Sweden's Axis Of Despair - featuring current and former members of Nasum, Coldworker, Infanticide, Volturyon, Livet Som Insats, Nervgift, and Overtorture - is preparing to release their debut full-length, Contempt For Man, via Southern Lord on July 27th. The track "A Life Of Ceaseless Grind" is available for streaming below. Pre-order the album here.

Axis Of Despair's Contempt For Man propels with twenty super-charged, raging songs, clocking in around the half-hour mark - short enough to retain attention, and long enough to serve a good taste of the bands particular brand of European grindcore.

Axis Of Despair will perform at Obscene Extreme 2018 in Czech Republic on July 19th. Watch for additional audio samples and further updates about the album to follow.

Axis Of Despair was formed in late 2013 by former Coldworker members Joel Fornbrant (vocals), Oskar Pålsson (bass), and Anders Jakobson (drums). The lineup was completed by guitarist Kristofer Jankarls (also in Livet Som Insats) a few months later and the quartet focused on songwriting. The first recording took place in the spring of 2015 and the twelve tracks were released on the two 7" EPs, Time And Again and Mankind Crawls.

Following the releases of the EPs and several live shows, Axis Of Despair continued to work on material with the ultimate goal to create a striking grindcore album with an aggressive, yet diverse selection of strong songs. The writing process was spread out over a year until the band went into the studio and begun the recordings in the summer of 2017, now set to arrive in the form of their debut album, Contempt For Man.

Contempt For Man tracklisting:

"Värdelös"
"Demons And Angels"
"Pawn Sacrifice"  
"The Wolven Law"  
"Lockdown"  
"The Punishment Begins"
"The Noose Tightens"  
"Det Går Aldrig"  
"Crush The Empire"
"Pre-Emptive Nuclear Strike"
"A Life Of Ceaseless Grind"  
"Streams Of Sludge"  
"Into The Hard Earth"
"The Pain Maze"  
"Vile Behaviour"
"Defeat"
"Dull Dead Future"
"To Smite"
"A Brutal Truth"
"Flytande Död"

"A Life Of Ceaseless Grind":

Contempt for Man by Axis Of Despair

Lineup:

Joel Fornbrant - vocals
Kristofer Jankarls - guitar
Oskar Pålsson - bass
Anders Jakobson - drums

(Photo - Pia Gyllin)

Las Vegas-based doom metal quartet Demon Lung have released a lyric video for their haunting and powerful rendition of the Danzig classic “How The Gods Kill”. The clip can be seen below.

“Those early Danzig albums are obviously a major influence on us. 'How the Gods Kill' has a certain evilness to it that always set it apart, and we tried our best to do it justice,” explains drummer Jeremy Brenton. “We spent a lot of time recording the song because it means so much and we wanted to pay tribute respectfully. Hopefully everyone can hear the love that we put into it!”

“How The Gods Kill” appears on the recently-released expanded vinyl and digital reissues of Demon Lung's 2012 debut EP, Pareidolia. Initially released as a four-track CD, Pareidolia now features an additional three songs on top of the Danzig cover - the original song “Pray For Rain,” which dates back to the original Pareidolia recording sessions, as well as covers of Wounded Giant's “The Road To Middian” and Twisted Sister's “Captain Howdy".

The limited-edition vinyl edition (only 300 copies) of Pareidolia is available in green-and-black marbled wax and includes a color lyric sheet and a download card. It can be ordered here.

Demon Lung have built quite a reputation for themselves via two critically acclaimed albums on Candlelight Records and live appearances all over the West Coast with bands like Candlemass, Crowbar, Venom Inc., High On Fire, Eyehategod, Today Is the Day, Saint Vitus, Pentagram and more. The group recently performed alongside Royal Thunder and will next support The Atlas Moth and Mustard Gas and Roses in their Las Vegas hometown on June 7th at The Beauty Bar.

Swedish rock quintet Spiral Skies recently released their debut full-length album Blues For A Dying Planet via AOP Records. The band have now released a video for the song "Dark Side Of The Cross".

Says the band: ""Those who have been banished, oppressed and pursued - gather and gain strength. Only from the other side can the world be tipped upside down."

The record can be ordered via the following links:

- Europe
- North America

With influences ranging over decades, Spiral Skies has created a sound that can most easily be described as “rock from another planet.” A unique blend of folk, doom and 70’s inspired rock music. The band has been compared to band such as Jefferson Airplane, Curved Air and The Devil's Blood, to name a few.

Blues For A Dying Planet tracklisting:

"Black Hole Waltz"
"Awakening"
"Dark Side Of The Cross"
"The Wizard's Ball"
"Danse Macabre"
"Labyrinth Of The Mind"
"Shattered Hopes"
"Left Is Right And Right Is Left Behind"
"The Prisoner"

"The Prisoner":

Lineup:

Frida Eurenius - Vocals
Jonas Lyander - Guitar, Percussion, Choir
Dan Svanljung - Guitar, Organ, Mellotron
Eric Sandberg - Bass
Daniel Bäckman- Drums, Percussion, Synthesizer

Tomorrow, June 1st, Cannibal Corpse will release exclusive, limited LP reissues of their classic albums Bloodthirst and Gallery Of Suicide via Metal Blade Records. A full stream of Bloodthirst can be found below.

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

Bloodthirst LP reissue:

- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)

- opaque pale lilac marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)

- viole(n)t marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

- opaque red / white&purple splattered vinyl (Ebay exclusive - limited to 120 copies)

- opaque skin pink/red marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

- red/black marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 300 copies)

Gallery of Suicide LP reissue:

- 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)

- clear grey-brown marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)

- opaque "dead gold" marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

- transparent / red splattered vinyl (Ebay exclusive - limited to 120 copies)

- ochre/clay-col marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

- red/black marbled vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 300 copies)

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, GHOST's sold-out concert in Milwaukee Thursday night (May 31) was canceled after a fan collapsed. He died later in the night.

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. 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."

"Tonight, in Milwaukee, there was a medical emergency with one of our fans," GHOST said in a statement on Twitter late Thursday. "We decided not to continue out of respect to him and his family. GHOST and all who work with us ask that you please send the family your thoughts, prayers and respect their privacy during this time."

The Milwaukee Fire Department confirmed to CBS 58 that one person was transported to the hospital.

GHOST's new album, "Prequelle", is being released today (Friday, June 1) via Loma Vista Recordings. The record was tracked last year at Artery studios in Stockholm with Tom Dalgety (OPETH, ROYAL BLOOD) and mixed in January at Westlake Studios in West Hollywood, California with Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, SLAYER).

Tonight, in Milwaukee there was a medical emergency with one of our fans. We decided not to continue out of respect to him and his family. Ghost and all who work with us ask that you please send the family your thoughts, prayers and respect their privacy during this time.— Cardinal Copia (@thebandGHOST) June 1, 2018

For many rock listeners, Gaborone, Botswana is not the first location one thinks of when it comes to the hometown of many heavy metal bands. But since 2006, the three-piece SKINFLINT has been making its hometown located in Southern Africa proud. On June 1, the group will issue its fifth, self-titled full-length release overall via INTO Records (distributed by Cargo Records), and as heard by such standout cuts as "Eyes In A Leopard's Spots" and "Birds And Milk, Bloody Milk", SKINFLINT continues to build on the promise of its previous albums.

"We feel that this album is the culmination of our style of African metal," explains the band.

"The album was named 'Skinflint' as we feel that the music here best showcases our artistic vision and what SKINFLINT stands for.

"We chose 'Birds And Milk, Bloody Milk' as the first single of the album due to its distinctive style and Kwasa Kwasa influences, which has never been explored in the realms rock/metal music before. For the video, we included Kwasa Kwasa dancers and shot it in two days at a village called Mokatse, in Botswana.

"Making this album was a challenging experience even though, strangely, we wrote the majority of the songs in about a week. We allowed the compositions to happen organically and as a result we uncovered a new mystical, dimension to our style of music.

"The album is not overproduced and retains the raw energy and passion of a band live in the studio.

"The video for 'Birds And Milk, Bloody Milk' was quite fun to shoot, as we have never featured dancers in any of our videos."

Comprised of guitarist/vocalist Giuseppe Sbrana, bassist Kebonye Nkoloso and drummer Alessandra Sbrana, SKINFLINT puts a unique spin on heavy music by incorporating elements from African culture with metal music, and in the process has attracted the attention of such international media outlets as CNN, Dutch TV, Swedish national television, BBC and many more. Their earlier releases, "Iklwa", "Gauna", "Dipoko Nyemba" and "Chief Of The Ghosts", pay homage to African spirituality and mythology, while still playing in the vein of traditional heavy metal, and have been credited as a pioneering example of African metal.

So far, SKINFLINT has played shows in Southern Africa, Kenya and enjoyed successful tours as far as Sweden and throughout Europe with TARJA.

"Skinflint" track listing:

01. Eyes In A Leopards Spots

02. Birds And Milk, Bloody Milk

03. The Prophecy Of Nongqawuse

04. Chiruwi

05. The Hyena Sorcerer

06. Thorns Of Fire

07. The Swallowing Monster

08. Tuyewera

09. Mathoa

10. Tokoloshe

According to TMZ, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee has relisted his home in Calabasas, California.

Lee put the house on the market in April 2016 for $5,995,000, but that price came down in July 2016 by three hundred thousand to $5,699,000, in November 2016 by another two hundred thousand to $5,495,000 and in May 2017 by half a million to $4,995,000. Five months later, Tommy dropped the asking price to $4,650,000 before removing the house from the market in February 2018. He has since put the home up for sale again at $4,650,000.

The drummer purchased the home in 2007 for $5.85 million, according to property records.

Official description of the house courtesy of previous agents Rodeo Realty: "Unique celebrity-owned view property with recording studio in a guard-gated community of Calabasas. This custom estate has panoramic jetliner views of the valley and is perched on its own hilltop in a cul-de-sac enclave w/other custom homes. The main house is almost 10,000 square feet with a subterranean (approximately 3000 square feet) garage, of which approximately 2000 sqft. now houses a state-of-the-art recording studio with control and two live rooms. This property features an Atrium in the middle of the home with retractable roof, and sprawling bamboo that sets the tone for a very serene zen-like feel to the open floor plan. Additional features of the home include indoor koi pond, indoor spa, wood-beamed ceilings, home theater, wine room with secondnd kitchen, separate bar area, five bedrooms, including stunning master retreat with views, six baths, library/office, two fireplaces, piano shaped swimming pool with spa. All this just up the street from Calabasas country club which features a championship golf course."

Check out photos of the property at Los Angeles Times.

Lee sold his last house, in nearby Malibu, in late 2004 for $2,475,000, according to public records. Lee had paid $800,000 in 1995 for that 7,462-square-foot house on 2.49 acres. The house had made the news back in 2001 when a four-year-old boy died after accidentally drowning in the house's swimming pool during a birthday party.

A statue of LED ZEPPELIN's John Bonham has been unveiled in his home town of Redditch, England on what would have been his 70th birthday.

The majority of the funds for the memorial, which was created by sculptor Mark Richards and is situated at Mercian Square in Redditch town center, came from a private donor.

The six-feet-high and 16-feet-wide bronze sculpture, which depicts Bonham seated behind his kit, weighs more than five thousand pounds and is covered in anti-graffiti paint.

The sculpture, set on a plinth inspired by LED ZEPPELIN's album "Houses Of The Holy", is emblazoned with the words: "The most outstanding and original drummer of his time, John Bonham's popularity and influence continue to resonate with the world of music and beyond."

His younger sister, Deborah Bonham, who spearheaded the campaign, told the BBC that she was "absolutely thrilled."

Mark Richards took to Twitter this morning to confirm that the statue was installed, writing: "Delighted that my memorial sculpture to John Bonham was installed over night in Redditch town centre. Thanks to all who helped make this happen."

Bonham died on September 25, 1980 at the age of 32.

Delighted that my memorial sculpture to John Bonham was installed over night in Redditch town centre. Thanks to all who helped make this happen. #johnbonham #johnbonhammemorial #johnbonhambirthday #redditch pic.twitter.com/VG3HOr2ubl— Mark Richards (@markxrichards) May 31, 2018



A new statue has appeared overnight in Redditch.

It’s paying tribute to the Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, was was born in the town and would have been 70 today: pic.twitter.com/2qS4fTxaP5— BBC H and W (@bbchw) May 31, 2018

Melodic doom/death metal unit Soliloquium present the pre-release album stream of Contemplations, their sophomore full-length out on June 1st on Chicago's Transcending Records. Pre-order the album here, and listen below.

Contemplations was once again produced by Mike Watts (Sleepwalkers, Terminus), who also handles the drums and electronics this time around.

As for the sound of Contemplations generally, expect a more varied, less standard death/doom metal offering from Soliloquium. Don't worry though. The Stockholm darkness will still be highly present.

Tracklisting:

"Chains"
"Catharsis"
"Streetlights"
"Unfulfilling Prophecy"
"22"
"For the Accursed"
"In Affect"
"Wanderlust"

Album stream:

Lineup:

Stefan Nordström - Guitars/Vocals
Jonas Bergkvist - Bass
Mike Watts - Drums/Electronics (Studio Only)

According to the Los Angeles Times, NICKELBACK bassist Mike Kroeger is selling his Maui, Hawaii home for $4.88 million.

The 5,000-square-foot estate, which sits on a cliff, features four bedrooms, including a guest bedroom with a separate entrance above the two-car garage, and 4.5 bathrooms. Between the house and the ocean are a spa, fire pit and infinity pool; the living room spills out onto the patio.

You can check out pictures of the property at this location.

Kroeger co-founded NICKELBACK in 1995 in Alberta, Canada with his brother Chad, who fronts the band. They have released nine albums, six of which have gone platinum. With more than 50 million units sold, NICKELBACK is the 11th best-selling music act and second best-selling foreign act in the U.S. in the 21st century behind THE BEATLES. "How You Remind Me" was named Billboard's top rock song of the decade and reached No. 4 on the Top 10 songs of the 2000s list.

Besides nine Grammy Award nominations, the band has received three American Music Awards, a World Music Award, a People's Choice Award, twelve JUNO Awards, seven MuchMusic Video Awards and induction into Canada's Walk Of Fame.

BUTCHER BABIES recently took part in an interview and acoustic performance at the studios of the 95 WIIL Rock radio station in Kenosha, Wisconsin. You can now watch video footage of thier appearance below.

BUTCHER BABIES' third album, "Lilith", was released last October via Century Media. The follow-up to 2015's "Take It Like A Man" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marks the band's recording debut with new drummer, Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016.

BUTCHER BABIES co-vocalist Carla Harvey told Meltdown Of Detroit's WRIF radio station that the music on "Lilith" "runs the gamut" from "great thrash metal" to "a little bit of '90s influence." She said: "We're singing, we're screaming and it's just a great, great album. I couldn't be prouder of it. I think there's four songs where we do predominantly singing on it. And normally that would scare even me, 'cause I'm, like, 'I'm a metal girl! I don't wanna be singing.' But it's so beautiful — it really is. So it's kind of ballady, but not too ballady. It's very dark, sensual — the lyrics are very sensual on this album."

She continued: "I think we're bringing a little bit of the sexy back on this album that we kind of steered away from for a while. When we were building up our career, we wanted to be taken so seriously as metal chicks, so I think we kind of let those hindrances go a little bit and said, 'Let's just be us in all aspects of us' — from the metal to the sexy to everything else."

Asked what the most challenging aspect of being in BUTCHER BABIES is, co-singer Heidi Shepherd told Psycho Babble TV: "I was telling someone that I think at ten years is when you're supposed to get jaded, so I have another year left. I'm just kidding. [Laughs] The thing is, we wake up every day and we love what we do and when we step onstage, it's a new day. There are days when you wake up in your bunk and you're not feeling your best. Your voice hurts, or your back hurts. Or, maybe you had a tiff with one of the band members, but when it comes down to it, we're five best friends first and foremost. We're five best friends who get to tour the world and do cool shit together. We keep that in mind and that's the reality of it. With 'Lilith', this album, we call it our 'rebirth.' We did take a year off to write and record, but we also had a member change that brought a whole new, fresh energy into the band. Even just looking at things from a different perspective, like slightly sometimes, offers a rebirth."

Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are in the process of signing a new record deal.

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 likely arrive in early 2019.

In a brand new 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 (see video below): "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."

Asked about a possible release date for KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's new album, Mike said: "We were really hoping to get something out by this [IRON MAIDEN] tour, or at least have this tour be the build-up to the record — maybe release it afterwards — but it just didn't work out that way. We are in the middle of a new record deal. I can't announce yet, but that is happening at the moment. And I hope it'll be out before next year, but I can't really promise. We're just gonna take it slow and make sure Jesse's happy and records appropriately."

As for how Leach is doing a month after undergoing vocal cord surgery, D'Antonio said: "He's doing very well. We had to cancel a two-week tour, unfortunately. We were really bummed that we had to cancel it. We are going to make it up. That was in the States, going down to Mexico. But we really wanted to make sure that we could do this tour and do it the right way and not have him limp through it. He had to get a polyp removed from his vocal cords, and the surgery went great. He trained afterwards with a bunch of vocal coaches, and everyone gave him the A-plus."

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.

Nereis have revealed a new single and video for their song "Overdrive", featured on their upcoming full-length album Turning Point, out June 8th via Eclipse Records. The video (see below) features carefully choreographed fight scenes directed by Maurizio Del Piccolo. Watch below, and stream the single via Spotify or Apple Music.

“Overdrive is a testament to the saying ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’”, says lead guitarist Sam Fabrello. “The young boxer and his much stronger opponent symbolize the challenges that life puts in front of us. Sometimes they seem impossible to win however we learn how to overcome our limits, opening new possibilities”.

Singer Andrea Baschiesi continues, “I was wandering around the set, speaking with the actors: their make up looked so real that I thought they had actually been involved into a fight for real! The make up artist (Giulia Marighetti) did an excellent job!”

Turning Point features twelve hard-rocking songs that take the listener on an all-out aural adventure, ranging from blistering alternative metal to mellow power-rock, and everything in between. The album was produced by Mauro Andreolli at das Ende der Dinge. The band has also released music videos for their previous two singles, "Breaking Bad", and "Two Wolves" (see below).

Tracklisting:

"Unity"
"Ready For War"
"Breaking Bad"
"Overdrive"
"Two Wolves"
"Now"
"One Time Only"
"The Wave"
"What Is Wrong And What Is Right"
"Induced Extinction"
"Born To Fly"
"We Stand As One"

"Overdrive" video:

"Breaking Bad" video:

"Two Wolves" video:

Nereis lineup:

Andrea Barchiesi (lead vocals)
Mattia Pessina (guitar)
Samuel Fabrello (guitar)
Gianluca Nadalini (bass)
Davide Odorizzi (drums)

(Band photo - Silvia Benatti)

Courtesy of FrightRags.com, Rob Zombie's brand new House Of 1000 Corpses trading cards went on sale May 29th. They are available as a sealed box and as single packs.

House of 1000 Corpses is a 2003 American exploitation horror film written, co-scored and directed by Rob Zombie in his directorial debut. This gore fest follows two young couples on their quest to find the truth about a mythical character known only as Dr. Satan. Set in rural Texas in the 1970s, the group gets more than they bargained for when they find themselves stranded in an all-too-realistic house of horrors.

Last night (May 30), at the opening show of their summer tour with TESLA and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS at FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, California, veteran rockers STYX began their encore with "Mr. Roboto", the first time the group has performed the song live in its entirety in 35 years.

"Mr. Roboto" — which originally appeared on STYX's 1983 concept album "Kilroy Was Here" — was written by former vocalist Dennis DeYoung, who left the group in 1999. The song reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the charts in Canada, but guitarist Tommy Shaw's reported dislike of the song and direction of the group's concert performances — which, in keeping with the album's concept, featured band members acting out certain roles — led him to leave the band at the completion of the "Kilroy" tour. He eventually returned in 1996.

In 2016 interview with the Poughkeepsie, New York-based classic rock radio station 101.5 WPDH, current STYX keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan discussed why the band was not performing the song in concert. "First of all, I have no problem at all with doing 'Mr. Roboto'," he said. "I enjoy the song. The other guys in the band, though, who were there long before my inclusion, they want to put the spotlight more onto the rock side of STYX and the progressive rock side of it. For a couple of years there, we were doing a medley — like, an 18-song medley — and we did include the opening couple of minutes of 'Mr. Roboto'. I thought was great, so perhaps we'll bring that back at some point, because I really enjoyed doing it. But I don't know — I think there's such an embarrassment of riches when it comes to great song choices for STYX to play, and it really is a situation where I just leave the setlist up to them. When I look down every night, there's about 18 or 19 songs that I'm very happy that we're playing, and we rotate them quite a bit, so hopefully 'Mr. Roboto' will make a reappearance one of these days."

Asked in a 2017 interview with SongwriterUniverse how he came up with the idea for "Mr. Roboto" and "Kilroy Was Here", DeYoung said: "It was in the news that these fundamentalist brothers in Nebraska or Iowa were burning records because they claimed the records had backward Satanic messages. And we were lumped in there, not because of what were doing, but because of our name, STYX. Then I saw on the 'Nightline' TV show and on the Phil Donahue show, they were talking about censorship, because these people wanted all these records burned. So I was thinking about this. But then we went to Japan, and what I realized in Japan was that the Japanese people were quite polite. They have a very formal, structured society that is based on respect and dignity and politeness. And 'domo arigato' (which means 'thank you very much') is said everywhere you go. And then… I don't even know how it happened, but I realized that the word for 'robot' in Japanese was 'roboto.' So I come home, and I see a PBS documentary on the use of robotics in factories. And there's this guy in this gigantic factory room, and the machines are [active] with the arms moving, like a stamping plant. And there's only one guy in the whole place in this huge room. And then the machines are going, and he goes to leave, and as he's leaving, he opens the door, turns off the lights in the room and closes the door. And all you hear are the machines continuing to work. And I started to think… at some point, man must make a bargain with the machines he creates. And I took those three ideas: music censorship, technology, and Japanese, and created a 12-page story I wrote (to explain the story of 'Kilroy Was Here'). It was extremely involved."

The official video for the song "Amnesiac" from KAMELOT can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "The Shadow Theory", which was released on April 6 via Napalm Records.

KAMELOT stated about the Ivan Colic-directed "Amnesiac" clip: "We are constantly receiving tons of information from all directions and it is telling us how to be, what to do and what to want... So is the reality we are navigating every day even real?... That's a question we all might wanna ask ourselves from time to time..."

The follow-up to 2015's "Haven", "The Shadow Theory" was helmed by acclaimed music producer Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen. Guests on the album include Lauren Hart (ONCE HUMAN), Jennifer Haben (BEYOND THE BLACK) and Sascha Paeth. The amazing cover and artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.

KAMELOT founder and guitarist Thomas Youngblood previously called "The Shadow Theory" "a psychological journey through the complexity of the human mind. We are subjected to stimuli constantly through media, technology, social experiments and AI," he said. "Can we still be social creatures in the near future? 'The Shadow Theory' is an album that is mixing many worlds, giving the listener an ecape within our own realities. This album was written and recorded over the entire year and we are really proud of the song elements and diversity on 'The Shadow Theory'."

KAMELOT vocalist Tommy Karevik told The Psychosin Project that "The Shadow Theory" should "definitely" be viewed as a continuation of "Haven". "There are some similarities," he said. "We felt we weren't done with that kind of sci-fi, dystopian, futuristic platform. We felt we wanted to explore that a little bit more on this one. We all love sci-fi, and the future is so exciting — you don't know what's going to happen — so for us, it was a no-brainer. When Thomas decided to base it around Carl Jung's shadow aspect, the psychological aspect that everyone has a shadow, and unless you embody it, the darker and bigger it gets, that was a very interesting starting point, psychologically, for the whole theme. Then we decided to not make a story like '[The] Black Halo' or 'Silverthorn' was, where you can follow characters, but more loosely based theme — how we portray the world, basically."

KAMELOT recently parted ways with longtime drummer Casey Grillo and replaced him with Johan "Jo" Nunez.

The band has just completed a North American headlining tour with DELAIN and BATTLE BEAST.

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe

Ann Wilson of HEART, one of rock's most distinctive and powerful vocalists, will release her new solo album on September 14 via BMG, marking her debut for the label. Fittingly titled "Immortal", the album features 10 musically diverse tracks that pay homage to some of the singer's favorite songs and artists, all of whom have passed away in recent years and whose music poignantly lives on.

For the new release, Ann has teamed with original HEART producer Mike Flicker. Look for the iconic Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee to perform some of the album's songs when she tours North America this summer with Jeff Beck and Paul Rodgers for the "Stars Align Tour". The songs will also be featured in Ann's first-ever solo television special, taped this past April at the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, Illinois, to coincide with the album's release.

Ann chose the album title "Immortal" after revealing some working titles early on in the project. "The original working titles evolved as the concept for the album evolved; a little bit at a time," explains Ann. "As my understanding of what I had undertaken grew and clarified, I realized a larger truth; that the souls may have departed but the songs will forever be their resonances. These are the poets of our time and their expressions must be handed down. Poetry is lasting and elemental like carvings in rock."

The finely etched tracks that comprise "Immortal" cover a lot of musical ground, with many highlights including songs by Leonard Cohen ("A Thousand Kisses Deep"), Amy Winehouse ("Back To Black"), David Bowie ("I'm Afraid Of Americans"), Lesley Gore ("You Don't Own Me") and Tom Petty ("Luna"). Ann says the criteria for choosing this collection of songs was easy. "First of all, I had to love them!" she explains. "They had to be songs I could get inside of authentically as a singer. Lyrics are important to me but the most important thing is always the marriage of words and melody that makes the song magic!"

With sexism at the forefront of the national conversation, Ann says this did factor into the inclusion of "You Don't Own Me". "'You Don't Own Me' was originally an early feminist anthem in the 1960s and '70s," she says. "Since then, the idea of self possession has grown to be more universal...This song is about refusing to be objectified and owned. By anyone."

"Immortal" includes some very special guests as well. "Warren Haynes plays on Tom Petty's 'Luna' and 'You Don't Own Me'," Ann reveals. "Ben Mink is featured on Leonard Cohen's 'A Thousand Kisses Deep' and Amy Winehouse's 'Back To Black'. They are both musicians and great people whom I admire. It's always a pleasure and an honor to work with them. Their souls shine through on these songs!"

Flicker brings an important element to "Immortal". "Mike was the first producer to believe in me," Ann says. "He was my first teacher in the studio and knows how to provide that special support needed to bring out my soul in the recording process. It is exciting to work with him for the first time since 1980. I have traveled many, many miles since then but the old feeling is still there and fresh on 'Immortal'. He has fearlessly helped me bring my ideas to life once again and it's been a great collaboration."

"Immortal" track listing:

01. A Different Corner (George Michael)

02. A Thousand Kisses Deep (Leonard Cohen)

03. Back To Black (Amy Winehouse)

04. Baker Street (Gerry Rafferty)

05. I Am The Highway (Chris Cornell, AUDIOSLAVE)

06. I'm Afraid Of Americans (David Bowie)

07. Life In The Fast Lane (Joe Walsh, THE EAGLES) (in honor of Glenn Frey)

08. Luna (Tom Petty)

09. Politician (CREAM) (in honor of Jack Bruce)

10. You Don't Own Me (Lesley Gore)

Roadrunner Records group COHEED AND CAMBRIA has shared a brand-new track titled "The Dark Sentencer". The song, which will appear on the band's forthcoming LP expected to arrive later this year, is the first new music to be released by COHEED AND CAMBRIA since its acclaimed 2015 LP, "The Color Before The Sun".

"The Dark Sentencer", a 10-minute prog manifesto, first appeared this morning on frontman Claudio Sanchez's socials along with the opening paragraphs from his new concept story which will accompany the upcoming record. It reads:

"Years ago, chaos cut through this atmosphere. The fractured worlds that inhabit this space were once locked in a force of uncontrollable destruction. Gravity was lost. Their planetary trajectories conjoined in one catastrophic collision, choking to remain viable even as the dying glow of their cores peek through the cracks and scars of those impactful moments. Yet a gasp is a sign of life and the planets that many might have cast off as annihilated space continued to show a pulse across the hopelessness. This discarded earth is still very much alive…and made profitable by the 5 Houses of the Star Supremacy, an elite society who looked to the sky and saw potential in the wasted planets. The opportunistic approach could hardly be considered an act of empathy for the human condition, as the decision to convert the dying planets into private prisons meant another type of life sentence awaited those shipped off to their remote reaches. Here, the desolate and derelict would burn away slowly, trapped in a race to death with the very ground they stand on. In this space, between the Well and unknowing. Our Story Starts there. Into our future, yet far beyond our past. In a romance between a pair of Unheavenly Creatures. Weaving through the blacked out space toward the freckling of cracked planets, The Gavel moved like a funeral procession. In many ways, it was the end of life for the two prisoners being transported within its unmitigable walls, to the most deplorable and prized of the doomed prisons, known simply as The Dark Sentencer."

Having announced its signing to Roadrunner earlier this year in a shadowy video clip, COHEED AND CAMBRIA has been finishing up work on its forthcoming label debut. Comprised of Claudio Sanchez (vocals / guitar), Travis Stever (guitar), Josh Eppard (drums) and Zach Cooper (bass), COHEED AND CAMBRIA has gripped listeners and press around the globe with its visionary compositions and conceptual mastery.

This weekend, COHEED AND CAMBRIA will be one of several guest performers to celebrate the 60th anniversary of NASA by joining the National Symphony Orchestra at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. "NSO Pops: Space, The Next Frontier" is set to take place June 1-2 and will feature music inspired by space — both fact and fiction — ranging from the theme to "2001: A Space Odyssey" — Strauss's "Also Sprach Zarathustra" — to music from Carl Sagan's "Golden Record" and more.

This July, COHEED AND CAMBRIA will set out on a U.S. co-headline mostly-outdoor tour with TAKING BACK SUNDAY and special guests THE STORY SO FAR. The 28-city U.S. tour, produced mostly by Live Nation, will begin on Friday, July 6 in Miami, Florida and make stops in Atlanta, Nashville, Boston, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Chicago, Cleveland, Austin, Denver, Las Vegas and more. The summer tour will culminate in a performance at Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona on Sunday, August 12.

Italy's CAYNE will release a new album, "Beyond The Scars", on June 29 via Graviton Music Services.

"Beyond The Scars" is more than a new album for CAYNE. It represents a rebirth, an awakening, a new chapter for the band, after a long silence lasting four years. During these years of turmoil, the group evolved and grew up, then started to write new music, feeding their project with new blood. While the wounds mended, scars were left and beyond those scars a reborn CAYNE arose with an album.

CAYNE was formed in 1999 by guitarists Claudio Leo and Raffaele Zagaria, who were also founding members of LACUNA COIL back in 1994. They released their debut album, "Old Faded Pictures", in 2001, after which the band went into hibernation for almost 10 years. In 2011 CAYNE came back to life and released an EP titled "Addicted", whose promotion was supported by an Italian tour as opening act for their friends LACUNA COIL. The band’s live performances received many great reviews on metal portals and in magazines, which inspired the sextet to start to work on a new album, simply titled "Cayne". This album has been released in 2013. Sadly though, the release of this album was darkened by Claudio Leo's passing after a long illness. To pay tribute to Claudio's legacy, the band carried on with even more passion, which took them on an 18-date European tour with VIZA, where they had the opportunity to play the mighty Hammerfest in the U.K. as well.

The end of 2016 marked another rebirth of the band: young drummer Giovanni Tani joined CAYNE and what now became a quintet started working on a new album in the studio, with Diego Minach as producer. This new album delivers the power of CAYNE's sound and at the same time taking things a step further. While Giordano's great vocal skills were instrumental in creating unforgettable melodies on the one end, the band further enriched the new songs with a wide use of synthesizers and electronics, as well as the inclusion of the band's signature sound by incorporating the violin in the musical arrangements.

The upcoming album includes 12 songs and lasts for almost an hour. Meanwhile a comical video was produced for the track "Blessed By The Night", featuring the guys from the band riding a DeLorean in a wild night, where they encounter a bunch of famous cinema, comedy and music stars from the '80s.

According to AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ, the group is currently putting the finishing touches on a new song that will be released in July.

The track will apparently appear in the upcoming video game "Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4", which will be released via Activision on October 12. The band previously contributed music to the previous three installments of the game series, and even appears (virtually) in the second chapter, when they can be seen performing the song "Carry On" in an epilogue after the closing credits.

"The [new] song is written," Christ told Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio during an interview at the Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio earlier this month. "We're recording it right now. We just took a break in the studio recording it this last week, and we're going to finish it up this coming week. Then it will go off to get mixed and mastered, and I believe some time in July is when everyone will be hearing it for the first time. We don't have a name for it yet. [Vocalist M. Shadows] is figuring out the lyrics. I think he just finished them before we came out here. It's a fun song — it's a little bit of a departure from I think what our fans would expect, but I guess that also makes sense because they expect crazy from us now."

The "Call Of Duty" song will be the first original material AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released since last year's "Dose", which originally surfaced in the Gameloft mobile game "Dungeon Hunter 5". It later appeared on the "deluxe edition" 2017 reissue of the group's 2016 studio album, "The Stage".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will probably start working on its eighth studio LP this fall for a 2019 release. The band will tour North America this summer with PROPHETS OF RAGE and THREE DAYS GRACE.

YOB will release their eighth album Our Raw Heart on June 8th via Relapse Records. An advanced album stream is available here.

Pre-orders are available at Relapse.com with various physical bundles including a super deluxe 2XLP boxset (limited to 100 copies), a white/gold splattered deluxe version (limited to 300 copies), various merchandise and other formats including cassette and CD. Digital downloads can be found at the same link and include an instant download of “The Screen.”

Our Raw Heart was co-produced by the band and Billy Barnett at Gung Ho Studio in Eugene, Ore., with mastering handled by Heba Kadry (The Mars Volta, Diamanda Galas, Slowdive).

Tracklisting:

“Ablaze”
“The Screen”
“In Reverie”
“Lung Reach”
“Beauty In Falling Leaves”
“Original Face”
“Our Raw Heart”

"Our Raw Heart":

“The Screen”:

Dates:

June
14 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street
15 - Austin, TX - Austin Terror Fest
16 - Little Rock, AR - Mutants of the Monster 2018
17 - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone
19 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn
20 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
22 - Orlando, FL - Will’s Pub
23 - Wilmington, NC - Reggies
24 - Asheville, NC - Mothlight
25 - Raleigh, NC - King’s
27 - Baltimore, MD - Metro
28 - New York, NY - Le Poisson Rouge
29 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
30 - Boston, MA - Middle East

July
2 - Montreal, QC - La Sala Rosa
3 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks
4 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club
6 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theatre
7 - Detroit, MI - El Club
8 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
10 - St. Paul, MN - Club
11 - Omaha, NE - Lookout Lounge
12 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theatre
13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
14 - Boise, ID - Neurolux

(Photo - James Rexroad)

UK progressive black/death metallers De Profundis have released a lyric video for “Obsidian Spires”, the opening track from their new album The Blinding Light Of Faith, out now via Transcending Obscurity. Watch below.

De Profundis have had an illustrious career. Over the years, they've kept perfecting their sound which incorporated progressive as well as melodic elements, and for their fifth full length, they've distilled only the best qualities into a massive death metal slab that's emotive yet powerful. 'The Blinding Light Of Faith' is a bold step forward for the band into heavier territories as they eschew long, winding songs and go straight for the jugular. With a new logo made by Gary Ronaldson (Misery Index, Benighted) and a gnarly album artwork by Alex Tartsus (Sinister, Depravity) depicting the band's anti-religious stance, De Profundis are confident of their direction and this promises to be their best album thus far. It's a quintessential death metal album that manages to showcase diversity without compromising on the heaviness.

Tracklisting:

“Obsidian Spires”
“War Be Upon Him”
“Opiate For The Masses”
“Bastard Sons Of Abraham”
“Martyrs”
“Godforsaken”
“Beyond Judgement”
“Bringer Of Light”

“Obsidian Spires” lyric video:

“Bastard Sons Of Abraham”:

Las Vegas-based rockers Crash Midnight have released their new single and video for “Diamond Boulevard”.

Vocalist Shaun Soho tells BraveWords:

“This song has been with us for a long time.  We had several producers try to put their own stamp on it, but we always liked it the way we originally wrote it.  After we got the song back from our last label, we decided to put this thing out the way we intended and that's what you're getting.  

“‘Diamond Boulevard’ was written about the reality of this situation going on with the band in our early days when things were beginning to take off.  We had so many people coming out of the woodwork looking to lock us into deals and take a piece of what we were doing.  To everyone on the outside, it looked like things were great, but behind the scenes, everything was fucked - from some bullshit contracts we'd been naive enough to get pushed into signing to just a lot of empty promises from ‘industry’ people.  That's why we started closing every show with this song and still do to this day.  It's become our anthem railing against everything that tried to hold us back or get in our way.

“It's real cool that this original version of the song is going to come out right in time for the first of our Crash The Boulevard recurring headline nights at Brooklyn Bowl, Las Vegas, June 1st.  We're going to be performing it the way it was originally written for the first time in years that night.  Crash The Boulevar" is a scene night that we've put together with Brooklyn Bowl to showcase some of best breakout artists in the Las Vegas scene and really put this town back on the map for rock ‘n' roll.  Brooklyn Bowl has even been genius (or insane) enough to let us throw one of our infamous after-parties upstairs in their Roxy Room after the show.  So this thing is going to be just like one of our early shows back in Boston, just with a lot bigger budget."

Head to this location for more information on the Crash The Boulevard event.

Tomorrow, Friday, June 1st, Bludgeon Riffola/Mercury/UMe fires the first salvo in Def Leppard’s projected four-volume career-spanning box set series, when the appropriately dubbed Volume One appears in multidisc LP and CD collections. The band have released a new lyric video for "Let's Get Rocked". Check it out below:

This first volume of the band’s complete recorded output comes in both limited-edition 180-gram heavyweight vinyl and CD box sets, each featuring Def Leppard’s first four studio albums - along with some choice bonus live and studio material - all spread across 8LPs and 7CDs, respectively.

The Volume One collection includes bonus material including Live At The LA Forum 1983, originally released as a bonus disc in the deluxe CD version of Pyromania, making this the first-ever vinyl offering of the complete show. This 2LP version comes with a new sleeve and inner bags.

Rarities Volume 1 has been specially compiled by Joe Elliott, containing rare B-sides and recordings from Def Leppard’s early years, all in a newly commissioned sleeve. Finally, rounding out this collection is the 7-inch vinyl single and 3-inch CD of Def Leppard’s original, self-titled EP.

The fiery Volume One collection contains all of Def Leppard’s iconic 1980s recordings with reproductions of the original packaging in both formats, plus the added bonus of a replica 7-inch single and 3-inch CD of the band’s original independent EP, the self-titled The Def Leppard E.P.

Each album in the box set was mastered by longtime band producer/soundmaster Ronan McHugh and cut by Greg Moore.

Housed in rigid boxes, the Volume One collection also contains a hardback book with rare photos by longstanding band confidant Ross Halfin and liner notes by Classic Rock’s Paul Elliott.

Def Leppard bandmembers Joe Elliott, bassist Rick Savage, drummer Rick Allen, and guitarist Phil Collen have all also contributed their personal introductions to the collection.

Volume One is an extraordinary early chronicle of a band whose global impact only continues to grow. Def Leppard have a cumulative sales tally of over 100 million albums worldwide, not to mention putting on consistently sold-out world tours. Def Leppard recently authorized their entire recorded catalog for access on streaming and download platforms, a move that resulted in a nearly 400 percent surge in catalog sales on the first day alone, as well as appearances in the iTunes Top 10 charts in over 30 countries worldwide.

Volume One kicks off with Def Leppard’s 1980 debut album On Through The Night, which immediately put the rock world on notice that the band were destined for big things, having charted at #15 in the UK and #51 in the US. Produced by Tom Allom (Judas Priest, Black Sabbath), On Through The Night features many of the band’s live favorites (“Rock Brigade,” “Hello America”), along with updated versions of early singles (“Rocks Off”). The album achieved platinum status in 1989, and the version included here is the rare Australian gatefold-sleeve version.

Released in 1981, High ’N’ Dry was Def Leppard’s second platinum album and the first to be produced by Robert “Mutt” Lange (AC/DC, Foreigner). It reached #26 in the UK and #38 in the US, having garnered much impactful FM airplay with the propulsive “Let It Go” and one of the band’s most popular signature tunes to this day, “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak.”

Pyromania, released in 1983, saw the band become indisputable rock legends. It was the first record to feature guitars by Phil Collen, who had replaced Pete Willis. The album contains massive MTV hits “Photograph” and “Rock Of Ages,” as well as fist-pumper “Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop),”. Pyromania reached #2 in the US and went Diamond, with over 10 million album sales.

Def Leppard released Hysteria in 1987, the band’s best-selling record to date having sold over 25 million copies worldwide. It went to #1 in the UK, US, and Australia, and is also the band’s second album to achieve Diamond status in the US. Notes Collen, “Not many people even get Platinum albums anymore! Going Diamond is going 10 times Platinum in America, which is a huge deal - and we’ve got two of those. We’re really pleased that we got them. It’s pretty cool that we’ve achieved that.”

Produced by Mutt Lange, Hysteria took over three years to make, ultimately featuring seven charting singles (including #1 smash “Love Bites” and “Pour Some Sugar On Me”), and has been rightly nicknamed as “heavy metal’s Thriller.” Clocking in at just over 62 minutes, Hysteria was then one of the longest albums ever issued on a single vinyl record - but for this special box set release, it has been made into a double LP for maximum sound-quality purposes.

Def Leppard’s collective vocal prowess is but one of the many things that helped cement their unparalleled standing in rock history, as Joe Elliott explains: “The way we did our harmonies was based on the multitracking abilities of a band like Queen, but we took what they did to the next level. Queen maybe tripled or quadrupled their backing vocals - but we did it like 20 times! We wanted it to sound like the quality of Queen but have the size of Slade. The way we did it gave us a unique sound. And that’s the whole point of an album, really - capturing a band’s unique dynamics.” Adds Phil Collen, “The American bands had beautiful vocals, with all those wonderful harmonies. But we added a bit of a punk ethos in there with ours, where it became a bit more charming and anthemic with screaming and shouting. And that was a very British thing, I think, that made us different from a lot of the American bands.”

Def Leppard’s Volume One is but the first hot, sticky-sweet taste of an impressive career that remains ever on the rise. Can you feel it, do you believe it?

Pre-order The Vinyl Box Set: Volume One here. Pre-order The CD Box Set: Volume One here. Full tracklisting here.

"Hysteria" lyric video:

"Pour Some Sugar On Me" lyric video:

Def Leppard and Journey have teamed up for a massive co-headlining North American tour. The trek is composed of both stadium and arena concerts, with half of the shows being closed by Journey and half by Def Leppard. The tour features complete sets and all-new production from both bands.

Def Leppard / Journey dates:

June
1 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre
2 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena
5 - Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena
6 - Knoxville, TN - Thompson-Boling Arena
8 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
9 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center
11 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
13 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
15 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
16 - Baltimore, MD - Royal Farms Arena

July
1 - Atlanta, GA - SunTrust Park
3 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
4 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest
6 - Memphis, TN - FedExForum
7 - North Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena
9 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
11 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center
13 - Detroit, MI - Comerica Park
14 - Chicago, IL - Wrigley Field
16 - Wichita, KS - INTRUST Bank Arena
18 - Sioux Falls, SD - Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
19 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena
21 - Denver, CO - Coors Field
23 - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena
25 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
27 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Field
28 - Fargo, ND - Fargodome

August
11 - Boston, MA - Fenway Park
13 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
15 - Columbia, SC - Colonial Life Arena
17 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - BB&T Center
18 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena
20 - Birmingham, AL - Legacy Arena @ The BJCC
22 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center
24 - St. Louis, MO - Busch Stadium
25 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
27 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center
29 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
31 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center

September
1 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
5 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
7 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Arena
8 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
21 - San Francisco, CA - AT&T Park
23 - San Diego, CA - Petco Park
25 - Salt Lake City, UT - Vivint Smart Home Arena
26 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Center Arena
28 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
29 - Seattle, WA - Gorge Amphitheatre

October
1 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
4 - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center
6 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum

Phlebotomized is that kind of death metal band that caused a stir in the booming Dutch death metal scene back in the early 90's. Their Devoted To God demo was recognized worldwide as a classic. In 1994 Phlebotomized released their Immense Intense Suspense album that received fanatical praise from press and fans worldwide.

By the end of the 90's the band kind of faced the problems many bands face, lineup troubles, differences in where to take the band next, resulting in a cool album called Skycontact, but moving further and further away from their fans.

In 2014 Hammerheart Records collected both albums on a deluxe 2CD with remastered sound and the band decided to become active again and focus on the material the fans wanted to hear, Phlebotomized was back on the map. During the next years they worked on their third album, their real come-back. And now it is finished, and proudly titled Deformation Of Humanity! Up for release within 2018.

Says Hammerheart Records: "We have heard the raw mixes, and they blew us away, all the Phleboto-trademarks (epic, bombastic heavy doomy Death Metal full of melodies and hooks) are present again, maybe even better than ever before! So, here were are, ready to team up and make both press and fans smile again, later in 2018!"

Updates to follow.

On May 29th, Slayer hit Toronto for the final time, performing at the Budweiser Stage. Fan-filmed video of the entire show is available below. The setlist was as follows:

"Repentless"
"Blood Red"
"Disciple"
"Mandatory Suicide"
"Hate Worldwide"
"War Ensemble"
"Jihad"
"When the Stillness Comes"
"Postmortem"
"Black Magic"
"Payback"
"Seasons in the Abyss"
"Dittohead"
"Dead Skin Mask"
"Hell Awaits"
"South of Heaven"
"Raining Blood"
"Chemical Warfare"
"Angel of Death"

On January 23rd, Slayer announced that it would wrap up its 37 years together with one last tour around the globe. Dates for the European leg of the tour, with special guests Lamb Of God, Anthrax, and Obituary, have now been confirmed.

Tickets for the shows are available at slayer.net/tour, and a video trailer can be found below.

Dates:

November
1 - Dublin, Ireland - 3Arena
3 - London, England - Wembley Arena
5 - Cardiff, Wales - Motorpoint Arena
7 - Birmingham, England - BCA
9 - Manchester, England - Arena
10 - Newcastle, England - Metro Radio Arena
12 - Glasgow, Scotland - The Hydro SSE
14 - Dortmund, Germany - Westfalenhalle
15 - Zwolle, Netherlands - IJsselhallen
17 - Madrid, Spain - Palacio Vistalegre
18 - Barcelona, Spain - Palau Sant Jordi
20 - Milan, Italy - Mediolanum Forum
21 - Zurich, Switzerland - Halle 622
23 - Vienna, Austria - Stadthalle
24 - Freiburg, Germany - SICK-ARENA
26 - Hamburg, Germany - Barclaycard Arena
27 - Lodz, Poland - Atlas Arena
29 - Munich, Germany - Olympiahalle
30 - Erfurt, Germany - Messehalle

December
2 - Berlin, Germany - Mercedes-Benz Arena
3 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Royal Arena
5 - Stockholm, Sweden - Hovet
6 - Oslo, Norway - Spektrum
8 - Helsinki, Finland - Helsingin Jäähalli

Former DEATH, ICED EARTH, DEICIDE and OBITUARY guitarist Ralph Santolla is in a coma at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida after suffering a heart attack Tuesday night.

Ralph's mother, Sue Santolla-Rocha, revealed his condition in a Facebook post earlier today. She wrote: "Friends and family, it is out there now, so let me tell you what I know.

"Ralph thought he had a spider bite on Saturday. Went to the hospital. It was not a spider bite; it was a blood clot. Tuesday night he fell and he had a heart attack. John Rocha gave him CPR until EMT arrived. His heart had stopped but they got him back.

"His visuals are stable but he is in a coma. He is on a ventilator, but he is breathing around it. He could breathe on his own, but they do not want to add additional strain to his body. He is in a coma. That is the main concern at this moment. They can fix everything else.

"We are having as many of his friends as he can come and talk to him and play music. There has been a minimal movement, but some. It is ICU, but he is in a private room and they are letting anyone in and they can stay as long as they want. So please pray as he has people all over the world praying and if you can come and spend time with him.

"Please… he needs to get back from the place that he is in. I love you all... Let's just work on getting him out of the coma if we can."

Although Santolla never recorded with DEATH, he toured with the legendary death metal act in 1993 and appeared in the group's "The Philosopher" video.

Santolla, who is believed to be 51 years old, played on and off with DEICIDE between 2005 and 2011 and appeared on three of the band's albums: "The Stench Of Redemption" (2006), "Till Death Do Us Part" (2008) and "To Hell With God" (2011).

Ralph joined OBITUARY in 2007 as the replacement for Allen West. He recorded with the band on the "Xecutioner's Return" (2007) and "Darkest Day" (2009) albums as well as the "Left To Die" EP (2008).

Friend and family..it is out there now so let me tell you what I know. Ralph thought he had a spider bite on Saturday....Posted by Sue Santolla-Rocha on Thursday, May 31, 2018

GOOD CHARLOTTE has released a music video for "Actual Pain", the first single off the band's highly anticipated seventh full-length studio album, "Generation Rx". Directed by Jake Stark, the introspective clip examines the album's prevailing lyrical themes of trauma, pain, and loneliness.

"Generation Rx" is due for release on September 14 via a newly minted global partnership between the band's MDDN label and BMG. The disc represents both a new chapter and full circle moment for the group — brothers Joel (vocals) and Benji Madden (guitar, vocals), Billy Martin (guitar), Paul Thomas (bass) and Dean Butterworth (drums). Powered by punk spirit, rock songcraft, and cinematic ambition, they retain the signature vitality and vulnerability of their formative years, while delivering an urgent, unafraid, and undeniable message befitting of two decades in the game.

The quintet crafts intricate-yet-infectious anthems of hope for a generation under the shadow of the opioid epidemic, icons gone too soon, mass tragedy, loneliness, and confusion. Produced by Zakk Cervini and Benji during intimate sessions at MDDN headquarters, the record finds GOOD CHARLOTTE doing what they do best — speaking directly to the youth.

GOOD CHARLOTTE will return to the road in Europe for a massive tour kicking off February 1, 2019. Prior to their February tour, GOOD CHARLOTTE will appear at a number of festivals this summer.

GOOD CHARLOTTE has cemented its legacy as one of the most popular and influential rock bands of modern time. With Top 10-charting albums "The Young And The Hopeless", "The Chronicles Of Life And Death" and "Good Morning Revival" and hit singles "The Anthem", "Lifestyles Of The Rich And Famous" and "I Just Wanna Live", the massively popular quintet has sold more than 11 million albums worldwide.

Photo credit: Ville Juurikkala