Germany's Primal Fear will release their new studio album Apocalypse on August 10th. A lyric video for the single "Hounds Of Justice" can be seen below.

Apocalypse will be available in the following formats:

- CD
- CD/DVD
- Box Set (includes CD/DVD + T-Shirt) [T-shirt size L in EU/UK edition, size XL in N.A. and AU edition]
- LP
- LP Red Colored Vinyl (Exclusive to US indie retail stores. Fans can visit www.recordstoreday.com to find their local store or an indie store they can order album online from)
- LP Blue Colored Vinyl (Exclusive to Frontiers' EU webstore)

Pre-order here.

Apocalypse is Primal Fear's 12th studio album and another milestone release in keeping with the consistent growth the band has shown through their career. Primal Fear, through years of hard work and a steady stream of increasingly powerful albums, have become one of the most beloved and respected heavy metal bands around the globe, a true metal institution. Their last two studio albums, Delivering The Black and Rulebreaker, saw them climbing the charts in several territories and receiving even more critical praise than previous releases. Truly, especially in recent years, the band has continued to raise the bar in terms of quality and musicianship with each release, constantly pushing themselves to find new ways to best themselves.

Production of the record started at the end of 2017 and was wrapped by Spring 2018 at Hansen Studios is Denmark with producer Mat Sinner and engineer/mixer Jacob Hansen.

"My personal highlight of recording the album was the fantastic teamwork. Peaceful, focused and really creative," says Mat Sinner. "No big discussion, no heated arguments. Everybody did a fantastic job and the performances were top notch. This was the key to improve every little detail of the songs, from old school to epic, from modern to symphonic, from fast to slow - you will hear it all on Apocalypse."

The guitars on the album are truly outstanding. Each of the three guitar players of the band - Magnus Karlsson, Tom Naumann and Alex Beyrodt - shine in their own respective right. Thanks to the fantastic mix provided by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Delain, Pretty Maids, Amaranthe, etc.), each player is highlighted.

And finally, what to say about the performance of Ralf Scheepers, one of the truest and most outstanding vocal metal heroes of our times?

"Ralf is more motivated and ambitious than ever before," relays Sinner. "The band vibe is extremely peaceful and creative these days and this really elevates Ralf. He had the opportunity to try different things on the songs and even some extreme ideas, which are always welcomed. Ralf sounds good in every pitch from a very deep sonor voice, to a mid-range power vocal to extreme high-pitched screams, so we could fool around with all different scales and scenarios. For example, I think the vocal performance on the song 'Supernova' speaks for itself. The result on Apocalypse is utter satisfaction paired with maximum enthusiasm and we're really happy about the final result - I hope the fans will enjoy the record as much as we do!"

Tracklisting:
 
CD
"Apocalypse"
"New Rise"
"The Ritual"
"King Of Madness"
"Blood, Sweat, & Fear"
"Supernova"
"Hail To The Fear"
"Hounds Of Justice"
"The Beast"
"Eye Of The Storm"
"Cannonball"
"Fight Against Evil" (Bonus Track - Deluxe Version)
"Into The Fire" (Bonus Track - Deluxe Version)
"My War Is Over" (Bonus Track - Deluxe Version)
 
Bonus DVD (Deluxe Edition & Limited Edition Box Set only)

+ "King Of Madness" (video)
+ "The Ritual" (video)
+ Making of Apocalypse Mini-Documentary

"Hounds Of Justice" lyric video:

 Lineup:

Ralf Scheepers - Lead Vocals
Tom Naumann - Guitars
Alex Beyrodt - Guitars
Magnus Karlsson - Guitars & Keyboards
Francesco Jovino - Drums
Mat Sinner - Bass & Vocals

In this new video, Paradise Lost's Nick Holmes (vocals) and Greg Mackintosh (lead guitar) discuss their albums Host and Believe In Nothing being released during the nu metal era, and how the music scene shifted after that.

On June 29th, Paradise Lost will release a new version of their eighth full-length album Believe In Nothing that initially saw the light of day in 2000. The band was never really satisfied with the overall production and artwork of this record, Jaime Gomez Arellano remixed and remastered the twelve tracks and Branca Studio designed a dark and moody new cover artwork, to bring it closer to the initial vision that the band once had for their gothic rock album.

"It's no secret that we were never entirely happy with the production on this record, despite really liking the songs," states Nick Holmes. "It's been a long time coming, but we finally found the right moment to go back into the studio with Gomez and play around with it. We hope you all enjoy the remixed version so you can hear how the songs were meant to sound."

Believe In Nothing - Remixed & Remastered will be available in the following formats:

- Digipack CD
- Bi-coloured LP
- White LP
- Standard Black LP
+ T-Shirt Bundles

Pre-order via the following links:

- Official Omerch Store
- Nuclear Blast Mailorder
- Digital

New artwork by Branca Studio.

Tracklisting:

"I Am Nothing"
"Mouth"
"Fader"
"Look At Me Now"
"Illumination"
"Something Real"
"Divided"
"Sell It To The World"
"Never Again"
"Control"
"No Reason"
"World Pretending"

Bonus tracks:
"Gone"
"Leave This Alone"

"Mouth" lyric video:

Metallica performed on May11th at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. It was the final show of their European tour. Professionally filmed video of "Creeping Death" can be viewed below. 

Metallica previously uploaded the entire gig, which can be seen below. The setlist was as follows:

"Hardwired"
"Atlas, Rise!" 
"Seek & Destroy" 
"The Four Horsemen" 
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" 
"Now That We're Dead" 
"Dream No More" 
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" 
"Halo On Fire" 
- Rob & Kirk doodle - ("Rappiolla" by Hassisen Kone) 
- Rob doodle - "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth"
"Last Caress" (Misfits cover) 
"Creeping Death" 
"Moth Into Flame" 
"Sad But True" 
"One" 
"Master Of Puppets" 
"Fight Fire With Fire" 
"Nothing Else Matters" 
"Enter Sandman" 
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity"

Word has come down that Metallica, who recently completed a 24 date European tour, will return to Europe in May 2019 for a stadium tour. The band has issued the following update:

"WOW! As another amazing run of European shows comes to an end, we are a little speechless (when does that happen?) and stunned by the overwhelming response and outpouring of love you have all shown us! After 39 shows in 29 cities in front of 650,000 of you crazy die-hard ‘Tallica fans, we'll be packing up our gear and heading home for the summer.

Along the way, you helped us break attendance records across the continent 29 times, sometimes breaking the record from show number one in a venue just two days later with the second show! It is staggering to us that all of this is still happening after 37 years as a band, and we could not be more honored.

Lucky for us, we’ll be back!! Look for info here in September about our return in May of 2019 for a run of stadiums through August. And already we cannot wait! Until then, THANK YOU!!"

Andee Blacksugar, guitarist for industrial metal pioneers KMFDM (and former onstage foil for postpunk gothfather Peter Murphy) has released a new album under his Black Sugar Transmission initiative (whose past efforts have featured cameos from Vernon Reid of Living Colour and Dug Pinnick of King's X). It is a song-for-song re-imagining of Motörhead's imperishable 1979 album Overkill.

Andee made the album in five days and brought his friend and sparring partner Jason Bieler (Saigon Kick) into the mix for a scorching solo on "Damage Case".

Overkill can be streamed and downloaded on Black Sugar Transmission's Bandcamp page here, or check it out using the player below.

 

Overkill by Black Sugar Transmission

 

Following the release of their debut single “Collide” earlier this month, Repentance - featuring guitarist Sean Glass (ex-Soil, Dirge Within) and Stuck Mojo frontman Robby J. Fonts - is back to deliver another crushing slab of metal with “Born To Choose".

Says the band: “First off, we would like to thank everyone for the kind words and the excitement on display following the release of our first song, ‘Collide’. The response has been overwhelming - truly epic beyond words. That said, we felt it was time for another taste of Repentance with “Born To Choose'!"

“Born to Choose” was recorded at Mercenary Digital Studios with engineer Scott Creekmore (Dirge Within, Lionheart, Broken Hope) and was mixed and mastered by Chris Collier (Prong, Last In Line, Riot V). Stream the new track below:

Repentance will make their live debut on May 23rd at The Forge in Joliet, Illinois supporting Trivium and Toothgrinder.

"Collide":

(Photo - Steve Zywica Photography)

Less than four short years into their career, Gruesome (featuring current and former members of Exhumed, Possessed, Malevolent Creation, etc.) return with their second full-length sermon, Twisted Prayers. Twisted Prayers follows Death's paradigm shift during the Spiritual Healing era, incorporating more cerebral, melodic instrumentation with elements of thrash and thought-provoking, socially conscious lyrics.

Gruesome’s second studio album Twisted Prayers is due out June 1st on CD/LP/DLX LP/CS/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical packages are available via Relapse.com here and Digital Downloads / Streaming Services here.

An official NSFW video for "Fatal Illusions" off the impending full-length can be seen below.

Issues vocalist/guitarist Matt Harvey, "'Fatal Illusions' is a track that was truly co-written by Dan, Gus and myself musically and it was a lot of fun to arrange everyone's riffs while we put the song together. One of the coolest things about this new record, for me personally, is that the writing has become more and more of a team effort, which is invigorating and keeps things interesting for us. When looking at Spiritual Healing for inspiration, one of the more depressing realizations that I came to as far as the lyrics, was that many of the topics that Death were addressing back in 1990 are still major issues today. As everyone knows, mass shootings have reached epidemic proportions in this country and we felt that it was a very 'death metal' appropriate topic to tackle. This tune is more about the delusions that lead someone to commit this kind of violence; the mindset that would make someone take such a drastic and tragic course of action. Before anyone starts projecting their own politics on the song, this is not an anti or pro-gun song. This is an anti-mass shooting song. And if you think that there's anything controversial about that, you can fuck right off."

Recorded with producer Jarrett Pritchard (Exhumed, 1349, Goatwhore) at New Constellation Studios in Orlando, FL, Twisted Prayers features Gruesome doing what they do best across eight songs and 40+ minutes of unholy hymns with lurid melodies and vulgar atmospheres. The band has once again teamed up with the legendary Ed Repka (Death, Atheist, Massacre) for the album’s blasphemous cover art in addition to legendary Death guitarist James Murphy (Death, Obituary, Testament) for a pair of special guest guitar solos. Bow your heads and worship at the altar of Gruesome.

Twisted Prayers tracklisting:

"Inhumane”
"A Waste Of Life”
"Fate”
"Lethal Legacy”
"Fatal Illusions”
"Crusade Of Brutality”
"At Death’s Door”
"Twisted Prayers”

"Inhumane” video:

“A Waste Of Life” lyric video:

The band has announced two exclusive shows in Florida with label mates Exhumed before kicking off a European headlining tour this summer. Beginning July 19th, the trek will travel through two dozen cities and includes appearances at Obscene Extreme 2018, Wacken Open Air, Partysan Open Air and more. See all confirmed dates below.

July
14 - Tampa, FL - Crowbar (with Exhumed)
15 - Orlando, FL - Will's Pub (with Exhumed)
19 - Trutnov, Czech Republic - Obscene Extreme 2018
20 - Warzawa, Poland - Hydrozagadka
21 - Chorzow, Poland - Red & Black
22 - Prague, Czech Republic - Modra Vopice
23 - Munich, Germany - Free & Easy Festival
24 - Budapest, Hungary - Durer Kert
25 - Tolmin, Slovenia - Metaldays
26 - Wien, Austria - Viper Room
27 - Ernsthausen, Germany - Master of the Unicorn
28 - Steenwijk, Netherlands - Stonehenge Festival
29 - Osnabruck, Germany - Bastard Club
30 - Wurzburg, Germany - Immerhin
31 - Volmerange-les-mines, France - Nomansland

August
1 - Mannheim, Germany - 7er Club
2 - Wacken, Germany - Wacken Open Air
3 - Jonkoping, Sweden - Klubb Dissonans
4 - Linkoping, Sweden - The Crypt
5 - Valby/Copenhagen, Denmark - Underwerket
7 - Desden, Germany - Chemiefabrik
8 - Berlin, Germany - Musik und Frieden
9 - Schlotheim, Germany - Partysan Open Air
10 - Frankfurt, Germany - Das Bett
11 - Oberhausen, Germany - Helvete
12 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz Open Air

Gruesome are:

Matt Harvey ­- Guitar, Vocals
Daniel Gonzalez ­- Guitar
Robin Mazen ­- Bass
Gus Rios ­- Drums

(Band photo - Ryan Tamm, Cover art - Ed Repka)

Relapse Records has announced the vinyl reissues of Amorphis’ legendary albums Tales From The Thousand Lakes and The Karelian Isthmus. The vinyl reissues will be released on July 20th and are available for pre-order here. A video trailer can be found below.

The Karelian Isthmus - Originally released in 1992, Amorphis' classic debut full-length is a crushing crusade of majestically moving atmospheric death metal. Available on vinyl for the first time in 7 years.

Tales From The Thousand Lakes - Originally released in 1994, the longstanding Finnish metal masterpiece that forever took the genre to new heights.

2018 vinyl reissue pressing info:

The Karelian Isthmus LP:

- Blood Red and Aqua Blue Merge with Silver and Bone White Splatter (Relapse.com Exclusive) * Ltd. to 200
- Kelly Green (Nuclear Blast Exclusive) * Ltd. to 300
- Aqua Blue (UK Indie Store Exclusive) * Ltd. to 150
- Blood Red (Germany Indie Store Exclusive) * Ltd. to 300
- Black Std Gram

Tales From The Thousand Lakes LP:

- Swamp Green and Aqua Blue Merge with Silver and White Splatter (Relapse.com Exclusive) * Ltd. to 200
- Kelly Green (Nuclear Blast Exclusive) * Ltd. to 300
- Aqua Blue (UK Indie Store Exclusive) * Ltd. to 150
- Swamp Green (Germany Indie Store Exclusive) * Ltd. to 300
- Black Std Gram

Stream Amorphis’ classic Relapse discography here.

Fan-filmed video footage of LYNCH MOB's May 12 performance at The Rose in Pasadena, California can be seen below (courtesy of Jim Antera Ross).

LYNCH MOB was rejoined by singer Robert Mason for a number of shows this spring, including appearances on the Monsters Of Rock cruise and at the '80s In The Park festival. He came back to the band following the departure of Oni Logan.

During an interview with Eddie Trunk, LYNCH MOB guitarist George Lynch declined to get into specifics about Oni's decision to exit the band in January, explaining: "We have tremendous respect for each other on the musical level, and I'll just leave it there and wish him well. I'm sure he's going to do fine. He's one of the great ones. Maybe he hasn't been recognized like I feel he should be. To me, he's a modern-day Paul Rodgers. We made a lot of fantastic music together, including the latest record, 'The Brotherhood' — which didn't turn out to be such a brotherhood after all [laughs], but it's a beautiful, beautiful record. I'll have a soft spot in my heart for these guys and wish it had continued on, but it didn't, so..."

LYNCH MOB's current lineup also includes returning drummer Scot Coogan. "I played with Scot off and on in various projects over the years, and he was in LYNCH MOB a number of variations, most recently up to a few years ago," the guitarist told Trunk. "Scot's wonderful. He brings so much to the table. He's one of those multitasking guys. He's a great singer; he's a great songwriter; and he plays everything a little bit. He's very tuned in with drum programming and the recording side of it, so that always helps. He's like a Swiss army knife, plus his drumming, it's got a great R&B feel. LYNCH MOB has that — LYNCH MOB has this blues-based, R&B-based, heavy rock thing. He really brings a lot to the table. He's a great fit, and we're great friends."

Logan first hooked up with LYNCH MOB in 1990, but exited the group after the release of its first album, only to rejoin the George Lynch-led outfit in the late 2000s.

"The Brotherhood" was released last September via Rat Pak Records.

This June, Harm's Way will head back out on the road for their Posthuman Pacific Northwest Tour, featuring special guests Soft Kill, before joining the final, full cross country Vans Warped Tour later that month, with Every Time I Die, Hatebreed, and many more. For a preview of their captivating live show, fans can watch the video for "Last Man" (shot at the Subterranean in Chicago, IL) below.

Harm's Way will be touring in support of their new album, Posthuman. Having grown with each subsequent release, Posthuman is a devastating addition to the band's catalog. "We've always stayed true to who we are and allowed the songwriting process to take shape organically from record to record, and as the band has progressed, our sound has become more refined with metal and industrial influences," states drummer Chris Mills, while guitarist Bo Lueders succinctly sums up what people can expect when they first spin the record: "To a Harm's Way fan, I would describe Posthuman as a blend of Isolation (2011) and Rust (2015), but it's sonically way more insane. To anyone else, I would simply say it's full on heavy and full on aggression."

Dates:

June
14 – Spokane, WA – The Pin
15 – Seattle, WA – Highline
16 – Vancouver, BC – The Astoria
17 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theater

Veteran Norwegian dark metallers Aeternus have completed work on what will be the band's eighth full-length album.  Titled Heathen,  the seven-track album was recorded at Bergen's Conclave & Earshot studios and  produced by Herbrand Larsen, and  is set for release on Dark Essence Records later this year. 

One of the pioneers of the dark metal genre, Aeternus was formed in 1993 by guitarist and frontman Ares.  The band's sound is one that combines features from both black metal and death metal, interspersed with haunting, melodic interludes, all topped off with skilled musicianship.
 
Commenting on what fans can expect from Heathen, an album which will also mark Aeternus' 25th Anniversary, the band had this to say:

"We feel we’ve produced seven great songs for Heathen, all with Aeternus' trademark sound, which is a mix of complex extreme music along with heavy riffs, and of course some great melodic features.  You could say that we are more than satisfied with the results".

Aside from Ares, Aeternus' lineup is composed of Phobos (Gravdal) on drums and Krakow's Eld on bass, and sharp-eyed fans will notice that guitarist Specter is missing. As the band explains:

"Before having fully completed the composition part of Heathen, Specter felt that he had little more to offer the band, and that his long search for music was not only taking up too much of his own time, but it was also slowing down Aeternus' progress, and as a result, he decided that it was best for all concerned that he quit the band.  He did however compose several terrific riffs which we feel are outstanding, and they have been included in the album. We would like to thank Specter for all his work with Aeternus, and wish him all the best for the future. 

"This of course means that once again Aeternus has recorded an album where Ares' considerable skills have been put to good use, and he has composed and played all the guitar leads on Heathen. We're sure that having read this, fans are wondering what is going to happen as far as live performances go.  No problem there! We have hired Gorm, from the Norse metal band Thyruz, to play live with us, and he has been busy rehearsing our material. He will be more than ready when Aeternus hits the stage again.”

Death metal heavyweights Down Among The Dead Men return with their third full length album …And You Will Obey Me, out on June 15th via Transcending Obscurity Records. New track "The End Of Time" is streaming below.

David Ingram (ex-Bolt Thrower, Ursinne, Echelon) and Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Eye Of Purgatory, Necrogod) team up to create a new chapter of the heaviest form of death metal/crust you'll hear. With both members being in top form following the resounding success of Ursinne and Paganizer on the common label, they do something outstanding for Down Among The Dead Men, taking the unique sound forward without betraying the roots. The third album is the best one in their acclaimed discography where bludgeoning death metal meets the spunk of crust and leaves something unforgettable in its wake. Immaculately produced and executed as a fully functioning band, ...And You Will Obey Me will go down as one of the strongest albums of this period.

Artwork by Turkka G. Rantanen (Demilich, Demigod, Darkrypt).

Tracklisting:

“Destroy The Infinite"
“Axis Of Insanity"
“…And You Will Obey Me"
“The End Of Time"
“Omega"
“House Of Blue Fire"
“The Age Of Steel"
“Eye Of Harmony"
“Darkness Of Glass"
“Panopticon"

"The End Of Time":

“…And You Will Obey Me":

Album lineup:

Rogga Johansson - Guitars/Bass (Also in Paganizer, Echelon, Necrogod, Rogga Johansson)
Dave Ingram - Vocals (Also in Echelon, Ursinne and ex-Benediction, ex-Bolt Thrower, ex-Hail of Bullets)
Kjetil Lynghaug - Session Leads (Also in Paganizer, Echelon, Stass)
Erik R. Bevenrud - Session Drums (Also in Stass)

Psychedelic doom rockers, Motorowl, will release their new album Atlas on July 27th through Century Media Records.

The band comments on the songwriting and recording process:

“We started writing Atlas right after the release of Om Generator to stay in the flow. Also we played a lot of concerts during the process of writing, so we were constantly playing the old songs live while we were writing the new material at the same time. We realized that the live feeling is an essential part of our music, so we decided to record the whole album live altogether as a full band in the studio.

“And when you do such live recordings, you need the perfect partner, engineer and a place where you feel comfy. We found all that at Off The Road Studios in Leipzig. It’s a marvelous place with a big library in the main studio, a fireplace and a lot of room. We met there with our friend Charlie Paschen (who works with bands like Coogans Bluff or Rotor) to record the album within ten days. The decision to let Mr. Dan Swanö do the mix and mastering again was easy. He simply knows how we have to sound like.

“Atlas combines the pain in our chests with the indestructible force that we have as a band to make this music together. We wanted to mash the power of synth driven ‘80s rock hymns with the deep crushing slowness of a doom riff.  Atlas was written by the whole band and that’s the deep essence of our music: Five very different guys who work together like a clockwork.”

The artwork was created by Pol Abram (Branca Studio).

Tracklisting:

“Infinite Logbook”
“The Man Who Rules The World”
“Atlas”
“To Give”
“To Take”
“Cargo”
“Norma Jean”

Motorowl is: 
Max Hemmann - Guitar/Vocals
Vinzenz Steiniger - Guitar
Martin Scheibe - Drums
Tim Camin - Bass
Daniel Dettlev - Keys

Bay Area melodic death metal outfit Light This City is now streaming their entire Terminal Bloom LP - the recently-reactivated outfit's first album in a decade - ahead of its release date through Creator-Destructor Records this Friday. Stream below via the Bandcamp player:

Terminal Bloom by Light This City

Light This City returns with ten tracks that capture the band's tendency towards extreme melody and intensity, honoring the Swedish sound of the '90s. Having spent the past decade performing and touring in numerous other bands, the five members of Light This City have only honed and shaped their skills and musicianship since their 2008-released Stormchaser. Terminal Bloom was recorded from December 2017 through February 2018 with Zack Ohren (Suffocation, Cattle Decapitation, Fallujah) at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland, California, as with their previous four albums, and is wrapped in the vibrant cover artwork of Tony Midi.

Terminal Bloom will see release on CD, LP, and digital formats on May 25th through Creator-Destructor Records; find pre-orders at the label webstore here, and Bandcamp here.

Tracklisting:

"Reality In Disarray"
"A Grotesque Reflection"
"Dormant Tide"
"Terminal Bloom"
"Death Downwind"
"Agents Of Fate"
"Extinguished"
"The Wake Of My Will"
"Neverlanding"
"Wildheart"

"Terminal Bloom":

Teaser:

Live dates:

June
22 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
23 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
24 - Los Angeles, CA - Viper Room
28 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom Of The Hill
29 - Seattle, WA - Highline
30 - Portland, OR - Paris Theatre

July
1 - Sacramento, CA - On The Y

Light This City is:

Laura Nichol - vocals
Ben Murray - drums
Ryan Hansen - lead guitar
Steve Hoffman - rhythm guitar
Jon Frost - bass

(Photo by: Joe Ellis)

After closing out 2017 with two unforgettable shows in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, The Original Misfits finally made their triumphant return to where it all began over 30 years ago in New Jersey.

This past Saturday, May 19th, Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein​ - along with drummer Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies) and second guitarist Acey Slade (Murderdolls, Joan Jett) - laid waste to the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Fan-filmed video footage of "Night Of The Living Dead", "Some Kinda Hate", "She", "Violent World", "All Hell Breaks Loose" and "Attitude" can be enjoyed below.

 

Metallica have posted a clip of "Fight Fire With Fire" from last year's gig at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA on May 19th. It was originally a fifth member exclusive clip and the band made the video public on May 19th, 2018.

Metallica performed on May11th at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. It was the final show of their European tour. Professionally filmed video of the entire gig can be seen below. 

The setlist was as follows:

"Hardwired"
"Atlas, Rise!" 
"Seek & Destroy" 
"The Four Horsemen" 
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" 
"Now That We're Dead" 
"Dream No More" 
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" 
"Halo On Fire" 
- Rob & Kirk doodle - ("Rappiolla" by Hassisen Kone) 
- Rob doodle - "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth"
"Last Caress" (Misfits cover)
"Creeping Death" 
"Moth Into Flame" 
"Sad But True" 
"One" 
"Master Of Puppets" 
"Fight Fire With Fire" 
"Nothing Else Matters" 
"Enter Sandman" 
"The Frayed Ends Of Sanity"

Word has come down that Metallica, who recently completed a 24 date European tour, will return to Europe in May 2019 for a stadium tour. The band has issued the following update:

"WOW! As another amazing run of European shows comes to an end, we are a little speechless (when does that happen?) and stunned by the overwhelming response and outpouring of love you have all shown us! After 39 shows in 29 cities in front of 650,000 of you crazy die-hard ‘Tallica fans, we'll be packing up our gear and heading home for the summer.

Along the way, you helped us break attendance records across the continent 29 times, sometimes breaking the record from show number one in a venue just two days later with the second show! It is staggering to us that all of this is still happening after 37 years as a band, and we could not be more honored.

Lucky for us, we’ll be back!! Look for info here in September about our return in May of 2019 for a run of stadiums through August. And already we cannot wait! Until then, THANK YOU!!"

Powerglove have released their new full length album, Continue?. Video Games and speed metal together as one as the band takes on Kirby, MegaMan 3, Street Fighter, Chrono Trigger and many more. One fun atypical track on the album is "Under The Sea" (yes, from The Little Mermaid) which is included instrumental and with Marc Hudson from DragonForce.

Tracklisting is as follows:

"Kraid's Lair" (Super Metroid)
"Under the Sea" (feat. Marc Hudson from Dragonforce)
"Snake Man" (Megaman 3)(feat. Matt Pigott)
"Kirby" (feat. Reece Miller) (Kirby’s Dream Land)
"Guile's Theme" (Street Fighter)
"Mario Minor 2" (feat. Matt Pigott)
"Highwind Takes to the Skies" (Final Fantasy VII)
"MegaMan 3 Intro"
"Clockwork" (Castlevania III)
"Spark Mandrill" (Megaman X)(feat. Carmine Silano )
"J-E-N-O-V-A" (Final Fantasy VII)
"Chrono Trigger" (Medley)
"Ninja Gaiden" (feat. Kana Dehara)
"Acoustic Medley"
"Under the Sea" (Instrumental)

Check out "Under The Sea" featuring Marc Hudson from Dragonforce below.

Continue? is available for digital purchase through iTunes, Amazon and Google Play.

The New Roses recently performed for Rockpalast (Rock Palace), the German music TV show that broadcasts live on German television station Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR). Professionally filmed video of the band's full set can be found below.

Setlist:

"Life Ain't Easy (For A Boy With Long Hair)"
"Devil's Toys"
"One More For The Road"
"Thirsty"

After having released their Top 20 charting record One More For The Road last year, The New Roses recently released a brand new music video for the title track.

The band states: "We picked this song as the title track of the album, because it represents our life on tour with all its ups and downs. The video 'One More For The Road' completes this feeling visually. This is who we are!"

The Wiesbaden, Germany-based 4-piece will play 30 festivals this year: Hellfest France, Hard Rock Hell UK, Sweden Rock, Masters Of Rock - to name just a few. Before the hot summer weather takes over, the band will hit the road supporting The Dead Daisies throughout Europe. On top of all of that there’s a full UK headlining tour run. The New Roses will also be a part of the KISS Kruise in the US. Find the band’s tour schedule here.

One More For The Road can be ordered here.

One More For The Road tracklisting:

“Quarter To Twelve”
“My Own Worst Enemy”
“Forever Never Comes”
“Dancing On A Razor Blade”
“Consider Me Gone”
“Life Ain't Easy (For A Boy With Long Hair)”
“Every Wild Heart”
“Fight You Leaving Me”
“The Same Moon”
“Piece By Peace Of Mind”
“One More For The Road”
“Do I Look Scared To You (Bonus Track)
“The Storm” (Bonus Track)”
“Nitro Nights” (Bonus Track)

"Life Ain't Easy (For A Boy With A Long Hair)" video:

"Every Wild Heart" video:

Comeback Kid are streaming the previously unreleased song "Little Soldier", featured on the band's two-track single "Beds Are Burning", out now via Nuclear Blast and New Damage Records. A limited print run of 500 7" vinyl will be (mainly) available on tour from the Australian dates on.

The single includes the band's cover of the Midnight Oil classic as well as the previously unreleased “Little Soldier” which came together during the "Outsider" sessions. Check out snippets of both songs below.

Commented singer Andrew Neufeld: "A while back I randomly saw the video for the song ‘Beds Are Burning’. I had heard it in passing many times before but the video intrigued me at that particular time. After finding out that it was a protest song about giving back lands to an indigenous group in Australia, it resonated with me because of the current situation our Canadian government has with its indigenous people."

(Photo - Alexey Makhov)

Atmospheric black metal masters Shylmagoghnar have just released the official music video for their new single “As All Must Come To Pass” taken from their upcoming album Transience.

Nimblkorg on “As All Must Come To Pass”:

"Though time flows in directions unknown, one certainty looms: all must come to pass. We are highly pleased to share with you our first official music video, created by our visual artist and dear friend Minghao Xu. We hope you will enjoy the video and the music!"

Hailing from the Netherlands, Shylmagoghnar became one of the most spoken of extreme metal duos in underground metal throughout the years. This is not just because of pure heaviness, not because of incredible song structures and not because of fiery emotional music. This is a combination connecting all of these factors and creating a raw and unique soundscape.

With their debut album Emergence, Shylmagoghnar achieved an amazing feat, without having signed to a label, their album reached nearly 1,700,000 views on the bands YouTube channel. Now it's time to bring Shylmagoghnar's music even further... with Napalm Records. Their second strike is entitled Transience, and will be out on June 29th. On this album the band perfected their game and brought it to a whole new level.

Atmospheric black metal and harsh vocals burst into progressive guitar melodies deeply rooted in melodic death metal creating a rather melancholic and yet playful set-up indulging in themes of our existence in all its monumental beauty and horrible chasms. Check out a video for the title track below.

The album will be vailable in the following formats:

- Regular Jewel Case
- 2 LP Gatefold & Bonus Track
- Regular Jewel Case & Shirt Bundle
- Digital Full-Length Album

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Transience"
"The Dawn Of Motion"
"As All Must Come To Pass"
"This Shadow Of The Heart"
"The Chosen Path"
"No Child Of Man Could Follow"
"Journey Through The Fog"
"Life"

"As All Must Come To Pass" video:

"Transience" video:

Teaser:

Lineup:

Nimblkorg: Guitars, Bass, Drums, Keyboards, Vocals
Skirge: Vocals, Lyrics

(Photo - S.E. Dantchev)

Fan-filmed video footage of GHOST's May 20 concert at Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C. can be seen below.

GHOST played the first official show of the "Rats! On The Road" U.S. tour on May 5 at Riverside Municipal Auditorium in Riverside, California. In addition to the previously released new single "Rats", which opened the concert, GHOST played four more songs from "Prequelle" album, including "Faith", "Dance Macabre", "Miasma" and "Pro Memoria". "Miasma" featured a saxophone solo from Papa Nihil, the aged "original" Papa Emeritus.

The band broke its show up into two sets, with the first featuring 12 songs and the second consisting of 11 numbers. The group spread out the new material across both sets, interspersed with fan favorites and hits like "Cirice", "From The Pinnacle To The Pit", "He Is", "If You Have Ghosts" and show closer "Square Hammer".

The band has expanded its onstage lineup to include at least eight musicians, not including the guest appearance from Papa Nihil.

GHOST next performs in Asheville, North Carolina on Tuesday night (May 22).

GHOST will release its new album, "Prequelle", on June 1 via Loma Vista Recordings. The record was tracked last year at Artery studios in Stockholm with producer Tom Dalgety (OPETH, ROYAL BLOOD) and mixed in January at Westlake Studios in West Hollywood, California with Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, SLAYER).

In celebration of the forthcoming "Appetite For Destruction" reissues, due out on June 29, GUNS N' ROSES has released a previously unseen music video for "It's So Easy", available to watch now exclusively on Apple Music.


Filmed live in 1989 at the infamous Cathouse, "It's So Easy" was never completely finished and remained in the vaults, unseen and unreleased. The footage was recently uncovered for inclusion in the box set and has been digital restored in 4K UHD from 16mm film transfers with the original conceptual scenes edited back in with the live footage, just as the band had originally intended.


The newly announced "Locked N' Loaded" deluxe boxed set of "Appetite For Destruction" also includes B-sides from the "Appetite" sessions, the 1986 "Live ?!*@ Like A Suicide" EP and three of the four songs from the band's 1988 acoustic EP "GN'R Lies".

The deluxe edition of "Appetite For Destruction" will contain 73 songs — including 49 tracks that never before been released — spread out across four CDs and seven 12-inch 180-gram vinyl LPs. A super deluxe version will also include a 96-page book with unreleased photos from Axl's personal archive, new lithographs and a plethora of memorabilia.

"Appetite For Destruction" was certified in September 2008 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for U.S. sales in excess of 18 million copies. The LP has reportedly accumulated worldwide sales in excess of 28 million since its 1987 release.

Neither drummer Steven Adler nor guitarist Izzy Stradlin have been part of the GUNS N' ROSES reunion tour that started in April 2016 and is continuing later this year with singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan.

Adler did rejoin GUNS at several shows on the tour, including three stops on the U.S. leg and one gig in Buenos Aires, Argentina, playing drums on two songs. Stradlin reportedly turned down a five-figure fee to participate, writing that the band didn't want to "split the loot equally."

GUNS N' ROSES will return in June for a seven-week European jaunt and in November for an Asian tour, but the band's plans beyond that remain unknown for now.

Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and his ADLER'S APPETITE bandmates, bassist Sean McNabb and singer Constantine Maroulis, joined STEEL PANTHER guitarist Satchel and singer Michael Starr on stage on May 20 at Eaton's Hill Hotel & Function Centre in Brisbane, Australia to perform the GN'R classics "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Mr. Brownstone". Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

Adler is celebrating the 30th anniversary of GNR's classic debut album by performing "Appetite For Destruction" in its entirety on an Australian tour.

Backing Steven up on the trek is his newly formed ADLER'S APPETITE FEATURING CONSTANTINE MAROULIS band: Maroulis, McNabb, Carl Restivo (rhythm guitar) and Michael Thomas (lead guitar).

ADLER'S APPETITE FEATURING CONSTANTINE MAROULIS made its live debut on May 10 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

STEEL PANTHER is continuing to tour in support of "Lower The Bar", which was released in March 2017 via Kobalt Music Recordings. The disc was co-produced with regular collaborator Jay Ruston, and includes eleven songs recorded at studios in North Hollywood and Sherman Oaks, California, with an additional two tracks on a Best Buy deluxe edition.

Audio samples of all the songs that are set to appear on DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Don Airey's upcoming solo album, "One Of A Kind", can be streamed in the YouTube clip below. The effort will be released on May 25 via earMUSIC as 2CD (including a bonus live CD) as well as on vinyl and digitally.

It is hard to find a name amongst all those that over the last 30 years have left their mark in the history of rock that has not utilized Don's keyboard skills at some point. The list includes OZZY OSBOURNE, RAINBOW, WHITESNAKE, JUDAS PRIEST, Gary Moore, Brian May, JETHRO TULL, BLACK SABBATH and, obviously, DEEP PURPLE, the band of which Airey has been a full-time member for over 15 years.

But Airey has never been a session player. Bands and artists work with him for his unique musical vision, for the twist he gives to songs. It is with the same passion, the same energy, the same talent that Don Airey approaches his very own songwriting.

"One Of A Kind" is a true classic hard rock gem with melodies, great riffs and solos and a unique band unity. To top it all, his new solo album has been written and recorded using the spirit of a band featuring the following talented musicians: Carl Sentance (from the current lineup of British legends NAZARETH) is a singer that all fans of metal voices like those of Rob Halford and Graham Bonnet will love; bassist Laurence Cottle, who has played with everyone from BLACK SABBATH to Gary Moore to Chick Corea, forges a great rhythm section with the thunderous talent of Jon Finnigan, apparently as loud on stage as he is at the after show parties. Last but definitely not least, there is the incredible talent of Simon McBride, who has no fear of being compared to the many incredible guitar players Don has worked with before.

"One Of A Kind" is one song after the other for the delight of every hard rock fan, who would be making a big mistake were they to overlook this album.

It is not difficult to see Don Airey playing one day with DEEP PURPLE in front of 15,000 people, and the next day, playing the organ in the church of his beloved local village with the same concentration and respect for the music and the audience.

It is with the same spirit that Don shows no discernible effort moving from the glories of the last two DEEP PURPLE albums ("Now What?!" and "InFinite" both having benefitted from his ever present talent) to playing in clubs with his own band. And always with a big smile on his face as soon as the guitar roars in, waiting to reply with his Hammond.

"One Of A Kind" track listing:

01. Respect

02. All Out Of Line

03. One Of A Kind

04. Everytime I See Your Face

05. Victim Of Pain

06. Running Free

07. Lost Boys

08. Need You So Bad

09. Children Of The Sun

10. Remember To Call

11. Stay The Night

Bonus CD (Recorded live at Fabrik, Hamburg on March 14, 2017):

01. Pictures Of Home (originally by DEEP PURPLE)

02. Since You've Been Gone (originally by RAINBOW)

03. I Surrender (originally by RAINBOW)

04. Still Got The Blues (originally by GARY MOORE)

Fan-filmed video of SKID ROW's May 16 concert at Virgin Oil in Helsinki, Finland can be seen below.

SKID ROW has collaborated with several other artists, including members of SLIPKNOT and HALESTORM, on the songwriting process for the final installment of the band's "United World Rebellion" trilogy. The follow-up to 2014's "Rise Of The Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two" and 2013's "United World Rebellion: Chapter One" will mark the band's first release with the South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), who officially joined SKID ROW last year.

In a recent interview with Australia's Heavy music magazine, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan confirmed that the group's next release will be "a full-length record" which will tentatively arrive in 2019.

According to Bolan, SKID ROW also collaborated with songwriter-for-hire Marti Frederiksen, who has previously worked with AEROSMITH, DEF LEPPARD, Jonny Lang and Sheryl Crow.

SKID ROW's upcoming release will see the band reunited with famed rock/metal producer Michael Wagener, who worked on SKID ROW's first two albums, 1989's "Skid Row" and 1991's "Slave To The Grind", as well as 2006's "Revolutions Per Minute".

Rachel said that he is especially thrilled to once again be making an album with Wagener, whom he called "one of my best friends." The bassist said: "We worked together on other stuff [since 'Revolutions Per Minute'], and if he has an artist come in [for a recording session at his studio], he's, like, 'Hey, you wanna play bass on this,' and I'm, like, 'Yeah.' I mean, we're literally 25 or 30 minutes apart in Tennessee, and he's got a badass studio out there. And he actually helped me build my studio at my house."

Despite having played sporadic shows with SKID ROW for a year, Theart wasn't officially announced as the band's new frontman until January 2017.

Theart stepped into the group following the departure of Tony Harnell, the former TNT frontman who joined SKID ROW in April 2015 as the replacement for Johnny Solinger, the band's singer of 15 years.

MAGGOT HEART, the brainchild of Swedish guitarist/singer Linnéa Olsson (former member of BEASTMILK, GRAVE PLEASURES, SONIC RITUAL and THE OATH), will release its debut album, "Dusk To Dusk", on July 13 via the Berlin-based imprint Teratology Sound & Vision. As was the case with the 2017 EP "City Girls", the LP sees Linnéa employing the services of fellow Swedes Uno Bruniusson (PROCESSION, DEATH ALLEY, ex-IN SOLITUDE and GRAVE PLEASURES) on drums and Gottfrid Åhman (NO FUTURE, REVEAL, ex-IN SOLITUDE, INVIDIOUS, REPUGNANT) on bass.

Recorded at Studio Cobra (IN SOLITUDE, NIFELHEIM, PIG EYES) in Stockholm in December 2017 under the guidance of Martin Ehrencrona, "Dusk To Dusk" sees MAGGOT HEART building on the sound of "City Girls" to expand its boundaries and achieve a very personal result, which is much more than the sum of its influences.

A teaser for the album is available below.

"Dusk to Dusk" is the sound of a comedown in the blue light of the dawn. Darker, monolithic and slightly melancholic, its nine songs move through pictures of isolation in altered states. We get presented with a highly dynamic spectrum of saturnine moods that builds the fundament for snarling, rusty guitars that wouldn't be out of place on neither a KILLING JOKE nor a STOOGES record. They steadily mingle and fight with a powerful rhythm section that is at times reminiscent of the maddening stomp that put noise rock heroes like THE JESUS LIZARD or THE BIRTHDAY PARTY in the pantheon of rock music. "Dusk To Dusk" is an album well informed by what has happened in music since the late seventies, yet never relying on past achievements. This is a highly personal "alchemical blitz" that, through unorthodox instrumentation and intense lyricism, highlights a certain kind of savagery in rock and roll that seems to have gone missing in the retro-craze of the 2010s.

The city that never sleeps and struggles to pay the rent and find its soul gave Linnéa Olsson the inspiration for her new project. After leaving native Sweden in 2012 where she had been active with metal punks SONIC RITUAL and as a music journalist for over a decade, Linnéa relocated to Berlin, where she soon co-founded the short-lived-but-much-celebrated THE OATH, for which she was the main songwriter. After their early demise, she was asked to join Finnish band BEASTMILK on second guitar, which shortly afterwards changed their name to GRAVE PLEASURES and went on to release the album "Dreamcrash".

Photo by Sara Gewalt

Professionally filmed video footage of SEPULTURA's performance at this year's Hammerfest, which was held in March at the Hafan y Mor Holiday Park at Pwllheli, Gwynedd, in North Wales, can be seen below.

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

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

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

Australia's Sticks For Stones recently conducted an interview with Swedish producer and singer/songwriter Peter Tägtgren about his industrial metal outfit, PAIN. You can listen to the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On describing what a PAIN live show is like:

Peter: "I would say it's a lot heavier than what it is on the albums. I think we're more like a real metal band onstage and stuff like that. There's a lot of head-spins and running back and forth. There's a lot of tempo onstage. We just give everything. One of these days, the head is going to separate from the neck and roll out to the crowd. [Laughs]"

On PAIN's current lineup:

Peter: "I got my son [Sebastian] on drums. I actually kind of changed the band two years because the band that I originally had since 2007 started to crack. Since I've never been so active with PAIN touring and playing live, they can't sit around and roll their thumbs. It was five years since the last album and I guess everybody moved on, so it was time to put a new band together. I think this lineup is definitely the best. It's the most fun to watch for the crowd, for sure. The musicians are so well-skilled, doing harmony vocals, doing the shit on the albums. Yeah, it's really cool. It's a lot of tempo onstage, like I said. It's more, almost like a death metal band on speed. [Laughs] We try to stick to what's played on the album. My son played on the album, anyhow. He knows every hit from the new songs but was born into PAIN and HYPOCRISY stuff anyhow because of me, so he knows the songs anyhow from the past."

On HYPOCRISY, Tägtgren's long-running death metal band:

Peter: "We have four more [PAIN] gigs after the Australian tour, we have festivals. During the summertime, I'm going to try to complete the HYPOCRISY album. We got some songs, but we need more. I need to get Michael [Hedlund, bass] more involved again. He hasn't been writing for nine years, but he's going to be back."

On the musical direction of the next HYPOCRISY studio album:

Peter: "I really don't know. It can still change in the feeling of the whole album so far. So, I don't know. I think it's going to be a mix between old and new HYPOCRISY."

On whether LINDEMANN, Tägtgren's project with RAMMSTEIN vocalist Till Lindemann, will release the follow-up to 2015's "Skills In Pills":

Peter: Yeah, definitely. I mean, we wrote some songs for this theater in Hamburg where they put on 'Hansel And Gretel', but we did it in a twisted way. We wrote some songs for that play, so we have a few songs laying around, so I wouldn't be surprised if something comes out."

On whether LINDEMANN will have to wait to release another album once RAMMSTEIN completes the touring cycle for their next LP:

Peter: "Definitely. I'm pretty positive on that. I mean, RAMMSTEIN is in the studio right now and has finished their new album. I think the album will be out next year and around Christmas. So they need to tour behind it, so maybe in a year and a half, we can start on a new album. I don't know; we'll see. It's hard to say. Maybe they will tour the world twice and we have to wait three years. I don't know; it's really hard to say."

On whether he has any free time given his busy band and production schedule at his famed Swedish studio, The Abyss:

Peter: "Yeah, more and more. I try to be more efficient when I'm in the studio. Instead of sitting there for eight hours, I can sit there nowadays for two hours and still achieve the same thing I would do in eight hours ten years ago. So, I don't know…I'm 'studio smart' now because I don't want to wear out the studio. I don't want to be there more than I need to. In the past, I was there 24/7. I don't want to be tired of it. It's why I only choose to be there for not so long every day. Most of the time, you sit and think instead of being creative when you're writing at the same time and recording. It's important not to be there too much. Only when you have an idea and you spill it out in two hours and it's done."

On his favorite bands to produce:

Peter: "All of them. When you sit and listen to an album two million times before it's done, you get into what you do. So, I really like all the bands that I recorded. They're all different from each other, but it feels like I've been a part of it when you sit and work for months."

HYPOCRISY's latest album, "End Of Disclosure", was released in March 2013 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was produced by Tägtgren at his Abyss Studio in Sweden. The artwork was created by Wes Benscoter (SLAYER, KREATOR, NILE, VADER).

PAIN's latest album, "Coming Home", was released September 2016 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The new lineup of German thrash metal veterans SODOM made its live debut on May 18 at the Rock Hard Festival in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. Professionally filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of German public TV WDR's series "Rockpalast").

SODOM bassist/vocalist Thomas "Angelripper" Such is joined in the band's current lineup by guitarist Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik (also formerly of KREATOR, ASSASSIN), drummer Stefan "Husky" Hüskens (ASPHYX, DESASTER) and second guitarist Yorck Segatz (BEYONDITION). Blackfire previously played with SODOM on the seminal albums "Persecution Mania", "Mortal Way Of Live" and "Agent Orange".

As he had hinted at the beginning of the year, Tom has opted for a lineup featuring two guitarists, an absolute novelty for SODOM. "Two guitarists allow us much more possibilities live, so we will be able to play tracks in future that we weren't able to perform as a trio," Tom said.

In Frank Blackfire, Yorck Segatz and Husky, Tom has consciously gone for musicians from his own background. "It's common knowledge that all three are exceptional instrumentalists and that heavy metal is their life," Tom explained. "But SODOM is also about getting on a personal level. The new band members are all dyed-in-the-wool SODOM fans and all live in Essen. Need I say more?"

A new SODOM single is expected to arrive this summer, with a full-length album to follow in the spring of 2019.

Former SODOM guitarist Bernd "Bernemann" Kost and drummer Markus "Makka" Freiwald released a joint statement in January claiming that they were fired from the band by Tom via messaging platform WhatsApp even before Tom had a chance to hear any of the material the duo had been working on for the group's next album.

Sodom | Live At Rock Hard Festival 2018Es ist Zeit für die Urväter der deutschen Thrash Metal Szene

Sodom LIVE beim Rock Hard Festival 2018 ??Posted by Rockpalast on Friday, May 18, 2018

According to The Pulse Of Radio, CHICKENFOOT reunited at the Fillmore in San Francisco on Tuesday night (May 15) during the fifth annual "Acoustic-4-A-Cure" benefit concert. After opening the show with a short set of his own, ex-VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar returned to the stage to join the other members of CHICKENFOOT — guitarist Joe Satriani, bassist Michael Anthony and RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith — for their first performance together in just over two years.

The quartet clearly seemed to be enjoying themselves, playing songs from their catalog including "Oh Yeah", "Sexy Little Thing" and "Something's Going Wrong".

Other performers throughout the evening included co-host Bob Weir, REO SPEEDWAGON's Kevin Cronin, Eddie Money, Vic Johnson and blues legend Taj Mahal.

CHICKENFOOT formed in 2008 and released two studio LPs and one live set, with the band making infrequent appearances since 2011.

"Acoustic-4-A-Cure" was created by Hagar and METALLICA's James Hetfield, who co-hosted the first three years. Artists who have performed at the event include Dave Grohl, Billie Joe Armstrong, Jerry Cantrell, Linda Perry, Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Adam Sandler, Nancy Wilson, Tommy Lee and many more.

The yearly show benefits The Pediatric Cancer Program at UCSF's Benioff Children's Hospital.

THE APOCALYPSE BLUES REVUE will release its new album, "The Shape Of Blues To Come", on July 20 via Provogue/Mascot Label Group.

Following 2016's self-titled debut, GODSMACK's Shannon Larkin (drums) and Tony Rombola (guitar) return with some more bone-shaking blues with Brian Carpenter (bass) and the shamanistic frontman Ray "Rafer John" Cerbone.

Larkin discovered Cerbone at a biker bar. The singer had no idea that he was speaking to the drummer from GODSMACK; it was just a couple of guys hanging out. "It wasn't a recruitment at all," Larkin says. Just two guys who liked to ride, and enjoy music. "It wasn't like I was a guy in a big band, and he was starstruck at all. I went over to Ray's house with my wife to have dinner, and I happened to see his guitar sitting in the corner. I didn't know what he did, so I asked him to play a song, and I really loved his voice."

Grizzled "Rafer John" may be no spring chicken, but the truth is that this is his first band, though he has for years worked as an acoustic blues troubadour. He picks up the story. "Next thing you know, Shannon calls and says that he and Tony are down the road in a recording studio working on a blues song, and they needed someone to sing it," he recalled. "I said, 'Yeah, I know a few guys who could sing that for you, and he said, 'No. I want you to sing it!' I got in there, sang that song, and the rest is history."

This is more than a side project. "We're very excited about this second record," affirms Larkin. "I've never seen four wills join so strongly with one intent as I have in this band. That's something special."

Larkin tells of a pre-production meeting with producer Dave Fortman (GODSMACK, EVANESCENCE, ANTHRAX) at The Vibe Recording Studios in Southwest Florida (Fort Myers), in which the two settled into the control room, ingested certain mind-expanding compounds, and they then proceeded to listen to many hours of the records they loved the most. The phrase Larkin comes back to again and again are, "it has to be real, it has to be genuine." This record is exactly that. It drips with the existential stew of four guys playing together in a small room, in fact, that is exactly much of what we are hearing — the band laid the basic tracks in just one long day, but they captured it all with the cinematic vision and clarity of a great filmmaker.

Larkin continues: "Our mission is to see if APOCALYPSE can reshape the shape of blues to come. We're a different shade of blue. Our approach is to write and play as a traditional blues band. Our original influences came from [LED] ZEPPELIN, Johnny Winter, Stevie Ray Vaughan. We came to the blues later in life, and we've found our groove and sound, and it sounds unique and original to us. We don't try to hide our rock influences, it comes through creating a new shade of blue."

The band again wrote together for this record, but in a strange twist of coincidence, the tracks selected were all lyrically from the pen of Shannon Larkin. In terms of lyrical content, he reveals that his lyrics are often spiritual in nature, but he hesitates to define his meanings as he defers to the imaginations of the listener to find their own meanings.

Somewhere there is a kid who has been listening to GODSMACK, who will now come to know THE APOCALYPSE BLUE REVUE, and from this revelation of the blues they will back pedal to discover the long and honorably trod path that leads to Robert Johnson, the Kings (B.B., Albert, and Freddie), all the way forward to THE DOORS and the British blues rock boom, which finally leads straight to today.

Rombola provides the six-string fireworks with tight, tough riffs and incendiary solos, while Larkin brought a sheaf of lyrics that are straight ahead reflections of the biker's blues life. As close as they get to metal mythology is on the sultry, "Sincere", in which Cerbone intones, "Some say I worship the devil, I say he worships me." These songs are about walking the walk of life. Somewhere between Larkin's metal alter-ego and Cerbone's Americana roots there lies a place where passion, the roots of the blues, and the combined experience of everyone in the room work together to create a tantalizing path.

Sonically, "The Shape Of Blues To Come" covers a lot of ground, from the traditional blues changes of "Sincere" to the more cerebral textures found on the FLOYD-ian "What A Way To Go" with Rombolo's evocative late-night Strat tones, Larkin's soft, musical touch on the drums, sweet background choirs, and Cerbone's sung-spoken recitation of "What a way to go, when the wind's never at your back." "Open Spaces", which opens the album with a nod to Jimi's blues, then gradually ups the ante as the band's rock blood begins to boil and cast about with heavily flanged guitars and vocals is an ideal way to get a panoramic view of what is to come. The beauty lies in the fact that this band has been six years in the making, and while the album lies rooted in very traditional blues structures and sounds, Rombola, Larkin and Carpenter's rock roots do shine through. The album's closing number, "Noumenal Blues", finds Cerbone duet with Nancy Koerner, whose silky tones match Ray's earthy baritone alongside Carpenter's languidly loping bass line and some fingerpicked acoustic guitar before Larkin, Carpenter and Rombola put the record to sleep with a bit of unabashed rock.

There is a healthy dose of psychedelia that infuses the record, filtered through the blues of Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour and Billy F. Gibbons, and guitarist Tony Rombola runs the gamut from earthy comping to explosive shards of metallic but no less bluesy slide guitar on "We Are One". Rombola's riffing, writing, and soloing is a beautiful blend of chops and taste. This is a great guitar record, and Rombola displays a lifetime of woodshedding, listening, learning, and his playing is a thrill from beginning to end. Another important piece of the puzzle here is the rhythm section of Larkin and Carpenter. Carpenter's huge, gritty tones are a perfect complement to the dynamic drum work, and together they have the feel and sound of a classic blues rock engine room.

"The Shape Of Blues To Come" track listing:

01. Open Spaces

02. We Are One

03. Hell To Pay

04. Have You Heard?!

05. To Hell With You

06. Nobody Rides For Free

07. Sincere

08. What A Way To Go

09. Noumenal Blues