Perhaps Iran is a country you mostly know for oil, Persian cats and carpets and recently, nuclear arguments. But don't be surprised to find out that heavy metal is alive in Iran and there are lots of active bands, one of them being Jupiterium. This is a new sci-fi melodic metal project formed by Mohsen 'Stargazer' Fayazi and Ehsan Imani.

Today, Jupiterium has launched a new lyric video for the song '1984' which features Mark Jansen (Epica), Niklas Stålvind (Wolf, The Doomsday Kingdom) and Niclas Etelävuori (ex- Amorphis, Kyyria). The video can be seen below:

Wolf's frontman Niklas Stålvind commented: "The song has something to tell us, and I felt I really connected with it as soon as I heard it. Sadly, the lyrics are very valid these days. But hey, if you don't care about the deeper meaning, you can still enjoy the music and BANG YOUR HEAD to it! 

“I hope that as many people as possible help out in spreading the song and support the guys behind it. Your support will mean more than you think. I feel honoured to have a chance to help out with vocals for this song. Respect!"

"Jupiterium must be one of the most unexpected projects I have ever worked" stated Niclas Etelävuori who left AMorphis recently after 17 years of success and who has also worked with Moonspell during his career. "It’s the first metal band I ever heard of coming from Iran and their song 1984 totally kicks ass! It is proof that metal is global and can come from anywhere and even if you have to struggle to practice your art, if it’s in your heart everything is possible. Jupiterium is probably the most positive news I have heard from the Middle East in my lifetime. Keep it up & turn it up! "

Epica mastermind, Mark Jansen expressed: "A song with a great drive and catchy melodies. I'm sure many people will enjoy this track!"

Mohsen who is also a metal music journalist stated the following on the Jupiterium's current work: "1984 was actually the first song that Ehsan and I wrote and it was about a year ago. At the beginning, we were not serious about forming a band and we just wanted to create a couple of songs. But later when we received positive reactions from our friends, we changed the plan. We have a few songs ready and completed and we are working on more, so hopefully we will have a full studio album to release the next year. 

In 21st century I believe we will survive together or we all will fall. The age of local issues are done, its global issues now and it's getting worse and worse. That's why our lyrics are very dark and the music is heavy."

In the video below, Stu Hamm gives a solo performance of, "AYB." The renowned session bassist and longtime EMG player has performed with, among others; Frank Gambale, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai. Stu is using the EMG JX and EMG MMCS pickups to capture the punch and pop of the bass.

 

Here is another video of Hamm performing "Te Extania”. 

In a previous video from EMGtv, Hamm gives a solo performance of "Etude #1”:

A another clip, Stu, along with drummer John Mader, give a performance of the classic, "Terminal Beach”:

On December 1, RUSH will release a lavish, new and expanded edition of the landmark album "A Farewell To Kings" — the fifth studio album originally released in 1977, which introduced the radio hit "Closer To The Heart", album tracks "A Farewell To Kings", "Madrigal", "Cinderella Man", as well as enduring fan favorites with "Xanadu" and "Cygnus X-1".

"A Farewell To Kings - 40th Anniversary" will be available to fans in four distinct configurations, including (1) Super Deluxe Edition, (2) three-CD Deluxe Edition, (3) four-LP Deluxe Edition, and (4) the Deluxe Digital Edition.

The Super Deluxe Edition includes three CDs, one Blu-ray Audio disc and four high-quality 180-gram vinyl LPs. The set encompasses the Abbey Road mastering studios 2015 remastered edition of the album for the first time on CD; a complete RUSH concert recorded in February 1978 at London's Hammersmith Odeon, newly mixed by longtime RUSH engineer and original "A Farewell To Kings" producer Terry Brown from the multi-track live tapes; four newly recorded cover versions of songs from the original album by DREAM THEATER, BIG WRECK, THE TREWS and Alain Johannes; and an instrumental studio outtake of the spacey sound effects the band has creatively titled "Cygnus X-2 Eh". The Hammersmith show features, for the first time ever, over thirty-four minutes of unreleased performances including a complete "2112" suite, "Lakeside Park", a drum solo and "Closer To The Heart". The Super Deluxe Edition's audio content on its CDs is duplicated on its vinyl discs. Meanwhile, the Blu-ray audio disc contains a brand new 5.1 Surround mix of the album by four-time Grammy-nominated Surround Sound producer Steven Wilson, along with three original 1977 promo videos from a newly found two-inch quad video master significantly improving the video quality for "Closer To The Heart". The Super Deluxe package also includes an elaborate new fortieth-anniversary cover treatment by longtime RUSH creative director Hugh Syme, who has also created a new piece of artwork for each of the album's six songs, and an extensive twelve-thousand-word liner notes by Grammy-winning rock historian Rob Bowman.

The Super Deluxe Edition of "A Farewell To Kings - 40th Anniversary" will also include several exclusive items, including a unique King's Ring, with custom velvet pouch and neck chain; two lithographs with original artwork by Hugh Syme; a special twelve-inch turntable mat featuring distinctive artwork by Hugh Syme; and a reproduction of RUSH's original 1978 "A Farewell To Kings" tour program.

"A Farewell To Kings - 40th Anniversary" second configuration will be released in a three-CD Deluxe Edition, with the newly reasserted "A Farewell To Kings" album, the Hammersmith Odeon show, the four new cover songs, "Cygnus X-2 Eh" outtake, Hugh Syme's song-specific artwork and Rob Bowman's liner notes.

The third configuration will be offered as an audiophile 180-gram four-LP Deluxe Edition featuring the same audio content as the three-CD edition with double-gatefold packaging, thirty-two-page vinyl-size booklet, the special twelve-inch turntable mat, along with Syme's artwork and Bowman's liner notes.

The fourth configuration, the Deluxe Digital Edition, will feature the original album as disc 1, the complete Hammersmith concert unedited as disc 2, and the four covers songs plus the "Cygnus X-2 Eh" outtake as disc 3.

Pre-order now at Rush Backstage.

"Ghosts", a new song from 10 YEARS , can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming studio album, "(How To Live) As Ghosts", which will be released on October 27 via Mascot. The band's eighth studio LP was produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz (ALICE IN CHAINS, FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, KORN, MASTODON) and marks the return of bandmembers Brian Vodinh (guitar, drums) and Matt Wantland (guitar).

Sometimes when band members reunite, it's as if no time has passed and nothing has changed. That couldn't be further from the truth for 10 YEARS. When Vodinh and Wantland returned to the Knoxville, Tennessee alt-metal/post-grunge band for their eighth album and Mascot debut, they burst through their comfort zones to create something new. Something better. Something career-defining. Singer Jesse Hasek reflects: "It's funny. I named our last record 'From Birth To Burial' (2015) because I thought it was our final record. It just didn't feel like 10 YEARS without Brian and Matt, and having them back is really a reunion of the core writing team. This new record actually feels like a real rebirth for the band."

While Vodinh handled drums and guitar on the new album, he's switching to just guitar for the live shows, moving Chad Huff from guitar to bass, while Kyle Mayer stays on drums. "We're bringing it back the way they should be," says Vodinh, who left the band due to family commitments in 2013. "It feels great to be back with these guys and we're in such a better place musically and creatively than ever before."

Talking about the first single "Novacaine", Hasek offers: "Six albums and a hundred songs in, I wondered if I've already written my best stuff. But at some point, you start to get real adult problems. Life has such a numbing to it. You see people go from such optimism in their 20s to having life just beat them down later. I think we all kind of get desensitized and numb to life on some level. That's what this song is about." That better place stems, in part, from a more collaborative writing process. "It used to be that just Jesse and I would write the full song, and the other guys would add a little spice to it. This time, we're starting the writing process as a full band. Sometimes it starts with a riff. Sometimes it starts with a vocal. Our formula is no formula, and it kind of works. And, we work together in a more constructive and healthier environment now," explains Vodinh. The sixth collaborator was Raskulinecz. "Nick made us step outside our comfort zone," explains Hasek. "It made for a different-sounding record. The one thing we never wanted to do is recreate the same thing over and over. We have always been musicians that love to explore and venture into new horizons." The result is 10 YEARS' most dynamic and multi-dimensional record to date. Raskulinecz encouraged the band to strip away some of the vocal production they've grown accustomed to in order to reveal a more intimate side of Hasek. "Historically, we like to orchestrate a lot of vocal parts. We'll have harmonies and layers. This time around, Nick had us strip a lot of that away. There are a lot of moments where the only vocal is just Jesse, and not this big freaking epic thing. It makes Jesse more human. And I think the more human Jesse comes across, the more relatable his lyrics are," says Vodinh. Raskulinecz also helped Hasek be more straightforward in his lyrics and message. Hasek offers: "In the past, I've written a lot of songs that were pretty ambiguous. But on this record, I'm more comfortable being direct and talking about things that are important to me. I'm older and find myself reflecting on the world more especially after having travelled the world and talk to people and really see what's going on." The track "Ghosts" is one such song. "After traveling the world and seeing all the political, social, and religious turmoil, it had me thinking about how many people are judging and preparing for death, but are actually missing life. And, instead of using spirituality for good, a lot of people use it to point fingers and judge. Instead of worrying where we end up in the end, we need to focus on the now and the humanity." "Burnout" is another observation on mankind. "It's about a person that's right there in the limelight, has every opportunity to see the greatest things in life that are right in front of them, but they are too inside themselves to see it," says Hasek. "Blood Red Sky" was originally from a solo EP Vodinh had recorded. "The song grabbed my ear the first time I heard it because it had such a different vibe," says Hasek, "but I had a different vocal idea for it so we changed it up. It's about the struggle of maintaining everyday life and how fast your existence just flashes before your eyes. But, it also says that we are surviving and will make it through — that we will always fight through." "(How To Live) As Ghosts" might be the band's eighth album but, to them, it feels like a new start. "There was a heavier, darker tone to our last record because we weren't in a good place," adds the singer. "'Ghosts' has a brighter side to it because we're all in a really happy, optimistic, and excited place about music and life. We're ready to see how the world embraces it."

"(How To Live) As Ghosts" track listing:

01. The Messenger02. Novacaine03. Burnout04. Catacombs05. Ghosts06. Blood Red Sky07. Phantoms08. Vampires09. Halos10. Lucky You11. Insomnia

Canadian metal veterans INFERNAL MAJESTY have released the official music video for the song "No God". Written, directed, produced and edited by vocalist Chris Bailey, this is the second video from the band's critically acclaimed new album, "No God", available from High Roller Records. The clip was filmed in Northumberland County, Ontario and Vancouver, British Columbia.

Bailey says: "Some people enjoy nightmares."

Once again, INFERNAL MAJESTY went through some lineup changes before the new album was recorded: Eric Dubreuil (bass) and Kris DeBoer (drums) left and were replaced with two new members. Some may know new drummer Kiel Wilson from his time with Canadian melodic death metal outfit SEVERED SERENITY, while new bassist Daniel Nargang is actually the singer of the classic heavy metal outfit KICK AXE. They are joined by Bailey and guitarists Steve Terror and Ken Hallman.

"This is without a doubt the strongest we have been," Chris said. "We have no missing pieces now. No weak links."

It took the band a year to capture the amazing, heavy and dark, crisp and powerful sound of "No God". "We really worked on it day and night," Bailey explained. "Tweaking and modifying and receiving 3 a.m. phone calls saying, 'You got to hear this!' Steve, Ken and I wrote and produced the album. We believe that it's the ultimate way to express the band."

The beautiful sombre cover artwork, originally titled "Death Angel" or "Fallen Angel", was contributed by the exquisite and incredibly gifted artists Safir & Rifas.

What development does Chris see when he looks at "No God", both compared to the last effort, "One Who Points To Death", and when looking at it as the last link in a chain that runs from INFERNAL MAJESTY's legendary debut, "None Shall Defy", to "No God"? "It feels like we have come full circle and are now about to break free into orbit," Chris said. "I personally believe 'No God' to be our greatest works since 'None Shall Defy' was created."

A music video for “Stainless”, a song from Adimiron’s upcoming Et Liber Eris album, is available for streaming below. The album will be released on November 3rd via Indie Recordings.

The band's self-awareness has pushed them to create a work purely uninhibited by any outside influences and literally in its own sphere. Fuelled by primitive emotions, the eight tracks lead the listener into the darkest depths of the human consciousness, evoking memories, unspoken thoughts that connect us inextricably with the intangible. Abandon yourself, disconnect from the chaos and Adimiron’s new release.

Et Liber Eris can be pre-ordered via iTunes.

Tracklisting:

“The Sentinel”
“Zero-Sum Game”
“Joshua Tree 37”
“The Coldwalker”
“As Long As It Takes”
“The Unsaid”
“Stainless”
“Zona Del Silencio”

“Stainless” video:

“Zona Del Silencio”:

“The Sentinel”:

Before embarking on a tour supporting Emil Bulls, Vitja are launching another video clip from their latest album, Digital Love. The band produced the video together with Lukas Richter after the song turned out to be one of the most favourite songs among their fans.

Singer Dave Beule about the song and video: “’D(e)ad’ is a song for everyone who is searching for his or her roots. Dealing with the unknown, all the unanswered questions and the uncomfortable feelings that come along with it.”

Vitja tour dates:

October
21 - Krefeld, Germany - Moshroom Festival

November (with Emil Bulls)
2 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Konzertfabrik Z7
3 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
4 - Vienna, Austria - FLEX
9 - Osnabrück, Germany - Rosenhof Osnabrück
10 - Kaiserslautern, Germany - Kammgarn Kaiserslautern
11 - Regensburg, Germany - Airport Obertraubling
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle-Hamburg
17 - Jena, Germany - F-Haus
18 - Dresden, Germany - Alter Schlachthof
23 - Nürnberg, Germany - Der Hirsch
24 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse Salzburg
25 - Ulm, Germany - ROXY.ulm
30 - Hannover, Germany - MusikZentrum Hannover

December (with Emil Bulls)
1 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Theater Berlin
2 - Köln, Germany - Live Music Hall
6 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof Wiesbaden
9 - München, Germany - Backstage München

Vitja are:

David Beule - vocals
Mario Metzler - bass
Vladimir Dontschenko - guitar
Daniel Pampuch - drums

(Photo - Lukas Richter)

German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS will release a new compilation album, "Born To Touch Your Feelings - Best Of Rock Ballads", on November 24. The effort will include seventeen of the band's most famous ballads plus two new songs which were recorded this past summer.

SCORPIONS singer Klaus Meine revealed during last month's SiriusXM Town Hall radio interview that the band's record company "wanted us to come up with a couple of bonus tracks" for the best-of-ballads collection "and we went in the studio and everybody came up with great ideas… We just finished a recording session and listened to the first mixes and stuff, and it sounds pretty good. It's gonna be a 'best of ballads,' but with those new tracks. And it's gonna be a cool project."

Regarding how the idea for the collection came about, Klaus said: "Sony Music approached us and said, 'C'mon, guys. You have so many powerful songs. And we wanna put it together in some kind of compilation you guys never did before.'"

Meine added that while the SCORPIONS are known in the U.S.A. mostly for their harder-edged material, like "Rock You Like A Hurricane", "in other parts of the world, SCORPIONS are very famous for the ballads, like 'Still Loving You' in France. And in Asia, they love the ballads, and in Russia, 'Wind Of Change' and all those songs are very powerful — equally as powerful as 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' here," he said. "So we talked about [doing] this. In different parts of the world, people like different types of music. So we can offer [a compilation that includes all the best of the softer songs]."

SCORPIONS' last release was 2015's "Return To Forever", partially comprising songs the band had in the vault from the '80s. It was the final recorded appearance of SCORPIONS' longtime drummer James Kottak, who was dismissed from the band in September 2016 during his well-publicized his battle with alcoholism. He has since been replaced by MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.

SCORPIONS were recently forced to cancel the remainder of their North American tour dates with MEGADETH after Meine was diagnosed with "severe laryngitis." The singer was advised by a top throat specialist in Los Angeles to rest his voice or risk permanent vocal damage.

"The Siege", a brand new song from Swedish hard rockers EUROPE, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Walk The Earth", which will be released on October 20 via the band's own Hell & Back label through Silver Lining Music. The follow-up to 2015's "War Of Kings" was laid down at London, England's legendary Abbey Road studios and was produced by Dave Cobb, who also helmed the band's last disc.

"War Of Kings" was the record that made the rock world realize what a formidable act EUROPE had become, then "Walk The Earth" is the album that is set to establish the band as one of the most exciting contemporary rock acts of current times. "We're simply a different band today," says lead singer Joey Tempest.

"Ever since we started up again in 2004, we have constantly explored our limits and new parts of our musical universe. After around a thousand shows, we feel comfortable just improvising, jamming and pushing our lyrics and songwriting with much more ease.

"We have now been together recording and making albums longer than the early period of the band. Five albums in the '80s and '90s. Now six records with 'Walk The Earth'.

"When we started up again in 2004, we all agreed to think 'long term,' to take the long road and build up a new relationship with listeners and media. We all agreed on writing together, owning our music, and license it out to labels that really care and support us in the long run. We also agreed to not look back! And never stop looking for that deeper expression.

"We don't have much in common with our contemporaries from back then. We have taken a different path, making sure we are constantly moving forward. We have little regard for outside influences and opinions. In order to enjoy this new journey and feel creative, it needed to be completely on our terms. "In a EUROPE live show, there is, of course, some room for nostalgia, but in the studio there is none. Every album is a reaction to the one before, a new journey a new adventure.

"The music of a rock band needs to constantly move, challenge, upheave, evolve or the band will automatically become a nostalgia act.

"We are proud of our past and previous albums, but we simply can't identify, recapture, emulate any of it. We simply can't write like that, even if we wanted to. We are a new act with a different expression. "Over the years, we have learned how important recording techniques and recording equipment is by trying to search and research which producers, engineers and recording studios that can actually inspire and keep us wanting to be adventurous and daring. It has now taken us six albums to get here." "Walk The Earth" features original artwork by famed Los Angeles artist Mike Sportes of Filth Mart. "We were in the studio a few days into recording and Dave comes in wearing this very cool t-shirt with one of Mike's designs on it," Joey states. "Immediately we knew we had to check Mike's other work and have him come up with an exclusive design for us based on the vibe of the album. We are very proud to have his amazing artwork as the 'Walk The Earth' album cover!" "Walk The Earth" track listing: 01. Walk The Earth02. The Siege03. Kingdom United04. Pictures05. Election Day06. Wolves07. GTO08. Haze09. Whenever You're Ready10. Turn To Dust

The official video for the "Walk The Earth" title track can be seen below. The clip was directed by Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL, IN FLAMES and KAMELOT, among others.

EUROPE last year completed a short European tour during which the band played "The Final Countdown" album in its entirety to celebrate the LP's thirtieth anniversary.

A recording of the band's "The Final Countdown" performance at London's legendary Roundhouse was released on July 21.

"War Of Kings" came out in March 2015 via UDR Music.

Photo credit: Brian Cannon

Fan-filmed video footage of GUNS N' ROSES' October 16 performance at New York City's Madison Square Garden — the band's third show in a three-night stand at the venue — can be seen below.

The 2017 North American leg of GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour kicked off July 27 in St. Louis, Missouri.

The trek features classic GUNS members Slash on guitar, Duff McKagan on bass and Axl Rose on vocals, backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

About seventy people travel with the show in addition to the truck drivers; that number goes upwards of five hundred, including the local workers, by show date once catering, security, etc. are factored in, according to the tour's production manager, Dale "Opie" Skjerseth.

"Not In This Lifetime" continues Thursday (October 19) at Washington D.C.'s Verizon Center.

GUNS kicked off its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion trek in a year and a half ago with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

Fan-filmed video footage of NITRO, the band featuring guitar virtuoso Michael Angelo Batio, vocalist Jim Gillette and LAMB OF GOD drummer Chris Adler, performing the songs "Walk With Me In Hell" (LAMB OF GOD) and "Symphony Of Destruction" (MEGADETH) on September 27 at Purple Haze Rock Bar in Kathmandu, Nepal can be seen below.

The new NITRO disc is being helmed by producer Kane Churko, who has previously worked with DISTURBED, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, IN THIS MOMENT, HELLYEAH and PAPA ROACH. In addition to producing the disc, Churko is contributing his songwriting talents to the project.

Joining Batio, Gillette and Adler on the new NITRO album is bassist and five-time Grammy Award winner Victor Wooten.

Gillette told Metal Rules about the musical direction of the new NITRO material: "It's very, very heavy. I don't think you can get any heavier.

"It's funny — the first run with NITRO, we started off super heavy," he continued. "I don't want to blame anyone as we had the ultimate decision, but it got shaped and molded by guys in suits that had no clue. All they wanted us to do was to sing higher and play faster. It spun out of control. If the goal was to be the fastest and the highest, we achieved our goal. We just had the wrong goal. [Laughs] Our goal should have been to write some kick-ass heavy metal. You have to bend a little; otherwise the checks stop coming. This time we didn't have any men in suits telling us what to do. We are doing what we always envisioned what NITRO should be."

Batio told the "Talking Metal" podcast that the new NITRO songs would feature a different vocal and musical approach to what the band was previously known for.

"Jim has a great death metal voice that he didn't have back then and he's going to be singing," the guitarist said. "There is going to be singing and there's going to be super-heavy death sounds.

"To categorize what we are doing — think part LAMB OF GOD and a very small part that nods to the past [of NITRO], only because Jim is singing first and the music is super, super aggressive. I am using all seven strings on the guitar. It's mean. It's really mean."

Regarding how Adler got involved with the project in the first place, Michael said: "Neither one of us actually knew him. We were at my house, recording demos and writing songs. I'm a really good drum programmer. I'm doing these advanced-level drums and Jim goes to me, 'Who do you think we should get for drums?' We're shaking out heads and he goes, 'Chris Adler.' And I'm thinking, 'LAMB OF GOD's drummer?' Neither one of us ever met him, but, I've worked with a publicist named Suzanne Penley; her significant other, Dave Vincent from MORBID ANGEL, he's a super-close friend of mine, and she works with Chris. So I called Suzanne and I told her we're interested in getting Chris for the album, and it turned out Chris is a fan of mine! And so the whole thing just worked itself out and Chris is in the band now."

Michael added: "He's absolutely fantastic, my favorite metal drummer. There's not many people when you listen to drums you know who it is — and he's one of those. He's got a very distinct style and he can play anything."

A release date for the new NITRO album will be announced soon.

THE PROFESSIONALS' music video for the song "Rewind" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "What In The World", which will be released on October 27 via Automaton Records.

Thirty-five years later, the band formed from the ashes of the SEX PISTOLS by Paul Cook and Steve Jones is back.

Revitalized, re-energized and reinvigorated, THE PROFESSIONALS' new disc bristles with conviction and finds the band on electrifying form, delivering some of the most ballsy, honest and downright brilliant songs of their career.

"We're not breaking any musical boundaries — we're doing what we do best. From the heart with energy and integrity," said the band.

Paul Cook and Paul Myers were reunited on stage touring with Vic Godard's SUBWAY SECT. There the idea sprang to revisit THE PROFESSIONALS. New frontman and guitar player Tom Spencer was invited to come to rehearsals, to sing and play guitar while Steve Jones was being lured back to the U.K. to join. As it became obvious Steve wouldn't be heading over, and with rehearsals feeling better and better, the new lineup was born.

THE PROFESSIONALS are also joined by a stellar cast of guest guitar players, including Jones (who plays on three tracks). Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES), Mick Jones (THE CLASH), Phil Collen (DEF LEPPARD), Marco Pirroni (ADAM & THE ANTS), Chris McCormack (3 COLOURS RED) and Billy Duffy (THE CULT) also join the party.

"In the studio, we put the songs down as a three-piece, but what was needed was a second guitarist's mind, to come from another angle," THE PROFESSIONALS said. "Cookie dusted off his punk rock address book and made a few calls. All the guests added their own unique magic."

This energetic album features ten finely crafted songs, full of rock 'n' roll attitude — including a tribute to Lemmy and David Bowie, "Going, Going, Gone" — before closing with the Darwinian pop at world leaders, "Monkeys".

All the basic tracks were put down at Zak Starkey's studio, just outside London, and were finished at Tower Studios in Pershore. The guests recorded in various studios, both in the U.K. and the U.S.

"What In The World" was produced by Dave Draper with Paul Cook and Tom Spencer there to co-produce. The album is an aural treat, with no calculated image or reliance on nostalgia.

To celebrate the release of "What In The World", THE PROFESSIONALS will play a special headline show at London's Garage on October 28.

"We've been adding a new track or two to live shows but can't wait to try some of the other new songs," THE PROFESSIONALS said. "We're buzzing about the album, and can't wait to spread the buzz. Of course there'll be old stuff played too. We don't cover PISTOLS stuff (apart from 'Silly Thing') but as the gig's forty years to the day from 'Nevermind The Bollocks' was released, we might just add a cover or two!"

"What In The World" track listing:

01. Good Man Down (feat. Steve Jones & Billy Duffy)02. Let Go (feat. Phil Collen)03. Going, Going, Gone (feat. Steve Jones & Billy Duffy)04. Extremadura (feat. Mick Jones & Victoria Liedtke)05. Rewind (feat. Phil Collen)06. Hats Off (feat. Duff McKagan & Chris McCormack)07. New Generation (feat. Marco Pirroni)08. Take Me Now (feat. Steve Jones, Billy Duffy & Marco Pirroni)09. Bad Baby (feat. Terri Cook)10. Monkeys (feat. Duff McKagan & Phil Collen)

Ex-IN FLAMES guitarist Jesper Strömblad says that his former bandmates should change the group's name to more fully represent their current musical direction.

Strömblad, who quit IN FLAMES in February 2010 in order to continue receiving treatment for his alcohol addiction, made his latest comments while promoting the debut album from his new band CYHRA, in which he is joined by former IN FLAMES bassist Peter Iwers, ex-AMARANTHE singer Joacim "Jake E" Lundberg and LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY drummer Alex Landenburg.

Asked by Metal Wani for his opinion on IN FLAMES' latest album, last year's "Battles", Jesper said (hear audio below): "To be honest, I think they should actually change the name, because it's such a huge, huge difference from the beginning. But if that's the way they wanna do it, fine. And they're happy with the new members, so good luck to them. Everyone is in the right place."

Strömblad went on to clarify: "I didn't say that 'Battles' sucks ass — that's not what I said. It's just it's very… They have developed so much in a [different] direction."

According to Strömblad, some of the albums he made with IN FLAMES continue to be unfairly criticized by the band's fans, many of whom still expect the group to make new music in the vein of its more obscure earlier material.

"I think that 'A Sense Of Purpose' [2008] is a very underrated album, actually," he said. "'Cause I think that had all the elements that IN FLAMES is about, but it got so much shit [from the fans]. It's [viewed as] the worst album, if people vote [for the top album in IN FLAMES' discography]. They hate it, and I can't get that, actually."

After leaving IN FLAMES, Strömblad initially formed THE RESISTANCE with Marco Aro (vocals, THE HAUNTED) and Glenn Ljungström (guitar, ex-IN FLAMES). Strömblad announced his departure from that group in March 2016, with the band's bassist, Rob Hakemo, saying in an interview that Jesper "saved" THE RESISTANCE by quitting and explaining that the guitarist is "an alcoholic" and "drug addict" who "doesn't want to [get] sober." Rob added: "[Jesper] thinks that two weeks [sober] is good, and then he can drink some. And then he's gone for a month, and then he's back and he's not drinking [for a short while]. It's a sad thing, and we really tried to help him and wanted the best [for him]. So when he told us that 'I'm leaving the band,' we were relieved. We were really relieved."

"Battles", IN FLAMES' twelfth studio album — and its third since Jesper's departure — was released in November 2016 via Nuclear Blast in all territories excluding North America and Scandinavia and Eleven Seven Music Group in the U.S.

CYHRA will release its debut album, "Letters To Myself", on October 20 via Spinefarm Records. The disc was recorded at Top Floor Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The official Aapo Lahtela-directed music video for "My Mistake", a brand new song from HALLATAR, can be seen below. The track, which features guest vocals by DRACONIAN's Heike Langhans, is taken from HALLATAR's debut album, "No Stars Upon the Bridge", which is based on the lyrics and poems of Aleah Starbridge and was released on October 13 via Svart Records.

Although a brand new name, HALLATAR features in its ranks SWALLOW THE SUN and TREES OF ETERNITY guitarist Juha Raivio, AMORPHIS vocalist Tomi Joutsen and former HIM drummer Gas Lipstick. In fact, one could see HALLATAR as an extension of TREES OF ETERNITY, whose acclaimed debut for Svart, "Hour Of The Nightingale", served as the swansong of vocalist Aleah Starbridge.

Juha Raivio explains the genesis of HALLATAR: "After the death of my beloved and my life partner Aleah Starbridge last April, I have been gathering writings, lyrics, and the poems of Aleah to keep them safe and close to my heart.

"About one month after the world came down on the blackest day of my life on April 18th, I knew I needed to pick up the guitar and try to create something or I would be truly destroyed. And something did arrive out of the darkness, and I wrote the music for the HALLATAR album in a week's time.

"I don't have much memory of this week, not a memory of a single day of writing the music. But all I remember when going into this abyss of the writing process was a promise to myself that whatever music would come out, I would not touch or change anything of it afterwards. What mattered was that the music would stay forever as an absolute truth of those moments as they came out.

"I asked my good friends — and amazing musicians — Tomi Joutsen and Gas Lipstick if they would want to record this music with me, and both of them said yes without even hearing a note of it. I am forever grateful to both of them for sharing this road with me; even the weight of the process has not been easy to carry, or will be."

Says Gas Lipstick: "I am grateful and very honored to be asked to join this band. Juha is a dear friend of mine since many years ago, and when he told me about his vision for HALLATAR and asked me to join, I said yes instantly — I just had to be part of this amazing journey. I had never heard a single note of the music before I gave my 'yes' because I didn't need to. Juha has been one of my favorite songwriters already for years, and I knew that HALLATAR will be a very deep, personal, and one-of-a-kind story which I wanted to help him to bring alive."

Adds Tomi Joutsen: "I have known Juha from the year 2007, when we worked together for the first time. A couple years ago, I had the privilege to meet Juha's life partner, Aleah Starbridge, who was such a beautiful person, inside and outside, and had an angelic voice out of this world. Aleah lent her voice on the latest AMORPHIS album, and we called her 'the whispering ghost.' When I heard about Aleah's passing last spring, it came as a total shock and heartbreaking news out of the blue. When Juha asked me if I would want to be part of this album and carry Aleah's flame with him, I didn't have to think twice. When everything has been taken, all that is left is the music. The sorrow strips us naked and leave us humble — this is how it sounds like."

Concluded Raivio: "What we recorded was a raw moment in time honoring the memory, lyrics, and poems of Aleah Starbridge with all its pain, beauty and darkness. There are no stars left upon the bridge to light the way anymore, but the music will always be a dim light, even in the darkest of the night."

"No Stars Upon the Bridge" track listing:

01. Mirrors02. Raven's Song03. Melt04. My Mistake (feat. Heike Langhans)05. Pieces06. Severed Eyes07. The Maze08. Spiral Gate09. Dreams Burn Down (feat. Aleah Starbridge)

HALLATAR is:

Tomi Joutsen - VocalsGas Lipstick - DrumsJuha Raivio - Guitar, Bass, Keys

THE PRETTY RECKLESS has begun composing music for its fourth album, the band has confirmed.

The upcoming disc will be the follow-up to "Who You Selling For", which arrived a year ago. That effort was produced by THE PRETTY RECKLESS's longtime collaborator Kato Khandwala and featured songs written by singer Taylor Momsen and guitarist Ben Phillips.

Phillips told 99.7 The Blitz at this year's Louder Than Life festival that THE PRETTY RECKLESS is "working now" on new songs, adding that "we have a lot of inspiration."

Added Taylor: "It's a very crazy time in the world right now, so there's a lot of things to speak about. It's slamming you in the face."

Ben concurred, saying: "It's coming at you as hard as a hammer. It's almost hard to discern. Usually you're waiting for something and now it's almost too much, it's almost overwhelming."

During a separate interview with 97X at Louder Than Life, THE PRETTY RECKLESS bassist Mark Damon said that the band had "some ideas and some bits and pieces [of new songs] here and there," but he explained that "it's virtually impossible to write on the road. So I think the real writing is gonna come when we get off the road and [Momsen and Phillips] can really go into their headspace to do it."

Damon also confirmed that Khandwala will once again be at the helm for the upcoming record. "He's part of the family," the bassist said. "He's a fifth member of the band. He's an integral part of what we do, and he keeps us honest, he kicks our ass in the studio and makes us step up our game, so not having him would be difficult."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS drummer Jamie Perkins said that the band hasn't yet come up with a new angle for the upcoming album that will make it stand out from the group's previous releases. "I think we're gonna always try to push ourselves in new directions anyway, so it's never a pre-set notion, like, 'Let's do this,'" he explained. "It's just kind of like, they'll write a song, and it just sort of turns into what it's gonna be."

THE PRETTY RECKLESS' European tour will kick off on November 15 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Fan-filmed video footage of the Swedish death metal supergroup THE LURKING FEAR performing on October 14 at Kraken in Stockholm, Sweden can be seen below.

THE LURKING FEAR releases its debut album, "Out Of The Voiceless Grave", on August 11 via Century Media. Recorded at Welfare Sounds in Gothenburg, Sweden, the disc was made available as special-edition digipak CD, gatefold LP on 180-gram vinyl with a poster and as a digital download.

Featuring current and former members of illustrious and influential acts like AT THE GATES, THE HAUNTED, SKITSYSTEM, DISFEAR and GOD MACABRE, THE LURKING FEAR is not just another retro all-star project, but a real band of five death metallers who organically got together in order to celebrate the metal breed closest to their roots as well as their hearts. THE LURKING FEAR is:

* Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES) - Vocals* Jonas Stålhammar (THE CROWN) - Guitar* Fredrik Wallenberg (SKITSYSTEM) - Guitar* Andreas Axelsson (DISFEAR, TORMENTED, EDGE OF SANITY) – Bass* Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, THE HAUNTED) – Drums

Citing common inspiration by bands like AUTOPSY, POSSESSED, early DEATH, REPULSION, early MORBID ANGEL, SLAUGHTER, BATHORY, early SLAYER and MASTER/DEATH STRIKE, THE LURKING FEAR previously stated about the band's formation: "We are a death metal band. Not your average new wave of old-school death metal band. We play death metal from the heart with pure emotional impact and a focused artistic vision. This is the music we live and breathe. Always have, always will. "We have all played in various other bands for over 25 years and we just want to spew out the music that we want to hear. When we get together, this is what comes out of naturally, because we share the exact same reference points. We love 'Seven Churches' and 'Mental Funeral' for the exact same reasons. "We want our death metal ugly, twisted and possessed. We miss the urgency, intensity and 'realness' in a lot of the modern death metal. Therefore, it is natural for us to stray away from the streamlined sounds of today, but rather focus on bringing sheer, natural weirdness and horror back to the table…"

Rovio Entertainment, the creators of the international phenomenon "Angry Birds", pays tribute to heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN with an epic Halloween collaboration in "Angry Birds Evolution".

As one of the most recognizable figures in the world of metal, Eddie, the iconic mascot of IRON MAIDEN, will be a special playable character as "Eddie The Bird" in "Angry Birds Evolution" this Halloween season.

A trailer for "Angry Birds Evolution" is available below.

"Our team is filled with massive IRON MAIDEN fans and Eddie was both our first choice and a natural fit in 'Angry Birds Evolution'," said Miika Tams, VP games and product lead for "Angry Birds Evolution". "It's about time his status as a true rock icon was celebrated and we know that fans will love seeing Eddie The Bird raise hell on Bird Island!"

Players can crank up their "Angry Birds Evolution" team on October 18 during a special two-week character event for the most metal Halloween ever! Players who successfully recruit Eddie The Bird to their team during that time will be able to keep him forever.

"When you get a call from Rovio, one of the biggest entertainment companies in the world, confessing that they are MAIDEN fans and want to celebrate Halloween with Eddie, you just have to take notice," said Llexi Leon, interactive creative director at Phantom Music Management. "They have outdone themselves with this incredible tribute to MAIDEN and the opportunity to share the band’s music with their millions of players around the world. I really can't wait to play him and skittle those pigs!"

To celebrate Eddie The Bird's arrival in a big way, there will be four evolutions of the character to represent different albums from IRON MAIDEN's storied history. In addition, the Bird Island will be transformed into a Halloween-themed heavy metal oasis with a land full of hair-raising and loving tributes to Eddie, IRON MAIDEN and the heavy metal universe.

Rovio is also planning to offer fans some exclusive Eddie The Bird merchandise, made available for a limited time during this unique event.

Finally, look out for Eddie The Bird migrating to IRON MAIDEN's own "Iron Maiden: Legacy Of The Beast" mobile RPG in 2018.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch was asked in a new interview with Good Company if the band has any plans to perform its 1998 breakthrough album "Follow The Leader" in full next year, since the LP — widely considered KORN's finest — turns twenty years old on August 18, 2018. Welch responded: "It's gonna be the twentieth anniversary of this record next year. [It came out in] '98, so 2018 [is twenty years later], yeah, so we're talking about celebrating this record somehow. But I don't know."

Welch also spoke about the band's plans for its thirteenth studio album, which will follow last year's "The Serenity Of Suffering". He remarked, "The next record we're talking about doing, you know, I think it's gonna be a combination of maybe both ['The Serenity Of Suffering'] and [2013's 'The Paradigm Shift']. We'll try some new stuff though, but we're gonna definitely focus on guitars again."

Welch added that the next KORN album will be a more collaborative effort compared to the last two outings.

"Me and Munky [James Shaffer, guitar], we put in the most hours with the band," he said. "Jonathan [Davis, vocals] , he said he's gonna spend more time writing with us this record. 'Cause he just came in, the last two records that I've been back [in the band], came in at the last… Like, when we're done, he says, 'Gimme the songs when you're done and I'll write lyrics.' He's gonna come in and be involved with the music now. So I think we'll have a good record, an even better record this time around, because everybody [will be] involved [in writing]."

Munky told The Pulse Of Radio that the band has changed a lot since recording its first album. "We're so different now," he said. "I think most of us are [more] mature than we were back then. It's kind of fun to just see how we react to some of the old songs when we play 'em, and it does bring back memories. But there's some memories also that aren't so good."

KORN will appear at Knotfest Mexico in Toluca, Mexico on October 28, along with STONE SOUR, A PERFECT CIRCLE and others. The night before, on October 27, Davis will take part in LINKIN PARK's tribute concert to Chester Bennington at the Hollywood Bowl.

MADBALL has parted ways with longtime guitarist Brian "Mitts" Daniels.

The New York hardcore veterans called the split "a very hard and heartbreaking decision for all involved."

The band added in a statement: "[We] want to thank Mitts for all his years of service — for his loyalty, passion and stellar guitar playing. He shared the stage with us for sixteen years, which is longer than any other guitarist. We shared some very special moments together in those years, both on and off stage. We had many good times, sad times, bad and funny moments, as is the case with family. He will go into our own personal 'hall of fame' of class acts that have been part of the MADBALL family."

Daniels said in a statement that he has "been lucky enough to fulfill almost every dream that a musician could ever have" during his time with MADBALL. "I've gotten to travel the globe, made four LPs, three EPs, shared stages with heroes of my childhood. The friendships I've made with all of you, from here and around the world, are priceless. Most importantly, I would like to thank my bandmates, Freddy, Hoya, Mike, as well as past members Matt, Rigg, Ben, Mackie, Raj. It's truly been an honor to share the stage with you all.

"With regards to reasons why, I ask that you respect our privacy. The only thing anyone needs to know is that we all still remain on great terms. I have always, and will forever, consider these guys my brothers, and I wish them all the best going forward from here. I have no doubt that they will continue to crush it for many years to come.

"As for my future, I am by NO means retiring, or hanging up my guitar. I've been playing music since I was ten years old, and I have no intentions on stopping. As well as playing, I will continue to produce bands, something that I'm very passionate about.

"For every bit of sadness I have from closing the MADBALL chapter of my life, I am also very excited and looking forward to new ventures and opportunities in music."

MADBALL recently teamed up with Fast Break Records for a split seven-inch single. Released on September 25, the "Family Biz" single saw the Freddy Cricien-fronted outfit joining forces with Pennsylvania's blue-collar-core heroes WISDOM IN CHAINS.

"For The Cause" from MADBALL will be the title of the group's forthcoming album on which the band is working heavily at the moment. The version of "For The Cause" on "Family Biz" was recorded just for the single and is a precursor of what to expect.

Photo credit: Aga Hairesis

Alice Cooper was joined by Bob Geldof on stage during the shock rocker's Tuesday night (October 17) concert at Perth Arena in Perth, Australia for an encore performance of Alice's 1972 hit "School's Out".

The BOOMTOWN RATS frontman was reportedly in town to speak at a Telethon fundraising lunch on Monday.

Cooper's show in Perth was the first date of his thirteenth tour of Australia, which features original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley in the support slot. The trek consists of seven concerts marking the fortieth anniversary of Alice's first tour Down Under.

Cooper, whose "Welcome To My Nightmare" album spent more than a hundred weeks on the Australian chart, was last in Australia two years ago supporting MÖTLEY CRÜE.

Cooper released "Paranormal", his first album in six years and twenty-seventh overall, via earMUSIC in August. The disc features special guests like U2's Larry Mullen Jr., who plays on nine of the twelve new songs; Billy Gibbons of ZZ TOP; DEEP PURPLE's Roger Glover, as well as a highly anticipated mini-reunion of the original Alice Cooper band members.

Upon release, "Paranormal" climbed the iTunes rock charts, landing at No. 1 in twelve countries and the Top 5 in twenty countries.

SMASHING PUMPKINS frontman Billy Corgan recently played a few tracks from his new solo album, "Ogilala", for a small group of lucky listeners at the studios of U.K.'s Absolute Radio. Video footage of the session can be seen below.

The Rick Rubin-produced "Ogilala" was released on October 13 via BMG. The disc includes the song "The Spaniards", for which Corgan recently released a video. Directed by longtime collaborator Linda Strawberry, the clip is comprised of scenes from Corgan's silent film set to the music of "Ogilala", "Pillbox". Inspired by a hero's journey, "Pillbox" was written by Corgan, and directed by Corgan alongside Strawberry.

Corgan announced "Ogilala" in August and shared its striking first track "Aeronaut". Recorded at Shangri La studios in Malibu, "Ogilala" presents Corgan's distinctive vocals and melodies across a sparse, but rich palette of acoustic guitar, piano, and strings.

Corgan has just embarked on a solo acoustic North American tour that kicked off on October 14 in Brooklyn, New York and will wrap up on November 11 in Los Angeles. Each night's show consists of two sets, with Corgan playing songs from "Ogilala" in the first and material from across his entire career in the second.

GONE IS GONE, the project featuring MASTODON's Troy Sanders, AT THE DRIVE-IN's Tony Hajjar, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Troy Van Leeuwen and guitarist-keyboardist Mike Zarin, is celebrating Record Store Day's Black Friday with two previously unavailable tracks — an acoustic version of "Starlight" and "Phantom Limb" — released on seven-inch red vinyl through Rise/Black Dune. Fans can pick up the vinyl on November 24 at indie record stores. You can find a store nearest you at RecordStoreDay.com. "Phantom Limb" is a brand-new track and this version of "Starlight" was recorded earlier this year during a special acoustic session at Paste Studio in New York City, then remastered for this release. "One can feel a bit naked when shedding the comfort of loud amplification," says Sanders. "However, when asked to attempt a stripped-down version of a few songs, we boldly accepted the challenge. We were happy with the sound of the Paste session and 'Starlight' seemed like a solid choice for this seven-inch." Discussing the meaning behind "Phantom Limb", he adds, "The song explores a cause of sensation and is inspired by one's ability to overcome what was once there." GONE IS GONE recently released a grotesquely fun and bizarre companion video for its debut album's title track. "Echolocation" entered Billboard's Heatseekers Chart at No. 3. Prior to the album's release, the band sneak-previewed several tracks, including "Dublin", "Gift" and "Sentient". Hailed by Clash as "a crisp, compact document, one laced with energy and sweeping songwriting," "Echolocation" was produced by the band and mixed by Ken Andrews (BECK, A PERFECT CIRCLE). GONE IS GONE was formed by multi-instrumentalist Mike Zarin and Hajjar, who previously collaborated on various film trailer projects for Sencit, Zarin's music production, licensing and supervision company. Together they've put together a wildly diverse sound production resume that includes trailers for the Internet-breaking television series "Stranger Things", Christopher Nolan's 2010 sci-fi thriller "Inception", multi-Emmy-winning television series "Game Of Thrones" and the Marvel Comics blockbuster film "X-Men Apocalypse", to name but a few. They brought in Troy Van Leeuwen, known for his work with QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, FAILURE, A PERFECT CIRCLE, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL and SWEETHEAD, who, in turn, brought in Troy Sanders from multi-Grammy nominees MASTODON.

Photo credit: Lindsey Byrnes

The new SLIPKNOT documentary "Day Of The Gusano" will be released on DVD/Blu-ray on October 20 via Eagle Rock Entertainment.

Directed by SLIPKNOT's own M. Shawn Crahan, a.k.a. Clown, "Day Of The Gusano" documents the Iowa band's first-ever visit to Mexico in December 2015 and features exclusive interviews with SLIPKNOT's members talking about the importance of their fanbase and the band's long-awaited first-ever show in Mexico City.

A full-song performance clip of "Psychosocial", taken from "Day Of The Gusano", can be seen below.

Talking about the movie, Clown said: "SLIPKNOT still has dreams for itself. Finally playing Mexico was one of them. It's been a surreal life of rock and roll for SLIPKNOT and the fact that the dreams still go on for us is simply incredible. Thank you." Guitarist Jim Root adds: "We had such a great time at Knotfest Mexico... Not only with all the friends and bands that were there, but with the fans and the crowd we had to document it with. Now we get to share it with the world." The ninety-minute documentary also chronicles the rabid devotion of the Mexican maggots and sees the band hearing personal, emotive stories from some of their fans, all interspersed with footage from SLIPKNOT's incendiary live show at the inaugural Knotfest México. The film features a full surround soundtrack, so you'll not only hear the show, but you'll 'feel' it as if you were actually there.

"Day Of The Gusano" track listing:

01. Sarcastrophe 02. The Heretic Anthem 03. Psychosocial 04. The Devil In I 05. Me Inside 06. Vermilion 07. Wait And Bleed 08. Prosthetics 09. Before I Forget10. Eeyore 11. Duality 12. Custer13. Spit It Out 14. Metabolic / 74261700002715. (sic)16. People = Shit17. Surfacing / Til We Die

"Day Of The Gusano" was premiered in more than a thousand screens across the world as a one-night-only cinematic spectacle on September 6.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor told the 97.1 The Eagle radio station in June that the band was "not really doing anything right now." He explained: "I know we're kind of slowly starting to write some music. Other than that, we're just kind of taking some time off. Clown's gonna direct some movies, Sid's gonna do some stuff… We're all kind of doing our own thing… But that's it. I mean, really. Next year is everybody kind of doing their own thing, and then probably after that, we will slowly but surely start to get together to do some SLIPKNOT stuff."

SLIPKNOT's touring cycle in support of ".5: The Gray Chapter", ended in November, with Taylor returning to his other band STONE SOUR this year.

".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.

One of last gigs of "The Gray Chapter" touring cycle saw SLIPKNOT performing its 2001 second LP, "Iowa", live in its entirety for the first time during the band's set at their annual Knotfest.

".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.

Almost five decades ago, the toll of a bell and rolling thunder marked the conception of an ear splittingly monolithic riff. In that moment, BLACK SABBATH and the sound of heavy metal were forged. The band embarked on what vocalist Ozzy Osbourne describes as the most incredible adventure you could think of, a journey that would go on to define a genre.

"The End" is a celebration of BLACK SABBATH's final hometown concert at Birmingham's Genting Arena on February 4, 2017. This unforgettable farewell show from one of the biggest bands in the world will be released by Eagle Vision on November 17, 2017.

With a hit-packed set list including "Iron Man", "Paranoid", "War Pigs" and many more, the high production values, visual effects, and pyrotechnics wowed fans, as the band delivered the most emotionally charged show in their history.

All visual formats feature special bonus material of the band playing a selection of their favorite songs not played on tour. These intimate live sessions at Angelic Studios were recorded in the days after their final live performance.

"The End" captures a once-in-a-career performance, an essential snapshot of musical history, and a fitting farewell to true innovators and original heavy metal icons, BLACK SABBATH.

A performance clip of the song "Paranoid", taken from "The End", can be seen below.

Track listing:

Live at Birmingham's Genting Arena on February 4, 2017

01. Black Sabbath02. Fairies Wear Boots03. Under The Sun / Every Day Comes And Goes04. After Forever05. Into The Void06. Snowblind07. Band Intros08. War Pigs09. Behind The Wall Of Sleep10. Bassically / N.I.B.11. Hand Of Doom12. Supernaut / Sabbath Bloody Sabbath / Megalomania13. Rat Salad / Drum Solo14. Iron Man15. Dirty Women16. Children Of The Grave17. Paranoid

The Angelic Sessions

01. The Wizard02. Wicked World03. Sweet Leaf04. Tomorrow's Dream05. Changes

Pre-orders are available now via PledgeMusic, where exclusive bundles, such as the deluxe box set, can be found.

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that he's glad that SABBATH has come full circle. "BLACK SABBATH has been through the mill over the years, but to come back and be friends with my buddies who I started off with all those years ago, it's a closure for me, a chapter of my life which I can say, 'Well, we came, we saw, we had a good time and now it's over,'" he said. "I'm glad we ended up happy. Whatever axes we had to grind between us over the years, we got rid of all that and we're friends again."

Guitarist Tony Iommi said that he wouldn't rule out the possibility of doing one-off shows or even more recording, saying, "I wouldn't write that off, if one day that came about. That's possible. Or even doing an album, 'cause then, again, you're in one place."

The band decided to make this tour its last because Iommi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is currently in remission, can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

The original lineup of SABBATH came together in 1969 with Osbourne, Iommi, Geezer Butler on bass and Bill Ward on drums. That lineup recorded and toured through 1978, and periodically reformed through the '90s and 2000s for live work.

They regrouped again in late 2011 for a new album and tour, although Ward dropped out after a few months over financial issues. SABBATH has used Ozzy's regular touring drummer Tommy Clufetos since then for live work. RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Brad Wilk laid down the drum tracks on the album "13", which came out in June 2013.

Iommi and Butler haven't announced any specific post-SABBATH plans yet, but Osbourne is reportedly at work on a new album, and already played a few solo shows this summer.

PIG DESTROYER has entered the studio to begin recording its sixth album for a tentative summer 2018 release via Relapse. The as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2012's "Book Burner" is being tracked at the band's own Visceral Sound Studios in Bethesda, Maryland with guitarist Scott Hull at the production help.

In other news, PIG DESTROYER has announced a few exclusive concerts for the winter. The band will tour the weekend of December 7-9 in California with DESPISE YOU, NECROT and labelmates CALL OF THE VOID. PIG DESTROYER will then kick off 2018 with two East Coast shows in New Jersey and in Long Island at Obnoxious Noise Fest. The group has also been confirmed for Maryland Deathfest 2018 on May 26 in Baltimore, Maryland.

"Book Burner" was released in October 2012 via Relapse. The CD featured nineteen tracks with a return to the band's raw, misanthropic sound.

Photo credit: Josh Sisk

Swiss folk metallers ELUVEITIE will release a brand-new single, "Rebirth", on October 27. The song will be the first taste of the band's upcoming album, which is due next year.

ELUVEITIE's Christian "Chrigel" Glanzmann comments: "After a longer period of playing many acoustic sessions, peaking in creating our much-anticipated second acoustic album, 'Evocation II - Pantheon', we're, of course, more than excited to finally go about our next metal juggernaut! We've been gathering ideas since quite a while and yes, we started working on our next metal album!

"It will still take a while until we'll enter the studios again, since we first want to and will accomplish an amazing 'Evocation II' touring cycle. But to soothe your [and our] waiting time, we recently gathered again in the legendary Newsound studios to produce a first single off our upcoming metal album already — so welcome our youngest baby: 'Rebirth'!

"We believe, it turned out a real monster of in-your-face folk metal and we're super proud of it. And we hope you'll enjoy it as much as we do! As always, it is full of pristine celtic folk music and contains treasures such as the old Irish traditional 'Lads of Laois'. But at the same time, 'Rebirth' comes with a steamrolling truckload of pure fucking metal!

"Conceptually, the song takes a rather philosophical approach on ancient Celtic spirituality and mythology (and so will our upcoming album)! We take ancient mythological images to contemplate them from the view point of our everyday life (no matter if we lived two thousand years ago or today! Because we believe that the deep meaning and significance of these images didn't change ever since)! 'Rebirth' deals with the ancient Celtic image of the 'cauldron of rebirth', with it's meaning and with the darkest passages of our lives, through which we all have to go to arise reborn."

ELUVEITIE in May 2016 announced the departure of drummer Merlin Sutter, vocalist Anna Murphy and guitarist Ivo Henzi.

ELUVEITIE is:

* Jonas Wolf (guitar)* Matteo Sisti (whistles, bagpipes, mandola)* Nicole Ansperger (fiddle)* Alain Ackermann (drums)* Chrigel Glanzmann (vocals, whistles, mandola, bagpipes, bodhran)* Fabienne Erni (vocals, celtic harp, mandola)* Kay Brem (bass)* Michalina Malisz (hurdy gurdy)* Rafael Salzmann (guitar)

The new lineup of ELUVEITIE made its live debut at the Eluveitie & Friends festival in January at Z7 in Pratteln, Switzerland.

Swedish extreme metallers NECROPHOBIC will release their as-yet-untitled eighth studio album on February 23, 2018 via Century Media Records.

The band's latest release was a two-song EP, "Pesta", which came out in August.

The "Pesta" title track was a brand new song, offering NECROPHOBIC's typical trademarks with its evil vocals, battering drums and the wicked guitar harmonies from the notorious guitar duo of Sebastian Ramstedt and Johan Bergebäck. The second song was a re-recorded version of the classic demo track "Slow Asphyxiation".

NECROPHOBIC recently signed a deal with Century Media for the world excluding USA and Canada.

Formed in 1989, NECROPHOBIC belongs to the first wave of Swedish death metal bands. Ever since the release of its classic debut album, "The Nocturnal Silence" (1993), the band has issued a total of seven studio LPs, among them timeless masterpieces as "Darkside" (1997), "Bloodhymns" (2002) or the brilliant 2009 album "Death To All".

NECROPHOBIC was recently rejoined by guitarists Sebastian Ramstedt and Johan Bergebäck following the band's split with its axeman of five years, Fredrik Folkare.

NECROPHOBIC 2017 is:

Anders Strokirk - VocalsAlexander Friberg - BassJoakim Sterner - DrumsSebastian Ramstedt - GuitarJohan Bergebäck - Guitar

German thrash legends, Destruction, will release their new “best of old school" album, Thrash Anthems II, on November 10th via Nuclear Blast Records. Pre-order the album at this location, and check out a second official video trailer, below.

In 2007, Destruction proved how successful re-recording some of their timeless classics and re-imagining history could be. The follow-up to 2007's Thrash Anthems is ready to rock the metal world and shows how fans can be part of both a band's history and future. For Thrash Anthems II, Destruction called upon on their loyal fans through PledgeMusic to help them create the record and contribute to the band's epic history.

Mastermind Schmier states: "As it is a part of our past to relaunch classic songs from our history with a fresh face and we had many demands on a Thrash Anthems continuation, we decided to do a second part of this re-animation of classic 80s Destruction material. For us it was important to chose the tracks with the fans and first when NB did not wanna do the album we decided to do a pledge campaign to raise the fonds for the production together with the diehards.

“To make a long story short, we know not everybody will like these new versions of those thrash evergreens (just listen to the originals then) but it was an important task for us to keep them alive for a whole new generation of metalheads that love those fresh and brutal new recordings. We are very happy now, that our label is finally releasing this collection of thrash classics. The vibe on this record is so vicious, noncommercial and has this 80s feeling with a even more aggressive edge and THAT is was made our THRASH so special, in the good old days and now!"

This stunning artwork was created by acclaimed artist Gyula from Hungary, who has also created artwork for Annihilator, Grave Digger, Stratovarius, Tankard and many more.

Thrash Anthems II tracklisting:

“Confused Mind”
“Black Mass”
“Frontbeast”
“Dissatisfied Existence”
“United By Hatred”
“The Ritual”
“Black Death”
“The Antichrist”
“Confound Games”
“Ripping You Off Blind”
“Satan's Vengeance”

Bonus track:
“Holiday in Cambodia” (Dead Kennedys Cover)

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2: