"My Antidote", a new song from SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Living The Dream", which will be released on September 21 via Slash's own label Snakepit Records, in partnership with Roadrunner Records.

"Living The Dream" is Slash's fourth solo album, and third with Slash and his bandmates Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass and vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar and vocals). The band has launched a physical pre-order for "Living The Dream" including: a limited-edition deluxe premium 2LP yellow vinyl within a premium "Living The Dream" vinyl-size 20 page hardback book, an exclusive one-sided seven-inch single of "Driving Rain" featuring an etching on the B-side with a special set of Slash guitar picks, standard digital and physical CD album, poster as well as a limited-edition t-shirt and hoodie are available.

The band has also unveiled the album cover art and tracklisting for "Living The Dream". The artwork was created by renowned visual artist Ron English.


"Living The Dream" track listing:


1. The Call Of The Wild

02. Serve You Right

03. My Antidote

04. Mind Your Manners

05. Lost Inside The Girl

06. Read Between The Lines

07. Slow Grind

08. The One You Loved Is Gone

09. Driving Rain

10. Sugar Cane

11. The Great Pretender

12. Boulevard Of Broken Hearts

From the barnstorming, high-octane riffery of opener "Call Of The Wild" to the wah-drenched funk rock of "Read Between The Lines", the haunting majesty of "Lost Inside The Girl" to the swaggering deep-in-the-pocket seventies grooves of "Serve You Right", the stately, quasi-classical melodic themes of "The Great Pretender" to the massive hooks and anthemic, singalong choruses of first single "Driving Rain", "Living The Dream" packs a compendium of sounds and styles into 12 tightly arranged and sharply executed tracks, all of it shot through with Slash's trademark electrifying and dynamic riffing and high-wire, lyrical solos.

"It's a natural progression from 'World On Fire', for sure," Slash says of the new album. "I think it has a little more diversity — some of the ideas are not really what I would consider to be predictable." At the same time, he adds, "The record is also a bit more structured, with songs that are shorter and more to the point than last time." Kennedy concurs. "I don't know that there are as many of those sort of 'epic sonic journeys' that we took on the last record," he says. "Although there are songs that take you on a trip, like 'Lost Inside The Girl'. But overall, a lot of these songs — things like 'My Antidote', 'Read Between The Lines', 'Slow Grind' — they're pretty precise statements, and they definitely fall in line with the type of sound we're known for. There's a certain type of sonic calling card that we've developed over the years, and you can hear it front and center on this record."

"It's just a snapshot of where we're at," Slash continues, summing up "Living The Dream". "Which is what we're going for with each new album — to be present in what we're doing and come up with something that is representative of and reflects this moment in time."

For Slash and the band, this moment in time has been unlike any in their past. The seeds of what would become "Living The Dream" were first planted back on the "World On Fire" tour, when Slash began bringing in material for the band to work on at soundchecks.

"Historically, the way we write is we'll be on the road and I'll have my guitar with me, coming up with ideas sitting in the hotel room or in the dressing room or even sometimes on the bus," Slash explains. "When I have something, I'll bring it to soundcheck and I'll start jamming it out with Frank and Todd and Brent. Then Myles will start humming ideas into the recording apparatus on his telephone, and that's how the nucleus of these songs will start."

"I can tell you that's the way it happened for some of the early songs, like 'Lost Inside The Girl' and 'Serve You Right'," Kennedy says. "We were touring Europe in 2015, and at soundchecks Slash would start playing one of those riffs and everybody would jump in. I remember grabbing my phone and singing some ideas into it right then and there, just being really excited about those two tracks. And at that point there were pieces of a few others, like 'The Great Pretender' and 'The One You Loved Is Gone'. So we were definitely embarking on the songwriting process for a new album."

The plan, according to Slash, "was that we would finish up the 'World On Fire' tour, take a little break and then go right into preproduction and get started on a new record." Which, of course, was not quite what happened. Instead, the GUNS N' ROSES reunion was announced, and Slash went directly into rehearsals with that band. As GN'R hit the road, Kennedy reconvened with his other group, ALTER BRIDGE, for an album and tour, and eventually began writing and recording his solo debut ("Year Of The Tiger"). Any work on a new CONSPIRATORS record was put on indefinite hold.

It wasn't until December of 2017, in fact, that Slash, with GN'R on a break, returned to L.A. and resumed writing in earnest for THE CONSPIRATORS. In addition to the songs that had already been worked up, he used his time at home to write a few new ones, among them the slinky rocker "Slow Grind" and the track that would become the album closer, "Boulevard Of Broken Hearts". Then, in January of this year, Slash and THE CONSPIRATORS finally came back together in a rehearsal space in L.A. to pick up where they had left off years earlier. "I wouldn't even call what we did rehearsals," Slash says. "It was really about just getting back into shape after being apart for so long." But even as the band was finding its groove again, the new songs kept coming. The barnstorming "Mind Your Manners", powered by a turbocharged Slash riff and a double-time rhythm, was written on the very first day of rehearsal. "I just sort of came up with it on the spot to give us something to warm up with," Slash says. "It was the very first thing we jammed on. And from there we fell back into revisiting the old songs, polishing them up and getting the arrangements together. Then we rehearsed everything and jumped into the studio and started recording."

The "Living The Dream" sessions, which commenced in late March, saw the band reunite with producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette, who also helmed "World On Fire". But while the producer stayed the same, the studio this time changed, with Slash opting to move operations to his newly active recording facility, Snakepit Studios. "At some point a couple years ago, I bought a small residential property in L.A. and put together a rehearsal space and studio," he explains. "It has a 16-track digital board, and we did pretty much everything there except the drums. It's just a very homey and cool and cozy spot."

"The environment there is definitely 'Slash,'" says Kennedy of Snakepit Studios. "It's got a lot of the things that over the years I've come to equate with him — dinosaurs, pinball machines, photos of guitar players like Rory Gallagher and Keith Richards on the walls, stuff like that. It's a vibey hang. It was good for the creative process."

To demonstrate just how good for the creative process it was, Kennedy points to the lyrics to one new song, "Serve You Right", which he says were partly inspired by a painting hanging on the bathroom wall at the Snakepit — "a picture of this kind of devilish nun," he says. "That's the only way I can describe it." "It's actually a masturbating nun," Slash clarifies, then laughs. "I've never talked to Myles about it, but the lyrics he came up with for that song, which are insanely suggestive for him, I knew they were influenced by that picture."

Dinosaurs and devilish nuns aside, the sessions at the Snakepit went quick. Recording was completed by early May, at which point the album was mixed and mastered… and then held, as Slash headed back on the road with GN'R for a European tour. "That was definitely a weird feeling," Slash says. "I've never done a record where I've had to wait four or five months for it to come out after we recorded it." He laughs. "Now I understand what actors feel like after they finish shooting a movie…"

As it stands, that pause will be the last extended break for THE CONSPIRATORS for the foreseeable future. The band will be heading out on the road in September for what will be the beginning of a lot of touring across a lot of the world. "We're going to do the U.S. this fall, and then I'll be out with GUNS N' ROSES in in November and December," Slash says. "Then we'll get together and do Europe, and after that it'll be South America, Australia… we'll try to hit as many places as we can. Because as much as I enjoy the writing and recording process, when I'm creating music it's always with the intent that it should be played in front of an audience. For me, that's always the endgame — to get out there with the band and perform the music live. That's what I love the most."

You could say, then, that Slash is, in fact, living the dream. But he'll only laugh in response. "Well, you know, the album title is actually meant to be a sarcastic statement about the world we're living in at the moment," he explains. "I never wax political on records, but it was just something that came to mind — this tongue-in-cheek thing directed at social political events across the globe."

That said, Slash continues, "If you do take it in the literal sense, then, yeah, making records and touring and getting up onstage every day and playing music with these guys, that is the essence of living the dream. And that's why I was always dead-set on getting back together with this band and continuing to do this. And I always knew it would happen. Because THE CONSPIRATORS story is not over yet."

The group's North American headlining tour wil visit 20 major cities, including New York, Denver, Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, DC, Chicago, Austin, Houston, and more before ending October 14 in Sacramento.

METAL ALLEGIANCE — the all-star collective anchored by Mike Portnoy (SONS OF APOLLO, ex-DREAM THEATER), Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT), David Ellefson (MEGADETH) and Mark Menghi — will perform BLACK SABBATH's debut album in its entirety during the band's October 27 performance at the Brooklyn Bowl in Brooklyn, New York.

The group will also perform a "special set of original METAL ALLEGIANCE songs" from its two studio albums — its 2015 self-titled debut and the recently released "Volume II - Power Drunk Majesty".

While Ellefson will not participate since MEGADETH will be performing in Indonesia that same night, the group will be joined in Brooklyn by OVERKILL vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth.

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at this location.

b>METAL ALLEGIANCE's second album, "Volume II – Power Drunk Majesty", was released on September 7 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The thrash-worshiping disc merges old-school legends with the modern metallers of the scene to produce groove-driven, adrenaline-soaked anthems while tackling the frustrating state of the world.

Guest musicians on "Volume II – Power Drunk Majesty" include Ellsworth, Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, SEPULTURA, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY), Trevor Strnad (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER), John Bush (ARMORED SAINT), Mark Tornillo (ACCEPT), Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH) and Johan Hegg (AMON AMARTH). The album also marks the return of Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) and Troy Sanders (MASTODON).

"Volume II – Power Drunk Majesty" was produced by Menghi and Skolnick while Mark Lewis of MRL Studios handled the mixing and mastering. The cover artwork was created by renowned artist Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER, MACHINE HEAD, SOULFLY, HATEBREED) and Rafael Tavares.

" Freight Train", the new video from New York hardcore veterans MADBALL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's latest album, "For The Cause", which was released on June 15 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Hardcore Lives" was co-produced by Tim Armstrong (RANCID), who also makes a guest appearance on the song "The Fog". It was mixed and mastered by renowned producer Tue Madsen (MESHUGGAH, THE HAUNTED, SICK OF IT ALL) at Antfarm Studios in Denmark. Former MADBALL guitarist Matt Henderson laid down the guitar tracks in the studio, but is not touring with the group.

MADBALL frontman Freddy Cricien told Grasser Production about "For The Cause": "It's the most diverse record we've done, period. It's one of my personal favorites, but that's me, you know. Everyone's different. Some people are going to say 'Set It Off' was their favorite because that's when they got into our band in that time period, but overall, the feedback has been super-positive from old-school heads and new people, so that's a good thing. But we personally love the record and we needed to start diversifying a little bit. We're known for a certain sound and a certain style and that's great that we're known for a certain style within our scene, but you also have to grow a little bit and I feel like we did a lot of growing on this record. A lot of diverse stuff; it's all MADBALL, but it's different little flavors here and there and I think the record is the most diverse record we've done and we're happy with that and we hope everybody else is happy with that."

Legendary rapper, actor and frontman Ice-T (BODY COUNT) guests on the song "Evil Ways" from "For The Cause".

"I met him in New York and he made an impression on me and I kept him in mind," Freddy told Metal-Heads.de. "I was thinking of a song where I pictured Ice-T on it and I just reached out to him and yeah, he was all about it, because when I met him, he had a lot of respect for MADBALL and New York hardcore. He made it a point to tell me that, and I remembered that and I thought that was very cool of him. Then, when this song popped up, it's called 'Evil Ways', I said, 'Man, that'd be a good song for Ice-T.' It just happened. There was a lot of respect being thrown back and forth."

n October 2017, MADBALL parted ways with longtime guitarist Brian "Mitts" Daniels. The New York outfit called the split "a very hard and heartbreaking decision for all involved."

Freddy told Metal-Heads.de: "Just to clarify, Mitts didn't leave us while we were writing the record. Unfortunately, it was left up to me — I had to let him go during that time because we just came to a point where something had to change. And Mitts is an old friend and I love him dearly and he's still my friend. We're still very dear friends. The reality is, I value the friendship and so, better to end it on a good note than be weird. I mean, Mitts would have stayed in the band no matter what. He loved traveling, he loved playing MADBALL, he loved doing all this. He loves playing his instrument — he's a good guitar player. But the reality is, sometimes relationships come to a point and someone has to say, 'Hey, this is over.' And that someone had to be me because that's where I'm left with that executive decision. But,it was no ill will. There was nothing bad, it's just something we did, then we moved forward and kept writing the record and that's it. The only person that could have played guitar on this record is Matt Henderson and he was very excited."

MADBALL will join SUICIDAL TENDENCIES on the "Still Cyco Punk After All These Tours" later this month.

A new AVENGED SEVENFOLD song, "Mad Hatter", has been released and can be streamed below. The track was recorded for the "Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4" video game.

"Mad Hatter" will be included on AVENGED SEVENFOLD's upcoming EP, "Black Reign", containing all four songs the band has written and recorded for the "Call Of Duty: Black Ops" franchise. Frontman M. Shadows told Kerrang! magazine about the track: "The song is dark and brooding. We wanted to capture a difference feeling than a straight-ahead 'zombie killer' track. These songs are good places for us to experiment with our sound. I would put this in the category of 'dark alternative.'"

Asked how the new song came about and whether it was written with "Call Of Duty" in mind or if it was a leftover cut from "The Stage" sessions, M. Shadows said: "I did a Twitter takeover where a fan asked me about doing music for 'Black Ops 3'. The team at [games developing company] Treyarch saw it and asked us to participate. I went into the studio and saw what they were working on. We only had a month to get them a finished product, because of our European tour. We wrote what we felt would be a departure for not only us, but Treyarch as well."

A video "using game footage" will be released "to present the song," according to the singer.

b>M. Shadows stated about the decision to make the tracks available on a separate EP: "We just felt these songs needed a place to live, instead of being scattered all over streaming services. We will also be releasing 'Jade Helm', which is the multiplayer score we did for 'Black Ops 3'. Until now, that has only been available on YouTube and in the game."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ previously told HardDrive Radio about "Mad Hatter": "It's a fun song — it's a little bit of a departure from I think what our fans would expect, but I guess that also makes sense because they expect crazy from us now."

"Call Of Duty: Black Ops 4" is scheduled to come to PS4, Xbox One and PC on October 12.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD contributed music to the previous three installments of the game series, and even appears (virtually) in the second chapter, when they can be seen performing the song "Carry On" in an epilogue after the closing credits.

The "Call Of Duty" song will be the first original material AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released since last year's "Dose", which originally surfaced in the Gameloft mobile game "Dungeon Hunter 5". It later appeared on the "deluxe edition" 2017 reissue of the group's 2016 studio album, "The Stage".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD will probably start working on its eighth studio LP this fall for a 2019 release.

The band recently canceled its summer tour with PROPHETS OF RAGE and THREE DAYS GRACE after M. Shadows was struck by a viral infection that left him "voiceless."

Hungarian southern groove-thrash metal band Stonedirt’s new album Backlash-Zone is out now, and can be previewed, downloaded, streamed and bought on multiple popular online platforms (Spotify, Tidal, Google Play, Deezer, Amazon), as well as from the band’s official website.

Backlash-Zone was recorded at Standing Waves Studio in Egerszalók, Hungary with the assistance of Péter Sohajda and Béla Badarász (Burning Full Throttle). The cover art was designed by Krisztián “Mr Zero” Viszokai.

“Waiting for this record took a bit longer this time, but at least we provided the maximum, as always. We believe the album turned out to be an exciting and versatile one, a mixture of old school and modern elements.” - The band added.

Two videoclips have been released so far off the album, for the songs “Steadfast” and “Desolation Hammer”, and the band issued the following call to their fans to help them make their third one, and also appear in it:

"Attention! Take part in the music video of ‘In Metal We Trust’ song from our upcoming album! All you have to do is send us a 2-5 second video of you either partying with your friends, or headbanging, showing devil horn, pointing at your favorite metal band t-shirt, or holding up any kind of metal relics you own, or breaking a guitar, etc., so please send a very short video of you doing anything that is metal! :)"

Send your videos to mail@stonedirtmusic.com

Tracklisting:

“Steadfast”
“In Metal We Trust”
“Rebel Revolution”
“Unbreakable”
“Beyond Control”
“Worms Of Despair”
“Cosy Coffin Rot”
“Desolation Hammer”
“Ambivalent Recreated Humanization”

"Steadfast" video:

“Desolation Hammer” video:

Members of The Dillinger Escape Plan, Extol, and Sea + Air have joined creative forces as Azusa and will sonically shock listeners with one of most experimental and mesmerizing releases of the year. Azusa's debut album Heavy Yoke will be released on November 16th via Solid State Records in North America. The album track "Heart Of Stone" is available for streaming below.

Azusa's music is a carnival of contrast - it's captivating with unconventional nerve. Uniting the complementary skills of its members, Azusa's sound is a thrash-fusion tour de force. Can you imagine Kate Bush fronting Slayer? Death collaborating with Annette Peacock? These allegedly incongruent influences dissolve seamlessly in an alluring sonic alchemy.

Uncompromisingly experimental, Azusa's curated approach showcases each member's unique strengths as a reaction to previous endeavours, more so than an extension of them. Reflecting on life's existential mysteries, Azusa's lyrics seek to explore cognitive dissonances at the crossroads of upbringing, mysticism, belief and betrayal. Defying expectations by embracing contradiction, Azusa finds strength in vulnerability, harmony in dissonance, and melody in discord.
 
The band commented on its debut, saying, "This album is special for all of us and we're currently feeling the same excited feelings we got before we debuted any of our previous efforts. We are really fortunate to have been able to create these songs together and to be able to share them with fans of our former and current bands, as well as new fans."

Azusa finished by stating, "It has been such a relief crafting music without having any outside expectations placed on us. Turning to creative playfulness with a more relaxed and intuitive approach to songwriting, we feel that this collection of songs will hold a unique space in the atmosphere of heavy music."

Tracklisting:

"Interstellar Islands"
"Heart Of Stone"
"Heavy Yoke"
"Fine Lines"
"Lost In The Ether"
"Spellbinder"
"Programmed To Distress"
"Eternal Echo"
"Iniquitous Spiritual Praxis"
"Succumb To Sorrow
"Distant Call"

"Heart Of Stone":

 
"Interstellar Islands" video:

Lineup:

Eleni Zafiriadou (Sea + Air) - Voice
Liam Wilson (The Dillinger Escape Plan) - Bass
Christer Espevoll (Extol) - Guitars
David Husvik (Extol) - Drums

(Photo - Simon Skreddernes)

German folk metal band Suidakra have posted a teaserf or their forthcoming acoustic album, Cimbric Yarns. Check it out below. Release details will be made available soon.

The artwork for the album is available below.

Suidakra frontman Arkadius Antonik checked in via Instagram earlier this year with the following:

 

Dutch hard rock band Chinawhite have released a new audio video for “Money”, the track is taken from their fourth album Different, which was released in June via Rock Company.

Chinawhite is characterized by their catchy combination of melodies, rhythms and succeeds in making a combination of melodic hard rock with symphonic frill.

The album was recorded at Down The Road Studio, except drums at Drums By Mail and vocals at The Musik Room (USA). Mixed and Mastered by Erwin Hermsen at Toneshed.nl. Artwork by Blekkmark. Rolf Vossen adding organ, piano and keyboards on some tracks.

Chinawhite is:

Peter Cox - orchestrations, keyboards and all guitars (Forest Field)
Sander Stappers - bass (Souls Of Deaf, Tributor)
Phil Vincent - vocals (Tragik, D'Ercole, Cranston)
Hans In t Zandt - drums (Praying Mantis, ex Vengeance and Mad Max

On September 14th, Kamelot performed a unique show at the Poppodium 013 in Tilburg, Netherlands in support of new album The Shadow Theory. This concert will be the main DVD/ Blu-ray show on the upcoming Shadows Over Europe run. Fan-filmed video is available below.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Phantom Divine (Shadow Empire)" (with Lauren Hart)
"Rule the World"
"Insomnia"
"The Great Pandemonium"
"When the Lights Are Down"
"My Confession" (with Eklipse)
"Veil of Elysium"
"Under Grey Skies" (with Charlotte Wessels - live premiere)
"RavenLight" (with Sasha Paeth on guitar)
"End of Innocence"
"March of Mephisto" (with Alissa White-Gluz)
"Amnesiac"
"Sacrimony (Angel of Afterlife)" (with Alissa White-Gluz and Elize Ryd)
- keyboard solo - 
- drum solo - 
"Here's to the Fall"
"Forever"
"Burns to Embrace" (with Children's Choir - live premiere)

Encore:
"Liar Liar" (Wasteland Monarchy)" (with Alissa White-Gluz)

Below is Kamelot's updated world tour schedule in support of their latest album, The Shadow Theory.

September
16 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
18 - Berlin, Germany - Astra Kulturhaus
20 - Göteborg, Sweden - Pustervik
21 - Malmö, Sweden - Kulturbolaget
22 - Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene    
23 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Klubben
25 - Helsinki, Finland - Nosturi    
26 - Tampere, Finland - Tullikamarin Pakkahuone
29 - München, Germany - Backstage
30 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Konzertfabrik Z7

October
2 - Mannheim, Germany - MS Connexion Complex
4 - Toulouse, France - Le Metronum
5 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera
6 - Barcelona, Sopain - Razzmatazz 2
7 - Lyon, France - CCO Villeurbanne
9 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra Music Club
10 - Praha, Czech Republic - Palác Akropolis
12 - London, UK - KOKO
13 - Brugge, Belgium - Het Entrepot

November
28 - Tokyo, Japan - Shibuya O-East
29 - Osaka, Japan - Club Quattro

December
3 - Brisbane, Australia - The Triffid
4 - Melbourne, Australia - Max Watts
6 - Canberra, Australia - The Basement
7 - Sydney, Australia - Manning Bar

Groundbreaker, featuring singer Steve Overland of FM and Robert Säll of Work Of Art and W.E.T., have released their self-titled debut album. A new video for the song "Will It Make You Love Me" can be seen below.

Tracklisting:

"Over My Shoulder"
"Will It Make You Love Me"
"Eighteen Til I Die"
"Only Time Will Tell"
"Tonight"
"Standing Up For Love"
"Something Worth Fighting For"
"The Sound Of A Broken Heart"
"The First Time"
"The Days Of Our Life"
"The Way It Goes"

"Will It Make You Love Me" video:

"Something Worth Fighting For" video:

"Over My Shoulder" video:

"Making of" video:

Lineup:

Steve Overland - Vocals
Robert Sall - Guitars
Nalley Pahlsson - Bass
Herman Furin - Drums
With Alessandro Del Vecchio - Keyboards

2017 marked SAGA's 40th anniversary. The band that has combined hard rock, progressive rock and pop like no other celebrated their anniversary with a tour around the globe, saying thank you and farewell to the fans… for now. Now, one year later, the exciting live recording "So Good So Far - Live At Rock Of Ages" sees its release.

Featuring the most iconic of songs that SAGA has been known and loved for by fans for more than 40 years, "So Good So Far" delivers the epitome of the band's long and proud history — all recorded at the Rock Of Ages festival in Seebronn, Germany in 2017 on both audio and video. SAGA, the headliner of the evening played, an energetic one-and-a-half-hour set in front of thousands of festival goers, featuring the best of 21 SAGA studio albums with classics such as "On The Loose", "Humble Stance", "Wind Him Up" and "Don't Be Late".

Says Michael Sadler: "SAGA has a very special history with the legendary Rock Of Ages festival in Seebronn, Germany. Founder Horst Franz invited us to perform for the very first one in 2006! Fast forward to 2017 — SAGA returns to the coveted Saturday night stage by special request, celebrating the band's 40th anniversary with our 'Final Chapter' tour.

"This release captures the sound and atmosphere of that spectacular night with our musical family and friends that will never be repeated... or will it?"

Adds Ian Crichton: "Over the years, it's been a privilege to play to audiences in Europe; it all started in Germany!"

"So Good So Far - Live At Rock Of Ages" is going to be released as 2CD digipak, 2LP gatefold+download code, DVD, Blu-ray and digital on September 28 on earMUSIC.

Track listing:

CD1

01. Take A Chance

02. On The Loose

03. Help Me Out

04. Keep It Reel

05. Time's Up

06. Will It Be You? (Chapter Four)

07. Careful Where You Step

08. Frog Bite (Drum Solo)

09. What's It Gonna Be?

CD2

01. Someone Should

02. Humble Stance

03. Scratching The Surface

04. You're Not Alone

05. Don't Be Late

06. The Flyer

07. Wind Him Up

DVD/Blu-ray

01. Take A Chance

02. On The Loose

03. Help Me Out

04. Keep It Reel

05. Time's Up

06. Will It Be You? (Chapter Four)

07. Careful Where You Step

08. Frog Bite (Drum Solo)

09. What's It Gonna Be?

10. Someone Should

11. Humble Stance

12. Scratching The Surface

13. You're Not Alone

14. Don't Be Late

15. The Flyer

16. Wind Him Up

2LP

Side A

01. Take A Chance

02. On The Loose

03. Help Me Out

04. Keep It Reel

Side B

01. Time's Up

02. Will It Be You? (Chapter Four)

03. Careful Where You Step

04. Frog Bite (Drum Solo)

Side C

01. What's It Gonna Be?

02. Someone Should

03. Humble Stance

04. Scratching The Surface

Side D

01. You're Not Alone

02. Don't Be Late

03. The Flyer

04. Wind Him Up

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Dream No More" live at Alerus Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota on September 8 can be seen below. The concert drew an audience of almost 17,000. The stadium holds 21,000.

"We did not break the [attendance] record, but had an excellent turnout and we appreciate the community's support in this exciting event," said Anna Rosburg, general manager of the Alerus.

Earlier in the year, METALLICA landed on Pollstar's Global Concert Pulse chart with concert grosses of more than $2 million per market appearance on the band's European tour.

The San Francisco-based metal giants averaged 20,451 tickets per market, at an average ticket price of $104.

he 19 market reports included a two-night stand at Stuttgart, Germany's Hanns Martin Schleyer Halle, which grossed $3.3 million. Both shows were sold out, with an attendance of 14,695 per concert.

Touring in support of its latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", that arrived in November 2016, METALLICA launched the world tour in Latin America a month before the disc's release. In early 2017, prior to the North American stadium tour, the band made festival appearances and headlined concerts at venues in Asia, Europe and Latin America.

Although METALLICA played U.S. stadiums last summer, the band was mostly indoors for the first leg of its European tour last fall.

METALLICA's European tour included the first drone swarm for a major touring act. It consisted of 120 autonomous micro drones that emerge from the main-stage prop lifts during the song "Moth Into Flames" and swarm into several formations over the band's heads, according to Pollstar.

The 2017 dates on the "WorldWired" tour, which included stadium shows across the U.S., grossed $110.3 million in North America and $152.8 million worldwide.

Drummer James Kottak says that he is "doing really well," two years after he was fired by the SCORPIONS during his well-publicized battle with alcoholism. He has since been replaced by former MOTÖRHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee.

Speaking to Meltdown of Detroit's 101 WRIF radio station, Kottak said about his current health status (hear audio below): "As anybody knows who has an addiction, it's a work in progress — you don't just wake up one day and go, 'I'm cured.' I'm not like that.

"Over the last 10 years, I would say I was 90 percent sober, and then I'd have these struggles and I'd go through a bad two- or three-week period," he continued. "So right now it's, like I said, to use a cliché, it's one day at a time and I work the program. I still go out, and if you wanna drink a bottle of Jack in front of me, go for it — [it's] no big deal — but it is, like I said, a work in progress."

Kottak went on to say that it's more common for recovering addicts to relapse after treatment than it is for them to stay sober on their first try. "Part of recovery is the relapse," he explained. "And that doesn't mean you're gonna go and, you know, blah blah blah, but it does happen, because I have the gene and I'm an alcoholic. And there are millions of alcoholics. But the thing is you have to acknowledge it and be honest with yourself. And it's a rough road."

b>Kottak, who joined the SCORPIONS in 1996 and played with the band for 20 years, says that he, like many other people, turned to alcohol to alleviate his suffering, especially while on tour. "I always kept occupied," he said. "Being a drummer, I always had to get out and have a nice walk every day, which I still do. I ride my bicycle and I swim as much as I can. But for me, one of my problems was just chronic pain from 35, 40 years of just non-stop drumming and singing. So between taking [the over-the-counter painkiller] Aleve and some booze, you don't feel anything. But, unfortunately, it eventually comes to a head where none of it works. And that's where I ended up."

It has been estimated that between 70 and 90 percent of all people who complete an addiction rehabilitation program will have at least one mild to moderate relapse before they are able to remain sober for any extended amount of time.

SCORPIONS guitarist Matthias Jabs recently said that he and his bandmates "had to make" the decision to fire Kottak, explaining that they gave the drummer "all the chances" to get better. "We reached the point — or he reached the point — where it was just not worth it," Jabs said.

Kottak will tour this fall with a revamped version of KINGDOM COME, also featuring guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, and bassist Johnny B. Frank, along with singer Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB). Original frontman Lenny Wolf declined to participate in the trek, which will kick off on September 27 in Seattle, Washington.

London heavy metal bruisers Amulet have announced the addition of talented new permanent singer Federico "Mace" Mazza and have finished their writing second album.

Mace joined in the early summer following a successful show supporting Cirith Ungol and Angel Witch at The Underworld in Camden in May 2018. Since that show the new line-up have been working hard with Mace to finish writing their long-gestating second album. The band are excited about the addition of his powerful pipes and confident about the 12 heavy new songs they are preparing. Mace has lived in London for several years and has fronted tasty Italian metal act Asgard since a teenager 15 years ago. He replaces original singer Jamie Elton who moved to Sweden in 2016. Amulet said farewell to Jamie with a German tour in June 2018.

New song “Siren’s Call”:

Austin, TX based rock band Black Heart Saints has released the official music video for the title track off of their 2017 released LP, Alive, which features a live performance of the foursome live.

"This video was shot during our performance opening for Steel Panther in Austin, Texas. It captures some of the intimate moments that you normally don't see: loading in, setting up, etc. – all of the hard work that it takes to bring about a killer rock show.” - Black Heart Saints

The band just finished their most recent tour, The Road to Sturgis Tour 2018, where they performed at the 78th annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, as well as opened for Faster Pussycat on August 19th, and will be supporting Slash & Myles Kennedy Featuring the Conspirators on September 24th. Both shows are in Austin, TX.

The soaring vocals of front-man Josh Ross have drawn comparisons to Myles Kennedy and Chris Cornell. While the band is influenced by the likes of Motley Crue, Guns N’ Roses, and other legendary hard rock acts, the commanding presence of Black Heart Saints' live show brandishes an updated take on the genre.

UPON A BURNING BODY has inked a deal with Seek And Strike. The band's new full-length album will arrive in the spring.

Danny Leal (vocals) and Ruben Alvarez (guitar) comment on the signing: "We are excited to announce that UPON A BURNING BODY will be joining the team at Seek And Strike.

"UPON A BURNING BODY has always taken the road less traveled and this next step is a testament to our growth and will to challenge ourselves.

"We are ready to bring a bigger and badder sound to everyone who follows us, and can't wait to unleash our new music upon the world. It's going to be our heaviest yet and we hope that all our friends and fans will join us in this new chapter.

"We are eternally grateful to those who have believed in and supported the band thus far. Get your metal horns ready!"

Seek And Strike is a label founded for one purpose: to fill a void in today's metal scene while developing a slew of new talent. Other acts signed to Seek And Strike are Los Angeles's HYVMINE and New Jersey's UNCURED.

Rex Brown working on material for his second solo album. The former PANTERA and DOWN bassist wrote on Instagram: "Slugging it out in the studio, writing & recording Solo record #2...Stay tuned Folks, this is getting Good!!! #rexbrown #pantera"

Rex's debut solo disc, "Smoke On This…", was released in July 2017 via Entertainment One (eOne). The effort marked the first time in Brown's career where he served as both lead vocalist and guitarist in a band.

Last fall, Rex completed a handful of German shows with his solo band, which consisted of Joe Shadid on guitar, John Luke Hebert on drums, Francisco "Pancho" Tomaselli on bass and Lance Harvill on guitar.

Prior to embarking on the German tour, Rex played a one-off show at Mercy Lounge in Nashville, Tennessee in July 2017.

n December 2017, Rex told "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, that he was planning to record an album of covers as the follow-up to "Smoke On This…". He said that the collection would be a way to release "more material and also to give the fans something cool."

Rex tracked lead vocals, rhythm guitars, and bass for "Smoke On This…", working with his primary collaborator and old friend Lance Harvill, a Nashville-based guitarist and songwriter, on the album's songs. Drums were tracked by Christopher Williams, whose talent has been utilized by country music star Lee Greenwood, the reconstituted BLACKFOOT and, most recently, metal legends ACCEPT. The album was produced by New Yorker-turned-Nashville-transplant Caleb Sherman, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked on records by LITTLE BIG TOWN and PORTER BLOCK, among others.

View this post on Instagram Slugging it out in the studio, writing & recording Solo record #2...Stay tuned Folks, this is getting Good!!! #rexbrown #pantera A post shared by Rex Brown (@rexbrownofficial) on Sep 16, 2018 at 11:17am PDT

Long running New York death metal legends Internal Bleeding have premiered a new music video for their song "Focus".

“We are not much of a ‘concept video’ band” states founding guitarist Chris Pervelis. “We’d much rather shoot something that gives fans a better understanding of who we are, and how passionate we are about the music write.” This video, shot in three different locations in Long Island, NY by director/producer Sean Ageman of Washed up Media captures Internal Bleeding in all their fury, as they perform “Focus” — a song written about seizing the moment, harnessing your personal strength and never letting anyone or anything get in your way. “'Focus' is about going out there and killing it every single day,” vocalist Joe Marchese said, “It’s about digging deep and finding huge reservoirs of strength you never knew you had.”

“Focus” is from the band’s sixth full-length album, Corrupting Influence, which contains nine songs of the band’s pioneering — and often imitated sound. It will be released worldwide on Unique Leader Records on October 19th. Produced by Internal Bleeding and Joe Cincotta, and recorded at Full Force Studios, Corrupting Influence also features guest backing vocals from original Internal Bleeding frontman Frank Rini, and Jason Netherton from Misery Index.

Preorders:
Physical
Digital
UK / EU

Tracklisting:

"Compelled To Consume"
"Corrupting Influence"
"Fatal Dependency"
"Focus"
"Surrounded From The Inside"
"Unreality"
"Litany Of Insincerity"
"Final Justice"
"The Supreme Sacrifice"

"Focus" video:

To coincide with the release of Corrupting Influence, Internal Bleeding will take part in the Bloodletting North America Tour XII along side Decrepit Birth, Arsis, Pyrexia, Angelmaker, and Within Destruction. Dates below.

October
12 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
13 - Pomona, CA - The Glasshouse
14 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red
16 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar and Grill
17 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live!
18 - Laredo, TX - Ethos Bar
19 - Houston, TX - Acadia Bar
20 - New Orleans, LA - The Howlin' Wolf
21 - Orlando, FL - The Haven
24 - Virginia Beach, VA - Shakas
25 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz
26 - Brooklyn, NY - The Kingsland
27 - Manchester, NH - Bungalow
28 - Quebec, QC - Salle Multi
30 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques
31 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks

November
1 - Detroit, MI - Harpos
3 - Chicago, IL - Reggies
4 - Mirriam, KS - Aftershock
6 - Denver, CO - The Roxy Theater
7 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
9 - Seattle, WA - Club Sur Rocks
11 - Watsonville, CA - Appleton Bar and Grill

"Midnight Song", the new video from DREAM CHILD, the band featuring former members of DIO, AC/DC and QUIET RIOT, can be seen below. The song is taken from DREAM CHILD's debut album, "Until Death Do We Meet Again", which is being released today (Friday, September 14) via Frontiers Music Srl.

The "Midnight Song" clip was directed by Jamie Brown, who has previously worked with DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB and KXM.

DREAM CHILD is:


* Craig Goldy (DIO, GIUFFRIA): Guitar

* Wayne Findlay (MSG): Guitar, Keyboards

* Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO, OPERATION: MINDCRIME): Drums

* Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE, DIO): Bass

* Diego Valdez (HELKER): Vocals

ommented Goldy: "When Chas West and I wrote 'Midnight Song', I had the music and he and I had the melody lines — but we needed a story line and a title to start the lyrics off with. Then Chas told me about an old term called a 'midnight song.' It's whatever's bugging you and keeping you from sleeping at night. Whatever that is, that's your midnight song! I thought that was a cool premise to write about within the confines of our melody lines.

"I think it turned out rather well. It has a bit of a WHITESNAKE / RAINBOW / DEEP PURPLE kinda thing going on, with a tough yet sleazy sort of feel. I've always liked that sort of song-element combination.

"The video was fun," Goldy added. "Jamie is a great director/videographer. He got a studio where there were individual rooms that had a very authentic look to them — a jail cell, an interrogation room, an apartment, bar, hospital bed and so forth. When he and I were discussing the videos, he'd pick up on things in the lyrics that I didn't think about using as a 'scene,' much like he did for our first video, 'Under The Wire'. There were a lot of great people at this shoot; we had a lot of fun, and Jamie never seemed to run out of creative ideas — especially in the post-production of this video, where his gifts really shine."

"Until Death Do We Meet Again" track listing:

01. Under The Wire

02. You Can't Take Me Down

03. Game Of Shadows

04. It Is What It Is

05. Playin' With Fire

06. Light Of The Dark

07. Midnight Song

08. Until Death Do We Meet Again

09. Washed Upon The Shore

10. In A World So Cold

11. Weird World

12. One Step Beyond The Grave

Goldy stated about DREAM CHILD's formation: "The band DREAM CHILD was conceived during a brainstorming session with Serafino (president of Frontiers) and I one day while discussing other matters.

"I had been listening to my favorite bands a lot recently, DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW's 'Rising' album, among others in that style, and had noticed that many people who also love those bands often have the very same comments as one another: 'They don't make music like that anymore!' Even though I said that in passing, Serafino asked me a question that would forever shape my future. He simply asked, "Well, can you?" and I said, 'Yes!!!'


"During the very first public memorial for our most beloved Ronnie James Dio, I had mentioned that whenever I do start writing original material again that I would utilize everything that I had learned from working side by side with the Master for so many years in such a way that I would hope to make him proud... and here it is! The name is inspired by one of his lyrics on the 'Dream Evil' album and the nickname he gave me at the time, Dream Child!


"We are so very fortunate to have bassist Rudy Sarzo as a featured guest, Simon Wright on drums, Wayne Findlay on guitars and keyboards, and a surprise vocal discovery from Argentina, Diego Valdez, whose voice will send shivers up your spine!


"This album will bring back memories of the days most people have thought were long gone and never to return, yet it is also new and fresh enough to be unique with some unexpected twists and turns!! No more 'same old, same old' here, no fillers. Every song is an oasis in the desert and a rare gem in the coalmines of life in this new world that thinks the past greatness of rock would remain in the past. We've brought it back to life once again!!


"I am very proud of this album and all who have made this become a reality. There are some big names who've lent a hand in the writing and I am amazed at the new and aggressive sound that producer Alessandro Del Vecchio has brought to these songs! I hope you all agree...."

Transcending Obscurity is set to release Nattravnen's new album, Kult Of The Raven. The track "Suicidium, The Seductress Of Death" is available for streaming below.

Transcending Obscurity label owner Kunal Choksi states, “I’ve been waiting for this release for a long time and finally things are completely ready. The timing is just perfect, as it follows the release of Jonny’s band Heads For The Dead and also the mighty Master. It’s also the first time we’ll be working with the legend Kam Lee, so we’re all very excited about it. Above all though, the music is exceptional and both Jonny and Kam have outdone themselves here - it’s dark death metal with elements of black and atmospheric doom. Needless to say, it’s one of the most awaited releases this year for us.”

Nattravnen‘s vocalist Kam Lee comments, “I am very excited for this album. First off it was during the making of The Grotesquery‘s 4th full length album, when Rogga Johansson told me about Jonny, and that he was looking for a vocalist to put lyrics and vocals to some music that he had. Rogga already knew by working with me previously on the three albums for The Grotesquery my ability to be able to put concept albums together with a storyline. And that this was something that possibly Johnny was looking to do with the music he had. Also I knew Jonny’s work from other bands like Wombbath, Ashcloud, Just Before Dawn & Henry Kane, so when I found out that I had a chance and opportunity to work with this great musician I jumped on it. Once I heard the music I knew exactly the tone that this album needed to take and it was perfect with the theme I was working on. As well it was like synchronicity… as if the universe wanted something to happen because I just so happen to be working on my own gothic horror fairy tale at the time and was leaning towards doing something with Scandinavian mythology. Johnny and I got to talking and he told me about this legend that his grandmother used to tell him as a child about the Night Raven. As soon as he told me the name of this mythical creature everything just fell into place. And that’s how everything came to be. The name of the band, the entire concept story, the mythology, everything all based on the Nattravnen.”

Nattravnen‘s music composer Jonny Pettersson adds, “This album have been in the making for a long time. I started working on these songs many years ago, but never felt that I could give them the vocal justice they needed. Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Down Among the Dead Men and many more) introduced me to Kam who accepted the task of vocal mastery. It’s been an honour to complete the album with Kam, and with once again mighty Transcending Obscurity backing us up, and with label boss Kunal’s pure dedication, I’m positive this is one for the books.”

Artwork by Juanjo Castellano (Carnation, Revel In Flesh)

Tracklisting:

"The Night Of The Raven"
"Suicidium, The Seductress Of Death"
"Corvus Corax Crown"
"Upon The Sound Of Her Wings"
"Return To Nevermore"
"From The Haunted Sea"
"The Anger Of Despair When Coping With Your Death"
"Kingdom Of The Nattravnen"
"Kult Av Ravnen"

"Suicidium, The Seductress Of Death":

Label Sampler 2018 by Transcending Obscurity Records

Lineup:

Kam Lee - Vocals and lyrics (ex-Death, ex-Massacre, The Grotesquery)
Jonny Pettersson - All instruments (Heads For The Dead, Wombbath, Henry Kane)

AOP Records has set November 9th as the international release date for Anomalie's new EP, Integra, on CD and 12" vinyl formats. To coincide with the announcement, the first track to be revealed from Integra, a song called "Aurora", is available now for your enjoyment:

Authenticity. Creativity. Passion. Since 2011, the fundament of Anomalie lies within the boundless will to surpass the past by constantly evolving those intense soundscapes that became the trademark of this Austrian collective led by multi-instrumentalist Marrok, also known for his live duties with Harakiri For The Sky.

Featuring all-new material, Integra delivers nearly a half hour of hauntingly atmospheric and multi-dimensional metal that underlines what made Anomalie's Visions album last year such a far-reaching and devastatingly emotional experience. The four highly dynamic tracks comprising the EP reveal Marrok's strong connection to his black metal roots clearer than ever, all while opening the gates to a profound musical voyage telling of metaphysical reincarnation and ways to manifest your very own identity beyond social and cultural barriers.

As ever, Anomalie continue to push beyond those barriers - and plenty of others - with Integra, pointing the way forward for redemption and renewal. The path has been cleared by Marrok...who will follow?

Tracklisting:

"Rebirth"
"Aurora"
"Temples"
"Delieverance"

For further details, visit Anomalie on Facebook.

(photo credit: Sunvemetal)

 

Audio samples of all the tracks that are set to appear on "Pleased To Eat You", the upcoming album from NASHVILLE PUSSY, can be streamed below. The disc will be released on September 21 via earMUSIC.

Lemmy personally blessed NASHVILLE PUSSY calling them "America's last great rock 'n' roll band" — and Lemmy should know.

Formed in 1997, NASHVILLE PUSSY preached its sleazy gospel over the past couple of decades alongside MOTÖRHEAD in every rock outpost from Asia to Europe and back again.


Raised on a diet of Marshall stacks, Gibson guitars, Jack Daniels, and weed, NASHVILLE PUSSY are the bastard offspring of foul-mouthed, demented hillbilly ice-cream man Blaine Cartwright and tractor-driving, nude art school model, and guitar prodigy Ruyter Suys. NASHVILLE PUSSY quickly gained a reputation for being like "AC/DC with a female Angus" in Ruyter's blues-meets-punk frenzied guitar solos and Blaine's hilarious "jailhouse nursery rhyme" lyrics.


he band's bass player — Bonnie "Bon" Buitrago — began as a teenage fan of the band sneaking into shows, determined to make the leap from audience member to member of the band by mastering her craft on bass. Atlanta native and ex-landscaper Ben Thomas on drums has quickly become known for his showmanship, precision, and all-around sensuality behind the kit.


"We are rock 'n' rolls' dirty little secret — blissfully outliving musical trends we never knew existed," says Suys. "More than ever, everyone needs to escape to a place where they can pretend they don't give a shit, let their hair down and get loud, sweaty and dirty. NASHVILLE PUSSY provides that unpretentious refuge. Everyone is welcome — just don't dress up 'cause it's gonna get messy."


The Gods of Rock smiled upon on NASHVILLE PUSSY in creating the band's brand new studio album, "Pleased To Eat You". Combining the talents of producer Daniel Rey (RAMONES, WHITE ZOMBIE, Ronnie Spector and RAGING SLAB) and studio engineer David Barrick (BLACK STONE CHERRY, THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS, MARSHALL TUCKER BAND), the band was fresh off an international tour and hungry for new songs to sink their teeth.


"Pleased To Eat You" is their seventh studio album and certainly another milestone recording by the band you'll need to share with your mom: Bourbon, BBQ, horse farms, good people, and a great fucking record. Seriously, you'll hardly find a band that manages to act so easy, so fast and yet so impulsive as NASHVILLE PUSSY — a band that is not shy about expressing opinions loud and clear.

"Pleased To Eat You" track listing:

01. She Keeps Me Coming And I Keep Going Back

02. We Want A War

03. Just Another White Boy

04. Go Home And Die

05. Low Down Dirty Pig

06. Testify

07. One Bad Mother

08. Woke Up This Morning

09. Drinking My Life Away

10. Endless Ride

11. Hang Tight

12. CCKMP

13. Trying To Pretend That I Give A Shit

Midnattsol vocalist Carmen Elise Espenaes' other band, Savn, has released a new single entited "Save Me". Check it out and purchase below.

Save me by Savn

Savn was launched by Carmen and The Sins Of Thy Beloved members Stig Johansen and Anders Thue. Their self-titled debut album was released in April / May 2014. Details of their new album and line-up will be available soon. Go to this location for updates.

Midnattsol recently released an official lyric video for the title track of their new album, The Aftermath.

Midnattsol now has true full sister power featuring Liv Kristine and Carmen Elise. The name Espenæs rightfully makes a lot of people swoon - as  both sisters have been a vital part of a magnitude of gothic / symphonic / folk metal milestones. Until  this point a supergroup involving both sisters sharing microphone duties was only the stuff only dreams were made of. Now it is a reality.

The band comments on the track: “As a huge thank you for waiting for us all these years, here is another song for you before the release of our new album! It contains a message that we want to reach out with; What do you think it is?”  

“The Aftermath” relies much more heavily on folk influences lending atmospheric density to the melancholic symphonic metal compositions. A sumptuous and sensual affair and a shimmering highlight in the discography of this German / Norwegian team.

Tracklisting:

"The Purple Sky"
"Syns sang"
"Vem kan segla"
"Ikje glem meg"
"Herr Mannelig"
"The Aftermath"
"The Unveiled Truth"
"Evaluation Of Time"
"Forsaken"
"Eitrdropar" (Bonus Track)

"Herr Mannelig" video:

Teaser:

Midnattsol is

Carmen Elise Espenæs - vocals
Liv Kristine Espenæs - vocals
Alex Kautz - guitar
Daniel Fischer - bass
Stephan Adolph - guitar
Michael Kapelle - session drummer

Uncured deliver a savage blast of extreme, technical metal brilliance with their new single “Terminal,” which can be streamed on Spotify. Fraternal brothers and co-lead frontmen (vocals, guitars), Rex and Zak Cox, are the next wave of young guitar virtuosos coming up and you can easily hear those dynamics all over this track.  

The band are currently hard at work on their much-anticipated, sophomore full-length offering, due out via Seek and Strike world-wide mid-2019.

Throughout 2018, Uncured toured heavily alongside such metal luminaries as Children Of Bodom, Cradle of Filth, DevilDriver and Soulfly, just to name a few. However, it was this past month, which saw them play to over hundreds of thousands, as direct support to Jamey Jasta across European festivals.

Haken's fifth studio album, Vector, is due out on October 26th. The album was produced by the band themselves, and recorded and mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery, Devin Townsend Project), with the artwork once again being handled by Blacklake.

The band have released the second of a 3-part interview with band members Ross Jennings, Charlie Griffiths & Rich Henshall. See two segments below:

Part 1:

Part 2:

The album will be available as limited edition 2CD Digipak (including instrumental versions), gatefold vinyl 2LP + CD, & as digital download.

Tracklisting:

"Clear"
"The Good Doctor"
"Puzzle Box"
"Veil"
"Nil By Mouth"
"Host"
"A Cell Divides"

"The Good Doctor" video:

Since their inception in 2007, Haken have shown over four previous studio albums, one EP and a live release that they never stand still, merely satisfied to rely on past triumphs. Rather, Haken always look for ways to challenge themselves as musicians and artists, and also to keep the listeners on their collective toes. “We don't like to make simple music,” laughs vocalist Ross Jennings. “We always aim to defy expectations, and I believe we've surpassed what we aimed to achieve with our new album.”
 
Their fifth studio record sees the band going in a heavier direction with the music. “We’ve always had a heavy influence”, explains guitarist Charlie Griffiths, “but it was obvious from the riffs that were naturally coming out of us early in the writing process that this would be a more metal album. These are some of the most riff driven songs we’ve ever written.” As is usual, Haken produced the album themselves, but for the first time they have enlisted Adam 'Nolly' Getgood during the recording and mixing stages. Formerly bassist with Periphery, in the last couple of years he has built a reputation as a fine producer. “We produced the album ourselves, as we always do,” insists Jennings. “But we're fans of what Adam has done with Periphery, Sikth and Devin Townsend. He has a great reputation for the heavier end of our genre”.
 
But if this album is musically heavy, then there's an underlying theme running through the seven songs which is certainly esoteric and fascinating. “The scene is set with the track The Good Doctor, which was a really fun song. Musically it feels like a logical step from 'Affinity', but lyrically it’s a bit more theatrical and about as ‘rock opera’ as Haken has ever got”, explains Griffiths. “It’s about a Doctor with an intriguing, perhaps sinister interest in a particular patient. From there the story enters the point-of-view of the patient - who appears to be catatonic, but his mind is sparking with what could be memories, or delusions brought on by the treatment he’s receiving - we leave this up to the listeners to decide. Although we don’t want to give too much away, people who are familiar with our back catalogue will have fun discovering further clues we’ve planted throughout the album. And that's the challenge for the fans - to find out for themselves their own meaning for 'Vector' as an album”.
 
Haken recently announced North American co-headline dates alongside Norway’s Leprous, and labelmates Bent Knee, in what is an all InsideOutMusic bill. These will be the first live shows in support of Vector, and you can find the full list of dates below:

Dates:

October
30 - The Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI
31 - Opera House - Toronto, ON

November
2 - Underground Arts - Philadelphia, PA
3 - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY
4 - The Sinclair - Boston, MA
6 - Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
7 - Cat’s Cradle - Carrboro, NC
8 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL
9 - Revolution - Fort Lauderdale, FL
10 - The Plaza Live - Orlando, FL
11 - Variety Playhouse - Atlanta, GA
13 - Gas Monkey - Dallas, TX
14 - Barracuda - Austin, TX
16 - Crescent Ballroom - Phoenix, AZ
17 - Glasshouse - Pomona, CA
18 - August Hall - San Francisco, CA
19 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
20 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA
21 - Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC
23 - Metro Music Hall - Salt Lake City, UT
24 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
25 - Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS
26 - Delmar Hall - St Louis, MO
27 - Exit/In - Nashville, TN
29 - Rex Theater - Pittsburgh, PA
30 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH

December
1 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL

Tickets available here.

Haken have also announced European and Latin American live dates in support of the new album.

The band comments: “We’re thrilled to be bringing our Vector Studies tour to Europe. We had immense fun celebrating our 10 year anniversary across Europe in 2017 with incredible turnouts and warm receptions. This time around we will be focusing on performing tracks from our new album Vector along with some live favourites of ours. For your health and wellbeing, the good doctor prescribes you some live Haken.”

The band add on the Latin America shows: "A visit to South America has been long overdue. Many of our dedicated South American fans have made epic trips around the world to experience our shows in Europe and North America and now we're ecstatic to reveal we will finally be returning the favour! See you in January! As for Mexico City and Cruise To The Edge, well... we cannot wait to return!"

Latin America 2019

January
26 - Teatro Teleton - Santiago, Chile
27 - Groove - Buenos Aires, Argentina
29 - Caricoa Club - Sao Paolo, Brazil
30 - Auditorio Centro De La Amistad Peruano China - Lima, Peru

February
1 - Lunar - Mexico City, Mexico

Europe 2019

February
15 - Academy 3 - Manchester, UK
16 - St Luke’s - Glasgow, UK
17 - The Fleece - Bristol, UK
19 - Essigfabrik - Cologne, Germany
20 - Batschkapp - Frankfurt, Germany
21 - Übel & Gefährlich - Hamburg, Germany
22 - Lille Vega - Copenhagen, Denmark
23 - John Dee - Oslo, Norway
24 - Debaser Strand - Stockholm, Sweden
26 - Columbia Theater - Berlin, Germany
27 - Kwadrat - Krakow, Poland
28 - A38 - Budapest, Hungary

March
2 - Szene - Vienna, Austria
3 - Futurum - Prague, Czech Republic
4 - Conne Island - Leipzig, Germany
6 - Im Wizemann - Stuttgart, Germany
7 - Backstage Halle - Munich, Germany
8 - Kiff - Aarau, Switzerland
9 - Magazzini Generali - Milan, Italy
10 - Transbordeur - Lyon, France
12 - Mon Live - Madrid, Spain
13 - Kafe Antzokia - Bilbao, Spain
14 - La Maroquinerie - Paris, France
15 - De Boerderij - Zoetermeer, Netherlands
16 - Islington Assembly Hall - London, UK
23 - Tavastia - Helsinki, Finland

Full ticket details here.

(Photo - Will Ireland)

New Orleans four-piece Cane Hill will embark on their first-ever headline North American tour next weekend. They willl be joined on the road by Sharptooth and Afterlife as support.

In advance of the trek, the band is releasing the live album Cane Hill: Live From The Bible Belt today, September 14.

The band shared two songs — "Too Far Gone" and "Singing In The Swamp" — ahead of the album release. Both originally appear on the band's latest album Too Far Gone.  

These live renditions certainly offer fans a taste of what Cane Hill are like onstage and of what's to come with the headline run.

"This is the first time we've gotten to tour on our own terms," said singer Elijah Witt. "We're excited to be in sweaty, as-intimate-as-can-be venues, playing songs from every release we have. It's going to be the most exciting string of shows we've ever had."

“Too Far Gone”:

“Singing In The Swamp”:

The tour kicks off on September 21st in Orlando and runs through November 3rd in the band's NOLA hometown. Cane Hill will also appear at the Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville during this run.

Dates:

September
21 — Orlando, FL — Soundbar
22 — Margate, FL — O'Malleys
23 — Pensacola, FL — Vinyl Music Hall
24 — Atlanta, GA — Masquerade
25 — Chapel Hill, NC — Local 506
27 — Charleston, WV — The Bakery
28 — Nashville, TN — The End
29 — Louisville, KY — Louder Than Life Festival*
30 — Columbus, OH — The A&R Music Bar

October
1 — Baltimore, MD — Raven Inn
2 — Philadelphia, PA — Kung Fu Necktie
3 — Boston, MA — Middle East Upstairs
4 — Trenton, NJ — Championship Bar
5 — Amityville, NY — Amityville Music Hall
6 — Brooklyn, NY — Knitting Factory
8 — Toronto, ON — Hard Luck
9 — Buffalo, NY — Mohawk Place
10 — Millvale, PA — Funhouse Mr. Smalls
11 — Cleveland, OH — The Foundry
12 — Pontiac, MI — The Pike Room
13 — Chicago, IL — Beat Kitchen
14 — Burnsville, MN — The Garage
15 — Des Moines, IA — Vaudeville
17 — Denver, CO — Larimer Lounger
18 — Salt Lake City, UT — Kilby Court
19 — Boise, ID — The Shredder
21 — Seattle, WA — Vera Project
22 — Portland, OR — Paris Theatre
23 — San Francisco, CA — Bottom Of The Hill
24 — Sacramento, CA — Holy Diver
25 — Los Angeles, CA — Hi Hat
26 — Anaheim, CA — Chain Reaction
27 — Phoenix, AZ — Pub Rock
28 — Albuquerque, NM — Launchpad
31 — Dallas, TX — RBC

November
1 — Austin, TX — Come and Take It Live
2 — Houston, TX — Secret Group
3 — New Orleans, LA — Gasa Gasa

*Festival appearance, Cane Hill only

Winston-Salem, NC-based quartet Stellar Circuits have been churning out massive soundscapes of rock and metal - chock full of the elements of progressive/experimental rock and metal that fans of the genre love with none of the tired fluff in between.

Hair-raising melodies, otherworldly interludes, intricate solos, grooving riffs, soaring, gripping vocals and an overall electric aura define the energy of Stellar Circuits on their upcoming full-length album, Ways We Haunt, out November 9th. Produced by renowned producer Jamie King (Between The Buried And Me, Scale The Summit, The Contortionist), Ways We Haunt scratches all the progressive itches while incorporating elements from the outer-sphere of metal and rock, past and present. The album reflects influence from out-of-the-box artists like A Perfect Circle, Karnivool, Between The Buried And Me, The Contortionist and beyond.

Get your first taste of Ways We Haunt by taking in the mesmerizing video for "Go With Your Ghost", available for streaming below. The video was directed/edited by Erez Bader (Veil of Maya, The Contortionist), with cinematography from Justin Reich (Black Label Society, The Browning).

Pre-orders for Ways We Haunt will be available next week, but you can stream "Go With Your Ghost" now via Spotify. The track was just added to the New Blood playlist!

Bassist Jesse Olsen says "Go With Your Ghost" ended up being different from the tracks on the remainder of Ways We Haunt: "This track went through a lot of transitions. It was one of those songs you're writing that floats there for a while. We'd leave it alone until we could riff something out that better suited the rest of the sections without rushing the natural progression of writing. I think for that very reason it ended up being very unique among the rest of the tracks on the record."

Vocalist Ben Beddick adds about Ways We Haunt as a whole: "The concept behind the record was something that developed as we continued to write songs. I remember being really into the series 'True Detective' at the time. There was an idea surrounding one episode about your mind being like a locked room. The concept was taken further into the idea of our minds being like a house with many rooms. I was really inspired by this and the metaphor of a haunted house. After stepping back from the songs and the sequence it was so clear that there was a theme that progressed throughout. It's similar to the cycle that we go through in our minds when we can't let things go. We can compartmentalize regret and loss as well as our insecurities when we hold onto them. There's a light at the end of the tunnel though - where we can finally come to terms with our lives and who we are, even if it's just for a moment. That's what music and art has always done for me."

Stellar Circuits express that working with acclaimed producer Jamie King on Ways We Haunt was a stress-free experience, allowing them to flourish. Drummer Tyler Menon says about the recording process: "I felt completely at home the entire time we were working with Jamie - he is super easy to work with. He's a wizard behind his rig too. Jamie really helped bring our vision to life and I couldn't be happier with the whole experience of working with him."

Jesse Olsen adds: "This album encompasses a variety of different moods and soundscapes from track to track. We're all constantly experimenting with different sounds and vibes so we never really know where we'll end up at the end of the process."

Stellar Circuits formed in 2015 with the idea of creating progressively-minded music that resonates with the masses. The name "Stellar Circuits" is derived from the eight-circuit model of consciousness, a theory proposed in the 1970's about expanding consciousness and understanding the process of our mind as it pertains to existentialism. Although the music revolves heavily around introspection and self-reflection, this is also coupled with the importance of aesthetics and groove.

Creating music both intellectual and visceral, Stellar Circuits is nothing short of a vehicle - transporting the listener to places both chaotic and cathartic.

Stellar Circuits will perform at their album release show on November 2nd at The RamKat in Winston-Salem, NC. Doors open at 7 PM, show begins at 8 PM, and the show costs $10 at the door. Support will come from Shun The Raven, Raimee, and Norm.

Ways We Haunt tracklisting:

"Nocturnal Visitor"
"Skylights"
"Fell Under A Spell"
"Sleepless Goddess"
"Lose The Forest For The Trees"
"Rorschach"
"Go With Your Ghost"
"Matrioshka"
"Goblin Valley"
"The Polar Dream"
"Ways We Haunt"

"Go With Your Ghost" video:

Stellar Circuits is:

Ben Beddick - Vocals
Jesse Olsen - Bass
Andrew Mericle - Guitar
Tyler Menon - Drums

Veteran Bay Area hard rock group NIGHT RANGER has released the official music video for the song "Truth". The track is taken from the band's latest studio album, "Don't Let Up", which was released in March 2017 via Frontiers Music Srl.

"The 'Don't Let Up' album is the result of five musicians living and breathing rock 'n roll 24 hours a day," said NIGHT RANGER bassist and vocalist Jack Blades.

NIGHT RANGER guitarist Brad Gillis added: "As typical for NIGHT RANGER, we have all the elements that made us popular in the first place, including twin-lead-vocal tradeoffs with Jack and Kelly [Keagy, drums/vocals] and dual guitar harmonies and solos with my new partner in crime, Keri Kelli. We've stacked the deck again with uptempo driving rock songs, midtempo tunes and a few acoustic ballad tracks."

As previously reported, NIGHT RANGER will celebrate the 35th anniversaries of its first two studio albums, "Dawn Patrol" and "Midnight Madness", by performing both records in full for the first time during an October 18 concert at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, Illinois.

b>"Dawn Patrol", released by MCA Records in November of 1982, included the Top 40 mainstream rock hit singles "Sing Me Away" and "Don't Tell Me You Love Me" and peaked at No. 38 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.

"Midnight Madness", the group's sophomore album (and first to be certified gold and platinum by the RIAA), was issued in October of 1983. The record — which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 — yielded three additional Top 40 mainstream rock hit singles in "Rumours In The Air", "When You Close Your Eyes" and "(You Can Still) Rock In America". It also included the group's best-known song, the iconic power ballad "Sister Christian", which spent 24 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1984, peaking at No. 5.

Three NIGHT RANGER members who performed on those albums — Blades, Gillis and Keagy — are still in the band today. The group's current lineup is rounded out by keyboardist Eric Levi and Kelli (ALICE COOPER, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, RATT).

The entire Dio studio album collection is now complete. BMG and Niji Entertainment Group Inc. have partnered to reissue Dio's 1996 - 2004 studio albums. Fans will finally be able to enjoy official versions of Angry Machines (1996), Magica (2000), Killing The Dragon (2002), and Master Of The Moon (2004). These titles have sold a quarter of a million copies in the US alone and have been out of print and unavailable for nearly five years. Beginning today, September 14th, all four albums will be available globally on all DSP's.

Wendy Dio says, "I am very excited to be working with BMG, a label that still has a passion for rock music. They will be making the complete Dio catalogue available again with some interesting surprises."

Now Available Globally at All DSPs:

Angry Machines

- Originally released in 1996, DIO's first independent release
- Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (Vocals), Tracy G (Guitars), Jeff Pilson (Bass), Vinny Appice (Drums) & Scott Warren (Keyboards)
- Features: "Don't Tell The Kids" and "Hunter Of The Heart"

Tracklisting:

"Institutional Man"
"Don't Tell The Kids"
"Black"
"Hunter Of The Heart"
"Stay Out Of The Mind"
"Big Sister"
"Double Monday"
"Golden Rules"
"Dying In America"
"This Is Your Life"

Magica

- Originally released in 2000
- Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (Vocals), Craig Goldy (Guitars), Jimmy Bain (Bass), & Simon Wright (Drums)
- Magica hit the charts in the US, Finland, Germany, Sweden and Japan
- Features: "Fever Dreams" and "Magica Theme"

Tracklisting:

"Discovery"
"Magica Theme"
"Lord Of The Last Day"
"Fever Dreams"
"Turn To Stone"
"Feed My Head"
"Eriel"
"Challis"
"As Long As It's Not About Love"
"Losing My Insanity"
"Otherworld"
"Magica" (Reprise)
"Lord Of The Last Day" (Reprise)
"The Magica"

Killing The Dragon

- Originally released in 2002
- Killing The Dragon charted in the US, Sweden, Finland, Germany, Austria, & Japan
- Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (Vocals), Doug Aldrich (Guitars), Jimmy Bain (Bass), & Simon Wright (Drums)
- Video for the single "Push" features appearance by Tenacious D

Tracklisting:

"Killing The Dragon"
"Along Comes A Spider"
"Scream"
"Better In The Dark"
"Rock & Roll"
"Push"
"Guilty"
"Thrown Away Children"
"Before The Fall"
"Cold Feet"

Master Of The Moon

- Originally released in 2004, final studio album under the DIO band name
- Personnel: Ronnie James Dio (Vocals), Craig Goldy (Guitar), Jeff Pilson (Bass), & Simon Wright (Drums)
- Master Of The Moon charted in the US, Finland, Sweden, & Germany
- Features: "One More For The Road" and "The Eyes"

Tracklisting:

"One More For The Road"
"Master Of The Moon"
"The End Of The World"
"Shivers"
"The Man Who Would Be King"
"The Eyes"
"Living The Lie"
"I Am"
"Death By Love"
"In Dreams"

More info to come soon on CD and LP reissues as well as additional future plans.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has confirmed that the band is recording four new songs for for the film adaptation of the group's biography, "The Dirt - Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band". The movie, which is being helmed by "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" director Jeff Tremaine, was picked up by Netflix after being previously developed at Focus Features and before that at Paramount.

In response to a Twitter question from a fan on how the new music will fit in, since the film is based on MÖTLEY CRÜE's past, Sixx responded: "You can trust us these are ball-busters. Everybody can relax. We're soon gonna smack you upside the head with some killer new tracks. Bob Rock is producing. It's our movie. We know what we're doing."

MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil tweeted yesterday that he was "going back in recording studio in a few weeks" with his bandmates to lay down his vocals on the group's new songs.

Neil's remarks came just two weeks after a picture of Sixx and CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee was posted on the band's Facebook page, along with the caption "28th August 2018." Appearing with them in the photo was longtime CRÜE producer and collaborator Bob Rock. In addition, Lee posted a brief video of himself playing drums on his Instagram, captioning the clip: "It's that new shit!!!"

ack in late 2016, Sixx shot down any possibility of the CRÜE returning as a recording act, telling TeamRock that there was "no chance" of the band making another record. "I want to just leave it intact," he said. "I see no reason. We couldn't be creative as a band, so how the hell can we continue? But I'm glad the way it finished — we did it all, we did what we said we were going to do, and now I'm excited about the future."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's last studio album was 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", which was followed by a 2009 "Greatest Hits" compilation.

A tour film about MÖTLEY CRÜE's final shows, "The End", came out in 2016.

In 2015, MÖTLEY CRÜE completed "The Final Tour", closing the book on the band's iconic career after performing a total of 164 shows in 72 markets, grossing over $100 million.

To cement the sense of finality, the four members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in 2014 publicly signed a "cessation of touring" contract that prevents any of them from performing under the CRÜE name in the future.



You can trust us these are ball busters. Everybody can relax.Were soon gonna smack you upside the head with some killer new tracks. Bob Rock is producing.Its our movie. We know what were doing. ?? https://t.co/QKaDCYKPwG

— xxıS ıʞʞıN (@NikkiSixx) September 14, 2018