2112 proved to be Rush's commercial breakthrough and remains one of their most popular albums. Due to popular demand, a special run of 2112 is being made available exclusively via Rush Backstage. Whether a new fan or a completist, 2112 will be made available for the first time on coloured vinyl.

This release is manufactured on limited edition opaque blue 180-gram vinyl, features the 2015 remaster by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Mastering Studio and a "red star of the federation" hologram in Side 2 run-out groove.

Only 5,000 copies are available worldwide. And for a limited time while quantities last, order this title from Rush Backstage and receive a bonus 2112 Keychain. For full details, visit Rush Backstage.

Note: This item is available for pre-order and will ship on April 27th. If you order other items along with this pre-order, your entire order will ship on this date.

SINBREED, the German power metal band featuring BLIND GUARDIAN drummer Frederik Ehmke, has parted ways with singer Herbie Langhans and has replaced him with Nick Holleman (ex-VICIOUS RUMORS).

Says SINBREED: "After being on tour with Nick throughout Europe in 2016, we are happy to continue with him and open the next chapter of the band. This also means that Herbie Langhans won't be part of SINBREED anymore.

"Thank you, Herbie, for your work on our three first albums that we did over the last eight years. Rock on! We all wish you the best of luck for your current and future projects!"

SINBREED 2018 is:

Nick Holleman (Vocals)

Manuel Seoane (Guitar)

Flo Laurin (Guitar)

Frederik Ehmke (Drums)

Alexander Schulz (Bass)

SINBREED's latest album, "Master Creator", was released in February 2016 via AFM Records.

BLIND GUARDIAN guitarist Marcus Siepen was a member of SINBREED from 2012 until 2015.

SOTO — the metallic hard rock group led by namesake vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (SONS OF APOLLO, W.E.T.) — has announced the addition of bassist Tony Dickinson (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).

Dickinson — who co-wrote a pair of songs that appeared on previous SOTO releases — replaces David "Dave Z" Zablidowsky, who died last year in a roadside accident while touring with ADRENALINE MOB.

"It was the one and only natural choice for us after losing our brother David in the horrific accident last year," Soto wrote in a statement. "[Tony] is phenomenally talented, and a great friend. He will fit right in with us, and I cannot wait for more of his contributions as we move the band forward!"

SOTO, which also includes Jorge Salan (guitar), Edu Cominato (drums) and BJ (keys/guitar), has released two albums to date via earMUSIC/Edel — 2015's "Inside The Vertigo" and the following year's "Divak". The group is currently working on material for its as-yet-untitled third album, which is on track to be released in 2019.

According to manager Christopher Hines of Optical Sound, "We have yet to decide if we'll release the new SOTO album independently or with a label. This will be confirmed in the coming months as the material starts generating from the band."

SOTO was formed in 2014 when Jeff Scott Soto realized how much he missed the "heavier side" of his career after fronting artists like Yngwie Malmsteen, TALISMAN and JOURNEY, and even his own solo albums.

For more information, visit SotoTheBand.com.

Formed in 1980 in Cologne, Grave Digger were at the forefront of the German heavy metal movement as it swept the globe in the early ‘80s. They released two demos, one in 1982 and the second Born Again demo in 1983.  This brought them to the attention of Noise Records who included two of the bands tracks on their infamous Rock From Hell compilation in 1984 alongside future label mates Running Wild and S.A.D.O.  Later in ’84, Grave Digger launched the seminal debut album Heavy Metal Breakdown through Noise Records, which was critically received by both press and fans alike.

A year later they followed up with their sophomore record Witch Hunter which only catapulted the band further into the hearts and minds if the global metal scene. The band’s 1986, third album, War Games saw them on a Noise tour alongside label mates Helloween & Celtic Frost. A dramatic change in sound and a more commercial style followed in 1987 with the album Stronger Than Ever where the band dropped the Grave part of their name and just became Digger, they split six months later after the record was poorly received. The band regrouped in 1991, releasing their comeback album The Reaper in 1993. To date they have released 18 albums and continue to tour across the world.

Heavy Metal Breakdown and With Hunter will be reissued on vinyl on May 25th via Noise Records.

Grave Digger’s seminal debut album Heavy Metal Breakdown was a benchmark for the German metal scene upon its release back in 1984. This remastered version includes the rare Shoot Her Down EP and liner notes from front man Chris Boltendahl. The LP is a double gatefold, which includes lyrics, memorabilia and comes as a limited edition red vinyl. The vinyl has been out of print for over 30 years.

Tracklisting:

“Headbanging Man”
“Heavy Metal Breakdown”
“Back From The War”
“Yesterday”
“We Wanna Rock You”
“Legion Of The Lost”
“Tyrant”
“2000 Lightyears From Home”
“Heart Attack”
“Shoot Her Down!” (bonus track)
“We Wanna Rock You” (Mega Mix) (bonus track)
“Storming The Brain” (bonus track)
“Violence” (bonus track)
“2000 Lightyears From Home” (Alternative Version) (bonus track)

Witch Hunter is heralded as a classic in the annals of heavy metal fandom and became an instant hit upon its release back in 1985. This remastered version includes liner notes from former guitarist Peter Masson and the original lyrics. The LP is on limited edition gold vinyl and has been out of print for over 30 years.

Tracklisting:

“Witch Hunter”
“Night Drifter”
“Get Ready For Power”
“Love Is A Game”
“Get Away”
“Fight For Freedom”
“School’s Out”
“Friends Of Mine”
“Here I Stand”
“Don’t Kill The Children” (bonus track)
“Tears Of Blood” (bonus track)
“Shine On” (bonus track)

Producer/guitarist Paul Crook (pictured; ANTHRAX, SEBASTIAN BACH, MEAT LOAF) and executive producer John Madera have announced the formation of DEVILSTAR, an all-star hard rock and heavy metal group billed as the world's first interactive band. The first release under the DEVILSTAR moniker will be a cover of the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Beyond The Realms Of Death", which will be available on streaming and digital platforms on June 1.


DEVILSTAR's rendition of "Beyond The Realms Of Death" will feature performances by three PRIEST alumni — guitarist K.K. Downing, vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens and drummer Les Binks — in addition to Crook and bassist Joey Vera (ARMORED SAINT, FATES WARNING). The song, which marks Downing's first collaboration with Binks (who co-wrote the song with Rob Halford) since 1979, was chosen to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the group's iconic album "Stained Class".


Subsequent DEVILSTAR single releases — which will be a mix of covers and original material — will feature other notable hard rock/metal names, with Crook handling production and mixing in addition to playing guitar. While several tracks have already been recorded for release in the coming months, fans are invited to email [email protected] to propose potential "dream team" lineups and/or suggest cover songs to tackle in the future.


Crook first rose to prominence as lead guitarist of thrash pioneers ANTHRAX in the mid-1990s, when he performed on and toured in support of the group's albums "Stomp 442" and "Volume 8: The Threat Is Real", the latter of which he also co-produced. In 1999, Crook began a five-year stint as lead guitarist for former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach. In 2004, he was personally chosen and trained by QUEEN guitarist Brian May to handle his guitar parts for their musical production of "We Will Rock You", which performed for a year on the Las Vegas strip at the Paris Casino Hotel. For the last 15 years, he has served as lead guitarist of Meat Loaf's NEVERLAND EXPRESS. In that time, he has performed on four Meat Loaf studio albums and three live albums/DVDs, including "Bat Out Of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose" and "Bat Out Of Hell: Live With The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra". He also produced Meat Loaf's two most recent studio albums, "Hell In A Handbasket" and "Braver Than We Are".


Still, Crook — who over the years has also collaborated with artists ranging from Glenn Hughes to M.O.D. — remains a hard rock and heavy metal fan at heart, and DEVILSTAR will now serve as a supercharged vehicle through which he'll exorcise his heavier musical demons.


"John and I are proud to partner our DEVILSTAR brand with M-Theory Audio and Marco Barbieri," Crook says. "There is no one better suited to help us share our passion for heavy metal with the world than Marco."


"I've heard the magnificent cover of 'Beyond The Realms Of Death' and I'm excited by the possibilities teaming up with DEVILSTAR," says Barbieri. "Paul has tremendous talents and experience and John is quite the ambitious visionary, and together we're going to have a lot of fun bringing you some great collaborations and future recordings."

Metal, classic metal, thrash metal... NWOBHM! These are the defining genres that best describe Avenger. Not a random stab at a description, but an archive of metal styles the band have molded themselves to and related to since their NWOBHM founding over three decades ago, by three members of the cult band Blitzkrieg. During this time, Avenger honed their playing skills and built up a worldwide fan base, enjoying rapturous receptions at festivals and concerts from the Eastern seaboard of America, to the metal hungry fanatics of Europe and down to the tropics of Latin America.

No wonder that Avenger became one of the most respected British heavy metal bands, and that both of their albums released back in the day - Blood Sports from 1984, and Killer Elite from 1985, have a legendary status today, and are demanded by new generations of headbangers. Thanks to Dissonance Productions and Back On Black Records, both classics will be available on both CD and LP format on May 18th, 2018, and it’s safe to say, that these will be the “ultimate editions”. The albums got dynamic mastering by Bart Gabriel (who recently mastered reissues of bands such as Cirith Ungol, Sortilege, and the new Pagan Altar and Crystal Viper albums), both of them include previously unreleased bonus tracks, and include previously unseen photos from band’s archives.

“Revenge Attack”:

(Photo by: Marta Gabriel Photography)

Expressing concerns over the album title, leading national retail chain Walmart has refused to carry STRYPER's upcoming 10th studio LP, "God Damn Evil". Several Christian retail chains have also objected to the title and declined to carry "God Damn Evil" in their stores.

"We're disappointed," says STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet. "STRYPER has always been about making people think outside the box.

"Our new album title, 'God Damn Evil', is a statement that's needed in our society. We've seen evil rise to new levels and this title is simply a prayer request asking God to damn or condemn all the evil around us. Many chains have joined us in making such a statement. Walmart, unfortunately, has not. The odd thing is of all the chains out there we assumed Walmart would be one to understand exactly what our point and purpose is. Unfortunately not. Although we respect their decision and what's done is done, it's frustrating to see something that's meant for good get misinterpreted and misunderstood."

After the openly Christian group announced it was calling its new disc "God Damn Evil", a number of people within the Christian rock and metal community went up in arms, accusing STRYPER of having gone too far.

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

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

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

"God Damn Evil" will be released on April 20 via Frontiers Music Srl. The CD marks the band's first effort since the addition of former FIREHOUSE bassist Perry Richardson. Perry joined the group as the replacement for STRYPER's longtime bassist Tim Gaines, who was fired from the band last year.

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

STRYPER will return to the road this year, kicking off the "God Damn Evil" world tour in Milan, Italy on April 28 at the Frontiers Rock Festival.

British rockers THE DARKNESS will release a live album, "Live At Hammersmith", on June 15 through Cooking Vinyl. The album captures the bandin sterling form at its London "Tour De Prance" show at the Eventim Hammersmith Apollo on December 10, 2017.

The U.S. leg of "Tour De Prance" runs through May 2 in Dallas, Texas, continuing on to its final stop in Mexico City, Mexico on May 4 in support of critically acclaimed new album "Pinewood Smile". The tour has been blowing minds across the globe, selling out shows in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

"Live At Hammersmith" boasts the band's spectacular back catalogue of five albums across 19 incendiary tracks. In true DARKNESS spandex-clad fashion, the performance features huge riffs, mighty bass faces, hair-raising falsetto, gigantic disco balls and a whole lotta pyro.

Frontman Justin Hawkins says: "THE DARKNESS is untamed. It cannot be caged. Some very clever recording engineers have discovered a way to capture its essence; all that remains is for us to release it back into the wild." He continues: "Life is about experiences, not possessions. This is your opportunity to possess the experience of THE DARKNESS live, as perceived by your ears, leaving your eyes free to scan the road ahead for obstacles, or to watch Emmerdale with the sound off, or to mould clay, or to darn socks, or to look at the beautiful artwork in this magnificent gatefold. Release yourself into THE DARKNESS 'Live At Hammersmith'."

To celebrate the release of "Live At Hammersmith", two songs from the live album are available for streaming now and as instant-grat downloads with pre-orders. The tracks include the swashbuckling "Pinewood Smile" highlight "Buccaneers Of Hispaniola" and the smash hit "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" from THE DARKNESS's four-times-platinum-selling debut album "Permission To Land".

Not resting on its "Tour De Prance" laurels, THE DARKNESS will hit the road again in June playing arenas across Europe in support of the HOLLYWOOD VAMPIRES supergroup featuring Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, and will be opening for the legendary QUEEN in July in the U.K.

"Live At Hammersmith" track listing:

01. Open Fire

02. Love Is Only A Feeling

03. Southern Trains

04. Black Shuck

05. One Way Ticket

06. Givin' Up

07. All The Pretty Girls

08. Barbarian

09. Buccaneers Of Hispaniola

10. Friday Night

11. Makin' Out

12. Every Inch Of You

13. Solid Gold

14. Stuck In A Rut

15. Get Your Hands Off My Woman

16. Growing On Me

17. Japanese Prisoner Of Love

18. Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End)

19. I Believe In A Thing Called Love

Obstacles and persecution, these are just a few of the things Cairo / Vancouver post hardcore band Massive Scar Era have become accustom to since first forming in Alexandria, Egypt in 2005 where they were accused of being Satanist for simply just performing the music they love, a form of metal with classical and Middle Eastern influences. Over the years, through all the struggles, band co-founder Cherine Amr decided it was time to relocate to a safe haven where the band's artistry would be more accepting. With the difficult decision along with other founding member Nancy Mournir, Massive Scar Era would be a band working in two continents from two countries. Cherine would relocate to Vancouver, Canada and Nancy would remain in Cairo, Egypt. 

Over the years, the band has seen much attention for their unique take on metal along with their lyrical messages. They have performed on festivals such as Metalocalypstick (Canada), Total Metal Festival (Italy), Inferno Metal Festival (Norway), FreakStock Festival (Germany), Saxstock Festival (Germany), Metal Asylum, Dubai (UAE), SOS Music Festival (Egypt) and Sweden Rock Festival, but there was one event last year during March 2017, SXSW in Austin, TX, Massive Scar Era were denied performing at, even though they had showcased in 2015 and 2013. On their travel to the festival through Canada, the band was blocked from entry at the USA border. 

Cherine Amr comments:

"Last year, the band was invited once again to perform at SXSW, although Egypt wasn’t on Trump's ban list along with being granted the visas from the American embassy, the border agents didn’t allow us into the country. We were given multiple inexplicable excuses."

This denial fueled Massive Scar Era's next musical expression / protest in the form of their fifth EP Color Blind.

Cherine adds:

"The new EP we are planning to release later this year is heavily influenced by this incident; the songs mostly talk about discrimination and stereotype. Plus we continue to introduce pre-colonial Egyptian music to our sound celebrating our Egyptian identity, which means all the violins are in Egyptian scales and microtones don't follow the guidelines of the Cairo Music Conference (1932) that was held during the British Colonization of Egypt."

Massive Scar Era are sharing their music video for the EP's title track. The video is collaboration between the band and Vancouver's Nebula Company Theatre merging modern contemporary dance with metal music to demonstrate the artistic emotions Massive Scar Era have felt during their US denial to SXSW in 2017.

(Photo by: My City Photos)

Indie Recordings has signed one of the Scandinavia’s most promising melodic metal & hardcore bands - Halcyon Days. The cutting-edge sextet is now ready to release their second full-length titled Rain Soaked Pavements & Fresh Cut Grass, which will be out on June 15th.

The band comments: "We are delighted to sign with Indie Recordings, joining the label of some of our favorite Norwegian bands such as Seigmen, Insense, Stonegard, Kvelertak. Indie Recordings have shown great belief in us so far, and we’re super stoked on showing you what have been working on for the last two years! Keep your eyes and ears open for our first single of the new record on the 4th of May, and our new album on the 15th of June."

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” single teaser:

Persian metallers Angband is streaming the new track “Atena” with new singer Tim Aymer (Control Denied, Pharaoh).

A band statement reads, “This is our first song with the astonishing vocals of Tim Aymar. We released it for streaming on YouTube for a reason; to support Tim’s medical fund, he has been in chronic pain and needs to do a surgery ASAP. Please support a great man and one of the best voices in metal. Tim has done two songs from our new album and we hope with the help of metal brothers and sisters across the world he can do the surgery successfully and back to normal life, sadly he is in lot of pain right now and needs the surgery urgently.”

To learn more about Aymar’s medical condition head to GoFundMe.

Belgian progressive melodic metal band ETHERNITY is the newest addition to the AFM Records roster. The group's self-released debut album "Obscure Illusions" was released in March 2015 and featured guest appearances by Tom S Englund (Evergrey), Kelly Sundown (Civil War (the band)) and Mark Basile (DGM). It was produced by DGM's Simone Mularoni.

A new ETHERNITY album will be released in late Summer.

"Ethernity": What does it mean?
It comes from the combination of the two words "ether" - which refers to the upper regions of space, the sky and the heavens - and "eternity" - which means the infinite time and the timeless state into which the soul passes at a person's death. We found the idea cool and it fits the image of the band, its music and even more its lyrics.

Line-up:
Julie Colin: Vocals
Julien Spreutels: Keyboards
Nicolas Spreutels: Drums
Francesco Mattei: Lead Guitar
François Spreutels: Bass
Thomas Henry: Guitar

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has released another new track, "When The Seasons Change", taken from the band's upcoming album, "And Justice For None". The official lyric video for the tune can be seen below.

"This song is about loyalty, the kind of loyalty that doesn't crumble in the face of adversity, which we have faced many times throughout our career and in our lives," explains FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory. "This is a very human subject everyone can relate to and it is something this world can use more of."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's follow-up to 2015's "Got Your Six" was originally delivered to Prospect Park in December 2016, but a legal battle with the company delayed the LP's arrival.

Last fall, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH settled its lawsuit with Prospect Park and released a greatest-hits collection with two new songs.

Due on May 18, "And Justice For None" is available for pre-order in the following formats: standard physical CD (13 tracks), deluxe physical CD (13 tracks + 3 bonus tracks + deluxe artwork), vinyl (13 tracks + 3 bonus tracks + deluxe gatefold artwork). The band is also offering fans a variety of new CD/merchandise bundles.


Bathory told Detroit radio station WRIF that the title of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's new album was inspired by the group's legal battle with Prospect Park. Bathory explained: "There was this back-and-forth forever, and finally when we settled, I think Ivan was the one who said, 'Well, I guess that's justice for none.' And we were, like, 'Let's call the album 'And Justice For None'.'"

Bathory acknowledged that the band picked that title even though METALLICA released an LP called "…And Justice For All". He added, "We all know there's [the] METALLICA album... And [those] lyrics, actually, METALLICA's '…And Justice For All', make a lot of sense to me. The same crap 30 years later, right?"

Asked if the band changed any of the LP during the past year, Bathory replied, "We ended up recording a couple of more songs that was part of the agreement with the label; we recorded three more songs for the album that was part the settlement."

Bathory said about the "And Justice For None" music: "We have a sound, and we're not gonna really go far away from that. We sometimes experiment, but we have a sound. And for us, it's always about writing the song — the song is what matters the most to us."

In May 2016, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH announced it had signed a new North American recording deal with the BMG-owned rock label Rise Records.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will hit a handful of festivals and play around a dozen dates with SHINEDOWN this spring. The band will then kick off a co-headlining run with BREAKING BENJAMIN on July 16 in Seattle.



Standard cover:



Deluxe cover:

With the world becoming a darker place by the day, there's a need for more metal bands that deal in realistic escapism; that is escapism that draws from events in the real world (see Joseph Campbell’s seminal Hero With A Thousand Faces for more) and helps the listeners cope heroically with their own daily battles. The aural equivalent of the work of George R.R. Martin.

Indeed, Alberta power-influenced progressive death metal band Valyria take their name from the works of the aforementioned Martin.

As the band explains. “Valyria is a ruined city in the world of Essos, the world in which George R.R. Martin’s A Song Of Fire And Ice takes place. Valyria is a city of wonderment, magic and untold power. The aesthetic Martin creates within his novels is a similar atmosphere to that we as a band try to conjure with our music.”

Influenced by Wintersun, The Faceless, Dragonforce, Blind Guardian and Omnium Gatherum, Valyria describes their sound as “dramatic, complex, uplifting, emotional, technical” something their fans will be able to hear on their new EP Into The Dying Of Time, which features "Steel Inquisition", "Tome Of The Shattered Vessels", "Of Sky And Sea", "The Crossing" and "Floating World".

New track "The Crossing" is streaming below.

The band comments:

"'The Crossing' is the most succinct example of our sound – equal parts djent, death and power metal, with even a tiny hint of skate punk. This song is filled with glittering keyboard and guitar melodies, brutal chugging, and soaring vocal harmonies, surrounding a lush clean section that builds up into trade-off solos book ending the album’s heaviest breakdown. 'The Crossing' is based on Haruki Murakami’s novel ‘Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World’, an existential cyberpunk odyssey that sees our protagonist confront and cross through his own demise and live on in the world of dreams.

Tracklisting:

“The Final Empire (Intro)”
“Steel Inquisition”
“Tome Of Shattered Vessels”
“Of Sky And Sea”
“The Crossing”
“Floating World”
“Into The Dying Of Time (Outro)”

“The Crossing”:

“Steel Inquisition”:

Valyria’s forthcoming EP Into The Dying Of Time will be released on May 18th, and is available for pre-order on Bandcamp.

(Band photo by Graham Gnarles)

 

The Texas-based “super metal” quartet Immortal Guardian – whose founding member, Gabriel Guardian, has earned extensive notoriety for his ability to shred on guitar and keyboard simultaneously – has signed with M-Theory Audio.

Hailing from the same state as guitar greats Dimebag Darrell and Stevie Ray Vaughan, Immortal Guardian proudly fly the flag of musical innovation and virtuosity for the Lone Star State. Over the past few years, the group has released two acclaimed EPs, Revolution Part I (produced by Roy Z of Halford/Bruce Dickinson fame) and Super Metal: Edition Z, that showcased a full-frontal metal assault of anthemic melodies, technical rhythms, furious shred and high-flying vocals by Brazilian singer Carlos Zema (Outworld).

In support of their EPs, the group has made jaws drop on stages in not only their home state – where they've performed alongside some of the biggest names in metal, including Judas Priest, Dragonforce, Kamelot, Symphony X, Sonata Arctica, Slayer, Metal Church, Soilwork and Steve Vai – but also abroad in countries such as Brazil and Russia, and during high-profile performances at ESPN's X Games, South By Southwest and the Fun Fun Fun Fest.

In addition, Gabriel Guardian has developed an extensive following on YouTube, where his unique dual-instrument covers of classics by the likes of Iron Maiden, Pantera and Guns N' Roses have garnered hundreds of thousands of views. His virtuosity was also recently showcased on the MTV program Amazingness. This summer, Gabriel will tour North America extensively as a guest member of video game metal icons PowerGlove. The tour includes a stop at Austin's Come and Take It Live in August, where Immortal Guardian will also perform.

“At NAMM a couple years back, I met Gabriel and his manager Brett through the Exmortus and Havok guys. I was immediately caught off-guard by someone who could shred on two instruments at once and have eyed Immortal Guardian ever since,” explains label founder Marco Barbieri. “With M-Theory Audio in place and the band finalizing a new record the time is now and I’m pleased to make the announcement and work with such gifted musicians and join their creative team to spread the word.”

“I’m very happy to announce Immortal Guardian's signing with M-Theory Audio and the start of our next epic chapter,” Gabriel says. “Marco Barbieri and his team have been accumulating a serious roster, and with a track record like his, we are definitely honored to be joining the family. Looking forward to all the good times ahead!”

More information on the new Immortal Guardian album will be revealed in the coming months.

Immortal Guardian is:
Carlos Zema - Vocals
Gabriel Guardian - Guitar/Keyboard
Cody Gilliand - Drums
Thad Stevens - Bass

Wymer Publishing has announced a June 15th release for the new book Genesis... Counting Out Time: A Photographic Journey.

With 2018 marking the 50th anniversary of the recording of Genesis' first album, what better way to celebrate it than with this limited edition hardback photographic book incorporating the Genesis family of bands from the seventies to the present day. As well as images of Genesis from the days with Peter Gabriel through to the 2007 reunion, this book includes photos from the solo careers of Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett and Mike & The Mechanics.  

Beautifully designed and packaged in a block foiled, presentation case with a set of 7 high quality prints - two group shots and one each of Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett and Phil Collins.  

This full colour 128-page book printed on quality 170gsm silk paper is A4 in size and crammed full of great photos, many previously unpublished.

Order by 31st May and have your name on a dedicated fans page within the book!

Former SOIL and DIRGE WITHIN guitarist Shaun Glass has joined forces with STUCK MOJO frontman Robby J. Fonts in a new band called REPENTANCE.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

REPENTANCE is:

Robby J. Fonts - Vocals

Shaun Glass - Guitars

Markus Johansson - Lead Guitars

Mike Sylvester - Bass

Anthony Lien - Drums

Avantgarde death metal outfit The Antichrist Imperium are set to release their sophomore album, Volume II Every Tongue Shall Praise Satan, on June 29th via Apocalyptic Witchcraft Recordings.

Volume II Every Tongue Shall Praise Satan will be released on CD, vinyl, cassette and in digital format. The vinyl version will be available on limited white (100 copies) as well as standard black vinyl.

Pre-orders for vinyl, cassette and digipak CD are available now from the Apocalyptic Witchcraft webstore, links for digital will follow shortly.

(CD artwork)

Volume II Every Tongue Shall Praise Satan tracklisting:

"The Dreadful Hosanna"
"Death Ritual"
"Draw Down The Moon"
"Liturgy Of The Iconoclast / Blood Sacrifice"
"Ceremonial Suicide Rites"
"Golgothian Hieros Gamos"
"Sermon Of Small Faith"

(vinyl artwork)

The Antichrist Imperium's 2nd album presents the quartet with a sound that is unique and well established away from any of the groups other projects, all the while bringing musical composition to this album aiding it to be as diverse as it is unrelenting.

Once again, embalmer of the dead, Matt Wilcock (Abramelin, ex-Akercocke, ex-The Berzerker) brings the hyper-thrash death shreds that can only be contained by funeral director David Gray's (Akercocke, Voices, ex-The Berzerker) masterful blasts and Sam Bean's (The Senseless, ex-The Berzerker) cutting death metal barks that nail the coffins shut.

Last but not least, Samuel Loynes (Akercocke, Shrines, Voices) ties the sound together with vocals atypical to that of the context of the music, delivering the melodic and the emotive to this sonic funeral service.

The Antichrist Imperium lineup:

David Gray - drums
Matt Wilcock - guitars, bass
Sam Bean - vocals
Samuel Loynes - vocals

QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali was recently interviewed by Barbara Caserta and Primo Bonali of Italy's Linea Rock. The full conversation can be heard below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

On playing this year's Frontiers Rock Festival, which marks QUIET RIOT's first-ever concert in Italy:

Frankie: "It's really amazing when you think about the fact that we recorded the 'Metal Health' record in 1982, it came out in 1983, and in 35 years, we have never, ever played Italy. This is historic. I am so looking forward to it. I've been to Italy before, with my parents, and I actually was in Milan in 1989 with W.A.S.P. We were supposed to play a show, and something happened and the show didn't happen, but I had very good pasta."

On deciding to film the band's performance at the festival for a live DVD:

Frankie: "I'm going to have one very special surprise in one of the QUIET RIOT songs. It's going to be something that we have never, ever done before like this."

On what he would say to anyone claiming that the group's current lineup is not the "real QUIET RIOT":

Frankie: "I think first of all, it's important for everybody to understand that I have been involved with QUIET RIOT since 1980. The bass player that's with us, Chuck Wright, has been a part of QUIET RIOT on and off since we recorded 'Metal Health'. Alex Grossi, our guitarist, has been in the band for 14 years. The new singer is James Durbin, who was on 'American Idol' during the tenth season. I think it's also important to understand that in the history of QUIET RIOT, there have been nearly 40 different members. It hasn't just been myself and Rudy Sarzo, who is my dearest and closest friend and a big supporter of me doing QUIET RIOT, and Kevin DuBrow, who of course passed away, and Carlos [Cavazo]. That was the iconic lineup, but if you look at any band these days, they're not all original members either because people have left, people have passed away, but you're going to get a wonderful representation of QUIET RIOT."

On his memories of Randy Rhoads:

Frankie: "Randy... was one of the sweetest persons I've ever known. An incredible guitarist. I never saw him without a guitar in his hands. It's really funny because when he started playing with Ozzy [Osbourne], he called me at my apartment in West Hollywood and said, 'Hey, Frankie — you wanna go play with Ozzy?' I said, 'The guy from BLACK SABBATH?' He goes, 'Yeah,' and we rehearsed for a week together. It was a great experience, but ultimately, they decided to record ['Blizzard Of Ozz'] in England, not in L.A., and they would only take one person, and of course they took Randy. Everybody knows the rest is history. Randy could have done so many great things, but sadly, he was taken away from all of us very young."

QUIET RIOT's latest album, "Road Rage" — the band's first with Durbin — was released last August via Frontiers Music Srl.

Durbin, who became known as the "metal guy" on 2011's season of "American Idol" after performing "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law" with JUDAS PRIEST, hooked up with QUIET RIOT after the dismissal of Seann Nicols (a.k.a. Sheldon Tarsha; formerly of ADLER'S APPETITE). Nicols was with QUIET RIOT for just a few months, but long enough to record the vocals for an early version of "Road Rage".

Since summer 2017 Ashmedi - the founder an frontman of Melechesh has made two trips to Armenia. Strangely, he was not there on a tour or for rest but to work on the very first Metal Depot interactive comic book, which features Melechesh and the forgotten Sumerian gods. The 130-page epic is based on true episodes of Ashmedi's life, as well as some memorable events that happened throughout Melechesh career, with a little bit of interference of dark forces, of course, which are awakened by the music of the band and are ready to unleash chaos on the land of mortals - aka our world. 

Emissary Of The Anunnaki: The Tale of the Fire King will be released this summer. The interactive part of the graphic novel will allow the readers to have an impact on the story and help the characters make choices in different situations. Also, an audio version will be available, where the readers can hear the dialogues. The protagonist is voiced by Ashmedi himself and the representatives of different generations of rock/metal musicians in Armenia and professional actors as the secondary characters. 

According to Ashmedi, it feels strange seeing himself as a drawn character. He compares it to hearing your own voice in a recording and not recognizing it at first. "To be drawn in a fictional graphic novel – in a different setting – the fantastical, mythological and mystical world of Sumerians, and the whole mythology that you hear in Melechesh songs, to be in it - it's quite fun! First time I saw it, I said 'This is really impressive!" says Ashmedi.

Becoming a comic book hero might be impressive, but the creators of the epic promise that Ashmedi and his band have to go through some badass adventures in the story while facing the very angry Sumerian Goddess of War and Passion - Ishtar.  

Recently, Metal Depot revealed the first official teaser of the comic book. Check it out here. Subscription is open now for those who want to be informed as soon as the epic is released. The pre-sales will start on April 15th through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign with early-bird rates and limited edition of special merchandise.

Transgressive five-piece 3TEETH has signed with Century Media Records. The announcement coincides with 3TEETH's back-to-back co-headlining shows in the band's hometown of Los Angeles, which precedes its headlining European tour this spring.

3TEETH will release its third full-length album later this year.


On 3TEETH's signing, frontman Alexis Mincolla shares: "It was a perfect-storm moment for 3TEETH — musically, culturally — to make the jump to Century Media. We have more to say than ever and needed a label home that understood that."


Having been compared to the likes of NINE INCH NAILS, TOOL and MINISTRY, 3TEETH made a name for itself with the release of its explosive singles "Degrade" and "Atrophy" in 2017. The band draws inspiration from the early '90s industrial scene to craft their artful sound.

Formed in 2013, 3TEETH is known for its unique brand of industrial metal, thought-provoking imagery and incredible stage show. Comprised of Alexis Mincolla (vocals), Xavier Swafford (keys), Andrew Means (modular synth), Chase Brawner (guitars) and Justin Hanson (drums), 3TEETH was hand selected by TOOL's Adam Jones in 2015 to open for TOOL's first North American tour in over two years. 3TEETH has also toured with RAMMSTEIN, DANZIG, HIM and MINISTRY, to name a few.

Without so much as a warning, 20 Buck Spin has just released Surging Throng Of Evil's Might, the debut LP from New Mexico-based death metal squad, Superstition. The album is streaming in its entirety and available for purchase.
 
Despite the explosive re-emergence of death metal during the last decade or more, few bands in the United States have sought to carry on the faithful legacy of early evil in American death metal in a manner that wasn't a pale forgery. To that end, Superstition manifests from the ancient landscape of New Mexico with their debut Surging Throng Of Evil's Might, heralding the return of perdition's flame.
 
Unpolished malevolence dripping with vile iniquity, occult forces, and eerie demonic sentience is draped across the auditory essence of Superstition's debut, from the hellish introduction of "Death's Fuming Passage" to the closing keys of "Grave Portals." The very primordial elements of the abyssic fire are summoned in Superstition's ancient invocation.

Fans of Necrovore, Incubus, Morbid Angel, Mortuary Drape, Nocturnus, Sadistic Intent, Mortem, Possessed, and Order From Chaos should seek out Surging Throng Of Evil's Might now through 20 Buck Spin, ahead of the album’s retail release on May 11th.

Tracklisting:

“Death’s Fuming Passage”
“-“
“Outer Mutation”
“Surging Throng Of Evil’s Might”
“Grave Portals”

Album stream:

Surging Throng Of Evil's Might by Superstition

Praying Mantis will release their 11th studio album, Gravity, on CD, LP and digital formats on May 11th. The album opener "Keep It Alive" is available for streaming below. Pre-order the album here.

After the positive reception afforded to the band's last studio release Legacy (2015), the new record sees the band return with another inspired, take-no-prisoners set. The album also sees Mantis retain the same lineup, with John Cuijpers (vocals) and Hans in’t Zandt (drums) again contributing to the songwriting process. Alongside founder members Tino Troy, Chris Troy and Andy Burgess, they have not only helped in the writing of the songs, but also in providing a new dimension in terms of sound engineering and overall production.

One of the most influential and well known sleeve artists in the rock field, Rodney Matthews (Magnum, Diamond Head, Allen/Lande), has been commissioned to design the artwork for Gravity in the same style and stunning quality that so many fans loved on Mantis albums such as Time Tells No Lies, Predator In Disguise and the aforementioned Legacy.

Praying Mantis are a well established band of melodic hard rockers. They were formed by brothers Tino and Chris Troy in 1973 and, together with bands like Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Saxon, they spearheaded the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) movement of the late ’70’s. While they did not attain the same dizzying heights of success as some of their contemporaries, they nonetheless became one of the most influential bands in the genre. The band has remained active over the years and still record and play live regularly.

Tracklisting:

"Keep It Alive"
"Mantis Anthem"
"Time Can Heal"
"39 Years"
"Gravity"
"Ghosts Of The Past"
"Destiny In Motion"
"The Last Summer"
"Foreign Affair"
"Shadow Of Love"
"Final Destination"

"Keep It Alive":

"Gravity":

Lineup:

John Cuijpers - lead vocals
Tino Troy - guitars & vocals
Chris Troy - bass & vocals
Andy Burgess - guitars & vocals
Hans in ’t Zandt - drums

Italian folk metal Kanseil have released a lyric video for “Densilòc”, a track from their second full-length album, Fulìsche, out on May 25th in Europe and June 8th in North America via Rockshots Records. Watch below, and pre-order the album here.

Formed in 2010, the band are a 21st century version of their land’s rich-story telling tapestry, they are bards with instruments, musical archaeologists, excavating the sounds and stories of their country’s past to create something new, beguiling and beautiful.

Inspired by Eluveitie, Skyforger, Arkona, Agalloch and Alcest plus having performed with the likes of Korpiklaani, At The Gates, Enslaved, Folkstone, Manegarm, Arkona, and Omnia, Kanseil will be releasing their second full-length Fulìsche in 2018 on May 25th for Europe and June 8th for North America. The album follows their 2015 debut Doin Earde released on Nemeton Records.

The band comments: “'Fulische' are the sparks of a fire moving away from the element they were born from, they shine in their own glow and you can watch them for a few instants before they disappear forever in the dark…In the same way mankind’s stories live in the collective memory until they take flight and you have a limited time to look at them and catch their beauty before they’re lost.”

Tracklisting:

“Ah, Canseja!”
“La Battaglia Del Solstizio”
“Ander De La Mate”
“Pojat”
“Orcolat”
“Serravalle”
“Vallòrch”
“Il Lungo Viaggio”
“Densilòc”

“Densilòc” lyric video:

Kanseil is:

Andrea Facchin (Lead Vocals)
Federico Grillo (Guitars)
Davide Mazzucco (Guitars, Bouzouki)
Dimitri De Poli (Bass)
Luca Rover (Drums)
Luca Zanchettin (Bagpipes, Kantele)
Stefano (Herian) Da Re (Whistles, Rauschpfeife)

VIO-LENCE singer Sean Killian, who underwent liver transplant surgery last month, has returned to the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to receive treatment for post-surgical complications, including infection and bile leaks. According to his wife Dana, the thrash metal vocalist was admitted on Friday and is undergoing "lots and lots" of diagnostic tests, with various issues being treated as they are discovered. "The worst is watching him suffer and not being able to help," she wrote in a Facebook post. "Physically, he is wasting away. The pain has been unbearable and difficult to manage. He's so very malnourished and weak."

Dana went on to say that Sean was "taken to surgery" earlier today, where surgeons will "re-open his incision, flush out the bile in his abdomen and make all necessary repairs." She added: "Praying this surgery will be the final, once-and-for-all solution so he can begin the healing process again and not have any more setbacks. More than likely, he'll be back in the ICU. The plan moving forward depends on what they discover."

Sean's brother-in-law Kevin Rivero served as a liver donor for last month's transplant surgery.

Last year, Killian was diagnosed with stage four liver cirrhosis, which was caused in part by a genetic condition called hemochromatosis.

The final stage of cirrhosis of liver is considered as the most dreaded phase of the condition. If the patient is diagnosed during this stage, the life expectancy of the sufferer — without a liver transplant — is said to be one year to three years.

This past January, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, FORBIDDEN and VIO-LENCE members performed at a benefit concert for Killian at The Midway in San Francisco, California.

"Killian On Command: An Evening Of Vio-Lence" saw the musicians play only VIO-LENCE material spanning the band's entire catalog of songs written from 1985 through 1992. They were joined by other heavy hitters from DEATH ANGEL, KAOS, ILL NINO, FANG, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT, VALOR & VENGEANCE, I AM MORBID, PSYCHOSOMATIC, D.R.I., ANNIHILATION, MERCENARY and SACRILEGE B.C.

"Killian On Command: An Evening Of Vio-Lence" concluded with a performance of the VIO-LENCE classic "World In A World" featuring four-fifths of the band's classic lineup — Robb Flynn (guitar), Phil Demmel (guitar), Perry Strickland (drums) and Dean Dell (bass), with Flynn handling lead vocals. (Killian could not perform with the other members due to his health condition). Demmel and Flynn are both now in MACHINE HEAD.

Megaforce Records reissued VIO-LENCE's classic debut album, "Eternal Nightmare", with a live bonus CD in June 2005. The bonus disc was recorded on December 14, 2001 at Slim's in San Francisco.

The clip below features backstage footage from Sepultura's April 13th show Birigui (São Paulo), Brazil.

eonmusic recently spoke with Sepultura guitarist Andreas Kisser about 20 years of having Derrick Green in the band, fronting Sepultura as a trio for one of their biggest shows at the height of their success, and the departure of Igor Cavalera.

On celebrating 20 years with Green, Kisser said; "It feels great to celebrate twenty years with Derrick. Against is the most important album in our career; without Against, we wouldn’t be here today."

Kisser went on to say that it's clear that Green was the right man for the job; "I think we made the right choice, and he did as well to be with us. And you see how much it’s possible to change stuff and still be Sepultura and still be faithful and honest with what you do."

Discussing the band's appearance at Donington '96, where Sepultura were forced to perform as a trio following the shocking death of Max Cavalera's stepson Dana Wells, Andreas recounted the difficult time: "I got the call form my wife saying that the accident killed Dana [Wells]. Dana was a good friend of ours, and Gloria Cavalera’s son, and I had to go to the room and pick up Gloria, the mother, and  tell her [that] her kid was dead. It was really heavy, but I guess I was the only one who could do that, because other people were just freaking out."

None the less, the guitarist remembers the show fondly, saying; "We all knew we could do that, and it was one of our amazing shows. I came onto the stage and I announced; 'We’re going to make one minute’s silence; a member of Sepultura family died today', and Castle Donington was silenced. I remember that; it was like goose bumps. It’s one of the most powerful moments of my life - I'd never felt something like that."

Kisser also admitted that Igor Cavalera's final years with the band were anything but easy, pointing to the recording of 2006's Dante XXI. "It was another very difficult album to make. Any type of break up is very difficult; it takes time, and it’s not a decision that you do like that [*snaps fingers*]."

Read the complete interview at eonmusic.co.uk.

Italy-based melodic prog metal band Last Union recently announced they plan to release their song "Taken" - featuring guest vocals by Dream Theater frontman James LaBrie - as a single this month. They have checked in with the following update:

"Ladies and gentlemen, back in January we said there were exciting things ahead for Last Union in 2018. It turns out that some great things are happening that we never planned on.

We were recently approached by a promotion & distribution company, as they are very interested in getting our music out to the world. Last Union is currently in negotiations with them and considering our options. That said, we are delaying the release of the “Taken” single in the interest of possibly having a bigger platform to launch it in the near future.

We will update you on the status of the band and the single by the end of April. Stay tuned..."

"Taken" single tracklist:

"Taken"  (radio edit - featuring James LaBrie)
"Taken" (James LaBrie solo version)
- rearranged acoustic song 
- surprise track

Destined for big adventures, Last Union features guitarist Cristiano Tiberi and vocalist Elisa Scarpeccio. Most Beautiful Day also celebrates ex-Helloween / ex-Masterplan drummer Uli Kusch' s return after a few years absence, and welcomes Symphony X bassist Mike LePond.

Tracklist:

"Most Beautiful Day"
"President Evil" (featuring James LaBrie)
"Hardest Way"
"Purple Angels"
"The Best of Magic"
"Taken" (radio edit - featuring James LaBrie)
"18 Euphoria"
"A Place in Heaven" (featuring James LaBrie)
"Ghostwriter"
"Limousine"
"Back in the Shadow"
"Taken" (featuring James LaBrie)

For information and updates on Last Union go to this location.

Devin Townsend has announced a series of high-quality, lavish vinyl collections under the name of "Eras". The first in this series is released on June 8 and features the quadrilogy of albums that came out during the period of 2009-2011 when the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT was first created.


The box set comes with seven LPs and includes the albums "Ki", "Addicted", "Deconstruction" and "Ghost", marking the first time that the latter two have ever been available on vinyl, while the former have been long out of print. All albums come in gatefold sleeves on 180-gram vinyl, and have been specially remastered for the format to guarantee the best possible sound and listening experience. The sturdy two-piece box also includes an LP booklet that features complete lyrics, liner notes and comments from Devin, and is limited to 2000 copies worldwide. There will be a total of four boxsets released over the course of the next few months.


Devin comments: "The DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT, although it went further than I had originally planned, began life as these four albums: 'Ki', 'Addicted', 'Deconstruction' and 'Ghost'. The music evolved in line with a period of intense personal growth, and the albums in chronological order were meant to illustrate that change. The amount of people involved with this was extensive, and the journey was one that defined my career in ways I cannot over express. These four albums are really what the DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT was about.


"I have been asked repeatedly over the last few years to provide these albums on vinyl, in one set. So we took this opportunity to put together 'Eras', which is the definitive vinyl box set encapsulating this period of my life and work that I am exceptionally proud of.

"As always, this wouldn't have come to fruition without the support of the tremendous audience who has allowed it to flourish, so respect to both yourselves, the people involved, and the music itself, we present to you; 'Eras'. Thank you for allowing me to continue to do what I do."

You can pre-order your copy, including various colored vinyl versions, now here.


DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT released the much-acclaimed "Transcendence" in late 2016, before embarking on one of Devin's biggest world tours ever, as well as playing a landmark show at The Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv, Bulgaria alongside the Orchestra of Plovdiv State Opera. This special performance saw them celebrate the 20th anniversary of his landmark "Ocean Machine" album, and was filmed for a Blu-ray/DVD release, to be made available this year. This marks the end of an era, as DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT was disbanded in early 2018 to pave the way for Devin to focus on numerous other creative, musical endeavours of which he is currently hard at work on.

CYNIC's Paul Masvidal has released a playthrough video for the track "Evolutionary Sleeper", which was taken from the band's 2008 album "Traced In Air". Check it out below.

Masvidal comments: "'Evolutionary Sleeper' was the acorn for all that became 'Traced In Air'. Fans have been asking for a playthrough of this song since it was released in 2008, and here it is."


In January, CYNIC released a brand new single called "Humanoid". The track marked the first new music from the progressive pioneers since their 2014 full-length, "Kindly Bent To Free Us".

"Humanoid" was recorded by Masvidal and longtime CYNIC bassist Sean Malone. The song also marked the debut of the band's new drummer, Matt Lynch.

For the mixing of "Humanoid", CYNIC partnered with renowned engineer Adam "Nolly" Getgood.

HOOBASTANK has premiered "Push Pull", the title track of the multi-platinum, three-time-Grammy-nominated band's upcoming album, due out May 25 on Napalm Records.

"Push Pull" finds HOOBASTANK — Doug Robb (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Dan Estrin (lead guitar, keyboards), Chris Hesse (drums, percussion, backing vocals), Jesse Charland (bass, keyboards, backing vocals) — exploring both rock and pop songwriting with a renewed vigor.


For its sixth studio album and first new music since 2012's "Fight Or Flight", the band partnered with producer Matt Wallace (FAITH NO MORE, DEFTONES, MAROON 5, Andy Grammer). As a result, "Push Pull" nails a bull's-eye to the group's underappreciated sweet spot — the large-scale, muscular '80s-'90s alternative rock of U2, DURAN DURAN, INXS and even TEARS FOR FEARS, whose "Heads Over Heels" gets a brawny, Bowie-esque take on the new collection. HOOBASTANK approached "Push Pull" with the swagger and confidence of a band whose first three albums all went either gold, platinum or multi-platinum.


Album highlights include the go-for-broke "Just Let Go (Who Cares if We Fall)", which sums up HOOBASTANK's attitude. "At least we get to fly," sings Robb. In the title track, "Push Pull", and "More Beautiful", Doug unleashes his falsetto, while the funky R&B feel is a tribute to Dan's early, late-'90s penchant for CHIC and "groove-based" dance music. Songs like "True Believer" and "Buzzkill (Before You Say Goodbye)" show HOOBASTANK maturing from adolescent to adult relationships, often examining the difficulty of keeping alive the sexuality that fuels them. "We Don't Need the World" and "There Will Never Be Another" explore the protective bubble and the memories which bind two people together. Doug's lyrics to the headphones-worthy "Fallen Star" were inspired by a memory of him watching television one night and seeing a military family of a soldier who had died in combat. It made him think of the brave men and women who serve and even more so now the parents of those who serve.