Rising from the ashes of Agalloch and Giant Squid, a new group is born: Khôrada. Featuring former Agalloch members Don Anderson (guitar), Jason Walton (bass) and Aesop Dekker (drums) alongside ex-Giant Squid guitarist/vocalist Aaron John Gregory, Khôrada creates colossal, textured, and emotionally powerful music. The group will release its debut album, SALT, on July 20th via Prophecy Productions. First single, “Ossify”, is streaming below.

“’Ossify’ was the last song we wrote for SALT, with the sole purpose in mind of it being the big closer on the record. By premiering this track first, we may be giving away the ending of the movie. But, we'd rather think of it as a flash forward - leaving the listener to ponder all that came before it - especially considering the strange yet fitting ‘futuristic’ vibe of the song, thanks in large part to the contribution of lush keyboards by Andrew Southard from Giant Squid. Lyrically ‘Ossify’ explores what I imagine may transpire after all the often dystopian themes told throughout SALT.” - Aaron Gregory
 
As a completely fresh concept, Khôrada is an opportunity for the musicians to explore new soundscapes while creatively challenging themselves. With SALT, Khôrada forges breathtaking swathes of sound that swell, stretch, submerge and recede with panoramic power.
 
At once atmospheric, aggressive and apocalyptic, the album's emotion is driven by the band members' view of today's world; these are precarious times. SALT was written under the pressure and uncertainty of the beginning of the Trump-era, standing as a musical exploration of the landscape in which, we now live. Paired with the surreally visceral artwork of internationally renowned painter & sculptor Cedric Wentworth, the visual explorations prove to be as haunting as the ethereal vocals of Aaron himself.
 
“SALT is what a collection of musicians, each with over 20 years of experience, sound like when they start over from zero. All the music on this album was composed immediately following the conclusion of both Agalloch and Giant Squid. For all of us, this is what rebuilding, reorganizing, and reimagining sounds like.” - Don Anderson

SALT will be released as Digisleeve CD, Gatefold 2LP, 2CD book edition (hardcover, 18x18cm, 36 pages with enhanced artwork, liner notes and Rudimentary Peni cover song) and ltd. complete box set; including Gatefold 2LP, 2CD book edition, 7" single featuring a B-side cover of Rudimentary Peni’s “Shard,” art prints and signed/numbered certificate. Find preorders at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Edeste”
“Seasons Of Salt”
“Water Rights”
“Glacial Gold”
“Augustus”
“Wave State”
“Ossify”

“Ossify”:

(Photo by: Cody Keto)

Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD have released the Zev Deans-directed video for their cover version of the BIG BLACK song "Kerosene". The track is taken from LAMB OF GOD's covers album, "Legion: XX", which will be released under the BURN THE PRIEST banner on May 18 via Nuclear Blast in Europe and Epic Records in the U.S.

"BIG BLACK is a very important band to me," says vocalist Randy Blythe. "When I was 12 and first listening to punk rock, I thought all punk came from England — but then through skating, I got into BLACK FLAG and BAD BRAINS. I soon discovered this super-smart American punk rock — very caustic, and deeply sardonic about the murky side of the human experience. That got me into Steve Albini's future bands SHELLAC and RAPEMAN — and all the noisy smart punk rock on labels like AmRep and Touch & Go. 'Kerosene' was one of their biggest songs, if they even had one. It speaks to small-town boredom."

LAMB OF GOD may be one of the biggest bands in modern metal, but they will never forget where they came from. Mark Morton (guitar), John Campbell (bass) and Chris Adler (drums) formed the first incarnation of the band, BURN THE PRIEST, in the winter of 1994 after meeting four years earlier as students at Virginia Commonwealth University. Less than a year later, in the summer of 1995, they met Blythe before adding Chris Adler's brother, Willie Adler (guitar), prior to transitioning to LAMB OF GOD — and the rest is global metal history.


Morton says: "To truly understand the essence of the band BURN THE PRIEST, one must first consider the landscape in which it began: the mid-'90s. Grunge and alternative music ruled the airwaves. Social media and the internet had yet to assume their role as our collective sources for entertainment and cultural exchange. It was a time when DIY 'zines turned us on to new bands and regional scenes, and 'copy and paste' still implied a print shop and a glue stick."


BURN THE PRIEST's self-titled debut album, released via Philadelphia-based Legion Records, documented what was, in essence, a primal punk band performing metal. Ultimately, as they grew in local popularity, the five-piece chose to stray away from their name to avoid being associated with satanic metal, choosing the name LAMB OF GOD.


Morton continues: "As our sound and songs developed, so did our goals… we began playing basement parties and warehouse shows and in doing so, we realized that the energy we were creating was transferable. The shows we played in those squats and warehouses [in Philadelphia] and the people we met there are forever embedded in our collective consciousness and the DNA of our band."


As they enter their 20th year since releasing their first self-titled album as BURN THE PRIEST, the band will release a full-length covers album that reflects on the greatness of classic punk, hardcore, crossover and noise — rock subgenres that contributed to what LAMB OF GOD, and indeed, the world, now view as modern heavy metal.


As BURN THE PRIEST, the band presents "Legion: XX" — featuring tracks originally performed by CRO-MAGS, AGNOSTIC FRONT, QUICKSAND, MINISTRY, BAD BRAINS, MELVINS, S.O.D., THE ACCÜSED, BIG BLACK and Richmond punk band SLIANG LAOS. The tracks are performed with the unmistakable precision that has kept the band vital for two decades, but ultimately harks back to the raw, punk-driven sound first explored by four unsuspecting college students and a line cook-turned-vocalist in their formative years. Produced with Josh Wilbur at the helm, "Legion: XX" exhibits BURN THE PRIEST in their true element.


"Our inauspicious beginnings somehow grew into something none of us had ever even imagined possible, let alone aspired to, however, this is the story of BURN THE PRIEST," adds Morton. "The songs we chose to cover on this album reflect that story. They are touchstones from that point in time. The inspiration we gleaned from these bands and these songs carries through our work and our creative pursuits, even to this day. Many thanks to these bands for lighting our fire and endless gratitude to our fans around the world for keeping it lit."


"Legion: XX" track listing:

01. Inherit The Earth (THE ACCÜSED cover)

02. Honey Bucket (MELVINS cover)

03. Kerosene (BIG BLACK cover)

04. Kill Yourself (S.O.D. cover)

05. I Against I (BAD BRAINS cover)

06. Axis Rot (SLIANG LAOS cover)

07. Jesus Built My Hotrod (MINISTRY cover)

08. One Voice (AGNOSTIC FRONT cover)

09. Dine Alone (QUICKSAND cover)

10. We Gotta Know (CRO-MAGS cover)

Bonus song (only on LP!):

11. In The Meantime (HELMET cover)

LAMB OF GOD is supporting SLAYER on the North American leg of the latter band's farewell world tour. The trek kicked off with a May 10 concert at San Diego's Valley View Casino Center, with dates running through August 26 at San Jose, California's SAP Center.

American rock titans POP EVIL have debuted a stunning new music video for their track "A Crime To Remember". Directed by Columbia Tatone, who also helmed the band's last two videos, "Waking Lions" and "Colors Bleed", this is now the third music video installment we've seen from the band's most recent self-titled LP.

The video beautifully defines the core message of the song, which is clear and present in the song's triumphant background vocals: "Are we divided / Are we united?" — also a constant theme throughout the new LP.

Vocalist Leigh Kakaty comments: "Columbia has delivered what we feel is the most powerful video to date for POP EVIL. The concept keeps an open book storyline on how human beings view the world at the moment. Our hope is to raise awareness that it's time for all of us to come together and be united."

The video is being released in memory of late producer Kato Khandwala, who was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident last month in Los Angeles. Kato had produced countless rock albums, including the most recent POP EVIL LP. Kakaty says: "It's been a long few weeks for us. We are still grieving the loss of Kato, who was an incredible talent and an amazing human being. His daughter Paris is in need of help since his passing. Donations can be made to her here."

Starting tomorrow, POP EVIL will return to American amphitheaters in full force supporting two legendary acts, POISON and CHEAP TRICK, on the "Nothin' But A Good Time 2018" tour. VIP Packages are available now at PopEvilVIP.com. Produced by Live Nation, tickets for all cities are on sale now.

POP EVIL's fifth, self-titled album was released on February 16 via Entertainment One. "Pop Evil" marks the recording debut with the band of British drummer Hayley Cramer, who joined POP EVIL in 2016 following the departure of Josh "Chachi" Marunde.

"As soon as we saw [Hayley's audition] video, we were, like, 'Oh my goodness. She's the one,'" Kakaty said. "Her first tour with us was in packed arenas opening for ROB ZOMBIE and DISTURBED. It was crazy, but when things work, they work. She's been like the big sister we never knew we wanted but we're so glad we have. And she's so passionate about the music. Songs that we'd been playing for years suddenly came to life in a different way and then she came in and killed it on this record. It was a rejuvenation for us. She's nothing short of a blessing."

Photo credit: Clay Patrick McBride

U.S. progressive rockers SPOCK'S BEARD will release their 13th studio album, "Noise Floor", on May 25. For this disc, Ted Leonard, Alan Morse, Dave Meros and Ryo Okumoto are joined in the studio once again by drummer and original member Nick D'Virgilio.

The official lyric video for the song "Somebody's Home" can be seen below.

SPOCK'S BEARD is a band that is in a continual state of evolution, as is always the case with genuinely creative musicians. And "Noise Floor" fits perfectly into this process.

"We are always about evolution, not revolution. But what we have done this time is make the songs more melodic," believes vocalist/guitarist Ted Leonard. "We still love our crazy prog, but now appreciate how important it is to grab people's attention early on."

As with all SPOCK'S BEARD songs, most of the new album was written by the individual members, and then brought to the rest of the band as high-quality demos. "We all do this type of thing in our home studios," says Leonard. "So, by the time they reach the stage where the entire band get to judge them, they are really developed, and therefore everyone can make a reasoned judgement." Much of what you will listen to here is very much the product of fresh inspiration from the Californian band.

One key change on this album sees the return of drummer Nick D'Virgilio, who originally left in 2011. There are also two violinists, a cello player, a viola player and an English horn featured on the album, thereby giving the sound a slightly more evocative and persuasive twist.

The album was once again engineered by long-time collaborator Rich Mouser and will be released as a 2CD digipak (featuring an EP of material from the same sessions), gatefold 2LP + 2CD and as a digital download.

The track listing is as follows:

Disc 1 - Noise Floor

01. To Breathe Another Day

02. What Becomes Of Me

03. Somebody's Home

04. Have We All Gone Crazy Yet

05. So This Is Life

06. One So Wise

07. Box Of Spiders

08. Beginnings

Disc 2 - Cutting Room Floor

01. Days We'll Remember

02. Bulletproof

03. Vault

04. Armageddon Nervous

Long-running Hungarian atmospheric black metal band SEAR BLISS will release its eighth album, "Letters From The Edge", in July via Hammerheart Records.

The group, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary, has just made available the first song, "Shroud", from the upcoming album in the form of a lyric video created by guitarist Attila Kovács.

SEAR BLISS vocalist and leader András Nagy said: "It was a pretty difficult decision when we were asked by the label to pick up a song to publish prior to the official release of the album. We felt we could make a video for any of the songs. Finally we chose 'Shroud' as it represents very well the atmosphere of the whole album and shows a clear vision of the musical direction we have taken with the band.

"I don't want to go into details of how the song was written or the message it carries. We want to leave it to the listener to explore its depths.

"To sum it up, this is a very personal song both musically and lyrically and the video made by Attila also reflects the unity of the band and the way the album was born."

"Letters From The Edge" track listing:

01. Crossing The Frozen River

02. Forbidden Doors

03. Seven Springs

04. A Mirror In The Forest

05. Abandoned Peaks

06. Haven

07. The Main Divide

08. Leaving Forever Land

09. At The Banks Of Lethe

10. Shroud

Nagy previously stated about "Letters From The Edge": "It's been a while since our last album was released. Many things happened... some good, some bad. Then, since the year 2015 things started to roll again and we built a pretty solid lineup. We had lots of live shows all over Europe and in 2016 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of our debut album, 'Phantoms', with a memorable tour. As the chemistry in the band grew, we went to an abandoned castle to write new songs in January 2017. Most of the songs of the album were written there, yet the recordings/mixing took nearly a year by the supervision of producer Viktor Scheer. The album was mastered by mastermind Dan Swanö.

"We have put an enormous amount of effort into these songs, and I know it's lame to say, but I do believe this album is going to be the definitive SEAR BLISS record. I know it, because I only felt this when we made our first album back in 1996.

"To me, 'Letters From The Edge' is kind of a synthesis of all what SEAR BLISS is about. 25 years of exploring our borders.

"We are glad to work with Hammerheart Records on this, a label we always respected."

Los Angeles-based thrash metal icons, Body Count, have released a new music video for their track "All Love Is Lost" featuring Max Cavalera, which is featured on the band's 2017 full-length, Bloodlust.

Co-written by Max Cavalera (Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy), "All Love Is Lost" delves into the intense feelings one has after a betrayal of trust by a loved one. Commingling his acting and music career, Ice-T enlisted his Law And Order: Special Victims Unit (NBC) co-star Kelly Giddish to play the vindictive lead.

The new video, directed by Jay Rodriguez, can be seen below.

Previously posted Body Count videos, for the Bloodlust tracks "This Is Why We Ride", “Raining In Blood / Postmortem”, and “Here I Go Again”, are available below:

Find Body Count's live itinerary here.

Swiss melodic metal outfit Crystal Ball have released a video for "Curtain Call", a track from their new album Crystallizer, out now via Massacre Records. Watch below. Order the new album here.

Crystal Ball's new album was once again produced, mixed and mastered by Stefan Kaufmann (ex-Accept, ex-U.D.O). The cover artwork was created by Thomas Ewerhard, who already designed the album artwork of bands like Jaded Heart, Kreator, and Edguy, among others.

The band comments: "Crystallizer is the full package - it's powerful and full of melodic hooklines and catchy songs!"

Tracklisting:

"Crystallizer"
"Curtain Call"
"Alive For Evermore"
"S.O.S."
"Crazy In The Night"
"Gentleman's Agreement"
"Let Her Go With Love"
"Beauty In The Beast"
"Death On Holy Ground"
"Satisfaction Guaranteed" (Digipak Bonus)
"Exit Wound" (Digipak Bonus)
"Dusty Deadly"
"Symphony Of Life"

"Curtain Call" video:

"Alive For Evermore" video:

"S.O.S." lyric video:

(Photo - Bojan Zupan / MD9 Photography)

In the closing chapter to their debut album, Lifelines, Michigan rock group, I Prevail, give fans their signature mix of narrative and humour with their new music video for “Rise”.  Directed by the team at Dominar Films, the video follows the boys of I Prevail attempting to face off against the most challenging of foes in a modern arcade environment. The track is a favourite off their album, Lifelines, released in 2016. 

“We knew we wanted to create a video for ‘Rise’ very early on in the making of Lifelines,” lead-guitarist, Steve Menoian, explains. “The song is an anthem about the competition and dedication that come with overcoming obstacles and achieving goals. During our first year of touring, we spent almost every day off at Dave & Busters. This was partly because we couldn’t afford hotels or fancy restaurants, but mostly because we found ourselves having to compete with each other at every turn, no matter how petty or small the stakes.  It’s just part of who we are. This video will give you a front row seat to our over competitiveness and a window into our darker sense of humour. The entire process of making this video allowed us to travel back in time and remember how much we love what we do and how we wouldn’t want to be doing this without each other and our fans.” 

The band is currently playing mid-west dates at select venues and making several festival appearances, including Rock On The Range, Rocklahoma, and Rockfest. In the span of two years, I Prevail have played festivals like the main stage on the Vans Warped Tour, Rock On The Range, Carolina Rebellion and have mostly sold out over 200 headline shows. To date, their debut album, Lifelines, is approaching 400,000 albums sold worldwide.

I Prevail is Brian Burkheiser (clean vocals), Eric Vanlerberghe (harsh vocals), Steve Menoian (lead guitar), and Dylan Bowman (rhythm guitar).  

Tour dates:

May
18 – Peoria, IL – WIXO Spring Fling
19 – Lafayette, IN – Lafayette Theater
20 – Columbus, OH – Rock On The Range
25 – Pryor, OK – Rocklahoma
26 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion

June
1 – Genoa, IL – The Apollo Theatre
2 – Kansas City, KS – Rockfest
3 – Sauget, IL – Pop’s

(Photo by: Lindsey Byrnes)

After four years of silence, the Arctic black-metallers Iskald finally return to the battlefield with more fierce and power than ever before, Iskald will release their fifth studio album titled Innhøstinga (Norwegian: ‘the Harvest’) on August 31st. With this album, Iskald continues their art of cold, intense, yet melodic black metal. The record’s first single & music video “The Atrocious Horror” is coming next Friday, May 25th.

The band has commented: "Finally the day has come and with great pride we will raise our glasses and present Innhøstinga to you, our first album in over 4 years. Thanks for waiting, and thanks for your passion and dedication. We promise it was worth the wait. Enjoy our new single and music video dropping soon, while bracing for the harvest to come...As you sow so shall you reap!"

Tracklisting:

“The Atrocious Horror”
“No Amen”
“Offer Av Livet”
“Even Dawn Drew Twilight”
“Resting…Not In Peace”
“De Siste Vintre”
“From Traitor To Beast”
“Lysene Som Forsvant”
“Innhøstinga”

Kassel, Germany-based melodic thrash/death metal band Burden Of Grief have released a video for "Wolf Moon", featured on the band's Eye Of The Storm album. Watch the clip below, and order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"Inception" (Intro)
"Eye Of The Storm"
"The Angel"
"Broken"
"Wolf Moon"
"Killing Spree"
"Breathe One's Last"
"A Dying Breed"
"Maze Of Absurdity"
"Zero Gravity"
"The Funeral Cortege"

"Wolf Moon" video:

On May 5th, The Dead Daisies performed at Live Music Hall in Köln 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:

"Resurrected"
"Rise Up"
"Make Some Noise"
"Song And A Prayer"
"Dead And Gone"
"Mexico"
"What Goes Around"
Guitar Solo (Doug Aldrich)
"Last Time I Saw The Sun"
"Can't Take It With You"
"All The Same"
Drum Solo (Deen Castrnovo)
"Bitch"
"With You And I"
"Rock And Roll All Night"
"Highway To Hell"
"The Boys Are Back In Town"
"Smoke On The Water"
"Heaven And Hell"
"Mainline"
"Long Way To Go"
"Midnight Moses"
"Judgement Day"
"Helter Skelter"

The Dead Daisies are returning to North America. After a sold-out tour across the UK & Europe, the band are looking forward to rocking out with their US and Canadian fans.

The current single "Rise Up" is climbing the US-Active Rock Charts and being used extensively in NASCAR promotional campaigns across the country. The guys are also happy to announce that an old friend of the Daisies, Dizzy Reed, is bringing his band Hookers & Blow along as the tour’s special guest.

The album Burn It Down has entered the charts around the world. Led by a #6 in the US Billboard Heatseekers Chart, a #10 in the prestigious German Media Control Charts, #12 in the US Hard Music Charts, #14 in the UK Sales Charts, #15 in both Switzerland and Austria as well as numerous other chart entries around the world, the album very much delivered on the promise of “Burning down everything in its path”.

At radio, the single “Rise Up” has been added to massive playlists worldwide. The track is climbing the US-airplay charts, is on huge stations in Germany, Italy, France, Sweden and Spain as well as UK’s Planet Rock Radio adding both the single and the teaser track “Resurrected” to their A-Playlist.

The band will return to Japan late June to play three packed headline shows in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya before heading to Europe in July where they’ll play a series of Festivals along with dates with the Scorpions and Guns N' Roses.

Hookers & Blow, a now legendary project formed by longtime Guns N' Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed and Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossi is celebrating its 15-year anniversary this year. Along with Reed and Grossi, the summer line up of Hookers & Blow that will tour as special guests of The Dead Daisies will include Robbie Crane of the Black Star Riders on bass and Mike Dupke (ex-W.A.S.P., John Mellencamp) on drums.

Most recently, Dizzy Reed released his very first solo record Rock & Roll Ain't Easy, featuring members of Guns N' Roses, No Doubt, Quiet Riot, Wasp, The Psychedelic Furs, Thin Lizzy and many more.

Tour dates:

August
15 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
16 - Fort Wayne, IN - Piere’s
17 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
18 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
19 - Louisville, KY - Diamonds
22 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall
23 - London, ON - Harris Park
24 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Theatre
25 - Ottawa, ON - The Brass Monkey
26 - Montreal, QC - Foufounes Electriques
28 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
29 - Warrendale, PA - Jergel's
30 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
31 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club

September
1 - Albany, NY - Upstate Concert Hall
4 - Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
6 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
7 - Dallas, TX - Trees
8 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live
12 - Las Vegas, NV - Fremont Country Club
13 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
14 - Pomona, CA - The Glass House
15 - Phoenix, AZ - The Marquee
16 - Los Angeles, CA - Roxy Theatre

Canadian heavy metal legend Thor has released a video for "Special Flight", the opening track of the Electric Eyes album, available via Cleopatra Records. Watch the clip below.

A gift from the Metal Gods! The unreleased album from metal heroes Thor, recorded in 1979 as a follow-up to their blockbuster debut Keep The Dogs Away. Never before heard recordings that bridge the gap between Thor’s glam rock beginnings and his later evolution into full heavy metal in the early ’80s.

Original cover art by comic book artist, Ken Landgraf, who has worked for both DC and Marvel. Order the album via Cleopatra or Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

"Special Flight"
"She's A Fancy Lady"
"Interception"
"Wild Thing"
"Electric Eyes"
"Twitch (Let's Go)"
"Storm"
"Poison"
"The Door (Face Behind My Mask)"
"Gladiator Romp"

"Special Flight" video:

Swedish metal act Follow The Cipher have released an official live video for "Winterfall", a track from their self-titled debut album, available now via Nuclear Blast. Watch the video below, and order the album here.

Follow The Cipher tracklisting:

"Enter The Cipher"
"Valkyria"
"My Soldier"
"Winterfall"
"Titan's Call"
"The Rising"
"A Mind's Escape"
"Play With Fire"
"I Revive"              
"Starlight"
"Carolus Rex"

Bonus DVD
"Valkyria" - Music Video
"Carolus Rex" - Music Video
"A Mind's Escape" - Lyric Video
"The Rising" - Lyric Video
"Enter The Cipher" - Live from Masters of Rock
"My Soldier" - Live from Masters of Rock
"A Mind's Escape" - Live from Masters of Rock
"Winterfall" - Live from Masters of Rock
"I Revive" - Live from Masters of Rock
"My Soldier" - Live from Falkenberg w/ studio sound
"Carolus Rex" - Live from SOA w/ camera sound
Presentation - Ken Kängström
Band Interview
Masters Of Rock - Vlog
Sabaton Open Air - Vlog
Behind The Music Videos - Vlog

"Winterfall" live video:

"A Mind's Escape" lyric video:

"Carolus Rex" video:

"Valkyria" video:

"The Rising" lyric video:

Follow The Cipher live dates:

June
1-3 - Pilsen, Czech Republic - Metalfest Open Air
21 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting

On May 10, Swedish atmospheric goth rock metal band TIAMAT gave a special concert at Kägelbanan in Stockholm, Sweden during which it performed mainly songs from its acclaimed classic albums "Clouds" (1992) and "Wildhoney" (1994).

The band's lineup for the show was as follows:

Johan Edlund - Vocals

Lars Sköld - Drums

Roger Öjersson - Guitar

Thomas Wyreson - Guitar

Jonas Öijvall - Keyboards

Gustaf Hielm - Bass

TIAMAT's tenth studio album, "The Scarred People", was released in 2012. The disc was recorded at Woodhouse Studios in Hagen, Germany with producer Siggi Bemm. The CD cover artwork was created by TIAMAT mainman Johan Edlund.

In an interview with Metal Underground, Edlund stated about the musical direction of "The Scarred People": "We're happy being TIAMAT; that's the only label we put on ourselves. In fact, TIAMAT is by far our own biggest influence. We often quote ourselves, what we've done in the past, when needed in the studio. There are a lot of elements both in the music and in the lyrics that we have developed over the years that feel genuinely TIAMAT, be it a clean electric guitar sound, a special way of drum patterns, certain ways to express lyrics. We often go back there and sample ourselves, so to speak."

Dave Mustaine played a surprise acoustic set for fans outside his hotel in Mendoza, Argentina on May 10. The MEGADETH leader was in town for a few days of relaxation, as well as visits to local wineries, after playing a couple of shows in Mexico earlier in the month.

When Mustaine's presence in Mendoza was revealed by the local media on May 9, many MEGADETH fans gathered at the door of the Park Hyatt hotel to get a glimpse of their idol. Dave eventually came out, armed with an acoustic guitar that was provided by Felipe Staiti, guitarist of LOS ENANITOS VERDES, and began playing on the hotel's steps.

Fan-filmed video footage of the event can be seen below.

MEGADETH has a number of European shows lined up in June and July before tentatively entering the studio later in the year to begin recording the follow-up to 2016's "Dystopia" album.

The band's upcoming effort will mark MEGADETH's first release to feature drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who officially joined the group just under two years ago.

In 2018, MEGADETH is celebrating its 35th anniversary all year long, with special releases, exclusive merchandise items, and one-of-a-kind events and opportunities for fans worldwide.













Cuando le prestas tu guitarra a @davemustaine para tocarle a sus fans en @parkhyattmendoza ?!! Un honor!! Acá entre grandes @felipestaitiwines !! #megadeth #musiclovers #wow A post shared by Juan Pablo Staiti (@juampastaiti) on May 10, 2018 at 9:01am PDT

BMG will reissue three classic albums from British heavy metal legends SAXON on May 25: "Denim And Leather", "Power & The Glory" and "Crusader".

SAXON, over the decades, has gone from being pioneers of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal to becoming one of the most successful U.K. rock acts of all time.

The truth, though, is that SAXON has always transcended trends and eras. From 1979's "Saxon" album to new album "Thunderbolt", the band has enjoyed considerable success. Five Top 40 albums in the U.K., with four Top 20 singles. And they were similarly successful in other parts of the world as well.

It's no wonder their influence spread across the globe and played a crucial role in the way we look at hard rock and heavy metal today.

The albums will be made available on colored splatter vinyl for the first time and include album lyrics, rare photos and memorabilia.

The CD copies will include a 24-page media book and feature rare demos, remixes and live recordings.

SAXON's fourth album, "Denim And Leather" was originally released on October 5, 1981. It was recorded at Aquarius Studios in Geneva. Arguably SAXON's most successful record to date, it spawned the classic singles "Princess Of The Night", "Never Surrender" and the song "And The Band's Played On", which was inspired by their appearance at the inaugural Monsters Of Rock festival in 1980. This edition contains the B-sides of the "Never Surrender" single and seven live tracks recorded on the "Denim And Leather" tour of 1981.

SAXON's fifth album, "Power And The Glory" was originally released on March 21, 1983 and was produced by Jeff Glixman at Axis Sound Studios in Atlanta. The album spawned two singles, "Nightmare" and the title track, "Power And The Glory", and also marked the replacement of drummer Pete Gill with Nigel Glockler, who remains a member of SAXON to this day. This version contains early working demos of songs from the album, recorded in 1982, including tracks that didn't make the final track listing.

Originally released on April 16, 1984, SAXON's sixth album, "Crusader", was produced by Kevin Beamish at the legendary Sound City Studios in Los Angeles. It featured the band's first recorded cover song, a version of THE SWEET's "Set Me Free", and the singles "Sailing To America", "Just Let Me Rock" and "Do It All For You". This version includes early working versions of some of the songs featured on the album and also the songs "Borderline" and "Helter Skelter" that didn't make the final track listing of "Crusader".

To order the releases, go to this location.

Coming from BMG on Friday, July 27 are expanded editions of the following SAXON titles: "Innocence Is No Excuse", "Rock The Nations" and "Destiny".

Mike Patton's (FAITH NO MORE, DEAD CROSS) expanded score to the Stephen King-sourced Netflix film "1922" sees a July 20 release via Ipecac Recordings.

"1922 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" is available for pre-orders, with the collection available digitally and physically on both CD and hardwood colored vinyl. Pre-orders receive an instant download of "Sweetheart Bandits 2 'We All Get Caught'".

"1922" is based on Stephen King's 131-page story, telling of a man's confession of his wife's murder. The tale is told from the perspective of Wilfred James, the story's unreliable narrator who admits to killing his wife, Arlette, with his son in Nebraska. But after he buries her body, he finds himself terrorized by rats and, as his life begins to unravel, becomes convinced his wife is haunting him.

The release serves as Patton's scoring follow-up to his critically acclaimed composition to "The Place Beyond The Pines", a musical outing that Pitchfork said served as "the glue uniting the film's three disparate sections and many different tones" and Movie Music UK said Patton offered an "intelligent way of arranging his collages of sounds into fascinating musical effects."

"1922 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" track listing:

01. No Grave For Mama

02. Mea Culpa

03. Sweetheart Bandits

04. Death Of A Marriage

05. Murder Is Work

06. Omaha 1930

07. Farewell Note

08. "This As Thieves"

09. Cornfield - (Vertical)

10. Mea Culpa 2

11. Elphis

12. Magnolia Hotel

13. We'll Send Her To Heaven

14. "I'd Come To Hate Her"

15. Cornfield - (Horizontal)

16. "Secrets Only A Dead Woman Could Know"

17. Dead Woman's Secrets

18. Problem Wife

19. The Deed Is Done

20. The Conniving Man

21. Sweetheart Bandits 2 "We All Get Caught"

Photo credit: Ransom & Mitchell

Def Leppard Pale is what happens when a mega British rock band collides with an American craft brewery. Both fanatics of their craft, DEF LEPPARD and Elysian Brewing are excited to blend their worlds together, music and beer.

The beer was brewed to fuse the infamous malt bodies of British ales with the mysteria of Pacific Northwest hops. Def Leppard Pale will be unleashed for the massive co-headlining DEF LEPPARD and JOURNEY 2018 tour. The beer will be on sale starting May 23 (the second tour stop at Times Union Center in Albany, New York) and is available in 16oz cans and on draught at most concert venues and select restaurants, bars and pubs near the venue. The can was designed in tribute to the 30th anniversary of DEF LEPPARD's landmark album "Hysteria".

"It tastes great — that's the most important thing I can tell you," DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott tells Billboard. "I would pass on doing an interview about this if I didn't like it. That to me is the most important thing."

As for whether Def Leppard Pale will have a life beyond the JOURNEY tour, Elliott says: "There's no cut-off time on this. If it takes off and people like it, it can be around. IRON MAIDEN has a beer named Trooper and they've done really well with theirs. We have to see if we can match that. It’s been around five years or so by now, so there's a long way to go to keep up with them and all these other people [with branded alcohol such as] Jimmy Buffett. We don't know what kind of legs it's going to have — come back to me in a couple years on that one, I'm not gazing into a crystal ball right now."

For more information, go to this location.

According to YLE, METALLICA has donated 25,000 euros to the Veikko and Lahja Hursti Charitable Trust, a charitable organization in Finland that arranges food and events for the needy. The donation is part of the band's All Within My Hands Foundation, which aims to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band for years, as well as encourage participation from fans and friends. All funds raised by the foundation are donated to a cross-section of national and local charities.

A longtime advocate of local food banks, METALLICA has donated proceeds from ticket sales from past concert tours to food charities in several countries.

METALLICA made the donation to Veikko and Lahja Hursti Charitable Trust when it was in Finland to play two concerts in Helsinki at the Hartwall Arena on May 9 and May 11.

The gift came as a complete surprise to Heikki Hursti, the head of the charity.

"We are still in shock. My daughter and I just met the band and we took a photo together," he said.

Hursti said that when the members of METALLICA learned they would be playing in Finland, they started looking for a suitable organization to support.

"They got our contact information somehow and told us they wanted to make a donation," Hursti said.

Founded in February 2017, All Within My Hands Foundation is a public non-profit organization dedicated to creating sustainable communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

For more information visit www.allwithinmyhands.org.

Metallica rules!! Ihan huippuja miehiä❤️ #metallicagivesbackPosted by HurstinApu on Friday, May 11, 2018

THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen has paid tribute to Chris Cornell, nearly one year after the SOUNDGARDEN singer's shocking death.

Cornell was found hanged in a Detroit hotel room last May 18 after a SOUNDGARDEN concert earlier that night.

Momsen, whose band THE PRETTY RECKLESS was the opening act for SOUNDGARDEN's spring 2017 run of dates, took to her Instagram account on Thursday (May 10) to reflect back to one of the first days of the tour. She wrote: "A year ago today was a day I will never forget. I was sitting outside our dressing room in Indianapolis, when I heard someone say, 'Taylor?' I looked up to see a man standing there, with the sun blazing behind him. He looked familiar... and then my heart dropped, because it was Chris Cornell. I'd met him a couple times before in passing, but here he was, actually talking to me. We hung out for a while chatting about things like singing and their record 'King Animal' and how much I loved it. Later that night, after we played our show opening for them, we were watching their set from behind the stage when he started talking into the mic, and my heart dropped again when I heard him say our band's name...twice. He dedicated 'By Crooked Steps' to us and we all were as happy as we could ever be. It was magical."

Taylor went on to say that THE PRETTY RECKLESS's longtime producer Kato Khandwala, who died last month from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident, "was with us that night [in Indianapolis] sharing the experience."

Despite the tragic deaths of her collaborator and her musical idol, Momsen said that THE PRETTY RECKLESS will carry on.

"We have lost so much this year and it has put our passion for music to the test, but as humans, we are all built to handle this pain" she said. "It will make us stronger, and we will return, because the music will always live on."

Chris was found hanged in his room at the MGM Grand Detroit hotel. His body was found soon after he had spoken with a "slurred" voice to his wife, Vicky, by phone. The death was ruled a suicide.

But his family has questioned the medical examiner's ruling, saying that he had a prescription for Ativan and that a higher than recommended dosage may have caused him to experience suicidal thoughts.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, LINKIN PARK singer Mike Shinoda played his first solo shows since the death of the band's co-vocalist, Chester Bennington, on Saturday (May 12) at the KROQ Weenie Roast in Los Angeles and Sunday (May 13) at the Identity LA festival, also in L.A. Shinoda mashed up some LINKIN PARK songs along with his solo material, singing some of Chester Bennington's parts from songs like "Bleed It Out". He played "In The End" on piano and let the fans sing most of Chester's vocal parts, though at times he came in and sang his parts.

Shinoda's set at the Identity LA festival was nearly twice as long since he was headlining and featured a guest appearance from LINKIN PARK DJ Joe Hahn during the song "Castle Of Glass". Shinoda and Hahn last performed together at LINKIN PARK's Chester Bennington memorial show at the Hollywood Bowl in October 2017.

Shinoda will release a new solo album, titled "Post Traumatic", on June 15.

He has revealed that DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno and rapper Machine Gun Kelly are among the guests who appear on the LP.

Shinoda has said that he wants LINKIN PARK to continue, but that he isn't sure how the band would go about doing that at this point in time.

25 years since the release of ENCHANT's debut album, "A Blueprint Of The World", the San Francisco-formed progressive rock/metal group will celebrate with a special limited 10-CD box set compiling all of its studio albums, from the aforementioned debut right up to 2014's "The Great Divide".

Out on July 20, the package also features two discs of bonus tracks that include a selection of demo versions, live tracks, acoustic versions and instrumentals, plus extensive liner notes covering the entirety of the band's career up to now, and brand new interviews with various members past and present.

The band comments: "We are super excited that after 25 years, InsideOut Music is releasing an ENCHANT box set! The box set will contain every song we've ever done, demos, pictures and a detailed history of the band! We're are honored to be at this point in our career to have this milestone and look forward to sharing it with ENCHANT fans young and old!"

ENCHANT is currently hard at work on material for its ninth studio album. "Things are coming along quite well and we are nailing down the songs for the new record out of a plethora of material," the band states. "[We] won't give too much away but [we] will say that [we] think ENCHANT fans are in for a treat! We hope to have it out later this year or early next year."

The 10-CD box-set features the following albums and is now available to pre-order here:

01. A Blueprint Of The World (1993)

02. Wounded (1996)

03. Time Lost (1997)

04. Break (1998)

05. Juggling 9 Or Dropping 10 (2000)

06. Blink Of An Eye (2002)

07. Tug Of War (2003)

08. The Great Divide (2014)

09. Bonus Disc 1 (featuring demos)

10. Bonus disc 2 (featuring demos, acoustic versions, instrumentals and acoustic versions)

A new, two-disc digipack release from Carl Palmer, perhaps one of the most highly rated drummers in the world alive today and sole surviving member of prog rock giants EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, will be released by BMG on June 29. "Carl Palmer's ELP Legacy Live" encompasses two outstanding CARL PALMER'S ELP LEGACY shows captured on CD and DVD and presented in a deluxe booklet with sleeve notes by Carl Palmer.

"Live In New York 2014" CD: Recorded on November 25, 2015, this masterclass of a performance includes a full-length version of ELP's "Tarkus" played alongside "Mars", "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor", "The God Of War / 21st Century Schizoid Man", "Knife-Edge", "Trilogy" and more, performed before a sell-out crowd at New York's Tralf Music Hall.

"Pictures At An Exhibition - A Tribute To Keith Emerson Live Miami 2016" DVD: A two-hour long complete and spectacular tribute show to Keith Emerson, featuring special guests Steve Hackett (GENESIS), Mark Stein (VANILLA FUDGE) and David Frangioni. Recorded at Olympia Theater Miami on June 24, 2016, the show includes much-loved ELP classics such as "Bitches Crystal", "Hoedown", "Karn Evil 9 (Welcome Back My Friends)", "Romeo & Juliet", "Fanfare For The Common Man", "Jerusalem" and "The Barbarian".

CARL PALMER'S ELP LEGACY was formed in 2001 and comprises Carl Palmer alongside the prodigal talents of Simon Fitzpatrick on guitar and Paul Bielatowicz on bass. This power trio are taking classic ELP works and reconstructing them with drums, bass and guitar rather than replicating the unique keyboard/synth work of the great Keith Emerson. The lineup injects new life into both ELP and ELP-related favorites such as "Hoedown", "Peter Gunn", "The Barbarian", "Knife-Edge", "Pictures At An Exhibition", "Lucky Man", "Fanfare For The Common Man" and KING CRIMSON's "21st Century Schizoid Man".

"It's metal prog-rock playing EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER," Carl says. "It's original and unique, and that's important to me."

The trio's dynamic live show has proved a triumphant success with sold-out world tours, festival appearances and rave reviews.

Crowned "Prog God of 2017," Carl Palmer is taking the ELP legacy forward throughout 2018 in new directions, while showcasing his immeasurable talents as one of the great technical drummers alive today.

Says Carl: "My philosophy is very simple: if I keep on improving, which I am at the moment, or I can't improve but can maintain a standard, then I will carry on. The minute I can't do that, then I'm gone."

CD: "Live In New York 2014" - Tralf Music Hall Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., November 25, 2014

* Rondeau Des Indes Galantes / Ride Of The Valkyries

* Toccata And Fugue In D Minor

* Mars, The God Of War / 21st Century Schizoid Man

* Tarkus (Full Version)

* America

* Knife-Edge

* Trilogy (Short Version)

CD running time: 48 minutes. CD album previously unavailable digitally

DVD: "Pictures At An Exhibition - A Tribute To Keith Emerson" - Olympia Theater, Miami, Florida, U.S.A., June 24, 2016. Special Guests: Steve Hackett, Mark Stein and David Frangioni

01. Introduction

02. Peter Gunn

03. Karn Evil 9 (Welcome Back My Friends)

04. The Barbarian

05. Bitches Crystal

06. Jerusalem

07. Romeo & Juliet

08. 21st Century Schizoid Man

09. Clair De Lune

10. Knife-Edge

11. Hoedown

12. Take A Pebble

13. Carmina Burana

14. Pictures At An Exhibition

15. Fanfare For The Common Man / Drum Solo

16. Nutrocker

Bonus footage:

17. Behind The Scenes At The Tribute For Keith Emerson

DVD running time: 2 hours 4 minutes

TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider will release his new solo album, "For The Love Of Metal", on July 27 via Napalm Records. The disc, which was produced by HATEBREED vocalist Jamey Jasta, will feature contributions from Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD), Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY), Joel Grind and Nick Bellmore (TOXIC HOLOCAUST), and Charlie Bellmore (KINGDOM OF SORROW).

Commented Snider: "I am beyond excited to be working with one of the world's leading labels for heavy music, it's a perfect home for this album! I believe there's something for every hard rock and metal fan on this record and I cannot wait to unleash it on the world July 27th!"


Added Jasta: "I'm so happy and proud to have been a part of this project, Dee Snider is an American original, there is no other voice like his on earth, his power and passion really shine through on this album. Metal brings us all together and with Dee still at the forefront, it's a great time to be a fan of heavy music!"


Said Jones: "To be given the chance to write for and sing with Dee Snider, one of the men responsible for shaping heavy music as it is today, is an absolute honor. The voice, the mind, the swagger...the man is one of a kind."


Stated White-Gluz: "I am honored and humbled to sing alongside such a truly unique and talented soul. I love that Dee Snider has continued to shock people for decades just by being himself. I can't wait for everyone to hear our duet! It was no easy task matching up to Dee's level of vocal prowess but I was happy to accept the challenge and I'm in love with the results!"


"For The Love Of Metal" track listing:

01. Lies Are A Business

02. Tomorrow's No Concern

03. I am The Hurricane

04. American Made

05. Roll Over You

06. I'm Ready

07. Running Mazes

08. Mask

09. Become The Storm

10. The Hardest Way

11. Dead Hearts (Love Thy Enemy)

12. For The Love of Metal

Snider told the New Jersey radio station 90.3 WMSC-FM, about "For The Love Of Metal": "This is a really exciting album I did not expect to make, especially at this point in my life. I was doing Jamey Jasta's podcast, and he challenged me to make a contemporary rock record. And I was, like, 'Who's producing?' He said, 'I am.' And so we went in the studio [with] no record deal, and people started flocking [to appear on the LP]. It just amazed me, the enthusiasm and excitement that these younger musicians — younger than me, at least — had for working with Dee Snider and being a part of this project."

Dee went on to say that "the album turned out phenomenal," so much so that "we had a bidding war from all the major metal labels," he said. "As Jamey would say, it is hard. It harkens back to my earliest work with TWISTED SISTER, but it's very contemporary sounding with my voice. And people are astounded, actually, that I still have a very strong, very powerful, and as Jamey says, an important, iconic rock voice. So I'm very excited about this album."


Jasta previously described the LP as a "full-on metal album," adding that "people are gonna lose their minds when they hear this." He also called Dee "one of the best vocalists of our time" whose "voice is up there with Ozzy [Osbourne], [Ronnie James] Dio, [Bruce] Dickinson and [Rob] Halford to me. "And it's as powerful as ever!" he said.

"Although this album will be very heavy, the songs are anthemic and will fit well in his solo set with 'We're Not Gonna Take It', 'I Wanna Rock', 'Burn In Hell', 'We Are The Ones', 'So What' and others," Jamey promised.

Snider's last solo album, "We Are The Ones", was released in October 2016 via Red River Records. Produced by Damon Ranger, the disc was described by Dee as "an album that is think part FOO FIGHTERS, part IMAGINE DRAGONS, part THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS."

TWISTED SISTER called it quits in 2016 after completing a farewell 40th-anniversary tour.

Photo by Tim Tronckoe

REDEMPTION, the U.S. progressive metal band led by guitarist/songwriter Nick Van Dyk, will release its seventh full-length album, "Long Night's Journey Into Day", on July 27 via Metal Blade. The disc was produced by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, PRIMAL FEAR, AMARANTHE, DORO).

The follow-up to 2016's "The Art Of Loss", which Van Dyk counts amongst REDEMPTION's very best, "Long Night's Journey Into Day" is inarguably the sound of a band at the height of its powers. As followers of REDEMPTION are also aware, it is the first full-length since the departure of vocalist Ray Alder, and features the debut of EVERGREY vocalist Tom Englund.

"We were unable to tour 'The Art Of Loss' because Ray was not able to actively participate in REDEMPTION any longer, so we decided it was time to part company shortly after its release," says Van Dyk. "Ray is a dear friend, and I have nothing but respect and love for him and what we created together. But at some point, it just became untenable."

Of course, Alder's shoes were not exactly going to be easy to fill, and it was essential that his successor be someone who would immediately command respect, as well as somebody who could exceed expectations when it came to performance. Moreover, it was integral that they had someone who could fully invest in the lyrical themes concerning the human condition, which have always been central to REDEMPTION. So, the fact that from the beginning of his career Englund has penned lyrics about feelings of doubt, fear and despair with an unshakable emotional authenticity made him the perfect choice.

"Because of the power of his voice and the emotion he brings, this isn't going to be a shocking transition for fans," says Van Dyk. "Tom's also a very versatile vocalist, and being a songwriter, he has a tremendous melodic and compositional sensibility, and on top of that, we've known each other for many years, and there is a level of not just professional respect but personal friendship to it all."

Guitarists Chris Poland (MEGADETH, OHM:) and Simone Mularoni (DGM) return as guest musicians. When it came to backing up the music with visuals, the band once again turned to a longtime collaborator, Travis Smith, whose humbling resumé includes records by bands such as ACT OF DEFIANCE, OPETH and ICED EARTH.

"Long Night's Journey Into Day" track listing:

01. Eyes You Dare Not Meet In Dreams

02. Someone Else's Problem

03. The Echo Chamber

04. Impermanent

05. Indulge In Color

06. Little Men

07. And Yet

08. The Last Of Me

09. New Year's Day

10. Long Night's Journey Into Day

As previously announced, REDEMPTION will appear at ProgPower USA 2018, with more dates coming soon.

REDEMPTION is:

Tom Englund - Vocals

Nick Van Dyk - Guitars

Sean Andrews - Bass

Chris Quirarte - Drums

Vikram Shankar - Keyboards

LION'S SHARE and ASTRAL DOORS singer Nils Patrik Johansson has released another song, "How The West Was Won", from his upcoming debut solo album. Titled "Evil Deluxe", the disc will be released on May 25 via the German label Metalville.

"I have thought about a solo album for ten years, but then CIVIL WAR came into the picture and I used all my ideas for the three albums that we did" Nils Patrik reveals. "After my departure from them, I felt that I wanted to focus 100 percent on ASTRAL DOORS and LION'S SHARE. But all of a sudden inspiration came back — and from out of nowhere, I had 10 new killer songs. It felt natural to hire my LION'S SHARE bandmate Lars Chriss as producer and guitar player. My son Fredrik Johansson plays drums on the record, so finally father and son Johansson will appear on the same album."

Other musicians on the album:

Chris Boltendahl (GRAVE DIGGER) - Vocals

Andy Loos (LION'S SHARE, GLORY) - Bass

Fredrik Bergh (BLOODBOUND) - Keyboards

Kay Backlund (LION'S SHARE) - Keyboards

Anuviel (SAECRED SPIRIT) - Keyboards

Marcus Bengts - Bass

Track listing:

01. Baal

02. Evil Deluxe

03. Estonia

04. Gasoline

05. How The West Was Won

06. September Black

07. Kings And Queens

08. Burning

09. Metalhead

10. Circle In The Sky

11. Dark Evolution

12. A Waltz For Paris

Artwork by Mattias Hinders

Canadian metal trio CAULDRON will release its new album, "New Gods", on September 7 via The End Records (North America) and Dissonance Productions (Europe).

For the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2016 album "In Ruin", Jason Decay (lead vocals, bass), Ian Chains (guitar) and Myles Deck (drums), along with producer Chris Stringer, honed and recorded the songs at Union Sound in Toronto.

CAULDRON's fifth full-length studio record, "New Gods" once again promises a strong emphasis on songwriting and melody, complete with high-end organic production to match.

"We have always prioritized songwriting above anything else," says Decay. "For me personally, I have always felt more confident writing than as a 'musician,' and for the first time I think we have found the production that best suits our songs."

"I am very proud of the songwriting, performances and production on this one, and it is definitely the most confident I have been in a finished album of ours. It is dark, it's heavy and it has a very melodic sense of AOR. Most importantly, it still sounds very CAULDRON. I'm pretty sure people who were into 'In Ruin' will like this one just as much, if not more."

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES, the supergroup featuring international film star and musician Johnny Depp alongside Alice Cooper and AEROSMITH's Joe Perry, will embark on a U.K. tour in June. Support at all four shows will come from THE DARKNESS and THE DAMNED.

Cooper told the Evening Standard that fans will be shocked when they hear Depp play guitar.

"He's not new to playing on stage," Alice said. "People are going to be very surprised when they hear him play, because they know him as Jack Sparrow.

"When they see a guitar in his band, they going to say, 'Wait a minute! I didn't have any idea he could play like that.' He's a real guitar player. I wouldn't be working with anybody that wasn't as good as anybody I've worked with normally.

"Last year, we were testing the waters to see if people were even going to be interested in what we were doing, and we found that they were; we got great reactions and sold out quite a few places. I think a lot of that might have been out of curiosity — Joe Perry, Johnny Depp and Alice Cooper; what a weird combination."

HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES' full lineup for the U.K. tour will be as follows:


Alice Cooper - Vocals

Johnny Depp - Guitar

Joe Perry - Guitar

Sheryl Cooper - Vocals

Chris Wyse - Bass

Tommy Henriksen - Guitars/Music Director

Glen Sobel - Drums

Buck Johnson - Keyboards


During the 1970s in the upstairs bar of the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, the "Hollywood Vampires" were born. It was a gathering place where celebrated artists such as John Lennon, Keith Moon, Jim Morrison, Alice Cooper, Harry Nilsson and countless others would meet and drink into the early morning hours, and the club became legendary.

Back in 2012, Cooper and Depp decided the time was right to revive the camaraderie and spirit that defined Hollywood Vampires" (minus the drinking), creating an environment for great artists to hang, laugh and play together. Cooper and Depp were joined by Perry, along with producer Bob Ezrin, and soon the recording began. The band's debut album, "Hollywood Vampires", was released in September 2015.

Legendary hard rock vocalist Joe Lynn Turner's SUNSTORM project will release its fifth album, "The Road To Hell", on June 8 via Frontiers Music Srl. The official lyric video for the second single from the effort, the "The Road To Hell" title track, can be seen below.


Any hardcore fan of hard rock will certainly be no stranger to the story of Joe Lynn Turner's career. From his early days with FANDANGO to his successful stints fronting RAINBOW, DEEP PURPLE and Yngwie Malmsteen and through his heralded solo career, the New Jersey-born singer has had his vocal talents on display for decades now.

Turner says: "The key to a great song is in the writing, performance, melody and lyrics. Anyone who loves melodic hard rock will not be disappointed with the first song! Personally, I love the positive message that it conveys to the listener... and the chorus is extremely memorable... The music is tight and compelling and played brilliantly. Turn it up loud and enjoy a great kick off to a rocking summer!"

Years ago, Turner got in touch with Frontiers president Serafino Perugino and after discussions between the two, the idea of unearthing some classic melodic rock gems to craft the definitive Joe Lynn Turner AOR album came about. This brought about the release of the first SUNSTORM album in 2006, and then came "House of Dreams" in 2009, "Emotional Fire" in 2012, and the definitively more hard-rocking "Edge Of Tomorrow" in 2016.

The new album, "Road To Hell", once again featuring production from HARDLINE's Alessandro Del Vecchio and guitars by DGM's Simone Mularoni, continues in the same hard rock direction that was started on "Edge Of Tomorrow" and that JLT's vocal talents shine so brightly in when performing this style.

"The Road To Hell" track listing:

01. Only The Good Will Survive

02. The Road To Hell

03. On The Edge

04. Blind The Sky

05. My Eyes On You

06. Future To Come

07. Everywhere

08. Resurrection

09. Calling

10. State Of The Heart

11. Still Fighting


SUNSTORM is:

Joe Lynn Turner - Lead Vocals

Alessandro Del Vecchio - Hammond Organ, Keyboards, Backing Vocals

Simone Mularoni - Guitar

Nik Mazzucconi - Bass

Edo Sala - Drums

Joe Lynn Turner recently canceled a number of European live shows so that he could fully recover from a heart attack he suffered in early April.

Swedish melodic metallers AMARANTHE have completed work on their fifth album at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark with producer Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, EPICA, DELAIN). The follow-up to 2016's "Maximalism" will mark the band's first release with DYNAZTY's Nils Molin, who officially joined AMARANTHE in July 2017 as the replacement for Jake E.

Commented guitarist Olof Mörck: "With a newborn album, it is easy for an artist to fall into hyperbole and rants of how it is the best thing you have ever done — but for the first time, I can confidently say that this album very certainly the best and strongest of our entire career. Soon enough, you will get to hear for yourself and judge. Now, time to leave Denmark behind and, after two months, return HOME!!"

Added vocalist Elize Ryd: "I have loved every second to write, create and making this album. I can't wait to reveal the name of our fifth baby, let it loose into the world to live its own life and spread the message all by itself. It feels to me already like the most strong and confident child of ours. The support has been important, and I'm so grateful to everyone involved."

Having previously used Chris Adam Hedman Sörbye from the band SMASH INTO PIECES as a stand-in for Jake on some of the shows in 2016 and in early 2017, AMARANTHE recruited Molin for three Swedish concerts in March 2017 and he has been part of the group's live appearances ever since.

Jake E announced his departure from AMARANTHE in February 2017, explaining at the time that he began to feel that "my place both on the albums and live was reduced; I felt like I was superfluous… I started to feel more like a backing singer." He has since launched a new band called CYHRA with former IN FLAMES members Peter Iwers (bass) and Jesper Strömblad (guitar) alongside LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY drummer Alex Landenburg.