If you've been following this tragic story, this shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but Ralph Santolla is going to be taken off life support.

The former Deicide and Obituary guitarist fell into a coma after suffering a heart attack last week. After his mother revealed things were not looking good yesterday, his son,Dorian Angelo Santolla, broke the news of the sad eventuality:

“We are going to take my father off of assisted living on Wednesday. If any of his friends would like to say goodbye, the family will welcome you at St. Joseph’s tomorrow (Tuesday). He would appreciate the love. Thank you ❤”

Ralph's mother, Sue, revealed that Ralph has some unreleased recordings with his last band, Devil’s Highway, that will be revealed soon:

“Ralph Santolla in an organ donor so he will live on. Those recipients don’t know what they are getting until they suddenly become sarcastic, funny, get tattoos, start playing guitar. One other thing, Devil’s Highway was getting close to completion. It will be done and that is a Ralph’s legacy. “

Santolla is only 48 years old. Our sincerest and deepest condolences to his family and friends.

Prior to SONS OF APOLLO's recent performance in Denver, Colorado, drummer Mike Portnoy spoke with Front Roe Joe of That Just Happened. The full conversation can be viewed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On turning 51 during SONS OF APOLLO's current tour:

Mike: "We did nothing special. My 50th birthday was such a big hoopla. I did this big birthday concert — a three-hour show with four different of my bands on the Cruise To The Edge cruise. It was such a big deal that I figured 51 through 59, I'm just staying low key. I'll make a big deal if I make it to 60. That will be another celebration."

On whether he's in so many bands because of "musical ADD," "creative itches," "the love of playing with other talented musicians" or an inability to say no:

Mike: "All of the above. Absolutely, every one of those are part of my workaholic nature. I'm currently in six bands — some active, some inactive at the moment. TWISTED SISTER last year would have made seven, and the SHATTERED FORTRESS tour I did last year would have made eight. But I'm a workaholic; I love music; I love working with so many other musicians; I love working within so many different genres and styles; I can't say no — TWISTED SISTER calls, I've got to do it. I think after 25 years of being in one band, I needed to sow my musical oats. I get a lot of criticism on message boards online – I see people mocking it and making fun of it, but if I can do it and if I can juggle it and if it's no problem for me, why the hell should anybody else care? The more, the merrier. Some of us are just wired that way — we want to just keep creating, and we love music."

On why guitarist Tony MacAlpine – who played with Portnoy and his SONS OF APOLLO bandmates Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian in a short-lived group called PSMS — was not invited to join SONS OF APOLLO:

Mike: "As much as we loved Tony, Tony was great for the instrumental fusion thing, we needed a rock star — a hard rock/metal rock star playing guitar in this band. I knew it was Bumblefoot. I had done some different things with him through the years; he had done some touring with METAL ALLEGIANCE, and he and Billy had done some stuff together, so I knew he was not only a rock star, but he is an unbelievable musician. People don't realize it — they just think he played in GUNS N' ROSES, and they don't realize he's a mad scientist. Of everybody in this band, he's probably the most musically accomplished and able. He can play anything. Anything any of us throw at him, he can tackle."

On his other SONS OF APOLLO bandmates:

Mike: "Derek plays keyboards like a guitar player. He plays with real balls. He's not one of those traditional keyboard players that does all the tinkly-tinkly stuff and softens up the sound. He's the loudest one on stage each and every night. He likes to call himself the Yngwie [Malmsteen] of keyboards, and he's got this wall of amps that takes off your head. I love that he brings that to the band. Then we have a bass player that plays bass like a guitar player as well. [Laughs] Billy Sheehan is the Jimi Hendrix of bass as far as I'm concerned — he completely innovated the instrument when he came around on the scene, and he's always been one of my favorite bass players. Nobody plays like him. If you wanted to have this band of virtuosos, who can you get on bass other than Billy Sheehan? There's nobody that plays that way, especially not anymore. Very few people play with that intensity, so we needed him in this band. Jeff Scott Soto bring the smooth accessibility and melodic edge to it all. We didn't want a singer that was traditional, operatic, screaming. Jeff brings a real listenability to the songs. His heroes are people like Freddie Mercury, Lou Gramm, Steve Walsh or Steve Perry, so he brings that kind of AOR background to what is a sometime progressive, sometimes metal band. You put us all in a melting pot... it started with a progressive metal tag, but I think it's really become more of a hard rock band with chops. I think we're more VAN HALEN than RUSH."

On how SONS OF APOLLO compares to DREAM THEATER:

Mike: "I think this band has that real VAN HALEN swagger to it, so I don't know if you can compare us to DREAM THEATER. I think this band is a very different animal. That being said, anybody that's a fan of mine from the DREAM THEATER days, I think this is the band, of everything I've done post-DREAM THEATER, that the DREAM THEATER fans will be floored by. If you come to one of the shows, and you're a fan of what I used to do in DREAM THEATER, your jaw is going to be on the floor. I think this is probably the closest I'll get to wetting the whistle of those fans. I did it last year when I did the SHATTERED FORTRESS shows, and I think that kind of scratched the itch for myself and the fans, and maybe helped set up SONS OF APOLLO."

SONS OF APOLLO's debut album, "Psychotic Symphony", was released in October by InsideOut Music. It sold around 5,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release, earning the band the top position on Billboard's Heatseekers chart, which focuses on top-selling albums by new or developing acts, defined as those who have never appeared on the top 100 of the Billboard 200.

The official lyric video for the song "The Rage" from TRAUMA, best known as the band that Cliff Burton played with prior to hooking up with METALLICA, can be seen below. The clip was created by Andy Pilkington of Very Metal Art.

"The Rage" is taken from TRAUMA's new album, titled "As The World Dies", which was released on May 11.

With an eye on the past but focused on the future, "As The World Dies", produced by guitarist Joe Fraulob, is certain to be a landmark third album, staying true to TRAUMA's signature sound that came before but with a very modern edge.

TRAUMA, formed in 1980, is the band responsible for the much-sought-after classic '80s album "Scratch And Scream", featuring killer cuts like "The Day All Hell Broke Loose" and "Lay Low". Cofounder/vocalist Donny Hillier and longtime TRAUMA drummer Kris Gustofson have put together a monstrous lineup of amazing players. Guitarist Joe Fraulob is a former member of DANZIG; Steve Robello plays guitar in DUBLIN DEATH PATROL (the Bay Area supergroup formed by the singers of EXODUS and TESTAMENT), and was formerly with the group HEIST; bassist Greg Christian, the newest addition to TRAUMA, was a member of TESTAMENT.

"As The World Dies" consists of 10 tracks:

01. The Rage

02. From Here To Hell

03. As The World Dies

04. Gun To Your Head

05. Last Rites

06. Run For Cover

07. Asylum

08. Entropy

09. Cool Aid

10. Savage

Much like METALLICA, TRAUMA's first recorded appearance was as part of the compilation series curated by Metal Blade Records. "Metal Massacre II" (1982) featured "Such A Shame". The band shot a video for the song "The Warlock" in Santa Ana, California, not long before Burton left the group to join METALLICA.

Guitarist, singer and songwriter Richie Kotzen has just released a music video for a new song called "Riot". The clip, which also features bassist Dylan Wilson and drummer Mike Bennett, was shot on location in Los Angeles, California by Vicente Cordero. The single be available Thursday, June 7 on all digital platforms.


Kotzen explains: "I'm very excited to share another new song with you all!

"We made a music video to go with the song and really wanted to focus on the performance of the band more than a storyline.

"One of the things I love about this track is the interplay between the guitar, bass, and drums. Although I wrote the musical lines we are playing, my goal was to somehow capture the live energy of my band on the final recording.

"Dylan, Mike, and I have been touring together for seven years and there are some live recordings out there, but we never spent much time together in the studio recording. I feel like this new recording is a great example of all three of us playing at the top of our potential.

"I hope you enjoy the new song and the new video!"

Kotzen's latest solo album, "Salting Earth", was released in April 2017 via his own custom label, Headroom-Inc.

The majority of "Salting Earth" was the result of Kotzen's one-man production machine, with the exception of Julia Lage adding background vocals to "Make It Easy".


Asked how he keeps coming up with fresh ideas, Kotzen told Audio Ink Radio: "What happens for me is that over the course of a year, I might write five or six or 10 or 12 songs that I really like, and then after I write each one, I record it. So, the songs are all recorded at different times. And then, at some point I'll go back and listen to everything and decide which ones I really like. If I feel like I have a record, then I release something. Sometimes I might have seven songs that I really like and then go back and discover two or three things that I never finished, and I suddenly feel inspired to finish them. It's a different kind of process. It's very different from the process of going into a studio, booking time and saying, 'Okay, I have two weeks to do this record.' I don't really have deadlines. I just write what I write, and when I have enough material that I'm excited about, I'll put it together and release it."

According to SUICIDAL TENDENCIES drummer Dave Lombardo, the band will release a new full-length album in September.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' latest release was the "Get Your Fight On!" EP, which came out in March. It was the group's second release with Lombardo, Ra Diaz on bass and Jeff Pogan on guitar. The ten-song effort included new tracks, the first-ever cover song from the band — of the classic Iggy Pop song "I Got A Right" — and artwork by artist Mike Strachan.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES singer Mike Muir told SCENEzine about "Get Your Fight On!": "We were trying to put the EP out before 'World Gone Mad', but then we got Dave Lombardo in the band and everything kind of got switched, and when you put out an EP with the title track of the song that has already been released, it is kind of strange, so the point then you wanted to have originally is still valid.

"The point is, I think, a lot of times, especially nowadays, when people don't want to communicate, they just want to yell and they don't want to hear what anyone else has to say," he continued. "They just want to hear what they want to hear and they are the type of people whose basis of strength is based on numbers.

"My dad always said there are two types of fights, one where you fight with your fists and you end up with scars and the ones where you fight with your mind, and those ones cut way deeper, and the battles that are really important in life are the one you fight with your mind. So, for us, 'get your fight on' is about being way smarter it's about doing your thing, it's about knowing who you want to be and about figuring out a path to get to that. It's about not being the victim, it's about being victorious, it's about realizing in a particular moment it may not be where you want to be in life, but that is just an opportunity to fight a little harder, be a little stronger. And sometimes, there is nothing wrong with taking a step back and regrouping and coming up with a better plan. Just quitting is never a good plan. So, for us to get that approach, we don't do the 'same old same old.' Do something different, but do it for the right reason, because you believe it's good and has some validity and you don't need confirmation from anybody else."

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES - OFFICIAL fall dates are starting to reveal themselves. Many more will be announced soon!!
Riot Fest Louder Than Life Monster Energy Music

¡!New Full Length SxTx LP will released in September!¡— Dave Lombardo (@TheDaveLombardo) June 5, 2018

REVOCATION will release its new album, "The Outer Ones", on September 28 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2016's "Great Is Our Sin" sees the band pushing both the death metal and progressive elements of its signature sound harder than ever.

"I knew that I wanted to go in a darker direction, and this is our most death metal album to date," states vocalist/guitarist Dave Davidson.

"Sometimes when death metal bands go down the prog route, they lose some of that edge, but we wanted to keep the aggression at the forefront of what we do while still pushing our boundaries."

Moving away from the societal and historical themes that informed "Great Is Our Sin", this time Davidson has immersed himself in the fantastic, evoking one of the great writers of the sci-fi/horror genre.

"The title is my ode to H.P. Lovecraft and the entities of pure cosmic horror that rule that universe he created," Davidson says. "Since the new music we were writing was so evil and spacey in sections, it seemed to be the right title to fit the overall vibe. But while the lyrical content is largely influenced by such writings, in every allegory there is, of course, some reflection of the real world, so I enjoy writing in a way that could have one overlaying meaning and then another deeper, symbolic meaning as well."

A first preview of "The Outer Ones" is available below.

This September/October, REVOCATION will head out on the road for its first North American headlining tour in several years, with EXHUMED, RIVERS OF NIHIL and YAUTJA as support.

Tour dates:

Sep. 17 - Baltimore, MD - Metro Gallery

Sep. 18 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter

Sep. 19 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade

Sep. 21 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall

Sep. 22 - Austin, TX - Come & Take It Live

Sep. 23 - Ft. Worth, TX - Rail Club

Sep. 24 - Tulsa, OK - The Vanguard

Sep. 26 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad

Sep. 27 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red

Sep. 28 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick

Sep. 29 - Los Angeles, CA - Union

Sep. 30 - Petaluma, CA - Phoenix Theatre

Oct. 01 - Sacramento, CA - Holy Diver

Oct. 03 - Vancouver, BC - Astoria*

Oct. 04 - Spokane, WA - The Pin

Oct. 05 - Seattle, WA - Highline

Oct. 06 - Portland, OR - Analog

Oct. 07 - Boise, ID - Shredder

Oct. 09 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater

Oct. 10 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room

Oct. 11 - Minneapolis, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Grill

Oct. 12 - Chicago, IL - Reggies

Oct. 13 - Kent, OH - The Outpost

Oct. 14 - Detroit, MI - Loving Touch

Oct. 15 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck*

Oct. 16 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks*

Oct. 17 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques*

Oct. 18 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge

Oct. 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Voltage Lounge

Oct. 20 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall

* No EXHUMED

REVOCATION is:

David Davidson - Guitars / Vocals

Dan Gargiulo - Guitars / Vocals

Brett Bamberger - Bass / Vocals

Ash Pearson - Drums

9/28/2018Posted by Revocation on Tuesday, May 15, 2018

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

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

Tour dates:

Jan. 11 - DE - Hannover @ MusikZentrum

Jan. 12 - DE - Andernach @ JUZ Live Club

Jan. 13 - CH - Pratteln @ Z7

Jan. 14 - DE - München @ Backstage

Jan. 15 - DE - Aschaffenburg @ Colos-Saal

Jan. 16 - DE - Saarbrücken @ Garage

Jan. 17 - DE - Bochum @ Zeche

Jan. 18 - DE - Glauchau @ Alte Spinnerei

Jan. 19 - DE - Neuruppin @ Kulturhaus Neuruppin

Jan. 20 - NL - Rotterdam @ Baroeg

Jan. 22 - DE - Hamburg @ Markthalle

Jan. 23 - DE - Berlin @ Lido

Jan. 24 - DE - Bamberg @ Live Musik Club

Jan. 25 - DE - [email protected] @ Eventhalle-Airport

Jan. 26 - DE - Memmingen @ Kaminwerk

Jan. 27 - DE - Ludwigsburg @ Rockfabrik

Jan. 28 - FR - Paris @ Petit Bain

Jan. 29 - UK - London @ The Underworld

Jan. 30 - BE - Vosselaar @ Biebob

Jan. 31 - FR - France @ [to be announced]

Feb. 01.02 - ES - Bilbao @ Santana 27

Feb. 02.02 - ES - Madrid @ Mon Live

Feb. 03.02 - ES - Barcelona @ Razzmatazz 2

Feb. 09.02 - IL - Tel Aviv @ Gagarin Club

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

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

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

GRAVE DIGGER is:

Chris Boltendahl - Vocals

Axel Ritt - Guitar

Jens Becker - Bass

Stefan Arnold - Drums

Marcus Kniep - Keyboards

A five-minute video in which IRON MAIDEN drummer Nicko McBrain takes the viewer for a close-up tour of his 2018 kit can be seen below.

McBrain recently opened a drum store, Nicko McBrain's Drum One. Located in Manchester, the retail capital of the North of England on the Trafford Park business estate, the store features Planet Paiste, the U.K.'s largest dedicated Paiste show space and the Sonorsphere where customers can find the biggest selection of Sonor products in the country. All major drum and percussion brands are stocked.

Formerly Manchester Drum Centre, established since 1983, Drum One acquired the business on November 1, 2017 following the retirement of long-term owner and operator Rob Pearson. The business continued to operate under the name Drum Centre until the formal launch of Drum One on January 25.

The project reunites Nicko with Craig Buckley, former GM at Premier Drums who is his partner in the business. Sam McGoran long-term manager at Drum Centre remains as sales manager and becomes a share holder in the business.

Nicko commented: "I am extremely excited to be a part of this wonderful adventure. It is a departure from my usual day job but nevertheless it is one that I am ready to take on. I'm so very grateful to Craig and Sam for giving me this wonderful opportunity to embrace and serve the retail side of the percussion world and YOU! I am looking forward to the commitment, dedication and experience that is Nicko McBrain's Drum One."

Craig Buckley added: "It is an absolute pleasure to be working with Nicko again. We had such a good time working together during my time with Premier. When this opportunity was originally offered to me in the summer, I mentioned it to Nicko and he wanted to be involved immediately and since then we have been planning the restructure, the rebranding and the social media platform in a bid to have everything ready for our announcement at NAMM. We felt it was important to keep disruption to the business minimal when we took over so we took the decision to run simply as Drum Centre until we had all of the branding and shopfitting changed to the way we envisaged. The support we have received from the manufacturers and distributors since the takeover has been fantastic and I want to thank them all on behalf of Nicko, Sam and myself for their commitment."

Nicko McBrain's Drum One Limited

Astra Business Park

Guinness Road

Trafford Park

Manchester

England

M17 1SQ

For more information, visit www.drumone.co.uk.

British classic rock icons URIAH HEEP will release their 25th studio album, "Living The Dream", on September 14 via Frontiers Music Srl.


The first single and video for the song "Grazed By Heaven" can be seen below.


The lyrics for "Grazed By Heaven" were written by SONS OF APOLLO frontman Jeff Scott Soto and the music was written by bassist Dave Rimmer.


Says Jeff Scott Soto: "The song is clearly about sexual tension and desire, very much in the form of 'Fifty Shades Of Grey', putting oneself at ease with the person who is taking control of the situation and trusting you will be in absolute bliss. Fantasy and lust is the calling card here; it's quite black and white, really. The song is very sexy so naturally called for a sexy lyric."


Rimmer adds: "'Grazed' was born out of my desire to write a blazing HEEP rock track. I put together the music and arrangement but needed a very strong melody line/lyric to match the music and the riff... I have been a fan of Jeff Scott Soto's voice and writing for many years so asked Jeff about a collaboration. He loved the song and came up with the perfect and powerful lyric/melody… a very natural seamless collaboration between Jeff and I. A true 'Living The Dream' moment for me."


In conjunction with this release through Frontiers Music Srl, the band is offering some once-in-a-lifetime experience packages as well as signed copies of the album and many other wonderful things. Check it out today at PledgeMusic.


For this album, the band teamed up with famed Canadian engineer Jay Ruston.


"Working with Jay was amazing!" says Mick Box. "He totally understood what we were going for on this album and he delivered big time. We wanted a HEEP album that the band and the fans would be proud of, and with Jay at the helm, we have delivered that."


When asked what people can expect from the new album, Box says "There are rock songs, rock ballads, and a couple of prog songs encompassing everything HEEP."


Vocalist Bernie Shaw adds that fans should also be ready for "a full-blown rockin' URIAH HEEP record. All the traits that made HEEP famous in the past are here on this new album. Passion, power, harmony and substance. HEEP trademarks from the first riff."


The band is beyond excited with the material written for the new album, which will include some epic additions to the band's huge catalog of rock staples and looks forward to sharing it with its fans around the world.


The band has announced a full world tour which will last until the whole first quarter of 2019.

"The mighty HEEP are proudly able to tour in over 61 countries and we look forward to a packed touring schedule in 2018 and 2019. Touring is in our blood and what we have a passion to do, and so 2018 is no exception," concludes Box.


Track listing:

01. Grazed By Heaven

02. Living The Dream

03. Take Away My Soul

04. Knocking At My Door

05. Rocks In The Road

06. Waters Flowin'

07. It's All Been Said

08. Goodbye To Innocence

09. Falling Under Your Spell

10. Dreams Of Yesteryear

11. Take Away My Soul (alternate version) (bonus track; CD/DVD deluxe edition)


Bonus DVD track listing:

* "Grazed By Heaven" music video

* "Take Away My Soul" music video

* "Making The Dream" documentary


URIAH HEEP is:

Mick Box - Lead Guitar/Vocals

Phil Lanzon - Keyboards/Vocals

Bernie Shaw - Lead Vocals

Dave Rimmer - Bass Guitar/Vocals

Russell Gilbrook – Drums, Percussion

Mordant Rapture, a San Jose, California-based group delivering powerful symphonic heavy technical death metal will release their debut EP, The Abnegation, on July 13th via The Artisan Era.

The Abnegation is a five-song whirlwind of symphonic and blackened technical death metal influenced by the grandiose nature of film scores and also by groups such as Spawn Of Possession, Emperor, Necrophagist, and Dissection. Active since 2013, The Abnegation will be the group's first release, due in part to Mordant Rapture laboring for years writing and re-inventing themselves until satisfied with songs they considered top-notch.

Today the band launched the first single / lyric video from The Abnegation, "Quell The Voiceless".

The Abnegation cover art and tracklisting:

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

Pre-orders can be placed now at this location. For further details, visit Mordant Rapture on Facebook.

 

 

"Happy Juneyard," says the guys in Junkyard. "This month marks the 29th anniversary of our debut album that started it all! To celebrate 29 years of Junkyard, the live release, Shut Up – We’re Tryin’ To Practice (recorded on our first tour back in ’89) will be re-released on CD and Red Vinyl in October of this year on Cleopatra Records. No more scrounging around on eBay and paying $100 for it!"

Tracklisting:

"Life Sentence"
"Hot Rod"
"Long Way Home"
"Can't Hold Back"
"Take Me Home"
"Simple Man"
"Blooze"
"Misery"
"Hollywood"
"Hallelujah, I Love Her"
"Shot In The Dark"
"Texas"
"Tush"

Catch Junkyard live at the following shows:

June
9 - Velvet Jones - Santa Barbara, CA

July
27 - Liquid Joes - Salt Lake City, UT
28 - Silver Music Hall - Lakewood, CO

August
3 - The Winchester Music Tavern - Lakewood, OH
4 - The Token Lounge - Westland, MI

 

The second collection of lyrics of Glenn Danzig songs from DANZIG, SAMHAIN and the MISFITS will be released as "Hidden Lyrics Of The Left Hand Volume II", featuring illustrations by long-time Danzig and Verotik collaborator Simon Bisley.

The book, which will be available in August, can be ordered at your local comic or indie record shop, or from the Verotik-World eBay store.

The first volume of "Hidden Lyrics Of The Left Hand" book with illustrations by Bisley came out in 2010. The book was meant to appease every Danzig fan who was dying to know the lyrics to all the DANZIG, MISFITS and SAMHAIN songs — tracks that never had their "dark verses" printed.

Bisley has painted many album covers for Danzig, including the latest CD, 2017's "Black Laden Crown".

As previously reported, Glenn Danzig and his band will perform DANZIG's 1992 album, "Danzig III: How The Gods Kill", live in its entirety exclusively at this year's Psycho Las Vegas festival, set to take place August 17-19 at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will mark the only time "Danzig III" will be played in full in the U.S. this year.

Glenn previously played "How The Gods Kill" live at Riot Fest and his own Blackest Of The Black festival last year.

Glenn will also celebrate DANZIG's 30th anniversary this year by playing a limited number of special shows in Europe in August.

The run begins August 2 at Wacken Open Air, where DANZIG will headline one of the main stages, and includes stops in the U.K., Germany, Luxembourg and Czech Republic. DANZIG will complete the tour with a headlining performance at Brutal Assault festival on August 11 in Jaromer, Czech Republic.

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's June 2 concert at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, New Jersey can be seen below.

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.

Gene Simmons has told Sweden's Expressen newspaper that KISS will launch a three-year world tour in January 2019. Calling it the band's "most spectacular tour ever," the bassist/vocalist added that the trek will make stops on "all continents."

Simmons's latest comments echo those made by his bandmate, Paul Stanley, who told CNBC's "Squawk Box" that KISS will embark on its "biggest tour" next year.

Rumors of KISS's final run of live shows gained strength several months ago following the news that the band was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed in February to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which — should it be accepted — means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band." As it stands now, no official farewell tour has been announced.

As most fans remember, back in 2000 and 2001, KISS already performed a "Farewell Tour". The trek, which was the last to feature drummer Peter Criss, played 142 shows over five legs, covering North America, Japan, and Australia.

In a recent interview with Australia's News Corp, Simmons confirmed that he "had nothing to do" with KISS's attempt to trademark "The End Of The Road."

"The god's honest truth is that I've heard this before but I literally had never heard of it until somebody mentioned it and I had nothing to do with it," he said. "So I might learn something, but I know nothing of it. I wouldn't pull your leg, by the way.

"Kiss Catalog [the company that filed 'The End Of The Road' application] is one of our companies, that's true — but we trademark all sorts of things. I own [the phrase] 'Motion Pictures' — I actually do.

"There's always been talk, every tour, that this is the last time.

"Let me put it bluntly: One day we are going to stop and do the last show. I don't know when that is… I still look stunning in real life," he laughed.

"The band's in great shape — Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums] are fantastic. Everybody finally seems happy with their lot in life."

Fan-filmed video footage of Gene Simmons's June 2 performance at the Gröna Lund amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden can be seen below. Photos are available at this location.

One of Gröna Lund's most legendary concerts was when KISS visited Stora Scen 1976. Now, 42 years later, fans got the chance to welcome one of the world's most famous rockers back at Gröna Lund's Stora Scen.

The GENE SIMMONS BAND — which recently celebrated its first anniversary — consists of guitarist/bassist Jeremy Asbrock, guitarist Ryan Cook, guitarist Phil Shouse, and drummer Brent Fitz, most of whom perform regularly as the Nashville-based THEE ROCK N' ROLL RESIDENCY.

Simmons stated about his solo shows: "Doing these smaller concert halls, which hold a thousand to three thousand people, means they get filled up by real diehard fans. They don't want to hear the 'same old, same old.' They want to hear nuggets, as they say. It's a hoot for me because I've never really had a chance to do this stuff live. It's been a lot of fun."

Gene told the Chicago Sun-Times: "By the end, I get the chance to bring as many people from the audience as we can fit on the stage to sing with me."

Regarding how the idea for a solo tour came about, Simmons told Australia's Advertiser: "The GENE SIMMONS BAND was not a plan or anything.

"About a year ago, a corporate event asked me to be keynote speaker … then they said, 'Won't you get up and sing a few tunes?' I explained that you can't just do that, you've got to have a band and rehearse and all that. They said, 'Well, we'll pay you X dollars more,' and I said, 'I like you!'

"So I put together a band from Nashville — these guys back up Kid Rock and lots of other people — and without a single rehearsal, I just told them which songs I wanted to do and they learned them.

"It just sounded natural — there is such a thing called chemistry. They don't teach that anywhere — I mean, they do teach 'chemistry' but not the kind I'm talking about.

"It felt right and as soon as the videos went on YouTube and such, people were calling. This little GENE SIMMONS BAND never tried to be KISS… It was just a little bit of fun and stuff. Now all of a sudden, we're headlining festivals in the Czech Republic, Canada, Germany… It's crazy."

The setlist for the Stockholm show, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Deuce (KISS song)

02. Shout It Out Loud (KISS song)

03. Parasite (KISS song)

04. I Love It Loud (KISS song)

05. Unholy (KISS song) (partial, first verse only)

06. Love Theme From Kiss (KISS song) (partial)

07. War Machine (KISS song)

08. She's So European (KISS song)

09. Calling Dr. Love (KISS song)

10. Charisma (KISS song)

11. I (KISS song)

12. Cold Gin (KISS song)

13. Do You Love Me (KISS song)

14. It's My Life (KISS song)

15. Are You Ready

16. Watchin' You (KISS song)

17. Fits Like A Glove (KISS song)

18. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll (KISS song)

19. Rock And Roll All Nite (KISS song)

Encore:

20. Christine Sixteen (KISS song)

SYSTEM OF A DOWN guitarist Daron Malakian has confirmed to Revolver that the band has been stalled in its attempts to record a follow-up to its "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" albums, which came out in 2005. He explained:"I couldn't say ever, but as of right now, it's not looking like we're doing something together soon. I can't close the book on it and say it's done forever. We still play live. We're all still friends. All my bandmembers posted 'Lives' [from Malakian's SCARS ON BROADWAY project] on their own Facebooks and Instagrams, so we're all very supportive of each other. It's more a combination of where each person is at a different point in their life, and each person wants to do a different thing. There are some creative differences as well on what direction each one of us wants to take the next SYSTEM album, if that ever happens. Which is fine. I'm not sitting here upset or anything. The only thing I'm a little frustrated with was waiting for that to maybe happen or not happen. Too much time has passed by since I've released anything with SCARS or SYSTEM. But it's never too late.

Daron's latest comments echo those made by SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian, who told Rolling Stone: "We've discussed [the possibility of making new music] and we've played each other songs, but we still haven't come eye to eye on how things should be done for us to be able to move forward with it. And that's where it’s been."

Tankian added that ironically the band members are getting along better than ever, saying: "That's the funny thing. When people don't see a record, they assume the worst about your internal relationship. But the truth is we're actually better friends — at least I'm better friends with everyone than I've ever been."

Tankian continued: "We have a great time together touring. But sometimes putting together a record, and that creative output and how things should be done, is different in four people’s heads and it doesn't always come together."

Tankian and Malakian have toured with SYSTEM OF A DOWN over the past few years but the band has not released new music in more than a decade.

Drummer John Dolmayan revealed in a 2016 interview that the group had written music for more than a dozen new songs, but those remain in limbo.

Malakian's long-dormant side project, SCARS ON BROADWAY, will release its new album on July 20. The band itself, now rebranded DARON MALAKIAN AND SCARS ON BROADWAY, has undergone a complete overhaul, with none of the members from the group's 2008 debut — including Dolmayan — appearing on the new songs.

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office has told CBS 58 and Fox6 News that the GHOST fan that died during the band's sold-out concert in Milwaukee Thursday night (May 31) has been identified as 52-year-old Jeffrey Fortune. He died of probable cardiac arrest and had a history of heart problems.

The incident occurred just as the band had announced an intermission at the 2,500-capacity Riverside Theater around 9:15 p.m.

After a man in the pit fell to the ground, security was flagged and CPR was administered for at least 20 minutes. Approximately a half hour later, it was announced that the show was canceled. Staff at the Riverside reportedly told fans the show was cut short because of a "terrible tragedy."

On fan who attended the concert told CBS 58 that the Riverside Theater staff were giving them mixed directions. They also reportedly wouldn't allow a registered nurse in the crowd to come through and give CPR to the man before paramedics arrived.

"The security guards were telling everyone to move one way and then move another way. It was a very stressful situation," the fan said.

The Riverside Theater refused to speak with CBS 58 about how the situation was handled but issued a statement saying they were "saddened by the tragedy" and sent condolences to the family.

GHOST said in a statement on Twitter late Thursday that it "decided not to continue" with the Milwaukee show out of respect to Fortune and his family."

After learning of his passing, GHOST posted a follow-up statement on social media Friday morning.

"This morning we learned that the man taken to the hospital from our show last night in Milwaukee passed away from natural causes," GHOST posted. "Our hearts are broken for him & his family. Again we ask you to send the family your prayers, condolences & respect their privacy during this time."

GHOST's new album, "Prequelle", was released yesterday (Friday, June 1).



This morning we learned that the man taken to the hospital from our show last night in Milwaukee passed away from natural causes. Our hearts are broken for him & his family. Again we ask you to send the family your prayers, condolences & respect their privacy during this time.— Cardinal Copia (@thebandGHOST) June 1, 2018

According to Eater Chicago and Patch.com, KISS icons Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons will launch a new Rock & Brews location in the Chicago area at  Stony Creek Promenade in Oak Lawn. It is slated to open in spring 2019 inside Stony Creek Promenade at 111th Street and Cicero Avenue in the southwest suburb. Simmons and Stanley announced their intention to open as many as 20 restaurants in the area back in July 2017. More than 20 of them are open in North America so far. Read more here.

Gene Simmons Las Vegas Vault Experience featuring Paul Stanley as a special guest took place May 26th at The Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino. Check out video footage below of the event:

Celebrating 50 years in rock (1966-2016) Gene Simmons, multi-hyphenate entrepreneur, co-founder and front man of KISS, America’s number one gold record award-winning group of all time in all categories (RIAA), and one of the most recognized performers in the world, recently announced the unprecedented release of Gene Simmons: The Vault Experience in partnership with Rhino Entertainment.

Gene Simmons: The Vault Experience commemorates and celebrates Simmons’ notorious five-decade journey as a rock icon, offering fans around the world a limited-edition collectible ‘Vault’ with contents that offer a unique look into The Demon’s colourful life, including never-before-released songs, photos, stories and collectible items. Additionally, every Vault will be personally delivered to each fan by Simmons himself.

Gene Simmons: The Vault Experience begins with a personal delivery, by Simmons himself, of a numbered, limited-edition, 17” x 25” 38-pound Vault, during Simmons’ Vault World Tour set to take place January 2018 through December 2018.

Priced at $2,000 - each unique Vault includes:

* 150 never-before-released tracks written and performed by Simmons, and featuring notable rock and roll artists, including members of KISS past and present

* Packaged in a massive 12” x 12” x 6” leather-bound commemorative book containing dozens of never- before-seen images of Simmons throughout his 50-year career

* These unreleased tracks are exclusive to The Vault and will not be available in other physical or digital configurations

* Limited-edition collectibles including a Gene Simmons non-makeup action figure and an “In Gene We Trust” oversized medallion

* A one-of-a-kind, hand-selected original piece of memorabilia from Gene’s personal collection

During the one-on-one meet and greets with the delivery of the Vaults, Simmons will travel around the world, to a designated location to take photos and video with the fan and a guest, and sign autographs. In addition to the private meeting, fans will receive a Vault Pre-Pack* and join a small group of other fans for “Songs and Stories” from The Vault and a Q&A with Simmons. Within a month of purchase, fans will also receive via mail a Vault Pre-Pack featuring a USB including the first track “Are You Ready”, a signed golden ticket, exclusive t- shirt, and a laminate.

“Any artist can release a boxed set, and never really thank the fans for their support,” said Simmons. “I want to celebrate my 50th anniversary in rock WITH the fans, and I have had a blast putting something really special together for them. Gene Simmons: The Vault Experience gives fans something truly unique that they can keep forever, and it gives me a chance to personally thank them for all of their support over the years.”

“What Gene and Rhino have put together with The Vault Experience is truly unprecedented. We have taken the idea of a boxed set to a completely different level,” says Mark Pinkus, President of Rhino Entertainment. “As a card-carrying member of the KISS Army from a young age, I’m honored to be working with Gene on such an exciting and innovative project. His fans are going to be absolutely blown away by The Vault Experience.”

For the ultimate fan, an additional Vault Experience is available:

* The Home Experience** - $50,000

Launching December 2017 in the US and in cities around the world, the Home Experience includes a personal delivery of The Vault to the fan’s home by Simmons himself; one of the first 300 limited- edition numbered Vaults; two hours with Simmons at the fan’s home (or location of their choice) for a special event with up to 25 friends and family; photos, videos and autographs; an intimate “Songs & Stories” playback session and Q&A with Gene; and a Vault Pre-Pack for all guests in attendance.

For a complete schedule of all Vault Experiences or to pre-order, visit GeneSimmonsVault.com or call 1-833-GSVault.

* Some scheduling and travel restrictions may apply

Rhino Records has uploaded a medley of sample tracks from The Vault; listen via the audio player below.

Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE have signed with Metal Blade Records. The band's upcoming album will be made available through Sony Music Entertainment outside of North America.

Metal Blade's CEO/founder Brian Slagel commented: "I have been a huge fan and friend of KILLSWITCH for a long time, so it is truly an honor to be able to work with them. So happy to welcome them to the Metal Blade family."


Added KILLSWITCH singer Jesse Leach: "I'm beyond stoked to sign with the legendary Metal Blade Records and Columbia/Sony Music. It's clear they truly understand and believe in what we do as a band, and we're psyched to have them on our side. It's an exciting new chapter for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and we can't wait to see what the future holds."


Said guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz: "I'm very excited to say that KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will be joining forces with Metal Blade Records and Columbia/Sony Music! Super stoked to join the ranks with a long list of many epic metal acts, as well as a team of excellent human beings who truly have a genuine love for metal music. Here's to an awesome future with awesome labels!"


Benjamin Voss, senior A&R manager Columbia/Sony Music Germany, stated: "I am very happy and proud to work with such an amazing band like KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in the future. We are absolutely excited about releasing their new album on Sony Music outside North America."

Other than the band's 2000 debut self-titled LP, which came out through Ferret, all of KILLSWITCH's recorded output so far has been issued through Roadrunner Records.

The group's first release under the new deal — and eighth album overall — will arrive in 2019.

In a recent interview with Finland's Kaaos TV, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio stated about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's new disc: "Unfortunately, [singer Jesse Leach's recent] throat surgery put a little cramp in the production of the record. As of now, we have 22 songs, so we're gonna pick the best ones. But it's good to have more than less and then have to play make-up later. But drums are done, bass is done, most of the guitars are done, vocals not so much. So as soon as we get those done, this record will be out."

According to D'Antonio, KILLSWITCH, which is currently supporting IRON MAIDEN on a European tour, recorded the basic instrumental tracks for all 22 songs. "Whether we do that with vocals, I'm not positive," he said. "We're gonna try. We're gonna do our best."

Mike also confirmed that former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones will make an appearance on the band's upcoming effort.

"It was news to me; I didn't know he was gonna come [into the studio and lay down his vocals]," the bassist admitted. "But much like how Jesse was in the past when he wasn't in the band, we remain friends with these guys. We care about these people. They were in our family for a long time, and it's not like you just forget about somebody, especially Howard. He's a great dude, and it was cool to know that he could come back and sing on the new record and help sing some backup stuff. And we hung out with him recently. He's doing really well, his new band [LIGHT THE TORCH] is awesome, so we couldn't be happier for him."

The follow-up to 2016's "Incarnate" will mark KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's third full-length effort since the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

Leach appeared on KILLSWITCH's self-titled debut and sophomore album, "Alive Or Just Breathing", before exiting the band. Jones took over on vocals for "The End of Heartache", "As Daylight Dies" and the 2009 self-titled set before being dismissed from the group six years ago.


Photo credit: John McMurtrie

CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman was unable to join his bandmates this past Friday, June 1 at the Freak Valley Festival in Netphen, Germany after recently being diagnosed with with "severe infection" of "the balance center of the brain." He was replaced at the gig by Marcus Jidell (AVATARIUM, EVERGREY, ROYAL HUNT).

On May 30, Björkman issued a statement explaining his absence from the Freak Valley gig. He wrote: "A few weeks ago I was rushed to the hospital with severe infection on the balance center of the brain. There is no direct treatment; still it's not really dangerous.

"My balance is not back to 100% and my doctors said it was a bad idea to be on an airplane (plus playing a show) such a short time after the incident.

"I really thought I would be able to do Freak Valley, but the decision to cancel was taken just a couple of days ago.

"I am happy and proud to have our friend and producer Marcus Jidell to fill in for me with such short notice. It will be a great show and I will see you soon out there!"

A new CANDLEMASS track, "House Of Doom", was released on May 25 as an EP with three bonus cuts via Napalm Records. The song is the soundtrack of the game with the same name, which was co-designed by the legendary Swedish doom metal band.

The "House Of Doom" soundtrack was written by CANDLEMASS bassist Leif Edling, produced by Marcus Jidell, mixed by David Castillo and mastered by Maor Appelbaum.

Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE have released the official music video for their new single, "Letting You Go". The song is taken from the band's sixth studio album, "Gravity", which will be made available on June 29.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE frontman Matt Tuck says: "'Letting You Go' was a very challenging song to write in so many ways. It's by far the most experimental track I've ever written musically and lyrically. I really wanted to make a track that stood out from the crowd and separated us from any other band in our genre, and that's exactly what 'Letting You Go' does."

"Gravity" will be issued through BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's new label home, Search And Destroy, the imprint launched in 2014 by Spinefarm and international artist management company Raw Power Management. The follow-up to 2015's "Venom" marks BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's full-length recording debut with new drummer Jason Bowld (PITCHSHIFTER, AXEWOUND), who has been touring with the group for the past two years, and bassist Jamie Mathias (formerly of REVOKER), who joined the band after the last disc was completed.

"Over the last 12 months, I've been thinking about the word 'contemporary' a lot," Tuck said. "And I feel this is a contemporary record. It's not an old-school, heart-on-your-sleeve influences thing. We've done that so let's move forward and make the band more interesting. We don't want to alienate anyone… but we don't want to write the same shit anymore. Metalheads will enjoy this. I actually feel the softer electronic parts make the heavy moments even more crushing. It's about engaging the listener and taking them on a journey, messing with their heads a bit…"


The three years since "Venom" haven't been easy for BFMV's commander-in-chief. But instead of falling deeper down a tunnel of self-despair, he channelled his life experiences into art like never before. It would be one of the most introspective and revelatory processes of his life — by his own admission, a personal and creative evolution that simply needed to happen…

"This is me pouring my heart out into song," continued Matt. "It's all about that journey. I picked up my guitar, even though I didn't really want to, and it's like I couldn't stop it, like I couldn't fight it… Something boldly experimental can't be done on a whim, we had to be comfortable and eventually we got there. The album is so up and down, so positive on tracks like 'Not Dead Yet', which is all about seizing the day and catching the moment. Then 'Under Again' is all about the crushing depression I had about a year ago. The whole thing captures the character of… well, me — with some help from [producer] Carl Bown. There's so much weight to this music without being complicated. That's exactly what this album is: very uncomplicated."


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

Fan-filmed video footage of DEATH ANGEL's June 1 performance at the FortaRock festival at Goffertpark in Nijmegen, the Netherlands can be seen below.

DEATH ANGEL's latest album, 2016's "The Evil Divide". was once again recorded at AudioHammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, DEICIDE), who previously worked on 2010's "Relentless Retribution" and 2013's "The Dream Calls For Blood".

Back in January, DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda told The Metal Voice that the band was hoping to have its next album "written, recorded and mixed by the end of the year."

Regarding the musical direction of the next DEATH ANGEL LP, Mark said: "This will be the fourth album with this lineup. This will be the most albums ever by DEATH ANGEL with the same lineup. We're going to stay with the same producer as well — Jason Suecof out in AudioHammer in Florida. So we're gonna stick with kind of the same formula, as far as it's gonna be aggressive, in your face, but I think our arsenal has gotten a lot more varied — say on the last record, 'The Evil Divide', with a song like 'Lost'. So we always have our own little subtle nuances that we throw in that other thrash bands just don't do, and I think that's what separates us from them. I don't know if it's a better thing, but it's an original thing, and that's what we always strive for."

THE MAGPIE SALUTE, which brings together the reunited guitar team of Rich Robinson and Marc Ford from THE BLACK CROWES, bassist Sven Pipien (also from the CROWES) along with lead singer John Hogg (HOOKAH BROWN, MOKE), drummer Joe Magistro and guitarist Nico Bereciartua, will release its debut album, "High Water I", on August 10. It is the follow-up to last year's "The Magpie Salute (Live)", which was largely recorded in front of a studio audience in Woodstock, New York.

Pulled together by Robinson, it continued a storyline he began in the BLACK CROWES with Ford and Pipien. Meanwhile, Hogg shared HOOKAH BROWN with Robinson as keyboardist Matt Slocum and Magistro both joined him for solo records and tours over the years.

Now, these six individuals conjure magic on their full-length debut of original material, "High Water I" (Mascot/Eagle Rock), for 2018, with "High Water II" to come in 2019.

"It's the recontextualization of playing with one another," Robinson states. "When I was putting this thing together, I was thinking about how even though we may not have played for almost a decade, it just comes back immediately. The chemistry is unexplainable. Of course, I'm the same guy who played with the BLACK CROWES and wrote all of those songs, but this is a different context for myself, Marc, and Sven. It's the convergence of three different worlds and eras for me. We're all here together in this one place. Simultaneously, it's amazing for Marc and Sven to play with Joe and Matt and John to be in the middle of it all. For me, that was really cool to witness. This is what I wanted to do."

"The more time we spend together, the more I realize how much of my life is involved with Rich," Ford reveals. "This is probably the best band I've ever been in. As a player, it challenges me. There's something beyond us that we're agreeing with. This music wants us to be a part of it. Rich and I just agreed that whatever it took for us to drop our bullshit — so be it. That way, we could let this happen in our lives. It's better when we're together than when we're not. We're better friends than we've ever been. I've learned more about him in the last year than I had in the past thirty. Rich and I have been able to pick up this fragmented broken piece of a very bizarre life together and unite as grown men and say, 'Wow, that was something. Let's see what we can do with it.'"

"We're all very aware of this position we're in," adds Hogg. "Rich and Marc have this intense and long history together in quite a public way. At the same time, you've got Sven who's been in the band forever, and Joe has been with Rich for 15 years. I have this history with Rich. I won't lie; it's all quite unusual," he laughs, "I'm working with the greatest musicians I've ever worked with. The dynamic is powerful and positive. There's been a number of long journeys that suddenly all coalesce."

As those roads converged, THE MAGPIE SALUTE first took flight in 2016 when Robinson assembled the original ten-piece incarnation for a now seminal Woodstock gig. The group went on to sell out four consecutive nights at The Gramercy in January 2017 chronicled with a historic Guitar Player cover featuring the two six-stringers. By the top of 2018, the band delivered a total of 77 seismic sets worldwide comprised of a 170-song repertoire of covers, CROWES tunes, and solo material. Acclaim came from Guitar World, Relix, and more, while Rolling Stone summed it up succinctly as "explosive." They unveiled their debut, "The Magpie Salute (Live)", topped off by one original, "Omission". By the time they retreated to Dark Horse Studios in Nashville with Robinson in the producer's chair, the vision crystallized with the six-person lineup.

"Touring as a ten-piece is cool, but it's more like a revue," admits Robinson. "Everything on stage was great. When you're ready to record, there's a lot of space that needs to be considered though. We didn't want it to get too chaotic or too hard to sift through. The core was really important and needed to shine as a strong six-piece. It was great to build something new last year. We were born in a sense. Now, we're working towards something as a tight unit."

"We bashed out all of the framework on tour," continues Ford. "When we got off the road, we focused and let it really shine."

THE MAGPIE SALUTE is launching "High Water I" with "Send Me An Omen". The twang of a hummable riff roars under Hogg's towering delivery before spiraling into an entrancing melody punctuated by gang harmonies and butter smooth solos.

"It's a rock 'n' roll song," asserts Robinson. "It's about a relationship that's not working. By the time it gets to the chorus, there's a happier singalong juxtaposed to John's lyrics. I enjoy messing around with songs that tow the line between dark and light."

"Mary The Gypsy" charges ahead on bombastic drums and thick guitars that give way to an anti-establishment chant. "It's a charge to get rid of this false positive corporate mentality of cynically looking at creators," sighs Robinson. "It's the same thing it's always been. Bankers are running this industry and trying to tell artists how to make money. Why not just create what comes naturally to you?"

A rustle of acoustic strumming opens the floodgates on "High Water" as the vocal vulnerability underscores unrest teeming just beneath the surface. "It touches on the whole overarching theme of the record," Robinson goes on. "It's discussing humanity and everything we're going through."

The group spreads its wings on the sweeping "Sister Moon". "That came from John and I staying in a house together," recalls Ford. "We lived together 24 hours a day for ten days. We would just sit, poke at the fire, and tell stories. Many ideas came from that. That's how 'Sister Moon' started. It's so vibe-y and beautiful. John and I had never met before. The track is like us meeting."

Elsewhere, the plaintive and poignant "Colorblind" details Hogg's perspective on growing up of mixed African and Swedish descent. "It was quite complicated being somebody of mixed race when I was young in London," remarks the singer. "I was looking at some of the feelings I experienced. In a time where race and gender issues are getting inflamed, it's current to think on what this means."

The slow burn of drums and string plucks swings towards a dramatic close on the sparse-yet-soulful "Open Up".

"That one looks inward," Robinson explains. "Think of someone who has been closed off for an entire lifetime. This person inhabits one place. Finally, the world opens up. It's a cool ending."

In many ways, the name reflects the spirit of THE MAGPIE SALUTE.

"I've always loved the element of crows, but they have a dark connotation," Robinson elaborates. "Magpies are revered by ancient and indigenous cultures around the world, because they walk that bridge between dark and light. A magpie is also a cousin to a crow. This band was a cousin to the CROWES last year. Now, there's a superstition where you salute a magpie if you see him. It supposedly wards off bad spirits. A salute means, 'We come in peace.' That's our goal. We just want to play together. It made sense."

In the end, THE MAGPIE SALUTE's story is just beginning to get good.

Baptized by High Water, these friends start anew.

"I want people to realize it's something different and also a little familiar," Robinson leaves off. "I hope they can connect it to the records that defined their lives. Music is there to give us joy, perspective, and show angles we haven't seen before. I appreciate it more than ever. It's a gift."

"I hope listeners can be relieved of some of their burdens by hearing us have fun and share our stories," smiles Hogg. "That's all I could ask for."

Ford concludes, "Ultimately, there's a spirit of reconciliation over the whole thing — because we all dropped a lot of bullshit to get together and make this music happen. There's freedom and power in that. It's a pretty righteous record as a result. It's a lot of grown men who have lived and are still standing to bravely and truthfully tell about it."

GUNS N' ROSES played a cover version of VELVET REVOLVER's "Slither" live for the first time at the opening show of the summer 2018 European leg of the "Not In This Lifetime" tour Sunday night (June 3) in Berlin, Germany. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

A 15-second video clip of GUNS N' ROSES rehearsing "Slither" emerged earlier this weekend, leading to speculation that the band was planning to debut the track at the Berlin concert.

VELVET REVOLVER featured GN'R members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum alongside singer Scott Weiland and guitarist Dave Kushner.

"Slither", which was featured on VELVET REVOLVER's debut album, "Contraband", won a Grammy for "Best Hard Rock Performance" in 2005.

GUNS N' ROSES reportedly rehearsed "Slither" during the 2016 leg of the "Not In This Lifetime" tour, but never performed the song live.

In a 2010 interview with Details magazine, Weiland touched on the subject of GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose, with whom he feuded for a while after joining Rose's former bandmates in VELVET REVOLVER. Weiland said: "We came close to getting together one time. I had wondered if he was the center of all their problems or if it was a mixed bag — and it was definitely the latter."

Scott added about his split with VELVET REVOLVER: "When VELVET REVOLVER first got together, it was great.. We had all been through the same experiences, and it felt like a gang. But everyone was a rock star. There were petty jealousies. Then the wives got involved with the business of the band, and that was the beginning of the downfall."

VELVET REVOLVER never officially found a new frontman following its April 2008 split with Weiland and has been more or less on hiatus, although it reunited with the former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS vocalist for a short one-off performance at a benefit concert in January 2012.

Weiland died in December 2015 of a drug overdose while on a solo tour.

The GUNS tour continues this summer in Europe, while a massive box set reissue of the band's classic 1987 debut, "Appetite For Destruction", arrives at the end of June.

California metallers AS I LAY DYING have uploaded a 45-second snippet of new music on their official Facebook page.

No information was included with the clip, which doesn't show any of the bandmembers' faces, making it impossible for fans to guess the musicians who are involved in the group's current incarnation.

AS I LAY DYING hasn't released any new music since the arrival of the band's sixth album, "Awakened", back in September 2012.

In May 2014, AS I LAY DYING singer Tim 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.

Posted by As I Lay Dying Official on Friday, June 1, 2018

Veteran New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL have entered the studio to begin recording the follow-up to 2017's "The Grinding Wheel" album. The disc will mark the band's recording debut with drummer Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM), who joined OVERKILL last year.

OVERKILL singer Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth told Brian Aberback of Patch.com about the musical direction of the band's new material: "What I notice about it is that there are parts of it that delve into really classic heavy metal that are spawned off the riff. There's kind of a brutal metal riff and then there's a heavy metal riff. The brutal riff being more in the modern sense of OVERKILL but the classic riff goes back into the feel of 'Feel The Fire', 'Taking Over', 'The Years Of Decay' kind of influence.

"I think what we're doing is staying with that classic riff but adding the brutality after," he continued. "So it has the vibe of classic heavy metal with that spawned aggression off of it. Obviously, we're not going to be progressive or off the tracks with where we're going. It's OVERKILL. But the internal end of that is really exciting because we notice every little different nuance in it. So I think it's going to be interesting."

Asked what Jason has brought to the band, Ellsworth said: "He's put a lot of work into the album and his excitement has spread to all of us. He's the first person in this band who's deeply, technically trained. That's one of the most exciting things about this project. This guy is pretty close to a virtuoso when hitting the skins."

OVERKILL's next album is tentatively scheduled to arrive in February 2019, with a world tour set to kick off in March.

The band released the "Live In Overhausen" DVD and Blu-Ray on May 18 via Nuclear Blast. The set was recorded two years ago in Oberhausen, Germany, where OVERKILL celebrated the 25th anniversary of "Horrorscope" and 30th anniversary of "Feel The Fire" by performing both albums in their entirety.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

New record starts today! pic.twitter.com/mQF9FlVhVZ— OVERKILL (@OverkillBand) June 1, 2018

Long-running Los Angeles hardcore powerhouse TERROR will release its eighth studio album album, "Total Retaliation", in the fall via Nuclear Blast in Europe and Pure Noise in the rest of the world. The disc was recorded at Graphic Nature Audio studio in Belleville, New Jersey with producer Will Putney (BODY COUNT, THE ACACIA STRAIN).

TERROR's last release was "The Walls Will Fall" EP, which came out in April 2017 via Pure Noise Records (digital, CD) and Triple B (vinyl).

Vocalist Scott Vogel told New Noise that the lyrical inspiration for "The Walls Will Fall" came from a period in 2016 when he wound up confined to his living room due to a spinal injury, fixated on the news. "The second half of 2016, I had my eyes glued to CNN constantly, watching this election unfold," he said. "Seeing that, in 2016, there is talk from a lot of people about building a physical wall to build borders up. I thought it was such a crazy thing that that's where we are in 2016, now 2017: talking about building this wall with people cheering for it, instead of looking at what the real issues are. I am hoping — it's hard to have hope sometimes, [but] you got to hope that people start looking at things differently, that they look into solving real problems instead of putting up barriers with 'us against them,' instead of shutting others out."

"The Walls Will Fall" followed TERROR's most recent full-length, 2015's "The 25th Hour".

The #TOTALRETALIATION is coming soon... pic.twitter.com/5fL5j0cw7D— ? ? ? ? ? ? (@terrorhardcore) June 1, 2018

"Victory Or Death!", a brand new song from EXMORTUS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Sound Of Steel", which will be released on June 8 via Prosthetic.

Produced by Zack Ohren (MACHINE HEAD, FALLUJAH, SUFFOCATION) at Sharkbite Studio, "The Sound Of Steel" delivers a visceral call to arms in a maelstrom of thrashing, neo-classical, blackened death as EXMORTUS tears fresh wounds into its ever-pioneering discography. Soaring to unprecedented heights, the ineffable kings of California thrash effortlessly mix sonic precision with raw, bloody savagery.

"The Sound Of Steel" will be released by Prosthetic worldwide except Japan, where it will be overseen by Marquee Inc. The effort will be available on all digital outlets, compact disc and LP, with 1,000 records being pressed initially in the follow colors:

* 250 battle axe blood splatter (Prosthetic webshop and sold by the band on tour)

* 250 blue and black marble (Prosthetic webshop and sold by the band on tour)

* 400 clear with blue and orange splatter (available in retail stores worldwide)

* 100 white vinyl (Cargo Germany only)

"The Sound Of Steel" track listing:

01. Make Haste

02. Feast Of Flesh

03. Into The Maw Of Hell

04. To The Ends Of The Earth

05. A Minor Instrumental

06. Strength And Honor

07. Turn The Tide

08. Tempest

09. Riders Of Doom

10. Victory Or Death!

EXMORTUS is:

Jadran "Conan" Gonzalez - Vocals/Guitar

Chase Becker - Guitar

Phillip Cody Nuñez - Bass

Carlos Cruz - Drums

Photo credit: Alex Solca

The Sound of Steel by Exmortus (Official)

Helix frontman Brain Vollmer has checked in with the following update:

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

Check out the artwork and tracklist below.

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

Catch Helix live in concert at the following shows:

June
16 - Casino Regina - Regina, Saskatchewan

July
29 - Parc Jean-Drapeau - Montreal, Quebec

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