A performance clip of "Welcome Home (Live At Graspop)", taken from the forthcoming KING DIAMOND DVD/Blu-ray, "Songs For The Dead Live", can be viewed below. The set will be released on January 25 via Metal Blade Records.

There is only one King Diamond, and for more than thirty years the great Dane has been dropping classic albums and putting on shows fans remember for the rest of their lives. Perhaps the only downside to having such a formidable catalogue is that there are just too many great songs to fit into a single set. However, you would be hard-pressed to find a fan who wouldn't want to hear 1987's seminal "Abigail" in its entirety, and "Songs For The Dead Live" captures this, twice, and in very different locales. Boasting eighteen songs per set, each of the two shows — Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting in June 2016 and Philadelphia's Fillmore in November 2015 — features a brace of classic KING DIAMOND and MERCYFUL FATE tracks, including "Welcome Home", "Halloween" and "Eye Of The Witch" before launching into "Abigail". The performances of the all-star lineup of musicians, comprising of guitarists Andy LaRocque and Mike Wead, bassist Pontus Egberg and drummer Matt Thompson, are absolutely ferocious, hammering home every single moment.

"Songs For The Dead Live" can be pre-ordered in the following formats:

* 2DVD/CD 6-Panel Digipak

* Blu-ray (includes audio digital download of Philadelphia Show)

* special edition box set with 5 discs (2DVD, 2CD, 1 Blu-ray) plus poster, flier, laminate, setlist, ticket, sticker, and guitar pick (limited to 3000 copies)

* opaque blue with white splatter vinyl (U.S. retail exclusive - limited to 600 copies)

* opaque red with black splatter vinyl (U.S. webstore exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

* opaque white with black splatter vinyl (U.S. webstore exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

* 180g black vinyl (EU exclusive)

* transparent amber marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 700 copies)

* clear ghost white vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 500 copies)

* orange-brown/black marbled vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 300 copies)

* black/purple melt vinyl (Nuclear Blast exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

* orange/red marbled vinyl (Napalm exclusive - limited to 300 copies)

* clear lavender marbled vinyl (EMP exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

* clear ash grey marbled vinyl (Bengan exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

* pink blue marbled vinyl (Ebay exclusive - limited to 200 copies)

Captured on film by director Denise Korycki for Wild Wind Studios, she worked closely with King on every aspect of filming, and throughout the viewer finds themselves front and center as the shows unfold. This includes some inventive camera placement, such as riding in on the back of the wheelchair as it is wheeled out to "Out From The Asylum" at the start of the show, or looking up from the coffin at the commencement of "Abigail" opener "Funeral", which adds an extra dimension to proceedings. Naturally, the theatricality that has become synonymous with KING DIAMOND is there in full force, making for an even more immersive experience. The gothic stage set and the participation of actors playing out certain scenes tying into the songs definitely increases the drama and the sense of complete disconnect from the trappings of reality, ensuring that the shows remain riveting from start to finish.

While the setlists are virtually identical, the drastic difference in the two venues make for distinctly different atmospheres. The sweeping, epic scale of Graspop and the virtual sea of baying metalheads makes for a particularly thrilling spectacle, King holding them all in the palm of his hand. The Fillmore show is immediately more intimate, and rather than a mixed bag of metal lovers drunk on a weekend of the heavy stuff, the audience is comprised entirely of the KING DIAMOND devout, screaming back every word, their love for their hero bleeding from every frame. "Songs For The Dead Live" gives those who missed out on seeing these shows in the flesh a chance to vividly experience them, offering so much deeper an experience than your run of the mill live DVD.

Graspop Metal Meeting track listing

01. Out From The Asylum

02. Welcome Home

03. Sleepless Nights

04. Halloween

05. Eye Of The Witch

06. Melissa

07. Come To The Sabbath

08. Them

09. Funeral

10. Arrival

11. A Mansion In Darkness

12. The Family Ghost

13. The 7th Day Of July 1777

14. Omens

15. The Possession

16. Abigail

17. Black Horsemen

18. Insanity

The Fillmore track listing

01. Out From The Asylum

02. Welcome Home

03. Sleepless Nights

04. Eye Of The Witch

05. Halloween

06. Melissa

07. Come To The Sabbath

08. Them

09. Funeral

10. Arrival

11. A Mansion In Darkness

12. The Family Ghost

13. The 7th Day Of July 1777

14. Omens

15. The Possession

16. Abigail

17. Black Horsemen

18. Insanity

The official trailer for "The Heretics", the new album from Greek extreme metal veterans ROTTING CHRIST, can be seen below. The disc will be released on February 15 via Season Of Mist. The artwork for the disc was created by Greek artist Maximos Manolis.

"The Heretics" track listing:

01. In The Name of God (04:14)

02. Vetry Zlye (03:13)

03. Heaven And Hell And Fire (04:52)

04. Hallowed Be Thy Name (05:06)

05. Dies Irae (03:46)

06. I Believe (03:42)

07. Fire God And Fear (04:50)

08. The Voice of the Universe (05:23)

09. The New Messiah (03:07)

10. The Raven (05:23)

With "The Heretics", ROTTING CHRIST is opening a brand new chapter. Sakis, in collaboration with his brother Themis on drums, achieves a perfect balance of amalgamating the band's classic and unique style of riffing and rhythm with exciting new elements sprinkled in to keep its material exciting and fresh. The experience is enhanced by Jens Bogren's equally clear and transparent yet also massive as well as sombre mix and mastering at his widely renowned Fascination Street Studios (AMORPHIS, BORKNAGAR, MOONSPELL, DEVIN TOWNSEND).


With more than 30 years, 13 studio albums, a dozen EPs, singles and split releases, as well as more than 1,250 shows under their belt, 2018 marked the year of ROTTING CHRIST's "Their Greatest Spells", where the band musically revisited its exciting legacy to connect its past with the present.

Asked in an interview with Pavillon 666 if he thought ROTTING CHRIST would last 30 years upon the band's 1988 formation, Sakis said: "It's a full life. No, of course [not]…you don't start the band to exist for 30 years or to be famous or rich or whatever the fuck. We just started the band because I wanted to sound like my idols back then. I wanted to play only one show and now I'm in a position where I've played 1,500 shows. And, no, I didn't expect something like this, but the spirit remains the same, even if I'm not that young. I still have the spirit and the hope that if we are in good health to keep playing with the band until our death. If health permits, of course. It's not up to me. If health does not permit, then I will not serve."

ROTTING CHRIST is:

Sakis Tolis: vocals, guitar, keys

Themis Tolis: drums

George Emmanouil: lead guitar

Van Ace: bass

Old school power metal veterans, Primal Fear, performed inside Bullhead City Circus at the 28th edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in the summer of 2017. Professionally-filmed footage of the band's full set can be found below.

Setlist:

"Final Embrace"
"In Metal We Trust "
"Angel In Black"
"Sign Of Fear"
"Nuclear Fire"
"Angels Of Mercy"
"The End Is Near"
"Chainbreaker"
"Metal Is Forever"

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN have completed work on their long-awaited new album for a tentative April release. The follow-up to 2009's "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da" was mixed at a Los Angeles studio beginning with Rich Costey, an American producer who has previously worked with MUSE, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and FRANZ FERDINAND, among others.

Speaking to Kerrang! magazine, RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe said: "It looks like we will have five music videos coming out this time too. I feel really happy with the album, although a few things might still change, of course."

The as-yet-untitled RAMMSTEIN album will be released ahead of the band's first-ever European stadium tour, which will kick off on May 27 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany and end on August 23 in Vienna, Austria.

One of the most revered metal groups of all time, RAMMSTEIN is renowned for its electrifying live shows often involving spectacular pyrotechnics.

"It's going to be this really, really big and super-intense show," Kruspe said. "It's so funny — during this recording process, we've been like six guys in a band, arguing about each tiny fucking snare hit. That was also such an intense experience. You name it, everything you could argue about we have. But now that it's done, I'm very proud of what we've achieved. And actually, that intensity is what made our songs even better."

Richard recently told Consequence Of Sound that RAMMSTEIN took things to the next level with its upcoming disc.

"I wanted to do a record that stands out even more than our past records, and I kind of find when I listen to the [new] record, it's like RAMMSTEIN 3D, if I can summarize it," he said. "We're happy to work with my good friend Olsen Involtini, who also worked on EMIGRATE [Kruspe's solo project] records. He a great friend of mine, and he brought certain kind of harmonies into the world of RAMMSTEIN, which I like.

"I'm so close to the project, it's always hard to say," the guitarist added. "The next step is going to be what the fans will think about it. But I think that in the world of making records, it's so important to please yourself first. It's like, if you don't like it, how can you expect other people to like it. I'm trying to bring the record into a dimension that RAMMSTEIN hasn't achieved yet."

In 2016 and 2017, RAMMSTEIN played a number of concerts where the band opened each show with a brand new song, presently only known as "Ramm 4". The track contained lyrics that seemed to be a combination of various titles of previous RAMMSTEIN songs.

LED ZEPPELIN singer Robert Plant will make a guest appearance on the upcoming album from legendary producer/musician Nile Rodgers.

Rodgers told told the Daily Star newspaper that his cancer battles in 2010 and 2017 motivated him to do more collaborations and live shows.

"When I was first diagnosed with cancer, the doctor told me to contemplate life. I was, like, 'I'm going to do more collaborations that I've ever done before, more concert shows than I've ever done.' And that's what I'll continue to do."

Nile and Robert first worked together more than 30 years ago in THE HONEYDRIPPERS, alongside Jeff Beck and others.

Nile told Daily Star: "I said to [Robert], 'Why don't we do THE HONEYDRIPPERS Volume 3? Let's leave out volume two and go straight to three. If it's a success, we can revisit."

Last month, Led Zeppelin News reported that Plant had spent December 17 at Abbey Road Studios with Rodgers.

Rodgers posted a photo of him with Plant on Instagram, along with the caption: "A couple of #Honeydrippers hanging at @abbeyroadstudios – One of my favorite people in the world @robertplantofficial from @ledzeppelin a serious legend."

Rodgers's upcoming album will also feature tracks with Bruno Mars and Jorja Smith.

Last year, Nile released "It's About Time" — his first CHIC album in more than 25 years.

He admitted the upcoming collection is essentially the second half of a double LP, but he chose to release them separately because of the way audiences are changing.

Nile explained: "I basically made two albums. 'It's About Time', to me, feels like a movie in two parts because there is too much information. If it were the old days it would be a double album, but I'm aware people don't have the attention span anymore."

View this post on Instagram A couple of #Honeydrippers hanging at @abbeyroadstudios - One of my favorite people in the world @robertplantofficial from @ledzeppelin a serious legend A post shared by Nile Rodgers (@nilerodgers) on Dec 17, 2018 at 11:43am PST

HELLYEAH has released a new teaser video for its upcoming album. The LP will mark the band's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away in June 2018.

Vinnie Paul died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Not long before his death, Vinnie laid down the drum tracks for HELLYEAH's sixth album.

Like the last two records, 2016's "Unden!able" and 2014's "Blood For Blood", the new disc was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko.

Vinnie Paul revealed in January 2018 that HELLYEAH was "close to about halfway" done recording its sixth LP, which he said was sounding "amazing." He added: "Every record since 'Blood For Blood' has just been a big, gigantic mountain for us to build and build and this one has already reached a plateau that I know is gonna be… It's gonna top 'Unden!able'."

Guitarist Tom Maxwell stated about the musical direction of HELLYEAH's new disc: "Every record that we've done, especially since 'Blood', we've kind of kept the tree growing, growing different branches here and there off the main root, and it's no different with this one. It's gonna be a little bit outside the box, there's gonna be some stuff that people haven't heard from us but will understand that we did it, because we're all over the board, as you know; we don't pigeonhole ourselves as just being full-blown heavy all the time. So it's gonna be a good record, when it comes out, eventually."

In late June 2018, singer Chad Gray released a statement on the death of Vinnie Paul, saying that dealing with his passing "has been one of the toughest things I've ever had to face in my life. I'm so confused, sad and as helpless as I've ever been," he said. "I'm at a loss and completely devastated. But I'm trying. It's the equivalent of an emotional riot in my head and in my heart as I write this. But I'm trying to focus on anything good. I know Vinnie would want that. And the good things are my memories of him. His smile, his infectious laugh and his personality that beamed light."

Gray added: "I just want to say, thank you, Vinnie Paul! For saving my life, for your music, for your endless generosity, for accepting me into your life, for creating our music that touched people, for being proud to be in HELLYEAH and for always treating me like a brother and more importantly for treating me like a friend... I will always love you and go to the end of the earth to carry the torch for you and Dime's legacy."

Abbott's brother, guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, was shot to death in December 2004 while performing onstage. The Abbotts founded the bands PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN together. After Dimebag's death, Abbott joined Gray and other members of MUDVAYNE and NOTHINGFACE in HELLYEAH, which has released five albums.


?Posted by HELLYEAH on Monday, December 31, 2018

The first trailer for "Hexed", the upcoming tenth album from Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM, can be seen below. The disc will be released on March 8 via Nuclear Blast Records.

CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman, guitarist, and mastermind Alexi Laiho comments: "People have said that this album is generally catchier. So I started thinking about that; perhaps the song structures are easier to grasp on initial listen. But there's some crazy shit in there — almost progressive or at least technical. There are certain melodies across the album that could have come from jazz songs, although they're completely metal with us, of course. [Laughs]"

"For me, it has always been very hard to describe our new music," comments bassist Henkka Seppälä (a.k.a. Henkka T. Blacksmith). "In a way, it always feels familiar, but the new stuff also always surprises me. Here we have something that's very BODOM, but somehow we haven't done this kind of stuff, possibly ever. Then again, someone said that there's a somewhat similar vibe to what 'Follow The Reaper' had. I don't know. Anyway, we had a really hard time choosing the songs for the videos. I guess that's a positive problem to have."

"Hexed" saw the return to Finland's Danger Johnny Studios where COB was reunited with Mikko Karmila ("I Worship Chaos", "Halo Of Blood", "Hatebreeder", "Follow The Reaper" and "Hate Crew Deathroll") who recorded everything except keyboards and also produced the album with the band. Janne Wirman recorded keyboards at Beyond Abilities Studios. The album was mixed and mastered at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland.

For this album, the band enlisted Deins Forkas to create the album artwork. Henkka commented on the cover: "For some years I've wanted to try a different approach with our cover art. We are so used to digital art, so it's really hard to do something else. Doing it completely with a computer is somewhat safe and convenient. This time we all agreed to try going old school. We found this cool dude and gave him simple instructions — the cover has to be purple and the reaper has to be central. Half a year later, we got his work, and with little tweaking, we now have the cover of 'Hexed'. It is very different from what we are used to, even the Reaper looks different, but at the same time very spooky."

"Hexed" track listing:

01. The Road

02. Under Grass And Clover

03. Glass Houses

04. Hecate's Nightmare

05. Kick In The Spleen

06. Platitudes And Barren Words

07. Hexed

08. Relapse (The Nature Of My Crime)

09. Say Never Look Back

10. Soon Departed

11. Knuckleduster

12. I Worship Chaos (live)

13. Morrigan (live)

14. Knuckleduster (remix)

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are to release the new album from black metal beasts Unendlich entitled Thanatophobia February 1st on CD and Digital formats.

Unendlich make their epic return to Horror Pain Gore Death Productions with the new full-length album Thanatophobia. Drawing on the power of their forefathers in the U.S. and Scandinavian scenes, Unendlich weave forward-thinking melodic black metal. Thanatophobia features tracks like “Oblivion Of Time” - a vitriolic start riddled with blast beats and atonal guitar work to make even stone-faced black metaller headbang. Those who spun the previous EP will be familiar with “Already Dead” and its unexpected Ulver-like cleans, but there’s plenty more to dig into here. The needling melodies on “Death Rights”, for instance, a track which explodes from the first note riding on choral chants. Unendlich present a variety of tracks, with each sounding pristine, including the bass which drives “Becoming Fire” - a tip to the legendary Magnus ‘Devo’ Andersson who mixed and mastered the affair. Lyrically, Thanatophobia deals with the reliance on religion as a mechanism to satisfy the human ego’s desire to attribute meaning to one’s existence and pacify the feelings of discomfort in the unknown... in life and in death.

Find preorders here.

Tracklisting:

“Oblivion Of Time”
“Already Dead”
“Shadow Of Mortality”
“Death Rights”
“The Gods We Trust”
“Becoming Fire”
“Secret Of Consequence”
“The Final Error”
“Thanatophobia”
“UC3”
“My Own Misery”

“Oblivion Of Time”:

After Paganizer and Crawl, it's Feral's turn to propagate pure Swedish death metal. On their new full-length Flesh For Funerals Eternal, Feral don't hold anything back and deliver a perfect Swedeath album without compromising on the brutality. Released on December 30th byTranscending Obscurity, new track "Stygian Void" is streaming below.

Flesh For Funerals Eternal sets new standards for the style entirely, taking forward the existing template and expanding upon in every way possible. They're not here to reinvent but to solidify in every imaginable way. The album is faultless - it's got everything the style needs and in the right doses. The production keeps it delectable and the gnarly artwork by the master artist Costin Chioreanu only brings to life their twisted yet meticulous music. Feral are at the forefront of the Swedish death metal scene right now and are armed to teeth to drop what could be the best album this style needs.

Tracklisting:

“Vaults Of Undead Horror”
“Black Coven Secrets”
“Gathering Their Bones”
“Dormant Disease”
“Of Gods No Longer Invoked”
“Accursed”
“Horrendous Sight”
“Stygian Void”
“Buried”
“Bled Dry”

"Stygian Void":

"Of Gods No Longer Invoked" video:

“Horrendous Sight”:

Santa Cruz, California-based technical death metal behemoths, Continuum, have unveiled the album art and tracklisting for their sophomore album Designed Obsolescence, which they will unleash on February 22nd.

Designed Obsolescence was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Zack Ohren at Castle Ultimate Studios and features nine violent, incredibly technical, and endlessly engaging tracks which showcase how the group, which features current and former members of Animosity, Deeds Of Flesh, Decrepit Birth, Allegaeon, possess an otherworldly command of the genre. Drums were recorded by new member Ron Casey (Inanimate Existence, ex-Brain Drill, ex-Rings Of Saturn) whose surgically precise playing is the perfect complement to band's technical prowess. Artwork was created by the incredible Par Olofsson.

Guitarist Chase Fraser commented on the album, “We’re really excited to release our second record for Unique Leader Records. I feel like this album incapsulates the feel of our first album while adding many more layers and expanding on the concept of what Continuum can do as a
band.”

Continuum have released a digital single for their song ,"Release From Flesh And Blood". Listen via Spotify, or below. Pre-orders for the album will be available very soon.

Designed Obsolescence tracklisting:

"Theorem"
"Release From Flesh And Blood"
"A History Denied"
"Designed Obsolescence"
"All Manner Of Decay"
"Autonomic"
"Into The Void"
"Remnants Of Ascension"
"Repeating Actions"

"Release From Flesh And Blood":

Continuum is a technical death metal band from Santa Cruz, CA that was formed in the summer of 2009 by Chase Fraser following the disbanding of Animosity, a bay area metal band. After a couple years writing and rehearsing with different musicians, a lineup was fleshed out featuring Riley McShane of Allegeon on vocals, Ivan Munguia of Deeds Of Flesh on guitar, Nick Willbrand on bass and Spencer Edwards on drums. This lineup started playing very frequently in the bay area with bands like Fallujah, Obscura, Pathology, Abigail Williams, Decrepit Birth, Abysmal Dawn among others, and eventually released their first album on Unique Leader records in April of 2015.

Fast forward three years and Continuum is back with their second album on Unique Leader coming very soon. With the addition of Ron Casey on drums (Inanimate Existence, ex-Braindrill, ex-Rings Of Saturn) and a wider spectrum of progressive technical death metal song writing this is by far their most realized and well thought out release to date.

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In a brand new interview with Billboard Radio China, Slash spoke about the fact that urban music (which includes hip-hop, rap, and R&B) has, for the first time in history, usurped rock and roll as the world's favorite genre. Asked if he thinks rock is a bit of a "hiding period" right now, the GUNS N' ROSES guitarist said: "I get asked this question pretty often. And far be it from me to have the answers.

"When VELVET REVOLVER came out, there was definitely a movement that started in the early to mid-'90s that held up all the way through the end of that decade and went into the millennium. And so we came out and there was tons of new rock and roll bands. And they weren't 'nu metal' and they weren't indie bands, but there was definitely this kind of indie-esque feel to them. And I think one of the reasons that VELVET REVOLVER was as successful as it was had a lot to do with [singer] Scott Weiland, because he was still a holdover from that kind of thing, with [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS], that came from the '90s and blah blah blah. Anyway, but it was all cool. And then, as we got down the line, it seemed that rock sort of got… More than anything, the commercial approach to rock and roll that the industry forces on bands, or forces people to think that this is how they have to go about it to succeed, and it just turns into this generic mishmosh that manages to get on the radio but doesn't really turn anybody on, and it's just dull and boring and people start looking elsewhere. And I think that was, really, what happened to the industry, as far as rock and roll is concerned, after 2006 up until just recently. But it seems to be turning over a new leaf right now. So I'm really interested to see where it goes over the next few years, 'cause there's a lot of really hungry young rock and roll bands getting together right now that I'm aware of. And, obviously, GRETA VAN FLEET have done amazingly well and made everybody perk up and go, 'Oh, wow!' Now there's people out there looking for young, teenage rock and roll bands to sign. So it's interesting. If you watch everything as it develops in real time, it's really, really boring and shit takes what seems like forever. But if you're not paying attention, all of sudden, you'll turn around and go, 'Oh my God! Something just changed.' And it's just a constant state of ebbs and flows of rock and roll in this business."

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS' latest album, "Living The Dream", was released in September via Slash's own label Snakepit Records, in partnership with Roadrunner Records.

"Living The Dream" is Slash's fourth solo album, and third with Slash and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass and vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar and vocals). The artwork was created by renowned visual artist Ron English.

Video footage of Ace Frehley and Lita Ford performing THE TROGGS classic "Wild Thing" at the New Jersey Kiss Expo 2018 on December 8 at the Hilton Parsippany in Parsippany, New Jersey can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube users "William J. Buggeln" and "Chris Cook"). Also available is video of Frehley jamming on "Tush" with Punky Meadows and Frank Dimino (of ANGEL), Vinny Appice (of BLACK SABBATH and DIO) and Jean Beauvior (of THE PLASMATICS). At the end, Ace performed the KISS classic "Cold Gin" with his solo band consisting of Philip Shouse on guitar/vocals, Ryan Cook on guitar/vocals, Jeremy Asbrock on guitar/vocals, and Matt Starr on drums.

Frehley's latest solo album, "Spaceman", was released on October 19 via eOne.

On December 9, Frehley celebrated the 40th anniversary of his acclaimed 1978 solo debut by performing the album in its entirety for the first time at the New Jersey Kiss Expo.

Frehley first left KISS in 1982. He rejoined in 1996 and parted ways with the band once again in 2002, soon after the conclusion of their first "farewell tour."

Fan-filmed video footage of ADLER'S APPETITE, the band featuring former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, performing on December 30 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below.

Adler's current solo band includes Ariel Kamin, the singer of Argentinian GN'R tribute band SON OF A GUN. Kamin replaced Constantine Maroulis of "American Idol" and "Rock Of Ages" fame, who was the vocalist for ADLER'S APPETITE for a dozen or so dates this past May, including an Australian tour.

In addition to Adler and Kamin, the latest version of ADLER'S APPETITE features guitarist Michael Thomas and bassist Tanya O Callaghan.

Steven previously played with Ariel when the drummer joined SON OF GUN on stage in November 2016 in Buenos Aires, Argentina to perform several GN'R classics, including "You Could Be Mine" and "Welcome To The Jungle".

ADLER'S APPETITE FEATURING CONSTANTINE MAROULIS celebrated the 30th anniversary of GN'R's classic debut album by performing "Appetite For Destruction" in its entirety on the aforementioned Australian tour.

In February 2017, Steven revealed to podcaster Mitch Lafon that he was originally supposed to appear at more than just a handful of shows on the GUNS N' ROSES reunion trek. He claimed that he expected to play all the "Appetite For Destruction" material during the entire tour, only to be told he was out after he hurt his back during rehearsals.

Adler appeared with GUNS onstage in November 2016 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as on three separate occasions during the U.S. leg of the "Not In This Lifetime" tour in the summer of 2016.

This marked Adler's first appearance with the group since 1990, although he performed with members of the band at their 2012 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Speculation was rampant that Adler would participate in at least a portion of the reunion tour ever since GUNS made it official in January 2016. The regular GUNS drummer for several years has been Frank Ferrer, who is also part of the current lineup.

In a brand new interview with "The Roman Show", Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, was asked if there is any other group that she would love to play guitar for. She responded (see video below): "Oh, so many. So many. You know, I love to play guitar; that's the thing. If I'm gonna throw the first thing out there, it's always METALLICA. METALLICA, if you guys are watching, I'm available."

She continued: "I love to play guitar. I've never really been the type of guitar player that goes, 'I'll only play this style of music or that thing.' I love my regular job playing with Alice Cooper, I love doing my solo stuff, I love doing guest spots and guest tours. So I just love to play, and I'll play with anybody that'll have me, just about."

Strauss has been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Nita previously said that she she fell in love with heavy metal at the age of 15 after hearing MEGADETH's "Trust" for the first time. "And ever since then, it was sort of a non-stop train, a non-stop train of heavy metal… crazy train, if you will," she laughed. "And, yeah, I mean, when you feel it, when you really feel a kind of music in your heart, and you know what you're supposed to be doing, it's a beautiful thing. I feel really lucky that I did."

Nita's debut solo album, "Controlled Chaos", was released in November via Sumerian Records. The disc was fueled by a Kickstarter campaign which generated over 600 percent of what Strauss was hoping to raise to help offset the costs around creating the record and touring it.

Last year, Strauss became the first female to have a signature series guitar with Ibanez. Nita is also the first female to have signature DiMarzio pickups.

JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES — comprised of former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5, bassist Ian Ross and drummer Logan Miles Nix — has released the official music video for the song "Zoinks!" The track is taken from JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES' new full-length studio album, "Invasion", which will be made available later this year.


In the tradition of "Scooby Doo" and "Groovie Goolies", the "Zoinks!" video features an innovative blend of classic 2D hand-drawn animation, 3D computer-generated imagery and live action. The video is written and directed by Disney animator Brett Broggs ("Frozen", "Wreck-It Ralph"), with live footage shot by Matt Zane. The video also features the voice acting talents of Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE), Susan Olsen (known for her role as Cindy Brady on "The Brady Bunch"), and Fred Coury (CINDERELLA). Coury also is credited for scoring the video alongside John 5.


The official release date for "Invasion" will be announced soon. The disc was produced and mixed by Barry Pointer, and will be made available via a series of music videos, just as John 5 released his 2017 LP, "Season Of The Witch".


In celebration of the upcoming album, JOHN 5 AND THE CREATURES will kick off the second leg of their North American "Invasion" tour on February 22 in Anaheim, California. The tour will feature support from blues-rock guitarist Jared James Nichols.

Matt Coe of Dead Rhetoric recently conducted an interview with vocalist Mike Howe of West Coast metal veterans METAL CHURCH. A few excerpts follow below.

Dead Rhetoric: "Damned If You Do" is the twelfth METAL CHURCH studio album and your fifth with the group. How did these recording and songwriting sessions go and how would you compare this effort to your previous records with the group?

Mike: "For my era of METAL CHURCH, the five albums you just mentioned, Kurdt Vanderhoof [guitar] and myself have a certain chemistry, and we've written exactly the same way that we do. Which is Kurdt getting into his studio and coming up with the structure of the songs, presenting them to me after he writes a half dozen or so — gives me some to listen to as he keeps writing. We get together in his studio, he throws up a microphone, asks me which song I want to start on and we work on whatever comes out of me. I work off of feel, I start singing out melodies and sometimes words come out as we go, sometimes words are silly and we just keep them for the melody of the song and move on. We don't beat it to death, we know if we are on to something and if it doesn't work out, we move on.

"I'm not a nostalgia guy. I don't like looking back at the other [albums]. I'm very proud of them. To me, they are like my children, I love them all differently and they are different time stamps of life. Also, being so close to them because we wrote them and we lived them, it's hard to have perspective on how I see 'them' different. It's more like a continuation of the albums, and we are evolving in the way we get along and the way that we see ourselves. I think it's the next record in the history of METAL CHURCH, and I'm very proud of this one. Especially because it's a powerful recording, everyone involved was really passionate in their playing. Kurdt mixed and brought it out where you can hear everyone's passion and aggressiveness and all of that really shines through. To me, it got me really excited and that's what I can say about 'Damned If You Do'."

Dead Rhetoric: What inspires and fuels the lyrical content for METAL CHURCH these days?

Mike: "I think it's like it always was. We think about life in general, politics, personal lives and personal matters that affect us. We don't try to point fingers at an exact thing. Metal, I like to say, is rock and roll angst but on 11, because it's more aggressive. The root of it is just expressing your emotions and angers in life and getting them out in a healthy way. An art form such as metal, each listener can use the lyrics and incorporate them and interpret them for their lives and what it means to them, and that's what I like about it."

Dead Rhetoric: You've made it a point to be available to your fans for meet-and-greets without requiring extra payment to do this and received praise as such. Can you discuss your reasons and philosophy behind this decision?

Mike: "We are just old-school. Back in the day there wasn't any kind of… Why would you have to pay to meet the band? The band's out here, shake hands and say hi. I'm showing my gratitude, and the band is showing their gratitude to our fans for keeping us alive this 30 some years later — that it's the least that we can do. We are a band on the road. We are killing time for most of the day. Our job is playing music, and what do you do after the show? I have plenty of time after the show before we get on the bus and go to the next city. Why wouldn't I want to go out and meet and thank all the fans as I can. I stay out there as long as they want me — I'm the lucky one. I'm the one that is lucky to meet them. I understand that other bands have the model that pay to meet them because of the difficulties of the music business to make money nowadays. They are trying many different marketing strategies to keep themselves alive. I don't hold it against any other band that wants to do that, but it's difficult for me to swallow that."

Read the entire interview at Dead Rhetoric.

"Damned If You Do" was released on December 7 via Rat Pak Records. It marks the group's first album with drummer Stet Howland (W.A.S.P., Lita Ford), who replaced Jeff Plate (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) in 2017.

Photo credit: Melissa Castro

QUEEN guitarist Brian May has released the official music video for his first new entirely solo work in over two decades. "New Horizons", written by Brian and Don Black, recorded and completed in December, has just received a global digital release. The single had its worldwide premiere from NASA control headquarters Maryland USA on New Year's Day (Tuesday, January 1). It is the legendary guitarist/songwriter's first official solo single since "Why Don't We Try Again", taken from his "Another World" album in 1998.

"New Horizons" is Brian's personal tribute to the ongoing NASA New Horizons mission, which on New Year's Day 2019 will achieve the most distant spacecraft flyby in history, in an encounter with a remote Kuiper Belt Object (KBO) named Ultima Thule, far out beyond Pluto on the edges of the solar system.

May, who has a doctorate in astrophysics, and is a New Horizons science collaborator, will be present at the New Horizons Maryland, Washington County, base of operations on New Year's Day to witness the historic final approach as it happens. Brian was also present for new Horizon's triumphal Pluto flyby in 2015, and delivered the world's first stereoscopic image of Pluto, from the ground-breaking data that the NH probe delivered.

Brian's "New Horizons" track (Ultima Thule mix) celebrates the whole 12-year journey of New Horizons probe, and includes a message from Stephen Hawking congratulating the team on their successful rendezvous with Pluto three years ago. In a broader sense, the song is an anthem to mankind's spirit of exploration, reaching ever further out into the universe.

"New Horizons" had its global premiere, broadcast live on January 1 at 12:02 a.m. EST (5:02 a.m. GMT) from the New Horizons control Center in Maryland, USA, at the moment when the historic Ultima Thule encounter is confirmed.

Says Brian: "This project has energized me in a new way. For me, it's been an exciting challenge to bring two sides of my life together — astronomy and music. It was Alan Stern, the project instigator of this amazing NASA mission, who threw down the glove last May. He asked if I could come up with a theme for Ultima Thule which could be played as the NH probe reached this new destination. I was inspired by the idea that this is the furthest that the hand of man has ever reached. It will be by far the most distant object we have ever seen at close quarters, through the images which the space craft will beam back to earth. To me, it epitomizes the human spirit's unceasing desire to understand the universe we inhabit. Everyone who has devoted so much energy to this mission since its launch in January 2006 will be feeling they are actually inside that small but intrepid vehicle — only about the size of a grand piano — as it pulls off another spectacular close encounter. And through the vehicle's 'eyes,' we will begin to learn, for the very first time, what a Kuiper Belt Object is made of. And pick up precious clues about how our solar system was born."

Brian has been "teasing" fragments of the track with specially adapted "New Horizons" video clips on his Instagram and Twitter feeds, as well on Brian's well-known "Bri's Soapbox" at BrianMay.com.

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Swedish sleaze outfit CRASHDÏET has released the official music video for the song "Reptile". The second CRASHDÏET track to feature the band's latest addition, singer Gabriel Keyes, was recorded at the group's own Dïet Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. It was produced by lead guitarist Martin Sweet and mixed by longtime collaborator Chris Laney.

The "Reptile" video was shot and directed by Jimmy Johansson and Martin Sweet.

A special crowdfunding campaign will be launched to finance the recording of the new CRASHDÏET studio album, which will be the band's fifth LP and follow-up to 2013's "The Savage Playground". You can sign up at www.crashdiet.org/newsletter to get the latest news on the campaign as well as a free MP3 and WAV of "Reptile".

CRASHDÏET will perform at the annual Bandit Rock Awards, where the band is also nominated for "Best Swedish Live Act."

In December 2017, CRASHDÏET released its first new song with Keyes, "We Are The Legion".

Keyes, a Stockholm-based singer, is CRASHDÏET's fourth vocalist. CRASHDÏET was previously fronted by Dave Lepard (2000-2006), H. Olliver Twisted (2007-2008) and Simon Cruz (2009-2015).

Cruz, who was previously a member of the Stockholm act JAILBAIT, joined CRASHDÏET in 2009 as the replacement for H. Olliver Twisted (now in RECKLESS LOVE).

"The Savage Playground" entered the official chart in Sweden at position No. 2. The CD was released in January 2013 via Frontiers.

The official music video for the song "All Kinda Crazy" from SUICIDAL TENDENCIES can be seen below. The clip was filmed and edited by Oleg Rooz, who traveled with the band to over six SUICIDAL TENDENCIES headline festivals and shows in Europe in November 2018. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "STill Cyco Punk After All These Years", which was released in September.

In the early '80s when the legendary SUICIDAL TENDENCIES formed, punk rock was not very welcoming to "new ideas" — especially from a new crew that were obviously not worried about fitting in. But SUICIDAL TENDENCIES weren't there to be "accepted," and not only played their own "STyle of Cyco Punk," but reinvented the DIY attitude to a level never seen before with their distinctive look and sound. For 35 years, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES haven't worried about what other bands or people were or weren't doing. They didn't ask for permission, nor did they care who it offended. They did what they wanted, but most importantly for the right reason, because it's what they felt, not because they wanted to be liked.


SUICIDAL TENDENCIES revisit their Cyco Punk aggressions with "STill Cyco Punk After All These Years". The LP is a re-recording and re-imagining of a Cyco Miko (Mike Muir) solo album recorded in 1995, "Lost My Brain! (Once Again)". The album is an auditory time capsule — a full-on Cyco Punk record taken to a whole new level — featuring legendary drummer Dave Lombardo brutally beating the songs and sound that is made to get your slam on!


Mike Muir says: "Over 20 years ago, I recorded my first 'solo' CD for release (technically the second, the first being the 'Solocide' sessions which probably will never be released as it was intended). The Cyco Miko 'Lost my Brain! (Once Again)' album was released in 1995 and even featured guitarist Steve Jones from the SEX PISTOLS on seven songs.

"Although [during] the 13 years I was in SUICIDAL at that point, I did things I never dreamed I'd have the chance to, or could happen, there were still way too many times that were extremely difficult to handle. Basically, 'love music, don't like the other stuff.' Anyhow, remembering that original love for music made me want to do a punk-STyle record and at the time I didn't feel it was, could or should be an ST album."


Muir explains that now with Dave Lombardo behind the kit leading the charge, he felt not only could he do this original Cyco Miko album its due justice, he could do it as a SUICIDAL TENDENCIES album. He adds: "Not retro, but taking it 25 years forward and making it a modern Cyco Punk record. Extremely dangerous after so many years, but damn, I love these songs and I feel them so much. Perhaps surprisingly more now than when I was 30! The music hits me hard, and the lyrics hit me harder.

"Life takes you places sometimes you don't want to be. I know that more than I would like to admit... but it led me here, right now and I'm so proud to be here! And the irony is a 'non-SUICIDAL' album has just made me more SUICIDAL than ever!"


"STill Cyco Punk After All These Years" track listing:

01. I Love Destruction

02. F.U.B.A.R.

03. All Kinda Crazy

04. Sippin' From The Insanitea

05. It's Always Something

06. Lost My Brain... Once Again

07. Nothin' To Lose

08. Gonna Be Alright

09. Ain't Gonna Get Me

10. All I Ever Get

11. Save A Peace For Me


SUICIDAL TENDENCIES is:

Mike Muir - lead vocals

Dean Pleasants - guitars

Dave Lombardo - drums

Ra Díaz - bass

British extreme metal veterans CRADLE OF FILTH will tentatively enter the studio in the fall of 2019 to begin recording their new album. The follow-up to 2017's "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness of Decay" is expected to arrive sometime in 2020.

CRADLE OF FILTH revealed its recording plans in a new Facebook message recapping its activities over the past 12 months, which included a European tour with MOONSPELL and a U.S. run with JINJER and UNCURED.

Released in September 2017, "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay" was recorded at Grindstone Studios, Suffolk, U.K. by Scott Atkins, who has been the resident go-to producer for CRADLE OF FILTH for several albums.

Earlier in the year, CRADLE OF FILTH vocalist Dani Filth told Rock Sins that the band has commenced writing material for the follow-up to "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay". "We've got some really good ideas and we need to sit down and work on them, but they're really fresh and exciting; I'm excited by it," he said. "Obviously it's going to be very different from the last two records. I think we pushed that envelope as far as we could go, and I think the next one is going to be a bit of an eye opener. I think we are going to do a lot more shorter songs, and we are going to experiment a lot more, but I think there's going to be a lot of things where people go, 'Fuck me! That's intense!' I mean, we know what works. Like when we were on Sony and everybody was expecting us to be the next BACKSTREET BOYS and we brought out a 78-minute-long album that was literally falling off the edge of the CD, that was probably the most extreme thing we ever did and I'm proud of that, and I'm proud of the fact that we spent £180, 000 on the album [laughs] and got this massive orchestra because I think that was the last time any money was spent in an extreme market, on being that exotic, and I'm all about that."

Asked what it is about the current CRADLE OF FILTH lineup that makes it so special, Dani said: "It's because everyone is so into the band and there's no egos; we treat each other like idiots and with respect. We spend a lot of time together. Tonight I'm going to stay at Rich's [Richard Shaw, guitar]. Lindsay [Schoolcraft, keyboards] has been there for a week, then we're going to go walking around mountains with him in the summer. We just spend a lot of time together. When we write, we go over to the Czech Republic. I stayed over at Lindsay's in Oshawa in Canada. We're just good friends. It's kind of like a Trivial Pursuit piece — everyone has their own little triangle and it forms a good hub. I mean, the whole ego thing, that fact that people can talk to each and see the benefits we get, everybody is available to do stuff.

"There was always this whole miasma about me being a tyrant, and it never was — it was always people making that up, because they couldn't get their views across and I don't know why," he added. "And now everybody is cool with each other, everyone's got their own place and everyone knows what they're doing. People come up with great ideas and you go, 'Fucking hell! That's great. We've gotta do that,' whoever comes up with it, so we're comfortable with ourselves."

In early 2019, CRADLE OF FILTH will return to North America once again to promote "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay". For the second leg of its North American onslaught, the band has enlisted industrial/metal shock rocker WEDNESDAY 13 as well as theatrical metal newcomers RAVEN BLACK.


This year has been an extraordinary step on the road to salvation, albeit some eighty shows later.

We have traversed...Posted by Cradle of Filth on Monday, December 31, 2018

Jason Bonham says that he "would love to" pay tribute to his late father by performing with a hologram of the iconic LED ZEPPELIN drummer.

White the recent Tupac Shakur, Roy Orbison and Ronnie James Dio holograms have been criticized by music fans for being a "cash grab," there are some who look at it as something fun as well as a way to pay tribute to a great artist who is no longer with us.

Asked by "The Eddie Trunk Podcast" if he would be open to the idea of sharing the stage with a holographic version of John Bonham, Jason said: "I'd love to be able to try and do something in that way. I think that would be an amazing way to honor him."

Jason has been performing a virtual drum duet with his father as part of the show he first took on the road nearly a decade ago — initially as JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE, now JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING. During "Moby Dick", which contained his father's most famous drum solo, Bonham plays with footage of Bonzo on a video screen behind him.

Jason launched JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EXPERIENCE two years after taking part in LED ZEPPELIN's one-off performance at London's O2 Arena tribute concert for friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. The rare live set, which saw Jason behind the drums in place of his late father, was released in 2012 as "Celebration Day".

Jason told "The Eddie Trunk Podcast": "At the O2, it was my idea, at the end of 'Rock And Roll', for the lights to go out and it would go to one, if not six or whatever, of the best endings of 'Rock And Roll' from Dad. I said, "Can we end the O2 show, the 'Celebration Day' show…?' where [Robert Plant sings], 'Loney, loney, lonely, lonely, lonely time,' and it goes to different versions from all the different tours, and, say, pick six or four of the best ones that we have in good-quality film, I guess. And you know what the guys said to me was? 'You worked so hard all night to stop people comparing you. Why do you wanna give it back to him at the end?' And that was a really weird, touching moment for me. But at the same time, I wanted to go, 'But it's my dad.' And he goes, 'They'll never forget him. Don't worry.' But, he goes, 'What you need to do is you go out there and you remind them that you're his son and this is what he gave you.' So it was very special. But I really wanted to give it to him again. So, in the end, what I did was I kept the sticks that I had on me as I walked off stage. I drove home, and the next morning I went to his grave and I buried them with him. I said, 'Have them back. They're yours again.'"

Joining Jason in JASON BONHAM'S LED ZEPPELIN EVENING are singer James Dylan, bassist Dorian Heartsong and guitarist Jimmy Sakurai, who recently replaced Tommy Catania. The concerts sometimes run close to three hours and include an extended acoustic portion and a long jamming-out version of "Dazed And Confused".

Paul Stanley has revealed why he still loves being in KISS. In a recent interview with the "Ultimate Classic Rock Nights" radio show, he said: "I love KISS. Not only because I'm in the band, but I love KISS as a fan. When I'm onstage, does it look like I'm having the time of my life? I am! I get so off on entertaining myself, seeing what I can do to get a rise out of myself, looking across and seeing the other guys. It's great."

He continued: "What I also love about KISS is that we don't portray ourselves to be what we're not. We are entertainers. It doesn't negate being in a rock band. And we wear outfits, uniforms, costumes — call it what you will — but is that any different than the guy who goes on stage with a pair of $300 ripped jeans? That's a costume, too. The only difference is we're copping to it."

In September, KISS announced its "End Of The Road" farewell tour on NBC's "America's Got Talent", and a month later, the band revealed the first set of dates and cities in North America, produced by Live Nation. International markets were announced simultaneously.

The first North American leg of "End Of The Road" will launch January 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at Rogers Arena and will hit an additional 43 cities.

"One thing for sure is that this is the last tour," Stanley told Billboard. "What goes beyond that is really hard to say. The tour may go three years, but once we play your city, it is done. That is our big thank you."

The lineup features the current version of the band — Stanley, Tommy Thayer, Gene Simmons and Eric Singer. But Stanley has hinted that former members like Ace Frehley and Peter Criss could make appearances.

QUEEN guitarist Brian May has admitted to Newsweek that he was surprised by the success of the band's biopic, "Bohemian Rhapsody", which smashed box office records to become the highest-grossing music biopic of all time.

"Nobody expected it to be that huge," May said. "We thought it would do quite well. We didn't expect it to be a record-breaking blockbuster. The guitarist went on to say that he was "delighted" with the film, and praised actor Rami Malek, who plays Freddie Mercury, as "colossal." He added: "What an incredible performance he gives. He just became Freddie."

May also expressed his warm approval of Welsh actor Gwilym Lee, who played him in the movie and practised guitar with QUEEN legend to prepare for the role. "All the time we were together he was clocking me," May said. "He was absorbing what I was doing unconsciously. He's absorbing my mannerisms, my body movements, the tone of my voice. He just became me."

According to Deadline, "Bohemian Rhapsody" has broken music biopic records domestically ($175.7 million) and at the international box office ($433 million) for a global take of $608.7 million. The film has also garnered two Golden Globes and two SAG Award nominations.

While many reviews have slammed "Bohemian Rhapsody" for its uninspired storytelling, some people have also taken issue with the movie's depiction of Mercury's sexuality — or rather, its lack thereof. The biopic focuses heavily on the relationship between him and the rock star's former fiancée Mary Austin, who discovers midway through the film that he's cheating on her with other men.

May told Classic Rock magazine that the biopic was really all about Mercury.

"It's very emotional. It's all about Freddie," he said. 'Yes, we are in there, but the story is about Freddie and that was always the aim. Obviously, Freddie is so precious to us. One of the great breakthroughs early on was [screenwriter] Peter Morgan saying: 'This is a film about family.' It's about all the stuff that happens in a family — some good, some bad, the going away, the searching for independence and then the nurture of the family. It's a film about that stuff, on one level, and then it's about Freddie's emerging talent, his amazing resilience and sense of humor."

According to Screen Rant, Sacha Baron Cohen and Ben Whishaw were set to play Freddie Mercury at different stages in the movie's development, prior to Malek's casting. Cohen's vision for the film was reportedly very "adult" in tone and clashed with what the surviving members of QUEEN had in mind, leading to the actor's departure.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" began production with "X-Men" director Bryan Singer behind the camera, but the filmmaker was fired from the movie after he disappeared from set and caused production delays. Dexter Fletcher, best known for making "Eddie the Eagle", stepped in to replace Singer in the director's chair.

Swedish metallers SABATON have entered the studio to begin recording their new album. The follow-up to 2016's "The Last Stand" will be released next year via Nuclear Blast Records.

SABATON singer Joakim Brodén and bassist Pär Sundström released a short video message earlier today letting their fans know what they can expect from the group in 2019.

"We've got some exciting news to tell you guys," Joakim said. "We're making a new album. I'm not saying we're gonna start making a new album — we're actually recording now."

Earlier this year, Brodén told Greece's "TV War" that there was a perfectly good explanation for the longer-than-usual wait for a new SABATON record. "The thing is, ['The Last Stand'] tour has taken us almost everywhere," he said. "Before, we didn't play so much in South America and in North America and also Asia, so back in those days, we were done with the touring in time to do an album every two years. Now, since we are playing in Australia, North and South America and Asia as well, it, unfortunately, delays it a bit. But, yeah, we're not gonna be a band who releases an album every eight years."

Asked if SABATON already had some ideas for a possible concept for the next studio album, Brodén told "TV War": "We have a lot of concept ideas, actually. The trick is we never know what we're gonna use. I mean, we've done that in the past and we said what we were planning to do, and then we changed our minds at the last minute and people were disappointed. So, I'm not trying to be secretive — we have probably 20 or 30 ideas that we're always working with, but at the end, we don't really decide until we have half of the songs written. We see what language, what kind of message is the music bringing. And you can't really sing about futuristic warfare if the songs sound old. It's kind of important to us that the music and lyrics fit well together."

SABATON's next disc will be the group's first with guitarist Tommy Johansson (GOLDEN RESURRECTION, REINXEED), who replaced Thobbe Englund in 2016.

SABATON's 2012 album, "Carolus Rex", was recently certified quadruple platinum in the band's home country of Sweden. The concept effort — which is the group's biggest success to date — charts the rise and fall of the Swedish Empire, in particular the life of Charles XII ("Carolus Rex") who ruled it for 21 years. In an amazing coincidence, the album's quadruple platinum certification came exactly 300 years after the king's death in 1718.

To celebrate the album's success, and to commemorate the Swedish king who inspired it, SABATON released a special 300th-anniversary edition of "Carolus Rex" on November 30, which is the date Carolus Rex was killed in Norway.

Saarbrücken, Germany-based metallers, Powerwolf, have released the video below with the following message:

"We'd like to say 'Thank you all!' for an amazing year 2018! 'Where The Wild Wolves Have Gone' is a very special song for us. Check out the new music video that comes along with it."

No rest for the wicked, as Powerwolf will hit the road again in January 2019 for their The Sacrament Of Sin Tour 2019. Selected cities in France, Spain and the UK are among the party as well as an exclusive additional show in Germany on January 25th in Dusseldorf - Mitsubishi Electric Hall.

January
10 - Toulouse, France - Bikini
11 - Bordeaux, France - Le Rocher De Palmer
12 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 1
13 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
15 - Lille, France - L'Aeronef
16 - Nantes, France - Le Stereolux
17 - Rouen, France - Le 106
19 - Manchester, UK - Academy 2
20 - Glasgow, UK - Swg 3
21 - Bristol, UK - Swx
22 - Birmingham, UK - Digbeth Mill
24 - Reims, France - La Cartonnerie
25 - Düsseldorf, Germany - Mitsubishi Electric Hall
26 - Nancy, France - L'Autre Canal
27 - Marseille, France - Espace Julien
28 - Lyon, France - Transbordeur
29 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie

March
22 - Kiev, Ukraine - Pochayna Event Hall
23 - Minsk, Belarus - Re:Public
24 - St. Petersburg, Russia - A2 Club
26 - Novosibirsk, Russia - Podzemka
28 - Yekaterinburg, Russia - Tele Club
29 - Moscow, Russia - Stadium

In a recent interview with the "Nothing Shocking" podcast, DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda was asked if he feels slighted by the fact that his band rarely gets mentioned alongside the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX.

"I don't know necessarily if we were slighted, 'cause the 'Big Four' is the 'Big Four' for an absolute reason — plain and simple," Mark responded (hear audio below). "But now I think at least there is a metal scene again. [Laughs] There was a while when there was no metal scene, and we were broken up anyway. But it's now that there is a metal scene and younger kids are getting into it."

He continued: "I don't feel slighted — I don't. The 'Big Four' will always be the 'Big Four,' but I do think that we definitely still have to fight extra hard for respect. We've earned a lot of respect from journalists and fans that, at one point, kind of overlooked us. And I think 'cause of our persistence, and, I guess, the aggressiveness of our material that has grown a great deal that I think we won a lot of people over that used to kind of scoff at us."

A few years ago, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy told Metal Insider that METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX were rightfully called the "Big Four" because "those four bands had great success selling millions of records. But the rest of us — EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL [and] TESTAMENT — we didn't sell out those festivals or that amount of records. So I don't see us being compared to that. I'd say if metal was still going as strong as it was, yeah, we all stood a chance to sell a lot of records. That's just my take on it. When people talk about that, to me, those four bands are justifiable, and that's it. I don't see any other bands that were the 'Big' whatever."

Last year, OVERKILL vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth said that "when it comes to being selected and not selected" for inclusion in the "Big Four", "that's a simple accounting issue. When you talk numbers, numbers make the world go around, numbers put food on your table, and numbers put the 'Big Four' in arenas. And they sell enough records to do that… He who sells the most gets the pole positions."

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine said in a 2013 interview that EXODUS "probably" should have been included if the "Big Four" were expanded and considered the "Big Five" "because there was nobody else at the time that had that kind of pull or that kind of importance in the metal community. Granted, it was with [late EXODUS singer Paul] Baloff, and Baloff had a voice that you had to have an acquired taste for, but you know, I liked him."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett concurred, telling U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine in a 2014 interview that "EXODUS in the '80s had some bona-fide problems, but I think their first album [1985's 'Bonded By Blood'] is just as good as [METALLICA's debut] 'Kill 'Em All'. We were just playing the music we wanted to hear because no one else was playing it and it wasn't being played on the radio. It was only a small group of people who knew about it and it was almost elitist in that 'No posers allowed!' thing."

Original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm has announced his retirement from performing as a solo artist.

Gramm broke the news of his decision to stop touring at the conclusion of his concert Saturday night (December 29) in Schenectady, New York.

He told the audience (see video below): "Just talking with my wife and some people in the business… You get real excited when you start out in this business, but you've gotta be smart enough to know when to walk away from it too. And I just feel it's that time for me."

Gramm still reportedly has a few things planned for 2019, including several shows with John Payne (ASIA) under THE ROCK PACK banner, but he will apparently no longer tour with his solo band.

The 68-year-old Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle last year that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows in 2018 to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary.

"I'm tired of the business," Gramm said in 2017. "It's time to hang up the mic."

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold as Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012.

Unholy Swedish deathrace kings The Crown wishes you all a Happy New Year with greetings and a photo recap of 2018.

On the live front, The Crown currently has four shows booked for 2019:

April
27 - Nöjesfabriken - Karlstad, Sweden

May
11 - Graveland Open Air - Hoogeveen, Netherlands
31 - Bavarian Battle Open Air - Kirchdorf, Germany

August
1 - Wacken Open Air - Wacken, Germany

In other news, brand new vinyl editions of Crowned In Terror, Crowned Unholy and Possessed 13 will be available January 11th. Preorders - eBay, EMP.

Here's the available versions:

Crowned In Terror
-180 g black vinyl
-Amber marbled vinyl (ltd. 200) EU
-Clear teal marbled vinyl (ltd. 200) EU
-Bone white marbled vinyl (ltd. 100) EU
-Orange-brown marbled vinyl (ltd. 300) US

Crowned Unholy
-180 g black vinyl
-Dead gold marbled vinyl (ltd. 200) EU
-Opaque golden yellow marbled vinyl (ltd. 200) EU
-Clear/black marbled vinyl (ltd. 100) EU
-Clear old gold marbled vinyl (ltd. 300) US

Possessed 13
-180 g black vinyl
-Cool grey marbled vinyl (ltd. 200) EU
-Red/black marbled vinyl (ltd. 200) EU
-Smoke clear vinyl (ltd. 100) EU
-White/red marbled vinyl (ltd. 300) US

Chapter II: Days Of Solitude, the second album from New York's Brave The Waters is set for release on February 1st.  You can listen to the first single, "Written In Stone & Locked Away", below. Pre-order the album here.

Brave The Waters consists of New York metal scene veterans Tom Anderer and Rick Habeeb, who've spent years building up musical chemistry together in groups such as doom metal outfit Grey Skies Fallen and experimental deathgrind outfit Buckshot Facelift, which is fronted by Artificial Brain vocalist Will Smith.

At its core, Chapter II: Days Of Solitude is a musical journey informed by post-rock, improvised musicianship, ambient music, rock, and metal combined in a mercurial way. In order to create a melancholic world that speaks volumes without words. Brave The Waters consists of New York metal scene veterans Tom Anderer (2018 live bass for Artificial Brain at times) and Rick Habeeb who've spent years building up musical chemistry together in groups such as doom metal outfit Grey Skies Fallen and experimental deathgrind outfit Buckshot Facelift which is fronted by Artificial Brain vocalist Will Smith.

After playing in multiple projects together for years, the duo decided to embark on a new project in 2014 informed by their mutual love of ambient music, post-rock, and rock under the name of Brave The Waters. Like their prior works, the new album is built upon a hybrid improvised and carefully written approach that layers the duo's talents into lush soundscapes which mirror the feeling of winter upon us and tap into feelings of solitude, mourning, self-reflection, hope, and solace. All electric guitar was improvised by Rick Habeeb and supported by written acoustic guitar and bass from Tom Anderer with a more structured approach to the compositions this time on Chapter II: Days Of Solitude.

Brave The Waters band statement regarding Chapter II: Days Of Solitude: "These songs are sad and somber but reveal hope in the darkest places of self-consciousness and are very thoughtful. The album tells a detailed story without words, allowing the listener to evoke the settings and characters their imagination creates from the ambient soundtrack. Artwork again is amazingly-handled by Travis Smith (Amorphis, Opeth, Strapping Young Lad, Megadeth, etc.), and we hope to release this both in digital and physical formats."

Tracklisting:

"Endless Pursuit"
"Above The Broken Clouds"
"Written In Stone & Locked Away"
"To Be Alone"
"Transcending Horizons"
"Vague Shadows"
"Trials Of The Sunken Swamp"
"Out Of Nowhere"
"Maze Of Winding Roads"
"Arrival At The Gates Of Torment"

"Written In Stone & Locked Away":

Brave The Waters lineup:

Rick Habeeb - Improvised Electric Guitar (Buckshot Facelift, Grey Skies Fallen)
Tom Anderer - Acoustic Guitar and Bass (Buckshot Facelift, Grey Skies Fallen)