Swedish black metallers WATAIN will release their new album on January 5, 2018. To coincide with the disc's release, the band will embark on short European tour, consisting of shows in Stockholm, Sweden; Berlin, Germany; Tilburg, Netherlands; London, England; and Paris, France.

WATAIN's next album will be the follow-up to "The Wild Hunt", which came out in August 2013 via Season Of Mist.

Asked in a 2015 interview with Metal As Fuck if he could see WATAIN pushing the boundaries of orthodox black metal even further on its next CD, frontman Erik Danielsson said: "Orthodox black metal was the common term for a few selected bands that co-existed for a few years in the beginning of the millennia, and to my knowledge the term has since then been continuously misused and discredited by idiots, which is why we have refrained from using it in relation to WATAIN since many years back.

"Anyway, yes, we broke rules and crossed borders on 'The Wild Hunt' for sure," he continued. "That is one of the main things we do with this band. I do not see it as going in a certain direction, however.

"The progression of WATAIN reflects the changes of a landscape — external and internal — along the path that we are destined to walk upon.

"When we wrote 'The Wild Hunt', our surroundings were very heavy, solemn, stern and life-altering. If we were to write an album now, I think it would sound quite different. Just like each of our albums sounded different to its predecessor."

Erik added that his personal perspective of "The Wild Hunt" material has changed after performing it live with his bandmates for the last several years. "It grows stronger, and increases in depth and weight," he said. "The songs evolve on stage, their character intensifies, their venom grows more potent, more direct. It is a very rewarding and inspiring process.

"I relate to the idea of that writing a song in WATAIN is similar to releasing/unleashing something," he explained. "The recording of it in a studio would represent its birth, and the performing of it on a stage is where we allow it to come to life, where it is charged with the force that we have accumulated over the years. I think people who have listened to the album will know what I mean when they see the shows."

"Collide", the new video from BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION the Anglo-American rock group comprising vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, TRAPEZE), drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN, FOREIGNER), Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL) and blues-rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's long-awaited and highly anticipated fourth album, "BCCIV", which will be released on September 22 via Mascot Records. This is the band's first studio album since 2013's "Afterglow".

Just like its three predecessors, "BCCIV" was overseen by Kevin Shirley, whose catalogue of hit records for LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, JOURNEY and THE BLACK CROWES has made him one of the hottest producers that rock music has to offer. Shirley, who originally had the idea of putting Hughes and Bonamassa in a band after seeing them jamming together onstage in Los Angeles back in November 2009, is the group's unofficial ‘fifth member’.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is an earth-shattering combination of American and British rock influences — a bona fide super group that conveys to the world a simple but important message: classic rock is alive and well, and in good hands in the 21st century. Their communion together forms something that is greater than the sum of its parts, creating a legacy being cemented within the halls of music history.

The initiative for the new album came from Joe Bonamassa, who contacted the band in 2016 to see if they would be up for going back into the studio to write and record a fourth album.

Says Joe: "I just felt the time was right for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION to go back into the studio and write and record a new album. When I contacted Glenn, Derek and Jason, they immediately agreed to give it shot. The timing was right."

During October 2016, when news first broke about the band getting back together, things on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, started blowing up and fan reaction was overwhelming. It was clear to see that BCC fans were hungry for another album. "BCCIV" is destined to become one of the biggest hard rock albums of 2017.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's inception took place when frontman and bass guitarist Glenn Hughes and Joe Bonamassa fused their styles on stage in Los Angeles in November 2009 for an explosive performance at Guitar Center's King Of The Blues event. With the help and guidance of producer Kevin Shirley, they further added to their rock lineage by recruiting drummer Jason Bonham and keyboardist Derek Sherinian.

Taking their name from the industrial area in Britain, and the birthplace of both Hughes and Bonham, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION released their self-titled debut album in 2010, and with that, unleashed their brand of take-no-prisoners hard rock to a world thirsting for music with substance.

Following the release of another two studio albums, 2011's well-received "Black Country Communion 2" and 2012's equally impressive "Afterglow", plus a smoldering live CD released in 2011, "Live Over Europe", the band has firmly established themselves as one of hard rock's premier acts. The band took a hiatus in 2013 and focused on their successful solo careers.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION has cultivated a reputation not only as amazing songwriters, but as a powerful live act, is only exceeded by their dedication to their craft, and a willingness to challenge and motivate each other to make the best music they can.

Now, seven years on from its inception, Bonamassa feels the time is right to bring the original BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION lineup back for album No. 4.

"We had around four months to write this album, and I think the results speak for themselves," comments Glenn Hughes. "All four of us wanted to make a record that stood up to the first three albums. However, the new album is more of a progression, as we wanted to be careful not to repeat the previous albums. A lot has happened since we last recorded the 'Aferglow' album in 2013, so, in many ways, the new album shows BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION with a much harder, riffier and bigger and bolder sound. If you're looking for a folk album, this ain't the one."

The band assembled to record "BCCIV" at Cave Studios in Los Angeles in December 2016. The album was mixed at Cave Studios in Sydney in March 2017. The songs on "BCCIV" will appeal to all fans of high quality hard rock, also those that admire singers of distinction. Hughes is not known as The Voice of Rock for nothing.

In terms of content, "BCCIV" expands upon the progression that took place between the first three albums. With an abundance of heavy riffs, undeniable hooks, melodic flair and infectious choruses, "BCCIV" is a spectacular album that gets bigger and bolder with repeated spins.

"I wanted the new album to physically shake your soul. It’s a wake-up call." explains Hughes.

All songs on the new album were co-written by Glenn Hughes and Joe Bonamassa. Glenn wrote all the lyrics on the album except for the song "The Last Song For My Resting Place", which was written by Joe.

"BCCIV" track listing: 01. Collide (4:07)02. Over My Head (4:06)03. The Last Song For My Resting Place (7:57)04. Sway (5:24)05. The Cove (7:11)06. The Crow (6:00)07. Wanderlust (8:18)08. Love Remains (4:53)09. Awake (4:42)10. When The Morning Comes (7:56)11. With You I Go (bonus track on vinyl edition only)

The first single taken from the new album will be "Collide". BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION has announced two exclusive concerts in Europe during January 2018 to support of "BCCIV". The band will play Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Tuesday, January 2 and London Hammersmith Apollo on Thursday, January 4. These will be the only two concerts the band will play in Europe.

"Echolocation", the new video from GONE IS GONE, the new project featuring MASTODON's Troy Sanders, AT THE DRIVE-IN's Tony Hajjar, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's Troy Van Leeuwen and guitarist-keyboardist Mike Zarin, can be seen below. The song is the title track of GONE IS GONE's debut album, which was released in January via their imprint label Black Dune Records in partnership with Rise Records/BMG.

"The video is inspired by Gibsonton, Florida, the famous wintering and retirement home of traveling sideshow carnies," says Sanders. "That's the backdrop for this cautionary tale about two punks out on an adventure ride. Through a series of events, the mischievous energy they exert returns full circle, eventually leading to their own demise." The "Echolocation" video stars Sanders (in dual roles, playing "The Freak Show Barker" and "The Italian Crooner") and Zarin (as "The Parasitic Twin Bartender") and was written, produced, directed and edited by Newmerica Media and filmed at Silver Scream FX Lab studios in Conley, Georgia. "Without the magic of Newmerica Media and Silver Scream FX Lab, this video would never have seen the light of day," says Sanders. "They did an incredible job." "Troy came up with the initial concept," says Newmerica director Bryan Bankovich. "Then we met with him for deviled eggs and whiskey to refine his vision. We had so many talented people working together to make this epic concept come to life. Production designer and art director Shane Morton and his team were instrumental in making this video a reality. He was in charge of all the ridiculous props, SFX, and creatures you see on screen. And fun fact: Troy's two kids and wife are characters in the video, playing the wolf boy, orphan girl, and soothsayer, respectively." Hailed by Clash as "a crisp, compact document, one laced with energy and sweeping songwriting," "Echolocation" was produced by the band and mixed by Ken Andrews (BECK, A PERFECT CIRCLE). The quartet was formed by Zarin and Hajjar, who previously collaborated on various film trailer projects for Sencit, Zarin's music production, licensing and supervision company. Together they've put together a wildly diverse sound production resume that includes trailers for the Internet-breaking television series "Stranger Things", Christopher Nolan's 2010 sci-fi thriller "Inception", multi-Emmy-winning television series "Game Of Thrones" and the Marvel Comics blockbuster film "X-Men Apocalypse", to name but a few. They brought in Troy Van Leeuwen, known for his work with QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, FAILURE, A PERFECT CIRCLE, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL and SWEETHEAD, who in turn, brought in Sanders from multi-Grammy nominees MASTODON. GONE IS GONE's roots are so unique, that their development comes from that creative, still-burgeoning zone where music, film and multimedia joyfully collide in the studio. "We're not beholden to record-tour-record-tour," says Zarin. "For us, it's write-record-experiment-write-record-experiment. We're laying the groundwork to do different things. Whether it's scoring a film, or just creating a tool kit for a filmmaker to use within their film, or an interactive experience. There are a lot of music artists that work with visual artists in a gallery space where they have audio and visuals connected. And we want to bring that with everything we do."

GONE IS GONE made its live debut in April 2016 at the Dragonfly in Los Angeles and completed a handful of dates in July 2016.

For more information, visit www.GoneIsGoneOfficial.com.

During COLDPLAY's concert on Tuesday (August 1) at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, frontman Chris Martin sat down at the piano and playing a stripped-down version of LINKIN PARK's "Crawling", the Grammy-winning hit off the latter group's debut album, "Hybrid Theory".

Towards the end of the gig, Martin told the crowd: "From time to time we like to do a couple of songs and we're gonna do one right now. [I] hope that's okay. It may not sound that great, but it's meant in good faith. This is to everybody who misses someone you know. This is for our whole community of musicians."

He then began his rendition of the 2001 song before making a mistake and restarting it. He said, "I know this is probably going to end up on YouTube, so I want to do it right."

The cover was meant as a tribute to late LINKIN PARK singer Chester Bennington, who died on July 20 after committing suicide at the age of 41.

Chester's bandmate Mike Shinoda shared footage of the tribute on Instagram with the caption, "Thank you @coldplay It sounded beautiful" followed by an emoji of a person placing their hands together in prayer.

Bennington's private funeral service took place on Saturday (July 29) near his home in Palos Verdes. It was attended by five hundred guests, including members of all three bands Bennington sang in: LINKIN PARK, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS and DEAD BY SUNRISE.

Eulogies were delivered by Mike Shinoda and Joseph Hahn of LINKIN PARK and Ryan Shuck from DEAD BY SUNRISE. STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' Robert and Dean DeLeo teamed with KINGS OF CHAOS drummer Matt Sorum, Damon Fox and Jimmy Gnecco to perform "Amazing Grace". Keepsakes from the service included programs and lanyards similar to the VIP passes handed out at LINKIN PARK concerts.

Although Bennington's family has not yet announced any official public memorials, fans have organized over three hundred band-endorsed public tributes around the world.

"Enter The Arena", the new album from Texas metal titans WARBEAST, can be streamed in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. Due on August 4 via Philip H. Anselmo's Housecore Records, the disc was captured at Anselmo's Nodferatu's Lair, mixed by Mike Thompson at the Riff Factory and mastered by Lee Russell. It features newest WARBEAST recruits, guitarist Drew Shoup and bassist Lyric Ferchaud, and stands among the band's most potent, volatile, and unrepentantly powerful offering yet. "We recorded 'Enter The Arena' exactly a decade after we formed WARBEAST," notes vocalist Bruce Corbitt. "The nucleus and founding members of this band [guitarist Scott Shelby, drummer Joey Gonzalez and Corbitt] provided the essential veteran leadership that was vital for us to reach our goal of creating our magnum opus. The three of us also contributed our unique individual styles to guarantee that we still sound like WARBEAST. But with the addition of our two newest members — guitarist Drew Shoup and bassist Lyric Ferchaud — who I call the 'Youngbloods,' it was like adding a breath-of-fresh-air to our chemistry. We definitely sound like a well-oiled-machine on this album. So get prepared for the upcoming onslaught of pure, fresh, and quintessential Texas thrash!" "'Enter The Arena' is WARBEAST at its finest in performance, writing and tone quality," adds Shelby. "I'm confident that it will please any rivethead out there! I believe it's mine and our best work to date." The release of WARBEAST's "Enter The Arena" follows Corbitt's recent and tragic announcement that he's been diagnosed with esophageal cancer — a treatable though rarely curable disease — facing the likelihood that he will never be able to sing again. In a recent Facebook message to fans, Corbitt revealed: "After much discussion with the doctors and specialist, they've told me there's no chance within any reasonable time that I'll ever be able to perform again. So it breaks my heart at this time that I'm forced to announce my retirement from singing.

"I'm sorry to all of my bandmates for letting them down. I'm devastated with all of this hitting me so fast. I'm still in shock.

"Thanks for all of the great support all these years," he continues. "You're the best fans and I love all of you! We at least have a great WARBEAST album and music video coming soon.

"I can't even begin to explain my feelings. You guys have given me the strength I need to even prepare for this fight. Honestly, I was close to losing hope that there was any good to come out of this. Of course, I'm scared for my life like any normal human being would be. Those moments when I can get on Facebook and scroll through all of your messages, the emotion takes over. I cry, I get stronger, I also realize what all of you mean to me. I do believe in the power prayer and positive vibes. And I have all of you to thank for that." Corbitt, who recently began an intensive schedule of radiation treatments, played his final show on Saturday, May 27 at the Rail Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The band's CD-release party took place on July 14 at The Rail Club in Ft. Worth, Texas. Vocals were handled by Anselmo, Edwin Neal ("Texas Chain Saw Massacre"), and Wayne Abney of HAMMER WITCH. A special fund to help with the Corbitt family's escalating medical expenses has been set up. To donate, go to this location. "Enter The Arena" track listing:

01. Centuries Of Poisoned Soil02. Punishment For Gluttony03. Orchestration Of Violence04. Maze Of The Minotaur05. Hitchhiker06. Chemicals Consuming07. Enter The Arena08. The Scalping09. Conjuration With The Devil10. Ancient Hate

Photo by Eric Younkin Jr.

A new SLIPKNOT documentary brought to you by MusicScreen will be premiered in more than a thousand screens across the world as a one-night-only cinematic spectacle on September 6.

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

A preview clip of the song "The Devil In I", taken from "Day Of The Gusano", can be seen below.

Talking about the movie, Clown says: "SLIPKNOT still has dreams for itself. Finally playing Mexico was one of them. It's been a surreal life of rock and roll for SLIPKNOT and the fact that the dreams still go on for us is simply incredible. Thank you." Guitarist Jim Root adds: "We had such a great time at Knotfest Mexico... Not only with all the friends and bands that were there, but with the fans and the crowd we had to document it with. Now we get to share it with the world." The 90-minute documentary also chronicles the rabid devotion of the Mexican maggots and sees the band hearing personal, emotive stories from some of their fans, all interspersed with footage from SLIPKNOT's incendiary live show at the inaugural Knotfest México. The film features a full surround soundtrack, so you'll not only hear the show, but you'll 'feel' it as if you were actually there. SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor told the 97.1 The Eagle radio station in June that the band was "not really doing anything right now." He explained: "I know we're kind of slowly starting to write some music. Other than that, we're just kind of taking some time off. Clown's gonna direct some movies, Sid's gonna do some stuff… We're all kind of doing our own thing… But that's it. I mean, really. Next year is everybody kind of doing their own thing, and then probably after that, we will slowly but surely start to get together to do some SLIPKNOT stuff."

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

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

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

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

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

Frontiers Music Srl will release TYKETTO's "Live From Milan 2017" on CD/DVD, Blu-ray, vinyl and MP3 (audio only) on October 13.

TYKETTO singer Danny Vaughn says: "It's been 25 years in the making. From the beginning, our goal was to always put on the best live show we could possibly do. This, more than anything else, is what has kept the band alive in the hearts and minds of the fans. And the quotes that our fans have kindly provided for us in the CD booklet bear this out. We are a no-frills, no-gimmicks, warts-and-all, balls-out rock and roll band. No more, no less. And our audience are family to us. They are just as responsible for how good this concert is as we are. Everybody brought their best game. All that's left to do is to sit back and enjoy!" The lineup comprised of founding members vocalist Danny Vaughn and drummer Michael Clayton Arbeeny, along with guitar wizard Chris Green, bassist Chris Childs (THUNDER) and ex-TEN keyboardist Ged Rylands, TYKETTO co-headlined day one of Frontiers Rock Festival IV and blew the roof off with their performance of the classic "Don't Come Easy" album from back to front (yes, back to front, not front to back)! Cameras were there to capture every riveting moment and now, with great pleasure, Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to release this special performance on CD/DVD and Blu-ray! Michael Arbeeny says: "If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a video is worth a thousand pictures. 'Live From Milan 2017' not only brings the songs of 'Don't Come Easy' to life, but also shows the passion and excitement the band takes onstage at every performance. 'Live From Milan' is simply five brothers enjoying the hell out of what they do.... with a few thousand friends stopping by to join the party." TYKETTO's debut album, "Don't Come Easy", is considered a landmark release amongst melodic hard rock albums of the late '80s/early '90s. While the band has continuously put out quality recordings over the years, fans and critics alike hold the debut album in especially high regard. So, it was with great pleasure that after releasing the band's most recent studio album, "Reach", Frontiers invited the band to play Frontiers Rock Festival IV in Milan, Italy to not only play tracks from more recent releases, but to play "Don't Come Easy" in its entirety to an adoring audience. "Live From Milan 2017" track listing:

CD

01. Introduction02. Sail Away03. Strip Me Down04. Nothing But Love05. Walk On Fire06. Lay Your Body Down07. Standing Alone08. Seasons09. Burning Down Inside10. Wings 11. Forever Young12. Rescue Me13. Reach

DVD/Blu-ray:

01. Introduction02. Sail Away03. Strip Me Down04. Nothing But Love05. Walk On Fire06. Lay Your Body Down07. Standing Alone08. Seasons09. Burning Down Inside10. Wings11. Forever Young12. Rescue Me13. Dig In Deep14. Reach

U.S. progressive metallers WITHERFALL — the collective brainchild of guitarist Jake Dreyer (ICED EARTH, KOBRA AND THE LOTUS, WHITE WIZZARD), singer Joseph Michael (WHITE WIZZARD) and the late Adam Sagan (CIRCLE II CIRCLE, INTO ETERNITY)— have signed a worldwide deal with Century Media.

The band, whose debut album was independently released this past February, has stirred up the international scene with its unique approach of combining epic metal with dark heavy metal and complex yet catchy progressive metal to style that reminds of early CRIMSON GLORY, the "Conspiracy"/"The Eye" era of KING DIAMOND and the great achievements of bands like NEVERMORE, FATES WARNING and QUEENSRŸCHE.

WITHERFALL comments on the signing: "We are very honored to be a part of the Century Media legacy. The roster of acts they have worked with speaks volumes about the pride they take in bringing original and engaging music to Metal fans around the globe. WITHERFALL promises to deliver on the Century Media slogan of 'quality in metal.'"

"Nocturnes And Requiems" will receive a European release on October 6 as a limited CD digipak version with three stickers, a noble LP version with gatefold sleeve, inlay, poster and CD as well as digital download/stream.

The beautiful cover artwork was created by legendary painter Kristian Wahlin (TIAMAT, DISSECTION, EMPEROR).

With Dreyer and Michael having previously worked together in WHITE WIZZARD and Sagan collaborating with Dreyer on the critically acclaimed debut instrumental EP, "In The Shadows Of Madness" — which included a featured track for the popular video game franchise Rock Band — the trio combined forces to begin writing for the new project in 2013. Eager to resonate their ideas, WITHERFALL headed to Phoenix, Arizona to record their debut album, "Nocturnes And Requiems", with engineer Ralph Patlan (MEGADETH, Brian "Head" Welch, MSG) in late 2014. The album was then sent on to New York City for mixing and mastering by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, QUEENSRŸCHE, HATEBREED) at Planet Z.

"Nocturnes And Requiems" is dedicated to the life of Adam Sagan, who passed on December 7, 2016 during the final stages of production.

The official lyric video for "Let 'Em Burn", a new song from San Antonio, Texas alternative rockers NOTHING MORE, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "The Stories We Tell Ourselves", which will be released on September 15 via Better Noise Records. The record is available for pre-order at all digital retailers along with exclusive merch packages, signed vinyl and CDs at PledgeMusic.

NOTHING MORE will celebrate the release of "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" with fans across North America by heading back out on the road for "The Noise Presents Nothing More: The Stories We Tell Ourselves Tour 2017". The extensive fall tour kicks off September 12 in Memphis, Tennessee and includes stops in Boston, Toronto, Denver, Dallas and the band's hometown, San Antonio. HELL OR HIGHWATER, MY TICKET HOME and labelmates AS LIONS will be joining NOTHING MORE as support.

"The Stories We Tell Ourselves" track listing:

01. (Ambition; Destruction)02. Do You Really Want It03. (Convict; Divide)04. Let 'em Burn05. Ripping Me Apart06. Don't Stop07. Funny Little Creatures08. (React; Respond)09. The Great Divorce10. Still In Love11. (Alone; Together)12. Go To War13. Just Say When14. Accept; Disconnect)15. Who We Are16. Tunnels17. (End; Begin)18. FadeInFadeOut

"The Stories We Tell Ourselves", sees frontman Jonny Hawkins once again bearing the soul of NOTHING MORE as his bandmates Mark Vollelunga (guitar), Daniel Oliver (bass) and Ben Anderson (drums) craft a sonic palette comprised of elements ranging from progressive metal to pop. Ultimately the album isn't just about the band's stories, it's also about the listener's personal narrative.

"Many times there is a disconnect between the stories we tell ourselves about reality and reality itself. That disconnect is a void where suffering and self-frustration often enter our lives," Hawkins explains. "'The Stories We Tell Ourselves' is an introspective journey from the first song to the last. Making this album helped me stay tethered to reality as I navigated through challenges in my personal life. I believe it will do the same for others. The title alone was a constant reminder to stay grounded when extreme waves of anxiety, depression, and sadness would try and sweep me into fruitless thought patterns and self-destructive, tail-chasing. For NOTHING MORE, music has always been the source from which we find a positive way to move through challenging emotions… this record is no exception." Furthermore, the album will be relatable to anyone who needs to look deep inside of themselves and find the strength to carry on in the face of adversity.

The songs on "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" were written early last year and recorded primarily on the road and in personal studios as production duties were often handled by Hawkins and the band themselves. "We are all very hands-on with the recording, so we decided that making this record on the road, when we were creatively thriving, would be ideal," Vollelunga says. While Hawkins previously wrote and performed most of the band's drum parts, this is the first album to feature Anderson, who joined the band in 2015. "Ben is an incredible drummer and gelled with our musical vision immediately," Oliver explains. "His talents also freed Jonny up to focus more on the production and melodies and I think that made this album come together in a really fluid way."

From the relentless groove of "Don't Stop" to the emotive, anthemic bent of the PIXIES-esque "Still In Love", "The Stories We Tell Ourselves" proves that confessionals have never been so catchy — and songs like "Let 'Em Burn" seamlessly alternate between aggression and anthemic pop. "'Just Say When' is probably the most sentimental song we've ever written and it came at a time when I had these overwhelming feelings of frustration about a past failed relationship. I needed an outlet to get it all out," Hawkins explains. It has been said that the polar emotion to sadness is anger. This is most certainly true as all sentimentality transforms from "Just Say When" into a furious blaze during "Go To War", which sees Hawkins showcasing his dynamic vocal range over a mix of electronic and organic instrumentation. "Whenever this band has difficult emotions, we turn them into something positive through music. That alchemy is the biggest reason we continue to do what we do," he says of the cathartic process.

Lyrically the band was further informed by everything from the writings of Carl Jung and C.S. Lewis to the potent psychedelic DMT, the latter of which helped open Hawkins's mind to new ways of understanding himself and the world around him. "'Funny Little Creatures' is about waking up to the fact that there are these creatures that you have within yourself and that there's often a lot more going on in our subconscious than we consider," he says. These ideas are mirrored in the artwork which ties directly into the central themes behind "The Stories We Tell Ourselves". However, while the content may be heady, the album also features more pop elements than any of the band's previous albums. Such is the case with the aforementioned "Don't Stop" which sees the band writing massive hooks that stretch toward the stratosphere. "I think 'Don't Stop' is totally genre-bending for us; we find inspiration in so many different kinds of music and felt it was important to not make rules about what we could or couldn't do with this record," says Hawkins. "This album definitely goes to a lot of places that we've never been before and I'm really proud of that," adds Vollelunga.

STONE SOUR's second album, "Come What(ever) May", which came out in 2006 via Roadrunner, was officially certified platinum in July by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of one million copies.

Over the past few years, more and more people have stopped paying to download or physically own albums and started instead consuming music on platforms like Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music. As a result, effective February 1, 2016, RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award. The modernization of the program's album rule follows a similar update made to digital single certifications in 2013, when the RIAA first added on-demand streams to its digital single award. Collectively, this now means that the program's iconic benchmarks — 500,000 (gold), 1,000,000 (platinum) and 2,000,000 plus (multi-platinum) — count both sales and streams for single and album certifications.

Last December, STONE SOUR celebrated the tenth anniversary of "Come What(ever) May" with an extraordinary new deluxe edition.

"Come What(ever) May: Deluxe 10th Anniversary Edition" was remastered and appended by an array of bonus material. The album is now joined by an array of rare tracks, B-sides, and more, including never-before-heard versions of "Through Glass", "Zzyzx Rd." and "Cardiff", as well as an electrifying acoustic cover of THE ROLLING STONES' "Wild Horses". STONE SOUR unleashed their eponymous debut album in 2002 and was immediately confirmed as one of the most popular and significant hard rock outfits of the 21st century. "Stone Sour" earned RIAA gold certification while singles "Get Inside" and "Inhale" each received Grammy Award nominations for "Best Metal Performance." "Come What(ever) May" followed in 2006 and proved an even greater accomplishment with a top 5 debut on The Billboard 200 and a #1 entry onto Billboard's "Rock Albums" chart. The acclaimed album spawned still another Grammy-nominated single in "30/30-150". STONE SOUR's best selling album to date, "Come What(ever) May" unleashed a series of rock radio classics, including "Sillyworld", "Made of Scars", the #1 hit, "Through Glass", which spent seven weeks atop Billboard's "Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks" while also reaching #2 on Alternative Songs and the Top 40 on the overall Hot 100. The song's companion video was also a favorite, now with over 44 million individual views at YouTube alone.

DRAGONFORCE's "Inhuman Rampage" album, which came out in 2006 via Roadrunner, was officially certified gold on July 21 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies.

The RIAA's certification program was launched with the gold record in 1958. Presently, the RIAA awards a gold honor for 500,000 units sold, a platinum honor for 1 million units sold and a diamond award for more than 10 million units sold, with 100 streams counting as one certifiable unit.

DRAGONFORCE's third album, "Inhuman Rampage" sold almost 10,000 copies in its first week of release to land at position No. 103 on the Billboard 200 chart. A song from the LP, "Through The Fire And Flames", received rock radio and Fuse TV airplay and was featured as a playable track (along with "Heroes Of Our Time") on the videogame "Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock".

"Inhuman Rampage" was the second to last album to feature original DRAGONFORCE frontman ZP Theart (now in SKID ROW), who exited the band in 2010 and was replaced by Marc Hudson.

DRAGONFORCE's latest album, "Reaching Into Infinity", was released on May 19 via earMUSIC.

DRAGONFORCE's "Reaching Into Infinity North America Tour 2017" kicked off on July 7 in San Francisco, California and wrapped on July 29 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Rob Zombie has commenced work on the follow-up to last year's "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" album. The rocker-turned-film-director revealed that he was back in the studio in a post on his Instagram. He uploaded a photo of his dog along with the caption: "Day one of working on the new album. Godzilla is already bored."

Rob told Kerrang! Radio in June that his band would continue to play scattered shows while making the new disc. He explained: "These days, as everybody knows, there's not really like a proper album cycle where you make an album and you just tour it to death, because no one really gives a shit if anyone's making records that much anymore."

While rock radio has largely stopped playing his newer records, fans are continuing to embrace new music from Rob Zombie. The week of its release, "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" debuted at No. 6 on the Billboard album chart and was the only rock record in the top 30. It would have been No. 4, if two previously released Prince albums weren't near the top of the chart.

Several of Zombie's singles from "The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser", including "In The Age Of The Consecrated Vampire We All Get High" and "Well, Everybody's Fucking In A U.F.O.", were accompanied by their respective attention-grabbing videos, a trend that is likely to continue with the upcoming effort.

"I love making videos," Rob told Kerrang! Radio. "We made more videos for the last record than we've made in the last ten years, because that's all that matters. People go, 'Oh, no one listens to music.' Yeah, they do, but they watch it at the same time. I mean, you look at a video and go, 'Wow, it's got fifty million views.' Well, you didn't get fifty million views on fucking MTV. It's great!"

"The Electric Warlock Acid Witch Satanic Orgy Celebration Dispenser" was released on April 29, 2016 via UMe/T-Boy Records. The disc was produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris and features Zombie alongside John 5, Piggy D. and drummer Ginger Fish.

The Norwegian heavy metal band Tomorrow's Outlook has released a theatrical trailer for their upcoming concept album A Voice Unheard.

Says the band:

“Theatrical trailers for music albums are not very common, but we decided to go this route for our upcoming concept album "A Voice Unheard". We're not only musicians and composers; in this case we're also storytellers. Hence, we found it quite important to keep focus on every aspect of the album – from our distinguished guest artists and the songs themselves, to the story which lies at the heart of our journey.

“Thematically, A Voice Unheard deals with the end of the world, and one troubled man’s struggle with both his inner demons and those that plague the world around him. Through war, poverty, abuse of power and all other miseries mankind forces on itself, we forge a path towards a future which can only end in cataclysm. What would you do, if you were called upon to save us all?”

The album trailer is narrated by British actor Danny Webb, of Alien 3 fame, and features voice overs by American actor Jamieson Price, whose deep and booming voice has been heard in numerous anime and video games. And, more importantly, these two titans may also be heard on a few tracks on the album itself.

Tomorrow's Outlook have released two teasers from the upcoming A Voice Unheard album. Both are cover songs where they are collaborating with leading members of Russia's biggest and most famous heavy metal band, Aria. The songs are "Darkside Of Aquarius" which is off Bruce Dickinson's fourth solo album, Accident Of Birth, from 1997 and "Slave To The Evil Force" (На Службе Силы Зла) which is off Aria's most famous release from 1987, Hero Of Asphalt (Герой Асфальта).

A Voice Unheard tracklisting:

"Within The World Of Dreams" (vocals: Ralf Scheepers)
"Descent" (vocals: Tony Johannessen)
"Through Shuttered Eyes" (vocals: Tony Johannessen)
"A Voice Unheard" (vocals: Ralf Scheepers)
"Outlaw" (vocals: Scott Oliva)
"Times Of War" (vocals: Tony Johannessen)
"One Final Prayer" (vocals: Ralf Scheepers)
"The Enemy" (vocals: Ralf Scheepers)
"Fly Away" (vocals: Ralf Scheepers)
"Nothing Shall Remain" (vocals: Ralf Scheepers)
"Darkside Of Aquarius" (vocals: Tony Johannessen - Bruce Dickinson cover)
"Slave to the Evil Force" (vocals: Tony Johannessen - Aria cover)

Newly formed black metal duo/recent Relapse signees Poison Blood will unleash their debut, self-titled EP next week. A collaboration between Horseback’s Jenks Miller and Krieg’s Neill Jameson was born out of Miller’s desire to write music that was an outlet for a more straightforward kind of aggression, Poison Blood‘s eponymous debut EP is a short but furious chronicle of cold, reptilian sonic terror. New track “Circles Of Salt” is streaming below.

Neill Jameson comments on "Circles of Salt":

“‘Circles Of Salt’ is probably the one track on the record that truly strays away from the source material by being closer in feeling to some of the weirder black metal that came out in a pre-Xasthur age. Because of this I wanted to approach it in a less direct way than anything else on the record and, like I said, with it having more of an old depressive feeling to it I thought about what I would do if I were recording it in the mid to late 1990s, which is that I'd give it more of a Forgotten Woods vocal style and have it mixed backwards from how I recorded it to give it a more paranoid frenetic feeling with undertones of Danzig IV. The title itself is a nod to The Banner but also fits the mood of the song, a somewhat morose comfort which lends itself to protection from the misplaced and unrealistic optimism of the naive world."

Poison Blood is out worldwide on August 11th on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical pre-orders and exclusive bundles are currently available via Relapse.com at this location and digital pre-orders are available via Bandcamp here.

The album artwork was created by Viral Graphics.

Poison Blood tracklisting:

“The Scourge And The Gestalt”
“Deformed Lights”
“Myths From The Desert”
“A Cracked And Desolate Sky”
“The Flower Of Serpents”
“Shelter Beneath The Sea”
“From The Lash”
“Circles Of Salt”

"Circles Of Salt":

“Deformed Lights”:

“The Scourge And The Gestalt”:

Belgian dark rock outfit Diablo Blvd has announced the launch of two brand new music videos. “Animal” and “Sing From The Gallows” are the first two singles taken from the new album, Zero Hour, which is scheduled for a physical release in the U.S. via Nuclear Blast/Metalville on September 22nd.

Zero Hour is a dark eleven-track groove monster with haunting melodies, huge guitar riffs, driving bass and pounding drums. Taking their inspiration from both classic metal acts like Type O Negative, Metallica and Black Sabbath and eighties new wave bands like Killing Joke, Sisters Of Mercy and Gang Of Four - Diablo Blvd craft a unique sound ideally suited for these dark times. 

Diablo Blvd main man Alex Agnew had to say on the announcement, "I once heard somebody say that in troubling times like these, there can never be enough bands using their music and lyrics as a platform to object and to protest. It’s safe to say that Zero Hour is our contribution to that statement and although I realize there’s too much beyond our control, it would be an even bigger crime not to speak about it.”

Agnew continues, “The idea behind the album title is that the protective shell we live in can no longer hide what is really going on. The world outside is catching up to us. Just like on the album cover (see below) where a beautiful sculpture is burning on the inside, we have to realize that what we once knew is no longer there. It’s just a matter of time before we will experience some kind of ‘reset’ whatever that may be. Both ‘Animal’ and ‘Sing From The Gallows’ deal with subjects of politics, classical religions and newer versions of mass manipulation and how it messes up our everyday lives. These 2 tracks formed the blueprint of what Zero Hour is all about and that’s exactly why we decided to release these videos at the same time. Together they form one story and an intense first introduction to our soundtrack for the End Times!"

Together with renowned Belgian producer and artist Dag Taeldeman they managed to create a new sound on this album, which is mixed by Jay Ruston and mastered by Paul Logus (Steel Panther, Anthrax, Stone Sour).

Tracklisting:

“Animal”
“Sing From The Gallows”
“Life Amounts To Nothing”
“God In The Machine”
“You Are All You Love”
“The Song Is Over”
“00:00”
“Like Rats”
“Demonize”
“The Future Will Do What It’s Told”
“Summer Has Gone”

“Animal” video:

“Sing From The Gallows” video:

Billboard has posted a live in-studio acoustic performance of “Floral And Fading” and “Circles” from Pierce The Veil. Also included is a special acoustic cover of Julia Michael’s “Issues”.

 

Pierce The Veil have unveiled a music video for the single, “Floral And Fading” back in February. To celebrate the video, the band hosted a special release event last night in association with Spotify and KROQ at Paramount Drive-In Theatre in Paramount, CA. The band held a Q&A broadcast on Facebook Live for fans worldwide, before an acoustic set and private screening of the video on the drive-in big screen for lucky winners, launching simultaneously with the worldwide premiere of the video online for fans around the world.

The video also had its broadcast premiere with MTV, playing every hour on the hour on MTVU, MTV Live and MTV2. The track is taken from the band's latest album, Misdaventures, which debuted at #4 in the Billboard Top 200 last year, with 54,000 copies sold in the U.S. in its first week.

"We weren't really sure what kind of song we were making when we recorded “Floral & Fading”,” frontman Vic Fuentes explains. "It was sort of a studio experiment that ended up being one of my favorites on the album. It's a love song to my girl about ignoring all the internet hate we got when we first started dating and focusing on each other instead."

 

Like a merciless dagger onto the scene comes Sicarius with their murderous, bloodthirsty and ultra-violent black metal assault. Founded 3 years ago, Sicarius, meaning contract killer or assassin in Latin, drew influence and pay homage to classic, black metal bands, yet also inject a modern high-velocity method to deliver their brand of bludgeoning and savage music.

“I witnessed Sicarius perform at a small show featuring some other M-Theory Audio acts including Helsott and Empyrean Throne,” explains M-Theory Audio label head Marco Barbieri. “I was unfamiliar with the band previously but within minutes of taking the stage the group commanded my attention. Not only with their look, but more so for their performance which was raw, violent and reckless. The ‘danger’ aspect is something that escapes most rock and metal these days, but with Sicarius I was intrigued which ultimately lead to this signing.”

“We at Sicarius are absolutely thrilled to be a part of the M-Theory team and to work with a leader of such a high caliber like Marco. The man is a visionary to say the least, and has worked with countless black metal acts that have influenced Sicarius in many facets,” explains guitarist Argyris. “Since forming this outfit the biggest goals have been to write music that we want to listen to, and to carry the torch of the classic bands from the late ‘80s / early ‘90s such as Rotting Christ, Mayhem, Bathory and Gorgoroth.  We hold the utmost respect and confidence in this label and the team that operates it. After meeting with Marco I am very privileged to share our vision for Sicarius under the banner of M-Theory Audio and together unleash uncompromising black metal violence upon the world.”

Sicarius have created a reputation for themselves in Southern California appearing on live shows with Vader, Helheim, Uada, The Noctambulant, Imperial Triumphant and more, as well as in underground circles with their previous EP, Scorch the Earth. Watch for more info soon regarding their recently recorded new full-length album, Serenade Of Slitting Throats, to be released this fall on M-Theory Audio.

M-Theory Audio is the new label helmed by Marco Barbieri, former president of Century Media Records and Nuclear Blast America with a staff whose resumes include Prosthetic, Epitaph and Victory Records. M-Theory Audio features a burgeoning roster including such notable acts as Nomadic Folk Metal group Tengger Cavalry, Pagan metal warriors Helsott, doom/psychedelic outfit Blackfinger (featuring former Trouble vocalist Eric Wagner and Dream Death guitarist Terry Weston), female-fronted symphonic metal band Graveshadow and traditional metal band White Wizzard.

Sicarius live dates:

August
18 - The Union - Los Angeles, CA (with Marduk, Incantation, Abysmal Dawn)
24 - The Bancroft - Spring Valley, CA (with Panzergod)

September
30 - Extermination Fest @ The San Antonio Rose - Vernon, CA

Night Legion, the new high energy Australian power metal band featuring members of Dungeon, Death Dealer, Blasted To Static and Darker Half, have released a trailer for their upcoming self-titled debut album, out on October 20th via Massacre Records.

Filmed during Night Legion's headlining show at the Under The Southern Cross festival in Sydney, Australia, Night Legion’s video for "Hell Below" (watch below) recalls the legend of a swashbuckling adventure and tale of blood and gold. The video includes enhanced special effects from video king Owe Lingvalle (Hammerfall, Lordi).

The track "Hell Below" is a preview of the upcoming debut albumm and showcases the incredible cover artwork by fantasy artist Dusan Markovic.

Night Legion bring aggressive high screaming molten metal music infused with melodic vibes for fans of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and classic power metal. Stay tuned for updates.

Hailing from Poland, epic black/death metallers Devilish Impressions will release their new album, The I, on September 22nd via Lifeforce Records. The album will be available as CD digipak, limited vinyl LP and digital download. Check out a second teaser video, available for streaming below.

Recorded at various studios, including Dobra12 (drums) and Icaros Studio (guitars) the disc was mixed and mastered at Impressive Art Studio by Przemyslaw Nowak who also handled vocals recording sessions and guitars’ re-amping. The album’s artwork, design and layout were created by Infected Minds.

The album features special guest appearances by Mercyful Fate/King Diamond guitarist Mike Wead and by vocalist / guitarist Ares of Norway’s dark metal masters Aeternus. Other artists who also contributed to the record are shamanic ritual meditative experimental act Bon and Impressive Art Studio’s owner Przemyslaw Nowak, who came up with interludes, additional background tunes and effects.

“It’s been a really long way to be finally able to wrap it all up, countless nights spent on writing the music and lyrics first, then working on the album’s pre-production, followed by what seemed to be never-ending, proper recording sessions, and tones of work that had to be done for the band afterwards. We really wanted this new album to become something really special and therefore, to avoid any haphazard decisions, we let them come out of us smoothly, without putting ourselves under any external tension and stuff. Did it pay off? Well, we’ll see… We surely worked our asses off, pushed things back and forth to get the best out of it. As a result we’ve got something we are damn proud of, something that we believe surpasses on all possible levels everything we’ve done in the past. I simply believe we’d outdone ourselves and recorded something that will cause your hearts beat faster…,” comments Quazarre, the band’s composer, vocalist and guitarist.

The title chosen, The I, for the record is not only a phonetic acronym of the band’s name, but above all it reflects the manifesto they stand for since the Horde’s inception in the year 2000 - the notion of freedom of choice and will. A supremacy of an individual over any external factors being imposed on us by others, with special emphasis on religion and its convictions, dogmas and paradigms. The I is a rebellious manifesto targeted against all those who stand opposed to anything that drives us towards individual perfection.

CD digipak tracklisting:

“The I”
“The Dove And The Serpent”
“Eosphoros”
“Blood Imprinted Stigma”
“Ipse philosophvs, daemon, Devs et omnia”
“Czern i Biel”
“The Fatal Messiah”
 
Vinyl tracklisting:

“The I”
“The Dove And The Serpent”
“Blood Imprinted Stigma”
“Eosphoros”
“Ipse philosophvs, daemon, Devs et omnia”
“The Fatal Messiah”

Teaser #1:

Teaser #2:

Hallowed - a new collaborative brew between Iron Maiden and Robinsons Brewery - is now available to pre-order direct from Robinsons’ online shop (with exclusive benefits).

Fans that pre-order the beer will reap the following rewards:

- Be the first in the world to taste Hallowed: exclusively receive beer a month before anyone else.
- Money-can’t-buy merch: receive official Hallowed merchandise which can’t be purchased anywhere else: includes bespoke Hallowed sticker and Hallowed keyring bottle opener. Perfect for collectors!
- Double up for twice the fun and enjoy extra free stuff: In addition to better value delivery*, fans who order 2 cases of Hallowed will also receive a free Trooper lanyard bottle opener.
* You can get 2 cases of beer shipped for the same delivery cost so double up for twice the beer fun!
- If that wasn’t enough to tempt you, all fans that pre-order Hallowed, also go into a prize draw to win a custom made, one-off, Hallowed bar runner signed by Bruce Dickinson.

Designed once again by Iron Maiden vocalist and ale aficionado Bruce Dickinson together with Robinsons’ Head Brewer Martyn Weeks, Hallowed marks a break from tradition. At 6.0% ABV in 330ml bottle, Hallowed is the first Belgian style beer in the Trooper ranks and one of the first beers to be brewed by Robinsons that uses Belgian style yeast.

John Robinson, Trooper Brand Manager, explains: “Crystal Rye gives Hallowed a blood red hue and a smooth dry finish. The Belgian style yeast we have used in this brew along with Noble hops combine to deliver a complex pallet of subtle banana and a sweet plum finish.”

Hallowed's innovative bottle label pays tribute to Belgian beer, presenting Iron Maiden's iconic mascot Eddie, robed in traditional monk's clothing: a nod to the Trappist monastic brewing tradition in Belgium.

To be the first to get your hands on Hallowed, follow this link and click the BUY NOW button and we’ll have Hallowed on your doorstep from the 1st September or as soon as possible afterwards.

Hallowed will hit selected supermarket shelves and pubs from 1st October. We get asked all the time about exactly when and where Hallowed will be available to buy - we’ll let you know via the website and social media in due course… for now you can guarantee your beer delivery for 1st September by pre-ordering your beer order online.

- List of countries Robinsons delivers to
- List of Robinsons importers
- Buy beer direct from abroad

Fans looking to buy Hallowed direct from North America can pre-order the beer here.

Following the success of the four 7” singles box sets from The Who, Maximum As & Bs presents all of the bands A sides, B sides and EPs in one place for the very first time. The 5 CD set, due for release on October 27th via UMe/Polydor, features 86 tracks from the Brunswick, Reaction, Track and Polydor labels.

Maximum As & Bs includes classic hits such as “Pictures Of Lily,” “I Can See For Miles,” “Magic Bus,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Substitute,” “I Can’t Explain,” “Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere,” “My Generation,” “Squeeze Box,” “Who Are You,” “You Better You Bet,” “Real Good-Looking Boy” & the band’s last recorded track to date, “Be Lucky.” The set includes rarely heard B sides and EP tracks along with the group’s first single, as the High Numbers – “Zoot Suit” b/w “I’m The Face”.

The box set features five CDs, in separate wallets, housed in a rigid, lift-off-lid style box along with a 48-page booklet, with track-by-track annotation by acclaimed Who writers with period photos & memorabilia.

Pre-order via the following links:

- Digital
- Amazon Physical
- Amazon Digital
- Google Play

August 18th sees the reissue for the first time in a decade and a half of Pete Townshend’s critically acclaimed demo and outtake collections Scoop, Another Scoop & Scoop 3. These albums give a unique insight into Townshend’s creative process and feature early versions of future Who classics including “Eminence Front,” “The Real Me,” “Long Live Rock,” “The Magic Bus” as well as many other Who hits. These double-CD and vinyl sets have been newly remastered at Abbey Road with the LPs remastered at half speed and pressed on pink (Scoop), yellow (Another Scoop) and light blue (Scoop 3) vinyl.

Also coming exclusively on vinyl on October 27th, are Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy and Live At Leeds, The Who’s first singles collection from 1971 and what the New York Times referred to as “Quite simply, it is the best live rock album ever made” respectively. Both albums have been cut at Abbey Road with half-speed mastering process and will be released on October 27th on heavyweight 180-gram vinyl.

Melodic hard rock band, Ten, have released the fourth single and second music video from their brand new (13th) studio album, Gothica, which was released on July 7th. Inspired by Robert Luis Stevenson’s classic science gothic novel Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886), “Jekyll And Hyde” is a classic rock track, which lyrics describe Mr. Hyde’s search for his next victim in the dark streets, lit only by the light of the moon. Watch the video below.

Gothica was produced by Gary Hughes and mixed and mastered by Dennis Ward. Ten’s longstanding professional association with Dennis has been ongoing since he mixed their 2011 album, Stormwarning.

Additionally, the album features stunning original artwork by Stan W. Decker, depicting a beautiful enchantress reading incantations from a book whilst summoning shadowy characters from its pages. Stan has cleverly illustrated the piece in order to portray the characters emerging from the books pages as the actual characters from the songs on the album. The atmospheric sleeve photography is once again provided by the remarkably talented Adrian Ashworth.

Tracklisting:

“The Grail”
“Jekyll And Hyde”
“Travellers”
“Man For All Seasons”
“In My Dreams”
“The Wild King Of Winter”
“Paragon”
“Welcome To The Freak Show”
“La Luna Dra-cu-la”
“Into Darkness”

“Jekyll And Hyde” video:

“Travellers” video;

“La Luna Dra-cu-la” lyric video:

“Paragon”:

Ten is:

Gary Hughes - Vocals, Backing Vocals, Guitar, Bass and Programming
Dann Rosingana - Guitar
Steve Grocott - Guitar
John Halliwell - Guitar
Steve McKenna - Bass Guitar
Darrel Treece-Birch - Keyboards
Max Yates - Drums and Percussion

Additional Backing Vocals - Karen Fell

In a brand new interview with Guitar World, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman was asked if he minds being thought of as a shredder. He responded: "I'm not a shredder. That is a lame-ass term and I fucking hate ever being called it, at any tier. A shredder, at least to me, is a guy who plays fast meaningless shit all the time. Shredders are the guys in your friend's basement who play insanely fast, and it just looks so mind-blowing and amazingly cool with their fingers flying all around the neck, but if you close your eyes and actually listen, what you hear is a pile of shit. You all know what I'm talking about."

He continued: "I beg you all not to be impressed with fingerwork, and be impressed by how the music you are hearing makes you feel.

"Listen, slang terminology has different meanings for different people and I certainly don't have the right to tell you that the term 'shredder' is good or bad. If you like 'shredding' and you think I'm a 'great shredder.' then I love ya! We are buds! Apparently since I have been out of the U.S., that term has taken on a new life and I'm not really sure what it means anymore. I just know that the term and the sound that it conjures up in my mind makes me want to dry heave."

Friedman was also asked at which point as a guitarist he started to feel that he had his own sound, or at least a tone similar to what he is known for. He said: "I'm not sure what I'm known for, but even as a teen, I knew that for better or worse I was gonna always sound like myself. Even while I am constantly evolving, somehow it still sounds like me. I am thankful for that. That said, I don't agree with a lot of my previous work. Some of it is really good, but as my playing evolves, I find that I am getting closer and closer to my potential, and on some of my older stuff, I think I was doing many things that I would not do now. I put a lot more care into everything, as you can definitely hear on 'Inferno' and 'Wall Of Sound'. It still sounds like the same guy as I was before, but a much, much deeper and richer version. Notice I didn't say 'better' — that is for you to decide. If you lost your virginity to one of my songs, there is nothing I could play now that is gonna top that for you."

Friedman's new album, "Wall Of Sound", will be released on August 4 via Prosthetic Records. The disc was produced by Friedman, engineered by Paul Fig (GHOST, RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS) and mixed by Jens Bogren (KREATOR, OPETH, SEPULTURA). Legendary QUEEN producer Mack came on board to handle the mixing on two tracks, "Streetlight" and "For A Friend".

Marty's new CD was recorded in part at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in California with engineer Paul Fig (ALICE IN CHAINS, RUSH, DEFTONES) and was previously described by Friedman as "a way more intense version" of its predecessor: "deeper, sadder, happier and more aggressive."

Like "Inferno", Friedman's new album features several guests, including prog-thrashers MUTOID MAN, Jørgen Munkeby of the Norwegian avant-garde jazz-metal outfit SHINING and Jinxx of Los Angeles theatrical rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES.

On July 29th, Metallica performed at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. fan-filmed video of the entire show is availabel below. The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Hardwired"
"Atlas, Rise"
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"Fuel"
"The Unforgiven"
"Now That We're Dead"
"Moth Into Flame"
"Wherever I May Roam"
"Halo on Fire"
"Motorbreath"
"Sad but True"
"One"
"Master of Puppets"
"Fade to Black"
"Running with the Devil"
"Seek and Destroy"
"Battery"
"Nothing Else Matters"
"Enter Sandman"

Upcoming Metallica North American tour dates are listed below. Find the band’s complete live itinerary at this location.

August
4 - Phoenix, AZ - University of Phoenix Stadium*+
6 - San Diego, CA - Petco Park*+
9 - Seattle, WA - Centurylink Field*+
11-13 - San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands
14 - Vancouver, BC - BC Place*+
16 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium*+

* With Avenged Sevenfold
^ With Volbeat
+ With Gojira

Limited edition Metallica concert posters went on sale Thursday, July 27th at 1 PM, PDT via Metallica.com.

The official screen printed concert posters from every stop on the third leg of the North American WorldWired Tour. These seven posters featuring artwork by Jeff Soto (Orlando, Montréal), Mark 5 (Miami), Munk One (Atlanta), Ames Bros (Detroit, Québec City), and Acorn (Toronto).

“We have a limited number available, so mark your calendars and be in the Met Store at 1 PM, PDT on Thursday, July 27th to get yours while you can!”

* Posters are exclusive to Fifth Members. Limit one (1) of each product per customer.

Sebastian Bach is selling his original 1995 Skid Row Subhuman Race - Subhuman Beings On Tour Jacket via eBay. The auction ends Monday, August 7th.

"This was given to the band members in either the United States or Japan, I can't remember," says the item's owner Sebastian Bach. "Never worn. 22 year old embroidered black denim Lee jacket in brand new condition. Will sign if requested. Size: adult medium."

Sebastian Bach will be appearing at the upcoming Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp featuring Judas Priest, from September 14th to 17th. Imagine yourself not only jamming with the Metal Gods from Judas Priest, but you will also rock out with Sebastian Bach from Skid Row. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to jam and perform with these rock idols at one amazing Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp.

Sebastian Bach has sold in excess of 20 million records worldwide as lead singer with his former band, Skid Row and as a solo artist. Since departing the band, Bach has produced chart topping records and performed with Axl Rose from Guns N´ Roses, in addition to touring as a solo act. Far from just being a multi-platinum recording artist, the singer/songwriter/actor/entertainer has expanded his career over the past decade to include episodic television with a 5-season recurring role on the CW´s hit series Gilmore Girls, starring roles on Broadway (Jekyll & Hyde, The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and national touring companies (Jesus Christ Superstar), and has appeared regularly on MTV and VH1.

Register now and you will jam with Rob Halford, Richie Faulkner, Ian Hill and Scott Travis of Judas Priest and Sebastian Bach of Skid Row at the private Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp facility, participate in a Q&A sessions,  take pictures, get autographs, then hit the legendary stage at the Whisky A Go Go with the members of Judas Priest. Live out a true rock and roll dream only found at Rock And Roll Fantasy Camp.

Over the course of four metal filled days, campers will be placed into bands led by rock star counselors including Craig Goldy (Dio) Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Whitesnake), Vinny Appice (Dio, Black Sabbath), Nita Strauss (Alice Cooper) and many more. Musicians will hone their stage presence, learn to play some of metal music’s greatest songs, get tips on playing as a band and hear stories of life on the road from their rock star counselors. Attendees will also attend master classes and jam rooms with these renowned musicians and then perform live with their band and the members of Judas Priest in front of a packed house at the infamous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip.

Call 888-762-2263 extension 7 for all the details, there is a package for everyone!

Swedish black-metal trio Astrophobos have just shared a new digital single titled “Simulacrum”, released via the band’s own label Triumvirate Records.

Recorded by Astrophobos at Triumvirate Studio, mixed and mastered by Devo Andersson at Endarker Studio, this new track - just like the band’s previous Enthroned In Flesh EP - also features Fredrik Widigs from Marduk on session drums.

Simulacrum by Astrophobos

Astrophobos is currently writing the follow-up to their 2014 debut album Remnants Of Forgotten Horrors, tentatively set for release early next year.

For further information, visit the official Astrophobos Facebook page.

 

New York City-based progressive outfit, Edensong, has issued a new live video of their epic "Down The Hours”, which was filmed at the band's performance at Terra Incognita Festival in Quebec earlier this year.

Issues guitarist/vocalist James Schoen, "It was an honor to get the chance to return to Terra Incognita for Edensong’s second performance at the festival. The audience in Quebec is so incredible and 'Down The Hours' was one of our favorite moments from the show. Quebec is also home to Godin Guitars who make the amazing xtSA that I use live and which enables me to quickly shift between (and combine) acoustic and electric guitar sounds. These guitars, along with our Hearback PRO monitoring rig from Hear Technologies, really help us bring this music to the stage and recreate Years In The Garden Of Years faithfully in concert."

Sign up to Edensong’s mailing list and receive a free audio download of "Down The Hours" live from Terra Incognita.

Stay tuned for some major updates from the band in the weeks ahead.

British rockers ENTER SHIKARI will release their new album, "The Spark", on September 22.

The official video for the first single from the disc, "Live Outside", can be seen below.

"The Spark" is an ambitious, inspiring piece of work that poignantly reflects their legendary career rise to have become one of the biggest and most exciting bands the U.K. has ever seen. Following four seminal albums, of which three have been Top 10 overseas, "The Spark" is produced by David Kosten (EVERYTHING EVERYTHING, BAT FOR LASHES), and is SHIKARI's most melodic and personal album to date; a soundtrack to our tumultuous world, a record for everyone who's filled with frustration but hasn't lost the capacity for hope. "The spark is a new connection, a new beginning," says maverick frontman Rou Reynolds. "It can be short and insignificant, but it can create something so significant. The spark is that light at the end of the tunnel — when everything seems to be falling apart, but you’re able to see some sort of path out of the dark."

In 2015, the ground started to fall from under Rou Reynolds's feet. He had been having occasional panic attacks for years, but hadn't put a name to the problem until that brutal summer. Frayed by touring and heavy professional expectations, he started self-medicating, which backfired massively. The world was also spinning on its axis. Brexit. Trump. Terrorism. The steady dismantling of the NHS. The biting effects of austerity. The kind of social issues that have been ENTER SHIKARI's lifeblood for almost a decade now. "The Spark" track listing:

01. The Spark02. The Sights03. Live Outside04. Take My Country Back05. Airfield06. Rabble Rouser07. Shinrin-yoku08. Undercover Agents09. The Revolt Of The Atoms10. An Ode To Lost Jigsaw Pieces (In Two Movements)11. The Embers

ENTER SHIKARI's only announced U.S. show will take place on Saturday, September 30 at an all-ages matinee album release party happening at Brooklyn's Rough Trade (64 N. 9th St. Brooklyn, NY 11211). Entry is limited to those who preorder "The Spark" in the store.

Photo credit: Jennifer McCord

Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON will release their ninth studio album, "Deep Calleth Upon Deep", on September 22 via Napalm Records. Recorded in Oslo, Norway and Vancouver, Canada, during early 2017 and mixed together with revered studio guru Mike Fraser (who previously worked on SATYRICON's 2006 album, "Now, Diabolical"), "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" is not just a new collection of songs from one of extreme music's most enduring and reliable bands: this is a wholesale reinvention and a brand new era in SATYRICON history.

"Deep Calleth Upon Deep" track listing:

01. Midnight Serpent02. Blood Cracks Open The Ground03. To Your Brethren In The Dark04. Deep Calleth Upon Deep05. The Ghost Of Rome06. Dissonant07. Black Wings And Withering Gloom08. Burial Rite SATYRICON vocalist Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2015, says: "Approaching this release, what I always kept in mind is that either this is the beginning of something new or it's gonna be my last record. If this is going to be the last, then it needs to be something special. If there are more records, then I'd better make sure that this is so different from the last one that it feels like a new beginning. I think it's really, really dark, very spiritual and filled with confidence and energy." "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" is a profound statement about the essence of SATYRICON's music and the eternal value of art itself. Satyr continues: "The way that I see it is that for any art, be it SATYRICON or any other form of art with substance, in order for you to be able to inhale and completely understand it, it will take a little bit of you as well. If you get it all after a couple of listens, you know that it probably won't stay with you. So the title is saying, 'From the depth of the people making this record to the depth of the listener...' If you want to take part in this journey, you should be prepared to dig deep down in the darkest corner of your soul with us." The "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" front cover is an obscure drawing from 1898 by perhaps the greatest Norwegian artist of all time, Edvard Munch.

SATYRICON drummer Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad recently told "The Jasta Show" about "Deep Calleth Upon Deep": "This is an album that we have been really working a lot with for a long time. It's all about getting the right expression for each and every song.

"It has never been anything that we've discussed in the band, but at least I personally feel that every song has a life of its own, a very strong and unique identity," he continued. "This album is really about giving life to those eight songs that constitute it.

"Like with every SATYRICON album, I guess it's very, very diverse, and this is more true than ever with the new one," he said. "In particular, when it comes to this identity bit, I feel the songs, even if they fit extremely well together in a compilation of songs, each and every one, it's very, very different from the others — almost like human beings are different from each other."

According to Frost, the more varied approach of SATYRICON's 2013 self-titled album was a musical precursor to the exploratory nature of the band's upcoming disc.

"I realize that the previous albums opened lots of doors for us," he said. "There was a reason that we chose to name the [last] album after the band itself. Basically, we felt that somehow SATYRICON became a very complete band with that album. We managed to bring that dynamic element into the band that somehow had been missing a little, and we felt that when that was there, it was like we had all the basic components that should constitute SATYRICON. And as those doors were opened with that album, we then found ourselves in a situation where we were, like, roaming about in those different rooms. And this new album is a result of discovering and searching through and basically exploring new territory and making it ours."

SATYRICON has already announced a European tour for September/October to coincide with the release of "Deep Calleth Upon Deep".