The official lyric video for "3rd Testament (Codex Omega)", a brand new song from Greek masters of symphonic death metal SEPTICFLESH, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's tenth full-length album, "Codex Omega", which will be released on September 1 via Prosthetic Records.

SEPTICFLESH comment: "As the release date of our new album is getting closer, it is only appropriate to introduce you to the song that revolves around the main theme, '3rd Testament' (Codex Omega)'. So, behold the anti-bible. Listen to the sutras of the 3rd and final book in the divine drama series…"

The cover artwork for "Codex Omega" was created by Seth Siro Anton and can be seen below.

"Codex Omega" will be available as a 2-CD set, on purple wax vinyl as well as a U.S. indie retail store exclusive on white wax vinyl, and on all digital outlets. "Codex Omega" was produced by Jens Bogren (OPETH, DIMMU BORGIR) and features ten tracks of SEPTICFLESH's trademark blend of mystical atmosphere, relentless death guitar riffing and pale melodies. Lyrically and musically, it is by far the most infernal release from SEPTICFLESH to date. As a bonus, the CD and vinyl LP will come with an extra disc comprised of three orchestral tracks, once again featuring the Filmharmonic Orchestra of Prague. "Codex Omega" track listing:

Disc One

01. Dante's Inferno02. 3rd Testament (Codex Omega)03. Portrait Of A Headless Man04. Martyr05. Enemy Of Truth06. Dark Art07. Our Church, Below The Sea08. Faceless Queen09. The Gospels Of Fear10. Trinity Disc Two

01. Martyr Of Truth02. Dark Testament03. Portrait Of A Headless Man (Orchestral Version)

"The Storm", the new video from KEE OF HEARTS, the project featuring singer Tommy Heart (FAIR WARNING) and guitarist Kee Marcello (ex-EUROPE), can be seen below. The song is taken from KEE OF HEARTS' self-titled debut album, which will be released on September 15 via Frontiers Music Srl. With a lineup rounded out by Ken Sandin (ex-ALIEN) on bass and Italian drummer Marco Di Salvia (PINO SCOTTO), the guys started working on the album in late 2016. With their songwriting strongly focused on melodic rock songs, the album came to completion under the direction of producer Alessandro Del Vecchio and covers a wide spectrum of styles with a lot of attention given to crafting great hooks delivered by musicians that know how to deliver the goods. Musically, the band operates in a territory defined by Scandinavian AOR meeting German melodic hard rock with influences from the classic U.S. AOR giants (think GIANT, JOURNEY, etc.).

"Kee Of Hearts" track listing:

01. The Storm02. A New Dimension03. Crimson Dawn04. Bridge To Heaven05. Stranded06. Mama Don't Cry07. Invincible08. S.O.S.09. Edge Of Paradise10. Twist Of Fate11. Learn To Love Again

ARCH ENEMY's cover of the song "The Leader (Of The Fuckin' Assholes)" from the '80s Swedish hardcore punk band SKITSLICKERS can be streamed below.

ARCH ENEMY's version of the track will appear on the "Råpunk" EP, to be included in the limited-edition deluxe box set of the band's new album, "Will To Power", due on September 8 via Century Media. The disc's captivating cover artwork, which can be seen below, was designed by Alex Reisfar.

Co-produced by Amott and drummer Daniel Erlandsson, "Will To Power" was mixed and mastered by longtime collaborator and friend Jens Bogren (OPETH, AT THE GATES, DIMMU BORGIR).

"Will To Power" will mark the second ARCH ENEMY album since the departure of longtime singer Angela Gossow and addition of her replacement, former THE AGONIST frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz. It will also be the first ARCH ENEMY disc to feature guitarist Jeff Loomis (ex-NEVERMORE), who joined the band in late 2014.

Amott told Rock Hard magazine in January that Loomis — who was the main songwriter in his former band NEVERMORE — has not contributed to the songwriting on the group's new disc.

"Will To Power" track listing:

01. Set Flame To The Night02. The Race03. Blood In The Water04. The World Is Yours05. The Eagle Flies Alone06. Reason To Believe07. Murder Scene08. First Day In Hell09. Saturnine10. Dreams Of Retribution11. My Shadow And I12. A Fight I Must Win

"Råpunk" EP (part of limited-edition deluxe box set):

01. Warsystem (SKITSLICKERS cover)02. Armed Revolution (SKITSLICKERS cover)03. Spräckta Snutskallar (SKITSLICKERS cover)04. The Leader (Of The Fuckin' Assholes) (SKITSLICKERS cover)05. Nitad (MODERAT LIKVIDATION cover)06. When The Innocent Die (ANTI-CIMEX cover)07. City Baby Attacked By Rats (G.B.H. cover)

ARCH ENEMY's "As The Stages Burn!" DVD was released on March 31 via Century Media. The set contains video footage of the band's largest stage production to date from their performance last summer at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany.

Vertigo-inducing death metallers INCANTATION have unveiled their brand new video for the track "Messiah Nostrum", taken from the band's tenth full-length album, "Profane Nexus".

Regarding the Don Taylor-directed video, drummer Kyle Severn said: "Our second offering off of our new album 'Profane Nexus', 'Messiah Nostrum', is about world religion and prayer culminating at a point in the cosmos before time, creating a messiah. This messiah's only desire is to destroy what created it. The performance was filmed by Don Tyler, who captured the darkness of the song perfectly."

"Profane Nexus" will be released on August 11 on CD/LP/digital via Relapse Records. Recorded at the band's own Incantation Studios in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and mixed/mastered by Dan Swanö (BLOODBATH, ASPHYX, DARK FUNERAL), the disc "embod[ies] a dizzying array of blasphemous tracks, culminating in sacrilegious conquests, crushing dirges, and vile riffing," according to a press release.

The cover art, titled "Draping The Tar Monster", was created by Eliran Kantor.

"Profane Nexus" track listing:

01. Muse02. Rites Of The Locust03. Visceral Hexahedron04. The Horns Of Gefrin05. Incorporeal Despair06. Xipe Totec07. Lus Sepulcri08. Stormgate Convulsions From The Thunderous Shores Of Infernal Realms Beyond The Grace Of God09. Messiah Nostrum10. Omens To The Altar Of Onyx11. Ancients Arise

Photo credit: Scott Kinkade

The current version of L.A. GUNS — which includes singer Phil Lewis and the band's co-founding guitarist Tracii Guns — will release its new album, "The Missing Peace", on October 13 via the Italian record label Frontiers Music Srl. The disc's cover artwork was created by the Las Vegas portrait painter Kahla and can be seen below.

As the revival of the classic '80s hard rock and heavy metal scene continues unabated here in the 21st century, one reunion has been at the top of the wishlists of many a fan for a long time: the songwriting combination of Tracii Guns and Philip Lewis under the L.A. GUNS banner. What once seemed like a distant memory with no hope of returning has now come around and fans are about to be rewarded for keeping their fingers crossed and their hopes up. Today, the first video for the album's debut single has been released. Watch the clip for "Speed" below.

Guns describes the song as "a response to the extremely fast-paced 'I want it now!' world we are living in." Hard rock aficionados should keep their ears opened for a nod to the great DEEP PURPLE's legendary track "Highway Star" in one of the verses.

"The Missing Peace" track listing:

01. It's All The Same To Me02. Speed03. A Drop Of Bleach04. Sticky Fingers05. Christine06. Baby Gotta Fever07. Kill It Or Die08. Don't Bring A Knife To A Gunfight09. The Flood's The Fault Of The Rain10. The Devil Made Me Do It11. The Missing Peace12. Gave It All Away "'The Missing Peace' is truly an album by definition," said Guns. "It's a collection of music that I have been working on for about twelve years with various styles of rock music. From blues to classical influences, these are all hard-hitting songs. I am very proud of all of the contributions to this album by other members and writers. L.A. GUNS fans are in for a treat."

The last time Lewis and Guns joined forces was back in 2000 with legendary producer Andy Johns for the making of what would become "Waking The Dead". Speaking with Express & Star, Tracii said: "With Phil and I in particular, we have a certain chemistry that's undeniable. And, you know, when you're at your loneliest, you wanna go home, right? So, we both felt like it was time to go home and be comfortable with that undeniable relationship that we have musically. I mean, right away, the first time we got back together and played, you know, it's so obvious, you can't deny it. At some point in your life, you can't deny what's real." Regarding the sound of the new L.A. GUNS material, Tracii said: "Phil's vocal style and his way of writing kind of offsets that balance of the heavy music, that's something that's possibly more mainstream or identifiable, so there's a lot of, you know, kind of typical sleazy L.A. GUNS, high-energy riff rock. There's a little bit of sloppy New Orleans, kind of sweaty, kind of bluesier stuff too. It's a big record." L.A. GUNS' present lineup is rounded out by Shane Fitzgibbon on drums and Johnny Martin on bass with Michael Grant on guitar as a touring member. On the topic of the decision to use the L.A. GUNS moniker for the new album, Guns told LA Weekly: "When you put Phil and I together, that's the sound of L.A. GUNS. There's no way around that. As much as I love certain other [former] members of the band, it's hard to say what their contribution to the overall sound of the band was — but Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns, the band's gotta be L.A. GUNS. It can't be anything else." Back in December, Phil announced that he was leaving the L.A. GUNS version that included drummer Steve Riley. L.A. GUNS 2017 is:

Phil Lewis - VocalsTracii Guns - GuitarsJohnny Martin - BassMichael Grant - GuitarShane Fitzgibbon – Drums

"Living On The 110", a brand new song from PROPHETS OF RAGE, the supergroup featuring members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, PUBLIC ENEMY and CYPRESS HILL, ca nbe streamed below. The track is taken from PROPHETS OF RAGE's self-titled debut album, which will be released on September 15. The disc was recorded with legendary producer Brendan O'Brien who has done notable work with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE.

"'Living On The 110' is a song that speaks to the issue of homelessness," PROPHETS OF RAGE guitarist Tom Morello said in a statement. "The 110 is a freeway in Los Angeles and living beneath it are thousands of homeless people. Bentleys and Rolls Royces roaring by are literally driving on top of the poor and their makeshift homes, a picture-perfect analogy for the grotesque economic inequality that plagues our times."

"Prophets Of Rage" track listing:

01. Radical Eyes02. Unfuck The World03. Legalize Me04. Living On The 11005. The Counteroffensive06. Hail To The Chief07. Take Me Higher08. Strength In Numbers09. Fired A Shot10. Who Owns Who11. Hands Up12. Smashit

Morello told Billboard that the members of PROPHETS OF RAGE have set a very high bar for the material that they want to release. "The goal is a simple one: The music has to be devastating," he explained. "In all these interviews, we talk a lot about the politics, but the cornerstone is that the music has to be devastating and we have to not just be competitive with our legacies, but in [2017], it has to be something that goes beyond that and is very authentic, unapologetic and contemporary."

Even though PROPHETS OF RAGE does not feature RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE frontman Zack de la Rocha, the group plays classics like "Bulls On Parade" along with tunes by PUBLIC ENEMY and CYPRESS HILL.

"I think the music of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE is more relevant today than it was when it was written," Morello told Cleveland.com. "And we give a lot of credit and honor to Zack at every show because his lyrics are brilliant."

PROPHETS OF RAGE made their live debut in May 2016 in Los Angeles.

On July 12th, Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess paid tribute to bandmate John Petrucci on the guitarist's 50th birthday:

Dream Theater has announced the next leg of their Images, Words & Beyond 25th Anniversary Tour, which sees the pioneering group celebrating the 25th anniversary of their milestone RIAA gold-certified album, Images & Words. The Asian headline dates kick off September 9th in Nagoya, Japan at Toyota City Cultural Hall. The run includes three additional nights in Japan and a stop in Singapore. The show will feature a live set of Images & Words in its entirety, along with fan favorites from the band's catalogue.

The tour schedule is as follows:

September
9 - Toyota City Cultural Hall - Nagoya, Japan    
10 - Bunka Gakuen HBG Hall - Hiroshima, Japan    
11 - Tokyo Budokan - Tokyo, Japan    
13 - Grand Cube - Osaka, Japan

October
3 - Zepp Big Box - Singapore

Dream Theater singer James LaBrie recently spoke with Hungary’s Rockbook recently about a number of topics. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Rockbook: Images and Words is a definite masterpiece and an absolute favorite amongst the fans. Why do you think it’s such an important album?

James LaBrie: “It was the album that really put us on the map internationally. They had an album before called When Dream and Day Unite, and they had some critical acclaim, so the press knew that they were an entity. But it was Images and Words that gave us the platform to create what we want after that. And throughout the years, no matter what album we were touring with, everybody got excited when they heard songs from Images and Words. And also it’s been recognized by all the artists, musicians and press in the progressive scene. So it’s in the history books, for sure. And it’s amazing because we only did what we wanted to do in order to express ourselves and fortunately for us it became a success.”

Rockbook: Are you already in the writing process for the new album?

James: “No, we’re just planting seeds for now. We’re just putting some stuff together but it’s pretty cool what’s happening. The real nuts and bolts aren’t gonna happen until we’re done touring. Then we will go to a studio and be together every day just to write songs. But we have a lot of ideas already.”

Rockbook: The Astonishing, the last Dream Theater album was a concept album. Are you planning to do another one in the future?

James: “If we will, it’s not gonna be anytime soon. I mean, we waited for like 17 years between Scenes from a Memory and The Astonishing. I don’t wanna wait another 17 years! (laughs) I think I’ll do my farewell tour in 17 years! (laughs) I think for now it’s best for us to concentrate one album at a time and not thinking in a concept. Unless we wanna write an epic song that has multiple parts in it. Doing something like that might be cool. Something like A Change of Seasons. But a whole album again, no.”

Read more at Rockbook .

Cradle Of Filth backing vocalist/keyboardist Lindsay Schoolcraft and Ne Obliviscaris frontman Xen recently launched a new project dubbed Antiqva. They have checked in with the following update: 

"Since announcing this project the response to hear what we're creating has been humbling and overwhelming. It's given us the drive to get our music done sooner than originally planned. Currently, we're in the demoing process and are aiming to have enough music written to have an album worth of material before then end of the year, when's its very likely that we may share some of what we're creating with you. If all goes well, we will begin the full production process at the beginning of 2018. Be sure to follow our Instagram account for any behind the scenes updates."

Following is an excerpt from the exclusive BraveWords feature announcing Antiqva's launch.

Antiqva is an idea spawned at the end of 2015 by Ne Obliviscaris vocalist Xenoyr and Cradle Of Filth keyboardist / backing vocalist Lindsay Schoolcraft. Of mutual minds, they craved more from extreme music, and so wanting to combine the darker elements of classical music, church organ, Gregorian chant, and the potency of black metal guitars, they set out envisioning a way to bring this creative endeavour to life. Their mission is to pay homage to an old, live and organic feel, and so fuelled by a drive to bring forth honest music from their niche genres they have attracted a confident team of experienced musicians who also believe in their vision. Together, they hope to captivate and move their audiences bringing that black, burning spirit back to life.

BraveWords: What was it that drew you the two of you together and made you decide that putting a band together would be a worthwhile venture?

Xen: "It's a bit of a long story, however in short, the idea was brought up in Rome when Cradle and NeO were touring together in 2015. We both craved another musical avenue to express what we couldn't do so in our respective bands. I'd been planning for years to attempt something more black metal orientated, as I knew NeO would never go down that path, and needed an avenue to pursue my darker tastes. I love what we do in NeO, but black metal is not something that NeO is… NeO is a vast array of influences, various shades of light and dark, and many colours. Antiqva is something else altogether."

Lindsay: "This is something that I really wanted to do because when you meet someone and you have the same creative energy, it's stupid not to make it happen. Me and Xen spent a lot of time together on that first tour in Europe. We'd get coffee together almost every day and then go out sightseeing because the rest of the guys would sleep in. It's rare that they would go out. I was up early every day and so was Xen. We got to talking, and we're certainly not unhappy in our bands, but Xen wanted to do something in a more black metal outfit and I wanted to do something more classically driven. I presented small bits and pieces of this material to the guys in Cradle a few years ago, and they thought it was cool but it didn't fit with the sound that defines the band. In the past Cradle had more of that classical vibe and they've been moving in a different direction.

"With the new Cradle Of Filth album, as long as those guys are happy, I'm happy, and I'm there to do what's best for the band. But, a lot of the stuff I had was being left at the wayside and I told Xen about it. He loves classical music as well, so I sent him some demos which were just atrocious (laughs). But, it was something we wanted to do because we seem to share a brain; I tell people Xen is my evil twin and we were separated at birth because we're so much alike. We decided to go forward and make this happen in our free time. Obviously we feel some pressure because NeO is becoming more and more popular, and Cradle Of Filth is a big band to a lot of people, but Antiqva is something fun for us and I think we need that outlet."

Go to this location for the complete story.

Kid Rock has revealed that he plans to run for U.S. Senate in 2018 in his home state of Michigan.

After his bid was first launched as a web site, KidRockForSenate.com, the musician tweeted: "I have had a ton of emails and texts asking me if this website is real. The answer is an absolute YES." In a follow-up tweet, he added: "I will have a major announcement in the near future."

However, as CNN points out, as of Wednesday afternoon, there appears to be no Federal Election Committee records filed under "Kid Rock" or his legal name Robert James Ritchie or Robert Ritchie.

When asked for further details by CNN, a publicist for Kid Rock said in an e-mail: "As of right now, please refer to https://www.facebook.com/kidrock/. More soon!"

Earlier this year, a Republican and Tea Party activist in Michigan suggested at the state party's convention that Kid Rock would make a good candidate to try and win a Senate seat in 2018 currently held by Democrat Debbie Stabenow. According to The Pulse Of Radio, Wes Nakagiri — the activist and now a member of the party's central committee — said that Rock "has name I.D., is an out-of-the-box idea, and would kind of get rid of that stodgy Republican image."

Nakagiri pointed to Donald Trump's presidential campaign as a "template" for a Kid Rock run, saying, "I'll bet you he would generate as much excitement as Trump did."

Nakagiri's comments were picked up by local affiliates for ABC and CBS, while national politics publication Roll Call published the story with the headline "Kid Rock Eyed as Potential Senate Candidate."'

Although Rock was a vocal supporter of Trump in 2016, he actively worked in 2012 for the campaign of then-Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Rock told The Pulse Of Radio after the campaign ended that he had no regrets about it. "It was a great experience," he said. "I learned a lot about just that whole poop show behind the political window. [Laughs] Never my intention to go out and preach politics to people. I always said during these rallies and stuff that I'd leave that to the pros. But it was pretty interesting overall. We had some fun doing it, man — a lot of it was just like paid rehearsals."

Kid Rock and fellow Detroit-bred rocker Ted Nugent got to spend some time in the Oval Office with President Donald Trump on April 19. They were joined by Sarah Palin, the former Alaskan governor and GOP vice presidential nominee, who posted photos of the visit on social media the following morning.

I have had a ton of emails and texts asking me if this website is real… https://t.co/RRVgISDFeq The answer is an absolute YES. pic.twitter.com/uYCUg6mjW1

— Kid Rock (@KidRock) July 12, 2017

Stay tuned, I will have a major announcement in the near future - Kid Rock

— Kid Rock (@KidRock) July 12, 2017

A teaser for "So Into You", a brand new song from former PANTERA bassist Rex Brown, can be seen below. The track is taken from Rex's debut solo album, " Smoke On This", which will be released on July 28 via Entertainment One (eOne). The disc will be the first time in Brown's career in which he will serve as both lead vocalist and guitarist in a band.

"Smoke On This" track listing:

01. Lone Rider02. Crossing Lines03. Buried Alive04. Train Song05. Get Yourself Alright06. Fault Line07. What Comes Around...08. Grace09. So Into You10. Best Of Me11. One Of these Days

Brown wields a six-string guitar as confidently as he wore the bass in PANTERA and DOWN. His engaging voice crackles with easygoing spirit and truth-telling power. It's a crunchy drawl that's down-to-earth, grippingly relatable, charmingly welcoming, and gritty, somewhere between the achingly resonant spiritual shamanism of Tom Waits and the instantly recognizable everyman AM radio vibes of Tom Petty and THE HEARTBREAKERS.

After a season away to gather his wits about him, rediscover his own roots, and assemble a group of players ready to help him execute his vision for the days ahead, Rex Brown re-emerges with a semi truck's worth of rock n' roll tunes as honest and sincere as they come. The new album is the sound of the man's own truth, forthright and ego-free. As he likes to say, "You're only as good as your word and your word better be good."

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 and is my main man on this. Everything we did was finely tuned, both musically and 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.

"My motto these days is 'Shake some shit up,'" Brown declares. "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. This is just something else I'm doing for fun, man. And musical freedom. Fun has to come into it or I'm not going to do it. I've had a tremendous career and now I feel like I'm twenty-five years old again. This has given me that freedom I needed."

"I've got so much more in me," he enthuses. "I'm just getting my feet wet."

Brown previously described his solo album as "a rock and roll record. It's not your standard fare or typical metal thing," he told Metal Hammer magazine. "I was always a big [LED] ZEPPELIN fan and even though it has its little fringes of it... It's a new journey that sounds like anywhere from FOGHAT to old Tom Waits. I'm a child of the '70s and I love those kind of songs."

After leaving DOWN in 2011, Rex went on play with KILL DEVIL HILL, which has released two albums so far: "Kill Devil Hill" (2012) and "Revolution Rise" (2013).

"Stand Up", a new song from the classic thrash metal band TOXIK, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming EP, "Breaking Class", which will be released on August 4. TOXIK's third full-length album will follow by the end of 2017.

"We've got the right combination of players for the record now," says Josh Christian, the band's guitarist and founder.

TOXIK's 2015 South American headline tour saw the addition of James D'Maria of GENERATION KILL, replacing Jason Bittner behind the kit. "James is an incredible drummer... he couldn't be a better fit," says Josh.

After returning from South America, original TOXIK vocalist Mike Sanders decided he no longer wanted to tour, making way for the return of blogosphere favorite Charles Sabin (from the band's second album, "Think This").

"Josh and I have stayed in contact over the years, sharing projects and bouncing ideas off each other," says Charles. "There's a visceral connection when we're in the studio and the new material reflects that."

TOXIK's latest addition is Shane Boulos on bass. Shane's background is in the heart of the New York/New Jersey hardcore and metal scenes, playing in bands like SICKS DEEP, SLAM ONE DOWN and SWEAR ON YOUR LIFE.

"Shane's right- and left-hand techniques are a perfect complement to our riff structure, bringing a fullness to the bottom end while maintaining the lockstep rhythms with James," says Josh. 2017 is shaping up to be a breakout year for TOXIK, with a new lineup, record, and European tour (including a return to the Dynamo Open Air festival). Josh is pleased with the developments. "We're tighter than ever and I think we're going to surprise people with the direction and intensity featured by the new lineup," he says.

Accomplished technical death metal outfit Inanimate Existence recently announced their forthcoming fourth album, Underneath A Melting Sky. Set for release on August 25th through The Artisan Era. The band is streaming "In Moonlight I Am Reborn", the first single from the album to be released.

Inanimate Existence had this to say about the album: “We at Inanimate Existence are proud to announce the coming of our 4th studio album titled Underneath A Melting Sky. We have been working non-stop to bring this album to fruition and now the time has come to share it with all of you! Join us as we revisit our roots and reimagine a fresh take on our signature sound. Expect dark compositions riddled with brutal riffing that flow seamlessly into beautiful clean sections. Intricate bass lines that weave their way between unrelenting blast beats and grooving rhythms. Catchy melodies with layers of lead guitar with ethereal synthesizers, and an onslaught of duel vocals. The album drops on August 25th so be on the lookout and come see us this fall on tour!”

Underneath A Melting Sky tracklisting:

“Forever To Burn”
“Underneath A Melting Sky”
“In Moonlight I Am Rebornv
“Blood Of The Beggar”
“The Old Man In The Meadow”
“The Djinn”
“The Unseen Self”
“Formula Of Spores”

"In Moonlight I Am Reborn":

Lineup:

Cameron Porras - Guitar, Vocals
Scott Bradley - Bass, Vocals
Ron Casey - Drums

Newly formed black metal duo, Poison Blood, are streaming the new track “Deformed Lights”, featured on their upcoming debut, self-titled EP. Listen to the track below.

Poison Blood is a collaboration between Jenks Miller (Horseback) and Neill Jameson (Krieg) born out of Miller’s desire to write music that was an outlet for a more straightforward kind of aggression. The two musicians came together as fans of each other's work and a mutual appreciation for Beherit's classic Drawing Down the Moon LP and the experimental deathrock of cult UK act Rudimentary Peni.

Although they have yet to meet in person, the project was crystallized with the contribution of Jameson's vocals. Across eight songs and 19+ minutes with explorations into deathrock, dungeon synth and the occult, Poison Blood's eponymous debut EP is a short but furious chronicle of cold, reptilian sonic terror. The result is a dark and low-fi exercise in mystic, minimalistic black metal exploring elements of deathrock, dungeon synth and the occult.

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

The album artwork was created by Viral Graphics.

Poison Blood tracklisting:

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

“Deformed Lights”:

“The Scourge And The Gestalt”:

A performance clip of the song "Exceptional" from UNISONIC's "Live In Wacken" set can be seen below.

Recorded at UNISONIC's 2016 Wacken Open Air show, "Live In Wacken" will be released on July 21 via earMUSIC.

With its 2012 self-titled debut album, UNISONIC unleashed a storm of enthusiasm. For the first time in 23 years, two former members of Hamburg's metal institution HELLOWEEN — Michael Kiske and Kai Hansen — reunited to play in the same band. More than a few metal fans might have shed a tear.

After the successful follow-up album, "Light Of Dawn" (2014), a worldwide tour followed with memorable gigs in South America, Europe and Japan until UNISONIC, still at full speed, brought their energy to the small village of Wacken where one of the biggest and most spectacular metal festivals in the world takes place every year. The international all-star act consisting of Kiske on vocals, Hansen on guitar, Mandy Meyer (ASIA, GOTTHARD, KROKUS) on guitar, Dennis Ward (PINK CREAM 69 and successful producer of many top class hard rock acts) on bass and Kosta Zafiriou (PINK CREAM 69) on drums entered the stage at last year's Wacken festival and set the night ablaze with glorious metal. For the band, it was a remarkable experience. On stage the band showed their class and diversity; their sound is spiked with remarkable riffs and guitar solos, thundering grooves, classic metal hymns and hooks other bands would be dying to write. And on top the anthemic vocals of Kiske, whose "out-of-this-world" voice is so extraordinary and strong, he is often mentioned in the same breath with Bruce Dickinson, Rob Halford and Geoff Tate. Like the studio albums, "Live In Wacken" was mixed and mastered by the band's own Dennis Ward.

This show was a very special occasion for the whole band, but possibly it was "the show of the life" for one bandmember… Kosta Zafiriou had, in fact, decided to focus only on the management side and to leave his drummer seat forever, after a lifetime spent between management duties and being a professional drummer. 2017 and 2018 will see Kiske and Hansen reunite with HELLOWEEN for the "Pumpkins United" world tour. The UNISONIC show will be available on a limited CD+DVD (digipak) version. The bonus DVD includes the video recording of six songs from their spectacular performance.

Track listing:

CD

01. Venite 2.002. For The Kingdom03. Exceptional04. My Sanctuary05. King For A Day06. A Little Time07. Your Time Has Come08. When The Deed Is Done09. Star Rider10. Throne Of The Dawn11. March Of Time12. Unisonic

DVD:

01. For The Kingdom02. Exceptional03. Your Time Has Come04. When The Deed Is Done05. March Of Time06. Unisonic

On July 21st, Edguy will release a 2CD/DVD set, Monuments, in celebration of the band’s 25th anniversary. Ordering options for the new album are available at this location, and an official video trailer is available for streaming below.

In February 1992, a bunch of German kids set out from the middle of nowhere and founded a band that would conquer the hearts of a whole new generation of fans around the globe!

Today, 25 years later, founding members Tobias Sammet (Avantasia) and the two guitarists Jens Ludwig and Dirk Sauer, as well as Tobias “Eggi” Exxel (bass) and Felix Bohnke (drums), who joined the band 20 years ago, can look back at their hugely successful career to shows in more than 40 countries, countless tours in Asia, Australia and America, ten studio albums and top 10 chart entries from all over the world.

To celebrate such an exceptional career with their fans, Edguy will get back on the road. And while the live program will only contain the best material of their entire career, the new release will not be just a “greatest hits” album one would expect to accompany such a tour: The 2CD/DVD-package, Monuments (out on July 14th) will include brand new material, their best tracks of the last 25 years, and old rarities that have never been published before! In addition, the DVD includes an entire show from their Hellfire Club tour in 2004 as well as the complete collection of their video clips. The limited edition will include an extensive coffee-table book containing material from throughout the entire history of Edguy.

Tracklisting:

CD1
“Ravenblack”
“Wrestle The Devil”
“Open Sesame”
“Landmarks”
“The Mountaineer”
“9-2-9”
“Defenders Of The Crown”
“Save Me”
“The Piper Never Dies”
“Lavatory Love Machine”
“King Of Fools”
“Superheroes”
“Love Tyger”
“Ministry Of Saints”
“Tears Of A Mandrake”

CD2
“Mysteria”
“Vain Glory Opera”
“Rock Of Cashel”
“Judas At The Opera”
“Holy Water”
“Spooks In The Attic”
“Babylon”
“The Eternal Wayfarer ”
“Out Of Control”
“Land Of The Miracle ”
“Key To My Fate”
“Space Police”
“Reborn in The Waste”

DVD
“Mysteria”
“Under The Moon”
“Navigator”
“Wake Up The King”
“Land Of The Miracle”
“Lavatory Love Machine”
“Vain Glory Opera”
“Fallen Angels”
“The Piper Never Dies”
“Babylon”
“King Of Fools”
“Chalice Of Agony”
“Tears Of A Mandrake” (feat. André Matos)
“Out Of Control”

Video Clips
“Love Tyger”
“Robin Hood”
“Two Out Of Seven”
“Ministry Of Saints”
“Superheroes”
“Lavatory Love Machine”
“King Of Fools”
“All The Clowns”

Trailer:

“King Of Fools” video:

“Wrestle The Devil” lyric video:

“Ravenblack” lyric video:

Frontman Tobias Sammet states: “Whilst collecting all of this picture material together we were once again made aware of how proud we are of what we have created. There are probably not many musicians who are lucky enough to be able to look back on a 25-year-old band history at the end of their thirties. And especially without any line-up changes in the last 20 years! This is even more incredible considering that we’re not from Birmingham, New York or a German metropolis but from a small town called Fulda, a place where you normally only know about the insights of the music business by hearsay. I mean, as kids we started to play Edguy shows even before we had visited concerts as fans ourselves! Then we started to play shows outside our home town, then outside Germany and all of a sudden we found ourselves touring in Asia, America and Australia on a regular basis, because apparently there were people who liked our music. And they became more and more. For us, this always felt quite normal, the next step was all that mattered. We didn’t think about what happened while things were happening...

“But if you look back now, you will realize how lucky we were! It’s now time to celebrate our anniversary with our fans. We'll celebrate our quarter century with the release of Monuments and live in some selected cities! We'll perform a best-of set list, a journey throughout our past, with a lot of fuss and at full throttle! The first quarter century is over and we want to honour these years with our fans! To the next 25 years!“

Tour dates:

July
16 - Vizovice, Czech Republic - Masters Of Rock

September
15 - Bremen, Germany - Aladin
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
17 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
19 - Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp
20 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
22 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
23 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA Longhorn
24 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
26 - Erlangen, Germany - E-Werk
27 - Berlin, Germany - C-Club
29 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
30 - Memmingen, Germany - Kaminwerk

October
3 - Fulda, Germany - Wartenberg-Oval

More shows in other countries to be announced soon.

Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON will release their ninth studio album, "Deep Calleth Upon Deep", on September 22 via Napalm Records. Recorded in Oslo, Norway and Vancouver, Canada, during early 2017 and mixed together with revered studio guru Mike Fraser (who previously worked on SATYRICON's 2006 album, "Now, Diabolical"), "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" is not just a new collection of songs from one of extreme music's most enduring and reliable bands: this is a wholesale reinvention and a brand new era in SATYRICON history. SATYRICON vocalist Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2015, says: "Approaching this release, what I always kept in mind is that either this is the beginning of something new or it's gonna be my last record. If this is going to be the last, then it needs to be something special. If there are more records, then I'd better make sure that this is so different from the last one that it feels like a new beginning. I think it's really, really dark, very spiritual and filled with confidence and energy." "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" is a profound statement about the essence of SATYRICON's music and the eternal value of art itself. Satyr continues: "The way that I see it is that for any art, be it SATYRICON or any other form of art with substance, in order for you to be able to inhale and completely understand it, it will take a little bit of you as well. If you get it all after a couple of listens, you know that it probably won't stay with you. So the title is saying, 'From the depth of the people making this record to the depth of the listener...' If you want to take part in this journey, you should be prepared to dig deep down in the darkest corner of your soul with us." The "Deep Calleth Upon Deep" front cover is an obscure drawing from 1898 by perhaps the greatest Norwegian artist of all time, Edvard Munch.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo credit: Marius Viken

Status Quo will release The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984 - 1989, on August 4th on UMe. This carefully curated release is the third in a series of five limited edition Status Quo 7” singles box sets. Each set covers a decade (in the case of the Eighties there are two sets) of the band’s U.K. singles. The music is also available via a digital download code included in the box.
 
The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984 - 1989 features all the 7" singles from the second part of the Eighties and features tracks such as “Rollin’ Home,” “The Wonderer” and “In The Army Now.” “Naughty Girl” appears for the first time as a single as it was unreleased at the time
 
The singles, mastered from original tapes, are presented in their original sleeves (picture and house bags). This Limited-Edition release offers twelve 7” black heavyweight vinyl records housed in a rigid lift-off lid box.  The box set contains a booklet with quotes and chart history of each single along with a selection of rare foreign covers and memorabilia.
 
Fully supported by the band, The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984 - 1989 is a phenomenal collection that will be cherished by Quo fans the world over.
 
Following on from the well-received release in March 2017 of the first collection covering 1972 - 1979, The Vinyl Singles Collection 1984 - 1989 is a triumphant revisiting of the glory days of one of the world’s most important rock acts. Preorders are available via the Amazon widget below.

Tracklisting:

Single One – “The Wanderer / “Can’t Be Done”
Single Two – “Naughty Girl” / “No Contract”
Single Three – “Rollin’ Home” / “Lonely”
Single Four – “Red Sky” / “Don’t Give It Up”
Single Five – “In The Army Now” / “Heartburn”
Single Six – “Dreamin’” / “Long Legged Girls”
Single Seven – “Ain’t Complaining” / “That’s Alright”
Single Eight – “Who Gets The Love?” / “Halloween”
Single Nine – “Running All Over The World” / “Magic”
Single Ten – “Burning Bridges (On And Off And On Again)” / “Whatever You Want”
Single Eleven – “Not At All” / “Gone Thru The Slips”
Single Twelve – “Little Dreamer” / “Rotten To The Bone”

   

For those in the know Southern California’s Novareign have been steadily and surely building a buzz and reputation for themselves in recent years. The group has become a fixture with energy-abounding live shows filled with nonstop shredding guitar interplay and powerful traditional metal vocals. Honing their attack and lineup the band are now ready to take it internationally with their debut full-length and M-Theory Audio is pleased to bring another amazing and promising young band to the greater masses.
 
“I’ve long been intrigued by the talent and potential of this band,” explains M-Theory Audio founder Marco Barbieri. “Coming to know them through their guitarist Balmore Lemus (an early member of Exmortus and touring guitarist for Warbringer), I’ve watched this young band’s development. Upon starting M-Theory Audio I knew that Novareign was a band I wanted to have on the label’s roster. They exemplify the vision I had for the label – young, extremely talented, down-to-earth and in it for the right reasons with a good look and intense live show.”
 
Influenced by bands like Iron Maiden and Dream Theater to Dragonforce and Angra, this is the new age of progressive power metal telling stories in musical literature speaking to a generation influenced by epic, fantasy tales, comic books and video games.
 
“We are ecstatic to be working with Marco Barbieri and everyone in the M-Theory Audio family. With as much history and experience in the music industry as Marco has, not to mention the impact he has made in the ever growing metal community, we knew that he was someone we could learn and grow with as a band,” states Balmore. “Novareign has always been a band that has had our nose to the ground and is constantly and relentlessly working to better ourselves, the performance, the music, and everything else that entails creating what we hold near and dear to our hearts. After spending quite some time talking with Marco and M-Theory Audio about the work ethic we try to uphold, as well as what it is we would want from a partnership with a label, we decided that they were the right choice for us to help us on our journey. We look forward to releasing some awesome tunes with a label that has the same mentality and work ethic as we do.”
 
Watch for more news and music from Novareign in the coming months. The band is just completing the recording of their debut full-length and they and their label are looking forward to kicking off the New Year with its release.
 
M-Theory Audio features a burgeoning roster including such notable acts as nomadic folk metal group Tengger Cavalry, Pagan metal warriors Helsott and doom / psychedelic outfit Blackfinger (featuring former Trouble vocalist Eric Wagner) and traditional metal band White Wizzard, M-Theory Audio is the new label helmed by Marco Barbieri, former president of Century Media Records and Nuclear Blast America.

Upcoming live show:

July
23 – Santa Ana, CA – Malone’s (with Flotsam & Jetsam)

Zach Slaughter, frontman for Canadian bashers Skull Fist, has posted the following update:

"Getting ready for Wacken, still working on the voice; after that we're going to get ready to record this third album, finally. Crazy crap always seems to happen with us but to take our own advice, we don't stop the fight. I always need to be writing and recording to maintain, so in the meantime I recorded a solo record. It's out Sept 17th. We'll get ya a new proper RAW album as soon as I am able! For now, watch JJ and Casey giv'r with me in this new video."

Slaughter released his solo Nowhere EP in 2016. Check out the tracks below.

Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has released another new song via his Owl Stretching side-project entitled "Disarmed & Disowned". Check out and purchase the track using the audio player below.

Disarmed & Disowned by Owl Stretching

Bieler performed a solo acoustic show at The Attic in Ybor City, FL on June 16th. That show is now available for download via Bieler's Owl Stretching Bandcamp page. Check out and purchase the show via the audio player below.

The tracklist is as follows:

"Close To You"
"All I Want"
"God Of 42nd Street"
"Colors"
"Russian Lizard"
"One Step Closer"
"Edgar"
"Sgt. Steve"
"Super Down"
"Violent World"
"I Love You"

Jason Bieler Live At The Attic Ybor City by Owl Stretching

Bieler recently did three solo acoustic shows in Florida, featuring sets including cover songs, Saigon Kick and Super Transatlantic material. He posted the following update:

"Ok, this might be a slightly extended post so apologies in advance. As I sit here back in the Bieler bunker with some coffee reflecting on the first three solo acoustic shows, I have to thank everyone who took time from life to spend a few hours with me to listen to some music and hear some stories. I had been thinking of doing something like this for a while and really struggled with how to present the music….full band or loops, backing tracks or even some string and percussion ensemble stuff. In the end, I decided to do it with just a guitar and a vocal as stripped and as naked as possible (metaphorically speaking; my all nude show will have a higher price point as I intend to price tickets on a 'per nude pound' basis…yet another industry first!).

All joking aside I really had some of the single best live musical moments of my life with you people, just getting to sing together and share some stories with you and make what felt like a deeper connection after all these years….so I sincerely want to thank you cause it was an absolute blast.

All of this plus being one of the most fortunate people on the planet to get the support of so many friends. I mean, Pat Lynch and Mike Calta having me on their morning shows, which they did not have to do, was just amazing! The venues which all had the most helpful supportive staffs. If you don’t support venues like The Social, The Attic at Rock Brothers and The Funky Biscuit it will be your loss. These places are artist first venues that night after night provide wonderful shows in great venues…support them!"

Memphis, TN rockers Every Mother's Nightmare is wrapping up the final details of their forthcoming full-length release Grind. Grind features a total of 11 tracks and three videos. The enhanced CD contains the five tracks from the self-released EP, plus three brand new studio tracks, three new live tracks recorded from the band's performance at Minglewood Hall in Memphis, TN on August 21st, 2016 and the new video for “Push” along with the videos “Blown Away” and “Loco Crazy”.

Studio tracks on Grind were produced by Justin Rimer at Cross Trax Studios. Live tracks were produced by David Cowell at Cleaved Owl Productions with mastering by Brad Blackwood at Euphonic Masters. The project also features appearances by Jim Dandy (The Jim Dandy) guest vocals on “Stand Up”, Wayne Swinny (Saliva) guitar on “Snake”, and Zach Myers (Shinedown) guitar on “Crazy”. Street date is set for October 6th. EMN will be announcing tour dates in the coming weeks.

Tracklisting:

“Loco Crazy”
“Snake”
“Upper Hand”
“Blown Away”
“Sacred Circle”
“Days Are Through”
“Stand Up”
“Swing”
“Closet” (Live)
“Walls” (Live)
“Push” (Live)

“Loco Crazy” video:

Costa Rican extreme/progressive metallers Nostoc will self-release their stunning debut album ÆVUM on August 7th. Lyric video “Transmute” is streaming below.

One spin of ÆVUM and listeners will be floored at the realization that this is Nostoc's first full-length album, as the musical dynamics and musicians recalls band's that have spent years honing their craft. Blasting extremity meets progressive composition and melodic sensibility, packaged in a way that is cohesive, penetrating, and utterly unforgettable.

Tracklisting:

“A Path To Ascend”
“Saturnian Mindscope Introspection”
“The Artisan”
“Imbued In Æther”
“Transmute”
“The Anamnesic Voyage”
“Delirum”

“Transmute” lyric video:

On July 14th, Norwegian death metallers Execration will release their new album, Return To The Void, via Metal Blade Records. Pre-order for the album on digi-CD and vinyl. New single, "Hammers Of The Vulcan", is streaming below.

"Coming off of two double 12" vinyl albums, the first clear goal for writing Return To The Void was to deliver the same kind of dynamic and shifting song-writing in a more condensed to-the-point package", comments Execration. Stripping songs down to their essential core has been a driving force while writing, and it shows - there is not a wasted moment on the album. Ticking it at 42 minutes - a perfect fit for the vinyl format - the album takes the listener through a whirlwind of thrash, death, black, and even heavy metal, fast and slow parts, and the trademark Execration shifts in mood, tempo, and atmosphere.

"As with the previous two albums, we wanted to capture the feel of a live performance, so all the basic tracks (drums, guitars, bass) were recorded live in our rehearsal studio in Oslo over the course of a weekend. Vocals, synths, and various effects where recorded the following weeks with assistance from Andreas Tylden (One Tail, One Head / Altaar). The album was then mixed and mastered by Tom Kvålsvoll of Kvålsonic Labs."

Thematically, the album takes off into outer space, the world of dreams, and philosophic musings on time and space. The album's seven songs and two instrumental tracks are permeated with the mysteries of the universe, both in lyrical content and concept, and in the music itself. This theme is further brought to life by the magnificent art of Zbigniew M. Bielak that adorns the front cover.

Return To The Void tracklisting:

“Eternal Recurrence”
“Hammers Of Vulcan”
“Nekrocosm”
“Cephalic Transmissions”
“Blood Moon Eclipse”
“Unicursal Horrorscope”
“Through The Oculus”
“Return To The Void”
“Det Uransakelige Dyp”

"Hammers Of Vulcan":

"Eternal Recurrence":

“Return To The Void” video:

Execration lineup:

Cato Syversrud - Drums
Christian Johansen - Guitar / Vocals
Jørgen Maristuen - Guitar / Vocals
Jonas Helgemo - Bass

(Photo - Carsten Aniksdal)

New England-based death squad, Scalpel, have released a new song, "The Woodsman (Part II)”. The song is taken from forthcoming album, Methods To Delusion.

Scalpel will self-release  Methods to Delusion on July 25th. A promo video for another new song, "Labors Of Loathing”, is also available for streaming below.

Crusted severed toes nailed to walls; humans covered head to toe in needles administering horrific psychoactive chemicals; an infants head being turned to apple sauce on a kitchen counter's edge - these are only fragments of the surreal and vicious stories told on Scalpel’s Methods To Delusion. Wielding chainsaw guitars and sledgehammer percussion, Methods To Delusion brings back a psychedelic element to extreme music, inflicting chaos and sickening truth unto the listener.

The album was engineered by Colin Marston (Gorguts) at Thousand Caves Studios. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

“The Cleaner”
“Labors Of Loathing”
“The Stink”
“Feeding The Worm”
“Interdelude”
“Methods To Delusion”
“The Woodsman (Part II)”
“Brooding In The Gloom”
“Lung Butter”
“Intensified Festering”

"The Woodsman (Part II)":

“Feeding The Worm” lyric video:

“Labors Of Loathing”:

On July 21st, Swedish rock ‘n’ roll legends, Europe, will share their unique 30th Anniversary performance of The Final Countdown from London’s legendary Roundhouse. Take a look at a newly released 60-second trailer:

The Final Countdown 30th Anniversary Show - Live at the Roundhouse celebrates the multi-platinum album’s triple decade success. The band played the album in its sequential entirety at a series of selected cities in 2016, with London’s most historically venerated venue playing host to an exceptionally special night on November 12th 2016, which was captured by Patric Ullaeus from rEvolver Film Company AB.

Preceding the landmark event, fans were also treated to a live performance of Europe’s latest album War Of Kings, a release which re-established Europe as one of the top classic rock bands in the world.

“What an awesome night! It was more enjoyable than we thought to revisit the whole Final Countdown album live! On top of that, to be able to share our whole War Of Kings album with this amazing audience the same night just made this show one of the most memorable nights of our career,” says Europe vocalist Joey Tempest.

The limited edition release will arrive in the following formats and available to pre-order very soon:

• DVD/2CD – full concert on all discs (1 visual, 2 audio) packaged in an 8 panel CD-sized digipack, including a 24 pg booklet

• BluRay/2CD – full concert on all discs (1 visual, 2 audio) packaged in an 8 panel CD-sized digipack, including a 24 pg booklet

• A Digital audio only release

• A 12” sized Boxset, limited to 1,000 units will also be available in September.

It will contain the BluRay/2CD configuration, a double gatefold vinyl with only The Final Countdown portion of the concert, a 40 pg 12” sized hardcover photo book, a vintage replica scarf and a laminate/guest-pass.

Live At The Roundhouse will conclude an exciting and emotional revisiting of The Final Countdown, with the band recording at the legendary Abbey Road Studios, a brand new album to follow up War Of Kings, which was released in 2015.

Europe's next show is July 13th at Sommarock in Svedala, Sweden. To view their complete tour schedule, click here.

(Photo: Larry Marano)

Portland doom quartet, Usnea, have announced the full details for their third full-length album, Portals Into Futility. Inspired by dystopian science-fiction and the painful intersection of today's crushing reality, Portals Into Futility is five songs and 56 minutes of expertly crafted and elegantly depressive doom/sludge. With an evolved sound of strength and dynamism, Usnea delve more into the worlds of dissonant death metal, varied vocal structures and cinematic composition, all while maintaining the monumental heaviness, brutality, discord, anger, and mournful melodicism of their previous work. Across dark and brooding peaks and valleys, Usnea remind us that no matter how many doors are opened to the human species, our self-aggrandizement and hubris all lead to futility.

Portals Into Futility is due out September 8th on CD/2xLP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical pre-orders and exclusive bundles are currently available via Relapse.com at this location and digital pre-orders are available via Bandcamp here. The new song “Lathe In Heaven” is available for streaming below.

Usnea Commented on the new song: “’Lathe Of Heaven’ was inspired the eponymous book by Ursula K Le Guin. It is a meditation on the blurred line between cognitive reality and delusion wherein the protagonist can change reality through dreaming. A well-intentioned psychologist attempts to corral that power but ends up creating more chaos and suffering. In the end, human arrogance and greed are shown to be the leading contributors to our own doom."

Portals Into Futility tracklisting:

“Eidolons And The Increate”
“Lathe Of Heaven”
“Demon Haunted World”
“Pyrrhic Victory”
“A Crown Of Desolation”

“Lathe Of Heaven”:

Usnea will tour throughout Europe dates this fall as direct support for Ufomammut. The tour commences on September 30th in Paris and ends October 22nd in Munich while hitting 19 different cities. The tour includes appearances at multiple festivals including Up In Smoke, Doornroosje Festival and Keep It Doom. The band will also perform an exclusive US set at Psycho Las Vegas on August 18th. A complete listing of dates is available below.

Tour dates:

August
18 - Las Vegas, NV - Psycho Las Vegas

September (with Ufomammut)
30 - Paris, France - La Boule Noire

October (with Ufomammut)
1 - Nantes, France - Le Ferrailleur
3 - London, UK - Borderline
4 - Brussels, Belgium - Magasin 4
5 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
6 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Up In Smoke
7 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Soulcrusher Festival @ Doornroosje Festival
8 - Bielefed, Germany - Forum
10 - Oslo, Norway - Blitz
11 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klub Undergangen
13 - Helsinki, Finland - Korjaamo Blowup VOL 3
14 - Tampere, Finland - Olympia-Kortelli
16 - Copenhagen, Denmark - KB 18
17 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
18 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
19 - Leipzig, Germany - Werk 2
20 - Wroclaw, Poland - Firley
21 - Prag Checkt, Germany - 007
22 - Munich, Germany - Keep It Doom

(Photo - Orion Landau)

In a new video trailer for their upcoming Seasons Of Black album, German heavy metal trio Rage discuss their musical direction and inspiration.

Seasons Of The Black, the band’s upcoming 23rd studio album, will be released on July 28th via Nuclear Blast. Pre-order the album in the following formats:

- 2CD-Digibook
- CD
- 2LP (black) in gatefold

NB Mailorder Exclusive:
- 2LP (NB anniversary green) in gatefold
- Digibook + belt bag

Get your copy here, or get the digital version of the new album here.

Tracklisting:

“Season Of The Black”
“Serpents In Disguise”
“Blackened Karma”
“Time Will Tell”
“Septic Bite”
“Walk Among The Dead”
“All We Know Is Not”
“The Tragedy Of Man - Gaia”
“The Tragedy Of Man - Justify”
“The Tragedy Of Man - Bloodshed In Paradise”
“The Tragedy Of Man - Farewell”

Avenger Revisited (Bonus CD):
“Adoration”
“Southcross Union”
“Assorted By Satan”
“Faster Than Hell”
“Sword Made Of Steel”
“Down To The Bone”

“Adoration”:

Seasons Of The Black was recorded in February / March 2017 at Megafon Studios (Burscheid, Germany) and at Soundchaser Studios (Zandhoven, Belgium). Its production was handled by Rage, whilst the renowned Dan Swanö (Marduk, Opeth, Katatonia) took care of the mix and mastering at Unisound Studios (Grefrath, Germany).

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

Trailer #4:

“Blackened Karma” video:

Studio trailer #1:

Studio trailer #2:

Studio trailer #3:

Rage live dates:

July
16 - Vizovice, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock
21 - Ternopil, Ukraine - Faine Misto Festival

August
3-5 - Wacken, Germany - Wacken Open Air
10 - Villena, Spain - Leyendas Del Rock
12 - Kortrijk, Belgium - Alcatraz Festival
13 - Königs Wusterhausen, Germany - Zombie Rock Festival

September
2 - Zons, Germany - Zons Rockt (RAGE meets REFUGE)

December
23 - Burglengenfeld, Germany - VAZ, X-Mas Dynamite Night

Rage lineup:

Peter "Peavy" Wagner - lead vocals, bass
Marcos Rodriguez - guitars, vocals
Vassilios "Lucky" Maniatopoulos - drums, vocals

Finnish bashers, Wintersun, have released a guitar playthrough video for “Eternal Darkness (Autumn)”, a track from their new album, The Forest Seasons, out on July 21st via Nuclear Blast. Pre-order via the band’s IndieGoGo page, and check out the new video below.

Tracklisting:

“Awaken From The Dark Slumber (Spring)”
Part I - The Dark Slumber
Part II - The Awakening
“The Forest That Weeps (Summer)”
“Eternal Darkness (Autumn)”
Part I - Haunting Darkness
Part II - The Call Of The Dark Dream
Part III - Beyond The Infinite Universe
Part IV - Death
“Loneliness (Winter)”

“Eternal Darkness (Autumn)” guitar playthrough:

“The Forest That Weeps (Summer)” guitar playthrough:

“Awaken From The Dark Slumber (Spring)” guitar playthrough:

Formats trailer:

The band recently commented on the new album: “Yes, you guessed it! This album is our version of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, but it hasn't got anything to do with Vivaldi musically or with classical music. It is 100% original and solid Wintersun material! It is something new and different. Let's just say it has a bit more darker tone overall.”

Wintersun recently announced that their new second guitarist is is 27-year old Asim Searah. Asim was born in Pakistan and moved to Finland at the age of 18 to pursue a career in music and has been playing in several bands and projects since then.

Says the band: “We've known him for a long time and we knew he is a great singer, but we didn't realize how talented and skillful guitar player he is. Asim was actually the first who sent us an audition video, which surprised us very positively. After the video auditions and two rounds of live auditions we realized he was exactly what we were looking for. He is very motivated and passionate with a good heavy metal attitude - a great guitar player and vocalist to improve the live sound of Wintersun even further!”

Asim comments: "It's an honour to be a part of a band that I have looked up to for many years. It's definitely a dream come true and I'm super excited to share the stage with Wintersun!"

Dirty Thrills are a young, exciting and charismatic London-based hard rock quartet who play bluesy rock 'n' roll with an appealing filthy edge, churning out endless crowd pleasers that make guitar music sound sexy again. With lung-busting, powerful vocals from front man Louis James, killer guitar riffs from Jack Fawdry and solid low-end grooves from the rhythm section of Aaron Plows and Steve Corrigan, each member's wide-ranging influences also combine to produce a pool of sound similar to current rock icons such as Queens Of The Stone Age, The Black Keys and Rival Sons.

Dirty Thrills are set to release their new album, Heavy Living, on September 15th. The album track, “Drunk Words”, is available for streaming below.

Dirty Thrills formed after a drunken night of jamming in a quiet village pub in Wiltshire, but what started out as an inconspicuous session swiftly birthed an ambitious group with the drive and determination to bring the glory days back to the rock scene. Having released and toured a self-titled debut record in 2014, the band recently signed to Frontiers Music Srl and played the UK's Camden Rocks and Wildfire Festivals in June as part of the build-up to their new single, “Law Man”, which Louis James describes as a song "about one man's fight for freedom, only to be struck down by a figure of austerity." They will also be performing at Ramblin' Man Fair in late July, while a full UK tour will follow the mid-September release of their brand new album, Heavy Living, which was recorded at Monnow Valley Studio in Rockfield, Monmouth and produced/mixed by James Loughrey (The Darkness, Skindred, Sumo Cyco).

Heavy Living tracklisting:

“I'll Be With You”
“Go Slow”
“Law Man”
“Hanging Around”
“Lonely Soul”
“No Resolve”
“Interlude”
“The Brave”
“Rabbit Hole”
“Drunk Words”
“Get Loose”

“Drunk Words”:

“Law Man” video:

Dirty Thrills lineup:

Louis James - Lead Vocals, Harmonica
Jack Fawdry - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Steve Corrigan - Drums
Aaron Plows - Bass

Dave Mustaine recently ranked his favorite MEGADETH guitarists in descending order, with the last one being his least favorite.

The MEGADETH leader's list — which he tweeted in late April — does not include the band original second guitarist Greg Handevidt — who was in the band only in 1983 — nor SLAYER's Kerry King, who was only in MEGADETH as a touring guitarist for several gigs in 1984, but it does include Mike Albert, who toured with the group as a temporary replacement for Chris Poland in 1985.

Mustaine's list:

1. Kiko Loureiro

Has been in MEGADETH since early 2015. He performed on the band's latest album, 2016's "Dystopia".

2. Marty Friedman

Was in the band from 1990 to 2000. He performed on 1990's "Rust In Peace", 1992's "Countdown To Extinction", 1994's "Youthanasia", 1995's "Hidden Treasures", 1997's "Cryptic Writings" and 1999's "Risk" albums.

3. Glen Drover

Was in the band from 2004 to 2008. He performed on 2007's "United Abominations" album.

4. Chris Poland

Was in the band from 1984 to 1987, and then again as session musician in 2004. He performed on 1985's "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!", 1986's "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" and 2004's "The System Has Failed" albums.

5. Al Pitrelli

Was in the band from 2000 to 2002. He performed on 2001's "The World Needs A Hero" album.

6. Mike Albert

Was in the band as a touring member only, having temporarily replaced Chris Poland on a 1985 tour. He does not appear on any of the MEGADETH albums.

7. Chris Broderick

Was in the band from 2008 to 2014. He can be heard on 2009's "Endgame", 2011's "Th1rt3en" and 2013's "Super Collider" albums.

8. Jeff Young

Was in MEGADETH from 1987 to 1989. He performed on 1988's "So Far, So Good... So What!" album.

A short time after Kiko Loureiro joined MEGADETH, Mustaine praised the Brazilian musician, calling him "definitely the best guitarist we've ever had."

Mustaine's comments echoed those he made about Broderick during the latter's tenure in the band. In a March 2013 tweet made during the making of MEGADETH's "Super Collider" album, Mustaine wrote: "Chris has finished 'Super Collider' ... All I can say is he is without a doubt the best guitarist I've ever played with."

In a 2015 interview with Rolling Stone, Mustaine defended his comments, saying: "You know, that's something that has been kind of a go-to statement for me whenever I get a new player. I usually say, 'Oh, they're great, they're great,' right? Because of the enthusiasm and stuff. It's like, you get a new car, you have that new car smell. But there's a difference between a guy that has talent, and a guy that has talent and personality, or a guy that has talent, personality and a sense of humor. And, you know, I wasn't really close to Chris [Broderick]. Going from Chris to Kiko, we have a bond right now where we laugh and we joke and we do stuff together."

Back in 2009, Mustaine praised Broderick, saying in an online post: "I am going on record and I am saying unequivocally that Chris is THE BEST GUITARIST MEGADETH has ever had. And the real talented musicians in MEGADETH's alumni will agree, he is an absolute monster. I mean, he plays the catalog better than anyone did. Jeff Young never wanted to do Chris Poland's stuff, and so on, and so on, until the last guitarist we had before we disbanded over my arm injury."

Mustaine added: "It's funny, because just when I think [Broderick] can get no more outrageous, or any more thrilling with the guitar solos, he comes up with something really beautiful like Marty Friedman would do (he has Marty pretty well down pat), and then goes into the GIT styles that Jeff Young did, yet, there is still such a freshness to his playing and he is so raw, it's like having a new prize bull. And even though he ain't a such a young bull, he's definitely an old bull like me."

My favorite guitarists in order: Kiko, Marty, Glen, Chris P., Al, Mike Albert, Chris B., and lastly Jeff. New stuff will start soon...? https://t.co/UomZmKzTqU

— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) April 28, 2017