Symphony X guitarist Michael Romeo will issue his first official solo release, War Of The Worlds / Pt. 1, worldwide on July 27th via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. After receiving many requests for a playthrough, Michael decided to do one for a solo taken from "Fear The Unknown". Check it out below:

The wildly ambitious 10-song disc sees the founder, chief songwriter and prime mover of progressive titans Symphony X furthering his reputation as one of the world's preeminent axe slingers and composers of adventurous, multi-faceted orchestral metal.

Symphony X fans have been waiting two decades for an honest to goodness Michael Romeo solo album (not counting his 1994 demo recording The Dark Chapter, which was released in several countries), and the arrival of War Of The Worlds / Pt. 1 will be no doubt be cause for celebration.

War Of The Worlds / Pt. 1 will be available as CD, 2LP and two limited edition colored vinyls (Camo Green / Pearl White Marble). Pre-order your copy here.

Tracklisting:

Introduction
"Fear The Unknown"
"Black"
"F*cking Robots"
"Djinn"
"Believe"
"Differences"
"War Machine"
"Oblivion"
"Constellations"

"Fear The Unknown" lyric video:

"Djinn" lyric video:

"Black" lyric video:

Trailer Pt. 1:

On July 21st, Canada's reunited Sven Gali performed at This Ain't Hollywood in Hamilton, ON. Fan filmed video from the show is available below.

Formed in 1987 in Hamilton and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Sven Gali brought the '80s and '90s hard rock / metal wave home to Canada. They delivered their high-energy live show from St. Johns to Victoria, and across the US and Europe for the next nine years. Back in March the band announced they had reunited; the 2018 lineup includes all three remaining original members: Dave Wanless (vocals), Andy Frank (guitar), Shawn Maher (bass), new drummer Dan Fila (Varga), and new guitarist Sean Williamson.

The band has two shows under their belt and are continuing with a string of dates for the summer, including a return to the UK in September. Liane Conway has since checked in with the following:

"To anyone that is going to any of the Sven Gali shows, please make sure to check out the merch table. The guys are selling cool guitar pics and necklaces with the Sven logo and Dee Cernile’s signature on the back; 100% of the proceeds are being donated to The Patterson Institute for Integrative Cancer Care in Dee’s name. I will add pictures and info about the charity in the comment section. Also, proceeds from the sale of their new single 'Kill The Lies' produced by my dear friend David Bendeth will be donated as well."

Dee Cernile was a founding member of Sven Gali. He died on February 25th, 2012 after battling lung cancer. He was 46.

Sven Gali's schedeule is now as follow:

July 
27 - The Music Hall Night Club - Oshawa, ON

August
9 - The Asylum - Sudbury, ON
10 - The Brass Monkey - Ottawa, ON

September
14 - Hull Metal Heaven Festival - Kingston upon Hull, UK

Sven Gali have released an official lyric video for their brand new single, "Kill The Lies". Check it out below.

Sven Gali built a name fast with their live shows; drawing growing crowds on the Canadian and US circuit while building their songwriting chops and a wild reputation. David Bendeth (Paramore, Breaking Benjamin) signed the band to BMG Music Canada in 1991 and produced the self-titled debut, released in 1992.

The album included singles and videos for "Under The Influence", "Tie Dyed Skies", "In My Garden", and the ballad, "Love Don't Live Here Anymore" (#6 CanCon song of 1993). It included a cover of Teenage Head’s "Disgusteen" featuring guest vocals by Frankie Venom. The video for "Under The Influence" won the MuchMusic Best Metal Video award in 1993. The band was nominated for Hard Rock Album of the Year and Most Promising Band at the Junos. Sven Gali went gold in Canada.

Sven Gali toured extensively throughout Canada and the USA, Germany, Belgium, Ireland and the UK, headlining and on the bill with acts including: April Wine, Foreigner, Candlebox, Pearl Jam and Def Leppard.

Their follow up album, Inwire (1995), recorded at London Bridge Studios in Seattle, was produced by Kelly Grey (Candlebox, Brother Kane, Dokken) and featured guest musicians Christopher Thorn of Blind Melon, and Candlebox's Kevin Martin and Scott Mercado.

The band toured for the next year before disbanding in 1996.

Look for Sven Gali in 2018. Booking inquiries can be directed to blackmoonent@rogers.com

Ayreon's Into The Electric Castle – 20th Anniversary re-issue pre-order is live now here. Mastermind Arjen Lucassen spent two months re-mixing the album and also did a 5.1 version.

It's available as a 5 disc Earbook (Inc. 5.1 Remix) and a one-time pressing Limited Edition Box Set. There is also vinyl: a 3-LP version with the original 1998 mix and downloads.

The 20th Anniversary Limited Edition Box Set is available to pre-order for only 19 days and contains:
- 3D-sculpted and framed Electric Castle 
- 4 CDs: 20th Anniversary Remix + 20th Anniversary Remix Instrumentals 
- 1 DVD: 20th Anniversary 5.1 Remix + Documentaries 
- 3 LPs: Gold marbled vinyl (original 1998 mix) + Download card for the 20th Anniversary Remix 
- Certificate of authenticity, signed by Arjen

Complete details available in the webshop via the link above.

Arjen Lucassen's beloved Ayreon metal opera outfit performed its first ever festival show on June 22nd at the Graspop Metal Meeting 2018 in Dessel, Belgium. Fan-filmed video from the performance is available below.

Lucassen has checked in with the following update:

"Thank you all so much for your amazing support at our Graspop performance, hope you enjoyed it as much as we clearly did! This was Ayreon’s very first festival show, so it was a bit scary. But what a warm welcome we got... a full house, 15.000 people showing us a whole lotta love. Thanks again from us all, you are the best crowd we could wish for!

Thanks to all these amazing musicians! Left to right: Barry Hay, Tommy Karevik, Ferry Duijsens, Mike Mills, Tom Englund, Mark Jansen, Simone Simons, Robert Soeterboek, Ed Warby, Anneke van Giersbergen, Irene Jansen, Arjen Lucassen, Joost van den Broek, John Jaycee Cuijpers, Johan van Stratum, Marcela Bovio, Maggy Luyten, Jeroen Goossens, Maaike Peterse, Marcel Coenen, Lisette Marije, Ben Mathot and Damian Wilson."

The setlist was as follows:

"Age of Shadows" (with Mark Jansen, Tom Englund, John Jaycee Cuijpers, & Simone Simons)
"The Theory of Everything, Part 1"(with Marcela Bovio, Mike Mills)
"The Theory of Everything, Part 2" (with Marcela Bovio, Mike Mills)
"Intergalactic Space Crusaders" (Star One cover - with John JayCee Cuijpers, Damian Wilson)
"Dawn of a Million Souls" (with Magali Luyten)
"Into the Black Hole" (with Tommy Karevik)
"Valley of the Queens" (with Anneke van Giersbergen, Simone Simons & Marcela Bovio)
"Collision" (with Tommy Karevik, Tom Englund)
"Star of Sirrah" with Mike Mills, John Jaycee Cuijpers & Simone Simons)
"And the Druids Turn to Stone" (with Damian Wilson)
"Day Sixteen: Loser" (with Mike Mills, Ayreon Angels)
"Sail Away to Avalon" (with Barry Hay live debut)
"Everybody Dies" (with Anneke van Giersbergen, Tommy Karevik & Mike Mills)
"The Castle Hall" (with Robert Soeterboek, Arjen Lucassen & Damian Wilson)
"Day Eleven: Love" (with Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Marcela Bovio, Robert Soeterboek, Ayreon Angels & Ed Warby on vocals)

Encore:
"The Eye of Ra" (Star One cover - with all singers)

THE GUESS WHO is responsible for countless rock classics, which still retain a major presence on rock radio — "American Woman", "No Time", "These Eyes", etc. The band is set to return on September 14 with its latest album, "The Future Is What It Used To Be", released via Cleopatra Records (available in CD, vinyl, and digital formats).

The band is Garry Peterson (drums, vocals), D# (lead vocals, guitar, piano), Will E. (guitar, harp, vocals), Leonard Shaw (keyboards, flute, sax, vocals), and Rudy Sarzo (bass, vocals). The album's first single, "Playin' On The Radio", can be heard on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services. Also featured on the album are several special guests, including Tommy Shaw (STYX) on vocals, Brent Fitz (SLASH, GENE SIMMONS) on percussion, Jim Kale (THE GUESS WHO founding member) and Michael Devin (WHITESNAKE) on bass.

"The song is a celebration of the radio and what it meant to us all," explains D#. "Whenever a new great song hit the airwaves, the DJ would say a few words then off to the races! You'd tune in just to hear it over and over again. The character in the song could be any one of us as we move ahead in life. Great music has the innate power to transport you back to so many great memories in an instant. Music is healing. I see it and feel it every single night in our audience."

A music video for the track has been filmed — directed by Nigel Dick and shot in Las Vegas — and the song can be pre-ordered on iTunes. The video can be viewed below.

"I love what I do, and I love trains and I love rock n' roll," explains Nigel about the video. "So, I was honored to be asked to shoot THE GUESS WHO. And when they told me they were available for a day in Vegas and by chance I stumbled on this wonderful railyard full of old engines just up the road from the strip, I was in heaven — and up to my axles in dust! It was a perfect day."

And the band is pleased with the results. "My very first music video…who knew?!" says Garry. "Having the privilege of working with the legendary Nigel Dick, took me back to growing up in an era where music videos told a creative visual story that I always looked forward to seeing by my favorite artists," adds Will. "This track was no exception, adding a colorful, action packed sequence to a great story."

Garry Peterson: "I never dreamed that I would get a chance to record an album, after 40 years, in the same way, and with the same recording gear that we used in the '60s and '70s. This was truly a blessing for me and a humbling, cathartic experience for my musical soul. Thank you to all my bandmates, and everyone who helped make it a reality. I hope our fans enjoy it as much as I do."

D#: "This all started when I wrote 'Playing On The Radio'. Lyrically and musically, these songs are the soundtrack to my journey with THE GUESS WHO over the last 10 years. This record was a joy and an honor to create. As version 3.0 of this iconic band, we had our work cut out for us. The challenge in this type of situation is always to be true to the heartroots of the original blueprint, as well as being able to journey onwards into an inspired future, incorporating the new energies that we bring to the experience, as you do in any family, generation after generation. I hope you enjoy the ride as much as we did."

Will E: "I am honored to be a part of this chapter of THE GUESS WHO. We specifically wrote and arranged the music to reflect what people have always loved about the band; great songs with big vocal driven choruses. We accomplished our own sound while maintaining the classic nature that makes THE GUESS WHO an iconic band."

Rudy Sarzo: "THE GUESS WHO is part of the soundtrack of my life. It's truly an honor to have performed on the new record. And I'm already looking forward to the next one."

Leonard Shaw: "It has been quite the trip since I joined the GUESS WHO 25 years ago, but I am stoked about our new recording of original songs! These songs are fun to play live, and people are digging them!"

"The Future Is What It Used To Be" track listing:


01. When We Were Young

02. Runnin' Blind

03. Talks All The Time

04. Baby Come Around

05. Haunted

06. In America

07. Playin' On The Radio

08. Give It A Try

09. Good Girl

10. Long Day

Due on September 28 via Wymer, "Black Sabbath: Going Through Changes" is a photographic journey of BLACK SABBATH during the halcyon days of the seventies.

Throughout a long and sometimes turbulent career, BLACK SABBATH's classic lineup of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward virtually created the blueprint for heavy rock. With eight albums plus hundreds of concerts across the globe, this was the defining decade for SABBATH that saw them rightly earn their place as one of the most iconic bands off all time.

With photos spanning the decade, this beautifully presented coffee-table style book is a celebration of BLACK SABBATH in all its glory. Containing many previously unpublished shots of the band in the USA and Europe, "Going Through Changes" comes in its own block foiled presentation box with a set of full-color prints, perfect for framing.

This unique item is limited to 500 copies worldwide. Order by September 3 and have your name printed in the book on a dedicated fan page.

* 128-page A4 hardback

* Custom-end papers.

* Printed on 170gsm silk paper.

* Photos digitally restored and cleaned

* Wibalin presentation case

* Set of 5 prints on 400gsm card: (1. Tony Iommi, 2. Ozzy Osbourne, 3. Geezer Butler, 4. Bill Ward, 5. Full group)

The original lineup of SABBATH came together in 1969 with Iommi, Osbourne, Butler and Ward. That lineup recorded and toured through 1978, and periodically reformed through the '90s and 2000s for live work.

They regrouped again in late 2011 for a new album and tour, although Ward dropped out after a few months over financial issues. SABBATH has used Ozzy's regular touring drummer Tommy Clufetos since then for live work. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk laid down the drum tracks on the band's latest album, "13", which came out in June 2013.

Florida death metallers Obituary have announced a reissue of 2017's self-titled full-length release featuring two bonus tracks not included on the original pressing and alternate artwork. Additionally, the band will release the first official vinyl pressing of the Ten Thousand Ways To Die EP, featuring live recordings of twelve classics and fan favorites from the band's storied catalog recorded on their 2015 world tour.

The limited edition Obituary vinyl are due out August 31st on Relapse Records. Pre-order here, and watch a video trailer below:

Additionally, Obituary begin their headlining Summer European tour next week on July 26th at Metal Days Festival. The brief tour ends on August 2nd at Rockstadt Extreme Festival. Obituary will return to Europe in November opening for Slayer, Lamb of God & Anthrax for a 24-date tour.

Find the band's live itinerary here.

Lineup:

John Tardy - Vocals
Trevor Peres - Guitar
Ken Andrews Jr. - Guitar
Terry Butler - Bass
Donald Tardy - Drums

Following the release of their  2016 album Spreading The Rock ‘N Roll Disease, Australia-based futuristic theatrical rock warriors Crosson return in 2018 with their new album Invincible. The album has already entered the Top 20 of the Official German Rock and Metal Charts.

Once again mixed by legendary producer Duane Baron (Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe, Alice Cooper), and mastered by US mastering legend Dave Donnelly (Aerosmith, KISS, Whitesnake) , Invincible delivers Crosson's own brand of uplifting catchy rock anthems with loud guitars, big harmonies and a blistering production. Get it here, and watch a new video for the track "Hero" below.

The opening track "Rock Warriors" is an anthemic tribute to all the metal / rock bands and artists who laid the foundations for the genre and kept it alive and kicking for decades, whilst the first single "Never Give Up" is an inspirational and ‘catchy as Chlamydia’ track with a strong 80’s Bon Jovi vibe that would even make Desmond Child tap his feet.

Tracklisting:

"Rock Warriors"
"Never Give Up"
"Success Needs No Apologies"
"Hero"
"Unconditional Love" (feat. Jessica Wolff)
"Broken"
"Invincible"
"Rebel Train"
"Livin' The Life"
"Back To Hell"

"Hero" video:

"Never Give Up" video:

Album trailer:

ROCK GODDESS — the female power trio from the days of NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) — will release its comeback album, "This Time", on October 5 via the band's own label, Bite You To Death Records, in conjunction with partners worldwide and digitally via Cargo Records. The disc was recorded earlier this year at a London studio with producer Wes Maebe (UB40, Robert Plant, NEW MODEL ARMY, PRAYING MANTIS).

The "This Time" cover artwork can be seen below. The album can be exclusively pre-ordered now on Pledge Music.

ROCK GODDESS recently parted ways with bassist Tracey Lamb. The band announced her departure after saying that she would be "unable to perform" with the group at Denmark's Metal Magic festival due to "unforeseen personal circumstances. It is also with regret, she will no longer be able to commit to ROCK GODDESS and will be leaving with immediate effect," the band wrote in a statement. "We wish her all the very best for the future."

ROCK GODDESS's last release was a three-song EP, "It's More Than Rock And Roll", which arrived in May 2017.

The official video for the "It's More Than Rock And Roll" title track can be seen below.

ROCK GODDESS was formed in 1977 in Wandsworth South London by Jody Turner (guitar and vocals) and Julie Turner (drums) when they were thirteen and nine years old, respectively. They recruited school friend Tracey Lamb on bass guitar.

ROCK GODDESS first rose to the nation's awareness when they were first featured in Kerrang! No. 5 in 1981 in the "Armed And Ready" section as one of the bands to watch out for. After recording a four-track demo tape and an appearance at the Reading Festival in 1982, sharing a bill with IRON MAIDEN, plus regular shows at the Marquee club, the band landed a contract with the A&M label. They recorded their eponymous debut album with producer Vic Maile in 1983 and hit the lower end of the charts. A follow-up album, "Hell Hath No Fury", arrived a year later, by which time Lamb had left the band to form SHE and later to join GIRLSCHOOL.

After their contract with A&M expired in 1987, ROCK GODDESS' already recorded (in 1985) third album, titled "Young And Free", was released only in France. The effort saw the band taking on a more commercial sound.

ROCK GODDESS' career was cut short by financial and contractual problems, which forced them to disband shortly thereafter.

ROCK GODDESS did briefly reform in 2009 and was due to play Hard Rock Hell festival in Prestatyn, and was also booked to perform at the Headbangers Open Air festival in Germany the following summer, but split before they had a chance to appear at either event.

In March 2013, it was announced that the original ROCK GODDESS lineup had reunited and would start recording a new album.

Renown author and BraveWords scribe Martin Popoff’s new Judas Priest book called Decade of Domination is now available and described as follows:

When the world thinks of heavy metal in its pure, potent, undiluted form, it is none other than the Metal Gods, Judas Priest, that instantly come to mind. Chrome and black leather, studs and whips and chains, a chopper on stage to announce the coming… these are the tools of the trade for Rob Halford and his legendary band of Birmingham bashers.

Indeed, the Priest are the bringers of metal’s biggest anthems. “Breaking the Law,” “Living after Midnight,” “Exciter,” “Electric Eye,” “Victim of Changes,” and especially “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’”… these are songs woven into the fabric of metal’s wild ride, Priest having been there since its origins, revving up crowds as superstars certainly for 30 years of that run.
 
Lifelong fan and preeminent metal historian Martin Popoff examines the Priest’s rich legacy from 1974 to 1984, album by album, anthem by anthem, in this hugely expanded update on the early years portion of his long out-of-print Heavy Metal Painkillers book.

 
Having interviewed all the principals in the band repeatedly over the years, Popoff gives a firsthand account of Priest’s rocky, often comical ride through the ‘70s, and through the gold and platinum records of the ‘80s, expertly detailing the long road to the arena headline status the band now enjoys as heavy metal’s proudest ambassadors.
 
Judas Priest: Decade of Domination includes extensive commentary from reclusive drummer Les Binks, along with new interview footage from Tom Allom, Chris Tsangarides, K.K. Downing, Glenn Tipton, Ian Hill, Rob Halford, and various other insiders who are part of the Priest saga during this hallowed, golden era. Also included are tons of memorabilia shots, live photography and two tipped-in colour sections.
 
To reiterate, this is the most extensive analysis ever in book form of:
 
Rocka Rolla, Sad Wings of Destiny, Sin After Sin, Stained Class, Killing Machine/Hell Bent for Leather, Unleashed in the East, British Steel, Point of Entry, Screaming for Vengeance and Defenders of the Faith—song by song, lots of stories, looking at licks and fills, and what’s in the right channel and left, lyric analysis… the deepest dive ever on these records.
 
With any further questions, and see www.Martinpopoff.com for descriptions, cover art and ordering info for my other available 40 or so books.

DevilStar, billed as the world's first interactive band, earlier this summer released their debut single - a cover of the Judas Priest classic “Beyond The Realms Of Death”. Today producer/guitarist Paul Crook (Anthrax, Sebastian Bach, Meat Loaf) and executive producer John Madera reveal the DevilStar recording lineup for the all-star hard rock and heavy metal group’s sophomore outing, a cover of the Led Zeppelin classic “Dazed And Confused” - available July 27th on all digital streaming and download platforms.

“'Dazed And Confused'’s psychedelic-dark vibe really captured me as a young teenager,” explains Paul on his choice to cover the Zep classic. “That descending riff… it’s terrifying. Plant’s performance is mind-blowing. I always felt that the solo section was something out-of-this-world. I love how Bonham and Jones blast off. Page’s solo has everything - great hand tone, cool bends, killer note choice, controlled chaos. Recording this beast was no easy venture. I knew that going in. With the exception of shortening the psychedelic sections, I didn’t see any need to mess with the arrangement. It obviously stands the test of time. Zeppelin kept the tempo raised after the solo section. I thought it might be cool to drop it back down to the intro tempo to cause some uneasiness, tension. My only real goal, besides having fun, was to stay true to Page’s vision while giving the mix a contemporary fatness. I had to take a lot of things into consideration when putting together the band line-up. Each position needed to have world class technical ability mixed with a deep understanding of pocket/ dynamics/ tone. My guitar tones are a Nash Telecaster straight into a Fractal Axe FX (Marshall vibe). I couldn’t hear them any other way. Contemporary oversaturated tones (although beautiful) simply didn’t work here.”

Paul continues when discussing his choice of musicians to realize his vision, “I needed a bass player who would take things to another level of heavy…

Steve Di Giorgio (Testament, Death, Sadus) What can I say about this guy… He’s an innovator in the extreme metal genre. He is downright nasty. I think I laughed out loud hearing the first playback of his performance. He used his Rickenbacker. It’s exactly how I wanted to hear things. It’s somewhere in the Geddy Lee/Cliff Burton area. Combine that with his hand-tone. Beautiful…

John Miceli (Blue Oyster Cult, Rainbow) is a badass drummer. He and I have toured the world together with Meat Loaf. I love how he makes his entire drum kit ring. It sounds like one instrument. He hits with so much balance and has a true understanding of how to get his drums to light-up whatever room they are being recorded in. He is a master of his universe. John and I also worked together in the We Will Rock You! - the Las Vegas musical. I can still see Roger Taylor and Brian May gushing over John during the audition process. Brian calls on John for a lot of his music ventures these days.

Frank DiMino (Angel)… Frank “The Tank” is probably the biggest Robert Plant fan I know. I wish I had a video recording of the vocal session. He walked in and crushed the song in only a few takes. No song/lyric referencing… Zeppelin is part of his DNA. Frank has great vocal control. He knows where to place things in his voice to get an attractive tone. Frank and I first worked together in 2015 on his solo album Old Habits Die Hard. I handled the production duties. John Miceli played drums. Anyway, we’d see a lot of each other when I was living in Vegas. He makes a great marinara sauce."

Subsequent DevilStar single releases - which will be a mix of covers and original material - will feature other notable hard rock/metal names, with Crook handling production and mixing in addition to playing guitar. While several tracks have already been recorded for release in the coming months, fans are invited to email devilstarmusic@gmail.com to propose potential “dream team” lineups and/or suggest cover songs to tackle in the future.

Crook first rose to prominence as lead guitarist of thrash pioneers Anthrax in the mid-1990s, when he performed on and toured in support of the group's albums Stomp 442 and Volume 8: The Threat Is Real, the latter of which he also co-produced. In 1999, Crook began a five-year stint as lead guitarist for former Skid Row front man Sebastian Bach. In 2004, he was personally chosen and trained by Queen guitarist Brian May to handle his guitar parts for their musical production of We Will Rock You, which performed for a year on the Las Vegas strip at the Paris Casino Hotel. For the last 15 years, he has served as lead guitarist of Meat Loaf's Neverland Express. In that time, he has performed on four Meat Loaf studio albums and three live albums/DVDs, including Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose and Bat Out Of Hell: Live With The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He also produced Meat Loaf's two most recent studio albums, Hell In A Handbasket and Braver Than We Are. Still, Crook - who over the years has also collaborated with artists ranging from Glenn Hughes to M.O.D. - remains a hard rock and heavy metal fan at heart, and DevilStar will now serve as a supercharged vehicle through which he'll exorcise his heavier musical demons.

Melodic hard rock band Ten have announced that their new album, Illuminati, will be released on November 9th on CD/LP/Digital. More details and the first track from the album will be presented in the coming weeks.

Tracklisting:

"Be As You Are Forever"
"Shield Wall"
"The Esoteric Ocean"
"Jericho"
"Rosetta Stone"
"Illuminati"
"Heaven And The Holier-Than-Thou"
"Exile"
"Mephistopheles"
"Of Battles Lost And Won"

Impellitteri are streaming the song "Run For Your Life", featured on their 11th studio album The Nature Of The Beast, out on October 12th via Frontiers Music. Listen below. Pre-order the album here.

30 years into their musical career, Impellitteri have created a mind blowing, highly energetic, and thrilling new musical adventure with The Nature Of The Beast. The band is on fire with their musical acrobatics, addictive riffs, shredding guitar solos, speed metal drumming, and screaming power metal vocals that are all ingredients in these killer songs.

Like many of their talented peers, Impellitteri continue to carry the torch for guitar driven heavy metal. On The Nature Of The Beast, the band shines throughout, especially on songs like the power metal driven “Run For Your Life”, the highly energetic remake of Black Sabbath’s “Symptom Of The Universe”, the lunacy of “Gates Of Hell”, the addictive riff of “Hypocrisy”, and the speed metal cover of “Phantom Of The Opera”.

“The new music was written with passion and a sincere love for heavy metal,” says Chris Impellitteri. "I think as a band we grow stronger with each new album. Our artistic abilities seem to get better with age, but at the same time we seem to sound even more energetic, crazy, and youthful with this release. You could say the music on this newest musical child is an extension of our previous record Venom. I love the Venom record, but I am currently obsessed by The Nature Of The Beast. We are thrilled to share this new music with our FANS and friends around the world and I really hope they like it!”

Impellitteri recorded The Nature Of The Beast in Los Angeles, California with legendary engineer/ producer Mike Plotnikoff (Van Halen, Aerosmith, In Flames), mix engineer Greg Reely (Overkill, Fear Factory, Impellitteri), and engineers Jun Murakawa and Sean Shannon.

Like their childhood musical heroes including Vivaldi, Iron Maiden, Queen, Black Sabbath, Al DiMeola, Paco de Lucia, John McLaughlin, and Pavarotti, Impellitteri strive for greatness - creating, performing and recording this new music with all four band members, Chris Impellitteri (guitars), Rob Rock (vocals), James Pulli (bass), and Jon Dette (drums) contributing stellar performances. The album was recorded in a grand fashion using large tracking rooms and vintage analog equipment to capture the bands live musical energy and performance.

"As a guitarist I challenge myself to conquer my human limitations,” continues Chris. "I practice for hours each day to improve my technique. I also spend a lot of time customizing my guitars, amps, and pedals to achieve this crazy guitar sound. On this new record my guitar sound is really me trying to create a tone that sounds a bit like a chainsaw blended with a beautiful Stradivarius violin. It is Beauty and the Beast with lots of pick attack! The guitar solos have lots of technical shredding elements, but at the same time they are very melodic and I think fun for everyone to listen too. The riffs are also exciting for me to play as there is a lot of obvious influences that I brought to this new record."

The band will head out in support of the album with dates to be announced in the coming months.

"Hypocrisy"
"Masquerade"
"Run For Your Life"
"Phantom Of The Opera" (Andrew Lloyd Webber cover)
"Gates Of Hell"
"Wonder World"
"Man Of War"
"Symptom Of The Universe" (Black Sabbath cover)
"Do You Think I’m Mad"
"Fire It Up"
"Kill The Beast"
"Shine On"

"Run For Your Life":

Impellitteri is:

Rob Rock - vocals
Chris Impellitteri - guitars
James Amelio Pulli - bass
Patrick Johansson - drums
Jon Dette - drums *

* appears on studio album

BraveWords has teamed up with Bay Area thrashers for the premiere of their new single and lyric video for “Divided We Crawl”!

"We are finally releasing the first single, 'Divided We Crawl', from our up and coming album, Warmageddon. I cannot put into words what this means to me personally and the band. It has been nothing short of blood, sweat and tears to get to this point. Warmageddon will be our first proper full-length album, and we couldn’t be more ecstatic to finally bring you the first sample of what’s to come," explains Cultural Warfare guitarist Kevin Doughty.  "'Divided We Crawl' has a very literal meaning. Political groups and religious groups have created so much division and hate in the world. It's nothing new, I guess, but it just feels like there is so much division as a society that we are literally crawling rather than jogging or sprinting for resolutions on many key issues that plague the world today. We as a band are not picking a side or claiming an affiliation - just simply bringing to light that if we can’t come together as human beings to resolve these issues and find a middle ground we will continue to crawl as a society."

The lyric video for "Divided We Crawl" was created by Rafael Ortega (Ayreon, The Absence, Blackfinger) and is taken from the Bay Area Metal band's forthcoming new album, Warmegeddon, out Septtember 14th on M-Theory Audio. Warmageddon was produced by Juan Urteaga (Exodus, Machine Head, Testament) at Trident Studios in Martinez, CA and mastered by Jens Bogren (Sepultura, Opeth, Kreator) at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Preorder the new album at M-Theory Audio or Bandcamp.

Cultural Warfare create music that stays true to the classic Bay Area sound of its time while creating a modern twist in the music to create a melodic, yet aggressive sound. With all five members of the band having long standing roots in the Bay Area back to the golden age of thrash metal, Cultural Warfare understands the rich history and lineage of all the classic bands that paved the way for all heavy bands for the modern age. With that said, the band has created a sound of their own while flying the flag of music that inspired them along the way.
 
Upon releasing the Future Kill EP last year, the group performed throughout the Western United States alongside the likes of Warbringer, Hatchet, Apothesary, The Agonist, Hatriot and others. Whereas the EP found Kevin Doughty playing drums, Warmageddon sees him join Billy Garouette on guitar to make room for new percussionist Bones Padilla, a former tech for Biohazard.
 
The Bay Area has a legacy for great music throughout the decades, and the influence of the region’s thrash metal bands on the international scene is unparalleled. With their unique combination of traditional metal and aggressive, melodic thrash, Cultural Warfare furthers the area's legacy and proves that thrash is undoubtedly alive and well.

Julien's Auctions will pay tribute to one of the most influential heavy metal heroes and forefathers of headbanging music with the "Property From The Estate Of Ronnie James Dio" auction, live at The Hard Rock Café in New York on Friday, September 14 and Saturday, September 15 and online at JuliensLive.com.

Highlights of the auction will feature items from the legendary singer's stellar career with iconic bands RAINBOW, BLACK SABBATH and DIO, including several pieces of original album artwork including the acrylic painting by Barry Jackson used as the cover for the 1984 DIO album "The Last In Line" (estimate $20,000 - $30,000); his pair of moon and stars patchwork jeans worn extensively on stage with RAINBOW (estimate $2,000 - $4,000); Dio's custom-made violet suede vest with tails and red leather shin guards worn on stage and in promotional photographs for the 1985 "Sacred Heart" tour (estimate $2,000 - $4,000); a personalized BLACK SABBATH hooded velour robe from the 1981 "Mob Rules" tour worn regularly backstage (estimate $1,000 - $2,000); Dio's personal rolling wardrobe case (estimate $800 - $1,200); some of the most ambitious and spectacular stage design rock has ever seen with props such as a monumental animatronic sphinx on plinth base from the 1984 "The Last In Line" tour (estimate $2,000 - 4,000) and a massive animatronic dragon's head from the 1985 "Sacred Heart" tour (estimate $3,000 - 5,000); an array of Dio's studio and stage used instruments and gear such as a custom Charvel guitar featuring a one-of-a-kind wizard paint motif (estimate $3,000 - $5,000); a 1978 "gold" record award commemorating Australian sales of the RAINBOW album "Rising" (estimate $600–$800) and a 1978 "gold" record award for the album RAINBOW "On Stage" (estimate $600 - $800) and much more.

"I am glad that Ronnie's extensive collection of items will go to his fans, museums and collectors around the world to be displayed for all to see and enjoy," Dio's widow Wendy said in a statement. "These items are very special to me but I recognize the historical importance of anything to do with Ronnie and he would want his fans to be able to own, enjoy and see these items for many years to come."

Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS are putting the finishing touches on the songwriting process for the follow-up to last year's "Madness" album. Singer Phil Labonte told the Rock 94.7 radio station at last weekend's Rock USA festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin (see video below): "We have another record that we are just about finished writing. We are working. We'll have it out sometime either end of this year [or] beginning of next year. I don't have a solid date yet, so I can't tell you exactly when, but it's coming very soon. We've got a bunch of stuff already written; we've got some stuff recorded already as well. So keep an eye out; it's coming."

"Madness" was released in April 2017 via Razor & Tie in the U.S. and Eleven Seven Music in Europe. The disc was recorded at West Valley Studios in Woodland Hills, California with producer Howard Benson, who has previously worked with such acts as MOTÖRHEAD, PAPA ROACH, THREE DAYS GRACE, FLYLEAF, P.O.D.mand HALESTORM.

At the time of the album's release, Labonte dismissed "sellout" accusations due to the more radio-friendly sound of the first single and title track, "Madness". He told Ryan Daniels of of Rock 105.5, Carolina's Pure Rock radio station: "If you're doing something — making music — and specifically catering to an audience that you have catered to or that has found something to attach to, is it a sellout to try and change and do something different? Or is it a sellout to be, like, 'Okay, this is the safe play where I know I can make my money?' It's, like, I know I that I can cater to this narrow group of people, and if we don't stray, these people will keep buying our records, these people will keep coming to our shows. Is it a sellout to be, like, 'I'm gonna try something different?'"

He continued: "People have been saying 'sellout' about us since 2006, since we put out 'The Fall Of Ideals'. We started doing clean choruses, and people were, like, 'Oh, sellout!' And it's, like, gimme a fucking break. We've always tried to push [the envelope] and change."

Former SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison says that he is open to to the possibility of a reunion of the MURDERDOLLS.

Two months after he spent Memorial Day weekend hanging out with his onetime MURDERDOLLS bandmate Wednesday 13, Joey told the "Talk Toomey" podcast that he isn't opposed to the idea of the two musicians collaborating on new music.

"It's cool that I've been talking to Wednesday recently, but I can't disclose anything [about a possible reunion]," he said (hear audio below). "Never say never, man — I mean, that's life. It's kind of funny, 'cause we have a bunch of songs that have been written and a bunch that are ready to go. Timing is everything, man — not necessarily anything about, 'Oh, we need to do this to impress people,' or, 'We need to put out this record or do something like that.' Timing in life is everything, so we'll see. Only time will tell."

Jordison's meeting with Wednesday 13 marked the first time the two musicians were in the same room together since 2011.

MURDERDOLLS has been inactive since completing the touring cycle in support of its sophomore album, "Women And Children Last", which came out in August 2010 via Roadrunner Records.

In May, Wednesday 13 told Metal Wani that he had gotten in touch with Joey "about a year ago and just established contact again and mentioned the idea of doing something in the future — not [putting] a time on it or anything; just the idea of, 'Would you be into it?' And we both said, 'Yes.' And then I got busy doing my stuff, he was touring and putting a record out, and that's the last I really kind of heard of it," he said. "So that's kind of where it is. So I can't say that it will happen, or it won't, but there's definitely not any plans or anything that's changed since the last thing I must have said [in an interview]."

Jordison told CrypticRock.com last year that he "would love to do another record" with MURDERDOLLS. He explained: "I have this punk rock and pop side of me that I don't really get to get out in other areas in my life. When we did that band, it was just pretty much to express fun, have a great time, and kind of throw a monkeywrench into what was going on in rock and metal at the time, and it worked."

Jordison — who played guitar for MURDERDOLLS — went on to say that the the tours he did with the MURDERDOLLS were "really awe-inspiring when you look in hindsight of what we accomplished in a short amount of time and the two records we did. I could not be more proud and happy of what we accomplished in that time," he said. "Everyone that was in that band, the couple of different personnels we employed, the MURDERDOLLS were killer."

The North West, U.K.-based blackened death metal sextet HECATE ENTHRONED — whose "brutal epic scornful metal" has earned extensive acclaim over the past two decades — has signed a worldwide recording contract with the American label M-Theory Audio. The group plans to release a new album — their sixth full-length, and first in five years — in January. More information about the recording will be revealed in the coming months.

Originally co-founded in Wales by guitarist Nigel Dennan in the mid-1990s, HECATE ENTHRONED is dedicated to delivering their own brand of evil metal with little regard to politics or the trends of popular demand. The group's 1997 debut full-length, the Andy Sneap-produced "The Slaughter Of Innocence, A Requiem For The Mighty" (Blackend Records), was a seminal release in the then-burgeoning orchestral black metal movement. Since then, several full-lengths and EPs and numerous live performances have firmly established the band as one of extreme metal's most important voices, a sentiment that the group's forthcoming album will surely reinforce.

"It is with a great amount of pride that we announce this deal with M-Theory Audio," says longtime bassist Dylan Hughes. "We feel M-Theory is the right label to take the band on to where we want to be, and we have total confidence in them to handle the new album as it deserves to be. Marco's reputation and character is second to none, and we look forward to working and developing together. Along with Extreme Management Group, we have a great team behind us and can honestly say that this marks a new era for HECATE ENTHRONED. We would like to thank all our fans for their patience during these months of uncertainty around the new album but be assured – the wait will be worth it."

HECATE ENTHRONED will next perform live at the MetalDays festival in Slovenia on July 23 alongside the likes of BEHEMOTH, SKELETONWITCH and CARPATHIAN FOREST. The group has also announced a September 15 headlining show at London's Black Heart. Advance tickets are on sale now for just £8. Additional tour dates will be announced in the near future.

San Francisco's Bosse-de-Nage has announced its follow-up to 2015’s whiplashing LP All Fours. Titled Further Still, this new album marks a bold diversion from Bosse-de-Nage’s typically sprawling arrangements in favor of airtight, propulsive song structures. Deliberately succinct and fuming, the grip of nine new tracks finds Bosse-de-Nage pitting their unique lyrical structures against hairpin turning melodies. Listen to the album’s first single “Crux” below.

Bosse-de-Nage first surfaced in 2006 with a rousing demo tape that was subsequently released by Aesop Dekker’s The Funeral Agency label. Four years and an informal hiatus later, The Flenser brought the band’s debut album to the masses and breathed new life into the then-dwindling project. A flurry of blackgaze-influenced EPs and LPs would follow, inspiring Bosse-de-Nage to hone their surrealist approach to metal into one unmistakable, idiosyncratic footprint.

Further Still will be released via The Flenser on September 14th. Pre-orders are available here.

Tracklisting:

"The Trench"
"Down Here"
"Crux"
"Listless"
"Dolorous Interlude"
"My Shroud"
"Sword Swallower"
"Vestiges"
"A Faraway Place"

"Crux":

Some of the best art is often made in the wake of the worst tragedies. Such is the case with Germany’s doom metal band Owl, whose forthcoming, third full-length album, Nights In Distortion, nearly never came to fruition due to the impact of the death of their bassist René Marquis. Over four years in the making, the band’s long-awaited record will finally be realized on September 7th via the Swedish label Temple of Torturous Records. Stream the track “Madness Is The Glory Of This Life” below.

Owl’s founder and primary songwriter Christian Kolf, who’s also a member of the critically renowned  metal band Valborg (Prophecy Productions) and founder of the label Zeitgeister, created the band in the mid-2000’s as a necessity to further explore and challenge his musical creativity. What began as a death metal project has evolved over the years, incorporating Kolf’s eclectic tastes and influences that’s resulted in an amalgam of death and doom that conjures memories of Type O Negative, Jesu, Neurosis, Anathema and Meshuggah among others.

“I have to say that this album is still heavy for me when I listen to it,” says Kolf. “There are a lot of grievous memories connected to that album, but foremost it’s about my friend René Marquis who died some months ago, who played bass on it. He was really a nice chap. You could nerd with him about music and instruments for hours. He gave us all a big vibe. And to have him on board for this album was very very helpful. Sometimes I thought “why should I do this, it’s stupid, just chill and make music when better times come,“ because I knew that it would be draining somehow. But René always said “do it.“ It was good to have a partner for this album, someone I could talk too and share it with.”

Discussing the record’s first released track “Madness Is The Glory Of This Life,” Kolf says, “I wanted a twisted cosmic death metal song to end the album. Inspired by Gorguts and Type O Negative. To love means to fear, to fear means to hate. The origin of so many problems in humanity. Life is crazy, so madness is the glory of this life. When you are in weird place and like that music, it probably should give you some strength. It is about total forlornness.”

Nights In Distortion tracklisting:

"We Are Made For Twilight"
"Transparent Monument"
"Anamnesis"
"Inanna In Isolation"
"Abortion Of Empathy"
"Madness Is The Glory Of This Life"

"Madness Is The Glory Of This Life":

Nights In Distortion by Owl (Ger)

Progressive metal stalwarts Jasun and Troy Tipton - known for their work in Zero Hour, Cynthesis, Abnormal Thought Patterns, and more over the past two decades - arise with their newest musical entity, A Dying Planet.

A lyric video for "Resist", the opening track of their upcoming debut album Facing The Incurable, can be found below.

With six tracks surging with nearly fifty-three minutes of dynamic material, Facing The Incurable was mixed Forrester Savell (Animals As Leaders, Sikth) and mastered by Alan Douches (Between The Buried And Me, Mastodon). The record features guest contributions, including keyboards on "Missing" by Bill Jenkins, vocals on "Resist" by Paul Villarreal, vocals on "Poisoning The Well" by Erik Rosvold, and vocals on "Facing The Incurable" and "Missing' by Luda Arno. The album is completed with photography by Brian Kirksey and cover artwork by Erick Wurm Pollard.
 
Facing The Incurable will see independent release through the band's own CynNormal Lab Recordings on CD and digital platforms on August 14th; find pre-dorders via Bandcamp here and Amazon here.

Tracklisting:

“Resist”
“Facing The Incurable”
“Human Obsolescence”
“Poisoning The Well”
“Missing”
“Separation Anxiety”

“Resist” lyric video:

Trailer:

(Photo by: Brian Kirksey)

Toronto's Creatures will unleash their sophomore EP II tomorrow, Friday, July 20th. A full advanced stream can be found below.

Spawned in the Toronto murk in 2015, Creatures is a group effort with a long history that intertwines the lives of numerous local bands to summon a truly devastating soundscape of unbridled chaos. Inspired by bands such as Necrophagist, Despised Icon and Thy Art Is Murder, Creatures is a 6-piece band playing heavy and catchy deathcore, taking intense sounds and mixing in small elements of extreme and black metal.

Almost immediately after forming, Creatures released a 4-track self-titled EP. A varied sampling of the musical talents from the band helped them gain the interest of fans in the local scene and they played several shows with great reception. Taking great pride in live performances, Creatures embodies all the aspects of showmanship with high energy and audience involvement.

Three years later, in 2018, they’re set to unleash their second offering the II EP unto the world through their own independent label Old Haunt Records on July 20th. The songs reach into a large porcelain cup of topics and instead of just merely presenting their themes to their listeners, Creatures smashes the cup in their faces, making sure their themes cut deep and stay with the listeners. Whether they are lyrics about the futility of existence with a cartoon metaphor, or the bond of brotherhood within an intense party setting, there is a message for everyone to latch onto. Regardless, the songs are a visceral insight into the band’s life.

Tracklisting:

"Old Style F.A"
"What Would Rick Sanchez Do?"
"Samara"
"Broken Anchors"
"(Safe Space) Triggered"

EP stream:

"Samara" lyric video:

Creatures will be hitting the road for a tour across Ontario during the month of August in support of the release.

Dates:

August
12 - Toronto, ON - The Rockpile
16 - Barrie, ON - Foxx Lounge (with Kavara)
19 - Hamilton, ON - The Doors Pub (with Kavara)
20 - Brantford, ON - Our Place

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of Memphis, Tennessee hard rockers ROXY BLUE. Their legendary debut album, "Want Some", is a classic of the early '90s hard rock scene that had continued on from the '80s heyday. The band is currently busy writing and recording a brand new studio album that will be released in 2019.

Original members Todd Poole (vocals), Josh Weil (bass), and Scotty Trammell (drums) are joined by new guitarist Jeff Caughron. (Original guitarist Sid "Boogie" Fletcher has left the music business for a successful career in dentistry.)

Poole says: "ROXY BLUE fans can expect an explosive new album! I think the new record is definitely a different sound than the 1992 version of ROXY BLUE, but not unrecognizable. The new record is much heavier, but still has some cool ballads and hints of early ROXY in there. I feel that it's a well-balanced record."

He continues: "I have been writing songs for years for different projects I've been in, but when Frontiers called, I knew it was an opportunity to take a fresh approach to a new ROXY BLUE sound. The excitement of having a new record deal actually inspired me to write the songs for the upcoming record from scratch."

On the band's legacy, Poole says: "For 'Want Some' to be recognized as one of the finest moments in the latter hard rock days is an honor. Especially being that there were so many good bands out at the time. We were just so proud to be a part of a great rock era."

Formed in Memphis in late 1989 by Poole, Fletcher, Weil and Trammell, ROXY BLUE started out playing original music from the get-go, with their sights set on putting their music in front of a national and then global audience. Knowing that their dreams were not going to come easy, the guys put their all into step one of their journey, which was to get started playing every gig they could get and opening for every band they could, to get themselves noticed in the local Memphis music scene. Crammed in together in a studio apartment above Cotton Row Studios, the guys were constantly writing and recording new songs and living a 24-hour rock 'n' roll lifestyle miles and miles away for the Sunset Strip of Los Angeles. Quickly earning a name for themselves within the local Memphis music scene and selling out club shows, they soon created a buzz in the music industry. But it wasn't until one night while playing a local bar they were approached by Jani Lane, the vocalist of WARRANT, that things really started to take off. Jani loved what he heard and wanted to help get ROXY BLUE's career launched. Soon after, the labels started calling and eventually Geffen Records' legendary A&R guru Tom Zutaut flew the band to Los Angeles to sign them. The next step was to find the right producer to record the band's debut album. Mike Clink, who had produced GUNS N' ROSES milestone "Appetite For Destruction" and, at the time, was finishing up GN'R's "Use Your Illusion", was ultimately chose for the job. Clink and ROXY BLUE were a perfect match and the result was the 1992 release of "Want Some".

And a fun fact for fans of the Frontiers label: Poole is the son-in-law of the late, great Jimi Jamison, whom Frontiers had a great, longstanding working relationship with.

ROXY BLUE 2018 is:

Todd Poole (vocals)

Scott Trammell (drums)

Josh Weil (bass)

Jeff Caughron (guitar)

Photo credit: Dan Wireman and Steve Roberts

Los Angeles-based vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Gerry Paul Nestler has announced the release of his debut solo album, "Mama's Child". Due on September 12, the disc will be celebrated with a live appearance at The Redwood Bar in Downtown L.A. that same day. A lyric video for the song "Koko My Love", featuring vintage photographs taken around Los Angeles during the early 1950s by Nestler's artist father, Frank Nestler, can be viewed below.

First coming to prominence with Southern California avantgarde thrashers CIVIL DEFIANCE, who cultivated a strong cult following in Europe with a pair of critically acclaimed releases in the 1990s, followed by albums with KKLEQ MUZZIL, SUPER RIDER and PHILM, featuring former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo, Nestler has long been one of the most unique and daring musicians in progressive circles. Dialing down the loud in favor of a more introspective, acoustic based approach, "Mama's Child" marks the latest addition to Nestler's eclectic body of work.

"When I went into the studio to start work on the album in the spring of 2016, I was interested in recording an album for the songs I had been writing on the piano", reveals Nestler. "The songs reflected the sounds I was hearing from playing and listening to recordings of the early 1900s, some popular, others more obscure, on through the late 1960s and into the early '70s."

Assembling the album over the course of several months in Los Angeles and New York, Nestler recruited a formidable supporting cast of players, including bassist Pancho Tomaselli (PHILM, WAR), drummer Max MacVeety, and longtime Mike Keneally affiliate, saxophonist/flutist Evan Francis, aided by engineer/producer Chris Sorem at NEST Recorders in East Los Angeles where most of the tracking was done.

"I had met Max at a PHILM show in L.A.," says Nestler. "I asked him if he would be interested in playing drums on an album I was putting together. He was intrigued when I mentioned that the music I was working on had me on the piano instead of the electric guitar and how I had been influenced by Roberta Flack's work with drummer Ray Lucas. Max recommended a studio in East L.A., NEST Recorders, which turned out to be the perfect place as it had a 1910 Steinway piano and an echo chamber. We laid down the initial tracks with Chris. Not long after that, I left for New York, where Evan tracked in the woodwinds at Figure 8 Studios in Brooklyn with Michael Coleman at the helm. There was also a short visit to Springfield, Massachusetts where Jim Messbauer added some trombone to the tracks. A few months later, it was back to L.A. to finish up and mix with Chris."

Steeped in ever changing shades of jazz and blues, and conjuring vibes akin to Tom Waits and THE BEATLES' more experimental moments, "Mama's Child" is the type of bold musical curveball most artists dare not throw these days. "I never looked at "Mama's Child" as being a gamble though, just stretching my head, I guess", reflects Nestler. "I don't know if this will be the last of its kind for me or the first of more to come. Above all, I'm grateful to have the opportunity to bring forth something, understanding that overvaluation and undervaluation are inevitable results in the business of art. The creative urge continues not to feel the bliss of generation, but a higher ordinance under a compulsion to ceaselessly work. Part of that work for me is to learn to change and grow, but more importantly, the ability to create something that pays homage to those hidden areas of the mind that carry beauty and light."

"Mama's Child" track listing:

01. Koko My Love

02. Rain On The Window

03. Soul True

04. Genevieve

05. Mercy

06. Little Marie

07. Melinda

08. Glass Bottom Boat

09. Mama's Child

10. Dorma

"Mama's Child" will be released on The Wild Red Mother Records on vinyl and as a digital download.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has been forced to cancel its previously announced "End Of The World Tour" with PROPHETS OF RAGE. The trek — which was also slated to feature THREE DAYS GRACE — was scheduled to kick off July 22 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.


AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows explained in a statement: "There is no good way to start out a note containing bad news, but here it is.


"After Europe, I came down with a terrible viral infection that rendered me voiceless.


"I tried my best to take care of the situation with voice rest, medication and doctor visits, but the voice was only getting worse.


"After a week of steroids, the swelling went down enough to see the cause of the problem. A blood blister has formed on my vocal folds and is preventing them from vibrating properly. In short, I can't sing anything at the moment and the more I attempt to, the more damage is being done. Luckily, as of now, the doctors feel that three months of no singing and voice rest should get my chords back on track.


"Unfortunately, this means we will have to cancel all tour dates at the moment.


"Decisions like this weigh on me very heavily. It's a tour I was looking forward to very much.

"I want to apologize to the fans who have spent their time and money booking travel arrangements and accommodations. I also want to apologize to our crew and the other bands who were depending on this tour.


"None of these things are lost on me.


"Just know that I have exhausted every possible solution in trying to get out there and perform for you. It just simply can't happen at the moment.

"We have a few things coming down the pipe soon that should be fun, so we hope you look out for those.

"Again, I am deeply sorry and hope to see you all soon."

M. Shadows previously underwent vocal cord surgery more than 15 years ago, prior to the recording of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's 2005 album "City Of Evil". He later said that "it took a couple of years" for him to get all the lost notes from his voice, explaining in a 2016 interview: "I went from just being a kid that dropped out of high school to go on Warped Tour and had no training at all. And then when you come off a surgery, you have a lot of doctor's orders, which is don't talk for a couple of months and then go see this vocal coach. And so once I saw the vocal coach, I realized all the things I was doing wrong. But, you know, about six years stuff after that, I was able to get all my old stuff back, but with a little bit of technique so it doesn't hurt when you sing; it's not supposed to hurt when you sing. So I learned a lot from him and I still use him to this day."


AVENGED SEVENFOLD will probably start working on its eighth studio LP this fall for a 2019 release.

A deluxe edition of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's latest album, "The Stage", arrived in December, featuring seven additional studio songs plus four previously unreleased live tracks recorded during shows at the O2 Arena in London.

U.S. based blackened death metal unit Cast The Stone, release a bass playthrough video for a new track "The Burning Horizon", which will appear on the band's upcoming six-track EP Empyrean Atrophy, due out on August 31st via Agonia Records. The video, filmed by Paul McGuire (Obscenery Films) and starring the band's bassist Derek Engemeann (ex-Cattle Decapitation, Scour)

First formations of Cast The Stone began in 2002, long before its protagonists departed for their better known metal-scene mainstays, including death metal bands Misery Index, Cattle Decapitation, and Scour with Phil Anselmo on vocals. While such ties leave a clear mark, Cast The Stone emerge not as some metal supergroup, but as a project of the original and purest intent of its membership.

Each of Cast The Stone members is involved in writing music, and each has varying tastes. But they all seem to have one acquired taste in common: an appetite for American and Swedish death metal. On Empyrean Atrophy, one can distinctly hear sounds similar to Dismember, Grave, At The Gates, and other proponents of the genre. There are also artisan elements one could liken to more dark and progressive Swedish acts such as Opeth, Edge Of Sanity and Dissection. Perhaps this reason alone, Dan Swanö was a clear choice for production (having produced or had been a member of some of the aforementioned bands).

Hybridizing the dark ferocity of Swedish death metal through a lens of American brutality, Cast The Stone hits a creative stride with Empyrean Atrophy. Guitarist Mark Kloeppel commented, "The band's sound is a testament to an enduring spirit that’s driven us to return to our most organic influences, merge them together, incorporate disparate elements, and forge our own sound. Each person has a distinct sound unto themselves, so it's really cool how smooth and cohesive this stuff comes across. You can immediately hear how different this is from the other things we've been involved in, yet it's still very true to our individual styles. Our bassist Derek progressively weaves my guitars and Jesse's uber-creative drumming style together in a way that only he can. This is all crowned off by Andy Huskey's crazy death metal vocals which are... well, just listen."

Tracklisting:

"As The Dead Lie"
"The Burning Horizon"
"Standing In The Shadows"
"A Plague Of Light"
"Empyrean Atrophy"
"Jesusatan"

"The Burning Horizon" bass playthrough video:

"Jesusatan" video:

"As The Dead Lie" lyric video:

Empyrean Atrophy will be available on:

- Digipack CD
- Black LP
- White LP (Bandcamp exclusive)
- Purple Splatter LP (Agonia Records Webshop exclusive)
- Digital files

Pre-order here.

Lineup:

Andrew Huskey - vocals
Mark Kloeppel - guitars
Derek Engemann - bass
Jesse Schobel - drums

The clip below features Metallica performing "Moth Into Flame" at Soldier Field in Chicago, IL on June 18th, 2017.

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

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

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

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

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

Indian metal band Bloodywood - along with rapper Raoul Kerr - have released a new song entitled "Jee Veerey". They have issued the following update:

"Amongst the calm grasslands, forests and fresh water streams of beloved Himachal Pradesh - here's an original folk metal track 'Jee Veerey' (literal translation: Live, Brave One). A song that speaks about enduring and braving through a highly overlooked but rampant problem - mental illness.

We have purchased 60 counselling sessions for anyone who wants to reach out for help. If you (or anyone you know) are going through a rough patch and feel the need for mental therapy:

- Go to HopeNetwork.in
- Click on Book Appointment
- Use code BWOOD1001

This is completely anonymous, and all the counselors are licensed professionals."

Bloodywood began as a metal parody project, "destroying pop songs as a full-time job". You can see the results of that on the Bandcamp player below. Check out the band via Facebook here.

Anti-Pop Vol. 1 by Bloodywood

Bloodywood is:

Karan Katiyar -  guitars, composition, production
Jayant Bhadula - vocals

Japanese superstars Man With A Mission have released their new single, “2045”, taken from their upcoming album, Chasing The Horizon, out August 10th via Century Media.

The track is the latest to be taken from their upcoming album, “Chasing The Horizon. The album is the wolf collective’s fifth in their native Japan, but their first brand new album to be released worldwide. The album features the previously released singles “Take Me Under”, “Winding Road”, “Freak It! feat. Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra”, “My Hero”, “Dead End In Tokyo”, “ Find You” and “ Dog Days”, which have clocked up multi-million streams across YouTube and Spotify. The international physical “World Edition” also features exclusive special bonus tracks including “Mr. Bad Mouth”, “The Anthem” and “Brave It Out”. Man With A Mission are one of the most important and loved rock bands in Asia today. They sell out arenas across their homeland and also completed sold out headline tours of the UK, Europe and US last year. 

The five-piece played their latest sold-out headline London show this year to an ecstatic crowd at The Dome, and also toured the UK with Don Broco. Man With A Mission will be performing at Reading & Leeds Festival this summer before an exclusive UK headline show at The Cathouse, Glasgow on August 23rd.

JOURNEY founder and only remaining original member Neal Schon is paying tribute to the band's former lead singer, Steve Perry, with a nightly dedication and moving performance of the group's 1978 hit single "Lights" during JOURNEY's current North American tour with DEF LEPPARD. Co-written by Schon and Perry, "Lights" was featured on the band's fourth full-length album, "Infinity", and has become one of JOURNEY's most popular and easily recognizable songs.

Schon, who will release his next solo album in early 2019, has also expressed his wishes to work with Perry, who will issue his own solo album in October, again, as both recognize the timeless music they created together and their brotherhood.

"I've been hearing that he's been showing up in the same coffee joint that I go to all the time," Schon told Westword. 'Hopefully I'll run into him soon. We had a great meeting when we met for the Hall Of Fame. I realized there was still a very deep connection there. He's had nothing but very kind words to say about myself. I've done the same for him. The mutual respect is there. One step at a time. I'd just like to get to know him again and see where he's at. But I can surely tell you that I would love to just have him come and just mess around one day at Narada's studio [referring to drummer and producer Narada Michael Walden] with the three of us, because I think we would turn out something that he would really dig."

Schon founded JOURNEY in 1972 and has been the only consistent member, having participated in every album and tour to date. Schon is a Grammy-nominated guitarist, songwriter, and vocalist who is not only the founding member of JOURNEY but was a member of SANTANA and has performed with a variety of other acts, including BAD ENGLISH, Jan Hammer and HSAS, and has released 10 solo albums, including his latest, "Vortex". His guitar style has been described as soulful and melodic, admired by such fellow legends as Eric Clapton and Prince, who reportedly asked for Schon's blessing to release "Purple Rain", which echoed a similar sound to JOURNEY's "Faithfully".

JOURNEY's worldwide sales have reached over 100 million records, making them one of the world's best-selling bands of all time, with a wide selection of chart-topping hits like "Don't Stop Believin'", "Open Arms", "Lights", "Faithfully", and "When You Love A Woman", among others.

Photo courtesy of TAG Publicity

The veteran Bay Area hard rock group NIGHT RANGER will celebrate the 35th anniversaries of their first two studio albums, "Dawn Patrol" and "Midnight Madness", by performing both records in full for the first time during an October 18 concert at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday (July 27) at 10 a.m. CST, while a pre-sale begins tomorrow (July 24) at 10 a.m. CST at this location (use password NR35).

"Dawn Patrol", released by MCA Records in November of 1982, included the Top 40 mainstream rock hit singles "Sing Me Away" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

"Midnight Madness", the group's sophomore album (and first to be certified gold and platinum by the RIAA), was issued in October of 1983. The record — which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 — yielded three additional Top 40 mainstream rock hit singles in "Rumours In The Air", "When You Close Your Eyes" and "(You Can Still) Rock In America". It also included the group's best-known song, the iconic power ballad "Sister Christian", which spent 24 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1984, peaking at No. 5.

Three NIGHT RANGER members who performed on those albums — bassist/vocalist Jack Blades, guitarist Brad Gillis and drummer/vocalist Kelly Keagy — are still in the band today. The group's current lineup is rounded out by keyboardist Eric Levi and guitarist Keri Kelli (ALICE COOPER, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, RATT).

NIGHT RANGER's twelfth and most recent studio album, "Don't Let Up", was released in March 2017 via Frontiers Music Srl.