Mike Alvord’s Mindwars will release their third and most accomplished album to date, Do Unto Others, via Dissonance Productions on April 13th.

Mindwars and Holy Terror fans won’t be disappointed: 11 tracks of well constructed, dark thrash metal with thought provoking and questioning lyrics. Do Unto Others is a disturbing journey into the dark world we live in, let this be the sound track to the demise of the new world order.

Do Unto Others will be available on CD through Dissonance Productions on April 13th. A vinyl edition will be issued via Back On Black on June 15th.

Tracklisting:

"The Fourth Turning"
"I Am The One"
"Blacklisted"
"Conspiracy"
"In God’s Name"
"Allegiance Of Death"
"Wall Of Fire"
"Kill Or Be Killed"
"Peace Through Violence"
"New World Order"
"Take It All Away"

Mike Alvord walks us through each track:

"The Fourth Turning" - "The opening track jumps through the speakers with thundering double bass drums, pounding bass guitar, and thrashing guitars. 'The Fourth Turning' has the power and aggression capturing the tone of a pure thrash album. The lyrics were inspired by William Strauss and Neil Howe’s look at the historical cycles and distinct patterns in human history. The disorder within the world and the control by the political elite is a recurring theme on Do Unto Others."

"I Am The One" - "Many leaders in society claim to be "The One" who can provide the masses with whatever they desire. The song begins with an epic old school thrash feel and transitions to a mid tempo march leading to a first person chorus chant of "I Am The One". The song bursts into an all out speed frenzy through a frantic solo bouncing between speed and dive bombs. The song ends with the antagonist shouting he is the one to save, rape, and ultimately kill us all."

"Blacklisted" - "This juggernaut starts at full speed and never lets up. Galloping through lyrics of surveillance and censure, blacklisted flies through the depths of secret surveillance. Our privacy is no longer. We are all being watched on multiple levels and are at the mercy of social media and the government. Do we have control? Do we have freedom? If this song doesn’t boil your blood… what will?"

"Conspiracy" - "This song brings us to the heart of the album. What is real and what is fake and full of lies? Conspiracy theories are all around us, from 9/11 in the US to the life of Jesus Christ and everything in between. Is it the elite trying to manipulate the world or are they just that… conspiracy theories? The song drives this question through a Germanic tempo which leads to a mid tempo bridge and Egyptian style solo. Soon enough the song takes us back to the pounding drive and encapsulating with the idea of a Deep State!"

"In God’s Name" - "This is the slowest song on the album and was inspired by the David Yallop book of the same title. It carries on the conspiracy theme and questions how Pope John Paul I really died. Some believe that John Paul I was uncovering the corruption of the IOR and P2 Lodge, therefore he was assassinated. The slow drive of the verse and chorus soon give way to a galloping high-speed bridge and solo. The song circles back to the question of what really happened."

"Allegiance Of Death" - "ATD as the band refers to this song returns to the speed and thrash of what is Mindwars. It begins with a marching beat before the speed sets in. The song questions the struggles of the men and woman of any military. They give their all, but for what? They truly pledge their allegiance to death by paying the ultimate price. The speed of the song breaks to a pounding mid section chanting about the people fighting the wars as puppets for the political elite. It ends with a full out thrash dual style solo."

"Wall Of Fire" - "Scientology has always been an interest and this song looks at the OTIII and the secret advanced technology doctrine of the Church. After hours of auditing the follower can eventually advance to the third level Operating Theatan. This song is the shortest song on the album and is a combination metal mid-tempo song with various punk rock influences. Keep reaching higher and you too can become a member of L Ron Hubbard’s twisted society."

"Kill Or Be Killed" - "The song begins with a dark and haunting opening. It sways back and forth through an evil grinding tempo. It transitions through various musical tempos and segments with vocals, solos, and 70s style rock. Lyrically this song departures a little from the over arching political theme of the album, but stills revolves around the controlling of others. Munchausen by proxy is a psychological disorder where you control people, usually your children by convincing them that they are really ill by exaggerating and making up symptoms. The person has no choice but to Kill or Be Killed or do they… Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!"

"Peace Through Violence" - "Returning to speed and thrash once again, 'Peace Through Violence' opens with a New Wave of British Heavy Metalesque intro and capitulates to a fast driving pace. The song was inspired by Sun Tzu’s military strategy in "The Art Of War". Walking through this strategy, one will subdue and trick their opponent into a sense of self-confidence. That’s when you ATTACK!"

"New World Order" - "This was supposed to be the last song on the album because it brings to a close the Fourth Turning, conspiracies, and control, and leads us to our New World Order. Not a traditional thrash song by any means, but the galloping tempo drives the listener through their consciousness and brings them into the new order with a frantic and frenzied mid-section and solo. It returns to the memorizing and hypnotic intro before finishing with the ultimate distraction and control of the New World Order."

"Take It All Away" - "Unfortunately the album didn’t end with 'New World Order'. This song was written in just about 15 minutes right after the untimely death of Chris Cornell. Cornell’s death rocked the music world and this is our tribute to this amazing artistic person. We aren’t really sure where this song came from, because it does sound a bit different than the rest of DUO, but we felt it only appropriate to include it as the final track."

(Photo - Alex Solca)

According to the Deep Purple site Darker Than Blue, Deep Purple bassist Roger Glover is set to release a 3CD edition of his 70s concept album, The Butterfly Ball And The Grasshopper's Feast.

Says Darker Than Blue: "Depending on how you catalogue them this is about the sixth or seventh. It has the original album, demos (which were on an earlier release but there may be some new ones), and the US radio interview, which came out on Connoisseur years in 1999 (the 25th Anniversary Collectors Edition Digitally Remastered Enhanced CD as the label insisted the cover say). Disc 3 on this new one? Sadly not the live audio of the show, but a facsimile CD of the old EP. Still if you don’t have the album then it saves a hunt, and while the overall concept seems a bit strange these days there are some good tracks on there, and Ronnie Dio was outstanding."

Stay tuned for more details.

Ex-ICED EARTH singer Matt Barlow rejoined his former bandmates on stage last night (Monday, March 19) at Soundstage in Baltimore, Maryland to perform the song "Watching Over Me". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.



ICED EARTH played its final show with Barlow at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.



Barlow announced his departure from ICED EARTH in March 2011. In a heartfelt statement, he cited his commitment to his family and the need for ICED EARTH to tour more as the reasons for his retirement; however, he committed to performing with ICED EARTH on all 2011 European festival dates, including Wacken Open Air.



Current ICED EARTH singer Stu Block (formerly of INTO ETERNITY) made his live debut with the band in November 2011.



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Ex-ICED EARTH singer Matt Barlow rejoined his former bandmates on stage last night (Monday, March 19) at Soundstage in Baltimore, Maryland to perform the song "Watching Over Me". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.



ICED EARTH played its final show with Barlow at the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.



Barlow announced his departure from ICED EARTH in March 2011. In a heartfelt statement, he cited his commitment to his family and the need for ICED EARTH to tour more as the reasons for his retirement; however, he committed to performing with ICED EARTH on all 2011 European festival dates, including Wacken Open Air.



Current ICED EARTH singer Stu Block (formerly of INTO ETERNITY) made his live debut with the band in November 2011.





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ICED EARTH is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Incorruptible", which came out last June via Century Media. The cover artwork for the disc (as well as additional illustrations to every song) was created by David Newman-Stump from Skeleton Crew Tattoo (pencil illustrations) and Roy Young (colors).



The North American leg of ICED EARTH's "Incorruptible" tour features support from SANCTUARY and KILL RITUAL.

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST played the fourth show of their "Firepower" world tour Sunday night (March 18) at The Anthem in Washington D.C. The trek is the band's first since guitarist Glenn Tipton announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He is being replaced on tour by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.



Fan-filmed video footage of the Washington D.C. concert can be seen below.



JUDAS PRIEST's setlist was as follows:



01. Firepower

02. Running Wild

03. Grinder

04. Sinner

05. The Ripper

06. Lightning Strike

07. Bloodstone

08. Saints In Hell

09. Turbo Lover

10. Angel

11. Evil Never Dies

12. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

13. Breaking The Law

14. Hell Bent For Leather

15. Painkiller



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British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST played the fourth show of their "Firepower" world tour Sunday night (March 18) at The Anthem in Washington D.C. The trek is the band's first since guitarist Glenn Tipton announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He is being replaced on tour by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.



Fan-filmed video footage of the Washington D.C. concert can be seen below.



JUDAS PRIEST's setlist was as follows:



01. Firepower

02. Running Wild

03. Grinder

04. Sinner

05. The Ripper

06. Lightning Strike

07. Bloodstone

08. Saints In Hell

09. Turbo Lover

10. Angel

11. Evil Never Dies

12. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

13. Breaking The Law

14. Hell Bent For Leather

15. Painkiller





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Encore:



16. The Hellion / Electric Eye

17. Metal Gods

18. You've Got Another Thing Comin'

19. Living After Midnight



Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years ago — after being stricken by the degenerative condition at least half a decade earlier — but only recently announced he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.



Asked how JUDAS PRIEST came to choose Sneap to step in for Tipton on the band's tour in support of "Firepower", bassist Ian Hill told veteran Japanese rock journalist Masa Itoh: "It probably came from during the recording of the album. Andy is a very good guitarist, an excellent guitarist in his own right, and I think Glenn got to know Andy and got to trust Andy, which is very important. We wanted someone who we knew as well, if at all possible. The last thing you want is somebody coming in with their own baggage, if you know what I mean. And we can trust Andy to do a good job, and I think he'll do justice to the songs. And that was the main thing — I think it was the familiarity with Andy. We had great respect for him — before we met him, we had great respect for him. But with the work he did on the album — I mean, it sounds phenomenal; he did a tremendous job with that. We're doing songs off the new album, which he is totally familiar with, and he knows a lot of the parts anyway from that. And he's also a PRIEST fan — he's been listening to us for years — and he fits the slot perfectly. I think he'll fit in and I think he'll do a tremendous job."



"Firepower" was released on March 9 via Epic. The follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" was recorded by Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian artist Claudio Bergamin.



The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel and QUIET RIOT singer James Durbin joined FOZZY on stage on March 13 at Slim's in San Francisco, California to perform a cover version of the AC/DC classic "T.N.T." Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below.



FOZZY is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Judas", which was released last October via Century Media.



FOZZY singer — and WWE wrestling superstar — Chris Jericho recently told AXS that he felt "Judas" was going to be a "turning point" for his band. "I mean, you hear that every time a band releases something, but this album really does feel different," he said.



"There's a big hierarchy in rock radio. There are the B-level stations and then there's the A-level that are really the elusive ones," he continued. "They are very, very hard to land. If you can land those, that can get you to the Top 10 and it still means something for you to be able to do that, and 'Judas' has opened some of those doors for us. I think 'Painless', which is going to be our next single, will probably swoop right in there and take over."



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MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel and QUIET RIOT singer James Durbin joined FOZZY on stage on March 13 at Slim's in San Francisco, California to perform a cover version of the AC/DC classic "T.N.T." Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below.



FOZZY is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Judas", which was released last October via Century Media.



FOZZY singer — and WWE wrestling superstar — Chris Jericho recently told AXS that he felt "Judas" was going to be a "turning point" for his band. "I mean, you hear that every time a band releases something, but this album really does feel different," he said.



"There's a big hierarchy in rock radio. There are the B-level stations and then there's the A-level that are really the elusive ones," he continued. "They are very, very hard to land. If you can land those, that can get you to the Top 10 and it still means something for you to be able to do that, and 'Judas' has opened some of those doors for us. I think 'Painless', which is going to be our next single, will probably swoop right in there and take over."





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Jericho went on to say that "Judas" was a collection of 11 potential singles. "We worked really hard to put together a record that could do that," he said. "I'm not gonna say we were set up to write that way, but once we started getting into a groove, we all really felt these songs were perfect for radio.



"These songs are just very memorable, hook-laden, melodic songs that sometimes don't have a guitar solo in them," he added. "We looked at is as if it doesn't feel right, then all right, there won't be one. For a rock and roll band to do a song without a solo is strange, but for us, we realized if it's not going to add anything to the song, then let's not do it. Once we got that mindset, then the record just came flowing out."



The production duties on "Judas" were handled by Johnny Andrews, who co-wrote FOZZY's "Lights Go Out" track back in 2014 and has written songs with the likes of ALL THAT REMAINS, THREE DAYS GRACE and HALESTORM in the past.

An official karaoke-style lyric video for the extended version of the Queen classic "One Vision" can be seen below. The song was released as a single in November 1985, and then included on the band's A Kind Of Magic album, released in June 1986.

Queen recently released this new video for "All Dead All Dead", generated for the 40th anniversary of the original News Of The World album track, sung by Brian May. The visualization was created by Unanico Studios (Directors Jason Jameson & Robert Milne, Producer Paul Laikin), in collaboration with Brian, and stars Brian’s childhood pet cat Pixie.

Following a phenomenally successful 25-date tour of Europe and the UK this past November and December 2017, Queen + Adam Lambert recently made the surprise announcement that the band will play further shows in Europe this summer. The new tour dates follow unprecedented demand for more concerts in Europe and will see the band perform in cities not included in last year’s tour.

Already announced are shows in Italy and Germany. Others to be announced are expected to include Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

In the UK the band will return to play London O2 Arena on July 2nd, where they performed two sold-out shows at the end of their last tour.

Speaking of the dates, Brian May said: “The almost unanimous reaction to our last round of dates in Europe was this is absolutely the best production we’ve ever mounted. There has been a great demand for us to go back and cover the cities we missed! So, while we're still physically able to perform at those high energy levels on this massive scale, we thought… ‘YES !! One more around the block!’ It’s live, it’s dangerous, and it takes every ounce of fitness we can muster. But it’s still fun!“

Says Adam Lambert: “I enjoyed every second of the recent European tour and really felt the love in every city. I can’t wait for us to get back there again in the spring!”

The summer shows tour will again showcase Queen + Adam Lambert’s spectacular new stage production which was conceived around the 40th anniversary of Queen’s News of the World album and drew rave reviews.

On the musical side, the Queen + Adam Lambert touring band also features Spike Edney on keyboards, Neil Fairclough on bass, and Tyler Warren on percussion.

Since first sharing the stage for the American Idol final in May 2009, Queen + Adam Lambert have proved to be a hugely successful global partnership, having now played more than 130 shows in every corner of the world.

Ahead of the forthcoming European summer dates, Queen + Adam Lambert play ten sold out arena shows in Australia and New Zealand, beginning in Auckland with two shows at Spark Arena on February 17th and 18th, and ending at Perth Arena on March 6th.

Dates:

June
13 - Cologne, Germany - Lanxess Arena
19 - Berlin, Germany - Mercedes Benz Arena
20 - Hamburg, Germany - Barclaycard Arena
25 - Milan, Italy - Forum

July
2 - London, England - 02 Arena

Find Queen's complete live itinerary here.

Holland's FaceCulture recently conducted an interview with guitarist Andreas Kisser of Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA. You can now watch the chat in two parts below.



Speaking about how important it is for SEPULTURA to perform in countries the band has never played before, Andreas said: "We went to Cuba in 2008, practically without a fee. They paid our tickets and a little structure to be there, and our accommodations and food and stuff. But we played, basically, for free, because, for us, it was important for our cultural baggage to go there. Fidel Castro was still alive, although he was not in power anymore. But, historically, we went there before THE ROLLING STONES. We played for 60,000 people — it was insane. It was the first heavy metal band from outside Cuba that played in Cuba. A free show in Malecon; it was insane. And it's not about money all the time. We didn't make any money, but the experience we had there, the people we met and the possibilities that a visit to Cuba gave to SEPULTURA, there's no price for that. My wife came with me. We could take our closest partners to be with us there and to experience that with us. So it's great we have this kind of opportunities to really make our possibilities and options to write wider and better."



Asked if all the traveling that SEPULTURA has done over the years is reflected in the music the band is making, Andreas said: "Definitely. Everything. It's just being what we are. Everything is an influence. Maybe this interview could be a musical idea. And I love that. I kind of force myself not to listen to too much music. I'm not a hunter of music. 'Oh, what's going on new and stuff?' I let the music come, because I play with so many different bands beside SEPULTURA. Also the bands that we tour together, festivals that we do, opening, local acts that are coming. I have a radio show with my son as well in São Paulo, which I receive a lot of especially Brazilian metal and stuff. So anything helps. Any book, any restaurant that you go, a trip, a plane… anything. So we keep our minds open."



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



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Holland's FaceCulture recently conducted an interview with guitarist Andreas Kisser of Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA. You can now watch the chat in two parts below.



Speaking about how important it is for SEPULTURA to perform in countries the band has never played before, Andreas said: "We went to Cuba in 2008, practically without a fee. They paid our tickets and a little structure to be there, and our accommodations and food and stuff. But we played, basically, for free, because, for us, it was important for our cultural baggage to go there. Fidel Castro was still alive, although he was not in power anymore. But, historically, we went there before THE ROLLING STONES. We played for 60,000 people — it was insane. It was the first heavy metal band from outside Cuba that played in Cuba. A free show in Malecon; it was insane. And it's not about money all the time. We didn't make any money, but the experience we had there, the people we met and the possibilities that a visit to Cuba gave to SEPULTURA, there's no price for that. My wife came with me. We could take our closest partners to be with us there and to experience that with us. So it's great we have this kind of opportunities to really make our possibilities and options to write wider and better."



Asked if all the traveling that SEPULTURA has done over the years is reflected in the music the band is making, Andreas said: "Definitely. Everything. It's just being what we are. Everything is an influence. Maybe this interview could be a musical idea. And I love that. I kind of force myself not to listen to too much music. I'm not a hunter of music. 'Oh, what's going on new and stuff?' I let the music come, because I play with so many different bands beside SEPULTURA. Also the bands that we tour together, festivals that we do, opening, local acts that are coming. I have a radio show with my son as well in São Paulo, which I receive a lot of especially Brazilian metal and stuff. So anything helps. Any book, any restaurant that you go, a trip, a plane… anything. So we keep our minds open."



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





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STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has slammed bands who are no longer interested in making new music, preferring instead to cash in on nostalgia and tour on the strength of past hits.



Sweet, who continues to be the main songwriter for STRYPER in addition to having a solo career and making albums with the SWEET & LYNCH project, made his latest comments while once again pushing back against criticism of the rapid-fire pace at which he is putting out fresh material.



He told the "Cobras & Fire" podcast (hear audio below): "I'm passionate about what I do and I love creating music every bit as much as I like performing it. That's never gonna away. I'll actually pay to play. In other words, what I mean by that is if it ever gets to a point where I can't get a record deal or there's no money from a label, I'm gonna pay to go record my own album, because that's how much it means to me."



He continued: "When I hear bands — big bands, mind you — that talk about how 'it's not worth it anymore making albums,' and 'we don't make any money,' I just kind of laugh and I think, 'Why don't you just sell your gear and get out? Why are you still doing it? Because you got in this for the love for it, and now you're just in it for the money? Or just because you wanna benefit from your art?' You perform and you create music because you're passionate about it, you're expressing yourself, you love that and you wanna share that with other people. It should have nothing to do with if you record an album and you only sell 10 thousand copies versus, in the old days, two million copies. That's my opinion. People would disagree with me and get up in arms and say, 'Ah, what a jerk,' or whatever, and that's fine. But it doesn't change my views. I do this because I love to do it, and I'm gonna love to do it until I die. That's why there's been such a surge of Michael Sweet albums 'cause I'm gonna keep doing it 'cause I love it. Before I can't record any longer, I hope to do another 20 albums. At this rate, I'm doing one a year, so that's another 20 years. It's doable. I mean, I could."



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STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet has slammed bands who are no longer interested in making new music, preferring instead to cash in on nostalgia and tour on the strength of past hits.



Sweet, who continues to be the main songwriter for STRYPER in addition to having a solo career and making albums with the SWEET & LYNCH project, made his latest comments while once again pushing back against criticism of the rapid-fire pace at which he is putting out fresh material.



He told the "Cobras & Fire" podcast (hear audio below): "I'm passionate about what I do and I love creating music every bit as much as I like performing it. That's never gonna away. I'll actually pay to play. In other words, what I mean by that is if it ever gets to a point where I can't get a record deal or there's no money from a label, I'm gonna pay to go record my own album, because that's how much it means to me."



He continued: "When I hear bands — big bands, mind you — that talk about how 'it's not worth it anymore making albums,' and 'we don't make any money,' I just kind of laugh and I think, 'Why don't you just sell your gear and get out? Why are you still doing it? Because you got in this for the love for it, and now you're just in it for the money? Or just because you wanna benefit from your art?' You perform and you create music because you're passionate about it, you're expressing yourself, you love that and you wanna share that with other people. It should have nothing to do with if you record an album and you only sell 10 thousand copies versus, in the old days, two million copies. That's my opinion. People would disagree with me and get up in arms and say, 'Ah, what a jerk,' or whatever, and that's fine. But it doesn't change my views. I do this because I love to do it, and I'm gonna love to do it until I die. That's why there's been such a surge of Michael Sweet albums 'cause I'm gonna keep doing it 'cause I love it. Before I can't record any longer, I hope to do another 20 albums. At this rate, I'm doing one a year, so that's another 20 years. It's doable. I mean, I could."





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STRYPER's new album, "God Damn Evil", will be released on April 20 via Frontiers Music Srl. The follow-up to 2015's "Fallen" marks the band's first effort since the addition of former FIREHOUSE bassist Perry Richardson. Perry joined the group as the replacement for STRYPER's longtime bassist Tim Gaines, who was fired from the band last year.



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

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton has thanked fans for their messages of support in the four weeks since he announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He is being replaced on tour by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

Said Tipton: "By now, many of you will know I won't be doing the forthcoming JUDAS PRIEST tour because of health issues. I'm so sorry, but four years ago, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's and was told by my specialist that I had already had it for over ten years. I knew something was wrong with my co-ordination and fluency regarding my playing, but I worked around it and battled on. I have good days and bad days, but the disease is degenerative and I would never want to compromise the greatest metal band in the world. It was therefore during the last rehearsals I decided to step down and have Andy Sneap fill in. He's a great guy and I'm sure he'll do a great job. I'm sure the band will be as strong than ever.

"I have been overwhelmed by the massive support and love I've had from other artists and from fans all over the world and from many friends and metal maniacs out there. It's not the end for me — I'll still be able to write and record and on good days even join the band on stage for a few songs. With new medication and advances being made, who knows what the future holds, but one thing's for sure: it will certainly involve PRIEST!

"Finally, the biggest thanks goes to Rob, Richie, Ian and Scott who have stood by me and supported me through everything."

JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill told CBS SF that the subject of Tipton not playing on the "Firepower" tour didn't come up until after the recording sessions for the album were already completed. "That's the whole point," he said. "It's a terrible condition. Glenn's great for about ten minutes. He'll stand up there and he'll play through a song. Which is great from an album point of view. He rarely has to play longer than that if he does a song from start to finish. The longest song on the album is only seven minutes. That sort of thing he can handle, and, of course, [in the studio] he's sitting down on a stool. But if you put him on a stage and he to stand up there for the better part of two hours, that wasn't really realistic. We were hoping it was going to happen. We went through a similar scenario the last tour. We all knew then he was having his problems. So we started rehearsals and he was rough, no doubt about it. But as we went on through the week, he got better every day. And by the end of the rehearsals, he was ready to go. And he put in awesome performances on the last tour. So we were expecting — or at least hoping — that would happen again. But into the second week of rehearsals, it was quite obvious to everybody it wasn't going to happen this time around. It was… an achingly painful thing to him to do; to admit to us and the rest of the world — and to himself mainly — that his body wasn't going to let him do what he loved to do above all else anymore, you know? I mean, we were all upset when he came out and said it. The hairs on the back of my neck are sticking up now just talking about it! It's a cataclysmic thing to happen to someone. And Andy just happened to be in the recording studio. He brought some effect tapes down that he'd put together for us for the new album. And just said, 'You know, maybe Andy would be able to do it.' So he asked him, and after he picked is jaw up off the floor [laughs], he agreed to give it a go."

JUDAS PRIEST kicked off the "Firepower" world tour Tuesday night (March 13) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

"Firepower" was released on March 9 via Epic. The follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" was recorded by Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian artist Claudio Bergamin.

The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

WHITESNAKE is in the process of mixing its long-awaited new album of all-original material, "Flesh & Blood", for a tentative summer release via Frontiers Music Srl.

Frontman David Coverdale told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation" on Tuesday (March 13) that the follow-up to 2011's "Forevermore" will "be the best WHITESNAKE album. I know that's clichéd stuff, but I know what I'm talking about. I should do after almost 50 years," he explained.

According to Coverdale, the new disc "has all the necessary WHITESNAKE elements that I need to call it WHITESNAKE, but with a vibrant, fresh coat of paint." The record will mark the first time he has written with WHITESNAKE guitarists Reb Beach and Joel Hoekstra. "The longest-standing member of WHITESNAKE, Reb Beach, [he and I had] never written together until this project," he said. "So it's a family affair. It really is cool. I'm very excited for people to hear it."

WHITESNAKE filmed a music video for an as-yet-undisclosed song from "Flesh & Blood" this past Saturday, March 10. "I've got a few more external shots, other than the band stuff, to feature — some really fun elements," David said. "It's a kick-ass song; you're gonna love it. But there's gonna some real fun elements paying respect and nod to WHITESNAKE's past, but certainly not as dark and as gritty as [WHITESNAKE's] 'Burn' video [from 'The Purple Album']."

Coverdale revealed that recording sessions for the new WHITESNAKE album were halted while he recovered from an illness last year. "I got that horrible H3 flu, which took me out for, I think, about six weeks before I started to feel like myself again," he said. "It was horrifying. It was that strain of flu that the anti-flu vaccination didn't cover. It was just an evil, evil, evil strain of flu."

WHITESNAKE will celebrate the release of "Flesh & Blood" by embarking on the "Juke Box Heroes Tour" this summer with FOREIGNER and Jason Bonham. There are also plans for Coverdale to release a deluxe edition of WHITESNAKE's 1984 album, "Slide It In", in the fall, as well as a colleciton called "Whitesnake Unzipped: Acoustic Journeys Through The Years" in time for Christmas.

WHITESNAKE's latest studio disc, 2015's "The Purple Album", was billed as "a re-imagination of classic songs from Coverdale's time as the lead singer for DEEP PURPLE's Mark III and Mark IV studio albums." Coverdale was DEEP PURPLE's frontman from late 1973 to early 1976 and sang on the albums "Burn", "Stormbringer" and "Come Taste The Band".

Kaaos TV conducted an interview with vocalist Ronnie Atkins of Danish hard rockers PRETTY MAIDS prior to the band's March 8 performance in Helsinki. The full conversation can be viewed below. A few excerpts follow (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):


On how the veteran group chooses its live set list:

Ronnie: "It's difficult. When you've got, like, 16 studio albums, it's difficult to cover it all. It's very difficult sometimes, because people have different opinions. You've got to play something you really like to do yourself, which is also functional live, and at the same time, you're going to play some songs you know people expect to hear. The more albums you do, the more difficult it is, and we have serious arguments about it sometimes in the band, because some want to play some [songs], and some want to play something else. There are some songs we always play, like 'Future World'. People expect us to play that [and] 'Red, Hot And Heavy', maybe, back to back."

On the band's longevity, and the key to his successful working relationship with PRETTY MAIDS co-founder Ken Hammer:

Ronnie: "I don't know if there's a secret recipe. Not a lot of bands are [still] hanging out [after] 37 years. I think we both had the same vision back then. We both wanted to do the same thing, so it's kind of like your little baby. The last seven, eight years, suddenly there was a huge interest in the band again. These last seven years, we've been kind of on a roll, and we've toured a lot, done some good music, done some good albums that [were] critically acclaimed, and the fans really liked them. Of course, that gives you a little kick in the ass — you want to do it again. We had the fire back. Also, I think humor — a good sense of humor is very much a part of [why] we're still together. Of course, we have our ups and downs, and we have our arguments, and we take our fights, but that's how it is. If you've been married for 37 years, you'd have that too."

On how today's rock scene compares to the era when the band first started:

Ronnie: "I think there's still a scene for hard rock and traditional heavy metal. You can go to countries like Germany — there's still a big market down there. But there's so many different subgenres, and we've been kind of through it all. It's like a full-circle thing. Now it's back again, and bands like JUDAS PRIEST, [IRON] MAIDEN, SAXON, all these bands are still around. It's cool. There was a time in the '90s where all this new metal — bands like PANTERA, TOOL and whatever it was — it was a little difficult. It was always like we were kitsch back then. It was a little hard, but we still survived. We continued playing. But you see a lot of things through a 37-year career, and see how things come and go."

On the group's future plans:

Ronnie: "We're going to shoot a DVD on the upcoming tour, where we play the 'Future World' album. We were supposed to do that last year, but it didn't materialize. We're probably going to do that, shoot that and edit that, and [it's] probably going to be out in the fall. We got a few festivals in the summer and a couple of gigs in December, and that's it, so we're not going to do a lot [of touring]. We're going to start writing for a new album, which will probably be out in 2019. That's the main thing."

A few days after the interview took place, PRETTY MAIDS announced that it will film its upcoming DVD and Blu-ray on March 30 in Zlin, Czech Republic. The band says: "On the night, we will perform our classic album 'Future World' in its entirety as well as other stuff from our ongoing career."

PRETTY MAIDS' 15th studio album, the Jacob Hansen-produced "Kingmaker", was released in November of 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl. The album debuted at No. 35 on the German chart, making it the group's highest-charting release in the country since 1990's "Jump The Gun".

The band's next album will be their first with drummer Allan Sørensen, who joined the group last year.

TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy says that "it's a sad feeling" knowing that SLAYER has chosen to embark on its "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 "Met Al Metal" — Israel's metal radio show hosted by brothers Lior and Niv Peleg — Billy was asked for his opinion about SLAYER calling it quits.



"It's a sad feeling, but, you know, that's the decision they've made after 37 years," he said (hear audio below). "They've been doing it for such a long time, it takes a lot to probably make that decision. I don't know if it's like any other band that's called it quits and then comes back five years later and plays again. I don't know."



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TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy says that "it's a sad feeling" knowing that SLAYER has chosen to embark on its "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 "Met Al Metal" — Israel's metal radio show hosted by brothers Lior and Niv Peleg — Billy was asked for his opinion about SLAYER calling it quits.



"It's a sad feeling, but, you know, that's the decision they've made after 37 years," he said (hear audio below). "They've been doing it for such a long time, it takes a lot to probably make that decision. I don't know if it's like any other band that's called it quits and then comes back five years later and plays again. I don't know."





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Regarding whether he thinks SLAYER will come out of retirement and play more shows in a few years, Billy said: "I don't know. I hope so. I think everybody would hope so."



Press about whether TESTAMENT has contemplated pulling the plug on its three-decade-plus-year career, Chuck said: "Not yet. I would imagine if bands have problems and you can't live with people, it probably makes it hard. But I think for TESTAMENT, we all get along pretty well and we have a good time on the road and we have a lot of fun. And I think that's important. I don't see it in the near future, but you never know. Who knows the future?"



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.



TESTAMENT is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Brotherhood Of The Snake", which was released in October 2016 via Nuclear Blast. The cover was once again created by renowned artist Eliran Kantor, who also handled the art for TESTAMENT's previous album, 2012's "Dark Roots Of Earth", and worked with bands like HATEBREED, SOULFLY and KATAKLYSM in the past.

KORN frontman Jonathan Davis will release his highly anticipated debut solo album, "Black Labyrinth", on May 25 via Sumerian Records.



Diverse and progressive, "Black Labyrinth" represents a natural evolution for Jonathan, whose previous musical contributions have yielded two Grammy Award wins, eight Grammy Award nominations, worldwide sales of more than 40 million, and countless sold-out shows in nearly every corner of the globe. In addition to the album's well-received first single, "What It Is", which debuted as the No. 1 most added single on rock radio, the new album includes "Final Days", a melodic and atmospheric track, accentuated by subtle hints of sitar and tabla, the straightforward arena-rock anthem "Underneath My Skin", and 10 other tracks primarily recorded live to tape, a departure from KORN's heavily calculated, meticulous, studio approach to creation. Longtime fans of KORN will still find the familiarity of the band's unique and unforgettable vocals, synths and commanding guitars in key tracks like "What You Believe" and "Everyone".



Inspired in part by the Ganzfeld Experiment, and the out-of-body experiments and hallucinations that often accompany it, Davis focused on religion, consumerism and apathy throughout the album. "There's a level of enlightenment I want to achieve," he confesses regarding "Black Labyrinth". "With all of the bullshit going, everyone is stuck on their fucking cell phones. This takes us way out of that. No matter how hard you try to fight bad things in your life, life will be what it is. It's up to you to accept that, combat it, and move forward, or it's up to you to be in denial. Then it becomes a thorn in your side until you finally deal with it. This is it. Just deal with it."



"Black Labyrinth" track listing:



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KORN frontman Jonathan Davis will release his highly anticipated debut solo album, "Black Labyrinth", on May 25 via Sumerian Records.



Diverse and progressive, "Black Labyrinth" represents a natural evolution for Jonathan, whose previous musical contributions have yielded two Grammy Award wins, eight Grammy Award nominations, worldwide sales of more than 40 million, and countless sold-out shows in nearly every corner of the globe. In addition to the album's well-received first single, "What It Is", which debuted as the No. 1 most added single on rock radio, the new album includes "Final Days", a melodic and atmospheric track, accentuated by subtle hints of sitar and tabla, the straightforward arena-rock anthem "Underneath My Skin", and 10 other tracks primarily recorded live to tape, a departure from KORN's heavily calculated, meticulous, studio approach to creation. Longtime fans of KORN will still find the familiarity of the band's unique and unforgettable vocals, synths and commanding guitars in key tracks like "What You Believe" and "Everyone".



Inspired in part by the Ganzfeld Experiment, and the out-of-body experiments and hallucinations that often accompany it, Davis focused on religion, consumerism and apathy throughout the album. "There's a level of enlightenment I want to achieve," he confesses regarding "Black Labyrinth". "With all of the bullshit going, everyone is stuck on their fucking cell phones. This takes us way out of that. No matter how hard you try to fight bad things in your life, life will be what it is. It's up to you to accept that, combat it, and move forward, or it's up to you to be in denial. Then it becomes a thorn in your side until you finally deal with it. This is it. Just deal with it."



"Black Labyrinth" track listing:





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01. Underneath My Skin

02. Final Days

03. Everyone

04. Happiness

05. Your God

06. Walk On By

07. The Secret

08. Basic Needs

09. Medicate

10. Please Tell Me

11. What You Believe

12. Gender

13. What It Is



Listen to 30-second clips of the entire album below.



Asked in a recent interview about the sound of the project, Davis explained: "It's completely different. It's a different thing. It's something I've been working on for 10 years. It's just a crazy, different world music hybrid of all kinds of things, and there are all kinds of different players who play on the record. And I'm really proud of it."



Regarding why it took so long to complete the solo album, Davis said: "I did most of it back in… I started it in '07 and '08. I was signed to another record label, and, unfortunately, the people that signed me left. Some other people came in, they wanted to do it, and they ended up not doing it, so I got the record back. And then, [I went through] a few different managers and stuff, so it's just the same thing — they want the KORN machine moving. [Laughs] So finally I've got a break now, and I'm, like, ' I wanna do this now, guys. Let's do this.' So we're doing it."



Davis also talked about why he chose to make a solo record instead of using the material for KORN. "'Cause it's completely different — it's not for KORN," he said. "You've heard 'What It Is' — that's not a KORN song. So this is stuff that's completely different. There's stuff I've brought to KORN before, like from these sessions, the song 'Take Me', on our last record [2016's 'The Serenity Of Suffering'], was one of these songs, but we took it and the guys — [KORN guitarists] Head and Munky — got it, they tore it apart and made it their own. It's totally different. Sometimes it works. But the majority of the stuff wouldn't have worked for KORN."



The singer will kick off a solo North American tour on April 6 in Portland, Oregon, ending on May 18 in Boston. KORN drummer Ray Luzier will be part of the backing band.



"What It Is" is included on the soundtrack to a film called "American Satan", which came out on January 26.




Davis has recorded and toured on his own intermittently over the years. He has composed music for soundtracks, most notably "Queen Of The Damned", and has toured and DJed frequently over the years as his alter ego JDevil.

Finnish rockers SANTA CRUZ appear to have imploded in the middle of their tour of the United States of America as the support act for FOZZY.



The quartet kicked off its first U.S. tour in support of the "Bad Blood Rising" album earlier in the month in Houston and was scheduled to perform two dozen shows alongside FOZZY, THROUGH FIRE and DARK SKY CHOIR. However, those plans have now been derailed, with SANTA CRUZ announcing over the weekend that it was canceling the remaining dates on the trek.



In an Instagram post explaining why the rest of the tour was called off, SANTA CRUZ frontman Arttu "Archie Cruz" Kuosmanen claimed that his bandmates — guitarist Joonas "Johnny Cruz" Parkkonen, bassist Mitja "Middy Cruz" Toivonen and drummer Tapani "Tazzy Cruz" Fagerström — kicked him "out of the bus on the street like a pariah" and told him they were no longer members of the group. "I would've loved to do [the rest of the tour], but what can you do," he wrote.



For his part, Parkkonen said that he, Toivonen and Fagerström were "leaving SANTA CRUZ" after facing "issues that they could not "solve even though we tried everything that we could to make this tour and band happen." He added: "I can't stay in a situation anymore where I have to be scared if somebody does irreversible harm to themselves or somebody else. That's why I'm leaving. I never thought I'd be in this situation, but I have no more options to use. I'm sorry."



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Finnish rockers SANTA CRUZ appear to have imploded in the middle of their tour of the United States of America as the support act for FOZZY.



The quartet kicked off its first U.S. tour in support of the "Bad Blood Rising" album earlier in the month in Houston and was scheduled to perform two dozen shows alongside FOZZY, THROUGH FIRE and DARK SKY CHOIR. However, those plans have now been derailed, with SANTA CRUZ announcing over the weekend that it was canceling the remaining dates on the trek.



In an Instagram post explaining why the rest of the tour was called off, SANTA CRUZ frontman Arttu "Archie Cruz" Kuosmanen claimed that his bandmates — guitarist Joonas "Johnny Cruz" Parkkonen, bassist Mitja "Middy Cruz" Toivonen and drummer Tapani "Tazzy Cruz" Fagerström — kicked him "out of the bus on the street like a pariah" and told him they were no longer members of the group. "I would've loved to do [the rest of the tour], but what can you do," he wrote.



For his part, Parkkonen said that he, Toivonen and Fagerström were "leaving SANTA CRUZ" after facing "issues that they could not "solve even though we tried everything that we could to make this tour and band happen." He added: "I can't stay in a situation anymore where I have to be scared if somebody does irreversible harm to themselves or somebody else. That's why I'm leaving. I never thought I'd be in this situation, but I have no more options to use. I'm sorry."





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In a separate social media post, Toivonen confirmed his exit from the band, saying that "it is impossible for me to continue as a member of SANTA CRUZ."



SANTA CRUZ was previously described in a press release as "a Scandinavian modern hard rock band inspired initially by the likes of MÖTLEY CRÜE and GUNS N' ROSES." The group released two well-received albums on Spinefarm Records, before signing with M-Theory Audio and issuing "Bad Blood Rising".



A music video for "Bad Blood Rising"'s anthemic opening track, "Young Blood Rising", can be seen below.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's video for the song "Head Like A Haunted House" can be seen below. Directed by frequent collaborator Liam Lynch, the clip is a ghastly animated carnival ride through your worst fever-induced nightmares. Accompanied by disembodied hands, UFOs, smoldering hellscapes and grooving skeletons, Joshua Homme leads the way as he and his pack of mischief-makers sail through the nighttime sky on what else but flying coffins.



After a triumphant South American jaunt with brothers in arms FOO FIGHTERS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE will make their return to the U.S. later this month with stops including Austin (Austin360 Amphitheater) and Irving (The Pavillion at the Irving Music Factory) as well as Miami's Bayfront Park Amphitheater, but not before kicking it all off with two sold-out nights at San Diego's Observatory North Park.



In addition to the slew of upcoming North American and European dates, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE will be headlining this summer at London's Finsbury Park on June 30 — and they're bringing friends. The band has curated a special lineup with guests including Iggy Pop, RUN THE JEWELS, THE HIVES, Brody Dalle, and more.



QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE are touring in support of their seventh studio album, "Villains", which was released last August via Matador Records. The LP debuted at No. 1 in the U.K., Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and Portugal, No. 2 in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Norway and Ireland, No. 3 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on Japan's international chart and No. 5 in Italy.



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QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's video for the song "Head Like A Haunted House" can be seen below. Directed by frequent collaborator Liam Lynch, the clip is a ghastly animated carnival ride through your worst fever-induced nightmares. Accompanied by disembodied hands, UFOs, smoldering hellscapes and grooving skeletons, Joshua Homme leads the way as he and his pack of mischief-makers sail through the nighttime sky on what else but flying coffins.



After a triumphant South American jaunt with brothers in arms FOO FIGHTERS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE will make their return to the U.S. later this month with stops including Austin (Austin360 Amphitheater) and Irving (The Pavillion at the Irving Music Factory) as well as Miami's Bayfront Park Amphitheater, but not before kicking it all off with two sold-out nights at San Diego's Observatory North Park.



In addition to the slew of upcoming North American and European dates, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE will be headlining this summer at London's Finsbury Park on June 30 — and they're bringing friends. The band has curated a special lineup with guests including Iggy Pop, RUN THE JEWELS, THE HIVES, Brody Dalle, and more.



QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE are touring in support of their seventh studio album, "Villains", which was released last August via Matador Records. The LP debuted at No. 1 in the U.K., Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland and Portugal, No. 2 in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Norway and Ireland, No. 3 on the Billboard 200, No. 4 on Japan's international chart and No. 5 in Italy.





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QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE are Joshua Homme, Troy Van Leeuwen, Dean Fertita, Michael Shuman and Jon Theodore.

Bay Area melodic death metal act Light This City has released details on their impending fifth LP, and first in a decade, Terminal Bloom, set for release on May 25th through drummer Ben Murray's Creator-Destructor Records.

Light This City has returned with ten blazing tracks that capture the band's tendency towards extreme melody and intensity, honoring the Swedish sound of the '90s. Having spent the past decade performing and touring in numerous other bands, the five members of Light This City have only honed and shaped their skills and musicianship since their 2008-released Stormchaser.

Terminal Bloom was recorded from December 2017 through February 2018 with Zack Ohren, who handled the band's previous four full-length albums, at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland, California, and features vibrant cover artwork by Tony Midi.

Tracklisting:

"Reality In Disarray"
"A Grotesque Reflection"
"Dormant Tide"
"Terminal Bloom"
"Death Downwind"
"Agents Of Fate"
"Extinguished"
"The Wake Of My Will"
"Neverlanding"
"Wildheart"

A teaser video for the first new album from Light This City in ten years can be seen below. It shows the reactivated outfit in the studio, leaking the very first traces of the anxiously awaited record.

Light This City is:

Laura Nichol - vocals
Ben Murray - drums
Ryan Hansen - lead guitar
Steve Hoffman - rhythm guitar
Jon Frost - bass

Three teenagers, known as Alien Weaponry, from a tiny town in the small South Pacific nation of New Zealand have managed to capture the imaginations of people all over the world with their unique thrash metal sound and commanding live performances. This in itself is surprising, but perhaps the most unexpected element of all in their success is that many of the band's songs are delivered in a language that is unknown to international audiences - New Zealand's native language, Te Reo Māori.

Now, Alien Weaponry are ready to release their furious debut album Tu on the world. Short for 'Tumatauenga', the Māori god of war, Tu also means to stand strong and proud, and to stand for something. The notion is reflected in the album artwork, which includes the tradtional moko kanohi (facial tattoos) of the Māori warrior.

Standing for something important is something the band does equally well in English or in Māori. Today, Napalm Records releases the single and video for the song "Holding My Breath" - the first single so far to be sung entirely in English. Watch the clip below.

The song was written by Lewis (vocals, guitar). In it, he talks about the anxiety of being judged and socially ostracized by peers to the point of being unable to function.

"It's about something that actually happened to me. I felt so bad that I literally stayed in my room and couldn't bring myself to leave the house or talk to anyone," he says. "I wrote the song at that time, and it was one of the things that helped me work through it, so I hope it will resonate with other people going through similar things."

One of the people it has already resonated with is actress Rose van Wylich, featured in the video; who experienced similar feelings of isolation as a teenager.

"Holding My Breath" is the first single put out by Napalm Records in advance of Alien Weaponry's debut album Tu, being released on June 1st. A month later, the band will head to Europe for a 3-month tour which includes the world's biggest metal festival, Wacken Open Air.
 
Tu is available in the following formats:

- 1 CD Digipack & 2 Bonus Tracks
- LP Gatefold & 7" Single (2 Bonus Tracks)
- Digital Album

Pre-order here.

 
Tracklisting:

"Whaikorero
"Ru Ana Te Whenua"
"Holding My Breath"
"Raupatu"
"Kai Tangata"
"Rage - It Takes Over Again"
"The Things That You Know" (Bonus Track)
"Whispers"
"PC Bro"
"Urutaa"
"Nobody Here"
"Te Ara"
"Hypocrite" (Bonus Track)

"Holding My Breath" video:

 
Lineup:

Vocals, Guitars: Lewis de Jong
Drums: Henry de Jong
Bass: Ethan Trembath

(Band photo - Lisa Crandall)

Divebomb Records will reissued the Meliah Rage titles Barely Human and Masquerade on April 13th.

Having eventually gone their separate ways sometime after the release of Death Valley Dream in 1996, legendary Boston power thrashers Meliah Rage opened the door on reunion talks around 2002 at the behest of upstart label Screaming Ferret Wreckords. Founding guitarist Anthony Nichols quickly roped in fellow axeman Jim Koury, and with original frontman Mike Munro opting out, the two recruited their former CACTUS LAND bandmate Paul Souza on vocals. Original bassist Jesse Johnson was also a go, and friend and former Wargasm drummer Barry Spillberg rounded out the lineup at that time.

The resulting nine-song, 45-minute album, Barely Human, represented an inspired and reinvigorated Meliah Rage - possessing more powerful drive and energy than even some of the band's earliest work, while still retaining the contrasting dynamics of a classic album like Solitary Solitude. The reaction from fans was overwhelmingly positive, and the group filmed a video for the disc's title track - which was also featured in an episode of the FX television series The Shield. Select live appearances of the era included stops at the Classic Metal Festival (Chicago, IL) and Metal Mind Rage II (Baltimore, MD).

Now, more than a decade later, Divebomb Records is proud to partner with Meliah Rage for this CD reissue of Barely Human. Freshly remixed and remastered by Peter Rutcho for much-improved sound quality, this edition also features an updated cover painting by artist Marco Fumi, complete lyrics, as well as a retrospective interview with guitarist Anthony Nichols.

Tracklisting:

"Hate Machine"
"Invincible"
"Barely Human"
"Ungodly"
"Wrong Place, Right Time"
"Rigid"
"Bloodbath"
"Hell Song"
"Motor Psycho"

In the mid-2000s, Meliah Rage found themselves prepped to create a brand new album with all five original members in tow. Drummer Stuart Dowie had returned for 2006's The Deep and Dreamless Sleep, and even fan-favorite vocalist Mike Munro had agreed to find time amidst his family commitments to join up for one more album. Bassist Jesse Johnson ultimately decided to step aside, however, at which point the band brought in Darren Lourie - formerly of Triphammer/Every Second - to complete the lineup.

Realizing in retrospect that The Deep and Dreamless Sleep may have been overly mid-paced and one-sided, chief songwriter Anthony Nichols set out to write the group's most guitar-centric album to date - slightly thrashier, and with an occasionally increased emphasis on dual guitar harmonies. Produced by Wargasm's Rich Spillberg and featuring a guest vocal appearance from then-Metal Church frontman Ronny Munroe on "Last Rites," the result was Masquerade: a nearly hour-long return to form for Meliah Rage.

Unfortunately, Screaming Ferret Wreckords was on the decline, so the album was merely released as a CD-R and without a sufficient promotional presence. The band only performed a small handful of shows with Munro back on the mic - among them opening for Anvil at the House of Blues in Boston - but this brief reunion still satisfied longtime fans, both live and on record.

Now, nearly a decade later, Divebomb Records is proud to partner with Meliah Rage for this reissue of Masquerade: finally on proper CD for the first time ever! Newly remastered by Peter Rutcho, this edition also features complete lyrics, as well as a retrospective interview with guitarist Anthony Nichols.

Tracklisting:

"Lost Or Found"
"Chosen"
"History Will Tell"
"Dreamer"
"Seeker"
"Hour Glass"
"Masquerade"
"Last Rites"
"Whatever It Takes"

Pre-order these reissues here.

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 “Dark Lung Of The Storm” is available for streaming below.

"”Dark Lung of the Storm” is the opener on the album. The first sequence of riffs has this come-back vibe to it, though we haven’t come back, we’ve been here all the time. It’s the natural opener on the album." - Aggressor

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"

"Dark Lung Of The Storm":

Lineup:

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

(Photo - Kim Sølve Trine + Kim Design Studio)

Critical Mess are dedicated, skilled and ambitious death metal newcomers from Hanover, Germany. The 5-piece only has one goal in mind: conquering the stages across the globe, bringing extreme music to every corner of the planet.

Critical Mess will release their new album Human Prey on CD and digitally on March 30th via Metalville Records. Pre-order here. A video for the track "Feasting" can be found below.

Founded in February 2012, the band had undergone many changes in line-up and writing styles. In 2016, the current lineup had established itself and quickly found its own unique sound and style. Whilst doing so, they managed to stay true to the familiar and beloved sound of old school death metal that they had all grown up with and the name Critical Mess was born.

Featuring ex-Cripper vocalist Britta Görtz, the group shows that they have remained faithful to the old-school death metal with which they grew up and define their clear goal: to conquer the stages of the world.

Tracklisting:

"Bringer Of All End"
"Feasting"
"Preacher Of Lies"
"Gluttony"
"Creation Of Abomination"
"Pansperm"
"On Rotten Grounds"
"Into Oblivion"
"Paradoxal Praradigm Of Perception"
"Repent"

"Feasting" video:

JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" has landed at position No. 5 on the U.K. albums chart. It marks the band's highest ranking, and first time in the Top 10, since "British Steel" reached No. 4 in 1980. Elsewhere, "Firepower" has become PRIEST's first-ever No. 1 in Sweden, while in the U.S., the album is expected to enter the Billboard 200 at No. 2, bested only by David Byrne's "American Utopia".



"Firepower" was released on March 9 via Epic. The follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" was recorded by British producer Andy Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian digital artist and photographer Claudio Bergamin.



Asked by the WSOU 89.5 FM radio station if "Firepower" is a "heavier" record than 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls", JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner said: "I think 'heavy' means so many different things — it could be heavy in terms of sound, it could be heavy in terms of speed, it could be heavy in terms of lyrical content. So it's hard to know what someone's interpretation of 'heavy' means. But I think it's a more energetic record — I think there's more fire in it — which is one of the reasons why 'Firepower' was a relevant title to call the record. It's got that kind of intensity. I don't think 'Redeemer' was lacking in that respect, but this one's definitely got more of it. It's got fast stuff, it's got groovier stuff."



JUDAS PRIEST "Firepower" world tour marks the band's first run of dates since guitarist Glenn Tipton announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He is being replaced on tour by Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.



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JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" has landed at position No. 5 on the U.K. albums chart. It marks the band's highest ranking, and first time in the Top 10, since "British Steel" reached No. 4 in 1980. Elsewhere, "Firepower" has become PRIEST's first-ever No. 1 in Sweden, while in the U.S., the album is expected to enter the Billboard 200 at No. 2, bested only by David Byrne's "American Utopia".



"Firepower" was released on March 9 via Epic. The follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" was recorded by British producer Andy Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian digital artist and photographer Claudio Bergamin.



Asked by the WSOU 89.5 FM radio station if "Firepower" is a "heavier" record than 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls", JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner said: "I think 'heavy' means so many different things — it could be heavy in terms of sound, it could be heavy in terms of speed, it could be heavy in terms of lyrical content. So it's hard to know what someone's interpretation of 'heavy' means. But I think it's a more energetic record — I think there's more fire in it — which is one of the reasons why 'Firepower' was a relevant title to call the record. It's got that kind of intensity. I don't think 'Redeemer' was lacking in that respect, but this one's definitely got more of it. It's got fast stuff, it's got groovier stuff."



JUDAS PRIEST "Firepower" world tour marks the band's first run of dates since guitarist Glenn Tipton announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He is being replaced on tour by Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.





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Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 10 years ago, but only recently announced he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.



The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

With the new, self-titled STONE TEMPLE PILOTS album released this past Friday (March 16), bassist Robert DeLeo was asked in an interview with AltWire if there were any songs left over from the band's 2015 sessions with LINKIN PARK's Chester Bennington on vocals that were repurposed for the new LP.

DeLeo replied: "There were, but they were kind of ideas and they didn't really get too far. Working on a new record with Chester was kind of a notion and it didn't really go too far before he said he could no longer do STP. We got together and played some ideas and that was about it. So these ideas were sitting there for a couple of years."

Bennington toured with STP and recorded one EP before exiting the band in late 2015. STP guitarist Dean DeLeo told The Pulse Of Radio that Bennington came into the band at a time when they needed him. "If I were to look back at our time together, it was incredible, you know. Chester infused something in Robert and Eric [Kretz, drums] and I that was much needed. You know, Chester came in and it was literally like an angel. You know, what Chester brought in was immeasurable, man, and just our time on the road and our time gigging and our time doing that EP was... it was beautiful."

Bennington committed suicide in July 2017. Original STP vocalist Scott Weiland was dismissed in early 2013 and died of a overdose in December 2015.

The new STP record, its seventh full-length effort, features the debut of new singer Jeff Gutt.

Gutt, a one-time "The X Factor" contestant, made his live debut with the band last November in Los Angeles. The band recently did its first round of dates in support of the new album and next plays on April 14 in Tucson, Arizona.

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST played the third show of their "Firepower" world tour Saturday night (March 17) at at NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, in Uniondale, New York. The trek is the band's first since guitarist Glenn Tipton announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He is being replaced on tour by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.



Fan-filmed video footage of the Uniondale concert can be seen below.



JUDAS PRIEST's setlist was as follows:



01. Firepower

02. Running Wild

03. Grinder

04. Sinner

05. The Ripper

06. Lightning Strike

07. Bloodstone

08. Saints In Hell

09. Turbo Lover

10. Angel

11. Evil Never Dies

12. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

13. Breaking The Law

14. Hell Bent For Leather

15. Painkiller



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British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST played the third show of their "Firepower" world tour Saturday night (March 17) at at NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, in Uniondale, New York. The trek is the band's first since guitarist Glenn Tipton announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He is being replaced on tour by "Firepower" album producer Andy Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.



Fan-filmed video footage of the Uniondale concert can be seen below.



JUDAS PRIEST's setlist was as follows:



01. Firepower

02. Running Wild

03. Grinder

04. Sinner

05. The Ripper

06. Lightning Strike

07. Bloodstone

08. Saints In Hell

09. Turbo Lover

10. Angel

11. Evil Never Dies

12. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll

13. Breaking The Law

14. Hell Bent For Leather

15. Painkiller





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Encore:



16. The Hellion / Electric Eye

17. Metal Gods

18. You've Got Another Thing Comin'

19. Living After Midnight



Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 10 years ago, but only recently announced he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.



Asked how JUDAS PRIEST came to choose Sneap to step in for Tipton on the band's tour in support of "Firepower", bassist Ian Hill told veteran Japanese rock journalist Masa Itoh: "It probably came from during the recording of the album. Andy is a very good guitarist, an excellent guitarist in his own right, and I think Glenn got to know Andy and got to trust Andy, which is very important. We wanted someone who we knew as well, if at all possible. The last thing you want is somebody coming in with their own baggage, if you know what I mean. And we can trust Andy to do a good job, and I think he'll do justice to the songs. And that was the main thing — I think it was the familiarity with Andy. We had great respect for him — before we met him, we had great respect for him. But with the work he did on the album — I mean, it sounds phenomenal; he did a tremendous job with that. We're doing songs off the new album, which he is totally familiar with, and he knows a lot of the parts anyway from that. And he's also a PRIEST fan — he's been listening to us for years — and he fits the slot perfectly. I think he'll fit in and I think he'll do a tremendous job."



"Firepower" was released on March 9 via Epic. The follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" was recorded by Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian artist Claudio Bergamin.



The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

Napalm Records has announced the signing and partnership with Finland's Wolfheart. Tuomas Saukkonen and his bandmates share the same passion for nature, in particular the frosty cold winters of the northern world accompanied with beautiful and epic melodic death metal.

“Tuomas and Wolfheart welcome to the Napalm family”, states Sebastian Muench, A&R Napalm Records.

Tuomas Saukkonen comments on the signing: "After nerve wrecking negotiations with wide range of labels we are thrilled to announce that we have teamed with Napalm Records and have entered the studio and started the recordings of our 4th album. Awesome way to start a year with an awesome label. Forging of the 4th album will take place at Petrax Studios (Nightwish, CoB, HIM, etc.) with my trusted sound engineer Juho Räihä who has been my co-pilot for 12 albums in past 10 years!"

Wolfheart have released three albums and are currently busy at Petrax Studios to work on their follow up of Tyhjyys (2017). Also, the band will be flying to Iceland to shoot the very first video from the upcoming album.

The band have announced a full Canadian tour run, support shows with Wintersun throughout Finland, as well as European summer festival appearances. All dates can be found here.

Lineup:

Tuomas Saukkonen - Guitar, Vocals
Mika Lammassaari - Lead guitar
Joonas Kauppinen - Drums
Lauri Silvonen - Bass, backing vocals

According to Billboard, JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" has entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 5, making it the band's highest-charting album ever. 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" debuted and peaked at No. 6, while 2008's "Nostradamus" landed at No. 11 and 2005's "Angel Of Retribution" came in at No. 13.



"Firepower" moved 49,000 equivalent album units in first week of release. Of that sum, 48,000 were in traditional album sales, just shy of the 54,000 copies sold by "Angel Of Retribution" in that album's first week. The "Firepower" chart position was bolstered by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer in association with the band's current North American tour.



The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).



As previously reported, "Firepower" landed at position No. 5 on the U.K. album chart. It marks the band's highest ranking, and first time in the Top 10, since "British Steel" reached No. 4 in 1980. Elsewhere, "Firepower" has also become PRIEST's first-ever No. 1 in Sweden.



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According to Billboard, JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" has entered the Billboard 200 chart at position No. 5, making it the band's highest-charting album ever. 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" debuted and peaked at No. 6, while 2008's "Nostradamus" landed at No. 11 and 2005's "Angel Of Retribution" came in at No. 13.



"Firepower" moved 49,000 equivalent album units in first week of release. Of that sum, 48,000 were in traditional album sales, just shy of the 54,000 copies sold by "Angel Of Retribution" in that album's first week. The "Firepower" chart position was bolstered by sales generated from a concert ticket/album sale redemption offer in association with the band's current North American tour.



The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).



As previously reported, "Firepower" landed at position No. 5 on the U.K. album chart. It marks the band's highest ranking, and first time in the Top 10, since "British Steel" reached No. 4 in 1980. Elsewhere, "Firepower" has also become PRIEST's first-ever No. 1 in Sweden.





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"Firepower" was released on March 9 via Epic. The disc was recorded by British producer Andy Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian artist Claudio Bergamin.



JUDAS PRIEST "Firepower" world tour marks the band's first run of dates since guitarist Glenn Tipton announced that he was retiring from the road due to his battle with Parkinson's disease. He is being replaced on tour by Sneap, also known for his work as the guitar player in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.



Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease four years ago — after being stricken by the degenerative condition at least half a decade earlier — but only recently announced he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.



The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

Massachusetts metallers UNEARTH have inked a worldwide deal with Century Media Records. The band will soon enter Graphic Nature Studios with producer Will Putney (EVERY TIME I DIE, BODY COUNT, GOJIRA, THY ART IS MURDER, SILENT PLANET) to begin recording the follow-up to 2014's "Watchers Of Rule" album. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's Adam Dutkiewicz will record drums for the effort. A late summer/early fall release is expected.



The band commented: "For three decades, Century Media have been a highly trusted and leading force in heavy music and we are proud to further our partnership with them to a worldwide level. We saw their passion for music, dedication to promotion, ability to help secure touring/festival opportunities and the face to face personal relationships bands desire from labels from the European team during their release of our last album, 'Watchers Of Rule', so we know CM is the right worldwide home for us to bring everyone what's next in all things UNEARTH.



"We want to thank everyone at Century Media for bringing us into the fold to partner with a label that has such a rich history in heavy metal and hardcore while also continuing to be at the top of the label game. We'll see you all this summer starting on Warped Tour and continuing far beyond with worldwide touring on our new album."



Added Century Media Europe's head of A&R Jens Prüter: "It was 15 years ago when I first saw UNEARTH in 2003 at the local Pressure Festival in Essen, Germany with DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, CALIBAN, NAGLFAR, STAMPIN' GROUND, MAROON, ABORTED and CARNAL FORGE. HATEBREED, AMON AMARTH and YOUTH OF TODAY played as well but it was almost a Century Media festival — and actually a perfect example how close metal and hardcore could get.



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Massachusetts metallers UNEARTH have inked a worldwide deal with Century Media Records. The band will soon enter Graphic Nature Studios with producer Will Putney (EVERY TIME I DIE, BODY COUNT, GOJIRA, THY ART IS MURDER, SILENT PLANET) to begin recording the follow-up to 2014's "Watchers Of Rule" album. KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's Adam Dutkiewicz will record drums for the effort. A late summer/early fall release is expected.



The band commented: "For three decades, Century Media have been a highly trusted and leading force in heavy music and we are proud to further our partnership with them to a worldwide level. We saw their passion for music, dedication to promotion, ability to help secure touring/festival opportunities and the face to face personal relationships bands desire from labels from the European team during their release of our last album, 'Watchers Of Rule', so we know CM is the right worldwide home for us to bring everyone what's next in all things UNEARTH.



"We want to thank everyone at Century Media for bringing us into the fold to partner with a label that has such a rich history in heavy metal and hardcore while also continuing to be at the top of the label game. We'll see you all this summer starting on Warped Tour and continuing far beyond with worldwide touring on our new album."



Added Century Media Europe's head of A&R Jens Prüter: "It was 15 years ago when I first saw UNEARTH in 2003 at the local Pressure Festival in Essen, Germany with DARK TRANQUILLITY, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, CALIBAN, NAGLFAR, STAMPIN' GROUND, MAROON, ABORTED and CARNAL FORGE. HATEBREED, AMON AMARTH and YOUTH OF TODAY played as well but it was almost a Century Media festival — and actually a perfect example how close metal and hardcore could get.





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"I was a huge fan of UNEARTH's 'Endless' EP (2002) and their performance was sheer energy — and it still is! It was great to follow their evolution starting from the early metalcore scene to the main stages of major festivals like Wacken, Hellfest and also this year's Warped Tour.



"We already released their last album, 'Watchers Of Rule', on Century Media Europe and are very proud about a new worldwide partnership.



"Thanks, UNEARTH! Looking forward to the next chapter!"



Mike Gitter, vice president of A&R for Century Media USA, commented: "UNEARTH have an unshakable foundation that they build on record to record. They've become a key player in today's metal landscape and will remain that for many records to come. Will Putney has become one of metal's true 'go-to' guys and a production force in his own right. Having Adam D. involved is a creative stamp that has been part of UNEARTH's best work to date. Having them both involved should be absolutely crushing."

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner says "Firepower" producer Andy Sneap was "the first choice" to replace Parkinson's disease-stricken guitarist Glenn Tipton. Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrashers SABBAT, played his first show with PRIEST on March 13 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.



Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 10 years ago, but only recently announced he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.



Former PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing recenty released a statement in which he said that he was "shocked and stunned" that he wasn't approached to rejoin the band and suggested that Sneap's "contribution to the new JUDAS PRIEST album was much more than just as a producer." Those claims were quickly dismissed by Rob Halford, who asserted Tipton performed his parts on the album.



Thus far on the "Firepower" tour, Faulkner has been handling the bulk of Downing's solos in addition to many of Tipton's. The show features a short video tribute to Tipton during his solo on "Painkiller", which is now played by Faulkner. The band's set includes a mix of "Firepower" cuts, live staples and perhaps most notably, longtime fan favorite "Saints In Hell" from 1978's "Stained Class", which was yet to be performed live until this tour.



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JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner says "Firepower" producer Andy Sneap was "the first choice" to replace Parkinson's disease-stricken guitarist Glenn Tipton. Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrashers SABBAT, played his first show with PRIEST on March 13 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.



Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease 10 years ago, but only recently announced he was going to sit out touring activities in support of "Firepower". The guitarist, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974 debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle the rigorous challenges of performing live.



Former PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing recenty released a statement in which he said that he was "shocked and stunned" that he wasn't approached to rejoin the band and suggested that Sneap's "contribution to the new JUDAS PRIEST album was much more than just as a producer." Those claims were quickly dismissed by Rob Halford, who asserted Tipton performed his parts on the album.



Thus far on the "Firepower" tour, Faulkner has been handling the bulk of Downing's solos in addition to many of Tipton's. The show features a short video tribute to Tipton during his solo on "Painkiller", which is now played by Faulkner. The band's set includes a mix of "Firepower" cuts, live staples and perhaps most notably, longtime fan favorite "Saints In Hell" from 1978's "Stained Class", which was yet to be performed live until this tour.





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In an interview with veteran Japanese journalist Masa Itoh (audio below), Faulkner was asked to go into the thought process behind choosing Sneap to replace Tipton. "Andy was very much aware of the situation, which is one of the reasons why he was trusted to take this position," Richie said. "He was sensitive to Glenn's situation, he took it seriously and having that trust with Andy is important when we were considering who was going to fill in for the live thing. Andy was the choice, the first choice. It was Glenn who suggested Andy. He's a good guitar player. He's sensitive to the situation. He's not going to come in and want to take over everything. Actually, in testament to Andy, he was the first guy to say, 'I'm not joining JUDAS PRIEST. I'm here to help Glenn and help the band, but Glenn is the guitar player in JUDAS PRIEST and that's it.' Again, respect to Andy for realizing that situation, which is why I think it confirmed that was the right choice to make with Andy. No, on the record, he didn't play anything. Him and Tom Allom, which is obviously one of the producers from back in the day, they were just fundamental in how this record sounds, getting the best performances out of everybody, getting the best sounds and the best energy that is possible. Again, it's like a family and he was a part of that family so it makes sense for him to be there, flying the flag for Glenn."



"Firepower" was released on March 9 via Epic. The follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" was recorded by Sneap, Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian artist Claudio Bergamin.



The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson says that he wants fans "to be surprised" by the setlist on the band's upcoming "Legacy Of The Beast" tour.



The European run of dates will kick off in Tallinn, Estonia on May 26 and finish at the O2 Arena, London on August 10.



The concept for the "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour was inspired by MAIDEN's mobile game and comic book of the same name and the stage set design will feature a number of different but interlocking "worlds" with a set list covering a large selection of '80s material with a handful of surprises from later albums to add diversity.



"When you do a show like we're planning to do, I want it to be really slick, but awesome," Dickinson told Kerrang! magazine. "I want people to go, 'Wow! Fucking hell, you've gotta see this show!' I want people to be surprised as well. I want them to go home going, 'Fucking hell, I can't believe they played that song!' That's the reaction I want.



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IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson says that he wants fans "to be surprised" by the setlist on the band's upcoming "Legacy Of The Beast" tour.



The European run of dates will kick off in Tallinn, Estonia on May 26 and finish at the O2 Arena, London on August 10.



The concept for the "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour was inspired by MAIDEN's mobile game and comic book of the same name and the stage set design will feature a number of different but interlocking "worlds" with a set list covering a large selection of '80s material with a handful of surprises from later albums to add diversity.



"When you do a show like we're planning to do, I want it to be really slick, but awesome," Dickinson told Kerrang! magazine. "I want people to go, 'Wow! Fucking hell, you've gotta see this show!' I want people to be surprised as well. I want them to go home going, 'Fucking hell, I can't believe they played that song!' That's the reaction I want.





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"When you do an album tour, it's more… you can take time to be a bit goofy with people and for them to digest it and what have you," he continued. "On 'The Book Of Souls' tour, there was quite a lot of chatting with the audience. I'm not planning that on this tour because we've got so much to do and there's so much going on. The show and the music is gonna carry the whole bloody thing. I'm pretty intimately involved in the show. There'll be a couple of moments of chat with the audience, but it should be completely self-explanatory what's going on — the drama should be in the transitions of the stage and the music. And we're playing one or two things that people are gonna be really surprised by. There'll be social media madness after the first show."



Dickinson added that MAIDEN has "spent ages" planning the upcoming tour. "And I'm already walking through it in my mind and going, 'Where can I input those moments of meaning? To shift people's perceptions?' It's like 'Climb Like A Monkey' — where's that? That came from seeing someone at the front doing it, and it just became this massive thing! It's a laugh, why not?"



Dickinson told Sweden's "Nyhetsmorgon" program that MAIDEN is "playing, as a band, better than we were in the '80s, and the evidence is there — you can hear it in the live recordings and things. As an artist, you learn so much more about your craft, if you like — just your stage craft. And also the things you can do with your voice. So you do learn a lot more about things like that."



IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris recently reiterated his stance that the band has absolutely no plans of retiring. Asked if he thought when he first formed MAIDEN more than four decades ago that the group would still be around this many years later, the bassist told SiriusXM: "No, not at all. I mean, you don't think that far in back then — you just think about the next album and the next tour. So that's how we've been carrying on, really. I've been asked that question so many times since 20 years ago: 'How long are you gonna carry on for?' I don't know. We'll carry on as long as we can. These days, I suppose, you've gotta look at everybody's health and there's things that might be out of our hands [that might determine] as to whether we carry on or not. But if we can physically carry on, we'll carry on [for a long time]."

MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn says that he still "can't believe" that SLAYER has chosen to embark on its "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 the "Wired In The Empire" radio show, which airs on 96.7 KCAL-FM in Riverside/San Bernardino, California, Flynn was asked for his opinion about SLAYER calling it quits.



"It's crazy to me. I can't believe that," he said (hear audio below). "It still hasn't sunk in. Who knows how long it's gonna go on? I'm sure it'll go on for a while. But that's a hard one to wrap my head around, man.



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MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn says that he still "can't believe" that SLAYER has chosen to embark on its "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 the "Wired In The Empire" radio show, which airs on 96.7 KCAL-FM in Riverside/San Bernardino, California, Flynn was asked for his opinion about SLAYER calling it quits.



"It's crazy to me. I can't believe that," he said (hear audio below). "It still hasn't sunk in. Who knows how long it's gonna go on? I'm sure it'll go on for a while. But that's a hard one to wrap my head around, man.





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"We did 85 shows with those guys on our first album, and we became pretty good friends," he continued. "And I've talked to 'em all at various times, and we stayed friends. And I think they're serious. I don't wanna say there's bad blood between 'em, but I think that they're just ready to kind of end on a high note."



Flynn went on to point out that SLAYER's three-and-a-half-decade run is far longer than most bands are expected to stick around.



"This is the thing that I trip on. If you think about the classic rock and roll bands of yore — the LED ZEPPELINs, THE BEATLES, the BLACK SABBATHs— it was 10 years that they lasted," Flynn said. "THE BEATLES made all of that mind-boggling, unbelievably future, forward-thinking music, changing with evolution like no other band in the history of music — literally — and tapping into what was happening with the culture at the same time, all in 10 years — in a 10-year period. LED ZEPPELIN, the same thing — '67 to '77. BLACK SABBATH — '69 to '79; that's it. And then it went away. And in some ways, because it went away, it became that much more powerful.



"You think about bands now, and even we're talking about thrash metal bands, METALLICA's been around 36 years, SLAYER 36 years — almost four times as long as any of those bands of yore," he continued. "For [SLAYER] to call it a day and say, 'You know what? We're calling it a day. And we're gonna end on this note,' which is, frankly, a pretty freakin' high note, I mean, good for them. 'Cause I'm sure it's hard to sit there and go, 'This thing that I've done forever is now gonna end,' but in the long run, it's only gonna make the legend of SLAYER that much bigger. Just like it did with THE BEATLES and SABBATH and LED ZEPPELIN. And you look at somebody like Robert Plant, who… [laughs] I'm sure those LED ZEPPELIN residuals… they're rolling in good… But the fact that he still says 'no' all these years later, because he's, like, 'It's never gonna live up to the hype of what it could be,' that takes an unbelievable amount of balls and courage and, frankly, artistic integrity — to just go, 'I can't do that. I have to do something else.' And by doing so, [it] elevates it even more."



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.



MACHINE HEAD's latest album, "Catharsis", was released on January 26 via Nuclear Blast. The effort was made available in several formats, including a CD/DVD digipak edition which contains footage of MACHINE HEAD's 2015 concert at San Francisco's Regency Ballroom.



The follow-up to 2014's "Bloodstone & Diamonds", "Catharsis" was produced by Flynn and was recorded, mixed, and co-produced by Zack Ohren (FALLUJAH, ALL SHALL PERISH) at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California. Mastering was handled by Ted Jensen (HATEBREED, ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES) at Sterling Sound in New York. Cover photography was created by Seanen Middleton.

NECROPHAGIA frontman Killjoy passed away this morning (Sunday, March 18), the band has confirmed. The vocalist, whose real name was Frank Pucci, was 48 years old. No cause of death has yet been released.



Pucci's NECROPHAGIA bandmates announced his death in a Facebook post earlier today. Drummer Shawn Slusarek, guitarist Serge Streltsov and bassist Jake Arnette said in a joint statement: "We are so shocked and saddened to bring you the news of our dear brother Killjoy passing away this morning. We are at a loss for words. R.I.P brother you are forever in our hearts. We will cherish our moments together forever."



REPULSION's Scott Carlson mourned Pucci's passing, writing in a Facebook post: "Just heard the sad news that Killjoy of NECROPHAGIA has gone into The Beyond. He and I began trading our bands' demos way back in '85 or so. He was a real sweetheart and a true aficionado of underground horror and music."



Pucci formed NECROPHAGIA in 1983 and released the band's debut album, "Season Of The Dead", in 1987. Pucci was the sole remaining original member in NECROPHAGIA's most recent lineup, which issued its latest LP, "WhiteWorm Cathedral", in 2014.



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NECROPHAGIA frontman Killjoy passed away this morning (Sunday, March 18), the band has confirmed. The vocalist, whose real name was Frank Pucci, was 48 years old. No cause of death has yet been released.



Pucci's NECROPHAGIA bandmates announced his death in a Facebook post earlier today. Drummer Shawn Slusarek, guitarist Serge Streltsov and bassist Jake Arnette said in a joint statement: "We are so shocked and saddened to bring you the news of our dear brother Killjoy passing away this morning. We are at a loss for words. R.I.P brother you are forever in our hearts. We will cherish our moments together forever."



REPULSION's Scott Carlson mourned Pucci's passing, writing in a Facebook post: "Just heard the sad news that Killjoy of NECROPHAGIA has gone into The Beyond. He and I began trading our bands' demos way back in '85 or so. He was a real sweetheart and a true aficionado of underground horror and music."



Pucci formed NECROPHAGIA in 1983 and released the band's debut album, "Season Of The Dead", in 1987. Pucci was the sole remaining original member in NECROPHAGIA's most recent lineup, which issued its latest LP, "WhiteWorm Cathedral", in 2014.





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PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo reportedly offered to write a NECROPHAGIA record more than a decade a half ago, which then became the subject of much speculation. In later interviews, Pucci talked about how the scheduling conflicts had just proven to be too much, forcing him and Anselmo to end their proposed NECROPHAGIA collaboration.



"Philip is a great guy; he's like a brother to me. Unfortunately, due to extreme scheduling conflicts and previous commitments we will not be working together any longer," Pucci said in a 2002 interview.



Pucci said that he first met Philip in 1990, bonding over their "mutual passion for true horror. He resurrected NECROPHAGIA in 1997 by writing some truly dark, horrific music that persuaded me to start doing music and NECROPHAGIA again," Frank said.



Killjoy and Anselmo did manage to write and record together as members of Philip's VIKING CROWN project, which released two full-length albums and an EP in the late '90s and early 2000s.




We are so shocked and saddened to bring you the news of our dear brother Killjoy passing away this morning. We are at a...
Posted by Necrophagia (official) on Sunday, March 18, 2018




Just heard the sad news that Killjoy of Necrophagia has gone into The Beyond. He and I began trading our band’s demos...
Posted by Scott Carlson on Sunday, March 18, 2018