The first Michael Schenker Fest studio album entitled Resurrection, which was co-produced by Michael Voss-Schoen, was released on March 2nd, 2018 through Nuclear Blast. Alongside Michael Schenker and the three M.S.G. singers: Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley, you can also hear Doogie White (Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock) as well as musicians Steve Mann (guitars, keyboards), Ted McKenna (drums) and Chris Glen (bass). In addition, there are also some guest appearances from Kirk Hammett, Wayne Findlay and Michael Voss-Schoen.

Thanks to Michael Schenker's loyal fan base, the group can proudly reveal several chart entries from all over the world:

#4 USA (Current Hard Music)
#23 USA (Top Current Rock)
#81 USA (Top Current Albums)
#71 Canada (Hard Music)
-----
#10 Germany
#16 Austria
#16 Switzerland
#18 Japan (#2 International)
#86 UK (#4 Rock, #9 Indie)
#163 France (#77 Physical)
#4 Sweden (Rock)

Tracklisting:

CD
“Heart And Soul”
“Warrior”
“Take Me To The Church”
“Night Moods”
“The Girl With The Stars In Her Eyes”
“Everest”
“Messin’ Around"
“Time Knows When It’s Time”
“Anchors Away”
“Salvation”
“Livin’ A Life Worth Livin’”
“The Last Supper”

2LP (33 RPM)

Side A
“Heart And Soul”
“Warrior”
“Take Me To The Church”
“Night Moods”

Side B
“The Girl With The Stars In Her Eyes”
“Everest”
“Messin’ Around”
“Time Knows When It’s Time”

Side C
“Anchors Away”
“Salvation”
“Livin’ A Life Worth Livin’”
“The Last Supper”

Bonus DVD
“Warrior” (video clip)
Michael Schenker Fest – The Documentation
Michael Schenker Fest – Interview
Michael Schenker Fest at Loudpark 2017

“Heart And Soul” lyric video:

"Warrior" video:

March will be a busy month for Schenker, as he will be launching a North American tour in support of the new album, kicking off on the 6th at the Fillmore in Silver Springs, MD, and wrapping up on April 3rd at the Ritz in Tampa, FL.

And what makes this tour truly unique is that it is being billed as Michael Schenker Fest, and will be featuring three classic Michael Schenker Group vocalists (Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet, and Robin McAuley), plus the singer of Michael Schenker’s Temple Of Rock (Doogie White). And in addition to Schenker supplying guitar, he will be joined by second guitarist/keyboardist Steve Mann, bassist Chris Glen, and drummer Ted McKenna. Meet and greet packages are also available for purchase via here.

First bursting on the scene in the early ‘70s with the Scorpions, the German guitarist and his seemingly always present Flying V were also a crucial reason in UFO becoming one of the world’s top rock bands that same decade (on the strength of such classic recordings as 1977’s Lights Out, 1978’s Obsession, and 1979’s Strangers In The Night), as well as supplying guitar on a Scorpions album that made important inroads into the American market (1979’s Lovedrive). But since 1980, Schenker has been best known for his work with MSG - including such further classic recordings as 1980’s self-titled debut (featuring Barden), 1982’s Assault Attack (featuring Bonnet), and 1987’s Perfect Timing (featuring McAuley).

Remaining tour dates:

March
24 - Events Center - San Jose, CA
25 - The Grove - Anaheim, CA
26 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
27 - House Of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
29 - Cervantes Ballroom - Denver, CO
31 - Vibes Event Center - San Antonio, TX

April
1 - Bomb Factory - Dallas, TX
3 - The Ritz - Tampa, FL

Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge, Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators) released his first solo album, Year Of The Tiger, on March 9th via Napalm Records. During a recent visit to the SiriusXM Octane studios, Kennedy covered the Elton John song, "Levon". 

Year Of The Tiger is now available in various bundle configurations here. The album is also available digitally at this location.

On Year Of The Tiger, Myles embarks on his first venture as a solo artist by embracing musical elements and influences he hasn’t explored until this point in his career. Kennedy himself plays banjo, lap steel, bass, and mandolin, in addition to guitar throughout the album. His emotional journey and personal story is captured in a bluesy-Americana album with a twist of country and rock, highlighting his unmistakable and soulful voice.

To read BraveWords scribe Aaron Small's in-depth interview with Myles, click here.

Tracklisting:

"Year Of The Tiger"
"The Great Beyond"
"Blind Faith"
"Devil On The Wall"
"Ghost Of Shangri La"
"Turning Stones"
"Haunted By Design"
"Mother"
"Nothing But A Name"
"Love Can Only Heal"
"Songbird"
"One Fine Day"

"Love Can Only Heal" lyric video:

"Devil On The Wall" lyric video:

"Haunted By Design" lyric video:

"Year Of The Tiger" video:

Best Buy stores in The United States is offering an exclusive version of Year Of The Tiger, featuring three acoustic demos: "Nothing But A Name"​, "The Great Beyond"​, and "Haunted By Design".

Recently announced is the first leg of Kennedy's US solo tour; tickets and meet & greet packages on sale now. The routing is as listed:

May
2 - Spokane, WA - Bing Crosby Theater - SOLD OUT
3 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile - SOLD OUT
5 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
6 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour - SOLD OUT
9 - Dallas, TX - Cambridge Room (HOB)
10 - Houston, TX - Bronze Peacock (HOB) - SOLD OUT
12 - Nashville, TN - Topgolf
14 - Atlanta, GA - City Winery - SOLD OUT
16 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
17 - Asbury Park, NJ - House Of Independents - SOLD OUT
19 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
21 - Boston, MA - City Winery - SOLD OUT
22 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
24 - Detroit, MI - The Crofoot Ballroom
25 - Dundee, IL - Rochaus - SOLD OUT

 

From Ashes To New have released a lyric video for "My Name", a track their upcoming LP, The Future, out on April 20th via Better Noise Records / Eleven Seven Music. The album is available for pre-order now at this location. Watch the video below.

Tracklisting:

"Wake Up"
"Crazy"
"My Name"
"Gone Forever"
"Broken"
"Forgotten"
"Enemy"
"Nowhere To Run"
"Let Go"
"On My Own"
"The Future"

"My Name" lyric video:

"Broken" lyric video:

"Crazy" video:

Catch From Ashes To New live in concert:

May
5 - Carolina Rebellion - Concord, NC
18 - Rock On The Range - Columbus, OH

Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen performed at the prestigious Hity na Gitarze classical guitar festival in Koszalin, Poland. Video of the set can be found below.

Zwijsen performed acoustic classical fingerstyle arrangements of the following songs:

"The Trooper" (Iron Maiden)
"Smoke On The Water" (Deep Purple)
"Where Eagles Dare" (Iron Maiden)
"Space Oddity" (David Bowie)
"Enter Sandman" (Metallica)
"Afraid To Shoot Strangers" (Iron Maiden)
"Future World" (Helloween)
"Highway Star" (Deep Purple)
"Fear Of The Dark" (Iron Maiden)
"Aces High" (Iron Maiden)
"The Final Countdown" (Europe)

American musician, songwriter, producer, sound designer, co-founder of the band Sound Of Contact and lauded progressive-rock artist Dave Kerzner, has announced the birth of a new progressive rock supergroup named In Continuum. The band consists of Kerzner at the helm as the main songwriter and keyboardist, sharing lead vocal duties with Gabriel Agudo (Steve Rothery Band, Bad Dreams).

Joining Kerzner and Agudo on the debut album - set for release later in 2018 - are top multi-instrumentalists Matt Dorsey (Sound Of Contact) and Randy McStine (Sound Of Contact, The Fringe), former Porcupine Tree and Sound Of Contact touring guitarist John Wesley, drummers Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train, Spock’s Beard) and Derek Cintron along with guitarist Fernando Perdomo from the Dave Kerzner Band. Special guests on the album will include singer Jon Davison (YES) and guitarist Steve Rothery (Marillion).

“In Continuum will have a similar approach that Alan Parsons Project or King Crimson has had in that it will feature multiple singers and musicians” says Kerzner. “Each album will have a cast of players best suited for the material.”

The music of In Continuum is described as “sci-fi-themed space rock” and stylistically it’s a cross-over blend of progressive rock and mainstream alt rock.

Kerzner says, “My role in Sound Of Contact writing lyrics and music for keyboard-driven progressive rock music is similar to Tony Banks’ role in one of my favorite bands, Genesis. I’ve created In Continuum as a new vehicle and outlet for that musical side of me to continue while I explore other areas in my solo work”.

In Continuum will be performing on Cruise To The Edge, February 4th - 9th, 2019. More shows and further details regarding the album release date will be announced at a later time.

European death/ black machine Belphegor have been nominated for this year's Amadeus Awards, the biggest Austrian music prize. The winner in the "Best Hard & Heavy" category will receive the award on April 26th in Vienna and the ceremony will be broadcasted on national TV.

Cast your vote for Belphegor here. You can cast your ballot once per week through March 27th.

Belphegor recently released a lyrical performance video for "The Devil's Son", a song dedicated to the legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini (1781-1849). Filmed in the mountains of Abtenau/ Austria by Bloodbrother Barth Resch, and edited by Chris Huszar, the clip can be seen below:

Belphegor’s complete live itinerary can be found here.

Swedish purveyors of blackened folk metal Skogen make their awaited return this year with the impending release of their fifth album, Skuggorna Kallar, on May 25th via Nordvis. Today, the band has released the record’s first new track, “När Solen Bleknar Bort”. Listen below.

Speaking about the thematic elements of the upcoming record, the band states, “All the tracks are about when the northern darkness and/or winter swallows the sun. In one way or another. Death, and the tranquillity it brings.”

Under a frozen Swedish moon, Skogen have their sonic pentagram of albums in homage to the stark, nebular beauty of their motherland. Theirs is a blackened folkish metal possessed by the mysteries of nature and dedicated to paying homage to its majesty, both in light and darkness. This polarity is felt in the music as subtly beautiful melodies and clean vocals are woven into the more pervasive darker tones that saturate Skuggorna Kallar, like the blanket of night, heavy with dew. You could say that it is simultaneously the band’s most complete and darkest work to date.

Our sonic journey starts at the onset of a Nordic eve, as the sun shines its last reluctant rays on the bleak landscape. Dark omens are foretold by our shrouded companion, or is it Loki, playing with our minds as the frostbite takes hold, numbing our brains and weakening our defences. Finally, the sun’s blood seeps through the seemingly impenetrable fog of pre-dawn grimness and we are arrived at our final destination, beneath the mighty ash -Yggdrasil. Only then do we realize that the gods have indeed played laid down our final card and the funeral rites begin. Valhalla awaits.

Pre-order Skuggorna Kallar via Nordvis, or Bandcamp.

Skuggorna Kallar tracklisting:

"Det Nordiska Mörkret"
"När Solen Bleknar Bort"
"Nebula"
"Omen"
"Frostland"
"The Sun’s Blood"
"Beneath The Trees"
"The Funeral"

"När Solen Bleknar Bort":

Helsingborg, Sweden-based melodic metal band Sins In Vain have released an official music video for their tribute to Killswitch Engage, "The End Of Heartache".

Says the band: "Sins In Vain’s cover of 'The End of Heartache' is a big ‘thank you’ to Killswitch Engage for all the inspiration over the years. The original is already a metal classic about the pain of being apart from someone you love. Something most people can relate to, unfortunately. We’ve worked hard to convey the feelings of love and sorrow in this song. The outcome is a balance between respect for the original and our own interpretation and sound. Our delivery is a bit softer, but definitely still powerful. 'The End Of Heartache' is truly close to our hearts, and we hope everyone who will hear our version of it will grasp how much emotion has gone into this."

You can stream / download "The End Of Heartache" (Killswitch Engage cover) via Amazon-MP3, Spotify, and Google Play.

On May 18th, Pink Floyd will re-release their 1995 UK #1 live album Pulse, pressed on heavyweight 180-gram vinyl.

Pulse, originally released in 1995, was compiled by James Guthrie, using various performances from the band’s 1994 Division Bell tour across the UK and Europe featuring David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. The album includes “The Dark Side Of The Moon” performed in full live, as well as a whole side dedicated to the show’s encore.

The 4-LP set includes four different inner sleeves, each inside individual outer sleeves, plus a 52-page hardback photo book, all encased in a thick card slipcase.

This 2018 release was remastered from the original tapes by James Guthrie, Joel Plante and Bernie Grundman. Aubrey Powell of Hipgnosis and Peter Curzon, who worked on the original art with the late Hipgnosis co-founder, Storm Thorgerson, recreated the art package.

Tracklisting:

LP1 Side One                                                                                          
"Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5, 7)"                                 
"Astronomy Domine"                                                                               
"What Do You Want From Me"                                                             

LP1 Side Two
"Learning To Fly"
"Keep Talking"
"Coming Back To Life"

LP2 Side One                                                                                         
"Hey You"                                                                                                     
"A Great Day For Freedom"                                              
"Sorrow"                                                                                                                                           

LP2 Side Two
"High Hopes"
"Another Brick In The Wall (Part Two)"
"Coming Back To Life"

LP3 Side One                                                                                         
"The Dark Side Of The Moon"                                                                  
"Speak To Me"                                                                                            
"Breathe (In The Air)"                                                
"On The Run"                                                             
"Time"                                                                          

LP3 Side Two
"The Great Gig In The Sky"
"Money"

LP4 Side One                                                                                       
"Us And Them"                                                                                          
"Any Colour You Like"                                                                            
"Brain Damage"                                                                                        
"Eclipse"                                                                                             

LP4 Side Two
"Encores"
"Wish You Were Here"
"Comfortably Numb"
"Run Like Hell"

DECAPITATED guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka says that he and his bandmates are "ready to return," two months after all rape and kidnapping charges against were dropped against them in Spokane County.

Less than two weeks before the Polish death metal musicians were scheduled to go on trial in January for allegedly kidnapping and raping a woman on their tour bus four months earlier, Spokane County prosecutor Kelly Fitzgerald filed a motion dismissing all rape and kidnapping charges. The motion cited "the well being of the victim" as a reason for dropping the charges without prejudice, meaning the four members of DECAPITATED could be prosecuted in the future.

Defense attorneys questioned the credibility of the accuser, who in 2014 admitted to lying to police about injuries she sustained during an assault, when her boyfriend was accused of stabbing three people. It was later determined that she was actually injured by her boyfriend during a previous argument.

In a new statement posted on the DECAPITATED Facebook page, Kiełtyka once again proclaimed his band's innocence and insisted that they will "never accept someone else's narration about who we are."

The guitarist wrote: "We are innocent. We are free. We are back home. And we are ready to return with the band.

"The last few months were one of the most terrible and irrational times in our lives.

"Jail is a horrible place. 96 days in jail and almost a month outside the jail where we dealing with fear, unbelievable stress, depression, and even violence. It was a really hard time — especially for our families.

"Being in jail in another country with charges that became a criminal case is an extreme experience. We do not wish this on anyone. It caused ourselves and our families many stressful days and sleepless nights. The cancelled tour meant loss of the income we use to support ourselves and our families, but worst of all, it cost us our professional reputation in a community we have loved and been members of all of our lives.

"Unfortunately, while we were jailed, we could not communicate with the outside world, leaving our fans and our metal community to read many news stories and posts on social media that contained inaccurate information because there were no direct statements from us, the band, the ones in the middle of all of this. We ourselves could not report on how the situation was unfolding. This led people who were so shocked by the news to make untrue narrations. Without walking our experience with us, they felt obligated to comment on our case and blamed us, without even knowing the facts that said something opposite. They came to a very fast opinion about us in a very public way.

"In this Internet age, it is really easy to ruin someone, their life, their family, their career. Some media and people just jumped on a topic and made their own inconsistent storytelling, taking one piece of information and creating a story they wanted to tell about us around it.

"For those who do not know yet: Our case was dropped. All charges against all members were dropped.

"Words hurt. Words matter. Truth matters.

"Does sexual harassment happen and do crimes against women exist? Yes, and it is horrible.

"Do false accusations happen? Yes, this really happens. And it is also horrible.

"Many people are falsely accused every day and the metal community is not immune. Unfortunately, it happened to us. People with their own motivations who falsely accuse someone don't seem to understand they can ruin somebody's life without facing any public consequences themselves. A false accusation can change a life in one moment. One day, everything is normal. Then the next day, you wake up in jail with a police record. You are marked, stigmatized while waiting to see how things unfold, even if the charges are not true. And then, when it’s all over, it is not a 'hot topic' on the Internet anymore. Not many people spend time on social media to spread the truth, not many people even care what the truth was. It is hard to feel relief when this happens.

"We cannot and we will never accept someone else's narration about who we are. That is why we have chosen to return with the band. We know who we are and we can hold our heads and our music high with that knowledge.

"I want to thank all of you — families, friends, other bands, and our amazing fans — for your belief in us and your support throughout a horrible situation. Our incredible lawyers, Steve Graham, Karren Lindholdt, Chris Bugbee, Jeffry Finner, and all the teams who stood by us — our management and our label. It's priceless to see that we have so many people who were, are, and will be, with us. You know who you are.

"I also want to thank Mr. Dominik Tarczynski from the Polish Parliament who visited us in Spokane and checked if our human rights were protected during the whole process, for supporting our families from the beginning. It means a lot more than words can express.

"There will be more time in the future to talk about the path of our return, but now the most important thing for us is to get back to our lives, to return to the people and places and things that had been taken from us, to return to what became even more precious to us while we were away.

"We are eager to get our lives back and we are grateful for the opportunity.

"We are really sorry we were forced to cancel tours and festivals, but we will work very hard to bring all plans back to meet with all of you again, our community.

"'From Pain To Strength' is still a valid motto.

"Thank you, everyone, for your patience."

The woman alleged she was gang-raped by the musicians in their tour bus bathroom after DECAPITATED's August 31 concert with THY ART IS MURDER at The Pin concert venue in downtown Spokane as part of the two bands' "Double Homicide" tour. The woman said entered the bus for drinks with the band before each member forced themselves on her.

Deputies later stated the victim had "significant bruising to her upper arms consistent with being restrained" and "small abrasions on her knuckles that were scabbed over."

Andy Marsh, a member of THY ART IS MURDER, provided testimony for the defense, saying he saw the woman violently dancing in the mosh pit in front of the stage. "She was smashing her hands, arms and body against the metal barricade between the audience and the stage," he said in the court documents.

All four members of DECAPITATED were arrested on September 9 in Santa Ana, California after performing at the Observatory. They were held in Los Angeles County Jail before being extradited to Spokane.

Prosthetic Records have announced the singing of Leeched, a three piece, dark, chaotic hardcore band who quickly burst upon the UK scene based on their debut EP.

The band comments on the signing, “We are stoked to be working with Prosthetic to help bring our music to a much wider audience. We are all fans of many artists on their current roster and alumni which makes it an even more exciting opportunity for us."

Hailing from Manchester, the band have topped the scene since forming in mid-2017. Dropping their debut EP, Nothing Will Grow From The Rotten Ground, they showed an intense 9 minutes of pure hatred and ignorance while providing a sound not heard before.

Having already played on the same bill as Brutality Will Prevail, Venom Prison and more; Leeched are quickly finding their feet with a unique dark sound while combining influences from various forms of extreme music.

They recently released a video for "Boar", taken from Nothing Will Grow From The Rotten Ground, it can be viewed below.

The band is currently finishing up their debut full-length, to be released by Prosthetic Records at the end of the year. More details will be made available soon.

Leeched on tour:

March
30 - Manchester, UK - The Star and Garter

May
31 - Galeen, Netherlands - Café de Meister

June
1 - Querfurt, Germany - Return To Strength Festival
4 - Hengelo, Netherlands - Innocent
5 - Saarlouis, Germany - Utopia Hardcore Bash
9 - Aarschot, Belgium - Revelation Fest #2

July
5 - Newark, UK - Tech-Fest 2018

November
10 - Manchester, UK - Fall In The Brawl 3

Leeched is:

Laurie - Bass/Vocals
Judd - Guitar
Tom - Drums

Finnish melancholic progressive metallers AMORPHIS will release their new studio album, "Queen Of Time", on May 18 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "Under The Red Cloud" will include the use of real strings, flutes, orchestral arrangements and even choirs. In addition, this will be the first time that people will be able to hear their lyricist Pekka Kainulainen on the album as he contributes a speech in Finnish.

"Queen Of Time" was once again produced by Jens Bogren (OPETH, AMON AMARTH, KREATOR), who is well known for challenging and motivating artists during the recording process. He isn't afraid to push them to their limits.

The disc's opening song, "The Bee", can be streamed below.

Guitarist Esa Holopainen states about the new track: "This song is a very powerful opener and gives a nice picture of what the whole album is all about. You can already hear some new elements like choirs and orchestral arrangements in it."

Adds vocalist Tomi Joutsen: "Of course, the lyrical inspiration is a bee, also in a metaphoric way. The tiniest thing can sometimes be the most important thing. A bee can bring life or if we destroy all the bees, life will stop here. It's a very beautiful animal, that's why you can find it on the album cover too. The track itself is a kind of progressive and I'm sure that it will surprise some fans in a positive way. We love it!"

The "Queen Of Time" cover artwork, which was created once again by French artist Jean "Valnoir" Simoulin from Metastazis, captures the feeling of the lyrics and the music. With Pekka Kainulainen's (lyricist) words, the lyrical theme is universal: "Cultures rise, flourish, and are destroyed. The story of man is the story of searching, finding, and forgetting. A single spark can set the world afire, a single idea can give birth to a new culture. The greatest can stagnate into insignificance, the smallest can hold the power for change. The lyrics on this album are distant echoes of ancient forest peoples, from a time when meaning was proportioned by the cosmic forces that govern birth and death. If the connection was lost, they sought for a strand of knowledge, found a new direction, and a new age began."

"Queen Of Time" will be also the first AMORPHIS album to feature the band's old/new bass player Olli-Pekka "Oppu" Laine following the departure of Niclas Etelävuori in 2017. Oppu was one of the founding members of AMORPHIS in 1990 and recorded the first seven records with the band before he exited the group in spring 2000.

"To be honest, 'Oppu' was the only guy we could imagine being in AMORPHIS," says Esa. "It was funny — when we started to play our first shows together again last summer, it all felt so familiar. He was involved with arranging songs and he also even brought some new songs to the table… really good ones, too!" Oppu adds: "Even though the last year with AMORPHIS has been exciting, nostalgic and fun, it's also been truly comfortable to be with the guys again. As a clichéd expression, it's been like returning home from a lengthy odyssey. After 18 years, it feels like we are picking up where we left off from the good ol' days! I'm really looking forward for the upcoming tour. The new album itself is a really strong package, the only hard thing will be picking which songs to play live! It's safe to say we are set to pull off some killer shows over the next few years. After that, I'm predicting a long and fruitful career for the band in its current form..."

"Queen Of Time" track listing:

01. The Bee

02. Message In The Amber

03. Daughter Of Hate

04. The Golden Elk

05. Wrong Direction

06. Heart Of The Giant

07. We Accursed

08. Grain Of Sand

09. Amongst Stars

10. Pyres On The Coast

Bonus tracks (digi, 2LP, and mail-order edition only)

11. As Mountains Crumble

12. Brother And Sister

Holopainen comments: "I guess 'Queen Of Time' turned out as a massive surprise to all of us. During the rehearsing and pre-production, we didn't have any idea that Jens had this huge picture inside of his head about the landscape of the album. It's a very natural continuation to 'Under The Red Cloud' but with steroids. The songs are more aggressive but there's more dynamics, harmonies and orchestral arrangements present. The result is AMORPHIS as something you've never heard before! Essentially, working with Jens worked really well. As a person, he is very similar to us — we share the same kind of weird humor and we all like to work hard."

Forget everything you thought you knew, because Follow The Cipher are ready to herald in a new musical era and crash through the many dimensions of our universe to steal your breath. Despite their stylistic diversity, the Swedish metal act from Falun creates a very cohesive ambience, mixing a first class sound with magical charisma, an innovative concept, live presence and an incredibly talented singer.

Follow The Cipher recently announced the release of their self-titled debut album which will be available on May 11th through Nuclear Blast. Its cover artwork was created by no less than Sabaton's Chris Rörland. A second video trailer for the upcoming release can be found below.

Follow The Cipher can be pre-ordered here. Pre-order the album digitally to receive "Valkyria" and "The Rising" instantly.

Follow The Cipher tracklisting:

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

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

"Valkyria" video:

"The Rising" lyric video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Follow The Cipher live dates:

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

(Photo - Georgios Grigoriadis)

Swiss/Finnish/American hard rockers, Panorama, have released a lyric video for "The Highest Mountain", featured on their debut album, released back in January via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. Watch the clip below.

The album is produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69). The cover artwork was made by Stan W Decker (Masterplan, Vanden Plas, Resurrection Kings, Stryper).

Tracklisting:

"Around The World"
"Standing My Ground"
"The Glory Within"
"Gates Of Babylon"
"The Highest Mountain"
"Jammin In The Jungle"
"One For All"
"The Other Side"
"Heart Has Been Broken"
"Shout It Out"
"World On Fire"

"The Highest Mountain" lyric video:

"Around The World" lyric video:

In 2008 the Swiss guitarist, Sammy Lasagni (Gods Of Silence, ex Kirk, ex-Godiva), met the Uruguay born singer Christian Palin (Random Eyes, ex-Adagio) for the first time when Godiva, supported the band Adagio - fronted by Christian. The chemistry between the two was immediately obvious so they decided that they would, at some point in time, try to make music together. The two kept in contact but the years plodded along until 2015 when a certain long telephone call on a cold winter’s day changed everything. Right then and there they decided to get to work. They began writing songs and in record time 15 new songs were born. They decided to work with Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69) as a producer. The guys soon after met with Dennis and introduced their songs. Dennis was genuinely impressed. So impressed that he agreed to work with them and joined the band not only as producer, but as a bass player too. The guys completed their lineup with Finnish guitarist, Ben Varon (formerly of Amoral and Grease Helmet) and Swiss drummer Philipp Eichenberger (Gods of Silence, ex-Kirk). Panorama was born!

Under the direction of Dennis Ward, who took over the whole production (produced, recorded, mixed and mastered), the band recorded their debut album Around The World partially at HOFA studios in Karlsdorf Germany and at The TrakShak, Dennis’ private studio. It was a long process but the album turned out fantastic. A Hard Rock production with a bit of Scandinavian influences and Christian has proven himself to be a world-class singer.

Panorama is:

Christian Palin - Vocals (Random Eyes, ex-Adagio)
Dennis Ward - Bass (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69)
Sammy Lasagni - Guitars (Gods of Silence, ex-Kirk, ex-Godiva)
Ben Varon - Guitars (Amoral, ex-Grease Helmet)
Philipp Eichenberger - Drums (Gods of Silence, ex-Kirk)

Space Elevator were formed by guitarist David Young and flamboyant lead singer The Duchess. Releasing their debut album in 2014, the band produced a contemporary rock album that draws on the influences of the best and biggest bands in rock history. Performing well crafted rock songs with great dynamics and powerful playing, supporting lush vocal harmonies and instantly memorable melodies, the songs are delivered brilliantly by the Duchess.

Space Elevator II sees the band back with a toughened up and more direct sound without abandoning their penchant for ambitious arrangements when required. The album features the single “We Can Fly” (ARO Mix), the video for which was shot atop the largest privately owned satellite dish in the world owned by Thoth Technology, Canada, designers of the world’s first 20km high space elevator and collaborators with the band on their  space elevator project. The single and the video will be released on May 11th.

Space Elevator II will be released on May 25th through SPV/Steamhammer as a CD digi version, 2LP gatefold version and digital. You can hear some samples from the album below.

Tracklisting:

"Take The Pain"
"Talk Talk"
"World Of Possibilities"
"The One That Got Away"
"Crazies (Take Me Home)"
"We Can Fly (ARO Mix)"
"All This Time"
"Far Away Boy"
"Lucky Girl"
"Keep Waiting"
"W.Y.T.A.T."
"Queen For A Day"

Audio samples:

​​Live dates:

May
17 - Mansfield, UK - The Diamond
18 - Bathgate, UK - The Dreadnought
19 - Wigan, UK - The Old Courts Theatre
20 - Stoke-On-Trent, UK - Eleven
24 - Bucks, UK - South Bucks University
25 - London, UK - The Hammersmith Club
31 - Oxford, UK - The Bullingdon

June
15 - Kent, UK - Leo's Red Lion

July
29 - Horseheath, UK - Cambridge Rock Festival

Mortiis' Perfectly Defect album, which was originally released in 2010 during the European comeback tour with fellow industrial stalwarts Combichrist and has since been long out of print, will be reissued this year in both digital and physical formats, including three strictly limited vinyl versions.

When Perfectly Defect was first released, it was available in two versions - an 8-track (tour edition on CD) and a 10-track version (digital format), while the complete studio session actually contains 12 songs, which will now all be available on the new 2018 version.

The reissue of Perfectly Defect is penned for release on June 1st via Mortiis' own label Omnipresence Records.

Mortiis comments: “At the time of the initial release, I had given up on working with a label as I was super pissed off with previous negative experiences in the record industry and decided I'd rather give the album away for free as a gift to our loyal fans during the comeback tour. It was a big fat 'fuck you' to certain industry vampires! I have since then calmed down and I'm super stoked to finally be able to give 'Perfectly Defect' the proper release it deserves on my own label! Just wait until you see the strictly limited vinyl editions.”

Perfectly Defect 2018 tracklisting:

"Closer To The End"
"Perfectly Defect"
"The Sphere"
"Sensation Of Guilt"
"Sole Defeat"
"Thieving Bastards"
"The Punished"
"Halo Of Arms"
"Impossible To Believe"
"This Absolution"
"Hermaphro Superior"
"Contrition"

Pre-orders which will be announced shortly, will come with a free limited remix album download - stay tuned for further details.

Swedish metal band Hexed have released a lyric video for the song "Obedience", featured on their debut album Netherworld, out March 30th via ViciSolum Productions. The video was made by Mattias Norén (Kamelot, Epica, Sabaton, Evergrey) at Progart Media, and can be found below.

Hexed is fronted by vocalist Tina Gunnarsson. The music is a genius blend of thick driving rhythms, melodic guitars and are sometimes progressively orientated, but always with catchy chorus lines and strong powerful female vocals.

Netherworld was produced, recorded, mixed by Hexed & Diztord. Mastered by Jouni Niemi at Big Jambo Studios. Artwork & layout by Mattias Noren (Kamelot, Epica, Sabaton, Evergrey) at Progart Media.

Tracklisting:

"Obedience"
"Roots"
"Forsaken"
"Oceans"
"Exhaling Life" (feat. Thomas Vikström)
"Netherworld"
"Lightyears"
"Stars"
"Illuminate"
"Remake My Soul" (feat. Ronny Hemlin)

"Obedience" lyric video:

Hexed Is:

Tina Gunnarsson - Vocals
Daniel Håkansson - Bass
Stellan Gunnarsson - Guitars, Keys, Vocals
Teddy Möller - Drums

Experimental sludge act Sorxe has released their first-ever music video for the track “Hypnotizer”.

The video for "Hypnotizer" was edited by Jason Cakebread "Cake" @fatcakemedia with Sorxe guitarist, vocalist and synthmaster Tanner Crace on the 2nd camera.  

The track comes from their sophomore studio album; Matter & Void which was recorded, mixed and co-produced by Matt Bayles (Russian Circles, Botch, Isis). The album is available now on Prosthetic Records in the following formats: CD, limited edition violet and black swirl LP and all digital outlets.

Sorxe live:

April
10 – Phoenix, AZ – Rebel Lounge

May
2 – Tempe, AZ – Yucca Tap Room

Seattle-based unconventional dissonant black/death outfit Voidthrone arise again with a new offering of brain-scrambling darkness and terror - Kur. The album is set for release on Friday, May 4th and is the follow-up to the 2016 album Spiritual War Tactics.

After releasing Spiritual War Tactics, Voidthrone added new members to their ranks and immediately began working on new music that would evolve and grow over time into the intricate and ambitious work of bleak extremity that is Kur. Musically, Kur is difficult to dissect in simple terms. The album's four tracks carve an amorphous path in many directions.

Voidthrone statement about Kur:

“Musically, Kur builds on Voidthrone’s previous release. It contrasts established, repeated central riffs and textures with the drawn-out onslaught of sounds unfamiliar to the listener. It is with this approach that we strive to master a very certain art: that of the journey from beginning to end, from substance to emptiness. This requires embracing the emotional lows equally well as the highs. We write what feels natural to channel, but unnatural in relation to mainstream extreme metal. Our goal is to create unique and dissonant music that retains traditional elements of our genre without a pretentious air.

“Lyrically, the album is an exploration of isolation and desolation. The songs touch on utter psychological collapse; an untethering from the reality, society, self. Kur begins from the perspective of an everyman, focused on some MacGuffin of enlightenment- religious, personal, scientific, universal, etc. As with any monkey paw story, there is a perverse result- obsession, madness, and unholy subterfuge. The concrete narrative quickly melts away into expressionistic confusion and chaos. The meaning and music assimilate and fully delve into tones of frantic terror and seething psychological sickness.”

Tracklisting:

“Modern Hellfire”
“Kur”
“Phantasm Epoch”
“Their Recursive Communion”

Teaser:

Big Kizz is the new Swedish rock band featuring drummer Axel Sjöberg (ex-Graveyard), bassist John Hoyles (Spiders, ex-Witchcraft) and vocalist/guitarist Pontus Westman (Lady Banana). The group will release its debut full-length, Music Is Magic, on May 18th via Tee Pee Records.

A music video for the first single, "I Want My Girl", is available for streaming below.

Big Kizz plays good time rock 'n' roll  energized with elements of power pop, garage rock and punk that will have toes tappin', ears ringin' and mouths singin' from the moment the needle hits the wax! Big Kizz burst onto the scene in 2017 with its debut, Eye On You, an EP filled with upbeat rock ‘n’ roll circa 1976, when proto-glam and punk rock were hardly distinguishable from each other.

"Big Kizz have gathered influences from across the musical spectrum, fed them through our ingenious, Phil Spector-esque hit-creating rock machine and spewed out an eclectic swirl of instant heavy hitters!", says Sjöberg. "With a nod to Ty Segall and Shocking Blue, a tip of the hat to Tina Turner and Ray Charles, and a thumbs up to Velvet Underground and Bikini Kill, we have delivered a masterclass in wearing our influences on our sleeve, but crucially, fired them out with -- what is surely soon to be known as -- our signature Big Kizz flair."

Combining a love for British guitar pop songcraft with crunching power chords and a tongue-in-cheek flair for the absurd, the band's impending long-player, Music Is Magic, is an explosive fusion of Beatlesque melodic hooks, Who-styled power, and a twisted sense of humor. The record also includes a blistering cover of the Bikini Kill classic "Rebel Girl".

Pre-order Music Is Magic here.

Tracklisting:

"Music Is Magic"
"I Want My Girl"
"I Gave Up Tears Ago"
"Baby Boy"
"Lose My Love"
"Long Distance Call"
"High "
"Rebel Girl" (Bikini Kill cover)
"I Hate R 'N' R"
"Eye on You"
"Legalt"

"I Want My Girl" video:

"Eye On You" video:

Word has come down that Pat Travers Band bassist Peter "Mars" Cowling passed away on March 20th. Cowling recorded eight albums for Travers between 1976 and 1982. He rejoined Travers in 1989 and remained with the band until 1993, performing on Travers' singles "Boom Boom (Out Go The Lights)" and "Snortin' Whiskey". 

The reason for Cowling's passing will be revealed in the coming days. Pat Travers has yet to comment.

Cowling was also featured on Hooked On Music, a live video performance originally shot for the German television programme Rockpalast in 1976, which showcased an early Pat Travers Band line-up that included present Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain. Cowling's other video appearance was Boom Boom-Live At The Diamond Club, a 1991 concert filmed in Toronto that also featured Jerry Riggs.

Windhand's split release with Satan's Satyrs was released last month on CD, LP and digital formats. A full audio stream can be found below.

Two of Virginia's finest heavy bands team up for an amp-worshipping, acid trip from hell! Includes two brand new songs of smouldering gloom and grief from Windhad, paired with three tracks of devilish, fuzz-drenched metal/punk from Satan's Satyrs. Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Old Evil" - Windhand
"Three Sisters" - Windhand
"Alucard AD 2018" - Satan's Satyrs
"Succubus" - Satan's Satyrs
"Ain't That Lovin' You, Baby" - Satan's Satyrs

(Photo - Sally Patti)

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.

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)

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!"

Immediately after finishing The Sound Of Steel, the band headed to Europe for a month-long tour with Florida death metal legends Obituary. They’ll come home, start up the US promo cycle and expect to be back out on the road, where their steel shines the brightest, this summer and throughout the next year.

Exmortus is:

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

German power metallers, Circle Of Silence, will release their new album, The Crimson Throne, on April 27th via Massacre Records. Pre-order the album here, and check out a video for the album track "The Crimson Throne" below.

Tracklisting:

"Conquer The Throne"
"Race To The Sky"
"Destroyers Of The Earth"
"The Chosen One"
"Lionheart"
"The Crimson Throne"
"Into The Fire"
"A Kingdom Divine"
"Endgame"
"Possessed By Fire"
"Wild Eyes"

"The Crimson Throne" video:

"Lionheart" lyric video:

According to TMZ, The Who frontman Roger Daltrey earned $1 million for performing at the 60th birthday party for Dr. Craig Flashner over the weekend in California.

Says TMZ: "If you're wondering how Flashner had the million to spare... he owns about 500 nursing homes across the country. The party was held Saturday at Flashner's home in Westlake Village, about an hour outside of L.A. We're told Daltrey accounted for the bulk of the party's $1.5 million price tag."

Polydor/Republic Records recently announced that Roger Daltrey is returning on June 1st with a brand new studio album, As Long As I Have You. A visualizer for the title track can be found below. Order the album here.

Daltrey has sold over 100 million records including 9 US and 10 UK top ten albums and 14 UK top ten singles. He’s played over well over 2,000 gigs in a career spanning over 50 years including venues such as Woodstock, Monterey Pop, Glastonbury (twice), Hyde Park (four times), The Isle Of Wight (three times), Desert Trip, Shea Stadium, The Superbowl half time show and Live Aid to name but a very few.

Roger has raised tens of millions of pounds for charity all over the world and was awarded a CBE for his work with The Teenage Cancer Trust and is in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, the UK Music Hall Of Fame and has lifetime achievement awards from The Brits and from The Grammys

As Long As I Have You was produced by Dave Eringa, best known for his work with the Manic Street Preachers and on Roger and Wilko Johnson’s album Going Back Home, and features Pete Townshend’s inimitable guitar on seven tracks as well as guest performances from Mick Talbot on keyboards (Dexys, The Style Council) and Sean Genockey on lead guitar who has worked with Suede, Shame and The Proclaimers).

Work on As Long As I Have You was started shortly after the Top 5 gold selling Going Back Home was released and continued during breaks on The Who’s record breaking 50th anniversary tour The Who Hits 50.

The album is a mixture of self-penned tracks such as "Certified Rose" and the soulful ballad "Always Heading Home" along with songs that have inspired Daltrey over the years including Nick Cave’s "Into My Arms", "You Haven’t Done Nothing" by Stevie Wonder, Stephen Stills’ "How Far" and the title track originally recorded by Garnet Mimms in 1964; the year that Daltrey, Townshend, Entwistle and Moon changed their name from The High Numbers and became The Who.

Roger Daltrey on As Long As I Have You: “This is a return to the very beginning, to the time before Pete [Townshend] started writing our songs, to a time when we were a teenage band playing soul music to small crowds in church halls. That's what we were, a soul band. And now, I can sing soul with all the experience you need to sing it. Life puts the soul in. I’ve always sung from the heart but when you’re 19, you haven’t had the life experience with all its emotional trials and traumas that you have by the time you get to my age. You carry all the emotional bruises of life and when you sing these songs, those emotions are in your voice. You feel the pain of a lost love. You feel it and you sing it and that's soul. For a long time, I've wanted to return to the simplicity of these songs, to show people my voice, a voice they won't have heard before. It felt like the right time. It's where I am, looking back to that time, looking across all those years but also being here, now, in the soulful moment”

Tracklisting:

"As Long As I Have You"
"How Far"
"Where Is A Man To Go?"
"Get On Out Of The Rain"
"I’ve Got Your Love"
"Into My Arms"
"You Haven’t Done Nothing"
"Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind"
"Certified Rose"
"The Love You Save"
"Always Heading Home"

"As Long As I Have You" visualizer:

Rob Zombie's 2016 front-to-back concert performance of WHITE ZOMBIE's 1995 album "Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs Of Love, Destruction And Other Synthetic Delusions Of The Electric Head" will be released as a live album, "Astro-Creep: 2000 Live", on March 30 via Interscope/Geffen/A&M.

"Astro-Creep: 2000 Live" track listing (recorded live at Riot Fest in Chicago, September 2016):

01. Electric Head, Pt. 1 (The Agony)

02. Super-Charger Heaven

03. Real Solution #9

04. Creature Of The Wheel

05. Electric Head, Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy)

06. Grease Paint And Monkey Brains

07. I, Zombie

08. More Human Than Human

09. El Phantasmo And The Chicken-Run Blast-O-Rama

10. Blur The Technicolor

11. Blood, Milk And Sky

Zombie said in 2016 that he had "many legit reasons" for not wanting to reform WHITE ZOMBIE, despite some fans' suggestion to the contrary.

The subject of a WHITE ZOMBIE reunion once again came up after Rob performed "Astro-Creep: 2000" live at Riot Fest.

As video footage of the performance made its way online, a WHITE ZOMBIE fan made an impassioned plea for Zombie to reform the group. The fan wrote in the comments section on Instagram: "Please, for the love of God, reunite WHITE ZOMBIE. The reasons you've given in the past for not wanting to do it… honestly make no sense. First you said that reunions are never good, and it's best to let sleeping corpses lie. Hello… GUNS N' ROSES? MISFITS? Reunions are beloved bands are totally welcomed and completely awesome. a white zombie reunion has zero chance of being bad.

"The second reason you have is that your crowds these days 'barely react' to the WHITE ZOMBIE songs. Well, maybe they would react more if those songs weren't abandoned. I can promise you that thousands of people still love and cherish those albums you need in the '80s and '90s. A WHITE ZOMBIE tour would be a huge success.

"I love you, Rob, but I gotta be honest.. I think the truth is that you just think you're too good to pick up the phone, call up Sean [Yseult, former WHITE ZOMBIE bassist and Rob's ex-girlfriend] and the guys… and get that ball rolling again. I don't know if there's some sort of Sean/Sherri [Moon Zombie, Rob's wife] jealousy thing that caused you guys to break up in the first place… I mean, it's kinda funny you broke up WHITE ZOMBIE but took the drummer with you… But either way… just do a WHITE ZOMBIE reunion. [You] have no legit reason not to."

Rob took notice of the fan's comment and personally responded via Instagram, writing: "[I am] always amazed at how people can speak with such authority on subjects they know zero about.

"I have many legit reasons [for not wanting to reform WHITE ZOMBIE]. Just because you don't know them does not mean they don't exist. Everything is not everybody's business."

Yseult was asked by rock journalist Mitch Lafon what her reaction was when she first found out Rob was pursuing a solo career after WHITE ZOMBIE's 1997 split. She said: "First of all, I knew that we were breaking up — it wasn't a big surprise — but it was a little bit of a slap in the face to me and Jay [Yuenger, former WHITE ZOMBIE guitarist] when we had our… After one year, we were supposed to be taking a break, and then we were gonna have a call and talk about getting back together and making a record. I knew that we weren't getting back together, but literally the next… Jay and I both said, 'We have more riffs. We'd love to write some more music.' And Rob kept saying, 'No, no, no. I think we're done.' And what are you gonna say? You can't tell the singer that he has to sing. [Laughs] Even though our manager told Jay and I that we should go on and continue on with WHITE ZOMBIE and get a new singer, we both refused that. But the slap in the face was that [Rob's] solo record came out, like, the next day, so he spent that year making a record, knowing that [WHITE ZOMBIE wasn't] gonna be a band again. So that was a little… you know… whatever. But, like, who cares? You know, really. I didn't care. I moved to New Orleans. I knew that we'd already broke up anyway."

WHITE ZOMBIE split up in 1997 and Rob Zombie went on to launch a successful solo career in 1998. He told The Pulse Of Radio that nowadays a lot of his audience isn't even familiar with the old WHITE ZOMBIE songs. "The crowds are really, really young and I've been noticing that with the set list too, because, you know, as the time has gone on, we've really worked the WHITE ZOMBIE material more out of the set, because we've been finding that it's not working like it used to," he said. "It seems like that those songs just seem now old to people and it's very strange."

Zombie and his band began working on the follow-up to 2016's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" last summer. The new LP is tentatively due out later this year.

Zombie has just put on his filmmaker hat and started production on his next movie, a sequel to his 2005 horror hit "The Devil's Rejects" called "3 From Hell".

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser says that "it's great" to see SLAYER going out "on top" with its upcoming "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.

During a brand new interview with Mammoth Metal, Kisser was asked if SLAYER has been a musical influence on SEPULTURA and how he felt about the Tom Araya-fronted outfit calling it quits.

"Without SLAYER, there would be no SEPULTURA; it's as simple as that," he said. "It's great. It's a band that's always been a big influence on SEPULTURA's music. It's great to see a band going [out] like that — not broken up or with fights and all that. It's great to see that they are enjoying the last run the way it's supposed to be — on the top and probably living the best moments in history, with the 'Big Four' and everything. There's many reasons to celebrate. So it's great to see them doing it the way they wanna do it."

Kisser went on to say that he "always admired" the legendary 1960s rock band CREAM for the way Eric Clapton, Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce made their exit. "They had a meteoric three years fans — fantastic — and said no, they'd stop and go on a farewell tour," Andreas said. "I thought it was so elegant, so great to leave with their heads up."

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.

SEPULTURA is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Machine Messiah", which was released in January 2017 via Nuclear Blast.

SEPULTURA's official documentary, "Sepultura Endurance", will tentatively be released on DVD and Blu-ray this fall. The film, which received its world premiere in May 2017 at the Regent theater in Los Angeles, shows the journey from SEPULTURA's humble rural beginnings to decades spent on the international stage, giving an in-depth look into how the band continues to thrive in a changing metal landscape. Crammed full of rare archival footage, and featuring interviews with legends like Lars Ulrich (METALLICA) and Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), and younger artists influenced by SEPULTURA, like SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor, "Sepultura Endurance" is the definitive document of the band's myths, struggles and heart.

Speaking to Mammoth Metal TV, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser said: "We have plans to release the SEPULTURA movie, 'Sepultura Endurance', together in a package with the Rock In Rio concert we did last year, which was a very complete concert around 'Machine Messiah', where we presented a special new stage and invited violinists, musicians and stuff. It was really cool and it was really interesting. And the plan is to put all that together in a CD, DVD, Blu-ray package, to be released in October [or] November. That's the plan. But now we actually also started… we're talking, trying to get to Netflix and other type of platform like that before the movie [comes] out [on DVD and Blu-ray], but let's see what happens. We have really good possibilities for that. And it is a great documentary — we're very happy with it, besides all the difficult aspects of doing a documentary like that. But it came out great."

Former SEPULTURA members Max and Igor Cavalera denied permission to the makers of "Sepultura Endurance" to use the group's early music in the film. Director Otávio Juliano told Brazil's Folha De S. Paulo that he could not even use footage of early SEPULTURA songs being performed by the current version of the band, which includes singer Derrick Green and drummer Eloy Casagrande alongside two members of SEPULTURA's "classic" lineup, Kisser and Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. (bass).

Juliano said last year that nothing was off limits during the making of the documentary. "The band gave me complete access, every door was open, I was never asked to leave," he explained. He went on to describe the film as "a testament to the endurance required to make a documentary for almost seven years," pointing out that "800 hours of footage" was shot for the movie.

SEPULTURA is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Machine Messiah", which was released in January 2017 via Nuclear Blast.