Fresh off an electrifying performance at the Aftershock festival over the weekend, where singer Spencer Chamberlain performed while still nursing a still-healing broken foot that he sustained during the band's appearance at Riot Fest, UNDERØATH has released the cinematic and thematically arresting video for "ihateit".

"The 'ihateit' video is a glimpse into what it's like to feel alienated, to need something you shouldn't need, to feel trapped and isolated and to feel like you have to keep returning to that place to find solace — it's a vicious cycle," said UNDERØATH's Aaron Gillespie.

The band is gearing up to hit the road on its "Erase Me" tour with DANCE GAVIN DANCE, CROWN THE EMPIRE and THE PLOT IN YOU in tow. The trek marks UNDERØATH's first major market headline tour in support of their new album, "Erase Me" (Fearless Records), which recently debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top Album Sales chart. The tour finds UNDERØATH returning to many markets they previously sold out on their incredibly successful "Rebirth" tour.

"Erase Me" was written and recorded over the summer of 2017 with producer Matt Squire (PANIC! AT THE DISCO, 3OH!3) and mixed by Ken Andrews (FAILURE, JIMMY EAT WORLD).

hoto credit: Nick Fancher

THE NEAL MORSE BAND — Neal Morse (lead vocals, guitars, keyboards), Mike Portnoy (drums, vocals), Randy George (bass), Bill Hubauer (keyboards, vocals), Eric Gillette (guitars, vocals) — will take fans on "The Great Adventure" with its latest double concept album, due out January 25, 2019 on Radiant Records via Metal Blade worldwide. It will be available in three formats: a two-CD package, two-CD/DVD special edition featuring behind-the-scenes video clips of the making of the album, and three vinyl LPs. Pre-orders begin December 4 on Radiant Records' web site.


The follow-up to 2016's critically acclaimed "The Similitude Of A Dream" will be the ninth studio album with Morse, Portnoy and George, and the third as a true collaboration with this current lineup. Together, Morse and Portnoy have launched four bands, but the one that has endured the longest and thus with the most musical output has been THE NEAL MORSE BAND.


"Let the great adventure now begin…" The closing line of "The Similitude Of A Dream" has proved to be strangely prophetic. The new album is exactly that: a perfect companion piece to "The Similitude Of A Dream"'s partial retelling of John Bunyan's "The Pilgrim's Progress". It has everything that fans would expect from an album by THE NEAL MORSE BAND, and more: rock, metal, classical and jazz elements appear throughout, as well as some killer melodies, all played faultlessly by some of the greatest rock musicians on the planet.


As Neal Morse explains: "This band continues to amaze me! I have to say it was a little daunting to follow up 'The Similitude Of A Dream' as it was such a special album and it delivered every night at our concerts, but I believe that 'The Great Adventure' will have a tremendous impact as well. This new double album is everything that I hoped it would be! I listened through last night and I was in tears at the end!"


b>Mike Portnoy emphatically agrees. He says: "How do you follow an epic double concept album??? Well, create another epic double concept album!! Hahaha. I always knew topping 'The Similitude Of A Dream' was going to be difficult, if not impossible, as I held it in such high regard, but alas, I am absolutely blown away with what we achieved here! We've created what is the ultimate companion to 'The Similitude Of A Dream'."


"Sometimes there are things that you just can't mess with," Randy George continues. "On 'The Similitude Of A Dream', we tapped into something special. I was sure that the follow up should be something quite different, but you have to follow your heart and follow the music where it wants to go. 'The Great Adventure' is nothing short of a miracle. It's similar to 'Similitude' in concept and form, but yet it's tougher and deeper in its tone! This is a powerful work and I look forward to playing it live!


True to the album's title, the creative process was indeed a "great adventure." Unlike many previous Morse albums, which have often been written and arranged within weeks, this time around these prolific and world-class musicians spent almost a year working on the end result, producing an abundance of top-quality material. This meant some ruthless decision-making: some already completed songs and characters had to go, and — with studio time running out–new links and ideas were being composed and recorded up to the eleventh hour. "A lot of work and re-work has gone into this," says Morse, "but I know that some of the most successful and far-reaching albums I've been involved with have been just like that. 'Sola Scriptura' and SPOCK'S BEARD's 'Snow' album come to mind."


Another key question that had to be addressed in the studio was how to pull all the ideas together into a coherent whole. In the end, what unlocked this "adventure" for Morse was the realization that 'The Great Adventure' needed a new voice and perspective. This time, it is that of the Pilgrim's abandoned son, a younger, perhaps angrier, voice than was heard on "The Similitude Of A Dream".


THE NEAL MORSE BAND will bring "The Great Adventure" to fans worldwide with a new round of headlining tour dates, which begin February 2, 2019 in Nashville at City Winery.

Photo credit: Robert Smith

Canadian thrash metal pioneers EXCITER have announced the addition of guitarist Daniel Dekay (DIEMONDS, Banger TV) to the group's ranks. A longtime friend of the EXCITER family, Dekay was a natural choice and a perfect fit to keep this thrash machine pounding.

Dekay joins forces with original members Dan Beehler (vocals, drums) and Allan Johnson (bass) to round out this lineup of the band which is already working on new tunes with plans for a full-length studio record.

Last month, original EXCITER guitarist John Ricci left the band "due to certain professional and personal differences."

Just this past June, Ricci seemed excited about the prospect of writing and recording new EXCITER material, telling The Jimmy Cabbs 5150 Interview Series: "We're being really careful about the new music that we put out because it has to stand up to the old stuff. We feel kind of pressured. We don't want to put out a weak record, and we're taking our time to make sure the music is going to be just as explosive as it was back in the day when we were making albums together."

he original EXCITER lineup recorded three classic albums in the 1980s — "Heavy Metal Maniac" (1983), "Violence & Force" (1984) and "Long Live the Loud" (1985) — before Ricci left the group and was replaced by Brian McPhee.

EXCITER's latest album, "Death Machine", which featured Ricci as the sole remaining original member, was released in October 2010 via Massacre Records.

Ricci, Beehler and Johnson reunited as EXCITER in 2014 and had been playing sporadic shows ever since.

Photo by Theo Rallis

"Pretty Decent Exposure", the third single from former TURBONEGRO frontman Hank Von Hell's comeback album, "Egomania", can be streamed below.

Speaking about the track, Hank says: "This is the final single before the release of 'Egomania'. I love this track, and I can relate to it a lot. The song is about my spirit animal, the Honey Badger, who just doesn't give a shit. He's fierce, nasty, sly... just like me. I love those little bastards, so that's why I made a song about them. And in this song, the honey badger struts around town flashing his dick. But instead of calling it 'indecent exposure,' it's 'Pretty Decent Exposure'. Just because he doesn't give a shit, you know."

On August 31, Hank Von Hell released his very first single as a solo artist, "Bum To Bum".

"Egomania" is due on November 2 through Sony Music Entertainment/Century Media Records worldwide.

ue to popular demand and just in line with the songtitle, Hank Von Hell has announced his first-ever European solo tour for December 2018 — aptly titled the "Pretty Decent Tour". These 10 dates will take him to five countries throughout central Europe.

HANK VON HELL is:

Hank Von Hell - Vocals

Cat Casino - Lead Guitar

Major Sam - Rhythm Guitar

Jean Genus - Bass

Dead Said Fred - Drums

Photo courtesy of Hank Von Hell's Facebook page

According to The Pulse Of Radio, GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose put Kanye West on blast after the rapper's appearance at the White House on Thursday (October 11), in which West delivered a rambling 10-minute monologue that addressed topics ranging from violence in Chicago to "flyest" cars. The nearly incoherent rant appeared to leave even Donald Trump — not exactly known for his own speechmaking skills — at a loss for words.

But not Axl, who wrote on Twitter: "What a joke. Not gonna solve anything in Chicago or anywhere else with any of that attention-seeking nonsense." He quickly added: "Oh n' don't let any of this distract from the Khashoggi killing," a reference to the recent disappearance of a prominent journalist who many believe was murdered on the orders of the Saudi government.

Axl is no fan of the current occupant of the Oval Office either, having taken to Twitter a number of times in the past couple of years to slam Trump, his administration and his policies.

West was among several musicians who visited Trump on Thursday as the latter signed the Music Modernization Act into law after an effort that began years ago and was renewed in 2017. Although West wasn't present for the signing, Kid Rock and members of the BEACH BOYS, DOOBIE BROTHERS, SAM & DAVE and other acts were on hand. According to Billboard, the legislation updates the music licensing process with modern technology and greater transparency to speed royalty payments to music publishers and songwriters, and also provides digital streaming services with increased efficiency and greater certainty.

ack in November 2016, Rose took to Twitter to condemn then-President-elect Donald Trump's choice for U.S. attorney general, and to berate Trump for demanding an apology from the cast of the Broadway show "Hamilton" after then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence was booed when he attended the musical. One month later, Rose invited fans at a GUNS N' ROSES concert in Mexico City to beat the crap out of a large piñata designed to look like Trump.

This past January, Axl blasted the Trump administration as the "gold standard of what can be considered disgraceful."

Photo credit: Katarina Benzova

Corey Taylor has told Spain's Resurrection Fest TV that SLIPKNOT's follow-up to 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter" album will likely arrive next summer. Saying that 2019 will be "a big year for SLIPKNOT," Taylor added that the band's plans for the coming months include the launch of "a big world tour." But, he cautioned, "it all depends on when we get in the studio. Right now, the plan is for us to be in the studio early next year — like, first couple of months next year," he explained. "So, a couple of months to get that going, a couple of months to get production, new masks, new outfits, new everything. And hopefully be able to come and start touring in the summer when the album comes out.

Asked if SLIPKNOT has already commenced the songwriting process for its next album, Taylor said: "Right now, we have 20 songs that we've demoed. And they are really, really good. So it'll just come down to which ones come out the best, and we take that, we make the album out of that, put the album out. However, the way we're talking right now, we're trying to find ways that everyone can hear all the songs. So we'll put the album out, and then maybe we'll release something after that. It's something that we're really trying to think of — giving the audience more, giving the fans more of us. But it's gotta make sense — it's gotta be SLIPKNOT. It can't just be something that throw out there because we can; it's gotta have art, it's gotta have content, it's gotta have passion to it."

SLIPKNOT's Shawn "Clown" Crahan recently hinted to the Des Moines Register that the band will celebrate the 20th anniversary of its self-titled debut album in 2019. Asked whether the group had any plans to mark the milestone, he replied: "Oh, for sure."

".5: The Gray Chapter" was released following a six-year hiatus during which founding SLIPKNOT bassist Paul Gray died and drummer Joey Jordison was dismissed.

b>".5: The Gray Chapter" sold around 132,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD arrived in stores in October 2014 via Roadrunner.

Gray died in 2010 from a drug overdose, while Jordison was let go in December 2013, just before SLIPKNOT began recording the last album.

Welsh metallers BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE have released their music video for the song "Not Dead Yet". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Gravity", which was issued in June. The effort was made available through BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's new label home, Search And Destroy, the imprint launched in 2014 by Spinefarm and international artist management company Raw Power Management.

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE frontman Matt Tuck said: "We shot our latest video for 'Not Dead Yet' in Japan after our Summersonic 2018 performances. We've never done a video there before,w se o thought, 'Why not?!' Visually, it's stunning thanks to the amazing work by Japanese filmmakers Maxilla. We love this track and can't wait for you all to see the new video."

The video's director, Takahito Matsuno, of Maxilla Inc. , added: "It is such an honor to shoot BFMV, especially in Tokyo! Thank you for everyone involved in this project and I hope the people reading this like it, ARIGATO!"

Tuck told Metal Hammer about "Not Dead Yet": "There's a lot of stuff going on on this record, which was stuff about me, and stuff that kind of felt quite negative, even though it wasn't trying to be. There was just more songs about where I'm at and stuff. So I wanted to do a positive vibes song about not being dead yet, and we've achieved amazing things, and there's still a lot of life left in us yet, in our personal lives and in the band. Creative juices, you know. And so the song is about taking life by the paws and not giving up."

his past summer, Tuck defended BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE's decision to add more electronic elements to its distinct signature sound on "Gravity", telling Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show: "Well, this is album number six. We've been around a long time now; we've had five previous records. And we've kind of stuck to a certain way of writing, a certain sound and formula for many years now, and we just felt that the time was right to add different colors, sounds and elements and diversity to our sound and our songwriting abilities. It was just something that we've never really done in the past; we've dabbled on it slightly on a couple songs on 'Venom'. So we knew that, if done right, it's a very powerful way of enhancing the feel of a song, just like movie soundtrack stuff."

He continued: "We really wanted to kind of ease back on the more technical side of the band, which we displayed numerous times over the years on every single record, with shredding solos and really complicated song structures and drum patterns and stuff like that, and we just wanted to simplify everything and just have foundations and walls of sound, so that the lyrical content and the vocal performances, especially, were in the spotlight on every single song this time. It was a different way of writing, a different approach, but it's something that, looking back on it, it was the right thing to do. And the way 'Gravity' has turned out and how big and anthemic and how good the songs sound, I think if was definitely the right thing to do. We could have easily gone down the route of writing another kind of shreddy metal-style record, but it wasn't really pushing any boundaries for us as a band or songwriters; it just wasn't exciting or challenging anymore. So, we decided to do something different. And so we did."

Tuck also talked about how the addition of bassist Jamie Mathias and drummer Jason Bowld perior to the recording of "Gravity" affected the album's overall sound. "I just think [it was a case of] everyone kind of getting on board and pulling in the same direction," he said. "It's not easy when writing a record when you've got four very capable songwriters and musicians in the band with you. Someone's gotta kind of take the lead musically, and I had a bit more of a vision than everyone else on this one and where to take it. And thankfully, they were on board. We all wrote individually, we all wrote as a band, we wrote in pairs. If ever there was a song that someone wanted [the others] to hear, or they've done behind the scenes, everything was brought to the table and we just kind of listened to everything as a unit."

He added: "Having Jason and Jamie on board now, it just gives the band a kind of extra lease on life in a way. They've brought a very new energy to the band, which we haven't had for a while. They have an outsider's perspective as well, which is great, 'cause me and Padge [guitarist Michael Paget], obviously, being here since day one, we don't really know an outsider's perspective, really, from our point of view. We just live it every day and have been for, like, 15 years. So for them to come inside and give us their thoughts on what the band should do and how they feel the band should sound is great. It's just reinvigorated everything massively compared to what it was a couple of years ago."

BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE is currently touring the U.S. with support from WE CAME AS ROMANS and BAD OMENS.

Paul Stanley says that it's unlikely KISS will produce any new music before finally calling it quits at the end of its upcoming "farewell" tour.

KISS hasn't released a full-length disc of new music since 2012's "Monster", which sold 56,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous LP, "Sonic Boom", opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. It was KISS's highest-charting LP ever.

Over the weekend, Stanley stopped by the Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp and was asked by teenage radio host Miles "The Shoe" Schuman if fans can expect to hear anything new from KISS prior to the completion of the group's "One Last Kiss: End Of The Road World Tour". He responded (see video below): "No. I don't think so. Look, it's a different time now. I could write 'Let It Be', and people would still say, 'That's great. Now play 'Detroit Rock City'.' And I understand it, because when songs have a history with you, they're kind of like a snapshot of a time in your life, and that's not something that anything can take the place of overnight."

e continued: "It's interesting that I think 'Modern Day Delilah' or 'Hell Or Hallelujah' are as good as anything we did [on the earlier albums], but I understand that people are more connected to those old classic songs. I understand it.

"Look, if you put on a live video concert of any band — if you put on [Paul] McCartney, if you put on THE [ROLLING] STONES — and you turn off the volume, I will tell you every time they're playing a new song, because the audience sits down."

Stanley added: "It's always interesting that people say, 'When are you gonna churn out new material?' But when those acts, or any classic act turns out new material, people tolerate it. They're asking you to do it and they're asking you to produce it, but at the same time, they really don't want it. So, at some point, I go, 'Really, what's the point?' Unless it's something that's fulfilling for me, to go back in the studio just to record new KISS material, I think everything we've done so far speaks volumes and it's enough of a legacy."

Paul had previously expressed uncertainty about the idea of making another KISS album in a number of other interviews, telling the "Loudwire Podcast": "If we're going to do an album, it would be because we want to do an album, not because of sales. I think we're living in a time, obviously, now where albums don't sell what they once did, so you either do it because it's a creative outlet and because it satisfies something in you, or not. If you're doing it purely for sales, then you're probably doing it for the wrong reason."

Paul's comments were echoed by his bandmate Gene Simmons, who said that he was "not incentivized" to release another KISS disc unless there are some major changes in the way music is consumed. He said: "The idea that you work your ass off and then someone with freckles on their face decides they want to download your music and file share — that's not what I work for. How'd you like to be a plumber, come over somebody's house and work all day to fix their plumbing and then when it's time to get paid, they say, 'No, I just wanted to say thank you.' No."

"One Last Kiss: End Of The Road World Tour" will launch in early 2019 and will likely last two or three years, according to Stanley.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS have released a music video for their current single, "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)". Directed by Billy Corgan and longtime visual collaborator Linda Strawberry, the clip is a beautifully crafted riff on cult horror movie conventions. The video sees Corgan, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin and Jeff Schroeder challenged to spend the night in a haunted house as part of a macabre Halloween promotion hosted by smarmy radio host Jackie Cherry (played by SUGAR RAY's Mark McGrath). Mixing pop culture references with the band's ubiquitous visual flair, the video for "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)" stands alongside some of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS' most arresting work.

The video release follows the recent announcement of the band's upcoming 30th-anniversary live shows, which kick off November 28 at The Sylvee in Madison, Wisconsin.

The quartet is touring in support of their highly-anticipated new LP, "Shiny And Oh So Bright, Vol. 1 / LP: No Past. No Future. No Sun.", which will be released on November 16 on Billy Corgan's own Martha's Music under exclusive license to Napalm Records via a strategic worldwide partnership. Recorded at Shangri La Studios with legendary producer Rick Rubin, the LP is the band's first in over 18 years to feature founding members Corgan, Iha, Chamberlin, with longtime guitarist Jeff Schroeder.

Earlier this summer, the newly reformed lineup shared the first glimpse of their new music with the LP's lead single "Solara". The track's dreamlike music video was directed by Nick Koenig and expands on the theatrics of the band's catalog of iconic music videos. The release of "Silvery Sometimes (Ghosts)" came next, along with a lyric video featuring Corgan's handwritten lyrics. In the coming weeks, the quartet is expected to release a music video for the track, directed by Corgan.

ast month, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS wrapped their monumental "Shiny And Oh So Bright Tour", which sold over 300,000 tickets across North America and sold-out arenas, including The Forum, United Center, and Madison Square Garden. Produced by Live Nation, the tour was the band's first in nearly two decades to feature Corgan, Chamberlin and Iha, alongside Schroeder, bassist Jack Bates and keyboardist Katie Cole.

Formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS released their heralded debut album, "Gish", in 1991 and found mainstream success with 1993's four-times-multi-platinum "Siamese Dream" and 1995's 10-times-platinum "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness".

"Moonglow", the next album from EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet's AVANTASIA project, will arrive on February 1, 2019 via Nuclear Blast. Comprising 11 tracks, the new opus once again features several guest vocalists. This time around, Tobias worked not only with such well-known faces as Ronnie Atkins (PRETTY MAIDS), Jørn Lande (MASTERPLAN), Eric Martin (MR. BIG), Geoff Tate (QUEENSRŸCHE), Michael Kiske (HELLOWEEN) and Bob Catley (MAGNUM) but also with new collaborators like Candice Night (BLACKMORE'S NIGHT), Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN) and Mille Petrozza (KREATOR). The cover artwork was created by Alexander Jansson and can be seen below.

Comments Sammet: "It's alive! After more than two years of hard work — and what felt like 71 overnight shifts back to back recently — we're ready to unleash 'Moonglow' upon the universe. I believe it's the most adorned and detailed album we've ever produced. Not over-ambitious, but there is a lot of love for detail in there. AVANTASIA is the ultimate playground for a musician's wildest fantasies to come true: Celtic elements, world music elements, big choirs, atmospheric stuff, amazing guest vocal performances and, of course, all that wrapped up in what I consider to be the typical AVANTASIA sound.

"Someone in the music business just told me that the embellished nature of the sound makes it hard to market it, [that] it doesn't fit in the contemporary musical landscape, and 'if you take a look around, no one really sounds like that.' Exactly! Thank you!

"I can't wait to release 'Moonglow', take my friends of the AVANTASIA family and hit the road for the big 'Moonglow' world tour."

b>"Moonglow" track listing:

01. Ghost In The Moon

02. Book Of Shallows

03. Moonglow

04. The Raven Child

05. Starlight

06. Invincible

07. Alchemy

08. The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn

09. Lavender

10. Requiem For A Dream

11. Maniac

12. Heart (bonus track)

Regarding Petrozza's contribution to "Moonglow", Sammet said: "He is evil and he kicks ass. He is a great guy, and a legend! And really cool."

According to Tobias, Candice delivered "a killer performance" in the studio — "very soulful, a lot of feeling, enchanting... Amazing voice show has!"

Sammet has called Martin "one of the funniest and most soulful singers I have ever shared the stage with."

Tate previously guested on AVANTASIA's seventh album, "Ghostlights", which was released in 2016. He was also one of the guest vocalists for AVANTASIA at several European shows in the summer of 2017, including Rock Fest Barcelona, where his former band, QUEENSRŸCHE, also appeared on the bill.

Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group will release the new album from Jason Becker, "Triumphant Hearts", on December 7.


Becker's story is one of brilliance, talent, determination, adversity, and, ultimately, triumph. A child prodigy on guitar, Jason rose to prominence as a teenager when he was one half of the technical guitar duo CACOPHONY, with his great friend Marty Friedman. In 1989, at only 19 years old and after wowing audiences all over the world, the young virtuoso became the guitarist for David Lee Roth, following in the huge footsteps of Eddie Van Halen and Steve Vai. He wrote and recorded on Roth's third solo album, "A Little Ain't Enough", and was poised for superstardom when a nagging pain in his leg was diagnosed as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig's Disease, the same condition Stephen Hawking lived with for over five decades. It is a fatal condition with a life expectancy of maybe five years. Maybe.


That was 29 years ago. He lost the ability to play guitar, walk, talk, and breathe on his own. But never lost his will to live or his desire to create music. Communicating through a series of eye movements with a system developed by his father, Jason spells out words as well as musical notes and chords. He imparts his musical vision to his team who then can input the notes into a computer, edit the parts to his exacting standards, and then generate charts for session musicians. His inspiring music and life story have been the subject of countless news articles, magazine cover stories, and an award-winning documentary, "Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet".


The album's 14 tracks showcase Jason's gift for melody and his deep knowledge of classical composition and orchestral arrangement. Many of the guitar parts are performed by a who's who of six-string gods, including Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Neal Schon, Steve Morse, Paul Gilbert, Joe Bonamassa, and many others. And, in what will absolutely delight his fans, Jason's amazing guitar playing — recorded in the '80s and '90s — features throughout.


he first song to be released from the album is the beautifully mesmerizing nine-minute-and-five-second instrumental "Valley Of Fire" that features The Magnificent 13 — Steve Vai, Joe Bonamassa, Paul Gilbert, Neal Schon, Marty Friedman, Michael Lee Firkins, Mattias IA Eklundh, Greg Howe, Jeff Loomis, Richie Kotzen, Gus G., Steve Hunter and Ben Woods. A phenomenal cast to feature on a single song.


The album opens with the title track, featuring Jason's old bandmate Marty Friedman and an astounding violin performance. "I wrote 'Triumphant Heart' and it made me feel triumphant," says Becker. "When Marty found out I was making this album, he told me he would play anything I needed. I sent him this, and his wife, Hiyori Okuda, who is a cellist, also offered to play on it. The great violinist Glauco Bertagnin recorded my violin parts in Italy. That fast solo section I wrote is way too hard; I don't know how Glauco pulled it off. He put so much soul in the whole song."


"Hold On To Love" is the first vocal song on the record, although it didn't start out that way. "It was going to be an instrumental," explains Jason, "but after I wrote the chorus with lyrics, I knew I had to tell my story, to explain how I can continue living without feeling hate. I hadn't written many lyrics before." In addition to its beautiful, gospel-tinged choir, the heartfelt song features Bay Area singer Codany Holiday on lead vocals.


"Fantasy Weaver" displays the four-string magic of world-renown ukulele master Jake Shimabukuro and harp arpeggios that were written back in Jason's CACOPHONY days. "Once Upon A Melody" not only features two Jason Becker guitar solos from his CACOPHONY era, but also audio of him as a three-year-old. The full-circle nature of having little boy Jason, guitar virtuoso Jason, and modern-day composer Jason all on the same song is a breathtaking accomplishment while "We Are One" features soulful FLIPSYDE vocalist Steve Knight, and more Becker guitar delights.


Uli Jon Roth appears on "Magic Woman", along with ex-MEGADETH guitarist Chris Broderick who counts both Uli and Jason as big influences. Fans of Jason's work with David Lee Roth will be thrilled by the inclusion of two previously unreleased outtakes from the "A Little Ain't Enough" sessions, the hard-rocking "Taking Me Back" and the blues-infused "Tell Me No Lies". There are also performances by Joe Satriani, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse, Trevor Rabin, and many others.


"Some people feel sorry for me," he concedes, "and I understand that. I really feel lucky though. I don't miss playing guitar anymore. I'm sure that's out of necessity, but I am grateful for so much more. I am surrounded by loving people, and I can still make music."


"Triumphant Hearts" track listing:

01. Triumphant Heart (ft. Marty Friedman, Gluaco Bertagnin, Hiyori Okuda)

02. Hold On To Love (ft. Codany Holiday)

03. Fantasy Weaver (ft. Jake Shimabukuro)

04. Once Upon A Melody

05. We Are One (ft. Steve Knight)

06. Magic Woman (ft. Uli Jon Roth, Chris Broderick)

07. Blowin' In The Wind

08. River Of Longing (ft. Jon Satiriani, Aleks Sever, Guthrie Govan, Steve Morse)

09. Valley Of Fire (ft. The Magnificent 13)

10. River Of Longing (ft. Trevor Rabin)

11. Taking Me Back

12. Tell Me No Lies

13. Hold On To Love (ft. Codany Holiday) [Chuck Zwicky Remix]

14. You Do It

Members of KORN, GODSMACK, HELLYEAH, DEFTONES, SHINEDOWN and SEVENDUST are among the musicians who took part in a special tribute to late PANTERA and HELLYEAH drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott on Saturday, October 13 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

Featured musicians (among others):

* Jonathan Davis (KORN)

* Sully Erna and Tony Rombola (GODSMACK)

* Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH)

* Stephen Carpenter (DEFTONES)

* Clint Lowery and John Connolly (SEVENDUST)

* Zach Meyers (SHINEDOWN)

* Chris Broderick (ACT OF DEFIANCE, MEGADETH)

* Blothar and Pustulus Maximus (GWAR)

* Pepe Clarke and Eddie Veliz (KYNG)

Vinnie Paul died on June 22 of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

b>Vinnie Paul was buried on June 30 next to his brother, PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, and their mother, Carolyn, at Moore Memorial Gardens cemetery in Arlington, Texas. He was laid to rest in a custom "Kiss Kasket" provided by KISS members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. The casket was offered as a gift at Vinnie's family's request. Vinnie was also buried in some of his trademark clothes, including his hat, shoes and flannel.

Speakers at the service included former GRIM REAPER guitarist Nick Bowcott and SiriusXM DJ Jose Mangin. Also appearing at the event were original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, DISTURBED's David Draiman, NICKELBACK's Chad Kroeger, ANTHRAX's Charlie Benante, FOZZY's Chris Jericho and ROUGH CUTT's Paul Shortino.

According to TMZ, Vinnie Paul left the bulk of his estate to to his best friend and longtime girlfriend; Charles Jones will get 38% while Chelsey Yeager will walk away with 37%. The rest is split between Vinnie's tour manager (10%), drum tech (5%), producer (5%) and friend (5%). In addition, Vinnie is giving his interest in Dimebag's estate to the guitarist's longtime girlfriend, Rita Haney.

A public memorial for Vinnie Paul was held on July 1 at Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas.

Vinnie Paul was most recently in the band HELLYEAH alongside MUDVAYNE vocalist Chad Gray and NOTHINGFACE guitarist Tom Maxwell.

Not long before his death, Vinnie laid down the drum tracks for HELLYEAH's sixth album at The Hideout recording studio in Las Vegas. It is not presently clear when those recordings will see the light of day.

Tim "Ripper" Owens says that he will re-record the albums he made with JUDAS PRIEST after his time with the band was "erased" from its past.

The Ohio-based singer recorded two studio albums with the British heavy metal legends — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before the band reunited with Rob Halford.

After a fan pointed out to Owens on Facebook earlier today that the two discs from his era of PRIEST have been out of print on vinyl for "quite a number of years now," Owens shared the post and responded: "Yep Great to see my time in JP has erased and my CDs and ME from their past!!!!! Well I haven't forgot my past and I will be working on re recording the studio CDs and releasing them myself!! Why not?"

In a 2016 interview with StrikeCanal, Owens defended himself against accusations by some JUDAS PRIEST fans of changing the band's sound to a more brutal, modern direction on "Jugulator". He explained: "Every record JUDAS PRIEST puts out is different. I mean, 'Nostradamus' sounds nothing like JUDAS PRIEST ever wrote, ever. 'Turbo' sounded nothing like JUDAS PRIEST. You know, JUDAS PRIEST changes. They wrote 'Painkiller', and 'Jugulator' was a transition; it was kind of following what was going on."

e continued: "You've gotta remember, JUDAS PRIEST always went with the times a little bit. Glenn [Tipton, guitar] started playing arpeggios. PANTERA was really big [at the time]. [On the] 'Painkiller' [tour], they toured with PANTERA; PANTERA opened for JUDAS PRIEST. 'Painkiller' was a heavy record, and this was a natural progression. The difference is I probably had a few more different layers to my voice that they could tap into — some deeper, death metal kind of undertones to do backups and some different types of voices that they might be able to try. But it was JUDAS PRIEST."

Last year, Owens told Metal Temple that he would rejoin JUDAS PRIEST if asked. "There's no doubt I would, if the timing was right," he said. "It's not gonna happen — it's never gonna happen. It'll never, ever happen; Rob's not ever gonna leave JUDAS PRIEST. They'll retire and I think that'll be it. But, yeah, I'll tell you the reason I would is because of the friendship. Financiallly, I don't know if it could be any… it's not gonna be any better than what I do now. But the friendship with those guys is really great. They are great guys and I had an absolute blast with them. That's probably the thing I miss the most — hanging out with them and the friendship."


Yep Great to see my time in JP has erased and my CDs and ME from their past!!!!! Well I haven’t forgot my past and I...Posted by Tim Ripper Owens "Official Page" on Thursday, October 11, 2018

BMG will continue its reissues series of the IRON MAIDEN catalog with "The Studio Collection - Remastered", covering the band's sixteen-strong studio albums across their career to date.


Following on from 2014/2017's black vinyl releases and 2015's "Mastered For iTunes" project, "The Studio Collection - Remastered" will be released on the digipak CD format, with the track listing matching the original U.K. releases. The recordings are taken from the same remasters as the 2015 hi-res digital releases. The albums will be released chronologically in batches of four, across a nine-month period superseding the previously available studio catalog and all titles will also be made available on streaming platforms. As a bonus for collectors, one CD from each batch of releases will also be optionally available in a specially artworked box featuring a 1:24 scale figurine and exclusive patch. In the November 16 batch, this will be "The Number Of The Beast".


MAIDEN founding member and bassist Steve Harris says: "We've wanted to revisit these for a long time and I was delighted with the remastering we did in 2015. I thought it was the best that our albums have ever sounded and it was only right that we made them available on CD now too."


All four albums in this first batch are available for pre-order now from studiocollection.ironmaiden.com.


irst batch: November 16

Iron Maiden / Killers / The Number Of The Beast (option of standard or collectors boxset edition including "The Number Of The Beast" Eddie figurine and patch) / Piece Of Mind


Second batch: February 2019

Powerslave / Somewhere In Time (standard/collectors) / Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son / No Prayer For The Dying


Third batch: April 2019

Fear Of The Dark (standard/collectors) / The X Factor / Virtual XI / Brave New World


Fourth batch: June 2019

Dance Of Death / A Matter Of Life And Death (standard/collectors) / The Final Frontier / The Book Of Souls *


* not remastered but appearing in digipak for the first time


IRON MAIDEN recently completed the first leg of its "Legacy Of The Beast" tour, playing sold-out stadium, arena and headline festival shows across Europe to over 750,000 fans. The trek, which was hailed by fans and media alike as the must-see show of the summer, will continue into 2019 with a headline show at Brazil's Rock In Rio festival, which was recently announced, and more dates to follow.

Three-time Grammy-nominated rock band NOTHING MORE is known for its critiques on social issues, from addressing our false need for materialism, to political and religious leaders enforcing their views on others, to the challenges of mental illness. The lyric video for "Let 'Em Burn" — which originally premiered on Billboard in August 2017 — from the band's current album, "The Stories We Tell Ourselves", is a blistering look at one of the clandestine ways people are knowingly fed lies and willingly swallowing them.


"Everybody is full of shit… Us, them, everybody," said NOTHING MORE's vocalist Jonny Hawkins. "Suspect your motives, doubt the media, quit the party. Reboot. Let's try this again, monkeys."


The "Let 'Em Burn" lyric video was conceived and directed by Sean McLeod who also did NOTHING MORE's scorching lyric video for "Christ Copyright" and the music video for "Mr. MTV". McLeod said: "I've found NOTHING MORE to be a band that is very involved in the process, passionate not only about the music, but the message. Especially with today's misinformation and the difficulty of separating the truth from the noise, our goal with this video was to bring attention to these issues, not pass judgement. We ask the viewer to question the source of the information they receive, and by highlighting the fact that this video too is made by people in a studio with hired actors, they should think critically for themselves and reach their own conclusions."


As announced earlier this week, NOTHING MORE will launch its 2019 North American tour on February 21 in Phoenix, Arizona. Rooted in the concept that art and music and the spirit of rock'n'roll are pure forms of truth that can bring people together, spark new ideas, new ways of thinking and through that, trigger changes in ourselves and in our world, the lineup will include special guest OF MICE & MEN, and support from BADFLOWER and PALISADES.

eanwhile, following its recent Download festival appearance and dates with STONE SOUR and GUNS N' ROSES, NOTHING MORE is heading back to Europe this month. They will be touring with BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and OF MICE & MEN, kicking off in Berlin on October 24 and finishing up in Cardiff on November 11.

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Sad But True" on September 26 in San Francisco, California can be seen below. The band played at Civic Center Plaza as part of the ninth annual Dreamfest fundraising event for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital.

According to SF Gate, METALLICA's performance angered some of the neighbors because of the noise, which traveled a considerable distance across the city.

People reported hearing the concert from as far away as Dogpatch, Cole Valley and the Mission. The performace was part of Salesforce's annual Dreamforce conference and the goal was to raise millions for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, the hospital that bears Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff's name.

"Not a dream for me," wrote one local resident on Twitter. "Wrong to make an entire city a private venue. Anyone who thinks it's great is probably going home at the end of the week."

Most people outgrow making the neighbors listen to your favorite band sometime in college," tweeted another neighbor. "Clearly Salesforce thinks it's a good look in middle-age."

The evening began with a reception in which Dr. Michael Anderson, president of UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals, presented Myla Cunanan, a 14-year-old cancer survivor, with the UCSF General Colin Powell Medal of Courage Award.

The $1,000-per-ticket event also included appearances by Janet Jackson, plus MC Hammer and DJ Rob Garza in an after-party from 9:30 p.m. to midnight in City Hall.

In total, the annual concert has raised $60 million for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals.

Dreamforce is described as "four days of innovation, inspiration and learning, equality, giving back and fun for the Salesforce community."

HQ video footage of Ministry's August 12th performance at this year's edition of Belgium's Alcatraz Metal Festival, courtesy of ARTE Concert, is available for streaming below.

Setlist:

"Twilight Zone"
"Victims Of A Clown"
"TV5/4Chan"
"Punch In The Face"
"LiesLiesLies"
"We're Tired Of It"
"Wargasm"
"Antifa"
"Just One Fix"
"N.W.O."
"Thieves"
"So What"

After several headlining tours of North America with the likes of such acts as Chelsea Wolfe and Death Grips, Ministry will continue to support their critically acclaimed album AmeriKKKant with a full North American tour this November / December. Joining the industrial juggernaut are new wave of synthwave cessation, Carpenter Brut.

Tickets for Ministry's tour are on sale now via MinistryBand.com.Confirmed dates are listed below.

November
21 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
23  - Salt Lake City, UT - The Depot
24  - Denver, CO - Fillmore
27  - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre
29 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
30 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre

December
1 - Detroit, MI - Majestic Theater
2 - Toronto, ON - Rebel
4 - Rochester, NY - Anthology
5 - Washington, DC - Fillmore
6 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
7 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
8 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
10 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
11 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater
12 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
13 - Houston, TX - House of Blues Houston
14 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theater
16 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee
18 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues San Diego
20 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda
21 - Los Angeles, CA - The Fonda

ARTE Concert has uploaded professionally-filmed footage of Behemoth's August 12th set at this year's edition of Belgium's Alcatraz Metal Festival. Watch below.

Setlist:

"Ov Fire And The Void"
"Demigod"
"Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer"
"Conquer All"
"God = Dog"
"Messe Noire"
"Wolves ov Siberia"
"Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel"
"Decade Of Therion"
"At The Left Hand ov God"
"Chant For Eschaton 2000"

Encore:
"O Father O Satan O Sun!"

Behemoth recently unleashed their new album, I Loved You At Your Darkest, via Metal Blade Records (North America) / Nuclear Blast (Europe). In the video below, Nergal performs a playthrough for the single "Bartzabel":

In another new video, Nergal unboxes his own LTD Signature Series guitar, the Nergal-6, and talks about some of the thoughts that went into its design. The Nergal-6 is available worldwide at authorized ESP dealers.

Behemoth and Kings County Brewers Collective (Brooklyn, NY) have joined forces for a Double IPA, Wolf Ov Siberia.

From the most blasphemous depths of extreme metal comes a collaboration brew of epic proportions: Wolf Ov Siberia pours pale gold in the glass, with a light lupulin haze. A blistering blast of bright lemon and crushed lime greets your nose, followed by grapefruit, melon and green pine from a megaload of Citra, Motueka and Centennial hops. Balanced by soft wheat and flaked rye, with a touch of savage bitterness on the finish, it's fierce, fresh, and dangerously drinkable at a 7.7% ABV. Wolf Ov Siberia beckons all Behemoth and beer fans - "come all ye wolves ov Siberia, we hail the flame, we hail the ice..."

Tony Bellis (co-founder, Kings County Brewers Collective) comments: "We love brewing a wide variety of different beer styles at KCBC and strive to constantly challenge our drinkers' taste buds - in the same way that Behemoth has consistently pushed the boundaries of metal into brutal, uncharted territories over the years. Having been long time Behemoth fans, we're incredibly excited to collaborate with them on this killer Double IPA."

Behemoth mastermind Nergal adds: "Behemoth global domination is still in full effect! After partnering with our friends at Perun to give you a unique craft experience, we thought why just brew beer for the lucky ones in Europe? Kings County Brewers Collective said they could delight the palate of the Americans too! Just in time for our album release October 5th, you'll be seeing Wolf Ov Siberia at a bar near you!"

KCBC will host a Wolf Ov Siberia can release party on October 15th at the KCBC Brewery & Taproom in Brooklyn, followed by a wider release to quality craft beer spots throughout the NYC metro area and beyond.

For more information, please visit:

kcbcbeer.com

Twitter: @KCBCbeer

Instagram: @KCBCbeer

Wolf Ov Siberia will also be available at Behemoth's upcoming art exhibitions in NYC and LA (Thou Art Darkest), for their new album, I Loved You At Your Darkest. See below for more details; to RSVP, head over to here.

Accept have released a new video trailer for their upcoming live release, Symphonic Terror - Live At Wacken 2017, which will be available on November 23rd via Nuclear Blast. Watch below.

Fans can expect a unique, 2 hour Accept show, shot on August 3rd, 2017 at the legendary W:O:A, where the band played the biggest and most extraordinary show of their career in front of 80.000 live fans at the festival, on top of thousands more fans watching via the live stream! The show was divided into three parts, showing the full creative power of Accept: The first part hosted the premiere of new tracks "Die By The Sword" and "Koolaid", as well as some of their most popular songs, such as "Restless And Wild" and"Pandemic'. The middle part hosted guitarist Wolf Hoffmann accompanied by a symphony orchestra, presenting the best-of from his recent solo album Headbangers Symphony, which includes metal versions of some of the world’s biggest classical compositions (e.g. from Beethoven, Mozart, Vivaldi,...). And in the last but not least part, fans were able to bang their heads to Accept anthems (also accompanied by the orchestra), such as "Princess Of The Dawn," 'Breaker," "Fast As A Shark" and "Metal Heart," as well as to new songs like "Stalingrad," "Shadow Soldiers" or "Teutonic Terror". The finale could be nothing less than an 8 minute version of their eminent hit "Balls To The Walls"!

"This was a mash-up of intensity and precision," Wolf Hoffmann says about the fusion of Heavy Metal and classical music. "The fans are extremely open-minded," continues Wolf happy, "but I was nervous 'till the last minute before the show anyway. After all it's still a metal festival! But I think that, after many years of Accept combining both worlds, fans have started to really accept this concept."

By the way: What started as a world premiere in Wacken and caused quite a stir worldwide (thanks to the live streams) will be continued in early 2019. This means: Accept are planning to tour across Europe with an orchestra in spring 2019! "I really hope we will be able to fulfill our dream - we are working hard on it!" tells Wolf Hoffmann with eager anticipation. "What I can already say now is that there will be lots of optical and musical surprises, that fans of Accept have never experienced before. We want to multiply what we have achieved in Wacken and are happy about every bit of support we get. One thing is for sure: 2019 will be exciting!"

Available formats:

- BluRay+2CD-Digi
- DVD+2CD-Digi
- 2CD-Digi
- 3LP Box (black) incl. booklet, poster
- 3LP Box (gold) incl. booklet, poster // NB Mailorder exclusive
- BluRay+DVD+2CD-Earbook
- BluRay+DVD+2CD-Earbook + photo card (signed) // NB Mailorder exclusive

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

DVD/Blu-Ray

Part 1: Accept
"Die By The Sword"
"Restless And Wild"
"Koolaid"
"Pandemic"
"Final Journey"

Part 2: Headbanger’s Symphony
"Night On Bald Mountain"
"Scherzo"
"Romeo And Juliet"
"Pathétique"
"Double Cello Concerto in G Minor"
"Symphony No. 40 in G Minor"

Part 3: Accept with Orchestra
"Princess Of The Dawn"
"Stalingrad"
"Dark Side Of My Heart"
"Breaker"
"Shadow Soldiers"
"Dying Breed"
"Fast As A Shark"
"Metal Heart"
"Teutonic Terror"
"Balls To The Wall"

Bonus:
Making Of: Wacken
Making Of: Headbanger’s Symphony

Progressive death metal veterans Sadist have released a lyric video for the song "Bloody Bates", the first single taken from the band’s upcoming album, Spellbound.  Watch the video below

Produced and mixed by Tommy Talamanca at Nadir Music Studios in Genova, Italy, Spellbound is centered around the life and work of influential filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Each of the 11 songs included in the album traces the plot of a Hitchcock movie, including masterpieces such as Frenzy, Notorius, The Birds and of course, Psycho, all with a very distinctive Sadist twist that make them stand out. Musically, Spellbound is one the band’s heaviest and darkest albums to date, but the progressive and death metal influences that fans of the band have learned to love are still intact.

The cover artwork has been made by SoloMacello (Ennio Morricone, Nick Oliveri, Mos Generator) and the first edition of the album will be available in a 6-panel digipack, vinyl limited to 500 copies and all digital formats. Spellbound will be released on November 9th on Scarlet Records.

"Wasteland", a brand new song from Massachusetts metallers ALL THAT REMAINS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming ninth full-length album, "Victim Of The New Disease", which is due on November 9 via Fearless. The disc was produced by THE ACACIA STRAIN guitarist Daniel "DL" Laskiewicz. The cover artwork for the follow-up to last year's "Madness" can be seen below.

"This disc is everything ALL THAT REMAINS is," said singer Philip Labonte. "When it's heavy, it's really heavy. When it's not, it's tender and emotive. But when it's not emotive, it's heavy as hell."

ALL THAT REMAINS has already performed "Wasteland" and another new song, "Fuck Love", at some of the band's recent live shows.


Labonte added: "We decided to throw a curveball… and do the heaviest record since 'For We Are Many' in 2010! It was the perfect way to follow up 'Madness', where we did some different styles and songs and even covered a country song. People might've expected something more experimental, but throwing curveballs is what we do."

b>"Victim Of The New Disease" track listing:

01. Fuck Love

02. Everything's Wrong

03. Blood I Spill

04. Wasteland

05. Alone In The Darkness

06. Misery In Me

07. Broken

08. Just Tell Me Something (feat. Danny Worsnop)

09. I Meant What I Said

10. Victim Of The New Disease

Labonte talked to told Tyler and Mo of Z97.5's "Morning Mayhem" radio show about ALL THAT REMAINS's musical diversity and the band's desire to establish its own identity.

"There's some bands that do one thing, and this isn't a knock on anyone… But, you know, look, LAMB OF GOD is already a band," he said. "We're not gonna be the next SLAYER — there's already a SLAYER, there's already a LAMB OF GOD, there's already all these really heavy bands that really do a great job and nail it, and that's their thing. But for us, we're never gonna be that band. So we really try to just incorporate as much stuff that we enjoy into the music that we write. And some people dislike that, and usually the kids that are into metal are, like, 'Oh, if it's not metal, it sucks.' So we're used to that. But at the same time, we're not trying to be someone else — we're trying to be us. And you'll see a lot of people out there [say], 'Well, they're trying to be this band,' and then you'll hear from someone else, 'They're trying to be this band,' and those two bands don't sound anything alike, and that, to me, is a good thing. When you can't nail down a band that we sound like, or if you say, 'This song sounds like this band,' but then another song on the same record sounds like a completely different band, I think that's kind of a good thing, because it really shows that we're not like other bands, we're not like another band; we're not trying to be someone else. We are ALL THAT REMAINS; we are the band that we are; we're gonna keep doing stuff that we dig. Hopefully people dig it, but we're not trying to be someone that we're not; we're just trying to be us and write songs that we like."

"Madness" was released in April 2017 via Razor & Tie in the U.S. and Eleven Seven Music in Europe.

"War", a new song from AUDIOTOPSY, the American heavy rock quartet featuring the deft musical talents of guitarist Greg Tribbett and drummer Matt McDonough — both of Grammy-nominated metal band MUDVAYNE — as well as SKRAPE vocalist Billy Keeton and bassist Perry Stern, can be streamed below. The track is taken from AUDIOTOPSY's second full-length album, "The Real Now", which will be released on November 2 via Megaforce Records. Produced by the band with vocal production and mixing by Dave Fortman (EVANESCENCE, SLIPKNOT, MUDVAYNE), "The Real Now" is available for pre-order now.

Tribbett says: "This song is about the struggle to survive in this world today, whether it's cancer, addiction, work or life itself! Every day is a war. It's a fight! You have to have confidence and resilience."

According to the band, "The Real Now" explores the journey of life. Tribbett states: "This album deals with life — from addiction to depression to death. Life is a journey of unforeseen experiences."


AUDIOTOPSY began writing together in 2014 with the goal of setting themselves apart with their songwriting and dynamic presentation. Upon quickly recognizing the chemistry, they began the journey of recording their debut album, "Natural Causes".

eaturing both fast-paced headbangers and melodic, grooving anthems, "The Real Now" conjures nostalgic turn-of-the-century alt-metal influences while never sacrificing crystal clean, modern metallic drive and swagger. Heart-clenching vocals and unforgettable guitar riffs grip the listener from track one. Tracks like "Panic On The Airwaves" and "What Am I?" summon deep, numbing grooves while driving anthems like "Hologram" feature non-stop power rhythms and energy. No AUDIOTOPSY release would be complete without a melodic climax, which comes in the form of the chill-inspiring track "Hurt Down".


"The Real Now" track listing:

01. War

02. Hologram

03. Panic On The Airwaves

04. Fade Away

05. Hurt Down

06. What Am I?

07. If Only

08. A Death Benefit

Alter Bridge have released the "orchestra only" version of the song "Words Darker Than Their Wings", featured on the band's career-defining live release, Live At The Royal Albert Hall Featuring The Parallax Orchestra (out now). Listen below:

After 14 years performing together, five full-length studio albums, and countless sold-out shows around the globe, there aren’t many items left on a band’s bucket list. For Alter Bridge, one of the remaining list items was crossed off in October 2017 when the band performed two sold-out shows at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall backed by the 52-piece Parallax Orchestra led by conductor Simon Dobson.

Live At The Royal Albert Hall is a 21-song collection that features some of Alter Bridge’s biggest hits, fan favorites and even a couple of rarities including “Words Darker Than Their Wings” - a song the band had never played live previously. Songs like “Before Tomorrow Comes,” “Ghost Of Days Gone By,” “The Last Hero,” and “Broken Wings” all find new life with the unique arrangements presented by Dobson and the Parallax Orchestra performing alongside the band.

Live At The Royal Albert Hall tracklisting:
    
"Slip To The Void”               
"Addicted To Pain”               
"Before Tomorrow Comes”           
"The Writing On The Wall”           
"Cry Of Achilles”              
"In Loving Memory”             
"Fortress”                  
"Ties That Bind”              
"The Other Side”               
"Brand New Start”               
"Ghost Of Days Gone By”
"The Last Hero”
"The End Is Here”
"Words Darker Than Their Wings”
"Waters Rising”
"Lover”
"Wonderful Life/Watch Over You”
"This Side Of Fate”
"Broken Wings”
"Blackbird”
"Open Your Eyes”

“The End Is Here” video:

“Words Darker Than Their Wings” video:

“Addicted To Pain” video:

Trailer:

Dual twin harpists Camille And Kennerly are back with another cover, this time for the Black Sabbath classic, "Paranoid".

Says the twins: "Thank you to our Patreon supporters for making this video possible! You can join our Patreon community for exclusive sneak peeks and rewards.

"We love Black Sabbath and 'Paranoid' seemed like the perfect cover for this time of year! We had a blast figuring out how to cover this iconic classic metal song on just two harps (we love a challenge!). There were a few parts that were rather static sounding on harp, so we wrote and added some of our own melodic lines. We especially love how our arrangement of the guitar solo turned out. We split the screen for that part so you all could see a close-up of our fingers for that whole section!

"So rock out with our work/school safe velvet metal this month and beyond. ;) ;) Everything you hear in our arrangement is exactly how we perform it live with our 2 harps: no backing tracks, loops, or harp overlays.

"Please let us know if you enjoyed our interpretation of “Paranoid” by liking the video, favoriting, leaving a comment, and sharing it with your friends. We will continue to go where no harps have gone before!"

"Download this track now on CDBaby. Single coming soon to Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon MP3, and Google Play.

"Please listen with headphones or good speakers for best sound!"

Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice spoke to Canadian solo artist Aldo Nova about his new album 2.0 coming out on October 19th via Megaforce, his upcoming tour and his rock opera that he's been working on for the past eight years.

When asked if he will be releasing  a new album with new material:

Aldo Nova:  "From 2008 to 2016, I have been working on a rock opera called Space and I have been working on it non-stop, night and day for eight years. I kept writing song after song. Now, I have a 32-song rock opera ready to go. It's mixed, it's mastered and it's played on by the best players. It's style classical, heavy rock, my voice changes in almost every song to suit the characters." 

When asked about his new Album 2.0 a re-recording of his classic songs:

Aldo Nova:  "It happened casually it wasn't planned. April 1st 2017 was the 35th anniversary of my debut album, and usually when there are landmark albums like that record companies and bands, what they do is remaster, repackage those albums. I knew that Sony would want to remaster. So, I thought to myself, what can I do that would be really special for the anniversary, something special for me, my fans and something that would get new fans. Then I got the idea, why don't I redo everything from scratch and turbo charge the songs, while keeping the innocence of the songs that I had when I was 22 years old, and add the 35-36 years of experience that I have now. If I can do 'Fantasy' and get it to be exciting at the point where it excites me, I will keep going; otherwise I will drop this whole concept. I wanted 2.0 to sound like you were coming to see me at a live concert, that's why there are extended solos, there is breaks, time changes and key changes. It's a guitar oriented album. I also wanted 2.0 to have a  more timeless sound to the album and today a mix of both worlds. I really worked hard on the arrangements to be exciting to me. Plus, I added a  new song called  'I Am A Survivor' and people have been telling me it's a standout track."

2.0 is available for pre-order here.

2.0 tracklisting:

"Fantasy 2.0"
"Ball And Chain 2.0"
"Heart To Heart 2.0"
"It’s Too Late 2.0"
"Can’t Stop Lovin’ You 2.0"
"Foolin’ Yourself 2.0"
"I’m A Survivor"

A walkthrough of the new haunted attraction in Des Moines, Iowa formed as a partnership between SLIPKNOT and Slaughterhouse can be seen in the one-minute video below (courtesy of the Des Moines Register). The 10,000 square-foot haunt features memorabilia from the group, meet-and-greet events, about 40-50 actors who bring the band's "iconology, lore and culture" to life, and even an opportunity to go through the Slaughterhouse with a SLIPKNOT bandmember.

The haunt runs every Thursday-Sunday in October, plus Halloween night. General admission tickets cost $20.

An estimated 12,000 could attend this year's Slaughterhouse, up from 8,000 in 2017.

Percussionist and co-founder Shawn "Clown" Crahan spoke about the collaboration at a news conference last month inside the attraction, which first opened in 2010. "It's been a long time since we've done anything in Des Moines besides play shows, so we're really happy to do this," he said.

It's going to be a lot of fun. It's going to be scary. And it's going to be heavy metal," he added. "Art at its most extreme."

"We're going to invite this to the entire world," Crahan said. "Normally, that would be kind of a strange thing to say, but…you won't believe who'll show up. We have dedicated fans. When we [tour] Europe, they're at every show.

"It's all about the fans," he said. "It's all about a special experience, making it one-on-one, almost. It really is going to be a moment in our history, in their history. And our history in Des Moines."

Ian Miller, the owner of the Slaughterhouse, said: "This thing that is happening is beyond our wildest nightmare come true."

For more information, visit SlaughterhouseDM.com.

A 10-year-old boy played a cover version of a classic METALLICA song with the FOO FIGHTERS in Kansas City, Missouri. The impromptu performance took place this past Friday, October 12 during FOO FIGHTERS' concert at the Sprint Center.

At one point during the show, frontman Dave Grohl called up Collier Cash Rule on stage and asked him if he could play guitar. When the kid responded that he was a METALLICA fan who knew how to play "a lot of METALLICA songs," Grohl asked him if he wanted to break into a METALLICA track. Collier responded "Sure," and proceeded to play the main riff to the METALLICA classic "Enter Sandman". Grohl threw his arms in the air as the rest of the FOO FIGHTERS joined in, with Grohl putting on his best James Hetfield impression while singing the first verse of the song followed by the chorus. Grohl then asked Collier if he knew another METALLICA song, after which the 10-year-old launched into "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" and a bit of "Wherever I May Roam" before Grohl admitted the boy knew more METALLICA music than the FOO FIGHTERS did.

Although Collier was initially reported to be seven, his mother confirmed to local TV station KMBC that he is actually 10, and that he has been playing guitar for two years, practicing before and after school every day.

Grohl and his bandmates were so impressed by Rule, the boy was given the guitar after the song concluded.

If I see that shit on eBay next week, I'm gonna find you, Collier," Grohl joked as Collier made his way back to his mom in the stands.

Season Of Ghosts will release their new album, A Leap of Faith, on October 23rd. Check out the second single title track below.

BraveWords recenetly presented the band's first new single and video, "A Place To Call Home". Mastermind/vocalist Sophia comments on the clip:

"When you create something earnestly, with people you love, it radiates all over, it cannot be overshadowed by anything. That’s how I live my life, how I create. Earnestly. This song, this video was no different.

It all started from an idea that Max, our drummer, had. He said he knew a company that operates helicopters and thought it would be cool to use it for a video. Somehow it seemed to fit in with back story of the song. The lyrics are about trying to rediscover yourself, redefine your direction, re-calibrate your life purpose. Sometimes we get lost along the way, distracted by petty, every day disturbances, viruses of the soul that we allow to command us. Those viruses can be so strong, they can impede our ability to see, to be who we are, we forget our mission, as our brain becomes cloudy and sometimes our reflection in the mirror looks awkward, funny, unfamiliar. This is the story behind 'A Place To Call Home'.  

Of course, in practice, trying to tell the same story on video with some of your favourite people in the world, can have miscellaneous results. We agreed to fly Intetsu from Japan for this video. He’s a long time friend and work partner, from back when I worked with his Visual Kei band, AYABIE. Nowadays, he also is a videographer and having him around was a blessing. His way of work is so smooth and comforting, even for the camera-shy, like me. What particularly impressed me was the fact that while I was about to throw up when the helicopter was maneuvering across the Italian skies like crazy, he was shooting in the cabin with the calmness of a Zen master. 'That's dedication!' I thought, while I kept shouting at the pilot to stop spinning us around like we were possessed."  

Sophia recently spoke exclusively with BraveWords and revealed some details about the making of the band's new album, A Leap Of Faith. Following is an excerpt from the discussion.

Sophia: "There was no specific goal, because I tend to work intuitively, letting my inner voice guide me towards any result and it always turns out that it was something worth putting out into the world, I feel content about it. The Human Paradox (debut album released in 2014) was an experiment, born of my desire to express my creativity and show the real me to the audience who had affectionately been following me for years. It was my chance to explore paths I'd always wanted to explore but couldn't, being part of a band that I didn't have a voice in - ironically enough, although I was the singer. The Human Paradox was born out of a repressed amalgam of energies, agony, distress, caused by my life events that period, including leaving my old band (Blood Stain Child) on very bad terms, trying to start Season of Ghosts in 2012, but facing major setbacks until 2014, when it was finally released. So the goal, for this album was to provide the next chapter of my tale, now our tale, an honest, in-your-face, loud statement, a reminder to ourselves we're still alive."

The album is available for pre-order here.

Sophia: "Season of Ghosts is an independent, self-financed band, so it’s very important that you help us spread the word about this campaign and our band activities, to your friends and anyone who might be interested. Thank you for everything!"

German-American power/thrash metal act, Them, will release their sophomore album, Manor Of The Se7en Gables, on October 26th via SPV/ Steamhammer. A lyric video for the new single, "Circuitous", can be seen below.

Singer KK Fossor says about the song: "Following the sacrifice of Mary Hawthorne in Sweet Hollow's Cemetery, KK Fossor and his maniacial assistant, Remsen, flee North towards a little town called Salem.Their indirect and treacherous path was chosen in order to throw off any of the pursuant towns people from Hollow."

With an impressive concept that combines the most significant components of US power and thrash metal and songs that focus on lyrics about spooks and horror, Them are one of the most unusual new metal acts. Their debut album Sweet Hollow (2016) already more than hinted at the artistic potential of the six-piece. Their successor release Manor Of The Se7en Gables sees the group surrounding frontman KK Fossor present an album that takes up thematically where its predecessor left off but goes on to explore the stylistic extremes of this musical genre even further.

“Manor Of The Se7en Gables sounds harder, darker and technically more sophisticated than Sweet Hollow,” main songwriter Markus Ullrich sketches the benchmark data of the latest release, adding: “At the same time, fans may be taken by surprise by a number of changes because we have unmistakably continued to evolve as a band during the past two years.”

The German guitarist, who was among the founder members of prog metal band Lanfear before joining Them in fall 2013 and continues to be a member of speed/thrash metal act Septagon and instrumental project A Cosmic Trail, values this evolvement: “I like it when songs also live up to certain technical standards. Luckily, we can easily fulfil those technical standards thanks to this outstanding line-up.”

Ullrich speaks respectfully of his American colleagues KK Fossor, guitarist Markus Johansson (Sylencer, 4ARM) and drummer Angel Cotte (Demolition Hammer), and the German contingent consisting of bassist Alexander Palma and keyboardist Richie Seibel (Lanfear, Ivanhoe). Courtesy of their impressive technical skills, they have as little difficulty mastering the demanding songs on Manor Of The Se7en Gables as American bassist Mike Lepond (Symphony X, Ross The Boss), who supported Them during the studio production as a guest musician and – as on Sweet Hollow – put the icing on the cake (or rather the songs) with his musical experience. Not forgetting Paul Sabu (Alice Cooper, David Bowie), who further refined the material as a chorus vocalist.

Manor Of The Se7en Gables was mixed by Dave Otero at the Flatline Audio studios in Denver. The band will then go on to strike on all fronts at the same time. Ullrich: “We played 30 shows to support the release of our debut. Now we’re set to top that number with the new songs.” An ambitious target which definitely seems realistic in view of this fantastic recording.

Manor Of The Se7en Gables will be released on CD DigiPak, 2LP Gatefold, download and stream.

Tracklisting:

"Residuum" (Intro)
"Circuitous"
"Refuge in the Manor"
"Witchfinder"
"A Scullery Maid" (Interlude 1)
"Ravna"
"As the Sage Burns"
"The Secret Stairs"
"Peine Forte Et Dure" (Interlude 2)
"Maleficium"
"Seven Gables to Ash"
"Punishment By Fire"

"Witchfinder" lyric video:

Technical metal band Gorod recently announced their upcoming 10-track album, Aethra, set to be released on October 19th via their new international label,Overpowered Records. Most recently, Gorod revealed a brand new lyric video for the album's title track, "Aethra".

Vocalist Julien Deyres says about the track: "'Aethra' refers precisely to the complexity of naming, especially when it comes to distant entities both in space and time. Indeed, even among historians, the name Aethra is debated. Some see her as the mother of Theseus, others as Hyperion's wife, mother of Helios, Selene and Eos. The subject that actually caught my attention for this album is that of an Aethra (more frequently called Theia) who would be the mother of the moon. Moreover, there is a scientific theory mentioning that an asteroid collided with the Earth which left us a fragment that is still turning around us, and that appears and disappears completely every 28 days. Aethra is therefore the missing mother who left us the corpse of her offspring in orbit as a memory of the tragedy... but the purpose of the lyrics remains here to leave you all a personal 'substantial part of fantasy'!"

Produced and recorded by Gorod guitarist / mastermind Mathieu Pascal in his own Bud Studio, mixed at Dugout Studio by the outstanding Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, Behemoth, Decapitated, In Flames) and mastered by Lawrence Mackrory at Obey Mastering (Decapitated, Nightrage), Aethra is a profound progression in terms of production, songwriting and arrangements.

With Aethra, Gorod transports the listener to a tragic and melancholic universe - a completely new level of darkness - while preserving what Gorod considers their tried and true core sound: incomparable groove, remarkable dexterity, and relentless technicality. But all the while, the band never sacrifices earworm hooks and unforgettable riffage.

Aethra tracklisting:

"Wolfsmond"
"Bekhten's Curse"
"Aethra"
"The Sentry"
"Hina"
"And The Moon Turned Black"
"Chandra And The Maiden"
"Goddess Of Dirt"
"Inexorable"
"A Light Unseen"

Vocalist Julien Deyres explains the concept behind Aethra, "The moon: a star, an allegory, a universal symbol that concerns all peoples and eras... this is the central theme of the lyrical concept of this album which is divided into ten texts that follow a form of parity in terms of genres: four titles are devoted to female lunar deities, four to male deities. The remaining two are respectively dealing with the universal symbolism of the owl and the star itself."

"The concept is basically a study of different cults associated with the moon through the ages and peoples. Some themes are treated in a purely narrative way, some others in a more philosophical or poetic way, but generally it remains a personal reading of each myth, which aims to awaken critical thought as much as evasion."

As a live band through and through, Gorod plan to bring their trademark power and precision to North America on a full tour in support of Aethra. Before coming to The States, Gorod will tour in Europe and The UK with headliners Beyond Creation, as well as fellow support artists Entheos and Brought By Pain. See below for all confirmed tour dates:

November
2 - Hamburg, Germany - Headcrash
3 - Hannover, Germany - Faust
4 - Berlin, Germany - Musik & Frieden
5 - Prague, Czech Republic - Nova Chmelnice
6 - Vienna, Austria - Viper Room
7 - München, Germany - Feirwerk
8 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Orto Bar
9 - Retorbido, Italy - Dagda Club
10 - Venice, Italy - Revolver
11 - Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
12 - Grenoble, France - L'Amperage
13 - Barcelona, Spain - Upload Club
14 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol
15 - Porto, Portugal - Hard Club
16 - Donosti, Spain - C.C. Larratxo
17 - Angoulême, France - La Nef
18 - Paris, France - Petit Bain
19 - Manchester, UK - Satan's Hollow
20 - Glasgow, UK - Audio
21 - Dublin, Ireland - Voodoo Lounge
22 - London, UK - Underworld
23 - Birmingham, UK - Asylum2
24 - Netherlands Oss Groene Engel
25 - Oberhausen, Germany - Kulttempel

"The Sentry":

Teaser: