RAINBOW singer Ronnie Romero has confirmed to Metal Forces magazine that the Ritchie Blackmore-led group was in the studio earlier this year recording more material, including one brand new composition. "I don't know when that song is going to be released, but it's a really nice and good song," Ronnie said in an interview that was conducted before RAINBOW's recent U.K. tour. "I think after the shows in the U.K. [in June], we will see what happens as to the intentions of Ritchie Blackmore to make some new music, or do some new shows, or whatever. I don't have any idea right now. Probably we will have some idea at the end of June, after the U.K. tour."

The as-yet-unreleased number is reminiscent of some of RAINBOW's classic offerings. "It's really surprising," Ronnie said. "Ritchie sent me this song some months ago. I expected something different, but the song sounds like the early days of RAINBOW — the first album, the Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW album (August 1975) — so I think the fans will really like it."

According to Romero, there are no concrete plans for RAINBOW to release a new full-length album, but "it's an idea, of course," he said. "We've been recording some different stuff; some new songs, and then some songs from the old albums of RAINBOW. Like I told you before though, it depends on Ritchie. After this U.K. tour, we will make some decisions about recording a complete album, or just a couple of more songs, or whatever. It's all about Ritchie's feelings after this month. Right now, I don't know his ideas for the band, but I've got the feeling that if the shows go well, probably we will make some different stuff. If the shows don't go well, June will probably be the end of the new RAINBOW. [Laughs]."

Romero also seemed to suggest that a compilation of re-recorded RAINBOW tracks was a distinct possibility. "Songs from different eras have been recorded, like 'I Surrender' which has already been released, and then some songs from the [Ronnie James] Dio era, and then a song from the Graham Bonnet era," Ronnie revealed. "It's generally like a demo, so we will see what happens with them."

Back in May, the revamped version of RAINBOW released its first new music in more than two decades. Two tracks were made available on iTunes: an instrumental song called "Land Of Hope And Glory", which is is a reworking of the 1902 British patriotic song of the same name from Edward Elgar's "Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1", and a re-recording of the RAINBOW classic "I Surrender", which was written by Russ Ballard and was first released by RAINBOW in 1981. The latter song features vocals recorded by Romero, who is originally from Chile but is now settled in Madrid.

In addition to Blackmore and Romero, the current incarnation of RAINBOW includes STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT), and backing singers Candice Night and Lady Lynn.

Sweden’s Corroded are streaming the track “Burn It To The Ground”, the third single from their new album, Defcon Zero, out now on Despotz Records. Listen below:

Corroded recently released a recap video from their appearance at Sweden Rock Festival. Watch the clip, courtesy of Rockbladet.se, below:

Upcoming Corroded live dates:

August
4 - Skogsröjet - Rejmyre, Sweden
5 - Metal Park - Edsbyn, Sweden
18 - Sabaton Open Air Festival - Falun, Sweden
26 - Eksjö Stadsfest - Eksjö, Sweden

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Motorbreath" on July 19 at at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montréal, Québec, Canada, and "Sad But True" on July 16 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada can be seen below.

The North American leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" trek will hit stadiums in eight more cities before ending in mid-August.

The next stop on the tour is Pasadena, California on Saturday, July 29.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band is touring in support of its tenth studio album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which features the single "Now That We're Dead".

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone that the band was genuinely surprised to learn they could still play stadiums, saying, "It was like, 'Holy fuck, people really still care about this band in ways that you stopped taking for granted literally decades ago. It was very inspiring and kind of eye-opening."

He added: "Full stadium runs can sometimes be a little intimidating. There's all these things to worry about like, 'You should really try to play maybe only on the weekend,' and, 'Where do you play on Tuesday?' and some of those practicalities can get a little bewildering. We just threw caution to the wind. Doing a stadium run seemed like the perfect thing on the back of how well this record has been received and all the good will that's out there in METALLICA's world right now."

Support on the quartet's first North American trek since 2009 is coming mainly from AVENGED SEVENFOLD and VOLBEAT, with GOJIRA taking over for the latter group for the last six shows.

Stone Sour singer Corey Taylor (Slipknot) performed an acoustic version of his band’s single, “Song #3”, as well as a cover of Tom Petty’s “You Got Lucky”, during a visit to WAAF studio in Boston, Massachusetts on July 20th. Check out video below:

Da Capo Press has set August 8th as the release date for Corey Taylor’s new book, America 51: A Probe Into The Realities That Are Hiding Inside The Greatest Country In The World.

To coincide with the release, Taylor has confirmed a series of book signings; details are as listed:

August
8 - Bookends - Ridgewood, NJ
9 - Barnes & Noble Union Square - New York, NY
10 - Book Revue - Huntington, NY
12 - Book Soup - West Hollywood, CA

An official book description states: The always-outspoken hard rock vocalist Corey Taylor begins America 51 with a reflection on what his itinerant youth and frequent worldwide travels with his multiplatinum bands Slipknot and Stone Sour have taught him about what it means to be an American in an increasingly unstable world. He examines the way America sees itself, specifically with regard to the propaganda surrounding America's origins (like a heavy-metal Howard Zinn), while also celebrating the quirks and behavior that make a true-blue American.

Balancing humor, outrage, and disbelief, Taylor examines the rotting core of America, evaluating everything from politics and race relations to family and "man buns." By continuing the wave of moral outrage begun in You're Making Me Hate You, Taylor skewers contemporary America in his own signature style.

Pre-order your copy now at this location.

Stone Sour have announced a fall US tour with support from Steel Panther and Cherry Bombs. Also set to appear on select dates is Man With A Mission and Beartooth.

Tour dates:

September
23 - Englewood, CO - High Elevation Rock Festival
24 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
26 - Kansas City, MO - The Midland
27 - St. Paul, MN - The Myth
28 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Civic Auditorium
30 - Janesville, WI - JJO Sonic Boom

October
1 - Louisville, KY - Louder Than Life
3 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
4 - Niagara Falls, NY - The Rapids Theatre
7 - Sioux Falls, SD - The District (with Man With A Mission, no Steel Panther)
8 - Wichita, KS - The Cotillion (with Man With A Mission, no Steel Panther)
10 - Clive, IA - 7 Flags Event Center (with Man With A Mission)
11 - Tulsa, OK - Brady Theater (with Man With A Mission)
13 - San Antonio, TX - Vibes Event Center
14 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Pavilion
15 - The Woodlands, TX - Houston Open Air
18 - Anaheim, CA - House Of Blues (with Beartooth, no Steel Panther)
19 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues (no Steel Panther)
21 - Sacramento, CA - Monster Energy Aftershock

 

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of their debut album, multinational melodic metal band, Eden's Curse, will release Revisited - a two disc set featuring the debut album re-recorded in it's entirety and a bonus DVD, Live In Glasgow - The Official Bootleg, on August 25th worldwide via AFM Records. Listen to the re-recorded version of “Fly Away” below:

Bassist Paul Logue explains: "The first album really was the foundation for all that was to follow and ever since Nikola joined the band we have been inundated with fan requests to re-record the older material and whilst it would be great fun, it would also be the same amount of work as recording a brand new album. In actual fact, that is one of the main reasons we recorded the live album, Live With The Curse, so the fans could hear Nikola's voice on the older songs. However, it did not stop the flow of requests - in fact it made it worse! So, with this pivotal tenth anniversary coming up, we thought it would be a good idea to do it and AFM agreed. It's turned out really great and given the older songs that little bit of freshness. It's not to out-do what went before but to pay homage to a very important record in our career.”

The debut re-recordings were mixed by Pete Newdeck (Eden's Curse, Tainted Nation, Grim Reaper) and Mastered by Harry Hess (Harem Scarem).

Coupled with the re-recorded debut album is the Live In Glasgow - Official Bootleg DVD which is the Live With The Curse live album recording show in it's entirety. Filmed at The Classic Grand in Glasgow on November 28th, 2014, the release mark's the band first official live DVD release, albeit in a bootleg form.

"The footage is absolutely excellent,” states bassist Logue. "We did not intend to film a DVD, but the audio recording company brought two cameras along to capture the show and when we saw the results we were really surprised! We put out four videos on You Tube to promote the live album and the fans kept asking to see the full show on DVD. So, here it is! We've called it a 'bootleg' because it wasn't recorded on 6 cameras, e.g one above the drummer and one on the keyboard player - like we would do for a proper DVD release. However, beyond that is looks and sounds great! We WILL do a DVD in the future but in the meantime this give our fans across the world something to enjoy time and time again and it makes 'Revisited' a very special package indeed,” he adds.

Revisited is the ultimate package for Eden's Curse fans old and new and a fantastic introduction to the band's music. It's a true celebration of the record that started it all, from the guys who carry the legacy forward. Over 60 mins of music and 100 mins of film make Revisited a must have for all Eden's Curse and melodic metal fans.

Check out a video trailer below, and order yours today from AFM Records.

Jeff Scott Soto has fired back at Yngwie Malmsteen, saying that he finds it "comical and sad" that the Swedish guitarist would speak disparagingly about some of the singers that have worked with him in the past.

Soto's comments came in response to a recent interview Malmsteen gave to Metal Wani in which the iconic axeman said that he had no interest in collaborating with vocalists like Soto, Joe Lynn Turner and Tim "Ripper" Owens ever again. "I'm very comfortable singing myself, first of all," Yngwie said. Secondly, there's a certain disconnect when you write the song and you have someone else sing it for you. And it's kind of like a fakeness about it. I always wrote everything — I wrote all the lyrics, I wrote all the melodies, everything; it's just somebody else sung it. And to me, the singer is nothing else than a different… like a bass player or a keyboard player — they're not more important than any other musician. And they, unfortunately, seem to think that they are. And I've kind of had it with their sort of… self-absorbed sort of way, and I'm very much against it. No. I don't like that. I don't like any of those people, and I don't like to do anything with them ever again."

After portions of Yngwie's interview with Metal Wani were published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET on Wednesday (July 26), Soto took to his Facebook page to respond. He wrote: "This is a fabulous statement, oh my! Can't say I blame him; his vocal prowess has increased .05-fold the past two decades! Why would he want to work with horrible hacks like myself, Ripper or Joe... and deal with our egos... like wanting to hear ourselves onstage within the cavalcade of Marshalls, or getting our measly salaries on time (or at all)... or maybe it was the desire to be 'buds' that got in the way?

"Carry on there, Sing-vay, you got this!"

He continued: "On a side note, I wrote more than 3/4 of the lyrics and 1/2 melodies for 'I'll See The Light Tonight', all of the lyrics for 'Caught In The Middle' and 'Don't Let It End' (he wrote the title and got 50% of authorship) and all off 'On The Run Again' (title included). So much for writing EVERYTHING, but you must admit, a Puerto Rican 'faking' the praises about a Viking was pretty convincing, no?"

Jeff added in the comments section below his post that he wasn't "hurt at all" by Yngwie's statements. He explained: "I find it comical and sad... Hurt and angry means I would have spent the past three decades speaking negatively about my tenure with him... In essence, it was my humble beginning of what for me has been a helluva career."

He went on to say: "I'll continue to speak the truth of how positive and important it was to start where I did. It was a definitive factor on how NOT to be if I was so lucky to do this for a living!"

After yesterday's BLABBERMOUTH.NET article was published, Owens also took to Facebook to respond to Yngwie's claim that he wouldn't work with any of the above-mentioned singers ever again. Owens wrote: "Pretty sure it's because we all quit. Hahaha. Blah blah blah!" Tim then added: "Let [Yngwie] enjoy the singing!"

Malmsteen's recent U.S. trek marked his first run of dates in the States since 2016 when he took part in the "Generation Axe" tour alongside Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi, playing to more than seventy thousand people over twenty-seven shows.

Yngwie's latest album, "World On Fire", came out in June 2016 via King Records.

Metal Wani's editor in chief Owais "Vitek" Nabi recently conducted an interview with legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether he has considered working with singers like Jeff Scott Soto, Joe Lynn Turner and Tim "Ripper" Owens again on an album or a tour:

Yngwie: "Actually, no, I have not, because I found myself very much… I'm very comfortable singing myself, first of all. Secondly, there's a certain disconnect when you write the song and you have someone else sing it for you. And it's kind of like a fakeness about it. I always wrote everything — I wrote all the lyrics, I wrote all the melodies, everything; it's just somebody else sung it. And to me, the singer is nothing else than a different… like a bass player or a keyboard player — they're not more important than any other musician. And they, unfortunately, seem to think that they are. And I've kind of had it with their sort of… self-absorbed sort of way, and I'm very much against it. No. I don't like that. I don't like any of those people, and I don't like to do anything with them ever again."

On illegal music downloading an albums being leaked well ahead of their release dates:

Yngwie: "It's a horrible thing. And if it weren't for the fact that the music itself is so rewarding to create, I don't think I would have done it anymore. Because it's like somebody… I don't know… It doesn't matter what you make — if you create a movie or build a car or whatever, it's the amount of blood, sweat and tears and money and everything that goes into it that needs to be rewarded. Funnily enough, I was talking to my son about this — I think there might be a small resurgence of the vinyl scene again, so I might start doing that too. It's a problem, definitely, in a sense where you don't feel that you get the financial reward that you should get, but the satisfaction of creating a record, a full album, and listening back to it and actually going, 'Shit, this is pretty good. I did well.' That is an amazing feeling, because it's [part of your] legacy that will never go away. Long after I'm gone, it'll still be there. So I don't think it's… Just because the money part is… you're being robbed, basically… I still love doing it. I still love to go in the studio and write and all that."

**Update**: After this article was posted on BLABBERMOUTH.NET earlier today, Owens took to Facebook to respond to Yngwie's claim that he wouldn't work with any of the above-mentioned singers again. Owens wrote: "Pretty sure it's because we all quit. Hahaha. Blah blah blah!" Tim then added: "Let [Yngwie] enjoy the singing!"

Malmsteen's recent U.S. trek marked his first run of dates in the States since 2016 when he took part in the "Generation Axe" tour alongside Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi, playing to more than seventy thousand people over twenty-seven shows.

Yngwie's latest album, "World On Fire", came out in June 2016 via King Records.

Metal Wani's editor in chief Owais "Vitek" Nabi had a chat with AT THE GATES and THE LURKING FEAR frontman Tomas Lindberg. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the current status of AT THE GATES:

Tomas: "We are in the writing process for the next record. It's going really well. [We are] very focused, very fired up, very inspired and… Yeah, it's going really well, I have to say. It's actually going a bit faster than I thought it was gonna be, and [there's] good flow.

"I guess maybe, for myself, going straight from the creative side of THE LURKING FEAR straight into AT THE GATES, maybe I didn't have the time to go down, so I just continued the creativity. So [I'm] a little bit on a roll, maybe."

On what it has been like writing new AT THE GATES material without guitarist Anders Björler, who left the band earlier this year:

Tomas: "We are all very eager to get this done. The one that has stepped up so far is, of course, Jonas [Björler, bass], who wrote about forty percent of both [2014's comeback album] 'At War With Reality' and [1995's] 'Slaughter Of The Soul', so he stepped in as the main songwriter now, and the stuff that he's put on the table so far is amazing, basically. It really captures exactly the essence of what AT THE GATES is. I mean, 'At War With Reality' was a good album for us, a strong album, but I think this one is more focused on just being us."

On the musical direction of the new AT THE GATES material:

Tomas: "There's been a lot of discussions, and, as I said, a very creative, inspired atmosphere right now. I would say that we are, again, in a sense, as with 'At War With Reality', trying to really grasp what AT THE GATES is. Maybe a little bit more again even further back to the roots a little bit to see what aspects of AT THE GATES we could put in the AT THE GATES of today and make it a whole record, so to say, to present as we are now. But I think there will be some surprises for people in a very good way. So far it's a very coherent, very strong album, [with] very strong songs."

"At War With Reality" was released on October 28, 2014 (one day earlier internationally) via Century Media. The CD, which sold 7,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 53 on The Billboard 200 chart, was recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg and was mixed at Fascination Street Studios in Örebro, Sweden with Jens Bogren (OPETH, KATATONIA, SOILWORK, PARADISE LOST, KREATOR).

AT THE GATES completed a short U.S. tour after its appearance on the 2016 edition of the 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. The trek also featured THE HAUNTED and DECAPITATED (direct support) and HARMS WAY.

Atlantic Records/604 Records group THEORY OF A DEADMAN has unveiled details of its new album, "Wake Up Call". Set for release on October 27, the disc features the lead single "Rx", which is streaming today accompanied by an official music video. Pre-orders for "Wake Up Call" will be available Friday, July 28 at all DSPs and www.theoryofadeadman.com, with all pre-orders receiving an instant grat download of "Rx". Recorded with producer Martin Terefe at London's Kensaltown Studios, "Wake Up Call" finds THEORY — Tyler Connolly (lead vocals, lead guitar), David Brenner (rhythm guitar), Dean Back (bass), and Joey Dandeneau (drums) — extending themselves beyond the easy comforts of complacency to create an album that pushes the songwriting envelope with songs like "Rx", which takes aim at the opioid epidemic impacting families across North America and "PCH", which juxtaposes the nostalgia for seemingly endless nights with friends and the bitter realities of life. Furthermore, THEORY /b> has announced a fall headline tour to celebrate "Wake Up Call", which will get underway September 29 at Minneapolis, Minnesota's Skyway and continue through mid-November. Tickets for all dates will go on sale, Friday, July 28 at 10:00 a.m. local time. The band is currently on the road for a string of headline shows and festival dates including Carterville, Illinois' Moonstock (August 19) and Janesville, Wisconsin's JJO Sonic Boom (October 1). "Wake Up Call" follows 2014's "Savages", which earned THEORY their second consecutive Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 and third consecutive #1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart. "Savages" also featured the #1 Rock Radio smash, "Angel", which is accompanied by an official music now boasting upwards of 10 million views on THEORY's official YouTube channel. For more than a decade, THEORY has been among the most distinctive and popular bands in hard rock history, combining frank, earnest lyricism and extraordinary melodies with massive power and electrifying dynamics. With singer/songwriter Tyler Connolly at the helm, the Vancouver-based band has earned a fervent fan following as well as a long line of multi-format hits, among them the #1 Mainstream Rock breakthrough, "Bad Girlfriend" (found on 2008's RIAA-platinum-certified "Scars & Souvenirs").

"Wake Up Call" track listing: 01. Straight Jacket02. Rx03. Echoes04. Wake Up Call05. PCH06. G.O.A.T.07. Loner08. Time Machine09. Glass Jaw10. Po Mouth11. Wicked Game

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY will release a blues EP, "Black To Blues", on September 29 via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group.

"I know it's crazy for four rock 'n' roll dudes to make a blues EP, but it's us sharing with everyone the music that's been our DNA from day one," says BLACK STONE CHERRY vocalist and guitarist Chris Robertson. "Blues is the music we listen to when we sit around on the bus with a bottle of bourbon."

Before releasing five critically acclaimed albums, playing 12,000-capacity arena shows, topping U.K. charts and sharing the stage with bands like DEF LEPPARD, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, BAD COMPANY, ALTER BRIDGE and SHINEDOWN, the guys in the Kentucky-based active rock powerhouse were just teenagers finding their way jamming on the blues.

"Black To Blues" is a collection of blues classics and obscurities reimagined with the meaty moxie of classic BLACK STONE CHERRY. "A defining moment for me was realizing all the rock 'n' roll that I loved came from the blues," Chris says.

As a lead vocalist, Chris honed his burly pipes studying the power of the Texas Tornado himself, Freddie King, whom they cover on "Black To Blues" and, throughout their career, the group has always sprinkled in a few blues evergreens in their live set. "The blues is such honest music. When you hear it, it's, like, 'I'm down on my luck, and, damn, that guy gets just how I feel.'" Chris shares. "I hope by sharing this music we have the beautiful opportunity to expose a new generation to the blues."

"Black To Blues" pays homage to the fertile 1960s era of electric blues where the masters pushed boundaries with experimentation and volume. The EP includes covers by Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, Freddie King and Albert King. The album was recorded in a burst of fevered inspiration this past spring at David Barrick's Barrick Recording, the same studio where the band recorded their recent album, "Kentucky". It was produced by the band, which tracked the music in two days and favored a raw, in-the-moment production aesthetic to capture the inspired sessions. Chris adds: "Our approach was to do these songs as we've written them, with attitude and heavy guitar."

"Black To Blues" opens with the Howlin' Wolf classic "Built For Comfort". Here, they harnesses the song's dark energy with foot-stomping burly riffage, impassioned whiskey and honey vocals, and a peaks and valleys arrangement that features virtuosic bursts of bluesy guitar brilliance, smoky quiet passages, and mountains crashing down climaxes. Throughout the EP, the imaginative arrangements, soulful vocals, and subtle band interplay evoke the halcyon days of heavy blues acts such as FREE and Peter Green's FLEETWOOD MAC. On "Champagne & Reefer" they mesmerize with deft slide guitar playing and powerful contrasting haunting and hefty dynamics. Other standouts include a raucous version of Muddy Waters's "I Want To Be Loved", complete with jaw-dropping blues-rock guitar solos, and a clever rendition of Freddie King's "Palace Of King", there they "moved one note to make it more dark," Chris reveals.

The blues is always a sage teacher, and making the "Black To Blues" EP was a transformative experience for BLACK STONE CHERRY. Chris says: "It was humbling and freeing at the same time. It reignited our passion for this music, and it will definitely have an effect on our next album."

"Black To Blues" track listing:

01. Built For Comfort02. Champagne & Reefer03. Palace Of The King04. Hoochie Coochie Man05. Born Under A Bad Sign06. I Want To Be Loved

An early demo version of STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' song "Sex Type Thing", taken from the upcoming 25th-anniversary expanded reissue of the band's debut album, "Core", can be streamed below.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS roared on to the scene 25 years ago with "Core". A breakout success, the album peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts, dominated radio waves with hits like "Sex Type Thing" and "Wicked Garden", and has been certified eight times platinum by the RIAA. The band also took home the 1994 Grammy Award for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for their smash single "Plush".

To mark the legendary album's silver anniversary, Rhino will release two versions on September 29, which is 25 years to the day of the album's original debut. The first is the "Core: Super Deluxe Edition" ($79.98), which includes four CDs featuring a newly remastered version of the original album, plus more than two hours of unreleased demos and live performances, including the band's performance on "MTV Unplugged". Also included is the original album on vinyl and a DVD that contains a 5.1 Surround Sound Mix of the album along with videos for the album's four singles. The set, limited to 15,000 copies worldwide, comes packaged in a richly detailed hardcover book (12 x 12) with rare and unseen photographs. The music from the Super Deluxe version will also be available via digital download and streaming services.

Fans can pre-order a limited edition bundle of the "Core: Super Deluxe Editon" at www.stonetemplepilots.com which includes a bonus replica 7-inch vinyl single of "Plush" that was originally released in the U.K. in 1993. This exclusive bundle is limited to 1,000 copies.

Also available on the same day is a 2-CD "Core: Deluxe Version" ($19.98) containing a newly remastered version of the original album expanded with rare b-sides and previously unreleased demos. A single disc remaster of the original album will be available as well.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS (guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo, drummer Eric Kretz, and vocalist Scott Weiland) debuted with "Core" in the fall of 1992 and by the following summer were one of the biggest rock bands on the scene, powered by exhilarating live shows and a string of now-classic songs from the album, remastered here for the very first time.

Nearly all of the music on the second disc of both versions is making its commercial debut. Of the nine demos included, four were recorded between 1987 and 1990 when the band was known as MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. One of those, "Only Dying", is an unheard song the band had planned to re-record in 1994 for "The Crow" soundtrack. The idea was later scrapped after the star of the film, Brandon Lee, was killed during production. The disc continues with five unreleased demos from their original Atlantic sessions and concludes with four b-sides, including the jazzy "Swing Type Version" of "Sex Type Thing", as well as two acoustic versions of "Plush" — the "Acoustic Type Version" recorded with the full band and the rarely heard "first take" that was recorded by Weiland and Dean DeLeo for MTV's "Headbanger's Ball" in 1993.

The third disc contains two fiery live recordings from the summer of 1993, the first an unreleased performance at Castaic Lake Natural Amphitheater near Los Angeles and the second from the Reading Festival, making its U.S. debut here. These high-energy shows feature performances of all but two songs from "Core" as well as an early live version of "Lounge Fly", a song the band has just written a month earlier that would appear the following year on the band's second album, "Purple".

The band's iconic appearance on "MTV Unplugged", recorded in November 1993, gets its first official release on the final CD in the set. This would be their last performance in support of "Core" and includes reworked, acoustic versions of "Wicked Garden" and "Sex Type Thing", the debut performance of "Big Empty", which would later appear on "Purple", and a cover of David Bowie's "Andy Warhol".

"Core: Super Deluxe Edition" also features the original album pressed on vinyl, and a DVD that presents a 5.1 Surround Sound Mix of "Core" together will all four of the videos made for the album: "Sex Type Thing", "Plush", "Wicked Garden" and "Creep".

"Core: Super Deluxe Edition" track listing:

Disc One: Original Album Remastered

01. Dead & Bloated02. Sex Type Thing03. Wicked Garden04. No Memory05. Sin06. Naked Sunday07. Creep08. Piece Of Pie09. Plush10. Wet My Bed11. Crackerman12. Where The River Goes

Disc Two: Demos And B-sides

01. Only Dying – Demo *02. Wicked Garden - Demo *03. Naked Sunday - Demo *04. Where The River Goes - Demo *05. Dead & Bloated - Demo *06. Sex Type Thing - Demo *07. Sin – Demo *08. Creep – Demo *09. Plush – Demo *10. Sex Type Thing – Swing Type Version11. Plush - Acoustic Type Version12. Creep - New Album Version13. Plush - Acoustic from MTV Headbanger's Ball (Take 1)

Disc Three: Live 1993

Live At Castaic Lake Natural Amphitheater (July 2, 1993)

01. Crackerman *02. Wicked Garden *03. No Memory *04. Sin *05. Plush *06. Where The River Goes *07. Sex Type Thing *08. Wet My Bed *09. Naked Sunday *

Live At The Reading Festival (August 27, 1993)

10. Wicked Garden 11. No Memory *12. Sin 13. Lounge Fly *14. Dead & Bloated15. Sex Type Thing16. Naked Sunday* Disc Four: MTV Unplugged (November 17, 1993)

01. Crackerman 02. Creep *03. Andy Warhol 04. Plush *05. Big Empty *06. Wicked Garden *07. Sex Type Thing *

Disc Five: (DVD) Original Album 5.1 Mix, 24/96 Stereo Audio, And Music Videos

* Previously Unreleased

Bonus "Plush" 7-inch Included with www.stonetemplepilots.com preorder, limited edition of 1,000 units

Side 1

01. Plush (Edit)

Side 2

01. Sin

Norwegian prog metallers, Circus Maximus, will release a new live album, Havoc In Oslo, on August 4th. It will be available on 2CD/DVD and 2CD/BluRay. Watch “Architect Of Fortune” from the upcoming release, available for streaming below.

On February 6th, 2016, Circus Maximus celebrated the release of their fourth studio album, Havoc, with a sold out show at the Rockefeller in Oslo, with a stunning live production that involved pyro, sparks (literally), and a massive light rig. The band wanted to make this show one of the most memorable performances in Circus Maximus history and then to share this night with the world. So, it was decided to capture the entire night with multiple high definition cameras for a release on both Blu-Ray and DVD as well as an audio component.

Ever since the band released Live In Japan via YouTube, they have been eager to make a proper live release in a physical format. Havoc Live in Oslo is a powerful statement from a band at the top of their game.

Tracklisting:

CD1:

“Forging”
“Namaste”
“The One”
“The Weight”
“Highest Bitter”
“Architect Of Fortune”
“Arrival Of Love”
“Loved Ones”
“Sin”

CD2:

“Havoc”
“Pages”
“Abyss”
“I Am”
“Chivalry”
“Game Of Life”

DVD/Blu-Ray:

“Forging”
“Namaste”
“The One”
“The Weight”
“Highest Bitter”
“Architect Of Fortune”
“Arrival Of Love”
“Loved Ones”
“Sin”
“Havoc”
“Pages”
“Abyss”
“I Am”
“Chivalry”
“Game Of Life”

“Architect Of Fortune” video:

“The Weight” video:

2017 marks the 30th anniversary of Scanner, and that's why the band is celebrating this special occasion with the release of The Galactos Tapes - out on August 25th via Massacre Records.

The Galactos Tapes will include 2 CDs and will be available as a CD Digipak: The first CD includes a fine selection of songs, taken from previous releases, and the second CD includes re-recordings of Scanner classics with long-time vocalist Efthimios Ioannidis handling vocal duties.

The songs featured on the first CD were also chosen by the band's fans, and are a result of numerous conducted surveys on the band's social media channels. For the second CD, SCanner decided to re-record a few classics with their long-time vocalist Efthimios, who's the man behind the mic for more than a decade now.

Fans can listen to the re-recorded version of "Warp 7", originally featured on the album Hypertrace, below.

Tracklisting:

CD1 – Compilation
“Galactos”
“Warp 7”
“We Start It Tomorrow”
“Buy Or Die”
“Across The Universe”
“Puppet On A String”
“Innuendo” (Queen cover)
“F.T.B.”
“After The Storm”
“Terrion”
“Out Of Nowhere”
“The Law”
“Judge On The Run”
“Nevermore”
“Always Alien”

CD2 – Re-Recordings
“Warp 7”
“Puppet On A String”
“Across The Universe”
“Rubberman”
“Terrion”
“Wonder”
“Tollshocked”
“Sister Mary”
“Till The Ferryman Dies”

“Warp 7” re-record:

After recently announcing their appearance at Ozzfest on November 4th at the Glen Helen Amphitheater & Festival Grounds in San Bernardino, CA, Tombs is now premiering their new video for "Walk With Me in Nightmares”, directed/edited by David Brodsky. Watch below:

Tombs released their fourth full-length, The Grand Annihilation, back in June via Metal Blade Records. Produced once again by Erik Rutan (Cannibal Corpse, Soilent Green, Belphegor, Hate Eternal), The Grand Annihilation remains rooted in the blackened, post-metallic sound that the band has become known for since 2007's self-titled EP, while also being their most experimental record to-date.

The Grand Annihilation tracklisting:

“Black Sun Horizon”
“Cold”
“Old Wounds”
“November Wolves”
“Underneath”
“Way Of The Storm”
“Shadows At The End Of The World”
“Walk With Me In Nightmares”
“Saturnalian”
“Temple Of Mars”

“November Wolves”:

“Saturnalian”:

“Cold”:

Swedish hard rock veterans EUROPE will release their new studio album, "Walk The Earth", on October 20 via the band's own Hell & Back label through Silver Lining Music. The follow-up to 2015's "War Of Kings" was laid down at London, England's legendary Abbey Road studios and was produced by Dave Cobb, who also helmed the band's last disc.

The "Walk The Earth" cover (shown below) features original artwork by famed Los Angeles artist Mike Sportes of Filth Mart.

Says EUROPE singer Joey Tempest: "We were in the studio a few days into recording and Dave [Cobb, producer] comes in wearing this very cool t-shirt with one of Mike's designs on it. Immediately we knew we had to check Mike's other work and have him come up with an exclusive design for us based on the vibe of the album. We are very proud to have his amazing artwork as the 'Walk The Earth' album cover!'

Speaking about the new album's recording sessions, EUROPE drummer Ian Haugland told Kaaos TV: "This time around, I would say that it turned out even better than 'War Of Kings', because we felt more at ease with Dave, 'cause now we knew how he was working from the previous album, from 'War Of Kings', so we felt really like a team immediately. And we knew when we went into the studio that we had a batch of really good song ideas, but when we went out of the studio and the recordings were finished, we had an even stronger feeling. So we took the songs, really, to the next level when we recorded them. So we're really excited about the new music."

Regarding the musical direction of the new EUROPE material, Haugland said: "There are a lot of '70s roots. I think you can hear influences from David Bowie, from LED ZEPPELIN, BLACK SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE, obviously — all those bands that we grew up with. It's a nice mix, but still I think this album has a stronger backbone, stronger identity. I mean, the 'War Of Kings' album had a lot of great songs, but I think the new one is gonna be more focused, sort of. And also sound-wise, I think it's got a warmer and more analog character to the sound, which we love."

"Walk The Earth" track listing:

01. Walk The Earth02. The Siege03. Kingdom United04. Pictures05. Election Day06. Wolves07. GTO08. Haze09. Whenever You're Ready10. Turn To Dust

EUROPE will tour the U.K. later this year as the support act for DEEP PURPLE. Headlining European tour dates for November and December will be announced soon.

EUROPE last year completed a short European tour during which the band played "The Final Countdown" album in its entirety to celebrate the LP's thirtieth anniversary.

A recording of the band's "The Final Countdown" performance at London's legendary Roundhouse was released on July 21.

"War Of Kings" came out in March 2015 via UDR Music.

Napalm Records recording artists, Xandria, are set to return to the road this fall in North America alongside label-mates Kobra And The Lotus. Also coming along for the ride is September Mourning. The tour is set to kick off September 29th in Buffalo, NY and will run through October 21st in Atlanta, GA. A complete list of dates can be found below.

Bassist Steven Wussow on the upcoming tour: "What would be more fitting after the great success of our 1st North American Headlining run in may than doing a 2nd stretch in October? Right... nothing! Well, except doing another one with our buddies from Kobra And The Lotus! Hell Yeah!! So many cities we haven't rocked so far! Well here we go again! Get your tickets NOW! Because THIS Is going to be AWESOME!"

September
29 - Buffalo, NY - Waiting Room
30 - Clifton, NJ - Dingbatz

October
2 - Louisville, KY - Trixie's Entertainment Complex
4 - Detroit, MI - Token Lounge
6 - Newport, MN - Opinion Brewery
7 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar
8 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
9 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
12 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street
13 - Lubbock, TX - Jakes
14 - Dallas, TX - Trees
15 - San Antonio, TX - The Rock Box
18 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
19 - Austin, TX - Come and Take it Live
21 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
 
Just in time for the upcoming tour, the band have unveiled a brand new lyric video for the track "Queen Of Hearts Reborn”, off of their latest effort Theater Of Dimensions. Watch below:

Former Pantera bassist, Rex Brown, will release his debut solo album, Smoke On This, this Friday, July 28th, via Entertainment One Music (eOne Music). Brown stopped by the Guitar World studio to play along to "Train Song" from the upcoming album. Check out the video below:

Brown recently debuted an all new single and music video for his track “Buried Alive”. This is the third single behind "Train Song" and "Crossing Lines" from his upcoming LP that were previously released.

Rex once again partnered up with Justin Reich (Zakk Wylde, Ace Frehley), who also directed the video for "Train Song”. This is the second music video being released from Brown's debut solo effort.

"Justin once again did a fantastic job," says Brown. "The video captures every bit of emotion I had when I was writing the song as it's a very personal song for me."

The video was shot in Nashville, TN where the record itself was recorded and produced. Rex's bandmates are also featured in the video. Lance Harvill, who also co-wrote most of the LP with Brown plays lead guitar. Joe Shadid plays rhythm guitar and longtime friend of Brown's and Type O Negative member Johnny Kelly plays drums. Caleb Sherman can be seen on Keys and lap steel as well.

"Buried Alive," "Train Song" and “Crossing Lines” are now available on all streaming platforms and as an iTunes instant gratification track, meaning fans who pre-order the LP today will get the track as a download instantly.

Brown’s solo debut strips away any boundaries and preconceived notions, reveling in a newfound freedom to express all of the various shades of the man whose name is out front. The song “Fault Line” helped him find his voice. “That was the very first one I sang. After I got that one, I knew that I could do it, and Lance was my biggest motivator in finding that voice. Up until that point I just wasn’t sure.”

From there, there’s the brilliantly straightforward “Lone Rider,” the monstrous In Through The Out Door vibe of “Crossing Lines”, the Pink Floyd reverence of “Best Of Me”. “Get Yourself Alive” is something of an ode to “Strawberry Fields Forever”, but with a swift-kick of rock n’ roll. It’s rich in nuance, with Indian tandoori and layers of vocals. The extremely catchy “Grace” is “something you would never expect to hear off a Rex Brown record and that’s exactly why I did it. It’s just a really great song, period. Bottom line.”

Rex’s solo album is full of mojo and the force of character, determination, and nerve. He tracked lead vocals, rhythm guitars, and bass, working with his primary collaborator and old friend, Lance Harvill, a Nashville-based guitarist and songwriter, on the album’s songs. “Lance was & is, my main man on this. Everything we did was finely tuned, both musically & brotherly.”

Drums were tracked by Christopher Williams, himself no stranger to diverse tastes, from funk music to punk. His talent has been utilized by country music star Lee Greenwood, the reconstituted Blackfoot and most recently, power metal legends Accept. The album was produced by New Yorker turned Nashville transplant Caleb Sherman, a multi-instrumentalist with work on records by Little Big Town and Porter Block, among others. “Caleb produced the project from a musician's standpoint,” adds Brown. “Not just a typical producer’s standpoint, which was something I definitely needed. Between Caleb and Lance, we were a force to be reckoned with. They really pulled out the best in me.” Peter Keyes, known for his work with Lynyrd Skynyrd can also be heard on a few tracks. All bass tracking came from Rex himself as well.

Who is Rex Brown? To the industry, fellow musicians, and a legion of fans around the world, he’s the bassist for Pantera, one of the biggest hard rock and metal acts of the past few decades, alongside Nirvana and Metallica. They had Number One albums with minimal support from traditional commercial outlets and went platinum several times over. Pantera rode a groundswell of underground loyalty, earned through several years of blood, sweat, and road beers. Five major label albums, countless international tours, and a series of carnage-filled home videos cemented a legacy as large as their massive riffs and the band’s insatiable appetites for mayhem, authenticity, and brotherhood.

“My motto these days is ‘Shake some shit up,'" Brown declares about the new LP. “I’ve had my ups and downs, like anybody in this business. I wanted to feel like a true artist again, where I can write and record songs without worrying about any of the bullshit.”

Tracklisting:

“Lone Rider”
“Crossing Lines”
“Buried Alive”
“Train Song”
“Get Yourself Alright”
“Fault Line”
“What Comes Around...”
“Grace”
“So Into You”
“Best Of Me”
“One Of these Days”

"So Into You" teaser:

“Train Song” video:

“Crossing Lines” lyric video:

Pre-order physical copies here, and digital copies here.

According to TMZ, a preliminary investigation into Chester Bennington's suicide last week has turned up no apparent signs of drug use at the time of his death.

Law enforcement say investigators found no illegal drugs or prescription drugs while searching the LINKIN PARK frontman's home following his July 20 passing. It was previously reported that there was a partially consumed bottle of alcohol in the bedroom where the 41-year-old singer was found hanging.

It is not presently clear if Bennington had any drugs in his system at the time of his death. Toxicology results are pending.

Bennington was found dead in his home in Palos Verdes by one of his employees shortly before 9:00 a.m. last Thursday. A Los Angeles County coroner confirmed that the cause of death was "suicide by hanging."

In a 2013 interview with HardDrive Radio, Bennington advised kids who are having a tough time with life to avoid taking such a drastic step. "The thing about life is like, you can't predict the future but the future's there," he said. "You just have to wait out. Life gets better, so don't make those in-the-moment rash choices like suicide. Talk to your parents, you know, talk to the counselor at school. They're there for you. They're the people that are gonna care about you and they are gonna care about your feelings."

Bennington bought the home just two months before he committed suicide there. The singer paid $2.4 million for the five-bedroom, four-bathroom resident in June and moved into the two-story, 3,956-square-foot house about seven weeks ago.

LINKIN PARK has canceled plans for a North American tour, with the future of the group unclear at this point.

Relapse Records has announced the signing of Washington, D.C.’s Genocide Pact. Hailing from the chaotic realm that is our nation’s capital, Genocide Pact has been making pulverizing, relentless death metal since their inception in 2013.

Genocide Pact recently completed recording their sophomore full-length, entitled Order Of Torment. The album will see its release in early 2018 via Relapse.

The group commented on the new material and signing: “We are very excited to announce that we have joined the Relapse Records family, joining many friends and incredible bands. We have recently completed recording our second record, and first Relapse release, Order of Torment and cannot wait to reveal it to the masses!!!”

After touring on a much buzzed about demo and 7” single, the band recorded their debut LP Forged Through Domination for A389 Recordings in 2015. The band has since toured North America extensively as well as select dates with Nails, Toxic Holocaust, Gatecreeper, Darkest Hour, Iron Reagan, Power Trip and Caveman Cult in addition to an appearance at the renowned Maryland Deathfest. Watch footage of them playing live at St. Vitus in NYC below:

Stay tuned for more info on Genocide Pact. The band’s debut can be heard in full via Bandcamp here.

Genocide Pact is:

Tim - Guitar/Throat
Nolan - Bass
Connor - Drums

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of Örnsköldsvik, Sweden-based AOR/melodic rock band, Perfect Plan.

The band formed in late 2014 and has been busy writing songs and honing their craft ever since. Perfect Plan’s music came to the attention of Frontiers in the spring of 2017 and the label was immediately excited by the musical mixture of classic Scandinavian AOR (think Work Of Art, Treat, early Europe) with nods to legends like Giant, Foreigner, and Journey. Their debut album will include influences from both the modern and classic AOR/melodic rock of the 80s.

The band features singer Kent Hilli together with Rolf Nordström on guitar, P-O Sedin on bass, Fredrik Forsberg on drums and Leif Ehlin on keyboards.

Kent Hilli says, “I am so proud and happy to be a part of this journey together with my dear friends in Perfect Plan and I really hope to see you all soon at a stage somewhere. Remember, everything is possible if you want it bad enough!”

Rolf Nordström adds, “I'm really excited and pleased with our debut album and I'm looking forward to this journey together with my great mates in the band!”

Stay tuned for more on Perfect Plan.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS roared on to the scene 25 years ago with their raucous debut "Core". A breakout success, the album peaked at #3 on the Billboard charts, dominated radio waves with hits like "Sex Type Thing" and "Wicked Garden", and has been certified eight times platinum by the RIAA. The band also took home the 1994 Grammy Award for "Best Hard Rock Performance" for their smash single "Plush".

To mark the legendary album's silver anniversary, Rhino will release two versions on September 29, which is 25 years to the day of the album's original debut. The first is the "Core: Super Deluxe Edition" ($79.98), which includes four CDs featuring a newly remastered version of the original album, plus more than two hours of unreleased demos and live performances, including the band's performance on "MTV Unplugged". Also included is the original album on vinyl and a DVD that contains a 5.1 Surround Sound Mix of the album along with videos for the album's four singles. The set, limited to 15,000 copies worldwide, comes packaged in a richly detailed hardcover book (12 x 12) with rare and unseen photographs. The music from the Super Deluxe version will also be available via digital download and streaming services.

Fans can pre-order a limited edition bundle of the "Core: Super Deluxe Editon" at www.stonetemplepilots.com which includes a bonus replica 7-inch vinyl single of "Plush" that was originally released in the U.K. in 1993. This exclusive bundle is limited to 1,000 copies.

Also available on the same day is a 2-CD "Core: Deluxe Version" ($19.98) containing a newly remastered version of the original album expanded with rare b-sides and previously unreleased demos. A single disc remaster of the original album will be available as well.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS (guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo, drummer Eric Kretz, and vocalist Scott Weiland) debuted with "Core" in the fall of 1992 and by the following summer were one of the biggest rock bands on the scene, powered by exhilarating live shows and a string of now-classic songs from the album, remastered here for the very first time.

Nearly all of the music on the second disc of both versions is making its commercial debut. Of the nine demos included, four were recorded between 1987 and 1990 when the band was known as MIGHTY JOE YOUNG. One of those, "Only Dying", is an unheard song the band had planned to re-record in 1994 for "The Crow" soundtrack. The idea was later scrapped after the star of the film, Brandon Lee, was killed during production. The disc continues with five unreleased demos from their original Atlantic sessions and concludes with four b-sides, including the jazzy "Swing Type Version" of "Sex Type Thing", as well as two acoustic versions of "Plush" — the "Acoustic Type Version" recorded with the full band and the rarely heard "first take" that was recorded by Weiland and Dean DeLeo for MTV's "Headbanger's Ball" in 1993.

The third disc contains two fiery live recordings from the summer of 1993, the first an unreleased performance at Castaic Lake Natural Amphitheater near Los Angeles and the second from the Reading Festival, making its U.S. debut here. These high-energy shows feature performances of all but two songs from "Core" as well as an early live version of "Lounge Fly", a song the band has just written a month earlier that would appear the following year on the band's second album, "Purple".

The band's iconic appearance on "MTV Unplugged", recorded in November 1993, gets its first official release on the final CD in the set. This would be their last performance in support of "Core" and includes reworked, acoustic versions of "Wicked Garden" and "Sex Type Thing", the debut performance of "Big Empty", which would later appear on "Purple", and a cover of David Bowie's "Andy Warhol".

"Core: Super Deluxe Edition" also features the original album pressed on vinyl, and a DVD that presents a 5.1 Surround Sound Mix of "Core" together will all four of the videos made for the album: "Sex Type Thing", "Plush", "Wicked Garden" and "Creep".

"Core: Super Deluxe Edition" track listing:

Disc One: Original Album Remastered

01. Dead & Bloated02. Sex Type Thing03. Wicked Garden04. No Memory05. Sin06. Naked Sunday07. Creep08. Piece Of Pie09. Plush10. Wet My Bed11. Crackerman12. Where The River Goes

Disc Two: Demos And B-sides

01. Only Dying – Demo *02. Wicked Garden - Demo *03. Naked Sunday - Demo *04. Where The River Goes - Demo *05. Dead & Bloated - Demo *06. Sex Type Thing - Demo *07. Sin – Demo *08. Creep – Demo *09. Plush – Demo *10. Sex Type Thing – Swing Type Version11. Plush - Acoustic Type Version12. Creep - New Album Version13. Plush - Acoustic from MTV Headbanger's Ball (Take 1)

Disc Three: Live 1993

Live At Castaic Lake Natural Amphitheater (July 2, 1993)

01. Crackerman *02. Wicked Garden *03. No Memory *04. Sin *05. Plush *06. Where The River Goes *07. Sex Type Thing *08. Wet My Bed *09. Naked Sunday *

Live At The Reading Festival (August 27, 1993)

10. Wicked Garden 11. No Memory *12. Sin 13. Lounge Fly *14. Dead & Bloated15. Sex Type Thing16. Naked Sunday* Disc Four: MTV Unplugged (November 17, 1993)

01. Crackerman 02. Creep *03. Andy Warhol 04. Plush *05. Big Empty *06. Wicked Garden *07. Sex Type Thing *

Disc Five: (DVD) Original Album 5.1 Mix, 24/96 Stereo Audio, And Music Videos

* Previously Unreleased

Bonus "Plush" 7-inch Included with www.stonetemplepilots.com preorder, limited edition of 1,000 units

Side 1

01. Plush (Edit)

Side 2

01. Sin

Guitarist Chris Caffery (SAVATAGE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED) have joined forces in a new band called SPIRITS OF FIRE. The group, which is completed by the powerhouse rhythm section of bassist Steve DiGiorgio (TESTAMENT, DEATH, SEBASTIAN BACH, CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED) and drummer Mark Zonder (FATES WARNING, WARLORD), is halfway through recording its debut album for an early 2018 release through Frontiers Music Srl. Enlisted to help with the writing and to produce the entire venture, including recording and mixing, is Roy "Z" Ramirez (BRUCE DICKINSON, HALFORD).

"It's going to be a great album!" says Roy Z.

Regarding how his collaboration with Caffery came about, Owens told Metal Express Radio: "Chris and I have been friends for years, and he wrote a song ['The Shadows Are Alive'] with me on my solo CD [2009's 'Play My Game'], and we've always wanted to write together and do something. And he gave me a shout and we've signed a deal with Frontiers. It's gonna be like a cross between SAVATAGE and JUDAS PRIEST kind of stuff. [Frontiers] is a fantastic label, so we're looking forward to it."

Owens recorded two studio albums with JUDAS PRIEST — "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before the band reunited with Rob Halford.

Masterplan are back with a new CD of re-recorded Helloween classics, featuring songs that the band’s founder, chief songwriter and guitarist, Roland Grapow, performed on during his time with Helloween. The official release date is July 28th.

Entitled PumpKings, the album consists of songs originally featured on the Halloween albums Pink Bubbles Go Ape (1991), Chameleon (1993), Master Of The Rings (1994), The Time Of The Oath (1996) and The Dark Ride (2000). PumpKings will be released as a digipak and colored (of course orange) double vinyl in gatefold sleeve. Artwork and tracklisting below.

The new version of “Mr. Ego”, originally on Master Of The Rings, is available for streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“The Chance”
“Someone's Crying”
“Mankind”
“Step Out Of Hell”
“Mr. Ego”
“Still We Go”
“Escalation 666”
“The Time Of The Oath”
“Music”
“The Dark Ride”

“Mr. Ego”:

“Escalation 666”:

“The Chance” lyric video:

(Photo - Tom Row)

Progressive tech death collective Arkaik will unleash the anticipated Nemethia, this fall via Unique Leader Records. A continuation on the conceptual saga of the two previous releases, on Nemethia the journey of Cyrix expands into new landscapes, as does the band's technical prowess and creativity. 
 
Their fourth full length for Unique Leader and most ambitious studio album to date was produced, engineered, and mixed by Zack Ohren (Immolation, Fallujah, Suffocation, Decrepit Birth et al.) at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California, and features guest appearances by Joe Haley of Psycroptic, Arde Ostowari formerly of Burning The Masses, Stephen Paulson of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, and former Arkaik guitarist Craig Peters, as well as Gabe Seeber from The Kennedy Veil and Decrepit Birth (live) performing drums for the entire album. The cover art and booklet was designed by visionary artist Tyler Space, who worked with the band on their previous release, Lucid Dawn.
 
Arkaik has been hard at work creating a series of wildly psychedelic concept albums revolving around a protagonist named Cyrix, a disillusioned character in a dystopian society. Cyrix' latest journey introduces new characters and brings you into a world of dark occultists, magical allies, and hidden forces. From resurrecting ancient goddesses to cracking the codes of reality and activating hyper dimensional stargates, the chronicle of Cyrix continues.
 
Said founding vocalist Jared Christianson of the record's concept, "This album fully sets the stage and builds on the story we started developing two albums ago with Cyrix and Metamorphignition. We've begun weaving together our own mythos of synchronicity and symbolism to encapsulate and distill the journey of the alchemist through the gnostic dream. It attempts to reveal through storytelling and allegory that we can experience real freedom and discover the inner treasures that guide us to who, what, and where we want to be, if we are willing to pull back the veil of lies blinding us from the truth of our nature. If I could sum up everything we've done so far, my personal journey and our message as a band in three words it would be the lyric 'pain to power' from the song 'Telegnosis.' To me, it's about transmuting your struggles into strengths and refining your personal power and will. I really enjoyed making this album and hope people dig it!" 

Adds guitarist Greg Paulson of the sound and songwriting process, "This is the most involved I've been on an Arkaik record so far. The songs are more thought out and meticulously crafted. I wanted to retain the sonic brutality Arkaik is known for, while introducing new elements to further expand on the band's sound. I incorporated greater symphonic instrumentation throughout the record and utilized my classical background to add more depth and dynamics to the arrangements. The album is overall more complex, I even added some harmonized vocals to blend with Jared's voice, making for some interesting layered textures. This is sure to be the most unique Arkaik album to date. I'm really proud of what we created and hope people enjoy it." 
 
Nemethia will see release on CD and digital formats on September 29th via Unique Leader Records. Preorder bundles will be available in the coming weeks. Opening track “Occultivation” is streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“Occultivation”
“Of Violence And Pestilence Born”
“Order Of The Hierogon”
“Dweller On The Threshold”
“Futile State”
“The Eupnean Relic”
“Lifting Amnesia”
“Telegnosis”
“Nexion Stargate”

“Occultivation”:

Nemethia by Arkaik

In advance of the record's release, Arkaik will kick off a US headlining tour on September 8th. The Occultivating The Masses tour will run through October 7th and features support from Alterbeast and Inanimate Existence. 

Laser's Edge branch Sensory Records confirms the label's signing of Brazilian outfit Daydream XI, issuing the info for the band's second album, The Circus Of The Tattered And Torn, which is now set for release in September alongside their performance at ProgPower USA.
 
Mixing hard rock and progressive rock with heavy and power metal influences, Brazil's Daydream XI is a band with no self-imposed boundaries. Their debut album The Grand Disguise was produced by Jens Bogren, head of the world-class Fascination Street studio, in Orëbro, Sweden, released in September 2014, via Power Prog. The album has received many great reviews all over the globe, placing the band as one of the most promising names in progressive metal in South America.
 
For the follow-up album, The Circus Of The Tattered And Torn, Daydream XI embraces the progressive side of their music in a dark concept album. The concept is a metaphor to express that we are drawn to each other more by our weaknesses and our flaws than our strengths and virtues. It's portrayed through a journey, where Phillip, the Circus master, takes his new apprentice, Circe, across the various acts of this Circus. Each song represents a feeling or aspect of human life, channeled by the storyline of each character. With eleven epic new songs, The Circus Of The Tattered And Torn was recorded at an array of studios across Brazil and the US with the band's Tiago Masseti handling final production. The record was mastered by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Haken), and completed with artwork by Kikyz1313 and Mateus Conter.
 
The Circus Of The Tattered And Torn will be released on digipak CD and digital formats on September 22nd through Sensory Records; fans of Dream Theater, Symphony X and Pain Of Salvation should tune in.
 
Formed in 2008 Daydream XI has played with bands like Angra, Symphony X, and former Iron Maiden vocalist, Paul Di'Anno. In 2014 the band was invited by legendary drummer Mike Portnoy to perform on the first edition of Progressive Nation At Sea with bands like Transatlantic, Devin Townsend, Pain Of Salvation, Animals As Leaders, Anathema, Jon Anderson, King's X, and many other leading names in progressive music.
 
Two weeks prior to the release of The Circus Of The Tattered And Torn, Daydream XI will make their US live debut, taking part in the third night of the annual ProgPower USA in Atlanta, Georgia on September 8th. Additional tour dates are to be expected.
 
Stand by for audio samples, preorder links, and other additional album details in the days ahead.

Tracklisting:

“Ticket 000011”
“Open The Curtains”
“Trust-Forged Knife”
“Painted Smile”
“Windblown”
“A Cup Of Agony”
“Overhauling Wounds”
“Collector Of Souls”
“Forgettable”
“The Love That Never Was”
“The Circus Of The Tattered And Torn”

Australia’s premiere incendiary musical export, Thy Art Is Murder, have released a second official trailer for their upcoming Dear Desolation album, out on August 18th via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Watch the first two below.

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Dear Desolation was produced, engineered, mixed and mastered by Will Putney at Graphic Nature Audio in Belleville, NJ. Artwork was created by Eliran Kantor (Testament, Iced Earth).

Comments vocalist C.J. McMahon: "I feel the strongest I've ever felt going into a record. Coming back to the fold of our band has reinvigorated me. I missed my brothers, touring, and of course all our dedicated fans around the world who have always given us their all.

"This new record is going to shape our future; we gave it everything we could and then some. In the past, I was the weakest link and now that I have re-built myself, we are stronger than ever and nothing can stand in our way."

Adds guitarist Andy Marsh: "Hate, War, Desolation; the trilogy series of the path mankind has laid out before himself. We are prouder than ever of our efforts on this record. A lot of time, planning, creativity and teamwork has culminated in what we think is our most completed vision yet: Dear Desolation."

Pre-order Dear Desolation in various formats and bundles from around the world here. Pre-order the album digitally now from iTunes and Amazon and receive the song "Slaves Beyond Death" instantly.

Tracklisting:

“Slaves Beyond Death”
“The Son Of Misery”
“Puppet Master”
“Dear Desolation”
“Death Dealer”
“Man Is The Enemy”
“The Skin Of The Serpent”
“Fire In The Sky”
“Into Chaos We Climb”
“The Final Curtain”

“Dear Desolation” video trailer:

“Slaves Beyond Death” video:

Thy Art Is Murder and Polish metal extremists Decapitated, will co-headline a North American tour together this August/September. Joining them are progressive death metal masters Fallujah and depressive black metal sensations Ghost Bath.

Tour dates:

August
20 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater
21 - Richmond, VA - Canal Club
22 - Greensboro, NC - Blind Tiger
23 - Atlanta, GA - The New Masquerade
25 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
26 - Austin, TX - Come and Take It Live
27 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar 'N Grill
29 - Denver, CO - The Summit Music Hall
30 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
31 - Spokane, WA - The Pin

September
1 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
2 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
3 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
5 - Reno, NV - Jub Jub’s
6 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
7 - West Hollywood, CA - The Roxy Theatre
8 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
9 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red
10 - El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls
11 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
13 - Lawrence, KS - Granada Theater
14 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
15 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
16 - Toronto, ON - The Opera House
17 - Montreal, QC - Corona Theatre
18 - Ottawa, ON - Brass Monkey
19 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
20 - Syracuse, NY - The Lost Horizon
21 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
22 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts
23 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
24 - Columbus, OH - Park Street

Canadian metal/hardcore band Counterparts has debutrd a new song titled “No Servant Of Mine.” The track is featured on the band’s forthcoming album, You’re Not You Anymore, that’s due out on September 22nd via Pure Noise Records. Preorder the record now at this location.

“‘No Servant’ is about relationships failing whether they be romantic, platonic or business oriented. One way or another, the connection between two or more people is gone and we have to carry on knowing that it may be for the better. The song is my way of saying ‘If you no longer care, then go. You don't need to stay because you owe me nothing.’” - Brendan Murphy (vocals)

The band is currently on the road with the Vans Warped Tour.For a complete list of dates, head here.

You're Not You Anymore tracklisting:

“Walk Away Slowly”
“Bouquet”
“Arms Like Teeth”
“No Servant Of Mine”
“Haunt Me”
“Swim Beneath My Skin”
“Thieves”
“Rope”
“A Memory Misread”
“Fragile Limbs”
“You’re Not You Anymore”

"No Friend Of Mine":

“Bouquet” video:

Hailing from Hamilton, Ontario, Counterparts formed in 2007 and currently features Brendan Murphy on vocals, Adrian Lee and Blake Hardman on guitars, Kyle Brownlee on drums and Tyler Williams on bass. To date, the band has released four studio albums and an EP, including their 2013-breakout album The Difference Between Hell and Home, which debuted at #49 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.

(Photo - Trey Hales)

Riverdogs, featuring Rob Lamothe (vocals, guitars), Nick Brophy (bass, vocals) and Vivian Campbell (lead guitar), along with long time drummer Marc Danzeisen, are streaming the acoustic version of their new song “American Dream”, featured on their fifth album, California, released on July 7th.

Mixing the soulful vocals of Lamothe with the edgy guitar work of Campbell and solid rhythmic lines from Brophy and Danzeisen, the California album marks a definitive return to the sound of their critically acclaimed 1990 self-titled debut album.

On the making of the album, lead guitarist Vivian Campbell says, “When my friends at Frontiers suggested a Riverdogs album in the spirit of the original debut record, I jumped at the chance to make it. In my opinion, "Riverdogs" was a highlight of my career with some of my best guitar playing and definitely a record that flew under the radar. Having a clear direction of exactly what kind of record to make really helped the four of us create the music and there was an intense collective focus throughout the entire process that never wavered. I really think that we hit the target in creating a record that has all the hallmarks, the integrity and the emotional strength of the original debut. The fact that we've all remained such close friends throughout all the years only added to the joyous experience that was the making of this record."

"Going in to this project, my goal was to enjoy the opportunity of making music with some of my best friends, to share this incredible experience with my family...and to create something that Riverdogs fans will probably think is pretty bloody awesome. Big guitars! Beautiful melodies! Words about crazy, complicated, real stuff! I feel like Nick, Viv, Marc and I all brought our 'A-Games' to the writing and recording sessions. That's way more important than money and awards and fame to me," adds vocalist and guitarist Rob Lamothe.

Bassist Nick Brophy sums up the writing process for the album: "In summer of 2016, I found myself in Los Angeles, reunited with 3 of my closest friends, about to begin a new Riverdogs album. Marc had arranged a rehearsal environment at a friend's house, which was to provide the creative atmosphere for writing new material. I stood there with bass in hand thinking "OK, now what?" Little did I know that a few days later we would have six new Riverdogs songs and the album 'California' was born. The remaining six songs came, surprisingly, just as easily, a testament to the amazing talents of Vivian, Rob, Marc and the effortless way in which we work as a group. Our clear goal for this album was to remain true to the original Riverdogs sound and provide fans with a new set of songs which carry on the legacy of a truly remarkable band."

Riverdogs formed in Los Angeles at the end of the 80's, when flashy, glitzy hard rock ruled the day, but they were determined to avoid clichés and adopted an original sounding blues-rock style. Vivian Campbell of Sweet Savage, Dio, and Whitesnake fame at the time (soon to join and become a long-standing member of Def Leppard and later, founding member of Last In Line as well) was initially brought on board to produce the band's first demo, but was so impressed with the band that he actually became a member and played on the debut album. Soon after the release, Marc Danzeisen joined Rob, Nick and Vivian to complete the line-up.

Though fans and critics gave the album a warm reception and high regard, the unfortunate and age old story of change of personnel at their record label came about and eventually led the band members to go their own ways, with Campbell settling into the Def Leppard lineup and Nick Brophy becoming a respected engineer and producer. Riverdogs, with a reformed lineup, released two more records in 1993, Bone and Absolutely Live, before going on an extended hiatus. They reconvened, with the original lineup, in 2003 to record new material and play a few reunion shows. Those new songs were recorded as demos, but only completed in the studio in 2011 when their last album, World Gone Mad was released.

Now, six years after their last studio album, Riverdogs have crafted California, a record that truly recreates the magical sounds of their early days and that will surely be welcomed with open arms by fans both old and new.

Tracklisting:

“American Dream”
“The Revolution Starts Tonight”
“Something Inside”
“Golden Glow”
“You're Too Rock And Roll”
“The Heart Is A Mindless Birdv
“Searching For A Signal”
“Welcome To The New Disaster”
“Ten Thousand Reasons”
“Catalina”
“I Don't Know Anything”

“I Don’t Know Anything”:

“American Dream” video:

“Something Inside”:

“Something Inside” (acoustic) video:

“Welcome To The New Disaster”:

“Welcome To The New Disaster” (acoustic) video:

EPK:

Riverdogs lineup:

Nick Brophy: Bass, keys, vocals
Vivian Campbell: Guitars, vocals
Marc Danzeisen: Drums, vocals
Rob Lamothe: Vocals, guitar

Astaroth Incarnate - the Great Dukes of Hell - hell, in this case, being Toronto, Ontario.. The hierarchy is one that sees five demons summoning forth the gates of hell through their brand new album, entitled Omnipotence - The Infinite Darkness, via legendary Canadian label, CDN Records.

Release date for Omnipotence - The Infinite Darkness is September 8th via CDN Records.

Regarding the band, frontman, Astaroth, has this to say...
 
"The vision of bestowing the ideologies of Astaroth to our hell spawns through our interpretations and relating them to our world and society of today. Our goal is to create extreme metal which feels limitless in its creative form while staying true to our roots and influences in metal.
 
“With each member coming from a different musical background, it allows us to craft each song with a different mindset, in an effort to intrigue the listener and entice their mind to dissect the lyrics which are encrusted with multi-layered meanings.
 
“All of our songs, music and lyrics combined, are built around personal exploration for each spawn to experience in their own way."
 
Combining a cornucopia of the extreme, Astaroth Incarnate are not easily categorized, though their approach is one that coalesces black metal with elements of death, thrash, melodic, doom, and groove.
 
Too sum up, Astaroth Incarnate is a mix of sub-genre fluctuations, which includes a wide spectrum of vocals, progressive drumming, and technical yet groovy bass lines all driven by memorable riffing and solos.

Tracklisting:

“Obscurity”
“Curse Of The Black Plague”
“Unfleshed”
“Sanctum Of Torment”
“Re-Creation”