Stormwitch's new album Bound To The Witch will be released on June 29th via Massacre Records. The album track "Odins Ravens" is available for streaming below.

The album will be available as a jewel case CD as well as strictly limited vinyl LP with 11 songs each, as a limited edition CD Digipak with exclusive bonus tracks with a total of 14 songs and as digital download and stream.

The cover artwork was created by Michael Vetter, Marc Ayerle took care of the album's mix and mastering at the klangMAnufaktur.

Tracklisting:

“Songs Of Steel”
“Odins Ravens”
“The Choir Of The Dead”
“Bound To The Witch”
“Arya”
“Stormwitch”
“Life Is Not A Dream”
“King George”
“Ancient Times”
“The Ghost Of Mansfield Park”
“Nightingale”
“Stronger Than Heaven” (Digipak only)
“Rats In The Attic” (Digipak only)
“Priest Of Evil” (Digipak only)

“Odins Ravens”:

“Songs Of Steel” lyric video:

The Pineapple Thief  have revealed the first single “Far Below” from their forthcoming new studio album Dissolution. The follow-up to 2015's Your Wilderness is the band's second album to feature King Crimson and Porcupine Tree virtuoso drummer Gavin Harrison.

Vocalist, songwriter and guitarist Bruce Soord explains the song's evolution: “'Far Below’ began life as a bit of a jam session between myself and Gavin. Gavin had this distinctive 6/8 rhythm going and it didn't take long for me to find the melodies. And so, a song was born. Is it my favourite track from the album? Impossible to judge as the album covers so much ground. But it does showcase what the four of us want The Pineapple Thief to be about and I for one can't wait to play this one live.”

Listen to the track below.

Bruce Soord reveals more about the themes within Dissolution: “Broadly speaking the title reflects the disintegration of relationships and the undoing of our social fabric. We're living in a time when supposedly we are more connected than ever before, but, I personally am at my happiest when I unplug that connection.”

Soord elaborates on the writing and recording process: “We've once again been joined by Gavin Harrison. It's been a real collaborative journey between the 4 of us writing and recording this record, with the songs taking on a life of their own. When everyone pulls in the same direction, amazing things can happen. The Pineapple Thief is a different proposition with Gavin. This time he was with me from the inception of 'Dissolution' and together we took the songs into territory I wouldn't have found on my own. We found ourselves pushing each other so much further, both technically and artistically. There were times in the depths of the writing and recording process, which took 6 months, that I felt so exhilarated but at the same time exhausted and overwhelmed, that I couldn't imagine us ever finishing the record. Every day we found ourselves finding that extra something we didn't know we had. None of us would let anyone or anything get in the way of what we felt the album should become. I look back on the process with immense pride.”

Gavin Harrison states: “It's been fantastic to collaborate with these guys again - especially as this time I've been involved from the ground up. It's been a most inspiring effort and I think it will prove to be the best yet.”

Dissolution was recorded across the UK at the band member's various studios, Bruce explains, “The drums were recorded and mixed by Gavin at his studio, Bourne Place in London. He has the best sounding live room I have heard and gets an incredible drum mix. Gavin would send me a stereo drum mix that he would constantly tweak as the songs progressed. Jon records his bass at his studio north of Leicester. Steve records his keyboards at his mastering studio in Exeter and I record and mix the rest here in my studio (Soord Studios) in Yeovil, Somerset. It may seem odd that we were able to create something as 'a band' when we are so far apart. But we talked almost daily. Technology means ideas can be shared instantly. We were effectively jamming a lot of the time. Just a bit further apart.”

Dissolution features cover art artwork from iconic design agency Stylorouge, who have produced artwork for the likes of Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Blur and the British film Trainspotting.

Dissolution will be released in the following formats, all available for pre-order here:

- CD
- Black LP - pressed to audiophile 180g vinyl
- Limited Edition Crystal Clear LP edition - pressed to audiophile 180g vinyl
- Blu-ray - features a 16-page booklet, the album plus bonus music in a 24/96 DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound mix and 24/96 hi-res stereo audio
- Deluxe 4 disc edition - features 52 pages containing exclusive additional artwork, the original album on CD plus a second CD of bonus music, and is topped off with a DVD and Blu-ray featuring the album and bonus material in a 24/96 DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround sound mix and 24/96 hi-res stereo audio.
- All digital & streaming platforms

Dissolution tracklisting:

"Not Naming Any Names"
"Try As I Might"
"Threatening War"
"Uncovering Your Tracks"
"All That You've Got"
"Far Below"
"Pillar of Salt"
"White Mist"
"Shed A Light"

"Far Below":

The Pineapple Thief will be taking Dissolution on the road starting in September, with new dates added for March 2019. This tour includes their biggest show to date at London's prestigious O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire.

September
15 - Paris, France - La Maroquinerie
16 - Brussels, Belgium -  La Madeleine
17 - Bremen, Germany - Schlachthof
18 -  Hanover, Germany - Musikzentrum
19 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
21 - Warsaw, Poland - Stodola
22 - Olomucany, Czech Republic - S-Club
23 - Prague, Czech Republic - Rock Cafè
25 - Wien, Austria - Szene
26 - Munich, Germany - Backstage Werk
27 - Aschaffenburg, Germany -  Colos-Saal
28 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall
29 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg

October
4 - Edinburgh, Scotland - Liquid Rooms
5 - Sheffield, England - Leadmill
6 - London, England - O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

February
22 - Roma, Italy - Largo Venue
23 - Milano, Italy - Santeria Social Club

March
3 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
5 - Stockholm, Sweden - venue tba
6 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee

The Pineapple Thief are:

Bruce Soord - vocalist, guitarist, composer
Gavin Harrison - drums
Jon Sykes - bass
Steve Kitch - keyboards

(Photo - James Cumptsy)

Montréal based melodic death metallers Kataklysm unleashed their new studio album Meditations on June 1st through Nuclear Blast Records. Thanks to their loyal fan-base, the album saw the bands highest first week numbers and it debuted at #52 on the Billboard Top Current Charts, #15 on the Billboard Top Current Rock and #3 on Billboards Heatseekers/Top New Artist chart as well as landing #7 on the Current Hard Music chart.

Meditations also reached the following chart positions:

#21 - Germany
#23 - Switzerland

Canada:
#12 - Hard Music Albums
#80 - Top Current Albums

"It's times like these that all the sacrifices and all the pain endured over the years comes to be worth it in this business. When people come together and appreciate a work of art that you have done and they are able to relate and support it. Having our best first week debut ever and even hitting the top 100 Billboard album charts doesn't change anything for us or our work ethic but it sure feels good after 26 years of hard work! Thank you to all our fans - old and new - for the soulful lift. Come and see us rip this album live! m/" - Kataklysm

Order Meditations in various formats at this location.

Produced by the band's own guitarist J-F Dagenais and drummer Oli Beaudoin, the new album was mixed by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour). Mastering duties were handled by Paul Logus (Pantera).

The Meditations cover artwork, which can be seen below, was created by Ocvlta Designs by Surtsey, who also crafted the artwork for Kataklysm's previous record, Of Ghosts And Gods.

Meditations tracklisting:

"Guillotine"
"Outsider"
"The Last Breath I'll Take Is Yours"
"Narcissist"
"Born To Kill And Destined To Die"
"In Limbic Resonance"
"And Then I Saw Blood"
"What Doesn't Break Doesn't Heal"
"Bend The Arc, Cut The Cord"
"Achilles Heel"

"The Resurrected" live video:

"Outsider" video:

"Narcissist" video:

"Guillotine" lyric video:

Kataklysm have announced that they will be teaming up with Swedish death metal legends Hypocrisy for a European co-headline tour.

The tour's special name traces back to Nuclear Blast's popular sampler series and promises nothing but evenings of moshpits and endless devastation. Don't miss out on this outstanding tour and secure your tickets now.

Maurizio Iacono states: "It's been in talks for over two years and finally both Kataklysm and our brothers in Hypocrisy can make the schedule work to join forces once more. It's been almost 15 years since we toured together and the last time we did the tours became instant classics. It‘s that time again folks... Kataklysm & Hypocrisy team up once more for a world tour beginning with Europe this fall. To make things even greater our record label Nuclear Blast has come on board and baptized the tour Death... Is Just The Beginning, a homage to the old classic compilations that made so many fans discover both bands back in the day. This will mark the return of this classic compilation with this tour and maybe give other artists the chance to get discovered like we did. DO NOT MISS THIS TOUR, YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE!"

Hypocrisy's Peter Tägtgren adds: "I hope that you are just as excited as we are, because we are very happy to announce that we are finally warming up the Hypocrisy engine again and that we will be back on the road in fall! We will be touring Europe together with our friends in Kataklysm! The tour will be an overview of the chaos and confusion created by Hypocrisy over the years. See you out there!"

Tour dates:

October
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
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

More Kataklysm live dates:

June
14-16 - Gräfenhainichen, Germany - With Full Force
21 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
22 - St. Goarshausen, Germany - Rockfels
23 - Clisson, France - Hellfest

July
6 - Bucarest, Romania - Metalhead Meeting
7 - Barcelona, Spain - Rockfest Barcelona
21 - Bertingen, Germany - R.U.D.E
25 - Tolmin, Slovenia - Metaldays

August
16 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze
17 - Moravsky Krumlov, Czech Republic - Rock Heard Festival
18 - Essen, Germany - Turock OA

Kataklysm is:

Maurizio Iacono - Vocals
Jean-Francois Dagenais - Guitar
Stephane Barbe - Bass
Oli Beaudoin - Drums

Following up the worldwide top 10 video chart success Act I, Tarja and earMUSIC recently announced the release of the long-awaited follow up, Act II, this summer. Check out a new teaser video below:

Tarja recently revealed the first song from Act II, “Love To Hate”.

The bombastic live version of “Love To Hate” has been recorded at renowned Metropolis Studios in London, UK, and showcases Tarja’s impressive vocal range and talent for compositions. In London, Tarja and band performed an intimate, yet rocking version of the fan favourite in front of 20 lucky winners from all over Europe. The song, originally from her worldwide chart success The Shadow Self, gives a powerful taste of the forthcoming live release and can be found on the video version of Act II only.

Watch the video below. “Love To Hate" (Live In London) is also available to stream and download here.

Filmed during Tarja's world tour The Shadow Shows, during which the influential heavy rock singer circled the world 7.5 times with over 300,000 km travelled and played over 200 shows in 40 countries in front of 1 million people, Act II consists of the singer's very intimate 75-minute set filmed and recorded live at the Metropolis Studio in London, UK and the breathtaking live performance of one of her shows in Milan, Italy, and previously unreleased interviews and photo galleries.

The theatrical rock adventure Act II combines two incredible, yet slightly different live performances on video:

The first chapter, Metropolis Alive, has been filmed two months prior to the release of Tarja's 2016 success The Shadow Self. Twenty winners from all over Europe were lucky to witness Tarja's intimate, yet rocking set at renowned Metropolis Studios in London, where the singer performed songs from her then unreleased album - for the first time in front of an audience.

Act II is the second chapter and was recorded on November 29th, 2016 at the magnificent Teatro della Luna Allago in Milan, Italy and includes numerous hits from all four Tarja albums such as "Innocence," "Die Alive," "Until My Last Breath," as well as an incredible cover of Muse's classic "Supremacy." That night's set list also enchants the soprano's long-time fans with a medley consisting of the distinctive Nightwish evergreens: "Ever Dream," "Slaying The Dreamer," and "The Riddler." It was all topped off with a remarkable acoustic set, which presented Tarja classics in a brand new way.

Even though the shows deliberately differ in look, sound, approach to the music and adrenaline, both have one thing in common: from the very first to the very last tune, the state of the art production displays Tarja's energetic performance and her graceful, charming presence.

Act II will be released on July 27th via earMUSIC as 2CD digipak, 3LP Gatefold (180g, black), DVD, Blu-ray, Limited Mediabook 2CD+2BD (including two full live shows filmed at Hellfest in France and Woodstock Festival in Poland as bonus) and Digital.

A wide variety of exclusive, limited fan items and bundles can be found on Tarja’s official web shop here.

Tracklisting:

CD1
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"

CD2
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Acoustic Set:
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Undertaker"
"Too Many"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
 
3LP + Download Code

Side A
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"

Side B
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"

Side C
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Side D
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

Side E
"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Too Many"

Side F
"Undertaker"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
 
BD//DVD

Filmed at Metropolis Studios, London, UK, June 6, 2016
"No Bitter End"
"Eagle Eye"
"Sing For Me"
"Love To Hate"
"The Living End"
"Medusa"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Die Alive"
"Innocence"
"Until My Last Breath"
"Too Many"

Filmed at Teatro della Luna Assago in Milan, Italy, November 29, 2016
"Against The Odds"
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Acoustic Set:
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Undertaker"
"Too Many"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"

Bonus Material
- Interviews with Tarja and band members
- Photo Gallery 1: Through the eyes of the fans
- Photo Gallery 2: From stages and streets by Tim Tronckoe

Limited Mediabook

BD1
Filmed at Metropolis Studios, London, UK June 6, 2016
"No Bitter End"
"Eagle Eye"
"Sing For Me"
"Love To Hate"
"The Living End"
"Medusa"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Die Alive"
"Innocence"
"Until My Last Breath"
"Too Many"
 
Filmed at Teatro della Luna Assago in Milan, Italy, November 29, 2016
"Against The Odds"
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Acoustic Set:
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Undertaker"
"Too Many"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
 
Bonus Material
- Interviews with Tarja and band members
- Photo Gallery 1: Through the eyes of the fans
- Photo Gallery 2: From stages and streets by Tim Tronckoe
 
BD2
Filmed at Woodstock Festival, Poland, 16th of July, 2016
"Against The Odds"
"No Bitter End"
"Demons In You"
"500 Letters"
"Ciaran’s Well"
"Supremacy"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Innocence"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
"Over The Hills And Far Away"
 
Filmed at Hellfest, France, June 19, 2016
"No Bitter End"
"Never Enough"
"Ciaran’s Well"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"
 
CD1
"No Bitter End"
"500 Letters"
"Eagle Eye"
"Demons In You"
"Lucid Dreamer"
"Shameless"
"The Living End"
"Calling From The Wild"
"Supremacy"
"Tutankhamen"
"Ever Dream"
"The Riddler"
"Slaying The Dreamer"
 
CD2
"Goldfinger"
"Deliverance"

Acoustic Set:
"Until Silence"
"The Reign"
"Mystique Voyage"
"House Of Wax"
"I Walk Alone"

"Love To Hate"
"Victim Of Ritual"
"Undertaker"
"Too Many"
"Innocence"
"Die Alive"
"Until My Last Breath"

Faithsedge have began recording for their new album, slated for an early 2019 release. The above photo features drummer Matt Starr (Mr.Big, Ace Frehley) , singer /songwriter Giancarlo Floridia and bassist Tim Gaines (ex-Stryper) a few months ago at Namm 2018.

The new album marks the return of former Stryper bassist Tim Gaines. Also producing is former Dokken lead guitarist Alex De Rosso. The album will be mixed and mastered at the new Cube studio in Padova, Italy .

The band will be announcing their new guest keyboard player by the end of the year, who will add to the melodic approach and direction of the songs. As confirmed by Giancarlo Floridia, the keyboardist is from a multi-platinum selling band from the late 80's, early 90's.

The album is promised to be a return of melodic rock/metal with hooks and melody with elements of progressive. The band's previous album Restoration was released via Scarlet Records (eOne distribution) for US and Europe and Spiritual Beast Japan (Universal music Japan distribution).

Stay tuned for updates.

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's entire June 10 concert at Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Intro/Delusions Of Saviour

02. Repentless

03. Blood Red

04. Disciple

05. Mandatory Suicide

06. Hate Worldwide

07. War Ensemble

08. Jihad

09. When The Stillness Comes

10. Postmortem

11. Black Magic

12. Payback

13. Seasons In The Abyss

14. Dittohead

15. Dead Skin Mask

16. Hell Awaits

17. South Of Heaven

18. Raining Blood

19. Chemical Warfare

20. Angel Of Death

SLAYER kicked off its farewell tour on May 10 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California.

This past January, SLAYER announced that it would do one last concert tour around the globe to thank their fans for all of their support over the years, for making the last three and a half decades so packed with good times and unforgettable experiences, and then move on.

SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya talked about his possible retirement in a 2016 interview with Loudwire. He said: "At 35 years, it's time to collect my pension. [Laughs] This is a career move." He continued: "I'm grateful that we've been around for 35 years; that's a really long time. So, yeah, to me, it is. Because when we started off, everything was great, because you're young and invincible. And then there came a time where I became a family man, and I had a tough time flying back and forth. And now, at this stage, at the level we're at now, I can do that; I can fly home when I want to, on days off, and spend some time with my family, which is something I wasn't able to do when [my kids] were growing up. Now they're both older and mature. So now I take advantage of that." Araya added: "Yeah, it just gets harder and harder to come back out on the road. 35 years is a long time."

Tom also revealed another reason for his diminished enjoyment of the touring life. He said: "There's things that have gone on in my life that have made me change how I play as a bass player. I had neck surgery, so I can't headbang anymore. And that was a big part of what I enjoyed doing what I do — singing and headbanging. I liked knowing that I was one of the fucking badass headbangers. That played a big part. Now I just groove with the music, which is cool, because I'm grooving with the music and the feel of the songs, so that's changed a little for me."

SLAYER has been touring in support of its latest album, "Repentless", which was released in September 2015 via Nuclear Blast. That effort marked the band's first release since the death of SLAYER's co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, in January 2011 from a spider bite in his backyard. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

Original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was effectively fired from the band after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of SLAYER. He has since been replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band.

SLAYER has U.S. dates booked through August 26 at San Jose, California's SAP Center. The band will embark on the European leg of its "farewell" tour in the fall. Support on the trek will come from LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX and OBITUARY.

An unboxing video for "Live Over Europe", the new live album from progressive metal pioneers FATES WARNING, can be seen below. The disc will be released on June 29 via InsideOut Music.

Captured during the most recent European headlining run for FATES WARNING's acclaimed latest studio album, "Theories Of Flight", in January 2018, "Live Over Europe" includes recordings from eight different cities (Aschaffenburg, Germany; Belgrade, Serbia; Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece; Rome and Milan, Italy; Budapest, Hungary and Ljubljana, Slovenia) and a total of 23 songs in over 138 minutes of playing time, spanning 30 years of the group's seminal career.

"Live Over Europe" was mixed by Jens Bogren (OPETH, KREATOR, SYMPHONY X) and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden and will be available as limited 2CD mediabook, gatefold 3LP + bonus-2CD or as digital album.

FATES WARNING vocalist Ray Alder stated: "We would like to thank each and every one of our fans that helped us make 'Live Over Europe'. We had a great time making this album and we hope that you enjoyed the shows as much as we did playing them."

"Live Over Europe" track listing:

CD 1:

01. From The Rooftops

02. Life In Still Water

03. One

04. Pale Fire

05. Seven Stars

06. SOS

07. Pieces Of Me

08. Firefly

09. The Light And Shade Of Things

10. Wish

11. Another Perfect Day

12. Silent Cries

13. And Yet It Moves

CD 2:

01. Still Remains

02. Nothing Left To Say

03. Acquiescence

04. The Eleventh Hour

05. Point Of View

06. Falling

07. A Pleasant Shade Of Gray, Pt. IX

08. Through Different Eyes

09. Monument

10. Eye To Eye

FATES WARNING 2018 is:

Bobby Jarzombek - Drums

Joey Vera - Bass and Vocals

Ray Alder - Vocals

Jim Matheos - Guitars

Mike Abdow - Guitars and Vocals

Asked how he feels being attached to the "progressive" tag, Matheos told Goldmine in a 2016 interview: "I understand the need for labels. We all use labels. I use them if I have to describe something I'm listening to… I'll use whatever label comes to mind. That's the one that fits in general. It doesn't bother me. I just think that whole term doesn't mean that much anymore. The stuff that people give to me to listen to all the time — 'Oh, this is great prog stuff. You're gonna love it.' But, to me, if I even bother to listen to it, it sounds like something I've heard a hundred times before."


Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

Frontiers Music Srl will release the self-titled debut album from GROUNDBREAKER, the new project featuring singer Steve Overland of FM and Robert Säll of WORK OF ART and W.E.T., on September 14.

The disc's first single, "Over My Shoulder", can be streamed below.

According to a press release, "Groundbreaker" is "simply everything that a melodic rock fan could hope for: soaring hooklines, magnificent melodies, amazing musical performances, and in Overland, a stunning vocalist. Mixing the British and Swedish melodic rock/AOR styles, 'Groundbreaker' is truly the best of both worlds and surely destined to be one of the highlights of the year in an already stellar year for melodic rock!"

GROUNDBREAKER came about when a conversation between Frontiers president Serafino Perugino and Overland revealed that the latter was eager to collaborate with new and exciting musicians from the European melodic rock scene. The idea was immediately brought up to involve Säll and use Alessandro Del Vecchio's production abilities. Overland loved the initial material that was submitted, and consequently they all started to work on songs. The process was very smooth and the final result was so good that everyone thought that the name GROUNDBREAKER was the right way to describe the power and the vibe of the music.

"I'm the main composer for about half of the songs, but Ale and Steve wrote a lot as well," says Säll. "I had to write songs with Steve's voice in mind and that was new, but very inspiring to me. But for any fan of FM or WORK OF ART, I think they will be very familiar with the sound of this record!"

"The idea for the album was to make a classic AOR album and I think between Robert, Alessandro, Pete Alpenborg and myself, we came up with a great collection of songs," adds Overland. "I think this is some of the best material I've worked on in a while and all of the musicians on the record are fantastic, not only as players, but to work with. I knew of Robert's writing talents on the WORK OF ART records, but it really turned out to be a great collaboration and I'm so proud of the results! My personal favorite song on the record is 'Will It Make You Love Me'. We've shot a video for it and I think it's truly a future classic!"

"Groundbreaker" track listing includes

01. Over My Shoulder

02. Will It Make You Love Me

03. Eighteen Til I Die

04. Only Time Will Tell

05. Tonight

06. Standing Up For Love

07. Something Worth Fighting For

08. The Sound Of A Broken Heart

09. The First Time

10. The Days Of Our Life

11. The Way It Goes

GROUNDBREAKER is:

Steve Overland - Vocals

Robert Säll - Guitar

Nalley Pahlsson - Bass

Herman Furin - Drums

With Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards

"Despise Your Heroes", the new video from the French melodic death-thrash metal band NO RETURN, can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's latest album, "The Curse Within", which was released in November via Mighty Music.

Formed in 1989, NO RETURN recorded its first album, 1990's "Psychological Torment", in Germany with CORONER drummer and Marky Marquis as art director. The band then produced the second album, 1992's "Contamination Rises", at Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida with the help of Scott Burns.

Ever since, the band has kept on sharing its passion for music, performing alongside such bands as ARCH ENEMY, SAMAEL, NAPALM DEATH, SEPULTURA, CORONER, MOTÖRHEAD and many others, all while regularly releasing new albums.

In March 2015, they released "Fearless Walk To Rise", produced by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, ABORTED, PRETTY MAIDS). Several tours followed this release, including a French tour that closed with a performance on the main stage of Hellfest. Two other European tours also followed, one with DEW-SCENTED and ANGELUS APATRIDA in October 2015, the other with ONSLAUGHT and MORS PRINCIPIUM EST in September 2016.

NO RETURN is:

Alain Clément - Guitar

David Barbosa - Bass

Joël Barbosa - Drums

Geoffroy Lebon - Guitar

Mick Caesare - Vocals

Music For Nations, the legendary British heavy metal label responsible for releasing early records by METALLICA, TOOL and OPETH, among others, previously announced that it has teamed up with SonyMusic Independent Network (SIN) to become an active frontline label for the first time in more than a decade, and for the first time with a dedicated U.S. presence.

The revitalized label is excited to bring fans a slate of new signings — first up is BURY TOMORROW with "Black Flame", out July 13. It's the band's fifth album and first under the Music For Nations banner.

Other signings include BLANKET and ASTROID BOYS — more details regarding these artists and their upcoming releases will be available soon.

British metalcore band BURY TOMORROW dropped the album's title track "Black Flame" earlier this spring. Listen to and watch the video for "Black Flame" below. Another song will drop on June 29.

By whatever measure you care to use, BURY TOMORROW is among modern British metal's upper echelon. Long since established as one of the U.K.'s most successful heavy exports, the Hampshire quintet has performed on main stages at virtually every major European festival you care to name, racked up millions of YouTube views, scored two top 40 U.K. albums and sold tens of thousands of tickets to their incendiary live shows in the process. Shows which combine a passion, precision and uncompromising aggression that has become both a trademark and a badge of honor.

They have achieved all of this and much more not by following trends or jumping from bandwagon to bandwagon — but rather by sharpening to a diamond-cut point their brand of punishing, yet effortlessly melodic heaviness. The music speaks of a character that few bands of any genre could hope to match.

Indeed, it is this character, this unwavering spirit, that has earned them one of the most rabidly dedicated, dye-in-the-wool fanbases in the whole of rock music. A fanbase which has seen the band grow steadily across four pulverizing records of unerring quality and ever-expanding ambition.

"Black Flame" track listing:

01. No Less Violent

02. Adrenaline

03. Black Flame

04. My Revenge

05. More Than Mortal

06. Knife of Gold

07. The Age

08. Stormbringer

09. Overcast

10. Peacekeeper

Classic '80s rock veterans VIXEN will release "Live Fire" on July 6 via Rat Pak Records. Mixed by Michael Wagener, "Live Fire" features 12 live tracks and was recorded at Chicago's legendary Arcada Theater during the group's successful 2017 tour. In addition to the classic VIXEN songs, the effort also includes a newly recorded studio version of "You Ought to Know By Now", an all-new studio acoustic version of the hit song "Edge Of A Broken Heart", which can be streamed below, and a live version of a previously unreleased track called "Big Brother".

Regarding "You Ought to Know by Now", vocalist Janet Gardner says: "It gives you a taste of the classic VIXEN days with a revitalized energy and passion!" Bassist Share Ross adds: "This song is the ultimate connection between our history with Jan and our future!"

Speaking of the live material, drummer Roxy Petrucci comments: "It's really cool to see so many old and new fans enjoying these classic songs as we perform them live, so it only made sense to release this live album!" Guitarist Britt Lightning adds: "This album really captures all the spontaneity and energy of the band's live performance."

"Live Fire" is available in various formats and bundle configurations, including a limited white vinyl pressing with an alternate track sequence and also an Ultimate Fan Bundle that includes a personal "thank-you" phone call from Janet Gardner, exclusively available at www.ratpakrecords.com/vixen.

"Live Fire" track listing:

01. Rev It Up (Live)

02. How Much Love (Live)

03. One Night Alone (Live)

04. Cryin' (Live)

05. Meet The Band (Live)

06. Rock Me (Live)

07. Streets In Paradise (Live)

08. I Don't Need No Doctor (Live)

09. Love Is A Killer (Live)

10. Love Made Me (Live)

11. Big Brother (Live) *previously unreleased*

12. Edge of A Broken Heart (Live)

Bonus tracks:

13. You Ought To Know By Now (New Studio Version)

14. Edge of A Broken Heart (New Studio Acoustic Version)

VIXEN is:

Janet Gardner (vocals)

Roxy Petrucci (drums)

Share Ross (bass)

Britt Lightning (guitars)

Photo credit: Mark Weiss

Fan-filmed video footage of Ozzy Osbourne's June 8 performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden can be seen below (courtesy of Decibel Geek TV). He was joined at the gig by his longtime collaborators Zakk Wylde (guitar), Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (bass), Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Adam Wakeman (keyboards).

The main North American leg of Ozzy's "No More Tours 2" will launch on August 30 at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania and run through October 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ozzy will be joined by STONE SOUR for this leg of the tour.

"No More Tours 2" is a reference to Ozzy's 1992 "No More Tours" jaunt, which was meant at the time to be his goodbye to the road.

The heavy metal legend said in a statement: "I've been extremely blessed to have had two successful music careers. I'm looking at this final tour as being a huge celebration for my fans and anyone who has enjoyed my music over the past five decades."

Ozzy admitted a while back that his voice doesn't always hold up these days. "Sometimes it blows out," he said. "I do the best I can. Sometimes I sound terrible, and sometimes it's good, you know. But I'm only human. I mean, I'm honest about it, you know."

Ozzy and BLACK SABBATH bid farewell to their 50 years on the road more than a year ago with two final concerts in their hometown of Birmingham, England.

The official lyric video for the song "Battle In Winter" from WE ARE SENTINELS (formerly SENTINELS), the new project featuring vocalist Matt Barlow (ICED EARTH, ASHES OF ARES, PYRAMAZE) and composer, keyboardist and pianist Jonah Weingarten (PYRAMAZE, STRUCTURE OF INHUMANITY), can be seen below. The track is taken from WE ARE SENTINELS' self-titled debut album, which will be released on July 6 in Europe via SAOL.

"Battle In Winter" tells an epic fantasy story of elves and war. The third song and culmination of the Winter Trilogy, the piece brings the thematic elements to a cinematic conclusion. With huge sweeping strings, massive orchestral percussions, and atmospheric choirs, "Battle In Winter" exemplifies the feel of the soon-to-be-released album as a whole. Perhaps one of Matt Barlow's finest and most emotive vocal performances ever, it showcases his power, range, and emotion in ways that only he can.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. From My Tower

02. My Only Sin

03. Life, Death, Rebirth

04. Kingdom In Winter

05. Dreaming In Winter

06. Battle In Winter

07. In Memoriam

08. Sirens of Odysseus

09. Miracle

10. Soul On Fire

11. Holy Diver

The official Chance White-directed video for the song "Kingdom In Winter" can be seen below.

Said Weingarten: "The 'Kingdom In Winter' video tells the epic tale of an infant child who has been prophesied to be the key to the gates. These gates lead to a land of peace, prosperity, and shelter from the cold and bitter winter and are protected by two stoic sentinels. Led by a mighty Shaman priestess, a group of refugees and warriors set out to bring the child to the gates against all odds.

"'Kingdom In Winter' turned into such an epic track that we knew we needed a music video that would truly bring it to life. It blends the fantasy elements of classic '80s movies like 'Willow' and 'Krull' with more modern cinematic visuals like 'Lord Of The Rings' and 'Game Of Thrones'. Director Chance White was able to fulfill this vision."

Combining sweeping motion picture style orchestral arrangements, modern classical piano, thunderous percussions, and the dynamic and powerful vocals of Barlow, WE ARE SENTINELS has set out to create something truly unique and groundbreaking. With musical and thematic elements inspired by the great drama, sci-fi, and fantasy films of the last thirty years — combined with duo's obvious enthusiasm for all things heavy metal — WE ARE SENTINELS works to embody the very essence of the word "epic."

WE ARE SENTINELS is:

Matt Barlow: Vocals, Lyrics, Choirs

Jonah Weingarten: Keyboards, Piano, Percussion, Orchestration

MEGADETH played its 1986 song "The Conjuring" live for the first time since 2001 Tuesday night (June 12) at the Home Monitoring Aréna in Plzeň, Czech Republic, where the band was the support act for JUDAS PRIEST. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below. MEGADETH also played "The Conjuring" on June 13 in Katowice, Poland, and footage of that performance is available as well.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine said in a 2016 interview that he was reconsidering his decision to never play "The Conjuring" again, explaining that he wouldn't mind reintroducing the track at MEGADETH's live shows "as long as it doesn't hurt anybody."

Mustaine wrote in his autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir", that he practiced black magic as a teenager, and that the experience — which inspired "The Conjuring" — affected his life for years after.

Speaking to "The Morning Blaze With Gus & Izzy" show on the Fresno radio station 105.1 The Blaze, Mustaine was asked about his refusal to play "The Conjuring" at MEGADETH's concerts. He said: "I used to do black magic when I was a kid, and I put a hex on a dude and his leg kind of got messed up. The other one was I put a sex hex on this girl and the next night she was in my bed, so I think that it worked."

He continued: "But the funny thing [is] Chis Adler [LAMB OF GOD drummer, who played on 2016's 'Dystopia' album] just said, 'Hey, dude, can we re-record 'The Conjuring' with different lyrics?' And I was, like, 'Nah. You know what? Maybe I should re-think this whole thing.' Because when I first did the whole, 'You know what? I'm not gonna be a heathen anymore. I'm gonna clean up my life' thing, I kind of put some brakes on things I would and wouldn't do. And as I grow, I evolve in my outlook and my personal journey here, being a positive person and being a positive influence on other people's lives. So as long as it doesn't hurt anybody, I wouldn't mind doing the song again, 'cause it is a good song."

Mustaine previously spoke about his reluctance to perform "The Conjuring" during a 2011 interview with U.K.'s Total Guitar magazine. He stated at the time: "Performance-wise, 'The Conjuring' is one of the heaviest songs on [MEGADETH's 'Peace Sells… But Who's Buying?' album], but, unfortunately, it's got black magic in it and I promised that I wouldn't play it anymore, because there's a lot of instructions for hexes in that song. Although it seems kinda corny, anybody who's a Wiccan or a warlock or anything like that will know that all of that stuff is instrumental."

He continued: "When I got into black magic I put a couple of spells on people when I was a teenager and it haunted me forever, and I've had so much torment. People say, 'Goddamn, Dave never gets a break, he's had such a hard life,' and I just think, 'No, Dave didn't — he got into black magic and it ruined his life.' It wasn't that I was a bad guy or that I had a big mouth, it was that I got into witchcraft and black magic and it ruined my life. Fortunately for me, with all the work and the love of my friends, and not giving up with my guitar playing, I got over it. So I look back now and I think, "Hmm, I don't wanna play 'The Conjuring'."

Mustaine went on to say: "When I first got saved, I was really scared and I was basically holding on to anything that I heard in church or whatever, but as I've grown I've learned a lot and lightened up a lot, and I see people around me doing certain things and instead of me saying, 'Man, you shouldn't do that!' I think quietly to myself, 'Dude, you don't know what you're doing…' It's a huge growth process."

KORN will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of the group's classic third album, "Follow The Leader", by playing three U.S. shows in late summer: September 12 at the Masonic in San Francisco, September 13 at the Palladium in Los Angeles, and September 15 at the Pearl Theater in Las Vegas.

Although it was initially believed that KORN would perform the album in full at those shows, singer Jonathan Davis has confirmed that only the "majority" of the record will be played.

"We're not gonna do it in its entirety," Davis told Brent Porche of the 93.3 WMMR radio station (hear audio below). "There's a couple of songs that are just dumb [laughs], that we don't wanna play. We were really drunk when we made 'em. But we're gonna play the majority of the record."

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

Davis told Noisey about the recording of the 1998 LP: "Making that record almost killed me. Our booze and alcohol budget... like, we spent $60,000 on alcohol to make that record. Last record of me getting fucked up, and it was insane."

Davis recalled that the album was the band’s first without producer Ross Robinson, who had produced KORN's first two records. Davis explained: "It was time for us to do different types of songs. And it paid off, man. It worked."

KORN plans to head out on a full tour of some kind in 2019 and is also working on material for its 13th studio album.

Fan-filmed video footage of JUDAS PRIEST's entire June 10 show at Royal Arena in Copenhagen, Denmark can be seen below.

Joining the band on stage to perform the concert's three-song encore — "Metal Gods", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight" — was guitarist Glenn Tipton.

The full setlist for the Copenhagen show was as follows:

01. Firepower

02. Grinder

03. Sinner

04. The Ripper

05. Lightning Strike

06. Bloodstone

07. Saints In Hell

08. Turbo Lover

09. Tyrant

10. Night Comes Down

11. Freewheel Burning

12. You've Got Another Thing Comin'

13. Hell Bent For Leather

14. Painkiller

Encore:

15. Rising From Ruins

16. Metal Gods (with Glenn Tipton)

17. Breaking The Law (with Glenn Tipton)

18. Living After Midnight (with Glenn Tipton)

Tipton — who revealed in February that he has Parkinson's disease — previously played the same three songs with JUDAS PRIEST at several stops on the band's recent U.S. tour, including in Newark, New Jersey; Uncasville, Connecticut; Worcester, Massachusetts; Kent, Washington; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; and Los Angeles, California. It marked his first public performances since announcing his retirement from touring. He told BUILD Series about the experience of once again sharing the stage with his bandmates: "It's just amazing to get, first of all, support from the band. The texts and e-mails from all over world, and to hear the audience was very emotional. You don't like to see a grown man cry, but we did."

Asked if he is planning on making more live appearances with the group, Glenn told 105.7 WAPL: "I think so, yeah. As long as I'm capable of going on stage and doing my parts and doing it well. I love it — I love to be on stage with PRIEST, and I'll do it for as long as I can."

Tipton found out he had Parkinson's four years ago — after being stricken by the degenerative condition at least half a decade earlier — but only recently announced he was going to sit out touring activities in support of PRIEST's latest album, "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST LP since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live. He is being replaced on tour by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

JUDAS PRIEST kicked off the "Firepower" world tour on March 13 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

"Firepower" was released on March 9 via Epic.

The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour wrapped on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

Fan-filmed video footage of ACCEPT's June 9 performance at the South Park festival in Tampere, Finland can be seen below.

ACCEPT is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "The Rise Of Chaos", which was released last August via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the disc was created by the Hungarian artist Gyula Havancsák.

Asked how ACCEPT chooses songs for its concert setlists this late into the band's career, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann told journalist Janne Vuorela: "I think we play more new songs than you might expect. Some bands just pick one or two new songs off their current album then focus on all the old stuff. In our case, we play five new songs and a lot of the material from the last four albums with [vocalist] Mark Tornillo. So, the 'new era,' if I can call it that and about 40 or 50 percent of older stuff. It's really a pretty good balance from what people have told me. They will be pleased."

Wolf went on to describe "The Rise Of Chaos" as "probably another classic ACCEPT album. I don't think it's any different from the previous three that we've done and it wasn't supposed to be any different," he said. "It was supposed to be better than ever. A lot of times when we go into the studio, that's our goal: We want to make songs that feel familiar but are new. They should be totally in the tradition of what we've been doing all these years. They should feel and sound like it was something that we could have written all these years ago but never did. That sounds like a very simple concept, by the way, but it's not that easy to really pull off. That's why sometimes you have to throw a lot of songs away and start again. Songwriting doesn't get easier with the more albums you've done. A lot of people would probably say the same after you've done so many albums, released so many songs, you have to challenge yourself to come up with something that you can still follow-up with all that stuff. It doesn't get easier with time, but I think we pulled it off quite well."

ACCEPT singer Mark Tornillo, who joined the group in 2009, told Metal Shock Finland that he isn't bothered by the fact that some of the band's fans have yet to embrace him. "Everybody is entitled to their opinion," he said. "I'm a purist too with certain things. I get it. But I think we've moved on. We're almost a different band at this point. We really are a different band at this point. We still pay tribute to the old ACCEPT by playing the old songs — I mean, we have the two people that wrote most of the songs, [so] we have to. That's always going to be part of ACCEPT's history. You can't change it. All we can change is the future. But everyone's entitled to their opinion, and I get it. I wish them all well, and I wish [former ACCEPT singer] Udo [Dirkschneider] well, and his band, you know. No hard feelings on my part, that's for sure."

Fan-filmed video footage of former NIGHTWISH singer Tarja Turunen's June 9 performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden can be seen below.

Turunen's brand new live-art album and video, "Act II", will be released on July 27 on earMUSIC as 2CD digipak, 3LP gatefold (180g, black), DVD, Blu-ray, limited mediabook 2CD+2BD and digital.

Filmed during Tarja's world tour "The Shadow Shows", during which the influential heavy rock singer circled the world 7.5 times with over 300,000 km travelled and played over 200 shows in 40 countries in front of 1 million people, "Act II" consists of the singer's very intimate 75-minute set filmed and recorded live at the Metropolis Studio in London, England and the breathtaking live performance of one of her shows in Milan, Italy, and previously unreleased interviews and photo galleries.

The theatrical rock adventure "Act II" combines two incredible-yet-slightly-different live performances on video: The first chapter, "Metropolis Alive", has been filmed two months prior to the release of Tarja's 2016 success "The Shadow Self". Twenty winners from all over Europe were lucky to witness Tarja's set at Metropolis Studios, where the singer performed songs from her then unreleased album — for the first time in front of an audience.


"Act II" is the second chapter and was recorded on November 29, 2016 at the magnificent Teatro della Luna Allago in Milan, Italy and includes numerous hits from all four Tarja albums such as "Innocence", "Die Alive", "Until My Last Breath", as well as an incredible cover of MUSE's classic "Supremacy". That night's setlist also enchants the soprano's long-time fans with a medley consisting of the distinctive NIGHTWISH evergreens: "Ever Dream", "Slaying The Dreamer" and "The Riddler". It was all topped off with a remarkable acoustic set, which presented Tarja classics in a brand new way.


"Act I", Tarja's first-ever live release, charted Top 10 all over Europe as well as almost all over the world, with a sensational No. 5 in Germany. The video version even remained for over two months at the peak of the Finnish music video charts.

Video footage of IRON MAIDEN's June 7 performance at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden can be seen below (courtesy of Decibel Geek TV).

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

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

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

this_inline_share_toolbox'>




CRYSTAL VIPER's latest studio album, "Queen Of The Witches", is still hot, but the Polish metallers waste no time and strikes back with a special, limited-edition EP titled "At The Edge Of Time", which will be released on June 29 via AFM Records. The effort, which will be available as a 10-inch vinyl and digital download, includes five new recordings: three brand new CRYSTAL VIPER songs (the title track in both English and Polish version), alternate version of fan favorites "When The Sun Goes Down" and "Tell Me Why" — previously unreleased cover of the NWOBHM hard rockers QUARTZ. The cover artwork, once again painted by the amazing Andreas Marschall (BLIND GUARDIAN, RUNNING WILD, KREATOR), is matching the lyrics which were inspired by the works of the legendary British fantasy writer Michael Moorcock.

CRYSTAL VIPER's latest concept album, "Queen Of The Witches", was released in February 2017 via AFM. The disc was produced by Bart Gabriel (CIRITH UNGOL, MYTHRA, SACRED STEEL), and engineered and mixed by Mariusz Pietka (JACK STARR'S BURNING STARR, LONEWOLF, MORTICIAN).

"Queen Of The Witches" featured three special guests: MANOWAR co-founder and guitarist Ross The Boss, and Jeff Dunn (a.k.a. Mantas) of VENOM and VENOM INC. appear with guitar solos in two of the songs. In addition, one of the songs is a duet between CRYSTAL VIPER frontwoman Marta Gabriel and Steve Bettney, vocalist of the NWOBHM cult heroes SARACEN.

this_inline_share_toolbox'>




The brutalizing LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR trio rears its gnarled head once again in 2018; the band has just recorded a new EP and announced live plans for late summer.


Following an extensive hiatus sharpening their axes, the Gods have called LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR back to battle. The classic "road dog" lineup of Steven Rathbone (guitar/vocals), Donald James Barraca (bass) and Chris Wozniak (drums) gathered to record a new EP on Memorial Day weekend.


The as-yet-unnamed EP will be released in conjunction LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR's performance at Scorched Tundra Fest 2018 in Chicago on Friday, August 31. The Scorched Tundra Fest performance will be an exclusive date for 2018 and will also mark the band's first show in five years.


Formed in Chicago in 2003, LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR has released four full-length LPs, and two EPs through Southern Lord as well as their own label, The Grind-House Recordings, all interconnected concept recordings based on the bloodier tales of Greek mythology. The band has toured extensively across North America and Europe, crushing all in their path with their own brand of heavy fucking metal that has been likened to being beat to death with a spiked club.

"Emergent Evolution", a brand new song from Germany's progressive death metal masters OBSCURA, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Diluvium", which is due out July 13 on CD, LP and digital via Relapse Records.

OBSCURA completes its long-running, four-album conceptual circle with the release of "Diluvium" (defined as a great oceanic flood), the band's most evocative, diverse and vibrant release to date.


Recorded with longtime producer V. Santura (TRIPTYKON, PESTILENCE) at Woodshed Studios in Landshut, Germany, "Diluvium" is a stunning achievement for the illustrious quartet and a landmark release for progressive metal as a whole. Complete with all the band's signature elements plus groundbreaking polyrhythms, dramatic songwriting, and jaw-dropping virtuosity, "Diluvium" will go down in the annals of metal history as one of the most astonishing performances the genre has to offer.

"Diluvium" track listing:

01. Clandestine Stars

02. Emergent Evolution

03. Diluvium

04. Mortification of the Vulgar Sun

05. Ethereal Skies

06. Convergence

07. Ekpyrosis

08. The Seventh Aeon

09. The Conjuration

10. An Epilogue to Infinity

11. A Last Farewell (Bonus Track)

Additionally, OBSCURA has announced a North American headlining tour, set to take place from mid-September through early October. The band will be joined by BEYOND CREATION, ARCHSPIRE, INFERI and EXIST for what is sure to be the most talked about progressive death metal tour of the year. The full list of tour dates will be announced shortly.

Vocalist/guitarist Steffen Kummerer commented on the run: "OBSCURA finally return to North America with an extended headlining tour supporting our brand new record 'Diluvium', which marks the end of a ten-year, four-album cycle. With BEYOND CREATION, ARCHSPIRE, INFERI and EXIST, we return to the United States and Canada with the most extreme tour of the year. We can't wait to hit the road again and present you songs off all four records 'Cosmogenesis', 'Omnivium', 'Akroasis' and 'Diluvium'."

The official video for the "Diluvium" title track can be seen below. The clip was directed by Mirko Witzki (KREATOR, BLIND GUARDIAN, CALIBAN) and further explores the album's celestial themes.

Album art credit: Orion Landau

Photo credit: Christian Martin Weiss

Spokane, Washington metal band ENTERPRISE EARTH has signed a worldwide deal with Entertainment One (eOne) / Good Fight Music. A new album will be released later this year.

"We are very proud to announce that we are joining forces with eOne and Good Fight Music," says vocalist Dan Watson. "We have grown into something bigger than we ever imagined and we couldn't be happier to have such an amazing team to support us."

ENTERPRISE EARTH will head into the studio this summer with producer Jason Suecof (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL, JOB FOR A COWBOY, CARNIFEX) to record the new disc.

ENTERPRISE EARTH was founded in 2014 by ex-INFANT ANNIHILATOR vocalist Dan Watson and ex-TAKEOVER guitarist BJ Sampson. Taking their name from a confluence of Illuminati and other conspiracy theories, the band released a debut EP titled "XXIII" and a full-length, "Patient Ø", in 2015. "Patient Ø" featured OCEANO vocalist Adam Warren and debuted at No. 5 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Last year, the band released "Embodiment", their second LP and have since shared the stage with CHELSEA GRIN, WHITECHAPEL and WINDS OF PLAGUE with a highlighted appearance on the 2016 Summer Slaughter Tour.

ENTERPRISE EARTH will head over to Europe this fall with CHELSEA GRIN, OCEANO and KUBLAI KHAN.

KYUSS and FU MANCHU legend Brant Bjork is back with a brand new record. The godfather of desert rock has unveiled the hotly anticipated details about his thirteenth solo album, titled "Mankind Woman", set to be released September 14 on Heavy Psych Sounds Records.

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

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

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

"Mankind Woman" track listing:

01. Chocolatize

02. Lazy Wizards

03. Charlie Gin

04. Mankind Woman

05. Pisces

06. Swagger & Sway

07. Somebody

08. Pretty Hairy

09. Brand New Old Times

10. 1968

11. Nation Of Indica

The cover artwork was created by Robin Gnista.


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

Frontiers Music Srl will release the comeback album from Swedish melodic rockers SNAKES IN PARADISE, titled "Step Into The Light", on September 14.

The lyric video for the first single, "Will You Remember Me", can be seen below.

SNAKES IN PARADISE came to the attention of melodic rock fans in 1993 when they acted as the back-up band for Mark Free. The band introduced the world to their original material soon thereafter when their self-titled debut album was released in 1994. Produced by the late Brett Walker (ALIAS, JEFF PARIS, MITCH MALLOY), the album showcased a combination of British hard rock mixed with American AOR delivered by a soulful blues rock singer and four outstanding musicians. It was truly a dynamic record with immediately hummable melodies while simultaneously not sacrificing the heaviness and power of hard rock.

SNAKES IN PARADISE's second album, "Garden Of Eden", followed in 1999 and was inspired by WHITESNAKE's more popular and most well-known material, thus satisfying fans of the musical formula on the band's debut. After the release of "Dangerous Love" in 2002, another album chock full of hooks and harmonies, the band called it a day.

Singer Stefan Berggren wound up working with COMPANY OF SNAKES (a band formed by former WHITESNAKE members Bernie Marsden, Micky Moody, and Neil Murray), Lee Kerslake (ex-URIAH HEEP, OZZY OSBOURNE) and RAZORBACK for a stretch of time, but in 2016, the members of SNAKES IN PARADISE reconvened to discuss making more music together. "I started to get more and more questions from journalists about a new SNAKES IN PARADISE album, " says Bergreen. "I was also asked to write some songs in the SNAKES style by a few different musicans. One of them was Alessandro Del Vecchio, with whom I did an album called 'Revolution Road'. On that album, some of the SNAKES guys were guests. The album turned out great and eventually, SNAKES started to get lots of show offers. One being from the Rockweekend in Stockholm. After the show, I decided to send one of the songs I wrote to Serafino, the president of the Frontiers label. He liked what he heard and offered us a record deal immediately. And here we are."

"Step Into The Light" is the band's first album in 16 years and again melds the melodies of classic U.S. AOR of the '80s with some truly exquisite hard rock. Berggren's voice is better than ever and the songwriting is more refined than ever.

"Fans should expect a SNAKES IN PARADISE album with a familiar sound," continues Bergreen. "Not much has changed musically from the first albums, really. Still the same drum kit and same guys playing together. That makes this our signature sound, but perhaps this time a bit beefier and more mature. We are better musicians now and with a little more depth to the songwriting."

"We always have a special magic when we play and write together," concludes Stefan. "We poured our hearts into this album and we hope you like it as much as we do. This could be the strongest album of all the albums we have done. We also hope to see the fans on the road some day soon! "

"Step Into The Light" track listing:

01. Wings Of Steel

02. Silent Sky

03. Will You Remember Me

04. Angelin

05. Living Without Your Love

06. If I Ever See The Sun Again

07. After The Fire Is Gone

08. Love On The Other Side

09. Things

10. Liza

11. Life`s Been Good To You & Me

12. Step Into The Light

SNAKES IN PARADISE is:

Stefan Berggren - Lead vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Keyboards

Thomas Jakobsson - Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar

Stefan Zimman Jonsson - Lead guitar

Tomas Pomma Thorberg - Bass

Peter Petterson - Drums

MR. BIG has released a new live video for the song "Colorado Bulldog", taken from the band's upcoming release, "Live From Milan".


"Live From Milan" will be released July 13 via Frontiers Music Srl on 2CD+Blu-ray combo pack, 3xLP, and MP3 (audio only).

Following the release of their 2017 album, "Defying Gravity", MR. BIG set out on a trek that took them all over the world to promote the new release in a live setting. Anyone who has ever had the distinct pleasure of seeing the band live knows that the virtuoso musicianship and incredible vocals are on full display in this setting. By this time, drummer Pat Torpey's battle with Parkinson's Disease had been made public, but Pat toured with the band regardless and sat behind the drum kit for select songs, while also providing background vocals and percussion on other tracks when Matt Starr was taking his turn on the kit. Captured at a stop in Milan, Italy, "Live From Milan" has a track listing that will surely satisfy long-time and newer fans of the band, and of course contains bass and guitar solos from the always entertaining and awe-inspiring Billy Sheehan and Paul Gilbert, respectively.


Sadly, this would be one of Torpey's last performances with the band as he passed away from complications due to Parkinson's in early 2018.


The set captures a special moment in time for the band and also serves as a "greatest hits" of sorts as they hit on all their classic songs from the early albums as well as revered material from newer releases.


Singer Eric Martin says: "The gig was packed, really no room to breathe and it was steaming hot in there, but the energy and vibe that I was feeling from the guys in the band was that we were going to lean into it... Ha! I know that sounds cliché coming from me, but it was true; there was no holding back. I've seen the video of this concert dozens of times now and it's us... hard and heavy and still kicking out the jams."


MR. BIG, formed in 1988, have produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres — be it ballads, heavy metal, or blues rock. Their hits include, but are not limited to, "Alive And Kickin'", "Just Take My Heart" and the chart-topping ballad "To Be With You".


Track listing:


Disc 1:

01. Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy

02. American Beauty

03. Undertow

04. Alive And Kickin'

05. Temperamental

06. Just Take My Heart

07. Take Cover

08. Green-Tinted Sixties Mind

09. Everybody Needs A Little Trouble

10. Price You Gotta Pay

11. Paul's Solo

12. Open Your Eyes

13. Wild World

14. Damn I'm In Love Again


Disc 2:

01. Rock And Roll Over

02. Around The World

03. Billy's Solo

04. Addicted To That Rush

05. To Be With You

06. 1992

07. Colorado Bulldog

08. Defying Gravity


Blu-ray

01. Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy

02. American Beauty

03. Undertow

04. Alive And Kickin'

05. Temperamental

06. Just Take My Heart

07. Take Cover

08. Green-Tinted Sixties Mind

09. Everybody Needs A Little Trouble

10. Price You Gotta Pay

11. Paul's Solo

12. Open Your Eyes

13. Wild World

14. Damn I'm In Love Again

15. Rock And Roll Over

16. Around The World

17. Billy's Solo

18. Addicted To That Rush

19. To Be With You

20. 1992

21. Colorado Bulldog

22. Defying Gravity


Recorded by: Alessandro Del Vecchio, Andrea Seveso and Michel Assalini

Mixed by: Jay Ruston

Assistant engineer: John Douglass

Mastered by: Alessandro Del Vecchio


Band members:

Eric Martin: Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar

Paul Gilbert: Guitar, Vocals

Billy Sheehan: Bass, Vocals

Pat Torpey: Drums, Percussion, Vocals

Matt Starr: Drums, Vocals

Behind-the-scenes and performance footage from SEPULTURA's June 9 performance at JF Rock City in Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil can be seen below.

SEPULTURA's latest album, "Machine Messiah", was released in January 2017 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with Swedish producer Jens Bogren. The CD's cover artwork was created by Filipino artist Camille Della Rosa.

SEPULTURA will hit the road in Europe again this August, playing a mix of festivals and club shows.

SEPULTURA's official documentary, "Sepultura Endurance", will tentatively be released on DVD and Blu-ray this fall. The film, which received its world premiere in May 2017 at the Regent theater in Los Angeles, shows the journey from SEPULTURA's humble rural beginnings to decades spent on the international stage, giving an in-depth look into how the band continues to thrive in a changing metal landscape. Crammed full of rare archival footage, and featuring interviews with legends like Lars Ulrich (METALLICA) and Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), and younger artists influenced by SEPULTURA, like SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor, "Sepultura Endurance" is the definitive document of the band's myths, struggles and heart.

THE AGONY SCENE has released the lyric video for the song "The Submissive", which will appear on the band's new album, "Tormentor", out July 20 via Outerloop Records/Cooking Vinyl. It is THE AGONY SCENE's first album since 2007's "Get Damned" (Century Media), which was preceded by 2005's "The Darkest Red" (Roadrunner) and 2003's self-titled release (Solid State).

"The song is about the abuse of power and trust," the band said. "More specifically — authority figures preying on naivety and using fear as a means to control and manipulate."

THE AGONY SCENE will appear on the annual Summer Slaughter Tour with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, BORN OF OSIRIS, VEIL OF MAYA and more.

Guitarist Chris Emmons previously stated about "Tormentor": "There is an underlying theme to much of the record, and that is the idea of an insane, manipulative creator, a 'tormentor' of all mankind, if you will. The lyrics also touch on the idea that an unquestioning belief in such a creator and an infallible doctrine can lead to a more chaotic and dark world in many cases."

He continued: "'Hand Of The Divine' was written about the Rubio murders that took place in Brownsville, Texas in 2003. These murders occurred as a result of a man who believed that his three children were possessed by demons. The video for 'Hand Of The Divine' follows along the theme of an insane creator, but does have some loose parallels with the Rubio murders. It tells the story of 'The Binding Of Isaac' that can be found in the texts of the Abrahamic religions. This story finds god demanding Abraham to sacrifice his son as an offering, proving his love and obedience. An insane and criminal act by modern standards and law. The story is portrayed a bit loosely, taking interpretations from multiple texts."