Reactivated Bay Area melodic death metal outfit LIGHT THIS CITY has released the official video for the song "Agents Of Fate". The track is taken from the band's upcoming fifth LP, and first in a decade, "Terminal Bloom", which will be released on CD, LP, and digital formats on May 25 through drummer Ben Murray's Creator-Destructor Records.

The "Agents Of Fate" clip was directed and edited by Shane Henry and it captures the band crushing one of the album's heaviest tracks in an intense, high-action, low-light setting.


Comments LIGHT THIS CITY: "We're thrilled to premiere the official video for 'Agents Of Fate' and we hope you all enjoy it! The band agreed that this song had a great combination of elements of the LIGHT THIS CITY sound — thrash all the way through with some melody, blast beats, and a big ol' chorus that hopefully gets you headbangin' and in trouble at work! We wanted to capture the dynamics of the song in as simple and intense a way as possible."

"Terminal Bloom" was recorded from December 2017 through February 2018 with Zack Ohren (SUFFOCATION, CATTLE DECAPITATION, FALLUJAH) at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland, California, as with their previous four albums, and is wrapped in the vibrant cover artwork of Tony Midi.


LIGHT THIS CITY returns with ten blazing tracks that capture the band's tendency towards extreme melody and intensity, honoring the Swedish sound of the '90s.

Having spent the past decade performing and touring in numerous other bands, the five members of LIGHT THIS CITY have only honed and shaped their skills and musicianship since their 2008 effort "Stormchaser".

LIGHT THIS CITY has announced a West Coast tour with labelmates GYGAX for late June into July. The "Terminal Bloom" West Coast Tour begins June 22nd in San Diego, then hits Anaheim, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, and the final show hits Sacramento on July 1.

Oregon trio YOB will release its eighth album, "Our Raw Heart", on June 8 via Relapse Records. The disc was co-produced by the band and Billy Barnett at Gung Ho Studio in Eugene, Oregon, with mastering handled by Heba Kadry (THE MARS VOLTA, DIAMANDA GALAS, SLOWDIVE).

The album's title track, "Our Raw Heart", can be streamed below.

"The album title hit me early that year, so I knew the lyrics would be informed by it," singer/guitar player Mike Scheidt said. Though he declined to go into specifics — he'd rather the listener interpret the lyrics for their own unique experience — Scheidt does want to stress the collective nature of the title. "So many people came to my aid while I was recovering," a reference to his harrowing medical journey which he discussed recently with Rolling Stone. "It almost seems trite to say it was humbling, but I felt this heightened state of support and connection to people around the world who gave to me in many different ways so I could keep my head above water—whether it was encouragement, financial support or spiritual support."

Physical pre-orders are available via Relapse.com with various physical bundles including a super deluxe 2XLP boxset (limited to 100 copies), a white/gold splattered deluxe version (limited to 300 copies), various merchandise and other formats including cassette and CD. Digital downloads include an instant download of "The Screen".

"Our Raw Heart" track listing:

01. Ablaze

02. The Screen

03. In Reverie

04. Lung Reach

05. Beauty in Falling Leaves

06. Original Face

07. Our Raw Heart

YOB's most recent release, "Clearing The Path To Ascend", was one of 2014's most heralded releases, with Rolling Stone saying the music "makes perfect bedfellows of volume and beauty, pain and transcendence." Stereogum said the four-track album offers "a universe unto itself" while Decibel said the songs were "as riveting as you could ever hope for them to be."

Photo credit: Jimmy Hubbard

TRILLIUM, the metal project launched by American-born, Dutch-based singer/songwriter Amanda Somerville, will release its sophomore album, "Tectonic", on June 8 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The official lyric video for the disc's second single, "Shards", can be seen below.

Amanda's husband and musical collaborator Sander Gommans (AFTER FOREVER, HDK) stated about "Tectonic": "Writing, producing and mixing this album together with Amanda Somerville was an intense (three kids were born in between) but very fulfilling experience. Having AFTER FOREVER's André Borgman back on drums was a huge bonus for me!"

Added Amanda: "Where [TRILLIUM debut album] 'Alloy' was rather dark and moody and restless, 'Tectonic' is on the whole more uplifting and full of strength and character, though it's just as full of emotion.

"My life was shaken up by figurative earthquakes through several elements shifting in recent years and that's what this album represents. It's a challenge to make an album that's musically heavy without being dragged down by melancholy, but that's what Sander and I set out to do from the beginning and it worked out beautifully!"

Amanda continued: "The core and essence of 'Tectonic' is very personal and comes, basically, from the hearts and minds of a singer and a guitar player and I think that's very apparent when you listen to the songs. Sander and I didn't want to overthink things and over-complicate the songs. There's definitely some bombast in there because we both have a love of keyboard arrangements, but they don't rule the roost here. Also, the only guest performances are by good friends from my hometown in Flint, Michigan who also played live with me solo and with TRILLIUM, and also some great mates and colleagues of Sander's, so it's really a 'family' kind of album. We tried to keep things simple, and yet I think it's anything but low key!"

Somerville is well known for her collaborations with various high-profile European metal bands like AVANTASIA, EPICA, KAMELOT and AFTER FOREVER, to name a few. And let's not forget her musical partnership with HELLOWEEN vocalist Michael Kiske under the KISKE/SOMERVILLE banner. With a vocal range from tenor to soprano and a stylistically diverse singing ability, Somerville's voice is well suited for multiple styles, but TRILLIUM is firmly in the metal genre.

"Tectonic" track listing:

01. Time To Shine

02. Stand Up

03. Full Speed Ahead

04. Hit Me

05. Fighting Fate

06. Nocturna

07. Fatal Mistake

08. Shards

09. Cliché Freak Show

10. Eternal Spring

Recording lineup:

All vocals by Amanda Somerville

All guitars and bass by Sander Gommans, except:

Track 3: bass by Mark Burnash, second guitar solo by Paul Owsinski

Track 11: Guitars by Paul Owsinski, keyboards by Erik van Ittersum, drums by André Borgman

TRILLIUM released its debut album, "Alloy", in November 2011 via Frontiers. The CD was described in a press release as "a collection of songs that's charged with emotion and exploration and a very personal statement from Amanda."

According to DISTURBED bassist John Moyer, the band has finished recording its new album The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko.

Moyer broke the news by posting an Instagram photo of him, Churko, drummer Mike Wengren and guitarist Dan Donegan at a restaurant, along with the caption: "Celebratory dinner! New @disturbed album tracking done!! Missing @davidmdraiman with @kevin.churko @dandonegan @mikewengren"

Frontman David Draiman said in a new behind-the-scenes video that DISTURBED goes to "war" each time it makes a new album to make sure it's the best it can be. Draiman explained: "You fight for the strength of your creation, you fight to make the greatest thing you possibly can, and it's worth every minute, it's worth every bit of sweat, it's worth every tear. So that's what we live for."

He added: "Every time we put out a piece of art, it continues to define who we are. What could possibly be more important than that and require more of your focus and your time and your energy."

Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the band doesn't like to waste time in the studio. "I mean, we definitely go in there very prepared," he said. "We never enter the studio unless we feel like, right now, if these are the songs we record, that we would have an album that we're proud of and we're excited about. And we put everything under the microscope and examine it the best we can to make sure that we're prepared. We don't like going in there wasting time. We go in there to work, and to try to make the best album we can."

The new disc will follow up 2015's "Immortalized", which ended a four-year hiatus for the quartet and was its fifth album to enter the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1.

"Immortalized" featured the band's cover of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence", a massive hit that introduced DISTURBED to new audiences.

Celebratory dinner! New @disturbed album tracking done!! Missing @davidmdraiman with @kevin.churko @dandonegan @mikewengren A post shared by John Moyer (@johnmoyerbass) on May 9, 2018 at 9:40pm PDT

Rob Zombie has completed recording his new album for a tentative early 2019 release.

Last summer, Rob and his bandmates commenced work on the follow-up to 2016's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser", which was the second consecutive effort to feature Zombie and guitarist John 5 alongside bassist Piggy D. and drummer Ginger Fish. In the meantime, the group continued to play sporadic shows, with Zombie scheduled to kick off a 29-date North American summer tour with Marilyn Manson on July 11. Rob also started shooting his next movie, "3 From Hell", a sequel to his 2005 horror hit "The Devil's Rejects".

During a recent appearance on the "Trunk Nation" show on SiriusXM channel Volume (106), Rob offered an update on his next album, saying: "We basically more or less finished the record before I started the movie. We haven't mixed it yet and we haven't put the final touches on it, but it's pretty far along… We're actually gonna start mixing the record in June, just before the tour [with Marilyn Manson] starts, hopefully finish it — I don't know if I will — go on tour, come back, then [edit] the movie."

Predicting that "the record and the movie will probably drop around the same time" early next year, Rob said that it is still "incredibly important" for him to make new music with his band. "I think people that think it isn't important have lost the idea of why they're in a band in the first place.

"For us, in a funny way, it seems like nothing ever changes," he continued. "Thirty years later, here we are, in some crappy rehearsal space that's too loud, going deaf, playing music… We never change anything. We don't decorate our dressing rooms; we just want it to be the same. If you looked at us in a dressing room ten years ago, twenty years ago, it never changes. 'Cause there's something about remembering why you're doing it. We have one bus, we all jam together, we don't separate, we all stay in the same dressing room, we all eat together. It's a band, and we do everything like a band. And making a record is important, I think, because we try as hard as we can with every record to make a great record; that's what we do. Is it like the days where you could sell three million and it's on MTV every five minutes? No. But it's different too. At the same time, you go, 'Okay, well, a couple of million people watched this on YouTube.' None of these old records got spun a million times on MTV. It's just how you approach it."

Rob added: "On the last record, we made more videos than we've ever made for any record, we promoted it heavier, and the new songs connect in the set just as good as the old songs; people don't leave. But at the same time, maybe people that have been fans for 30 years go, 'Ah, I don't know the new songs,' but the front row that look like they're about 14 know the new songs. So, to me, it's, like, you just have to keep trying to reinvigorate your fanbase. You don't wanna go just shit out some record [and go] 'Oh, nobody cares.' They're only gonna care as much as you care, I believe. And if it looks like we put a lot of work into everything and we care and we promote it, people get onboard. It always works. I mean, our set is filled with songs from every single record and they all seem to work just as good. But you have to slowly introduce 'em, get people onboard, like anything else. Because, of course, someone's not gonna like a new song as much as some song they've been listening to for 25 years."

Zombie went on to say: "I feel so many bands just throw their hands up in the air and go, 'It's not worth it anymore.' Well, it could be, if you changed your attitude and went in and felt like, 'Let's make the greatest record humanly possible.' I don't understand why artists have to decide, oh, their best days are always behind them. It's always behind them. It's how they always talk. Or they can blame everything — they blame the Internet, they blame the crowd, they blame this. In the '80s, everyone blamed MTV. I remember hearing all the guys [saying], 'Oh, man. We don't wanna make videos. We're not video stars.' And it was, like, 'Jesus Christ, man. Just do your thing and stop crying.'"

While rock radio has largely stopped playing his newer records, fans are continuing to embrace new music from Rob Zombie. The week of its release, "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard album chart and was the only rock record in the top 30. It would have been No. 4, if two previously released Prince albums weren't near the top of the chart.

Several of Zombie's singles from "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser", including "In The Age Of The Consecrated Vampire We All Get High" and "Well, Everybody's Fucking In A U.F.O.", were accompanied by their respective attention-grabbing videos, a trend that is likely to continue with the upcoming effort.

Horror-obsessed, underground cult act Ilsa are streaming their new album Corpse Fortress, released back in March via Relapse Records, in it's entirety. Listen below.

Ilsa weave together tales of depravity and devil worship on their Relapse debut Corpse Fortress. Recorded by Kevin Bernsten (Full Of Hell, Code Orange, Magrudergrind, Integrity) in Baltimore, MD at Developing Nations, Corpse Fortress is nine tracks forged in filth with dense layers of emotionally draining sludge, murky, primordial doom and feedback-laden, crusty death metal. Corpse Fortress is easily the rawest, most abhorrent and nasty album in Ilsa’s 10-year career and the perfect soundtrack for the initiated miscreants of this rapidly dying orb.

Physical packages are available at Relapse.com and digital downloads via all retail outlets here.

Tracklisting:

"Hikikomori"
"Nasty, Brutish"
"Cosmos Antinomos"
"Prosector"
"Old Maid"
"Long Lost Friend"
"Ruckenfigur"
"Polly Vaughn"
"Drums Of Dark Gods"
"Nitrogen Narcosis" (Bonus Track)
"Dog River Days "(Bonus Track)

Album stream:

As Italian epic metallers Vultures Vengeance prepare to record their first full-length this summer, the band will further whet their fans' appetite by releasing the "Lyrids: Warning From The Reign Of Untold" 7" in September via Gates Of Hell Records, a sub-label of Cruz Del Sur Music.

Featuring two leftover songs from their 2016 Where The Time Dwelt In EP ("Empire Of The Crimson Fields" and "Into The Cave"), the 7-inch will also include the talents of new lead guitarist Tony L.A. Scelzi, who joined Vultures Vengeance last year.

"We have always played both of these songs at our live shows, so fans of the band should have no problem recognizing them," says guitarist/vocalist Tony T. Steele. "The two songs maintain the same spirit and atmosphere of the Where The Time Dwelt In EP, so in some ways, it could be interpreted as a sequel, just with different production. And, we are excited to feature Tony's lead guitar playing on an actual release. Sadly, this will mark the last release with drummer Kosathral Khel, but it's a fitting way for us to bid farewell to him."

Steele says the Vultures Vengeance lineup is "stronger than ever," which should come in handy as they get to work on a new album and begin integrating a new drummer into the band.

"We are always really glad to play live, but the most important thing is that all the people who make it possible are those who sincerely love what we do and heavy metal in general," says Steele. "We will always be thankful to these people, for they keep this music alive not because it's a trend, but because they're passionate about it. Our main goal for the future and upcoming shows is to keep this unchanged and encourage everyone to read the messages that are within our music. Ultimately, our fans should expect that the stage for Vultures Vengeance will always be like a book where we will write the accurate description of who we are and not of whom we would like to be."

The Where The Time Dwelt In EP was released in October 2016 via Gates Of Hell Records.

The first full trailer for the Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody launches tomorrow, May 15th, exclusively on Queen's official channels and we have a special sneak peek of it here for those of you who can’t wait.

Bohemian Rhapsody is a foot-stomping celebration of Queen, their music and their extraordinary lead singer Freddie Mercury, who defied stereotypes and shattered convention to become one of the most beloved entertainers on the planet. The film traces the meteoric rise of the band through their iconic songs and revolutionary sound, their near-implosion as Mercury’s lifestyle spirals out of control, and their triumphant reunion on the eve of Live Aid, where Mercury, facing a life-threatening illness, leads the band in one of the greatest performances in the history of rock music. In the process, cementing the legacy of a band that were always more like a family, and who continue to inspire outsiders, dreamers and music lovers to this day.

The clip below features on set and behind the scenes stills taken from the Bohemian Rhapsody movie.

Greg Brooks, Queens’ Official Archivist was part of this process and he worked with the band and the movie production team on a daily basis for months to re-create every tiny detail of each scene and to make it as authentic as possible.

"My role was to give the Fox ‘Props’ team access to authentic Queen tapes, notes, handwriting, memorabilia, costumes and photographs - anything and everything remotely useful - which they could then create replicas of, to dress various sets."

"Working on this project with such a brilliant gathering of dedicated talented people, was a rare privilege. Fox have created a Queen universe that is scarily convincing. It is real in every way that it could reasonably be."

Montréal based melodic death metallers Kataklysm will unleash their 13th studio album Meditations on June 1st via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-order Meditations in several formats now at this location. Check out the official album trailer below:

In celebration of the new album's release, the band have announced they will be playing four exclusive US dates before heading to Europe. Attendees of the shows will receive a copy of Meditations and bonus live DVD.

Following the release on June 1st, the band will play June 2nd at St. Vitus in Brooklyn, June 3rd at Northside Yacht Club in Cincinnati, June 4th at Reggies in Chicago and the final show will be at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood on June 7th. Support for the release shows will be none other than Jungle Rot, who will play the first thee shows, and Exmortus, who will play the show at the Whisky A Go Go.

Maurizio Iacono comments, “Meditations is coming - a work of art. To celebrate, we decided to do four select release party shows across the states. We encourage everyone to come party! Every attendee will receive a copy our new album, “Meditations” and bonus live DVD. Support the cause of metal and see ya soon \m/“

Tickets for the shows are on sale here.

Produced by the band's own guitarist J-F Dagenais and drummer Oli Beaudoin, the new album was mixed by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour). Mastering duties were handled by Paul Logus (Pantera).

The Meditations cover artwork, which can be seen below, was created by Ocvlta Designs by Surtsey, who also crafted the artwork for Kataklysm's previous record, Of Ghosts And Gods.

Maurizio commented, "This is a very personal album to me with old wounds being revisited - I felt a big urge to pour my soul into this release. The boys and I were isolated under the same roof during the writing process, just like we did in the early days...with no worries except having fun, being honest and delivering a serious album that represents us today but respects our past. Our new story is coming and we are eager to share it with you!"

Meditations tracklisting:

"Guillotine"
"Outsider"
"The Last Breath I'll Take Is Yours"
"Narcissist"
"Born To Kill And Destined To Die"
"In Limbic Resonance"
"And Then I Saw Blood"
"What Doesn't Break Doesn't Heal"
"Bend The Arc, Cut The Cord"
"Achilles Heel"

"Narcissist" video:

"Guillotine" playthrough video:

"Guillotine" lyric video:

Trailers:

Kataklysm have announced that they will be teaming up with Swedish death metal legends Hypocrisy for a European co-headline tour.

The tour's special name traces back to Nuclear Blast's popular sampler series and promises nothing but evenings of moshpits and endless devastation. Don't miss out on this outstanding tour and secure your tickets now.

Maurizio Iacono states: "It's been in talks for over two years and finally both Kataklysm and our brothers in Hypocrisy can make the schedule work to join forces once more. It's been almost 15 years since we toured together and the last time we did the tours became instant classics. It‘s that time again folks... Kataklysm & Hypocrisy team up once more for a world tour beginning with Europe this fall. To make things even greater our record label Nuclear Blast has come on board and baptized the tour Death... Is Just The Beginning, a homage to the old classic compilations that made so many fans discover both bands back in the day. This will mark the return of this classic compilation with this tour and maybe give other artists the chance to get discovered like we did. DO NOT MISS THIS TOUR, YOU ONLY GET ONE CHANCE!"

Hypocrisy's Peter Tägtgren adds: "I hope that you are just as excited as we are, because we are very happy to announce that we are finally warming up the Hypocrisy engine again and that we will be back on the road in fall! We will be touring Europe together with our friends in Kataklysm! The tour will be an overview of the chaos and confusion created by Hypocrisy over the years. See you out there!"

Tour dates:

October
18 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
19 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
20 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
23 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
24 - Vienna, Austria - Arena
25 - Wrocław, Poland - Zaklęte Rewiry
26 - Geiselwind, Germany - MusicHall
27 - Milan, Italy - Live Music Club
28 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
29 - Lyon, France - Ninkasi Kao
31 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Mon

November
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
2 - Limoges, France - CC John Lennon
3 - Paris, France - La Machine du Moulin Rouge
4 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
5 - Hamburg, Germany - Docks
6 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Trädgår'n
7 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset
9 - Helsinki, Finland - The Circus
10 - Tampere, Finland - Pakkahuone
12 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
13 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Neushoorn
14 - Berlin, Germany - Kesselhaus
15 - Dresden, Germany - Eventwerk
16 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle 2
17 - Leipzig, Germany - Hellraiser

More Kataklysm live dates:

June
14-16 - Gräfenhainichen, Germany - With Full Force
21 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
22 - St. Goarshausen, Germany - Rockfels
23 - Clisson, France - Hellfest

July
6 - Bucarest, Romania - Metalhead Meeting
7 - Barcelona, Spain - Rockfest Barcelona
21 - Bertingen, Germany - R.U.D.E
25 - Tolmin, Slovenia - Metaldays

August
16 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze
17 - Moravsky Krumlov, Czech Republic - Rock Heard Festival
18 - Essen, Germany - Turock OA

Kataklysm is:

Maurizio Iacono - Vocals
Jean-Francois Dagenais - Guitar
Stephane Barbe - Bass
Oli Beaudoin - Drums

 

"Collide", the first song from REPENTANCE, the new band featuring former SOIL and DIRGE WITHIN guitarist Shaun Glass and STUCK MOJO frontman Robby J. Fonts, can be streamed below. The track was recorded at Mercenary Studios with Scott Creekmore (DIRGE WITHIN, LIONHEART, BROKEN HOPE) and mixed and mastered by Chris Collier (PRONG, LAST IN LINE, METAL CHURCH, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM)

For the past several months, REPENTANCE has been feverishly writing music at Chicago's Superior Street Studios, keeping a relatively low profile as the project took shape.

Joining Fonts and Glass in the group are guitarist Markus Johnsson, drummer Anthony Lien and bassist Mike Sylvester.

"REPENTANCE came together very naturally, which was a very cleansing experience," states Glass. "At this point in my life, I was hoping to start working and creating new music with an almost entirely new group of people, and this crew organically locked into place."

"It's crazy how things happen," comments Fonts. "I was looking to start a new band since Rich [Ward] and Frank [Fontsere] are currently busy outside of STUCK MOJO [touring with FOZZY], so the timing for REPENTANCE came perfectly. It was NONPOINT's drummer, Robb Rivera, that introduced me to Shaun. One phone call later, we were stoked to get this show on the road. Shaun sent me demos, I wrote lyrics and vocals and our songs started coming together quickly."

"The band's sound is definitely very aggressive, pummeling metal and we can't wait to share some music with everyone soon," adds Glass. "Everyone is bringing their own style to the table, and the uniqueness of each is helping to shape our sound. All that said, we're all on the same page in terms of the musical direction that we're headed. 'Don't play metal if you ain't metal!' We're creating a style that we enjoy ourselves first and foremost."

"You know you're on to something special when everyone connects instantly and the creativity keeps on flowing," says Fonts. "I think fans of our previous work will be in for a pleasant surprise… this band's sound is HEAVY. Get ready for REPENTANCE!"

REPENTANCE will make its live debut on May 23 at The Forge in Joliet, Illinois as the support act for TRIVIUM and TOOTHGRINDER.

REPENTANCE is:

Robby J. Fonts - Vocals

Shaun Glass - Guitars

Markus Johansson - Lead Guitars

Mike Sylvester - Bass

Anthony Lien - Drums

IMONOLITH, the new Canadian metal band featuring members of THREAT SIGNAL, DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, has released its first track, titled "The Reign".

Says the group: "This is a demo of one of our heavier songs.

"We aren't going to release any album-quality material until our first album is in the can and ready for release.

"We hope you dig this little clip of music. This is just a small glimpse of what's to come and only one of many sides to IMONOLITH's musical diversity."

IMONOLITH was launched following Devin Townsend's announcement that he has put the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT on indefinite hiatus while he works on other projects.

Joining drummer Ryan Van Poederooyen and guitarist Brian "Beav" Waddell (who played bass in DTP) are bassist Byron Stroud, second guitarist Jed Simon and vocalist Jon Howard.

Regarding how IMONOLITH was chosen as the moniker for the new band, Van Poederooyen said: "Jed Simon had a list of over 50 band names he thought of over the years. He sent them to all of us in the band. The word 'Monolith' was one of the band names. It caught my attention and I started playing with the word. At first, I thought of various names with words in front of, or after the word Monolith, then I thought of 'I Monolith.' But it didn't sound right, so I added the letter 'i' to the front of the word 'Monolith' and voilà… IMONOLITH was born. A brand new word used for a band name. The guys dug it when I brought it up to them. It sounds heavy and is easy to say. So we're sticking with it! It still somewhat carries the meaning of Monolith, which is a monumental, black stone of significance. Sounds metal enough for us!"

IMONOLITH (the first "i" is pronounced like the "i" in the word "impossible") is:

* Jon Howard (THREAT SIGNAL) - Vocals

* Jed Simon (VIMIC, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, SCAR THE MARTYR) - Guitar

* Brian "Beav" Waddell (DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT) - Guitar

* Byron Stroud (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) - Bass

* Ryan Van Poederooyen (DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT) - Drums

Photo credit: LIM SANG Photography

Southern Californian rock trio Radio Moscow have released a video for "Driftin'", a track from their fifth studio album New Beginnings, released last year via Century Media Records. Watch the new clip below.

New Beginnings was recorded at Lost Ark Studio in San Diego with Mike Butler, produced by the band’s own Parker Griggs and mastered by Mark Chalecki at Little Red Book Mastering.

Tracklisting:

“New Beginning”
“Deceiver”
“Woodrose Morning”
“Dritin’”
“No One Knows Where They’ve Been”
“Last To Know”
“New Skin”
“Pacing”
“Pick Up The Pieces”
“Dreams”

"Driftin'" video:

“New Beginning” lyric video:

Tour dates:

May
15 - Dortmund, Germany - Piano
16 - Antwerp, Belgium - Het Bos
17 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg
18 - Manchester, UK - Rebellion
19 - Coventry, UK - Phoenix
22 - Hannover, Germany - Bei Chez Heinz
23 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
24 - Leipzig, Germany - UT Connewitz
 
June
28 - Newcastle, Australia - The Wicko
29 - Adelaide, Australia - The Gov
30 - Perth, Australia - Indi Bar

July
1 - Bunbury, Australia - Prince Of Wales
4 - Melbourne, Australia - Cherry Bar
5 - Frankston Australia -  Pelly Bar
6 - Canberra, Australia - The Basement
7 - Brisbane, Australia - Dead Of Winter Fest
8 - Sydney, Australia - Frankies

Melodic death metal veterans Night In Gales are streaming the title track of their new album The Last Sunsets, released earlier this year via Apostasy Records. Listen below.

After a couple of eventful years, Night In Gales finally return with a new album. Together with returning vocalist Christian Müller who appeared on their early works Sylphlike (1995) and Razor (1996), the five-piece returns to its roots and experiences a process of rejuvenation.

The Last Sunsets unleashes wild death metal with haunting melodies that evokes the early days of the melodic death metal genre. The band is supported by three guest vocalists: Marc Grewe (ex-Morgoth, Insidious Disease), Christian Mertens (Dark Millennium), and Martin Matzak (ex-Torchure). The mix and the master was done by a true scene-icon. Dan Swanö (Edge Of Sanity, ex-Bloodbath) created the perfect sound for the 12 songs which shifts between old-school and timeless. Furthermore, Costin Chioreanu’s artwork (At The Gates, Arch Enemy, Carach Angren) with its strong symbolic power fits perfect as a visual addition to the music.

Tracklisting:

“The Last Sunsets”
“Dark Millennium”
“The Mortal Soul”
“The Passing”
“Architects Of Tyranny”
“The Abyss”
“The Spears Within”
“Circle Of Degeneration”
“Kingdome Of The Lost”
“Cessation”
“In Pain, In Silence”
“Dust And Form”

“The Last Sunsets”:

“The Abyss” video:

“The Mortal Soul” lyric video:

“The Spears Within”:

Greek epic/power metal force Battleroar has revealed the cover art and tracklisting for their forthcoming studio album, Codex Epicus. Due on June 15th via Cruz Del Sur Music, the Codex Epicus album art was created by Vagelis Petikas of Revolver Design.

The follow-up to 2014's Blood Of Legends was recorded at Devasoundz Studios in Athens, Greece and features a guest appearance from Manilla Road guitarist/vocalist Mark Shelton on the song "Sword Of The Flame", reprising a role he first took on with "The Wanderer", which appears on Battleroar's 2005 album, The Age Of Chaos.

Comments Battleroar guitarist Kostas Tzortzis: "Mark is one of my biggest musical influences, my mentor and my brother. I am lucky enough to know him personally for more than 16 years and we have shared many experiences in many different places on this planet! So, during the creation of this album, I found myself drained of inspiration, with a nice song on my hands half-finished, but with absolutely no idea how to get it done. Time was running out and I was getting desperate, so I thought of asking Mark for help. Mark has never failed me and this time was no different. He wrote the lyrics, created the vocal lines, sang them and he even added a guitar solo in the end of the song. The rest is history..."

Tracklisting:

"Awakening The Muse"
"We Shall Conquer"
"Sword Of The Flame"
"Chronicles Of Might"
"The Doom Of Medusa"
"Palace Of The Martyrs"
"Kings Of Old"
"Enchanting Threnody"
"Stronghold" (CD bonus track - new version)

Battleroar will support Codex Epicus with extensive live shows across Europe.

Originally formed in 2000, Battleroar's self-titled debut album was released in 2003. The band followed it up with The Age Of Chaos in 2005 before joining Cruz Del Sur for the release of 2008's To Death And Beyond...

British heavy metal band Monument have released a video for "The Chalice”; the third single from their third studio album Hellhound, out on May 25th via ROAR Rock Of Angels Records.

The video includes a cast of some of the biggest names in the British pro wrestling scene such as WWE UK Superstar Trent Seven, Chardonnay Darcy, Defiant Wrestling champion Millie McKenzie, BLW Women's champion Jamie Hayter and Charli Evans. Also included in the video is Monument's very own championship title belt crafted by the band's front-man Peter Ellis who also creates title belts for WWE, WWE NXT and Channel 5's Lip Sync Battle UK, among others, with his title belt business Leather Rebels.

The album, consisting of nine plus three bonus tracks of pure British heavy metal, will be available in jewel case CD (9 tracks standard version), limited digipack CD (with 3 bonus tracks), black Vinyl (9 tracks standard version) and a limited 500 copy boxset version.

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

Red/Yellow/Orange Marbled Double Vinyl (Boxset Exclusive Vinyl):

Side A
“William Kidd”
“The Chalice”
“Death Avenue”

Side B
“Nightrider”
“Hellhound”
“Wheels Of Steel”

Side C
“The End”
“Attila”
“Straight Through The Heart”

Side D (Bonus Tracks)
“Creatures Of The Night”
“Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Rainbow cover)
“Déjà vu” (Iron Maiden cover)

Black Vinyl:

Side A
“William Kidd”
“The Chalice”
“Death Avenue”
“Nightrider”
“Hellhound”

Side B
“Wheels Of Steel”
“The End”
“Attila”
“Straight Through The Heart”

"Attila" lyric video:

California metal veterans Impending Doom have released a video for the new track "Everything's Fake". The video was directed by J.D. Butler from Adapt Cinema. Watch the video below.

Impending Doom's David Sittig says, "This is the best Impending Doom video to date. The director understood our sound and takes the viewer visually into the darkness we’ve created.“

The previously released track "The Wretched and Godless," along with "Everything's Fake" are now available on all streaming platforms, and are available as iTunes instant gratification tracks, meaning, fans who pre-order the band's new album on iTunes will receive both as immediate downloads.

Impending Doom will release their sixth studio LP called The Sin And Doom Vol. II on June 22nd via Entertainment One. All pre-orders are available now. The new album will be the widely anticipated follow up to Death Will Reign (2013), which sold 4,300 copies its first week of release and debuted at 116 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.

Impending Doom commissioned artist Colin Marks (Fleshgod Apocalypse, Whitechapel) to do the cover art for the latest release. Marks had also done the artwork for The Serpent Servant (2009).

Tracklisting:

"The Wretched And Godless"
"Burn"
"War Music"
"EVIL"
"Paved With Bones"
"The Serpents Tongue"
"Unbroken"
"Devils Den"
"Everything's Fake"
"Run For Your Life (She Calls)"

"Everything's Fake" video:

"The Wretched And Godless":

Impending Doom arise once again from where they began, their own alpha and omega as a band, crafting the sixth album as punishing, focused, bottom-heavy, and musically blood-soaked as the earliest efforts that first won them notice before any notions of commerce beckoned them toward the more commonplace career path of the metal music industry.

They’ve worked with top-tier genre producers in the past, including Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed, Queensrÿche) and Will Putney (Every Time I Die, The Amity Affliction, Thy Art Is Murder), but for album number six, they’ve returned to the grassroots and hands-on way they engineered and produced their earliest recordings, cloaking it in grimy sonic mysteries anew. Christopher Eck, who produced their first album, oversaw the proceedings once again.

This is musical blunt force trauma, from a personal place of desperate salvation and resolve. No competition, no compromise, no careerism. Impending Doom are renewed, purer than ever, united in their collective vision to create the heaviest metal missives imaginable.

Tour dates:

June
16 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction

September
7 - Fort Worth, TX - The Rail Club
8 - Houston, TX - Radiation Fest

(Photo - Joe Butler)

Norwegian black/thrash metal outfit The Konsortium, featuring bassist Teloch (Mayhem, ex-Orcustus, ex-Gorgoroth, ex-1349) and drummer Dirge Rep (Orcustus, ex-Enslaved, ex-Aura Noir), have premiered the new track "Stormen". The song comes from the band's forthcoming album Rogaland, out on June 1st in Europe and June 8th in North America via Agonia Records. Listen below, and pre-order the album at this location.

Named after a county in Western Norway, Rogaland sees the band taking a different turn from its self-titled predecessor and critically acclaimed 2008 demo combined, following a more complex and technical trajectory. The band has taken the utmost care in every detail to channel and bring forth the forces of their album’s namesake, with vocals recorded and lyrics written on site in the woods, in the mountains and on the Northern shores. Nature-inspired and folk-tinged, it's the kind of album that rewards each new listen, and progressively reveals its secrets.

"This album has been a long time coming," founder and mastermind Fredrik G. Fugelli explains. "The process has been tedious and time-consuming, but in the end it has definitely been worth it. Everything clicked and fell into place; from vision to finished product, each and everyone involved has delivered their best. I feel confident that we’ve managed to define and refine the material in such a way that we ended up capturing the essence of what the album tries to convey: the timeless battle and coexistence between man and nature; the old magic and the bond that is lost in a modern and controlled world, void of spirituality. Rogaland is a strong affirmation of roots, and a damn well executed one, at that".

Drummer Dirge Rep adds to that, saying: "It's the most technical and demanding album of my somewhat 25 years under black metal. I am extremely grateful for the honor of performing under The Konsortium and dedicated myself in entirety to the excellence of the work, its will and its energy".

Not only does The Konsortium return with new music, but they return in style, too. Unmasked, the Norwegians finally shed light on their identity - we have the aforementioned F.G. Gugelli (vocals, guitars), famed black metal veterans Teloch (bass) and Dirge Rep (drums), followed by the talented T. Jacobsen and B. Waldejer (both on guitars). Together, they journey through the wild and untamed, the harsh darkness and the bewitching cold that is Rogaland.

Rogaland was mixed and mastered by Gomez at Orgone Studios (Paradise Lost, Ulver, Grave Pleasures, Primordial) and produced by F.G. Fugelli. The cover artwork and layout were designed by Trine+Kim (Ulver, Darkthrone, Virus). Cpt. Estrella Grasa (Nidingr) guest appears on vocals on tracks "Skogen" and "Arv".

Album formats:
-Digipak CD
-Gatefold black LP
-Gatefold transparent white LP (limited to 150 copies)
-Black t-shirt
-Digital

Tracklisting:

“Innferd”
“Skogen”
“Fjella”
“Stormen”
“Hausten”
“Arv”
“Havet”
“Utferd”

“Stormen”:

“Arv” video:

On May 7th, Metallica performed at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. Pro-shot video is available below.

Metallica has donated €25,000 to the Veikko And Lahja Hursti Charitable Trust, an organisation in Finland that arranges food and events for the needy. The gift came as a complete surprise to Heikki Hursti, the head of the charity.

The donation is part of the band's All Within My Hands Foundation, started in early 2017, which is dedicated to creating sustainable communities by supporting local services. The group has donated to charities such as food banks and children's helplines in every European city they have visited on tour.

Hursti said that when Metallica learned they would be playing in Finland, they started looking for a suitable organisation to support.

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

Hursti says he first learned about the band's plans two weeks ago.

"It totally came out of the blue," he said.

He says his trust will use the 25,000 euros to help support its everyday operations.

Last year Metallica announced the formation of All Within My Hands, their foundation that aims to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported them for so many years, as well as encourage participation from fans and friends and facilitate volunteerism among the Metallica family. With that in mind, Metallica announced their first day of service on Wednesday, May 23rd, inviting Metallica fans across the United States to volunteer for a day at the community food banks the band supported during last summer's North American tour.

In cooperation with Feeding America Metallica made contributions to their local partners in each city they performed in during the 2017 stadium tour. With the aim of continuing to support the fight against hunger, Metallica is encouraging fans to give a few hours of their time on May 23rd to make a difference. Check the list below to find participating food banks and more information about how to sign up to pitch in that day. Each registered volunteer on May 23rd will receive a special All Within My Hands t-shirt commemorating Metallica's first united day of service. Please note that space is limited and fans must register. Unfortunately walk-ins will not be accepted.

For those who do not live near one of the food banks listed on the site or are unavailable on this day, the band encourage visiting Feeding America to find a local food bank in their community.  

For more information and a list of participating food banks, please visit metallica.com and allwithinmyhands.org.  

REFUGE, the new band comprised of current and former RAGE members Peavy Wagner, Manni Schmidt and Christos Efthimiadis, has released "Mind Over Matter", the second single from REFUGE's forthcoming debut album, "Solitary Men". The disc will be released on June 8 via Frontiers Music Srl.

REFUGE marks the reunion of the original, and probably most successful, lineup of the German metal band RAGE. After 1994, when the three originally parted ways, they moved on to work in different bands and follow their own musical path. Peavy kept on with RAGE, Manni went to GRAVE DIGGER, and Christos off to TRI STATE CORNER. After a long period during which they did not have much contact, the three guys met up again in 2014 and decided to play a secret show in their hometown Herne (Germany), under the moniker TRES HOMBRES. The show was never promoted, apart from word of mouth and social media rumblings and as a result, this show became one where you had to be "in the know", but more than 1,200 fans found their way to the gig anyway. The band performed all the hits from their time together in RAGE and loved every second of that gig, getting hungry for more, thus the idea of REFUGE was born.

REFUGE played a couple of hugely successful festival shows all throughout Europe in the summer of 2015. The audiences' reactions to the RAGE songs of 1988-1993 were truly overwhelming and exceeded all expectations the band had. So, more shows were played in 2016, including three in Japan (Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka), exactly 20 years after they had played their last shows together, coincidentally also in Japan.

"The band sounds nearly the same like back then, maybe a bit more relaxed, mature, with more individual experience," says Wagner. "But the general vibe is still the same. We know each other blindly. In order to write the songs, we created the same set-up we had 30 years ago. We rented the same rehearsal room and jammed together in a live situation and the magic was back! I'm glad that we could use and finalize some of our ideas from back then, stuff that we couldn´t use in that days for several reasons. The song 'Waterfalls', for example, was always one of my unfinished favorites. I'm proud we were able to bring it to light now finally!"

What started out as a "fun thing" in 2014 has turned into a real band again. “We want to continue doing this together as long as possible," says Peavy. "It is a manifestation of our reborn old friendship and it is a 'coming from the heart' thing for us to do it."

"Solitary Men" track listing:

01. Summer's Winter

02. The Man In The Ivory Tower

03. Bleeding From Inside

04. From The Ashes

05. Living On The Edge Of Time

06. We Owe A Life To Death

07. Mind Over Matter

08. Let Me Go

09. Hell Freeze Over

10. Waterfalls

11. Another Kind Of Madness (bonus track)

The world premiere of the new documentary film "Steven Tyler: Out On A Limb" opened the 49th annual Nashville Film Festival Thursday night, May 10. Prior to the premiere, Nashville mayor David Briley proclaimed the day "Steven Tyler Day" in Music City.

"Nashville is a key part of my musical journey and has had an influential place in my career, so this recognition from the city is a tremendous honor," said Tyler.

Tyler was joined at the premiere by his girlfriend Aimee Preston.

"Steven Tyler: Out On A Limb" is an intimate portrait of rock icon Steven Tyler as he embraces the challenges of shifting gears, both as a solo performer and in a new genre of music. Uncovering a side of Tyler many fans have never seen before, this inspiring story looks at the passion, drive and search for creative fulfillment that keeps artists pushing boundaries throughout their careers. Casey Tebo directed the documentary and also served as producer alongside Steven Tyler, Rebecca Warfield and Todd Thompson of Vermillion Entertainment, a Cross Creek Media company. Momentum Pictures will release the film on VOD and digital HD on May 15.

Tyler will perform with Nashville-based THE LOVING MARY band at The Woods at Fontanel on Saturday, May 12. This 4,500-seat natural outdoor amphitheater is rooted in music history as it is situated on the old estate of country music legend Barbara Mandrell.

MANOWAR embark on the next leg of its "The Final Battle" world tour in march 2019.

Bassist Joey DeMaio gave an interview to MANOWAR's official web site in which he said that he and his bandmates will "hit the road again" in "about 11 months." He added: "That may seem a lot of time, but it really isn't. There's so much going on as we speak. The preparation for this tour and several other exciting projects."

When asked to elaborate, DeMaio said: "For one, we just recently asked our fans to vote for their favorite albums and songs to be considered on the setlist for this upcoming tour. The feedback was overwhelming! Tons of great suggestions; some expected, others surprising. Many fans even took it upon themselves to put an entire set list together. Thanks to all of you who participated! We are now in the process of putting together an ass-kicking set that honors our fans and their wishes. The motto will be fan favorites only!"

Joey went on to say that MANOWAR is already planning the setlist for its 2019 tour because "the songs are, of course, the center of the show, so you can't start thinking about them too early. But they are also the foundation for the video projections that our Manowarriors loved so much on the last tour. A lot of time and effort goes into creating these custom-made videos."

According to DeMaio, MANOWAR is also working with longtime collaborator Ken Kelly on new artwork and and has been spending time "in the studio" creating something "big and new," although he didn't offer any details.

In addition to the next leg of "The Final Battle" tour, 2019 will see DeMaio launch his "The Blood Of The Kings" spoken-word trek during which he plans to tell "the official history of MANOWAR, from the very beginning until now."

"We have a lot of great content already but are still going through our vast audio, video and photo archives," Joey said. "Reviewing all this has triggered so many special memories. It's going to be an exciting journey through MANOWAR history, that's for sure!"

MANOWAR 2019 tour dates:

Mar. 29 - Frankfurt am Main, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle

Mar. 30 - Dortmund, Germany - Westfalenhalle

Apr. 03 - Berlin, Germany - Velodrom

Apr. 05 - Stuttgart, Germany - Hanns-Martin-Schleyer-Halle

Apr. 06 - München, Germany - Zenith

Former FLYLEAF singer Lacey Sturm will release her third book on May 22. Titled "The Return: Reflections On Loving God Back" is intended to help people "see each day as a gift from God, find balance in their busy lives and discover the joy of giving God's gifts back to him by using them to bring him glory."

Speaking about why she wrote the book, Lacey said in a video message (see below): "When I first started writing books, somebody asked me, 'What would you say if you only had one thing to say to the world. And the first thing I wanted to say I spoke about in my first book, [2014's] 'The Reason', and it was about my encounter with God and finding life worth living. And the second thing I wanted to say was about romance and all of the poor choices I made and how I ended up coming into such a redemptive love story, and I wrote about that in [2016's] 'The Mystery', my second book. And then the third thing I wanted to say I write about in 'The Return', and it just talks about bringing your heart back to God and your life to God in response to his love for us, and what that looks like when you follow your dreams, when you steward your inspiration and make the most with what's right in front of you. It's about answering your calling, it's about pursuing your purpose and just loving him back with each day that we're given. He's given us so much, and what are we gonna give him in return? So that's why I wrote 'The Return', and that's kind of what it's about."

Official "The Return: Reflections On Loving God Back" book description: "It's easy to go through days, weeks, even years on autopilot, moving from one activity to another, rarely taking the time to consider what it's all for anyway. Why did God make us? What does he want us to do with the time he has given us? And how can we find out?

"In her bestselling story-driven style, Christian rocker Lacey Sturm shares with readers the beautiful struggle of learning what one's unique gifts are and pursuing them wholeheartedly. She helps them see each day as a gift from God, find balance in their busy lives, and discover the joy of giving God's gifts back to him by using them to bring him glory."

Lacey's self-titled debut solo album was issued in 2016. She recently completed a tour of the U.S. with RED and RIGHTEOUS VENDETTA.

Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett played a cover version of the the song "Rappiolla", originally written and recorded by the '80s Finnish rock band HASSISEN KONE, during METALLICA's May 11 concert at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland. Professionally filmed video footage of their performance can be seen below.

"Rappiolla" was part of the fun and unusual feature METALLICA added to its shows on the band's current European tour: at each stop, Hammett and Trujillo have been covering a track by local musical heroes — often choosing songs that are far removed from the band's traditional metal sound. The "doodles," as the band refers to them in their set lists, have been showing up right before Trujillo's solo on "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth".

While most of the songs are known primarily in their countries, a few are known in the U.S. and are hard rock classics, such as SCORPIONS' "Rock You Like a Hurricane", ACCEPT's "Balls To The Wall" and EUROPE's "The Final Countdown". But the duo have also performed out-of-the-box cuts like ABBA's "Dancing Queen", "Take On Me" by A-HA, FALCO's "Rock Me Amadeus" and the Italian standard "Volare".

On an earlier European run, Hammett and Trujillo covered OASIS's "Don't Look Back In Anger" while performing in Manchester, and TRUST's "Antisocial", which ANTHRAX also recorded in 1988, during a concert in Paris.

Drummer Lars Ulrich told The Pulse Of Radio that METALLICA has not played the same set two nights in a row for years. "We change up the set list every night," he said. "I mean that's been part of our m.o. for about 13, 14 years. You know, you're on these really long runs and you're playing the same set list every night, and you're just sort of like, 'We've got to shake it up a little bit, if not for anybody else, just for our own sanity.' So since then it's been a personal pride of mine that METALLICA hasn't played the same set list in about 14 years."

METALLICA played 24 shows in Europe since early February and is now scheduled to take a three-month break from the road.

The band recently announced the details of the 2018-2019 North American leg of of its "WorldWired" tour in support of the group's latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct".

The 34-date trek kicks off September 2 in Madison, Wisconsin and runs through March 13 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Each ticket purchase will be accompanied by a physical or digital copy of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct".

DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno and rapper Machine Gun Kelly are among the guests who appear on LINKIN PARK vocalist Mike Shinoda's upcoming solo album, "Post Traumatic".

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Place To Start

02. Over Again

03. Watching As I Fall

04. Nothing Makes Sense Anymore

05. About You (feat. Blackbear)

06. Brooding (instrumental)

07. Promises I Can't Keep

09. Hold It Together

10. Ghosts

11. Make It Up As I Go (feat. K.Flay)

12. Lift Off (feat. Chino Moreno & Machine Gun Kelly)

13. I.O.U.

14. Running From My Shadow (feat. Grandson)

15. World's On Fire

16. Can't Hear You Now

Shinoda spoke with ET Canada about the songwriting process for "Post Traumatic", which is due on June 15. He explained: "It started in a really dark place. In the beginning, I wasn't leaving my house. It felt very claustrophobic, having lost one of my closest friends and collaborators. We associate who we are, to some degree, with what we do, so I felt very lost."

He continued: "The experience of this last year has been crazy, and I wanted to put it into music, not only to just put a stamp on it and say, 'This happened,' but also to allow the fans and the people who have been along for the ride, to guide them on that journey in terms of keeping up with my narrative or understanding where I'm at."

Asked how difficult it was to write the songs for the album, many of which dealt with the death of LINKIN PARK singer Chester Bennington, Shinoda added: "Life was difficult; music was easy. The music made things easier."

Shinoda also spoke about dealing with his own grief over Bennington's suicide last summer, saying: "I had terrible days, and now I have less bad days. And eventually, I will find a new 'normal,' like a new stasis."

Shinoda will make his first solo appearance since Bennington's death at this spring's Identity LA festival in downtown Los Angeles on May 12.

The tracklist for @MikeShinoda's #PostTraumatic has been revealed - 16 tracks including one instrumental and features from @iamblackbear, @ChinoMoreno (@Deftones), @KFlay, @MachineGunKelly, and @grandsonsucks!

Get more info here: https://t.co/3Ue4HyUDJC pic.twitter.com/q02fCMz74H— Linkin Park Live (@LPLive) May 10, 2018

NORTHLANE has released a brand new music video for "Heartmachine". The clip, which was directed by Jason Eshraghian, can be seen below. The deeply personal song about the human condition is off of the band's most recent release, "Mesmer", and is the final video in the "Mesmer" collection, which was alluded to in the album trailer released right before the surprise album drop. Previous releases in the collection include "Citizen", "Intuition", "Solar" and "Colourwave".


Frontman Marcus Bridge explains: "'Heartmachine' is a song about pain, heartbreak and loss. When the heart wants to heal and move forward, anxiety and depression work like a machine to drag you down again and again.

"I wrote this song in the studio after feeling low for months about a relationship that had fallen apart on top of other personal issues. I almost immediately felt a weight lifted off my chest when I started to release that pain through this song. As I let go of my heartbreak, represented through my relationship with the female character in the music video, my strength grows and I'm finally able to control my power at the end of it all."


NORTHLANE released "Mesmer" in March 2017 with no forewarning. The album debuted at No. 3 on the ARIA chart and earned the band its second ARIA Award for "Best Hard Rock / Heavy Metal" album that same year. In 2018, "Mesmer" was nominated for an AIR award (Australian Independent Record Labels Association) for "Best Independent Hard Rock, Heavy or Punk Album," as well as "Best Artwork" at the Heavy Music Awards.


The Sydney natives formed in 2009, and with four successful albums under its belt, NORTHLANE has become one of the most successful heavy music acts in Australia.


NORTHLANE is Marcus Bridge (vocals), Jonathon Deiley (guitar), Josh Smith (guitar), Alex Milovic (bass), and Nic Pettersen (drums).

Fan-filmed video footage of GHOST's May 8 concert at Revention Music Center in Houston, Texas can be seen below.

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

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

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

GHOST next performs in Cincinnati, Ohio on Friday night (May 11).

The Swedish-based act also played a surprise warm-up show on Friday night (May 4) at the Roxy nightclub in Los Angeles, where it aired three new songs during a 45-minute set. The Roxy concert was only announced one day earlier and tickets — priced at $6.66 — were made available starting at noon the day of the show.

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

Swedish black metallers MARDUK have released another new song called "Equestrian Bloodlust". The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Viktoria", which will be released on June 22 via Century Media Records. The effort will be made available in the following versions:

* Limited CD box set (with CD, woven patch, metal pin, three stickers)

* LP (with inlay and 180-gram vinyl)

* Standard CD Jewelcase

* Digital

"Viktoria" track listing:

01. Werwolf

02. June 44

03. Equestrian Bloodlust

04. Tiger I

05. Narva

06. The Last Fallen

07. Viktoria

08. The Devil's Song

09. Silent Night

MARDUK's latest album, "Frontschwein", was released in 2015 through Century Media.

"Frontschwein" is German Army slang for "front pig" — a soldier serving long at the front, often used as an ironic accolade for a soldier with the will to fight.

Guitarist Morgan Steinmeyer Håkansson is the sole remaining member of MARDUK who played on the band's debut album, 1992's "Dark Endless".

MARDUK's 13th studio album, "Frontschwein" was the band's first solely war-themed release since 1999's "Panzer Division Marduk".

The newly formed ADLER'S APPETITE FEATURING CONSTANTINE MAROULIS band, featuring ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, made its official live debut last night (Thursday, May 10) at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Video footage of the concert can be seen below.

Joining Adler in the new group are Constantine Maroulis (vocals), Carl Restivo (rhythm guitar), Michael Thomas (lead guitar) and Sean McNabb (bass).

ADLER'S APPETITE FEATURING CONSTANTINE MAROULIS will celebrate the 30th anniversary of GNR's classic debut album by performing "Appetite For Destruction" in its entirety on an Australian tour later this month.

Each stop on Adler's Australian tour will feature a question-and-answer session with Steven and his mother, Deanna Adler, steadfast supporter and author of "Sweet Child Of Mine: How I Lost My Son To Guns N' Roses". During the last quarter century, Deanna Adler kept her diaries, journals, and personal letters, as well as a dozen scrapbooks and hundreds of photographs, putting them aside for safekeeping. This is your opportunity to experience the rare personal and emotive journey about raising her son, and the efforts of keeping him alive and herself sane.

Tour dates:

May 16 - Discovery, Darwin

May 17 - The Gov, Adelaide

May 18 - Capitol, Perth

May 19 - The Backroom, Brisbane

May 25 - 170 Russell, Melbourne

May 26 - Max Watts, Sydney

"Of course, GUNS N' ROSES was the soundtrack to my youth," Maroulis told Billboard. "To play with Steven has been the highlight of my career. He's a lovely guy, and his playing on 'Appetite [For Destruction]' was second to none, and that sound he made on it defined that whole generation's sound."

Adler stated about the singer: "Let me just fucking tell you something... this guy Constantine, who I call 'Casanova'... he came up to New York and I'm, like, 'Oh my God, I got this great rock and roll singer!' I'm finally working with a real superstar again. I call him 'Casanova' because he's so goddamn sexy. Because he dresses so nice. I wish I was his size so I could double my wardrobe! ... He flew up to New York and within five minutes, I wanted to kick his fuckin' ass! And within 10 minutes, I fell in love with him!"

Adler added: "GUNS N' ROSES are the biggest rock band in the fuckin' world now, and since the guys don't want me to play with them and I love these songs and I'm so proud of them ... now I finally have a singer who can compete with the young Axl Rose. Axl is Axl and Casanova is fuckin' Casanova.... That's all I want. Also, his name isn't 'asshole' it's Axl. It sounds like you're saying 'asshole,' but it's Axl."

"Kill The Silence", the new video from the Brazilian all-female thrash group NERVOSA, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's third full-length album, "Downfall Of Mankind", which will be released on June 1 via Napalm Records. The disc was recorded at Family Mob Studio in São Paulo with Argentinian producer Martin Furia, who worked as a sound engineer on some of NERVOSA's European tours, as well as for bands like DESTRUCTION and FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, and produced recordings for EVIL INVADERS and SISTERS OF SUFFOCATION, among others.

Guitarist Prika Amaral comments on the new song and video: "A perfect scenery to compose lyrics that encourage overcoming. It talks about things that hurt you and that you're not alone. This new video symbolizes a new phase in the band with which I identify myself 100%!"

Adds bassist/vocalist Fernanda Lira: "I like the idea of using fire in the video, because i think the symbology has everything to do with the message in the song. Fire represents renewal and mainly purification, and using it in the video really gives me the idea of triumph, overcoming and moving on!"

Lira previously stated about "Downfall Of Mankind": "We're really happy about this new album. It's a way more mature and aggressive record and we can definitely say it's our favorite so far!"

"Downfall Of Mankind" features guest appearances by João Gordo (RATOS DE PORÃO), Rodrigo Oliveira (KORZUS) and Michael Gilbert (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM).

"Downfall Of Mankind" track listing:

01. Intro

02. Horrordome

03. Never Forget, Never Repeat

04. Enslave

05. Bleeding

06. ... And Justice For Whom?

07. Vultures

08. Kill The Silence

09. No Mercy

10. Raise Your Fist!

11. Fear, Violence And Massacre

12. Conflict

13. Cultura Do Estupro

14. Selfish Battle (bonus track)

NERVOSA is:

Fernanda Lira - Vocals, Bass

Prika Amaral - Guitars, Backing Vocals

Luana Dametto - Drums

The official lyric video for "Northern Chaos Gods", the title track of the new album from Norwegian black metallers IMMORTAL — now consisting of lyricist/guitarist Demonaz (real name Harald Nævdal) and drummer Horgh (real name Reidar Horghagen) — can be seen below. Due on July 6 via Nuclear Blast, the disc features eight new tracks consisting of 45 minutes of merciless speed and icy darkness, all massive songs in the true IMMORTAL way.

"Northern Chaos Gods" was produced by Peter Tägtgren (Abyss Studio), who also helmed IMMORTAL's "At The Heart Of Winter", "Damned In Black", "Sons Of Northern Darkness" and "All Shall Fall" LPs.

"We are eternally dedicated to IMMORTAL and our own musical past," Demonaz and Horgh said in a statement. "The album is conceptual, and the first step in the reclaiming of our past grimness and attitude. Loyalty to the fans and our own musical history is very significant in this. Our new album will soon be available, with songs from the very gates of Blashyrkh — the realm of all darkness and cold."

The band has once again been focusing on making its music without much outside influence.

"We have put a massive amount of energy into this, and wanted to deliver our absolutely best," Demonaz and Horgh said. "It has been a pleasure to finish the studio process and most of all being stoked about the final result. Peter Tägtgren has done an outstanding job in producing and mixing it. We now look forward to have it released, and are excited to share our ninth full-length with you all."

The "Northern Chaos Gods" seven-inch vinyl single is available in three different colors and is strictly limited edition. The physical single is out on May 25, in the following editions:


* white vinyl (limited to 500 pieces; mailorder exclusive)

* red vinyl (limited to 300 pieces; mailorder exclusive)


Demonaz is now also handling the vocals for IMMORTAL following the 2014 split with frontman Olve Eikemo (a.k.a. Abbath).

In addition to Demonaz (vocals, guitar) and Horgh (drums), IMMORTAL's new disc features Tägtgren on session bass.

IMMORTAL in 2016 said that the delay in getting the new music out to the fans was largely a result of the split with Abbath. "From 2010 until 2014, IMMORTAL wrote all the songs for the successor to 'All Shall Fall', but when ex- member Abbath left the band in 2014, he changed the lyrics, songtitles and recorded these songs for his so-called 'solo album,'" Demonaz and Horgh explained. "We had to focus on making a new album nearly from scratch, which is the main reason why things have taken this much time."

IMMORTAL's core trio consisting of Abbath, Demonaz and Horgh had been together since 1996 and was responsible for crafting the band's last five albums: "Blizzard Beasts" (1997), "At The Heart Of Winter" (1999), "Damned In Black" (2000), "Sons Of Northern Darkness" (2002) and the 2009 reunion album "All Shall Fall".