Back from war... the German melodic-death newcomers Parasite Inc. are set to unleash their second album,Dead And Alive on August 17th via Reaper Entertainment Europe. To celebrate the release of the new album the band has confirmed an exclusive release show at the big Summer Breeze Open Air in Dinkelsbühl, Germany.

Today the band presents the cover artwork of the upcoming album, created by Parasite Inc.'s drummer Benjamin Stelzer.

The band states: "Conception and design were once again done by ourselves. The result is a pretty cool visualization of the new songs on our upcoming record."

Tracklisting:

"Countershock"
"Once And For All"
"This World"
"Fall Of The Idealist"
"Headfuck Rollercoaster"
"Flesh Decadence"
"Red Wine Collider"
"Sunset Overdrive"
"Cold Silent Hell"
"Dead And Alive"
"Empty Streets" (Cover)
 
The first single "Headfuck Rollercoaster" will be released on June 22nd together with the start of the pre-orders. More info coming soon.

Parasite Inc. are:

Kai Bigler -  vocals / guitars
Dominik Sorg - guitars
Stefan Krämer - bass
Benjamin Stelzer - drums

St. Louis metal act Black Fast has released a second new single titled "Silhouette Usurper", streaming below.

"'Silhouette Usurper' was one of the first songs we finished for this new record," says frontman and guitarist Aaron Akin. "Compared to our other songs, this is most song-liest of songs we have written. One of the riffs is called 'Jammer.' Jam it immediately."

The band released a music video for "Cloak Of Lies" last month to kick off the new album cycle. Both "Cloak Of Lies" and "Silhouette Usurper" are available as iTunes instant gratification tracks meaning when fans pre-order the new LP on iTunes, they will receive both songs as instant downloads. "Cloak of Lies" and "Silhouette Usurper" are also available on all streaming platforms starting today.

Black Fast will release Spectre Of Ruin on Friday, July 13th via Entertainment One. Album opener “Cloak Of Lies” sets the stage for Spectre Of Ruin with a heaping helping of everything Black Fast represents, a locomotive of riffs barreling down the tracks with determined speed and aggression.

Like its predecessor, Black Fast’s Spectre Of Ruin was summoned into sharp focus at Mana Studios in St. Petersburg, Florida, with Erik Rutan, the Hate Eternal frontman and ex-Morbid Angel guitarist who has produced albums by genre titans like Cannibal Corpse, Goatwhore, and Six Feet Under. It’s all killer, no filler, demonstrating the destructive force of focused neo-thrash and progressive death-infused heavy metal at its finest.

Black Fast follow the roadmap laid down by the great bands with “Angel” and “Death” in their names, swearing off the trappings of the mainstream with a steadfast dedication to their chosen craft. As vocalist/guitarist, Aaron Akin once summarized, “We’ve pushed our chips all-in since the beginning. We threw caution to the wind. We’re playing metal. We don’t really give a shit about ‘making it.’”  

This music is a vibrant soundtrack to society’s collapse and a celebration of defiant resolution. The Black Fast mission is ruthlessly simple: champion musical aggression, bark at the moon, raise a fist and headbang like there’s no tomorrow.

Pre-order digital copies of the album here, or physical copies here.

Tracklisting:

"Cloak Of Lies"
"Silhouette Usurper"
"Scarecrow And Spectre"
"Phantom I Am"
"Mist Of Ruin"
"Temple Of Leviathan"
"Famine Angel"
"Crescent Aberration"
"Husk"

"Silhouette Usurper":

"Cloak Of Lies" video:

Black Fast will hit the road this summer in various stops across the eastern half of the United States. The band kicks it off with a performance at the 17th Annual ShowcaseSTL presented by The Riverfront Times followed by a batch of support dates with Exmortus on the Summer Of Steel tour. Black Fast will then head out with Ringworm until they reach Cincinnati,OH where they'll participate in the first Annual Transplant Fest with Ringworm and Incantation on July 21st.

(Photo - Kenny Williamson)

Guitarist Ralph Santolla (Death, Obituary, Deicide, etc.) suffered a heart attack on Tuesday, May 29th and fell into a coma. He was taken off life support at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Tampa, FL on June 6th. He was 48 years old.

Santolla's former Obituary bandmates have posted a slideshow tribute to him, which can be viewed below.

Santolla’s mother, Sue Santolla-Rocha, checks in with the following:

“Good morning. Just so we all start to heal, Ralph Santolla is not laying on that bed at St Joseph Hospital. He has gone, and he is happy and at peace in heaven. I want to start your day with a little humor. My wonderful mother and Ralph’s grandmother passed away three years ago. One of my friends was trying to console me, Fred Parker, and had the comment that Ralph would be playing music for his Nannie. It just made me laugh to visualize Ralph playing heavy metal for his Nannie. OMG....it would be so funny... His Nannie was an amazingly strong woman and she would tell him, cut it down, and play something decent. I (love) my son more than anyone can imagine, my heart is broken. But I know he loved me unconditionally and will always be with me. It is the same with all of us, he will be with you everyone, everyday and his love will surround us now and forever. I wanted to tell everyone that I have thousands of messages...I just can’t deal with it right now but I love each of you.”

Santolla can be heard on the Deicide albums The Stench Of Redemption and To Hell With God, Memorain’s Evolution, Millenium’s Millenium, Angelfire, Hourglass, and Jericho, Obituary’s Xecutioner’s Return and Darkest Day, Iced Earth’s The Glorious Burden and lots of other releases.

He performed as a live guitarist for Death (1993), Iced Earth (2003-2004), Melechesh (2013), and Vital Remains (2006).

Burial Invocation from Turkey are set to unleash their debut full-length album, Abiogenesis. After years of silence the band has returned with a new lineup and five lumbering tracks of subhuman death metal.

Abiogenesis will be available July 6th on limited edition vinyl, with CD and digital release dates set for August 17th via Dark Descent Records. The album track "Phantasmogoric Transcendence" is streaming via the YouTube clip below.

Burial Invocation exploded onto the underground scene in 2010 with their debut EP, Rituals Of The Grotesque. Coincidentally, this was the first release under the newly-formed Dark Descent Records banner. The initial pressing of this CD sold out quickly as the band's brand of doomy, crypt-dwelling death metal was as infectious as it was blistering.  

Mixing elements of Finnish death metal among other influences, Burial Invocation followed up the debut EP the next year on a split 7" with Japan's Anatomia. This split, also released on Dark Descent Records, quickly sold out. The band eventually followed these releases with some live appearances including the initial version of Copenhagen's legendary Kill Town Death Fest.

In the years since, the band was inactive as members pursued other projects and interests.  There were rumblings from the band including small European tour runs and we were largely left to wonder what happened to Burial Invocation?  

In 2017, the fires were lit once more as the band were said to be working on a new album.  Once again under the Dark Descent Records banner (vinyl via long-time ally Me Saco Un Ojo), Abiogenesis sees this Turkish crew reign once more.  No longer will we be left wondering... Burial Invocation has returned and the wait has been well worth it.

Tracklisting:

"Revival"  
"Abiogenesis"
"Visions Of The Hereafter"  
"Phantasmagoric Transcendence"  
"Tenebrous Horizons"

 

Georgia bred metal newcomers Machinist! have released a new music video for their song “The Infant”. The song is featured on the band’s recently released, second studio album Closer To Death, which is available now from Innerstrength Records here.

The new video for “The Infant” was directed and shot by Matt Zagorski and sets an eerie scene that syncs perfectly with the song’s sonic brutality.

"I've always been a fan of films that leave you questioning the whole time. So when we were starting to work a video for The Infant, that's where my mind went to. Creepy, dark, and puzzling." - Matt Zagorski (Director)

“I’m so stoked on this video. It really turns the creep factor up. Matt took a vision that he and I hammered out and turned it into a weird fanciful nightmare thing. It really makes me think about beginnings and ends and whether they’re interchangeable. Shit is strange and I love it.” - Jeff Hill (vocals)

Phill Rocker has released a lyric video for his new song “How Can I Try”, which features the following special guest musicians:

Phill Rocker – vocals
Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake) – lead guitar
Devon Pangle – rhythm guitar
James Lomenzo (White Lion, Megadeth) - bass
Brian Tichy (Billy Idol, The Dead Daisies) – drums
Rui Rocha – keyboards

Phill Rocker issued his debut album, Hard To Bleed, in January 2015. The album is full of special guest musicians including:

Doug Aldrich (Dio, The Dead Daisies) - guitar
James Lomenzo (White Lion, Megadeth) - bass
Brian Tichy (Billy Idol, The Dead Daisies) - drums
Richard Fortus (Guns N' Roses, The Dead Daisies) - guitar
Dizzy Reed (Guns N' Roses, The Dead Daisies) -  keyboards
Tim "Ripper" Owens (Judas Priest, Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force) - vocals
Dusty Watson (Lita Ford, Rhino Bucket) - drums

The album was written and produced by Phill Rocker, co-produced by Ricardo Fernandes and Swedish producer Tobias Lindell. Mixed by Tobias Lindell. Mastered by Thomas Plec Johansson.

For further details, visit PhillRocker.com.

 

North Carolina-based Violent Life Violent Death made their mark in late 2016 with the release of their first studio offering, V-EP - a vicious, nostalgic effort summoning influences reminiscent of Zao with an in-your-face, chaotic Every Time I Die-like edge.

On June 29th, Violent Life Violent Death - which features former members of Deception Of A Ghost (Trustkill/Bullet Tooth), A Stained Glass Romance (Torque/Victory), and Aria (Tribunal) - will return with a refreshed and even more ruthless contribution in the form of their second release, entitled Come, Heavy Breath. The band utilizes gritty, gut-punching production - led by producer Kyle Dameron at Rareform Recordings in Hickory, NC-to generate a wall of unrelenting hardcore, metal, and even punk-edged aggression (often blended with a southern-fried flavor displayed on tracks like "Lovers/Deceivers") that doesn't stop until the last second of the record.

In a band statement, Violent Life Violent Death offers, "Our goal was to create a piece of music that had nostalgic qualities to it but with a new-school edge. Having spent some time in other bands has definitely helped create the sound we have adapted with this band, as we took a good look into what we feel has worked and not worked for us in the past and narrowed it down."

Sample Come, Heavy Breath with the lyric video for "Lovers/Deceivers" and the video for the album's title track, both streaming below.

Physical pre-orders for Come, Heavy Breath + merch are available now via the Violent Life Violent Death Big Cartel page, and digital pre-orders are available via Bandcamp.

Come, Heavy Breath tracklisting:

"Come, Heavy Breath"
"Backbiter"
"Rot"
"Mourn"
"Lovers/Deceivers"
"Narcissist"

"Lovers/Deceivers" lyric video:

"Come, Heavy Breath" video:

 
They add, "With Come, Heavy Breath, we really wanted to illustrate moments of fervor that draw a gasp, or, a heavy breath, as the title depicts. These are the moments of awe that we each experience in life, whether they be conjured through excitement, joy, sadness, loss, lust, love, wonder, etc., while bringing them each to life through our music in as straight forward of a manner possible, demanding the attention of the listener."

Live dates:

June
30 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground w/ Never I, Reflect//Refine, Abhorrent Deformity, Black Ritual

July
14 - Greenville, SC - The Firmament w/ Black Plague, Amnesis, Blackwater Drowning
21 - Charlotte, NC - Neighborhood Theatre w/ Hopesfall, Greyhaven, Never I

August
11 - Asheville, NC - The Odditorium w/ Heretics, Divisive, I, The Supplier

September
7 - Greensboro, NC - New York Pizza w/ Abhorrent Deformity, Swarm, The Stygian Complex
8 - Wilmington, NC - Calico Room w/ Abhorrent Deformity, The Abstractionist, Dear Mother War

October
20 - Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern - Bonfires and Beatdowns Fest

Violent Life Violent Death is:

Scott Cowan (Vocals)
Joseph Benham (Guitar)
Joey Park (Guitar)
Justin Campbell (Bass)
David Holquin (Drums)

Black Stone Cherry performed for Rockpalast (Rock Palace), the German music TV show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), back in 2009. Professionally filmed video of the band's full set can be seen below.

Setlist:

"Rain Wizard"
"Backwoods Gold"
"Shooting Star"
"Cowboys"
"Yeah Man"
"Blind Man"
"Hell And High Water"
"Please Come In"
"Soul Creek"
Drum Solo
"Peace Is Free"
"Mannish Boy" / "Hoochie Coochie Man"
"Maybe Someday"
"Lonely Train"
"Can't You See"
"We Are The Kings"
"Voodoo Chile"

Black Stone Cherry's new album Family Tree is out now via Mascot Records. Family Tree is the follow-up to 2016’s Kentucky. Like Kentucky, Black Stone Cherry opted to self-produce and track Family Tree at David Barrick's Barrick Recording in Glasgow, KY, the same studio where the four-piece recorded their eponymous debut. BSC also opted to not over-rehearse upfront of the album sessions, instead preferring the immediacy and spontaneity of in-the-moment takes. The band also entrusted frontman Chris Robertson to mix the songs, which perfectly fit the loose, creative process that birthed Family Tree.

Family Tree boasts BSC’s tried-and-true lucky number with its 13 songs, and like all BSC releases, features songwriting contributions from each member. Drummer John Fred tells us, “Family Tree showcases all of our collective musical influences and how we have taken those to create something that is truly our own unique Southern American rock ‘n roll sound.” Two special guests appear, one bringing the concept of family full circle. Chris’ 5 yr old son contributes backup vocals on the swaggering 'You Got The Blues', while the other, revered jam-band musician Warren Haynes (Allman Bros / Gov’t Mule) offers a guitar cameo and vocals on the delta stomp of 'Dancing In The Rain'. The band first met Warren 17 years ago as freshly-signed youngsters on their first visit to New York City.

The concept of family looms large in the world of Black Stone Cherry’s four band members. Sticksman John Fred Young's father Richard and his uncle Fred, are founding members of the Grammy Award-winning country rock n’ roots band, The Kentucky HeadHunters. BSC’s four high school-aged friends - Young, plus frontman/guitarist Chris Robertson, guitarist Ben Wells and bassist Jon Lawhon - grew up honing their craft in the Headhunters’ Practice House, an abandoned property on the Young family’s farmland. John Fred says, “We grew up in the Kentucky Headhunters’ rehearsal space, looking up at posters of Cream, Led Zeppelin, Uriah Heep, the Stones, Montrose, and the Faces. We were like kids someone took in a time capsule and put in the woods.”

Tracklisting:

"Bad Habit"
"Burnin’"
"New Kinda Feelin"
"Carry Me On Down The Road"
"My Last Breath"
"Southern Fried Friday Night"
"Dancin’ In The Rain" (featuring Warren Haynes)
"Ain’t Nobody"
"James Brown"
"You Got The Blues"
"I Need A Woman"
"Get Me Over You"
"Family Tree"

"Southern Fried Friday Night":

"Bad Habit" video:

"Burnin’" lyric video:

Earlier this month, Cannibal Corpse released exclusive, limited LP reissues of their classic albums Bloodthirst and Gallery Of Suicide via Metal Blade Records. A full stream of Gallery Of Suicide, as well as the previously released Bloodthirst stream, can be found below.

See below for an overview of all versions; order your copies now at Indie Merch, EMP, or eBay.

Bloodthirst LP reissue:

- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- opaque pale lilac marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- viole(n)t marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- opaque red / white&purple splattered vinyl (Ebay exclusive - limited to 120 copies)
- opaque skin pink/red marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- red/black marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 300 copies)

Gallery of Suicide LP reissue:

- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)
- clear grey-brown marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
- opaque "dead gold" marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- transparent / red splattered vinyl (Ebay exclusive - limited to 120 copies)
- ochre/clay-col marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
- red/black marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 300 copies)

Edmonton, Alberta's Tyrant are set to release their new EP, entitled The Existential Reversal, on June 15th. The Existential Reversal features Tyrant's most technical material to date, complete with a unique blend of crisp guitar work, smooth bass lines, blistering drumming and devastating vocals. A video for the song "Spoils Of Decimation" can be found below.

"We've been working hard over the past couple years to dial in our sound, which I think is very well represented in this self-produced and recorded EP. The lyrical theme of life encompassed by death flows hauntingly through the mix of heavy and groovy riffs, creating an unforgettable live experience," says vocalist Brett Reid of the EP.

Formed in 2011 by founding members Marshall Dexter (guitars) and Brett Reid (vocals), Edmonton metal band Tyrant quickly gained a local reputation for an energetic and powerful live performance.

Guitarist Robert Brinton joined the band in 2012 and Tyrant began to develop their modern sound. Tyrant continued as a hobby band over the next several years, playing a large number of local bills and festivals while the members pushed to finish their post-secondary educations. Current drummer Kurtis Marceniuk and bass player Taylor Laroche joined in early 2015 to solidify the band's lineup.

The band quickly recorded the self-produced demo Limitations and released it in the summer of 2015. With this new release Tyrant began to earn spots on bigger bills through 2016 and 2017, as the band opened for metal acts Skeletonwitch, Protest the Hero and Goatwhore.

Tyrant also began building its fan base outside of the Edmonton area, as the band played multiple bills in cities across Alberta including Calgary, Red Deer, Fort McMurray and Hinton. Tyrant is relentless in the continuous development of their unique sound and crushing live performances.

The Existential Reversal EP tracklisting:

"Flesh Candle"
"Spoils Of Decimation"
"Feast Upon Deaths Failure"
 
"Spoils Of Decimation" video:

Silence has been reigning in the camp of Swedish adventure metallers Twilight Force since they conquered European stages once again as support to Dragonforce last autumn. Whilst secretly working on new anthems for their next output, the band has extensively been searching for a new singer and is pleased to finally unveil their new bard today - Alessandro Conti, known from LT's Rhapsody, Trick Or Treat and more.

Says the band: "Hear ye! Hear ye! We are overjoyed, elated and proud to finally present to you, our brave and patient Knights, the new singer of Twilight Force. Please welcome Alessandro Conti! He has now joined our alliance, and will be a beacon of glory, hope and inspiration to us all. His astounding musicality and delivery of emotional and star-spangled vocals is in our opinion, without a shadow of a doubt, paralleled within the genre today. And his radiant persona and wonderful character was a perfect match for everyone. We are honoured and delighted to henceforth raise our swords, bows, daggers and staffs by his side in the adventures to come.

"So now, join us, in a future illuminated by the fire of eternal light! And may the power of the dragon guide you all."

Stay tuned for more updates, and don't miss the band at the following gatherings.

June

7 - Hyvinkää, Finland - Rockfest

July
11 - Balingen, Germany - Bang Your Head!!!

(Photo - Fotograf Heléne)

Belfast-based metallers Stormzone have released a video for "Cushy Glen" the second video release from their latest album Lucifer's Factory. Like the first video from the new album for "Dark Hedges" the new video was filmed in Northern Ireland and directed by the same Game Of Thrones technical crew with camerman Jim Crone at the helm.

The story of the outlaw and highwayman Cushy Glen is embedded in Irish folklore, but his lethal tale is not a myth, it is a real story! He terrorized residents and travellers around the Coleraine area of Northern Ireland for many years just over two centuries ago. Cushy's particular forte was to lie in wait as men left the regions pubs in a drunken state, choosing a victim who looked likely to still have money left in his pockets before pressing ahead with his deadly attack, cutting the throat of the poor soul, robbing him and then making a very hasty exit. This all took place along a stretch of road notoriously known as the 'Murder Hole'. It is said that he may well have carried out his dastardly deeds assisted by a band of five rogues, 'Cushy's Gang'. The highwayman was eventually shot and killed during an attempted robbery, but Cushy's men await his return unaware of his fate, and this video introduces you to them and lets you inside their hideaway!

Watch the previously released "Dark Hedges" video below:

Manchester's Leeched have announced details of their debut full length, You Took The Sun When You Left. The dark, bleak and brutal tracks are set atop of today’s despairing and desolate industrialized landscape. The album will be released on August 24th via Prosthetic Records. Pre-order here.

"Guilt", the first track to be taken from the album is available for streaming below, and will be available across all streaming and digital platforms from tomorrow. The band have also just confirmed a number of shows supporting Employed To Serve, to add to their ever-growing list of live dates.

Barely a year after they formed, and with an incessantly intense EP - Nothing Will Grow From The Rotten Ground - already under their belts, Leeched are taking a fast-paced swipe at the world around them. Bands sharing a distaste for the status quo, or a dissatisfaction for the world around them may not be something new, but few bands are doing it with the vitriol and vehemence that is offered up on You Took The Sun When You Left.

Tracklisting:

"Cripple The Herd"
"Rope"
"The Stone And The Steel"
"By The Factories"
"Guilt"
"A Mouth Full Of Dirt"
"Born In Sand"
"Raised By Lead"
"Hollow-Point Weddings"
"Harrow The Pastures"
"You Took The Sun When You Left"

"Guilt":

Taking influence from every dark and dingy corner of extreme music, Leeched may be moving at break-neck speed, but they're a band who are quickly finding their feet - both in the studio and out on the road.

Currently finishing up a run of shows in mainland Europe, Leeched return to the UK to play The Black Heart in London this weekend, and will be kept busy up to and beyond the album release with further live appearances - including new dates with Employed To Serve.

Tour dates:

June
7 - Gerber - Weimar, Germany
8 - Jugendzentrum - Crailsheim, Germany
9 - Revelation Fest - Aarschot, Belgium
10 - The Black Heart - London, UK
 
July
6-8 - UK Tech Fest - Newark, UK
23 - Think Tank - Newcastle, UK *
24 - Slade Rooms - Wolverhampton, UK *
25 - Sticky Mike's - Brighton, UK *
26 - The Anvil - Bournemouth, UK *
27 - Borderline - London, UK *

August
20 - Asylum 2 - Birmingham, UK ^
21 - Trillians - Newcastle, UK ^
22 - Rough Trade - Bristol, UK ^
23 - The Underworld - London, UK ^
24 - The Green Door Store - Brighton, UK ^
25 - Break The Chains Festival - Leeds, UK

* - With Employed To Serve
^ - With Full of Hell

Leeched is:

Laurie - Bass/Vocals
Judd - Guitar
Tom - Drums

(Photo - Polarise Photography)

Montréal based melodic death metallers recently unleashed their 13th studio album Meditations via Nuclear Blast Records. Check out "The Resurrected" live video from the bonus DVD A Moment In Time:

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"

"Outsider" video:

"Narcissist" video:

"Guillotine" playthrough video:

"Guillotine" lyric video:

Track-by-track Pt. 1:

Track-by-track Pt. 2:

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

Haken are set to release their first ever live album, L-1VE, on June 22nd. Watch "The Endless Knot" live in Amsterdam below.

The band comments: "The Endless Knot is one of our Live favourites; the crowd reaction when the opening riff kicks off always sends goose bumps, knowing we're all in for a wild ride of brutal riffing, mosh-friendly dub-step and epic sing-a-longs! It's just a chance for everyone to let their hair down while simultaneously showcasing one of our shorter, yet more complicated tunes to play."

The previously released clip for "In Memoriam" can also be found below.

L-1VE will be released as a 2CD/2DVD Digipak package and as digital download. The DVD will include four bonus tracks filmed at ProgPower USA 2016 that also includes Mike Portnoy’s cameo appearance on gong, as well as all of the official videos from the Affinity album. The main show and the bonus material on the DVD are also mixed in 5.1 surround sound.

Pre-order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"affinity.exe/Initiate"
"In Memoriam"
"1985"
"Red Giant"
"Aquamedley"
"As Death Embraces"
"Atlas Stone"
"Cockroach King"
"The Architect"
"The Endless Knot"
"Visions"
 
DVD Bonus Material:

"Falling Back To Earth"
"Earthrise"
"Pareidolia"
"Crystallised"

- Also includes music videos for "Initiate", "Earthrise", and "Lapse"

"The Endless Knot" live video:

"In Memoriam" live video:

Following the release of the bands much-acclaimed fourth studio album Affinity, they embarked upon their 10th anniversary tour across Europe & North America. Recorded and filmed on April 13th, 2017, at the legendary Melkweg venue on the Amsterdam stop of that tour, this represents the band’s first ever live document with tracks from across the bands discography.

“The release of official live material is a project that is long overdue and we know our existing fans have been crying out for this for some time now. Whilst we have filmed and recorded many shows in the past we have always felt there were elements of our shows that could be improved 'visually' before we documented and immortalized this for the world to see and that the timing for a live release  never felt right for us. This is just our nature as creative people to be so extremely self-critical and constantly strive for perfection. It is largely due to the will of the people that the idea of this project became a reality. Both the band and the label were inundated with emails requesting a live release in some shape or form, and it was actually rather flattering, so giving the people what they wanted just felt like the right thing to do.”

Artwork was once again produced by long-time collaborators Blacklake, who continued the love of 80’s culture that they demonstrated on artwork for Affinity. The live audio was mixed by Neal Morse & Winery Dogs alumni Jerry Guidroz.

The band have also revealed they have started work on their fifth studio album. They comment: “We’re currently getting our teeth stuck into the writing process for Album 5 and great ideas are forming and evolving as we speak. It’s still early days but there is a sense among us that Haken may take a darker path with this one. However, the playing field is still wide open and the direction this record takes could alter at any point. One thing is certain: We will endeavour to stick to our mandate of strong melodies and Killer riffs!”

Look out for more news in the coming weeks.

TRILLIUM, the metal project launched by American-born, Dutch-based singer/songwriter Amanda Somerville, has just released its sophomore album, "Tectonic", via Frontiers Music Srl.

The official lyric video for the disc's new single, "Full Speed Ahead", can be seen below.

Amanda's husband and musical collaborator Sander Gommans (AFTER FOREVER, HDK) stated about "Tectonic": "Writing, producing and mixing this album together with Amanda Somerville was an intense (three kids were born in between) but very fulfilling experience. Having AFTER FOREVER's André Borgman back on drums was a huge bonus for me!"

Added Amanda: "Where [TRILLIUM debut album] 'Alloy' was rather dark and moody and restless, 'Tectonic' is on the whole more uplifting and full of strength and character, though it's just as full of emotion.

"My life was shaken up by figurative earthquakes through several elements shifting in recent years and that's what this album represents. It's a challenge to make an album that's musically heavy without being dragged down by melancholy, but that's what Sander and I set out to do from the beginning and it worked out beautifully!"

Amanda continued: "The core and essence of 'Tectonic' is very personal and comes, basically, from the hearts and minds of a singer and a guitar player and I think that's very apparent when you listen to the songs. Sander and I didn't want to overthink things and over-complicate the songs. There's definitely some bombast in there because we both have a love of keyboard arrangements, but they don't rule the roost here. Also, the only guest performances are by good friends from my hometown in Flint, Michigan who also played live with me solo and with TRILLIUM, and also some great mates and colleagues of Sander's, so it's really a 'family' kind of album. We tried to keep things simple, and yet I think it's anything but low key!"

Somerville is well known for her collaborations with various high-profile European metal bands like AVANTASIA, EPICA, KAMELOT and AFTER FOREVER, to name a few. And let's not forget her musical partnership with HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske under the KISKE/SOMERVILLE banner. With a vocal range from tenor to soprano and a stylistically diverse singing ability, Somerville's voice is well suited for multiple styles, but TRILLIUM is firmly in the metal genre.

"Tectonic" track listing:

01. Time To Shine

02. Stand Up

03. Full Speed Ahead

04. Hit Me

05. Fighting Fate

06. Nocturna

07. Fatal Mistake

08. Shards

09. Cliché Freak Show

10. Eternal Spring

Recording lineup:

All vocals by Amanda Somerville

All guitars and bass by Sander Gommans, except:

Track 3: bass by Mark Burnash, second guitar solo by Paul Owsinski

Track 11: Guitars by Paul Owsinski, keyboards by Erik van Ittersum, drums by André Borgman

TRILLIUM released its debut album, "Alloy", in November 2011 via Frontiers. The CD was described in a press release as "a collection of songs that's charged with emotion and exploration and a very personal statement from Amanda."

"The Man In The Ivory Tower", the new video from REFUGE, the band comprised of current and former RAGE members Peavy Wagner, Manni Schmidt and Christos Efthimiadis, can be seen below. The song is taken from REFUGE's debut album, "Solitary Men", which is being released today (Friday, June 8) via Frontiers Music Srl.

REFUGE marks the reunion of the original, and probably most successful, lineup of the German metal band RAGE. After 1994, when the three originally parted ways, they moved on to work in different bands and follow their own musical path. Peavy kept on with RAGE, Manni went to GRAVE DIGGER, and Christos off to TRI STATE CORNER. After a long period during which they did not have much contact, the three guys met up again in 2014 and decided to play a secret show in their hometown Herne (Germany), under the moniker TRES HOMBRES. The show was never promoted, apart from word of mouth and social media rumblings and as a result, this show became one where you had to be "in the know", but more than 1,200 fans found their way to the gig anyway. The band performed all the hits from their time together in RAGE and loved every second of that gig, getting hungry for more, thus the idea of REFUGE was born.

REFUGE played a couple of hugely successful festival shows all throughout Europe in the summer of 2015. The audiences' reactions to the RAGE songs of 1988-1993 were truly overwhelming and exceeded all expectations the band had. So, more shows were played in 2016, including three in Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka), exactly 20 years after they had played their last shows together, coincidentally also in Japan.

"The band sounds nearly the same like back then, maybe a bit more relaxed, mature, with more individual experience," says Wagner. "But the general vibe is still the same. We know each other blindly. In order to write the songs, we created the same set-up we had 30 years ago. We rented the same rehearsal room and jammed together in a live situation and the magic was back! I'm glad that we could use and finalize some of our ideas from back then, stuff that we couldn´t use in that days for several reasons. The song 'Waterfalls', for example, was always one of my unfinished favorites. I'm proud we were able to bring it to light now finally!"

What started out as a "fun thing" in 2014 has turned into a real band again. “We want to continue doing this together as long as possible," says Peavy. "It is a manifestation of our reborn old friendship and it is a 'coming from the heart' thing for us to do it."

"Solitary Men" track listing:

01. Summer's Winter

02. The Man In The Ivory Tower

03. Bleeding From Inside

04. From The Ashes

05. Living On The Edge Of Time

06. We Owe A Life To Death

07. Mind Over Matter

08. Let Me Go

09. Hell Freeze Over

10. Waterfalls

11. Another Kind Of Madness (bonus track)

"Rev Up", the new video from New York hardcore veterans MADBALL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming album, "For The Cause", which will be released on June 15 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Hardcore Lives" was co-produced by Tim Armstrong (RANCID), who is also featured on one song on the album. It was mixed and mastered by renowned producer Tue Madsen (MESHUGGAH, THE HAUNTED, SICK OF IT ALL) at Antfarm Studios in Denmark. Former MADBALL guitarist Matt Henderson laid down the guitar tracks in the studio, but will not join the group on tour.

MADBALL recently revealed that legendary rapper, actor and frontman Ice-T (BODY COUNT) guests on one track on "For The Cause".

Commented Ice-T: "It's an honor to record with the legendary MADBALL. BODY COUNT draws its closest similarities to New York hardcore. This is a natural."

Added singer Freddy Cricien: "It's truly an honor to have Ice-T on our record! I grew up on his music from his early hip-hop stuff till now. He's an iconic figure but also a 'class act'; you don't always get both at once. Ice has a great respect for New York hardcore and MADBALL, means the world. This was meant to happen.... real recognizes real."

Last October, MADBALL parted ways with longtime guitarist Brian "Mitts" Daniels. The New York outfit called the split "a very hard and heartbreaking decision for all involved."

"For The Cause" track listing:

01. Smile Now Pay Later

02. Rev Up (feat. Sick Jacken)

03. Freight Train

04. Tempest

05. Old Fashioned

06. Evil Ways (feat. Ice-T)

07. Lone Wolf

08. Damaged Goods

09. The Fog (feat. Tim Timebomb & Steve Whale)

10. Es Tu Vida

11. For You

12. For The Cause

13. Confessions (bonus track; CD and LP only)

The original version of the "For The Cause" title track was released last September via the "Family Biz" split seven-inch single, which saw the Cricien-fronted outfit joining forces with Pennsylvania's blue-collar-core heroes WISDOM IN CHAINS.

The official music video for EVANESCENCE's new single, "Hi-Lo", can be seen below. The clip, which was directed by P.R. Brown, includes a guest performance by famed violinist Lindsey Stirling.

"Hi-Lo" is one of two new songs that are included on EVANESCENCE's latest album, "Synthesis". The set is a reimagining of some of EVANESCENCE's best-loved tracks is the band's first full-length effort since its 2011 self-titled release.

EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee told Donny Fandango of the St. Louis radio station 105.7 The Point about "Hi-Lo": "We've had in the bank for a long time. I wasn't quite finished [writing it before], but it's just a song that never fit anywhere that I've been holding on to and waiting to find its right home for 10 years. So it's this weird thing that I feel very close to already that I've had to listen to with my family and my friends to now finish it out and have the orchestra on it. That's what it needed — it needed that beautiful, luscious emotion that [longtime collaborator, orchestra arranger and composer] David Campbell put on there. But I wrote that song with our producer on this album, the guy that did all the programming, Will [Hunt, not to be confused with EVANESCENCE's drummer, also named Will Hunt]. It was our first collaboration together 10 years ago."

EVANESCENCE and Stirling will team up for co-headlining 2018 summer amphitheater tour across North America. The trek, produced by Live Nation, will kick off July 6 in Kansas City, Missouri at the Starlight Theatre and will make stops in 31 North American cities. The trek will wrap September 8 in Ridgefield, Washington at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater.

Both artists' shows will be accompanied by a full orchestra, highlighting both acts' musicality and incredible performance abilities. The orchestrated performances will also perfectly accent the astounding amphitheater venues across the U.S. and Canada that the two will be performing in, making for a magical summer evening.

Photo credit: P.R. Brown

Frontiers Music Srl will release TREAT's new album, "Tunguska", on September 14. The music video for the disc's first single, "Build The Love", can be seen below.

Building on the success of their last two albums, "Coup De Grace" (2010) and "Ghost Of Graceland" (2016), which were both released after the band's reunion in 2006, TREAT's return has been more than welcome by fans and critics alike. With the two latest albums having received praise as true masterpieces, TREAT is releasing its new album, packed with riveting rockers and seductive, soul-searching melodic rock songs, on a wave of newfound creativity and high anticipation from their fanbase.

But what is "Tunguska"? "The album title is a reference to a mysterious large explosion that took place in Siberia in 1908, but metaphorically and artistically, 'Tunguska' represents the last piece of the puzzle to be put in place since the band's reunion," says guitarist, producer and founding member Anders Wikstrom. "It highlights the unique musicianship we have developed together over the years in the creative songwriting process, but also illustrates how we want our albums to sound and feel in the 21st century. We managed to dig deeper into the lyrical content, and musically, the dynamics in the songs and production are more distinct as we let heavy, raunchy stuff co-exist with the softer side of the band."

"Tunguska" was once again produced by respected writer/producer, and longtime TREAT fan, Peter Mansson, together with Anders Wikström, showcasing a band who, despite a thirty plus year career, are hungrier and more energetic than ever!

TREAT's current lineup includes Robert Ernlund (vocals), Anders Wikström (guitars, backing vocals), Patrick Appelgren (keyboards, guitar, backing vocals), Jamie Borger (drums), and Pontus Egberg (bass).

"My goal has always been to capture the band in the studio when we can reflect what we are like at a live performance peak," says Anders. "That's why we did not continue touring for another extended period on the back of the last album ('Ghost Of Graceland') and went into the new album writing and recording process instead. When our fans hear 'Tunguska', this decision will speak for itself. When I listen to it, I get the same feeling I had when we finished 'Organized Crime' back in ´89, when everybody had stepped up to the plate and played as if their lives depended on it. I truly believe this is TREAT's finest hour! And that goes for every single member of the band! Damn proud!"

The band is truly at the top of their game and songs like the outstanding lead single "Build The Love" or rockers like the fabulous album opener "Progenitors", "Always Have, Always Will" and "Rose Of Jericho" stand out as future live staples in the band's repertoire.

"Every time we meet up with fans anywhere in the world, they are always full of praise for our current releases, which is really heartwarming as we do feel we don't have to rely on our 35-year back catalogue to attract audiences," says Anders. "We feel we are a better band nowadays, both as songwriters and live performers, matured just like a great red wine! After living with the album for some time, I find myself jumping in and out randomly on my choice for favorite songs and for some reason that has never been the case before. To me, that's what a real album is about and what makes it worth working day and night to compete."

"Tunguska" track listing:

01. Progenitors

02. Always Have, Always Will

03. Best Of Enemies

04. Rose Of Jericho

05. Heartmath City

06. Creeps

07. Build The Love

08. Man Overboard

09. Riptide

10. Tomorrow Never Comes

11. All Bets Are Off

12. Undefeated

"Goldfinger", a track from Tarja's The Brightest Void album, can be heard below. The Brightest Void was released back in 2016 via earMusic. "Goldfinger" was originally performed by Shirley Bassey, and is the theme from the James Bond film of the same name, released in 1964.

Needless to say that one can await big things when the queen of heavy rock, the brightest star of the symphonic rock scene and certainly the most internationally well-known Finnish female voice in the world of music, Tarja Turunen and her band team up for a tour with one of the the most successful, enduring power metal bands in the world, who influenced a whole genre with heir distinguished mix of fast progressive metal and a melodic approach, symphonic metal originators Stratovarius.

Soprano, composer and songwriter, Tarja reached international fame co-founding and being for nine years the voice and image of the Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish, collecting with them Gold and Platinum Record Awards in several countries. Leading into a not less successful solo career starting of in 2005 when Tarja started to walk alone. Since then she dedicates every December in bringing to Finland and abroad the magic of her Christmas shows. Plus Tarja’s flawless ability to blend rock and classic lead to several collaborations including Alice Cooper, Within Temptation, the German electronic artist Schiller, Doro Pesch and the British father of Tubular Bells Mike Oldfield.

But the unique synergy between Tarja’s classical and rock inspirations is fully expressed in her solo rock career. By now she released four multi-platinum and gold awarded albums My Winter Storm (2007), What Lies Beneath (2010) Colours In The Dark (2013) and the most recent ones The Brightest Void / The Shadow Self (2016). After the successful release of the unexpectedly dark album From Spirits And Ghosts (Score For A Dark Christmas) (2017) and the following Christmas shows, Tarja is ready to offer a closure for her recent heavy rock albums, with her second live video and CD. Following the same line of its predecessor, ACT II will be released in summer 2018.

Not less important, if not even more, than albums and collaborations, has been for Tarja to perform live on stage in front of her audience with more than 800 shows worldwide during her career so far.

It has been more than 30 years since Stratovarius got together - what started in 1985 under the name Black Water left a trail of 16 studio albums, ten Top 5 chart positions in their native country Finland and more than 40 top chart positions around the globe as well as over 30 years extensive touring world wide. With their distinguished mix of fast progressive metal and a melodic approach, symphonic metal originators Stratovarius became one of the most influential, successful and enduring power metal bands in the world.

After a few bumpy steps and stones in the band’s lineup, Stratovarius song writing found its peak in their recent studio works Elysium, Nemesis and Eternal. All milestones in sound, creativity and songwriting. It happens rarely nowadays, especially in metal, that a band creates one magic song after the other. Stratovarius are surely one of the few exceptions.

Recently Stratovarius presented their long awaited Best Of album, which included 29 hits and fan favorites (and there could have been more). As well as started a reissue campaign of all their 16 studio albums, with one of the band’s most successful and most loved albums Destiny (originally released in 1999) and the cult live album Visions Of Europe (originally released in 1998). The series will be continued in summer 2018 with the not less loved albums Episode (originally released in 1996) and Visions (originally released in 1997), again packed with rare and newly recorded bonus material.

Now these two major players from Finland have decided to go on A Nordic Symphony ‘18 Tour together. Dates and a video trailer can be found below.

A Nordic Symphony ‘18:

October
1 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
2 - Kiel, Germany - Max
3 - Hannover, Germany - Capitol
5 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
7 - Utrecht, Netherlands - TivoliVredenburg
9 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
10 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
11 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
13 - Solothurn, Switzerland - Kofmehl
14 - Grenoble, France - La Belle Electrique
16 - Rome, Italy - Orion
17 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
18 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
20 - Innsbruck, Austria - Music Hall
21 - Prague, Czech Republic - Forum Karlín
22 - Berlin, Germany - Festsaal Kreuzberg
24 - Gdansk, Poland - B90
25 - Krakow, Poland – Studio
26 - Dresden, Germany - Reithalle
28 - Budapest, Hungary – Barba Negra
29 - Sofia, Bulgaria - Universiada Sports Hall

Double Crush Syndrome frontman / ex-Sodom guitarist Andy Brings has checked in with the following update:

"Here's the first teaser of our lifeblood film Full Circle: Last Exit Rock N Roll, with Tom Angelripper, Doro Pesch, Liz German and Skid Row. We are very proud and keep busy, the pledge campaign will soon be completely rebuilt, and then all information about the premiere on 12.9. in Essen, Germany will be made available. We look forward to support of all kinds and hope that you remain curious. Just like us. What's your truth?"

Following is Brings' initial introduction to the Full Circle project:

"A movie? Yes, a movie! There are things in life, where words and music are not enough.

Dreams, hopes and longings are incredibly visual things, and that´s why there will be Full Circle – Last Exit Rock N´ Roll! By kind of telling my story, my team and I want to show what drives people who have a dream and are willing to sacrifice everything to make it come true. We want to find out how they cope when their dream turns into a nightmare, how they turn it back around, make everything come full circle, and lead their lives to their destiny and find the true meaning of their being. No matter what the individual small or big goal may be or how long it takes.

My life was and still is like that. Love, passion, struggle, setbacks, lifeblood, success, defeat, laughter and tears, but my rock n´ roll dream came true. From being a fanboy to touring with my heroes, without whom there'd be no me. Thirty-plus years never losing sight of the target, I am the living proof that everything is possible!

My story is your story. What are your dreams? Are you searching for your own truth? Are you willing to give it your all? This film shall be inspiration and confirmation. Whatever it is that you need. Don´t let them discourage you. Go your own way, no matter what they say. You will see that you are not alone!

The movie premiere will take place on September 12th, 2018 at the Lichturg in Essen, Germany´s most beautiful movie theatre, with a full-on red carpet event, where I will hopefully meet all of you.

I´m very grateful for your support, without you nothing lives.

Thank you!

Go to this location to check out Andy Brings' pledge campaign.

LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda has released a music video for the song "Ghosts", taken from his upcoming solo album "Post Traumatic". Shinoda himself directed the clip, which stars Boris and Miss Oatmeal.

Shinoda spoke with ET Canada about the songwriting process for "Post Traumatic", which is due on June 15. He explained: "It started in a really dark place. In the beginning, I wasn't leaving my house. It felt very claustrophobic, having lost one of my closest friends and collaborators. We associate who we are, to some degree, with what we do, so I felt very lost."

He continued: "The experience of this last year has been crazy, and I wanted to put it into music, not only to just put a stamp on it and say, 'This happened,' but also to allow the fans and the people who have been along for the ride, to guide them on that journey in terms of keeping up with my narrative or understanding where I'm at."

Asked how difficult it was to write the songs for the album, many of which dealt with the death of LINKIN PARK singer Chester Bennington, Shinoda added: "Life was difficult; music was easy. The music made things easier."

Shinoda also spoke about dealing with his own grief over Bennington's suicide last summer, saying: "I had terrible days, and now I have less bad days. And eventually, I will find a new 'normal,' like a new stasis."

Shinoda played his first solo shows since the death of Bennington on May 12 at the KROQ Weenie Roast in Los Angeles and May 13 at the Identity LA festival, also in L.A. Shinoda mashed up some LINKIN PARK songs along with his solo material, singing some of Chester Bennington's parts from songs like "Bleed It Out". He played "In The End" on piano and let the fans sing most of Chester's vocal parts, though at times he came in and sang his parts.

SMASHING PUMPKINS have released a new song called "Solara". It marks the band's first recording to feature frontman Billy Corgan, guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlin together in 18 years. The track, which was produced by Rick Rubin, also features longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder.

SMASHING PUMPKINS will perform "Solara" on Monday on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon".

Corgan, Iha and Chamberlin last played together on 2000's "Untitled". "Untitled" was Iha's last PUMPKINS recording prior to "Solara", while Chamberlin's was 2009's "FOL".

Original SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist D'Arcy Wretzky is is not taking part at all in the band's reunion after recently claiming that Corgan offered to have her come out and do sporadic appearances on the upcoming reunion tour.

Corgan did not mince words about Wretzky in a New York Times interview, saying he has not seen her in 19 years and was horrified she shared their private correspondence about the PUMPKINS reunion tour online. Corgan explained: "I think what she did demonstrates why she couldn't be involved. I was vulnerable and shared things and trusted that there was a reason to give it a chance, despite plenty of empirical evidence that that was not a wise decision."

Corgan added that the bridge between him and Wretzky — with whom he started rebuilding his friendship two years ago — is now burned "forever."

But the Times also spoke with Wretzky herself, who said that Corgan misled her about the reunion. She revealed: "He was stringing me along and using me to be able to say that it was, in fact, a reunion of all the members. Billy can be incredibly charming and funny and fun, but when it comes to money and giving credit where credit is due and any kind of work situation, it's not pretty."

Wretzky said there were disagreements about how the members would be paid, with Corgan making twice as much as the others. She added: "I really wanted to do this tour for the right reasons. If everybody was doing it for free, I would have done it for free."

The "Shiny And Oh So Bright" tour, which will reportedly focus on the band's first five albums, kicks off on July 12 in Glendale, Arizona.

"Lovers In The Rain", the new video from the Swedish classic/progressive rock supergroup THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA — featuring members of SOILWORK and ARCH ENEMY — can be seen below. The song is taken from THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA's fourth studio album, "Sometimes The World Ain't Enough", which will be released on June 29 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was again produced by the bandmembers themselves and was recorded at Handsome Hard Music / Larsson Music Studio as well as Nordic Sound Lab in Skara, Sweden. Mixing duties were taken on by the band's guitarist/percussionist Sebastian Forslund and mastering was done by Thomas "Plec" Johansson at The Panic Room.

The real-life/animation mash-up video for "Lovers In The Rain" was created by renowned artist Elia Cristofoli of Solingo, who also made the video for last year's "Gemini".

Commented THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA: "'Lovers In The Rain' is the soundtrack of the way it felt when you held the hand of your first true love for the first time. Happiness so intense, your heart beating so fast that it almost feels like a panic attack. And in the back of your head, you're already mourning the fact that one day it will all be over. But during those first trembling moments, you know that nothing will ever be the same again. From now on, you will always compare every life experience to these first magic moments.

"'Lovers in the Rain' is an homage to the anthems of our youth, the songs that made us believe that in every life; no matter how insignificant you might feel sometimes, you will someday have that experience with someone. Hopefully with THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA playing in the background. And believe us, we've all been there.

"This song, like the whole new album, is about those moments when you transcend reality and might for one fleeting moment catch a glimpse of the otherworldly. It's for each and every one of you, with love from THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA, remembering everyone we've ever loved and lost."

Just like 2017's "Amber Galactic", the LP will feature two different covers (see below) — one for the regular and the other for the limited edition.

The limited first-edition digipack CD, as well as the vinyl, will include an exclusive bonus track. The Japanese version will also feature an additional cut.

"Sometimes The World Ain't Enough" track listing:

01. This Time

02. Turn To Miami

03. Paralyzed

04. Sometimes The World Ain't Enough

05. Moments Of Thunder

06. Speedwagon

07. Lovers In The Rain

08. Can't Be That Bad

09. Pretty Thing Closing In

10. Barcelona

11. Winged And Serpentine

12. The Last Of The Independent Romantics

13. Marjorie (limited-edition digipack CD and vinyl bonus track)

14. Pacific Priestess (Japanese bonus track)

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA said in a statement: "THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA returns with another chapter in their steaming space opera that began with 'Amber Galactic'.

"This time, the female space commanders want even more revenge than they already had, space is even more infinite, and the amount of champagne it takes to keep this navy afloat and adrift in the cosmos is probably illegal on most planets!

"Never looking back, THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA boldly goes where no man or woman has ever gone before, and with this album, they've taken another step in their quest to elevate classic rock from being a music genre to becoming an immersive whole-body transcendental experience!

"It's time to prepare yourself, because the riffs will be riffier, the vocals will be throatier, the synthesizers will envelop you, the AOR will be AOR-ier, the long songs will be longer, the short songs will be shorter, the bass will seduce you, the drums will destroy you, the groove will hypnotize and paralyze you. Can you handle it?"

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA is:

Björn Strid - Vocals

Sharlee D'Angelo - Bass

David Andersson - Guitars

Richard Larsson - Keyboards

Jonas Källsbäck - Drums

Sebastian Forslund - Guitars, Percussion, Special FX

Anna-Mia Bonde - Backing Vocals

Anna Brygård - Backing Vocals

Photo credit: Carlos Del Olmo Holmberg



Main cover:



Limited-edition cover:

The official video for "My Own Grave", a brand new song from California metallers AS I LAY DYING, can be seen below. The track, which features the return of the band's 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 — is expected to be released via all streaming music services on Friday, June 8.

AS I LAY DYING will play its first comeback show on 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 hit man $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."

Tim didn't offer any details about his plans for the future, but credited music with getting him "through the darkest parts of [his] journey."

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.

The singer in 2015 filed a lawsuit against a California medical team alleging that he was not given a prescribed medication for nearly two months prior to his incarceration, resulting in him developing gynecomastia (enlarged breasts). Public records show that his lawsuit was dismissed in October 2016 with prejudice, possibly because the parties had reached a settlement agreement.

Andy Hall of Des Moines radio station Lazer 103.3 recently conducted an interview with Alice Cooper. You can listen to the entire chat via the SoundCloud widget below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether the album title "Paranormal" is fitting of his career:

Alice: "When you talk about the word 'paranormal,' I actually looked it up — it doesn't really mean anything ghostly. It means 'other than normal.' Paranormal. So, when I started thinking about my career and started thinking about every single thing that has happened to make Alice Cooper what it is, it is extremely paranormal. [Laughs] It wasn't like CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. It wasn't like any of the other bands. Our road was a lot more bizarre. It was one of those things anytime you're introducing something new, it upsets everybody because they want to stand back and wait and see if it's going to be accepted. If it is accepted, then all of the sudden you're a genius. If it's not accepted, then you're an idiot. [Laughs] It was [a big risk], but at the same time, we had nothing to lose. We were one of those bands, we were just like any other band, except the fact that we were extremely theatrical and I said, 'Why don't we take what we do best and wrap great songs around it? And I'll play the villain and we'll wrap a show around that?' We thought about it and went, 'Well, nobody does that, so let's just do it.' It felt very natural to us to do it like that."

On the caliber of musicians in his band:

Alice: "I've always looked for the very best players. I had Orianthi [guitar] in the band before this and she had been playing with Michael Jackson [before his] tragic death and I always said, 'I've never had a girl in the band, so let's put Ori in there.' Not just because she was a girl, but because she was a great guitar player and that really was a plus. When Ori went off with [former BON JOVI guitarist] Richie Sambora, which I thought was a nice connection there, I found 'Hurricane' Nita Strauss, who was another great player, except she was a different kind of guitar player — she was a shredder. She was a girl who could play like Eddie Van Halen. So, I said 'That gives us another dimension.'"

On the longevity of his career and celebrating the anniversaries of some of his classic releases:

Alice: "I am more of 'what's happening next' then 'what's happening then.' But, I appreciate the history. I do appreciate the fact that was historic stuff and 'School's Out' broke a lot of barriers and 'Billion Dollar Babies' was a very theatrical album to be a number one album. It did things on that album that other albums had never done. I think what it speaks to also, is the fact guitar rock, no matter where rock goes, it will go to punk, it will go to grunge, it will go to disco, it will go to this, that and this, but the one music that never dies is that sort of modern Chuck Berry hard rock that THE [ROLLING] STONES do, that GUNS N' ROSES do, that AEROSMITH does, that Alice Cooper does. That's the kind of music that will just not die. There are bands right now — look at GRETA VAN FLEET. There's a band who said, 'It's been a long time since LED ZEPPELIN was around; let's be LED ZEPPELIN.' People are ready for a new LED ZEPPELIN, so guitar rock, once again, is going to take the forefront."

On when he realized there is no stopping point to his career:

Alice: "I think it's the fact, everybody can look at Mick Jagger or Paul McCartney or any one of these guys who are still touring after 60 years or so, 50 years at least, and they're as good as they've ever been. I think it's a matter of, 'Are you physically well enough to do it? Are you mentally well enough?' My idea was this: If I didn't think my next album was going to be my best album, then I would stop. If I didn't think my next show was going to be my best show, or at least equal to my best show, then I would definitely stop. But, I'm looking at the new [HOLLYWOOD] VAMPIRES album and I'm looking at that show and I'm looking at the new stage show that we're doing and I'm going, 'Geez, this is better than the last one. Let's keep going.' There's nothing physically wrong with me, so I can't imagine why I wouldn't keep going."

Cooper released "Paranormal", his first album in six years and twenty-seventh overall, last July via earMUSIC. The record, produced by Bob Ezrin, features special guests like U2's Larry Mullen Jr., who plays on nine of the twelve new songs; Billy Gibbons of ZZ TOP; DEEP PURPLE's Roger Glover, as well as a mini-reunion of the original ALICE COOPER bandmembers.

He has one of the most powerful and distinctive voices in hard rock history, heard on such classics as "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", "Rock Me" and "Save Your Love". He is Jack Russell, the inimitable vocalist and founding member of '80s metal legends GREAT WHITE, and he has recently reissued his 1996 debut solo album, "Shelter Me". The LP, released after a decade's worth of blockbuster albums for Capitol Records, finds the hard-living singer in fine form, belting out both ballads and rockers with gusto to spare. Highlights include the ballsy cover of THE BEATLES' "Hey Bulldog", an emotional version of the GREAT WHITE classic "Save Your Love", as well as the poignant title track, "Shelter Me", which expresses empathy for the growing homeless population. Musically, the album is right in line with GREAT WHITE's brand of LED ZEPPELIN-inspired blues rock with stellar guitar work from Matthew Johnson and Michael Lardie as well as a rhythm section that includes iconic bassist Tim Bogert (JEFF BECK, VANILLA FUDGE) and drummer Myron Grombacher. This special reissue revises the front cover album art, placing Russell front and center, and features an extensive booklet with complete lyrics.

"Shelter Me" track listing:

01. Shelter Me

02. Take My Pain

03. Leave Me Lonely

04. Long Way To Go

05. Hey Bulldog

06. You'll Lose A Good Thing

07. Twenty-Four/Seven

08. The Fault's All Mine

09. Roll With The Tide

10. Faith In You

11. Save Your Love

12. Shine On

13. When I Look Into Your Eyes

A 2013 federal court decision allows Russell to tour as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while GREAT WHITE continues with his replacement, Terry Ilous. Both last year released albums — GREAT WHITE's "Full Circle" and "He Saw It Coming" by JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE features Russell alongside former GREAT WHITE bassist-turned-guitarist Tony Montana (as a guitar player and keyboardist), Dan McNay (MONTROSE) on bass, Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar and Dicki Fliszar (BRUCE DICKINSON) on drums.