi came up with. Those are some of our favorites that pretty much nobody knows."

The EP was recorded in four days, and THE LOCAL BAND is very proud of the result.

"It's a killer, mind-blowing party music EP which is going to blow people's minds," said Jussi. "Oh, and the key word, the reason why we did this, even though every one of us is busier than ever with our own bands... We had so much fun doing it, a fucking blast! I know that can be heard from the end result."

THE LOCAL BAND is:

Olli Herman - Vocals

Alexi Laiho - Bass

Samy Elbanna - Guitar

Jussi 69 - Drums

Hohottava Hujoppi - Keyboards

Essen, Germany-based rock band Time, The Valuator have released a lyric video for the new single "How Fleeting". The song is the last single from the upcoming debut album How Fleeting, How Fragile, which will be released via Long Branch Records in Europe. Watch the lyric video below, and order the album here.

The album will be released on August 3rd and will be available as exclusive bundles, digipack, download and stream. The bands debut consists of 12 tracks, including the advanced released singles "Elusive Reasons", "When I Meet Death", "The Violent Sound" and "In Control", which gained over 3 million streams since release and the bran dnew "How Fleeting".

Tracklisting:

"Terminus"
"In Control"
"The Violent Sound"
"Fugitive"
"Cloud City"
"Elusive Reasons"
"Heritage"
"How Fleeting"
"When I Meet Death"
"Onryo"
"Starseeker"
"How Fragile"

"How Fleeting" lyric video:

The band also announced the dates for their first European tour with shows in the UK, France, Germany and Sweden. Supported by the UK natives Winchester, Time, The Valuator will present the new album and will surely leave the audience with dropped jaws.

August
7 - Bournemouth, UK - The Anvil
8 - Brighton, UK - The Green Door Store
9 - London, UK - The Black Heart
10 - Manchester, UK - Night People
11 - Ashford, UK - The Junction
12 - Strasbourg, France - Elastic Bar
13 - Dijon, France - Deep Inside
14 - Lyon, France - Le Blogg
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Astra Stube
17 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Garda
18 - Stockholm, Sweden - High 5ive Summer Fest

Lineup:

Phil Bayer - Vocals
Cedric Dreyszas - Guitars
Rene Möllenbeck - Guitars
Yunus Proch - Drums

(Photo - Alina Nolte)

SOILWORK singer Björn "Speed" Strid spoke to United Rock Nations about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2015's "The Ride Majestic" album. "I have about three more songs to do vocals for, and then it's pretty much done; then it's gonna be mixed," he said (hear audio below). "And I'm really, really pleased with it — it's really, really cool. [It's] possibly the most epic and darkest album we've done. And it's also very melancholic, but it's also very sort of uplifting. It's huge. I'm really happy with it."

Asked if the musical direction of the new SOILWORK material is similar to that on the last album, Strid said: "I would say a mixture between 'The Ride Majestic' and [2013's] 'The Living Infinite'.'

As for when fans can expect to see the new SOILWORK disc, Björn said: "I think it's gonna be released at the end of [this] year or the beginning of next."

SOILWORK's eleventh album was recorded at Nordic Sound Lab studios in Skara, Sweden with producer Thomas "Plec" Johansson.

"The Ride Majestic" was SOILWORK's last album to feature longtime drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who left the band in July 2016 to join MEGADETH. He was replaced in SOILWORK by Bastian Thusgaard of THE ARCANE ORDER.

SOILWORK is now a quintet, following the departure of bassist Markus Wibom in late 2016 due to "other commitments." He has since been replaced by touring bassist Taylor Nordberg (THE ABSENCE).

In 2016, SOILWORK released a special collection of rarities titled "Death Resonance" via Nuclear Blast.

SOILWORK is:

Björn "Speed" Strid - Vocals

Sven Karlsson - Keyboards

David Andersson - Guitars

Sylvain Coudret - Guitars

Bastian Thusgaard - Drums

Strid's THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA side project released its fourth studio album, "Sometimes The World Ain't Enough", on June 29 via Nuclear Blast.

Photo credit: Stephansdotter Photography

Japanese thrashers United have released an official video for Arise, taken from their 10th full length album, Absurdity. Check it out below.

The new album was released in July 18th via Spiritual Beast, distributed by Universal Japan. The tracklist is as follows:

"Absurdity"
"Settle My War"
"Arise"
"Trapped Fake World"
"Dead by Dawn"
"Don’t Ever Let Me Down"
"May (feat. Anza from Head Phones President)
"Alive"
"Empty Eyes"
"Fabricated The Justice"

With their new album Vicious out now (as of July 27th), US rockers Halestorm have shared the track "Painkiller". Check out the official visualizer below.

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

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

Vicious tracklisting:

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

"Black Vultures" visualizer:

"Uncomfortable" video:

"Uncomfortable" behind the scenes:

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

Halestorm's upcoming UK headline tour is already completely sold out. The September shows form the band's biggest UK run yet. Special guests are Avatar and Rews.

Find Halestorm's live itinerary here.

VUUR featuring Anneke van Giersbergen played The Gathering's "Strange Machines" live at at the Dynamo Metalfest 2018 in Eindhoven, Netherlands on July 14th. Check out fan-filmed video below. 

Anneke van Giersbergen was lead vocalist for The Gathering from 1994 - 2007. "Strange Machines" appeared on the band's 1995 album, Mandylion.

Earlier this year, Anneke van Giersbergen's VUUR have released a guitar playthrough for "Freedom - Rio", a track from the band’s debut album, In This Moment We Are Free - Cities, out worldwide via InsideOutMusic. The footage was recorded at VanderMeij Gutiars, Amsterdam.

 

 

 

 

Each track on the new album is named after a city that made an impression on Anneke while touring the world. Order the album at this location.

 

 

 

 

Tracklisting:

 

 

“My Champion - Berlin”
“Time - Rotterdam”
“The Martyr And The Saint - Beirut”
“The Fire - San Francisco”
“Freedom - Rio”
“Days Go By - London”
“Sail Away - Santiago”
“Valley Of Diamonds - Mexico City”
“Your Glorious Light Will Shine - Helsinki”
“Save Me - Istanbul”
“Reunite! - Paris”

 

 

 

Germany's Wild Zombie Blast Guide, featuring guitarist Fabian Schwarz (The New Black, Who Brought The Dog) have checked in with the following update:

"Long time, no see, huh? Guess what.... we start writing new songs right now. And we will go back to the primitive. See ya soon."

WZBG have released three albums: Wild Zombie Blast Guide (2013), Salute The Commander (2014, and Back From The Dead (2016). Purchase the albums via Amazon.de here or go to the band's official website here.

Frost*, the band masterminded by producer, keyboard player & vocalist Jem Godfrey, has announced that they have re-signed with long-time label partner InsideOutMusic (who this year celebrate their 25th anniversary).

This new deal will encompass several forthcoming releases, including two new studio albums, a live album (filmed at 2017’s sold out show in London), as well as reissues of the bands back catalogue.

Jem had this to say: “InsideOut have been a long suffering supporter of Frost*. Unwaveringly supportive even when I was lobbing as many toys as I could find out of my pram. As time has passed, I’ve grown up and come to realize what a luxury it is to have a record company of this calibre covering your back. Many bands don’t have that luxury so I’m absolutely raring to go with the new album and the one beyond that.”

InsideOutMusic label-head Thomas Waber adds: "I am really pleased that we managed to extend our partnership with Frost* mastermind Jem Godfrey. His unpredictable nature and humour is a breath of fresh air in this genre and provides for some of the best music we have released on the label. Let's see what mischief we can come up with in the years to come!"

More news on these forthcoming releases will be released in the coming months.

Canadian metal band Malacoda are set to release a brand new album via Rockshots Records this fall.

Following on from the release of the Ritualis Aeterna EP, Malacoda will be releasing the new full length album Restless Dreams. The album delivers a full musical experience inspired by the horror video game Silent Hill 2. Malacoda first introduced their fans to the Silent Hill 2 storyline with the track "I Got A Letter", which featured on the band's sophomore release Ritualis Aeterna (Rockshots Records, 2017).

Restless Dreams is a musical journey through dark, tormented themes of doubt, loss, guilt and terror. The plot of the album follows a broken man’s journey through the ghost town of Silent Hill after receiving a letter from his dead wife asking him to meet her there. Malacoda brings a fresh interpretation of the themes within the ground-breaking video game classic Silent Hill 2.

Malacoda artfully bring to life the oppressive, claustrophobic aura of the fog consumed town with deviously clever song-writing and mind-cacthing lyrics, Malacoda truly understand the importance of meticulous production, and appreciate the masterful mix by Jon Howard (Threat Signal, Imonolith), Restless Dreams is a musical release unlike any other. Fans and new listeners alike, prepare for an atmospheric and melodic metal descent into a world of horror and despair.

Restless Dreams is set to be released via Rockshots Records on October 19th in North America and October 26th in Europe. More details to follow.

Thomas Chr. Hansen and his Gaia Epicus is now ready to start mixing the long awaited sixth album, called Alpha & Omega. The album is to be released later this year and is being mixed and mastered by Eduardo Belchior at Intense Music Productions.

The cover artwork for the CD was created by Stan W. Decker (Masterplan, Primal Fear, Jorn).

Gaia Epicus:
Thomas Chr. Hansen – vocals, lead & rhythm guitars, bass.

Guest musicians:
Alfred Fridhagen – drums (Mad Hatter, Hellspray, Morning Dwell)
Mathias Hemmingby - guitar solo’s (Askheimr)
Jack Roger Olsen – guitar solo (ex-Highland Glory)
Christer Harøy – guitar solo (Divided Multitude)
Magnus Tveiten – guitar solo (Blodsmak)
Ann-Kristin Bjørby – choir
Amy Slootweg – piano

Tracklisting:

“War Against Terror”
“The System Is Down”
“Crush”
“Don’t Be A Fool”
“Join The Dark Side”
“The Poison”
“Fire & Ice (Reborn)”
“We Belong To Yesterday”
“Blinded By Hate”
“Destiny Calls”
“Land Of The Rising Sun”
“Alpha & Omega”

Studio report:

Pink Floyd released "Point Me At The Sky" as their fifth UK single in 1968. The song has become one of the rarest official recordings of Pink Floyd and was not successful at the time, with it's B-side "Careful With That Axe, Eugene" becoming more popular.

Pink Floyd's "Paintbox'', written and sung by keyboardist Richard Wright, was first released in 1967 as the B-side to the single "Apples And Oranges". The promotional film was shot for a Belgian television programme. In the video, the band is miming to the song on a bridge in Brussels. This is David Gilmour's first appearance on film with Pink Floyd.

"Apples And Oranges" is the third UK single by Pink Floyd, released in 1967. It was the final song written by Syd Barrett with the group. After David Gilmour replaced Syd Barrett, the band recorded a promotional video in Belgium in a fruit market with Roger Waters lip-synching to the song.

All of the above tracks are included in The Early Years 1965–1972. Get it here.

On September 28th, Pink Floyd Records will release, for the first time on vinyl,  A Foot In The Door - The Best Of Pink Floyd, a collection of classic Pink Floyd tracks, chosen by members of the band.

Originally released in 2011 on CD only, the artwork for this compilation is the last work of long-term Floyd designer, the late Storm Thorgerson. This is the perfect Pink Floyd album for both devoted fans and those discovering their music for the very first time.

The career-spanning compilation features some of the best-known album tracks from 1967 - 1994, including the band’s first UK Top 10 single "See Emily Play", and the iconic "Wish You Were Here", "Comfortably Numb", "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and "High Hopes".

The tracks have been newly mastered for vinyl by longstanding Pink Floyd associate James Guthrie, with Joel Plante, and with lacquers cut by Bernie Grundman of Grundman Mastering in Los Angeles, California. The 2-LP version features the reinstated version of "Time", with the ringing alarm clocks at the start of the track restored, after being omitted on the CD release.

The original sleeve design, has been amended by Pink Floyd Creative Director Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis and Peter Curzon, to include alternate versions of the photographs used in the original CD version. The album package comes in a gatefold outer sleeve, with two separate printed inner bags, and is pressed on heavyweight 180-gram vinyl.  

Tracklisting:

LP1 Side A
"Hey You"
"See Emily Play"
"The Happiest Days Of Our Lives"
"Another Brick In The Wall, Part 2"
"Have A Cigar"

LP1 Side B
"Wish You Were Here"
"Time" / "Breathe" (Reprise)
"The Great Gig In The Sky"
"Money"

LP2 Side A
"Comfortably Numb"
"High Hopes"
"Learning To Fly"

LP2 Side B
"The Fletcher Memorial Home"
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond"
"Brain Damage"
"Eclipse"