DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen has confirmed to NorthJersey.com that the band plans to soon begin the process of writing its first album since 2015's self-titled effort.

"It will be done when it's ready," he said. "You see what works and does not work and what clicks. The great thing is we continue to get better as songwriters."

"Def Leppard" was the band's first studio effort since "Songs From the Sparkle Lounge" in 2008.

Last November, Collen told Classic Rock Revisited that DEF LEPPARD had "three songs on the go" for its next album. "Rick Savage [bass] has one, a verse that he sent me," he said. "I was messing around with some melodies for that too, and Joe [Elliott, vocals] has this amazing idea and I have this one that's kind of finished. I have melodies, a chorus and all the guitar parts. So we've started, officially, without even knowing it, the next DEF LEPPARD album."

According to Collen, DEF LEPPARD has "already started recording" material for its next release. "That takes a lot of the pressure off it," he explained. "I never get writer's block because I always stay busy. The great thing about music now is you can do it anytime with your computer. It's going to be awesome."

Collen added that the new DEF LEPPARD music will "come out in drips and drabs. It'll probably be a traditional album, but you never know," he said. "If someone says we need a new DEF LEPPARD song, we'll put it out. It's great to have every option available."

"Def Leppard" entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 10 with first-week sales of just over 30,000 units — nearly all from pure album sales.

LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda spoke about the band's future during an appearance on the first episode of "Inside The Studio", a brand new podcast series on iHeartRadio.

Asked if LINKIN PARK will continue, nearly one full year since the death of singer Chester Bennington, Mike said (hear audio below): "I don't know. That's the million-dollar question, right? And, unfortunately, I've said it before, but, unfortunately, there aren't any answers to that at this point. It would be awesome if there were. That would be really easy. I wish we were in a Brian Johnson/Bon Scott situation where it's, like, no, the guy, our best friend, who sang for the band who passed away, he literally said, 'This is the guy,' and we listened to the guy and the guy's definitely the guy, and we all love hanging out with him, and we want to play with him. That's not a normal... That didn't happen to anybody else, really. That hasn't happened to us."

Mike went on to give more insight into how he and his bandmates are feeling about carrying on without Chester, explaining: "If somebody comes and says, 'Hey, LINKIN PARK, do you want to play a show in Germany?' then you have to have a discussion with all the guys, and you have one guy who's, like, 'I definitely don't want to do it,' and you have one guy who says, 'I don't know. Maybe. Maybe we shouldn't do it,' and two guys who say, 'We definitely need to do it,' and then there's concerns. All that noise, that is not something I can deal with right now, and it's not a knock on anybody else. Any one of us could be the outlier opinion, the minority voice on something, but I definitely need some more simplicity in terms of decision making."

Bennington was found dead last July after committing suicide at his home in Palo Verdes Estates, California.

LINKIN PARK paid tribute to Bennington in October with an emotional three-hour show that featured numerous guests joining the band onstage in Los Angeles.

LINKIN PARK released a concert album titled "One More Light Live" in December.

Shinoda's solo album "Post Traumatic", is due on June 15.

According to Billboard, METALLICA has donated its monetary award from the Polar Music Prize to three charities. 50 percent of the one-million-Swedish-Kroner prize (just over $130,000) went to the Stockholm City Mission, which supports the homeless; 25 percent to the World Childhood Foundation, founded by Sweden's Queen Silvia; and 25 percent to the Afghanistan National Institute Of Music, also a recipient of this year's Polar Music Prize.

"Many of the Polar Music Prize laureates over the years have donated their prize money to charity," Marie Ledin, managing director of the Prize, told Billboard. "It's not something we ask of them, but we appreciate their generosity. I know my father, Stig Anderson, would be very happy and proud to know of our laureates' great charitable donations."

Sweden's biggest music award, the Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig "Stikkan" Anderson, the manager and music publisher of ABBA. A well-known lyricist, he also was the co-writer on many of their early hits. The prize was first presented in 1992.

Previous winners of the Polar Music Prize include Elton John, Sting, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Max Martin and Bruce Springsteen.

The Polar Music Prize honors two laureates every year to "celebrate music in all its various forms" and "to break down musical boundaries by bringing together people from all the different worlds of music."

METALLICA was awarded the Polar Music Prize on Thursday night (June 14) at a ceremony in Stockholm, where drummer Lars Ulrich and bassist Robert Trujillo watched GHOST frontman Tobias Forge, along with members of Swedish metal act CANDLEMASS and the duo VARGAS & LAGOLA, honor the band with a performance of the METALLICA classic "Enter Sandman".

Swedish singer Loney Dear performed "Wherever I May Roam" and "No Leaf Clover", while REFUSED frontman Dennis Lyxzen and ex-MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee covered the song "Whiplash". Reading the citation for METALLICA were DEEP PURPLE's Ian Paice and Roger Glover.

Ulrich and Trujillo accepted the prize from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. In his acceptance speech, Ulrich said: "Who would have thought, when METALLICA started this musical journey 37 years ago, that one day we would be standing in front of both musical royalty and actual royalty, accepting one of the most prestigious prizes that can be bestowed upon musicians."

OBITUARY drummer Donald Tardy has told James Willard of the "Mosh Mag" podcast that the band is in no rush to return to the studio to begin work on the follow-up to last year's self-titled effort. "We are super happy with what's going on right now," he said (hear audio below). "We're supporting this new album. It's probably the best album we've ever written. We know 'Slowly We Rot', 'Cause Of Death' and 'The End Complete' are the albums that people will always remember OBITUARY [by], and we're cool with that; we're very proud of those albums. But 30 years into it, to still write an album that's still that relevant, we're super proud of the songs; the production fits it perfectly. So we're gonna support this album. We're gonna see every corner of the planet, 'cause fans wanna see OBITUARY, and we're gonna stay busy and do what we do."

He continued: "We're always thinking about new songs and writing riffs and this and that. But at this time of our lives and this time of the music industry… This new album has only been out for just over a year now, so we're in no hurry to try and push another album out of us as quick as we can; there's no sense.

"I'm a believer in when an album is a favorite album of a fan, they're gonna listen to that thing again and again and really worship it," he added. "I mean, [DIO's] 'Holy Diver' album is how old? It's 20-something years old, and I still listen to 'Holy Diver' almost every day of my life, so it's not, like, 'Oh, after two years, you need a new album.' I think metal fans understand that. And OBITUARY's catered to a live show. It's fun doing albums, and you get proud for making songs and making albums, but there's nothing more awesome than live shows and seeing the fans come out and giving them what they want, which is just a kick-ass show and having a good time."

After parting ways with Roadrunner following the release of 2005's "Frozen In Time", OBITUARY released two albums via Candlelight Records — 2007's "Xecutioner's Return" and 2009's "Darkest Day" — before signing with Relapse Records in 2014.

OBITUARY's second Relapse release — the aforementioned self-titled tenth studio album — came out in March 2017.

OBITUARY has just completed a North American headline tour with support from PALLBEARER, SKELETONWITCH and DUST BOLT.

The classic lineup of California metallers AS I LAY DYING — Tim Lambesis on lead vocals, Jordan Mancino on drums, Phil Sgrosso on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Nick Hipa on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Josh Gilbert on bass and clean vocals — played its first first comeback show last night (Saturday, June 16) at Soma Sidestage in San Diego, California. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

The $10 tickets to AS I LAY DYING's first live appearance since 2013 at the 300-capacity Soma Sidestage reportedly sold out in four minutes. It was said to be the band's decision to play on a smaller stage rather than the 2,000-capacity mainstage.

Earlier in the month, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "My Own Grave", which marked the first fresh music from the band since it issued its sixth album, "Awakened", back in September 2012.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

Last December, Lambesis released a statement in which he apologized to his former wife and children for his "appalling actions." He also accepted responsibility for being "the sole offender and the only one to blame for everything that happened."

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

Lambesis was arrested in May 2013 after handing a "hitman" — really an undercover police officer — $1,000 in cash, along with his wife's address and gate security codes.

Prior to the murder plot, his wife had asked a San Diego Superior Court to dissolve their marriage.

Last night, the five members of AS I LAY DYING released a half-hour video in which they discussed the return of their classic lineup, including how they reconnected and repaired their personal relationships following Lambesis's release from prison.

In the video below, Mark Tremonti and Eric Friedman of Tremonti crush Metallica's "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" on a Hello Kitty guitar and ukulele.

Tremonti, the band comprised of Mark Tremonti on vocals/guitars, Eric Friedman on guitars/backing vocals, and Garrett Whitlock on drums, will release their fourth full-length album, A Dying Machine, worldwide via Napalm Records on June 8th. Enjoy the official track premiere for "As The Silence Becomes Me" below. “As The Silence Becomes Me” is now available on all streaming services.

The album, A Dying Machine, is available for pre-order here in various physical configurations as well as digitally. Fans that pre-order the album digitally will receive an instant download of “Bringer Of War”, “Take You With Me” and “A Dying Machine” as well as the brand new track "As The Silence Becomes Me".

“Bringer of War”, “Take You With Me”, “A Dying Machine” and today's released track "As The Silence Becomes Me" are also available on all streaming services including Apple Music and Spotify.

A Dying Machine is the first concept album of Tremonti’s career. The music is inspired by a story that came to Mark while on the last Alter Bridge tour. During that time, the epic title track “A Dying Machine” was born. The story, which is being turned into a full-length work of fiction authored by Mark Tremonti and John Shirley, takes place at the turn of the next century where humans and fabricated beings called “vessels” are trying to co-exist. Tremonti and Shirley are working on finishing the novel to release alongside the record.

A Dying Machine tracklisting:

"Bringer Of War"
"From The Sky"
"A Dying Machine"
"Trust"
"Throw Them To The Lions"
"Make It Hurt"
"Traipse"
"The First The Last"
"A Lot Like Sin"
"The Day When Legions Burned"
"As The Silence Becomes Me"
"Take You With Me"
"Desolation"
"Found"

"Bringer Of War" lyric video:

"Take You With Me" video:

"A Dying Machine" lyric video:

Teaser:

Tremonti will be hitting the road in support of A Dying Machine. The band heads to Europe mid-June for seven weeks of touring that includes dates as direct support for Iron Maiden alongside headline shows and European festivals. Full tour info and ticket links can be found here.

Ripple Music has announced the signing of LIGHTNING BORN to a worldwide deal. The band's new album will be released in late 2018.

A true supergroup, featuring some of the best musicians in the Maryland/East Coast doom scene, LIGHTNING BORN began when Doza Hawes, longtime drummer of metal act MEGA COLOSSUS, caught Brenna Leath performing with her band, THE HELL NO. "I really dug her vocals, and wanted to see what she could do in a more traditional, classic rock and blues-inspired kind of framework," said Hawes. As the two brainstormed potential guitarists, "I immediately thought of Erik Sugg from DEMON EYE," said Hawes. "He writes great riffs, but also crafts excellent songs. I thought his darker, doom influence would be a perfect fit for Brenna. "The trio clicked on Erik's riff ideas. Meanwhile, Brenna was finishing up a HELL NO album, produced by CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's Mike Dean. She invited Dean to join the group on bass, and the chemistry was apparent.

"It's not every day that you get to pick your dream line up of musicians to start a band. This is the easiest songwriting process, us all together, that I've ever had. The songs just pop out almost instantly," said Hawes.

LIGHTNING BORN debuted in 2016, rocking its debut show with CONAN and SERIAL HAWK in their hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. Since then, the band has from strength to strength, sharing the stage with THE SWORD, EARTHLESS, MOUNTAIN, THE OBSESSED, KARMA TO BURN, RUBY THE HATCHET and many others. They performed at the Maryland Doom Fest in 2017 and were invited to return in 2018.

LIGHTNING BORN's eponymous debut album, recorded and produced by Dean, is due in November.

LIGHTNING BORN is:

* Mike Dean (CORROSION OF CONFORMITY) - Bass

* Erik Sugg (DEMON EYE) - Guitar

* Doza Hawes (MEGA-COLOSSUS, BLOODY HAMMERS, HOUR OF THIRTEEN) - Drums

* Brenna Leath (THE HELL NO) - Vocals

SLASH FT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS will release their third album, "Living The Dream", on September 21.

The band will support the disc by embarking on tour of the U.S. and Canada in early September.

The artist pre-sale starts tomorrow at 10 a.m. local time on each stop. Use the password "SLASH18" to fet your tickets at SlashOnline.com.

Tour dates:

Sep. 13 - Whisky A Go Go @ Los Angeles, CA

Sep. 15 - The Van Buren @ Phoenix, AZ

Sep. 16 - Kaaboo Del Mar @ Del Mar, CA

Sep. 18 - The Depot @ Salt Lake City, CA

Sep. 19 - Fillmore @ Denver, CO

Sep. 21 - Paradise Cove Margaritaville @ Tulsa, OK

Sep. 22 - Winstar @ Thackerville, OK

Sep. 24 - Stubbs @ Austin, TX

Sep. 26 - House of Blues @ Houston, TX

Sep. 28 - Louder Than Life @ Louisville, KY

Sep. 29 - Four Winds Casino Resort @ New Buffalo, MI

Oct. 01 - Wellmont Theatre @ Montclair, NJ

Oct. 02 - Fillmore @ Silver Spring, MD

Oct. 04 - Casino Rama @ Rama, Canada

Oct. 05 - Pier 17 at South Street Seaport @ New York, NY

Oct. 06 - Mohegan Sun @ Uncasville, CT

Oct. 09 - Paramount @ Huntington, NY

Oct. 10 - Electric Factory @ Philadelphia, PA

Oct. 11 - House Of Blues @ Boston, MA

Oct. 14 - Aftershock @ Sacramento, CA

The follow-up to 2014's "World On Fire", "Living The Dream" was once again tracked with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who has previously worked with ALTER BRIDGE, IGGY POP and INCUBUS, among many others.

In addition to singer Myles Kennendy and Slash, SLASH FT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS features Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

Back in March, Slash said that he was "excited" about the material that was written for the upcoming SLASH FT. MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS album. "It's got some cool songs and it's got a great live feel," he said.

"I've been working with Myles, Brent and Todd for about eight years now. It's been an amazing ride so far; as a band we continue to get better which is great. With the addition of Frank since the 'World On Fire' tour, I feel we have hit a great, creative stride which I definitely think shows on this next record."

After Slash and the CONSPIRATORS toured "World On Fire", rumors about the long-awaited GUNS N' ROSES reunion tour began to circulate and were confirmed in early 2016.

The current GUNS trek — which features Slash and fellow original members Axl Rose and Duff McKagan — launched in April 2016 and has since grossed more than $400 million, with more dates coming this summer and this fall.

Despite the success of the "Not In This Lifetime" reunion tour, there has been no indication that GUNS intends to record a new album anytime soon. The last GUNS studio album, "Chinese Democracy", came out in 2008 and featured only Axl Rose from the band's classic lineup. The last album on which Rose, McKagan and Slash appeared together was 1993's covers set "The Spaghetti Incident?"

Kennedy's debut solo album, "Year Of The Tiger", was released on March 9 via Napalm Records.

DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier has exited PÄNZER, the heavy metal "supergroup" featuring Pontus Norgren (HAMMERFALL) and V.O. Pulver (G.U.R.D., POLTERGEIST) on guitar and Stefan Schwarzmann (ACCEPT, ex-RUNNING WILD) on drums.

Schmier said in a statement: "I had some great fun with PÄNZER the last years, but now it is time for me to move on! Yes, I need to let go.

"I wanna focus a 100% on DESTRUCTION and the upcoming challenges. A new drummer and a new record...

"I wanna thank all the PÄNZER boys and hope they will go on without me, I was never a great heavy metal singer but I had fun doing it!

"Goodbyes are never easy but I need to do this for the sake of my lifetime project, my privacy and my future!

"Thanks to those who supported my PÄNZER years — united we stand! See you hopefully soon on the stages of the world…"

PÄNZER released its second album, "Fatal Command", last October via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Send Them All To Hell" marked PÄNZER's first release since the departure of guitarist Herman Frank (ACCEPT, VICTORY), who left the group to focus on his solo project.

In an interview with Metal Master Kingdom, Schmier said about PÄNZER: "Lineup changes are always a little difficult, but, basically, the backbone of the band didn't change at all; we kept everything rolling. And it's great fun. To me, it's a great alternative to play heavy metal — just straight metal and maybe very German also. And there's no limits; we just do what we want. There's no high expectations that we have to sound like this or that; we just praise the good old fucking metal."

Swedish death metallers GRAVE have announced the addition of drummer Tomas Lagrén to the group's ranks.

The band states: "We have a new drummer. He has been with us for the past year and done a great job behind the drums. A hard-hitting son of a bitch and the brother of Mika."

GRAVE 2018 is:

Ola Lindgren - Guitar/Vocals

Tobias Cristiansson - Bass

Mika Lagrén - Guitar

Tomas Lagrén - Drums

GRAVE parted ways with drummer Ronnie Bergerstål at the end of 2016.

The band's latest album, "Out Of Respect For The Dead", was released in October 2015 via Century Media. The CD's eerie artwork was again created by Costin Chioreanu, who was responsible for the band's previous three albums as well as the "Morbid Ascent" EP. Chioreanu is also known for his collaborations with such acts as AT THE GATES, PARADISE LOST and ARCH ENEMY.

The five members of AS I LAY DYING have released a half-hour video in which they discuss the return of their classic lineup — Tim Lambesis on lead vocals, Jordan Mancino on drums, Phil Sgrosso on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Nick Hipa on lead guitar and backing vocals, and Josh Gilbert on bass and clean vocals.

Earlier in the month, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "My Own Grave" and announced its first comeback show, which took place Saturday night (June 16) at Soma Sidestage in San Diego, California.

Prior to the arrival of the new song, AS I LAY DYING hadn't released any new music since it issued its sixth album, "Awakened", back in September 2012.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

Last December, Lambesis released a statement in which he apologized to his former wife and children for his "appalling actions." He also accepted responsibility for being "the sole offender and the only one to blame for everything that happened."

The return of AS I LAY DYING has raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

In the just-released video, Lambesis spoke about the steps that he took to reconnect with his bandmates after his release from prison, explaining that he "first reached out to Jordan and Josh" because "that seemed the most natural place" for him. "And I reached out to them in an e-mail a long time ago, and the first individual conversations we had were mainly me listening so that I could better express my apology."

He added: "There's the obvious wrongdoings that I made and then there's the little ways that they sort of spread out beyond that and hurt people in so many ways that I really wasn't entirely aware of until I got home. And those conversations kicked off, and I was able to sort of better understand what they'd been through and I think more sincerely apologize because of that."

Lambesis was arrested in May 2013 after handing a "hitman" — really an undercover police officer — $1,000 in cash, along with his wife's address and gate security codes.

Prior to the murder plot, his wife had asked a San Diego Superior Court to dissolve their marriage.

Lambesis admitted that he went into survival mode after his arrest, explaining that he hired people to defend him and speak on his behalf. As a result, he said, he "definitely bought into that and that influenced the person" he was while he awaited his sentencing. "Then my sentencing happened, and that moment in the courtroom [when I expressed my remorse] was true and genuine, but I didn't have any ability to follow up with it in any way… And then there was such an unbelievable sense of relief after my sentencing of, like, defense is no longer in my vocabulary. I don't defend what I did, because there's no defense for it. I'm not gonna try to defend what I did, because it's ridiculous. All I can do is make amends where possible, express my remorse and just put my energy into something positive."

The $10 tickets to AS I LAY DYING's first show since 2013 at the 300-capacity Soma Sidestage reportedly sold out in four minutes. It was said to be the band's decision to play on a smaller stage rather than the 2,000-capacity mainstage.

Fan-filmed video footage of QUEENSRŸCHE's May 27 performance at HerrinFesta Italiana, a celebration of all things Italian and Herrin, which was held in Herrin, Illinois, can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Anarchy-X

02. Revolution Calling

03. Damaged

04. Walk In The Shadows

05. The Whisper

06. The Mission

07. Breaking The Silence

08. I Don't Believe In Love

09. Silent Lucidity

10. Guardian

11. The Lady Wore Black

12. Empire

13. Queen Of The Reich

14. Jet City Woman

15. Take Hold Of The Flame

Encore:

16. Best I Can

17. Screaming In Digital

18. Eyes Of A Stranger

For the past 14 months, QUEENSRŸCHE's founding drummer Scott Rockenfield has been taking time off from the band's touring activities to spend time with his young son, who was born in February 2017. Filling in for him is former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo.

Earlier this year, QUEENSRŸCHE entered the studio with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris to begin recording the follow-up to 2015's "Condition Hüman" LP, but has not indicated if Rockenfield was involved with the making of the disc. However, the band did confirm that Grillo did not play on the record, which will mark QUEENSRŸCHE's third full-length release with La Torre, following the departure of Geoff Tate in 2012.

Back in December, La Torre spoke to KNAC.COM about where he is getting his lyrical inspirations from for the new QUEENSRŸCHE material. "A lot of the stuff on this, I think, just has to do with, again, the political spectrum and just what's going on in the world," he said. "And QUEENSRŸCHE always injected those kinds of topics in their content. And so a lot of it has to do with just what's going on socially and politically, and globally and these subjects are timeless. So, if you listen to songs from the '60s that have to do with social discourse and stuff like that, it still applies today."

Wargaming — the company behind free-to-play titles World Of Tanks (2010), World Of Warplanes (2013) and World Of Warships (2015) — has announced that IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson will host 10 online educational warplanes diaries. Launching today, this free-to-view series is set to be released weekly on the World Of Warplanes official portal and YouTube channel across June, July and August, alongside an exclusive World Of Warplanes video tribute to the classic IRON MAIDEN song "Aces High".

As an avid enthusiast of military aviation, pilot, and supporter of World Of Warplanes' dedication to historical accuracy, Bruce has recorded "The Bruce Dickinson Warplanes Diaries" about the classic WW2 fighter and bomber aircraft such as the Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109. As an extra treat for MAIDEN and Warplanes fans, World Of Warplanes have created, with many of the graphics from their in-game engine and some classic archive footage, a tribute video clip to the epic "Aces High" music video. Featuring many of the Battle Of Britain planes that Bruce profiles in the series, viewers can see the machines really brought to life.

"We are all delighted that Bruce has brought his enthusiasm and expertise to World Of Warplanes with these informative videos which he has delivered in his own inimitable style," commented Wargaming's global marketing director, Al King. "As well as the diaries and the 'Aces High' tribute, we are also introducing a renovated hangar subtly branded with iconic IRON MAIDEN imagery. It's unlike anything the game’s ever had before and we hope MAIDEN fans will have fun spotting the various Easter eggs hidden throughout!"

Dickinson's first video sees him talking about the Hawker Hurricane, a classic aircraft that is often overshadowed by the Spitfire but was actually the main workhorse of the RAF during the Battle Of Britain.

With their melodic black/death metal, The Spirit have already made waves in the European underground scene and with their self-released debut album Sounds From The Vortex being strictly limited and nearly sold out on their homepage, the band is now reissuing their icy black / death metal chimera through Nuclear Blast on August 10th.

The seven virtuosic tracks of the quartet hailing from Saarbrücken, Germany, freshly revive the past of the genre and immediately induce nostalgia with their clashing melodies and authentically rough sound.

Today, the band is presenting a lyric video for their first single "The Clouds Of Damnation", a 7-minute burst of unfiltered emotions. Watch the clip below:

Sounds From The Vortex is now available for pre-order as CD, LP (black and clear) and download. Get the version of your choice here.

At this year's Party.San Open Air, the band will play a release show for Sounds From The Vortex, and you can also witness the band's sinister live atmosphere and live skills at Summer Breeze and Metal Invaders. Later this year, in October and November, the quartet will join their label mates Kataklysm and Hypocrisy on their extensive Death... Is Just The Beginning European Tour.

Dates:

August
9-11 - Schlotheim, Germany - Party.San Open Air
15-18 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze

September
22 - Schwerin, Germany - Metal Invaders Vol. 2

October (with Kataklysm, Hypocrisy)
18 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
19 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
20 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
23 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
24 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
25 - Wrocław, Poland - Zaklęte Rewiry
26 - Geiselwind, Germany - MusicHall
27 - Milan, Italy - Live Music Club
28 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
29 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao
31 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Mon

November (with Kataklysm, Hypocrisy)
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
2 - Limoges, France - CC John Lennon
3 - Paris, France - La Machine du Moulin Rouge
4 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
5 - Hamburg, Germany - Docks
6 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Trädgår'n
7 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset
9 - Helsinki, Finland - The Circus
10 - Tampere, Finland - Pakkahuone
12 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
13 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Neushoorn
14 - Berlin, Germany - Kesselhaus
15 - Dresden, Germany - Eventwerk
16 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle 2
17 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser

December
8 - Münster, Germany - Wintermelodei

(Photo - Natalia Kempin)

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE drummer Jason Bowld told Altpress.com that he had been approached to join GHOST in 2016. Bowld would have played in the group as one of its masked, anonymous Nameless Ghoul. He recalled: "At the end of 2016, I got asked to join another band, which I didn’t want to do — a band called GHOST. It just didn't feel right."

Bowld instead joined BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE officially in 2017 after touring with them the previous year. He remarked: "BULLET came along that same week. I started playing with the band in 2010 as a session drummer, filled in and didn't think anything else after that. Then Matt [Tuck, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE frontman] called me at the end of 2015. A week turned into a month, a month turned into three months and here I am."

Bowld makes his recording debut with BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE on its upcoming album, "Gravity", due out June 29.

He replaced drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas, who took a temporary leave of absence from BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE in 2016 to spend time with his wife, as they awaited the birth of his first child.

"Gravity" will be released through BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's new label home, Search And Destroy, the imprint launched in 2014 by Spinefarm and international artist management company Raw Power Management.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE recently completed an extensive American tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BREAKING BENJAMIN.

During an interview with SiriusXM DJ Eddie Trunk that aired yesterday (Thursday, June 14), guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB, KXM) revealed that he recently received an offer to play with RATT.

Asked whether the rumors are true that he was asked to join the current touring lineup of RATT — presumably alongside singer Stephen Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier for their upcoming shows without Warren DeMartini — George responded: "Mmm-hmm. We just couldn't come to an agreement on it. They haven't called me back. I've been staring at the phone. My wife's like, 'Honey, want to go to bed or eat something?' I'm like, 'I'm waiting for the RATT phone to ring.' I'm good with it."

Interestingly, DeMartini — who is apparently no longer a member of RATT — had a short stint with DOKKEN in the early 1990s when Lynch was out of the band. He returned to RATT in 1996.

RATT recently announced plans to move forward with Pearcy and Croucier and as as-yet-unrevealed lineup of other musicians. The group's first show featuring its new lineup will take place in Mulvane, Kansas on July 7.

Back in March, it was reported by the Metal Sludge web site that DeMartini was fired by Pearcy and Croucier, with undisclosed sources telling the site that "serious issues" existed between the three members of RATT's classic lineup. Fellow RATT guitarist Carlos Cavazo apparently confirmed the report a few days later, telling the site that he couldn't see himself continuing with the band without DeMartini. "I can't picture anyone else being there other than Warren," Cavazo was quoted as saying.

RATT — featuring DeMartini, Pearcy and Croucier — played a number of shows last year after reforming in 2016 in the midst of a highly publicized legal battle with drummer Bobby Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name. They were joined at the gigs by Cavazo and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

Dead End Finland have released a new single, "Closer To Extinction", taken from their upcoming fourth album due to be released in 2019 via Inverse Records. Watch the official lyric video below.

The band comments: "Whereas our first single, 'Lifelong Tragedy', introduced the band's grandiose and calm style, this one presents a heavier, multi-dimensional side"
 

Line-up:
Mikko Virtanen - vocals
Santtu Rosén - guitars, bass
Miska Rajasuo - drums
Jarno Hänninen - keys

For information and updates on the band, check out their official Facebook page here.

Unleashing their new Downfall EP last month, whiplash tyrants Fallen Legion have premiered their new music video for the track "Way Out", which can be viewed below.

Downfall features six energetic, unorthodox, progressive, spirited and memorable tracks plus guest vocals and keyboard from Cradle Of Filth's Lindsay Schoolcraft on "New Skin". The EP follows Fallen Legion's two well-received demo EPs Screams From The Dungeon (2012) and Infinite Archive (2015). Consisting of Nick Sauter on guitars, Jon Kal on bass, Josh Masterson on vocals and Dylan Waybrant on drums, the band presents an eclectic metal brigade of influences from Gojira, Korn, Iron Maiden, Dethlok and Antonio Vivaldi.

The band comments: “This EP is about dealing with stress- mortal blows, drugs, thoughts of suicide, the inner struggle, and the wrath of it all. The EP represents the outcome of painful experiences. Songs like ‘Escapegoat’ deal with not being able to handle the consequences of one’s actions and pushing them onto those weaker than yourself, and ‘Monster Reborn’-about letting the guilt build up inside, trapping one within their own mental anguish.”

The band is not shy when it comes to hitting the road having performed with bands like Soilwork, Havok, Unearth, Battlecross and 36 Crazy Fists. They are currently wrapping up their Southern Ontario shows in support of Downfall on The Weekend Warriors Tour with one remaining concert on June 16th in Sudbury, ON at The Asylum.

UK melodic rockers Vega have released a lyric video for "Let's Have Fun Tonight", the lead track of their fifth studio album, Only Human. Watch below.

The band self-produced the record but teamed up with legendary Canadian musician and producer Harry Hess (Harem Scarem) for the mixing and mastering to bring their fans another gem of a release.

If you're very lucky, there may be occasions in your life when you find a band and you realize you’ve discovered something a bit special. We've all heard groups who release 'great' albums, but Vega certainly make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and provide butterflies in the stomach excitement when all fans of modern melodic rock listen to their new records for the first time. The 12 songs that comprise Only Human truly see Vega take their songwriting and musicianship to the next level.

Tracklisting:

"Let’s Have Fun Tonight"
"Worth Dying For"
"Last Man Standing"
"Come Back Again"
"All Over Now"
"Mess You Made"
"Only Human"
"Standing Still"
"Gravity"
"Turning Pages"
"Fade Away"
"Go To War"

"Let’s Have Fun Tonight" lyric video:

"All Over Now":

"Worth Dying For" video:

"Last Man Standing":

"We wear our love of 80's rock music on our sleeves, but we also have injected our love of modern rock music to it. We aren't trying to rehash anything: the sound we have achieved is 100% Vega. We didn't want to try and guess what people expect and get it wrong," says singer Nick Workman.

Lineup:

Nick Workman: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Tom Martin: bass guitar
Marcus Thurston: lead guitar
James Martin: keyboards
Mikey Kew: guitar, backing vocals
Martin ‘Hutch' Hutchinson: drums

Fan-filmed video footage of JOURNEY's June 15 performance at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey can be seen below.

JOURNEY's 58-city co-headlining tour with DEF LEPPARD kicked off in Hartford, Connecticut on May 21 and will wrap in Los Angeles, California on October 6.

It is the second time the two bands have toured together. JOURNEY and DEF LEPPARD first teamed up in 2006.

Asked if he ever expected JOURNEY to once again play stadiums, guitarist Neal Schon told the St. Louis, Missouri classic rock radio station KSHE 95: "Good music is great music, and I think it's timeless. Things come around, they go around. It's sort of like, every ten years, it feels to me, like it takes a full circle. The timing just seems right again. We've been out there for two decades kicking it pretty hard, and keeping our fans happy.

"I never gave up hope," he continued. "We kind of defied death a few times [laughs], and it's perseverance. You push forward, and try not to pay attention to the negative aspects that people like to throw around. People like to create controversy. They like to create drama — 'How are you going to do it without this? How are you going to without that?' I prefer just to not listen to any of that and stay within my convictions of where I want to go and what I want to accomplish. If you do that, you always succeed eventually."

JOURNEY keyboardist Jonathan Cain spoke about the band's touring life during an interview with Tigman of the Albany, New York radio station Q103. He said: "It's pretty much an honor to go out there. They set the stage — you've got 75 guys out there busting their hump for you. It's all laid out; all we have to do is show up. We have a great crew; we have great guys. They do all the grunt work, so it makes our job really easy. Now, the technology is so great — the P.A.s are better; the in-ear monitors are a blessing; the halls sound good; we stay at nice hotels; we have a plane. It's okay. You're away from home; you've got to pick up anchor; but we've done it so many times, we're good at putting the anchor down when we get somewhere. I think that's what I told Arnel [Pineda, vocals] when he joined the band — 'You've got to learn to pick up your anchor, and learn to drop it when it's time to drop it. Get grounded somewhere, even if it's a couple days.' The great way to tour these days is you hub, and you're able to hub in one city, so we get to sleep in the same bed for three, four days. Much better than rolling around in a bus. We're blessed."

JOURNEY has sold 48 million albums and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2017.

Canadian metal trio Cauldron have announced a set of U.S. shows with support act Barrow Wight to celebrate their long-awaited new album entitled New Gods out September 7th through The End Records (North America) and Dissonance Productions (Europe).

Dates:

September
6 – Boston, MA – The Middle East
7 – Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle
8 – Brooklyn, NY – The Kingsland

The band also has a headline release show planned in their hometown of Toronto set for September 15th at Junction City Music Hall. 

For the follow up to their critically-acclaimed 2016 album In Ruin, Jason Decay (lead vocals/bass), Ian Chains (guitar) and Myles Deck (drums) together with producer Chris Stringer (Timber Timbre, Wooden Sky) honed and recorded the songs at Union Sound in Toronto for what would become New Gods. 

New Gods, the group’s fifth full-length studio record, once again promises a strong emphasis on songwriting and melody, complete with high-end organic production to match. “We have always prioritized songwriting above anything else. For me personally, I have always felt more confident writing than as a "musician" and for the first time I think we have found the production that best suits our songs,” says Decay. 

"I am very proud of the songwriting, performances and production on this one, and it is definitely the most confident I have been in a finished album of ours.  It is dark, it’s heavy and it has a very melodic sense of AOR. Most importantly, it still sounds very Cauldron. I’m pretty sure people who were into In Ruin will like this one just as much if not more!”

Tracklisting:

“Prisoner Of The Past”
“Letting Go”
“No Longer”
“Save The Truth / Syracuse”
“Never Be Found”
“Drown”
“Together As One”
“Isolation”
“Last Request”

Helion Prime and their mascot - the mighty Saibot - return with their sophomore effort Terror Of The Cybernetic Space Monster. The album consists of nine brand new tracks - with the seventeen minute monster title song marking a stunning finale. The Sacramento, California-based power metal band’s new piece of work was mixed and mastered at LSD studio by Lasse Lammert (known for his work with bands like Alestorm and Gloryhammer). Helion Prime continues their theme of blending science fiction with science fact.

Founder Jason Ashcraft comments: "I wasn't sure where I was going when writing this album. As fans who follow us closely know, it's been a bumping two years for us since the release of our debut. We are back and fully inspired. This album focuses more on human nature and our battle with the good and evil within ourselves. I did not plan this when starting the album but that is where it naturally evolved. I am very pleased with the result and hope you are all as equally excited.”

This album will mark the first time the full band lineup is joined together on a release. This also marks the debut of Sozos Michael on vocals.

Sozos remarks on the subject: "Working on this album has been an incredibly rewarding experience. While Jason had a clear vision as to what this album would shape up to be as the principal songwriter, he was always open to my ideas on vocal lines and lyrics. Our collaboration went very smoothly and it definitely shows on the final product."

Jason also comments on the audition of Sozos: "He is the kind of singer I have always dreamed of working with. Not only are his vocal skills top notch but he understands and knows what the music needs. Writing together for this album was a breeze and I hardly had to ask for any rewrites. Often he would send me ideas that was exactly what I was thinking. I am thrilled to work with someone like that and can't wait to see what we accomplish together."

The cover art was once again done by Marc Whisnant, who was already responsible for the artwork of the band’s self-titled debut album, which was released via Divebomb Records in early 2016 before AFM Records signed the band to a worldwide deal and re-issued Helion Prime almost exactly a year after its initial release. Press hailed the album as a breath of fresh air in the power metal scene and called it one of the most innovative power metal records in a long time.

Britain's original grindfather, Shane Embury, has today launched his own Extrinsic Recordings label by confirming details of his first release. Set up with the purpose of providing an outlet for his creative endeavours outside of his Napalm Death "day job", Extrinsic Recordings' first release will be Born To Murder The World. Pre-order here.

The album is titled The Infinite Mirror Of Millennial Narcissism, and it will be released digitally on August 24th. The first track, "Brutal Alchemist", is available for streaming below.

With the weight of two stalwarts of extreme metal behind it, Born To Murder The World was always going to be heavy. With the blueprint for the band hashed out on drunken night’s out in their Birmingham home town, Shane Embury (Napalm Death, Venomous Concept, Brujeria, Lock Up, etc.) and Mick Kenney (Anaal Nathrakh, Mistress) swore to join forces.

Having known each other for the best part of 20 years, and being avid fans of each others’ creative output, distance was no barrier for the pair once Kenney relocated to California. As the album began to take shape, they recruited Duncan Wilkins aka Drunk (Fukpig, Mistress) to give a voice to tracks such as "The Virus Is Within Us All", and "Brutality Alchemist".

Describing their unholy union as a "brutal amalgamation of Napalm Death and Anaal Nathrakh”, Born To Murder The World is very much the sum of its parts, and then some. With songwriting jointly handled by Embury and Kenney, recording, mixing and mastering was also taken care of by the latter at his own studio, The Barracks.

As he enters his 34th year of making music, Extrinsic Recordings is a new outlet for all of Embury’s forthcoming projects and collaborations.

Tracklisting:

"When The Heart Is Violated"
"Brutality Alchemist"
"Genesis Misconception"
"The Virus Within Us All"
"As He Creates So He Destroys"
"Penetrate The Descent"
"The Death of Dreams"
"Poisoning Purity"
"Negative Plague"
"Corruption Feeds Deception"
"Tiyanak"
"How Barren Is Life Without Sin"

"Brutality Alchemist":

The Infinite Mirror Of Millennial Narcissism by Born to Murder the World

Born To Murder The World lineup:

Drunk - Vocals
Mick Kenney - Guitars/ Bass/ Programming
Shane Embury - Guitars/ Bass

Legendary Greek black metallers Varathron have released a video for "Remnants Of The Dark Testament, taken from their new studio album Patriarchs Of Evil, out now via Agonia Records. Watch below, and order the album at Agonia Records.

Co-founded in 1988 by Stefan Necroabyssious, the band's vocalist and sole original member, Varathron has been on a steady release schedule since 2004's Crowreign. The latter album introduced Haris (drums) and Achilleas C. (guitars) to the band, who were later joined by Sotiris (guitars) and Stratos (bass), and who together established a new, well-bonded line-up of an already established Hellenic black metal act, considered as one of the forefathers of the genre, next to Rotting Christ and Necromantia.  

Having previously described Patriarchs Of Evil as "heavy, dark and full of melodies that will revive past memories", Varathron elaborates on the successor to Untrodden Corridors Of Hades (2014), now that the recordings have come to an end:

"The time has come to deliver our new opus Patriarchs of Evil. A sinful sip of this unholy communion will lure you into an astral journey of absurd dimensions - with an awakening smell of the old era. This album is one of the finest pieces Varathron has ever unleashed. We promise a true heavy, blasphemous and unique masterpiece with Necroabyssious delivering his best performance ever. With glorious riffs, profound melodies and a solid rhythm section, this dark testament is to delve into. The time of the rejuvenation has come!! WE ARE FOREVER IMMORTAL!!

"Varathron are proudly spreading the Mediterranean plague since 1988! 30 years have passed and we continue to worship darkness and preach the unholy word! Patriarchs of Evil is not just a new album, it is a celebration and one of our greatest creations. Behold the 8 hymns!".

Patriarchs Of Evil was recorded, mixed and mastered over the course of 2017 by Achilleas Kalantzis  (aka Achilleas C.) at Crown Audio Conspiracies, except for drums which were recorded at Infinite Loop Music Studio. Both studios are based in Varathron's hometown of Ioannina, Greece. The album's artwork and layout were designed by Juanjo Castellano. New band photos were taken by Evi Savva.

Album formats:

- Digipack CD with slipcase and 16 pages booklet.
- Black gatefold LP.
- Picture disc gatefold LP (with insert, patch and poster) limited to 200 hand-numbered copies.
- Yellow with black splatter gatefold LP (with insert, patch and poster) limited to 125 handnumbered copies.
- "30 years" zipper hoodie.
- T-shirt.

Tracklisting:

“Tenebrous”
“Into The Absurd”
“Luciferian Mystical Awakening”
“Saturnian Sect”
“Remnants Of The Dark Testament”
“Hellwitch (Witches Gathering)”
“Orgasmic Nightmares Of The Arch Desecrator”
“Ourobors Dweller (The Dweller Of Barathrum)”

“Remnants Of The Dark Testament” video:

“Into The Absurd” video:

Album stream:

World-renowned guitar legend Bernie Tormé's new double album Shadowland is now available for pre-order, and you can be a part of the album.

Says Bernie: "I am very pleased to be back here at PledgeMusic to make a new album! This is my fourth time working with PledgeMusic, and at this stage it feels like it’s almost turning into an addiction! But a good one!

"This new PledgeMusic project will be a double album entitled Shadowland. I’ve got some great songs and ideas for it already, and a great band too, I can’t wait to get back in the studio to record them.

"There are lots and lots of special Pledge items and experiences with this project, but the one I am most looking forward to is the fact that YOU GUYS CAN PLAY ON THE ALBUM! Yes, we are looking for about 60 seconds of sonic mayhem from pledgers to make this project really rock! (Have a look at the ‘Play On The Album’ Pledge option).

"So, what else can you get if you pledge? When you pledge/pre-order the new Shadowland album, not only will you get the Shadowland double album as a download or as a physical double CD, but we are also throwing in a free additional album of rare vintage tracks called A’s & B’s 77-81. These vintage tracks have been lovingly restored from the original vinyl and are only available to pledgers on this PledgeMusic campaign. A’s & B’s 77-81 will be available as a download for all, and also as a free CD for those who pledge/pre-order the Shadowland physical CD package. You also get front seat access to the whole process, updates, videos, Q & A’s, & lots more.

"In addition, we’ve got lots of great one-off Pledge items, some very rare Gillan memorabilia (stuff that only the band & crew at the time had including original ‘Glory Road’ tour jacket and tour passes), some of it so rare that I have to thank my old Gillan compadre Colin Towns for donating it to this project because I had lost mine! There is also a Limited Edition Photobook culled from my personal collection of photos and press cuttings, and various other Pledge goodies, including a chance to jam onstage with the band on our upcoming UK tour.

"I am really looking forward to getting going on this, I hope you get on board and support me and the new Shadowland project in the same way as you did on my three earlier PledgeMusic projects, Flowers & Dirt, Blackheart, and Dublin Cowboy. You guys make the whole experience so much more enjoyable, hands on, and fun!

"As I said before, I need your support to make all this happen. By pledging and pre-ordering you guys enable me to do the thing that matters most to me, to record new music. It’s great to go out & play all the old stuff, I really love that too, but writing and recording new music is life blood to me. And PledgeMusic enables me to do that.

I really hope you get involved, and if you do, I honestly cannot thank you enough! Thank you."

Tormé will be heading out on tour for the final time in the UK later this year. The celebrated Irish six-stringer will hit the road for a string of dates in November/December.

A man whose CV is as impressive as his six-string dexterity, Tormé has lent his enviable skills over the years to Gillan, Ozzy Osbourne, Dee Snider, Atomic Rooster and many others whilst maintaining an acclaimed solo career alongside.

"(Bernie) did me a great favour. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t be doing it now. I’d have given up." - Ozzy Osbourne, 2018

The Final Fling UK 2018:

November
22 - Facebar - Reading, UK
23 - Queen Vic - South Shields, UK
24 – Winterstorm Festival - Troon, UK
25 – Bannermans - Edinburgh, UK
27 - Robin II - Bilston, Wolverhampton, UK
28 - Craufurd Arms - Milton Keynes, UK
30 - The Lounge - London, UK

December
1 - The Bear - Weston-super-Mare, UK

More on Bernie Tormé...

Guitar legend, blues rock psychedelic shredmeister, glam punk sleaze rock frontman: Bernie Tormé has enjoyed a long and remarkable career. Hit records, world tours and international acclaim came as lead guitarist in Gillan. After which, Bernie stepped in for Ozzy Osbourne in the aftermath of guitar legend Randy Rhoads' tragic death before going on to front Electric Gypsies and Tormé. Teaming up with Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider and Iron Maiden's drummer Clive Burr, Bernie put together Desperado and later reunited with ex-Gillan colleague, John McCoy and drummer Robin Guy in GMT.

Returning to the stage in 2013, Bernie also began working in his favoured trio format once again, releasing three critically-acclaimed albums; Flowers & Dirt (2014), Blackheart (2015) and the 3CD Dublin Cowboy (2017) package (comprising a live, an acoustic, and a new electric studio album). All three were crowdfunded, connecting Bernie directly with his fans.

Bernie states: “In the past you were pretty distant and separated from your fans with a record label in between. Making these albums with pledge campaigns has been a great experience. I like having the connection with fans and getting the feedback direct on making an album.”

2018 will see the release of Bernie’s latest studio album.  

Bernie Tormé has recorded over 24 albums in his career to date as a solo artist or band member.

Black Mirrors will finally release their full-length debut album Look Into The Black Mirror via Napalm Records on August 31st. It is a prime example of all the wonderful stuff that can happen when you sell your soul to Indie, snotty garage rock, blues and some soner rock.

As a first single the Belgian crew fronted by Marcella Di Troia unveil the crisp Josh-Homme-style stomper "Günther Kimmich" that moves the sound of the band one step further on from their Funky Queen EP from 2017. It's a strong first single for a record which will unveil a stunning variety of all flavors of genuine rock music.

Marcella Di Troia on "Günther Kimmich": "With 'Günther Kimmich' we remain faithful to our musical influences; solid and powerful riffs with strong and catchy vocal lines. It's pretty much the fastest song on the album and it will definitely be among the cooler songs to play live! Making this video clip was such a great and magical experience! I even emotionally interacted with a huge bison haha, which you can also see in the video! The beautiful nature and all the other cool footage were captured by our talented friend Sebastien Van Malleghem!"

Watch the video below.

The beautifully unchained Marcella Di Troia sings, screams, croons and whispers on otherworldly ballads like "Moonstone"or "Inner Reality" and over the danceable grooves of "Lay My Burden Down" - and the band keeps the hypnotic beats and thunderous riff walls coming on their debut album Look Into The Black Mirror. She's literally the new voice of rock n' roll!

Pierre Lateur (guitarist) on the album Look Into The Black Mirror: "Look Into The Black Mirror is the result of all our personal, musical and spiritual experiences we've went through during the past five years. Overall the album is very song-oriented as we believe that 'melody' is the most important element in music. We dug into every aspect of what we enjoy in music; from straightforward heavy rock songs to very intimate, groovy or acoustic tunes. We recorded the album already months ago, and even after all this time we're still getting more proud of what we pulled off. We are so excited to finally share these songs with the world after such a long time! We'll play a lot of them on tour after the summer!"

Available formats:

- LTD Edition 4 page digipack & Bonus Track
- 1LP Gatefold Edition in different colors
- CD & Shirt Bundle

The exclusive pre-order is available here.

 
Tracklisting:

"Shoes For Booze"
"Funky Queen"
"Lay My Burden Down"
"Inner Reality"
"Moonstone"
"Günther Kimmich"
"Cold Midnight Drum"
"Mind Shape"
"Till The Land Wind Blows"
"Burning Warriors"

"Günther Kimmich" video:

 
Tour Dates
 
June
9 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Harlequin Fest
24 - Braine-Le-Comte, Belgium - La fête de la Musique
30 - Enkirch, Germany - Fallig Open Air

July
27 - Dettenheim, Germany - Sunny Side Open Air
28 - Enghien, Belgium - Rockelingen
 
September
27 - Brussels, Belgium - Ancienne Belgique (Album release show)
 
November (with The Night Flight Orchestra)
23 - Cologne, Germany - Luxor
24 - Osnabrück, Germany - Rosenhof
25 - Zoetermeer, Netherlands - Boerderij
26 - Arnhem, Netherlands - Willemeen
27 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob
28 - Nantes, France - Le Ferrailleur
30 - London, England - Underworld

December (with The Night Flight Orchestra)
1 - Paris, France - Le Petit Bain
2 - Toulouse, France - Le Rex
3 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol
4 - Barcelona, Spain - Bóveda
5 - Lýon, France - Warmaudio
6 - Milano, Italy - Legend Club
8 - Zurich, Switzerland - Dynamo
9 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connection
10 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse
11 - Budapest, Hungary - A38
12 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
13 - Graz, Austria - Dom im Berg
14 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
15 - Prague, Czech Republic - Nova Chmelnice
16 - Nuremberg, Germany - Hirsch
17 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
18 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - olos-Saal
19 - Berlin, Germany - Bi Nuu
20 - Jena, Germany - F-Haus
21 - Dresden, Germany - Eventwerk Studio
22 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix

Lineup:

Marcella Di Troia: Vocals
Pierre Lateur: Guitar
Loic: Bass
Edouard Cabuy: Drums

(Photo - Mehdy Nasser)

Dutch symphonic metal giants Epica have teamed up with the highly successful Attack On Titan to release a very special EP. With their legion of fans, Attack On Titan have conquered both the print world with over 70 million copies, and anime sector with an adaption that is currently airing worldwide. The EP entitled Epica Vs. Attack On Titan will be released worldwide - outside of Japan - on July 20th via Nuclear Blast Records featuring metal covers of the anime’s theme songs.

Today, the band releases the first trailer for the upcoming EP. Watch as guitarist Isaac Delahaye and keyboardist Coen Janssen discuss the journey of writing and adapting the theme songs to fit the Epica sound:

Epica Vs. Attack On Titan will be available in the following formats:

- CD Jewel case
- Vinyl - Violet, Yellow, Black

Pre-order your copy here.

Epica Vs. Attack On Titan was recorded during the summer of 2017 at Sandlane Recording Facilities by Joost van den Broek. The original songs, which were influenced by the music of Epica, were composed by Revo of popular Japanese band Linked Horizon. For the EP, tracks were adapted by Epica and produced by Joost van den Broek. The choir arrangements and scoring were completed by keyboardist Coen Janssen who also handled the orchestral arrangements with Joost van den Broek.

Tracklisting:

"Crimson Bow And Arrow"
"Wings Of Freedom"
"If Inside These Walls Was A House"
"Dedicate Your Heart!"
"Crimson Bow And Arrow" (Instrumental)
"Wings Of Freedom" (Instrumental)
"If Inside These Walls Was A House" (Instrumental)
"Dedicate Your Heart!" (Instrumental)

"Crimson Bow And Arrow":

After two years of literally non-stop touring worldwide, this summer Epica will perform their last batch of festivals of their current touring cycle. With performances on the legendary Hell & Heaven Festival in Mexico City, Wacken Open Air in Germany or at Slovenia’s magical Metaldays, among other festivals, Epica will give all metal fans one last party before their well-deserved touring break.

Tickets and info here.

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

As first single, "Crosswhore" (the album’s opening track) has now been launched, check out the video below.

Baest comments: “Some of you out there might already know ‘Crosswhore’ since we already put out that track ourselves a while ago. Now, to properly introduce us to Century Media’s audience, we proudly present you the album version and are excited to kick off the presale for our debut Danse Macabre. If you want death metal, Baest will make sure, you’ll get it!”

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

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

All pre-sales can be viewed here.

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

Danse Macabre tracklisting:

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

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

Tour dates:

June
29 - Tuska - Helsinki, Finland

July
12/07 Devilstone - Anyksciai, Lithuania

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

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

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

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

Baest is:

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

(Photo - Nikolaj Bransholm / Bransholm Photography)