Los Angeles based neo-classical shredders, Exmortus, have set a June 8th street date for their new full length album, The Sound Of Steel. The album will be released by Prosthetic Records worldwide except Japan, where it will be overseen by Marquee Inc. A lyric video for the album opener "Make Haste" can be found below.

The Sound of Steel, was produced once again by Zack Ohren (Machine Head, Fallujah, Suffocation) at Sharkbite Studio while the band also enlisted artist, Philip Lawvere (Kreator, Celtic Frost, Helloween), to create the cover art.

Exmortus founder, vocalist and guitarist, Jadren “Conan” Gonzalez comments, "This new record takes the best from both Slave… and Ride… albums and adds a killer twist especially accentuated by Chase Becker and Carlos Cruz of Warbringer. While still paying homage to our classic favorites like Priest, Yngwie, Slayer, etc. We also deliver tastefully the extremities of black/death metal and of course the neo-classical structure/harmony that we are known for. This is what we believe to be The Sound Of Steel!"

The album will be available all digital outlets, compact disc and LP, with 1,000 records being pressed initially in the follow colors:

- 250 battle axe blood splatter (Prosthetic webshop and sold by the band on tour)
- 250 blue and black marble (Prosthetic webshop and sold by the band on tour)
- 400 clear with blue and orange Splatter (available in retail stores worldwide)
- 100 white vinyl (Cargo Germany only)

Pre-order the album here.

The Sound Of Steel tracklisting:

"Make Haste"
"Feast Of Flesh"
"Into The Maw Of Hell"
"To The Ends Of The Earth"
"A Minor Instrumental"
"Strength And Honor"
"Turn The Tide"
"Tempest"
"Riders Of Doom"
"Victory Or Death!"

"Make Haste" lyric video:

Live dates:

April
11 - Fullerton, CA - Slide Bar

May
19 - Lancaster, CA - Anna's Great Horn Bar

Exmortus is:

Jadran “Conan” Gonzalez - Vocals/Guitar
Chase Becker - Guitar
Phillip Cody Nuñez - Bass
Carlos Cruz - Drums

After nearly 25 years upholding and reinvigorating thrash metal’s grimmest traditions for the delight of the international underground, Norway’s reapers of blackened-thrash, Aura Noir, will unleash their sixth full length on April 27th via Indie Recordings. The semi-self-titled, Aura Noire, is released with no overdubs or embellishments, only underscoring the band’s potency as a power-trio and reinforces their primacy among thrash’s primal pantheon. The album track "Shades Ablaze" is available for streaming below.

Says the band: "'Shades Ablaze' is one of the few tracks on the album featuring Apollyon on vocals. One of the faster songs. Watch out for Apollyon’s South American inspired drumming near the end. A homage to old Sarcophago and ancient Sepultura."

With Aura Noire, a title which quite distinctly resembles their band name, Aura Noir churns through some of the most refreshing, yet nostalgic tracks of thrash metal ever to be heard. The album opens with probably one of the most retrospect of riffs, but suddenly summersaults you into the gloriously dissonant and immersive Aura Noir atmosphere. The soaring and burning shouts of Aggressor intensely glues the otherwise quite varied and playful guitar riffs and drums together, culminating into the essence of thrash that is Aura Noir.

Aura Noire tracklisting:

"Dark Lung Of The Storm"
"Grave Dweller"
"Hell’s Lost Chambers"
"The Obscuration"
"Demoniac Flow"
"Shades Ablaze"
"Mordant Wind"
"Cold Bone Grasp"
"Outro"

"Shades Ablaze":

"Dark Lung Of The Storm":

Lineup:

Aggressor - Bass, Vocals
Apollyon - Drums, Vocals
Blasphemer - Guitar

(Photo - Kim Sølve Trine + Kim Design Studio)

Legendary rockers Rose Tattoo have announced the 2018 bonus reissue edition of their classic 2007 album Blood Brothers, set for release on May 18th via Golden Robot Records.

The reissue features killer live versions of some of the albums finest tracks, including "Man About Town", "Black Eyed Bruiser", "Once In A Lifetime", "Sweat Meat", "Standover Man" and "Nothing To Lose" recorded live In all their glory and captured on disc. This is the Tats at their best. Raw, rough and ready for a fight, but also tight as a fist and sounding bigger than ever.

Mixing their trademark riffage with modern rock grooves and lyrical statements of intent, Blood Brothers pays tribute to the many members of the band that are no longer with us. Rose Tattoo’s iconic, street smart blues rock has captured the heart and soul of rock fans all around the world for over 40 years now and shows no signs of stopping.

The Blood Brothers 2018 lineup features some of the finest rock musicians this country has ever produced. Mark Evans of AC/DC on bass, Angels & Skyhooks axeman Bob Spencer, Aussie Crawl’s John ‘Watto' Watson up the back and the Pete Well’s endorsed Dai Pritchard on slide guitar, and of course, Rose Tattoo wouldn’t exist without its quintessential front man, the one and only Angry Anderson.

Blood Brothersis a fine example of what you can expect when Angry and the boys hit the road. Adrenalin fuelled, high octane Aussie rawk at its undiluted best. Order the Blood Brothers reissue here.

Tracklisting:

"Black Eyed Bruiser"
"Slipping Away"
"Once In A Lifetime"
"1854"
"City Blues"
"Sweet Meat"
"Man About Town"
"Creeper"
"Stand Over Man"
"Nothing To Lose"
"Lubricated"
"Man About Town" (live)
"Black Eyed Bruiser" (live)
"Once In A Lifetime" (live)
"Sweet Meat" (live)
"Standover Man" (live)
"Nothing To Lose" (live)

(Photo - Darryl Edwards)

First it was the season of the witch, now Stormwitch declare that they're bound to the witch - and this is going to happen to you too!

Stormwitch's new album Bound To The Witch is going to be released on June 29th via Massacre Records.

The album will be available as a jewel case CD as well as strictly limited vinyl LP with 11 songs each, as a limited edition CD Digipak with exclusive bonus tracks with a total of 14 songs and as digital download and stream.

The cover artwork was created by Michael Vetter, Marc Ayerle took care of the album's mix and mastering at the klangMAnufaktur.

Finland's Lordi will release their ninth studio album, Sexorcism, on May 25th via AFM Records. Possibly their most controversial record to date, the album is a full on and uncensored shot of Lordi's brand of hard rock and roll.

Sexorcism was recorded and mixed at the legendary Finnvox studios by Mikko Karmila, who is no stranger to the band being the producer of their 2014 release Scare Force One.

Sexorcism tracklisting:

"Sexorcism"
"Your Tongue's Got The Cat"
"Romeo Ate Juliet"
"Naked In My Cellar"
"The Beast Is Yet To Cum"
"Polterchrist"
"SCG9: The Documented Phenomenon"
"Slashion Model Girls"
"Rimskin Assassin"
"Hell Has Room"
"Hot & Satanned"
"Sodomesticated Animal"
"Haunting Season"

Finnish bashers Children Of Bodom recently checked in with the following update:

"Attention Hate Crew! We’re excited to inform you that the recording of COB album #10 starts tomorrow with Mikko Karmila at our very own Danger Johnny studios. Frequent updates coming through Instagram and Facebook, so make sure to follow both channels!"

Following is a status report from frontman Alexi Laiho:

Children Of Bodom held a live Facebook chat with the fans on February 18th and discussed the recording of the new album along with answering a wide range of questions. Check out the complete Q&A below.

Virginia's Windhand have entered the studio to record their 4th studio album. The album, entitled Eternal Return, is being recorded and engineered at Soundhouse Studios in Seattle, WA with legendary producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Soundgarden, High On Fire). Album artwork will once again be handled by Arik Roper (Sleep, High on Fire). The album is expected to be released Fall 2018 via Relapse Records. Stay tuned for more information in the near future.

Additionally, Windhand kick off a short West Coast tour with Ruby The Hatchet on April 19th which includes appearances at Stumpfest and Levitation Fest. Windhand is also confirmed for Maryland Doom Fest on June 23 in Frederick, MD. A complete list of dates is available below.

Windhand live:

April
19 – Seattle, WA – Neumos*
20 – Portland, OR – Stumpfest
22 – San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall*
23 – Los Angeles, CA – Roxy Theatre*
26 – Austin, TX – Levitation at Barracuda

June
23 – Frederick, MD – Maryland Doom Fest 2018

*with Ruby The Hatchet

(Photo - Sally Patti)

Wreck-Defy are currently working on their sophomore album, the follow up to 2017's debut Fragments Of Anger.  Former Annihilator frontman Aaron Randall, who sang on 1993's Set The World On Fire, is now the lead singer for Wreck-Defy and guitarist/chief song writer Matt Hanchuck and Aaron have been demoing material since February.  

Ten songs have been selected for the next album which currently has a working title of Remnants Of Pain.  The drums are all completed for the album and were done by Angerhead drummer Dave O'Neal.  The album will be mixed and mastered by legendary metal producer Juan Urteaga from Pacheco California at Trident Studios.  Juan has produced such legendary bands as Machine Head, Testament, Vicious Rumors and Heathen among many others.  Wreck-Defy who are currently signed to Greek label Alone Records are aiming for a late 2018 or early 2019 release date.

Metal Blade Records will reissue the first two album from melodic heavy metal band Fifth Angel.

Fifth Angel released their self-titled debut album in 1986, the successor Time Will Tell was released in 1989. Both albums have been out of print for a while and will get a luxury treatment for these reissues. Expect the following on release date, May 18th.

Fifth Angel formats:
-Digi-CD
-180g black vinyl
-Grey marbled vinyl (EU exclusive – ltd. 300)
-Orange/red splattered vinyl (EU exclusive – ltd. 200)

Time Will Tell formats:
-Digi-CD
-180g black vinyl
-Transparent lime-green vinyl (EU exclusive – ltd. 300)
-White/black splattered vinyl (EU exclusive – ltd. 200)

Preorders available at EMP.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, BUSH and THE CULT shared the stage for the first time together last night (Tuesday, April 3) at NeueHouse in Hollywood, California to celebrate the news of the upcoming "The Revolution 3 Tour". The exclusive event, which was livestreamed on Facebook (see below), featured intimate performances from all three bands.

The summer "tri-headlining" "Revolution 3 Tour" begins on July 18 in Nashville and will hit an additional 19 cities over six weeks before concluding in Phoenix, Arizona on September 2. Each group will perform a full set in a different order each night.

STP bassist Robert DeLeo said: "We are thrilled to join our friends this summer to celebrate our music with all of you," while BUSH frontman Gavin Rossdale remarked: "We are looking forward to see everybody in the summer. This is a great tour for rock fans." THE CULT singer Ian Astbury added: "We look forward to celebrating glorious summer nights of responsible (and irresponsible) hedonism with all of you."

STP will be out in support of their self-titled new album, which marks the recording debut of new vocalist Jeff Gutt. Guitarist Dean DeLeo told The Pulse Of Radio that Gutt is raring to go on the road. "You know, Jeff's 41 years old and he's in great shape and he said to me, 'I'll do 300 shows a year, man,'" he said. "I'm like, well, I don't know about 300, but you know, this is just me speaking, I would like to do about 70, 80 shows a year. I would really like that."

Tickets go on on sale on April 6 via Live Nation.

Kamelot are gearing for this week's release of their new album, The Shadow Theory. They have posted an unboxing video, which can be viewed below.

In a new two-part interview with FaceCulture, Kamelot members Thomas Youngblood and Tommy Karevik discuss The Shadow Theory and the concept behind it.

Kamelot's new album, The Shadow Theory, will be released on April 6th via Napalm Records. The band recently released the second single from the album, with a music video for “Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)” available below.

Thomas Youngblood on “Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)” featuring Lauren Hart: “In the future our memories and thoughts will be extracted and transferred to synthetic AI. Our carbon based bodies will no longer be needed and eventually discarded. On Phantom Divine we explore this vision of a world where we are replaced by AI. Welcome to The Phantom Divine!”

Download/stream “Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)” here, and watch the video below:

The Shadow Theory was produced by acclaimed music producer Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen. A massive piece of work that will more than please critics and fans alike. Guests on the album include Lauren Hart (Once Human), Jennifer Haben (Beyond The Black)and Sascha Paeth. The amazing cover and artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.

The Shadow Theory tracklisting:

"The Mission"
"Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)"
"RavenLight"
"Amnesiac"
"Burns To Embrace"
"In Twilight Hours"
"Kevlar Skin"
"Static"
"MindFall Remedy"
"Stories Unheard"
"Vespertine (My Crimson Bride)"
"The Proud and The Broken"
"Ministrium (Shadow Key)"

"RavenLight" lyric video:

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

Teaser #3:

The Shadow Theory will be available in the following formats:

* Ltd. Deluxe Wooden Box incl.
- CD Digipack
- Flag
- Tri K Logo pendant
- Tri K Key
- Signed autograph card
- Tri K Logo patch

* 2CD Earbook
* 2CD Digipack
* CD Jewelcase
* 2LP Gatefold

Editions:
Ltd. Red - NPR D2C mail-order shop (EU)
Ltd. Gold - NPR D2C mail-order shop (EU/USA)
Ltd. Neon Pink - Universal
Ltd. White - ADA/ Sony CAN
Black (for all outlets)

Pre-order your copy here.

Following the release of The Shadow Theory, Kamelot will embark on a massive World Tour with label-mates Delain plus Battlebeast, starting in North America during April and May, followed by European festivals in Summer 2018. The band will return to Europe in September/October 2018 for their biggest headline tour to date.

Find the band's tour itinerary here.

(Photo - Tim Tronckoe)

Nekrogoblikon have unleashed the bombastic, new track, “The Magic Spider”. This song comes off the band’s new offering Welcome To Bonkers, which is set for an April 13th release. Don’t miss the group on Warped Tour all summer long.

Nicky (vocals) states: “We just wrapped up a month long U.S. tour in support of Rings of Saturn. We were on the road with lots of bands- Gloom, Entheos, Lorna Shore, Allegaeon and Rings. We had so much fun on this tour. It was a blast to hang out with a bunch of other dudes who were down to have fun and be silly, since we’re definitely into that as well. We decided that now, in celebration of that fun spirit, would be the perfect time to release 'The Magic Spider' from our new album Welcome to Bonkers. 

"I think this is a very special song for us. I wanted to play around with odd time signatures and somehow stumbled across this piano riff that totally reminded me of the classic rock/AOR days. It almost has a Rick Wakeman/Yes vibe to it, but perhaps it’s a bit more flamboyant. I love to imagine playing this song live, and just watching Raptor playing it under a spotlight as the song begins, and just thinking like- 'this guy is the shit, man!' The song goes on a special journey, from pop-prog to pop-punk to space-surf metal to tropical to epic choral to Broadway to calypso to god knows what else. I really hope everyone enjoys the song as much as I do!"

 

"We’re really stoked to be hitting the road with five other bands this March. It’s cool because its like five more serious bands, and then us. We’re going to be playing some new songs, trying some new gear and generally totally destroying souls, so we fully expect to see you and all of your friends there."

Welcome To Bonkers was produced by the renowned Jason Suecof (Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder) and is the band's most aggressive and dynamic offering yet.

 

Italian symphonic death metal titans Fleshgod Apocalypse have made the following announcement via their Facebook page:

"Hello friends, we're sorry to inform you that we'll not be able to make it for the last four shows of this tour: Copenhagen, Hamburg, Brasov and Mannheim.

"Last night some miserable pieces of shit broke into our van and stole our full live rig, production tools and stage props, drums gear, our signature custom-made guitars and bass (by Rufini Guitars), merchandise and various spare parts. Please let us know if you spot one of those turds trying to resell our stuff online.

"If you want to help, you can give us a hand by buying some merchandise from our store (shop.fleshgodapocalypse.com).

"This is a tough day for us, but we're stubborn like a bull and we'll keep working harder than before, which is the only way we know to overcome adversities. Old-school we are, old-school we'll die.

"Please spread the word and thanks so much for your support!"

 

Majesty presents an animated music video for "Final War", featured on their current album Rebels, which you can purchase at metalentertainment.de, and anywhere else where you can buy or stream music.

They’ve worked and toured with legendary bands like Powerwolf, Rage, Grave Digger, U.D.O. and many more. They have been delivering pure heavy metal for nearly 20 years now - if you search for true heavy metal in Germany, you will find the mighty Majesty.

Founded by Tarek "MS" ("Metal Son") Maghary, Majesty has worked hard from day one. They recorded three demos, played their first festivals and recorded their first full length album in 2002. Entitled Sword & Sorcery, this debut still reigns in every true metal heart today. Numerous albums, tours and festival shows followed and over the years Majesty has become one of the best-selling heavy metal bands in Europe and still grow daily.

Last year they made it to #16 with Rebels on the German album charts. Riding on the wave of their success the band is ready to take the next step and join the Napalm Records family.

Tarek "MS" Maghary comments on their future endeavours: "We are happy, that we found a perfect partner with Napalm Records who fully shares the same passion and dedication for heavy metal than we do. I can already promise you, that we will strike back with a new album in 2019 which will blow everything else away. But for now, we will continue to finish our Rebels tour 2018 and we would be very happy if you come along to party with us. Friends, we see you on the road!"

    
Majesty are:

Tarek "MS" Maghary - vocals
Emanuel Knorr - lead & rhythm guitars
Robin Hadamovsky - guitars
Arthur Gauglitz- bass
Jan Raddatz - drums

Melodic metal band Within Silence performed “We Are The Ones”, the lead track of their new album Return From The Shadows, on February 24th at Collosseum Club in Kosice, Slovakia. Official video footage can be seen below:

Return From The Shadows was released last October via Ulterium Records. The album was mixed and mastered by Roland Grapow (Masterplan, ex-Helloween) and the artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (Delain, Apocalyptica, Korpiklaani). Return From The Shadows is a perfect album for fans of bands like Theocracy, Sonata Arctica and Stratovarius.

Return From The Shadows tracklisting:

“We Are The Ones”
“Heroes Must Return”
“Children Of Light”
“Calling From The Other Side”
“In the Darkness”
“The Final Victory”
“You & I”
“Master”
“Return From The Shadows”

“Children Of Light” video:

“Heroes Must Return” video:

Progressive tech death masters Arkaik have premiered a guitar play through for their song "Occultivation", off of their critically acclaimed 2017 album Nemethia. The video highlights new guitarist Cris Portugal's outstanding playing and shows him to be an exciting addition to the highly respected group.

The band issued in a collective statement, "We are excited to finally announce that Cris Portugal will be officially joining the Arkaik team full time. If you saw us live on our last couple tours, you’ve already seen Cris tear it up with us on stage. Over the past few months Cris has proven to be a worthy addition to the band, and an all-around rad dude. Everything from his technique, to his writing and his attitude towards heavy music is in alignment with our purpose and style. We are stoked to see where the journey takes us with Cris on board!"

With Portugal adding, "I'm very excited to join Arkaik and to see what lies ahead. There are many faces to be melted, beers to be drank, tacos to be demolished, and metal to be played!"  He went on to describe his gear, "For Stage gear I use a Marshall 1960 A JCM 900 4x12 slant cab, An eleven rack amp emulator, and a Rocktron Velocity 250 power amp (I'm about due for an upgrade on this one). For at home recordings and play through videos I still use the eleven rack but it goes through a pair or MACKIE MR 5 active studio monitors.

The axe is a Legator Ninja R 300-PRO Multi Scale 7 String, AKA NRF7-300. Maple-Mahogany body, 5 piece Maple-Walnut neck, Ebony fretboard with a 25.5" - 27" scale, and the legator stock pickups."  

American metal band Homewrecker have debuted another new single today titled "Land Of The Damned”.

"This song is one of our favorites from the record,” says the band. “In a time where you don't really know who you can trust, especially when dealing with people of power, ‘Land of the Damned’ reminds you that there are people willing to run you into the ground if they can gain from it. ‘Truth lies in the eyes of the dead, chaos reigns in the land of the damned.’”

Homewrecker will release their third LP, Hell Is Here Now on April 27th, their first one via Good Fight Music. "Fade To Oblivion" is also available as an iTunes instant gratification track. Meaning, fans who pre-order the LP via iTunes will receive the single as an instant download. "Fade To Oblivion" is now available on all streaming services. Pre-order the album digitally, or physically.

"Burden Of Self"
"One With Torment"
"Bound By Validation"
"Fade To Oblivion"
"Constant Eyes"
"Buried And Suffering"
"Land Of The Damned"
"Rope Of Skin"
"Growing From Nothing"
"Demons In Disguise"
"Final Rest"
"Perpetrators"

"Land Of The Damned":

"Fade To Oblivion":

The band will hit the road this May in support of their new release with The Black Dahlia Murder on the Nightbringers tour. Dates kick off on May 19th at the Red Carpet Nightclub in St. Cloud, MN and will conclude in Traverse, MI on  June 1st after six dates in Canada.  

Homerecker will also participate in this year's highly buzzed about Psycho Las Vegas festival taking place August 17th - 19th at venues throughout the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. The band will share the stage with notables such as Dimmu Borgir, Sunn O))), and High On Fire.

Find the band's tour itinerary here.

(Photo - Errick Easterday)

Former GREAT WHITE and current JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell has parted ways with Frontiers Music Srl and has inked a new deal with Cleopatra Records.

Russell confirmed his split with the Italian rock label during a March 31 interview with Eric Blair of "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" at the Rock Against MS benefit concert and award show in Los Angeles.

Asked how his deal with Frontiers is different from some of the deals he had with other record companies in the past, Jack responded (see video below): "Well, we're not with Frontiers anymore. We bought ourselves out of the contract. They were very congenial. They go, 'If you're not happy, then we don't want you to be somewhere you're not happy. But if you want to shop us your new album, we'd love to hear it.'

"It's just too hard to have a label that's overseas, communicating only by text or e-mail," Russell continued. "So we're with Cleopatra. We've got [Cleopatra head] Brian Perera, whom I've known for years and done a lot of business with. He's got Tom Keifer [CINDERELLA] as well. So I think it's a good change. And if I get mad at him, I can drive 20 minutes and go face to face [with him] and go, 'Dude, what are you doing?'"

According to Jack, part of the reason he wanted to be released from the Frontiers contract was the fact that JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's debut album, "He Saw it Comin'", did not receive the kind of exposure he felt it deserved.

"Frontiers, when they signed Jizzy Pearl [LOVE/HATE] — no offense to Jizzy Pearl — it's, like, they're starting to just sign anybody," Russell explained. "There's so many bands they have on the label, how can you get the attention that you need to really have them focus on your album?

"I think our last record — and I mean this with all humility — is the best piece of music that I personally have ever done," he added.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE features Russell alongside former GREAT WHITE bassist-turned-guitarist Tony Montana (as a guitar player and keyboardist), Dan McNay (MONTROSE) on bass, Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar and Dicki Fliszar (BRUCE DICKINSON) on drums.

"He Saw it Comin'" was released in January 2017 and featured the singles "Blame It On The Night", "Sign Of The Times" and "Love Don't Live Here".

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with the current touring and recording version of GREAT WHITE, which features Mark Kendall (guitar), Scott Snyder (bass), Audie Desbrow (drums), Michael Lardie (guitar, keyboards) and Terry Ilous (lead vocals).

Hard rock band A Killer's Confession, led by former Mushroomhead vocalist Waylon Reavis, has released the official music video for their new single, “Angel On The Outside.”

“This song is about a transition I went through in my life. Out from the last phase and into this exciting new phase! This video shows how decisions can change the course of your life forever - sometimes for good and sometimes bad. Sometimes we have to live with things we have done and we are stuck remembering what you’ve done and wishing you could change it and how we can learn from our actions and make better choices every day.”

"The AKC beast will not be contained and are continuing to create new material. The addition of Morgan and Rocky have raised the energy up through the roof. The plan for 2018 is to write and tour and record the new album and tour and tour!" - Waylon Reavis

Prevail II is the proverbial yang to the yin and continues right where Kobra And The Lotus left off in 2017.

A brand new single from Prevail II is celebrating its premiere with a music video. You can be sure that this is not just an ordinary music video premiere, this is the very special Japanese bonus version of “Let Me Love You”. The instant grat track will be unlocked today as well. You get the single download when pre-ordering the album and can enjoy the English version in full.

Kobra explains the story behind the song: "We're so excited to release another brand spankin’ new taste of our hard rock infused metal! This track was one of the very first musical collaborations done at Hansen studios in Denmark. This song helped us nail down the heavy rock elements that would soon begin to lace its way through the sound of both'Prevail I and II. The original demo version can be found as a bonus acoustic on Prevail II. If you never had a love song dedicated to you... you've got one now. This one's for you!

"Dear (insert your name here),

"I cherish all the shadows of your past, even the darkest ones. Every time you try to run away it will only bring me closer. There are pieces you don't like, hiding all the grace of being human I might find. Let Me Love You."

"What can I say?! This track has been hard to keep a secret for two years!! We hope you will also enjoy this very special video we've worked hard to create. With a fusion of Manga and live performance, we've really jumped in with both feet to bring to you 'Let Me Love You' in Japanese!!! Tanoshinde kudasai!!"

Kobra And The Lotus will deliver Prevail II on April 27th via Napalm Records. Pre-order the album here

Tracklisting:

"Losing My Humanity"
"Let Me Love You"
"Ribe"
"My Immortal"
"Human Empire"
"Heartache"
"Velvet Roses"
"Modern Day Hero"
"You're Insane"
"White Water"
"The Chain"
"Let Me Love You" (Acoustic Bonus Track)

"Let Me Love You":

"Losing My Humanity" lyric video:

Behind the scenes:

Part 1:

Part 2:

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

Watch a lyric video for Gruesome’s new song “A Waste Of Life” below. Stream it via digital streaming services here.

Vocalist / guitarist Matt Harvey commented on the new song: “‘A Waste Of Life’ was a great opportunity to channel Chuck and vent some frustration in a constructive way - through making some good ol’ fashioned death metal. It’s great to move forward in the Death catalog and get some new ground to cover. As much fun as we had working with the raw and nasty stuff on Savage Land and Dimensions Of Horror, it’s great to challenge ourselves musically and thematically just like Chuck, James, Terry and Bill did on Spiritual Healing. Hopefully we do those guys justice and everyone has as much fun listening to the track as we did creating it.”  

Additionally, Gruesome will release a cover of Mantas’ “Legion Of Doom” as part of Decibel Magazine’s Flexi Series in the forthcoming June issue. An accompanying Flexi Disc featuring companion artwork and a cover of Possessed's “The Exorcist” will be available with the deluxe LP edition of the album at Relapse.com.  

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

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

Twisted Prayers tracklisting:

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

“A Waste Of Life” lyric video:

Gruesome recently announced headline Summer Europe tour dates starting July 19th at Obscene Extreme 2018, traveling through 22 cities and ending August 12th in Kortrijk, Belgium. Includes additional festival appearances at Wacken Open Air, Free & Easy Festival, Stonehenge Festival and more. A full list of confirmed tour dates is available below.

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

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

Gruesome are:

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

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

Dutch epic death/black metallers Bleeding Gods have released a playthrough video for "Beloved By Artemis", a track from their new album Dodekathlon, out now via Nuclear Blast. Watch below:

The album was recorded at Pitch Note Productions and Hal 5 Studio; mixed and mastered at Soundlodge Studio. The cover artwork was created by Dimitris Tzortzis from Immensa Artis. Physical copies of Dodekathlon can be ordered here.

Dodekathlon tracklisting:

“Bloodguilt (Nemean Lion)”
“Multiple Decapitation (Lernaean Hydra)”
“Beloved By Artemis (Ceryneian Hind)”
“From Feast To Beast (Erymanthian Boar)”
“Inhuman Humiliation (Augean Stables)”
“Birds Of Hate (Stymphalian Birds)”
“Saviour Of Crete (Cretan Bull)”
“Tyrannical Blood (Mares Of Diomedes)”
“Seeds Of Distrust (Belt Of Hippolyta)”
“Tripled Anger (Cattle Of Geryon)”
“Hera’s Orchard (Apples Of The Hesperides)”
“Hound Of Hell (Cerberus)”

"Beloved By Artemis" lyric video:

"Tripled Anger" lyric video:

“From Feast To Beast” video:

ICED EARTH frontman Stu Block says that "it's pretty crazy" to know that SLAYER is planning to embark on a "farewell" tour.

Back in January, SLAYER, one of metal's most popular and influential bands of the past four decades, announced its "final world tour" via a 30-second video. The group also confirmed that the first leg of its last-ever North American run of dates would feature support from LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, BEHEMOTH and TESTAMENT.

Speaking to Metal Insider, Block was asked how he felt about the Tom Araya-fronted outfit and other bands calling it quits. "As far as SLAYER retiring and me taking the news, it's not like I was crying into my cereal, or anything like that," Stu said. "I'm not going to lie, right? But it's pretty crazy that they are doing it. But they have their reasons. And there's really good reasons behind it. Logical reasons — health reasons and all that kind of stuff. They've been doing it a long time. They've paved the way for a lot of bands, and I totally respect what they've done. For a person that's seen a band like that have the career that they have, and them just say, you know, it's time, it shows the writing on the wall. All these bands eventually do retire. But it does pave the way for other bands, and it's gonna… There's gonna be fans that are out there that are gonna want to fill that void, and they're gonna wanna go to more concerts, whereas like you know, the SLAYERs and the IRON MAIDENs and the JUDAS PRIESTs and all those bands, once they start retiring…

"When you go to the average concert, it's really expensive, you know average concert's are pretty expensive," he continued. "The average band is spending quite a bit of money to go to an IRON MAIDEN concert, you know. Whereas now they can actually be… If you have several of those mid-level bands that are actually still touring and stuff, they can actually go to more shows, they can buy their t-shirts, more of them, and they're able to support more… to put more money into it. So I think there's a really cool thing that'll happen, but it is saddening, of course. It sucks for those fans that have wanted… still wanna hear new SLAYER records and all that kind of stuff. It sucks, but they're humans too, and they have to know when to call it a day as well."

SLAYER will kick off the first leg of its farewell world tour 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.

ICED EARTH is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Incorruptible", which came out last June via Century Media.

Former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing has launched a new concert venue in Wolverhampton, England. Dubbed KK's Steel Mill, the venue will host a number of hard rock and heavy metal acts over the coming months, including U.S. rockers SKID ROW, who are booked to play there in August.

Says Downing: "It's with great pleasure and excitement I can confirm another new chapter in my lifelong musical journey, however this time on the other side of the crowd barriers.

"As many fans may have already seen, I will be hosting live rock and metal shows at an exciting new venue close to home in Wolverhampton, based in the heart of the Midlands… 'The Home Of Metal.'

"Last year, I was asked to visit this venue by a good friend, and together we agreed it would make an amazing place for fans to see top bands and artists close up in unique surroundings.

"The city of Wolverhampton itself and the Midlands in general has a great live music scene, with many new bands now making the breakthrough, not to mention the Old Guard of Legends still at the forefront driving the way.

"KK's Steel Mill is very happy to have found its home at Starworks Warehouse. The historic building was the birthplace of The Star Motor Car Company around the early 1900s, and the building in its current format has kept that raw industrial feel.

"We aim to put on regular headlining shows throughout the year, and I am thrilled to announce for starters I will host American rockers SKID ROW on Friday the 24th of August when Snake, Rachel, Scotti, Rob and ZP bring their hard-hitting show to the Steel Mill.

"I'm looking forward to seeing many fans at the upcoming shows enjoy the music! I'll probably see you at the bar."

Downing recently released a statement in which he said that he was "shocked and stunned" that he wasn't approached to rejoin JUDAS PRIEST following Glenn Tipton's announcement that he would no longer be touring with the band.

K.K. announced his retirement from PRIEST in April 2011. He has since been replaced by Richie Faulkner, who was once the guitarist in the backing group for Lauren Harris, daughter of IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris.

In his statement, Downing said that he knows "now more clearly than ever" that he did the right thing by leaving the band when he did "as it seems that my time spent in the band, and my value in terms of crafting its huge legacy, was and is unappreciated by more than one member."

According to The Pulse Of Radio, early NIRVANA drummer Chad Channing, a member of the band between 1988 and 1990 who performed on the band's 1989 full-length studio debut "Bleach", was asked by Kaaos TV if he has any regrets about leaving the group just before they exploded with 1991's "Nevermind". Channing replied: "I have no regrets because I always thought that things just sort of fall in place for a reason. For example, I was that perfect puzzle piece for the band at the time, and then they needed another piece to do other things and stuff."

Channing continued: "Our differences were strictly on a musical level. We always stayed friends. In fact, I remember the first time I saw them with Dave [Grohl] at this place called the OK Hotel. It was the first time I'd seen the guys in probably a year or so, and it was really good to see them. It was like, 'Hey, how's it going?' It was very friendly."

Channing added: "I found out what a really nice guy Dave is. So it was really cool meeting him too."

Channing said that he did not have any "ill will" about his exit from the group, remarking: "I have no regrets. I look back at those days and I think, 'Wow, I played a small part in something.' So I'm happy with that."

Channing did play on some demos for "Nevermind" recorded at producer Butch Vig's studio in Madison, Wisconsin. One song on which he appeared, "Polly", made it to the final track list of the record.

Steven Adler's brother has blasted the drummer's onetime GUNS N' ROSES bandmates as "greedy, selfish people" with "no heart."

Steven, who played with GN'R from 1985 to 1990, was famously kicked out of the band for his rampant drug use. And although he's made a few guest appearances with Axl Rose, Slash and Duff McKagan on the "Not In This Lifetime" reunion tour, he wasn't invited to return to the group full time.

Jamie Adler paid tribute to his brother on a GUNS N' ROSES Facebook group, writing: "This man right here is what you call a true survivor. He went all the way to the depths of hell and was able to make it back alive. When most died he lived. What an amazing story of redemption my brother has to tell."

Calling Steven the "greatest big brother/grooviest drummer I've ever known," Jamie added: "If only Slash, Axl and Duff had 10% of the heart this man had then maybe he would be on tour with GN'R. If those guys had an ounce of decency, compassion, love, care and acceptance, maybe they would have allowed my brother to play more than one song in Argentina after they flew him all the way out there and TEASED him to only play one song. ONE SONG ONLY!!

"The only thing the fans wanna see is Adler back behind the kit especially since the world knows Adler is no longer on drugs or alcohol.

"It took him longer to drive down the hill from his house to the bottom then he was allowed to perform on stage in Argentina. What kind of inhumane people would ever be that cruel to someone?? Greedy, selfish people only."

Jamie went on to credit his brother with making it possible for GUNS N' ROSES to write and record its classic debut LP, 1987's "Appetite For Destruction".

"Without Steven Adler, there would never have been GN'R or the greatest rock album of all time," Jamie wrote. "Adler did teach Slash his first guitar chord and gave him his first guitar. For all we know, if Slash never met Adler, he may have never even found the guitar.

"People forget too often where they come from. Let's remind Slash right now how he picked up even being the greatest guitar player of our generation. Steven Adler handing you your first guitar. Facts!!

"Adler's groove made that album what it is today. That's why no other drummer since Adler has been able to duplicate that sound in GN'R. It's a gift from God not any drum lesson can teach you what he was born with."

Jamie then explained why Steven recently revived his ADLER'S APPETITE band, with whom he is about to embark on a tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of "Appetite For Destruction".

"[Axl, Slash and Duff] have no heart, so that's why [Steven] has to go out and do his own thing. He loves his fans so much and he wants to play for each and everyone of you.

"Do you actually think Steven Adler got sober and changed his entire lifestyle to sit around the house and do nothing? NOPE!! He did it so he can finish what he started.

"My brother is stronger then ever and will show the world once again this May when he begins his worldwide tour with his own band.

"You would think the guys in GN'R would be overly proud that their once-fallen brother has returned to health and happiness and would want to share their newfound success with him this time around. Well, my brother is alive and well, so it's never too late.

"I write this because I see a lot of fans making comments on why is Adler doing his own thing and not with GN'R.

"Please ask GN'R that Adler would love to be back on stage with GN'R. That's his dream. He's never been healthier and more alive as you see in all his pics.

"For those who struggle with addiction and life issues, my brother is an example and inspiration that you can turn your life around and live a life beyond your wildest imagination. If he can clean up, then it proves anyone can.

"I send all my love and respect to all who read this and love it or those who may disagree with what I said. I felt it was necessary to get this off my chest.

"GN'R is and always will be the greatest five-piece rock 'n' roll band of my generation. I'm just grateful I was a little part of it.

"My brother is alive and well today and I want the whole world to know this."

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

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

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

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

Steven is currently working on a new book called "Steven Adler: The Shit My Friends Remember I Did".

He described the book on "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show", saying: "Now that I'm sober, I'm talking to people and they're telling me stories, and it's just blank up there [in my head]; there's nothing there. So I decided I'm gonna put a book together [as a] reminder of the stories."

Adler started a web site called Steven Adler Stories where fans can share their personal tales about the drummer for possible inclusion in the book.

GUNS N' ROSES will return in June for a seven-week European jaunt, but the band's plans until then, and beyond that, remain unknown for now. The three core members have not given a single interview together.

Jamie Adler en el grupo #GnFnR Fanspot #NotInThisLifeTime

This man right here is what you call a true survivor. He went...Posted by Adler Argentina on Saturday, March 31, 2018

Conductor of the WSOU radio station conducted an interview with guitarist Bill Steer of British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS at the the second annual Decibel Metal & Beer Fest, which was held March 31 and April 1 at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below.

Asked if CARCASS has been working on the follow-up to 2013's comeback album, "Surgical Steel", Steer said: "I've sort of lost count of how many years have gone by since that last record, but I think it's around five. And yeah, it feels long overdue that we tackle a new record. We did demo a bunch of stuff at Christmas — it was probably close to 50 minutes' worth of music — but we're not gonna stop; we're gonna keep on writing so that we've got quite a lot of material and we can pick the best stuff for the album. So quite when it will be recorded definitively, I don't know, but it will have to be this year. I mean, me and Dan [drummer Daniel Wilding] are going stir crazy, really — we're so keen to do it."

Steer also talked about the recent departure of second guitarist Ben Ash and addition of Tom Draper (POUNDER, ex-ANGEL WITCH, PRIMITAI). He said: "Well, I guess going back to what I was saying about five years of touring off one album, I think it's taken a toll on every one of us in one way or another. Ben was brought into the band as a live guitar player. We'd finished the album, we were booking shows and we needed to get out there with a second guitar player. This feels like an eternity ago, but we did have a Swedish friend of Jeff's [Walker, bass/vocals] who was in the frame, and then very near… it was quite near the knuckle for us, he kind of pulled out and said, 'Look, I can't do this for various reasons.' So then this frantic search began, and Ben came into the picture. And then we were off. And a lot of touring and a lot of travel [followed]. But, yeah, I gather he's quite keen to get back to some of the stuff he was doing beforehand, which is a lot of teaching, pretty much. And [Tom], our [new] second guitarist, he's a guy I've known for years. He would have been in the frame immediately [after 'Surgical Steel' was recorded], but as time would have it, it didn't work out, 'cause he'd moved with his wife to the U.S.A. And this is only his second show with us, so it's early days, but he's been fantastic. He's taking it very seriously. He's been so methodical with how he's learned everything, and he's very self-critical. So, yeah, he's a cool guy to have around."

Draper, who is from the United Kingdom but currently resides in California, made his live debut with CARCASS in early March at the Netherlands Deathfest at 013 in Tilburg.

"Surgical Steel" sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart.

GODSMACK's music video for the song "Bulletproof" can be seen below. The clip was filmed on February 7 at a studio in Los Angeles, California with the band's longtime visual collaborator Troy Smith. The satirical clip, which documents GODSMACK's quest to make a new video, features cameos from country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach in addition to TV personality Chris Jacobs from "Overhaulin'".

In the video, GODSMACK's manager — played by actual manager, Paul Geary — suggests that it's time for the band to expand its fanbase by working with new (and clueless) video directors, including one played by Sebastian Bach and another by Billy Ray Cyrus. After being pitched a host of awful ideas, Sully Erna decides to hire his cousin, Salvatore Pasquale from Sicily, Italy. Everything hilariously goes wrong at the shoot, climaxing with the set catching fire and, ultimately, the destruction of the video files.

"Bulletproof" is the lead single from GODSMACK's first album in four years, "When Legends Rise", which will be released on April 27. Frontman Sully Erna stated about the song: "I always write about things that have affected me on an emotional level. I think everyone knows that about me by now. But if I choose to do that, I have to be prepared to be honest and vulnerable. And so the challenge is figuring out how 'exposed' you want to be with personal information. But I've also learned over the years that for me, being transparent, even to the point of embarrassment sometimes, is so much better than holding it inside and extending that pain longer than you need to. 'Bulletproof' is just another moment in my life when I allowed myself to be vulnerable and got hurt. It's this kind of carelessness from other people that eventually hardens you and forces you to put up that wall to protect yourself. So when and if they circle back around and try to get back in, you make yourself bulletproof."

Asked what inspired the songs on "When Legends Rise", Erna explained: "It was just about evolving as a songwriter. I wanted to stretch my wings out even further to use all the experiences I've had with writing different types of music over the years and applying that to find a way to introduce a newer, fresher, more mature sound, but still maintaining the power of GODSMACK."

The new disc is GODSMACK's seventh studio effort and follows up to 2014's "1000hp". It's also the band's first release through BMG after splitting with its longtime home, Republic/Universal.

Erna said that the title of the album refers to "the band and our journey," adding, "It's been an amazing road we have traveled through all the ups and downs. But being able to conquer those challenging times with alcohol and egos and everything else that can tear a band apart is what we are the most proud of."

"When Legends Rise" was recorded at GODSMACK's headquarters (GSHQ) in Derry, New Hampshire and produced by Erik Ron and Erna.