Germany's Lord Of The Lost have released a video for "On This Rock I Will Build My Church", a song from their sixth studio album, Thornstar, out on August 3rd via Napalm Records. The band have also announced European tour dates in October.

Class Grenayde comments on the song: “'On This Rock I Will Build My Church' is the perfect opener for the very large and heavy packaging in which this monster was trapped. The song paves the way for a lot more…”

Chris Harms adds: “For the video we came up with something very special. We’ve invented both, a time machine and a rejuvenation apparatus to live up to our roots and as children, somewhere between the 80s and 90s to shoot this very special music video on VHS. That was damn expensive, but it was worth it.”

Lord Of The Lost are a multi-talented, modern metal band whose music presents itself far beyond genre stereotypes: a solid metal base featuring industrial parts or other dark rock elements - nothing is impossible. This band takes a flying leap beyond genre parameters - better than ever! Their previous releases topped the German album charts already, while the upcoming release Thornstar will in no way be inferior to past efforts. This, their sixth studio album, reveals even more sonic facets of the band, all the while remaining hard and forceful.

The deep and emotional concept behind the album follows the story of a doomed high civilization - Thornstar is a record unique in both sound and concept.

Singer Chris Harms on this concept: “From the beginning it has been a big vision we had with Thornstar - the concept demands a lot of responsibility. And the final result overtook us completely.”

Pre-order Thornstar here.

Tracklisting:

CD1
"On This Rock I Will Build My Church"
"Loreley"
"Black Halo"
"In Our Hands"
"Morgana"
"Haythor"
"Naxxar"
"Cut Me Out"
"The Mortarian"
"Under The Sun"
"In Darkness, In Light"
"Forevermore"
"Ruins"

CD2
"Abracadabra" (feat. Dero Goi)
"Voodoo Doll"
"The Art Of Love"
"Lily Of The Vale"
"Penta"
"Free Radicals"
"Live Pray Die Repeat"

Lord Of The Lost tour dates are listed below. Buy tickets here.

October
4 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
5 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum
6 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theater
11 - Nuremberg, Germany - Hirsch
12 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
13 - Dresden, Germany - Alter Schlachthof
18 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
19 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
20 - Stuttgart, Germany - Im Wizemann
26 - Leipzig, Germany - Werk 2
27 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
31 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra 1

November
1 - Toulouse, France - Rex
2 - Nantes, France - Ferrailleur
3 - Paris, France - Boule Noire
21 - Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK - The Cluny
22 - Glasgow, UK - Ivory Blacks
23 - Manchester, UK - The Ruby Lounge
24 - London, UK - Electrowerkz
25 - Bristol, UK - The Fleece Bristol

(Photo - Franz Schepers)

Danish/Swedish death metal band Thorium will release their new album Blashphemy Awakes on June 1st via Mighty Music. Pre-order the album on CD and vinyl here, and watch a music video for the track "Penance" below.

Tracklisting:

"Intro"
"Penance"
"Depravity"
"Maniac"
"Slow Deep And Dead"
"Trust No One"
"Blasphemy Awakes"
"Whispers From The Grave"
"Dead Soul"
"Reign Of Osman"
"Tengil"
"Under The Black Skies"

"Penance" video:

"Maniac" video:

German neoclassical heavy metal band, Eternal Flame, have released a lyric video for “Got A Rock & Roll Fever”, featuring Göran Edman (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, John Norum) on vocals. The song is taken from their third album Smoke On The Mountain, to be out on May 18th, via ROAR! Rock Of Angles Records.

The album is produced by Michael Schinkel & Helmut Kohlpaintner, co-produced by Timothy Touchton, mixed by Michael Schinkel and mastered by Christoph Stickel. Smoke On The Mountain also features Mark Boals (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring of Fire) and on vocals.

Timothy Touchton (known by lyrics such as "Go for Gold" Olympics in Seoul 1988, "Sail Away" Joe Cocker as well as 11 Top 40 and three top 5 hits), Carsten Lizard Schulz (Evidence One, Midnite Club, Domain) and Rainer Holzapfl wrote the lyrics.

Tracklisting:

“Ignition”
“Smoke On The Mountain” (Mark Boals on vocals)
“This Is My Life”
“Queen Of The Hill”
“You Can Save Me”
“Whatcha Gonna Do”
“I Believe In This Miracle” (Mark Boals on vocals)
“Got A Rock & Roll Fever” (Göran Edman on vocals)
“Out In The Dark”
“Dreaming”
“Take Me There For A Night”
“Tease My Love” (Göran Edman on vocals)
“Close To The End”

“Got A Rock & Roll Fever” lyric video:

Michael Schinkel's Eternal Flame is:

Michael Schinkel – Vocals & all Guitars
Helmut Kohlpaintner – Keyboards
Thomas Keller – Bass & Backing Vocals
Michael Hencky - Drums

STONE SOUR played a special acoustic set Friday (May 4) as part of the the "Zippo Sessions" at this weekend's Carolina Rebellion festival at Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Video footage of the performance — courtesy of Antihero Magazine— can be seen below.

STONE SOUR is continuing to tour in support of its sixth studio effort, "Hydrograd", which came out last June and features the chart-topping rock radio hit "Song #3".

Guitarist Josh Rand sat out STONE SOUR's Canadian tour so that he could receive treatment for "an alcohol and Xanax dependency." The band enlisted a temporary replacement for the trek, with singer Corey Taylor later saying that Rand would rejoin his bandmates on April 27 at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Jacksonville, Florida.

STONE SOUR will support Ozzy Osbourne on the initial North American leg of the legendary vocalist's "No More Tours 2" tour, which kicks off August 30 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Swedish death metal legends Unleashed have inked a worldwide deal with Napalm Records.

When it comes to Swedish death metal in its traditional Stockholm-style and death metal in general, there is one band you HAVE to mention: Unleashed. Formed back in 1989 by Johnny Hedlund, Unleashed have been delivering supreme death metal from day one.

After recording two demos the band released their legendary debut album Where No Life Dwells and toured Europe and the US with Morbid Angel. From this point Unleashed has become one of the biggest names in death metal worldwide. Dealing with Viking traditions and values they stepped up their game and became extreme metal trendsetters, musically and lyrically. Unleashed have toured the world with bands like Grave, Dismember, Entombed, Krisiun or Belphegor and became true masters of death. Now Unleashed rage on with their crucial crusade by signing with Napalm Records!

Johnny Hedlund on the signing: “Warriors! Unleashed are proud to announce that we have signed a new recording deal with Napalm Records! Our 13th album is scheduled for recording in Chrome studios, in May 2018. We are very much looking forward to this new cooperation on our journey into the bands 30th anniversary (in 2019). Hail Odin!”

Be on the lookout for a brand new studio album in late-2018.

Unleashed are:

Johnny Hedlund - Bass, Vocals
Anders Schultz - Drums
Tomas Masgard - Guitars
Fredrik Folkare - Guitars

Multinational outfit The Ocean is starting their European tour tonight where they will perform their legendary Precambrian album (the Proterozoic part) in its entirety. It's the 10th anniversary of the album, and mainman Robin Staps released a 3-LP reissue of it through his own label, Pelagic, recently. The reissue features a new track, which is a rerecording of the Precambrian opener "Rhyacian", with the band's current lineup. 

The digital single of "Rhyacian" will be available next Friday through all digital outlets via Metal Blade Records.

Dates:

May
4 – Dortmund, Germany – FZW Club
5 – Rambouillet, France – I’Usine A Chapeaux
6 – Aarau, Switzerland – Flosserplatz
7 – Nancy, France – Le Hublot
8 – Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg – Kulturfabrik
9 – Nijmegen, Netherlands – Doornroosje
10 – Gieben, Germany – Post Valley Fest
11 – Zottegem, Belgium – Dunk!festival

(Photo - David Robison)

Scandinavian melodic metal / hardcore band Halcyon Days have released a video for "July", a track from their second full-length, Rain Soaked Pavements & Fresh Cut Grass, out on June 15th via Indie Recordings. Watch the clip below.

Halcyon Days is a melodic metal and hardcore band not swaying stylistically too far away from bands such as Architects, Underoath and Counterparts. Since their beginning in 2012, they have released two EP’s, and most importantly their debut album (2014) titled .ELEVATE. Their debut album was frequently play listed and recommended on Norway’s national radio, NRK P3. Two years after their debut album, they released a self-titled EP in 2016, scoring more than 250k total streams on digital platforms. The EP was met with an amazing response from their fans all over the world, in addition to awarding the band the title of “Band of the Week” from NRK P3’s Urørt at the end of 2016. The band is now ready to release their second full-length album, with the title Rain Soaked Pavements & Fresh Cut Grass.

The album tells stories in simple ways. The book of synonyms that we all love so dearly had been tossed out of the window, focusing on a way more simple vocabulary. The stories talks about reflections on specific events or periods in our lives. The intention from their side was to write songs that wasn’t too open for interpretation, but as you read the lyrics you will get a view into their personal lives and thoughts, with the intent of having the listener being able to relate to the message the songs carry.

Tracklisting:

“Fragments”
“Lights Out”
“July”
“Cerca Trova”
“Catcher”
“In Memoriam”
“Keeper”
“Monument”
“Winter”
“Friendship”

“July” video:

German hard rock band Fargo has released "Step Back", their second single and video out of their comeback album Constellation.

36 years after their last release F in 1982, German cult act Fargo has announced the arrival of a brand new studio album. Constellation is due out via Steamhammer/SPV on May 25th, and will be available on CD Digi and coloured gatefold LP.

The current lineup includes founder members Peter Ladwig (vocals/guitar) and Peter "Fargo-Pedda" Knorn (bass). Two songs on the album feature original drummer Frank "Franky" Tolle. In addition, the group consists of guitarist Arndt Schulz (Harlis, Jane) and drummer Nikolas Fritz (Mob Rules).

The Fargo reunion was preceded by the major success of Knorn’s autobiography, Bis hierhin und so weiter, 20 Jahre Rock'N'Roll, in summer 2016. Ever since its release, the musician and band manager has increasingly seen himself faced with urgent requests by faithful Fargo fans to reactivate the band which had ceased to exist since the foundation of Fargo’s successor, Victory, in the early 1980s.

“Suddenly I wondered how Fargo would sound today if the band was still around - or indeed returned,” Peter Knorn explains the initial spark of inspiration that triggered the comeback.

Tracklisting:

"Step Back"
"Leave It"
"Mind Your Own Business"
"Loser's Blues"
"Buzz Buzz"
"Cross To Bear"
"Don't Talk"
"Southern Breeze"
"Boozy Vivienne"
"What's Wrong"
"Goddess Of Destiny"
"Goodnight"

"Step Back" video:

"Leave It" video:

Founded in 1973 by Peter Knorn and Peter Ladwig, the group soon earned itself a faithful fan base and went on to sign a recording contract only a few years later. For a while guitarist Matthias Jabs, who joined the Scorpions in 1978 and went on to make a global career, was also part of the Fargo fold. Fargo themselves developed into an internationally acclaimed act, too, released their debut album in 1979 and brought out three more superlative studio albums by 1982, all of them on EMI, the major label giant of that time. The band toured all over Europe, played with the greatest luminaries of the rock scene, performed outstandingly successful tours with AC/DC, Mothers Finest and The Small Faces, among others, and wowed TV audiences on a regular basis. Thanks to their sensational live shows (including Knorn’s legendary nightly head-first somersault), Europe’s biggest teen magazine Bravo devoted two full pages to the Fargo bassist in January 1981.

You can see the stunt below at 2:09:

Following a time of upheaval, the hard rock act Victory emerged from Fargo in 1984 and continued the successful career of its predecessor seamlessly.

(Photo - martinhuch.de)

In the new video below, guitarist Thomas Zwijsen performs a renaissance/baroque-style version of Metallica's "Nothing Else Matter" on classical guitar.

Says Thomas: "What if Metallica lived 500 years ago? And what if Metallica wrote the famous Spanish Romance (or Romance Anonimo or Jeux Interdits)? 'Nothing Else Matters' would have sounded something like this."

Zwijsen performs an acoustic rendition of Iron Maiden's "Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son" on classical fingerstyle solo guitar below.

Blaze Bayley (ex-Iron Maiden) and Thomas Zwijsen (Nylon Maiden) recently performed an intro of "The Good, The Bad, The Ugly", followed by Iron Maiden's 1996 single "Virus", live in Istanbul, Turkey. Check out the video below:

Helsinki-based heavy metal band OCEANHOARSE has released the official music video for the song "Waves". The menacingly slow and undeniably heavy track holds a special place in the band's heart.

"Playing this song has sent chills down my spine at every show. It feels like glazing a gingerbread house with a firehose. In slow motion," says drummer Oskari Niemi.

"'Waves' is our heaviest and most epic song so far. I can barely keep my balance onstage with that humongous riff working its way into my brain like hot lava," singer Tommy Tuovinen added.

After two years of working in the shadows, OCEANHOARSE, which consists of familiar faces from the Finnish metal scene, released its debut single and video, "The Oceanhoarse", in January. It was followed by two sold-out shows in Finland supporting BEAST IN BLACK.

It was a conscious decision to hold up the launch until the band was extremely tight, the song material strong enough, and the band's own unique voice beginning to take shape. Good songs were canned along the way, if the group felt they didn't fit or weren't original enough.

Early on, the members of OCEANHOARSE also set some ground rules for themselves: There would be zero use of backing tracks or synthesizers. The focus would be on kick-ass, live-oriented heavy metal. The band would also have to be number one priority to all of its members, no exceptions.

"It was early December 2016 when I realized that it was time to disband my old group AMORAL and start something new, from scratch," guitarist Ben Varon says. "And, most importantly, do it with musicians who share my drive and passion for playing music, musicians that would be willing and able to put 130 percent of themselves into this band. The first guy I thought of was bassist Jyri Helko. I called him that very same day."

It didn't take long to convince Helko, formerly of FOR THE IMPERIUM, to jump on board.

"The call came at the perfect time," Jyri says. "Like Ben, I also felt the need to play in a hard-working, tight band that would blow all other groups off the stage. It was an easy decision."

When it came to finding the right frontman, Varon and Helko had their eyes set on one guy only: ex-MYGRAIN singer Tommy Tuovinen.

"I got excited about the idea right away," Tommy remembers. "I had had it with bands and projects that went nowhere, so just the attitude alone of these dudes spoke to me. Once I heard the songs they were working on, I knew I needed to be in this band."

Filling the drum spot was looking tricky for a while. All serious candidates were already involved in multiple bands, and sharing was not an option. But the Gods of Heavy Metal decided to bless the new band with the best-kept secret in Finnish metal: young newcomer Oskari Niemi was found through recommendations of friends, and his attitude and playing blew the guys away. It was clear to all that Oskari was the missing piece. OCEANHOARSE was now complete.

DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li joined KAMELOT on stage last night (Saturday, May 5) at City National Grove Of Anaheim in Anaheim, California to perform the song "Forever". Video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

KAMELOT is touring North America in support of its latest album, "The Shadow Theory", which was released on April 6 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to "Haven" was helmed by longtime producer Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen. Guests on the album include Lauren Hart (ONCE HUMAN), Jennifer Haben (BEYOND THE BLACK) and Paeth. The cover artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.

New KAMELOT drummer Johan "Jo" Nunez is sitting out the band's current tour after recently suffering a leg injury that is temporarily preventing him from performing live. His replacement for the trek is Alex Landenburg (RHAPSODY, CYHRA), who previously sat behind the kit for KAMELOT in July 2017 when the band supported IRON MAIDEN in San Bernardino, California.

Nunez joined KAMELOT as the replacement for the band's longtime drummer Casey Grillo, who left the group earlier in the year.

DRAGONFORCE will make a number of European festival appearances this summer, starting on June 2 at FortaRock in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

The band's fifth album, "The Power Within", which was originally released in early 2012, has been completely remastered and remixed and reissued under the title "Re-Powered Within" in Europe via earMUSIC and in Japan through JVC Victor.

British rock and rollers The Temperance Movement have released an exclusive live performance video of their song "Pride", which was recorded at a recent YouTube session in London. The track is taken from the band's brand new studio album, A Deeper Cut, out now.

More videos from the session can be seen below:

Tour dates:

June
8 - Madrid, Spain - Garage Sound Festival
9 - Castle Donington, UK - Download Festival
10 - Aberdeen, UK - The Garage

July
6 - Glasgow, UK - TRNSMT Festival
9 - Verona, Italy - Verona Arena
11 - Nichelino, Italy - Palazzina di Caccia di Stupinigi
13 - Aix-les-Bains, France - Musilac Aix-les-Bains Festival
20 - Hamina, Finland - Hamina Bastioni
21 - Tammisaari, Finland - Stallörsparken
28 - Breitenbach am Herzberg, Germany - Burg Herzberg Festival

Get tickets here.

Swedish metal act Follow The Cipher have released a lyric video for "A Mind's Escape", a track from their upcoming self-titled debut album, available on May 11th through Nuclear Blast. Watch the video below, and pre-order the album here.

Follow The Cipher tracklisting:

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

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

"A Mind's Escape" lyric video:

"Carolus Rex" video:

"Valkyria" video:

"The Rising" lyric video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

Trailer #4:

Trailer #5:

Follow The Cipher live dates:

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

(Photo - Georgios Grigoriadis)

Avantasia guitarist Oliver Hartmann's new single "Simple Man" featuring Eric Martin of Mr Big and The Vardigans has been released, the official video is below. The song is taken from the new hartmann album, Hands On The Wheel, due out on May 18th. It is available now via his online shop here.

The complete album tracklist is as follows:

"Don't Want Back Down"
"Your Best Excuse"
"Cold as Stone"
"Simple Man" (feat. Eric Martin)
"Last Plane Out"
"Soulmates"
"The Harder They Come"
"Dream World"
"I Remember"
"Lost in Translation"
"The Sky Is Falling"
"Heart of Gold"

Germany's most successful symphonic rock event will be touring the world in 2019 with its new album Moonglow.

After sold-out shows in Asia, America and Europe, the tremendous success of their Ghostlights World Tour 2016/2017 culminated in a headline show broadcasted on TV at Wacken Open Air, and next year, Tobias Sammet's Avantasia is getting back on the road, to present its album Moonglow, due to be released in January 2019.

The unique concert experience mixing epicness, rock and opera has attracted over 1.2 million people around the globe within the last few years and is now returning with an even more opulent show in which Tobias Sammet will share the stage with the world's best rock singers.

Tobias Sammet, hailing from Fulda, created the rock event Avantasia in 1999 and celebrated its live premiere in 2008. With over 3.5 million records sold, he is one of the most successful musicians of Germany and has worked with Alice Cooper, Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker (Scorpions), Bruce Kulick and Eric Singer (KISS), Eric Martin (Mr. Big) as well as many other stars from the international music business. For a long time, Tobias Sammet's Avantasia  has been considered an insider tip. But after countless headline performances at some of the world's largest rock festivals (Sweden Rock Festival, Quebec Music Festival, Barcelona Rock, etc.), gold awards and several top 10 positions in the world charts, the upcoming Avantasia - Moonglow World Tour 2019 can only be considered the biggest rock event of the year.

Tobias Sammet states: "I've been trying to calm things down for the last 18 months, but apparently my best way of relaxing is to be creative! During this phase, tons of ideas have been coming to my mind, that literally demanded to be realized in Avantasia's epic style. I was so convinced of the songs that I realized very quickly: if ever there is to be a new chapter of Avantasia, then it has to happen with this material - past all the trends and rules of the music industry, hand-made and personal, with epic 10-minute pieces alongside catchy rock songs! Everything was created for only one reason: to write great music without any business men shaping it into bite-sized pieces for the modern entertainment landscape. Moonglow will be the most lavish album of my career, the biggest, most colorful thing and the best and most unreasonable luxury, I have ever created in my life. I can’t wait to release the album in January and then take the Moonglow World Tour on a journey around the globe, where you will witness the biggest show Avantasia has ever put on stage!"

Tour dates:

March
30 - Kaufbeuren, Germany - All Karthalle
31 - Mailand, Italy - Alcatraz

April
2 - Prague, Czech Republic - Forum Karlin
3 - Berlin, Germany - Huxley´s
5 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Arena
6 - Bamberg, Germany - Brose Arena
8 - Fulda, Germany - Esperanto Halle
9 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Saarlandhalle
10 - Paris, France - Olympia
12 - Osnabrueck, Germany - Stadthalle
13 - Hamburg, Germany - Mehr! Theater
14 - Oberhausen, Germany - Koenig Pilsener Arena
16 - London, UK - The Forum
18 - Offenbach, Germany - Stadthalle
19 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
20 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
24 - Bilbao, Spain - Santana 27
26 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 1
27 - Madrid, Spain - Palacio Vistalegre

More countries to be announced shortly.

BUTCHER BABIES played a special acoustic set Saturday (May 5) as part of the the "Zippo Sessions" at this weekend's Carolina Rebellion festival at Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. Video footage of the performance — courtesy of Antihero Magazine— can be seen below.

BUTCHER BABIES are continuing to tour in support of their third album, "Lilith", which was released last October via Century Media. The follow-up to 2015's "Take It Like A Man" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marks the band's recording debut with new drummer, Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner in 2016.

BUTCHER BABIES co-vocalist Carla Harvey told Meltdown Of Detroit's WRIF radio station that the music on "Lilith" "runs the gamut" from "great thrash metal" to "a little bit of '90s influence." She said: "We're singing, we're screaming and it's just a great, great album. I couldn't be prouder of it. I think there's four songs where we do predominantly singing on it. And normally that would scare even me, 'cause I'm, like, 'I'm a metal girl! I don't wanna be singing.' But it's so beautiful — it really is. So it's kind of ballady, but not too ballady. It's very dark, sensual — the lyrics are very sensual on this album."

She continued: "I think we're bringing a little bit of the sexy back on this album that we kind of steered away from for a while. When we were building up our career, we wanted to be taken so seriously as metal chicks, so I think we kind of let those hindrances go a little bit and said, 'Let's just be us in all aspects of us' — from the metal to the sexy to everything else."

Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett played a cover version of the EUROPE classic "The Final Countdown" during METALLICA's May 5 concert " at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. Professionally filmed video footage of their performance can be seen below.

METALLICA played 21 shows in Europe since early February and has another three dates booked between now and mid-May.

METALLICA recently announced the details of the 2018-2019 North American leg of of its "WorldWired" tour in support of the band'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".

The 2017 dates on the "WorldWired" tour, which included stadium shows across the U.S., grossed $110.3 million in North America and $152.8 million worldwide.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said that the band is relishing its staying power now more than ever. "It was, like, 'Holy fuck, people really still care about this band in ways that you stopped taking for granted literally decades ago," he told Rolling Stone. "It was very inspiring and kind of eye-opening... Doing a stadium run seemed like the perfect thing on the back of how well this record has been received and all the good will that's out there in METALLICA's world right now."

Swedish death metallers Lik are streaming their new album Carnage, out now via Metal Blade. Listen below. Order the album here.

Tracklisting:

"To Kill"
"Rid You Of Your Flesh"
"Celebration Of The Twisted"
"Dr Duschanka"
"Left To Die"
"Cannibalistic Infancy"
"Death Cult"
"The Deranged"
"Only Death Is Left Alive"
"Embrace The End"

Album stream:

"Celebration Of The Twisted" video:

"Dr Duschanka" video:

Lik has no passage as this entity is devoted to make a permanent mark on those who lay down their souls to rock'n'roll. The possessed souls to carry out the sonics are Tomas Akvik (guitar, vocals), Niklas Sandin (guitar, bass) and Christofer Barkensjo (drums).

(Photo - Michaela Barkensjo)

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

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Ashes

02. Rats

03. Absolution

04. Ritual

05. Con Clavi Con Dio

06. Per Aspera Ad Inferi

07. Devil Church

08. Cirice

09. Stand By Him

10. Miasma (feat. Papa Nihil on sax)

11. Jigolo Har Megiddo (Acoustic)

12. Pro Memoria

13. Deus In Absentia

Set II

13. Spirit

14. From The Pinnacle To The Pit

15. Faith

16. Year Zero

17. Spöksonat

18. He Is

19. Prime Mover

20. Mummy Dust

21. If You Have Ghosts (Roky Erickson cover)

22. Dance Macabre

23. Square Hammer

Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

Prior to the tour kick-off, GHOST frontman Tobias Forge gave Billboard a hint of what to expect when the band takes its new stage show on the road. "We have a bigger band now in terms of personnel," he said, "so it's way more live now. Before we were doing a little bit of the modern trickery, with backing tracks and stuff to make the whole sound a certain way. Now we're taking that away so we're a little more like a [Bruce] Springsteen or GUNS N' ROSES sort of band with backup singers and everything. It feels great. It's gonna be the best version yet — but there's still a lot to come after that."

"Prequelle" will be released on June 1 via Loma Vista Recordings. The disc was recorded last year at Artery studios in Stockholm with producer Tom Dalgety (OPETH, ROYAL BLOOD) and was mixed in January at Westlake Studios in West Hollywood, California with Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, SLAYER).

Forge, who performs under the names Papa Emeritus and now Cardinal Copia, told The Pulse Of Radio what inspired him to write "Rats". "A few years ago, I decided, like, 'I really want to have a big opening track that just blows people's minds immediately,'" he said. "So I wrote 'Square Hammer' and that went well. But I didn't want 'Square Hammer' to turn into a 'Start Me Up', where that always feels best to play first. I want to be able to mix it up. So we needed another song that works as an opening track. That was basically my intention with 'Rats'."

Tobias has hinted that the theme of "Prequelle" has to do in part with the arrival of the Black Plague in Europe, among other events in history.

Forge last year revealed his identity while responding to a lawsuit filed by four former members of GHOST, who accused him of cheating them out of their rightful share of the profits from the group's album releases and world tours.

Tobias told The Pulse Of Radio that the lawsuit affected the making of "Prequelle". "I had a personal situation that urgently told me to salvage the situation and reclaim what is mine and also justify that it was mine to begin with," he said. "So, of course, there was a great sense of urgency over the album. Not only thematically, but for myself, this record was a record about survival through trauma."

London's Voodoo Diamond have released the first single, "Deny", taken from their forthcoming album Darkness Becomes It, out on June 22nd via Musicarchy Media. The "Deny" video was directed and edited by Filipe Martins and can be seen below.

Darkness Becomes It was produced by acclaimed music producer Scott Atkins (Cradle Of Filth, Amon Amarth) at Grindstone Studio, UK, mixed and mastered by producer extraordinaire Fredrik Nordstrom (Bring Me The Horizon, Architects, Arch Enemy, In Flames, Opeth).

The artwork original concept was conceived by Filipe Martins and Alex Dias and the cover created by Alex Dias and Elisa Pezzato. Album pre-orders are available now.

Thokkian Vortex is a black metal band fronted by Lord Kaiaphas, the former vocalist for the Norwegian black metal band, Ancient (95-98). The band features guitarist Zed Destructive, bassist Sil, and drummer Uriel.

This Friday the 13th the is releasing the official video for “Huginn And Muninn In The Realms Of Mist”. This is an epic track from the Thokkian Vortex 2016 album Into The Nagual. Filmed, directed and edited by Mark Inberg, the video is a masterpiece of black metal art expertly shot in classic black and white. It weaves a tale of a shaman’s journey inspired by Nordic mythology.

Into The Nagual was released at the end of January 2016 by Unexploded records (Sweden). A highly listenable album comprising many different styles, timbres, a variety of rhythms from blast beats to D-beats, shredding guitar solos, Kaiaphas’s signature vocal stylings, atmospheric synthesizers, orchestral sections, and a solid production. The album also features guest musicians such as Lord Ahriman (Dark Funeral) and Scorpios(ex-Melechesh) among others.

Founded in 2017 by guitarist/singer Jeremy Perkins (Eohum), Montreal's trio Wykan delivers a heavy brew with its touch of black metal, old stoner / psychedelic rock and blues. Blending these genres, the band evokes spirits of heavy riffs and hot amp tubes overridden and pushed to the limits soon to be heard on their debut EP Solace due out on April 13th.

"After releasing very heavy black metal for 3+ yrs with my band Eohum, I wanted to return to blues and doom oriented music and expression, with atmosphere, blues solos and more feeling. Both Morgan Zwicker (drums) and Daniel Paras (bass) are distinct musicians / vocalists with jazz/blues backgrounds whom had the will to jump on board." says band founder Jeremy Perkins.

Hitting the jam space and recruiting some special guests Matt McGachy (Cryptopsy) and Barrie Butler (Eohum), Wykan's debut EP Solace features three punishing tracks full of atmosphere and mystery where you can hear black metal rage meet the finest components of blues and harsh psych stoner riffs. The theme of the EP follows inspiration of Ethnobotany and magic along with a tribal take on ritual and ceremony. More specifically with the Northern European Tribes known as the Saami from Finland/Norway/Sweden areas of today and their usage of Amanita Muscaria mushroom for Shamanic practices. Overall, the EPs concept is a reminder of the brisk realities of our lives in relation to the spirit world.

“The Gathering”, featuring guest vocals from Eohum’s Butler, is streaming below.

Band founder Jeremy Perkins comments:

"Is a poetic/fictional poem/story which (would have taken place) when the Saami's lands where colonized, told from generation to generation among the Sammi people speaking of the new schools of thought hitting their lands during Gatherings. A reminding piece of literature to not forget their cultures relation with the Amanita."

Tracklisting:

“Lahppon Olmmos (Noaide’s Ride To Saivo)”
“The Gathering”
“Wykan (The Shamanic Trance)”

“The Gathering”:

Following up with 2017's EP release Back Again, Toronto melodic proggers The Slyde return with their first full-length effort titled Awakening.  The band (formerly known as just Slyde) will drop ten tracks of their intricate, contrapuntal prog rock that they've honed over the last decade on May 18th.

The band comments:

"Awakening refers to the process of invoking change. Each song can be seen as a protest song, arguing for a more peaceful and autonomous way of life. For example, the opening track 'Awaken/Walk With Me' is about getting away from the powerful effects of media control and propaganda.  'Back Again' is about the beauty and fragility of our Earth, and how we take it for granted. 'Divide' refers to the brainwashing effects of politics of fear and division in the West. "Awakening" looks at our daily consumption and poses the question 'what is, or could be, our reality?"

In true prog fashion, The Slyde stays true to their mission statement with their quirky arrangements, aggressive edge, and ominous lyrics.  The result is a thought provoking, high-octane album for fans of Rush, Dream Theater, Haken, Coheed and Cambria, and Megadeth. Driven by Nathan Da Silva’s elegant vocals, Sarah Westbrook's powering keyboard skills, and the powerful rhythm section of Alberto Campuzano (Warmachine, ex-Annihilator) and Brendan Soares, the band are to catch the ears of any technically minded melodic prog rock fan.

The band adds:

"We think fans will certainly enjoy this release, and will notice that we're slowly adding more of an aggressive edge to our songwriting plus incorporating more 'metal' elements into the riffs.  'Awakening" is less conceptual than previous releases by containing more straight up rockin' tunes.  Each song stands on its own."

Tracklisting:

“Awaken”
“Walk With Me”
“In Silence”
“These Wars”
“Awakening”
“So Blind”
“Fading”
“Join The Parade”
“Divide”
“Back Again”

“Back Again” video:

(Photo by: Gilad Cohen)

WE ARE SENTINELS (formerly SENTINELS), the new project featuring vocalist Matt Barlow (ICED EARTH, ASHES OF ARES, PYRAMAZE) and composer, keyboardist and pianist Jonah Weingarten (PYRAMAZE, STRUCTURE OF INHUMANITY), has inked a European deal with SAOL. The band's debut album will be released in the early summer.

Combining sweeping motion picture style orchestral arrangements, modern classical piano, thunderous percussions, and the dynamic and powerful vocals of Barlow, WE ARE SENTINELS has set out to create something truly unique and groundbreaking. With musical and thematic elements inspired by the great drama, sci-fi, and fantasy films of the last thirty years — combined with duo's obvious enthusiasm for all things heavy metal — WE ARE SENTINELS works to embody the very essence of the word "epic."

WE ARE SENTINELS is:

Matt Barlow: Vocals, Lyrics, Choirs

Jonah Weingarten: Keyboards, Piano, Percussion, Orchestration

A new trailer for "Loud Krazy Love", an unconventional new documentary chronicling the chaotic and unexpectedly uplifting life story of Brian "Head" Welch, best known as guitarist and co-founder of KORN, can be seen below (courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter).

The 86-minute film directed by first-time feature filmmakers Trey Hill and Scott Mayo will make its Texas premiere at the Dallas International Film Festival May 3-10 and its Southeast premiere during the Nashville Film Festival May 10-19, with multiple screenings occurring at each festival.


Featuring exclusive access on tour and at home, as well as in-depth interviews with Brian, his family and his KORN bandmates, "Loud Krazy Love" subverts the standard sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll narrative to explore his identity as a father and the complicated relationship he shares with his daughter Jennea.


"The intimate details of Brian and Jennea's life during the years he was absent from KORN are turbulent," said Mayo. "'Loud Krazy Love' is really a backstage pass to heartache and triumph. You don't have to be a KORN fan to empathize with Brian's decision to sacrifice all his success in an attempt to be a good father."


The sound Brian pioneered with KORN in the early '90s helped provide identity to a generation of misfits and made him a global rock star. Famous, wealthy and worshipped in the spotlight, a relentless self-loathing haunted him in the shadows. Until the day a tiny miracle reset the course of his life.


"The day Jennea was born was like the most euphoric, miraculous, unconditional love — like total purity in the room," Brian says in a scene from "Loud Krazy Love". "But, I think deep down inside of me, I knew I was incapable of being what she needed and deserved."


Seven years later, desperate to kick a devastating crystal meth habit, Brian walked out on a $23-million-dollar record deal and severed ties with the band.


"Loud Krazy Love" takes viewers through a tumultuous coming-of-age journey filled with chaos, doubt, and unconventional faith. The story grapples with teenage depression, the quest for identity, and the dedication of an imperfect but present father willing to do anything for the one he loves.


"In my life I've done so many things I regret and wish that I could change," said Brian. "It can feel haunting. But seeing my entire life with KORN and my family play out before my eyes in this film, and seeing the positive that has come from my most embarrassing and devastating failures — there are no words to express my gratitude. Our team created a very special film here, and I can't wait for the world to see it."


Production of the film covered four years and includes two decades worth of never-before-seen material from Brian, his family and KORN. The result is a remarkable cinematic experience of amplified emotion, rock 'n' roll access and restorative love.


"This film explores the way we, as human beings, need each other — warts and all," said Hill. "In that way, I believe every dad, mom or teenager that sees the movie will walk out feeling hopeful that the pain they've experienced or the hurt they feel guilty for causing won't be wasted. There's a purpose, restoration is possible, and if we hang in there the people we care for most can be healed."


"Loud Krazy Love" is directed by Hill and Mayo, who also wrote and edited the film. It is produced by Samuel Ditore of Ditore Mayo Entertainment and John Humphrey of I Am Second Media.


Wide release of "Loud Krazy Love" is expected in the fall.

For additional information or to buy tickets to the Nashville or Dallas film festivals, visit LoudKrazyLove.com.

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE has parted ways with longtime bassist Devin "Ghost" Sola. Filling in for him at the band's upcoming shows will be the group's former guitarist, TJ Bell.

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE said in a statement: "It has been a pleasure to have spent the past seven years on the road around the world with Devin creating lifelong memories. We wish him nothing but the best as he enters the next chapter of his life.

"We will still be performing on every single date of the upcoming Vans Warped Tour 2018 and are excited to announce that ex-MOTIONLESS member TJ Bell will be filling in on bass for the duration of the tour."

In a statement of his own, Sola explained that "a multitude of circumstances made it extremely difficult" for him "to hold on to my connection with so many. The cons simply began to outweigh the pros," he said." It hindered my ability to live a productive life. I began deprioritizing myself and my well being. This began to take a toll on my psyche and at the hardest of times caused me to experience fatigue, overwhelming anxiety and depression.

"As I grow older and analyze things differently, I realize that I have to consider the results of this and make a change in order to live a happy and healthy life," he added.

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Graveyard Shift", which arrived last year.


Founded in 2005, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE has won over audiences worldwide with its aggressive music and arresting imagery. The band has proven a ferocious and inventive live act, earning an increasingly fervent fan following via countless headline shows, festival sets, and tours alongside such iconic acts as SLIPKNOT, KORN and BREAKING BENJAMIN.

QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre's cover version of the HEART classic "Barracuda" can be streamed below. The song is taken from "Deep Cuts & Rarities", a limited-edition 15-track compilation CD that includes rare unreleased and previously released cover songs which are performed by various artists from the rock and hard rock genres.

Due on Friday, May 18 via Rat Pak Records, "Deep Cuts & Rarities" features mostly classic songs from the '70s and '80s but also includes a solo acoustic version of CAM's "Burning House" performed by SEVENDUST guitarist John Connolly and a recently recorded live version of John Corabi performing THE SCREAM's "Man In The Moon", which was recorded during his "Live 94" tour. Other featured artists on this release include Doug Pinnick (KING'S X), Michael Angelo Batio, Mark Tremonti (ALTER BRIDGE, CREED), Chuck Garric (ALICE COOPER), VIXEN, Dave Rude (TESLA), Kurdt Vanderhoof (METAL CHURCH), LYNCH MOB, PRESTO BALLET, BEASTO BLANCO, Tommy Baldwin, Jeff Plate (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Craig Blackwell.

"Deep Cuts & Rarities" features nine unreleased tracks and six previously released tracks.

Track listing:

01. "Barracuda" [HEART] *previously unreleased*

Performed by Todd La Torre (QUEENSRŸCHE) feat. Craig Blackwell

02. "I Wouldn't Want To Be Like You" [ALAN PARSONS PROJECT] *previously unreleased*

Performed by Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) feat. Tommy Baldwin

03. "Burning House" [CAM] *previously unreleased*

Performed by John Connolly (SEVENDUST)

04. "Feed My Frankenstein" [ALICE COOPER]

Performed by BEASTO BLANCO

05. "Eruption" [VAN HALEN] *previously unreleased*

Performed by Michael Angelo Batio

06. "Burnin' Sky" [BAD COMPANY]

Performed by LYNCH MOB

07. "Sledgehammer" [PETER GABRIEL]

Performed by Dave Rude (TESLA)

08. "I Don't Need No Doctor" [humble pie] *previously unreleased*

Performed by VIXEN feat. Share Ross on vocals (Live)

09. "Free Ride" [The Edgar Winter Group] *previously unreleased*

Performed by Roxanne with Ray Luzier (KORN) on drums

10. "Please Don't Judas Me" [NAZARETH] *previously unreleased*

Performed by METAL CHURCH

11. "Burn" [DEEP PURPLE]

Performed by Michael Angelo Batio, Todd La Torre (QUEENSRŸCHE) and Mark Tremonti (ALTER BRIDGE)

12. "Teacher" [JETHRO TULL] *previously unreleased*

Performed by PRESTO BALLET (featuring Kurdt Vanderhoof of METAL CHURCH)

13. "Hang On To Your Life" [THE GUESS WHO] *previously unreleased*

Performed by Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) feat. Tommy Baldwin

14. "What You're Doing" [RUSH]

Performed by Michael Angelo Batio, Todd La Torre (QUEENSRŸCHE), Kurdt Vanderhoof (METAL CHURCH), Chuck Garric (ALICE COOPER), Jeff Plate (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Craig Blackwell.

15. "Man In The Moon" [THE SCREAM]

Performed by John Corabi (Live)

For more information, click here.

Ian GILLAN is confirmed as a headliner of the annual show ROCK MEETS CLASSIC.

Music director, Mat Sinner comments: "Our team had just one wish - if we will ever make it to the 10th anniversary of our Rock Meets Classic show, we want to invite the icon back, that helped us to establish the show and supported us from the beginning. In the meantime RMC is a yearly must and celebration for all the Classic Rock fans and 3 hours of entertainment, pure joy & fun… And he said YES and confirmed! We’re delighted and very happy to celebrate the biggest Deep Purple hits with one of the greatest singers in Rock History, the legend - welcome back Ian Gillan!"

Portland's deadliest death metal band returns with their long-awaited sophomore album Disinterred Horror.  Nearly seven years since their debut full-length Oath of the Abyss and four years since their last recording, Void Manifest EP, Ritual Necromancy have been honing their song-writing skills while showcasing their bludgeoning sounds at live events such as last year's Dark Descent anniversary show and Maryland Death Fest 2018.  

Evidence of the band's evolution can be heard in the video for album track "Command The Sigil."

Dark Descent Records will release Disinterred Horror on CD, tape and digital formats on May 25th. Vinyl treatment coming soon. 

Album cover by Josh McAlear.

Tracklisting:

“To Raise The Writhing Shadows”
“Command The Sigil”
“Discarnate Machination”
“Cymbellum Eosphorous”

“Command The Sigil”:

Crossing Eternity has inked a worldwide deal with Rockshots Records. Crossing Eternity is a Romanian/Swedish symphonic power metal band founded in 2017 by experienced musicians who are truly passionate in the way they approach music. Starting with the recording of their first studio album The Rising World, the band members aimed for an organic, old school sound, rejecting the temptation of an over-produced record. The adventure started in the summer of 2017, when Manu, band’s guitarist and composer, entered the studio with a new band in mind and a lots of good song ideas. On the way, the rest of the band joined the process of recording and producing, working until everything was well done, in January 2018.

Even if the name of the band is new, its members are professional musicians, with 25-30 years of experience on the battlefield. The band’s main purpose is to expand the boundaries and spread some magic.

"There is real magic in this world! The soul is asking for it! We just need to listen with love and courage inside us and what you'll find deep inside, then we will find in the outside world!" - Manu Savu.

The Rising World is set to be released on Rockshots Records on June 15th, featuring an outstanding artwork created by the renowned digital artist Gustavo Sazes.

Tracklisting:

“Crossing Eternity”
“Ghost Of A Storm”
“Sand In The Sky”
“High Above The Crown”
“Kingdome Come”
“Embrace Your Voices”
“Journey To The End Of Dreams”
“Winter Poem”
“Haunted”
“Dreams Fall”
“Angles Cry, Rainbows Hide”
“Spirit Of The Forest”
“War Of Gods”

“Crossing Eternity” video:

Crossing Eternity has inked a worldwide deal with Rockshots Records. Crossing Eternity is a Romanian/Swedish symphonic power metal band founded in 2017 by experienced musicians who are truly passionate in the way they approach music. Starting with the recording of their first studio album The Rising World, the band members aimed for an organic, old school sound, rejecting the temptation of an over-produced record. The adventure started in the summer of 2017, when Manu, band’s guitarist and composer, entered the studio with a new band in mind and a lots of good song ideas. On the way, the rest of the band joined the process of recording and producing, working until everything was well done, in January 2018.

Even if the name of the band is new, its members are professional musicians, with 25-30 years of experience on the battlefield. The band’s main purpose is to expand the boundaries and spread some magic.

"There is real magic in this world! The soul is asking for it! We just need to listen with love and courage inside us and what you'll find deep inside, then we will find in the outside world!" - Manu Savu.

The Rising World is set to be released on Rockshots Records on June 15th, featuring an outstanding artwork created by the renowned digital artist Gustavo Sazes.

Tracklisting:

“Crossing Eternity”
“Ghost Of A Storm”
“Sand In The Sky”
“High Above The Crown”
“Kingdome Come”
“Embrace Your Voices”
“Journey To The End Of Dreams”
“Winter Poem”
“Haunted”
“Dreams Fall”
“Angles Cry, Rainbows Hide”
“Spirit Of The Forest”
“War Of Gods”

“Crossing Eternity” video: