Ahead of this year’s World Music Day, a recent poll reveals that heavy metal is the most popular genre in the UK - beating pop, hip hop and reggae to the top spot.

- heavy metal is the favourite genre of 20% of the UK Population
- house music is one of the least popular, only enticing 5% of music fans, mostly Northerners
- Northern England is the worst place in the UK for country and western lovers

New research from online casino operator bgo.com has revealed that music fans voted heavy metal  as their favourite genre.

20% of music lovers polled chose heavy metal as their favourite genre with home grown acts like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Judas Priest headlining as long-standing favourites.

Black Sabbath is often credited as the inventors of heavy metal with their self-titled debut album in early 1970. The distinctive style soon inspired others and created a musical genre that’s maintained its popularity as a counter-culture for 48 years.

Rupert Till, Professor of Music at Huddersfield University, elaborates; “New generations are often looking for something new. When they are bored of what is around in the charts, they will often stumble across old scenes that they have never heard of before, something old can seem like something really exciting.”

Jon Hawkins, 26, guitarist from the metal band The Hero Dies First cites Black Sabbath as a major influence; “Black Sabbath continues to define the genre for me. Without their music, I’d never have wanted to pick up a guitar and play. My first guitar was a copy of Tony Iommi’s.”

The Hero Dies First live photo by Neil McCarty @neilmccartyphotography

31% of those polled in the north and 30% of those in the Midlands liked rock and heavy metal. Making heavy metal and rock the most popular form of music by far in the midlands and the north of the UK.

Prof. Till goes on to say, “Heavy metal has a particular history in the Midlands. Black Sabbath are generally agreed on as the originators of heavy metal, and they came from Birmingham, so that genre has a particular resonance.”

Dance music was the second most popular genre across the UK, with 15% of those polled choosing this modern form of music as one they couldn’t live without. In particular 25% of those polled living in the south of the UK preferred this style of music.

The genre, which is often created with digital equipment by DJs, as individuals or in small groups, has been growing in popularity for a number of years, but doesn’t have the same long history as heavy metal.

LED ZEPPELIN was at the peak of its powers on July 27-29 1973 when the band's performances at New York's Madison Square Garden were recorded for the concert film "The Song Remains The Same". The soundtrack to the film, produced by Jimmy Page, was originally released on Swan Song in 1976.

The band continues revisiting their live canon on September 7 with a new edition of the soundtrack to "The Song Remains The Same" that features newly remastered audio. This release follows the recent reissue of their live album "How The West Was Won", and rounds out the deluxe reissue series of their classic albums that began in 2014, building to the band's 50th-anniversary celebration slated to commence later this year. Coincidentally, John Bonham, John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant played their first live show together, under the moniker THE NEW YARDBIRDS at the time, on September 7, 1968.


"The Song Remains The Same" will be released in multiple formats from Atlantic/Swan Song, including the full album's debut in hi-res 5.1 surround sound on Blu-ray. The Super Deluxe Boxed Set will be the most exquisite and elaborate release in the reissue series, recreating the intricate embossing of the set's original issue and will also mark the first time the full-length film and soundtrack have been available in the same package. On the four-LP set, Page made a change to the track sequence, allowing the epic, 29-minute version of "Dazed And Confused" to be featuring in its entirety on one side of vinyl for the first time.

* CD - Remastered audio on two CDs, plus 24-page booklet.

* Vinyl - Remastered audio on four 180-gram vinyl LPs, plus 28-page booklet

* Blu-ray - 96kHz/24 bit 5.1 (DTS-HD Master Audio Surround) and stereo mixes (PCM Stereo and DTS-HD Master Audio Stereo). Video performances of four songs not in the original film: "Celebration Day", "Over The Hills And Far Away", "Misty Mountain Hop" and "The Ocean". (All with 5.1 audio)

* Streaming & Digital Download - Remastered audio.

* Super Deluxe Boxed Set.

- Remastered audio on two CDs and four 180-gram vinyl LPs.

- Two-DVD set of the "The Song Remains The Same" featuring the full theatrical version of the film plus bonus content including four performance outtakes that were not part of the original film: "Celebration Day", "Over The Hills And Far Away", "Misty Mountain Hop" and "The Ocean".

- DVD of the entire album in Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and PCM Stereo, plus photo gallery.

- High-def download card of all stereo audio content at 96kHz/24 bit.

- A 28-page book featuring band photos and stills from the film and an essay by Cameron Crowe.

- A replica of the Japanese program from 1977, previously available only when the film first toured cinemas in that country.

- High-quality print of the original album cover, the first 30,000 of which will be individually numbered.

"The Song Remains The Same" is the soundtrack to the legendary concert film of the same name, which was released in 1976. The performances in the film were recorded July 27-29, 1973 at Madison Square Garden during the band's tour for its then-current studio album "Houses Of The Holy". The two-CD and four-LP collections are packed with electrifying live versions of ZEP classics like "Rock And Roll", "Stairway To Heaven", "No Quarter", "Moby Dick", "Dazed And Confused" and "Celebration Day".

"The Song Remains The Same" soundtrack


CD And Digital Track Listing

01. Rock And Roll

02. Celebration Day

03. Black Dog

04. Over The Hills And Far Away

05. Misty Mountain Hop

06. Since I've Been Loving You

07. No Quarter

08. The Song Remains The Same

09. The Rain Song

10. The Ocean

11. Dazed And Confused

12. Stairway To Heaven

13. Moby Dick

14. Heartbreaker

15. Whole Lotta Love


LP Track Listing

LP One

01. Rock And Roll

02. Celebration Day

03. Black Dog

04. Over The Hills And Far Away

05. Misty Mountain Hop

06. Since I've Been Loving You

07. The Ocean


LP Two

01. The Song Remains The Same

02. The Rain Song

03. No Quarter

LP Three

01. Dazed And Confused

02. Moby Dick


LP Four

01. Stairway To Heaven

02. Heartbreaker

03. Whole Lotta Love

One of the most theatrical rockers today, Granny 4 Barrel, has struck up a kinship with adult film star Stormy Daniels - as evidenced by recent photographs of the pair together in Miami (as Granny crisscrossed the country touring with Texas Hippie Coalition, while Stormy is on the promotional circuit), as well as Daniels directing the music video for G4B’s “She Likes Guns”. And the collaboration will not end there, as Daniels has also signed on to direct the next G4B video this fall.

“Last summer I had the pleasure of directing a video for G4B for their song, ‘She Likes Guns’, says Stormy. “It was such a great experience and the response to the video has been overwhelming, so I jumped at the chance to work with the band again. Our busy schedules made it difficult to get together, but we were finally able to connect in Miami. The meeting was very productive and I cannot wait to share the details about some exciting (but for now top secret) projects.”

Granny affirms, “It was really great to meet up with Stormy in Miami last month to discuss the positive feedback the ‘She Likes Guns’ video is receiving, plotting out our next music video and discussing some killer new projects on the horizon... you won’t believe what happens next!”

“Feeling a great sense of accomplishment and excitement about completing the nationwide Year Of The Bull Tour with Texas Hippie Coalition, Kobra And The Lotus and Brand Of Julez,” says Granny. “We circled the country two times and covered over 16,000 miles experiencing the amazing fans and spreading the metal gospel of Granny 4 Barrel!”

The “She Likes Guns” video can be seen below:

Granny is a true original and represents freedom of expression, the rebellious spirit of rock n’ roll, disobedience and nonconformity. Think of Granny as the surrogate bad ass metal granny you never had, Granny gives the rock n’ roll children everything they need, and serves up a big middle finger to all the stereotypes of the world.

Now with the two controversial figures collaborating, the results are destined to go down as both provocative and unforgettable for rock fans throughout the world!

(Photos - Larry Marano)

German/American heavy metal legends ACCEPT will release a live set, "Symphonic Terror - Live At Wacken 2017", on November 23 via Nuclear Blast. Fans can expect a unique ACCEPT show, shot on August 3, 2017 at the legendary Wacken Open Air festival, where the band played the biggest and most extraordinary show of its career in front of 80,000, on top of thousands more fans watching via a live stream.

The two-hour concert was divided into three parts, showing the full creative power of ACCEPT: The first part featured the premiere of new tracks "Die By The Sword" and "Koolaid", as well as some of the band's most popular songs, such as "Restless And Wild" and "Pandemic". The middle part featured guitarist Wolf Hoffmann accompanied by a symphony orchestra, presenting the best tracks from his recent solo album, "Headbangers Symphony", which includes metal versions of some of the world's biggest classical compositions (e.g. from Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi). And in the last but not least part, fans were able to bang their heads to ACCEPT anthems (also accompanied by the orchestra), such as "Princess Of The Dawn", "Breaker", "Fast As A Shark" and "Metal Heart", as well as to newwe songs like "Stalingrad", "Shadow Soldiers" and "Teutonic Terror". The finale was an eight-minute version of ACCEPT's classic song "Balls To The Walls".

"This was a mash-up of intensity and precision," Wolf Hoffmann says about the fusion of heavy metal and classical music. "The fans are extremely open-minded, but I was nervous 'till the last minute before the show anyway. After all, it's still a metal festival! But I think that, after many years of ACCEPT combining both worlds, fans have started to really accept this concept."

After the Wacken performance, Hoffmann told TotalRock's Whitney Alyson Ribbins: "It was phenomenal. We didn't really know what to expect. We did some rehearsals and stuff, but that was the first time we were ever on stage with an orchestra. It was totally different to what we normally do, but it sounded fantastic and it felt great. Everybody was smiling, the orchestra people had a lot of fun, the conductor was in a great mood and everybody was, like, 'This is fun.' It all went really, really smooth and it couldn't have gone better."

He continued: "A lot of preparation went into it — months of talking about it and organizing everything and writing the scores and writing all the sheet music for everybody, because playing with an orchestra, you can't just jam."

Asked whether this was something he would like to do again, Wolf responded: "Yeah, I'd love to. For me, classical music... the sound of an orchestra is something that has always fascinated me. My whole life I have wanted to combine the two elements together. I've done it by using classical bits and pieces in my solos over the years, then I made a solo record, then I made a solo record with an orchestra and now finally live on stage with an orchestra like that, fifty people, it was a dream come true."

What started as a world premiere at Wacken will be continued in early 2019. ACCEPT is planning to tour with an orchestra across Europe in the spring of next year. "I really hope we will be able to fulfill our dream — we are working hard on it!" Hoffmann says. "What I can already say now is that there will be lots of optical and musical surprises that fans of ACCEPT have never experienced before. We want to multiply what we have achieved in Wacken and are happy about every bit of support we get. One thing is for sure: 2019 will be exciting!"

The first trailer for "Forever Warriors, Forever United", the new album from German metal queen Doro Pesch, is available below. Due on August 17, it boasts 25 brand new Doro tracks. Speaking about the album, she says: "There are some big anthems on the album, countless heavy songs, as well as heart-warming melodies! The album is supposed to give you power and thus contains a lot of energy."

The first single from the epic collection of tracks is "All For Metal", which is available to stream and purchase digitally. The track is also available on limited-edition seven-inch silver vinyl and picture disc.

"All For Metal" features an assortment of metal heroes, who can also be seen in the new official music video: Mille Petrozza (KREATOR), Johan Hegg (AMON AMARTH), Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT), Warrel Dane (NEVERMORE, SANCTUARY), Jeff Waters (ANNIHILATOR), SABATON, Ross The Boss (MANOWAR), Rock 'N' Rolf (RUNNING WILD), DETRAKTOR, Tommy Bolan (ex-WARLOCK), Andy Brings and The Ultimate Doro Clan.

Doro explains: "I think the song 'All For Metal' is an anthem like 'All We Are' with some great guests singing, who are all friends of mine. It's an awesome live song and I hope you enjoy it because it's one of my favorite songs!"

"Forever United" takes a more sentimental turn, with lyrical topics covering friendship, love and companionship. Highlights include Doro's tribute to the late and great Lemmy.

"We've been touring a lot during the last years. We collected a lot of impressions and got to meet many amazing people. That inspired me enormously," explains Doro. "The songs and ideas simply bubble out of me. That process didn't even end while being in the studio. We had 50 song ideas in the beginning which turned into 14 concrete album tracks. Suddenly we had 20 songs, and, in the end, it was even 24. I also wanted to record 'Caruso' in the last recording week."

With "Forever Warriors, Forever United", Doro presents two new records, featuring 19 regular tracks and six bonus songs.

This unique songwriting marathon was based on "Living Life To The Fullest" back in January 2016. Says Doro: "I was flying to Lemmy's funeral when the track's melody and lyrics suddenly came to mind. Lemmy was always very important to me. Everything went quickly from this point. As soon as a song was constructed, I headed to the studio — between all those shows and tours — to capture the freshness and live energy of the new tracks."

The album cover artwork was once again created by Doro's favorite artist, Geoffrey Gillespie. It portrays Doro in the middle of a swarm of wild metal heads exuding attitude, power and positive vibes.

"The cover and the title form a perfect unit," Doro explains, "Just as it should be. It all fits perfectly in line with the songs, which also deal with some political themes."

The long-awaited follow-up to 2012's "Raise Your Fist" will be the German singer's first release since 2016's "Love's Gone To Hell" single.

Last year, Pesch celebrated the 30th anniversary of WARLOCK's "Triumph And Agony" album by performing the LP in its entirety at select shows around the globe.

Doro was joined on the "Triumph And Agony" 30th-anniversary tour by Bolan alongside bassist Nick Douglas, drummer Johnny Dee, guitarist Bas Maas and guitarist/keyboardist Luca Princiotta.

Grammy-nominated group CODE ORANGE has surprise-released a new digital EP. Titled "The Hurt Will Go On", it includes two new tracks, "3 Knives" and "The Hunt", with the the latter featuring a guest appearance by SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor. The final track on the EP is "The Hurt Will Go On", which is a remix of the Pittsburgh-based group's song "Hurt Goes On". "Hurt Goes On" was featured on the widely acclaimed LP "Forever", which earned CODE ORANGE a Grammy nomination and topped several "Best of 2017" lists.

The release of the new CODE ORANGE EP coincides with the start of the band's North American tour, which kicks off Friday (June 22) in Boston, Massachusetts. Support on the trek will come from TWITCHING TONGUES and VEIN. "The New Reality Tour" will also feature special guests WICCA PHASE SPRINGS ETERNAL, SHOW ME THE BODY, GHOSTEMANE, NICOLE DOLLANGANGER, DISEMBODIED and TRAIL OF LIES on select dates.

CODE ORANGE drummer/singer Jami Morgan told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the band spent most of the days earlier this year writing and working in the studio.

"As long as we're inspired… we don't want to force anything out," he said. "The only reason we're doing this is because we are inspired. If we ran out of ideas, we would have to sit back and chill and figure it out, because I don't want to put stuff out that I regret. I also feel the urgency to keep going."

MaYaN, the symphonic death metal brainchild of Epica guitarist/vocalist Mark Jansen and his former After Forever bandmate Jack Driessen, are gearing up for the release of their new album Dhyana, due on September 21st.

In regards to the new video below, the band states: "This time, we take a look at the orchestral bits that will appear on the new record."

A previous message states: "We're excited to announce our Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign with the goal of intensifying the sounds of our 3rd album by recording with a live symphonic orchestra! With our profound love for epic movie scores, it has been our dream to incorporate real strings, brass and percussion into our music and have written each new track to be amplified with the sounds of an orchestra. You can help us make this dream come true by pledging to our campaign for the many unique rewards that we have created for you, including exclusive access to our new EP (ONLY available through our campaign) and a chance to attend the orchestra recordings! Check out our video and visit our campaign page here. We thank you in advance for your support!"

(Photo - Victor Peters)

Helix frontman Brian Vollmer has posted the following update:

"Here's an 8-minute capsulized version of last weekend's adventures (June 16th) at the Grey Eagle Casino in Calgary and the Regina Casino Showroom."

Vollmer recently issued the following announcement:

"So, if you haven't pre-ordered the new Helix vinyl / CD on Universal, whatya waiting for? Ironically, for the seven years we were with Capitol / EMI, they never ever put out a vinyl Best Of album. Now that Universal has bought the catalog they're putting out a series of albums from bands on the roster called The Icon Series. The Helix Icon album has all the hits plus two new tracks: 'Even Jesus (Wasn't Loved In His Home Town)' and 'Gene Simmons Says (Rock is Dead)'. The album and CD will be out by July 10th. If you'd like to order an advance copy, the vinyl is $25 plus shipping, the CD is $15 plus shipping. You can order it here."

Check out the artwork and tracklist below.

On May 17th, Helix - along with Lee Aaron guitarist Sean Kelly - performed an acoustic show in Blyth, Ontario. Rehearsal footage shot a week prior to the gig can be viewed below.

Catch Helix live in concert at the following shows:

July
29 - Parc Jean-Drapeau - Montreal, Quebec

August
11 - Rock The Plaza - Windsor, Ontario
17 - Rockin' The Rock - Little Current, Ontario

Singer/guitarist Zach Slaughter (frontman for Skull Fist) has released the debut album for his new project, Freedumb. The musical style includes punk, acoustic, doom and traditional metal all combined with a cheeky sense of humour. The debut album Skate N Die was released on May 18th via Boonsdale Records and is available at this location.

Check out the song "Street Surfing Man" below

Freedumb’s debut release unleashes nine tracks of high energy punk/metal in the vein of Candlemass, Bad Religion, Dead Kennedys, Skull Fist, trademarked with Zach’s unique vocal style along with metal elements and virtuoso guitar solos, plus the lyrical humour of NOFX / Frank Zappa. Skate N Die offers an alternate approach to mainstream music that can give attention to the counter culture of today’s social circles.

Tracklisting:

"Punch Patrol"
"S.O.S."
"Shark Attack"
"Grand Canyon"
"Jerkathon"
"Skate N Die"
"Anarchy Will Prevail"
"Street Surfing Man"
"Finding Emo"

"S.O.S."

"Punch Patrol"

Soulfly, featuring former Sepultura frontman Max Cavalera, performed at With Full Force in Gräfenhainichen, Germany on June 16th. Pro-shot footage is available below. 

The setlist was as follows:

"Frontlines"
"Prophecy"
"Fire"
"Porrada"
"Blood Fire War Hate"
"We Sold Our Souls to Metal"
"No Hope = No Fear"
"Bleed / Plata o Plomo"
"Back to the Primitive"
"Refuse/Resist" (Sepultura cover)
"Jumpdafuckup"
"Eye for an Eye"

Los Angeles-based thrash metal icons Body Count recently released a new music video for their track "All Love Is Lost" featuring Max Cavalera. The track is featured on the band's 2017 full-length, Bloodlust.

In a new interview with Eric Blair, Cavalera discusses the collaboration and much more. Watch below:

Co-written by Max Cavalera (Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy), "All Love Is Lost" delves into the intense feelings one has after a betrayal of trust by a loved one. Commingling his acting and music career, Ice-T enlisted his Law And Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) co-star Kelly Giddish to play the vindictive lead.

The new video, directed by Jay Rodriguez, can be seen below.

On June 18th, Kobra And The Lotus vocalist Kobra Paige and guitarist Jasio Kulakowski guested on CTV in Calgary, Alberta. They sat in for an interview segment and performed an acoustic rendition of the song "Let Me Love You", taken from Prevail II. Check out the live streaming  studio footage below.

Kobra And The Lotus will embark on a co-headline tour with the Butcher Babies, dubbed the Female Metal Voices Tour 2018. Other bands on the bill include Skarlett Riot, Ignea and Martyrium.

Prevail II is the proverbial yang to the yin and continues right where Kobra And The Lotus left off in 2017. The album was released on April 27th via Napalm Records.

The band recently unveiled their video for a cover of the Fleetwood Mac classic "The Chain".

Says Kobra about the video and song: "We couldn't be more stoked to release the final closer to our Prevail album series!! We've chosen a classic, recorded in 1976, and we hope to connect and carry the magic forward from that musical era. Here it is, 'The Chain' by Fleetwood Mac, in full Kobra And The Lotus spirit. Can you recognize it?"

More Prevail II details below.

Tracklisting:

"Losing My Humanity"
"Let Me Love You"
"Ribe"
"My Immortal"
"Human Empire"
"Heartache"
"Velvet Roses"
"Modern Day Hero"
"You're Insane"
"White Water"
"The Chain"
"Let Me Love You" (Acoustic Bonus Track)

Album teaser #1:

Album teaser #2:

"Let Me Love You":

"Losing My Humanity" lyric video:

A complete list of tour dates can be found here.

Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has put his Soliloquy EP up for free download. Click here to get your free digital copy.

The EP features the following tracklist:

"A Girl Named Hollow"
"Birds Of Prey"
"Disarmed & Disowned"
"Where Dreams Go To Die"
"The Depths"

Bieler has scheduled a string of solo shows for 2018 leading into the fall. His schedule is currently as follows:

July
14 - New York City, NY - Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2

August
10 - Baton Rouge, LA - Red Dragon Listening Room 
11 - New Orleans, LA - Howlin’ Wolf Porch

October
13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hotel Cafe

French post-black metallers Decline Of The I have premiered a new track "Enslaved By Existence" in the form of a lyric video. The track comes from the band's third studio album Escape, due out on the 27th of July via Agonia Records.

Escape will feature six varied, original compositions replete with artwork from David Fitt, who filmed the new video.

The band commented: "After a heavy and neurasthenic first chapter, and an epileptic, dirty and violent second one, here's the last part of the Decline of the I’s trilogy: Escape. It’s now time to leave, to avoid this perpetual aggression of the outside world. All the other reactions leaded to a dead end. Running away is the only possible move for the subject to preserve its entity. There are many forms of escape: madness, suicide, technology, spirituality. This third album explores all of them. Musically, it’s the synthesis of all the previews works; it's contemplative and slow but also very fast, dark and brutal.”

Escape was recorded, mixed and mastered at Blacksun Recording by Junior Rodriguez. The album will be available in CD, LP and digital formats.

Tracklisting:

“Disruption”
“Enslaved By Existence”
“Organless Body”
“Hurlements En Faveur De FKM”
“Negentropy (Fertility Sovereign)”
“Je Pense Donc Je Fuis”

“Enslaved By Existence” lyric video:

Long running slamming death-grind monsters Stillbirth have announced an August 31st release date for their crushing fifth album, and Unique Leader debut, Annihilation Of Mankind. The explosive, unrelentingly fast, and massively heavy 12-track album shows the group writing the best and most exciting material of their nearly 20 year career.

The group collectively described the album as, "Annihilation Of Mankind will be released on the mighty Unique Leader Records and marks a huge milestone in Stillbirth's history! The album that is waiting to be unleashed is faster, harder, with more brutality and more groove than anything we have done before."

Annihilation Of Mankind tracklisting:

"Fictional Entertainment"
"Enemy Of The Enemy"
"Hypnotized By Lies"
"Psychological Manipulation"
"Firststrike"
"Highest Of Malice"
"Torturized"
"Plague Of Warfare"
"Torn Apart"
"Nuclear Stench"
"The Sky Turns Black"
"Annihilation Of Mankind"

Pre-order bundles will be announced in the coming weeks. Expect more news from Stillbirth very soon.

Lineup:

Lukas Swiaczny - Vocals
Dominik "Pumpa" Koenig - Bass, Vocals
Dr. Jan Weidemann - Guitar
Martin Grupe - Drums

Swedish rock band TOXICROSE has released a new single, "The Fallen Ones". The song was produced with CRASHDÏËT's Martin Sweet, the brother of TOXICROSE drummer Michael, and was mixed by Chris Laney. It was mastered by Claes Persson at CRP Recording AB.

The official lyric video for "The Fallen Ones" can be seen below.

Formed in 2010 in Stockholm, TOXICROSE recently announced the addition of bassist Johannes Sandberg to the group's ranks.

The band's current lineup is rounded out by Tom Wouda (GEMINI FIVE) on, Andy on lead vocals and Michael Sweet (both ex-LIPSTIXX 'N' BULLETZ) on drums.

TOXICROSE's debut five-track EP was released in late 2012. A full-length album, "Total Tranquility", followed in May 2016 via City Of Lights/Rock It Up.

The first trailer for "Kulkija" ("Wanderer"), the new studio album from Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI, can be seen below. The disc will be released on September 7 via Nuclear Blast.

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

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

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

The lyric video for the first single from the disc, "Kotikonnut" ("Homestead"), can be seen below.

Perttula, who wrote the track, stated: "It's a midtempo song with a lot of melodies. It was surprising how our lyricist managed to write it, he really captured the feeling and the character of the song. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!"

About "Kotikonnut": During his journey, a wanderer yearningly looks back on his home, childhood and the beauty of everything. He remembers running with his girl on the meadow, believing it to last till the end of times. Although his home is now, the road and a carriage run by joy, he will still always remember the happiness of his home and youth. At the time, the moon was golden, shining everywhere at night, lighting up the otherwise-dark countryside and the forest. The wanderer eventually accepts that everything that comes, will one day fade into a distant memory.

Photo credit: Peero Lakanen

The GRAHAM BONNET BAND will release its new album, "Meanwhile, Back In The Garage", on July 13 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc's new single, "Sea Of Trees", can be streamed below.


Says Graham: "This is the most important album I have done in 35 years. I think fans of the classic ALCATRAZZ sound will love this record.

"The first single (which is also the title track), 'Meanwhile, Back In The Garage', is about any young band starting today... which is like it was back when I started. As the lyric says, 'take a number, it's a hell of a line'!

"I have had a fantastic career and been very fortunate to play with some great musicians and I hope there is a lot more touring and recording to come."


Bonnet is a hard rock legend with a pedigree to back that statement up. His stints with RAINBOW, MSG, ALCATRAZZ and IMPELLITTERI prove he is one of the finest rock vocalists of his generation. Fresh off a stint with Michael Schenker Fest, Graham is preparing to return with a new GRAHAM BONNET BAND album, "Meanwhile, Back In The Garage".

Crafted with Joey Tafolla on guitar (Joey performs all lead and rhythm guitars except "Livin' In Suspicion", which is performed by new guitarist Kurt James), Beth-Ami Heavenstone on bass, Jimmy Waldo on keyboards, and Mark Benquechea on drums, "Meanwhile, Back In The Garage" sees Bonnet showing why he has been and still is one of the premiere vocalists in hard rock.


This new studio album offers 13 new songs where Bonnet lays down his inimitable vocals over a selection of tunes full of great hooks and melodies. It includes a bonus live DVD captured at a Live From Daryl's House performance in early 2018.


"Meanwhile, Back In The Garage" track listing:


CD

01. Meanwhile, Back In The Garage

02. The Hotel

03. Livin' In Suspicion

04. Incest Outcest U.S.A.

05. Long Island Tea

06. The House

07. Sea Of Trees

08. Man On The Corner

09. We Don't Need Another Hero

10. America...Where Have You Gone?

11. Heading Toward The Light

12. Past Lives

13. The Crying Chair

14. Starcarr Lane (Live From Daryl's House 2018)


DVD (Live From Daryl's House 2018)

01. Night Of The Shooting Star (Intro)

02. Too Young To Die, Too Drunk To Live

03. All Night Long

04. Night Games

05. California Air

06. God Blessed Video

07. Stand In Line

08. Island In The Sun

09. Desert Song

10. Starcarr Lane

11. Jet To Jet

12. S.O.S.

13. Into The Night

14. Samurai

15. Skyfire

16. Since You Been Gone

17. Assault Attack

18. Eyes Of The World

19. Hiroshima Mon Amour

20. Lost In Hollywood

FIRE FOR EFFECT, the new death metal band featuring guitarist Gio Geraca (ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION), vocalist Bret Hoffmann (ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION) and drummer Derek Roddy (ex-HATE ETERNAL, NILE), has signed a deal with Agonia Records.

Despite being formed merely two years ago, FIRE FOR EFFECT is not short on experience or talent. With its members drawing from over 25 years of music careers in famed death metal bands, the expectations for FIRE FOR EFFECT's debut album — which is currently being worked on — are high.

FIRE FOR EFFECT found its resting place at Agonia Records after playing several gigs, releasing their first three-song demo "Into The Breach", and reviewing several other record deal offers. The band's origin is undeniably tied with MALEVOLENT CREATION, featuring the latter's two key former members. Originally launched as Garcia's solo project, events took an unexpected turn when singer Bret Hoffmann stepped in, and the duo exited their mother band, MALEVOLENT CREATION, for good. A short time later, they were briefly joined by bassist Tony Choy of progressive death metal icons ATHEIST and CYNIC, and SUFFOCATION's founding drummer Mike Smith. In 2018, Smith was replaced by another gifted drummer, Roddy. Bassist Paul Mcbride (ENDS) completes the band's lineup.

FIRE FOR EFFECT's debut album is planned for late 2018.

FIRE FOR EFFECT commented: "Hey guys, We are very happy to announce that we will be working with Agonia Records. As you can see, we are working hard and rehearsing our songs that will be appearing on our debut album coming out later this year. You all will be very pleased with what you hear."

FIRE FOR EFFECT is:

Gio Geraca (ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION) - Guitar

Bret Hoffman (ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION) - Vocals

Derek Roddy (ex-HATE ETERNAL, NILE) - Drums

Paul Mcbride (Ends) - Bass

BAD WOLVES have presented a check for $250,000 to the family of late CRANBERRIES singer Dolores O'Riordan.

The Los Angeles-based metal band's debut album, titled "Disobey", includes the group's massively successful cover of THE CRANBERRIES hit "Zombie". The track hit the Top 15 on the American rock radio chart and was No. 1 on iTunes in multiple countries, including the U.K., Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and THE CRANBERRIES' home country of Ireland.

O'Riordan was slated to record vocals for BAD WOLVES' cover of the track on the day that she died in a London hotel this past January. The band decided to release the song in her honor with all proceeds going to her children.

BAD WOLVES made good on their promise by inviting O'Riordan's family onstage last night at New York's Gramercy Theatre and presented them with the quarter-million-dollar check. O'Riordan's two sons, Donny Jr. and Taylor Burton, alongside their father, Don Burton, were presented with the gift in an emotional moment. The check was also accepted on behalf of their younger sisters, Molly and Dakota Burton.


"Our sadness the day Dolores passed was nothing compared to that of her children and her family," said BAD WOLVES frontman Tommy Vext. "In light of the tragedy, donating our proceeds to her children was the only thing that made sense. The ultimate goal is to present them with a $1,000,000 check — and the fact we're a quarter of the way there is beyond incredible. The connection that people have to this song, the stories, the memories and the kids who are hearing this song through BAD WOLVES for the first time — it's a true testament to the timelessness of their mother's songwriting that will live on forever, and we are so grateful to be able to do this for them."

The original single was first released by THE CRANBERRIES in 1994 and became a worldwide No. 1 hit.

The video for the BAD WOLVES' version has garnered more than 83 million views in four months on YouTube.

BAD WOLVES will tour the U.S. in the summer with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and BREAKING BENJAMIN.

BAD WOLVES is managed by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory.

Vext went on tour with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in 2017 as a fill-in vocalist for Ivan Moody while the latter was dealing with substance and alcohol abuse issues.

We shared a special moment with Dolores O'Riordan's family tonight in NYC.

#ForDoloresPosted by Bad Wolves on Tuesday, June 19, 2018

Roadrunner Records band THE AMITY AFFLICTION has unveiled details of its new album, "Misery", which arrives worldwide Friday, August 24.

"Misery" is available for pre-order today, with all orders joined by an instant grat download of the album's electrifying first single, "Ivy (Doomsday)", which is streaming now accompanied by a cinematic official music video. Written and co-directed by the band's own Joel Birch, the official video for "Ivy (Doomsday)" marks the first chapter of a three-part short film chronicling a dark tale of three friends and their quest for vengeance. Additional chapters will be unveiled in the weeks to come.

THE AMITY AFFLICTION will celebrate "Misery" with an epic tour schedule, beginning this week with a North American run as part of the milestone final Vans Warped Tour 2018. Those dates begin tomorrow, June 21 at Pomona, California's Fairplex and continue through early August. From there, THE AMITY AFFLICTION will head to Europe for a headline tour slated for stops in Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Norway, and Belgium. Support on select dates will come from DREAM STATE, THE PLOT IN YOU, ENDLESS HEIGHTS, and others.

Recorded earlier this year in Baltimore, Maryland with producer Matt Squire (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, ARIANA GRANDE, UNDEROATH), "Misery" is the long-awaited follow-up to THE AMITY AFFLICTION's acclaimed fifth studio album, "This Could Be Heartbreak". That LP made a spectacular chart debut upon its 2016 arrival, entering among the top 30 on the Billboard 200 while also charting at #1 in their native Australia — THE AMITY AFFLICTION's third consecutive time topping the ARIA album chart.

THE AMITY AFFLICTION is Joel Birch (vocals), Ahren Stringer (bass, vocals) and Dan Brown (guitar).

"Misery" track listing:

01. Ivy (Doomsday)

02. Feels Like I'm Dying

03. Holier Than Heaven

04. Misery

05. Kick Rocks

06. Black Cloud

07. D.I.E.

08. Drag The Lake

09. Beltsville Blues

10. Burn Alive

11. Nothing Left

12. The Gifthorse

SONS OF APOLLO — the progressive metal supergroup featuring former DREAM THEATER bandmates Mike Portnoy and Derek Sherinian, as well as bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, THE WINERY DOGS), guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES) and vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (JOURNEY, TALISMAN, W.E.T.) — has released the official music video for the song "Signs Of The Time". The track is taken from SONS OF APOLLO's debut album "Psychotic Symphony", which came out last October via InsideOut Music. It sold around 5,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release, earning the band the top position on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, which focuses on top-selling albums by new or developing acts, defined as those who have never appeared on the top 100 of the Billboard 200.

Portnoy says: "The 'Signs Of The Time' video was shot on the recent U.S. tour and is a good taste of what the band is like on stage.

"We are about to embark on the band’s first tour of Europe and the U.K. and can't wait to bring this five-headed musical monster to our fans overseas all throughout the summer."

SONS OF APOLLO got together very organically, as Portnoy explains: "Derek and I reunited shortly after I left DREAM THEATER in 2010 and we put together an all-instrumental touring band with he and I, Billy Sheehan, and Tony MacAlpine. That was my first time working with Derek since the '90s when he was in DREAM THEATER and it was just great to be working with him again. Ever since that tour, which was really just a one-off live thing, he has been nudging me to start a real, original, full-time band. The timing just had never been right, because I had too many other things on my plate. Long story short, the time was finally right to take the bait and put together a band."


"Mike and I work at a relentless pace in the studio," continues Sherinian. "The music is modern, but we have an old-school soul. What is unique about SONS OF APOLLO is that we have true rock 'n' roll swagger along with the virtuosity — a lethal combination!"


But what to call the next great supergroup? "Derek was mainly the one behind the name," says Portnoy. "I have a list that I keep on my phone of about a hundred different band names, which I constantly have to refer to every time I have a new band every year. [Laughs] So, I pulled up the list and APOLLO was one of the names on the list. It was a word that both of us really liked. We started fiddling with different variations of the word. One of the original band names we were working with was APOLLO CREED, the character from the 'Rocky' movies, but after lots of different discussions on different variations, Derek suggested SONS OF APOLLO and it seemed to stick. Apollo is the God of music so with that in mind it seemed like a fitting name."


Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian and Billy Sheehan previously toured together in 2012 and 2013 as PSMS (along with guitarist Tony MacAlpine), playing all instrumental versions from each of their previously recorded music. SONS OF APOLLO is the next logical progression by adding a vocalist and creating all-original material. The band incorporates the progressive style and individual technical prowess that Portnoy and Sherinian shared together in DREAM THEATER combined with the swagger and groove of VAN HALEN, DEEP PURPLE and LED ZEPPELIN.

Los Angeles hard rockers SUNFLOWER DEAD have signed to EMP Label Group, the label founded by MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson. The group's third album, "Coma", will be released on October 19.

Produced by Dave Fortman (SLIPKNOT, EVANESCENCE), "Coma" features SUNFLOWER DEAD's current lineup, including founding members, vocalist (and accordion player) Michael Del Pizzo, guitarists Jaboo and Jamie Teissere (DROID), along with former FEAR FACTORY and current POWERFLO bassist Christian Olde Wolbers and Brian "Brett" Weir, formerly of STARSET, on drums.

The follow-up to 2015's "It's Time To Get Weird", which included the Active Rock Top 40 hit, and title track, featuring Jonathan Davis of KORN, "Coma" is a stripped down, raw beast of a modern hard rock record, to match the band's recently stripped down image. Starting life and continuing through two records with intricate costumes and heavy, zombie-esque, stage makeup, "Coma" sees the band step out from behind the image, and put the focus on the songs.

Says vocalist Del Pizzo: "Though we are extremely proud of what we have accomplished on our own with the more theatrical version of the band, SUNFLOWER DEAD has grown considerably. The entire process of writing and recording this album was fueled by a sense of aggression unlike anything in our previous output. It was clear to everyone involved that this was the moment to strip off the makeup, sign with a label and let the music speak for itself. So we did. And when it came down to it, EMP was definitely the right place."

He adds: "We have known Thom (Hazaert) forever. He actually helped launch SUNFLOWER DEAD's first album and got us our first national tour back in 2012. Combine that with having David Ellefson on our side, and this was an easy decision."

Adds guitarist Jaboo: "The music on 'Coma' is more focused, vicious and emotionally dialed in than any of our previous work. This record is like the rebirth of the band similar to what Christopher Nolan did with the 'Batman' saga. That rebirth is that much stronger with the addition of Christian Olde Wolbers on bass and Brian 'Brett' Weir on drums."

Says EMP's David Ellefson: "SUNFLOWER DEAD is a great, hardworking band who truly embodies the type of DIY ethos that EMP was built on. They have not only released their own records and had great success at radio, but also managed to tour the World supporting major artists, all without the support of a label. We're proud to welcome them into the EMP mamily!"

SUNFLOWER DEAD spent the last three years on the road supporting "Weird", including dates with SNOT and KORN in the U.K., both legs of IN THIS MOMENT's "Hellpop" tour, as well as runs supporting AVATAR, HELLYEAH and MUSHROOMHEAD.

Veteran German metallers GRAVE DIGGER will release their new album, "The Living Dead", on September 14 via Napalm Records.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Fear Of The Living Dead

02. Blade Of The Immortal

03. When Death Passes By

04. Shadow Of The Warrior

05. The Power Of Metal

06. Hymn Of The Damned

07. What War Left Behind

08. Fist In Your Face

09. Insane Pain

10. Zombie Dance

11. Glory Or Grave (bonus track)

The cover artwork can be seen below.

A headlining tour, dubbed "Tour Of The Living Dead", will launch in Hannover, Germany on January 11, 2019 and finish in Tel Aviv, Israel on February 9, 2019. Support on the trek will come from BURNING WITCHES.

GRAVE DIGGER's last album, "Healed By Metal", was released in January 2017 via Napalm Records.

GRAVE DIGGER frontman Chris Boltendahl spoke to Get Ready To Rock! about what inspires him to write new music. "I would say that we are inspired by our own creativity," he said. "As you well know, we have been playing this style of music for many years now and every single member of this band is a much-accomplished musician, so, at the end, what we do is simply play the type of music that we love — the music we grew up listening to. We are lucky to have acquired our own style over the years and that, I believe, is the most important thing to have. When people say to me, 'Oh, you sound like this or that band,' my response to them is, 'Well, we sound like GRAVE DIGGER. Thank you very much.' [Laughs]"

Chris also talked about how the fact that most of GRAVE DIGGER's current lineup has been intact for almost a decade affects the band's songwriting process. He said: "The core members have been playing together for more than twenty years and that certainly makes things easier when bringing new music to life, but, at the end of the day, it all boils down to good quality control, you know? I have to really feel that a certain song deserves to be released under the GRAVE DIGGER moniker — if not, then we simply discard it. We create many riffs when working on a new album but not all of them are good enough to make it to a GRAVE DIGGER album. The quality level in the decision-making process is very high indeed. Because our music is pretty guitar-oriented, we place much focus on the quality of the riffs we choose to utilize and so the decision-making process is very tough indeed."

GRAVE DIGGER is:

Chris Boltendahl - Vocals

Axel Ritt - Guitar

Jens Becker - Bass

Stefan Arnold - Drums

Marcus Kniep - Keyboards

KOBRA AND THE LOTUS has released the official music video for the song "Velvet Roses". Check it out below. The track is taken from the second part of the band's opus magnum, which was released one year after the successful arrival of rock juggernaut "Prevail I".

Issued on April 27 through Napalm Records, "Prevail II" is the proverbial yang to the yin and continues right where KOBRA AND THE LOTUS left off in 2017.

Vocalist Kobra Paige states about "Velvet Roses": "High impact, pure rock adrenaline!! This vid is a fabulous trip. Free falling through the sky, whipping tight turns on a planet where everything that makes sense to you doesn't apply and the impossible doesn't exist. Join this tenacious driver and her motley crew as they take guitar solos literally to 'new heights' and drive you through the hard rock, adventure of your life!!!"

"Prevail II" track listing:

01. Losing My Humanity

02. Let Me Love You

03. Ribe

04. My Immortal

05. Human Empire

06. Heartache

07. Velvet Roses

08. Modern Day Hero

09. You're Insane

10. White Water

11. The Chain

12. Let Me Love You (acoustic bonus track)

Says Kobra Paige: "Humanity. One of the greatest struggles of our human existence is to retain it.

"This sequel album takes a deeper dive into the darkness of our psyche and explores the personal torment and struggle we inflict upon ourselves, one another, and the earth.

"It has become commonplace for people to give up on themselves and lose their belief in their abilities and self-worth. This in turn affects our daily actions/behavior. We are a cripplingly, self-harming species but we are also profoundly capable beings of altruism, evolution, and positivity.

"This album will close the 'Prevail' double sequel on the lightest of all notes by acknowledging that every single person has a desire to be and deserves to be truly seen, loved, and heard. When the ignorance is cleared, we can recognize that we are all in this together."

Finnish metallers OMNIUM GATHERUM will release their new album, "The Burning Cold", on August 31 via Cenury Media. The cover artwork was once again created by Olli-Pekka Lappalainen, who has been responsible for every single artwork for the band since the very first demo.

"The Burning Cold" track listing:

01. The Burning

02. Gods Go First

03. Refining Fire

04. Rest In Your Heart

05. Over The Battlefield

06. The Fearless Entity

07. Be The Sky

08. Driven By Conflict

09. The Frontline

10. Planet Scale

11. Cold

Main songwriter and guitarist Markus Vanhala comments: "Sometimes you can be extra proud of something you've achieved, and I could claim that 'The Burning Cold' has a sense of special chapter for me. I haven't been this excited for a new album of mine for ages!

"I've been extra busy with all the touring in the past year(s) and I truly don't know when and where I got these songs made. They somehow wrote themselves indeed. We got some really good kick-ass songs and fresh tunes made up and 'The Burning Cold' has a really honest feeling in it. Fresh rebirth of OMNIUM GATHERUM!"

Singer and frontman Jukka Pelkonen comments on the lyrical themes and concepts: "There are two major lyrical concepts on the new album. Firstly, it touches the great human tragedies and fortunes which are around us — tragedies such as war and the engulfing darkness that follows, and fortunes which are tangled in experiences we all share despite of the seemingly burning world. Secondly, the lyrics speak loudly of the human emotional condition. How do we love? Why do we hate? Why some things are easier to leave behind than others. Why does death terrify us, and if it does why do people act like it does not exist?

"This album is a pinnacle of all the hard work we as a group have done in OMNIUM GATHERUM for a long time. The music comes alive and reaches new perspectives. Still. This is truly melodic death metal. Sharpened polished, brutal."

"The Burning Cold" was once again mixed and mastered by Dan Swanö and produced and engineered by Teemu Aalto.

OMNIUM GATHERUM is:

Jukka Pelkonen - Vocals

Markus Vanhala - Guitar

Tuomo Latvala - Drums

Aapo Koivisto - Keyboards

Joonas Koto - Guitar

Erkki Silvennoinen - Bass

Featuring two founding members of gore monsters Devourment, and two men from the ranks of Primordius, Kill Everything offer not the slightest suspicion of mercy. Bleak, terrifying and devoid of humanity, Kill Everything are a band for devotees of the ultimate in extremity. Not a single chink of light penetrates the all-pervading darkness that radiates from the brutal grooves of Scorched Earth. The onslaught is relentless, the thick, diseased riffs falling in an incessant cascade of blinding sludge and offal and the humour in tracks like "It’s A Wonderful Knife" is as black as old blood.

On August 17th, Comatose Music will unlock the cage and send Kill Everything’s debut out into the world, a pitiless predator with no aim but total, wanton destruction. A lyric video for the album's opening track, "Kill Everything" can be enjoyed below:

Tracklisting:

"Kill Everything"
"Scorched Earth"
"Intrinsic Vexation"
"Bereft Of Humanity"
"Thermal Liquidation"
"It’s A Wonderful Knife"
"Laid To Waste"
"Carnivorous Lunar Activities"

For further details, visit Kill Everything on Facebook.

 
 

An official karaoke-style lyric video for the Queen song "Liar" can be seen below. Originally titled "Lover", the song was featured on the band's 1973 self-titled debut album.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Kassel, Germany-based melodic thrash/death metal band Burden Of Grief have released a video for "Killing Spree", featured on the band's Eye Of The Storm album. Watch the clip below, and order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"Inception" (Intro)
"Eye Of The Storm"
"The Angel"
"Broken"
"Wolf Moon"
"Killing Spree"
"Breathe One's Last"
"A Dying Breed"
"Maze Of Absurdity"
"Zero Gravity"
"The Funeral Cortege"

"Killing Spree" video:

"Wolf Moon" video:

Mordant Rapture, the San Jose, California-based group delivering powerful symphonic heavy technical death metal will release their debut EP, The Abnegation, on July 13th via The Artisan Era. The new track "Unsightly Beast" is available for streaming below.

The Abnegation is a five-song whirlwind of symphonic and blackened technical death metal influenced by the grandiose nature of film scores and also by groups such as Spawn Of Possession, Emperor, Necrophagist, and Dissection. Pre-orders can be placed at this location.

Active since 2013, The Abnegation will be the group's first release, due in part to Mordant Rapture labouring for years writing and re-inventing themselves until satisfied with songs they considered top-notch.

Tracklisting:

"Unsightly Beast"
"Withered"
"A Plea Above Ashes"
"Quell The Voiceless"
"Natal Trophies"

"Unsightly Beast":

"Quell The Voiceless" lyric video:

As Rammstein announce two shows in Mexico, accompanying reports say that the long-awaited follow-up to 2009’s Liebe ist für alle da is in the “final phase” of production.

Rammstein’s long-awaited new studio album is in the “final phase” of production and will be released later this year, according to reports.

The German outfit have just announced they’ll play two special shows in Mexico over the New Year, with the link to tickets reporting that fans attending the shows will “very likely be the first to hear the new songs.”

The band say: “Rammstein return to Mexico after two years – choosing Mexico's heavenly beaches to throw an unforgettable two-night only and very exclusive show this December 31 and January 2 in Puerto Vallarta. This unique experience is only for a limited group of fans around the world.”

Rammstein then posted a link to the ticket site, with the accompanying text declaring: “At this time, the band is in the final phase of the production of their seventh studio album which will be released before the end of the year, so Mexican fans will very likely be the first to hear the new songs.”

It was reported back in April that Rammstein had returned to the studio to work on the follow-up to 2009’s Liebe ist für alle da, with guitarists Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers previously telling Metal Hammer that their goal for the record was to “try unusual methods, new ideas, and change the path that one usually has” and make it a “milestone” in their career.

Kruspe later hinted that the as-yet-untitled album could be their final release.

He said: “I just feel like, for some reason, that it’s going to be the last record we do. That’s a feeling, I can be wrong – but at the moment, I feel like this is maybe the last shot we have."