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Veteran Swedish metallers TAD MOROSE have inked a new deal with GMR Music. The band's tenth album, titled "Chapter X", will be released on June 15.

The Bollnäs-based outfit followed the release of 2015's "St. Demonius" with a successful European headline tour as well as making the rounds on the festival circuit before launching into the early stages of writing the material that now comprises "Chapter X".

Comments vocalist Ronny Hemlin: "This is still fun for us! The past few years — as always with these guys — was filled with lots of touring, playing clubs, both big and small and destroying festivals of various calibers. You could say we spent that time gaining new fans. Or, as we like to call it, 'collecting souls.'"

Feeling no need to rush the recording process, the band entered Studio Claustrophobic, which is owned by Hemlin and Johan Lofgren, formerly of STEEL ATTACK, working at a comfortable steady pace. Mastering of "Chapter X" was handled by Jonas Kjellgren at Black Lounge Studios and the band turned to an old friend, Rainer Kalwitz ("A Mended Rhyme") to take care of the album's artwork.

THE BRUTALISTS are a Los Angeles-based transatlantic rock group which is inspired by the concrete architecture called Brutalism that came into vogue at the point where economy superseded beauty as the chief factor in urban design, and where function superseded form. The band use brutalism as a metaphor for the artistic underdog. The fascinating history of Brutalist architecture represents a contemporary example of visionaries ignoring their critics and prevailing in the end.

THE BRUTALISTS are led by founding L.A. GUNS member Mick Cripps and LONDON QUIREBOYS founder Nigel Mogg, industry veterans and old bandmates, having played together in the London band KILLER ELITE in the mid-1980s. L.A. GUNS and THE QUIREBOYS also toured together in the U.S. in 1989. The group is rounded out by Robert Cripps, Kent Holmes and Charlie Nice.

THE BRUTALISTS' music is a mix of their influences — the dirty, leering blues of pub rock and R&B, the urgency of street punk and the synthesized dance ennui of post-punk, seasoned with bits of mod, reggae and whatever else got stuck in the filter before the air system went down. They were the children who played in the concrete yards under the acid rain in the shadows of the nuclear cooling towers, with the ever present fear of atomic annihilation. They were told they had no future, yet here they are, all grown up and living in the pre-apocalyptic garbagescape.

THE BRUTALISTS are signed to Cleopatra Records and their debut album will be released in August 2018. The effort will be made available on vinyl with a limited-edition silk screened cover design, as well as CD and will also be released on all streaming platforms.

THE BRUTALISTS continue their West Coast tour dates through the summer and into the fall. A U.K. tour has been booked for mid-October, with five dates, all support slots, opening for the U.K. band THE DIRTY STRANGERS.

Knoxville, Tennessee rockers 10 YEARS have released the official music video for "Burnout", taken from the band's latest album, "(How To Live) As Ghosts". The clip was directed by Robert John Kley and filmed in a warehouse at Structure Exhibits in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"'Burnout' is a song about having everything you've ever wanted in the palm of your hand but letting it slip away," guitarist/drummer Brian Vodinh said. "A case of not knowing what you have until it's gone. It's such a fun song to play live and we will be sharing the stage with BREAKING BENJAMIN as well as SEETHER coming up on tour, so fans will definitely get to hear this one!"


Following a fantastic Canadian tour with SHINEDOWN and IN THIS MOMENT earlier this year, 10 YEARS continues to power through the open road and is in the middle of a U.S. tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN. They then go straight into shows with A PERFECT CIRCLE, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, BLACK STONE CHERRY, FOZZY, POP EVIL, SEETHER, NONPOINT, BUTCHER BABIES and more as well as festival appearances at Rock On The Range, Northern Invasion and Rock Fest.


The first single from "(How To Live) As Ghosts", "Novacaine", has received over 4.8 million plays on Spotify, with the combined streams for the album exceeding 10.5 million. The video has been viewed over 1.3 million times and was playlisted at Scuzz and Kerrang! TV as well as the song being playlisted at Planet Rock and Kerrang! Radio.


10 YEARS returned in October 2017 with "(How To Live) As Ghosts", and welcomed back former members Vodinh and Matt Wantland (guitar).

The band's eighth studio album was produced by the Grammy Award-winning Nick Raskulinecz (ALICE IN CHAINS, FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, KORN, MASTODON).

Norwegian/Spanish hard rockers TNT have released the official lyric video for their new single, "We're Gonna Make It". The track, which can be streamed below, is taken from their upcoming studio album, "XIII", due on June 8 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The aptly titled "XIII" is the band's thirteenth studio album to date and features founding members Ronni Le Tekrø (guitar) and Diesel Dahl (drums) alongside bassist Ove Husemoen, and new vocalist Baol Bardot Bulsara, who has replaced the recently departed Tony Harnell. Baol is a stunning Spanish vocalist whose debut with the band happened in front of 8,000 rabid fans in November 2017 when the band opened for German hard rock legends the SCORPIONS in Oslo, Norway. Not only did Boal survive this trial by fire, but he did so with flying colors. "We found Baol after receiving more than 30 demos from singers all over the world," says Le Tekrø. "We held an audition and Baol convinced us at an early stage. His range and capacity is unbelievable."


TNT fans can expect the melodic rock and excellent playing they've grown accustomed to from the band over their storied career. Ronni continues: "The process of this album was long, but fun in many ways. Tony Harnell was a gentleman and let us use two of the songs we originally co-wrote. We also recorded four songs that we co-wrote with Tim Scott O'Connell (a.k.a. Ledfoot). The lyrical concept on the album is love and understanding, like in many of TNT's lyrics. Although we have an explosive band name, we wanna try to give people some hope with our music. Musically, the album gives me great feelings. It's been a long time since I've had such sentiment. I'm proud of this whole album. Good analog shit! Enjoy the music and we'll see you soon on tour!"

"XIII" track listing:

01. We're Gonna Make It

02. Not Feeling Anything

03. Fair Warning

04. It's Electric

05. Where You Belong

06. Can't Breathe Anymore

07. Get Ready For Some Hard Rock

08. People, Come Together

09. Tears In My Eyes

10. 17th Of May

11. Catch A Wave

12. Sunshine

TNT announced in October that it was once again parting ways with Tony Harnell.

Harnell rejoined TNT in May 2016, less than a year and a half after his previous departure from the group.

At the time of Harnell's latest exit from TNT, the band was said to be working on a new studio album for a 2018 release via Frontiers Music Srl.

Harnell previously quit TNT in January 2015 after a 15-month stint with the band.

British singer Tony Mills appeared on three studio albums from TNT: 2007's "The New Territory", 2008's"Atlantis" and 2010's "A Farewell To Arms".

Fan-filmed video footage of SKID ROW's May 9 performance at Kulturbolaget in Malmö, Sweden can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch a video for the album opener "Inhumane" below.

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

Twisted Prayers tracklisting:

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

"Inhumane” video:

“A Waste Of Life” lyric video:

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

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

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

Gruesome are:

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

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

On July 13, 2018, Eagle Rock Entertainment release From The Vault: No Security - San Jose 1999, the latest in the acclaimed and collectable From The Vault series. Mining the previously unreleased treasures of the band’s archive, this is a simultaneous release on DVD, Blu-ray, DVD + 2CD, 3LP and digital. Pre-order here, and watch a video trailer below.

No Security captures a stand-out Stones show, with the band in searing form during the closing leg of their American tour in San Jose. Celebrating their return to the city that originally hosted them in 1965, the Stones played to 33,000 people over two nights – intimate by their current day standards. The band opened with “Jumpin Jack Flash”, hitting the stage with no security, no inflatables, no bells or whistles – just undeniable on-stage camaraderie - a tight-as-hell band delivering the ultimate rock show to their adoring fans. Treating the crowd to an up-close and personal experience on the B stage and leaving a frenzy in their wake, with Jagger pausing to take photographs of the crowd and high-fiving fans - it felt like a special night for both the Stones and the audience, “We’re here to have a good time” said Mick Jagger, and San Jose was excited to join the party.

The set list spans from the mid-sixties hit singles to the Bridges to Babylon album, including a bluesy, dramatic version of “Midnight Rambler”, a dark and swaggering “Out of Control”, and the rarely performed live, “Some Girls” and “Saint of Me”. The show was an electrifying, anthem-packed, cross generational hot ticket, concluding yet another chapter from the band that wrote the book on rock ‘n’ roll.

The No Security tour was a mostly arena-sized continuation of the Bridges To Babylon tour, which had grossed in excess of $274 million. No Security saw the Stones adopt a more stripped back approach, concentrating on the music and playing smaller venues, using fewer special effects and providing an unforgettable fan experience.

Tracklisting:

"Jumpin’ Jack Flash"
"Bitch"
"You Got Me Rocking"
"Respectable"
"Honky Tonk Woman"
"I Got The Blues"
"Saint Of Me"
"Some Girls"
"Paint It Black"
"You Got The Silver"
"Before They Make Me Run"
"Out Of Control"
"Route 66"
"Get Off Of My Cloud"
"Midnight Rambler"
"Tumbling Dice"
"It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)"
"Start Me Up"
"Brown Sugar"
"Sympathy For The Devil"

King Company was formed in 2014 by drummer Mirka ‘Leka’ Rantanen (Raskasta Joulua, Warmen, ex-Thunderstone, ex-Kotipelto) together with a number of well known musicians from the Finnish hard rock and metal scene: Antti Wirman (Warmen), Jari Pailamo (Kiuas, Ponies To Kill), Timo Schleifer (Enfarce) and original singer Pasi Rantanen. The band released their debut album, One For The Road, in August 2016.

The band toured their home territory in 2017, but Pasi Rantanen wound up having severe vocal cord problems and eventually could not sing at all. With a tour of Spain already booked, a high pressure search for a replacement singer resulted in the band finding the perfect candidate on….YouTube! Italian-Argentinian Leonard F. Guillan accepted the job and, proving to be a great live performer, ended up joining the band as their permanent lead vocalist.

"He gives 110% for the band and his enthusiasm is easily transmitted to everybody. Also, he’s a great showman. I had never before seen a guy who runs to the top of the bar and sings there for the audience!” says Mirka Rantanen.

Leonard was stoked to join the band and the vocal recordings for the band's new album were finally able to begin.

"I think the most relevant progression on this album is that this time pretty much all the songs were written after the first album came out,“ continues Mirka. “On that record, you can hear a few very old songs, but the new material is really fresh and the new record will give the listener a much better picture of what kind of band we have become. Also, we have grown up a lot as a band, which means that we play better and are more relaxed together - and it of course affected the songs and feelings when we were recording the album."

The new album, Queen Of Hearts, will be released on August 10th, following which King Company will tour to promote it, beginning in Finland, followed by a festival appearance in Spain and further shows in the works for the remainder of the year and well into 2019.

Pre-order here, and check out a lyric video for the single "One Day Of Your Life" below.

Tracklisting:

"Queen Of Hearts"
"One Day Of Your Life"
"Stars"
"Living In A Hurricane"
"Under The Spell"
"Never Say Goodbye"
"Learn To Fly"
"Berlin"
"King For Tonight"
"Living The Dream"
"Arrival"
"Good Thing" (Bonus Track, Digital)

"One Day Of Your Life" lyric video:

Lineup:

Leonard F. Guillan - vocals
Antti Wirman - guitars
Jari Pailamo - keyboards
Time Schleifer - bass
Mirka Rantanen - drums

Swedish melodic hard rock band, Volster (feat. ex-members of Masquerade and House Of Heavy) have released a new music video for “King Of The Hill”, the song is taken from their new album Perfect Storm, which was released on April 20th via Rock Of Angels Records. The video was created by Markus Rytilahti (Miseration, Syconaut, Solution .45, Nocturnal Graves).

The album artwork was made by Jonas Beijer (Afterbürner, Fejd, The Crown, Gooseflesh, Electric Earth). All photos by Jan-Erik Lindkvist Photography AB.

Henrik Lundberg says: “Brought up with music from the 70th and 80th the roots are deep. So it’s no surprise our music is built from these glorious decades even if we also involve more modern flavours. The main ingredient is the melody, what else makes a great song other than great vocals and interesting riffs of course. With members having been active in the music business for decades now is the time to make all our music dreams come true, playing the music we love. Volster is melodic hard rock as it’s supposed to be.”

Tracklisting:

“King Of The Hill”
“Heaven Or Hell”
“Perfect Storm”
“Breathless”
“Still In Love”
“Babylon”
“Hero”
“Games Of War”
“Easier Said Than Done”
“I Don’t Care”
“Drifting Away”
“Ends With Me”

"King Of The Hill" video:

Teaser:

Volster is:

Peter Tenning - Vocals
Ulf Andersson - Guitar (ex-Masquerade)
Henrik Lundberg - Bass (ex-House Of Heavy, ex-Masquerade)
Daniel Granlund - Drums (Syconaut)

Swiss melodic metal outfit Crystal Ball’s new album Crystallizer has entered the German and Swiss album charts at #61 and #18 respectively. This is the band’s highest chart entry in Switzerland and first in Germany.

Crystal Ball are playing the last gigs of their tour with Axel Rudi Pell in the next few days, before they'll play a few headliner shows in Switzerland later this month.

Crystal Ball have released a new teaser video for their new album Crystallizer, out now via Massacre Records. Order the new album at this location, and watch the new teaser below.

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"

Teaser:

"Alive For Evermore" video:

"S.O.S." lyric video:

(Photo - Bojan Zupan / MD9 Photography)

While much of the modern era of death metal is chided for not having a signature sound, groups like Dischordia have continued to thrive by building their own mold bit by bit since their inception in 2010. Drawing inspiration from such forward-thinking metal heavyweights as Decapitated, Gorguts, Meshuggah, and The Dillinger Escape Plan, Oklahoma City's Dischordia brings a fresh perspective to the progressive metal scene by combining tried-and-true US death metal brutality with far-flung ideas from a multitude of global influences.

After reaching new heights on their 2016 album Thanatopsis, the group recently announced Binge/Purge, an ambitious two-song effort clocking in at just over 24-minutes between two multi-part songs that stretch the band’s writing and playing to a whole new level. The EP will see release on Friday, June 15th. Esteemed scene veteran Colin Marston (Gorguts, Krallice) was tapped to work his magic on Binge/Purge and expertly handled the releases mixing and mastering.

Check out an excerpt of “Binge” below:

Dischordia guitarist Keeno comments on Binge/Purge:

"Binge/Purge is a modern take on Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy within our own political-cultural system. We enjoy telling stories with our music. Thanatopsis was a new level for us stylistically in searching for our sound. Binge/Purge builds on that progress and allows us to stretch our skills within a concept EP. "

Tracklisting:

“Binge”
“Purge”

Extended teaser:

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy has set "View To A Thrill" as the tite of his fifth solo album, due later in the year via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2017's "Smash" was produced by Matt Thorne and Pearcy and is being mixed and mastered by Thorne and Stephen's longtime guitarist and collaborator, Erik Ferentinos.

Speaking about the songwriting process for his solo material, Pearcy told Music Existence: "RATT's music is its own entity and animal, and it has its own schematics. With my solo stuff, I tend to do whatever I like — an acoustic song, a really heavy song — and go places and talk about things that I want to. It's my freedom of speech. That's one thing I like about it, and I'm always writing, so what else can I do, you know? Just try to get it out and get it heard! I don't care if it sells ten million or nil million; it's just what I do. You do the best that you can."

Pearcy also talked in more detail about the musical inspiration for "Smash", saying: "It's just my guitar player Erik, who I co-wrote most of the stuff with. We'd just come up with songs and take them through a journey. That's pretty much how it happens. I don't think about anything. If it sounds like something that's an influence, and if it's a good one, that's even better! I don't really think about emulating anybody; it's more of an influential thing that just came out. That's a compliment to both of us, how I respect them. And I'm sure they'd say, 'Woah, that sounds pretty good!' But that's about it — the light and the dark of the things, you know?"

Stephen added that he wanted "Smash" to be a "diverse" record. "The subject matter's very different than what was expected, and what would be expected," he explained. "And there's some personal stuff in there — a song I wrote for my daughter, 'Rain'. I'm able to do whatever I want with my solo stuff, so this is what you get."

Back in March, it was reported by the Metal Sludge web site that guitarist Warren DeMartini was fired by Pearcy and bassist Juan Croucier, with undisclosed sources telling the site that "serious issues" existed between the three members of RATT's classic lineup. Fellow RATT guitarist Carlos Cavazo apparently confirmed the report a few days later, telling the site that he couldn't see himself continuing with the band without DeMartini. "I can't picture anyone else being there other than Warren," Cavazo was quoted as saying.

RATT — featuring DeMartini, Pearcy and Croucier — played a number of shows last year after reforming in 2016 in the midst of a highly publiced legal battle with drummer Bobby Blotzer over the rights to the RATT name.

Sharon Osbourne was forced to miss her husband's concert in Mexico over the weekend after she forgot her passport.

Sharon and Ozzy flew to Mexico City on a private jet on Friday, but she did not realize her passport was at home until they touched down over the border.

Taking to Instagram, Sharon uploaded a black-and-white photograph of Ozzy on board and said: "Ozzy on his way to Mexico and performing in front of 80,000 people and I had to miss the whole thing as I forgot my passport at home in the U.S."

The 65-year-old later explained the mishap during her show "The Talk" on Tuesday (May 8).

"I was on that plane, and we landed in Mexico City at, like, twenty to six in the evening on Friday and I realized I had forgotten my passport," she said. "So the first thing you think of is, 'Oh. If I sit here, I can get somebody to bring me my passport. I'll sit here for five hours. We're in the airport, and then I can go through immigration. Well, no. I couldn't. Ozzy had a show to get to and all of the guys were going to the show, he had to leave me. And so I'm there with the pilot, and then we were saying, 'Somebody will come with the passport.' They said, 'No you can't. It doesn't work that way. You have to leave the country.' But you can't get on a plane without your passport! This was a private plane, but if you want to go on a commercial airline, you need your passport to get back to America, so the airlines wouldn't take me. So I'm stuck."

Mexican authorities originally wanted to put Sharon in a "holding tank" but finally agreed to let her private jet take her back home to Los Angeles. However, at that point, the airport had already closed, leaving Osbourne to sit on the runway until the next day.

"So then we said, 'Okay. This plane will take me home. Fine,'" Sharon recalled. "So they refilled the plane and the authorities there were saying, 'Fine. You can just leave. Fill the plane and go.' Well they knew that the airport was going to close, and so they closed the airport, and I was sat on the runway in the plane."

She continued: "I was sat there from twenty to six until 10:30 the next morning because they kept saying, 'You can leave. You can leave. The airport opens at 6:00, 6:30, so then you can leave.' Well no. I couldn't leave. They still said, 'You can't leave. We've got paperwork to do on you.' 'Okay. Alright.'"

Sharon said she eventually landed in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon.

Ozzy headlined the second day of the Corona Hell & Heaven festival. Also appearing on the bill were JUDAS PRIEST, MARILYN MANSON and SAXON, among others.

The Capital of Metal campaign sets out to determine which Finnish city deserves to be known internationally as the Capital of Metal. It also spotlights Finland's position at the centre of the global heavy metal community: Finland has more metal bands per capita than any other country.

The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Tuska Open Air Metal Festival, Sony Music Finland and ten Finnish cities are teaming up to figure out which city is the Capital of Metal. The campaign gets under way today at this location, where Finnish metal bands can add their info to a map of Finland and help their hometowns compete for the title. The winner will be the city with the most metal bands per capita. The deadline for the entries is June 20th, and the winner will be announced on June 21st. The winning city will also be showcased at Helsinki's Tuska Festival, organized June 29th to July 1st.

Fans of Finnish heavy metal around the world can participate by "liking" their favourite bands on the Capital of Metal website. The site also offers a chance to buy T-shirts with city names printed as metal-style logos. Participating bands and fans can enter a draw for record shop gift certificates, and two lucky fans will win trips for two to Tuska Festival, including travel, lodging and VIP access.

The idea for Capital of Metal got started when Tuska Festival director Eeka Mäkynen met with Tomi Saarinen and Tuomo Saikkonen of Sony Music Finland to discuss the progress of Finnish metal music. Finland rose to international acclaim as a metal stronghold in the late 1990s with the popularity of HIM, Nightwish and Children of Bodom, and the country's reputation continues to stand out as we approach 2020.

"Finnish bands are constantly touring the world, their recordings regularly reach Gold status, and metal festivals are filled with music-loving fans," says Saikkonen, who is also known as the guitarist of the band Mokoma and the managing director of Sakara Records. "We decided that it was time for Finnish metal culture to sing its own praises, and to be loud about it."

"In addition to Finland having more than 50 metal bands for every 100,000 people, metal music enjoys a unique position as part of popular culture in Finland. It's worth mentioning the prevalent community spirit that exists among metal fans here. For example, last summer at Tuska Festival, the police didn't have to deal with a single disturbance."

Capital of Metal is backed by numerous Finnish businesses and organizations involved in the heavy music scene: Radio Rock, Record Shop X, Musamaailma instrument and gear shop, and Inferno magazine. Finnish metal personalities make appearances in Capital of Metal videos about the competing cities. In eight mini-documentaries, guitarist and singer Antti Hyyrynen of the band Stam1na travels around Finland talking with local metal celebrities in order to get to the heart of each town's metal scene. The city videos and other Capital of Metal videos are available on the Capital of Metal website.

The Unit for Public Diplomacy at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland sees Capital of Metal as a way to support and show respect for the work that Finnish metal bands do. "Metal bands are very significant ambassadors for Finland," says Petra Theman, director of the Unit for Public Diplomacy. "We know of numerous examples of people who have become fascinated with Finland or come to Finland to study because of an interest that began with metal music."

"First impressions of a country usually come from culture or sports, and for a long time Finland's most significant conduit has been heavy metal music."

Former HANOI ROCKS singer Michael Monroe joined Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett on stage earlier tonight (Wednesday, May 9) during METALLICA's concert at at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland to perform his solo song "Dead, Jail Or Rock 'N' Roll". Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

The original recording of "Dead, Jail Or Rock 'N' Roll" was featured on Monroe's second album, "Not Fakin' It", which was released in September 1989 through PolyGram. The accompanying video featured GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose and received substantial rotation on MTV. It was later covered by WARRANT on that band's 2002 album "Under The Influence".

The "Dead, Jail Or Rock 'N' Roll" performance 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 has played 23 shows in Europe since early February and has one more Helsinki date booked before taking 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".

NINE INCH NAILS will release a new EP, "Bad Witch", on June 22. The six-track release is billed as the final installment of a trilogy, following 2016's "Not The Actual Events" and 2017's "Add Violence".

In support of the EP, NINE INCH NAILS will embark on the "Cold And Black And Infinite" 2018 North American tour. The trek will launch September 13 in Phoenix, Arizona and include two-night appearances at Colorado's Red Rocks (September 18-19), New York's Radio City Music Hall (October 13-14), and Chicago's Aragon Ballroom (October 25-26), wrapping with four dates at the Palladium in Los Angeles (December 7,8, 11 and 12).

Tickets to the tour at being offered at The Physical World presale events beginning on May 19 at each venue's box office (except for a two-night stand at Red Rocks, whose presale will be on May 20 at the Denver Coliseum box office).

All seats for the tour will be offered on an in-person, first-come-first-served basis only with a four-ticket limit per show.

Support at all dates will come from THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN.

"Bad Witch" track listing:

01. Shit Mirror

02. Ahead Of Ourselves

03. Play The Goddamned Part

04. God Break Down The Door

05. I'm Not From This World

06. Over And Out

NINE INCH NAILS tour dates:

Sep. 13 - Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre

Sep. 14 - Phoenix, AZ @ Comerica Theatre

Sep. 18 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks

Sep. 19 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks

Sep. 24 - Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theater

Sep. 26 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre

Sep. 27 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre

Sep. 29 - Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater

Oct. 09 - Washington, DC @ The Anthem

Oct. 13 - New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall

Oct. 14 - New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall

Oct. 19 - Boston, MA @ Boch Center

Oct. 20 - Boston, MA @ Boch Center

Oct. 22 - Detroit, MI @ Fox Theater

Oct. 23 - Detroit, MI @ Fox Theater

Oct. 25 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom

Oct. 26 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom

Nov. 23 - New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre

Nov. 24 - New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre

Nov. 27 - Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

Nov. 28 - Irving, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory

Dec. 03 - San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium

Dec. 07 - Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium

Dec. 08 - Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium

Dec. 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium

Dec. 12 - Los Angeles, CA @ Palladium

TESLA's Frank Hannon has released the official music video for his cover of BLACKBERRY SMOKE's "Sunrise In Texas", taken from his recent album "From One Place… To Another Vol. 1". The album features special guest appearances by Paul Jackson (BLACKBERRY SMOKE), Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts of the ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND), Matthew and Gunnar Nelson (sons of Ricky Nelson), Roger Fisher (original HEART guitarist) and many others.

"BLACKBERRY SMOKE is one of my favorite bands," says Frank. "I've watched them work hard and develop over many years as they opened for TESLA a few times and my solo band 15 years ago. I have become friends with them and admire their music.

"The lyrics and vibe of 'Sunrise In Texas' really inspired me creatively and I felt it fit well on this project 'From One Place... To Another' as the words speak of another world outside the world were living in. I can relate to that concept as I think many of us can and we all need an escape from reality sometimes. We all need a new 'Sunrise' sometimes."

The second installment of Hannon's solo cover series, "From One Place… To Another Vol. 2", is set to release on Friday, May 18. As with "Vol. 1", the album features a number of special guests, this time including Roger Fisher of HEART, Graham Whitford (son of AEROSMITH's Brad Whitford), Duane Betts (son of ALLMAN BROTHERS' Dickey), Randy Hansen and Jared James Nichols.

The album is now available for pre-order at PledgeMusic in all formats plus gain access to exclusive merchandise including two instant song downloads of "Sing Child Song" (featuring Roger Risher) and "Lord Of The Thighs" (featuring Graham Whitford).

"This volume is definitely a step up for me as an artist," declares Hannon. "I chose to sing some of my favorite songs from very different genres ranging from AEROSMITH, Chaka Khan, BLACK SABBATH to Seal. I am proud of 'Volume 1' but 'Volume 2' came out a lot edgier and with some heavier tones."

While "Volume 1" was more roots and acoustic focused, "From One Place… To Another Vol. 2" is all electric with full backing band, recorded in various locations with a portable recorder and eventually assembled back in Hannon's home studio.

"As it turns out, singing is becoming a lot of fun for me," Hannon admits. "I've left the smoking guitar duties to some very special guests including the Jimi Hendrix tribute master Randy Hansen, HEART founder Roger Fisher, Jared James Nichols, as well as other guest artists who contributed flavors."

Randy Hansen and Roger Fisher have always been heroes of Frank's. "Known for his 'Magic Man' guitar sounds, Roger and I recorded a HEART classic 'Sing Child', which is almost as funky a song as the man himself," Frank says.

A chance meeting south of the border led to the recording of a classic AEROSMITH cut. "I ran into guitarist Graham Whitford in Mexico while on tour and asked him if he'd be interested in recording guitars on his dad's song and he graciously obliged," Frank says. "Six months later, we put it together via the Internet and 'Lord of the Thighs' became a highlight for me."

The biggest surprise of the album is Frank's take on Seal's "Kiss From A Rose". "It's a vocal melody that has haunted me for years," he says. "When I decided to record it, I spent weeks researching Seal and learned how he wrote the song with no instruments, using only his voice as the music background. This really opened my eyes and ears to the power of a vocal melody that drives a song and I recorded it similarly on my portable 8-track in a dressing room on tour."

"From One Place… To Another Vol. 2" track listing:

01. Hush (featuring Randy Hansen)

02. Lord Of The Thighs (featuring Graham Whitford)

03. You Can't Always Get What You Want (featuring Duane Betts)

04. Tell Me Somethin' Good

05. Kiss From A Rose

06. Sing Child Sing (featuring Roger Fisher)

07. I Can See Clearly Now

08. Spanish Castle Magic (featuring Randy Hansen)

09. I Can Help

10. Sweet Leaf (featuring Jared James Nichols)

Acclaimed rock drummer Ben Graves (MURDERDOLLS, DOPE, PRETTY BOY FLOYD) passed away earlier today (Wednesday, May 9) after a year-long battle with cancer. He was only 46 years old.

The news of Ben's death was broken on Facebook by his fiancée Lydia, who wrote: "This is incredibly hard for me to write this, but I know it is necessary because Ben has so many friends and fans.

"Most of you don't know that Ben has been battling cancer for the last 11 months. It was his decision to keep his health very quiet.

"Ben passed away today, May 9th 2018, from complications due to his cancer. His diagnosis was grim, but he fought a long and hard battle to try and beat it and overcome the odds. Some battles can't be won no matter how hard you try.

"Please respect me, his family and close friends while we grieve. Even though we knew it was eventually coming, the complication was sudden and very unexpected.

"It's devastating to lose someone you love more than yourself. My heart is broken, my heart died with him.

"We will be taking him home to Massachusetts. I will organize a memorial for Ben's L.A. friends, details to follow."

MURDERDOLLS frontman Wednesday 13 mourned Graves's passing, writing in a Facebook post: "I will forever cherish the memories with you. Touring all over the world for the first time, living our dream and constantly quoting 'The Terminator' and 'Commando' movies. Love ya, buddy. There will never be another Ghoul. See ya on the other side."

Graves was a member of the MURDERDOLLS from 2002 until 2004. He later told Metalliville in an interview that the experience changed his life. "It took a world that I had always fantisized about and made it my reality, which was the whole reason I moved to Los Angeles in the first place," he said. "So joining that band was definitely a good starting point for me."

According to Ben, the chemistry between the MURDERDOLLS members was unlike anything he had been involved with. "The original MURDERDOLLS lineup was one of those rare and unique situations where the right people are in the right place at the right time of their lives, and all of those ingredients come together in a way that's not at all pre-meditated," he said. "I think that happens every once in a while, whether it be in music or art, where something is created that people really respond and connect with."

In the same interview, Graves said that he "always wanted to be a drummer. When I first got started, there was really never a question as to what instrument I would play," he said. "When all my friends went out and bought guitars, which seemed to be the instrument that everybody wanted to play, it never crossed my mind to follow — not once. I always just felt very attracted to the drums for some reason. I related to them a lot more naturally than any other instrument. Whenever I would go to a concert, my attention would always be focused on the drummer. Or even when we would hang out after school and watch music videos, I always wished that they showed more shots of the drummer. It just looked incredibly fucking fun to me, and I remember sitting there thinking, or probably even saying out loud, 'I wanna do that!' I think another reason I felt drawn to the drums is because they were 50 percent physical, 50 percent mental. Before I got into drums, I was completely obsessed with martial arts for that same reason. Even before I started playing drums, I always felt very connected to rhythm in general, so it was a natural choice. There's something about drumming that is very primal, and that aspect has always appealed to me."

Official Statement

A message from Ben’s fiancé, Lydia.

This is incredibly hard for me to write this, but I know it is...Posted by Ben Graves on Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Harley Flanagan, founder of the legendary New York hardcore band the CRO-MAGS, has announced the release of the "Cro-Mag Demos" and the "Hard Core Dr. Know" EP.

The "Hard Core Dr. Know" release is out now on CD and LP, with proceeds going to Dr. Know of BAD BRAINS.

The "Cro-Mag Demos" will be released on July 6 on CD and LP, featuring Flanagan's solo recordings from 1982-1983.

The focus of the "Hard Core Dr. Know" EP is to raise money for Dr. Know to help with medical expenses from a health issue he suffered in 2015. These new songs are in the vein of CRO-MAGS and Flanagan's last 2016 solo release titled "Cro-Mags". The music stays true to Flanagan's roots and the unmatchable CRO-MAGS sound while continuing to take it to a new level of musical intensity like only Flanagan can.

"Hard Core Dr. Know" EP track listing:

01. Life Has No Mercy

02. Sometimes You're The Hammer (Sometimes You're The Nail)

03. Discipline Equals Freedom

04. I Love My Life

05. Friends Like You

06. It's All Good (When It's All Good)

The CRO-MAGS are without a doubt, one of the most influential New York hardcore bands of all time, and "Cro-Mag Demos" are the first demos ever recorded by the sole founding member of the band.

The "Cro-Mag Demos" are Flanagan's solo recordings from 1982-1983.

Track listing:

01. Don't Tread On Me

02. Wake Up (Do Unto Others)

03. Dead End Kids

04. Why Don't You

In 1980, Harley Flanagan came up with the name CRO-MAGS while still drumming for the New York punk band THE STIMULATORS. He tried to form the band that same year with Dave Stein from EVEN WORSE on guitar, Dave Hahn from THE MAD on drums and John Berry of the BEASTIE BOYS on vocals. Harley auditioned others for the band, including Louie Rivera who went on to form ANTIDOTE and John McGowan, a.k.a. John Joseph, who did not make the cut until 1984.


The first show was played opening up for THE STIMULATORS at the Peppermint Lounge in 1980 with Flanagan on bass, Stein on guitar and Leo from the North Carolina hardcore band CRUCIAL TRUTH on drums. Just weeks before the show, Harley decided to play the show under a fake name because he did not feel that the band was ready to represent itself in the way he wanted. They hadn't had enough time to prepare for the show, but he had taken the gig to give the band incentive to get their shit together. Knowing there were high expectations since he and the others in the band where all from other local bands, they played under the name "DISCO SMOOTHY" to keep the band quiet until it was a full grown beast; only close friends knew about the show.


Their set consisted of original songs and two cover songs: "Nervous Breakdown" by BLACK FLAG and "Ain't Nothing To Do" by THE DEAD BOYS. After that one show, everyone went their separate ways, and, significantly, John Berry went on to form the BEASTIE BOYS.


In 1982, Harley started working on demos for his project. These demos would be the blue print for the sound and style that would become the CRO-MAGS.


The tracks were recorded at the Song Shop in 1982-1983 and produced by Harley and Denise Mercedes of THE STIMULATORS. They were finished in the beginning of 1983 and where supposed to be released on Rat Cage Records alongside the first LPs from the BEASTIE BOYS, AGNOSTIC FRONT and THE YOUNG AND THE USELESS. Due to disagreements about terms with THE STIMULATORS management and Dave Parsons from Rat Cage, the album was never released.


About that session, Harley recalls: "I had never tracked in the studio by myself and I didn't have a lot of recording experience. So far the only thing I had recorded was on drums with THE STIMULATORS. I tracked the drums first with no click track and then tried to follow along as best I could on the bass; then guitars and vocals, which was not easy without a steady click. I had to imagine what the guitars and bass where playing when I tracked the drums, and then try to keep up with the drums on bass and guitar afterwards. It was not easy."

At that point, Harley was still trying to put the CRO-MAGS together. He recruited his best friend Eric J. Casanova for vocals, but again, there was no one else to play with on the scene that wasn't already in a band; and for Harley, there wasn't anyone on the scene that was good enough to play the songs he was working on in the way he wanted to hear them played.


In 1983, Paul Dordal introduced Harley to STIMULATORS fan Parris Mayhew, and finally Harley found a writing partner.


Harley recalls: "Paul told me: I know this kid Kevin [that's what everyone called Parris]; he's not really a hardcore kid, a punk or a skinhead or anything, but he can play RUSH songs and shit and he's really into THE STIMULATORS and the BAD BRAINS. I figured if he can play RUSH, he can play this shit." From that point the writing relationship began.


CRO-MAGS played its first show at CBGB, billed as "CRO-MAGS," in 1984 with Eric Casanova on vocals, Flanagan on bass , Mayhew on guitar and Mackie Jayson (borrowed from the band FRONTLINE) on drums.


This was the beginning of the band; and these where the demos that set it all off.

The fourth trailer for "Queen Of Time", the upcoming studio album from Finnish melancholic progressive metallers AMORPHIS, can be seen below. Due on May 18 via Nuclear Blast, the follow-up to 2015's "Under The Red Cloud" will include the use of real strings, flutes, orchestral arrangements and even choirs. In addition, this will be the first time that people will be able to hear their lyricist Pekka Kainulainen on the album as he contributes a speech in Finnish.

"Queen Of Time" was once again produced by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, KREATOR), who is well known for challenging and motivating artists during the recording process. He isn't afraid to push them to their limits.

The "Queen Of Time" cover artwork, which was created once again by French artist Jean "Valnoir" Simoulin from Metastazis, captures the feeling of the lyrics and the music. With Pekka Kainulainen's (lyricist) words, the lyrical theme is universal: "Cultures rise, flourish, and are destroyed. The story of man is the story of searching, finding, and forgetting. A single spark can set the world afire, a single idea can give birth to a new culture. The greatest can stagnate into insignificance, the smallest can hold the power for change. The lyrics on this album are distant echoes of ancient forest peoples, from a time when meaning was proportioned by the cosmic forces that govern birth and death. If the connection was lost, they sought for a strand of knowledge, found a new direction, and a new age began."

"Queen Of Time" will be also the first AMORPHIS album to feature the band's old/new bass player Olli-Pekka "Oppu" Laine following the departure of Niclas Etelävuori in 2017. Oppu was one of the founding members of AMORPHIS in 1990 and recorded the first seven records with the band before he exited the group in spring 2000.

"To be honest, 'Oppu' was the only guy we could imagine being in AMORPHIS," says Esa. "It was funny — when we started to play our first shows together again last summer, it all felt so familiar. He was involved with arranging songs and he also even brought some new songs to the table… really good ones, too!" Oppu adds: "Even though the last year with AMORPHIS has been exciting, nostalgic and fun, it's also been truly comfortable to be with the guys again. As a clichéd expression, it's been like returning home from a lengthy odyssey. After 18 years, it feels like we are picking up where we left off from the good ol' days! I'm really looking forward for the upcoming tour. The new album itself is a really strong package, the only hard thing will be picking which songs to play live! It's safe to say we are set to pull off some killer shows over the next few years. After that, I'm predicting a long and fruitful career for the band in its current form..."

"Queen Of Time" track listing:

01. The Bee

02. Message In The Amber

03. Daughter Of Hate

04. The Golden Elk

05. Wrong Direction

06. Heart Of The Giant

07. We Accursed

08. Grain Of Sand

09. Amongst Stars

10. Pyres On The Coast

Bonus tracks (digi, 2LP, and mail-order edition only)

11. As Mountains Crumble

12. Brother And Sister

Holopainen comments: "I guess 'Queen Of Time' turned out as a massive surprise to all of us. During the rehearsing and pre-production, we didn't have any idea that Jens had this huge picture inside of his head about the landscape of the album. It's a very natural continuation to 'Under The Red Cloud' but with steroids. The songs are more aggressive but there's more dynamics, harmonies and orchestral arrangements present. The result is AMORPHIS as something you've never heard before! Essentially, working with Jens worked really well. As a person, he is very similar to us — we share the same kind of weird humor and we all like to work hard."

Former GRIP INC. guitarist and acclaimed producer Waldemar Sorychta has joined forces with Danish-German singer Cornelia Schmitt (THE HEROINES) and drummer Vic Chains (THE SPOOK, THE DEAD KINGS) in a new band called MANDRAH.

Sorychta's music has never been about walking trodden paths, following trends or copying other bands. Instead he always set marks himself — as the producer for genre classics like MOONSPELL's "Irreligious", SAMAEL's "Passage" and TIAMAT's "Wildhoney", as well as the creative mastermind behind GRIP INC. (with SLAYER's Dave Lombardo), critically acclaimed ENEMY OF THE SUN, and old-school thrashers DESPAIR.

MANDRAH's music is described in a press release as "a shining blend of crushing metal riffs, with a hunting groove reminiscent of GRIP INC.'s signature sound meeting an outstanding voice. Schmitt beats the faceless masses of female operatic voices in today's metal scene within the blink of an eye. With a powerful voice evoking the late Amy Winehouse, the singer explodes from low tuned coolness to roaring heaviness, from a gentle punk spark to graceful heights and balladic fragility."

Photo: Michael Opeitz

Fan-filmed video footage of STRYPER's May 5 performance at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland can be seen below (clips uploaded by YouTube user Jim Powers).

STRYPER's latest album, "God Damn Evil", was released on April 20 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Asked by All That Shreds what made STRYPER choose such a seemingly provocative title for its follow-up to 2015's "Fallen", frontman Michael Sweet said: "We didn't do it just to shake things up. We have a point to prove in a statement. A few years back we thought about using this title. We didn't go with it because we felt it was a little too much at that time. Now in 2018, with everything that we've seen on the news, the evil we're faced with on a daily basis to new levels and new degrees, it made perfect sense for us to have an album called 'God Damn Evil'. It's a prayer request. It is what it is. It's not a swear, it's not just the shock statement, it's a prayer request, and we're asking God to damn the evil that we see. It should be a prayer for everybody. Some people are freaking out thinking you're taking the Lord's name in vain, and it's not that at all."

In a press release announcing the release of "God Damn Evil", Sweet explained that he and his bandmates "thought long and hard about this title. It was actually considered quite a few years ago and it just didn't feel like the right time. Now, with all the evil in the world that we see around us on a daily basis, it made perfect sense. It's a very bold statement yet a prayer asking God to damn/condemn evil. Nothing more, nothing less.

"We all see and hear the darkness that surrounds us in our society, but with faith and love, we'll always have hope," he continued. "That's what STRYPER is all about: powerful music and a message that builds foundations, not walls. We couldn't be more excited about 'God Damn Evil', as it showcases our undying love for what we do and why we do it."

The follow-up to 2015's "Fallen" marks STRYPER's first effort since the addition of former FIREHOUSE bassist Perry Richardson. Perry joined the band as the replacement for STRYPER's longtime bassist Tim Gaines, who was fired from the group last year.

Perry did not play bass on STRYPER's new album due to scheduling constraints. The bass tracks on "God Damn Evil" were laid down by John O'Boyle, who played bass on Sweet's last two solo albums.

Fan-filmed video footage of ALICE IN CHAINS performing its new single, "The One You Know", on May 7 at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City can be seen below.

"The One You Know" is the first new music issued from ALICE IN CHAINS' upcoming sixth full-length studio LP, which is due out later this year and will follow up 2013's "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here".

The basic tracks for the new disc were laid down at Studio X in Seattle, marking the first time ALICE IN CHAINS had recorded in its hometown in more than 20 years. Part of the recording was also done at Henson Studios in Los Angeles.

Guitarist and singer Jerry Cantrell told SiriusXM about "The One You Know": "It's really aggressive. It's got a super-aggro riff. I was thinking kind of [David] Bowie when I was writing it, a little bit, so it's got kind of a metal 'Fame' shuffle to it, kind of almost. It's a good aggro riff and it's got the classic ALICE IN CHAINS chorus, with a weird kind of trippy middle part."

According to Cantrell, ALICE IN CHAINS' upcoming album is "a good record. I wouldn't say that the rest of the record sounds like ['The One You Know'], but that's a good indicator of what the rest of the record kind of feels like. There's a lot of edgy stuff there, a lot of rocking stuff, a lot of weird stuff, and some pretty stuff in there too."

Jerry also talked about the five-year gap between ALICE IN CHAINS albums, saying that "we've been really fortunate in most of our career to be able to make music when we feel like it rather than having to be on somebody else's schedule, which is really nice. So we take advantage of that. And there's really no reason to put music out unless it's something that we feel strongly [about] and stand behind."

ALICE IN CHAINS is currently on a short spring tour that finishes up on May 19 in Philadelphia.

After hitting Europe and Israel, the band will start a second leg on August 22 in Vancouver that comes to a close on September 15.

AUGUST BURNS RED has released the official Dan Fusselman-directed music video for the song "King Of Sorrow". The track is taken from the band's seventh full-length album, "Phantom Anthem", which came out last October via Fearless Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Found In Far Away Places" was recorded with longtime producers Carson Slovak and Grant McFarland.

Guitarist Brent Rambler told AXS about AUGUST BURNS RED's relationship with Slovak and McFarland: "We like working with them, because they are our friends and want the band to successful, so they aren't afraid to give us ideas and tell us if something should change. Also, Grant is a great vocal producer and helps tremendously in the studio when we track vocals. They grew up listening to a lot of the same music as we did, so we have very similar tastes in music, which really helps for those out of the box moments in our songs. Their studio is literally a six-block walk from my house, so that's also nice."

In a separate interview with Guitar World, Rambler said that "Phantom Anthem" is "a more serious-sounding album" than AUGUST BURNS RED's previous efforts "in part because this whole last election cycle was really stressful. We're the young people. We're the ones who are going to have to live with the repercussions of what happens over the next however many years."

Added guitarist JB Brubaker: "Like a lot of people, I think we are frustrated because it seems like no one in this country can agree on anything. And if you don't agree with someone’s political views right now, you can't even have a discussion. People immediately become very defensive and accusatory and there's not a lot of civil conversations you can have when people are disagreeing like that."

SHINEDOWN has released a 14-minute documentary about the making of the band's sixth studio album, "Attention Attention". The disc is a concept effort which addresses a society both enabled and blinded by technology and the decline and rise of an individual in that society.

Frontman Brent Smith told Substream Magazine about "Attention Attention": "The whole record is a journey, a psychological, emotional, and a physical journey and everything takes place inside of the room. The way that the album is laid out from the beginning to the middle to the finale, that's the entire story, and that's what it encompasses. It's a very… it is indeed a journey. We want the listener to put themselves in this room. I won't lie to you, the room is a scary place, but it's necessary that we all step inside. You cannot be afraid to fail. 'Attention Attention' is about how people allow their fears and self-doubts to paralyze them. They are so scared of trying something new solely because it is new, and that is no way to live. I don't think that you'll be defined by your failures, I think you'll be defined by the fact that you didn't give up and the record is also a lot about humanity, man. It's about not losing that emotion, or I should say those emotions, that we all have as human beings, you know?

He continued: "It's also a bit of a warning to the public. We live in a very technologically advanced world. That's a wonderful thing, but you need to take a break from it at times, or else it will steal your soul. I think that human connection, just being in front of someone and conversing with them, is incredibly important. I don't want people to lose their humanity."

The new disc was released on May 4 and features the song "The Human Radio", which followed the first single and video from the LP, "Devil".

The follow-up to 2015's "Threat To Survival", "Attention Attention" marks SHINEDOWN's first full-length effort to be produced entirely by bassist Eric Bass.

"Eric probably got 100 or so gray hairs from producing the album," SHINEDOWN drummer Barry Kerch told the Lexington Herald-Leader. "He put a lot of pressure on himself and we put a lot on pressure on him. A lot of people say it’s the death knell when you self-produce. But he knew how to do the job. He's produced bands before, many different styles of bands — rock 'n' roll bands, metal bands. So we had full faith and trust in him. But we also had full faith and trust in each other because we still get along. We still like each other. We still have fun together. We're friends, and we love each other like brothers. That made it a lot easier. For me, it was fun just to watch him work with the talent that he had."

Austin, TX sci-fi stoner metal band From Beyond will release its new LP, The Band From Beyond, this Friday, May 11th via Candlelight Records / UMG. An advanced album stream can be found below.

Recorded with producer Bryan Richie of The Sword, the album delivers 14 tracks that pulse with dark synths and doomy hooks and brim with booming guitars and Lovecraftian, vintage horror film feels. The Band From Beyond is the follow-up to From Beyond's EP, The Color Out Of Space, and its 2014 Scion AV split with ASG.

Formed in 2010, From Beyond plays heaving heavy music through towering stacks of amps while adding suspense-generating synthesizer segways that create atmospheres and moods that are both a throwback and oddly timeless. Segueing between eerie drones and heavy rock, the band's tracks offer a multiplex worth of possibilities, spanning moments of action, horror, discovery, and victory in its suite-like sweeps.

With a tour history that includes gigs with The Sword, Purson, Truckfighters, and Saint Vitus, and festival shows alongside enigmatic acts such as Aphex Twin, John Carpenter, S U R V I V E and Squarepusher, From Beyond touches on multiple musical pressure points and makes new fans and believers the minute they step on the stage. It wouldn’t be surprising to catch them playing either The Mos Eisley Cantina or Coachella and totally tripping out everyone in the audience.

“When the original idea for the band came to fruition, I wanted to do something that was steeped in psychedelic horror," says bandleader Rob McCarthy. "Horror from the late sixties and early seventies was of particular interest to me. Films like Simon King Of The Witches, Psychomania, and the work of Coffin Joe (Brazilian filmmaker José Mojica Marins) come to mind. At the same time, I love the scores for Escape From New York and Halloween. I got really into that sparse and minimal approach to synthesis. I wanted to bring those elements to music inspired by Queens Of The Stone Age, Sleep, and the writing of H.P. Lovecraft.”

Pre-order The Band From Beyond here.

Tracklisting:

"Invocation"
"The Fall To Earth"
"Blooming Sun"
"The Slip"
"Lost Way"
"The Color Into Space"
"The Color Out Of Space"
"Synthro"
"At Midnight"
"Laura"
"Machine Gun"
"White Marble"
"Black Mirror"
"Synthia"

Album stream:

From Beyond features Rob McCarthy (vocals, guitar, synth), Dave Grooman (guitar, effects), Brooks Willhoite (bass, synth, vocals) and Anthony Vallejo (drums, vocals).

Long-running Copenhagen-based power metallers Iron Fire have released a video for "Redux (Coming Home)", featured on the double-CD Dawn Of Creation: Twentieth Anniversary, out now via Crime Records. Order the title here, and watch the video below.

The label released the following statement concerning the forthcoming historical metal document: "So now it's been twenty years since five young guys from the Danish country side decided that power metal should be the first step on their quest to glory. The name Iron Fire came up and carved in stone that these Danes meant to be real, and despite their young age, forge catchy power metal rooted in the classics of Helloween and Running Wild. As the journey continued, ups and downs turned and reformed the band into the trio of today. And now that trio is looking back, and in their wish to celebrate 20 years of power metal, a selection of demo songs has found its way to a double album. Along with three brand new songs Iron Fire provides old songs in the original pre-album versions as well as previously unreleased material. This is the raw and pure, from the heart of Iron Fire. Enjoy!"

Tracklist:

Disc 1

"Dawn Of Creation"
"Redux (Coming Home)"
"The Other Side"
"A Token Of My Hatred" (Cover)
"King At Any Cost" (Demo)
"This Kids" (Cover)
"Kill For Metal" (Live)
"Slaughter Of Souls" (Live)
"Final Odyssey" (Live)
"Among The Dead" (Demo)
"Tornado Of Sickness" (Demo)
"Still Alive" (Demo)
"My Awakening" (Demo)
"Enter Oblivion" (Demo)

Disc 2

"Thunderstorm" (Demo)
"Glory To The King" (Demo)
"Defender Of The Ring" (Demo)
"Prophecy Of Pain" (Demo)
"Flames Of Revenge" (Demo)
"Millennium Warriors" (Demo)
"Black Heart" (Demo)
"Vengeance From Hell" (Demo)
"Days Of Tragedy" (Demo)
"Fire God" (Demo)
"From The North" (Demo)
"Hall Of Heroes" (Demo)
"Brothers United" (Demo)
"Jerusalem" (Demo)

Pre-order Bonus CD tracklisting:

"Intro - Blade of Triumph"
"Bridges Will Burn"
"Prince of Agony"
"Steel Invaders"
"Thunderstorm"
"Outro - Odins Call"

"Redux (Coming Home)" video:

"Dawn Of Creation" lyric video:

Since their foundation in 2014, Beyond The Black have become an integral part of the German symphonic metal landscape in addition to their unrivalled talent and absolute enthusiasm. Now, with Napalm Records the band have found a strong partner and have signed worldwide with the label (excl. GSA).

Jennifer Haben on the signing with Napalm Records: "We are really looking forward to the collaboration! With Napalm and Airforce1 we got exactly the right team to bring the new album to international heights and to tear down as much as possible!"

The success of Beyond The Black speaks for itself. The debut Songs Of Love And Death (2015, Airforce1) immediately hit #12 on the German album charts. Only one year later with the release of Lost In Forever (2016), the band stormed the charts again and a Top 5 ranking catapulted them even further forwards.

Beyond The Black has played countless shows in Germany and the near foreign countries, with the British heavy metal legends Saxon, one of Germany's most successful metal bands Powerwolf and the Dutch symphonic metal masters Epica. Additionally, the band were tapped to open for the Scorpions on their 50th anniversary tour. The band has also made festival appearances including the Wacken Open Air Festival, Summer Breeze and the Wave-Gothik-Meeting.

This year the studio work continues at full throttle. More info and details on the upcoming album will be unveiled soon.

Live dates:

June
16 - Cologne, Germany - Metaltörn

July
7 - Novokuznetsk, Russia - Heroes Of World Rock

August
30 - Hartenholm, Germany - Werner Rennen

September
21 - Hamburg, Germany - Hamburg Metal Dayz

October
14 - Mallorca, Spain - Full Metal Holiday

Beyond The Black is:

Jennifer Haben (Vocals)
Stefan Herkenhoff (Bass)
Chris Hermsdörfer (Guit./Backings)
Tobias Lodes (Guit./Backings)
Jonas Roßner (Keyboards/Backings)
Kai Tschierschky (Drums)

Newly formed Canadian/ German blackened death metal group Woechanter, featuring Vesperia frontman Morgan Rider, have released their debut EP.

Woechanter’s story began on a stormy winter night during January of 2017. The months of crushing cold and darkness provided ample atmosphere for the first song to be crafted. Canadian multi-instrumentalist and Vesperia frontman Morgan Rider began to shape in those months of legendary Canadian winter what would become the first few steps of Canada’s newest extreme metal band.

As the world’s distances have shrunken in the wake of modern technology, quick was the coming of the band's second collaborator: A German guitarist who prefers his anonymity while this project remains in session.

So will the first steps of this group be taken, so will the tread quicken pace and so will the chants and laments of this era be borne upon the primal flow of our utterings. Woechanter is a vicious display of death, black and doom metal blended without hindrance for modern trends or expectation.

The first release by Woechanter can be downloaded for free at this location. Listen below:

WOECHANTER by Woechanter

German extreme metallers Eisregen have released a video for "Satan liebt dich", the title track of their upcoming EP, due for release on June 8th via Massacre Records. Pre-order the title here, and watch the video below.

The Satan liebt dich EP (Satan Loves You), contains seven new and previously unreleased songs and should shorten the waiting time until the band's 13th studio album, to be released this fall.

Satan liebt dich was mixed and mastered by Markus Stock at Klangschmiede Studio E. Drummer Yantit took care of the cover artwork.

The EP record release show  will take place on the actual release date, June 8th, at the Heudepot in Tambach-Dietharz, Germany. The gig's motto is "Metal im Thüringer Wald 2018". Eisregen will be joined by their label mates Grabak and Hardholz.

Tracklisting:

"Fahlmondmörder"
"Satan liebt dich"
"Onkel Fritze"
"Menschenmetzger Fritz" (Transilvanian Beef Club)
"For God Your Soul" (Pungent Stench cover)
"Mein Eichensarg" (Schirenc plays Eisregen)
"13 russische Krebsschweine"

"Satan liebt dich" video:

(Photo - Thomas Zapf)