Spanish heavy metal band, Vhäldemar, have revealed the artwork (created by Warbanner) and tracklisting for their upcoming fifth album, Against All Kings, scheduled for release on November 7th on CD and 12" LP format via Fighter Records.

The album was recorded at Chromacity Studios during the first half of this year. Details below.

Tracklisting:

“Metalizer”
“Old King's Visions (Part V)”
“Against All Kings”
“Eye For An Eye”
“I Will Stand Forever”
“Vulcano”
“Howling At The Moon”
“The Last To Die”
“Walking In The Rain”
“Rebel Mind”
“Titans In D Minor”

“Old King's Visions (Part V)” video:

German metallers, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter, will release their new album, Der Rote Reiter, tomorrow (August 25th) via Nuclear Blast Records. A music video for the album track “Die Freiheit Ist Eine Pflicht” is available for streaming below.

Der Rote Reiter was produced by the band and co-producers Alexander Dietz (Heaven Shall Burn) and Eike Freese (Deep Purple, Kai Hansen) at Chameleon Recording & Chemical Burn Studios.

Tracklisting:

“Wir Sind Zurück”
“Der Rote Reiter”
“Auf Und Nieder”
“Folgt Uns”
“Hört Mich An”
“The Great Experience Of Ecstasy”
“Franz Weiss”
“Die Freiheit Ist Eine Pflicht”
“Herz In Flammen”
“Brüder Auf Leben Und Tod”
“Ich Bin Weg”
“Ich Nehm Dir Deine Welt”
“Ich Werd Bleiben”

“Die Freiheit Ist Eine Pflicht” video:

“Auf Und Nieder video:

Album teaser:

“Der Rote Reiter” video:

Trailer:

Arizona death metal unit, Gatecreeper, have shared a new video for “Stronghold”, off the 2016 full-length Sonoran Depravation. The video features footage from the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, better known as “Jonestown”, on November 18th, 1978.

Additionally, Gatecreeper begin their European headline tour in two weeks. The tour commences on September 8th in Finland and runs until September 22nd in Netherlands. Support provided by Ratlord on select dates. The band also is set to perform at HOCO Fest 2017 on August 31st and provide direct support for Cannibal Corpse and Power Trip in the US throughout November and December.

Gatecreeper tour dates:

August
31 - Tucson, AZ - HOCO Fest 2017

September (with Ratlord)
8 - Helsinki, Finland - Waiski *
9 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Les *
10 - Moscow, Russia - Shagi *
13 - Budapest, Hungary - Robot
15 - Siegen, Germany - Vortex
16 - Kassel, Germany - K19
17 - Bristol, UK - The Exchange
18 - London, UK - Black Heart
19 - Glasgow, UK - Audio
20 - Leeds, UK - Temple of Boom
22 - Schoonebeek, Netherlands - JC Goeroe

* Gatecreeper Only

November (with Cannibal Corpse, Power Trip)
3 - Jacksonville, FL - Mavericks at the Landing
4 - Pensacola, FL - Vinyl Music Hall
5 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn
6 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theatre
8 - Dallas, TX - Trees
9 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hal
10 - McDade, TX - Sound on Sound Fest
12 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red
13 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
14 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
15 - San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
17 - Seattle, WA - Neumos
18 - Portland OR - Hawthorne Theater
19 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
20 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
22 - Denver, CO - The Summit Music Hall
24 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
25 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrew’s Hall
26 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Ballroom
28 - Boston, MA - Royale
29 - New York, NY - Stage 48
30 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts

December (with Cannibal Corpse, Power Trip)
1 - Richmond, VA - The Broadberry
2 - Wilmington, NC - The Muse
3 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Pete’s
5 - Louisville, KY - Diamond Pub Concert Hall
6 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
7 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Heaven)
8 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum

December
10 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street Collective
11 - Albuquerque, NM - Sister

(Photo - Haley Rippy)

It takes an incredible amount of instrumental skill and songwriting talent to be able to truly leave a mark within the realm of symphonic metal. And Toronto’s Operus will undoubtedly be garnering a lot of attention once their debut album is released on October 13th. The sound of the band is a cross breed of a metal band and a travelling theatre troupe that come together to produce a unique sound and thrilling live show.

The album can be pre-ordered at this location.

"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."

​Formed by six professional musicians - 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) - Operus' depth comes from the vast musical experience each member brings with them. From extensive studio time, to worldwide performances in metal bands, symphonic/chamber orchestras and the stages of musical theatre.

​The combined musical knowledge in Operus comes from decades of intense dedication to music with University and Masters Degrees, Royal Conservatory of Music certifications and the first hand knowledge from performing in North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Samples of the band’s all-encompassing sound can be sampled via the YouTube videos below.

​Other experiences from the band members include well known bands such as Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Robin Howe), Annihilator (Oscar Rangel), Skull Fist (J.J. Tartaglia), Eclipse Eternal (Wojtek Sokolowski) and leading roles in professional productions such as Jesus Christ Superstar (David Michael Moote).

"Musically, the concept of Cenotaph has a very cinematic sound to it that emphasises the classical elements of the band, such as the cello and the classical guitar. Vocally, Cenotaph moves between intimate textures such as the ones heard in ‘Wretched Play’ and big ensemble arrangements form choirs to accents with screams such as the ones in the title track. The album is packed with counterpoint sections in each song, rather than using the most common approach to music as is harmony."

​Operus has come for all metal heads and music lovers around the globe.

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)

Los Angeles melodic metallers, Ninth Circle, return to the studio in the last week of August to record to follow-up to Pure Steel Record’s Legions Of The Brave, which was the band’s third album.

“We’re excited to finally be entering the studio this month”, expresses bassists Frank Forray. “It’s been a long and sometimes bumpy road to get here. Thankfully we are here with the band intact and that’s important to making this current record.”

Frank gives his insights to what it took to get the band in the studio this time around, “It was about year ago that we started preparing and rehearsing so we could begin recording. The goal was to enter the studio in February of this year with then drummer Jim Standerfer. Schedule-wise, we were running a bit behind and then he informed us that he was no longer going to be in Ninth Circle. So then, as it so frequently happens, Dennis [Brown] and I have a quick conversation to pick a direction. That direction was to reach out to Dave [Davis] and see if he was interested in coming back to the band.”

After contacting Dave, Frank explains how things progressed from there, “Dave had been on the sidelines for just about year and we had seen him at some shows, which is always good, and he was excited about the opportunity to rejoin as were Dennis and I!”

“The next batch of songs are really powerful; shorter, to the point and melodic! We had put a couple of them into our last few shows to road test them and the crowds have been very responsive to the new songs.”

Dennis adds, "It has been great working with Dave again. We outlined a plan when he returned and it has kept us focused. We're all locked in and you can hear it in the songs.”

“We are also really excited to be heading back into the studio with producer Jeff Prentice (Predator, Outland, The Seeds) at the helm once again and Rich Wentzel helping us out with drum production. They’re a great team and really capture the core of Ninth Circle!”

Frank continues, “Stay tuned for updates from the studio as I am sure Dennis will be leading the charge of keeping everyone informed with video updates.”

(Photo - Jack Lue)

Portland, OR extreme metal band Worws will release its new album, Truth To Power, on September 22nd. The follow-up to the band's 2016 debut, Laylines, the impending LP delivers pulverizing crossover that combines grindcore, powerviolence and d-beat with a fever-pitch intensity. The new song, "Belfast”, is available for streaming below.

“‘Belfast’ is a war cry against the hanging clouds of crooked politicians and societal woes of a failing system, throwing a wrench into the American political climate," says Worws vocalist Tony Meuser. "Trying to break down the way we're taught to think and taking it further by calling out the dysfunction we all stand behind in the name of Capitalism."

Worws' raw sincerity, take no prisoners live show and D.I.Y. work ethic has earned the band a vast loyal following and shows alongside scene stalwarts such as OFF!, Trap Them and Today Is The Day. Formed in 2015, the band established a sharp-edged sound and focused modus operandi, attacking societal wrongs and ignorance. With Death, The Wipers and Slayer reigning over their record collections alongside contemporaries such as Ceremony and Defeater, Worws has waded their way through the oppression of the working class and are here to fight.

Pre-order Truth To Power at this location

Tracklisting:

“Belfast”
“Lot Lizards”
“Standing In Place”
“Love To Hate”
“Truth To Power”
“Sheltering Hands”
“Lights Out”
“Consumer Bachelor”

“Belfast”:

Legendary Detroit hard rockers, Madam X, have signed a deal with EMP Label Group, who will release their long-awaited sophomore release, Monstrocity, on October 31st, (October 27th in Europe) on CD and digital, with a limited edition vinyl release planned for November.

Produced by Madam X at Metro 37 Studios in Rochester Hills, MI, and mixed by Michael Wagener (Megadeth, Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne), with additional mixing by Mark Slaughter, Monstrocity is a hard-hitting classic metal/rock record sure to serve as a proper return to form for Madam X, and a kick in the ass for fans old and new.

Formed in 1981 by sisters Roxy and Maxine Petrucci, Madam X recruited bassist Chris “Godzilla” Doliber and vocalist Bret Kaiser, who released their classic, Rick Derringer produced, Jet Records debut, We Reserve The Right, in 1984, spawning the hit single “High In High School”. Four years later, after Roxy departed to join future arena rock superstars Vixen, and original vocalist Kaiser was briefly replaced by an unknown Canadian vocalist named Sebastian Bach, Madam X disbanded, and would remain mostly inactive until 2014, when the original lineup reunited at the Sweden Rock Festival.

Fast forward to 2017, when the Petrucci sisters collaborated with vocalist Mark Slaughter on a Lemmy Kilmister tribute track for their VIP Aftershow project, Slaughter who introduced Roxy to EMP Label Group head of A&R Thom Hazaert, who released a 12” “Kilmister” single for Aftershow, and the conversation soon shifted to the upcoming Madam X release.

Says Hazaert, “When I connected with Roxy and we were working on The Aftershow stuff, and she told me they were working on a new Madam X record, I was extremely excited at the prospect of releasing it. After a brief courtship, we made the decision to put it out together, and I can honestly say I’m still excited. Madam X is such a kickass Rock band, I was always a huge fan of their first record, and to be able to release its follow up over 30 years later is just insane.”

Adds drummer Roxy Petrucci, "Hell may not be pretty but good things will find their way out.!! It takes a huge pair of metal balls to sign a band like Madam X, David Ellefson and Thom Hazaert at EMP put their love of metal first, and crushed it by signing Madam X! Raw and flawed, Monstrocity will be unleashed onto the world in fall 2017! Long live rock n roll but immortalized in metal!"

The album features 12 hard-hitting slabs of rock, including the pummelling title track “Monstrocity”, “Resurrection”, “Nitrous”, and an updated version of their 1984 hit, “High In High School”.

More details to follow.

Dave Mustaine has once again responded to people making assumptions about his character based on hearsay.

The MEGADETH frontman has gained a reputation as one of the most divisive personalities in metal — particularly in the years following his expulsion from METALLICA in 1983.

But the 55-year-old musician has a much simpler explanation for the perception that he is hard to work with.

"I look at it like this — the ultimate form of revenge is to speak the truth and I try to be really honest in what I do, how I play, and who I work with," he tells Ultimate Guitar in a new interview.

"I don't lead people on. If I don't like you, you're going to know it.

"I think that's one of the things that the music business really needs — someone who will shoot straight.

"We don't all need a participation trophy. There's a first place and everyone else is last place. You know what I mean?

"When I was a kid, if I would have signed up for little league just to get a trophy like everyone else does, I wouldn't have done it.

"I think a lot of it comes from what is the award for achievement for things that we do."

Mustaine went on to discuss the interpersonal dynamics and organization culture within MEGADETH, which has gone through more than a dozen lineup changes in the past thirty-four years.

"Some people want fame, some people want fortune," he explained. "All bands have ever broken up over power, property, prestige or pussy — the dreaded four P's. You can't get away from it. It's just how it is.

"A band is together for a while and it’s just like that movie 'Spinal Tap'. People say that's a comedy and I love the comedic value of it, but the bummer is how true to life it is.

"There are so many things that happen in that movie that happen every day and it's not funny if it's happening to you but when it's happening to somebody else, it's hilarious. Like where they say, 'We're going to do 'Spinal Tap Mach 2',' or, 'We're going to have a make-over' or, 'There's somebody already in the organization' — all these things, we've experienced all those things [in MEGADETH].

"The label tried to change our logo, they tried to change our music, and then we had a band member's wife try to get into managing us. 'Spinal Tap' lives. Every day."

Mustaine previously defended his reputation in a 2016 interview, saying that it was a "bummer" when strangers approached him and said that they expected him to be an "a-hole."

Speaking to with "Elliot In The Morning", he said: "Let's not kid ourselves. Unfortunately, there's a terrible lie out there about me and my reputation, how difficult I am to work with, and… it's B.S.

"I don't care about it. I think it's kind of a bummer, though, sometimes when people, for the first time, come up to you. It's such a pregnant pause when people will meet you and go, 'God, you know, I heard you were such an a-hole,' and you just kind of look at them, like, 'Uh-huh.'

He continued: "This reminds me of when I was a kid and my first dance. I went up to a girl and I asked her to dance, and she said 'no,' and I walked away and I thought, 'Screw you! You don't know what you're missing.' And I figured I would commence to destroy her reputation in school.

"I'm kidding, of course, but that's kind of what we do when we get any kind of rejection; we make the other person out to be really horrible."

MEGADETH recently toured North America with MESHUGGAH and will play arenas later in the year as the support act for German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS.

Lars Ulrich was featured in a recent installment of The Wall Street Journal's "My Tech Essentials" in which the METALLICA drummer talked about his devotion to Apple products and the blistering speed of evolution when it comes to tennis-racket technology, among other topics.

He said: "My favorite app is Flight Radar 24, which is sort of live air traffic. You can see anywhere in the world how many airplanes are airborne, where they're flying to, where they're from, where they're going, what altitude they're at. I drink tea, get cracked out on caffeine and sit and watch. If you look over central Florida, there's a UA 234 from San Francisco to Orlando and it's got 12 minutes left. It's at 8,800 feet going 331 miles an hour. It's a Boeing737. The tail number is N12218. It may have something to do with my compulsive, crazy energy."

Ulrich also doubled down on his claim that one of the biggest misconceptions people have about METALLICA is that the band doesn't care about technology. He told The Wall Street Journal: "I travel with several iPod Classics. I'm a big believer in both Apple Music and Spotify and use both, but my iPod Classics have my whole music library on them, and ten percent of the time, I listen to stuff that's not available on the streaming services. I took one out yesterday because my wife and I were listening to some old BUDGIE songs and she wanted to hear 'Crash Course in Brain Surgery', from the album 'In For The Kill!' and that was not on Apple Music."

He continued: "I'm an Apple addict. I'd say that my family owns north of thirty Apple products. One product that's not Apple: the Panasonic KX-T7633-B, a landline telephone. I like a landline phone at home. It probably has to do with the fact that I live on a hill and have shitty cell service."

The first European leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" tour kicks off on September 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark and stretches through November. After a break, the trek will pick up again on February 1, 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal, and continue through May, finishing up in Helsinki, Finland.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band is touring in support of its tenth studio album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which came out last November.

In a brand new interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2015's "Repentless" album. He said (hear audio below): "We do have six to eight [new] songs [partially recorded], for sure. A couple of 'em are lyrically done, a couple of 'em got leads. They were all recorded at the 'Repentless' sessions, so unless the lyrics change the arrangement, they don't need to be recorded again. So all I really gotta do is write five… I don't know… maybe four or five more songs and get a whole bunch of lyrics together. Half the work's done for the next record, so, in my book, that's exciting. To where 'Repentless' was an incredibly daunting effort, this one should be a lot more laid back."

Asked if SLAYER has any plans or timeline on when they would like to release the next studio album, King said: "It depends on touring — getting time to rehearse, getting time to make up new stuff. We haven't even done Australia on this run yet at all. We're hitting Japan finally later this year. But if things go well, I'd like to record next year. But timelines change all the time."

King also talked about what his life would be like without SLAYER. He said: "I'd probably have some shitty job that I hate, thinking about killing myself every day because I hate my life. Fortunately, I don't have to do that. My life's rad; I've got the best job in the world, and luckily, I never had to think about what I would do without this. Hopefully I never have to, because I like doing this, I like what we're playing, we've got a great relationship with the fanbase, and it's fun. I love doing this."

Asked if he still enjoys touring nearly four decades into SLAYER's career, King said: "Once we get in the States and we've got a bus and we pretty much drive everywhere, I like it a hell of a lot better than having to fly. It sounds, like, 'Oh, flying's not good enough for you. First class — oh, you want better than that.' It's, like, no, I don't wanna sit around in fucking airports. You've gotta check in your bags, you've gotta wait for the plane, you've gotta fly, hopefully you're on time. And then you've gotta wait for your bags again. I'd just rather drive overnight and sleep to the next city. So it's a lot easier for us in the States. I mean, in South America, we fly everywhere and that's just how it is. You don't take buses anywhere in South America, 'cause you play so far away. And European summer festival-slash-headline runs, sometimes they book you in such a manner that they don't even think about how you're gonna get to the next show. We've had to charter planes just to make the next show. And, again, I don't mean to belittle charter planes — charter planes are badass and it was an awesome experience — but when am I supposed to sleep? [Laughs]"

SLAYER's August 5 concert at the Forum in Inglewood, California was reportedly filmed for a forthcoming DVD.

"Repentless" was released in September 2015 via Nuclear Blast. The disc debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 50,000 equivalent album units.

Swedish death metallers AMON AMARTH are preparing to begin writing material for their eleventh studio album. The follow-up to 2016's "Jomsviking" will mark the band's first release with drummer Jocke Wallgren, who officially joined the group last September. Prior to that, Jocke had been sitting behind the kit for all shows on the band's "Jomsviking" world tour.

Speaking to Antihero Magazine's Matt Mills at this year's Bloodstock Open Air festival, AMON AMARTH guitarist Johan Söderberg stated about the band's plans for the coming months (hear audio below): "After this summer, we're done touring with this album. That's when we're gonna start to write stuff for the next one."

Asked if AMON AMARTH is the kind of band that works on new music while on tour, Söderberg said: "We actually never wrote anything on the road before. But on this summer run we have now, we actually just bought a little computer and sound interface that we actually can write on tour if we feel like it. But we haven't really started [yet]."

"Jomsviking" debuted at No. 19 on The Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 21,000 equivalent album units. Released on March 25, 2016 via Metal Blade in North America and Sony Music internationally, the first concept record in AMON AMARTH's storied career tells a tragic tale of love and revenge, backed by the Swedes' trademark melodic, anthemic metal, which was produced and mixed once again by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT). The epic original story is set in the world of the Jomsvikings, the legendary order of mercenary Vikings.

Outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent claims that Facebook is "lying" about the number of his followers on the popular social media platform, insisting that he has more than seven times the fans than the officially reported figure.

Nugent currently has three million and three hundred thousand Facebook followers — a respectable statistic compared to the number of Facebook fans attracted by most other rock artists.

But the musician, who has been described by some as a right-wing lunatic with a soft spot for conspiracy theories and a knack for off-color humor, believes that Facebook is intentionally underreporting the number of users of the social media juggernaut who regularly flock to his Facebook page.

Speaking to Doug Podell of Detroit's radio station 94.7 WCSX, Nugent said (hear audio below): "Right now, Facebook claims that I have three and a half million Facebookers. I've got people deep, deep into government Internet security that admit that Facebook is lying. I have over twenty-five million Facebookers."

Ted illustrated his claim using a specific example. "Last week I posted a meme that just identified something real simple, that there's gonna be a civil war… It was a joke — that somebody is talking about a civil war and one side has eight trillion rounds of ammo and the other side can't choose the proper bathroom," he said. "It's a joke, you goofball! I mean, didn't anybody ever watch Richard Pryor's movies? I mean, c'mon! So people went crazy with that. But I had almost twenty million hits. Now you don't get twenty million hits if you've only got three and a half million followers. Do you hear me? [Laughs] So I've got tens of millions and I thank them all."

Nugent credited his social media etiquette for his high number of Facebook followers, explaining: "I'm not an electronic, technology guy, but every night we have these danger-zone get-togethers backstage, [and] every night people are saying that there's no better Facebook on the planet that is more fun, more involved and where the host of the Facebook comes on and communicates openly and absolutely unguarded than the Ted Nugent Facebook. So I'm real proud of that, because my happiness comes from communicating with people and optimizing the good while we do our best to get rid of the bad and the ugly. And that identifies my Facebook."

Ted went on to call himelf "a communicating maniac. I really believe that open communication is the ultimate system by which people can understand each other, share ideas and experiences," he said.

Nugent made headlines in April when he got to spend some time in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump. Nugent and fellow Detroit-bred musician Kid Rock were joined in the White House by Sarah Palin, the former Alaskan governor and GOP vice presidential nominee, who posted photos of the visit on social media the following morning.

Interview (audio):

Late LINKIN PARK singer Chester Bennington's ex-wife, Samantha Bennington, apparently targeted his widow Talinda in a lengthy public post on Facebook on Wednesday (August 23), saying that she and her son Draven were not allowed to speak at Chester's funeral, that the service itself resembled a radio festival and that there has been a "lack of respect and honesty" on the part of Talinda.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Samantha wrote in part: "My son & I have not had an opportunity to speak not even at his funeral (that only represented his life that he was married to his new wife) no photos but one of him anywhere, it was more like checking into KROQ's Weinie [sic] Roast Festival . . . it was a disgusting delusional display on all people who spoke at the funeral & their characters."

Samantha claimed that Chester's parents were not at the funeral and not mentioned in the program, which she said looked like a "cheap happy hour menu."

On a different note, Samantha said that her son no longer wants to go to the house where his father died — which Samantha claims is fueling rumors that she is keeping Draven from his siblings — and that legally he had only gone there before when Chester was home.

Samantha continued: "My ex told me & shared a lot with Dra & I… The truth on every level will come out." She finished by saying that she was "not speaking to just one person," adding, "I hope you like capitalizing on his death."

Samantha was married to Chester from 1996 until 2005. Their one son, Draven, was born on April 19, 2002. Chester married Talinda shortly after his divorce from Samantha, and had three children with her.

Chester committed suicide at the age of 41 on July 20. He was buried in a private service nine days later.




I have been a lady, I have kept my mouth shut. I hold my head up high but as my head starts to lower I'm not in my own...

Posted by Samantha Bennington on Wednesday, August 23, 2017

GHOST's official video for the song "He Is" can be seen below. The clip was helmed by Brooklyn-based director Zev Deans, who has previously worked with BEHEMOTH and PALLBEARER.

GHOST lead singer and founder Tobias Forge — who performs as Papa Emeritus and does the act's interviews disguised as a member of his backing band of Nameless Ghouls — recently told the Albuquerque Journal that even as he is preparing to record GHOST's fourth studio album, he's thinking about the one after that. He explained: "It's a pick and mix of a lot of different ideas and stuff laying around, a lot of new stuff being added to the pile. Yeah, it's a constant thinking ahead, and now, already now, I'm thinking about album number five, because there are songs coming out now or coming up being written that I feel like that won't fit into the new album, so I'll put that one on to the next one instead."

Forge hinted at the lyrical themes of the next record, saying: "Having in mind that the previous record was about the absence of God or the absence of deities, this new one is going to be about the return of God. You know God's wrath cast upon the suffering humans, so it will be a little bit more biblical in that sense, which in turn makes it darker, a little bit more apocalyptic, I think."

GHOST has just entered the studio to begin recording the new LP. The follow-up to 2015's "Meliora" is expected out sometime early next year.

"If everything goes to plan, by the end of the year we will have a new record recorded, mixed, mastered, delivered, and if nothing happens, we can still aim at an April release," Forge told the Dallas Observer. "The plan as of right now is to come back to America in April or May [of 2018]. We have a tendency to do American tours in April, so we like that tradition. It's a good one and we'd like to keep doing that."

The official video for the song "Afterlife" from SWEET & LYNCH — the band featuring guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet of STRYPER, legendary guitarist George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB), bassist James LoMenzo (MEGADETH, WHITE LION, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Brian Tichy (THE DEAD DAISIES, WHITESNAKE) — can be seen below. The track is taken from SWEET & LYNCH's sophomore album, "Unified", which will be released on November 10 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Says Sweet: "George and I couldn't be more excited about this album! We've worked very hard to bring you the best of both worlds — a throwback of the chart-topping STRYPER/DOKKEN days yet with a modern production that fits right in with anything out there now in the rock world today.

"We couldn't be more proud than to be working with Brian Tichy and James LoMenzo again as they are the best rhythm section you'll ever hear.

"If you liked SWEET & LYNCH I, you're going to love 'Unified'."

"Unified" track listing:

01. Promised Land02. Walk03. Afterlife04. Make Your Mark05. Tried & True06. Unified07. Find Your Way08. Heart Of Fire09. Bridge Of Broken Lies10. Better Man11. Live To Die

Michael previously said that SWEET & LYNCH was formed when Frontiers president Serafino Perugino approached him "to sing and write for what [Serafino] was referring to as a 'supergroup' project — (one of the first) that Frontiers would be putting together and releasing. I was, of course, not only intrigued by the idea but also humbled that he would ask me! Jon Levin [DOKKEN] was suggested as the possible guitarist and I suggested to Serafino getting the man himself, Mr. Scary [George Lynch] involved. Serafino was, of course, excited about the idea. Frontiers has told me how happy they are with my production on the new STRYPER albums, so I immediately suggested producing as well. Serafino also agreed. I contacted George [as soon as possible] and he quickly agreed to be a part of this exciting project. It was decided that he and I would co-write everything together and that I would produce."

Sweet, who is a devout Christian, also talked about his working relationship with George, who considers himself to be a freethinker/atheist.

"You may ask how does an atheist and a Christian work together in a band situation? The answer is respect. Although I don't agree with George's spiritual/religious views (and he doesn't agree with mine, assumedly), we respect each other as musicians, friends and human beings.

"I'm free to do many things with the hope that maybe, just maybe, my life might have a profound effect on people I come in contact with.

"I've spoken with George many times over and he always strikes me as a genuine soul and someone who cares for and loves people. Bottom line? He's a great guy and I'm proud to be a part of this with George.

"Although we don't see eye to eye in our beliefs, we respect each other enough to not let that come between us."

Lynch concurred, telling Antihero Magazine: "There could potentially be a conflict there between Michael and I, and we've talked about that. I'm sort of a freethinking atheist, and he's a born-again Christian. I've been through that in my life; I was a born-again Christian at one point. I was the guy knocking on your door handing out tracks. I played in a Pentecostal charismatic band that did revivals… tent revivals in black neighborhoods in South Central L.A. — yeah, all kinds of stuff. I definitely have something to say about all that, but I don't know how effective I am at it. I'm not RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. I wish I was."

SWEET & LYNCH's debut album, "Only To Rise", was released in January 2015 via Frontiers Music Srl.

A newly released video showcasing the fan experience on the U.S. leg of GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour can be seen below.

The 2017 North American leg of GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour kicked off July 27 in St. Louis, Missouri and includes eleven newly announced dates in cities across the U.S., including Newark, D.C., Hartford, Louisville, Milwaukee, Nashville, Sacramento, and San Diego. They have also added a second stop in Toronto, and third dates in both New York and Los Angeles.

GUNS N' ROSES recently made Forbes magazine's "Celebrity 100" list of the world's top-earning entertainers for the first time. The band landed at No. 12 with earnings of $84 million in the past twelve months, before taxes and fees for managers.

Last summer's North American leg, which featured 25 stadium shows in 21 cities, grossed a whopping $116.8 million with over one million tickets sold.

The "Not In This Lifetime" tour features classic GUNS members Slash on guitar, Duff McKagan on bass and Axl Rose on vocals, backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

GUNS kicked off its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion trek in April 2016 with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

Norwegian progressive black avantgardists ENSLAVED will release their new album, "E", on October 13 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "In Times" was recorded at Duper & Solslottet Studios in Bergen and was once again mixed and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden.

The first trailer for the disc, in which vocalist, bassist and lyricist Grutle Kjellson explains the choice of the seemingly simplistic album title, can be seen below.

ENSLAVED recently released the music video for the ten-minute-long single "Storm Son", which blends mesmerizing prog with jarring extreme metal and a folky atmosphere. The clip was designed by Josh Graham, who previously worked with SOUNDGARDEN and NEUROSIS, among others, and delivered a truly spectacular piece of animated art that you can watch below.

"'Storm Son' deals with the duality of man and nature, how important and basic that relationship is," explained ENSLAVED songwriter and guitarist Ivar Bjørnson. "Everything we do and create are imitations of nature; as we evolved from nature, that is how it must be — yet modern man thinks he and she is independent of nature, that we somehow are so superior that we do not have to take nature into consideration other than as a backdrop for shitty movies. Or festivals. Losing touch with nature is basically to lose touch with being human."

A press release states: "This fourteenth full-length masterpiece sets the musical mind-twisters free from genre boundaries and offers an unprecedented mix of prog, extreme metal and shoegaze on eight tracks with a play time of more than an hour.

"The album was once again written by the unholy alliance of Bjørnson and singer and bassist Grutle Kjellson and marks the introduction of their new keyboard master and clean vocalist Håkon Vinje.

"'E' heralds a new era for ENSLAVED. Its cover artwork was once again hand-painted by the Norwegian artist Truls Espedal.

"As support for their brave sound journey, the quintet brought several guest musicians on board for the songs 'Hiindsiight' and 'Feathers Of Eolh', including WARDRUNA's Einar Kvitrafn Selvik, flutist Daniel Mage and jazz saxophonist Kjetil Møster."

Ivar explains the "E" title: "The concept of the album lies in both its meaning as a letter in the latin alphabet and its runic reference: the rune 'Ehwaz', that is depicted as an 'M' when drawn as rune (just to make sure it gets really confusing) — the runes are drawn to look like what they literally mean. Ehwaz (pronounced and used as what's known as E, but drawn as an 'M') looks like and means 'horse.' Which is closely linked to its esoteric meaning; which is 'trust' and 'co-operation.' One of mankind's oldest and deepest pairings/collaborations with any 'outside' entities is with the horse. When they were first tamed and utilized, there must have arisen the notion of some esoteric link between the two; now we could move swiftly, escape faster and even eat and drink from the animal (both horse milk and horse blood), and of course show off and brag before our enemies and peers with the most spectacular horses.

"So, no, it is not about horses! It is about the symbioses that surrounds us; which are vital to our existence, to our development — on all scales: man and vessel (for instance horse, yes), a person and its significant other, child and parent, musician and instrument, chaos and order, subconscious and conscious, Oden and Sleipnir — wisdom and communication. There are many levels and variations of this concept on the album; the duality of man and nature, present and past personalities within one self, the conscious fear and the subconscious drive. And other symbiosis."

"E" is now available for pre-order through Nuclear Blast's online store in a variety of packages, including green and brown vinyl.

"E" track listing

01. Storm Son02. The River's Mouth03. Sacred Horse04. Axis Of The Worlds05. Feathers Of Eolh06. Hiindsiight07. Djupet (bonus track)08. What Else Is There? (RÖYKSOPP cover; bonus track)

"I'm always psyched and proud when we have finished an album recording, and this is no exception!" stated Kjellson. "It was a really exciting process this time, with the lineup change and everything, so although it wasn't a dramatic change, the band dynamics were suddenly different. But, it was like a little re-boot, a fresh start so to speak. The studio sessions were great, and we all feel that we have done something truly amazing. We hope you'll enjoy it. Ugh!"

Bjørnson recently stated about ENSLAVED's new album: "I have never worked this hard to put together music for an album before. We are a tighter unit than ever before, which is obvious sonically. The concept conjured by myself and old war-brother Grutle is the strongest we have worked with. Finally, I am proud that we have taken more risks than ever before, and one in particular — and it is yielding awesome results."

45 years after Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour filmed Live At Pompeii in the legendary Roman Amphitheatre there, he returned for two spectacular shows that took place on July 7th and 8th, 2016, part of his year-long tour in support of his #1 album, Rattle That Lock. The performances were the first-ever rock concerts for an audience in the stone Roman amphitheatre, and, for two nights only, the 2,600 strong crowd stood exactly where gladiators would have fought in the first century AD.

David Gilmour Live At Pompeii is an audio experience on its own, while the audio-visual spectacle features lasers, pyrotechnics and a huge circular screen on which specially-created films complement selected songs. Paramount, however, is the incredible music: the show includes songs from throughout David's career, as well as many Pink Floyd classics, including “One Of These Days”, the only song that was also performed at the band’s 1971 show.

Both concerts also saw very special performances of “The Great Gig In The Sky” from The Dark Side Of The Moon, which David rarely plays as a solo artist. The 2-disc concert CD was produced by David Gilmour, and mixed by Andy Jackson and David Gilmour. The 148-minute concert film includes highlights from both shows, filmed in 4k by director Gavin Elder. DVD and Blu-ray versions contain an extra 7-minute documentary by Gavin Elder ‘Pompeii Then And Now’, while the Deluxe Blu-ray 4-disc box contains the 2xCD version, the 1xBlu-ray version, and a full 207 minutes of extra footage: 11 live performances and 5 documentaries, plus bonus collectables. Vinyl lovers can enjoy a deluxe 4xLP version in gatefold sleeves and a hardback slipcase, plus a 24-page photo booklet.

David Gilmour Live At Pompeii shows an artist at the top of his artistic game, performing incredible material with his world-class band, in a unique setting on one very special occasion. The release is set for September 29th. An excerpt of “Today” is available for streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“5 A.M.”
“Rattle That Lock”
“Faces Of Stone”
“What Do You Want From Me”
“The Blue”
“The Great Gig In The Sky”
“A Boat Lies Waiting”
“Wish You Were Here”
“Money”
“In Any Tongue”
“High Hopes”
“One Of These Days”
“Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Pts. 1 - 5)”
“Fat Old Sun”
“Coming Back To Life”
“On An Island”
“Today”
“Sorrow”
“Run Like Hell”
“Time” / “Breathe (In The Air)” (reprise)
“Comfortably Numb”

“Today” excerpt:

“A Boat Lies Waiting” excerpt:

“One Of These Days” excerpt:

EPK Part 1:

EPK Part 2:

Deluxe Box Set unboxing video:

“Rattle That Lock”:

Live At Pompeii will be in cinemas worldwide for one night only, September 13th. Tickets/info at this location. A trailer can be found below.

Presented in 4K and Dolby Atmos where available.

DEAD CROSS, the Southern California outfit featuring drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MISFITS) and singer Mike Patton (FAITH NO MORE), was joined by DEAD KENNEDYS frontman Jello Biafra on stage last night (Wednesday, August 23) at The UC Theatre in Berkeley, California for a performance of the latter band's classic song "Nazi Punks Fuck Off".

For the special rendition of the track — renamed "Nazi Trumps Fuck Off" — all four members of DEAD CROSS wore black shirts with "Nazi Trumps Fuck Off" printed on the front along with President Donald Trump's face crossed out.

"Two words: Jello. Biafra," Patton told the crowd before the DEAD KENNEDYS legend came out on stage. Biafra said: "Sorry, Mariah Carey was supposed to do this song, but that turned out to be fun with fake news. So… now… more… than… ever… Nazi Trump, fuck off!"

Last November, Biafra weighed in on underdog Donald Trump's stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, saying that "people ran out and voted for somebody that they knew was a liar" and "a thief." In an episode of his "What Would Jello Do?" video series, Biafra stated about the president: "It feels like a really heavy, unexpected death in the family, somebody close to you — only this time it's our country. Almost like coming home from school and finding somebody very close to you just got run down by a drunk driver or something. That that many people ran out and voted for somebody that they knew was a liar, knew was a thief, knew was a rapist, knew was a racist, and they didn't vote for him in spite of all that horrible stuff, and how completely unqualified he is for anything but being a rich buffoon. No, they voted for him because of what he said. They dig the crude, rude dude. The nastiest bully in the whole school, we think he's cool."

Biafra first gained attention as the lead singer and songwriter for San Francisco punk rock band DEAD KENNEDYS. After his time with the band concluded, he took over the influential independent record label Alternative Tentacles, which he had co-founded in 1979 with DEAD KENNEDYS bandmate East Bay Ray. Although now focused primarily on spoken word, he has continued as a musician in numerous collaborations.

Backstage photo credit: Bob Hannam

Swedish metallers SOILWORK will enter the studio next year to begin work on the follow-up to 2015's "The Ride Majestic" album.

The band's tenth full-length disc, "The Ride Majestic" was the last SOILWORK album to feature longtime drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who left the band in July 2016 to join MEGADETH.

Speaking to Louder at this month's Bloodstock Open Air festival in the U.K., SOILWORK vocalist Björn "Speed" Strid stated about the band's recording plans (see video below): "We're slowly approaching songwriting mode, so I think we'll be hitting the studio maybe sometime in the spring next year. But, yeah, I'm excited to start working on something new."

SOILWORK last year released a special collection of rarities titled "Death Resonance" via Nuclear Blast.

Verbeuren joined MEGADETH at the recommendation of LAMB OF GOD's Chris Adler who played on MEGADETH's "Dystopia" album.

Verbeuren was replaced in SOILWORK by Bastian Thusgaard of THE ARCANE ORDER.

After the success of their Sentience EP, hard-hitting UK quartet Skarlett Riot soon began to attract interest from far and wide. Signing deals with TKO Agency and The Artery Foundation management were just the beginning for this highly rated act – soon they had signed a world-wide record deal with the pro-active and forward thinking Swedish label Despotz Records.
With the ink still drying on their contracts the four-piece, led by the unique and passionate vocals of Skarlett, headed back in to the studio to begin work on their hugely anticipated second album.

The new material is harder, heavier, faster but still driven by the anthemic hooks that have kept this band at the forefront of the UK modern metal scene.

The band have constantly developed and honed their craft; and the band are in comfortable in their darker and heavier guise, with elements of Asking Alexandria, In This Moment and Bullet for My Valentine shining through; opening up all new possibilities for the band.

The result is the new album – Regenerate.

A press release states: “Whereas their peers are all seemingly heading towards a lighter direction, Skarlett Riot are embracing the anger and aggression of the modern world and challenging it into some of their most challenging material to date.

“The commanding voice of Skarlett has taken on a bolder and more forceful presence, whilst the guitars of Danny are razor sharp and incisive, giving the rhythm section of Luke and Martin the room to progress and expand into a taut, almost hostile driving force, as the first single ‘Break’ ably demonstrates!”

Regenerate is due out October 27th via Despotz Records.

Tracklisting:

“Break”
“Closer”
“Stand Alone”
“What Lies Beneath”
“Calling”
“Affliction”
“Outcast”
“Paralyzed”
“The Storm”
“Warrior”

Trailer for upcoming single “Break”:

Produced by Mark Ronson and co-produced by Mark Rankin and mixed by Alan Moulder, Villains is the first full album offering from Queens Of The Stone Age since 2013’s …Like Clockwork. Out on August 25th via Matador Records, the album is available across three formats. Pre-order here. Check out a unboxing video of the deluxe vinyl edition of the album:

“The title Villains isn’t a political statement. It has nothing to do with Trump or any of that shit. It’s simply 1) a word that looks fantastic and 2) a comment on the three versions of every scenario: yours, mine and what actually happened… Everyone needs someone or something to rail against - their villain - same as it ever was. You can’t control that. The only thing you can really control is when you let go." - Joshua Homme

Tracklisting:

“Feet Don’t Fail Me”
“The Way You Used To Do”
“Domesticated Animals”
“Fortress”
“Head Like A Haunted House”
“Un-Reborn Again”
“Hideaway”
“The Evil Has Landed”
“Villains Of Circumstance”

“The Evil Has Landed”:

“The Way You Used To Do”:

Trailers:

Queens Of The Stone Age recently released a video trailer in support of their Villains World Tour 2017. Watch the clip below, and find the band’s tour schedule at this location.

Renowned Danish composer and classically trained multi-instrumentalist, Myrkur, has unveiled her interpretation of traditional Nordic Folk song, "De Tre Piker" today.  Her third single from upcoming album Mareridt includes a stunning, lulling vocal performance alongside nyckelharpa (an ancient Swedish key harp), shaman drums and guitar. The song is availalbe for streaming below.

“Mareridt” (translation: Nightmare) is a rich juxtaposition of the dark and the light; the moon and the mother earth; the witch and the saint. Myrkur explores deeper into the mysterious and the feminine with 11 tracks that further progress her visionary blend of metal with gorgeous, stirring melodies, dark folk passages, choral arrangements and superb, horrific beauty.

Mareridt was recorded between Copenhagen and Seattle with producer, Randall Dunn (Earth, Marissa Nadler, Sun O))), Boris). Like a marriage of King Diamond's Them with Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Mareridt is a carefully composed concept freed from genre. It flows between English and Danish, from guttural growls charged with testosterone, to emotive feminine hymns and Kulning. The compositions sweep into one another like a soundtrack designed to guide the listener through emotional turmoil. One minute the songs are fighting back, the next lulling you to submission. Lyrically, Myrkur hatches open the folklore of her Nordic heritage, applying the ancient fables to her personal piety. Mareridt toys with juxtaposition and finds life between theoretical opposites. Timeless, triumphant, powerful and hypnotic, Mareridt is a sonic nightmare that you never want to escape.   

Relapse offers an exclusive, one time pressing deluxe 2LP on red inside clear with blue splatter and custom Myrkur logo etching on side D; limited to 900.  The deluxe version also features alternate cover art painted by Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum and contains core album on LP 1 plus 5 bonus tracks on LP 2 (not available on CD or single LP versions). Pre-order Mareridt now via Relapse.com.

Mareridt will be released on September 15th. Artwork and tracklisting below.

Tracklisting:

“Mareridt”
“Måneblôt”
“The Serpent”
“Crown”
“Elleskudt”
“De Tre Piker”
“Funeral” (featuring Chelsea Wolfe)
“Ulvinde”  
“Gladiatrix”  
“Kætteren”
“Børnehjem”
“Death Of Days” *
“Kvindelil” * (featuring Chelsea Wolfe)
“Løven” *
“Himlen blev sort” *
“Två Konungabarn” *

* Digital / Deluxe 2xLP Bonus Track

"De Tre Piker":

“Måneblôt”:

Live dates:

October
26 - Stockholm, Sweden - Close-Up Baten Cruise

November
4 - Leeds, UK - Damnation Festival
17 - London, UK - Heaven #
18 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Neushoorn #
19 - Lille, France - Maison Folie Beaulieu #
20 - Paris, France - Alhambra #
21 - Rennes, France - Antipode MJC #
23 - Bilbao, Spain - Santana27 #
24 - Madrid, Spain - Caracol #
25 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz2 #
27 - Milan, Italy - Circolo Magnolia #
29 - Munich, Germany - Theaterfabrik #
30 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse #

December
1 - Bologna, Italy - Locomotiv #
7 - Budapest, Hungary - A38 #
8 - Vienna, Austria - Arena #
11 - Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy #
12 - Berlin, Germany - Heimathafen #
13 - Cologne, Germany - Kantine #
15 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - maasSilo #
16 - Brussels, Belgium - VK #
18 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset #
20 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Strand #

# - with Solstafir

(Photo by: Daria Endresen)

Florida-based metallers TRIVIUM will release their new album, "The Sin And The Sentence", on October 20 via Roadrunner. The disc is available for pre-order today at all DSPs, with all pre-orders receiving instant grat downloads of the album's title track and the newly released single, "The Heart From Your Hate", which is streaming now accompanied by an official music video on TRIVIUM's YouTube Channel. Recorded with producer Josh Wilbur (LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA) at Santa Ana, California's Hybrid Studios, "The Sin And The Sentence" finds TRIVIUM — Matt Heafy (lead vocals, lead guitar), Corey Beaulieu (guitar, vocals), Paolo Gregoletto (bass) and Alex Bent (drums) — returning with their first new music since their celebrated 2015 LP "Silence In The Snow". The new LP also features the band's first recordings with new drummer Bent who joined the band last year. Earlier this summer TRIVIUM debuted the album's incendiary title track, "The Sin And The Sentence", the official music video for which has amassed over one and a half million views in just three weeks.

Currently wrapping up a summer of European headline dates and appearances at festivals such as Germany's Wacken Open Air and Poland's Woodstock Festival, TRIVIUM will make their return to North America this fall on a co-headline tour with ARCH ENEMY featuring support from WHILE SHE SLEEPS and FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY. The tour will kick off on October 27 in Orlando, Florida and make its way across the U.S. and Canada before finishing on December 6 in Houston, Texas. Tickets for all dates are on sale now.

"The Sin And The Sentence" track listing:

01. The Sin And The Sentence02. Beyond Oblivion03. Other Worlds04. The Heart From Your Hate05. Betrayer06. The Wretchedness Inside07. Endless Night08. Sever The Hand09. Beauty In The Sorrow10. The Revanchist11. Thrown Into The Fire

The third trailer for "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay", the twelfth album from U.K.'s legendary extreme metal icons CRADLE OF FILTH, can be seen below. The disc will be released on September 22 via Nuclear Blast.

"Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay" was recorded at Grindstone Studios, Suffolk, U.K. by the very honorable Scott Atkins, who has been the resident go-to producer for CRADLE OF FILTH for several albums. Vocalist Dani Filth sat in during the mix, serving up flaming mugs of teas, making the studio couch his own and lending his ears when necessary.

Commented Dani: "The album is deeply infused with Victorian gothic horror and thus the title is a reflection of that. 'Cryptoriana' implies the Victorian's infatuation with the supernatural, the grave and the ghoulish. And the subtitle 'The Seductiveness Of Decay' further cements this attraction to death and the glittering lengthy process of self-annihilation."

The video for the album's first single, "Heartbreak And Séance", can be seen below. Dani stated about the clip: "Working with such an artistic director as Artūrs Bērziņš was indeed an honor, as the video shoot was very extensively planned, involving a myriad of extras and crew, make-up girls and set builders, a crow, some well-behaved snakes and a considerable amount of snow, candles, water, trees, naked bodies, lamentable mourners, as well as all being submerged in suitably gothic landscapes and vistas. And the fact that we travelled to Riga in Latvia to film it was also very unique and interesting. The video itself is fantastic, drawing from the darkly erotic imagery of the album artwork and bringing it to richly technicoloured classical life. We had such a blast shooting it, as the accompanying photos attest to..."

Bērziņš is the mastermind behind the "Cryptoriana - The Seductiveness Of Decay" artwork, photography and videography — best known for his defiant neo-symbolism raster graphics and oil paintings; postmodern interpretations of classic myths. He has been proclaimed as a "sacred monster of Latvian postmodernism".

CRADLE OF FILTH has also announced its first full-scale U.K. and Ireland tour in years, starting in Belfast, Northern Ireland on October 30.

Spanish female-fronted death metallers, Bloodhunter, are streaming the new track “Eyes Wide Open”, featured on their upcoming second album, The End Of Faith, out on October 16th through Xtreem Music. Listen to the track below.

Formed back in 2008, Bloodhunter is one of Spain's leading death metal forces. Led by virtuoso guitarist Fenris and vocalist Diva Satanica, the band released their debut album, Bloodhunter, back in 2014, where they started to create a solid fanbase around the country thanks to their strong live performances and high-quality death metal with a melodic & brutal edge.

Bloodhunter has now finished recording their second album, The End Of Faith, whose lineup is completed with bassist Éadrom and magnificent session drummer Marcelo Aires. The result is fantastic and will definitely put Bloodhunter on the map as a force to reckon. Just imagine if Arch Enemy would play death metal - yes, death metal, not aggressive modern heavy metal - with a much more brutal approach.

Tracklisting:

“The Forbidden Zone”
“The End Of Faith”
“Eyes Wide Open”
“Still Standing Up”
“Death & Rebirth”
“The Queen Beast”
“All These Souls Shall Serve Forever”
“Spirits Of Sin”
“Let The Storm Come”
“Possessed By Myself”
“Crystal Mountain” (Death cover)

"Eyes Wide Open":

“Let The Storm Come”:

(Photo - Javier Bragado)