James Kottak says that he is "thankful" for the two decades he got to spend as the drummer in the SCORPIONS.

Last September, Kottak was dismissed from the legendary German hard rock band during his well-publicized battle with alcoholism and was replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.

Speaking to "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon", Kottak stated about what he has been doing since his exit from the SCORPIONS (hear audio below): "The last year, I finally took… after thirty non-stop years of rock — thirty-five, actually — I just said, 'Man, I need a break. I have to get away from this. I have to focus on James, make James healthy and get [myself] back to a hundred percent.' 'Cause even when you're with a great band like the SCORPIONS, you do burn out. And I was fortunate to come out where I am now.

"The last year has been a lot of just healthy living," he continued. "I swim, I ride my bike — that's a bicycle — and I do walk and just enjoying life. Plus, [spending] time with the kids — that was super, mega important. They're all grown — they're, like, twenty-seven, twenty-four and twenty. But it was just the time to kind of reboot and figure out what I wanna do next. I did do some playing here and there, but, for the most part, it was, like, take a break and step back. And it's the best thing I've done — ever!"

Calling his replacement, Mikkey Dee, "a great drummer and a nice guy to boot," Kottak said that he is "so thankful and grateful for all the time I had with the SCORPIONS. I mean, talking about a dream come true."

According to James, his departure from the SCORPIONS was the culmination of a series of events that began nearly a year and a half ago. "It was a funny process, because [in] April of 2016, we had to cancel some shows 'cause, unfortunately, Klaus [Meine, SCORPIONS singer] got sick," he explained. "And then we were faced with a few months off. And I was going, 'Jeez, what am I gonna do?' So I started on my situation. Then there were some shows, and my situation wasn't complete, so they brought him in, which was cool with me. And then, just time dribbles by, and next thing you know, it's August and then September, and then they were doing South America, and I didn't wanna do that. And then there's only a handful of shows left, and then it was, like, okay, the year is over. So then we kind of talked and it was kind of like… It was just kind of mutual; it's not like they said, 'Hey, hit the bricks.' But it was what it was, and it is what it is."

Kottak went on to say that Dee wasn't the only drummer SCORPIONS were considering as a possible replacement for him when it was obvious he would no longer play with the band. "Funnily enough, they also talked to Jason Bonham," James revealed. "And I'm, like, going, 'Jeez, the guy who's replacing me is a Bonham?' But that didn't happen."

SCORPIONS guitarist Rudolf Schenker told "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" last month that he was "very sad" about James's exit from the band. "I always thought that he would be until the end with us," Rudolf said. "We gave [him] a lot of possibilities. We paid [for] his rehab and we tried to really make things happening. We tried to get James on the right track, and we were waiting for the last three years, actually — since 'MTV Unplugged', at least. And we couldn't change it. To book a tour and then also traveling around the world and everything is set up, the crew, you can't really count on somebody who is not stable."

During his "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" interview, James revealed that he is working on a new album from his KOTTAK project in which he plays guitar and sings. The effort is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year for a tentative early 2018 release.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told Virgin Radio that the song "Here Comes Revenge" from the band's "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" album was inspired by the tragic death of a fan of the band. Hetfield explained: "There's a couple that showed up at so many shows, and they got into METALLICA because their young daughter was a big fan, and she had gotten killed by a drunk driver."

Hetfield continued: "It just hit me: 'How can you guys find something positive in the world to connect you to your daughter again' — which was METALLICA, the music she loved — 'instead of just snapping and wanting to just become bitter and attack whoever did this?' So I'm kinda putting myself in those shoes and how revenge must feel really powerful and great to do, but it doesn't satisfy that urge."

Hetfield previously told Australia's Rolling Stone about the first time he met the couple: "[The guy] said, 'My wife and I weren't fans of the band, but we are now. Because our daughter was a big fan, and she got killed by a drunk driver.'

"She was young. How could you not be pissed off? How could you not want to go after somebody? But what they chose to do was embrace the music she loved and get to know her through the music and connect that way instead. They continue to show up at shows, which I love. We're friends now. And they've gotten through something that I don't think I could get through."

Hetfield had told The Pulse Of Radio what some of his favorite lyrics from the "Hardwired" album were. "You know, for me, lyrically some of the favorite, 'Moth Into Flame', I like 'Am I Savage' and, boy, I really like 'Dream No More', which is also kind of another Cthulhu reference but in a very different sense. [Laughs]."

METALLICA is currently in the midst of a European tour behind "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct", its tenth studio album.

The band will reissue its classic 1986 third LP, "Master Of Puppets", on November 10 via Blackened Recordings.

The LP has been remastered for the most advanced sound quality and will be available physically as a Standard LP, Standard CD, three-CD Expanded Edition, and Limited Edition Deluxe Box Set, while the digital options will be a Standard CD, a three-CD Expanded Edition, and a Digital Deluxe Box Set. The Expanded and Deluxe packages will come with tons of bonus content.

Boston-based heavy-music innovators CONVERGE will release their first album in five years, "The Dusk In Us", on November 3 via Epitaph and Deathwish. As the ninth full-length from CONVERGE — vocalist Jacob Bannon, guitarist Kurt Ballou, bassist Nate Newton, and drummer Ben Koller — "The Dusk In Us" follows 2012's acclaimed "All We Love We Leave Behind". CONVERGE's new single, "Reptilian", can be streamed below. According to a press release, "from its haunting intro to its frenetic apex, [the track] perfectly embodies the avant-garde sensibilities and cathartic energy of 'The Dusk In Us'." Produced by CONVERGE and mixed by Ballou at his renowned Godcity Studios, "The Dusk In Us" shows the band's artistic evolution and avant-garde sensibilities while still capturing their classic sound.

After forming in Massachusetts in 1990, CONVERGE made their debut with 1994's "Halo In A Haystack". Quickly regarded as pioneers within the aggressive music arena, the band had a major breakthrough with their landmark album "Jane Doe" — a 2001 release praised as "iconic" by the A.V. Club. "The Dusk In Us" track listing: 01. A Single Tear02. Eye Of The Quarrel03. Under Duress04. Arkhipov Calm05. I Can Tell You About Pain06. The Dusk In Us07. Wildlife08. Murk & Marrow09. Trigger10. Broken By Light11. Cannibals12. Thousands Of Miles Between Us13. Reptilian CONVERGE is currently touring Europe with GORGUTS, REVOCATION and HAVOK as support.

Photo credit: Reid Haithcock

Columbus, Ohio metalcore giants LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES will release their new album, "Dark Divine", on November 3 via longtime label Rise Records. The follow-up to 2015's "The Dying Things We Live For" was produced by Erik Ron at Grey Area Studios and mixed by Caleb Shomo (BEARTOOTH).

The official video for the first single from the disc, "Nowhere Left to Sink", can be seen below.

"We are excited to share our video for 'Nowhere Left To Sink'," singer Chris Roetter says. "The team has worked tirelessly to get it wrapped up. The song and video explore different elements of the band that some people have probably not seen from us before. I think it acts as a good bridge to the rest of the record."

"Dark Divine" track listing:

01. New Plagues02. Nowhere Left To Sink03. Shallow Truths For Shallow Minds04. Dark Divine05. Empty The Same06. From The Dust Returned07. Even God Has A Hell08. Mischief Managed09. Instinctive Intuition10. The Skeletons I Keep11. False Idol

LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES will tour this fall with FIT FOR A KING and IN HEARTS WAKE.

LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES is:

Chris Roetter - Vocals Jeremy Smith - GuitarZach Pishney - GuitarAaron Evans - Bass Greg Diamond - Drums

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's music video for the song "Necessary Evil" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Max Moore, who has previously worked with CODE ORANGE and OF MICE & MEN.

"Necessary Evil", which features a guest appearance by KORN frontman Jonathan Davis, is taken from MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's latest album, "Graveyard Shift".

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE singer Chris Motionless stated about Davis's guest appearance on the track: "That came about because a couple of months prior we had done a tour with [KORN] and BREAKING BENJAMIN throughout the U.S. And KORN [is] a band that I've loved and looked up to for a really long time in my life — I think [in] seventh grade was the first time I heard 'Follow The Leader' and 'Life Is Peachy'.

"We were working on this song and I was working on the vocals for it, and it just felt like… There was something about it that I felt like… As I was writing some of the vocals, I was writing it hearing Jonathan's voice as the person I was writing it for," he continued. "I had written different parts of the song that, of course, felt like, 'Okay, I'm gonna sing this. I'm gonna sing this.' And then it came time to other parts, and I was just hearing Jonathan on this song. And knowing how much of a great, nice… all of [the KORN guys] were really nice people on the tour and were super great to be around and nothing but pros in every sense of the word. I was, like, 'Okay, I'm just gonna risk it and throw it out there and see if he's interested,' and he came back and said he was definitely into doing it.

"Hearing it back now, it was super easy — very… Like I said, those dudes are pros," Chris said. "It's no secret as to why KORN has had the success that they've had. And when I listen back to it, I think back to being a kid in seventh grade and hearing 'Freak On A Leash' and seeing that video with the bullet flying through the screen the whole time and how crazy that was to me when I first saw it. And I think back to the moments of where, for Christmas, I wasn't working and I didn't have any money, I was in seventh grade or eight grade at that point — maybe in ninth grade — and still being a massive KORN fan, I remember begging my dad to buy me a seven-string guitar like Head and Munky played, and he ended up buying it for Christmas for me. And I got the 'Follow The Leader' tab book and just learned every song in the book. And now, all these years later, so much later in life, I can hear one of my own songs that was written by taking all that time and learning how to play guitar and wanting to play music, and I can hear one of my own songs with Jonathan Davis singing on it, it's kind of a really emotional moment for me. And when I told my dad about it, he immediately recognized that moment in our history, and it's a really special thing. So I'm really happy that Jonathan wanted to do it and I'm very grateful that he said yes."

Last fall, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE opened for KORN on their co-headlining "The Nocturnal Underground" tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN.

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE will kick off its U.S. headline "Graveyard Shift" tour tomorrow with a performance at Las Vegas, Nevada's Brooklyn Bowl. The trek will see MOTIONLESS IN WHITE traversing the U.S. through the end of October where they will wrap up the run with a very special Halloween performance at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania's Electric Factory. MOTIONLESS IN WHITE will be joined by Roadrunner labelmates THE AMITY AFFLICTION, MISS MAY I and WILLIAM CONTROL.

The first trailer for "Berserker", the debut album from BEAST IN BLACK, the Helsinki, Finland-based metal band led by former BATTLE BEAST guitarist and main songwriter Anton Kabanen, is available below. Due on November 3 via Nuclear Blast, the disc was produced by Kabanen and recorded primarily at his studio, Sound Quest Studio. The cover artwork is a collaboration between Anton and Roman Ismailov, who was the original illustrator and graphic artist for BATTLE BEAST.

"Berserker" track listing:

01. Beast In Black02. Blind And Frozen03. Blood Of A Lion04. Born Again05. Zodd The Immortal06. The Fifth Angel07. Crazy, Mad, Insane08. Hell For All Eternity (bonus track; digi only)09. Eternal Fire10. Go To Hell (bonus track; digi only)11. End Of The World12. Ghost In The Rain

The official video for the song "Blind And Frozen" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Ville Lipiäinen.

Kabanen states: "'Blind And Frozen' is a super-catchy and massive song. Yannis's [Papadopoulos, vocals] interpretation and performance here is nothing short of pure perfection!"

BEAST IN BLACK was formed by Kabanen shortly after he exited BATTLE BEAST in early 2015. By the end of that year, his new group had played its first gig as opening act for NIGHTWISH.

The recording process for "Berserker" took more than a year and was completed this summer. The Nuclear Blast deal was inked almost immediately after BEAST IN BLACK put the finishing touches on the album.

According to a press release, "Berserker" "continues in the style of Anton's previously composed works which include the first three BATTLE BEAST albums. One of the essential themes on this debut album is the Japanese manga and anime Berserk."

Kabanen was dismissed from BATTLE BEAST in February 2015 due to what was described at the time as "insurmountable disagreements" with the other members of the band.

In a 2016 interview with Hungary's Hard Rock Magazin, Anton stated about his split with BATTLE BEAST: "To be honest, I'd prefer not to go into the truth how I see it, because probably it would only start an ugly and endless war of words. But at least to squeeze it into minimum without going into details, I can tell that hypocrisy, lying, opportunism and blackmailing was the name of the game. The whole thing was just wrong and twisted and there is no more BATTLE BEAST, if you ask me."

Kabanen admitted that it was "hard at first" to move forward after his departure from BATTLE BEAST "but the only solution was just to keep going." He added: "I got support from many dear people; fans, friends, colleagues, family and etc. I'm grateful to everyone who stood by my side. My passion is to create music and I always do it with full heart and uncompromised. So I kept writing new songs and tried to focus in forming a new band/project that would consist of people whose musical professionalism matches — or surpasses — my expectations and of people who would be honest and loyal friends."

Regarding why he chose to keep the word "beast" in the name of his new band, Anton said: "I want to continue my vision which I originally started with BATTLE BEAST. Basically, it means writing my own songs with freedom, and the beast has already become an essential part of my life. It's something like Eddie of IRON MAIDEN."

Asked how he would compare the music and the overall vibe of his new band to that of BATTLE BEAST, Anton said: "The feeling in this group is totally different. And only in a good way. Everyone can be themselves and we enjoy each other's company and I believe people will feel and see it. In BEAST IN BLACK, the level of musicianship is much higher than in BATTLE BEAST. The band rehearsals, the album recordings and the communication is so much smoother. The music itself is not gonna be so different, but it's gonna be more powerful and heavy."

BATTLE BEAST singer Noora Louhimo told Metal Assault earlier this year that the band parted ways with Anton because he "wanted to do all the songs and make decisions on everything, and we weren't willing to do that. We wanted this band to be involved, and have everyone write songs if they want to."

BEAST IN BLACK will support legendary heavy metallers W.A.S.P. on the European leg of their "Re-Idolized: The Crimson Idol 25th Anniversary" tour in late October and all of November.

BEAST IN BLACK is:

Anton Kabanen (BATTLE BEAST) - Guitar, VocalsYannis Papadopoulos (WARDRUM) - Lead VocalsKasperi Heikkinen (U.D.O.) - GuitarMáté Molnar (WISDOM) - BassSami Hänninen (BRYMIR) – Drums

PÄNZER, the heavy metal "supergroup" featuring DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier alongside Pontus Norgren (HAMMERFALL) and V.O. Pulver (G.U.R.D., POLTERGEIST) on guitar and Stefan Schwarzmann (ACCEPT, ex-RUNNING WILD) on drums, will release its second album, "Fatal Command", on October 6 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Send Them All To Hell" marks PÄNZER's first release since the departure of guitarist Herman Frank (ACCEPT, VICTORY), who left the group to focus on his solo project.

The official video for the "Fatal Command" title track can be seen below. The clip was shot by Kai Swillus (Buntmetall) at the famous Swiss club Z7.

Schmier comments on the video: "We wanted to have a clip that fits with the band's sound, something that catches the energy of PÄNZER. No gimmicks — just a big stage and the look behind the curtain.

"The Z7 club in Switzerland is something like a home base for many touring bands. We wanted to pay tribute to our fave living room and the people that work there."

He adds: "As the album delivers a very pure musical direction, we have tried to maintain and transport that feeling also into the video clip. Metal does not need much frills.

"The song 'Fatal Command' stands for what PÄNZER is all about: relentless beats, possessive hooklines and melodic twin-guitar attacks!"

"Fatal Command" track listing:

01. Satan's Hollow02. Fatal Command03. We Can Not Be Silenced04. I'll Bring You The Night05. Scorn And Hate06. Afflicted07. Skullbreaker08. Bleeding Allies09. The Decline (…And The Downfall)10. Mistaken11. Promised Land

Bonus (digipak and 2LP only!)

12. Wheels Of Steel

"Fatal Command" lives and breathes heavy metal like a few other albums of recent years do. It is a monolith of a record on which the tempestuous music, the provocative artwork and Schmier's social criticism come together under a metallic and indestructible hide, courtesy of Little Creek Studio in Basel, Switzerland. One thing, however, is setting "Fatal Command" apart from the perfect heavy metal record: "There's no ballad! But as the singer, I wanted to spare mankind," Schmier laughs. Consequently, PÄNZER prefer to hit the throttle and concentrate on kicking as much ass as possible. "Fatal Command" proudly wears the insignia that so many current bands are lacking, a bold statement against wimps and posers. PÄNZER swear a solemn oath on "Fatal Command": They will be true to heavy metal in good as well as in bad times, in sickness and in health. They will love it and honor it all the days of their lives until death does them part. Amen!

In a recent interview with Metal Master Kingdom, Schmier said about PÄNZER: "Lineup changes are always a little difficult, but, basically, the backbone of the band didn't change at all; we kept everything rolling. And it's great fun. To me, it's a great alternative to play heavy metal — just straight metal and maybe very German also. And there's no limits; we just do what we want. There's no high expectations that we have to sound like this or that; we just praise the good old fucking metal."

Regarding the musical direction of "Fatal Command", Schmier said: "It's a lot of JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT… but there's also a lot of fast-forward music. There's no ballads… I think the new one is even more melodic [than the first one]. There's some really catchy choruses and nice hooklines, a lot of great lead guitars, double harmonies everywhere and stuff."

Pulver and Norgren officially joined PÄNZER in December. At the time, V.O. stated about his decision to hook up with Schmier and Stefan: "After producing the debut with PÄNZER, the guys asked me to help them out live to help provide the double axe-attack on stage. Of course I took the opportunity to rock out with my buddies. And when the chance came up to join them permanently, I didn't hesitate to accept and now I can't wait to play the sound of my youth!"

Norgren was just as excited to join the heavy metal war machine. "It was not a hard decision when I got asked to join the PÄNZER project; it was a straight-up YES!" he said. "To be able to create music with good friends is the most important thing in my world and in this band, having fun when making music, is number one. I'm looking forward to all of the craziness that the future is going to bring with these guys. So let's kick some serious...!"

Frontiers Music Srl will release the second studio album by PHANTOM 5, "Play To Win", on October 13.

The disc's latest single, "Read Your Mind", can be streamed below.

After the success of its self-titled debut album, the brainchild of producer/guitarist (and for this record, bassist) Michael Voss and vocalist Claus Lessmann has returned with yet another incredible outing of impeccable German melodic hard rock. Once again joined by Robert Boebel on guitars and keyboards and Axel Kruse on drums, these fist-pumping anthems will tickle the eardrums of any connoisseur of melodic hard rock.

Michael Voss says: "[t]o all the rockers out there, we are more than happy to continue this labour of love and come back with a bang! Again, guitar wizard Robby Boebel delivered powerful riffs and Claus wrote some magic melodies. The drums were delivered by heart-pounding visual timekeeper Axel Kruse and taped by the famous Rolf Munkes at Empire Studios. Eleven well-balanced songs, full of emotion and power, right in the vein of our first album. If you like the first one, you will love the new one! Come and get it... and play it loud...we play to win!!!"

Originally born as SUPREMACY, the band decided to change its name to PHANTOM 5 before recording its debut album for release last year. It had been a long time since the public had heard a melodic hard rock record this good coming from Germany. Mixing influences from the cream of the crop of German melodic hard rock bands, but with Michael and Claus's unique stamp on it, the debut was met with rave reviews across the board. After the success of that album, Michael and Claus knew it was a no-brainer to follow it up with an even more inspired outing and that is exactly what they've done here.

"Play To Win" track listing:

01. The Change In You02. Crossfire03. Baptised04. Read Your Mind05. Play To Win06. Child Soldiers07. Do You Believe In Love08. Phantom Child09. Had Enuff10. Shadows Dance11. Reach Out PHANTOM 5 is:

Claus Lessmann - Lead VocalsMichael Voss - Guitar, Bass, Backing VocalsRobert Boebel - Guitar, KeyboardsAxel Kruse - Drums

ACT OF DEFIANCE's new song "The Talisman" can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's sophomore album, "Old Scars, New Wounds", which will be released on September 29 via Metal Blade Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Birth And The Burial" was mixed by Dave Otero, who has previously worked with CEPHALIC CARNAGE and CATTLE DECAPITATION, among others. The cover artwork was created by Travis Smith (KING DIAMOND, OPETH, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD).

ACT OF DEFIANCE is the group featuring former MEGADETH members Shawn Drover (drums) and Chris Broderick (guitar), alongside ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner and SHADOWS FALL's Matt Bachand (bass).

On "Old Scars, New Wounds", ACT OF DEFIANCE has upped the ante. Each of the eleven new tracks sound fresh and urgent while wielding a timeless quality that will connect powerfully with metal fans new and old — and there aren't many contemporary bands who can make such a claim. Naturally blending a plethora of metallic styles and never recycling ideas, "Old Scars, New Wounds" is an even more dynamic and diverse collection than its predecessor, which was written solely by Broderick and Drover prior to recruiting Bachand and Derek. With a fully seasoned, tour-hardened band in place, there was room for everyone to bring something to the table this time around, and their varying styles helped shape the record. The title — plucked from the blistering track "Conspiracy Of The Gods" — stands as a metaphor for life in general, and the breadth of lyrical matter covered is as broad as the styles of heavy music found on the record. "Another Killing Spree" looks at hardcore drug use, while "Lullaby Of Vengeance" is an angry song about singing angry lyrics, and "Overexposure" is an anthem dedicated to not selling out. There is also some very topical material, most notably on "Mis-Information Age" and "Broken Dialect". "'Mis-Information Age' is very applicable in today's social climate, where we can no longer blindly trust the source of facts that determine our view," Broderick explains. "It asserts that we should be skeptical, making sure we have the truth and not someone's propaganda, while 'Broken Dialect' conveys the idea that people can no longer hold a conversation with each other where their views differ, instead turning to sources that only support the view they want to hold on to." With every track featuring a blistering solo from Broderick, fans of his shredding can rest assured that the guitarist has not held back — though that was not his initial intention. "I actually wanted to tone it down a bit technically in terms of my solos, but the opposite happened! This was because I inadvertently ended up creating a few new techniques to use in my trick bag and saw their potential, so I worked really hard on the execution so they could make the record." "Old Scars, New Wounds" track listing:

01. M.I.A.02. Molten Core03. Overexposure04. The Talisman05. Lullaby Of Vengeance06. Circle Of Ashes07. Reborn08. Conspiracy Of The Gods09. Another Killing Spree10. Broken Dialect11. Rise of Rebellion Going into writing the record, the quartet had no grand plan, and spread across the continental U.S., the individual members worked separately, bouncing demos back and forth and building on each others' ideas. Like many contemporary bands, through taking advantage of available technologies they made a record that is very much a collaborative effort, despite the distances lying between the members' home bases. Recruiting Otero, they tracked the record likewise, with Broderick laying down guitars in his own Ill-Fated Studios in L.A., Derek and Broderick's vocals tracked at Red Light Studios also in L.A., with Bachand tracking his contributions at Manshark in South Hampton, Massachusetts and Drover's drums were laid down at Atlanta's Glow In The Dark Studios. Having proven themselves on the road in support of "Birth And The Burial" both as headliners and supporting the likes of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, HELLYEAH and HATEBREED, the band is looking ahead to the expansive touring that will accompany "Old Scars, New Wounds", and their hunger to get back in front of crowds has not abated in the slightest.

"Energy", a brand new song from world-renowned guitar virtuoso Joe Satriani, can be streamed below. The track is taken from his sixteenth solo album, "What Happens Next", which will be released on January 12, 2018 via Sony/Legacy Recordings.

The new, instrumentally electrifying album features a power trio of legendary status; Satriani on guitar and Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION) and drummer Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), the latter reuniting with Satriani for the first time since their work in the supergroup CHICKENFOOT. Satriani is once again joined by producer/engineer/mixer Mike Fraser, his frequent collaborator over the last 20 years, on "What Happens Next". Fraser is well-known for recording/mixing every AC/DC album since 1990's "The Razors Edge" along with his classic works with Satriani going back to the release of "Crystal Planet" in 1998.

"The song 'Energy' shows the power, fun and excitement of true and spontaneous musical chemistry," Satriani says. "Chad, Glenn and me rockin' out, not holding back, reveling in the moment."

"I said to Chad in an early text, 'No odd time signatures, no progressive stuff, pure rock and soul. The last two records really showed that I was enjoying playing with progressive elements, and when I reached the end of 'Shockwave Supernova', I said, 'I think I've done it. For some reason, I don't feel like going back over that anymore.'"

These new tracks literally vibrate the soul with an energy rarely found these days. From the dynamic opening track, "Energy", to the majestic crunch of "Thunder High On The Mountain", and the easy, sensual chords of "Smooth Soul". This unparalleled rock-rhythm section gives "What Happens Next" a depth of groove that sets it apart from Satriani's other work.

Just a day prior to the album release, Satriani revives his G3 tour entity, inviting DREAM THEATER's John Petrucci and DEF LEPPARD lead guitarist Phil Collen to join him. The G3 tour launches on January 11 in Seattle, Washington and continues across the U.S. before winding up on February 25 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Since its debut in 1996, Satriani's G3 tour has featured the world's greatest guitarists (everyone from Steve Vai and Eric Johnson to Steve Lukather and Robert Fripp) and has become a consistent concert hall sell-out attraction in the U.S., South America, Europe, Australia and Japan. "I could say that I'm surprised at the durability of G3 and how much it's grown, but in a way I'm not," Satriani says with a laugh, "I think part of its charm and its mojo is in the chemistry of having three top guitarists share what they do on stage. It's fun, it's unpredictable, it's wild — it's everything you could want in a show."

In addition to this new album and exciting tour news, a new documentary "Beyond The Supernova" shot by Satriani's filmmaker son, ZZ, makes its debut at the Mill Valley Film Festival this October. The tour documentary chronicles Joe, along with his band and crew, on their last "Shockwave Supernova" tour throughout Europe and Asia.

Satriani's "Strange Beautiful Music: A Musical Memoir" first released in May 2014 will now be available in paperback. Pre-orders are available now with the official release on November 7. The paperback version includes a new chapter focusing on Satriani's last album, "Shockwave Supernova".

For two decades, the guitar virtuoso has traveled the world, playing to sold-out crowds as both a headliner and as founder of the all-star G3 guitar extravaganza. Satriani's studio and live recordings have sold more than ten million copies worldwide to date and of his many solo albums, two have gone platinum and four others went gold, with fifteen Grammy nominations between them. His side project, CHICKENFOOT, featuring former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, former VH bassist Michael Anthony and Chad Smith saw their debut album certified gold and their second studio album debuted at #9.

"What Happens Next" track listing:

01. Energy 02. Catbot 03. Thunder High On The Mountain 04. Cherry Blossoms 05. Righteous 06. Smooth Soul 07. Headrush 08. Looper 09. What Happens Next 10. Super Funky Badass 11. Invisible 12. Forever And Ever

RIOT V, the band featuring members of legendary metal pioneers RIOT, has inked a deal with Nuclear Blast.

Hardly any other metal act has such a long and absorbing history behind it. Since the quintet formed in 1975, they have been hit by several severe strokes of fate during their long career. Three deceased members — Rhett Forester (R.I.P. 1994), Guy Speranza (R.I.P. 2003) and Mark Reale (R.I.P. 2012) — have left their mark on the four decades of RIOT's band history.

Since their legendary debut album, "Rock City" (1977), RIOT has released numerous heavy metal classics, including "Fire Down Under" (with classics like "Swords And Tequila"), their masterpiece "Thundersteel" (1988) and the unforgotten "The Privilege Of Power" (1990).

After the death of Mark Reale and the departure of Tony Moore, Todd Michael Hall (from Michigan), completed the lineup of RIOT, which changed its name to RIOT V and moved forward under the auspices of the two long-term members and main songwriters Donnie van Stavern (bass) and Mike Flyntz (guitar). With the critically acclaimed "Unleash The Fire" (2014), a pure power metal jewel once again underlined the musical importance and influence of the quintet.

Many artists name-check RIOT as an important influence of their musical career and have paid tribute to the power metal godfathers on multiple occasions. The list is long and includes several well-known acts such as HAMMERFALL ("Flight Of The Warrior"), Luca Turilli's RHAPSODY ("Thundersteel"), AXEL RUDI PELL ("Warrior") and newcomers such as NIGHT DEMON ("Road Racin'"), ALPHA TIGER ("Flight Of The Warrior"), SAVAGE MASTER ("Swords And Tequila") and STALLION ("Rock City").

"RIOT V is proud to announce our union with the mighty Nuclear Blast label," commented Don Van Stavern. "Two true metal visionaries meet to unleash an assault on all you metal warriors of the world! It's really awesome to be on 'the' metal label and have so much respect and excitement between us. We are in great hands and it's always nice to have a mutual vision of what this band needs to be thrust back onto the metal battlefield and with our thousands of metal soldiers supporting and fighting with us. This will be the start of a great relationship — and it doesn’t hurt that some of the Nuclear Blast staff are longtime fans! Now let's start a riot! Shine on!"

RIOT V is busy recording the follow-up to "Unleash The Fire" for a spring 2018 release. Production duties will be handled by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (METAL CHURCH, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, SLIPKNOT, KORN). The new songs promise to please fans of the "Thundersteel" era of RIOT, as longtime Mark Reale music collaborator Don Van Stavern undertakes a lot of the writing, as he did on "Thundersteel", "The Privilege Of Power" and "Unleash The Fire".

Don Van Stavern adds: "This next offering will please longtime fans and create new ones, as the material is fresh and power metal at its finest."

FBE has uploaded a new Kids React video, this time with kids listening to Led Zeppelin. Most of the reactions are positive, especially from 8-year-old Jake.

 

Check out another episode where kids react to Iron Maiden.

A previous episode, where kids react to AC/DC, can be seen below:

Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group has announced the signing of '90s progressive metal adventurers GALACTIC COWBOYS. The band's reunited original lineup — lead vocalist Ben Huggins, drummer/vocalist Alan Doss, guitarist/vocalist Dane Sonnier and vocalist/bassist Monty Colvin — will release its first album in seventeen years, "Long Way Back To The Moon", on November 17. They descended upon Doss's studio in Houston, Texas in early 2016 to write and record.

A video for the track "Internal Masquerade" can be seen below.

GALACTIC COWBOYS has always been a musical enigma. Hailing from Houston, Texas, the band combined melodic thrash, progressive metal, and BEATLES-esque harmonies into a genre of its own creation. Blending these considerable musical chops with a quirky sense of humor, the band quickly distinguished itself from anyone else in the world, garnering fans amongst some of music's biggest stars. Their first time around, though, they were the right band at exactly the wrong time. On this outing, they shoot for the moon again, and celebrate the journey back. The COWBOYS' most notable fanbase became other musicians—an exclusive club that included other 1990s musical misanthropes such as JELLYFISH, KING'S X and Kevin Gilbert. Reflecting both the musicality and diversity of the band, GALACTIC COWBOYS toured with two hard rock/metal legends, ANTHRAX and DREAM THEATER.

Said former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy: "The GALACTIC COWBOYS were (and still are) one of my favorite bands to emerge from the '90s. Great songwriting, killer players and euphoric harmonies. They were always criminally underrated and overlooked, which led to their premature demise in 2000. My last seventeen years have had a hole in my musical palate without them and I couldn't be happier at the announcement of their return! Welcome back boys... I missed you!"

The eleven new tracks (and two bonus tracks) included on "Long Way Back To The Moon" harken back to the COWBOYS' iconic songs, but are infused with a contemporary hard rock sound. In the tradition of ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, Steven Wilson and PERIPHERY, the album is completely organic: engineered, produced, mixed, and mastered by the band — even all the artwork. One trapping of contemporary production set aside by the band was an over-reliance on studio trickery — no Pro Tools, drum triggers or even vocal tuning. Just real music by real musicians.

The album's sound is alternately heavy, whimsical, charging, and crunching, combining inescapable atmosphere with the drive of a band on a mission. Old fans will feel at home, but hard rock fans who have never heard GALACTIC COWBOYS before will also be instantly hooked. As with all GALACTIC COWBOYS albums, the songs are emotional in topic, and often including a large dose of ironic humor. Each song is performed, sung, and written with intense passion.

Said Colvin: "It was an absolute pleasure getting back together with the guys to record this album. I think we've all grown as musicians and as people since we first got together in '89, and I think our fans will really love this new stuff."

The song "Zombies" is a tongue-in-cheek study on finding love on the last day of human existence, blended with social commentary regarding modern society's obsession with its electronic screens. Timely topics continue with "Next Joke": from kids' sports in which everyone gets a trophy to Disney telling kids to wish upon a star and all their dreams will come true, our unrealistic expectations have set us all up for failure: the joke is on us. "Internal Masquerade", the album’s first single, examines the turmoil endemic to the human experience and the difficulties in keeping self-generated darkness at bay, themes revisited in darker "Blood In My Eyes".

A special treat for fans both old and new is "In The Clouds", the album’s leadoff track and also the first GALACTIC COWBOYS song ever written. Penned in 1989 by Doss and Colvin after the demise of their previous outfit, THE AWFUL TRUTH, the song explores leaving the banal confines of this world behind and ascending to a higher plane of existence. It's also the song Huggins sang to earn his spot in the band!

Said Sonnier: "We can't wait for everyone to hear this, and it's great to be back. Back from the Ranch on Mars and onward to the moon."

NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) veterans BLITZKRIEG will release a new seven-inch vinyl EP, "Reign Of Fire", on December 8 in a limited edition of five hundred copies embraced by amazing handdrawn old-school metal artwork by Lee Murphy.

Says BLITZKRIEG guitarist Ken Johnson: "We are very excited about the 'Reign Of Fire' EP coming out on our new label/home, Mighty Music, prior to the new album release in 2018. Let's re-ignite the fire... flame on."

"Reign Of Fire" was recorded by Phil (Vandetta) Davies at Downcast Base HQ Recording Studios, Newcastle upon Tyne, England and mixed by Johan Haagesen at Hansen Studios, Ribe, Denmark.

Track listing:

Side A: Reign Of FireSide B: Judge Not (exclusive track for this vinyl release only)

Next month, BLITZKRIEG will enter the studio to record its first album for Mighty Music and follow-up to 2013's "Back From Hell". A spring 2018 release is expected, to be followed by a European tour.

"Reign Of Fire" can be pre-ordered at the official BLITZKRIEG bandshop, where "Reign Of Fire" t-shirt can be ordered as well.

Watch a video teaser for "Reign Of Fire" below.

2015 marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of BLITZKRIEG, which came into existence in 1980. Although their debut single, "Buried Alive" b/w "Blitzkrieg" (on Neat Records) was released in 1981, it was not till 1985 that the band recorded its debut album, as Ross was involved with his other group, SATAN, recording and touring their debut opus, "Court In The Act".

BLITZKRIEG's "A Time Of Changes" included the band's self-titled song "Blitzkrieg", which was covered by METALLICA on the "Creeping Death" EP. METALLICA's drummer, Lars Ulrich, commented that BLITZKRIEG was one of his band's main musical inspirations, along with DIAMOND HEAD.

Brian, the only remaining founding member of BLITZKRIEG, said: "Lars Ulrich phoned me up and asked if they could cover the song.

"METALLICA were, and still are, big fans of the band. We have met up with them a few times over the years and I am really pleased that they still play 'Blitzkrieg' at gigs."

Brian said that he tried to give the then-unknown METALLICA a helping hand in the early 1980s.

"They sent me their demo when they were still unsigned, asking for my help to get them on our label," he said. "But the label turned them down, saying they'd never go anywhere.

"I met up with the guy who made that call a few years ago and he says it is the biggest mistake of his life."

BLITZKRIEG is:

Brian Ross - Lead vocalsKen johnson - Guitars, keyboards, backing vocalsAlan Ross - Guitars, Backing vocalsMatt Graham - DrumsHuw Holding - Bass

Band photo and video teaser by Geoff Duke

Glenn Hughes will continue his tour of New Zealand and Australia after doctors said he was suffering from dehydration.

The former DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist was assessed by doctors in Christchurch Wednesday morning after being forced to cut short the first New Zealand show due to what witnesses called "some sort of a medical event".

But in a video message posted earlier today, Glenn said that he will carry on with the rest of the tour. "Last night was a bit of a hiccup," he said. "I had dehydration from not drinking enough water. Note to self: Mr. Hughes, drink water."

Hughes spent Tuesday night in a Christchurch hospital after leaving the stage at Horncastle Arena with fifteen minutes remaining in his set. He later wrote that he "felt dizzy" and "couldn't make the full show." He added that he "played for one hour and forty-five minutes when" he left the stage, assisted by his tech.

Glenn's tour continues Wednesday night at Wellington's Michael Fowler Centre.

Hughes and his backing band — Jeff Kollman, Lachy Doley and Pontus Engborg — are revisiting some of DEEP PURPLE's best-known songs for the first time on the current trek.

Hughes played his last show with DEEP PURPLE in March 1976, three years after joining the band.

Former W.A.S.P. and current METAL CHURCH drummer Stet Howland is reportedly undergoing tests at a hospital in Massachusetts after coming down with an as-yet-diagnosed illness.

According to Stet's METAL CHURCH bandates, the drummer hadn't been feeling well the last couple of weeks "but trooper that he is, he made it through the last few shows for our fans! It started after walking around the flood waters of Ft. Myers and eventually he had to visit Tobey Hospital and get checked out," they wrote in a September 12 Facebook post.

One week later, METAL CHURCH issued an update on Stet's condition, saying that "the best news is that physically, Stet is starting to feel a little better each day. He has moments of energy where he can hold a conversation and even stand and walk within the hospital room. He is getting an appetite back and eating almost two meals a day.

"Stet is still having severe 'episodes' a few times a day," they added. "These 'episodes' basically start with a fever and are followed by intense episodes of pain. The pain is literally incapacitating and it strikes his entire body. As the episode comes down, the pain localizes to one particular place in his body, sometimes an arm, sometimes a hip and eventually it levels off to a manageable level of pain.

"Stet was given a platelet transfusion on [September] 19th and his body has accepted them well and there is no internal bleeding. There is some fluid on his lungs that is not currently affecting his breathing.

"He has been moved to a bigger hospital that has a blood bank on site in case he develops a bleed and needs to be addressed quickly. Infectious Disease, Hematology and Oncology departments are working together. There have been literally hundreds of blood tests ordered. He has had more CT scans and ultrasound and they completed a bone marrow biopsy.

"Stet is still in a holding pattern and fighting off new symptoms as they strike.

"The family are waiting patiently for a diagnosis and looking forward to Stet being stabilized so they can go home."

Stet was named METAL CHURCH's permanent new drummer in July. He stated at the time that he was "honored to be a member of such a group of people" and vowed to do his "best to deliver strong performances both live and in the studio."

Photo credit: Markus Wiedenmann Photography

After a great summer of playing festivals such as PouzzaFest, FuseFest and Beau's OktoberFest, Ottawa, ON's loud, wild and heavy anthemic rock n'rollers Hellbros have a new music video especially for those ‘80s video game lovers... Duck Hunt, Space Invaders anyone..? The video is for their new fist pumping stage diving single "Feed It" that is slated to be on Hellbros' upcoming album Take The Animal that they will be hitting the studio in November to record and plan to release in 2018. 

Take The Animal will be the follow up to their 2016 self-titled album debut on French label Bad Reputation, which was a compilation of their two previous self-releases, 2011's full length album Good Time Machine and their 2015 EP Calling All Giants. 

Frontman Peter Jurt comments on the video:

"It's homage to our love of the ‘80s; a bump of sunset strip sleaze with a sprinkle of thrash metal."

The track is also available for FREE download or Pay What Ya Want via their Bandcamp page.

The UK metalcore powerhouse Silent Screams has signed a worldwide deal with Long Branch Records.
 
Formed in 2007 by Tom Craig, Sam Varney, Ozzi Osman, Adam Mallabone and James Ryan, the band quickly started working on their first EP. In 2008 with the help of Producer Matt Hyde (As I Lay Dying, Gallows, Funeral For A Friend) Silent Screams self-released Ghosts. The band signed with Ghost Music and in 2011 released their first full length, When It Rains, which was recorded and produced by Joey Sturgis (Asking Alexandria, The Devil Wears Prada, Miss May I). They shot a video for the title track and started gaining attention worldwide.
 
Silent Screams has since been through a lineup change replacing lead vocalist James Ryan with Joel Heywood in 2012. The band has since signed with Artery Recordings and in 2014 released their second full length Hope For Now. The sophomore album has done very well and had very impressive chart positions.
 
Following the touring cycle for Hope For Now, Tom decided to leave the band for personal reasons. The Band recruited Mikey Scrivens a longtime friend of the band to be the new bass player/singer. Mikey joined the band on tours with The Browning and Asking Alexandria. The band recorded the single "LOVE//LESS" featuring Mikey on vocals. Following the 2017 European tour with Asking Alexandria, Mikey decided touring wasn't for him and he stepped aside.

 
The band had kept good relations with Tom and spoke to him about potentially working together on future projects. Tom decided to rejoin Silent Screams and they started working on the bands third studio album.
 
The band began writing and recording their third studio album in 2017. The first single "Low" from the new album will be released on Thursday, September 28th, just ahead of their European tour with In Hearts Wake & Gideon.
 
The new album is due in early 2018. More info will be announced shortly.

 

Ensiferum recently released their new album, Two Paths, via Metal Blade Records; for their efforts, the band has now entered the worldwide charts! See below for all positions:

--#14 Current Hard Music Albums (USA)
--#18 Top New Artist Albums (USA)
--#147 Current Digital Albums (USA)
--#160 Top Current Albums (USA)
--#195 Digital Albums (USA)
--#4 Finland
--#9 Germany
--#18 Switzerland
--#35 Austria
--#43 Independent Album Charts (UK)
--#9 Top Hard Albums (Canada)
--#45 Top 200 (Canada)

You can't talk about the true greats of folk-inspired melodic death metal without reverent mention of Ensiferum, and with Two Paths they once more affirm their place in the pantheons of the genre. Further building upon the thrilling metallic hybrid honed across six full-lengths, Two Paths is simultaneously the Finnish quintet's most epic and far-reaching collection and their most organic, which definitely sets it apart from the pack. Additionally, the album literally takes the concept of Two Paths to heart, with two different versions of standout tracks "Don't You Say" and "God Is Dead". "Even though Ensiferum has always had clean vocals and choirs, harsh vocals have been the main style, and those songs worked so well with both styles that we decided to include both versions," explains bassist/vocalist Sami Hinkka. With Mikko P. Mustonen again handling orchestral arrangements and Lassi Logren returning to play nyckelharpa and violin on a few songs, Hinkka is also more than happy that they brought "more bombastic orchestral and down to earth folk aspects" to the record, further fleshing out their vision. This also applies to the contribution of Gyula Havancsak, who provided the artwork for both Two Paths and its predecessor, One Man Army. "It was really nice to work with him again because he always wants to hear our ideas and then he adds his own magic and improvements to them, and the result is always astonishing."

Order the new album here.

Two Paths tracklisting:

“Ajattomasta Unesta”
“For Those About To Fight For Metal”
“Way Of The Warrior”
“Two Paths”
“King Of Storms”
“Feast With Valkyries”
“Don't You Say”
“I Will Never Kneel”
“God Is Dead”
“Hail To The Victor”
“Unettomaan Aikaan”
“God Is Dead” (Alternative Version)
“Don't You Say” (Alternative Version)

Album stream:

“Making of” video:

“Way Of The Warrior” video:

From September 26th onward, Ensiferum will present Two Paths live on stage, splitting their European tour into two parts. The first part will be in September with six dates in three countries, and then in April 2018 there will be an extended tour through many more European countries. In between that time, Ensiferum will visit all other continents. See below for all confirmed shows, with more to be announced soon.

Tour dates:

September
26 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
27 - Langen, Germany - Stadthalle
28 - Arnhem, Netherlands - Luxor Live
29 - Berlin, Germany - SO36
30 - Osnabruck, Germany - Hyde Park

October
1 - Paris, France - La Machine

Ensiferum lineup:

Petri Lindroos - Vocals/Guitar
Markus Toivonen - Guitar/Vocals
Sami Hinkka - Bass/Vocals
Janne Parviainen - Drums
Netta Skog - Digital Accordion/Backing vocals

Iris Divine are streaming the new song “Fractures”, featured on their upcoming album, The Static And The Noise, out on October 6th. Listen to the track below. Pre-order the album here.

Tracklisting:

“Catalyst”
“Taking Back The Fall”
“Echoes / Effigies”
“Fractures”
“The Static And The Noise”
“Like Glass”
“The Acolyte”
“We All Dissolve”

“Fractures”:

“Taking Back The Fall” video:

Iris Divine lineup:

Navid Rashid - vocals and guitar
Kris Combs - drums, keys/ programming
Brian Dobbs - bass

By 1977, Frank Zappa's Halloween shows were already the stuff of legends. While the shows began in the late '60s, around 1972, these monumental performances would become annual events, initially in Passaic, NJ and Chicago, IL before moving to New York City in 1974, where they'd remain.  NYC (and its audience) had become a special place for Zappa and the synchronization of Halloween in NYC proved to be the perfect match. From October 28-31, 1977, Zappa and his band played six historic shows at the 3,000 capacity Palladium. All the performances were recorded with four being filmed, resulting in Zappa's mammoth film project, "Baby Snakes."

Following the news that Frank Zappa will be going back on tour, the Zappa Family Trust and Universal are proud to announce that Zappa's legendary Halloween residency of 1977 will be released for the first time in its entirety on October 20th via Zappa Records/UMe just in time for the 40th Anniversary of these shows.

The Halloween 77 box set will include all six concerts with 158 tracks (mixed in 2016 from original vault masters) loaded onto a "Zappa's Oh Punky" fun size candy bar-shaped USB drive in 24-bit WAV audio. The package will also include a 28-page digital booklet featuring never-before-seen photos and liner notes from Vaultmeister Joe Travers, co-producer of the box alongside Ahmet Zappa, and personal firsthand accounts from many of Zappa's bandmates, crew and fans who were there, including guitarist Adrian Belew, percussionist Ed Mann, keyboard tech Thomas Nordegg, tour manager Phil Kaufman, and fan Janet "The Planet" Walley. In the spirit of Zappa's favorite season, the specially designed, limited run box will include a retro Halloween mask and costume of the maestro himself.

In addition to the box set, a 3CD version will also be available featuring the entire Halloween night show plus select tracks from the October 30th gig.  Fans looking for a specific show will be able to purchase the concert of their choice digitally on release day.

Pre-order links:

- Halloween 77 box set
- Halloween 77 3CD

"This box set was a very special experience for me to work on," said Ahmet Zappa. "I wanted to make sure we honored these legendary shows, so it was important to me that this box set felt of the era. It was a blast working with our partners to create the late '70s-inspired Frank Zappa Mask and costume and the candy-shaped USB stick filled with tons of Zappa goodness. It was yet again a labor of love gathering up all the archival materials, reading notes by people who were there, and most importantly making sure the audio was up to par. All of us at Zappa Records are mighty pleased with it, and hope that fans of Frank Zappa and of Halloween will be too."

Originally scheduled for four shows from October 28th - 31st, Zappa added two more shows due to intense popular demand, with the final total tallying six shows in four days. The full residency is presented as it happened with no overdubs or additional tinkering. The audio was remixed from scratch using fresh transfers from the master multi-track tapes, which all had to be heat treated for transfer by Travers.

The 1977 lineup of the band featured Terry Bozzio on drums, Tommy Mars and Peter Wolf on keyboards, Adrian Belew on guitar and vocals, Ed Mann on percussion and Patrick O'Hearn on bass; this band could really burn. Over the six shows, the ensemble averaged 25 songs per night with exciting improvisations and audience participation from "New York's Finest Crazy Persons" at every show, making each uniquely different. At these shows Zappa really got into the spirit with Halloween antics including bringing tech Thomas Nordegg on stage to perform some magic tricks and the band's tour manager, the "Road Mangler," Phil Kaufman, performing as the human trombone. Original Mothers' bassist Roy Estrada also joined the festivities.

The songs performed at this musical marathon spanned Zappa's then 11-year career with tracks from Hot Rats, Over-Nite Sensation, Bongo Fury, One Size Fits All, and his most recent album at the time, Zoot Allures. Many of the songs played were previously unreleased and would go on to be recorded for Zappa's acclaimed 1979 album, Sheik Yerbouti, including "Flakes," "Broken Hearts Are For Assholes," "Jones Crusher," "Bobby Brown Goes Down," "City Of Tiny Lites," "Tryin' To Grow A Chin," and "Wild Love." The October 30th show notably featured the world premiere of the Grammy-nominated Disco satire "Dancin' Fool," andthe one and only performance of Zappa's infamous "Jewish Princess." The basic tracks from this performance were used on Sheik Yerbouti's controversial studio version which ultimately attracted attention from the Anti-Defamation League who asked the FCC to ban the record from being played on the air.

Halloween 77 is not only rife with fan favorites but also includes many rare and unreleased performances and arrangements. This box set includes the first official release of the instrumental version of "Conehead."  These five versions are vastly different than the song that would be included on Zappa's 1981 record, You Are What You Is. The rarely played"Läther" was performed at all six shows and immediately followed by the equally rare, "Wild Love," which became a solo workout each night. This one-two punch was followed by the comedic song "Titties 'N Beer," ultimately released on Zappa In New York, made especially memorable each time for the caustic improv dialog Zappa spewed about a then ongoing legal battle with Warner Bros. Other highlights include six extended guitar workouts of "The Torture Never Stops" and the combustible Halloween night finale of "Black Napkins."

Continuing the Zappa Family Trust and UMe's Zappa on-going vinyl initiative, Zoot Allures will be reissued on 180-gram vinyl on October 20. Zoot Allures features two of Zappa's signature guitar pieces, "Black Napkins" & "Zoot Allures." The album became a fan favorite since its release in 1976. Originally conceived as a double-disc, Zappa re-edited it to a single record after pressure from his record company. This 180-gram reissue was mastered and cut directly from the analog tape master by Bernie Grundman in 2017

To celebrate the release of their debut album, Cenotaph (which drops on October 13th via Dark Star Records in Association with MVD Entertainment and The Orchard/Sony), Toronto-based symphonic metallists Operus will be celebrating the album’s release with a performance in their hometown.

On October 14th, the band will be hitting the stage of the Rivoli in Toronto, with two other reputable bands - Crimson Shadows (Napalm Records recording artists, and winners of Wacken Metal Battle 2013) and Profaner (runners up at Wacken Metal Battle 2016). Find a Facebook event page here.

Prior to the album’s release and aforementioned performance, Operus - which is comprised of David Michael Moote (vocals), Rob Holden (guitar), Oscar Rangel (guitar, backing vocals), Robin Howe (cello, backing vocals), Wojciech Sokolowski (bass, backing vocals) and J.J. Tartaglia (drums) - have released a lyric video for the standout track, “The Return”, which can be viewed below.

“The song talks about that powerful feeling we get when we travel back to our old ‘life’,” explains Rangel. “This being our childhood house, neighbourhood, city, country or even our childhood friends, only to realize that we are now strangers to our own upbringing. In my case and the bassist (we came up with the concept, he’s from Poland and I’m from Mexico, we both have lived in Canada for a long time now) this song talks about that feeling we got when moved to Canada (different world) and have to struggle to adapt to our new lives in a different society, in new city, etc., and how the feeling of being out of place doesn’t change by going back home to where we were born and raised. Lastly, this song talks about taking control over your own life and feelings and making ‘home’ wherever you are, writing our own history. For our bodies is where we truly live, and not a specific geography on Earth. We used a lot of epic language for we wanted to give the illusion that we are talking about a character coming back home after a war, but all this can be interpreted in more ways than one.”

The sound of Operus is a cross breed of a metal band, a travelling theatre troupe that come together to produce a unique sound and thrilling live show, and the album can be pre-ordered via these links:

- Amazon
- iTunes
- Google Play

"Cenotaph is a commemoration of writers and poets who never gained the recognition and or lived to see the impact of their work," explains the band. "The concept and inspiration for the title of the album is taken from a statue in Budapest located opposite of Vajdahunyad Castle, Anonymous, the unknown chronicler at the court of King Béla III. The lyrical concepts are not that of any one specific idea but rather a mosaic of different stories and legends which are meant to paint images in the minds of the listener, much like the tales laid by the quills of writers long ago."

Cenotaph tracklisting:

“Silver Spell”
“Steel Against Steel”
“Colosseum”
“Sands Of Time”
“Fate's Pantomime”
“Wretched Play”
“Cenotaph”
“Maya & The Wolf”
“La Catedral”
“The Return”

Operus is:

David Michael Moote (Vocals)
Rob Holden (Guitar)
Oscar Rangel (Guitar/Backing vocals)
Robin Howe (Cello/backing vocals)
Wojciech Sokolowski (Bass/Backing vocals)
JJ Tartaglia (Drums)

An unboxing video for the deluxe box set edition of Lord Of The Lost’s upcoming Swan Songs II album, out on October 6th, is available for streaming below.

With their Swan Songs-series, Lord Of The Lost showcase their ability to create fascinatingly heavy classical music. This is the second time the Hamburg-based dark rockers have conjured their music with an ensemble album in such grandiose style. Their upcoming masterpiece, Swan Songs II, will be released October 6th via Napalm Records and will feature some of the finest dark rock-sinfonia coated by dramatic arrangements with a chamber orchestra.

"You could say Swan Songs is some kind of a side-project for us, but Swan Songs II is predominated with 10 brand new songs so we would like to emphasize its independence as a main album," vocalist Chris Harms explains. "After our show at Gothic Meets Classic and when we started to re-arrange our songs with a symphonic orchestra in 2014 for the first Swan Songs release back in early 2015, this album turned out as a huge success. Sold out shows, many emotions and tears behind, on and in front of the stage, it's been a very touching record for us and our fans, so that kept motivating us as well as in our creative freedom to release the next chapter of new songs you won't hear as normal rock versions, and what should become Swan Songs II."

Swan Songs II tracklisting:

“Waiting For You To Die”
“Lighthouse”
“The Broken Ones”
“My Better Me”
“Ribcages”
“Wander In Sable”
“The Devil You Know”
“We Were Divine”
“From The Brink Of The Other World”
“Fall Asleep”

“Lighthouse” video:

“Waiting For You To Die” lyric video:

Teaser:

A true opus featuring ten brand-new songs, which showcase tender strings and charming piano play with a heaviness one has come to expect from the band. Once more Lord Of The Lost manage to deliver their songs with a new beauty and gloss, and prove that they cannot be reduced to their brute site only. Swan Songs II is a touching creation with top arrangements.

Swan Songs II will be available as CD Digi Pack, LP Gatefold or Digital Download. Pre-order here.

In support of their upcoming release, Lord Of The Lost will heavily hit the road this year. Find the band’s live itinerary at this location.

International metal opera project, Pagliacci, have released a new music video. The song is called “A Place To Hide” and features former Therion vocalist Snowy Shaw, who has also been involved with bands such as Dimmu Borgir, Sabaton, King Diamond, Memento Mori and others.

Snowy has recorded six song for Pagliacci’s upcoming album, The Village Of Madmen, in which he plays the role of “a malevolent storyteller – the one who tells the story of each of our lives”. Or as he puts it himself in one of the songs: “I am the voice inside your head, I am all the voices in everybody’s head.”

The video was shot on two locations - Pirin Mountain in Bularia and Gothenburg, Sweden - and features 2D and 3D animation. It was directed by Anna Damaskova.

Pagliacci was founded by Zhivko Koev (Vivaldi Metal Project, ex-Allegorist) and features guest musicians from all over the world. Their debut EP, Yours Sincerely, Sister Josephine, was released in June 2017.

AEROSMITH has been forced to cancel a handful of South American tour dates while Steven Tyler recovers from "unexpected medical issues." A tweet from the 69-year-old singer's account said he was "seeking immediate care and has been advised by his doctors that he cannot travel or perform at this time."

"Steven is expected to make a full recovery," the band said in a statement. "With proper rest and treatment he will be back on his feet soon, rocking the world."

Tyler released a personal message to fans in those countries that were affected by the cancelations. "To everybody in South America — Brazil, Chile, Argentina and Mexico — I'm very sorry and feel like I've let you down," he wrote. "I won't be able to continue the last four shows of this tour. I flew back to the U.S. on doctor's orders last night after the show in São Paulo.

"Please not to worry," he continued, "I am not in a life-threatening condition, but I need to deal with this right away and get some rest and medical care immediately in order to sustain and maintain my future performances. I promise I'll be back. Unfortunately, health does not wait and it's something even I can't schedule around our shows. As they say, 'We humans make plans, and God laughs.' I love you all and will be back with you soon."

AEROSMITH launched its "Aero-Vederci Baby!" tour in May with the band's first show in Israel in more than twenty years.

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry recently told the Associated Press that the band will continue playing until at least its upcoming fiftieth anniversary, which the band will celebrate in 2020. "I thing that we're gonna keep going," the guitarist said. "The way it looks to me is the band is gonna stay pretty active over the next few years 'cause our fiftieth anniversary is coming up in two years, of when the band got together, and we'd like to see that happen."

Added Tyler: "I don't know if it'll continue forever, but as long as the band is playing the way it is right now, it's gonna be for a long time."

pic.twitter.com/xV3pnpAXWR

— Steven Tyler (@IamStevenT) September 26, 2017

According to Stuff.co.nz, Glenn Hughes was forced to cut his concert in Christchurch, New Zealand short, apparently due to some sort of medical emergency.

The former DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist was performing at the city's Horncastle Arena on Tuesday night (September 26) and got through about three-quarters of the show when he "appeared to have some sort of medical event on stage," according to a Facebook post from concert attendee Nick King.

Fellow concert-goer Graeme Pillidge told told NewstalkZB that Hughes had complained about having a cold throughout the performance and could no longer stand up.

Another fan took to Twitter to thank Hughes for visiting Christchurch.

"We hope you're feeling better soon!" Brent Doncliff wrote. "Come back to see us again."

Hughes's tour publicist, Sandra Roberts, said she had spoken to promoter Simone Williams of promoters Liberty Stage who described the legendary 65-year-old rocker as "comfortable and resting" and receiving treatment.

A decision will be made tomorrow regarding the remaining dates of Hughes's tour. He is scheduled to play in Wellington on Wednesday night and then conclude his New Zealand visit in Auckland.

Hughes and his backing band — Jeff Kollman, Lachy Doley and Pontus Engborg — are in the middle of a tour of Australian and New Zealand, where they are revisiting some of DEEP PURPLE's best-known songs for the first time.

Hughes played his last show with DEEP PURPLE in March 1976, three years after joining the band.




So the Glenn Hughes gig was cut short (about 3/4 through) as Glenn appeared to have some sort of medical event on stage during Getting Tighter. Hope he's okay.

Posted by Nick King on Tuesday, September 26, 2017

@glenn_hughes Thanks for coming to see us at Christchurch. We hope you're feeling better soon! Come back to see us again.

— Brent Doncliff (@BrentDoncliff) September 26, 2017

Canadian thrashers ANNIHILATOR will release their sixteenth studio album, "For The Demented", on November 3 via Neverland Music/Silver Lining Music. The follow-up to 2015's "Suicide Society" will be available in a limited-edition digipack with lenticular cover, a jewel-case CD, a twelve-inch, 180-gram colored vinyl in gatefold and digital download.

Pre-orders are now live at this location. Also available is a brand new trailer for the disc (see below). "It was time to analyze what a lot of fans over the years have kept telling me," says ANNIHILATOR guitarist and main songwriter Jeff Waters. "It was time to sit down and figure out 'why' ANNIHILATOR's early 'thrash-meets-melodic' caught the ears of so many and to try to sweep the 'fan' part of my writing/playing/singing out the door and welcome back the mostly original Waters writing that was to be the first four ANNIHILATOR albums." Waters didn't venture back alone while looking back through ANNIHILATOR's history. "I was well aware that trying to re-capture the past usually fails, or at least won't come close," he says. "So, I decided to bring in fresh ears, both musically and physically with Rich Hinks, my bassist for the last few years. And doing most all of the records by myself, including writing and playing most all on my own, as well as mixing, mastering, engineering, etc… well, it can become routine and can often hinder you from being objective and more creative. "Rich came in and co-wrote the music with me, as well as co-produced the beginning stages of the record. His background of classic thrash metal meets a newer 'math' metal style was the perfect combination for me to simply ask, 'What do you think of this?' He would most-often reply with 'not the ANNIHILATOR style I like,' so we would keep going until we both felt that core ANNIHILATOR riffing and writing style presented itself."

Jeff continues: "Bottom line, 'For The Demented' captures some feel from ANNIHILATOR's 1985-87 demos mixed with the first four ANNIHILATOR records. Back to the thrash-meets-melody but with some pure Waters guitar riffing, upgraded lead guitar shredding and vocals back to the demo days meets the 'King of The Kill' record. Lyrically, I placed a theme on the record: the human mind and all of its glory, complexity, diversity, weaknesses and insanity! Pretty much the craziness of the music is matched by the lyrics. "I think metal fans are going to hear much of what they have been waiting for from ANNIHILATOR," adds Waters. "For The Demented" track listing:

01. Twisted Lobotomy02. One To Kill03. For The Demented04. Pieces of You05. The Demon You Know06. Phantom Asylum 07. Altering The Alter08. The Way09. Dark10. Not All There

The official video for "Twisted Lobotomy" can be seen below.

Since 1989, ANNIHILATOR have not stopped putting out records and touring the world. Despite the ever-changing climate of the metal world (and releasing a series of "different" metal records with various lineups along the way), Waters and company have consistently delivered strong albums since the band's debut, "Alice In Hell". Then there was 1990's best-selling "Never, Neverland", 1995's "King Of The Kill", "Schizo Deluxe" in 2005 and many other critically acclaimed releases up until "Suicide Society". The "under-the-radar" influence of this band, and Waters, has been felt throughout the entire realm of the metal world by a ton of well-known musicians and bands; that influence even stretching into the hard rock and instrumentalist genre. Waters, in his usual humble manner, offers this in response: "ANNIHILATOR's music has been influenced by a good hundred of my favorite bands and musicians; you can hear their contributions to what I have been doing all throughout ANNIHILATOR's catalog. It's a bonus and an honor when bands and musicians I love mention that I had something to do with their playing or songs!" ANNIHILATOR is:

Jeff Waters (vocals, guitar)Fabio Alessandrini (drums)Rich Hinks (bass)Aaron Homma (guitar)

Photo credit: Jasmina Vrcko

Memphis-based hard rockers, Every Mother's Nightmare, welcomes back co-founder and original drummer, Jim Phipps. Jim played on the 1989 debut release and 1993's Wake Up Screaming released by Arista Records.

Jim toured with the band for several years before leaving the group in 1995. In 2003, Jim returned to do a 30-day tour and in 2008, when the band played at the Rocklahoma Festival. After the festival, Jim decided to pursue other opportunities, touring with the Jasmine Cain Band before returning home to Nashville, TN where he then auditioned for producer Michael Knox's project, Bush Hawg. Jim toured with Bush Hawg throughout the US, Japan, Canada, and Mexico as well as with other Nashville artists over the years.

Rick Ruhl and Jim met up while at the Nashville Rock N’ Pod Expo in August and over the course of the month started a discussion around the possibility of Jim returning to play with Every Mother's Nightmare.

“I’ve known Jim half my life, we started this thing way back and achieved something that we are very proud of. The chemistry is undeniable and when we write together it’s explosive. Everything about it felt right. From the conversation to meeting with the band to talking with our label and management to the final call to Jim. This band right now is a force to be reckoned with,” explains Ruhl.

“Rick and I have always been friends, something like 30+ years and we’ve always kept in touch. I've always been interested in what EMN is doing. They say timing is everything in this business. That time is now for Every Mother’s Nightmare,” says Phipps.

Now two original members strong and undeniable chemistry, the band is stronger than ever. Every Mother's Nightmare is ready to move forward and write the next chapter. With the highly anticipated release Grind due out October 6th on HighVolMusic, EMN is already writing and starting preproduction for their next record. There is no denying that it will be straight up rock n' roll EMN style.

“EMN would also like to take this opportunity to thank Lonnie Hammer for his time and dedication while in the band. We wish him the very best in his future endeavors.”

Grind will be distributed via MRi/Sony in North America and Cargo Records throughout Europe. The album features a total of 11 tracks and three videos. The enhanced CD contains the five tracks from the self-released EP, plus three brand new studio tracks, three new live tracks recorded from the band's performance at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, TN on August 21st, 2016 and the new video for “Push” along with the videos “Blown Away” and “Loco Crazy”.

Studio tracks on Grind were produced by Justin Rimer at Cross Trax Studios. Live tracks were produced by David Cowell at Cleaved Owl Productions with mastering by Brad Blackwood at Euphonic Masters. The project also features appearances by Jim Dandy (The Jim Dandy) guest vocals on “Stand Up”, Wayne Swinny (Saliva) guitar on “Snake”, and Zach Myers (Shinedown) guitar on “Crazy”.

Tracklisting:

“Loco Crazy”
“Snake”
“Upper Hand”
“Blown Away”
“Sacred Circle”
“Days Are Through”
“Stand Up”
“Swing”
“Closet” (Live)
“Walls” (Live)
“Push” (Live)
“Push” (Video)
“Blown Away” (Video)
“Loco Crazy” (Video)

"Swing Again":

Album teaser:

“Loco Crazy” video:

(Photo - Dreadheadkev’s Photography)

Uriah Heep announces the release of a 2CD/1DVD package of their 30th Anniversary show in 1989, which has only been available on VHS previously. This remastered release is now available digitally and as a 2CD/1DVD set in all new packaging.

This concert is likely to be the only gap in many committed fans’ collections and gives their core fanbase the opportunity to complete the entire Heep discography. This release is the culmination of a long process to make sure all of the Uriah Heep back catalogue is available in modern day formats and digitally.

The set also includes a bonus audio interview, recorded on the same day as the concert, which was previously only available on picture disc LP and CD for a very limited amount of time.

Of this release, Mick Box said, “This is a great meeting of two products, which were always closely linked together, and are now merged into one definitive set. This is the second release on Uriah Heep Records and a great reminder of our 30th Anniversary celebrations!”

The band has also heard fans’ voices and released the first vinyl title on its own label, a picture disc LP called Selections From Totally Driven, which features the stunning artwork of Igor Morski.

The LP draws on tracks from the band’s own label’s first release, Totally Driven, which was a 2 CD collection of re-records of their greatest hits and continues to be available.

Both of these projects are available on Amazon, iTunes and by all good retailers on the band’s own Uriah Heep Records, via Cherry Red.

"Night Work", a brand new video from gore metal maniacs EXHUMED, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Death Revenge", which will be released on October 13 via Relapse. EXHUMED frontman Matt Harvey comments: "We are extremely stoked to present this cinematic clip that brings you deep into the world of the 'Death Revenge' storyline. Director Jeff Sisson really outdid himself capturing the vibe and violence of the record and the concept. This is the first video we've done that really fulfills the horror-movie vision we've always wanted to capture with our music. Spoiler alert: It's a tale of grave robbery, murder and madness. So sit back, turn off the lights, lock your doors, and get ready to undertake some 'Night Work' with us."

EXHUMED's sixth full-length sees them tread into ambitious new territory with their first concept album: a musical melodrama in thirteen parts based on shocking true events. "Death Revenge" takes place in the late 1820s in Edinburgh, Scotland and tells the macabre tale of a series of brutal murders where the victims' cadavers were sold to anatomists, amid a grisly underground trade of grave robbery. Recorded with producer Jarrett Pritchard (GOATWHORE, ETERNAL, GRUESOME), the disc takes the band's signature gore-drenched, death metal mayhem to theatrical and ghastly new depths. Cover illustration is by Orion Landau, with interior illustrations by Lucas Ruggieri. EXHUMED recently announced a short run of live dates in November with THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, SUFFOCATION, DECREPIT BIRTH and more as well as a performance at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest on November 5 in San Bernardino, California. EXHUMED is:

Michael "Bud" Burke - Guitar, VocalsMichael Hamilton - DrumsMatthew Harvey - Guitar, VocalsRoss Sewage - Bass, Vocals