It’s been nearly four years since the last album from Prion, the savage attack of Uncertain Process, but now they have returned – bringing the nightmares of Aberrant Calamity with them.

Aberrant Calamity is the sound of massive, irreparable damage, a sonic vision of a brutalised reality. The finely crafted odes to terror that make up this mind-rending release are as deadly as they are deftly delivered. Featuring the heart stopping drum assault of Flavio Coscarella for the first time on a Prion recording, the level of intensity captured is frightening. The potential for Prion to utterly devastate has always been apparent, even back on their first ’99 demo, Corpse Dissection, but with Aberrant Calamity all the fearsome potential has been realised. These ten songs represent absolute death metal supremacy.

The task of unleashing the beast that is Aberrant Calamity upon mankind will fall to Comatose Music and the date set for this act of mass destruction is February 22nd 2019.

There will be no place to hide when Prion ride out into the night, no way to safeguard your sleeping minds. Prepare for pure, undiluted, merciless death metal and watch as the pretenders are brought to their knees.

For a first taste of Prion's world of nightmares, watch the lyric video for "Observed Relativity":

 

Maryland (US) based epic heavy metal band Eternal Winter is currently hard at work in the studio completing their upcoming 2nd full-length album, Archaic Lore Enshrined: Songs Of Savage Swords & Dark Mysticism.

Band leader, guitarist / vocalist & songwriter, Matthew Knight has checked in with the following comment:

“The forthcoming opus will be a brand new collection of metal hymns based on various literary themes that have inspired me over the years. The musical elements will be similar to those of the first album, but will feature a somewhat darker, gothic-sounding edge. Many of the songs are a bit more riff-heavy than those of the first record, and some more atmospheric to suit the subject matter at hand... At the same time, the album will most certainly retain all the “epic” ideas we are well-known for, and the ending result will be without a doubt, 100% true heavy metal with no compromises! I believe the songwriting has progressed over the years, and feel that these are some of my best compositions to date... We have been making steady progress in the studio, and are looking forward to sharing the release with everyone in 2019!”

Eternal Winter band line-up (2019):

Matthew Knight - Vocals / Guitars 
Gordon Burchell - Bass 
Keith Moye - Keyboards 
Matt Brookins - Drums

German old school metal bashers Booze Control will release Forgotten Lands, their fourth full-length album (fifth release overall) February 22nd on Gates of Hell Records. 

On their Gates of Hell Records debut Forgotten Lands, Booze Control continue to evolve into classic metal songsmiths with tracks that adopt a more serious tone than previous efforts. Recorded in October 2017 at Overlodge Recording Studio in Harz Mountains, Germany, with Martin Schnella handling engineering duties, Forgotten Lands finds Booze Control successfully bridging the gap between NWOBHM and old-school American and European metal. The band also parlays more serious lyrical content into songs that are filled with spiraling melodies, driving rhythms and catchy vocal lines from Kuri. The band's songwriting diversity is on display with "Of The Deep" as well as "Attack Of The Axeman," songs that peddle an epic flair with a classic metal foundation.

Formed in 2009 in Braunschweig, Germany, Booze Control came together at the spur of the moment when guitarist/vocalist David Kuri, bassist Steffen Kurth and drummer Lauritz "Lord" Jilge, were asked to assemble a band for a local event. The trio quickly gathered in a local rehearsal room to write songs in preparation for the show, thinking all along the band would be short-lived. But, to their surprise, more gigs followed, as did second guitarist Jendrik Seiler. Booze Control started to enjoy their new compositions, which, in comparison to the more technical nature of their previous outfits, was welcome. Soon, their debut EP, Wanted, was released in 2009, followed up by 2011's Don't Touch While Running.

However, leading up to the creation of their 2013 album Heavy Metal, Kuri and Jilge had a revelation while watching Iron Maiden's Beast Over Hammersmith live video. The conviction in which Bruce Dickinson sings, the energy of the band and the charisma they displayed while on stage needed to be followed in Booze Control. Prior, Booze Control was riding the somewhat clichéd boozed-out rock band angle a bit too hard with their first releases. While the songs were there, the delivery wasn't, so the band made a concerted effort to improve their songwriting and stage presentation for Heavy Metal. They succeeded in doing so, setting them on a path for the ensuing 2016 The Lizard Rider album and their latest and first LP for Gates of Hell Records, Forgotten Lands.

Now ten years into their career, Booze Control has already gone well beyond their humble origins and party-time ethos. Booze Control invites you to take part in their continued evolution on Forgotten Lands.  

Tracklisting:

“Forgotten Lands”
“Attack Of The Axeman”
“The Nameless”
“Of The Deep”
“Spellbound”
“Slaying Mantis”
“Playing With Fire”
“Thanatos”
“Doom Of Sargoth”
“Cydonian Sands”

Night Nag make their Horror Pain Gore Death Productions debut with the new EP Insemination Rites Of The Succubus. Hailing from Virginia, Night Hag perform vicious old school death/doom metal that is not for the false. Awakened from an extended slumber, Night Hag returns to kill you in your sleep with this this five track EP that will take you to the depths of your nightmares and back. Prepare to be paralyzed and crushed by the most foul, unpleasant, ugliest bitch of your imagination.

Find preorders on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Buried In Gore”
“Night Hag”
“Carnal Necromantic Lust Ritual”
“Insemination Rites Of The Succubus”
“Witches’ Coven” (Mortician cover)

“Buried In Gore”:

On March 29, Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL will release their seventh full-length album, "The Valley", via Metal Blade Records. The latest single from the disc, "Third Depth", can be streamed below.

Produced once again by Mark Lewis (CANNIBAL CORPSE, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER) and featuring artwork by Branca Studio, "The Valley"'s title is a reference to the part of Hardin Valley (west of Knoxville) where vocalist Phil Bozeman grew up. Set against this backdrop, he approaches his subject matter unflinchingly, building upon everything that came before, making it clear that he has survived that which he was forced to endure and is not afraid to confront it.

"Phil has been upfront in his lyrics in the past about hardships he endured in his life as a child, and I believe with this record we tried to paint a better picture of that," says guitarist Alex Wade, who alongside his bandmates, stands a hundred percent behind everything their vocalist has to say. "I feel our music is Phil's release from his past, being able to get it out and speak about it, and hopefully anyone who hears it that may have gone through similar experiences can find some release in it as well."

Anyone throwing "The Valley" on for the first time will immediately recognize it as the work of WHITECHAPEL, yet, as has been the case with each release, there is also evolution in play. "Sound-wise, it's all over the place," Bozeman states plainly. "There's aggression, and then you're hit with ominous and emotional guitar riffs. It's mean, but then transfers to soft and inviting. It's a whirlwind of emotions throughout."

"The Valley" track listing:

01. When A Demon Defiles A Witch

02. Forgiveness Is Weakness

03. Brimstone

04. Hickory Creek

05. Black Bear

06. We Are One

07. The Other Side

08. Third Depth

09. Lovelace

10. Doom Woods

This spring, WHITECHAPEL will co-headline the 2019 edition of the "Chaos & Carnage" U.S. tour with DYING FETUS. Support on the trek will come from REVOCATION, FALLUJAH, SPITE, UNCURED and BURIED ABOVE GROUND.

Frontiers Music Srl is known for building new bands/projects featuring musicians of outstanding quality and who come from unique backgrounds. After an intense brainstorming session, a dream team of renowned metal musicians including Tim "Ripper" Owens (ex-JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH), Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA), Steve DiGiorgio (TESTAMENT, DEATH) and Mark Zonder (ex-FATES WARNING, WARLORD) was born and put together under the direction of renowned Los Angeles-based producer Roy Z. (BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD, TRIBE OF GYPSIES).

Called SPIRITS OF FIRE (after the title of one of their songs), the band has completed work on their debut album which is set for release on February 22 via Frontiers Music Srl. The music can best be described as "classic JUDAS PRIEST meets SAVATAGE."

Today, SPIRITS OF FIRE has released its second video and single, "Stand And Fight". Check it out below.

Caffery said: "My influences for writing on this record were the bands that we were and are still in! I wanted to write songs that PRIEST, SAVATAGE, TESTAMENT and FATES WARNING fans would like. But I wanted them to have a personality of their own as well. To give it a vibe that was SPIRITS OF FIRE! I grew up listening to JUDAS PRIEST and spent 30-plus years working with Jon Oliva and Paul O'Neill with SAVATAGE and TSO. Many years playing Criss's music. These influences for me came naturally! Especially because I'm a fan of all of our bands!


"This was the first time that I ever worked with Roy and it was so much fun. I have been a huge fan of his work for a long time. He's written music, played on, and produced some of my favorite metal albums ever. He had a difficult job bringing this all together and I can't think of anyone that would have been a better producer and co-worker for this album!"


Added Owens: "I always just sing to the song, whatever I feel it should be. It's like a character thing! I like layers! This music is really perfect for me and in my natural wheel house. I like to sing all over the place and change it up and this all happens on this album. This is just the start of an amazing band, I mean sky is the limit and I actually can't wait to record the next album, because this one is so great and perfect."


Zonder stated: "I am the kind of player that plays what I think fits best with the music. With SPIRITS OF FIRE, the music was more aggressive and hard hitting which I really liked. Again, I tried to be very mindful of the song and the vocals, but tried to add parts that were interesting and creative for the listener."

"Spirits Of Fire" track listing:

01. Light Speed Marching

02. Temple Of The Soul

03. All Comes Together

04. Spirits Of Fire

05. It's Everywhere

06. A Game

07. Stand And Fight

08. Meet Your End

09. Never To Return

10. The Path

11. Alone In The Darkness

Former ASKING ALEXANDRIA singer Denis "Stoff" Shaforostov has launched a new band called DRAG ME OUT. The group's debut single, "I'm Sorry", has just been released digitally via Sumerian Records. Also available is an accompanying music video, which can be seen below.

Denis recorded one album with ASKING ALEXANDRIA, "The Black", before exiting the band in October 2016. Guitarist Ben Bruce said in a video message that Shaforostov had "just stopped talking to us."

He added: "When Denis first joined the band, people within the music industry and fans alike, they all told us these different things about Denis's past, and we got many warnings, and we said, that's his past — forgive and forget; we don't know any of that side of things. So we gave him the benefit of the doubt, and, you know, there's no smoke without fire, and I guess we found that out the hard way."

Shaforostov has not spoken out about his departure from ASKING ALEXANDRIA, although he did tweet at one point that he "left AA because I can't be in a touring band at this point in my life. There's no drama and I don't want to be a part of it."

Singer Danny Worsnop rejoined ASKING ALEXANDRIA in the fall of 2016.

Ex-ACCEPT singer David Reece says that he doesn't believe his former bandmates were "thoroughly prepared" to replace Udo Dirkschneider at the height of the group's success three decades ago.

The current SAINTED SINNERS vocalist was recruited by ACCEPT for the "Eat The Heat" album in 1989 following the departure of Dirkschneider. Reece's higher-pitched delivery was in sharp contrast to Udo's distinctive style, and overall, the album was a critical and commercial disappointment. Midway through the "Eat The Heat" tour, differences between the band and Reece had come to a head, leading to the altercation between the singer and bassist Peter Baltes in Chicago. By the end of 1989, ACCEPT had hung it up.

Reece, who has also played with BONFIRE and BANGALORE CHOIR, told "The Classic Metal Show" in a new interview that he thinks external influences were responsible for the ACCEPT singer change that resulted in him landing the gig.

"I've thought about this, of course, my whole life," he said (hear audio below). "That was 30 years ago. And I don't think ACCEPT were thoroughly prepared to make that choice. They were being pulled by the ring in their nose by the labels in America. 'This band is set up huge in Europe. Let's cross over the pond and really break this thing.' So they were, like, 'Yeah, we wanna be more famous and richer.' I don't really think they considered how big Udo really was. Now, you've got [current ACCEPT singer] Mark Tornillo. He's a soundalike — I mean, he's an Udo copy — and that sound works inside that German thing. But I never really heard them admit that they were prepared for what they really did, and they blamed me for a lot of things."

Reece drew a parallel between his experience in ACCEPT and that of a legendary British heavy metal band which underwent its own high-profile singer change in 1979.

"If you think about the comparisons, a guy named Ronnie James Dio joined [BLACK] SABBATH and sang circles around Ozzy [Osbourne], but Ozzy is a character," David said. "And the same thing happened. And Ronnie said one time to me about it, when we talked about ACCEPT, 'cause he knew those guys, and he said, 'You know, when I joined SABBATH, it was kind of the same thing' — but on a bigger level, obviously. People were holding up sheets, 'Go home. Where's Ozzy?' And he said, 'I just went out there every night with the attitude that I'll stick my head in the lion's mouth, and if he bites down, there goes my effin' head.' And I just looked at him and I went, 'Wow!' And he was doing his solo thing again, and I went, 'Man, you made some records that are just unbelievable with SABBATH' — I think better than anything they did with Ozzy; I mean, musically. But he was crucified for joining. And they changed [their name] to HEAVEN & HELL and all that crap."

Reece also expressed his disappointment over the fact that the members of ACCEPT have never properly acknowleged "Eat The Heat" as the quality album that it really is.

"Why can't they just say, 'Hey, it's part of our legacy'?" David asked rhetorically. "I've heard Wolf [Hoffmann, ACCEPT guitarist] going as far as [telling journalists], 'Don't ask me about David Reece in interviews. Don't bring up that part of my history.' You know what, pal? I've got a couple of stinker albums in my collection in my life too. It gives a story. It's a story to talk about. You don't have to badmouth each other. You can say, 'It just didn't work. It was a great experience.' 'Cause I think Wolf Hoffmann actually got to play some pretty impressive guitar stuff ['Eat The Heat']… On that album, you get some David Gilmour tones with 'Generation Clash'. He's one of the greatest metal guitar players in the world, but he got to show that he can actually play. And I give him credit for it."

In 2018 interview with RockSverige, Hoffmann described "Eat The Heat" as a low point in ACCEPT's career. "That whole period with David Reece in the '90s, that was definitely a dip in the curve, I'd say," he said.

Several years earlier, Wolf told Sleaze Roxx that the collaboration with Reece "was just doomed from the beginning. It was just something that we were so committed to that once we got going it spiraled and we couldn't pull the plug on it... it was just too late. We were so far into it that there was no turning back. We realized in the process that our personalities and David's personality just didn't mesh, yet we moved forward. I was hoping that the songs would be strong enough to make it work, but they simply weren't there. It was a different time — that was [30] ago and things were just so different then."

Asked if he thought "Eat The Heat" would have fared better if it had been released under a different band name, Hoffmann said: "I would say probably not because we were ACCEPT then. The way I see it is that we were still the same guys in the band who wrote all the previous material; we just had a different singer. I think it just wasn't meant to be and there is no other way to put it. That leads into the present with the way things have gone with how Peter Baltes and I met Mark Tornillo, how [producer] Andy Sneap got involved, [it] makes me think that this is meant to be. Everyone just crossed our path and it worked out, like it was meant to be. This was the complete opposite of working with David Reece... we tried and tried, and nothing happened."

Back in 2017, Reece told Canadian rock journalist Mitch Lafon that he still looks back fondly on the "Eat The Heat" album. "You know what? It's weird, because the bad blood happened at the end of it, and I hated it — I hated everything about it," he said. "I knew it opened a bunch of doors for me, but… I, on a daily basis, get people telling me what that album means to them now. At the beginning, they hated me, but now it's, like, they have this rebirth of how great it is. And I listened to it the other day, and I went, 'That's a pretty dang good album for a first.'"

He continued: "Yeah, I'm proud of it. I mean, that's a… I mean, it's not ACCEPT — okay, let's be honest — but there's some cool stuff on there. And I still get paid royalties for that album. They [re-released] it on vinyl. I get these statements; people buy it from the old crowd and the new crowd. And I'm, like, 'Ooooh…' So it's got legs to this day, and that was '88… 1988, '89. Amazing."

SIX FEET UNDER bassist Jeff Hughell will release his fourth full-length solo album, "Sleep Deprivation", on January 25. With stunning arrangements and instrumentation, this new album showcases not only Hughell's impressive musicianship but also the depth of his creativity.

Hughell plays all bass guitar parts on "Sleep Deprivation", using his Warwick seven-string bass, and also plays a majority of the electric guitar parts. Drummer Marco Pitruzzella, Hughell's bandmate from SIX FEET UNDER and a past collaborator, is a powerful presence behind the kit, staying true to his nickname Lord Marco.

The album kicks off with a blistering guitar solo on "Night Terrors" followed by driving blast beats and death metal riffing that earned Hughell his reputation. However, there's even more depth to this track when it gives way to a melodic bridge before returning to the thrilling roller coaster of riffs. On the next track, "Drift Off", Hughell provides intertwining piano and guitar licks. The dynamics and intricate layers will do the opposite of induce sleep, especially with its powerful ending. The rise-and-fall gives way to the third track on the album, "Crash", which opens with funky bass influences that give way to death metal drive. This, in turn, relents to a harmonic bass-driven bridge before returning full circle to the opening.

The halfway point in the album, "Sleep Paralysis", opens with plenty for the listener to take in, including bass, Latin percussion, and saxophone. The guitar provides underlying harmonics before making a powerful statement midway through the song as it duels with the saxophone. A gorgeous symphonic vocal synth effect ends the song. True to its title, "Autohypnosis", this next track opens with a heavenly choir synth before piano, drums, bass, and guitar kick in with force. In another eclectic showcase, the song features classically inspired moments with synth strings that poke through the gloom like sunshine. The clouds dissipate on "Falling Into", a beautiful interlude of acoustic guitar, synth and sustained piano. "Sleep Deprivation" shatters the slumber with riff-heavy death metal. A melodic bridge then nearly seduces the listener back into sleep before opening to a thoughtful guitar solo. Truly, there is no rest for the engaged listener who is rewarded in the final track, "The Darkside", which once again showcases Hughell's mastery on bass.

Hughell is a renowned seven-string bass player who is well established in the technical metal scene. In addition to SIX FEET UNDER, bands he has played with include RECIPROCAL, FEARED, BRAIN DRILL, VILE, OSMIUM, SEVERED SAVIOR, ASYLUM, RINGS OF SATURN and CRYPTOREUM. Hughell is endorsed by Warwick bass guitars, Dean Markley strings, Gallien-Krueger, Darkglass and Toontrack.

A new TNT live CD, DVD and Blu-ray, "Encore - Live In Milano", will be released on March 22 va Frontiers Music Srl. The set was professionally filmed and recorded in April 2017 at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy and features Tony Harnell on lead vocals.

"Encore - Live In Milano" track listing:

01. Give Me A Sign

02. As Far As The Eye Can See

03. She Needs Me

04. Desperate Nights

05. Invisible Noise

06. Child's Play

07. Ironnic (Ronni solo)

08. Forever Shine On

09. Northern Lights

10. Tonight I'm Falling

11. Intuition

12. Seven Seas

13. Listen To Your Heart

14. 10000 Lovers

15. Everyone's A Star

In October 2017, Harnell once again split with TNT, less than a year and a half after he rejoined the group. The singer described his relationship with TNT in an "Unphiltered" interview as "a very long marriage. I'm here [in New York], they're there [in Norway] — they're across the pond really far away. It's a very difficult situation to be in without having a very unified business organization, and no matter what I did, I could not get the thing unified. We were just on two totally separate not only continents physically, but mentally, psychologically, we were on two different continents as well."

According to Harnell, he "really, really wanted" his latest collaboration with TNT to work out. "In my opinion, this was gonna be it — we were gonna stay together until I didn't feel like singing anymore," he said. 'I was gonna do other things and do other projects and so forth, but my goal was that TNT woud be my band for at least another five years, maybe 10 years or whatever, until it ran its course. So this was kind of an unexpected thing."

One thing that Harnell wants "to make clear" is that he "did not quit" TNT "this time. I really haven't quit the band as many times as other people in the band have said and also the press has said," he explained. "Most of the time, it's been either a mutual parting of ways or a break. We've taken several breaks that were just not even talked about — we just didn't record or work [together] for a couple of years and then just started working again. The only time I legitimately actually quit the band was 2006. And then this [latest split] was just sort of a, 'This isn't working.' It was kind of a mutual thing. It [was] working on stage really well — actually, some of the best shows we have ever done were this year. And I was actually really happy. In August [2017], I thought we did some of the best shows we've ever done, and then at the same time, we could not get the business stuff together. And at our age, the business really does have to be organized."

The singer went on to suggest that some of the individuals closely associated with TNT were to blame for his most recent exit from the group. "There are people that often are maybe well-meaning, but there, unfortunately, were people around the band that were, instead of trying to bring the main characters in the band together, they were more… maybe inadvertently — I don't think they were on purpose trying to do this — but they ultimately drove a wedge between the two most important members of the band, and that was ultimately the thing that I think caused this last thing to fall apart," he said.

At the end of the day, Harnell says that he feels "really, really bad" for the TNT fans who were hoping to catch the band live again. "I feel bad about it for myself, because I really wanted this to work so badly. I was having a great time. In fact, I posted three videos, I think, on my page after the last shows that we did because I was so proud of the band for how well I thought we were playing. So, ultimately, I feel very, very bad for all the fans that never got to see the band, 'cause I was really looking forward to coming to America. We were starting to get some really good offers for some really good festivals in the U.S., and I was excited about it. And a lot of other countries and a lot of other things were coming together, and then, all of a sudden, it was done."

Harnell added that was aware of the fact that he was being blamed by many of the TNT fans for his latest departure from the group. "I don't read Blabbermouth — I don't," he said. "I mean, I read the stories, but I don't read the comments under the stories, because those are dangerous to read. But I know just from peeking at my page and having to delete a few things here and there, and over at the TNT page, and then hearing from a few friends some things that the people were saying some not-such-nice things. But, honestly, at the end of the day, I don't really hold it against them, because they don't know. They weren't there, and anything they're hearing is either second-hand or third-hand [information]."

In November 2017, TNT recruited Baol Bardot Bulsara as the band's new singer. The Spanish vocalist made his live debut with TNT at the Oslo Spektrum on Oslo, Norway, where the group performed as the support act for the SCORPIONS.

TNT's first studio album with Baol Bardot Bulsara, "XIII", was released last June via Frontiers Music Srl.

Former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens has defended Kenneth "K.K." Downing over the comments the ex-PRIEST guitarist made about his former bandmates in his recently released autobiography, explaining that Downing is "just telling the truth."

K.K. departed the iconic band eight years ago, but looked back on his time with the British metal titans in "Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest", which came out last September. The book, which was written with collaborator Mark Eglinton, covers all of the behind-the-scenes turbulence that led to Downing's exit from PRIEST, including his strained relationship with guitarist Glenn Tipton and his gripes with certain managerial decisions.

During a January 10 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation", Owens said that Downing had every right to tell his story, including insider details on band collaborations and machinations.

"If you want a book, you tell all," Owens said. "I was around. I know what Ken's talking about. So it's not like he's fabricating stuff. People keep saying that's all he talks about [in interviews promoting the book]. No, he's not. People are interviewing him and asking him about the book. He's answering the questions that people are asking. It is what it is. I was there. I saw things happen. I saw how it ran. I saw how the band ran. And I'm not complaining about it; I was treated great. But I did see how it was run. And from what I see, he's not lying about stuff; he's just telling the truth."

According to Owens, Downing isn't bitter about the fact that he is no longer a member of PRIEST.

"I talked to Ken, and he had nothing but great things to say about [his replacement in PRIEST] Richie [Faulkner] and even the band," Tim continued. "When I sat down with him a few months back — this was before the book was written, but he wasn't in the band [anymore] — he spoke great about everybody and especially Richie. So that's just the way it is."

K.K., who is a founding member of the British heavy metal legends and was part of the group since 1969, announced his retirement from PRIEST in April 2011.

A few months ago, Downing told Rolling Stone that he tried talking things out with Tipton to let his bandmate know what was bothering him about their working relationship before Downing exited PRIEST. "I did when it came to his drinking before and during the gig," K.K. said. "That didn't get me anywhere. It just made me nervous, because I'm a beer drinker and I know I couldn't do that. It seemed to be slowing the show down as well."

Downing confirmed that PRIEST's roadies tried to limit Glenn's alcohol intake by watering down his beer during live performances. "I just hated going on every night and wondering, 'Are we together here?'" K.K. said. "It made me so fucking nervous. It wasn't funny. Ripper [who was singing for PRIEST at the time] used to come over and tug at my stage clothes and say, 'Do something.' I'd go, 'I'm playing the guitar, mate. I can't do anything.' Not that anybody probably noticed. I stopped enjoying playing. It got to me."

Downing also said that he thought Tipton was controlling band decisions, such as when PRIEST toured. Asked if he ever discussed that with Glenn, Downing said: "The thing was, so much of it went on [behind the scenes], and we knew, but there was never any kind of proof. You can't make an issue out of something you can't back up. For the most part, it was done in a certain way. You knew it was done, but you couldn't make an issue out of it. Sadly."

Downing claimed that the other members of JUDAS PRIEST felt pretty much the same way as he did about Glenn's control issues, which is why K.K. thought it was odd that he wasn't approached to rejoin the band following Tipton's decision to retire from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. "Yeah, because they all knew my problem was with Glenn with the beer drinking and the decision-making with him and [management]," Downing said. "I was just tired of it. I felt like I was working a nine-to-five job and the other guys felt the same. There's no doubt in my mind their preference would have been to have me in the band, because why wouldn't you?"

PRIEST recruited Owens in 1996 and released two studio albums, 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition", before reuniting with Rob Halford in 2003.

British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) will release the "Live In France" live album and DVD on March 1. The set will contain a recording of Blaze's May 25, 2018 and May 26, 2018 concerts at Chez Paulette, near Nancy, France.

"Live In France" CD track listing:

Disc One

01. Redeemer (Bayley / Appleton)

02. Are You Here (Bayley / Appleton)

03. Futureal (Bayley / Harris)

04. The First True Sign (Bayley / Appleton)

05. Silicon Messiah (Bayley / Slater / Naylor)

06. Dawn Of The Dead Son (Bayley / Appleton)

07. Escape Velocity (Bayley / Sciarrotta / Appleton)

08. Fight Back (Bayley / Appleton)

09. Prayers Of Light (Bayley / Appleton)

10. Virus (Harris / Gers / Murray / Bayley)

Disc Two

01. Independence (Bayley / Sciarrotta / Appleton)

02. Immortal One (Bayley / Appleton)

03. Human (Bayley / Appleton)

04. Calling You Home (Bayley / Sciarrotta / Appleton)

05. Endure And Survive (Bayley / Appleton)

06. The Angel And The Gambler (Harris)

07. Man On The Edge (Bayley / Gers)

08. A Thousand Years (Bayley / Sciarrotta / Appleton)

09. Infinite Entanglement (Bayley / Appleton)

10. Dark Energy 256 (Bayley / Appleton)

DVD track listing

01. Redeemer (Bayley / Appleton)

02. Are You Here (Bayley / Appleton)

03. Futureal (Bayley / Harris)

04. The First True Sign (Bayley / Appleton)

05. Silicon Messiah (Bayley / Slater / Naylor)

06. Dawn Of The Dead Son (Bayley / Appleton)

07. Escape Velocity (Bayley / Sciarrotta / Appleton)

08. Fight Back (Bayley / Appleton)

09. Prayers Of Light (Bayley / Appleton)

10. Virus (Harris / Gers / Murray / Bayley)

11. Independence (Bayley / Sciarrotta / Appleton)

12. Immortal One (Bayley / Appleton)

13. Human (Bayley / Appleton)

14. Calling You Home (Bayley / Sciarrotta / Appleton)

15. Endure And Survive (Bayley / Appleton)

16. The Angel And The Gambler (Harris)

17. Man On The Edge (Bayley / Gers)

18. A Thousand Years (Bayley / Sciarrotta / Appleton)

19. Infinite Entanglement (Bayley / Appleton)

20. Dark Energy 256 (Bayley / Appleton)

You can pre-order "Live In France" at this location.

The 55-year-old Bayley, who was born in Birmingham, was the original frontman in WOLFSBANE, but left in 1994 to join IRON MAIDEN. He recorded two studio albums with the Steve Harris-led group — 1995's "The X Factor" and 1998's "Virtual XI" — before Bruce Dickinson returned to the band.

The third album in Blaze's "Infinite Entanglement" trilogy was released in March 2018. Titled "The Redemption Of William Black", it was the tenth album of Blaze's solo career.

"The Redemption Of William Black" was co-written with Chris Appleton of fellow British metal band ABSOLVA. Chris, who also co-produced the album, is lead guitarist and backing vocalist in Blaze's band for recording and touring, together with his ABSOLVA bandmates Martin McNee (drums) and Karl Schramm (bass and backing vocals).

In a 2017 interview with Spain's EMP Live, Blaze talked about the obstacles he faced while trying to become accepted by MAIDEN fans as Bruce's replacement.

"I think for all of us, if we fall in love with a band and we fall in love with a voice, it is very difficult to make an adjustment to a new voice," he explained. "And for me, I had incredible support from thousands of fans all over the world. But there are some fans that hated me, hated my voice and they still do. And that's okay, because it's not for everyone.

"My style is very different to Bruce, and when [IRON MAIDEN] chose me to replace Bruce, I was very surprised because my voice is so different," he continued. "But it is the most incredible job. As a heavy metal singer, it's perhaps the number one job that you can have — to be the singer of IRON MAIDEN. So my passion and my heart was there, and the music that we made on 'The X Factor' and 'Virtual XI', which have been re-released now on vinyl, was incredible. And people that perhaps didn't like the change at the time, now they go back and listen differently, with fresh ears, to the records and the music that we made then, and perhaps that's why now I've become more popular than I ever was after IRON MAIDEN. Now, more than twenty years, people really start to take notice of what Blaze Bayley is doing."

According to Blaze, his dismissal from MAIDEN in January 1999 came as a total shock, but he doesn't believe the band was completely to blame for the decision. "The main reason that I was leaving IRON MAIDEN is because of EMI [MAIDEN's record label] and the business," he said. "That is what I believe. At the time, BLACK SABBATH had the reunion with Ozzy [Osbourne], DEEP PURPLE had the original lineup with Ian Gillan reunion, and CD sales worldwire were going down. And I think the record company put a lot of pressure on the band to have a reunion. So, for me, it was a horrible time, but it is still a time I think of very fondly. And Steve Harris [IRON MAIDEN bassist] was really like a mentor to me and taught me so much about songwriting. So those values and the things that he taught me are things that I put into my own work now."

Blaze also shot down speculation that there was bad blood between him and Dickinson, insisting that the two singers have always had an amiable relationship. "Bruce Dickinson and I have been friends before [I was in] IRON MAIDEN, and Bruce Dickinson was very supportive of me when I was in IRON MAIDEN and after IRON MAIDEN," Blaze said. "When he had his own radio show, he helped me and played my music on his show. And my newest video, for 'Escape Velocity', was actually filmed at his aircraft simulator. So he had helped me a great deal."

On December 30th, Loudness performed at the EX Theater in Tokyo, Japan as part of their Rise To Glory tour. Pro-shot video of the entire shows is available below.

The show featured Ryuichi "Ryu" Nishida on drums except for the final two songs of the night, "Loudness" and "S.D.I." which saw the return of permanent drummer Masayuki "Ampan" Suzuki, who has been sidelined for health reasons.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Soul on Fire
"I'm Still Alive
"Go For Broke
"Ares' Lament
"Until I See The Light
"The Voice
"No Limits
"Kama Sutra 
"Rise to Glory
"Massive Tornado
"Why and for Whom
"Rain
"The Sun Will Rise Again
"The King of Pain
"In the Mirror
"Long Distance Love
"This Lonely Heart
"Crazy Doctor 

Encore:
"Loudness"
- drum battle - 
"S.D.I."

MetallicaTV has uploaded video of Metallica performing "The Day That Never Comes" in Spokane, Washington on December 2nd. 

Metallica have launched the pre-order for Helping Hands... Live & Acoustic At The Masonic.

Pre-order this limited-edition, 140 gram coloured 2-LP with a download card in the Met Store here, at Probity Merch UK/EU Metallica Shop, or pick it up at your local record store on February 1st.

All net proceeds from the purchase of this album will be donated directly to AWMH and used to support communities in need, primarily in the areas of workforce education and the fight against hunger.

Tracklisting:

Disc One / Side A

"Disposable Heroes"
"When A Blind Man Cries"
"The Unforgiven"

Disc One / Side B

"Please Don’t Judas Me"
"Turn The Page"

Disc Two / Side C

"Bleeding Me"
"Veteran Of The Psychic Wars"
"Nothing Else Matters"

Disc Two / Side D

"All Within My Hands"
"Enter Sandman"
"The Four Horsemen"
"Hardwired"

Metallica performs next on January 16th at the I Am the Highway: A Tribute To Chris Cornell event at The Forum in Los Angeles, CA. The band's complete tour schedule, which stretches into August 2019, can be found at this location.

The official lyric video for the song "Year Of The Gun" from LAST IN LINE can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's sophomore album, "II", which will be released on February 22 via Frontiers Music Srl. As with 2016's "Heavy Crown", the new disc was produced by DOKKEN and FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson.

LAST IN LINE was formed in 2012, when Vinny Appice, Jimmy Bain and Vivian Campbell — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — teamed up with esteemed vocalist Andrew Freeman. The debut album "Heavy Crown" was released in February 2016, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when bassist Jimmy Bain unexpectedly passed away at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. LAST IN LINE, honoring what they knew would be Bain's wish to keep the band moving, brought in renowned bassist Phil Soussan (ex-OZZY OSBOURNE) and committed to sustained touring in support of the album, hitting festivals, headlining clubs, and sharing the stage with metal luminaries such as SAXON and MEGADETH.


In late 2017, the band gathered in Los Angeles to start the recording of the second album, which was produced by the band members and Jeff Pilson (FOREIGNER, DOKKEN), who also helmed the debut album. Having really jelled as a band while touring in support of the first disc, the songwriting came readily to the members. They've created a record that shows a big progression in sound, while immediately being recognizable as LAST IN LINE thanks to Appice's rhythms, thunderous bass from Soussan, amazing vocals from Freeman, and the roaring guitars of Campbell.

"The musical style of 'II' is different from 'Heavy Crown', but it wasn't something that we planned to do," explains Campbell. "Phil is a more intricate player than Jimmy was and that, together with the natural growth and development of the band led us to the songs on the album. As always, we simply started to jam on ideas and see where they led us. But it's fair to say that the songs on this album sound more developed, with more parts and more experimentation than the songs on 'Heavy Crown'. The first album set a tone, but on 'II' we developed that idea and took it to the next logical stage."


Appice, on the sound of the new record and songwriting process, says: "I always sound like me. Viv and I have been playing together for years and have the same feel and pulse and attitude. Now with Phil on bass, he allows a more melodic approach on the bass parts making the songs even more interesting. He fits in perfectly being from the same musical family and time as me and Viv. Mr. Freeman sings from his soul and completes the band's sound with his melodies and amazing range."


He continues: "The songwriting process was the same as DIO's 'Holy Diver'. First, we have fun writing together. We get in a room and jam on riffs and chords until we hit on something good, then continue to build it into a song. Andy puts his magic on it and it all works out very well."


Soussan says about how it was joining LAST IN LINE and the development of the songs: "It was refreshing to be able to write songs in such an organic fashion — by jamming and developing ideas as a group, without bringing in preconceived songs — something I haven't done for ages. The result was a true collaboration, a concept that is so rare these days! Vinny has a unique style of drumming that, beyond keeping beats, inspires riffs and arrangements and Vivian has a way of playing that has a conviction to every note. He is able to turn every riff into a signature. Andrew was creative and unrestricted, focusing his contemporary influences into vocal stylings and hooks that are outside the classic rock clichés. He is very much a perfectionist. Beyond trying to remain true to Jimmy's playing and to the heritage of the relationship between Viv and Vinny, everyone was completely open to exploring any possible idea. I am honestly prouder of our efforts on this album than anything in which I have been involved in for a very long time. With 'II', I would like to think that we have stretched out from 'Heavy Crown' to test some uncharted waters.... the evolution of LAST IN LINE!"

"II" track listing:

01. Intro

02. Black Out The Sun

03. Landslide

04. Gods And Tyrants

05. Year Of The Gun

06. Give Up The Ghost

07. The Unknown

08. Sword From The Stone

09. Electrified

10. Love And War

11. False Flag

12. The Light

Bain was reportedly suffering from lung cancer at the time of his death.

DISTURBED frontman David Draiman and ALICE COOPER guitarist Nita Strauss joined forces to perform stripped-down versions of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence" and DISTURBED's "A Reason To Fight" at Shep Gordon's annual charity jam on December 31 at Wailea Beach Resort in Maui, Hawaii. Video footage of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "Howard Dinits").

The 11th annual concert and fireworks show, which also featured AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler, Alice Cooper and Grammy Award-winning artist Michael McDonald, has raised millions of dollars for the Maui Food Bank, Maui Arts & Cultural Center and other local groups over the past decade.

The cheapest ticket to the event was $675, though the average price was over $1,000. The performers do not make "one penny" off the concert, Gordon said.

Marlene Rice, development director for the food bank, said the food bank provides meals for more than 10,000 people a month, with 40 percent going to children.

"Every penny that comes into this event is utilized for people who are food insecure," Rice said, accordint to The Maui News. "This is probably the largest donor the Maui Food Bank has, and we're so grateful for what they do."

Draiman lives in Honolulu, Hawaii — near wife Lena's family — having recently moved after spending years in Austin, Texas.

Norwegian black metal masters 1349 have released a new single, titled "Dødskamp". The song has been commissioned by Innovation Norway, Visit Norway and the Munch Museum, who asked four Norwegian artists within four different genres of music to interpret their angle on a freely selected work by the famous painter Edvard Munch. Naturally, 1349 approached the art of Munch from their black metal perspective.

Regarding the single, 1349 guitarist Archaon comments: "Munch is arguably the biggest Norwegian artist throughout history, together with Edvard Grieg, I suppose. His works are tremendously dark and eerie, reflecting a lot of anxiety, pain and loneliness, in the way I perceive them. So, it suited us perfectly. I chose the work 'Dødskamp' which directly translates 'Death Struggle' and speaks volumes for itself. It was an emotionally heavy task, and also a completely new way to compose. As well as some very long nights, bereaved of sleep. In the end though, it was worth it. This is the soundtrack to the dilemmas of mortality."

The new single can be found on all digital platforms and streamed via the official Season Of Mist YouTube channel below. The song is available on vinyl, together with the bonus track "Atomic Chapel" and can be pre-ordered the Season Of Mist shop. 1349 will return with a full-length release later this year.

"Dødskamp" track listing:

01. Dødskamp (05:05)

02. Atomic Chapel (live) (06:54) (only available on EP)

1349 band picture by Jorn Veberg

The "Ninth Star" album by EMERALD SABBATH is an ambitious epic rock and classical music tribute to BLACK SABBATH. Founded and produced by Michael Suilleabhain, an Irish nuclear construction safety inspector, the disc features 10 former members of BLACK SABBATH, The English Chamber Choir and much more.

The first song to be released from the album is "She's Gone", which originally featured on SABBATH's 1976 album "Technical Ecstasy". The new recording features Dave Walker, who replaced Ozzy Osbourne briefly in 1977-1978. Also appearing on the track is former BLACK SABBATH and WHITESNAKE member Neil Murray on bass.

"Ninth Star" features:

* Adam Wakeman (BLACK SABBATH, OZZY OSBOURNE)

* Bev Bevan (BLACK SABBATH, ELO)

* Neil Murray (BLACK SABBATH, WHITESNAKE)

* Terry Chimes (BLACK SABBATH, THE CLASH)

* Laurence Cottle (BLACK SABBATH, THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT)

* Ron Keel (BLACK SABBATH, KEEL)

* Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL)

* Dave Walker (BLACK SABBATH, FLEETWOOD MAC)

* Bobby Rondinelli (BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW)

* Tony Martin (BLACK SABBATH, HEADLESS CROSS)

* Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE)

* The English Chamber Choir

Other EMERALD SABBATH contributors include Will Malone and Mike Lewis ("Sabotage", "Technical Ecstasy"), Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH, JUDAS PRIEST), Skaila Kanja (Royal Academy Of Music) plus BLACK SABBATH album graphic designers Richard Manning and Colin Elgie ("Technical Ecstasy") and Hugh Gilmour ("Born Again").

EMERALD SABBATH founder/producer Michael Suilleabhain states about "Ninth Star": "I have been a BLACK SABBATH fan since 1983, when I heard them for first time. Like a lot of fans, it was BLACK SABBATH's debut album I heard first, and as they say, the rest is history. Over the years, I have since seen BLACK SABBATH a total of 82 times with every lineup [except with Ray Gillen]. I also have a great passion for classical music, and in May 2015 I decided to mix both of them. Adam Wakeman was the first to contribute to the project, with keyboards on 'Changes', and then it snowballed into this final product.

"I decided to re-record BLACK SABBATH tracks and instrumentals with as many as ex-members of BLACK SABBATH as possible. A lot of the artists also played on the originals (such as Vinny Appice, who joined SABBATH on drums for the 'Heaven And Hell' tour, and The English Chamber Choir on 'Supertzar'). I then brought in a string quartet along with various classical players.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would be able to do this, but my persistence paid off.

"I would like to thank all the ex-BLACK SABBATH guys for helping me with this, as well as the former BLACK SABBATH graphic designers, string arrangers and producers.

"I hope that everyone will enjoy this album.”

"Ninth Star" will be released on February 15 via Plastic Head Distribution.

Track listing and credits:

"Embryo"

Adam Wakeman: Keyboards

Bev Bevan: Percussion

Laurence Cottle: Bass

Anneka Sutcliffe: Violin

Sarah Tobias: Flute/Clarinet

"Die Young"

Ron Keel: Vocals

Vinny Appice: Drums

Rudy Sarzo: Bass

DC Cothern: Guitar

Pete Rinaldi: Guitar

Ellen Morgan: Keyboards

"Fluff"

Sarah Tobias: Flute/Clarinet

Ardeton String Quartet

Pete Rinaldi: Guitar

"Trashed"

Ron Keel: Vocals

Vinny Appice: Drums

Bev Bevan: Percussion

Laurence Cottle: Bass

Pete Rinaldi: Guitar

"Stonehenge"

Adam Wakeman: Keyboards

Laurence Cottle: Bass

Pete Rinaldi: Guitar

Sarah Tobias: Flute

"She's Gone"

Dave Walker: Vocals

Neill Murray: Bass

Bill Dwyer: Drums

Ardeton String Quartet

Lisa Ljungberg: Backing Vocals

"In For The Kill"

Tony Martin: Vocals

Laurence Cottle: Bass

Bobby Rondinelli: Drums

Pete Rinaldi: Guitars

Adam Wakeman: Keyboards

"Orchid"

Neil Murray: Bass

Sarah Tobias: Flute/Clarinet

Ardeton String Quartet

Pete Rinaldi: Guitar

"Hole In The Sky"

Ron Keel: Vocals

Bobby Rondinelli: Drums

Laurence Cottle: Bass

Pete Rinaldi: Guitar

"Changes"

Michael Suilleabhain: Vocals

Adam Wakeman: Keyboards

Laurence Cottle: Bass

Bev Bevan: Percussion

Queenie May: Backing Vocals

Annela Sutcliffe: Violin

Sarah Tobias: Flute/Clarinet

"Supertzar"

English Chamber Choir

Adam Wakeman: Keyboards

Terry Chimes: Drums

Laurence Cottle: Bass

Pete Rinaldi: Guitar

Skaila Kanja: Harp

Elen Morgan: Glockenspiel

The official lyric video for the brand-new QUEENSRŸCHE song "Dark Reverie" can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "The Verdict", which will be released on March 1 via Century Media Records. The disc was produced, mixed, and mastered by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, ICED EARTH, HATEBREED) at Uberbeatz in Lynwood, Washington; Planet-Z in Wilbraham, Massachusetts; and Watershed Studio in Seattle, Washington.

QUEENSRŸCHE guitarist Parker Lundgren states about the song: "'Dark Reverie' is a guitar-driven progressive ballad addressing self-reflection during times of tragedy and the questions we ask ourselves while grieving."

"The Verdict" track listing:

01. Blood Of The Levant

02. Man The Machine

03. Light-Years

04. Inside Out

05. Propaganda Fashion

06. Dark Reverie

07. Bent

08. Inner Unrest

09. Launder The Conscience

10. Portrait

Says QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre: "I'm extremely proud of what we were able to accomplish on this record. The relentless dedication and hard work of everyone involved has been very rewarding. I am excited and looking forward to it no longer just belonging to us, but belonging to the world. We hope you all enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed making it!"


Michael "Whip" Wilton (guitar) adds: "'The Verdict' is the most metal and the most progressive record we have made in a long time. I couldn't possibly be more excited for everyone to hear this."

Todd spoke about "The Verdict"'s musical direction with Eclectic Arts, saying: "It's got more driving songs on this record than the last one… I think there's elements that are more progressive — some different time signatures. It's a good-flowing album. There's some slow, kind of haunting, creepy, cool stuff on this record," he continued. "Like I say, there's more progressive elements on this one, I think — certainly more, I think, than the last one. The song 'Condition Hüman' was kind of progressive in QUEENSRŸCHE's standards, so there's kind of some of those elements going on. Really good lyrical content — thought-provoking stuff. Certainly never trying to tell anyone what to think, but to think. Again, a lot of it deals with things that are happening in the world that everyone can identify with and relate to. I tried to have some really good vocal acrobatics on this [album]. There's not a ton of high singing, but there's some high stuff on there vocally. I mean, it just sounds like a great QUEENSRŸCHE album to me. But you never know until you put it out to everyone, and then it's not yours anymore."

For the past two years, drummer Scott Rockenfield has been taking time off from QUEENSRŸCHE's touring activities to spend time with his young son, who was born in early 2017. Filling in for him is former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo. QUEENSRŸCHE has not yet indicated if Rockenfield was involved with the making of "The Verdict", although it did confirm that Grillo did not play on the record.

"The Verdict" will mark QUEENSRŸCHE's third full-length release with La Torre, following the departure of Geoff Tate in 2012.

QUEENSRŸCHE's spring U.S. headline tour with special guests FATES WARNING will kick off on March 2 in Orlando, making stops in major markets such as New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles, and will wrap on April 3 in Seattle. THE CRINGE will be joining both bands on select dates.

The original lineup of the 1990s Swedish death metal band DISMEMBER has reunited and will perform at the Scandinavia Deathfest 2019 festival, set to take place October 11-12 at the Kraken Sthlm and Slaktkyrkan venues in Stockholm, Sweden.

DISMEMBER's lineup for the concert will be as follows:

Matti Kärki - Vocals

David Blomqvist - Lead Guitar

Robert Sennebäck - Rhythm Guitar

Richard Cabeza - Bass

Fred Estby – Drums

Also scheduled to appear are BENEDICTION, CENTINEX, DEMILICH, DEMONICAL, ENTRAILS, GENERAL SURGERY, ROTTEN SOUND, UNANIMATED and many others.

DISMEMBER's original lineup released a couple of acclaimed albums in the early 1990s, including the classic debut, 1991's "Like An Ever Flowing Stream", which was heralded as a milestone for the then-burgeoning Swedish death metal scene.

The latest, self-titled album from DISMEMBER was released in Europe in 2008 via Regain Records.

DISMEMBER called it quits in October 2011, several months after performing at Germany's Death Feast Open Air festival. The show marked DISMEMBER's first concert since 2008.

In August 2016, Estby told Invisible Oranges about a possible DISMEMBER reunion: "People were telling me that all the time. So maybe we should try to do some shows and get everything back. We always owned our rights to the albums and shirts, but there's still loose ends to tie up. I just wanted to set the record straight and hopefully do some shows in the future."

Los Angeles metalcore outfit SPADES AND BLADES has released the official video for the brand new track "My Worst Enemy". The song, which features a guest appearance by BLEEDING THROUGH frontman Brandan Schieppati, was produced by FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares and mixed by Chris Collier (PRONG, METAL CHURCH, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM).

SPADES AND BLADES was formed in 2006 by Jason Todd (vocals) and Justin Bullock (guitar, vocals). The band's debut album, "Blood Of The Innocent", was released in 2010. An EP, "Proud To Be Loud", followed in 2013, with another LP, "The End Is Near", arriving in 2016.

Since 2014, SPADES AND BLADES has toured the U.S. multiple times, sharing the road with FEAR FACTORY, SOILWORK, INCITE and STRAIGHT LINE STITCH, among others.

Altitudes & Attitude, the collaboration between Anthrax’s Frank Bello and Megadeth’s David Ellefson - two virtuosic bass players who’ve anchored some of the fiercest thrash records of all time - have released a video for the song “Late”, from their debut album, Get It Out, available on January 18th via Megaforce, featuring a guitar solo by Ace Frehley. Watch below:

Altitudes & Attitude have confirmed a handful of appearances ahead of their debut album, including an inaugural US show on Saturday, January 19th at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn.

Additional NYC appearances include an up-close Q&A and performance January 17th as part of the Guitar World Backstory series at the Cutting Room, an in-store signing January 18th at Rough Trade.  Los Angeles events include a Q&A on January 22nd with Loudwire at the Musicians Institute, and appearances at NAMM on January 25th, before the band heads to Europe in February.

Get It Out is available for pre-order here.

A kind of rock ‘n’ roll primal-scream therapy, Get It Out is the result of nearly four years of writing and recording sessions - and decades of touring, searching, striving and living.

“I’ve learned that writing songs is very cathartic,” says Bello, who has long made songwriting a daily practice. When Anthrax is off the road, he tries out new material at open mics around New York City. “A lot of these lyrics are about the inner struggles of my life, and about the rage that has built up from my life experiences - my brother’s murder; my father abandoning my family when we were young, leaving us with no funds to pay the bills. The ups and downs of life in general. I’ve always had an anger inside that music really helps me deal with.”

“The album has the perfect title,” Ellefson adds. “This is music that has been living inside of us for so long.  There’s a big musical part of each of us that doesn’t get heard anywhere else.”

Boasting producer Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour, Steel Panther), drummer Jeff Friedl (A Perfect Circle, Devo, Filter) and a deep bench of guest stars including Ace Frehley (the track “Late”) and Gus G., the record also represents the fulfillment of a lifelong but little-known ambition for two uniquely gifted artists.

As Bello puts it, “All I ever wanted to do was write good songs. I’ve always been a melody guy. I love hooks; I love catchy songs with a good riff.”

Tracklisting:

"Get It Out"
"Late"
"Out Here"
"Part Of Me"
"Slip"
"Talk To Me"
"Leviathan"
"Cold"
"Another Day"
"All There Is"
"Booze And Cigarettes"
"Tell The World"
"Here Again"

"Out Here" lyric video:

The Altitudes & Attitude story begins in 2010, when Bello and Ellefson started touring together to lead bass clinics for the amp manufacturer, Hartke. In need of backing tracks to support their demonstrations, they embarked upon some writing sessions and discovered their chemistry.

Bello and Ellefson debuted Altitudes & Attitude in early 2014, with a self-titled three-song EP that earned the duo airplay on SiriusXM and an appearance on VH1 Classic’s That Metal Show. Those tracks - “Booze And Cigarettes”, “Tell The World”, “Here Again” - are included on Get It Out as bonus cuts, in remixed and remastered form.

Ellefson explains that “A&A could have only happened at this moment in time” - when the titans of thrash metal’s Big Four are older, wiser, kinder and more open creatively. “When you’re still climbing up the hill,” he says, “there’s no room for friendly competition. But once you’ve been to the top of the hill and you’ve seen the view - which all of the Big Four have - it’s OK to break bread, hang out, have a drink.”

Or, in the case of Altitudes & Attitude, delve into hard-rock songwriting in a profound way. “To hear other sides of us as artists - not just as musicians and performers, but as artists.”

Altitudes & Attitude previously announced UK/European tour dates including six shows with Slash f/Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators in support of their debut album.

Dates:

February
7 - Rescue Rooms - Nottingham, UK
9 - Academy 3 - Manchester, UK
10 - Underworld - London, UK
12 - Waterfront - Norwich, UK
14 - 013 - Tilburg, Netherlands
15 - Bett - Frankfurt, Germany
16 - Backstage - Munich, Germany
17 - Zeche - Bochum, Germany
22 - Zenith - Paris, France*
23 - Cirque Royal - Brussels, Belgium - SOLD OUT*
24 - AFAS Live - Amsterdam, Netherlands - SOLD OUT*
27 - Sentrum Scene - Oslo, Norway - SOLD OUT*
28 - Annexet - Stockholm, Sweden*

March
3 - Sporthalle - Hamburg, Germany*

*with Slash

Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund (Metallica, Rammstein, etc.) is preparing to release his horror-movie biopic on Norway's notorious Mayhem, Lords Of Chaos. The film, being released by Gunpowder and Sky, is co-produced by VICE Studios, 20th Century Fox, Scott Free Productions and Insurgent Media, opens in theaters February 8th and On Demand February 22nd.

A fourth video trailer has been released. Watch all four trailers below:

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

Recently screening in the Midnight section of the Sundance Film Festival, Lords Of Chaos is profoundly disturbing, macabrely comical and truly unforgettable - a Jonas Åkerlund movie, in other words. (It's currently without a distributor.) A few days after the movie's world premiere, the filmmaker spoke to Rolling Stone about his connection to the story and the scene, why it took so long to get this movie made and how he handled some of the more sensitive (and grisly) aspects of Mayhem's tragedy. An excerpt follows:

Rolling Stone: Have you been hit with any harsh reactions or legal issues?

Jonas Åkerlund: "No legal issues; it's a story that's kind of [in the] public domain, and we have the rights to the book. But you are right: It is a very sensitive story and to be honest, I'm not really sure why. I mean, I'm very passionate about this story, but the truth is that ... young kids do stupid things around the world every day. But this specific story seems to be very important to people, and some of them were already criticizing the movie and asking why we'd tell this story. I think they're wrong. I definitely think this is a relevant story that translates really well into the world of youth today and it needs to be told. And a lot of people that are very close to the story has been supportive. We do have Mayhem's music in the film. I read a lot online [saying] that we don't, but we have the support of Mayhem and the music is in there. They also understand that this story exists in so many different formats already and that a movie is important to tell this story to the next generation.

Rolling Stone: "In terms of the other Mayhem members - particularly Varg, who's not portrayed very favourably - do you think there will be issues with this version of the story getting out there? Have you heard from him?

Jonas Åkerlund: "No, he's the only one we haven't been in contact with. We don't have any of his music in the film so we didn't need his permission. I mean, he's very proud of what he did. He brags about it - and he keeps telling this story over and over again, ever since it happened like 25 years ago. But he's changed his story through the years, so it's hard for me to say exactly what happened; obviously, a lot of his character is based on what he has told. But the other Mayhem members have read the script and they've been supportive with the music and all that, like I said. We've even been in contact with Euronymous's parents and Pelle's family. I've been trying to treat it with respect as much as I can, especially because people have lost family members. It's a very sad story in many ways."

Read the complete interview at RollingStone.com.

BraveWords' latest cruise through YouTube yielded another upload from Thai band Overdose, this time covering Metallica's "Master Of Puppets" in rehearsal. Check out the clip below.

From BananamaxTV: "Overdose is a junior metal band at the age around 9-15 years old. The band was formed in 2016. They have been through many contest stages and posted many covered videos on BananaMaxTV. Now the band is signed with Banana Records, the biggest Metal record label in Thailand which has been producing metal music for over 16 years."

Check out Overdose's cover of Dream Theater's "Overture 1928" from Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory, released in 1999.

The band performs "Overture 1928" and Dream Theater's "As I Am" live in concert in the clip below.

Powerhouse American vocalist, Toby Hitchcock, is back with a brand new solo album, Reckoning, out on January 25th via Frontiers Music Srl. The new song, "Serenity" is available for streaming below.

The album was written and produced in collaboration with Swedish producer Daniel Flores (Find Me, The Murder Of My Sweet).

Toby first came to the attention of melodic rock fans when former Survivor founding member Jim Peterik hand-picked him to be the lead singer for Pride Of Lions, the band that would mark Jim's return to the rock scene.

With Pride of Lions, Toby has sung on five studio albums which are considered true classics among the melodic rock/AOR faithful. Often compared to Bobby Kimball (Toto), Jimi Jamison (Survivor), and Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Hitchcock’s voice has the depth, feeling and the feel of each of them, while still keeping his own identity and trademark.

When Pride Of Lions took a small hiatus in 2011, Toby took the opportunity to hook up with Swedish songwriter/producer Erik Martensson (Eclipse, W.E.T., Ammunition) for his first solo album, Mercury’s Down. The album was a display of the talent of the two young guns, with Toby showing an unbelievable set of pipes on some heavier material, specially penned for him by Martensson.

In 2017, work on a new solo album started with Toby once again looking to Sweden for another exciting collaboration. Swedish producer Daniel Flores (Find Me, The Murder Of My Sweet) crafted a superb set of songs that are an absolute AOR gem of an album.

Toby Hitchcock says: “Being able to record my second solo album was a big step for me. I didn’t want to be a “one hit wonder” type of artist. So I’m very thankful for the opportunity to record a sophomore album. Working on my own solo record is really a great way for me to be creative on my own, so it’s very satisfying, and I love the feeling. Both of my solo projects were produced by different artists. So they feel completely different. This is a great thing for music lovers, as it brings a different vibe. This allows me to really explore my vocals and just have a great time doing it. Both albums have been amazing to work on and I couldn’t be happier."

Reckoning is a must hear release for all melodic rock/AOR fans out there. Pre-order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"No Surrender"
"Promise Me"
"Show Me How To Live"
"Behind The Lies"
"Fighting For My Life"
"Serenity"
"Queen Untouchable"
"Gift Of Flight"
"Don't Leave"
"This Is Our World"
"Someone Like You"

"Serenity":

"Promise Me" video:

Musicians:

Toby Hitchcock: Vocals
Daniel Flores: All Keyboards and Drums
Michael Palace: Guitars and Bass
Yngve "Vinnie" Strömberg: Drums and Percussion