On September 7, 2018, Eagle Vision will release "Yes: 50th Anniversary Live At The Apollo" on DVD, Blu-ray, 2CD and 3LP.

A performance clip of the song "Rhythm Of Love", taken from "Yes: 50th Anniversary Live At The Apollo", can be seen below.

In 2016, Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin and Rick Wakeman combined their incredible talents and the heritage of YES to take to the road for a series of concerts celebrating the band's musical legacy from the seventies to the nineties. YES FEATURING JON ANDERSON, TREVOR RABIN, RICK WAKEMAN brought their live show to the U.K. in early 2017, including this sell-out performance, captured live at the Manchester Apollo.

With a setlist embracing the spectrum of their career, including classics "Roundabout", "Owner Of A Lonely Heart", "And You And I", "Hold On", "Heart Of The Sunrise", "Rhythm Of Love", "I've Seen All Good People", "Awaken" and many more, the band were on superb form. Wakeman's keyboard sorcery wove its spell alongside Rabin's masterly guitar skills and founding member Jon Anderson's unique vocal and lyrical prowess to create a special night of musical alchemy for their fans. This glorious show captures the true, enduring nature of this ever-powerful band.

Grammy Award winners YES have sold more than 35 million albums and have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Lineup:

Jon Anderson (vocals, guitar, harp)

Trevor Rabin (guitar, vocals)

Rick Wakeman (keyboards)

Lee Pomeroy (bass)

Lou Molino III (drums)

Audio mixed by: Paul Linford and Trevor Rabin

Track listing:

01. Orchestral arr. Perpetual Change (Rabin) / Cinema (Rabin/Kaye/Squire/White) / Perpetual Change (Anderson/Squire)

02. Hold On (Rabin/Anderson/Squire

03. I've Seen All Good People: (i) Your Move (ii) All Good People (Anderson/Squire)

04. Lift Me Up (Rabin/Squire)

05. And You & I (i) Cord Of Life (ii) Eclipse (iii) The Preacher, The Teacher (iv) Apocalypse (Anderson/Bruford/Howe/Squire

06. Rhythm Of Love (Rabin/Anderson/Kaye/Squire/White)

07. Heart Of The Sunrise (Anderson/Bruford/Squire)

(CD Disc 2)

08. Changes (Rabin/Anderson/White)

09. Long Distance Runaround (Anderson) / The Fish (Schindleria Praematurus) (Squire)

10. Orchestral Shade (Rabin) / Awaken (Anderson/Howe)

11. Make It Easy (Rabin) / Owner Of A Lonely Heart (Rabin/Anderson/Howe/Squire)

12. Roundabout (Anderson/Howe)

Swedish death metal veterans UNLEASHED will release their 13th full-length album, "The Hunt For White Christ", on October 26 via Napalm Records.

When it comes to Swedish death metal, the traditional Stockholm way and death metal per se, there is one band you have to mention: UNLEASHED! Formed in 1989 by vocalist/bass player Johnny Hedlund, UNLEASHED has been delivering supreme death metal from day one. Dealing with Viking traditions and values, and honing their craft, they have become extreme metal pioneers, musically and lyrically, inspiring legions of other bands with their sound.

"The Hunt For White Christ" is the fourth album in the continued story line of the World of Odalheim and their Midgard warriors — a story authored by Johnny Hedlund himself, comprising of the past, present, and what Hedlund’s deems as the future of the Viking traditions and values. The album was recorded in the spring of 2018 at Chrome Studios, and does not simply mark the Swedes' 13th full-length album, it also solidifies the band's impact on history, paving the way to their 30th anniversary in 2019. Three decades of metal onslaught, and they have neither lost their bite, nor their love for pure death metal mayhem.

Hedlund states about "The Hunt For White Christ": "On our way towards the bands 30th anniversary in 2019 comes the release of our 13th full-length album, 'The Hunt For White Christ'.

"The band is very much looking forward to meeting our warriors all over the world on tours and festivals to hear your comments on the new album. And make no mistake, Odalheim will be ours! Let the hunt begin!"

Napalm Records states: "We are more than happy about the upcoming release of 'The Hunt For White Christ' by the Swedish death metal institution UNLEASHED. Beeing in business almost three decades, they proofed their standing and excellence to fans all over the world. Brace yourself for this brutal monument by the Swedish chief vikings!"

"The Hunt For White Christ" track listing:

01. Lead Us Into War

02. You Will Fall

03. Stand Your Ground

04. Gram

05. Terror Christ

06. They Rape The Land

07. The City Of Jorsala Shall Fall

08. The Hunt For White Christ

09. Vidaurgelmthul

10. By The Western Wall

11. Open To All The World

UNLEASHED is:

Johnny Hedlund: Bass, Vocals

Tomas Måsgard: Guitar

Fredrik Folkare: Guitar

Anders Schultz: Drums

According to Variety, AEROSMITH singer Steven Tyler has once again asked President Donald Trump stop using the band's songs at political events.

AEROSMITH's 1993 hit "Livin' On The Edge" was reportedly played at Trump rallies, like the one held at the Charleston Civic Center in West Virginia on Tuesday (August 21), as the president's supporters entered the venue.

Tyler's attorney has sent a "cease and desist" letter to the White House accusing the President of willful infringement in broadcasting the song. The singer is citing the Lanham Act, which states that trademark infringement can occur if the use of a song by a politician is likely to create confusion in the marketplace that the musician endorses the politician, especially if this association harms the musician's reputation (referred to as "dilution by tarnishment").

This isn't the first time Trump has used Tyler's music, with the AEROSMITH frontman previously writing a similar letter regarding his song "Dream On", which Trump used during his 2015 election campaign.

The latest letter sent to the White House by Steven Tyler's attorney reads as follows:

"It has come to our attention that President Donald J. Trump and/or The Trump Organization (collectively, 'Mr. Trump') have been using our client's song 'Livin' On The Edge' in connection with political rally events (the Rallies"), including at an event held yesterday at the Charleston Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia on August 21, 2018. As expressly outlined in the Previous Letters, Mr. Trump does not have our client's permission to use any of our client's music, including 'Livin' On The Edge'.

"What makes this violation even more egregious is that Mr. Trump's use of our client's music was previously shut down, not once, but two times, during his campaign for presidency in 2015. Please see the Previous Letters sent on behalf of our client attached here as Exhibit A. Due to your receipt of the Previous Letters, such conduct is clearly willful, subjecting Mr. Trump to the maximum penalty under the law.

"As we have made clear numerous times, Mr. Trump is creating the false impression that our client has given his consent for the use of his music, and even that he endorses the presidency of Mr. Trump. By using 'Livin' On The Edge' without our client's permission, Mr. Trump is falsely implying that our client, once again, endorses his campaign and/or his presidency, as evidenced by actual confusion seen from the reactions of our client's fans all over social media. This specifically violates Section 43 of the Lanham Act, as it 'is likely to cause confusion, or to cause mistake, or to deceive as to the affiliation, connection, or association of such person with another person.'

"Further, as we have also made clear, Mr. Trump needs our client's express written permission in order to use his music. We demanded Mr. Tyler's public performance societies terminate their licenses with you in 2015 in connection with 'Dream On' and any other musical compositions written or co-written by Mr. Tyler. As such, we are unaware of any remaining public performance license still in existence which grants Mr. Trump the right use his music in connection with the Rallies or any other purpose. If Mr. Trump has any such license, please forward it to our attention immediately.

"In addition, Mr. Tyler's voice is easily recognizable and central to his identity, and any use thereof wrongfully misappropriates his rights of publicity. Mr. Trump does not have any right to use the name, image, voice or likeness of our client, without his express written permission."

Tyler is a registered Republican and attended the first GOP debate back in August 2015. The Hollywood Reporter posted three years ago that Tyler's attorney, Dina LaPolt, explained that Tyler's problem with Trump's use of the music goes beyond politics, and has to do with copyright control. "Steven works tirelessly with both Republicans and Democrats regarding copyright reform and his position has always been consistent regarding copyright and intellectual property," she wrote. "Simply, one must get permission from the music creators. Steven wrote 100 percent of 'Dream On', and this is about the unauthorized use of his property."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Tyler and Trump are friendly: "Tyler was once a judge at Trump's Miss USA pageant and they reportedly once traveled to Russia together." Trump tweeted about attending an AEROSMITH concert and raved about the show.

Eric Clapton’s latest release will feature a range of Christmas classics along with new track For Love On Christmas Day

Titled Happy Xmas, it’ll be released on October 12 and will feature a range of festive songs along with the new track For Love On Christmas Day.

Clapton tells Billboard: “I had in my head that these holiday songs could be done with a slight blues tinge, and I started to figure out how to play the blues lines in between the vocals.

“I got it down and one of the most identifiable songs on the album, the one that became the foundational style, is Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”

Clapton co-produced Happy Xmas with Simon Climie and designed the cover art, which can be seen below along with a full tracklist.

The album will be Slowhand’s first release since 2016’s I Still Do.

Clapton will play two shows at New York’s Madison Square Garden on October 6 and 7.



Eric Clapton - Happy Xmas
1. White Christmas
2. Away In A Manger (Once In Royal David’s City)
3. For Love On Christmas Day
4. Everyday Will Be Like A Holiday
5. Christmas Tears
6. Home For The Holidays
7. Jingle Bells (In Memory Of Avicii)
8. Christmas In My Hometown
9. It’s Christmas
10. Sentimental Moments
11. Lonesome Christmas
12. Silent Night
13. Merry Christmas Baby
14. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

On August 21, ALICE IN CHAINS performed atop Seattle's iconic Space Needle. The quartet — vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrell, vocalist/guitarist William DuVall, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney — was the first band ever to play on the Space Needle's brand-new "The Loupe," the world's first and only revolving glass floor located 500 feet in the air. It's powered by 12 motors and offers 360-degree views over the largest city in the Pacific Northwest. The Space Needle has been a defining landmark of Seattle's skyline since 1962 and The Loupe is part of its recent $100 million renovation.

A clip of the performance can be seen below.

Said Cantrell in a statement prior to the gig: "I've visited the Space Needle many times in my life and it's going to be a real honor and a total trip for us to play there. We're so proud of this album and to be able to celebrate its release with a performance at one of our town's most iconic landmarks is really special. It sorta reminds me of the time we did the 'Again' video, but instead of being six feet in the air rocking out on a glass floor, we'll be 50 stories high… slight difference."

The Space Needle show was for an audience of SiriusXM subscribers; the satellite radio company will broadcast ALICE IN CHAINS' acoustic performance exclusively on Friday, August 31 at 5 p.m. ET and PT via satellite and through the SiriusXM app on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com.

The Space Needle performance is part of a week of ALICE IN CHAINS-themed events in Seattle to celebrate Friday's (August 24) release of the band's new album, "Rainier Fog". On Monday night (August 20), the Seattle Mariners hosted "Alice In Chains Night" at Safeco Field, while a pop-up shop and retrospective exhibit will open on Thursday (August 23) and Friday at the Crocodile, featuring limited-edition merchandise, rare photos, memorabilia, music gear and more.

Photo credit: Pamela Littky

Sammy Hagar makes an appearance in Fontana Police Department's lip-sync video. The four-minute clip shows scenes of officers going after speeders and also of them rocking out to Hagar's "I Can't Drive 55" song.

"All these years, I still can't drive 55," the former VAN HALEN frontman says as he exits his 1982 Ferrari 512BB, the same he drove in the original 1984 music video. "This time I got away with it! Woooo!"

According to The Mercury News, Hagar — a Fontana native — agreed to be part of the lip-sync challenge after Officer Tim Frydendall reached out to the rocker for use of his 1984 song.

"A Sammy Hagar song is a natural fit for Fontana, but I didn't think we would ever end up with an appearance from Sammy Hagar," Frydendall said.

Frydendall ended up reaching out to Orange County-based event producer John Oakes, who is working with Hagar on the HighTide Beach Party, which is slated to be held in October in Huntington Beach.

"When Tim and I spoke on the phone, I was happy to connect a few dots to support his request. My younger brother works in law enforcement, so this was a fun opportunity to cross our careers," said Oakes.

The video, which was filmed and edited by the Southern California video-production company Attain Media, features more than a dozen officers and staffers participating in the lip-sync challenge.

Swiss all-girl heavy metal outfit BURNING WITCHES will release its second album, "Hexenhammer", on November 9 via Nuclear Blast Records. The disc was produced at the Little Creek Studio in Switzerland by the same team as its predecessor: V.O. Pulver (PRO-PAIN, DESTRUCTION, NERVOSA, PÄNZER) and DESTRUCTION frontman Schmier, who helped and advised as a close friend of the band.

The cover artwork for "Hexenhammer" was created by acclaimed artist Gyula Havancsák from Hungary, who has also created artwork for DESTRUCTION, ANNIHLATOR, GRAVE DIGGER, STRATOVARIUS, TANKARD and many more.

The band states: "We are very proud to present you our new album cover for 'Hexenhammer'. The topic is the 'Malleus Maleficarum' book that legalized the extermination of the so-called 'witches' in the medieval times. The justification of murder against the weak is still a sad subject nowadays. So we wanna pay respect and remember — most of the lyrics are dealing with this dark chapter of our history as well. Of course, we also wanted a classic and mystical metal layout that reflects our music perfectly — so it is a great mix. We hope the fans will enjoy it."

Gyula adds: "It is not too easy to make a 'metal' cover when the main character and focus is an attractive woman. It is much easier to create gory images with monsters or devils for me. But I remembered that my first original casette was the WARLOCK 'Triumph And Agony' album, so I felt very motivated to incorporate both of those aspects: some black magic and some beautiful ladies. I got some instructions and a sketch from the band — so I painted the witch and the altar first as a main focus and everybody loved the character and the feeling of the image. When I added the ghost images of the girls, it all aligned into a dark magic artwork with beautiful ladies."

"Hexenhammer" track listing:

01. The Witch Circle

02. Executed

03. Lords Of War

04. Open Your Mind

05. Don't Cry My Tears

06. Maiden Of Steel

07. Dungeon Of Infamy

08. Dead Ender

09. Hexenhammer

10. Possession

11. Maneater

12. Holy Diver

Bonus tracks:

13. Self Sacrifice

14. Don't Cry My Tears (acoustic)

The first trailer from the studio, which includes a teaser for the album's lead single, "Executed", is available below.

"Executed" will be released on August 31.

Schmier previously stated about BURNING WITCHES: "Those ladies sound original, fresh and heavy! I love the classical heavy metal influence and the [Rob] Halford-inspired vocals!

He continued: "The BURNING WITCHES will sure get their fans. Their sound, in between classical [JUDAS] PRIEST and U.S. power metal like ICED EARTH, caught my attention right away."

BURNING WITCHES was founded during spring 2015 in Brugg, Switzerland, by guitar player Romana Kalkuhl. It has always been her big dream to perform with a women's heavy metal band on stage. During the music university studies, she already started her first group together with Kevin Schaffer, with whom she has recorded two albums and played several concerts.

In 2015, Romana started to look for talented ladies for the new combo. Jeanine Grob (bass), a longtime friend, became the first official member. At a party at a festival, Romana met Seraina Telli (singer) for the first time. It clicked right away between the two girls, on a musical and on a personal level. Seraina brought in many ideas and a lot of experience because of her studies at the Music Academy and her band SURRILIUM. The guitarist and the singer became a great songwriting team right away.

Romana wrote Schmier from DESTRUCTION about her new project, and the ladies brought him onboard as a producer/consultant.

After an intensive search and different auditions, BURNING WITCHES found Lala Frischknecht the perfect drummer for the all-girl metal band.

BURNING WITCHES' latest addition is guitarist Sonia Nusselder, who joined the band in January 2018.

BURNING WITCHES is:

Seraina Telli (Vocals)

Romana Kalkuhl (Guitars)

Sonia Nusselder (Guitars)

Jeanine Grob (Bass)

Lala Frischknecht (Drums)

British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON will release their new album, "Amo", on January 11, 2019 through RCA/Sony.

BRING ME THE HORIZON has been on a rocket of a journey over the last few years, selling over four million albums globally to date, playing sellout shows in over 40 countries, including two sold-out nights at London’s O2 plus wowing a traditionally non-rock crowd at Glastonbury Festival in 2016.

Poised now to release its sixth studio album, the band has spent the summer writing and recording in Los Angeles, with Oli Sykes and Jordan Fish handling production. What has transpired is one of BRING ME THE HORIZON's most exhilarating, genre-crossing albums to date.

Of the new disc, Oli says: "'Amo' is a love album that explores every aspect of that most powerful emotion. It deals with the good the bad and the ugly, and as a result we’ve created an album that’s more experimental, more varied, weird, and wonderful than anything we’ve done before."

On Tuesday, BRING ME THE HORIZON released a new single called "Mantra", with Sykes telling BBC Radio 1 about the track: "It felt like the first thing we wanted to show people upon our return."

Sykes said the music he and his bandmates are working on is "completely different" from "That's The Spirit", hinting, "We want to be a heavy band, but not in the way you think of heavy."

Prior to the new song's premiere, BRING ME THE HORIZON launched a mysterious campaign, including a billboard reading "Do You Want To Start A Cult With Me?" — a line that ended up being one of the lyrics in "Mantra".

While "Amo" will have some surprises, it very much sticks to the band's successful fan-pleasing formula of massive stadium-bouncing rock songs with huge singalong choruses. A sound that has earned them five A-list Radio 1 records to date.

The promotional campaign also saw the band starting a web site, joinmantra.org, with an initial message that read: "There are those who will say that only after a lifetime of sacrifice and good doing can the soul be free — that God demands conditions in the freedom and that some have the power of making mankind slaves."

The band's 16-city "First Love Tour" will kick off January 23 in Nashville, Tennessee and see them perform across the country, including stops in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and more before wrapping February 16 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Tour dates:

Jan. 23 - Nashville, TN - Nashville Municipal Auditorium

Jan. 25 - Orlando, FL - CFE Arena

Jan. 26 - Atlanta, GA - Coca-Cola Roxy

Jan. 28 - Fairfax, VA - EagleBank Arena

Jan. 29 - Manhattan, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom

Feb. 01 - Boston, MA - Tsongas Center at UMass Lowell

Feb. 02 - Laval, QC - Place Bell

Feb. 04 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore Detroit

Feb. 05 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom

Feb. 06 - Minneapolis, MN - Armory

Feb. 08 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom

Feb. 09 - Houston, TX - Revention Music Center

Feb. 11 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore Auditorium

Feb. 13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum

Feb. 15 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre

Feb. 16 - Las Vegas, NV - The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

aмo
janυary 11https://t.co/rN5yN6wmY0 pic.twitter.com/hTCq5AHNGc— Bring Me The Horizon (@bmthofficial) August 22, 2018

The second trailer for "Ritual", the forthcoming eleventh album from SOULFLY, can be seen below. Due on October 19 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment, the follow-up to 2015's "Archangel" was produced, recorded and mixed by Josh Wilbur (KILLER BE KILLED, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA). Cover artwork was painted by artist Eliran Kantor (TESTAMENT, ICED EARTH, SODOM). Additional booklet art was handled by Marcelo Vasco (SLAYER, HATEBREED, KREATOR), who also handled the package design. The album features multiple guests, including Randy Blythe (LAMB OF GOD) and Ross Dolan (IMMOLATION).

The first single from the disc, "Evil Empowered", can be streamed below.

Comments guitarist/vocalist Max Cavalera: "I am really stoked to be working again with two of my favorite artists, Eliran Kantor and Marcelo Vasco!

"The 'Ritual' artwork is very mystic and captures the vibe of the album perfectly. For this one, we really tried to retain the groove of early SOULFLY as well as my love for the heavy, fast stuff I'm into, like death and black metal and some hardcore.

"Working with Josh Wilbur for SOULFLY this time around has been amazing. He's a huge fan and added a lot to the record. I would fight for the fast songs and he would always push me to add more groove. I think in the end we created a really cool mix of songs that covers a lot of ground in my career. Let the Ritual begin!"

Wilbur adds: "Before I had ever recorded a record, in my formidable years, Max released the holy trinity that was (at least to me) 'Chaos A.D.', 'Roots' and 'Soulfly'. I wanted to make a record that captured what I loved about those when I was growing up! Those records inspired me and introduced me to heavy metal. Fast forward to now and I was given the opportunity to make the record I wanted as a fan! So I set up some mics, recorded some riffs, we banged on some galvanized metal, roto toms, djembes, and anything else we could get, then I told Max to 'BRING DA SHIT'!"

"Ritual" track listing:

01. Ritual

02. Dead Behind The Eyes (feat. Randy Blythe)

03. The Summoning

04. Evil Empowered

05. Under Rapture (feat. Ross Dolan)

06. Demonized

07. Blood On The Street

08. Bite The Bullet

09. Feedback!

10. Soulfly XI

CYHRA has entered Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark to begin recording its sophomore album. The follow-up to 2017's "Letters To Myself" will tentatively arrive in early 2019 via Spinefarm Records.

CYHRA is the band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE), guitarist Jesper Strömblad (ex-IN FLAMES), guitarist Euge Valovirta (ex-SHINING), and drummer Alex Landenburg (LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY).

In a recent interview with Metal Casino (see video below), Jake stated about the songwriting process for CYHRA's upcoming album: "When we wrote the first songs [for the debut album], we were just sitting, jamming around, and we had no plans — we had no expectations from fans or labels or anything like that — and now we have. We've been touring a lot — we've been playing a lot of shows — and now we realize that, 'Oh, the new songs, we might have to think a little bit more about how are these songs gonna work out live.' So we continue the same road with this album as the last one — it's a natural progression, music-wise — but we've been putting a little bit more effort into having the songs work out in the live set."

According to Jake, one of the biggest differences between CYHRA's next disc and "Letters To Myself" is the fact that the band no longer has a bass player, having split with former IN FLAMES member Peter Iwers earlier in the year. "We actually have more or less decided — we don't know for the future — but right now, the bass is gonna be handled by Mr. ASUS, as we call him; that's our computer," Jake said.

Asked about the inspiration for the lyrics on the second CYHRA album, Jake said: "I haven't been writing anything. We've been discussing a lot. But it was the same thing with the first album — we had tons and tons and tons of ideas and we wrote shitloads of lyrics, but it was not until the final stages, when you are in the studio, when you feel the vibe, that, 'Okay, now we know what to write.' It just falls down like this, and you know: 'Okay, now we're ready.' As the music is a natural progression, the lyrics are gonna be that as well. But I can probably say it's still gonna be personal, but maybe it doesn't have to be all about feeling bad or stuff like that, but it's still gonna have a personal touch."

"Letters To Myself" was recorded at Top Floor Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden.

CYHRA made its live debut in October 2017 at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland.

This past spring, CYHRA completed a successful North American tour opening for SABATON and KREATOR.

On September 28, Noise Records will release RUNNING WILD's "Pieces Of Eight: The Singles, Live And Rare. 1984 - 1994". A deluxe, limited-edition box set containing all the band's Noise Records singles, the re-record compilation "The First Years Of Piracy" and an expanded, double gold vinyl version of its debut live album, "Ready For Boarding", which features a whole new show on disc two, from 1989, previously only available before on VHS tape.

All of these titles have been long out of print, since their original release during the band's decade tenure on Noise. The box set also includes a collectable RUNNING WILD piece of eight coin and a two-sided poster featuring the band's classic lineup and the box set artwork.

German heavy metallers RUNNING WILD were formed in 1976 in Hamburg, but shot to fame during the emergence of the German metal scene in the early-to-mid-1980s.

Over the course of their career, they have released sixteen studio albums, three live albums, five compilation albums, and six singles/EPs. Although their earlier releases contained Satanic themes and imagery, they later invented the pirate metal subgenre after the band released their third album in 1987, "Under Jolly Roger", which was a switch to pirate-based and historical themes, creating and influencing the later named pirate metal subgenre of heavy metal in the 2000s in the process.

While the historical lyrics were fantasy at first, the lyrics for later albums were intensively researched, by frontman Rolf Kasparek in particular. From 1988 to 1992 (for the albums "Port Royal", "Death Or Glory", "Blazon Stone", "Pile Of Skulls" and "Masquerade"), RUNNING WILD mainly wrote history-based lyrics. In addition to lyrics about pirates like Calico Jack, Klaus Störtebeker, or the little-known Henry Jennings, the band also addressed subjects like the Wars of the Roses, the Battle of Waterloo, or the colonization of the New World by the Conquistadors. They have sold over 1.8 million albums globally, making them one of Germany's largest exports.

Hungarian southern groove-thrash metal band Stonedirt have completed work on their third record, titled Backlash-Zone. The first new song, “Desolation Hammer” is already available, along with the video clip that the guys shot in February. Coming six years after Inherited Fever (2012), the new album is going to be released via Nail Records on September 14th, and can be preordered on the band’s official website.

“Forged from the purest steel in the fires of Hell, straight from Budapest! Stainless metal, combining modern and classic components, for real headbangers. All packages include a bonus air guitar that automatically appears in your hand while you're listening to the songs, and can be used anywhere!”

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

“Desolation Hammer” video:

Upon November the 17th, the first Hulkoff album Kven will be unleashed. It is warrior music, rooted in the location of the once mighty Kvenland. The Kvens are the forgotten tribe of a forgotten kingdom, yet the Kven legacy lives on to this day. A lyric video for “Beastmode” is streaming below.

Kven marks the debut of Hulkoff as a "solo" artist. Having spent decades writing and performing in band constellations (a decade of success as the songwriter/frontman of gold selling Swedish chart-topper Raubtier), it was high time to realize this idea. The album is mixed and mastered at the Black Lounge by sound maestro extra-ordinaire Jonas Kjellgren.

"I have thought about this album for a very long time" Hulkoff says, "and to finally let it see the dawn is nothing short of triumphant". The music is, as Hulkoff prefers it, iron-hard and grandiose. Melodic and aggressive, metal for the Viking-hearted. The lyrics delve into the ancient ancestry of the North, and the way of life and the religion of the Kvens, The Scythians, The Goths, The Celts, the Finns and the later Norse. Blood-soaked, of course. 

From the Bronze Age through the migration period and into the Iron Age, Fenno-Scandia (or Etunaheimar/Jotunheim) has been a kettle of cultural birth. And fierce warriors.

The musicians performing together with Hulkoff on this album, are second to none. Anders Johansson (ex-Yngwie Malmsteen, Hammerfall) is nothing else than a living legend. Anders shares Hulkoff's interest in the old ways and hard music. So does Anders' son Niklas Johansson, who is playing bass on the album. "It is a great and inspiring thing, to have father and son picking up arms together,” Hulkoff proclaims. 

On the track “Ibor & Aio”, about the two warrior brothers who became chieftains and ruled the Winnili tribe together, in pursuit of a new Kingdom, Hulkoff is joined by the one and only Sabaton frontman Jocke Broden.  Together they deliver a heartfelt tribute to the Royal brothers, who managed to find a home for their tribe in what is now known as Lombardy in Italy.

Kven is a historical journey in many ways. In "Wide-Wuth”, Hulkoff experiments with ancient Gothic. The chorus and the bridge consists of Neo-Gothic poetry with a few splashes of ancient Greek and Scythian. "Imagine what it would sound like, if Theoderic the Great sang a metal tune". Ancient Hunnish can be heard on "Kurgan" and Old Norse words and phrases appear on "Jarfr". The track "Erilaz" about the Heruli warrior "Muha", has the parts of Muha's invoking of hail into his spear sung in Proto-Germanic.

The release date for Introvert, the new full-length album from Slegest, has been set for November 16th on Dark Essence Records.  Sounding more rock than ever, Introvert will be the third studio outing for the Norwegians, and will comprise eight tracks guaranteed to please the fans of Slegest's riff-laden music.

Introvert promises to be an album in which Slegest's trademark sound of black metal and classic heavy rock is well and truly defined.  The shades of the ‘80s are more present than before, and the album is filled with great riffs, ensnaring hooks and a vicious catchiness. The title, on the other hand, reflects the material's origin, as Slegest’s frontman and main composer Ese explains:

“An introvert - a person who is predominantly interested in their own inner experiences. The album is born out of a mindset and lifestyle characterized by introversion. Slegest's music has always fed on inner moods, feelings, nostalgia and heavy rock. Nevertheless, this inspiration from within has led to our most outgoing and in-your-face material ever! We are surpassing ourselves on this one, let it spin in the face of life itself!”

Bass and vocals for Introvert were recorded in Systrond and engineered by Ese. Drums and guitars were recorded at the Conclave and Earshot Studios in Bergen with Bjørnar Erevik Nilsen engineering the drums, whilst the guitars were engineered by Herbrand Larsen, who also mixed the album.  Iver Sandøy handled the mastering.

With cover artwork by Anders Røkkum, Introvert will be available in CD, Digital and Vinyl formats.

 

Tracklisting:

“Blodets Varme Gjennom Meg”
“Ungergangens Tankesmed”
“Maler Lys I Mørketid”
“Da Brenne I Glåsi”
“I Den Sanne Flamme”
“Dødskyss”
“Leitar”
“Den Onde Sirkel”

British Columbia blackened death metallers Xul have teamed up with BraveWords to premiere their new song “Life Disintegrating”. The track will be featured on their upcoming album What Lies Hidden…, scheduled for a winter 2018 release. The song is inspired by the movie Koyaanisqatsi by filmmaker, Godfrey Reggio.

Vocalist Levi Meyers comments, “We are very pleased to release the first track off our upcoming album What Lies Hidden…. This is my favourite track on the album. It’s inspired by the film, Koyaanisqatsi. I seriously recommend checking out the movie, preferably on your choice of psychedelics. This album is by far our most compelling content to date. This album portrays the evolution of a band that has established its roots in Western Canada, over the past ten years, with all original members. We hope you like it as much as we do. We are very proud of this content and want all our fans to know we appreciate their patience and support over the last several years. Cheers.”

Head to our  Featured Audio to hear “Life Disintegrating”.

Croatia's Sage have released a video for "Heaven Open Your Gates", the closing track of the band's debut album Anno Domini 1573, out on September 21st via Rockshots Records. Watch below.

The album is a concept album about the Peasants’ Revolt that took place in England in the 1300s. The album encompasses themes of the battles between good and evil, honesty and greed. Sage delivers a mix of heavy, powerful and progressive metal, which the band blends to forge a unique but recognizable sound.

"The band name Sage means both the plant sage and 'a wise old man'", comments Enio Vučeta, guitarist and backup singer of the band. "We wanted to connect this to ourselves in a way because we are composed of several generations of Croatian musicians and we have great ambitions for our music to make a breakthrough in the world."

Anno Domini 1573 has been co-produced by Casey Grillo (Kamelot), mixed and mastered by Jim Morris at Morrisound Recording Studio. It is available for pre-order in Digipak Deluxe edition CD+DVD here.

Tracklisting:

"Rivers Will Be Full Of Blood"
"Rebellion"
"Wolf Priest"
"Dragon Heart"
"Two Souls"
"Blacksmith’s Tale"
"Man Of Sorrow"
"Join Us"
"Treason"
"Battle"
"Heaven Open Your Gates"

"Heaven Open Your Gates" video:

"Treason" video:

"Battle" video:

Lou Caldarola, the drummer for Connecticut-based prog-metal outfit Soundscape has just filmed and released a drum playthough video for the band's recent single, "Insatiable".

The band, who formed in 1995 and released two full-length albums prior to breaking up in 1999, recently reunited and has been in the studio recording new material. The first single "Insatiable" was released in April on Angel Thorne Music (Caroline, Universal). Caldarola, along with singer/producer Rob Thorne, guitarist Todd Rose, and bassist Scott Waite, expect to release more songs before 2019.

“This song is all about addiction and the power it wields on both sides,” says vocalist Rob Thorne.  “As a father of three children, I see what’s going on around me - kids sitting in groups staring down at their phones not speaking to each other, kids choosing to Face Time in to a party instead of actually go. It’s weird. They’re addicted to the illusion that social media is a better experience than the world that’s happening right in front of them, and, honestly, I think it’s as scary as the opioid problem. That’s why we draw those parallels in the lyric video. And look at the companies that are profiting. Apple, Facebook, Verizon, Purdue Pharma... are they really making the world a better place? Really?”

“Insatiable” lyric video:

Progressive dark metallers Dark Millennium will release their new album Where Oceans Collide on August 24th via Massacre Records. A visualizer for the album track "In Equilibrium" can be found below. Pre-order the album here.

Dark Millennium continues its unpredictable evolution with Where Oceans Collide. The distinctive guitar work by Hilton Theissen and Michael Burmann as well as the unique voice of Christian Mertens are still dominant and highly recognizable even in a new and experimental setting.

The album, which will include 11 songs, was mixed and mastered by the band's guitarist Hilton Theissen at Wide Noise Studio in Arnsberg, Germany. The artwork was created by Alexander Freund.

Tracklisting:

"Vampire's Empire"
"Lovers Die"
"Moving Light"
"Insubstantial"
"Nights, Eternal"
"Flesh Is Weak"
"The Lie Behind The Trust"
"Diseases Decease"
"Jessica's Grave"
"In Equilibrium"
"Across Oceans Of Souls"

"In Equilibrium" visualizer:

"Lovers Die" video:

(Photo - KIKI)

German black/doom/punk chimera Mantar will release their third studio album The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze on August 24th via Nuclear Blast. Pre-order the album here, and listen to the song "Taurus" below.

Mantar have achieved more in five years than most bands twice their age and size. The product of a twenty year friendship between guitarist/vocalist Hanno Klaenhardt and drummer Erinc Sakarya, theirs is a success story born entirely of one thing: hard work, with three albums, an EP and a live release already to their name. Releasing their 2014 Svart Records debut Death By Burning, an uncompromising clash of stripped-back punk attitude and metal intensity to instant critical acclaim, the band toured relentlessly, gracing stages the world over, including the hallowed likes of Roadburn, Wacken Open Air and Maryland Deathfest. They used 2016’s Ode To The Flame, their Nuclear Blast Records debut, to further build upon their incendiary live reputation, conquering not only Europe and the US, but Russia, Japan and South Africa.

Now, following a brief period of repose which saw Hanno move to Florida, Mantar return with The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze, a short, sharp shock that hones the hungry riffs and breath-taking pace of their previous records. “We skipped the bullshit,” explains Hanno. “I wanted 3 or 4 minute songs; bam, bam, bam. Every song different, catchy - that’s what rock and roll is about.”

Tracklisting:

"The Knowing"
"Age Of The Absurd"
"Seek + Forget"
"Taurus"
"Midgard Serpent (Seasons Of Failure)"
"Dynasty Of Nails"
"Eternal Return"
"Obey The Obscene"
"Anti Eternia"
"The Formation Of Night"
"Teeth Of The Sea"
"The Funeral"

"Taurus":

"Seek + Forget" video:

"Age Of The Absurd" video:

Album snippets:

Mantar's metallic genesis is unique in that neither member classes themself as a metalhead. Hanno’s a punk kid that developed a love for black metal later in life. Erinc’s tastes are even further removed, preferring the svelte sadness of the likes of The Sisters OF Mercy. “But we have a metal audience and we are a metal band, I guess!” states Hanno proudly, “I take that as a gift.” He’s never listened to more classic metal records than when writing »The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze«, and it shows in the album’s ceaseless, hook-laden riffs and caustically blackened, nihilistic atmosphere. “Riffs, riffs, riffs are the only hard currency for Mantar - simple as fuck - that’s what I like,” says Hanno. “The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is way more metal than the previous two records; on the other hand I think the songs speak for themselves, without the need for genre classification.”

The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is a title in-keeping with Hanno’s symbolic obsession with fire on albums previous; this time disavowing mankind’s tendency to blindly follow those that would lead us into oblivion. This isn’t necessarily a political statement; more a morbid fascination with current smouldering tensions that threaten to set the minds of the masses on fire. The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is the spark that will ignite the flame - especially onstage. “I’m addicted to those moments up there,” impresses Hanno, “being loud, raw and aggressive - setting the stage ablaze, causing violence; that’s what I live for.”

The Modern Art Of Setting Ablaze is a title in-keeping with Mantar's symbolic obsession with fire on albums previous; this time disavowing mankind's tendency to blindly follow those that would lead us into oblivion. This isn't necessarily a political statement; but rather a morbid fascination with current smouldering tensions that threaten to set the minds of the masses on fire.

Mantar live dates:

August
24 - Kulturkombinat Bunker - Rostock, Germany
25 - Reload Festival - Sulingen, Germany

Skeletonwitch and Mantar recently announced that they will be hitting the UK and Europe this winter for a co-headline run. Support will come from Belgium thrash outfit Evil Invaders and German deathers Deathrite. Tickets on sale now.

Dates:

November
14 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
15 - Krosset - Oslo, Norway
16 - Sticky Fingers - Gothenburg, Sweden
17 - Markthalle - Hamburg, Germany
19 - Musikzentrum - Hannover, Germany
20 - Hirsch - Nürnberg, Germany
21 - Turock - Essen, Germany
22 - Dynamo - Zürich, Switzerland
23 - KJH Hallschlag - Stuttgart, Germany
24 - Rockhouse - Salzburg, Austria
26 - Backstage - München, Germany
27 - Arena - Wien, Austria
28 - Explosiv - Graz, Austria
29 - Nova Chmelnice - Prague, Czech Republic
30 - UT Connewitz - Leipzig, Germany

December
1 - SO 36 - Berlin, Germany
2 - Biebob - Vosselaar, Belgium
4 - Rebellion - Manchester, UK
5 - Mama Roux´s - Birmingham, UK
6 - Underworld - London, UK
7 - Petit Bain - Paris, France
8 - Schlachthof - Wiesbaden, Germany
9 - Baroeg - Rotterdam, Netherlands

Having achieved commercial success and plenty of critical acclaim, it may come as a surprise to some people to know that American rock band Clutch had a release on Earache way back in their early days, before the release of their first album.

Now with their 12th album coming up later this year, the label has brought back these early recordings on vinyl for the first time in over 25 years. Five tracks, including all three from the band's second ever single "Passive Restraints" which remains a key part of their setlist to this day, as well as the track "Pile Driver", previously only available on the extremely rare 12" edition of Clutch's first ever single way back in 1991.

Completing this release is the demo version of "Impetus", which has never previously been released on vinyl. Scheduled to ship on September 7th, you can pre-order this release here. Check out a video trailer below.

Tracklisting:

Impetus (Demo)
Pile Driver
Passive Restraints
Impetus
High Caliber Consecrator

Trailer:

Original Human Music, the debut album by Ultraphonix, the new creation of Corey Glover (Living Colour) and George Lynch (Dokken, Lynch Mob), alongside the great rhythm section formed by drummer Chris Moore and Pancho Tomaselli on bass, is out now via earMUSIC. The album track "Heart Full Of Rain" is available for streaming below.

Original Human Music was co-produced by Bob Daspit (Sammy Hagar) and it displays the magic match between Corey Glover's iconic voice and George Lynch's unique style on the guitar.

The core and value of Ultraphonix lies in the songwriting and the quality of the songs. Original Human Music is an album where Glover's profound and thoughtful lyrics sound loud - together with the warm and heavy wall of sound created by George Lynch. It's all sustained by a rhythm section that can go anywhere musically.

To quote Lynch, "The album sounds like a fusion of early Chili Peppers meets King Crimson meets Judas Priest! It's a super fun band."

Drawing on (very heavy) rock, funk, and jazz influences, the band paints a picture of a band still believing that social consciousness could be celebrated through great rock songs.

Order here.

Tracklisting:

"Baptism"
"Another Day"
"Walk Run Crawl"
"Counter Culture"
"Heart Full Of Rain"
"Free"
"Wasteland"
"Take A Stand"
"Ain't Too Late"
"Soul Control"
"What You Say"
"Power Trip"

"Heart Full Of Rain":

"Counter Culture":

"Baptism":

"Another Day" video:

"Free" lyric video:

"Walk Run Crawl" video:

Swedish metal crust punks, Martyrdöd, who recently signed a three-album deal with Century Media Records for the world excluding North America, have issued the following update:

"New lineup! (Guitarist) Pontus (Redig) has come to the conclusion that he no longer can give Martyrdöd the time and dedication needed and has therefore decided to leave the band.

"We’ve had a fantastic time together throughout the years and it’s with great sadness but of course no hard feelings we part ways. Tim (Rosenqvist) will fill the spot and take on guitar duties leaving the bass for our new member. Please everybody, welcome Daniel Ekeroth!! For further info and background on Daniel just enter his name in any search engine."

Martyrdöd will enter Studio Fredman in late January to start the recording of the successor of List. The release of the yet-untitled new album is roughly set for May/June 2019.

Martyrdöd lineup:

Tim Rosenqvist - Guitar
Jens Bäckelin - D-beat
Mikael Kjellman - Guitar & Vocals
Daniel Ekeroth - Bass

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has praised AEROSMITH, calling the legendary Boston rockers "a good example of what rock and roll is all about."

Slash first got to know the members of AEROSMITH when the band took GUNS N' ROSES on their first arena tour in 1988. More recently, Slash and his band THE CONSPIRATORS (with singer Myles Kennedy) supported AEROSMITH on the North American "Let Rock Rule Tour" in 2014.

Speaking to HardDrive Radio during a press junket for his upcoming solo album, "Living The Dream", Slash said (see video below): "AEROSMITH is the kind of band that young bands need to look at, 'cause they're one of the last real ones around. There's such a natural feel that they have and just a certain kind of swagger that just comes with the combination of people. And everything they do is what's coming out of their instruments — it's not taped or fucking phoned in. So it's definitely a good example of what rock and roll is all about."

Slash previously cited AEROSMITH as a key influence on his direction as a guitarist after hearing "Rocks" as a teenager.

"It really became my band," he told Rolling Stone in a 2014 interview. "It was really sexy, grooving, hard rock, riff-based shit with an out-of-control singer. It had so much angst and soul to it. It's really the band that pointed me in a direction when I started playing guitar."

On that 1988 tour, AEROSMITH watched as GN'R grew into a confident arena rock band of peers. "Slash doesn't make any bones about the influence we had on him," AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry told Rolling Stone. "They turned into a great, great band. They sure made their mark."

Slash will release his fourth solo album and third with his band THE CONSPIRATORS, "Living The Dream", on September 21. He and THE CONSPIRATORS will hit the road next month as well, with Slash also touring again with GUNS N' ROSES in November.

Richie Faulkner says that he is "on the fence" about JUDAS PRIEST's absence from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, explaining that having a successful five-decade career and still making music that the band's fans love is "all the affirmation anyone needs."

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for this year's class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but ultimately didn't clinch the nomination.

Faulkner told Patch.com that he would like to see PRIEST get its rightful place in the Hall — even if just for the sake of its fans.

"I'm on the fence with it," he said. "Metal's always been the underdog and there are many fans who want to see their music represented there. I get that from a fan's point of view and it doesn't quite make sense that PRIEST isn't in there. But, and this is just my opinion, when you're a band that's been touring and recording for 50 years, and you're still making music that you and your fans love, that's all the affirmation anyone needs.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

PRIEST singer Rob Halford recently said that he "would love" to see his band inducted into the Rock Hall. "I think we deserve it," he said. "We've put our 10,000 hours in and more. And beyond that, we just feel that heavy metal music deserves more space on the shelf at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

Adding that he and his bandmates "were thrilled and honored to be even nominated," Halford admitted that it's "kind of bittersweet" to find out that they wouldn't be inducted this year. "We got the nomination, which is something of a recognition for the work that you've done, but we didn't quite get in this time. But I'm hopeful that eventually we'll get some more metal [in there]."

JUDAS PRIEST's new album, "Firepower", was released in March via Epic.

STONE SOUR guitarist Josh Rand has admitted that staying clean and sober on the road has been "more difficult" than he expected.

Rand received treatment earlier this year for "an alcohol and Xanax dependency" which forced him to sit out one of the the band's tours.

Josh performed with STONE SOUR on the ShipRocked cruise in mid-January before stepping away for what were at the time unspecified issues.

STONE SOUR enlisted a temporary replacement for its Canadian tour, with singer Corey Taylor later saying that Rand would rejoin his bandmates in April at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Jacksonville, Florida.

STONE SOUR spent this past spring and the early part of summer playing select shows in the U.S and completing a European tour which saw them making appearances at some of the biggest rock festivals on the continent, including Rock Am Ring, Sweden Rock Festival and Hellfest.

In a brand new interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, Rand was asked if making sobriety last has been tougher than he imagined. "Honestly, yes," he responded (hear audio below). "Europe, for me, was really trying — just for the simple fact of… When I was touring in the U.S., it was easy for me to have structure, and that's one thing that I learned on both of these tours — the U.S. one and then the European summer tour — I'm a guy that needs structure. And there was definitely times when the temptation was there, and it was a challenge. But I have a great support group within the band and the people that work for us, and then my fiancée came out midway through, so that was the extra support. But it was a little bit more difficult than what I thought going into it."

Earlier this year, Rand said that "nobody had any idea" that he had been on Xanax since 2010 after he was first prescribed it for anxiety related to flying. He added: "And then, over the course of the last couple years, I started drinking, and when we started touring, I was basically day-drinking. But not drinking to get messed up, but just to maintain, I guess. Or to be able to cope, to have this buzz."

The guitarist said he just started feeling "horrible and miserable" and that things came to a head for him on the ShipRocked cruise.

Rand recalled: "We were flying from Florida back up to Canada and basically we were in the airport and I just had made the decision that I had to come home. Luckily, I had the support of the other guys and my family to make that decision. I had hit a wall and knew that I needed to regroup and deal with my stuff. So that's what I did."

STONE SOUR will release a deluxe edition of its latest album, "Hydrograd", on August 31. The two-disc set, "Hydrograd Deluxe Edition", collects unreleased covers, b-sides, live recordings and alternate versions of songs from "Hydrograd".

"Hydrograd Deluxe Edition" features 13 rare or unreleased songs, including an acoustic version of the No. 1 rock song "Song #3", as well as covers of hits from RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, SOUNDGARDEN and VAN HALEN.

STONE SOUR will support Ozzy Osbourne on the initial North American leg of the legendary vocalist's "No More Tours 2" tour, which kicks off August 30 in Allentown, Pennsylvania.