Two decades since its last release, Norwegian hard rock band CONCEPTION has reunited with its familiar lineup: Roy Khan, Tore Østby, Ingar Amlien and Arve Heimdal. Having decided to control the process themselves, the bandmembers now turn to their fans via a PledgeMusic campaign to help generate the funds they need for releasing their brand-new material.

Since releasing the album "Flow" in 1997, the members have been working on separate projects, but fans never gave up hope of seeing them together as a band again. There have been rumors and speculations for some time about a possible reunion, and now they confirm they've been quietly working for some time on this new material.

Says singer Roy Khan (ex-KAMELOT): "It's great to be back together. The strong bond we have makes for a great foundation for creativity. We can't wait to present our new music which we feel shows development but still bears the signature of CONCEPTION."

Adds guitarist Tore Østby: "I can only agree with Roy. I think it's been a surprising experience for all of us to meet each other musically again and find where this work has taken us."

The decision to do this on their own has been unanimous, to explore the possibilities in having full control. They have already formed a team of professionals believing in the band's comeback. The band intends to raise money to release a single and EP in the autumn.

Khan (full name: Roy Sætre Khantatat) recently released his first-ever solo song called "For All". The track, which was written by Khan, was recorded at Stable Studios in Oslo, Norway in March 2018 and features Roy on vocals, piano and keyboards alongside Leif Johansen on fretless bass and Geir Olav Akselsen on all guitars.

After his departure from KAMELOT seven years ago, Khan, who is a devout Christian, joined a church in the coastal town of Moss, Norway. As an employee of Moss Frikirke, Khan worked with the youth, mainly with the choir and the skaters of the village. Roy stopped working at the church in September 2016, but is reportedly still living and working in Moss.

Khan announced his exit from KAMELOT in April 2011 after taking several months off to recover from a "burnout." He explained in a statement at the time: "I told the guys in the band already last fall (well after my burnout) that I was leaving the band. Naturally enough, they were shocked (as was the label and everyone else working with KAMELOT). In addition to risk of dropping ticket sales, they wanted to give me time to think things over, and so I did. My decision still stands; it is finished."

KAMELOT officially announced Tommy Karevik as its new lead singer in June 2012. The Florida-based band has recorded three albums so far with the Swedish vocalist: 2012's "Silverthorn", 2015's "Haven" and "The Shadow Theory", which arrived earlier month.

ROBERT PLANT & THE SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS have released an official video for the song "The May Queen", filmed live at the O2 Apollo Manchester on November 30, 2017. The clip, directed by Ryan Mackfall and produced by Crashburn Media, can be seen below.

ROBERT PLANT & THE SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS recently completed a 12-city North American tour in support of their latest album, "Carry Fire".

Released in February on DVD and digital video was ROBERT PLANT & THE SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS "Live At David Lynch's Festival Of Disruption". The eight-song performance was captured on October 8, 2016 at L.A.'s Ace Hotel Theatre as part of David Lynch's inaugural Festival Of Disruption, which raised money for The David Lynch Foundation. In addition to newer solo material, Plant dips into his LED ZEPPELIN back catalogue with updated takes on such classics as "Black Dog", "Babe, I’m Gonna Leave You", "Going To California" and a medley of "Hoochie Coochie Man / Whole Lotta Love / Mona".

Robert Plant explained to The Pulse Of Radio that the truest expression of his musicality today can be summed up by the work he does with SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS. "The biggest joy is to get it right — to feel that you got it right," he said. "The whole thing, it's like a weave, because it's not the kind of... what people would expect. I've made a lot of music in Nashville and I've worked a lot with... [I've] modified my singing style quite a lot to fit in with another process. So, the music that I made with Alison Krauss and with the BAND OF JOY was more reflective. And when I came back to the U.K. recently, I just missed these guys and the way that they — they're coming from great places, y'know? It's strong urban British music."

IN THIS MOMENT has released the official music video for the song "Black Wedding". The track, which features a guest appearance by JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford, is taken from IN THIS MOMENT's latest album, "Ritual", which came out last July. The clip was co-directed by frontwoman Maria Brink and Robert John Kley and features a gloriously wicked and thoroughly dark take on the traditional matrimonial ceremony.

Brink said that having Halford guest on "Ritual" was "an honor." She also told "DOMKcast" that the PRIEST singer added his vocals after all the other parts were already laid down.

"We actually recorded the song first, we had all of our stuff on it, and then he came in afterward and put his parts into it," she said. "But we had already kind of shown him [how we wanted it to sound]."

According to Brink, "it's pretty common nowadays" for musicians to collaborate on records without actually being in the studio together, "because artists are always doing something — some of them are on tour" or in different parts of the world. "When I did our song on our last album with Brent [Smith] from SHINEDOWN, it was the same thing — we weren't in the studio at the same time," she said. "I wish we could be in the studio at the same time — it feels like it could be more connecting or something like that — but it went down this way. But it doesn't matter."

Maria added that "Black Wedding" is "definitely gonna be a single. And I think that's gonna be a favorite, for sure, on this album. And we're honored to have [Rob] be a part of it. He's a legend. So we're so excited. We became friends with him, and what an honor to have him be a part of it."

IN THIS MOMENT guitarist Chris Howorth told Metal Wani in an interview that Halford was a natural choice for the "Black Wedding" track.

"Maria was doing the lyrics — and it's almost like a duet, but she's singing to herself with the mother and the priest and we're, like, 'Rob Halford is the priest! He would be the coolest dude ever to have on this song.'

"A couple of years ago, he actually expressed interest in our band and came to see us. It blew our minds completely. We became friends with him from that point.

"He's been super influential to us and when we were doing the song, Maria was, like, 'I'm going to see if Rob's interested,' and he jumped right on it. It's so cool to have him on this song with us."

"Ritual" was released via Atlantic Records in partnership with Roadrunner Records.

With GODSMACK's seventh studio album, "When Legends Rise", just released on Friday (April 27), frontman Sully Erna discussed 10 albums that changed his life in a new interview with Classic Rock. Leading the list was AEROSMITH's 1976 album "Rocks", about which Erna said: "I'd been a musician since I was three-and-a-half years old, and I was raised on blues and more jazzy music... A friend played me 'Last Child' from 'Rocks'. I think it was the first time I smoked a joint, and it was a really life-changing point for me, because it really lured me into the world of rock. It was super-cool for a young kid."

Other albums on Erna's list include AC/DC's "Back In Black", METALLICA's 1983 debut "Kill 'Em All", the 1979 live LP "Unleashed In The East" from JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN's "Piece Of Mind".

The bottom half of Erna's list included RUSH's "Moving Pictures", PINK FLOYD's "The Dark Side Of The Moon", "Dirt" from ALICE IN CHAINS — which included the song "God Smack", from which Erna's band got its name — "Into The Labyrinth" from DEAD CAN DANCE and his own band's self-titled 1998 debut.

Erna told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that meeting one particular musical hero was a highlight of his 20 years as a recording artist. "Being able to meet [RUSH drummer] Neil Peart a couple of times, I didn't need to meet anyone else after that. As much as I love the Steven Tylers and the Joe Perrys and the James Hetfields, you know, I quit school because of RUSH. Really, that's all I did is I studied RUSH, you know. I sat home and strapped on headphones and played 'Moving Pictures' and 'Exit… Stage Left' and 'Signals' and all these great albums."

"When Legends Rise" follows up 2014's "1000hp" and comes as GODSMACK commemorates its 20th anniversary as a recording act. The first single is called "Bulletproof".

GODSMACK is performing at several music festivals this spring and summer, before launching a tour with SHINEDOWN on July 22 in Clarkston, Michigan.

In November, ARMORED SAINT will embark on a European tour commemorating the band's classic "Symbol Of Salvation" album. On this special run, the group will perform "Symbol Of Salvation" in its entirety.

ARMORED SAINT frontman John Bush comments: "Looking forward to coming to Europe in November to play the Metal Hammer Paradise show and others. Plus we're playing some cities for the first ever: Milan, Budapest and Zagreb. All this and 'Symbol Of Salvation' in its entirety. Should be an awesome tour. Come on out metalheads. SAINT will heat things up on these cold fall nights."

Tour dates:

Nov. 02 - Enschede, Netherlands - Atak

Nov. 03 - Weissenhäuser Strand, Germany - Metal Hammer Paradise

Nov. 08 - Budapest, Hungary - A38

Nov. 10 - Zagreb, Croatia - Mochvara Club

Nov. 11 - Milan, Italy - Legend Club

Bush previously said that "Symbol Of Salvation" was "arguably ARMORED SAINT's most important record. These songs came out of us being dropped from Chrysalis Records and finding out about guitarist Dave Prichard developing leukemia. The songs took on a much more emotional meaning than any other previous record. We wrote songs of desperation like 'Another Day' and 'Last Train Home'. Experimental tunes like 'Tainted Past' and 'The Truth Always Hurts'. Classic SAINT rockers like 'Reign of Fire', 'Dropping Like Flies' and the title track.

"After Dave passed, the band regrouped with Phil and Jeff returning as the guitar tandem. It was a family again. Dave Jerden produced the record and this marked the beginning of Joey becoming the producer of the band.

"It's going to be a memorable tour. Songs like 'Burning Question' and 'Spineless', we've never played live before. Come share it with us. Let's make Dave proud."

To further celebrate the legacy of this album, Metal Blade Records will reissue "Symbol Of Salvation" on CD and LP on May 18. The LP will feature a vinyl remastering from Patrick W. Engel as part of the "Metal Blade Originals" series. Special treatment and 400g heavy cardboard spine sleeves (inside out print), 60x60cm two-sided artwork posters and 250g inserts guaranteed! The CD will include four bonus tracks.

* CD (tour edition digipak w/ 4 bonus tracks)

* 180g black vinyl

* dark red maroon marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies - EU exclusive)

* clear red/purple/black/white splattered vinyl (limited to 200 copies - EU exclusive)

* violet rosy brown marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies - USA exclusive)

* pastel pink lilac marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies - USA exclusive)

CD track listing:

01. Reign of Fire

02. Dropping Like Flies

03. Last Train Home

04. Tribal Dance

05. The Truth Always Hurts

06. Half Drawn Bridge

07. Another Day

08. Symbol of Salvation

09. Hanging Judge

10. Warzone

11. Burning Question

12. Tainted Past

13. Spineless>

14. Medieval Nightmares (Demo)

15. Get Lost (Demo)

16. Toungue and Cheek (Demo)

17. Pirates (Demo)

Vinyl track listing:

Side A

01. Reign of Fire

02. Dropping Like Flies

03. Last Train Home

04. Tribal Dance

05. The Truth Always Hurts

06. Half Drawn Bridge

07. Another Day

Side B

01. Symbol of Salvation

02. Hanging Judge

03. Warzone

04. Burning Question

05. Tainted Past

06. Spineless

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

THE SEA WITHIN — the new art-rock collective comprise of Roine Stolt (TRANSATLANTIC, THE FLOWER KINGS), Daniel Gildenlöw (PAIN OF SALVATION), Jonas Reingold (STEVE HACKETT, THE FLOWER KINGS, KARMAKANIC, THE TANGENT), Tom Brislin (YES SYMPHONIC, RENAISSANCE, SPIRALING, DEBORAH HARRY) and Marco Minnemann (THE ARISTOCRATS, STEVEN WILSON, UK, JOE SATRIANI) — will release its debut self-titled album on June 22 via InsideOut Music.

The first studio trailer for the album can be seen below.

Let's get one thing straight from the start. THE SEA WITHIN is more of an amalgamation of some serious talents than a regular "supergroup." These musicians have come together to create a unique album. Guitarist/vocalist Roine Stolt, bassist Jonas Reingold, keyboard player/vocalist Tom Brislin, drummer/vocalist Marco Minnemann and vocalist/guitarist Daniel Gildenlöw have a vast reservoir of experience.

"I suppose it all began to take shape in the autumn of 2016," explains Stolt. "I had a chat with Thomas Waber, the boss at InsideOut Music, about the idea of putting together a new band. I wanted to move in a fresh direction with new collaborations. So Thomas gave me the 'go-ahead' to seek musicians for a new project." First onboard was THE FLOWER KINGS bass player Jonas Reingold. "He is a longtime bandmate and friend and we were also very keen to get keyboardist Tom involved — after seeing his synth pyrotechnics with legends YES 'Symphonic' and with CAMEL. Then we have been a fans of ARISTOCRATS drummer Marco for a long time; I first heard of him 15 years ago and he is a brilliant drummer, unique energy. Then when we discussed ideas for singers, Daniel's name came up, he has such a great range and dynamic voice and we've worked together on and off over the years." Also added later to the band's lineup for live shows was vocalist and guitarist Casey McPherson of FLYING COLORS and ALPHA REV, who also sings a couple of songs on the album.

Initially the band went to Livingston Studios in London last September to begin the process of assembling all the material and recording it for the debut album. "Most of the material you'll hear are really band compositions," says Stolt. "Of course, ideas were triggered by all of us. Sometimes Jonas would come up with a part, chord sequence or tune and then I or Tom would write melody and lyric and some new riff section and Marco enhancing with further musical metric twists and developments. Then Daniel would add or rewrite some of the lyrics, change or add more melodies. Overall, the vast majority of the tracks have been worked on and developed by all of us in one way or another."

The entire recording situation took about six months, and the band also have some very special guests featured on the album.
"We have got Jordan Rudess from DREAM THEATER playing piano on one song," says Stolt. "The legendary Jon Anderson sings on another track, while 'wind ace' Rob Townsend, who plays saxophone and flute with Steve Hackett, is also on the record. Each of them brings a different flavor to the music.

"People have asked me how I would describe what we have done, and it is almost impossible. I would have to say it sounds like…us, THE SEA WITHIN," continued says Stolt. "Our tastes are very eclectic — from prog to jazz to classical, to heavy rock, folk, punk, electronica and pop. We all come from a different background — so here everything goes. This has been about putting those diverse influences into the music. I feel you will hear all that's good about pop — with great melodies and hooks — plus the rawness of metal, improvisations, symphonic and movie soundtracks. We also left room for each of us to take off on flights of instrumental jamming. That was the basic idea, anyway. But until we all got together, we had no idea where it would lead or if it would actually work." The band ended up recording close to two hours of music, and will release it all in June on what will be a self-titled album.

THE SEA WITHIN as a music collective has plans to perform live, and will make its stage debut at Night Of The Prog in Loreley, Germany which happens from July 13-15 and will bring special guests for that evening. "As far as I am concerned, we will try do as much touring as possible," says Stolt. "We have a great band, great label and our agent Rob Palmen onboard. We have great artwork by Marcela Bolivar, all looks bright. However, Daniel will not be able to join us for touring now, as he has commitments with main band PAIN OF SALVATION. With Casey taking the vocal spot, now with us live, we can go out on the road and play this album and beyond and grow as a band. We have so much to offer musically, on record and on stage and I am sure we will develop a lot over the next few years. But 'The Sea Within' album is a great start. I am excited for everyone to hear what we have done and am now thrilled to start working on the songs for the live show."

The album will be available as a special edition 2CD digipak, gatefold 2LP vinyl and 2CD and as digital download.

You can find the full track listing below:

Disc 1:

01. Ashes Of Dawn

02. They Know My Name

03. The Void

04. An Eye For An Eye For An Eye

05. Goodbye

06. Sea Without

07. Broken Cord

08. The Hiding Of The Truth

Disc 2:

01. The Roaring Silence

02. Where Are You Going?

03. Time

04. Denise

"Prey", the new Neal Walters-directed video from the Australian metal band PARKWAY DRIVE, can be seen below. The song is taken from the group's upcoming studio album, "Reverence", which will be released on May 4 via Epitaph Records.

Frontman Winston McCall stated about the follow-up to 2015's "Ire": "'Reverence' represents the most honest and personal record we have ever created. It has been born through pain, sacrifice, and conviction, with the ultimate goal of expanding not only what PARKWAY DRIVE stand for musically, but who we are as people."

Regarding the album title, McCall told Rock Sound: "'Reverence' is basically making the most of what you have and the time you have, and being conscious of it. It's quite simply that. It comes from a very dark place and the revelation of that came from a very dark place too. It's the fact that what you have can be gone very quickly. You have no idea how fast it can all come crashing down. It's simply taking the time to realise just what you have, because, at the end of the day, time is the only thing that's worth anything. You can't buy it."

McCall also spoke about PARKWAY DRIVE's musical evolution, saying: "Very early on, we were, like, 'Let's just write whatever the hell we want.' 'Ire' was written in a way where we were searching for reinvention. It was really difficult and stressful. It was breaking our old walls down and forging something new out of it for us. Trying to find what we really liked and what we still loved and fusing the two together. It was going somewhere too scary for us too. So this time around, coming off the back of 'Ire', which is the most successful thing we've ever created, it was just us saying that we're going to do whatever the fuck we want. It was really awesome and it made writing the album really easy musically. We were so terrified. The band became far more successful than we ever hoped, and we were like, 'Shit! Do we stop now?' 'Vice Grip' was the 'what the fuck' moment, then the rest of it everyone was, like, 'Yeah, I get it.' This record, though, there is far more variation, but there isn't going to be anything that shocks anyone. PARKWAY DRIVE is still there, but we are there in a far different way."

"Reverence" track listing:

01. Wishing Wells

02. Prey

03. Absolute Power

04. Cemetery Bloom

05. The Void

06. I Hope You Rot

07. Shadow Boxing

08. In Blood

09. Chronos

10. The Colour Of Leaving

PARKWAY DRIVE is McCall, guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling, bassist Jia O'Connor and drummer Ben Gordon.

Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE have released the official music video for their new single, "Over It". The song is taken from the band's sixth studio album, "Gravity", which will be made available on June 29.

The "Over It" clip was directed by Stuart T. Birchall of Numinous Pictures.

"Gravity" will be issued through BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's new label home, Search And Destroy, the imprint launched in 2014 by Spinefarm and international artist management company Raw Power Management. The follow-up to 2015's "Venom" marks BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's full-length recording debut with new drummer Jason Bowld (PITCHSHIFTER, AXEWOUND), who has been touring with the group for the past two years, and bassist Jamie Mathias (formerly of REVOKER), who joined the band after the last disc was completed.

"Over the last 12 months, I've been thinking about the word 'contemporary' a lot," singer/guitarist Matt Tuck says. "And I feel this is a contemporary record. It's not an old-school, heart-on-your-sleeve influences thing. We've done that so let's move forward and make the band more interesting. We don't want to alienate anyone… but we don't want to write the same shit anymore. Metalheads will enjoy this. I actually feel the softer electronic parts make the heavy moments even more crushing. It's about engaging the listener and taking them on a journey, messing with their heads a bit…"


The three years since "Venom" haven't been easy for BFMV's commander-in-chief. But instead of falling deeper down a tunnel of self-despair, he channelled his life experiences into art like never before. It would be one of the most introspective and revelatory processes of his life — by his own admission, a personal and creative evolution that simply needed to happen…

"This is me pouring my heart out into song," continues Matt. "It's all about that journey. I picked up my guitar, even though I didn't really want to, and it's like I couldn't stop it, like I couldn't fight it… Something boldly experimental can't be done on a whim, we had to be comfortable and eventually we got there. The album is so up and down, so positive on tracks like 'Not Dead Yet', which is all about seizing the day and catching the moment. Then 'Under Again' is all about the crushing depression I had about a year ago. The whole thing captures the character of… well, me — with some help from [producer] Carl Bown. There's so much weight to this music without being complicated. That's exactly what this album is: very uncomplicated."


BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE recently completed an extensive American tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BREAKING BENJAMIN.

RIVERDOGS, the band featuring DEF LEPPARD and LAST IN LINE guitarist Vivian Campbell, played its first show since 2004 last December at the Frontiers Rockin' Christmas Bash 2017 at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills, California.

Award-winning filmmaker Sebastien Paquet captured the group during the week of rehearsals and showcases leading up to the show and produced this brief retrospective piece in the band's own words.

The visually stunning film shows behind-the-scenes and performance footage of the band while Campbell and Rob Lamothe (lead vocals, guitar) guide the viewer through the story of the band and its 27-year history.

RIVERDOGS' comeback album, "California", was released last July via Frontiers Music Srl.

Featuring original members Campbell, Lamothe and Nick Brophy (bass, vocals), along with drummer Marc Danzeisen, the band's fifth album is RIVERDOGS' first new music since the eight-song mini album, "World Gone Mad", came out in October 2011.

Mixing the soulful vocals of Lamothe with the edgy guitarwork of Campbell and solid rhythmic lines from Brophy and Danzeisen, the album marks a definitive return to the sound of their critically acclaimed 1990 self-titled debut album.


On the making of the album, Campbell said: "When my friends at Frontiers suggested a RIVERDOGS album in the spirit of the original debut record, I jumped at the chance to make it. In my opinion, 'Riverdogs' was a highlight of my career with some of my best guitar playing and definitely a record that flew under the radar. Having a clear direction of exactly what kind of record to make really helped the four of us create the music and there was an intense collective focus throughout the entire process that never wavered. I really think that we hit the target in creating a record that has all the hallmarks, the integrity and the emotional strength of the original debut. The fact that we've all remained such close friends throughout all the years only added to the joyous experience that was the making of this record."

Added Lamothe: "Going into this project, my goal was to enjoy the opportunity of making music with some of my best friends, to share this incredible experience with my family... and to create something that RIVERDOGS fans will probably think is pretty bloody awesome. Big guitars! Beautiful melodies! Words about crazy, complicated, real stuff! I feel like Nick, Viv, Marc and I all brought our 'A' games to the writing and recording sessions. That's way more important than money and awards and fame to me."


Brophy summed up the writing process for the album: "In summer of 2016, I found myself in Los Angeles, reunited with three of my closest friends, about to begin a new RIVERDOGS album. Marc had arranged a rehearsal environment at a friend's house, which was to provide the creative atmosphere for writing new material. I stood there with bass in hand thinking, 'Okay, now what?' Little did I know that a few days later we would have six new RIVERDOGS songs and the album 'California' was born. The remaining six songs came, surprisingly, just as easily, a testament to the amazing talents of Vivian, Rob, Marc and the effortless way in which we work as a group. Our clear goal for this album was to remain true to the original RIVERDOGS sound and provide fans with a new set of songs which carry on the legacy of a truly remarkable band."


RIVERDOGS formed in Los Angeles at the end of the '80s when flashy, glitzy hard rock ruled the day, but they were determined to avoid clichés and adopted an original sounding blues-rock style. Campbell of SWEET SAVAGE, DIO and WHITESNAKE fame at the time (soon to join and become a long-standing member of DEF LEPPARD and later, founding member of LAST IN LINE as well) was initially brought on board to produce the band's first demo, but was so impressed with the band that he actually became a member and played on the debut album. Soon after the release, Marc Danzeisen joined Rob, Nick and Vivian to complete the lineup.


Though fans and critics gave the album a warm reception and high regard, the unfortunate and age old story of change of personnel at their record label came about and eventually led the band members to go their own ways, with Campbell settling into the DEF LEPPARD lineup and Nick Brophy becoming a respected engineer and producer. RIVERDOGS, with a revamped lineup, released two more records in 1993, "Bone" and "Absolutely Live", before going on an extended hiatus. They reconvened, with the original lineup, in 2003 to record new material and play a few reunion shows. Those new songs were recorded as demos, but only completed in the studio in 2011 when "World Gone Mad" was released.

URIAH HEEP guitarist Mick Box was recently interviewed by 365NYportal.com. The full conversation can be seen below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):

On whether he thinks the music industry has changed for the better over the years:

Mick: "It's very hard to say. I think it's a bit of each. It's good that things are so immediate now, but it's also a disposable age where you can do everything with one button in your home, and it arrives the nxt morning, so there's no anticipation, no romanticism involved with the music. It's very disposable. That's the bad side of it. The good side is the immediacy, with Facebook and web sites and Instagram and things, everything happens very quickly. In the old days, you used to wait six months for a fan letter, but now, it's six seconds, and you're in."

On the musical scene in England in the late 1960s:

Mick: "It was total madness. It was changing very quickly from all these bands that wore suits and did little dances while they played, to those growing long hair and being rebellious and big stacks of amplifiers behind us. It was a very exciting time, and it was only done out of the love and passion of what you did. That's why so many good songs came out in that era, and they still stand the test of time today."

On the 16-minute title track of the group's 1971 sophomore album, "Salisbury":

Mick: "It's a very long song. It's very adventurous, very progressive, but I think that depicts the time that we wrote that song. It was all very free. There were no rules; we were making new rules, so we didn't stay within the three-minute format. It was all part of that rebellion. To us, it was just a song that we allowed to dictate where we went with it, rather than stop it and say, 'Now we need a middle-eight. Now we need a chorus.' We just let it breathe, and by doing that, it became very good."

On original URIAH HEEP vocalist David Byron, who sang on the group's first ten albums and died of alcohol-related complications in 1985:

Mick: "David was one of the best vocalists I've ever worked with, simply because he never just sang a song; he lived in the song. Therefore, it touched everyone that heard his voice, because he was very believable. I think that was his greatest asset. After that, he became a charismatic person, and he was a star 24/7. He never left it, whereas I can get up there, do my piece and come down and I'll be the same as anyone else. He couldn't — he had to live it."

On why he's never released a solo album:

Mick: "I have a balance in life between my family and my musical life. It's very important for me to keep that balance, and it keeps me sane. If I go home after six weeks or twelve weeks on the road and say I'm going to go and start working on a solo album and I'll be away for another three months, I think my family would kill me. [Laughs] If I have to do it, I'd only do it correctly and get a band together — a bunch of musicians that I really like to play with. We'd go in, we'd rehearse it proper and we'd go through the whole process of getting the album together. I couldn't do it cheaply on a computer at home or anything like that. I think that balance in life just doesn't allow me to do it because URIAH HEEP takes up so much of my time."

On the group's forthcoming album, "Living The Dream":

Mick: "It's recorded. We recorded it in January in 19 days with a Canadian producer called Jay Ruston, who's a marvelous guy. He's produced [THE] WINERY DOGS and STONE SOUR; he's worked with BLACK STAR RIDERS, with EUROPE. He's in L.A. now mixing it. We'll release it in September."

On being the first Western rock band allowed to perform in Soviet Russia in the late 1980s:

Mick: "I don't think we had any message other than what we had with our music. We just let our music do the speaking. We were invited over there when Gorbachev and Reagan were having their peace talks, and we thought, 'Why not?' We said, 'Are we popular enough to be going over there?' Our Hungarian promoter said, 'You won't believe how popular you are.' We went over and found out how popular we were through the black market. We played to 180,000 people, and it was wonderful."

On his favorite URIAH HEEP album:

Mick: "The next one. Never look back. Be proud of your history, but never look back, and never let it be a weight around your neck. You have to keep moving forward."

"Living The Dream" will be made available via Frontiers Music Srl.

URIAH HEEP is:

Mick Box: Guitar, Vocals

Phil Lanzon: Keyboards, Vocals

Bernie Shaw: Lead Vocals

Russell Gilbrook: Drums, Vocals

Dave Rimmer: Bass, Vocals

Ozzy Osbourne official kicked off his "No More Tours 2" Friday night (April 27) at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Jacksonville, Florida. He was joined at the gig by his longtime collaborators Zakk Wylde (guitar), Rob "Blasko" Nicholson (bass), Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Adam Wakeman (keyboards)

The setlist for the concert was as follows:

01. Bark At The Moon

02. Mr. Crowley

03. I Don't Know

04. Suicide Solution

05. No More Tears

06. Road To Nowhere

07. War Pigs

08. Miracle Man / Crazy Babies / Desire / Perry Mason (Zakk Wylde Guitar Solo)

09. Drum Solo

10. I Don't Want To Change The World

11. Shot In The Dark

12. Crazy Train

Encore:

13. Mama, I'm Coming Home

14. Paranoid

Osbourne has one more show booked in the U.S. this month — Sunday, April 29 at the Fort Rock festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida — before heading overseas for much of May, June and July.

The main North American leg of "No More Tours 2" will launch on August 30 at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania and run through October 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ozzy will be joined by STONE SOUR for this leg of the tour.

"No More Tours 2" is a reference to Ozzy's 1992 "No More Tours" jaunt, which was meant at the time to be his goodbye to the road.

The heavy metal legend said in a statement: "I've been extremely blessed to have had two successful music careers. I'm looking at this final tour as being a huge celebration for my fans and anyone who has enjoyed my music over the past five decades."

Ozzy admitted a while back that his voice doesn't always hold up these days. "Sometimes it blows out," he said. "I do the best I can. Sometimes I sound terrible, and sometimes it's good, you know. But I'm only human. I mean, I'm honest about it, you know."

Ozzy's solo swan song is expected to last into 2020 and will mark his final bout of global touring, although he will still perform selected shows in the future. He and BLACK SABBATH bid farewell to their 50 years on the road more than a year ago with two final concerts in their hometown of Birmingham, England.

Tommy Vext and Doc Coyle of BAD WOLVES performed an acoustic version of their band's cover version of THE CRANBERRIES' "Zombie" in the 97.1 The Eagle AT&T Thanks Sound Studio. Check out video footage of the performance below.

Vext recently said that he and his bandmates were "overwhelmed" by the reaction to their rendition of "Zombie", which they have released in tribute to THE CRANBERRIES' late singer, Dolores O'Riordan.

O'Riordan was slated to record vocals for BAD WOLVES' cover of the track (which she described as "killer") on the day of her passing. The band decided to release the song in her honor with all BAD WOLVES' proceeds going to her children.

Vext said the idea of covering "Zombie" came about when he was writing material for BAD WOLVES' debut album.

"I kind of do the same thing every day: I go to the coffee shop, I write lyrics and then we go to the studio. And 'Zombie' came on the radio," Tommy recounted. "It really took me back to a place. I loved THE CRANBERRIES when I was a kid. I started playing music when I was 13 and them and NIRVANA and SOUNDGARDEN were these alternative bands that really, really touched me. And then I looked into the lyrics and really got into it and it felt like we should really do this thing."

After finding out about O'Riordan's passing, "I was devastated," Vext said. "I think the whole band has kind of being going through a process. It's one of those things, it's like: we don't mourn the death of an artist because we knew them; we mourn them because they helped us know ourselves. And that was my experience with her art and her music."

BAD WOLVES, which is managed by Zoltan Bathory of FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, consists of of Vext, Coyle, guitarist Chris Cain (BURY YOUR DEAD) and bassist Kyle Konkiel (ex-IN THIS MOMENT).

BAD WOLVES' debut album, "Disobey", will be released on May 18 via Eleven Seven Music.

The band will tour the U.S. later in the year with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and SHINEDOWN.

Pittsburgh-based traditional heavy metal outfit ICARUS WITCH has announced the addition of vocalist Andrew D'Cagna (BRIMSTONE COVEN, IRONFLAME) to the group's ranks. The band has also released a music video for "Goodbye Cruel World", the title track of its forthcoming studio album, due later this year via Cleopatra Records.

"After working closely with Andrew in IRONFLAME, I heard his voice in my head singing the new ICARUS WITCH material and thought it would fit perfectly," explains ICARUS WITCH guitarist Quinn Lukas, who also plays live in IRONFLAME. "He delivers his melodies with grit and attitude."

For his part, Andrew says: "I'm both grateful and excited to be part of this new era of ICARUS WITCH. I see this as a chance to expand my horizons as a vocalist and bring a new dynamic element to the band."

The "Goodbye Cruel World" drum sessions were performed by Jon Rice (JOB FOR A COWBOY, SCORPION CHILD) with mixing and pre-production duties handled by Grammy Award-winning producer Neil Kernon (JUDAS PRIEST, NEVERMORE, QUEENSRŸCHE).

"We wanted to go for a different sonic approach this time out — work with someone who was integral to classic metal's heyday but who also still has an ear for modern production," says ICARUS WITCH founder and bassist Jason Myers. "One of the albums Quinn and I always bonded over in terms of production is QUEENSRŸCHE's 'Rage For Order', so Neil Kernon was on our short list of dream producers to work with. The fact that he's been behind the board for vintage KANSAS and LYNCH MOB albums but also worked with trad contemporaries like 3 INCHES OF BLOOD and CAULDRON made him the logical choice to help us push our odd hybrid of dark AOR and proggish metal."

D'Cagna produced his own vocals at Sacred Sound Recording, a busy studio that he operates when not on the road or running Hot Rod Tattooing & Body Piercing shop, both of which are in Martins Ferry, Ohio.

The guitar, bass and drums were tracked by one of Pittsburgh's most in-demand up-and-coming engineers Shane Mayer (DEATHWHITE, POST MORTAL POSSESSION) at Cerebral Audio Productions, where he also edited the video that he filmed for the "Goodbye Cruel World" single.

When it came time to choose a mastering facility, former ICARUS WITCH producer/guitarist Dave Watson recommended Fascination Street in Stockholm, Sweden as they did an admirable job polishing his last production for fellow Pittsburgh metallers ARGUS. This proved to be an excellent match for the new WITCH, which was consequently mastered by Jens Bogren whose work includes the most recent AMORPHIS and KATATONIA.

"We wanted to tell the world about Andrew joining the WITCH last fall when we made it official," Myers admits of the delayed announcement. "At the same time, we wanted to let the music do the talking rather than have people speculate for months what the new music might sound like with his voice. We're stoked to finally be able to share a sample of the new energy and creativity that he helped breathe into the band's sound ahead of our sixth album!"

Photo credit: Shane Mayer

LION'S SHARE and ASTRAL DOORS singer Nils Patrik Johansson has released the official lyric video of for "Evil Deluxe", the title track of his debut solo album. The disc will be released on May 25 via the German label Metalville.

"I have thought about a solo album for ten years, but then CIVIL WAR came into the picture and I used all my ideas for the three albums that we did" Nils Patrik reveals. "After my departure from them, I felt that I wanted to focus 100 percent on ASTRAL DOORS and LION'S SHARE. But all of a sudden inspiration came back — and from out of nowhere, I had 10 new killer songs. It felt natural to hire my LION'S SHARE bandmate Lars Chriss as producer and guitar player. My son Fredrik Johansson plays drums on the record, so finally father and son Johansson will appear on the same album."

Other musicians on the album:

Chris Boltendahl (GRAVE DIGGER) - Vocals

Andy Loos (LION'S SHARE, GLORY) - Bass

Fredrik Bergh (BLOODBOUND) - Keyboards

Kay Backlund (LION'S SHARE) - Keyboards

Anuviel (SAECRED SPIRIT) - Keyboards

Marcus Bengts - Bass

Video footage of POISON frontman Bret Michaels performing acoustic versions of the songs "Something To Believe In" and "All I Ever Needed" as part of his new "Live From The Living Room" series can be seen below.

Michaels is a multiplatinum global superstar who has turned his passion for music into a multi-faceted brand that encompasses record-breaking touring sales, reality TV stardom, legendary songs that have sold over 32 million records, product endorsements as well as being a devoted philanthropist, all supported and followed by three generations of loyal fans.

Bret was born in Butler, Pennsylvania on March 15, 1963. Rising to fame as the frontman of POISON, one of rock's most iconic and enduring bands, he helped define rock 'n' roll on the Sunset Strip. POISON's massive success includes selling over 30 million records worldwide and numerous hit singles. Bret's solo career has charted its own course with multiple solo albums. His last album, "Custom Built", included guest appearances by Joe Perry (AEROSMITH) Loretta Lynn, Jimmy Buffett, Ace Frehley (KISS), Michael Anthony (VAN HALEN) and members of LYNYRD SKYNYRD.

When this multi-talented performer is not touring, he can be found both in front of and behind the camera as a director, producer and a reality TV superstar. Shows like "Rock Of Love With Bret Michaels" on VH1, "Life As I Know It" and Bret has also starred in and won Donald Trump's NBC hit "Celebrity Apprentice".

Michaels's latest television endeavor, "Rock My RV With Bret Michaels" will see him and his team revamping and redesigning dilapidated RVs in true rock star form and style. The show will begin airing on the Travel Channel in May.

KISS frontman Paul Stanley says that the band will embark on its "biggest tour" next year.

"A major KISS tour, I would say, starts at the end of January," he revealed during an appearance earlier today (Friday, April 27) on CNBC's "Squawk Box" (see video below). "It hasn't been announced yet, so don't tell anybody," he joked. "Breaking news."

"This will be the biggest tour we've done, the biggest show we've done," he added, according to the CNBC web site, but didn't give any other details.

Rumors of KISS's final run of live shows gained strength a couple of months ago following the news that the band was attempting to trademark the phrase "The End Of The Road." An application from KISS was filed on February 8 to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, which — should it be accepted — means that the band could use it in connection with "live performances by a musical band." As it stands now, no official farewell tour has been announced.

As most fans remember, back in 2000 and 2001, KISS already performed a "Farewell Tour". The trek, which was the last to feature drummer Peter Criss, played 142 shows over five legs, covering North America, Japan, and Australia.

In a brand new interview with Australia's News Corp, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons confirmed that he "had nothing to do" with KISS's attempt to trademark "The End Of The Road."

"The god's honest truth is that I've heard this before but I literally had never heard of it until somebody mentioned it and I had nothing to do with it," he said. "So I might learn something, but I know nothing of it. I wouldn't pull your leg, by the way.

"Kiss Catalog [the company that filed 'The End Of The Road' application] is one of our companies, that's true — but we trademark all sorts of things. I own [the phrase] 'Motion Pictures' — I actually do.

"There's always been talk, every tour, that this is the last time.

"Let me put it bluntly: One day we are going to stop and do the last show. I don't know when that is… I still look stunning in real life," he laughed.

"The band's in great shape — Tommy [Thayer, guitar] and Eric [Singer, drums] are fantastic. Everybody finally seems happy with their lot in life."

Stanley admitted that he was behind "The End Of The Road" trademark application, telling journalist Michael Cavacini: "It's not the first trademark that's been filed. I thought it was a terrific name, and I was surprised nobody had used it before. I wanted to make sure that when we used it, and there will be a time that we do, I imagine — I wanted to be sure that we own it and it's ours. When we wanted to go out and do the 'Hottest Show On Earth' tour, Ringling Bros. came to us and said, 'You can't do that.' It set off a light and bell for me. We've always had slogans or sayings that are synonymous with us, and this was another. Everything does end, in one form or another. When it's my time, I want to go out in style, and I want to go out guns blazing. So, when I came up with this idea, I thought let's make sure we tie this up."

Stanley previously said that the band's tumultuous "Farewell Tour" in 2000 was nothing more than an attempt by the group to "put KISS out of its misery" after years of ego clashes and disagreements over songwriting credits between the band's original members.

Back in January, Stanley said that he wasn't sure "about the idea of KISS coming to an end. We've built something that's so iconic, and I think it transcends any of the members so I can certainly see me not being there, seriously." He also spoke about his reasons for wanting to spend less time on the road. "I don't want to go leave home," he said. "I have a family and I have children and, honestly, I think my primary responsibility is to be a dad, and I don't want to miss out on that. And certainly, as we got older, we know that life is finite and I pick and choose what I want to do at this point."

Canadian hardcore metal punks CANCER BATS have just released an animated video for "Gatekeeper". Directed by Stevie Gee and written by Gee and Essy May, who both worked on MASTODON's "Steambreather", the super-awesome '80s-inspired animated short features motorbike-riding ghouls, a sorcerer and the CANCER BATS performing in a crystal ball.

"'Gatekeeper' is one of the best tracks off the new album so I was so stoked to be making a video for it," says Stevie Gee. "I've been wanting to make a goofball violent '80s cartoon for a while so I was super happy to do that for my friends, the CANCER BATS. Hail destroyer!"

Of the video, lead vocalist Liam Joseph Cormier says: "We are way too excited to release one of the greatest videos we have had the pleasure of being connected to. We cannot take any credit for it, Stevie Gee is the creative mastermind behind the whole thing and he drew all of it!!"

Lifted from the CANCER BATS' sixth album, "The Spark That Moves", "the song is about those people we have the misfortune of crossing paths with in our lives, who use lies schemes and deceit to make their way through this world," says Cormier. "Everyone has a choice and its theirs to continue down this path that will never work out for them. They are the gate keepers to their own future."

CANCER BATS surprise-released "The Spark That Moves" on April 20 through the band's own record label Bat Skull Records in partnership with New Damage Records in Canada and the U.S.

"We were just tired of waiting," said Cormier. "We spent all of 2017 working hard on this album, all while playing shows and talking with our fans, who were constantly asking, 'When can we hear new music?' We figured why make anyone wait any longer, let's just drop the entire new album all at once," Cormier enthused. "I know as a fan, I just want to hear everything right away, let me buy the record right now! We figured, why not release our own music the way we want."


On top of releasing all 11 tracks off of their new record, CANCER BATS decided to pull "a bit of a Beyonce" and have dropped a music video for every song on the album.


"The Spark That Moves" track listing:

01. Gatekeeper

02. Brightest Days

03. We Run Free

04. Space & Time

05. Bed of Nails

06. Headwound

07. Fear Will Kill Us All

08. Rattlesnake

09. Can’t Sleep

10. Heads Will Roll

11. Winterpeg


"The Spark That Moves" follows the band's critically successful album "Searching For Zero" (2015), which landed CANCER BATS their fourth Juno Award nomination for Metal/Hard Music Album. Recorded in Winnipeg, Manitoba under the watchful eyes and ears of JP Peters (PROPAGANDHI) at his studio Private Ear and mixed by longtime collaborator and award-winning producer Eric Ratz (producer of "Hail Destroyer", "Bears Mayors Scraps & Bones" and "Dead Set On Living"), "The Spark That Moves" is CANCER BATS at its finest. Combining all of the elements from the band's last five releases, the 11 tracks that make up the album blend together the group's most melodic moments with their most aggressive, becoming a savage sprint of hardcore, punk, sludge, and metal that leaves the listener craving more. Drummer Mike Peters and lead bass player Jaye Schwarzer seamlessly collide together like two wild beasts, while guitarist Scott Middleton blasts his signature layers of squeals and destruction over top. All of this thunderously led by singer Cormier's now fully formed melodic growl as he fires both positive, inspiring lyrics and scorching damnation as displayed on album opener "Gate Keeper". Without skipping a beat, they fire on track 2, "Brightest Days", shifting back to a classic BATS positive party anthem. The record seamlessly keeps this pace of raw, catchy, anthemic, metal and punk. Halfway through it breathes with the melodic standout "Bed Of Nails", a touch of desert rock they add into the mix before diving back into the chaos that is "Head Wound". This pace continues right until the crushing album closer "Winterpeg", an ode to the very city they recorded in, featuring guest vocals from Chris Hannah of the legendary Winnipeg punk band PROPAGANDHI.


Photo credit: Asad Aman

Little Rock, Arkansas-based ruminant progressive doom quartet PALLBEARER recently premiered a new track titled "Dropout" as the 53rd installment of the Adult Swim Singles Program. The song, which is available digitally today, represents a subtle expansion of the singular doom-prog metal sound the quartet is known for.


To coincide with this release, the band has also made an accompanying mini-documentary which gives a behind-the-scenes look at the making of "Dropout", recorded at Fellowship Hall Sound in Little Rock.


Comments the band: "We have almost always written music intended to exist as part of an album, with common musical and lyrical threads that tie many elements together into one release. Being freed from those confines in recording this song allowed us to explore themes and immediacy that might not have been uncovered in our more typical 'large format' composition process."

"Dropout" follows the band's 2017 critically acclaimed album "Heartless", which was recorded entirely to analogue tape at Fellowship Hall Sound in Little Rock, Arkansas between June and August 2016. The record was produced by PALLBEARER, and mixed by widely known producer Joe Barresi (TOOL, MELVINS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, FU MANCHU). Engineering was handled by Jason Weinheimer and Zach Reeves, and mastered by Grammy-winning mastering engineer Dave Collins (BLACK SABBATH, ALICE COOPER, SOUNDGARDEN, METALLICA).

Initially formed in 2008, PALLBEARER grew from the fertile underground metal scene of Little Rock, Arkansas — releasing their debut full-length, "Sorrow And Extinction", in early 2012. The record made an immediate and immense impact on die-hard doom fans and metal critics alike, also forming the four-piece fans outside of the metal scene. Hailed by Rolling Stone as the #1 metal album of 2012, the album also received the coveted Best New Music stamp of approval from Pitchfork and landed the band on end of year lists at SPIN and NPR.

Their formidable sophomore record, 2014's "Foundations Of Burden" featured on countless critics' end-of-year lists and cemented their reputation as an unstoppable and emotive force — driving doom beyond its imagined limits, carving themselves an entirely original path through the realm of heavy music. The record charted in the Billboard Top 100, achieving Pitchfork's Best New Music accolade and Decibel's highly honored "Album Of The Year" award.

PALLBEARER is:

Brett Campbell - Lead Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Synthesizers

Devin Holt - Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Vocals

Mark Lierly - Percussion

Joseph D. Rowland - Electric Bass, Vocals, Synthesizers

Photo credit: Diana Lee Zadlo

"Hatred Index", the debut EP from the Southern California blackened death metal outfit WITCH CASKET, can be streamed in its entirety below. The effort was produced, engineered and mixed by the band's guitarist, Colin "Nylock" Cameron, and mastered by Maor Appelbaum of Maor Appelbaum Mastering. Nylock handled guitar, bass, drums, piano, keyboards and orchestral arrangements, while vocals were performed by Drogoth, with additional guitar by Neal Tiemann.


Nylock had this to say about the writing process: "I wanted to do something different. I wasn't concerned with genre or subculture. I just wanted to write for the piece and let it flow from the darkness, untapped and unfiltered. Just the metal that I wanted to create, nothing more."


The band will play an album-release show on June 24 at The Slidebar in Fullerton, California.


WITCH CASKET was formed by ex-members of SOTHIS from Los Angeles, and guitarist Neal Tiemann of DEVILDRIVER. After over a decade of creating symphonic black metal, these musicians were looking to write more melodic death metal-style songs while still keeping aspects of the previous band's style.

"Hatred Index" track listing:

01. Hatred Index

02. That Damn Devil

03. Dawn Everlasting

04. History of Violence

05. The True Knot

Recording lineup:

Nylock: Guitar, Bass, Drums, Piano Keyboards and Orchestral Arrangements

Drogoth: Vocals

Neal Tiemann: Guitar


Live lineup:

Nylock: Guitar

Drogoth: Vocals

Scathe: Guitar

Aramis Arredondo: Bass

Kaspars Lucey-Grinbergs: Drums

The new instrumental album "Disney Super Guitar" features guitarists Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY), Paul Gilbert (MR. BIG), Tak Matsumoto (B'Z), George Lynch (DOKKEN), Orianthi, and others performing hard-rocking, virtuosic versions of timeless Disney songs.

With cover art depicting Mickey Mouse "shredding" on an electric guitar, "Disney Super Guitar" arrives worldwide on April 27 via Walt Disney Records. In addition to the guitar stars already listed, the album also features Phil X (BON JOVI), Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (GUNS N' ROSES), Jeff Watson (NIGHT RANGER), Mike Orlando (ADRENALINE MOB) and Richie Kotzen (THE WINERY DOGS).

Every song on "Disney Super Guitar" is a Disney classic updated to appeal to both guitar fans and Disney fans alike, and all songs are powered by a backing band comprising guitarist John Bruno, drummer B.J. Zampa, bassist Chris Vescera, and keyboardist Michael Vescera (Chris's father), who co-produced the record with the album's mastermind, renowned producer Death-Rider.

"'Disney Super Guitar' is a natural follow-up to our first guitar-powered Disney release, which was 'Metal Disney'," says Death-Rider. "Metal Disney" was released in 2017 and peaked at No. 1 on Amazon's Metal chart.

The guitar virtuosos on "Disney Super Guitar" enjoyed re-imagining famous Disney tunes in their own ways. For example, Grammy-winning guitarist Tak Matsumoto, who has sold over 80 million albums with his rock duo B'Z, takes "When You Wish Upon a Star" to new heights with a soaring, overdriven lead guitar rendition of the main theme — a theme that reappears later in the song as a down-home blues epilogue. "Everyone knows this beautiful melody, and I tried to express it in my own way," says Matsumoto. "I am so honored to be a part of this album. I hope you enjoy the guitar sound from Fujiyama country!"

Meanwhile, Zakk Wylde gives "Beauty And The Beast" a brutal metal touch. "Originally, it was a beautiful, dreamy piece," says Wylde. "Now, it's a cruel nightmare. I take pride in that."

"Hellfire" finds George Lynch performing the song's main melody note-for-note in some places, yet, at other times, veering off into adventurous guitar approaches. "I mixed in everything from Roy Buchanan and Jeff Beck tricks to pick swipes and vibrato-bar moves," says Lynch. "I threw in everything but the kitchen sink."

Paul Gilbert took direct inspiration from the title of the song he chose. "I played electric guitar on 'Under The Sea'," he says. "To create an under-the-sea sound, I operated my wah-wah pedal as quickly as possible while playing my guitar parts."

"Disney Super Guitar" track listing:

01. Zakk Wylde - "Beauty And The Beast" [Beauty And The Beast]

02. Paul Gilbert - "Under The Sea" [The Little Mermaid]

03. Tak Matsumoto - "When You Wish Upon A Star" [Pinocchio]

04. Mike Orlando - "A Whole New World" [Aladdin]

05. Orianthi - "Someday My Prince Will Come" [Snow White And The Seven Dwarves]

06. George Lynch - "Hellfire" [The Hunchback Of Notre Dame]

07. Richie Kotzen - "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" [Lion King]

08. Jeff Watson - "Colors Of The Wind" [Pocahontas]

09. Phil X - "Chim Chim Cher-ee" [Mary Poppins]

10. Ron Thal - "Reflection" [Mulan]

After dropping the eerie track "Gravedigger's Chant" on Good Friday, ZEAL & ARDOR now shares a contrasting, second new song, titled "Waste". It's from their forthcoming album, "Stranger Fruit".

ZEAL & ARDOR provocateur Manuel Gagneux explains: "'Waste' is the introduction of the other half of 'Stranger Fruit'. Fully incorporating the gospel and soul elements in black metal and never compromising in its intent. We give you this song as a second single, because it's not what one might expect to come next. This is the feeling that permeates the album as a whole as well. We hope you enjoy."


Both "Gravedigger's Chant" and "Waste" are available now on all streaming services and as instant-grat tracks when pre-ordering the new album.

"Stranger Fruit" will be released on June 8 in multiple formats, including CD, cassette, vinyl, and digital download/stream. For vinyl fans, there's a 2LP 180-gram gatefold vinyl or a 2LP limited deluxe 180-gram triple gatefold purple vinyl.

Mixing blues, gospel, and soul with harsher music has opened up a world of possibilities for Gagneux. Previously creating as a one-man solo effort, the immense interest and critical acclaim ZEAL & ARDOR attracted upon release of debut album, "Devil Is Fine", has led to the project becoming a fully fledged, internationally touring band.

After months hidden away, crafting the new songs for "Stranger Fruit", Gagneux entered the studio with producer Zebo Adam and mixer Kurt Ballou (CONVERGE, KVELERTAK, NAILS). While the finished sound is larger and heavier, it is still unmistakably ZEAL & ARDOR.


The diverse yet cohesive nature of the 16 tracks on "Stranger Fruit" (artwork pictured below) is designed to encourage the listener to dig a little deeper and find their own meaning in its words. In contrast to "Devil Is Fine", these songs are deliberately intended to play off each other both lyrically and musically.


While the record seethes with a justifiable rage, its wider-reaching aim is to unify, not divide, and to inspire action, not inertia. Elements of a bleak melancholy are tempered by hope. Superficially, the album tells small isolated stories, but there are also references to the Goetia, Yoruba, and obscure occult literature and history within.


"Stranger Fruit" track listing:


01. Intro

02. Gravedigger's Chant

03. Servants

04. Don't You Dare

05. Fire Of Motion

06. The Hermit

07. Row Row

08. Ship On Fire

09. Waste

10. You Ain't Coming Back

11. The Fool

12. We Can't Be Found

13. Stranger Fruit

14. Solve

15. Coagula

16. Built On Ashes

ZEAL & ARDOR will appear at multiple European music festivals through 2018, including Download, Graspop Metal Meeting and Hellfest.

Multi-Grammy-nominated thrash icons ANTHRAX have just released "Kings Among Scotland", the band's long-awaited live-in-concert DVD, via Megaforce. Captured on February 15, 2017 at the band's sold-out concert at Glasgow's historic venue Barrowland Ballroom, the two-hour "Kings Among Scotland" incorporates the band's entire live show along with interviews, behind-the-scenes footage and other B-roll shot on the band's tour bus, backstage, in hotels and elsewhere. The DVD also includes a "gear rundown" from each of the band members.

A performance clip of the song "Madhouse", taken from "Kings Among Scotland", is available below.

"Playing for our friends at the Barrowlands has always been very special," said ANTHRAX's Frank Bello. "We all know we're going to get together and have an insanely great time, and we think that incredible interaction and energy really comes through on this video."

With packaging art created by Steve Thompson (SLAYER, MOTÖRHEAD, IRON MAIDEN), the DVD's concert is presented in two parts. For part one, ANTHRAX perfomed the "favorites" that had been voted on pre-show by the band's fans and includes gems like "Madhouse", "Be All, End All", "Breathing Lightning" and "A.I.R." The band augmented the stage production for part two, with ramps and staircases and other production values while they tore into their classic 1987 album "Among The Living", performing "Caught In A Mosh", "I Am The Law", "Indians", "Eflinikufesin (N.F.L.)" and more.

"It was pretty a intense show," added guitarist Scott Ian, "especially when the crowd was so insane, the floor actually started moving up and down."

"It was a challenge for all of us to play 'Among The Living' live," admitted drummer Charlie Benante. "We've played a number of that album's songs in our shows over the years, but not all of them, and playing a song in a recording studio is not the same as playing it live on stage. So we put in a lot of time to get all of the tracks down perfectly. And I'll tell you, after we finished that set, as arduous as it was, we all felt a sense of exhiliration, like we could go out and do it again."

"Kings Among Scotland" was produced, directed, filmed and edited by Green, with the sound mixed by ANTHRAX studio producer Jay Ruston. For the filming, Green utilized 17 cameras, including a crane and several mobile and stationery Go-Pros.

ANTHRAX will support SLAYER on the first two legs of the Tom Araya-fronted outfit's last-ever North American run of dates. Also scheduled appear on the bill are LAMB OF GOD, TESTAMENT and BEHEMOTH (with NAPALM DEATH replacing BEHEMOTH for the second leg).

Veteran Arizona metallers FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have officially welcomed Ken Mary (ALICE COOPER, ACCEPT) as their permanent drummer. Mary, who began touring with the group last year after Jason Bittner was invited to join OVERKILL, will join the band on all of their upcoming tour dates, including a short run of European shows that kicks off this weekend at Germany's Keep It True festival. He will also perform on the group's in-progress new album, due to be released via AFM Records later this year.

"It's always awesome to play with the mighty FLOTSAM AND JETSAM," Mary says. "The music is super-challenging and at the same time a great deal of fun to play. With such great musicians in the band that are also great guys, it's going to be a blast!"

"We're excited to announce that Ken will be our new drummer," adds the band. "Ken has already tracked all the drums for our upcoming album slated for release later this year, and we're all looking forward to the fans experiencing a new chapter in the history of FLOTSAM AND JETSAM."

A handful of performances on FLOTSAM AND JETSAM's European tour will see the group perform its groundbreaking 1986 debut, "Doomsday For The Deceiver", in its entirety. A new 180-gram vinyl edition of the album will be reissued by the group's original record label, Metal Blade, this week.

"We're looking forward to a couple of special performances of the 'Doomsday' album played in its entirety, with Keep It True being the first time ever the band has taken on that task," the band says. "With Metal Blade releasing 'Doomsday' on vinyl, the timing couldn't be better for this special set. It's something we're all looking forward to playing for our friends in Europe."

Soon after the group returns to America, they'll hit the road again alongside Swedish power metal veterans HAMMERFALL, with several headlining shows along the way. Says the band: "This is going to be a banging tour, and we couldn't ask for a more accommodating and cool group of talented musicians to hit the road with and bring our respective styles of metal to the masses. We have 10 headlining shows; before, during and after the HAMMERFALL dates, so hopefully we're coming close enough to your city to warrant a heavy metal road trip. Looking forward to seeing our U.S. and Canadian friends and fans on the road!"

Robert Trujillo and Kirk Hammett played a cover of "Skandal Im Sperrbezirk", a song originally written and recorded by the German band SPIDER MURPHY GANG, during METALLICA's April 26 concert in in Munich. Professionally filmed video footage of their performance can be seen below.

METALLICA has played 18 shows in Europe since early February and has another seven 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".

METALLICA's "WorldWired" trek was the fifth-highest grossing tour of 2017, with 1.5 million tickets sold and $153 million earned. The band was also the top-selling rock act of the year and had the third best-selling rock album.

On September 22, 2017, DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT played a special show at the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, celebrating the 20th anniversary of Devin's landmark "Ocean Machine" album in full, as well as a set of fan-requested tracks alongside the Orchestra of Plovdiv State Opera. This concert was filmed, and on July 6, 2018, it will see the light of day as "Ocean Machine – Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv".


Devin comments: "Plovdiv and this live package represents a lot to me, it signifies the end of one era, and the celebration of another. Amidst a gruelling touring year, this show came together with much blood, sweat, and tears, and the result is the culmination of many aspects of my work on one stage.


"'Ocean Machine' was released 20 years ago, and though Marty (drums) is no longer with us, I was able to finally perform the album in its entirety with the original bassist John 'Squid' Harder on this night. On a cold evening in an old city in the ancient theatre, many lifelong milestones came to a conclusion on this night and I'm exceptionally proud of it.


"I am currently writing, writing, and writing some more for the next stage of my life and work, and the team of individuals who contributed to this project, from the musicians in the band and orchestra, to the crews locally and with this, management, artists, filmographers and most importantly, the audience... made this night a powerful and strangely bittersweet moment I am proud to have documented with this work.


"This is a very special live recording of a very special night, and I hope you enjoy it as a monument to the things that inspired it all in the first place."


"Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv" will be available as a limited deluxe 3CD/2DVD/Blu-ray artbook (with liner notes from Devin and a special documentary dubbed "Reflecting The Chaos" on the second DVD & Blu-Ray), special edition 3CD/DVD digipak, standalone Blu-ray and as digital audio download.

"Ocean Machine - Live at the Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv" track listing:

By Request with Orchestra

01. Truth

02. Stormbending

03. Om

04. Failure

05. By Your Command

06. Gaia

07. Deadhead

08. Canada

09. Bad Devil

10. Higher

11. A Simple Lullaby

12. Deep Peace


Ocean Machine

01. Seventh Wave

02. Life

03. Night

04. Hide Nowhere

05. Sister

06. 3 A.M.

07. Voices In The Fan

08. Greetings

09. Regulator

10. Funeral

11. Bastard

12. The Death Of Music

13. Things Beyond Things


DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT released the much-acclaimed "Transcendence" in late 2016, before embarking on one of its biggest world tours ever. This new live release 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 endeavors of which he is currently hard at work on.

Richmond, Virginia metallers LAMB OF GOD have released their cover version of the BIG BLACK song "Kerosene". The track is taken from LAMB OF GOD's covers album, "Legion: XX", which will be released under the BURN THE PRIEST banner on May 18 via Nuclear Blast in Europe and Epic Records in the U.S.

LAMB OF GOD may be one of the biggest bands in modern metal, but they will never forget where they came from. Mark Morton (guitar), John Campbell (bass) and Chris Adler (drums) formed the first incarnation of the band, BURN THE PRIEST, in the winter of 1994 after meeting four years earlier as students at Virginia Commonwealth University. Less than a year later, in the summer of 1995, they met vocalist Randy Blythe before adding Chris Adler's brother, Willie Adler (guitar), prior to transitioning to LAMB OF GOD — and the rest is global metal history.


Morton says: "To truly understand the essence of the band BURN THE PRIEST, one must first consider the landscape in which it began: the mid-'90s. Grunge and alternative music ruled the airwaves. Social media and the internet had yet to assume their role as our collective sources for entertainment and cultural exchange. It was a time when DIY 'zines turned us on to new bands and regional scenes, and 'copy and paste' still implied a print shop and a glue stick."


BURN THE PRIEST's self-titled debut album, released via Philadelphia-based Legion Records, documented what was, in essence, a primal punk band performing metal. Ultimately, as they grew in local popularity, the five-piece chose to stray away from their name to avoid being associated with satanic metal, choosing the name LAMB OF GOD.


Morton continues: "As our sound and songs developed, so did our goals… we began playing basement parties and warehouse shows and in doing so, we realized that the energy we were creating was transferable. The shows we played in those squats and warehouses [in Philadelphia] and the people we met there are forever embedded in our collective consciousness and the DNA of our band."


As they enter their 20th year since releasing their first self-titled album as BURN THE PRIEST, the band will release a full-length covers album that reflects on the greatness of classic punk, hardcore, crossover and noise — rock subgenres that contributed to what LAMB OF GOD, and indeed, the world, now view as modern heavy metal.


As BURN THE PRIEST, the band presents "Legion: XX" — featuring tracks originally performed by CRO-MAGS, AGNOSTIC FRONT, QUICKSAND, MINISTRY, BAD BRAINS, MELVINS, S.O.D., THE ACCÜSED, BIG BLACK and Richmond punk band SLIANG LAOS. The tracks are performed with the unmistakable precision that has kept the band vital for two decades, but ultimately harks back to the raw, punk-driven sound first explored by four unsuspecting college students and a line cook-turned-vocalist in their formative years. Produced with Josh Wilbur at the helm, "Legion: XX" exhibits BURN THE PRIEST in their true element.


"Our inauspicious beginnings somehow grew into something none of us had ever even imagined possible, let alone aspired to, however, this is the story of BURN THE PRIEST," adds Morton. "The songs we chose to cover on this album reflect that story. They are touchstones from that point in time. The inspiration we gleaned from these bands and these songs carries through our work and our creative pursuits, even to this day. Many thanks to these bands for lighting our fire and endless gratitude to our fans around the world for keeping it lit."


"Legion: XX" track listing:

01. Inherit The Earth (THE ACCÜSED cover)

02. Honey Bucket (MELVINS cover)

03. Kerosene (BIG BLACK cover)

04. Kill Yourself (S.O.D. cover)

05. I Against I (BAD BRAINS cover)

06. Axis Rot (SLIANG LAOS cover)

07. Jesus Built My Hotrod (MINISTRY cover)

08. One Voice (AGNOSTIC FRONT cover)

09. Dine Alone (QUICKSAND cover)

10. We Gotta Know (CRO-MAGS cover)

Bonus song (only on LP!):

11. In The Meantime (HELMET cover)

LAMB OF GOD will support SLAYER on the first leg of the latter band's farewell world tour. The trek will kick off with a May 10 concert at San Diego's Valley View Casino Center, with dates running through August 26 at San Jose, California's SAP Center.

OF MICE & MEN's Ben Anderson-directed video for the song "Instincts" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album "Defy", which was released in January through Rise Records.

"Defy" marks OF MICE & MEN's first full-length release without vocalist Austin Carlile, who left the group due to his ongoing battle with Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that afflicts the connective tissue holding the body's cells, organs and tissue together. Handling lead vocals in the band now is bassist Aaron Pauley.

Pauley told Alternative Press about "Instincts": "We were supposed to do a festival called With Full Force in Germany, and it was in this giant vintage machinery graveyard kind of museum called Ferropolis. It's also on a little lake, which I read about was a microclimate, and then a couple hours before we were supposed to play, a literal hurricane, like a micro hurricane around the lake, happened. The whole festival got rained out and shut down. So the demo for that song, instrumentally, started that day."

"Defy" was produced by Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, THREE DAYS GRACE, SKILLET, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge (GREEN DAY, BREAKING BENJAMIN, SHINEDOWN, RISE AGAINST).

Pauley told Kaaos TV about the songwriting process for "Defy": "The only real difference was, in the past, [Austin] and I would work on vocals together and stuff, and for writing the music, everything else was the same as it's been before, which, for us, felt very good to kind of go back in the studio… That's a really good question — we get asked that a lot: how different was it? And for us, it didn't really feel that much different. I think when it came to doing lyrics and vocals, instead of me bouncing ideas off of Austin, I would bounce ideas off of Tino [David Valentino Arteaga, drums] or off of Alan [Ashby, guitar] or off of Phil [Manansala, guitar]. So kind of the whole way that we've always done things is very group-oriented. And with regards to the music, us being the four musicians that played instruments, that didn't change and the way that we had crafted music and made records and demos in the past didn't change. It was just the vocals and the lyrics — and even that didn't really change other than it wasn't me bouncing ideas off of Austin, it was me bouncing ideas off of Tino and Alan, Phil and our producer. So it felt very similar — probably more similar than it felt different."

Carlile originally left OF MICE & MEN in 2010 after his doctor forbade him from touring to undergo heart surgery tied to complications with Marfan Syndrome. He returned in 2011, but his ailments didn't cease, forcing him to exit the band for the second, and presumably final, time at the end of 2016.

The official video for the song "Flying Hearts" from FREEDOM CALL founder and frontman Chris Bay can be seen below. The track is taken from Bay's first solo album, "Chasing The Sun", which was released on February 23 via Steamhammer/SPV.

Says Bay: "Here it is, the brand new video clip 'Flying Hearts' from my solo album 'Chasing the Sun'. This great clip was filmed during our Southeast Asian tour with FREEDOM CALL in Thailand, so the album title 'Chasing The Sun' is literally a program. For me, this video is very special, as I have been very touched by the flair, the beautiful landscape and the cordiality of this country. I wish you a lot of fun with this clip. Certainly it will cause some of you wanderlust.... in any case, that's how I feel."

It's a well-known predicament that Bay shares with many other composers: occasionally, his wealth of inspiration goes beyond the stylistic and thematic scope of his own band.

"I permanently write songs and am constantly working on ideas in the studio," he explains. "That's why I've collected a whole lot of tracks over the years that on the one hand don't really suit FREEDOM CALL and on the other are just too good to gather dust in my archive." The solution to his "luxury" problem: "Chasing The Sun", committing himself in his very own, unmistakable way to the music that has inspired him since the very early days of his career. And although the songs on the album were created over a long period of time, Bay produced the whole material in spring 2017 at his own studio.

Which must be one of the reasons why "Chasing The Sun" — despite the diversity of the individual tracks — sounds cohesive. Alongside a number of rock songs in characteristic Chris Bay style, he has skilfully blended in modern sound elements on the opening track "Flying Hearts", added Wurlitzer piano touches, which bring to mind the currently trendy 1970s, on "Hollywood Dancer" and risked a song with a slow shuffle groove, a consciously dark atmosphere and an avant-garde flair in "Where Waters Flow In Heaven".

This title once again underscores the boundless ease with which Bay moves in his world of music. As the album title "Chasing The Sun" already suggests, Bay casually processed the desires and wishes that probably each of us holds in this dark season.. sun, freedom, warmth and harmony ... a "summer hit" in winter, a matter of interpretation.

The official video for the song "Stay With Me" from German metallers CREMATORY, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Oblivion", which was released on April 13.

Like all great rock bands, CREMATORY has based its success on the creativity of a well-rehearsed songwriting team. With Germany's leading gothic metal act, it's drummer Markus Jüllich in collaboration with the producer of each individual album that's kept the group's compositions on course for more than 25 years. At the same time, Markus Jüllich has enough experience to know that the band's evolvement depends on fresh ideas and new influences. So, by enlisting guitarists Tosse Basler and Rolf Munkes and, soon after, bassist Jason Mathias he has ensured that the band has remained contemporary and diverse ever since their 2016 release "Monument", reaping the fruits his efforts on "Oblivion".

"In particular, the sound and the selection of songs reflect the impact our three new band members have had," comments Markus Jüllich. "Tosse is a fantastic rhythm guitarist who adds even more diversity to the material with his clean vocals, and our lead guitarist Rolf enhances the record with his solos. Jason has added lots of drive to the deep frequencies, which is why we've consciously opted for a loud mix of the bass parts."

Along with Markus's wife Katrin (keyboards and samples) and vocalist Felix Stass, the three new additions are important factors that ensure that CREMATORY find themselves in a contemporary and forward-looking position in 2018.

In fact, the band went one step further on "Oblivion": while Markus Jüllich and producer Kristian Bonifer were busy working on the basics of their new recording at the Kohlekellerstudio, Stefan Glass, Dirk Riegner and Walter Stobbe were asked to contribute additional input to the creative process.

"Dirk comes from the indie genre and helped to add an important new nuance to the characteristic CREMATORY approach," Markus Jüllich explains. "Stefan Glass is a specialist for orchestral arrangements and Walter Stobbe is a real riff virtuoso on the guitar." The result is thoroughly compelling as well as ingenious. CREMATORY's unmistakable style manifests itself on programmatic numbers such as "Ghost Of The Past" and "Revenge Is Mine", but also on the anthemnic "Wrong Side" and the melancholy title track. The Stefan Glass-inspired orchestral arrangements can be heard on the dark opener "Salvation" as well as on "Until The Dawn", "Blessed" and "For All Of Us". Walter Stobbe's penchant for heavy metal features on "Cemetary Stillness" and on the album's impressive finale, "Demon Inside".

CREMATORY has rarely sounded as multi-faceted and timeless as on "Oblivion". The group's classic trademarks, such as Felix Stass's deep growls, are still present, at the same time new influences emphasise their great commercial potential. Markus Jüllich says: "So far we've had a special motto to set the direction of each of our albums, but 'Oblivion' simply combines all our strengths and experience. Over the years we've learned to blend different styles into the typical CREMATORY sound without ever losing sight of the importance of playing in a way that benefits our music. The motto 'less is more' applies to our compositions 100 percent. CREMATORY songs never lose themselves in exaggerated effects but always go the whole hog. That's partly due to the fact that we've remained very much down to earth."

"Oblivion" track listing:

01. Expectation (1:27)

02. Salvation (4:36)

03. Ghost Of The Past (3:59)

04. Until The Dawn (4:36)

05. Revenge Is Mine (4:50)

06. Wrong Side (4:12)

07. Stay With Me (4:13)

08. For All Of Us (4:06)

09. Immortal (3:32)

10. Oblivion (4:52)

11. Cemetary Stillness (4:50)

12. Blessed (4:02)

13. Demon Inside (4:06)

CREMATORY lineup:

Felix Stass - vocals

Rolf Munkes - guitar

Tosse Basler - guitar

Jason Mathias - bass

Markus Jüllich - drums

Katrin Jüllich - keyboards

"Just Say When", the new video from the Texas rock quartet NOTHING MORE, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "The Stories We Tell Ourselves", which was released last September via Better Noise Records. The disc saw frontman Jonny Hawkins once again bearing the soul of NOTHING MORE as his bandmates Mark Vollelunga (guitar), Daniel Oliver (bass) and Ben Anderson (drums) craft a sonic palette comprised of elements ranging from progressive metal to pop.

The songs on "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" were written in early 2016 and recorded primarily on the road and in personal studios as production duties were often handled by Hawkins and the bandmembers themselves.

From the relentless groove of "Don't Stop" to the emotive, anthemic bent of the PIXIES-esque "Still In Love", "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" proves that confessionals have never been so catchy — and songs like "Let 'Em Burn" seamlessly alternate between aggression and anthemic pop.

Lyrically the band was further informed by everything from the writings of Carl Jung and C.S. Lewis to the potent psychedelic DMT, the latter of which helped open Hawkins's mind to new ways of understanding himself and the world around him.

"The Stories We Tell Ourselves" earned NOTHING MORE three Grammy nominations: "Best Rock Album", "Best Rock Performance" and "Best Rock Song" for the single "Go To War".

"That one's definitely personal," Hawkins told Beatroute about the track. "It was written at the end of an eight-year relationship where the end of that relationship got real fiery, and very confusing, and just kind of devolved, even though six to seven years of it was pretty peaceful."