Former TNT singer Tony Harnell says that the rise of the early grunge movement, which symbolized the working-class spirit and focused on music over image, was ultimately a positive thing for the rock genre because it "shined a really harsh light on how boring and repetitive" the '80s glam metal scene had become.

Upon release in September 1991, NIRVANA's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" wreaked confusion upon the hair metal vanguard, putting an end to an era dominated by glamorous, androgynous and sparkly rock stars who absolutely saturated the radio waves and were almost exclusively what aired on MTV.

"I remember seeing the NIRVANA video on MTV, and I instantly knew," Harnell told the "Cobras & Fire" podcast (hear audio below). "I think the first time I saw it, I just was, like, 'Yeah, this is gonna change things for everybody.'"

According to Harnell, however, he has a "different" take on the impact of grunge on the overall rock scene, insisting that bands like NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN and ALICE IN CHAINS sounded fresh and exciting compared to the acts of the '80s which focused more on girls, clothes and haircuts than coming up with original-sounding material.

"A lot of my peers and a lot of the fans are, like, 'Oh, I hate that shit. Grunge killed our music,'" Harnell said. "I don't see it that way at all. I think the labels started signing way too many bands that looked and sounded like other bands. And there was never really a rock era that was like that before. Because if you think about the '70s, you had a lot of different styles of big hard rock bands. On one side, you had LED ZEPPELIN, you had DEEP PURPLE — they were very different from each other. You had AEROSMITH — they were different. You had KISS, you had JUDAS PRIEST, you had BLACK SABBATH. You had all these different bands that were very, very not like each other at all, but they were all hard rock. And they looked a little different, they had their own image. And then, all of a sudden, in the '80s, everybody wanted the same clothes, the same hair, the same guys, the same producers, the same songwriters."

He continued: "If anything, when NIRVANA and SOUNDGARDEN and these bands came out, all it did is it shined a really harsh light on how boring and repetitive everything got. Because it would have made more sense to take the bands that were already established — big and medium — and develop them more rather than to get all these other bands that sounded like other bands… Like I said, it was the same look, the same songwriters, the same producers, and it just started to be… Nobody was offering anything… Don't get me wrong, there were a few that got in there that were interesting and different, but, for the most part, they were all just sort of rehashes, slightly, of other bands."

Harnell has been in and out of TNT several times, most recently in 2016 and 2017. He was also briefly the singer for SKID ROW in 2015.

Tony is currently promoting "Dysphoria", the third album from his STARBREAKER collaborative project with PRIMAL FEAR guitarist Magnus Karlsson. The disc will be released on January 25 via Frontiers Music Srl.

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell spoke about the band's decision to record a a heavy cover of DEPECHE MODE's "Personal Jesus", at Spotify's studio for the streaming service's "Spotify Singles" series. The track was also included on DEF LEPPARD's latest greatest-hits collection titled "The Story So Far - The Best Of", which was released in November.

"Mike sent out an e-mail to all of us, asking us to come up with an idea of a song, a cover song, for the Spotify sessions," Vivian explained (see video below). "They wanted a classic DEF LEPPARD song, which we decided was gonna be 'Hysteria', and something that was a little bit outside of our genre — not a hard rock band. Don't be covering AC/DC or something like QUEEN or whatever. My first choice was ABBA. I thought that we would rock the hell out of ABBA because of our vocals. So I wrote back to everyone. I said, 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' by ABBA. I think we could do a good rock version of it. Plus, there's a little harmony line in it, an instrumental line, that would have been a great rock guitar line. I know it's a bit of a happy song, but I think we could have darkened it up a bit. Anyway, that got shot down in flames. But, fortunately, my second suggestion was, 'Why don't we do 'Personal Jesus' by DEPECHE MODE?' And everyone picked up on that. So, we did it. And, to be honest, it was probably a much, much easier song to do than anything by ABBA. But I still think we could rock the shit out of ABBA. Someday."

"The Story So Far - The Best Of" was made available in multiple configurations: a 2-CD set comprised of 35 tracks, 1-CD set comprised of 17 tracks, 2-LP vinyl, and digital. Among a blockbuster track listing loaded with timeless smashes, all four versions feature three new songs, including "Personal Jesus", "Rock On (Remix)" and the original holiday song "We All Need Christmas". As a bonus for collectors, the first pressing vinyl copies of "The Story So Far" feature an exclusive seven-inch single of "Personal Jesus" and "We All Need Christmas".

DEF LEPPARD will be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this spring. The honor comes after the British rockers got the most votes in the Rock Hall's online fan poll.

One of the top-selling rock acts of of all time, DEF LEPPARD has been eligible for the Rock Hall since 2004.

The 34th annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony will be held March 29 at Brooklyn, New York's Barclays Center. HBO will broadcast a truncated version of the ceremony later in the year.

A new clip has been released from Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund's upcoming horror-movie biopic on Norway's notorious Mayhem, Lords Of Chaos. Watch below:

The film, being released by Gunpowder and Sky, is co-produced by VICE Studios, 20th Century Fox, Scott Free Productions and Insurgent Media, opens in theaters February 8th and On Demand February 22nd.

Drawing from personal experience - Åkerlund was for a drummer for the Swedish extreme metal band Bathory for a short time in the early 80s - his adaptation of Michael Moynihan and Didrik Søderlind's book Lords Of Chaos details of the group's rise and fall via Mayhem's co-founder/guitarist Øystein Aarseth, aka Euronymous (Rory Culkin) and his relationship with two volatile collaborators: Per Yngve Ohlin aka Pelle aka Dead (Jack Kilmer), the band's ultra-melancholic first singer who killed cats and then himself; and Varg Vikernes, aka the Count (Emory Cohen), a fellow outcast and Aarseth's eventual murderer.

Visit the official Lords Of Chaos website here.

Video footage of several former IRON MAIDEN members — original singer Paul Mario Day (1975 - 1976), guitarist Terry Wapram (1977 - 1978), drummer Doug Sampson (1977 - 1979), guitarist Terry Rance (1975 - 1976) and guitarist Dave Sullivan (1975 - 1976) — performing on January 20 at the legendary pub Cart & Horses in London, England can be seen below.

Last month, four-fifths of the original IRON MAIDEN lineup reunited for the first time in 42 years. Bassist Steve Harris, who formed IRON MAIDEN on Christmas day in 1975, was photographed with Paul Mario Day, and Sullivan and Rance. Missing from the photo op was drummer Ron "Rebel" Matthews.

Day's latest face-to-face meeting with Harris came four years after the singer suggested in an online post that he had co-written the MAIDEN song "Strange World" but was never credited for his contributions.

Day wrote at the time: "This is my opinion. When I sang in IRON MAIDEN, it was a new pub band and nobody wanted to see or hear them. We were all nobodys all trying to make the best music we could and fighting for an audience.

"In 1976, photos/recording were next to impossible to have if you were poor boys from East London, so I cannot prove I wrote the words and melody for 'Strange World'.

"As for before the time of albums and recording deals, I would say it was creative theft, not deliberate, as probably I would have done the same thing myself to keep it clean and simple. I think, however, if it made me a mega amount of money in the future, I would have done the right thing and [made] amends. As back then we were all pulling for the same side and it still hurts to think the first-ever song I ever composed was on a big-selling album and nobody knows it was me. Not to mention how I scrape to earn a living while Mr. Harris is living like a god!"

Due to his lack of stage presence, Day was replaced in MAIDEN by Dennis Wilcock. Day went on to front SWEET and MORE while Terry Rance still plays with AIRFORCE, which features former IRON MAIDEN drummer Doug Sampson.

MAIDEN's first demo recording, "Soundhouse Tapes", featured Harris, singer Paul Di'Anno, guitarist Dave Murray and Sampson. It eventually landed MAIDEN a record deal with EMI in 1980. The band's self-titled debut album brought about a new lineup with the addition of Clive Burr to replace Sampson and Dennis Stratton on guitar.

"Wrathchild" soundcheck with Paul Mario Day, Terry Wapram and BUFFALO FISH:



"Wrathchild" live first time with Paul Mario Day, Terry Wapram and BUFFALO FISH:



Whole AIRFORCE set with Paul Mario Day and Doug Sampson:



"Prowler" with Marius Danielsen, Terry Wapram and BUFFALO FISH:



"Iron Maiden" with Paul Mario Day, Terry Wapram and BUFFALO FISH:



Paul Mario Day, Terry Wapram, Terry Rance and Dave Sullivan on stage together with BUFFALO FISH:

Los Angeles-based metal trio Athanasia - featuring former members of Five Finger Death Punch, Sebastian Bach and Murderdolls - will release its upcoming full-length album, The Order Of The Silver Compass, on March 15th via Seeing Red Records and Rock Of Angels Records. This one-minute teaser showcases clips of several tracks from the band's scorching debut:

One might not expect the former members of such bands to be rooted in the fabric of extreme metal, but Athanasia is more than your average power trio. Questioning the moral fabric of man amidst complex narratives tackling power, corruption and greed, the band's unique amalgamation of melodic metal is enough to satisfy the desires of casual listeners and extreme metal fans alike.

Recorded and produced by Bingham at Nightmare Sound, The Order Of The Silver Compass embodies all things heavy, dark and stylish. The album's eight tracks were mixed by Chris Collier (Prong, Flotsam And Jetsam, Metal Church) at Mission:Black Studios and mastered by Joe Bozzi (Mastodon, L.A. Guns) at Bernie Grundman Mastering, while Jorden Haley (Dååth, Deicide, Mindless Self Indulgence) handled the cover art and design.

Athanasia was founded in California by guitarist Caleb Bingham under the band's original name Ascension. As a result of passing the band's early demos around LA's Sunset Strip, the young guitarist landed a gig with newly-formed Five Finger Death Punch in 2005. Upon being released from the group in 2007 due to his age, Bingham continued to write under the name Ascension, recording several more unreleased demos (and one EP) at the behest of veteran Roadrunner Records A&R Monte Conner. Largely due to the label's merger with WMG, negotiations broke down and the band was once again shelved while Bingham played with Swedish death metal act Zonaria from 2010-2014. After parting ways with Zonaria due to a leg injury sustained while playing with the group, Bingham decided to put all his efforts back into what he worked so hard to create...

Joined by bassist Brandon Miller and veteran drummer Jason West (Murderdolls, Wednesday 13, Sebastian Bach), Caleb Bingham resurrected the project under a new moniker, Athanasia, diligently recording its first full-length release over the span of several years.

“I’m very proud to announce that after years of literal blood, sweat, tears and countless hours of hard work, Athanasia's debut LP The Order Of The Silver Compass is finally about to see the light of day," says frontman Caleb Bingham. "Blast it in the car and you’ll notice your gas pedal hitting the floor in a matter of seconds! \m/"

The Order Of The Silver Compass tracklisting:
 
"Read Between The Lines"
"Spoils Of War"
"The Order Of The Silver Compass"
"Cyclops Lord (My Will Is Done)"
"The Bohemian"
"Mechanized Assault"
"Nightmare Sound"
"White Horse"

Athanasia is:

Caleb Bingham - guitars, vocals
Brandon Miller -  bass, vocals
Jason West - drums

On March 22nd, Harem Scarem will release The Ultimate Collection Box Set, a 14CD limited edition deluxe box set and four titles (Weight Of The World, Higher, Thirteen, United) on limited edition colour vinyl via Frontiers Music Srl. All tracks remastered by Harry Hess. Pre-order here.

North American customers pre-order here. This is the ONLY store in North America where the limited edition box set will be available and it's strictly limited to 100 copies. That's it. Only 100 copies being sent to North America. For the coloured vinyl, only 150 copies are being sent to North America. 50 copies of each limited edition colour vinyl are available at this store with the remaining 100 copies shipping to our North American distributor for distribution to physical retailers. If you absolutely want to guarantee that you will secure yourself a copy of one of the vinyl reissues, then your best bet would be to order from here. We cannot know or guarantee which retail stores will get copies of the remaining 100 as it will be first come, first serve.

European customers pre-order here.

Given the "hard to find" nature of many titles in Harem Scarem's catalog, the band, in cooperation with Frontiers, has decided to make their catalog available in an exclusive, limited edition box set. The result is a mammoth box set inclusive of 13 studio albums encompassing the entire Harem Scarem discography plus a gargantuan amount of rare, unreleased, and bonus tracks which comprise a full bonus disc, in addition to original bonus tracks added to individual albums. The 14 CDs will be packaged in vinyl replica slipcases housed inside a collector's box.

On top of this, Frontiers and the band decided to add a very special one time limited run of coloured vinyl for the signature Frontiers' catalogue releases Weight Of The World, Higher, Thirteen, and the band’s last studio album, United. These vinyl runs are extremely limited.

The full set will also be available digitally.

Tracklisting:

CD 1 - Harem Scarem
"Hard To Love"
"Distant Memory"
"With A Little Love"
"Honestly"
"Love Reaction"
"Slowly Slipping Away"
"All Over Again"
"Don't Give Your Heart Away"
"How Long"
"Something To Say"

Bonus tracks:
"Hard To Love" (Acoustic)
"How Long" (Acoustic)
"Honestly" (Acoustic)
"Slowly Slipping Away" (Acoustic)

CD 2 - Moodswings
"Saviors Never Cry"
"No Justice"
"Stranger Than Love"
"Changes Come Around"
"Jealousy"
"Sentimental Blvd"
"Mandy"
"Empty Promises"
"If There Was A Time"
"Just Like I Planned"
"Had Enough"

Bonus tracks:
"Change Comes Around" (Acoustic)
"No Justice" (Crazy Pants Remix)
"If There Was A Time" (Acoustic)
"Jealousy" (Acoustic)
"Just Like I Planned" (Acoustic)
"Stranger Than Love" (acoustic)

CD 3 - Voice Of Reason
"Voice Of Reason"
"Blue"
"Warming A Frozen Rose"
"Let It Go"
"And That's All"
"Breathing Sand"
"Candle"
"The Paint Thins"
"I'll Be Brief"
"Untouched"
"Necessary Evil"

Bonus track:
"Candle (Acoustic)

CD 4 - Believe / Karma Cleansing
"Believe"
"Die Off Hard"
"Hail, Hail"
"Staying Away"
"Baby With A Nail Gun"
"Morning Grey"
"Victim Of Fate"
"Rain"
"I Won't Be There"
"Karma Cleansing"
"Cages"
"The Mirror"
"Rain" (Acoustic)

CD 5 - Big Bang Theory
"So Blind"
"Climb The Gate"
"Reload"
"Tables Turning"
"Turn Around"
"Seas Of Dissension "
"Sometimes I Wish"
"Never Have It All "
"Lying "
"Without You"
"Wasted Time"
"New Religion"
"What I Do"
"In My State Of Mind"
"So Blind" (Acoustic)

CD 6 - Weight Of The World
"Weight Of The World"
"Killing Me"
"Outside Your Window"
"All I Want Is Everything"
"This Ain't Over"
"Internude"
"You Ruined Everything"
"Charmed Life"
"If You"
"See Saw"
"Voice Inside"
"End Of Time"

CD 7 - Higher
"Reach"
"Waited"
"Torn Right Out"
"Give It To You"
"Higher"
"Run And Hide"
"Lucky Ones"
"Lies"
"Gone"
"Lost"
"Wishing"
"Higher" (Acoustic)

CD 8 - Overload
"Dagger"
"Afterglow"
"Rise & Fall"
"Don't Come Easy"
"Can't Live With You"
"Forgive & Forget"
"All You're Getting"
"Leading Me On"
"Understand You"
"Same Mistakes"

CD 9 - Human Nature
"Human Nature"
"Next Time Around"
"Caught Up In Your World"
"Reality"
"Hanging On"
"Don't Throw It Away"
"Give Love/Get Love"
"21"
"Starlight"
"Going Under"
"Tomorrow May Be Gone"
"Human Nature" (Acoustic)
"Caught Up In Your World" (Acoustic)

CD 10 - Hope
"Watch Your Back"
"Time Bomb"
"Hope"
"Days Are Numbered"
"Dark Times"
"Beyond Repair"
"Never Too Late"
"Shooting Star"
"Calm Before The Storm"
"Nothing Without You"

CD 11 - Thirteen
"Garden Of Eden"
"Live It"
"Early Warning Signs"
"The Midnight Hours"
"Whatever It Takes"
"Saints And Sinners"
"All I Need"
"Troubled Times"
"Never Say Never"
"Stardust"
"Garden Of Eden" (Acoustic)
"The Midnight Hours" (Acoustic)

CD 12 - United
"United"
"Here Today Gone Tomorrow"
"Gravity"
"Sinking Ship"
"One Of Life’s Mysteries"
"No Regrets"
"Bite The Bullet"
"Things I Know"
"Heaven And Earth"
"Indestructible"
"Here Today Gone Tomorrow" (Acoustic)
"Sky Is Falling" (Acoustic)

CD 13 - The Early Years
"Whatever I Want"
"When The Morning Comes"
"Say Goodbye"
"Looking Back"
"All Over Again"
"Honestly"
"Lovin’ Like 90"
"One Step At A Time"
"Staying Away"
"Last Time"
"One Of The Wounded"
"Right Time"
"You’re The One"
"Out Of Love"
"Lost In Yesterday"
"I Can Hear Them Now"

CD 14 - Bonus Tracks
"Easier "
"If I’d Been Awake"
"World Gone To Pieces"
"Brighter Day"
"Remember"
"Anarchy"
"Why"
"Freedom"
"More Than You’ll Ever Know"
"Good Enough"
"Coming Down" (Acoustic)

Children Of Bodom will release their tenth album, Hexed, on March 8th via Nuclear Blast Records. Today, the band chats about the musical direction of Hexed. Watch the third trailer below.

COB frontman guitarist and mastermind Alexi Laiho comments, "This time around, we had Daniel on guitar for the first time. It is a lot of fun for me to work with that dude 'cause he is very enthusiastic and has that hunger and drive to be involved. I love that drive and fire. He calls me up asking questions and throwing ideas around. Saying, 'Ya, let's get together and jam.' I haven't really had that in my life for a long time now that I think about it. And that is how we used to roll. We would just get together and play guitar just for the hell of it and really cool things would come out of it and this what we did with Daniel - it paid off and was fun."

Hexed will be available in the following formats:

- CD Digipak
- Pink w/ Black splatter vinyl – Limited to 300
- CD Digipak + T-Shirt + Poster

Pre-order your copy here.

Hexed tracklisting:

"The Road"
"Under Grass and Clover"
"Glass Houses"
"Hecate’s Nightmare"
"Kick in the Spleen"
"Platitudes and Barren Words"
"Hexed"
"Relapse (The Nature of My Crime)"
"Say Never Look Back"
"Soon Departed"
"Knuckleduster"

Bonus tracks:
"I Worship Chaos" (live)
"Morrigan" (live)
"Knuckleduster" (remix)

"Under Grass And Clover" video:

Trailers:

Children Of Bodom have announced their Hexed 2019 North American Tour. The trek will kick off in Quebec City on March 13th and conclude in New York City on April 19th. Supporting the band are Finnish death-doom melody-makers Swallow The Sun and Finnish epic melodic death metal quartet Wolfheart, as well as Summoner's Circle (March 13-16, April 9-19), Hollow Cry (March 18-29) and Fragmentum (March 30, April 7) who are opening select shows.

COB frontman, guitarist, and mastermind Alexi Laiho comments, "Hello North America! Just wanna say and empathize the word “finally” ... fuckin' finally we’ll be back on the road - like old school style and over the pond too!! We’ll be in your town just as you're getting your hands on the new record. Even if you do not have it, don’t worry cause we’re gonna rotate the setlist to include old tracks that will blow your mind back to hell so it’s gonna be a good fuckin' party ladies and gentlemen. Hoping to see you there!!"

Confirmed dates are listed below.

March
13 -  Imperial - Quebec City, QC*
14 - Corona Theater - Montreal, QC*   
15 - Bronson Centre - Ottawa, ON *
16 - The Phoenix Concert Theater - Toronto, ON*   
18 - St. Andrews - Detroit, MI**  
19 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL**      
20 - Skyway Theater - Minneapolis, MN**      
22 - The Summit - Denver, CO **     
23 - Metro Music Hall - Salt Lake City, UT**      
25 - The Palace Theatre - Calgary, AB**  
26 - Union -  Edmonton, AB**  
27 - The Vogue Theater - Vancouver, BC**      
29 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA**   
30 - Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR ***  

April
1 - The Regency Ballroom - San Francisco, CA***    
2 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA ***  
3 - Club Red - Phoenix, AZ***    
5 - Alamo Music Hall - San Antonio, TX ***   
6 - Warehouse Live - Houston, TX ***   
7 - Canton Hall - Dallas, TX ***   
9 - The Ritz - Tampa, FL *
11 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA *
12 - The Underground - Charlotte, NC *
13 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD*   
14 - Mr Smalls Theatre - Pittsburgh, PA*
16 - Westcott Theater - Syracuse, NY*
17 - The Royale - Boston, MA*
18 - Reverb - Reading, PA  *
19 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY *

* Summoner's Circle opening (March 13-16 & April 9-19)
** Hollow Cry opening (March 18-29)
*** Fragmentum opening (March 30  April 7)

(Photo - Marek Sabogal)

Virgin Steele have released "In The Devil's Garden", An Audio/Visual Sampler Or Psychodrama. Above, below, behind, and inside the music… An intimate look deep inside the pagan heart of the Seven Devils Moonshine 5 CD Box Set.

"Using cool bare bones old school technology, informal personal at home footage, live rehearsal footage, both moving video clips, and still photos, plus musical excerpts/samples and narration, we have crafted and assembled what we call: an Audio/Visual Symphony. Something like a Radio-Play (think H.G.Wells “War Of The Worlds” for example….) or perhaps more accurately what we have created is a “Psychodrama” describing, detailing and providing an above, below, inside & “behind the music” view so to speak, of what this Seven Devils Moonshine box set contains, and what it is all about. This work is raw, wild and untamed, bruised yet beautiful and no… Steven Spielberg was not involved. Enjoy!"

You can watch the full movie below.

David DeFeis discusses the Seven Devils Moonshine "Movie":  "I wanted to have this  “Movie” out sooner but my father became quite ill and he passed away on December 20th, 2018 so I was quite involved with many other matters for quite some time… but now we have finally completed this very huge audio/visual documentary, and well…here it is…

"Like the albums found within the Seven Devils Moonshine Box Set this “Psychodrama” also takes one on a trip… a journey through the Kingdom of Steele, offering a behind the scenes look into the 5 albums contained within…it is a sort of “Photo-Essay”, part documentary, and part audio sampler… it works strictly from the aural perspective like a radio broadcast, with voiceover details and musical excerpts/samples from about 40 or so songs out of the 88 pieces found within the collection, but… with the inclusion of all the visuals it has become something even more descriptive and revealing. I originally thought it would be about 8-10 minutes long… but like the Box Set, it grew and grew into this monumental, Epic “Road-Trip” we now have. This audio/visual sampler is an anniversary celebration of our history, as well as a glimpse into some of what we have been doing for the past year, and it is also a depiction of what life is like for us. Here you will find energy, passion, drama, a whole lot of darkness, as well as light (the Danse Macabre is ever present…) and yes within all that turbulence there is also a sense of humor as well…

"The visual imagery get more & more elaborate as we delve deeper into the “Chapters”… and like some of our more “Operatic” musical moments there are recurring visual themes that are introduced… and which develop and morph throughout this “Movie”. In the weeks ahead we will select and prepare certain songs from each of the 5 discs, and present their complete full-length video versions.

"Hail & thanks so very much for listening and for being a part of our world…" - David DeFeis (January 17, 2019)

SPV / Steamhammer released the boxset Seven Devils Moonshine on November 23rd, 2018 including 5 CDs (a total of 88 songs) where 3 CDs contain totally new songs and new versions. The package include a sticker and a 24 page booklet with new lyrics and photos by David DeFeis.

Swedish bashers Darkane have checked in with the following announcement:

"This year marks the 20th anniversary of our debut album Rusted Angel. To celebrate this occasion we have decided to do something special for our fans. Throughout 2019 we will be performing Rusted Angel in its entirety. This will be very special for us and for our long time fans in particular. We hope to see you there!"

Confirmed dates:

March 
22 - Hammerfest - Pwllheli, Wales
23 - Underworld - London, UK 

June 
28 - Dokk’em Open Air - Dokkum, Netherlands

More dates will be announced soon.

On January 18th, Last Union performed at Florentia Rock Live in Porto D'Ascoli, Marche, Italy. They have posted a full multi-angle live clip of the song "Back In The Shadow", taken from their full length debut, Twelve.

Last Union have been confirmed to support Delain for two shows in Russia in February. Dates are as follows:

February 
16 - Moscow, Russia - Известия Hall
17 - St. Petersburg, Russia -Зал Ожидания

Last Union recently released a new music video and single for "President Evil". The track is taken from their debut album, Twelve, released on December 21st, 2018 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. Watch the clip below.

The album was mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren, best known for his work with Arch Enemy, Symphony X, Devin Townsend, Angra, and Opeth, to name a few. The album artwork was created by Thomas Ewerhard (Avantasia, Rage, Threshold).

The quiet city of Tolentino in the Marche region of Central Italy not only boasts a rich historical background, it is also the place progressive metal band Last Union calls home. Founded by vocalist Elisa Scarpeccio, guitarist Cristiano Tiberi and keyboardist Claudio Feliziani in 2007, the band - originally known as Blazing Ice - embarked on their journey in the pursuit of sharing their thoughts and feelings about life, and ultimately their art, with the world. With the assistance of professional session bassists and drummers, the trio established themselves on the Italian scene with a string of shows that helped them evolve and refine their craft. Over the course of 20 shows, Last Union presented songs that would eventually make the final cut for their debut album.

Strong and positive reactions to their music spurred Scarpeccio and Tiberi on to take the first of many bold steps. The first was to invite drummer Uli Kusch to join the fold, who expressed interest in joining the band as a full member rather than just a touring drummer after hearing the music. A similar scenario played out with Symphony X bassist Mike LePond and Last Union was officially born. The icing on the cake, however, was getting Dream Theater vocalist James LaBrie to sing on three tracks.

Tracklisting:

"Most Beautiful Day"
"President Evil" (Feat. James LaBrie)
"Hardest Way"
"Purple Angels"
"The Best Of Magic"
"Taken" (Feat. James LaBrie) - Radio Edit
"18 Euphoria"
"A Place In Heaven" (Feat. James LaBrie)
"Ghostwriter"
"Limousine"
"Back In The Shadow"
"Taken" (Feat. James LaBrie)
"President Evil" (Feat. James LaBrie) - Video Version

"President Evil" video:

Rising out of Phoenix, Arizona, Angel Black will be releasing their debut record Killing Demons via Rockshots Records. As the band blasts into their first single "Black Heart", one thing is clear, nothing is subtle about Angel Black. Big sound and melody set the mood for this classic heavy metal band. Angel Black doesn't look to re-invent heavy metal, they clearly go after their fans with an aggressive assault for the ages.

The band comments on the upcoming debut:

"The concept of Killing Demons is that everyone has some kind of demon. Money, Drugs, Sex, Power. They can all be a demon if you let them. We feel we touched on a lot of them with the songs on the album. Strikeforce, touches on the armed forces that keep us a free world. Cyber Spy, talks about how much we let government into our private lives. Black Heart, is about those evil women that take you down. We play honest pure heavy metal from the heart and we think that Angel Black will be well received as a band that gives the fans what they expect. Music that you turn up loud and play over and over again."

Killing Demons will be released on March 22nd.

Tracklisting:

“Strikeforce”
“Cyber Spy”
“Death Mill”
“Black Heart”
“Killing Demons”
“The Dream That Stood Alone”
“Killing Me”
“Metal Gods” (Judas Priest cover)

“Black Heart” video:

Santa Cruz, CA based tech death giants Continuum have premiered a Scott Ruud produced lyric video for their song "Theorem". The pummeling and mind blowingly technical track is off of the group's new album Designed Obsolescence which will be unleashed on February 22nd. Find preorders here.

Vocalist Riley McShane commented, "The album title Designed Obsolescence comes from the term ‘planned obsolescence’ which refers to a policy of planning or designing a product with an artificially limited useful life, so it will become obsolete (that is, unfashionable or no longer functional) after a certain period of time. That idea is, in the tradition of our debut album The Hypothesis, applied to a science-fiction background in which humans are commingled with machine elements and designed to live, function, and then die out accordingly. This doubles as an analogy for modern civilization in which people are born, grow up, work, retire and die according to what is deemed to be normal and expected of them, often without question or opposition. It's an age-old storytelling device used to persuade people to break out of the scheduled and mundane and view the world in a less bleak perspective, hopefully in our sophomore release we can do the same."

Designed Obsolescence was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Zack Ohren at Castle Ultimate Studios and features nine violent, incredibly technical, and endlessly engaging tracks which showcase how the group, which features current and former members of Animosity, Deeds Of Flesh, Decrepit Birth, Allegaeon, possess an otherworldly command of the genre. Drums were recorded by new member Ron Casey (Inanimate Existence, ex-Brain Drill, ex-Rings Of Saturn) whose surgically precise playing is the perfect complement to band's technical prowess. Artwork was created by the incredible Par Olofsson.

Guitarist Chase Fraser commented on the album, “We’re really excited to release our second record for Unique Leader Records. I feel like this album incapsulates the feel of our first album while adding many more layers and expanding on the concept of what Continuum can do as a
band.”

Continuum have released a digital single for their song ,"Release From Flesh And Blood". Listen via Spotify, or below. Pre-orders for the album will be available very soon.

Designed Obsolescence tracklisting:

"Theorem"
"Release From Flesh And Blood"
"A History Denied"
"Designed Obsolescence"
"All Manner Of Decay"
"Autonomic"
"Into The Void"
"Remnants Of Ascension"
"Repeating Actions"

"Theorem" lyric video:

"Release From Flesh And Blood":

Continuum is a technical death metal band from Santa Cruz, CA that was formed in the summer of 2009 by Chase Fraser following the disbanding of Animosity, a bay area metal band. After a couple years writing and rehearsing with different musicians, a lineup was fleshed out featuring Riley McShane of Allegeon on vocals, Ivan Munguia of Deeds Of Flesh on guitar, Nick Willbrand on bass and Spencer Edwards on drums. This lineup started playing very frequently in the bay area with bands like Fallujah, Obscura, Pathology, Abigail Williams, Decrepit Birth, Abysmal Dawn among others, and eventually released their first album on Unique Leader records in April of 2015.

Fast forward three years and Continuum is back with their second album on Unique Leader coming very soon. With the addition of Ron Casey on drums (Inanimate Existence, ex-Braindrill, ex-Rings Of Saturn) and a wider spectrum of progressive technical death metal song writing this is by far their most realized and well thought out release to date.

Born out of the emerging metal scene of Calgary, AB, Red Cain is a modern melodic metal project with European roots. With intricate songwriting, a heavy yet melodic feel reminiscent of progressive acts, and eerie ambient elements, Red Cain champion a fluid, dynamic, and unique musical style centered around telling dark, conceptual Faustian sagas and constructing those into an unforgettable live experience. Listeners might well pick out elements reminiscent of such luminary acts as Kamelot, Symphony X, Tesseract, Draconian, Marilyn Manson, whipped into a venomous new shape. 

Having released three singles in 2018 "Wing Of The Crow" ft. Kobra Paige (Kobra And The Lotus), "Zero" and "Snakebouquet" off their upcoming debut full length "Kindred: Act I", the band is proud to reveal the album's artwork by Timur Khabirov, cover design by Igor Zayarny and track listing below. 

The album was produced by Sascha Laskow (Every Hour Kills, ex-Divinity) with the band at Perfect Filth Studios and features guests Kobra Paige (Kobra And The Lotus), Daniel Louden (Benevolent Like Quietus) and guitarist Tyler Corbett.

Due out March 1st, 2019, album preorder for Kindred: Act I is available on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Snakebouquet”
“Midnight Sarabande”
“Zero”
“Blood & Gold”
“Juliet”
“All Is Violence”
“Wing Of The Crow”

“Wing Of The Crow” lyric video (featuring Kobra Paige):

The Italian melodic death metallers Desecrate have announced that Edoardo "Irmin" Iacono (Misteyes, Gotland, ex-Black Propaganda) and Gabriele "Hyde" Gilodi (Misteyes, Gotland, ex-Energy Of The Elements) have joined the band as their new vocalist and keyboardist after the long-time members Gabriele Giorgi and Andrea Grillone left the band in 2018. 

The band states:

"We immediately got along with Irmin and Hyde and we were impressed by the great professionality and seriousness, in addition to the very high technical skills and qualities.
We start again from where we stopped, anticipating that we wrote a lot of new material in these months and we are looking forward to letting you hear it.”

Fresh off their split with Finland's Coronary, Canada's Traveler will release their self-titled first full-length on February 22 via Gates Of Hell Records. Recorded at three different studios throughout 2018, Traveler will feature eight songs of up-tempo, classic metal, right up the alley for fans of vintage Judas Priest, Manilla Road and Riot. Listen to new single "Street Machine":

Traveler by Traveler

According to guitarist and founding member Matt Ries, Traveler will certainly appeal to fans of their debut demo and split with Coronary. The three songs from their demo have been re-recorded and given new life thanks to Traveler's now-complete lineup, a first for the band. "To have this become a reality is amazing," he says. "I've learned a lot about who you jam with and not settling for anything less than the best. I've also learned how much work comes behind taking the reins on everything, but it's all worth it." 

Traveler, who are now rounded out by vocalist Jean-Pierre Abboud (also of Gatekeeper), second guitarist Toryin "Junior" Schadlich, bassist Dave Arnold and drummer Chad Vallier, tracked drums at AB Records, guitars at Ries's home studio and vocals at Richhobo Studios. In all, their self-titled album shows just how far Traveler has come in the span of a year, with the re-recorded songs from the demo blending seamlessly with the band's new compositions.

"The newest songs all vary differently from each other," says Ries. "We feel this will make for a really interesting album. But, of course, the album has no shortage of dueling guitars and powerful vocals. And, after hearing the vocals laid out for the first time over these songs, I can safely say they all pound just as hard! The lyrical themes are mixed with real life experiences and total exaggerated scenarios. Ripping leads and harmonized guitars. Driving bass lines. Everything I love to hear when I throw on a record. So, if we share the same taste, you'll be raising your fist."

Traveler, who originally started as an outlet for ideas that weren't suitable for Ries's other bands Gatekrashör and Hrom, has enjoyed a year that has gone far beyond the guitarist's expectations. Starting with the positive feedback from their split with Coronary to the writing and creation of their full-length debut album, Traveler has capably handled the whirlwind that was 2018 and now has their eye toward 2019. 

"This year has been a really exciting experience," says Ries. "It's also been extremely challenging getting everything together. Our love for the music has kept us on the right track. However, the feedback from everyone has lit a fire under our asses to make the best possible record. I didn't expect to be working under such a great label so soon. Again, all of this has been nothing but motivation to keep moving. Now that we are wrapping up the year, we are focused on making a great live show for everyone! We can't wait to rock the stages for all of you. We have a lot of great plans in the works for shows and future projects. So, the way I see it, we're just getting started. FEEL THE REIGN OF STARBREAKER!"

Italy's prominent death metal force and Agonia Records recent signees, Hour Of Penance, have finished writing songs for their eighth album and will enter studio in less than a month to commence the recording process. 

The band issued a statement on what's to come:

"Prepare yourselves, we’re finally ready to hit the studio once again. The follow up to Cast the First Stone will consist of nine tracks written during the course of the last two years in which we put all our best efforts to give you another piece of extreme speed and brutality. We decided to record all drums at Bloom Recording Studio in February, while guitars, bass and vocals will be tracked at Kick Recording Studio. To take things up a notch this time, we’ll fly to Poland in March to do all mixing and mastering at Hertz Recording Studio (Behemoth, Decapitated, Vader, Hate and many more) and give you the sonic assault your ears are craving for. We worked harder than ever on every single detail of every single song, and we cannot wait to let all of you get your hands on our new opus. We’ll share more information and details over the next weeks, stay in touch!”

Hour Of Penance signed a record deal with the Polish-based label in November of 2018, after parting ways with Prosthetic Records, via whom the band released three of their last albums, including 2017's Cast The First Stone. The release date of the new album is set for 2019 and is yet to be determined in detail.

Recently, the band have been confirmed to perform at Metaldays Festival 2019 held in Tolmin (Slovenia), alongside Akerocke, Dimmu Borgir, Dream Theater, Kvelertak, October Tide and other artists.

Sally Steele of Vegas Rocks! Magazine conducted an interview with WINGER bassist/vocalist Kip Winger and lead guitarist Reb Beach prior to the band's November 23 show at Vinyl at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether they think '80s bands never get any respect for their work:

Kip: "I don't know. I think they're starting to get respect again, right? There was a period when the grunge thing hit and we were all the bands that sucked — on, like, 'Beavis And Butthead' and all that stuff — so all the respect went down. But I think it's gone way up now. I think the bands that were really big then — like DEF LEPPARD — they're still selling out arenas. And they're [being inducted into] the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame."

On whether WINGER will ever be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame:

Kip: "That will be a cold day in hell. That will never happen."

Reb: "But I'm always surprised at the amount of people that come to our shows. And all of us '80s band people know each other. We all do the same shows in the Midwest and parts of the country that really appreciate that music. We get lots of people out there, and they all have such a great time. It's just good-time music."

On Kip being a "sex symbol" during their 1980s heyday:

Kip: "I was totally comfortable with it. I went through — we all went through that phase. 'Cause it's the Paul Stanley [KISS] factor — you wanna be a total rock star; David Lee Roth [VAN HALEN], Paul Stanley kind of vibe. But then, musically, we're putting more sophisticated… I don't wanna make value judgments about the music, 'cause KISS is amazing, but there's technically more difficult stuff going on in our music, which we intentionally did that. But being a sex symbol and all that stuff, that was fun. I was a kid, and it was a blast. I did well."

On whether there was instant chemistry when WINGER formed in 1987:

Reb: "It was when we wrote together the first day."

Kip: "It was weird. When we finally got past my solo thing.I had a solo thing that I asked Reb to play some stuff on. Then we called it VICEVERSA, but it wasn't really a band. It was my songs and Reb played on them. But when Reb and I actually started writing, then that's when really the band began. Because Reb's a riff-meister. 'I got this one riff I've had since I was 15.' It was 'Seventeen'. I'm more of a song arranger. He writes great riffs and I know how to arrange, so the chemistry became really obvious early on. We made a commitment to not take any outside work for about six months to see how far we could get, so we wrote the whole first album in those six months."

On the future of rock and roll:

Kip: "There's so many fans all over the world that are still going to see rock shows."

Reb: "I opened GUNS N' ROSES [in Mexico] last week [with WHITESNAKE] and there were 50,000 people there. So, it's still happening. I'm doing Download [festival] next year. Giant shows."

Kip: "Rock is alive and well. It's just that there's a lot of other things out there that are popular. But that was always the case, I think — different genres. It's just that now everybody is so exposed to them all, and there's so much access to them through your phone. It just seems like we get inundated with all these different styles. But I think, ultimately, it really helps everyone's creativity. And then you hear all this fusion stuff coming — like country music has a lot of R&B influences. And in the '90s, it sounded like DEF LEPPARD, 'cause [producer] Mutt Lange was doing it. We just stick to our lane and we do what we do and if people dig it, that's great for us. 'Cause we're still doing it after 30 years, so that's cool. We're not huge, but we do well and we enjoy it."

WINGER's most recent studio album, "Better Days Comin'", was released in 2014 via Frontiers Music Srl.

KISS members Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons recently announced that all TSA employees can eat for free at their Rock & Brews restaurants during the government shutdown, now the longest in U.S. history. The political stalemate has caused some 800,000 federal workers to miss paychecks — even though thousands of government employees are required to keep working.

TSA employees can choose to eat either a Pulled Pork Sandwich or a Strawberry Fields Salad.

Speaking to CNN, Stanley said (see video below): "It's obviously tough when people's mortgages are on the line, when people are trying to pay for meals for their children. This is horrific.

"Look, Chris Wallace on Fox said to [Vice President] Mike Pence yesterday that he believed that the government should be open and that this was just leverage," he continued. "The problem is when you're leveraging the government and you're shutting it down… Who is the government? The government is of the people, by the people and for the people. Who are you hurting? You're hurting the people. These are the people who make this country what it is, and to see them in this horrendous position… Everybody — not just me; not just Rock & Brews — everybody can do something.

"The gift of giving is a gift to the people who give also," he added. "So everybody can't give the same, but I always say, 'Don't give until it hurts. You give until it feels good.' It feels good to help people. Those are the people who help us."

Asked for his personal opinion of the current state of the U.S. government, Stanley said: "I think, again, people need to put their political affiliation aside and the priority has to be to get people back to work, back on the payrolls, and then let's figure out what the solution is. I certainly have my own point of view, but I'm not gonna share it, because I'm a rock and roller and I know my place."

In his prime-time address earlier this month, President Donald Trump said a wall along the southern border is key to national security, as he called for lawmakers to fund it and end a partial government shutdown. Democrats called the idea of a physical barrier across the entire border expensive and ineffective, and said the solution involves more personnel and detection technology.

Trump, whose central campaign promise was that Mexico would pay for a wall stretching across the roughly 2,000-mile border, admitted that Mexico would not directly cover the cost of the wall's construction, claiming that it will instead be paid for by revenue gained from a new trade deal pending in Congress.

Public polling continues to indicate a majority of Americans oppose the construction of a border wall. Meanwhile, Trump has continued to argue the wall is needed to resolve a security and humanitarian "crisis," blaming illegal immigration for what he said was a scourge of drugs and violence in the U.S.

According to The New York Times, illegal border crossings have been declining for nearly two decades. In 2017, border-crossing apprehensions were at their lowest point since 1971.

Video footage of METALLICA playing a cover version of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Delivering The Goods" — with drummer Lars Ulrich on lead vocals — can be seen below. The clip was shot in the METALLICA tuning room before the band's October 18, 2018 concert at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Back in 2016, METALLICA's original manager revealed to Metal Hammer magazine that the band briefly considered making Ulrich its frontman.

Jon "Jonny Z" Zazula, who started working with METALLICA before the release of the band's debut album, "Kill 'Em All", recalled James Hetfield's lack of confidence in handling lead vocal duties. As a possible solution, it was suggested that Ulrich could step up from the drum stool to the microphone.

Zazula told Metal Hammer: "Lars and I planned a lot of stuff. But James wasn't the most confident of singers. I don't think he felt comfortable.

"At one point there was even talk of Lars becoming the frontman. For about five seconds."

Other singers who were being considered for the frontman position in METALLICA included Jess Cox of Newcastle, England's TYGERS OF PAN TANG and John Bush of ARMORED SAINT (and later ANTHRAX), who actually turned the offer down.

Bush later said in an interview: "METALLICA did ask me to join, but I said no for all the right reasons. People must think that's crazy, but you have to remember the scene then. METALLICA was nobody. ARMORED SAINT was hot; you have to remember that. Also, I was very tight with the [ARMORED SAINT] guys, back to elementary school in fact. ARMORED SAINT was getting interest from all kinds of places, and we had a lot of people starting to turn up at shows."

He continued: "METALLICA came to see SAINT at a gig in Anaheim, at The Woodstock in 1982. I heard they were interested in asking me to join, which they did later. The thing was that METALLICA was this new kind of thing, and nobody back then. I don't care what they say now; nobody could have predicted what would happen. I didn't know the guys either, so there was no real interest. It was great to be asked — in fact, a lot of people asked — but ARMORED SAINT was really strong.

"Some time after 'Kill 'Em All' had come out, I heard the same thing again, but I never understood that because James was singing great then and he was doing a great job. I understood the lack of confidence back in '82 but not for 'Ride The Lightning'. James owns that record."

In a 1989 interview with Metal Forces, Ulrich talked about what METALLICA could have sounded like had Bush ended up fronting the group. He said: "Only a couple of days ago, we were actually sitting around talking about how it would be now if John Bush had joined the band. Obviously, it's impossible to know how different it would have been, but I can't imagine METALLICA without James Hetfield up there growling into the microphone, fucking curved over and everything. It's really weird to think about it. I mean, nothing against John Bush — I think he's a great vocalist — but ... Well, thank God it didn't happen."

Welsh glam metal veterans TIGERTAILZ have been forced to cancel their appearance at the HRH AOR VII festival in Wales as a result of guitarist and founding member Jay Pepper's battle with hearing loss which threatens to curtail his long career.

Earlier today, Pepper released the following statement: "I'm very sad to inform you that we have had to cancel our show at Hard Rock Hell in March.

"This has come about as a result of my hearing loss as I was diagnosed with mild hearing loss in 2016.

"Unfortunately, my hearing has continued to deteriorate, and has been further compounded by the onset of severe tinnitus.

"I recently had more audiology tests and the results show I now need to completely remove myself from any loud noise to protect what hearing I have left. It seems the years have finally caught up with me.

"I'm looking at options that will enable me to carry on playing in the future. So hope to be back [as soon as possible].

"Really sorry about this as we never cancel shows. Hope to see you all soon."

HRH AOR VII is scheduled to take place March 14-17 at Haven Hafan y Mor Holiday Park, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, in North Wales.

TIGERTAILZ in 2015 tapped its bassist, Rob Wylde, to sing for the group following the departure of Jules Millis. Wylde was previously the frontman in TEENAGE CASKET COMPANY and the U.K. POISON tribute act POIZON.

Millis left TIGERTAILZ in March 2015 "due to personal reasons." He joined the band in 2012 folllowing the acrimonious exit of TIGERTAILZ's longtime singer Kim Hooker.

TIGERTAILZ's was originally fronted by Steevi Jaimz, who left the group in 1988. Jaimz later attempted to register the TIGERTAILZ name as a trademark with the U.K. Patent Office and launch his own version of TIGERTAILZ with drummer Ace Finchum.

Pepper is the sole remaining member of TIGERTAILZ's classic lineup.


Hi Maniacz,

I’m very sad to inform you that we have had to cancel our show at Hard Rock Hell in March.

This has come...Posted by Tigertailz on Tuesday, January 22, 2019

20th Century Fox's QUEEN biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody" received five Academy Award nominations this morning (January 22): "Best Picture," "Sound Editing," "Sound Mixing," "Film Editing," and "Best Actor," for Rami Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury.

The smash biopic will compete for the "Best Picture" prize alongside "Black Panther", "BlacKkKlansman", "The Favourite", "Green Book", "Roma", "A Star Is Born" and "Vice".

Malek was nominated alongside Christian Bale ("Vice"), Bradley Cooper ("A Star Is Born"), Willem Dafoe ("At Eternity's Gate") and Viggo Mortensen ("Green Book").

These five Oscar nominations come after "Bohemian Rhapsody" took home the Golden Globes for "Best Motion Picture – Drama" and "Best Actor - Motion Picture – Drama" for Malek.

Presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, this year's 91st Academy Awards honors films that were released within the 2018 calendar year. The ceremony airs February 24 on ABC and will likely be host-less for the first time in 30 years.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" has already become the highest-grossing musical biopic of all time, bringing in more than $700 million at the worldwide box office.

Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Whishaw were set to play Freddie Mercury at different stages in the movie's development, prior to Malek's casting. Cohen's vision for the film was reportedly very "adult" in tone and clashed with what the surviving members of QUEEN had in mind, leading to the actor's departure.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" began production with "X-Men" director Bryan Singer behind the camera, but the filmmaker was fired from the movie after he disappeared from set and caused production delays. Dexter Fletcher, best known for making "Eddie The Eagle", stepped in to replace Singer in the director's chair.

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN are putting the finishing touches on their first studio album since 2009's "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da". Tentatively due this spring, the effort is being mixed at a Santa Monica, California studio with Rich Costey, an American producer who has previously worked with MUSE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and FRANZ FERDINAND, among others.

Several new photos from the studio were posted earlier today (Tuesday, January 22) on RAMMSTEIN's official Twitter account and can be seen below. An accompanying caption reads: "Getting closer! Finalizing the mix for the new album in Santa Monica, CA.#Rammstein"

RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Kruspe told Metal Wani about the making of the band's new album: "Well, when I thought to do another RAMMSTEIN record, I was like, 'No, I'm going to do that. I'm not going through more suffering,'" he said. "That was four years ago. But what we did in the beginning is we said 'Let's get together and try to come up with three or four songs.' We didn't really put any pressure on us, which was very important at this time. While we were starting to rehearse and stuff and getting ideas, I thought, 'Wow, it's actually very good. Things have changed.' All of a sudden, there's a certain kind of respect that I always missed a little bit. We just had good chemistry, which reminded me of the first time when we started. Then I felt, like, 'What would interest me on a new RAMMSTEIN record?' I thought, 'Every time people talk RAMMSTEIN, it's about fire. It's all about the show.' Nobody talks about the music anymore for RAMMSTEIN, and it kind of bothered me. I was thinking, 'I want to do another record. It has to be musical in a way that can really stand out from other records.' That was my goal, or our goal."

As for the disc's musical direction and how it compares to the band's previous efforts, Kruspe said: "It's so hard to say it, because I'm working four years on the record, I'm so close. I think when I listen to the record — we're still in the process, but it's almost 'RAMMSTEIN 3D' is how I describe it. We have written a lot of stuff, but we recorded, I think, 16 songs right now. We're probably going to mix 11 songs because we're running out of time right now. I think it's going to be out in April, which will be the release date. Then, we'll be on our first stadium tour, which is very exciting."

RAMMSTEIN recently announced a batch of summer 2019 European tour dates. The run of stadium and arena shows will kick off on May 27 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany and end of August 23 in Vienna, Austria.

In 2016 and 2017, RAMMSTEIN played a number of concerts where the band opened each show with a brand-new song, presently only known as "Ramm 4". The track contained lyrics that seemed to be a combination of various titles of previous RAMMSTEIN songs.

Getting closer!
Finalizing the mix for the new album in Santa Monica, CA.#Rammstein pic.twitter.com/A7m60BQ6f1— Rammstein (@RSprachrohr) January 22, 2019

John 5 spoke to WRIF's Meltdown about ROB ZOMBIE's forthcoming studio album, which will arrive later this year via the iconic rocker's new record label, Nuclear Blast Records.

"It's completely finished, all ready to go," he said (hear audio below). "I don't see the artwork, 'cause [Rob] does all the artwork, but the music is mixed, mastered — everything. It's all ready to go. And it is a monster.

"I was just talking to Rob's manager yesterday, and we were really, really excited for it," the guitarist continued. "And we're really excited to play new songs. That's the other thing. It's so fun to get out there and play new songs. It's fun for the band and it's fun for the crowd too."

Asked how long the ROB ZOMBIE band has been working on the new record, John 5 said: "We work on it every little once in a while and we tweak on it. But everything is scheduling. Rob's working on a new movie right now. So everything is scheduling, and he is the master of that stuff. 'Cause he gets everything done. He's not one of those people that says, 'I'm gonna do this,' but you never see it happen. If he says he's gonna do something, it will always come out. And I've learned that from him big time, that's for sure."

John 5 also talked about how the upcoming ROB ZOMBIE album compares to the shock-rocker's previous efforts. "Let's see how I can explain it," the guitarist said. "So, how we used to make records — and maybe I'm just letting the cat out of the bag — but how we used to make records [was] we would come up with music, me and Rob would just come up with this music, and then he would write lyrics to it, and melodies. And that's traditionally how most do it, I would say. So what happened this time is there was very, very, very basic music written and he would write his lyrics and melodies first. So then I came in and then wrote all the stuff. He was absolutely 100 percent perfect and happy with his vocal and melody, and they were phenomenal. Because there wasn't any other music getting in the way, so he could really do exactly what he wanted. And then when I came in and I put all the music around it, it was, like, 'Woah! It took us 15 years to figure this out.' And it is so great. And it's heavy, and it's hooky, and it's exciting."

John 5 went on to say that he hopes other people like the new ROB ZOMBIE record as much as he does. "Because coming from me, I'm a Zombie fan, I'm a WHITE ZOMBIE fan, and I listen to things like that as well, and I've heard it a bunch, and I'm, like, 'Man, this is, like, really something special,'" he said. "If WHITE ZOMBIE came out with this record, I'd be, like, 'This is incredible. This is rad.' It's heavy. It's hooky. It's all the things that we want a ROB ZOMBIE record to be. He really hit it out of the park this time."

Last year, John 5 compared ROB ZOMBIE's upcoming album to THE BEATLES' groundbreaking LP "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", saying that it is "by far the best Zombie record that he's ever done." He added: "A lot of people say, 'Oh, it's just our greatest record,' and I don't say that. Whatever I say is so honest when I'm doing interviews. So I think it's our best record."

2016's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" was the second consecutive effort to feature Zombie and John 5 alongside bassist Piggy D. and drummer Ginger Fish.

Zombie told Loudwire about his upcoming album: "I think it's the best record we've made. Parts of it are the heaviest, parts are the weirdest, it's the most complex record we've ever made, but at the same time, it's always very catchy and listenable, but it's the most intricately structured record."

He added: "There are those songs that go in a direction we've never even gone near before. Personally, I like records that are very varied in sound. Not just like, 'Oh, here's 12 super heavy tracks,’ and they're all the same tempo. I like records that are all over the place. That's why I think my favorite BEATLES record was always The White Album."

According to ScreenDaily.com, a documentary on the life and career of Phil Lynott is now in the works from award-winning Irish filmmaker Emer Reynolds.

"Phil Lynott: Songs For While I'm Away" will include interviews with THIN LIZZY's Eric Bell, Scott Gorham, Darren Wharton, U2's Adam Clayton, Suzi Quatro, Huey Lewis and METALLICA's James Hetfield.

"Having been a huge THIN LIZZY fan throughout my life, it's an incredible honor to be bringing this celebratory and intimate portrait of lead singer and songwriter Philip Lynott to the big screen," said Reynolds.

No release date has been set for "Songs For While I'm Away".

Since his untimely death in 1986, Lynott has left a musical legacy that continues to influence and inspire musicians around the globe. Even the legendary Bob Dylan has been quoted singing LIZZY's praises. Over the years, Lynott's songs have been covered by an array of such diverse performers as HENRY ROLLINS, THE CORRS, SMASHING PUMPKINS, RANDY BACHMAN, HUEY LEWIS, METALLICA and THE CURE.

Last month, RTÉ, Ireland's national television and radio broadcaster, aired "Phil Lynott: Scéalta Ón Old Town", the story behind the making of the late THIN LIZZY singer's promotional video for his song "Old Town", on RTÉ One. The documentary was made exclusively for RTÉ.

In a new interview with Loudwire, Rex Brown recalled how he found out about the passing of his onetime PANTERA bandmate Vinnie Paul Abbott last June. "It was just another phone call of, 'Are you sitting down?'" he said. "And I'm, like, 'Oh my god. Who is it now?' Never in a million years would I have thought it would be Vinnie. It's just wild, and it's insane."

The 54-year-old bassist, who lost another PANTERA bandmate, "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, 14 years earlier, continued: "I had to reflect on it and it's something you have to process. I learned the first time with Dime, and it took me years in therapy to get the fuck over.

"When those tragedies hit, you just pull your boots up as much as you can and you go," he said.

Brown looked back fondly on his time in the legendary metal band.

"We just had a hell of a rhythm section, and it hasn't been touched since," he said. "I don't want to sound egotistical about it, but we were pretty fucking tight, dude… even at our sloppiest [Laughs] … even at our drunkest [Laughs]."

He added: "I played along with Vinnie and to Vinnie, and Vinnie would play off of Dime. It was very integrated, and we knew exactly where each other were going to go. I think all those years we played in the clubs just made us a tighter band. That's why we had that big sound with the guitar, and everything just had its place.

"Vinnie was just an incredible drummer and I really miss the camaraderie of years past," he said.

Rex went on to say that he is proud of PANTERA's legacy.

"We get new fans daily," he said. "Somebody who hasn't heard of PANTERA may hear of it from their dad or from other kids. I may go to the mall like once a year to get something, and I'll see brand new PANTERA shirts all over the fucking mall. Kids are still wearing them. It's everywhere. It's a weird phenomenon that I've been incredibly blessed with. We did something right and we made a mark somewhere and it still stands the test of time and is something to be proud of."

Vinnie Paul's death came about a year after he slammed Rex's memoir as "a bunch of mythology."

In Brown's 2013 book, "Official Truth, 101 Proof: The Inside Story Of Pantera", the former PANTERA bassist referred to Vinnie as "a strange person" who "was always all about the 'party, party, party'" but "only got laid maybe one out of ten times."

Brown defended his comments about Vinnie Paul during an interview with the "Energize With Lonn Friend" podcast.

"I didn't go out of my way to maliciously hurt any individual," he said. "But at the same time, if you're gonna tell the truth, by God, you'd better be on the skinny… If [you're] not [being completely truthful in your memoir], I think it's all a bunch of charade… And why would you wanna do that?"

Rex's debut solo album, "Smoke On This…", was released in July 2017 via Entertainment One (eOne). The effort marked the first time in Brown's career where he served as both lead vocalist and guitarist in a band. A follow-up LP is tentatively due later this year.

After more than 25 years out of print, Cathedral's all time classic The Ethereal Mirror is finally being reissued on vinyl via Earache Records; the street date is April 5th.

The Ethereal Mirror was almost as drastic a departure from Cathedral's slow and meloncholic doom drenched debut, Forest Of Equilibrium, as was Lee Dorrian fronting Cathedral after playing in Napalm Death. Featuring fan favourites and MTV video hits "Midnight Mountain" and "Ride", this album ushered in the Cathedral we know and recognise today with their doomy Sabbath-esque riffs mixed with more groove laden rock!

Coming in three different colours of wax, as well as black vinyl for the purists, the album is also available to order as a bundle, with the choice of either the Forest Of Equilibrium t-shirt or The Ethereal Mirror t-shirt. Pre-order your copy here.

Tracklisting:

"Violet Vortex (Intro)"
"Ride"
"Enter The Worms"
"Midnight Mountain"
"Fountain Of Innocence"
"Grim Luxuria"
"Jaded Entity"
"Ashes You Leave"
"Phantasmagoria"
"Imprisoned In Flesh"

 

 

Female fronted thrash outfit Dying Gorgeous Lies will release its new album The Hunter And The Prey on March 22nd via Massacre Records.

The album was mixed and mastered by Charles Greywolf at Studio Greywolf. The killer artwork - available below along with the tracklisting - was created by Thomas Kilian / Soulcatcher Photography.

"From The Ashes / Hellfire"
"We Are The Apocalypse"
"Revolution Day"
"…And As The Bombs Fell"
"Fatal Craving"
"New World Order"
"Ancient Tales"
"Beast Mode"
"Greetings From Aleppo"
"Sweet Taste Of Lies"

The band keeps on evolving: with the addition of keyboardist / piano player Jay'Na D., the songs turned out to be more open and melodic without losing their heaviness. And Liz's voice is even more brutal and versatile.

Dying Gorgeous Lies has released two short teaser videos, both of which include snippets from new songs. Portions of "From The Ashes" and "New World Order" are featured in the first teaser, whereas an audio glimpse of "Hellfire" is featured in the second teaser.

For further details, visit Dying Gorgeous Lies on Facebook.

 

A Pale Horse Named Death released their third studio album, When The World Becomes Undone, on January 18th via Long Branch Records; an imprint of SPV. A full album stream can be found below.

The new album was mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More, Meat Loaf, Yes, Sepultura, Halford) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering while the artwork was once again created by Sam Shearon (Rob Zombie, Fear Factory, Cradle Of Filth).

When The World Becomes Undone can be ordered here.

Available album formats:

- Box-Set
- Limited and serially numbered (550 copies worldwide) incl. exclusive green-black marbled 2LP Version, CD Digipak, Beanie, Patch, Guitar pick, Sticker)
- Long Branch Records Shop Bundle
- EMP Bundle
- 2LP Edition incl. 180g black vinyl, printed inner sleeves and download code
- CD Digipak
- Download
- Stream

Tracklisting:

"As It Begins"
"When The World Becomes Undone"
"Love The Ones You Hate"
"Fell In My Hole"
"Succumbing To The Event Horizon"
"Vultures"
"End Of Days"
"The Woods"
"We All Break Down"
"Lay With The Wicked"
"Splinters"
"Dreams Of The End"
"Closure"

Album stream:

(Photo - Sandi Ryan Golightly Photos)

WDR Rockpalast has uploaded professionally-filmed video of Blackberry Smoke's entire performance on October 13th at Crossroads Festival 2018 in Bonn, Germany. Watch below.

Setlist:

"Nobody Gives A Damn"
"Good One Comin' On"
"Waiting For The Thunder"
"Let It Burn"
"Believe You Me"
"Medicate My Mind"
"Sleeping Dogs"
"Come Together"
"Sleeping Dog"
"Shakin' Hands With The Holy Ghost"
"The Whippoorwill"
"Run Away From It All"
"Sailin' Shoes"
"Ain't Got The Blues"
"Flesh And Bone"
"One Horse Town"
"Like An Arrow"
"Ain't Much Left Of Me"
"Rollin' And Tumblin'"
"Ain't Much Left Of Me"

Seminal Canadian melodic death/folk metal band, Blackguard, announces their first show in over four years as well as their plans to independently release their long-awaited fourth studio album, Storm, in 2019 to follow their 2011 full length Firefight on Victory Records and 2009's Profugus Mortis, released on Sumerian and Nuclear Blast.

The band made the following announcement: “It is with great pleasure that we can finally start sharing with you our plans for this year! We will be playing our first show in four years at Coalition in Toronto on March 22nd with Crimson Shadows (Napalm Records) and Borealis (AFM Records)! This will be one hell of a fun show with some of our oldest friends so come out and make this a night no one will forget.

"Details / pre-order info for our new album, Storm, will be revealed in the coming weeks and of course, some new music for everyone to sink their teeth into. It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally here so stay tuned!

"We would like to take this time to thank all of you from the bottom of our black hearts for your continuing support for this musical entity that has been such a huge part of our lives for so long. This next chapter in our history is a return to our roots, we’re going at this alone again without the shackles of business obligations that brought us to the brink in the past. This is a labor of love beyond the typical metrics of “success” or “failure” and sharing this piece of us with you is our apotheosis.

"And finally, for those who don’t know how this all began….

"Our out of print first record, So It Begins…, under our original name Profugus Mortis, is now available for download on our Bandcamp page for $5. It’s a trip to hear the band’s evolution to what we are now and we hope you will enjoy this glimpse into our history."