Currently in writing mode, Devin Townsend Project frontman Devin Townsend took time out to create something special:

"Ok, writing...took a break to write about frogs with Niels and Reyne."

Enjoy.

On a serious note, Townsend recently took to Twitter revealing that he has ideas for four separate albums in the works. Check out his posts below.

 
 
Condensing all these ideas, I have themes for 4 albums I think...

— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) 31 October 2017

 
 
Empath, The Moth, a complicated one (untitled), a beautiful one (untitled) though there are some Casualties songs and heavy songs too...

— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) 31 October 2017

 
 
First release will be Empath.

— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) 31 October 2017

 
 
Empath is a dtp album...

— Devin Townsend (@dvntownsend) 31 October 2017

Devin Townsend Project - Devin Townsend (vocals, guitar, keyboards, programming), Ryan Van Poederooyen (drums), Dave Young (guitar, keyboards), Brian 'Beav' Waddell (bass), Mike St-Jean (keyboards, synths, programming) - is gearing up for shows with Clutch as part of their Psychic Warfare tour, along with The Obsessed, in support of his 17th studio album and the band’s seventh studio album, Transcendence. The trek - which also includes a few headlining shows - starts November 29th in Greensboro, NC at The Cone Denim Entertainment Center and concludes December 31st in Columbus, OH at Express Live.

“After a long and successful year that has been nearly 200 shows already, we are finishing up our touring year with another run of the United States in which we get to some new markets and a new crowd,” says Devin Townsend. “Since their first album, I have been an avid fan of Clutch. In certain frames of mind, there is no finer band. The aesthetic of the style of music they play juxtaposes perfectly with their forward thinking and inspiring lyrical content. I love Clutch. Although on the surface it may seem like an odd pairing, but we met recently after a show in Ireland and I found we were on the same page about a lot of things. I think the best tours typically include several different vibes, and this one with Clutch and The Obsessed Is really exciting for us.

“We wanted to get back to the States before this year concluded, and to be invited to be part of this bill is really flattering. We look forward to playing again and with a new set.”

Devin Townsend isn’t going to be taking time off once the tour is over, and 2018 is already looking to be a busy year for him. As he explains, “After this tour, I have five projects I've been working on, and I can't wait to get started on them, I feel so fortunate to be able to do this for a living. Thank you for the support and faith. Let's do this.”

Check out Devin Townsend Project at any of the following tour stops.

Tour dates:

November
29 - Greensboro, NC - Cone Denim Entertainment Center
30 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage *

December
1 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House Of Blues
2 - St Petersburg, FL - Jannus Live
3 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
5 - Saint Augustine, FL - Backyard Stage @ St Augustine Amphitheatre
6 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall
7 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theatre *
8 - Baton Rouge, LA - Varsity Theatre
9 - San Antonio, TX - The Aztec Theatre
10 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
12 - Springfield, MO - Gillioz Theatre
13 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre
14 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave II *
15 - Peoria, IL - Limelight Eventplex
16 - Nashville, TN - Marathon Music Works
27 - Clifton Park, NY - Upstate Concert Hall
28 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
29 - Richmond, VA - The National
30 - Knoxville, TN - The International
31 - Columbus, OH - Express Live

* Devin Townsend Project headline dates

Two-time Grammy Award-winning, acclaimed singer-songwriter and SMASHING PUMPKINS frontman Billy Corgan today released "Pillbox", a silent film set to music from his critically acclaimed new solo album, "Ogilala". Inspired by a hero's journey, the film was written by Corgan, and directed by Corgan alongside longtime collaborator Linda Strawberry. "Pillbox" is available to view now below.

"I thought it was a different approach to listening to an album, to watch it in essence with a related, albeit non-linear, silent movie. Art is art. And together the two pieces create a work unto itself," shared Corgan on the film's connection to his new album.

"Pillbox" is a Strawberry-Blank Assassin production and stars Harry Holmes, Rai Quartley, Anna Steers, Kalpana Pot, Hardeep Manak, Los Angela, Paul Seroka, Amelya Hensley and Ike Catcher. The film premiered last month with five intimate screenings in London, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, and Sydney.

"Ogilala" was released on October 13, 2017 and is available via BMG. The album, produced by Rick Rubin and recorded at Shangri La studios in Malibu, California, presents Corgan's distinctive vocals and melodies across a sparse, but rich palette of acoustic guitar, piano, and strings. Corgan treated fans to an early listen of the album, premiering it a week ahead of release on NPR "First Listen."

Earlier this month, Corgan wrapped a North American solo acoustic tour in support of the album with a sold-out four-night stint at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. These intimate performances saw Corgan perform songs from "Ogilala", as well as a second set which spanned works from his earliest days through his years as the frontman of the SMASHING PUMPKINS and beyond.

No need to travel all the way to Norway to evoke the sinister tunes and darkest form of art: Based in the nothernmost part of Germany, Flensburg, black metal outfit Verheerer have unveiled first and exciting details about their upcoming debut album titled Maltrér. 

Formed in 2008 by band members BST and SMN, Verheerer have released one EP to date. Set for a release on January 19th, 2018 with Vendetta Records, the band has now unleashed their stunning album artwork as well as the tracklist for Maltrér.

The band comments:

“We're pleased to once again work with the maniacs of Vendetta Records for our first full-album, Maltrèr, which unleashes the ties of Archar and pushes our journey to a new chapter. Maltrèr continues where we stopped at Archar and broadens our sonic variety in all directions.” 

In support of Maltrér, Verheerer will announce more exciting news as well as live shows for 2018 very soon.

Tracklisting:

“Oratio”
“Kultyst”
“Vertigo”
“Maltrér”
“Anima Sola”
“Nachtfall”
“Heimgang”

"Dio Returns: The World Tour" — featuring Ronnie James Dio reuniting via hologram with his DIO bandmates — kicked off Wednesday night (December 6) at Matrix in in Bochum, Germany. The Ronnie hologram performed throughout the show, treating fans to an alternating setlist that featured songs such as "Rainbow In The Dark", "We Rock", "Neon Nights", "King Of Rock And Roll", "Man On The Silver Mountain", "Heaven And Hell", "Holy Diver" and more.

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

The "Dio Returns" tour features Ronnie's actual live vocals, with the DIO band playing live, consisting of Craig Goldy on guitar, Simon Wright on drums and Scott Warren on keyboards, along with Bjorn Englen on bass. Veteran metal vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST) is also performing, with singer Oni Logan (LYNCH MOB) also joining on select dates.

"Dio Returns: The World Tour" will also make stops in Poland, Spain, Romania, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Belgium before the end of 2017.

Dates initially announced for Finland, Sweden and Norway are being rescheduled for a larger run through Scandinavia in 2018. The "Dio Returns" tour will also make stops throughout Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, United States, Venezuela and other countries, with more dates to be announced.

The hologram of Ronnie James Dio made its debut at last year's Wacken Open Air festival in Germany. The surprise appearance of the heavy metal icon during DIO DISCIPLES' set closed out the massive metal event which was attended by more than 75,000 fans.

In a recent post on the DIO DISCIPLES Facebook page, Goldy defended DIO DISCIPLES' decision to tour with Ronnie's hologram, calling it "a gift to the fans" which will be "given in the same spirit in which Ronnie gave."

He explained: "People don't remember, but Wendy [Dio, Ronnie's wife and manager] was a big part of how that whole 'Sacred Heart' stage set was built, put together and without hiking up the ticket prices too. Same thing for the 'Dream Evil' tour, with a giant metal spider that came down out of the rafters and I shot it with lasers out of my guitar and then wherever I pointed my guitar, an explosion would occur. It was magical days with magical people behind that magic. This hologram is just that."

According to Goldy, DIO DISCIPLES' performances with the Ronnie James Dio hologram will serve an opportunity for people who "never got to see Ronnie on stage with BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW" to experience some of the original magic.

"This is something that is done in the name of love, honor, missing him and respect — nothing else," he said. "And that is the truth. People's opinion does not alter the truth. It only alters the perception of truth. So this hologram tour is meant to honor the man and his music in the same spirit in which that man gave to this world... so we now give. And people will be missing out on an incredible experience if they let bad comments make that decision for them."

Craig added that "Ronnie would approve of this hologram being done in the way it is being done. I'm sure that anyone who has worked as hard as he did, and has made as big of a worldwide impact as he did, would like their name and memory carried on by those people that he loved and surrounded himself with by choice."

Englen told "The Blairing Out With Eric Blair Show" in October that "Dio Returns" will see him and his bandmates perform "quite a few songs with the hologram — probably, I would say, about half or maybe more than half. And then the rest of them are gonna be without the hologram, with 'Ripper' Owens and Oni Logan singing," he said. "So it's gonna be the DIO DISCIPLES. And the hologram is gonna be in the middle of the stage, but I don't wanna reveal too much. It's quite a large… it needs quite a bit of space onstage, so hopefully most of the venues are gonna be able to accommodate that, as far as the places that haven't been booked yet. But we're excited about it. It's gonna be great."

According to Englen, the tour will consist of shows "at theaters and large clubs. And as long as the stage is big, we can do it. It has to have a certain width," he explained.

Regarding what is involved in planning a tour like this, Englen said: "We have to do some choreography, as far as where to be and what song and all that stuff. All the music is live, and we obviously have to play to a click track — or Simon does — so that we're synced with Ronnie's vocals. Other than that, we play the songs like we normally play them. We've just gotta make sure the arrangements are the same, and they usually are — we haven't done many changes to the songs since the DIO days. So they're the same anyway."

Asked if he finds it "haunting" to perform with a Dio hologram, the bassist said: "You know, we're not really looking at it while we're playing. Looking at it after, I think it's just a nice thing. Some people wonder, 'Is it creepy?' or that kind of a thing. We're excited. We feel good about it. It's done really well, and it's with live vocals — you know, you get that live feel and everything — and they've done a really nice job as far as the content and the photography and all that stuff. I think a lot of people are gonna be — even the people that have been negative about it, or pessimistic — are gonna be positively surprised."

Multi-talented guitarist and producer, Davide Tiso (Ephel Duath, Gospel Of The Witches), has announced the formation and signing of extreme progressive metal outfit, Howling Sycamore, to Prosthetic Records.

Tiso elaborates, "Howling Sycamore was born from the stubborn idea of melting together different styles of heavy music into something powerful, sincere and with a strong identity. I wanted to mix extreme metal drumming, layered down-tuned guitars and old school prog metal singing. I'm so grateful that these amazing musicians helped shape the album into the beautiful weirdness that it became."

The musicians he speaks of are none other than former Watchtower and Dangerous Toys singer, Jason McMaster and drumming sensation, Hannes Grossmann (Necrophagist, Obscura).

The self-titled album will be released on January 26th on all digital platforms, compact disc and a limited edition, silver vinyl LP on Prosthetic Records. You can stream the first track, "Upended", below. Pre-orders for the album are available here.

Tiso comments on the signing: "I can't imagine a better way to launch Howling Sycamore than signing to such a good label as Prosthetic Records. I have believed in the potential of my new band since day one but I was somehow convinced that due to the peculiarity of the songs themselves, the natural trajectory of Howling Sycamore would have a much more low key starting point. The fact that our debut album got the attention of such a respected label makes me dream even bigger for the next steps ahead. Prosthetic Records has always supported forward thinking bands that pay a certain amount of attention to technical proficiency. For most of my career, my music has been labeled in the same way: it felt right to join forces."

It took approximately a year to put the album together. During this time, some very special guest musicians had the chance to contribute to the songs: Bruce Lamont (Yakuza, Brain Tentacles) on baritone saxophone, plus Kevin Hufnagel (Dysrhythmia, Gorguts) and Fester (Burials, Humorous) on guitars.

Howling Sycamore tracklisting:

"Upended"
"Obstinate Pace"
"Let Fall"
"Intermezzo"
"Midway"
"Chant Of Stillness"
"Descent To Light"
"Dysphoria"

"Upended":

Howling Sycamore by Howling Sycamore

Tiso was always fascinated by the symbolism of the sycamore tree, which has special significance in Egyptian religion and that "bridged the world of the dead and the living" in David Lynch's cult TV series. Visually, the sycamore is particularly striking in winter when it gains a ghost like appeal: the bark turns white and it reflects the moonlight in otherworldly ways, bearing not only mystery but also a certain component of solitude and pain. These were the inspirations for Tiso as he assembled his extreme, progressive ensemble, Howling Sycamore.

KISS Kruise VII sailed out of New Orleans to Costa Maya and Cozumel on Norwegian Pearl from November 5th - 10th, 2017. Video footage of the band performing "Sweet Pain" for the first time in over 20 years can be seen below. "Sweet Pain" is featured on KISS' Destroyer album, released in 1976.

KISS have once again partnered up with the industry leaders in music festivals at sea, Sixthman to announce the upcoming voyage of The KISS Kruise VIII. The cruise is set to sail on Halloween, October 31st, 2018 on Norwegian Jade leaving out of Miami, FL. For more information and to register for the pre-sale visit TheKissKruise.com.

A destination of her own, Norwegian Jade offers guests Norwegian Cruise Line’s signature freedom and flexibility to enjoy 11 onboard bars and lounges, 15 dining experiences, one outdoor pool, hot tubs, and a full menu of spa treatments. Enjoy duty-free shopping and awe-inspiring architecture in beautiful Nassau. Explore your adventurous side diving into the crystal blue water with dolphins and colorful fish, or try your luck in a casino.

To learn more about The KISS Kruise VIII, visit TheKissKruise.com.

German thrash metal legends, Accuser, will release their new album, The Mastery, on January 26th via Metal Blade Records. Pre-order the album here, and find a lyric video for the track "Mission: Missile" below.

Accuser has been in a constant songwriting mode all over the past year. Combined with the energy and spontaneity from several live shows, the songs came together very quickly. Together with long time producer Martin Buchwalter, they put together the record in the summer of 2017 at well known Gernhart Studio (Destruction, Tankard and many more).

For the band, The Mastery is some kind of missing link between the technical virtuosity of an album like Who Dominates Who and the more basic, heavy approach of Repent. The Mastery contains all of the elements that define the Accuser sound: heavy, chunky thrash riffs, aggressive vocals with a touch of melody - in addition to the high class guitar solos by youngster Dennis Rybakowski. When it comes to the lyrical side of their songs, Accuser still raises their voices to denounce social grievances.

Tracklisting:

"Mission: Missile"
"The Real World"
"Solace in Sorrow"
"Time for Silence"
"My Skin"
"Catacombs"
"Mourning"
"Ruthless"
"Into the Black"
"The Mastery"

"Mission: Missile" lyric video:

Dirty Thrills recently stopped by YouTube Space London to play a couple of songs live and YouTube captured the footage. Check out a live performance of “Lonely Soul”, as well as previously posted footage of their "Go Slow" and "Law Man” performances. All tracks are lifted from their new album, Heavy Living.

Dirty Thrills are a young, exciting and charismatic London-based hard rock quartet who play bluesy rock 'n' roll with an appealing filthy edge, churning out endless crowd pleasers that make guitar music sound sexy again. With lung-busting, powerful vocals from front man Louis James, killer guitar riffs from Jack Fawdry and solid low-end grooves from the rhythm section of Aaron Plows and Steve Corrigan, each member's wide-ranging influences also combine to produce a pool of sound similar to current rock icons such as Queens Of The Stone Age, The Black Keys and Rival Sons.

Heavy Living tracklisting:

“I'll Be With You”
“Go Slow”
“Law Man”
“Hanging Around”
“Lonely Soul”
“No Resolve”
“Interlude”
“The Brave”
“Rabbit Hole”
“Drunk Words”
“Get Loose”

“Rabbit Hole” video:

“I'll Be With You” video:

“Law Man” video:

Dirty Thrills lineup:

Louis James - Lead Vocals, Harmonica
Jack Fawdry - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Steve Corrigan - Drums
Aaron Plows - Bass

On Friday, January 26th, Inside Out Music will release Wuthering Nights: Live In Birmingham, the new live release from guitar legend Steve Hackett. Wuthering Nights was filmed at the Birmingham Symphony Hall during Hackett’s recent, critically-acclaimed Genesis Revisited & Classic Hackett tour. Available as 2CD/BluRay Jewel Case and Digital Album, this is a must-have for any prog fan. A video trailer can be found below.

This tour marked the 40th anniversary of Wind & Wuthering, Hackett’s last album with Genesis which reached #7 in the UK album chart. To celebrate Steve and his band played five of the best-loved tracks from this iconic album: “Eleventh Earl Of Mar”, “One For The Vine”, “Blood On The Rooftops”, “…In That Quiet Earth” and “Afterglow”.

Other fan favorites from Hackett’s Genesis days were ‘revisited’: “Dance On A Volcano”, “Inside & Out”, “Firth Of Fifth”, “The Musical Box” and the classic “Los Endos”. This mesmerizing show marks the first ever live performance by Hackett and his band of the tracks “One For The Vine” and “Inside & Out”, and also includes many of Hackett’s solo fan-favorites as well as material from his latest studio album, The Night Siren.

Steve recalls the Birmingham performance: “I’m excited about the imminent release of Wuthering Nights. It felt special to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Wind & Wuthering, the Genesis album I had the most songwriting involvement with and a favourite among many fans. Songs like “One For The Vine”, “Eleventh Earl Of Mar” and “Blood On The Rooftops” come across powerfully on this release, which also features other Genesis and solo Hackett favourites along with songs from my latest album The Night Siren... Sit back and enjoy!”

The band are: Roger King (keyboards), Gary O’Toole (drums/percussion), Rob Townsend (saxes/flutes), Nick Beggs (bass, stick & twelve string) and Nad Sylvan on vocals plus special guests John Hackett and Amanda Lehmann.

The DVD / Blu-Ray also includes fascinating behind the scenes footage, most of which was filmed on the day in Birmingham. There are also three videos for tracks from The Night Siren: “Behind The Smoke”, “Fifty Miles From The North Pole” and “West To East”.

Steve Hackett is renowned as an immensely talented and innovative rock musician. He was lead guitarist with Genesis as part of their classic line up with Gabriel, Collins, Banks and Rutherford, who produced several of the band’s most acclaimed albums including Selling England By The Pound (a favourite of John Lennon) and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. With Steve's extraordinary versatility in both his electric guitar playing and his composing, he involves influences from many genres, including jazz, world music and blues. He is equally adept in his classical albums that include renditions of pieces by composers from Bach to Satie, his own acoustic guitar compositions that have gained the admiration of many, including Yehudi Menuhin, and ambitious guitar/orchestra albums such as A Midsummer Night's Dream, recorded with the Royal Philharmonic.

Labyrinth, Italy’s finest purveyors of power/prog metal, will release Return To Live on CD/DVD and Blu-Ray on January 26th. Check out the video for “Moonlight” below. Pre-orders here.

Labyrinth held their first reunion show at Frontiers Metal Festival in Trezzo Sull’Adda on October 30th, 2016. The renewed lineup played Return To Heaven Denied in it’s entirety, for only the second time ever, their most popular record (so far). The landmark album was originally released by Metal Blade in 1998 and is considered by many to be one of the highlights of the power metal genre in the late ‘90s.

Olaf Thorsen says, “It was a real mix of feelings to play Return To Heaven Denied in it's entirety as it was something which we never did before, not even during the many tours we did back in ’98-‘99! It is even crazier when you think that this was our very first live show with our new line up, but when we saw so many people from different countries singing every single song with us, we just felt that it has all been worth it. Unforgettable.”

Tracklisting:

"Moonlight"
"New Horizons"
"The Night Of Dreams"
"Lady Lost In Time"
"State Of Grace"
"Heaven Denied"
"Thunder"
"Feel"
"Time After Time"
"Falling Rain"
"Die For Freedom"
"In The Shade"

"Moonlight" video:

Italian death metal/deathcore stalwarts, The Modern Age Slavery have released a video for “Miles Apart”, a track from their forthcoming album Stygian, available via Innerstrength Records on November 24th. Check out the clip below, and pre-order the new album here.

Coming almost four years after the release of 2013's Requiem For Us All (Pavement), the level-jumping blast of intensity on the band's Innerstrength debut is the result of miles logged and the already dynamic songwriting honed to a fine point.

The band released the following statement about the new album: "With this new album we tried to make another step forward in the evolution of our sound: what you'll hear it's a quite obscure atmosphere delivering a sullen and evil experience, yet keeping the heaviness of the death metal matrix that marked our music in the previous albums. The lyrics are all inspired by a common theme, from which the name Stygian and the correlated artwork come from, discussing the questionable matter of the human evolution leading men to a slow but inevitable mutation into a being that lost his mind and compassion devoured by greediness and will to power. All the pieces of the puzzle are perfectly pondered to create an album made of passion, of anger, and real emotions. This is the The Modern Age's album!"

Tracklisting:

“A Stygian Tide”
“Miles Apart”
“Prelude To An Evolution”
“Regression Through Unlearning”
“Sandblasted Skin” (Pantera Cover)
“The Hollow Men”
“The Place We Call Home”
“The Reprisal Within”
“The Theory Of Shadows”

“Miles Apart” video:

"The Theory Of Shadows" lyric video:

“The Reprisal Within”:

American power metallers Sonic Prophecy are set to unleash their third full length, Savage Gods, via Rockshots Records on January 19th.

Featuring 10 fist pounding tracks rooted in traditional heavy metal melded with the symphonic beauty of power metal, Sonic Prophecy capture the excitement and sound of such bands as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Helloween, Hammerfall and Kamelot while blending other musical styles to arrive at a sound all their own. The band's new music video for the first single "Night Terror" can be viewed below.

Vocalist Shane Provstgaard comments: "We think our fans will love this album! Savage Gods, as a record, basically combines all of the things I think people liked about our previous releases and then moves us forward into new areas musically and lyrically. For our fans, there will be no mistaking this is Sonic Prophecy, but we definitely cover some new exciting ground on this record."

Savage Gods follows Sonic Prophecy's 2015 sophomore release Apocalyptic Promenade (Maple Metal Records), an album that combined the melody and beauty of symphonic power metal while maintaining the crunch, drive and power of traditional metal plus their 2011 debut A Divine Act Of War, which had its music placed in the television series Rock n’ Lock, the video game Volgarr The Viking and movie Danny Trejo's Vengeance.

The upcoming release lyrically covers many topics, from quests and medieval wars, to mechanized genocide, to the dangers associated with extremist ideologies. Broadening and stretching their musical palate, Savage Gods will give fans an adventurous listening experience.  It's an album that combines melodic hard rock, driving heavy metal, and chest pounding anthems in a way that is uniquely Sonic Prophecy.

"This is pure heavy metal with driving guitars, thundering drums, and some of what I feel is my best vocal work to date. With songs "Night Terror, "Unholy Blood" and the album title track, we’ve really laid down a brutal sonic backdrop, along with keeping the melody, which is important to our music." adds vocalist Shane Provstgaard

“Savage Gods” is available for pre-order on Amazon along with single “Night Terror” available for download on iTunes and Amazon.

Following Savage Gods release, Sonic Prophecy has plans to hit the road and tour across North America, Europe and beyond. The band has performed with Tyr, Alestorm, Ratt, Cinderella, Accept and Sabaton.

Tracklisting:

"Savage Gods"
"Night Terror"
"Unholy Blood"
"Dreaming Of The Storm"
"Man The Guns"
"Walk Through The Fire"
"A Prayer Before Battle"
"Iron Clad Heart"
"Man And Machine"
"Chasing The Horizon"

"Night Terror" video:

Sonic Prophecy is:

Shane Provstgaard - Vocals
Darrin Goodman - Guitar
Sebastian Martin - Guitar
Ron Zemanek - Bass
Matt LeFevre - Drums

Austria's Harakiri For The Sky will release their new album, Arson, on February 16th via AOP Records with distribution from Plastichead Distribution (Europe/North America/World) and Edel (Germany/Austria/Switzerland). The band has released a lyric video for "You Are The Scars", available for streaming below.

Founded in 2011 in Vienna, Austria, Harakiri For The Sky has created a unique mixture of melancholy and aggression, madness and meaning, and wrapped in alternately manic/mellow songs. The band was initially begun as a studio project by Bifröst member M. S. and vocalist/lyricist J. J., and has recently been expanded to a live lineup, which has gone on to perform with the likes of A Forest of Stars, Ellende, Fäulnis, Der Weg Einer Freiheit, and Agrypnie among others, encompassing over 20 countries to date.

Arson was recorded, mixed and mastered by Daniel Fellner and follows the band’s critically celebrated 2016 album III: Trauma, which was featured on many critics’ “Best Of 2016” lists and received a nomination for the “Amadeus Austrian Music Award.”

Tracklisting:

“Fire, Walk With Me”
“The Graves We’ve Dug”
“You Are The Scars”
“Heroin Waltz”
“Tomb Omnia”
“Stillborn”
“Voidgazer”
“Manifesto” (Graveyard Lovers cover)

“You Are The Scars” lyric video:

“Tomb Omnia”:

Harakiri For The Sky has announced a European tour in the spring of 2018. The band will be supporting Dutch dark-rock band Dool and the three week excursion will take place March 2nd through March 18th, with performances in eight different countries.

January
17 - Turku, Finland - Gong
18 - Tampere, Finland - Klubi
19 - Jyväskylä, Finland - JKL Metal Festival
20 - Helsinki, Finland - Metal Crane Festival
21 - Tallinn, Estonia - Tapper
25 - Malmö, Sweden - Babel
26 - Göteborg, Sweden - Musikens hus
27 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben
28 - Karlstad, Sweden - Nöjesfabriken
29 - Oslo, Norway - Revolver

February
10 - Vienna, Austria - Szene Wien (Exclusive Release Arson Show)

March
2 - Essen, Germany - Turock
3 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob Concerts
5 - Nantes, France - Le Ferrailleur - Café Concert
6 - Paris, France - O’Sullivans Backstage
7 - Colmar, France - Legrillen Grillen
8 - Aarau, Switzerland - KIFF
9 - Pavia, Italy - DAGDA Live Club
10 - San Donà di Piave, Italy - Revolver Club
12 - Budapest, Hungary - A38 Hajó
13 - Kraków, Poland - Klub Alchemia
14 - Magdeburg, Germany - Factory
15 - Erfurt, Germany - Club From Hell
16 - Berlin, Germany - Roadrunners Rock & Motor Club
17 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connexion Complex
18 - Tilburg, Netherlands - Poppodium 013

Philip H. Anselmo hasn't just paved his own path; he's bulldozed it with his bare hands. His primal, powerful presence led Pantera to Grammy Award nominations, sales of 20 million albums worldwide, legions of diehard fans, and an indisputable heavy metal legacy. Simultaneously, Down carved out a distinct niche with a gold-selling debut and three more critically acclaimed releases. Superjoint made a triumphant return in 2016 and in the midst of everything, Anselmo joined Scour alongside members of Pig Destroyer and Cattle Decapitation and teamed up with horror icon Bill Moseley for the Bill & Phil project. However, Philip H. Anselmo & The Illegals speaks to a certain need for him.

Instead of treading the same ground, Anselmo and his bandmates in The Illegals, open up another doorway altogether with their 2018 sophomore release, Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue, available through the vocalist's own Housecore Records. It's extreme, abrasive, aggressive, and anthemic. In other words, it's purely Anselmo.

Following up 2013's Walk Through Exits Only, this new body of work hinges on no holds-barred lyrical misanthropy and insurgent instrumental intricacy as it sharpens any and all edges to guillotine precision. "It ain't pretty," Anselmo exclaims. "It's more straightforward and cohesive to a degree, but it still goes off the rails here and there. We went through it song after song cut and fucking dry. I was in a specific mindset. I wanted to further my endeavors into a genre of music that I adore. As all ten songs blow by, I wanted an unforgiving feel. This is what was on my mind. It's a recorded capsule of time."

Following a successful maiden touring cycle for The Illegals, the frontman hunkered down at his home studio in Louisiana to record what would become Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue in 2014 and 2015. The lineup shifted as Stephen Taylor (Superjoint) transitioned from bass to guitar, Mike DeLeon (Flesh Horder, Being Killed, ex-MOD et al) joined as a guitarist, and Walter Howard (Grieved, Oppressive Force) took over bass duties. Meanwhile, Jose Manuel "Blue" Gonzalez (Superjoint, Warbeast) held down the drums. Through rigorous rehearsals and writing sessions, a framework for the new music took shape as Anselmo wholeheartedly welcomed the ideas of his cohorts.

"Their creative input is fucking fantastic," beams Anselmo. "This is something that was very different from the first record where I was very staunch. I wanted it to be ugly. I was very firm that I was writing every fucking note. The thought was, 'This is my contribution to ugly music right this second in a heavy metal vein.' That was great at the time. Walk Through Exits Only made its own little statement that I am a free agent and I belong to no single band. This time, I worked closely with everyone. We tried different ideas together. It made the spirit of this thing come alive even more because of the enthusiasm these guys bring. It enhanced the integrity of the project."

"Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue is going to get hated. It's going to get loved. Like every record I've ever done, I put zero expectations upon my peers, critics, or the general fucking public," he continues. "If you take one thing away from it, let it be this: Do not bog yourself down to one brand, character, or whatever. Have the guts to spread your wings and fucking flourish. I can promise you this is a beginning. As my music trickles out over the next two years, it's going to be quite the roller coaster ride. This new Illegals is just the tip of the whole fucking avalanche."

Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue will see release in North America via Housecore Records on January 26th. The record is being licensed in Europe by Season Of Mist. Digital pre-orders will be available this Friday, November 24th via all digital outlets with physical preorder bundles to be unveiled via the Housecore Store here.

The first single, "Choosing Mental Illness", is available for streaming below.

Choosing Mental Illness As A Virtue tracklisting:

"Little Fucking Heroes"
"Utopian"
"Choosing Mental Illness"
"The Ignorant Point"
"Individual"
"Delinquent"
"Photographic Taunts"
"Finger Me"
"Invalid Colubrine Frauds"
"Mixed Lunatic Results"

"Choosing Mental Illness":

Prevail I, the latest offering by Canada's Kobra And The Lotus, was released back in via Napalm Records. This is a true rock juggernaut full of blistering guitars, pounding rhythms and haunting vocal melodies taking the listener on a sonic journey.

Produced by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Amaranthe, Epica etc) and mastered by Grammy award winning Ted Jensen, Prevail I has undoubtedly ushered the band to a much-deserved elevated hard rock status. Evolution is inevitable and with Prevail I, Kobra And The Lotus have delivered their most powerful album to date, followed by numerous shows all over the world.

Today, Kobra And The Lotus are kicking off their tour with Beyond The Black and to celebrate their tour start, the band has just unleashed a brand new lyric video for the track "Hell On Earth", taken from Prevail I.

Says vocalist Kobra Paige: "More than often the level of misery or bliss we experience can be altered or exchanged by the state of our mental thoughts.  Our own hell on earth is right in front of us if we want it to be. What will you choose to be today, the problem or the solution?"

Tour dates with Beyond The Black are listed below:

December
7 - Essigfabrik - Cologne, Germany
8 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, Germany
9 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany
11 - Backstage - Munich, Germany
12 - Hellraiser - Leipzig, Germany
14 - Markthalle - Hamburg, Germany    
15 - SO 36 - Berlin, Germany
16 - Matrix - Bochum, Germany
17 - Garage - Saarbrücken, Germany

Danish old school heavy metal band, Savage Machine, will release their first full-length album, Abandon Earth, on January 19th. The album is produced, mixed and mastered Tommy Hansen (Helloween, Jorn, Pretty Maids) at Jailhouse Studios. A video teaser can be found below.

The cover artwork was made by Mario E. Lopez M. (Iron Maiden, Megadeth, King Diamond, Metal Church).

Tracklisting:

"Exodus"
"Age Of Machines"
"The Hunter"
"Time Traveler"
"Behind the Veil"
"Fourth Dimension"
"Fall Of Icarus"
"Event Horizon"
"Savior"
"Welcome To Hell"

Teaser:

After a long time dormant, Savage Machine is armed, recharged and ready to resume their heavy metal crusade. The result is an ambitious full-length album with battering, yet playful riffs, powerful vocals and a rock-solid rhythm squad whose only purpose is to convert your heathen soul to that of a true headbanger. “Abandon Earth” takes you into the grim future of post-apocalyptic despair, where the war between man and machine rages. Earth Is dead and the last remaining resource’s are spent. The only salvation of mankind lies in the heavens but, who gets to go? Who deserves to go? And is there really anything other than darkness out there?

Savage Machine is:

Troels Rasmussen - Vocals
Jacob V. D. Bruun - Lead Guitars and Rhythm Guitars
Simon Kalmar Poulsen - Rhythm Guitars
Martin Helbo - Drums
Benjamin Andreassen - Bass

Savage Machine, from Denmark, is honoring a proud lineage of Heavy Metal kings with a modern twist. Ambitiously, The machine delivers savage riffs, thundering drums and galloping bass over the grandiose vocals of pure metal thunder. Having existed since 2010, Savage Machine has been a big part of the Danish underground scene for several years before emerging onto the international stage in 2015’s Wacken Open Air. In the past year, Savage Machine recorded a hard-hitting debut album and toured across Europe with Spain’s Lords Of Black.

YOB recently announced the deluxe reissue of The Great Cessation. Originally released in 2009, the trio's 5th full-length record is a master lesson in cosmic doom. Epic, crushing, and heavy beyond words, YOB achieved legendary status in recent years due to their unmatched aesthetic and incredible body of work. The Great Cessation is a flawless document of a band ebbing and flowing between thunderous, skull-splitting riffage and rhythm to meditative moments of introspective psychedelia; an essential piece in the pantheon of YOB's illustrious output. This definitive edition has been completely remastered by Heba Kadry (The Mars Volta, Diamanda Galas, Slowdive) and includes stunning new artwork plus two bonus tracks (previously only available on vinyl). The remastered version of “Blessed By Nothing” is streaming below.

Vocalist / guitarist Mike Scheidt reminisced on the original release of The Great Cessation, saying:

“With The Great Cessation, we were revitalized from our break, we just had Aaron join the ranks with the single best new potential member audition (since Travis) and the album basically wrote itself. When we broke up, we played generally to very small crowds in a very small scene. When we came back, our return was met with a scene that has caught up to what the genre's best had to offer, and we all of a sudden had opportunities we'd never had before. Hell, we did shows with Electric Wizard, Orange Goblin, High On Fire, that were attended by 50-ish people in the early 2000's.”

YOB’s deluxe reissue of The Great Cessation is due out December 8th on CD/2LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical packages and digital order are available via Relapse.com and all digital outlets here.

Additionally, YOB has announced a brief run of dates in 2018, including appearances at Modified Ghost Festival in Vancouver and Sabertooth Festival in Portland. A complete listing of dates can be found below.

Tracklisting:

“Burning The Altar”
“The Lie That Is Sin”
“Silence Of Heaven”
“Breathing From The Shallows”
“The Great Cessation”
“Blessed By Nothing” (bonus track)
“Pain Like Sugar” (bonus track)

"Blessed By Nothing":

“Breathing From The Shallows”:

Tour dates:

February
15 – Seattle, WA – Chop Suey
16 – Portland, OR – Sabertooth Festival
23 – Eugene, OR – WOW Hall

May
25 – Vancouver, BC – Modified Ghost Festival

(Photo by: Alyssa Herman)

Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum recording artist, songwriter, poet and visual artist Serj Tankian has added two more scores to his expanding repertoire of film composing. Lakeshore Records released Tankian's "Intent To Destroy - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" digitally on November 17 on iTunes and Apple Music and will make it available on other platforms November 24. Lakeshore will also release his score "Furious: The Legend Of Kolovrat - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" digitally on December 8.

"Intent To Destroy", directed by Academy Award nominee Joe Berlinger, is a powerful and poignant film that dissects genocide denialism. The film, which recently qualified for Oscar consideration, outlines the century old denial campaign of the Armenian Genocide by the Turkish government and brings it into the current age of disinformation and scare tactics. Tankian handled the film score accordingly, infusing old and new, melancholic acoustic ethnic instruments with dissonant and unhinged ambient, rhythmical, and processed instruments. The film was released in theatres on November 10. Says Tankian: "Hands down one of the most powerful films I've ever seen let alone been a part of. It was a unique experience for me to be in the film and compose the music for it as well. To musically match the historical reality of the Armenian Genocide with the nefarious modern Turkish denial of the truth, I employed a hybrid of classical, ethnic and modern electronic instruments melting in the Duduk and Oud with processed ambient and arpeggiated instruments to match the story." "Furious: The Legend Of Kolovrat" is a Russian historical fantasy film set in the 13th Century directed by Ivan Shurkhovetskly about the Ryazan knight Evpaty Kolovrat — the leader of a 17-man squad who defend against thousands of Mongol warrior hordes and their leader Batu Khan. Tankian incorporates sweeping sounds of a large orchestral ensemble, bombastic percussion, soaring choir, traditional folk instrumentation and attacking metal guitars to match the action-packed tone of the film. Says Tankian: "I'm a huge fan of historical action films, so I welcomed the opportunity to create my first epic score for 'Furious'. We used a full orchestra with epic percussion, a huge choir, ethnic instruments and a wall of electric guitars. It's truly a kick-ass score." A video for the track "A Fine Moment to Die" from "Furious" featuring vocal performances by Tankian and female vocalist Katya Ivanchikova has already become a viral hit with more than 500,000 views.

Tankian is a Grammy-winning and multi-platinum recording artist, singer, songwriter, poet, visual artist, activist and composer. An Armenian born in Lebanon and re-rooted in Los Angeles, Serj was introduced to the melding of cultures, ideas and ideals from a very young age.

Tankian got his first opportunity to compose for film in 2006, when he was tapped by famed director William Friedkin to come up with a theme for his psychological thriller "Bug". In the eight years to follow, Serj was able to squeeze in a few shorter length compositions for film and TV projects in the midst of extensive touring cycles and solo album releases. With a need to be more creative with his musical talents, Tankian made a conscious decision in late 2014 to focus more on scoring for film, TV and video games. In 2015, he was brought on by independent filmmakers Garin Hovannisian and Alec Mouhibian to score "1915", starring Angela Sarafyan and Simon Abkarian. 1915 marked Serj's first full film score, and he was intent on doing more. Over the past few years, additional credits include composing the film score for "The Last Inhabitant", an original composition for Ilya Naishuller's "Hardcore Henry" and video game musical scores for "Midnight Star" and its sequel "Renegade", which were created by one of the chief creators of the famed "Halo" game franchise. He also recorded a modern version of Armenian folk song "Sari Siroun Yar" along with the Authentic Light Orchestra for recently released film "The Promise", directed by Terry George, starring Christian Bale and Oscar Isaac. Tankian was also brought on by Survival Pictures, the producers of "The Promise", to serve as an executive music consultant on the film.

Early in his musical career, Serj found an outlet as the rabble–rousing lead singer and songwriter of the largely successful rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN, a band that has reached into the hearts and minds of millions of people relaying multiple messages of love, awareness and activism. SYSTEM OF A DOWN has five studio album releases, three of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and has also been nominated for four Grammy Awards and snagged one in 2006 for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for their song "B.Y.O.B."

Tankian has released six albums of his own solo material, beginning with 2007's chart-topping hard rock album "Elect The Dead" and its symphonic counterpart "Elect The Dead Symphony". His sophomore solo album "Imperfect Harmonies" was released in 2010, followed by "Harakiri" in 2012. 2013 saw two distinct releases from Serj, with the first being the critically acclaimed "Orca Symphony No. 1", released in June of that year, followed up with the very unique "Jazz-iz Christ" one month later.

After several years of successful collaborations with Japanese Visual Kei and Japanese Rock Artists such as Mejibray, Alphoenix and Deathbie, Season Of Ghosts vocalist / mastermind Sophia returns with a sparkling new work, contributing vocals on Japanese rock band, AllS's new release, Do Or Die, for the song "Identity Disorder". AllS, formerly known as Alsdead, are set to release their first EP on November 22nd exclusively via HMV, as well as various digital shops such as iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, Google Play, LINE Music, Apple Music, Rekochoku etc.

AllS comment: "We proudly announce our first collaboration with singer and songwriter Sophia (Season of Ghosts) for the song 'Identity Disorder'. After hearing her voice in a Season of Ghosts track, we immediately wanted to collaborate. Please enjoy her strong and mesmerising vocals!”

Check out an audio sample of the song below. It begins at the 2:55 mark.

Sophia recently checked in with a long overdue update for her fans:

"I’m pretty sure all of you have been wondering about the future of Season of Ghosts, since The Human Paradox is two year old now. Good question.

As it always happens with music stuff, there has been all sorts of delays, the worst of which is my ongoing health issues. I might tell you more about this on another blog, but for sure it’s been the #1 reason why there’s not much new SoG material out there yet. I honestly did not have the mental or physical strength to compose, to sing or to even talk sometimes.

Also life happens and since I’m a person who seeks personal evolution, I’ve been working on new scenarios, exploring new possibilities, working towards several goals and there’s only 24 hours per day, so imagine. My average working time per day is 12 hours,but I can easily go to 15 hours, depending on the workload. Yes, I’m a workaholic, I’m very goal-oriented and never settle. So I freak when people ask me to 'chill' or 'calm down' or 'go have fun.' Balancing out the stress is really important and I’m guilty of openly neglecting this principle for at least eight years.

Achieving certain goals will allow me to nurture, protect and expand my art, therefore I’ve been focusing on said goals at the expense of music. After all, forcing myself to release a quick album just because I 'had to' would certainly end up in disaster. So I chose to take life one day at a time, in order to preserve my sanity and my music quality.

Things have recently taken a slight turn for the better and I have slowly amassed enough ideas, so the second album is finally taking shape, as a new entity. Like last time, I’m gonna let things flow intuitively and let the music in me find its perfect place. Every album I make has a certain dynamic, an identity that I don’t want to disrupt by overthinking about the current musical trends, or the marketability, or genre cliches. I’d lose my creativity plus I never cared about fitting into anything as a person, so I don’t care about fitting into any musical moulds and presets either. If it feels *right* I’ll do it, even if everyone is protesting against it. Because I *see* it in its final form, I see it into the future (and apparently I’m not very democratic when I work :P).

I don’t believe the coming album is gonna have a solid theme like The Human Paradox, but I won’t know until I sit down and let the stories come to me. Until then, please keep supporting me and Season of Ghosts on this creative journey. Your love has kept me alive all these years, even when I felt my existence falling apart. Thank you."

On November 9th, keyboardist Matt Guillory - better known these days for working with Dream Theater frontman James LaBrie's on his solo albums - released his first ever solo track called "Inside". The track features Guillory teaming up with James LaBrie bandmates Marco Sfogli (guitars), Peter Wildoer (drums), and former Amaranthe vocalist Andy Solveström on screams.

Guillory posted the following update:

"Friends: Thank you for the overwhelming positive response to my debut single. I've always been more comfortable in the background, so the idea of putting myself out there was quite terrifying -- but I'm so happy to hear that you guys are digging it. I do have to say that this would not have been possible without these amazing guys backing me up; Marco Sfogli, Andreas Solveström, Ray Riendeau, and Jesper Sunnhagen. Stay tuned because I have a music video dropping soon!"

The video is available below.

"Inside" is now available via Amazon and iTunes.

During a BraveWords interview in 2016, James LaBrie discussed the possibility of recording a new solo album. His previous solo effort, Impermanent Resonance, was released in 2013:

“I think it’s just a matter of Matt Guillory, myself, and all the other guys making time to get together,” says LaBrie. “It really is a band and me and Matt are really passionate about keeping the same players of the last 10 years. Matt and I have talked and we agree that we definitely have to do another one, we have to follow up Impermanent Resonance with an album that is just as killer. I think it’ll be better. It really is a matter of being able to sit down and put the time and focus into it that it deserves. But yeah, I do believe there will be another one. I really want to do another solo album before I say ‘I’m done, I don’t want to do this anymore…’ or ‘I don’t want to perform live anymore.'”

Photo by Patric Ullaeus

Canadian independent heavy metal band Gales Of Avalon have released a music video for the song “Walk On”, taken from their upcoming concept album Hope, set for release on November 25th.

Hope is an audio drama featuring the voice talents of many Calgary’s metal community. Including members of Metal Heads United, Annihilatrix Productions, Exit Strategy, Train Bigger Monkeys, Megawatt Mayhem and many more.

Forged in Calgary in 2007, Gales of Avalon have been a constant staple in the local underground metal scene. With a wide variety of influences, Gales has a unique and dynamic sound with elements of power, thrash, death and black metal along with blues and rock. This combination of sounds has proven successful for the band, with two EPs and a full length under their belts. Each element is orchestrated perfectly, resulting in a sound with something for every metal head.

“Ashes”:

“Scavengers”:

Goatwhore's exclusive new Decibel Flexi Series track, "Command To Destroy," is currently streaming below.

Issues Decibel of the band's latest hymn, "'Command To Destroy' is Goatwhore at their best, unleashing their signature fusion of black/death/thrash metal."

February

1-5 - 70000 Tons Of Metal - Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Melodic metal act Artizan have started pre-production with legendary producer, Jim Morris, at his newly opened studio in Florida.

Artizan founder Ty Tammeus states, "We have a few surprises for the new album including some guest appearances. You can expect melodies abound, as well as focus on heavier riffs, and more sophisticated elements. We are all upping our game for this one!" 

Fans can expect the new album in the first quarter of 2018.

Founded by drummer Ty Tammeus in 2008, Artizan crafts powerful, traditional metal. Dynamic arrangements, dominant rhythms and soaring melodies are key ingredients to the Artizan formula. The band has released three critically acclaimed albums via German record label Pure Steel Records, all produced by legendary producer Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Death, Jag Panzer, Crimson Glory): Curse Of The Artizan (2011), Ancestral Energy (2013) with guest vocalist Matt Barlow (Iced Earth), The Furthest Reaches (2015) - an epic sci-fi rock opera featuring guest vocalists Sabrina Cruz (Seven Kingdoms) and Matt Barlow (Iced Earth). Artizan was honored to be direct support for Fates Warning on their 2013 tour and recently performed at the legendary Keep It True festival in Germany.

"Catharsis", the new video from San Francisco Bay Area metallers MACHINE HEAD, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's ninth full-length album, which will be released on January 26, 2018 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Bloodstone & Diamonds" was produced by MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn and 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.

Flynn told Jason Ellis of SiriusXM that "Catharsis" is a simpler and more straight-forward effort than some of MACHINE HEAD's past outings.

"I've been telling everybody, 'Keep your expectations low for the heaviness,'" Robb said. "It's a very grooving, very melodic record, and it's kind of freaked people out — understandably, I guess."

Asked how "unheavy" "Catharsis" really is, Flynn said: "It's got some pretty melodic moments, man. This isn't us at our heaviest. To me, if 'The Blackening' was us at our most thrashing and most heavy, this is probably us at our most grooving and most melodic. And it's still heavy, it's great songs, it's just… it's a new trip, and I dig it, man."

According to Flynn, MACHINE HEAD had "no plan" while composing the songs for "Catharsis". "We just start writing," he explained. "There's never a plan. We just started writing, and it came out the way it came out, and it was just cool. That was the shit that got our dick hard, and we were, like, 'Fuck! Let's go with it.'"

He added: "To me, Keith Richards summed it up best. We're just a vessel and we're just channeling what's going through us."

Pointing out that "Catharsis" is a 15-song collection of music with a running time of around 75 minutes, Flynn admitted that "it's a big commitment" for the listener. But, he added, "The majority of the record is short songs. And it was nice. It was just, like, the first two songs we wrote were just short and sweet and heavy, and we were, like, 'Fuck! It doesn't need to go on for six more minutes or have 20 other changes.'"

As for what brought about the slight change in direction for MACHINE HEAD's new album, Flynn said: "I don't listen to a whole lot of metal — I'm being straight with you. To me, a lot of it doesn't interest me, a lot of the lyrics don't interest me. I listen to a lot of hip-hop. I grew up on a lot of hardcore, punk rock, hip-hop, and I just love… Love it or hate it, I love just the fucking direct, ignorant-ass lyrics of hip-hop. It's very clear, it's very blunt; there's no metaphors. Metal's full of metaphors. We've been singing about the same shit now for 30 fucking years and I get a little bored with it. And with this record, I really wanted to just strip it down and make really clear, really simple, really blunt… Especially my choruses, just really clear… Like, you know what the fuck I'm talking about exactly when I'm talking about it. And it's cool. Like real vulgar language and coarse language, and it's a good vibe, man."

Flynn went on to say that he was inspired by the idea of changing up the formula and taking MACHINE HEAD down a new path without veering too much from the band's established sound.

"How the fuck do you blow people away? How do you say something different?" he asked rhetorically. "'Cause there's the two sides — there's the type of bands that are, like, 'We wanna be AC/DC. Never change. It's always the same.' And then there's THE BEATLES, which is probably the most evolution that's ever happened over the course of 10 years in music history. And I don't wanna say we've changed that much, 'cause I never think that we have, but I love the evolution. I love trying to find some new thing that keeps you going."

"Catharsis" track listing:

01. Volatile
02. Catharsis
03. Beyond The Pale
04. California Bleeding
05. Triple Beam
06. Kaleidoscope
07. Bastards
08. Hope Begets Hope
09. Screaming At The Sun
10. Behind A Mask
11. Heavy Lies The Crown
12. Psychotic
13. Grind You Down
14. Razorblade Smile
15. Eulogy

The album is available for pre-order at this location.

The North American tour in support of "Catharsis" will kick off on January 25 in Mesa, Arizona.

On March 16, Norwegian extreme, melodic metallers SUSPERIA will return with their long-awaited first full-length studio album since 2009, titled "The Lyricist", via Agonia Records.

A video trailer for the album can be seen below.

The origins of SUSPERIA can be traced back to 1998 when Tjodalv, then occupying the drum seat with DIMMU BORGIR, and longtime friend Cyrus (ex-SATYRICON, OLD MAN'S CHILD) got together to share ideas and write songs. Clearly rooted and seasoned in the Norwegian black metal scene, SUSPERIA elevated its sound into more melodic areas of extreme metal, embracing and exploring a variety of musical avenues with ease.

On "The Lyricist", SUSPERIA has gone back to its black origin in many ways, one of which is a grimmer expression. The characteristic melodic twist the band is known for is still present, and an additional layer of variety has been added thanks to new vocalist, Bernt "Dagon" Fjellestad (whose stage debut with the band was made at last year's 70000 Tons Of Metal). From SUSPERIA's pragmatic point of view, the new album is a "good old-fashioned kick in the head, both old and new fans should find enjoyable".

Track listing:

01. I Entered
02. Heretic
03. The Lyricist
04. My Darkest Moment
05. Day I Died
06. Void
07. Feed The Fire
08. Whore Of Man
09. Come Alive

"The Lyricist" was recorded at three different studios in Norway between February 2015 and May 2016. The album was later mixed and mastered at Strand Studio (CHROME DIVISION, THE WRETCHED END, IN VAIN) by Marius Strand. Cover design and artwork was prepared by Vincent Fouquet. New band photos were shot by Espen Bakken.

The first single together with pre-orders and album formats will be revealed in January 2018.

SUSPERIA lineup:

Dagon - vocals
Tjodalv - drums
Memnock - bass
Cyrus - guitar
Elvorn - guitar

Masked horror metal band Terror Universal - featuring current and former members of Ill Nino, Soulfly, Upon A Burning Body and Machine Head - recently announced the release of their upcoming debut full-length album, Make Them Bleed, out January 19th via minus HEAD Records.

Today, the band is giving fans a taste of the record via their new slasher flick-inspired music video for the nightmarish earworm, "Dig You A Hole", a Film/Facer production directed by Wacy Jahn. The video thoroughly showcases what Terror Universal is all about - fright-inducing, unforgettable heavy metal mosh-anthems.

"It's like a mini-thriller video," Massacre tells Billboard. "It's about a psychologist or someone who's manipulating his victims into doing the killing for him, about how he manipulates a person to do the dirty work - a serial killer type of vibe. And he gets (the victims) to dig their own hole. The whole thing is just really disturbed and pretty ugly and grotesque at times - which is exactly what we wanted. I really dig this first introduction to the band."

Read more of the interview at Billboard, and check out the "Dig You A Hole" video below.

Pre-order Make Them Bleed via Bandcamp, or via the band's brand new PledgeMusic campaign. PledgeMusic pre-order incentives include: digital download cards, signed CDs, limited edition posters, t-shirts, stickers, limited edition blood-splatter vinyl, signed gear (including a guitar, drumhead and drum sticks), one-on-one music lessons, and more!

Tracklisting:

“Welcome To Hell”
“Passage Of Pain”
“Dig You A Hole”
“Dead On Arrival”
“Through The Mirrors”
“Your Time Has Come”
“Make Them Bleed”
“Into Darkness”
“Spines”
“Piece By Piece”

"Dig You A Hole" video;

“Make Them Bleed”:

Greek symphonic extreme metal band, Caeleastia, will release their new album 'Thanatopsis', on December 8th via EMP Label Group/SPV. The album was mixed and mastered at Fredman Studios (Gothenburg, Sweden) by Fredrik Nordström (Dream Evil). Caeleastia have posted a audio video for the song “Devil´s Game”, streaming below.

The cover artwork was made by Gogo Melone (Luna Obscura).

Tracklisting:

“Intro / Time For Redemption”
“Initium Vitae Et Mortis”
“Thanatopsis”
“Chamber Of Torments”
“Devil’s Game”
“Dancing With The Demons”
“Travel To Eternity”
“Underlife”
“Martyrs” (featuring Jason Bittner (Overkill))
“Lament Of The Sea”

“Devil’s Game”:

Boston's Scaphism looks to kick off 2018 in the most violent way possible with the release of Unutterable Horrors.

The band's new album comes five years after its debut, Festering Human Remains. The time between releases has seen Scaphism grow into one of the most lethal forces on the New England death metal scene. Eight-tracks of no-frills, throat-ripping USDM, Unutterable Horrors will be out January 12th on Horror Pain Gore Death Productions. Album track “Vaults Of Pestilence” is streaming below.

Preorders are available on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Gruesome Unmentionables And Unutterable Horrors”
“Malapropos Cardiectomy”
“Mitte Eos Ad Infernos”
“Vaults Of Pestilence”
“Trepanate The Undesired”
“The Feaster From The Stars”
“Excorciated And Excarnated”
“Hypovolemic Purification”  

“Vaults Of Pestilence”: