"The Uprising", the six-song EP from former SUPERJOINT RITUAL and PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS guitarist Marzi Montazeri and ex-JUDAS PRIEST and ICED EARTH singer Tim "Ripper" Owens, can be streamed below. Released on June 23 via Montazeri's recently launched Crunchy Western Records, the effort was recorded at Matherne Studios by Kevin Matherne in Houston, Texas, and mixed and mastered at CMC21 Productions by Chris Collier in Los Angeles, California.

Known for his groundbreaking musicianship and energetic showmanship, Montazeri — a.k.a. "The High Priest Of Distortion" — is a guitarist, producer, and songwriter from Houston, Texas. In the mid-'90s, Montazeri joined SUPERJOINT RITUAL and in 2010 rejoined forces with Philip H. Anselmo to work on Anselmo's first solo project, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS. THE ILLEGALS would go on to release the "War Of The Gargantuas" EP, followed by the "Walk Through Exits Only" LP, which debuted at No. 34 on the Billboard 200 chart, and finally the Scion A/V-issued "Housecore Horror Film Festival" EP. By 2015, Montazeri and Washburn Parallax Guitars united to co-design his own signature electric guitar series called "The Priestess" which was officially unveiled at this year's edition of NAMM in Anaheim, California. Montazeri's collaborations as a guest artist include PRONG, Doug Pinnick (KING'S X), DEFIATORY and the JUDAS PRIEST tribute record "Hell Bent Forever", also featuring Owens. Owens is a Grammy-nominated American hard rock singer who first gained attention as the vocalist for JUDAS PRIEST (1996-2003) and then ICED EARTH and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN. Owens currently tours the world as a solo artist and performs as the lead singer of CHARRED WALLS OF THE DAMNED alongside drummer Richard Christy ("The Howard Stern Show", DEATH, CONTROL DENIED). Owens has also started a super group called PROJECT ROCK with James Kottak (SCORPIONS), Keri Kelli (ALICE COOPER, SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, JOHN WAITE), Rudy Sarzo (WHITESNAKE, QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, DIO), and Teddy "Zig Zag" Andreadis (GUNS N' ROSES). Additionally, the movie "Rock Star" (Mark Wahlberg, Jennifer Aniston) was loosely based on Owens's time in JUDAS PRIEST. "A while ago I was asked to play a couple of solos on the JUDAS PRIEST tribute album 'Hell Bent Forever' and the track was, 'Exciter'," recalls Marzi of first meeting Owens. "When I arrived, Tim was walking out of the vocal booth for the evening. I was blown away by his performance and personality. He's a super-cool and funny dude. So when it came to this EP where I knew I wanted a powerful metal vocalist, I just made a call to him and here we are with some original music." "The Uprising" track listing:

01. 1102. Monster Within03. The Uprising04. Without Warning05. Who Is Alive06. Viento Del Espíritu


The Uprising by Marzi Montazeri

"Cascade", the new video from WOVENWAR — the band featuring the talents of Jordan Mancino (drums), Nick Hipa (guitar) and Josh Gilbert (bass) of San Diego, California-based metal act AS I LAY DYING, and Shane Blay (vocals) of OH, SLEEPER — can be seen below. The clip was directed and edited by Hipa.

"Cascade" is taken from WOVENWAR's sophomore album, "Honor Is Dead", which came out last October via Metal Blade Records. More aggressive and fluid than its self-titled predecessor, "Honor Is Dead" was written with contributions from all members, while the music for "Wovenwar" was mostly written before Blay joined the band. The results speak for themselves, capturing a group that sounds truly unified, and hungry.

For "Honor Is Dead", WOVENWAR chose not to converge at the same studio to lay down the record, taking advantage of modern technology instead by recording their individual parts in convenient locales across California, Alabama and Texas.

Hipa told Loudwire about "Honor Is Dead": "With this album, we knew that it was going to be a lot more aggressive and a little bit more intense. I think musically and lyrically there was just a lot of weight that we wanted to get off of ourselves. I think that comes off just in the form of aggression and I think we captured that."

He continued: "Everybody contributed and lent their talents to something that all seems to be pretty congruent. So think we achieved what we always want to achieve, which is really representing ourselves and capturing who we are and what we have to offer. So yeah, I'm proud of it."

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's June 26 concert at the Gröna Lund amusement park in Stockholm, Sweden can be seen below.

Kerry King recently once again said that he was "definitely open" to having fellow SLAYER guitarist Gary Holt contribute to the songwriting on the band's next album.

Holt, who is still a member of San Francisco Bay Area thrash icons EXODUS, has been the touring guitarist for SLAYER since January 2011 when the band's co-founding guitarist, Jeff Hanneman, contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, from a spider bite in his backyard. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

Holt did not write any of the music on SLAYER's last album, 2015's "Repentless", although he did lay down guitar solos on most of the record's twelve tracks.

In an interview with Brazil's Wikimetal, King confirmed that there is a chance that Holt will be more involved with the creative process next time around. "It's a possibility, for sure," he said. "We haven't really talked about that. I mean, the ideas have come up, but then I know Gary's still full-heartedly into making EXODUS records. I think if the opportunity arises, I'm definitely open to it, but I also understand that we've got a band to write music for as well. So I'm not against it. It's just something that we haven't come to that bridge yet."

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

Kerry previously told LA Weekly that part of the reason Holt wasn't invited to write any material for "Repentless" was the fact that not enough time had passed since Hanneman's death. "I thought a long time about this, but I didn't think SLAYER fans were ready for that yet," he said. "Even though Gary's a household name in thrash, I didn't feel that the first SLAYER record without Jeff should have Gary Holt contributing as a writer."

Hanneman's last appearance with SLAYER was in April 2011, when he played an encore with the band at the "Big Four" concert in Indio, California.

Nikki Sixx says that he is "unofficially retired" from touring, less than three months after undergoing hip replacement surgery.

In a new post on his official Facebook page, the MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist wrote: "For those of you asking, I've been playing in bands and touring the world for 40 years. I have no immediate tour plans unless I get a wild hair up my ass or something or somebody really inspirational comes along.

"Since I've been home, I've just been writing music non-stop, recording with other artists, taking vocal, bass and guitar lessons and focusing on photography.

"Money has never been and isn't a driving force for me.

"Let the chips fall where they fall.

"So I guess I'm unofficially retired or maybe just expired at this time.

"Nice to give 100% of my time to my wife and kids.

"Got a couple SIXX:A.M. albums coming out soon and one book this year. 'Sixx Sense' radio is the biggest syndicated radio show in the world and that going on eight years. I got two books in the works and I am in talks to develop a TV show (not reality) as well as 'The Dirt' for Netflix and 'The Heroin Diaries' play.

"YUP, I AM RETIRED... HAHA"

Sixx underwent a two-hour hip-replacement procedure in early April after announcing online that was he was preparing to go under the knife. He later said on his nationally syndicated radio show "Sixx Sense" that the doctor told him he could take sawed-off bone home "for religious reasons," but added that it "was complete mush." He explained: "The bone had just basically disintegrated from where they sawed it off and from where it was bone-on-bone. So I'd actually earned this surgery."

Nikki marveled at the speed of his recovery, saying: "It's amazing what they can do with modern medicine. I have to tell you, I was up, I was walking. The next day, I walked three hundred feet, and the next day, with only a cane, I walked up a flight of stairs, they showed me how to get in and out of a car, and they sent me home."

He added: "So for anybody out there that has to go through a surgery like this, it's probably the best thing you'll ever do for yourself, 'cause I'm really feeling a lot better than I was before I went in for surgery."

In 2015, MÖTLEY CRÜE completed "The Final Tour", closing the book on the band's iconic career after performing a total of 164 shows in 72 markets, grossing over $100 million.

Last November, Nikki said that there was "no chance" of MÖTLEY CRÜE ever making another record, insisting that the band creatively "came to a crawl."

A tour film about MÖTLEY CRÜE's final shows, "The End", came out last year, and a film adaptation of the band's 2001 autobiography "The Dirt" will land at Netflix.

Sixx is working on the Broadway adaptation of his memoir, "The Heroin Diaries: A Year In The Life Of A Shattered Rock Star".

SIXX:A.M.'s latest double album, "Prayers For The Blessed" and "Prayers For The Damned", came out during 2016.

Loud TV has posted footage of SABATON's press conference at this year's Hellfest, which was held June 16-18 in Clisson, France. You can watch the question-and-answer session below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the importance of exploring historical topics within the band's lyrics:

Joakim Brodén (vocals): "It's pretty easy for us. I mean, look at history: People have been killing each other for centuries or millennia, even. People make sacrifices, lost their lives and people are forgetting about these stories. So why the fuck should we make up new stories? The ones who actually did the sacrifice are being forgotten, no matter which country they fought for. I think it's pretty important that we remember what is behind us to avoid the same shit happening again."

On how the band chooses its lyrical topics:

Pär Sundström (bass): "We get a lot of ideas. We have been sent ideas since 2010 when we did them 'Coat Of Arms' album, we asked the fans to send in ideas. So far, we have received well over 10,000 ideas. We have enough to write a lot of material; they are all categorized so we can, in a belated time, we can pick them up for something we see fits for an album. When we get enough material ready, we start to plan for what kind of themes we're going to have for an album, and decide upon a topic. Then we dig into the library and we're going to find enough stuff to write about, because, as Joakim said, people have been sadly killing each other for a long time. There is no shortage of material for us."

On whether SABATON would ever tour with CIVIL WAR, the band comprised of four ex-SABATON members who left the band in 2012:

Joakim: "I don't see why we wouldn't ever tour with them. They're still friends; I don't mind that. When it comes to the American Civil War, I think it was pretty well fucking covered by ICED EARTH. It belongs to America in that sense. Until some more [wars] pass, there enough wars for us to sing about anyway. [Laughs]"

On whether people can learn about history by listening to SABATON:

Pär: "Yes, you can. Over the years, we have received so many e-mails, especially from people working in schools and similar [areas], both from teachers and from students, both said that our songs have inspired them to be able to teach our children in a little easier way, [make it] more interesting, or for kids to pass their tests in an easier way."

On how the band plans to expand upon their live show presentation:

Pär: "We have a lot of ideas how to further evolve our stage show. As we have a theme, which is kind of nice to visualize, we will have a lot of ideas for this in the future. You have seen a few of them and seen a little bit of what we can do on the stage and expect that in the future, we will do a lot more."

On why SABATON provides a full point of view when describing history in their songs:

Pär: "History, as you said, usually contains two different sides. When we write the songs, sometimes it's easy and not too easy to not upset some people. We have to pick and choose a side when we write the songs and we never choose the side of 'us.' It should never represent us; it represents the way we were told the story and that's how we re-tell it. As you said, there's also a lot of different ways to get the facts from and some of them are never facts, they are just ideas, but we try to stay in later warfare. If we stuck to the last 100 years, for example, it's much more well-documented. When we went back 300 years in history to write about our own [Swedish] history for the 'Carolus Rex' album, it became way more difficult since, at this time, not so much is written down. Those things that are written down are written down by the victors and the generals and the kings to make themselves look better, not by the individual soldiers who were on the front of the battle."

On whether drummer Hannes Van Dahl will push his newborn daughter (with NIGHTWISH frontwoman Floor Jansen) into a musical career:

Hannes: "[She'll have] absolute freedom. Both her parents are pretty loud by nature, so if she wants to drum or sing and do both at the same time, the opportunity is there. She can do whatever she likes and we will always be there to support [her]."

On what the band would say to the people who complained about SABATON headlining over legendary German metallers ACCEPT on their recent European tour:

Joakim: "I don't really care who is the headliner and who is playing in support. I do understand, intellectually, that we sell more tickets, we sell more albums, from that point of view, but yes, absolutely, emotionally, it's really strange for us to walk up and go on stage after 'Balls To The Wall' and these metal classics. We grew up listening to these guys. We have an enormous amount of respect for them. It's never about what you feel sometimes. I'm really happy about the tour and I think they are too, at least I hope so. [Laughs]"

Hannes: "To fill in a little bit there, for us, at least for me, it's a big dream to be on the same tour as our old childhood heroes. It was nothing but really good and [they're] really good guys and a great band. It was really a good night, every night."

SABATON's eighth album, "The Last Stand", was released last August via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "Heroes" was once again produced by Peter Tägtgren (PAIN, LINDEMANN, HYPOCRISY) and it "marks a brand new chapter in SABATON history," according to a press release.

The artwork for "The Last Stand" was created by Peter Sallaí, who has worked with SABATON since "Carolus Rex".

SABATON last year parted ways with guitarist Thobbe Englund and replaced him with Tommy Johansson (GOLDEN RESURRECTION, REINXEED).

Sticks For Stones conducted an interview with guitarist Marcus Siepen of German progressive power metal pioneers BLIND GUARDIAN. You can listen to the full interview below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On BLIND GUARDIAN's new "Live Beyond The Spheres" DVD/live album:

Marcus: "Obviously, we tried to capture what was happening on the previous tour. So the CD contains songs from more than just one show. We actually recorded pretty much every single show on the whole tour, but for the album, we focused on the first European block that we did. We're talking about 35-40 shows, I don't know. We had to put together the typical kind of BLIND GUARDIAN setlist as it happened on the road, covering, obviously, new songs from the previous studio album to the debut album and everything in between. A major aspect of a live album, any live release for us, is also capturing the audience because the audience is a vital part of any BLIND GUARDIAN show. It doesn't matter what we do onstage, the audience has to participate, do all the singing, cheering and everything, only this live show becomes special. We were lucky to capture some really, really great shows for the albums that we could put together a really good mix in our opinion. Everybody that has been to one of the gigs should definitely like the album. People that might not even be familiar with the band, that would also be a great way of just checking us out. As I said, it shows what BLIND GUARDIAN is about."

On the emotional connection BLIND GUARDIAN often has with its fans during live shows:

Marcus: "As I said, the crowd singing is part of every single BLIND GUARDIAN show. There are some songs that we could announce as instrumentals because the crowd could do the vocals anyway and Hansi [Kürsch, vocals] wouldn't have to do any singing. If we're talking about 'The Bard's Song [In The Forest]', for example, Hansi could leave the stage if he wanted to. [Laughs] It would be a perfectly fine recording of the song because everybody in the crowd would be singing. Also, we have them sing at the end of 'The Last Candle' and stuff like that, and also 'Valhalla' is the classic where everybody is always singing. So yeah, there are those goosebump moments on the CD. We have them every night on the tour. We are very happy to be blessed with awesome fans that love doing all of this. The reactions that you sometimes get from them, it's really intense. For example, whenever we play the song 'The Lord Of The Rings', there are people bursting into tears just because we announced the next song is going to be 'The Lord Of The Rings'. They start crying; it's such an emotional reaction. Standing there onstage seeing that, seeing how people are touched by yourself, that's pretty intense, I have to say. It's a very special moment in every single show whenever that happens. It's special."

On his favorite albums from BLIND GUARDIAN's back catalog:

Marcus: "I have to say it's difficult for me to limit it to individual ones, because that changes. It depends on my mood, but yes, there are some classics that stand out for whatever reason a bit more than others, so I would maybe start from the old ones, I have to name two of these, which would be the 'Imaginations From The Other Side' album and 'Somewhere Far Beyond'. I think there's so many memories tied to both periods in time in our career. With 'Somewhere Far Beyond', it was the first time we could tour in Japan and go to the other side of the planet and it was a major success there. That really took us to the next level. With 'Imaginations', it was the first album we did with [former METALLICA producer] Flemming Rasmussen in Sweet Silence Studios, and we spent like half a year or eight months in Copenhagen doing it and everything. Again, we learned so much in that production. Again, it was a very, very important album for the career of the band because again, it took us to the next level. Listening back to those albums, I can still listen to them from the first song to the last song and still enjoy them. There's nothing I would change about them. I think they are great the way they are. They perfectly represent what BLIND GUARDIAN has been about at that point in time."

On whether there are any cities he wouldn't want to play because of security risks:

Marcus: "No. I don't really. Saying 'I don't care' is wrong. Obviously, I care if people get killed or attacked just because they are at a concert, that is a major crime, it sucks, it's bad. Obviously, I do care about this, but I don't let fear take over my life. I'm good to go to London tomorrow and play a show there and I would go onstage without any fear and without any thoughts about somebody attacking us. Because, my attitude is, if something is supposed to happen, it will happen, whether I worry about it or not doesn't make any difference. I've been doing this for 30 years. We've played thousands of shows; I have no idea how many gigs we've played. Nothing has ever happened, nothing. If something is supposed to happen, it will and then it will suck, yes. Me worrying about it or me living my life in fear won't make anything better. I just don't fear such things. I don't think about them. I'm good to go on any stage anywhere on this planet, play a gig, and I'm good."

"Live Beyond The Spheres" will be released on July 7 as a 3-CD and 4-LP box via Nuclear Blast. The set will include material recorded at various shows during the band's European tour in 2015. It will contain old classics, new tracks as well as songs that were very rarely performed during BLIND GUARDIAN's live shows.

In "Fabuless", one of STONE SOUR's heaviest tracks to be released as a single, singer Corey Taylor name-checks "Been a long time since I rock 'n' rolled" from LED ZEPPELIN's "Rock And Roll" and "It's only rock 'n' roll but I like it" from THE ROLLING STONES' song of the same name.

Speaking to the "Wall Of Sound: Up Against The Wall" podcast, Taylor stated about his decision to use lines from a couple of rock's most iconic tracks: "It just fit. When I was working on the lyrics, I had the music going. And just for some reason, every time that part would come around, those two lines would kind of come to me in that order. And I was just, like, 'Man, that's perfect. That just fits too well. We're gonna nick those and see if that works.' And we sent it to THE ROLLING STONES camp and we sent it to the LED ZEPPELIN camp and they were both into it — like super into it, really ecstatic. So I have to thank both of those camps for being so supportive of rock and just allowing us to kind of dip our toes into their little side of the stream."

Taylor told "Loudwire Nights" host Toni Gonzalez that "Fabuless" is a "love letter" to the social media celebrities who are "about as heavy as a Tupperware bowl." He added: "There are these people who are famous for nothing. I thought it wouldn't get any worse than reality television people, and then the social media celebrities came… There were whole Vine tours at one point and thousands of screaming girls, and I'm going, 'What the hell is this?'"

"Fabuless" is taken from STONE SOUR's new album, "Hydrograd", which will be released on June 30 via Roadrunner.

The disc was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

The band tracked the album live in the studio, cutting a total of eighteen songs from which fifteen will make the CD.

MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell spoke to Sweden's Rock Sverige about the status of his long-awaited solo album, which will reportedly feature guest appearances by Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST) and Chris Fehn (SLIPKNOT). He said: "Dee Snider [TWISTED SISTER] is doing some vocals. Benji [Webbe] from SKINDRED has done it. I'm really lucky to get these people on it. [Former GUNS N' ROSES and THE CULT drummer] Matt Sorum's gonna do a track. He's doing it next week. It's gonna be good."

When asked what his solo album will sound like, Campbell said: "It's not gonna be what people expect. I play piano on a few tracks. I don't know, since it's not finished yet. I've still gotta write another six songs for it, but it's not gonna be all totally like MOTÖRHEAD. After many years, it's just nice to be able to do what I want. I could do what I wanted in MOTÖRHEAD, but we didn't wanna stray too far away. We'd put a saxophone in when we wanted and a piano and acoustics…"

Campbell is currently playing shows with PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS, which features Phil alongside his three sons — Todd, his eldest, and Dane from STRAIGHT LINES; and Tyler from THE PEOPLE THE POET — plus vocalist Neil Starr.

PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS recently inked a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast.

In celebration of the signing announcement, the band has put together the exclusive digital-only live EP, "Live At Solothurn", which is available via all download and streaming platforms.

Phil Campbell was the lead guitarist in MOTÖRHEAD for more than thirty years.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE will celebrate the 30th anniversary of GREAT WHITE's hit album "Once Bitten" with a tour and new acoustic album, "Once Acoustically Bitten". The acoustic album will be released on July 14 and the band will kick off their U.S. tour on July 6. They will stay on the road through summer and into fall playing songs off their new acoustic release, the multi-platinum "Once Bitten" album and, on some shows, the entire "Once Bitten" LP from start to finish. Before the tour kicks off, the band will be previewing material from the upcoming release on June 29 — the original release date for "Once Bitten" — at Guitar Center in Los Angeles. Fans will be able to watch the entire performance on Facebook Live at 7 p.m. PST on the band's Facebook page. A week later they begin the tour in Kansas and will hit cities across the U.S. including Fort Collins, Pasadena, Cincinnati, Los Angeles, and more. "The 'Once Bitten' album for me was the album that finally put us in the musical space that I felt the band should be in," says lead singer Jack Russell. He goes on: "We had been searching prior to that... our first album was kind of similar to JUDAS PRIEST and our second album was very keyboard heavy. The 'Once Bitten' album hit and we all just knew this was our area, this was where we should be.

"This new acoustic record is an homage to thirty years of making music and thirty years since our first, big platinum album. Three decades later and we're still able to go out there and sing and play for our fans. It's a blessing." Tour dates:

Jul. 06 - Salina, KS - Concert in the ParkJul. 07 - Ft. Collins, CO - BobstockJul. 08 - Columbus, NE - Platte County Ad SocietyJul. 12 - Cadott, WI - Chippewa Valley FairgroundsJul. 14 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - The Coach HouseJul. 15 - Hermosa Beach, CA - Saint RockeJul. 21 - Lima, OH - Allen County FaigroundsJul. 28 - Bonner Springs, KS - Providence Med AmpAug. 04 - Cincinnati, OH - BogartsAug. 05 - St. Germain, WI - Community ParkAug. 11 - Three Forks, MT - Rockin in the RiversAug. 12 - Draper, UT - LeatherlandsAug. 13 - Jerome, ID - Jerome County FairAug. 18 - Terre Haut, ID - The BirdAug. 24 - Addison, IL - Rock N WheelsAug. 25 - Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon ClubAug. 26 - Pasadena, CA - The RoseSep. 01 - Scottsdale, AZ - BLK LiveSep. 09 - Savnna, IL - Poopy'sSep. 15 - Roland, OK - Cherokee CasinoSep. 22 - Largo, FL - Central Park PACOct. 14 - Prior Lake, MN - Mystic Lake CasinoOct. 27 - Pekin, IL - Avantie DomeNov. 05 - Pembroke Pines, FL - Rockfest 80sDec. 29 – West Hollywood, CA - Whisky A Go Go JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's debut album, "He Saw it Comin'", was released on January 27 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc features Jack Russell alongside former GREAT WHITE bassist-turned-guitarist Tony Montana (as a guitar player and keyboardist), Dan McNay (MONTROSE) on bass, Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar and Dicki Fliszar (BRUCE DICKINSON) on drums.

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with the current touring and recording version of GREAT WHITE, which features Mark Kendall (guitar), Scott Snyder (bass), Audie Desbrow (drums), Michael Lardie (guitar, keyboards) and Terry Ilous (lead vocals).

In a brand new interview with Rock Sverige, drummer Michel Langevin (a.k.a. Away) of Canadian progressive sci-fi metal innovators VOIVOD spoke about the status of the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2013's "Target Earth" album. He said: "It's almost done in terms of writing and we are recording in August and September. We have a few shows before that. After the European tour, we have festivals in Quebec with METALLICA, and as soon as we're done with that, we go into the studio and to finish up and record the album. I would say it will be out early next year. It's probably going to have to be a double album vinyl-wise, because the songs are really long and progressive. They're seven-[or]-eight-minute-long songs and we just realized it might have to be a double vinyl album and it's a concept album as well. Musical parts are coming back into other songs and it took a bit longer than expected, but we're almost finished."

Langevin also talked about the VOIVOD songwriting process and how it has evolved in the past three decades. He said: "We never really changed the way we write songs. Back then Blacky [Jean-Yves Thériault, bass] and Piggy [Denis D'Amour] were the main writers and we would sort of morph the songs together into VOIVOD, but there was a strong base with Blacky and Piggy. Right now, Chewy [Daniel Mongrain, guitar] and Rocky [Dominique Laroche, bass] are working together closely. A lot of the parts come from improvisations we do and we record everything. Then we try to pick the best parts and then Chewy and Rocky will rearrange it into songs and then we rehearse it and Snake [Denis Bélanger] comes in on vocals, so we have to extend parts and shorten parts. It's basically been the same way of writing since the beginning."

During the same chat, the drummer was asked for his memories of Chris Cornell, having toured with SOUNDGARDEN and FAITH NO MORE back in 1990.

"I was speechless and may people phoned me and wanted me to express my point of view on Chris's passing and I couldn't," Away said. "I said, 'There's nothing I can say right now.' First of all, he was very reserved and chilled and very quiet. On stage, he was the best frontman I've ever seen and he was actually the originator of, like, breaking everything and climbing everywhere, before Eddie Vedder started climbing and Kurt Cobain started banging stuff. Chris was doing that, so he was a pioneer for sure. Not to mention his incredible voice and presence, but he was also a very good friend. We traded art and he did a painting for me during the 1990 tour and right now I have a hard time looking at it. It's pretty intense. I met him a couple of times over the years in Montreal when he came there solo or with SOUNDGARDEN, and we did not necessarily kept in touch, but I went to see him and he was always super nice."

2013's "Target Earth", VOIVOD's first album of new material written without original guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour's left-over riffs, was almost universally hailed it as a triumphant return to form, a return to the "classic" VOIVOD sound, and the best thing they'd done in years.

On July 21, Swedish hard rock veterans EUROPE will share their unique 30th-anniversary performance of "The Final Countdown" from London's legendary Roundhouse.

"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 12, 2016, which was captured by Patric Ullaeus from rEvolver Film Company AB.

The first trailer for "The Final Countdown 30th Anniversary Show - Live At The Roundhouse" is available below.

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.

EUROPE singer Joey Tempest in a statement: "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!"

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-page booklet* Blu-ray/2CD - full concert on all discs (1 visual, 2 audio) packaged in an 8-panel CD-sized digipack, including a 24-page booklet* A digital audio-only release* A 12-inch-sized boxset, limited to 1,000 units, will also be available in September. It will contain the Blu-ray/2CD configuration, a double gatefold vinyl with only "The Final Countdown" portion of the concert, a 40-page 12-inch-sized hardcover photo book, a vintage replica scarf and a laminate/guest pass.

EUROPE recently finished recording its new album for an October release. 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.

BLACK STAR RIDERS have inked a new worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Entertainment. Formed in 2012, BLACK STAR RIDERS signed their first contract with Nuclear Blast Entertainment in the same year. Under the banner of the independent label, the band released three critically acclaimed albums: "All Hell Breaks Loose", "The Killer Instinct" and "Heavy Fire". BLACK STAR RIDERS' latest album, "Heavy Fire", was a worldwide success, reaching position No. 6 on the U.K. chart, No. 11 on the German chart, No. 91 on U.S. Current Top Albums chart. BLACK STAR RIDERS frontman Ricky Warwick commented: "Nuclear Blast have been there since the inception of BLACK STAR RIDERS... believing in the band and most importantly the songs. After three very successful albums, it's a no-brainer for the band to stay where we belong." Guitarist Scott Gorham added: "Nuclear Blast Entertainment are one of the best labels I have ever worked with. I am thrilled to continue BLACK STAR RIDERS relationship with this great group of people!"

Guitarist Damon Johnson said: "What a pleasure working with the entire team at Nuclear Blast over the past five years. We look forward to the next five and beyond."

Bassist Robert Crane stated: "So thankful to be apart of the Nuclear Blast family! Looking forward to our future together."

AURI, the project featuring NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and his wife, popular Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela, has inked a deal with Nuclear Blast. AURI's debut album is tentatively due in early 2018.

AURI begun its life with three people, united through their shared need to hear a kind of a music which can't be described by words alone. A magical kind of sound to be heard whilst falling down Alice's rabbit hole.

The first song born of this mindset, "Aphrodite Rising", appeared in 2011. And slowly the earth has cracked open again and ten more tracks have emerged out of the soil's dust. Thus the trio was formed. Kurkela lent her unique voice, while Holopainen and English composer and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley (also of NIGHTWISH) cast their spells with various other instruments. Using selected guest musicians and friends, the album finally takes its ultimate form under the direction of sound engineer Tim Oliver, all within the pastoral splendor of Real World studios in Southern England.

AURI put the "drink me potion" to its lips, grew to full size, and is now ready to slay the Jabberwocky. Hand in hand with Nuclear Blast, they lead their listeners into the shadows behind the mirror, and their debut album will evoke ghosts of an ethereal sphere.

AURI is:

Johanna Kurkela: Voices, violaTuomas Holopainen: Keys, backing voicesTroy Donockley: Acoustic and electric guitars, bouzouki, uilleann pipes, low whistles, aerophone, bodhran, keys, voices

Holopainen and Kurkela have been married since October 2015.

Photo by Tim Martindale

Starmus Festival IV: Life And The Universe ran from June 18th – 23rd in Trondheim, Norway. Guitar legend Steve Vai was invited to head up the music component and appeared with his band and special guests Nuno Bettencourt, Grace Potter and Devin Townsend.. Fan-filmed of Vai and his guests performing the Extreme classic "Get The Funk Out" is available below.

Steve Vai and Devin Townsend reunited on stage for the first time in over 25 years at Norway’s Starmus Festival. Fan-filmed video of the former bandmates performing "Here And Now" from the Vai band’s Sex & Religion album is available below.

Townsend made the revelation about the reunion while speaking to eonmusic at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, which took place in London on June 13th. Speaking about the upcoming Starmus appearance, Townsend said that he was looking forward to performing with Vai once again. “We’re doing one of my songs with an orchestra, and I’m singing with him for the first time in 25 years. I’m also playing some of his stuff, so I think, now that I’ve been elevated to Riff Lord, I may get a promotion!”

Read more at eonmusic.co.uk.

"Europe, we're speechless," says The Dead Daisies. "Week #3 of our Live & Louder World Tour got even crazier than we could've imagined: From a sold out, blazing hot show in Vauréal to huge festival gigs and otherworldly creatures at Graspop Metal Meeting and Hellfest Open Air Festival - it's been one hell of a ride!"

"Not to mention our sweat-dripping club shows alongside the magnificent ladies of Thundermother in Nuremberg and Leipzig. All that and we still managed to get up close and personal with you at our acoustic gigs. Wow! And we're not done yet by far!"

"In fact, we're all looking forward to meeting old friends and making new ones at our upcoming shows in Germany, Austria, Hungary, and The Czech Republic. Once more, we want to thank each and every one of you for coming to our shows, spreading the word, and sharing your love of rock 'n' roll with us. Because that's what it's all about after all."

Check out the official highlight reel:

In other news, high octane, rip-roaring hard rockers The Dead Daisies announce a monumental return to Woodstock Poland, featuring in a gripping headline performance at a special Concert For Freedom with The Gorzow Philharmonic Orchestra on August 3rd.

Founder & President of Woodstock Poland, Jurek Owsiak has the following thoughts on The Dead Daisies and their return to his festival: “Woodstock 1969 became an incredible spark which inspired all freedom thinkers of the world to face their biggest challenge yet - striving to achieve freedom, independence, truth, and try to build a true fraternity of people across the globe. For people in Poland, it became an inspiration to take a very important step on the road to regaining freedom and true independence. It was thanks to music, thanks to artists, who gave voice to our dreams which, 25 years ago, resulted in the creation of Polish solidarity and our Polish independence. We are so proud to say that it has been 23 years since we began to send the message of peace. It is especially important in such turbulent times as now.

“We are very grateful that thanks to artists like you, and amazing initiatives like The Dead Daisies and their songs about freedom, we are able to nurture and develop these everlasting ideals. The spirit of freedom permeates the globe, unstoppable like the wind, and it reminds us that despite the different skin colors or creeds we are all united by the ideals of Love, Friendship, and Music.”

In the middle of a world tour supporting the release of their new live album - Live & Louder, Doug Aldrich said the following: “We are very, very, excited to be involved in the Woodstock Festival again this year. We will be performing with a sixty-piece orchestra!! It has been a big dream to do that! The Dead Daisies set list is going to be a one off special in the name of Peace & Freedom just for this show. Can't wait!!”

Alongside the announcement, The Dead Daisies are releasing a new video today for “With You And I”, which was fittingly filmed at the band’s inaugural performance at the Woodstock Festival last summer. It features imagery in line with values that the world seems to have sadly forgotten.

Singer John Corabi: “I think the lyrics to "With You And I" are especially relevant at the moment, you can't turn the TV on and NOT see some sort of human decay anymore. We're battling each other in so many ways, it's disturbing. Be it political party differences, the struggle of black vs. white, religious differences, terrorism, famine, disease, pollution, climate change, etc. - nobody is working TOGETHER in any way to find answers to these issues, and communicate as adults!”

Remaining dates on The Dead Daisies' Live & Louder World Tour are as listed:

June
25 - Bluesiana - Velden, Austria
26 - Bluesiana - Velden, Austria
27 - Rockhouse - Salzburg, Austria
28 - A38 - Budapest, Hungary
29 - Lucerna Music Bar - Prague, Czech Republic

July
1 - Freigericht Rockt Festival - Freigericht, Germany
5 - Shibuya Club Quattro - Tokyo, Japan
6 - Umeda Club Quattro - Osaka, Japan
12 - Opera de Arame - Curitiba, Brazil (special guest to Richie Kotzen)
13 - Carioca Club - Sao Paulo, Brazil (special guest to Richie Kotzen)
15 - Vorterix - Buenos Aires, Argentina
16 - Vorterix Rosario - Santa Fe, Argentina
19 - Club Chocolate - Santiago, Chile
21 - El Plaza Condesa - Mexico City, Mexico

August
3 - Woodstock Poland - Kostrzyn, Poland
10 - Arcada Theatre - Chicago, IL
11 - Shelter at Saint Andrews - Detroit, MI
12 - Lee’s Palace - Toronto, ON
16 - House Of Independence - Asbury Park, NJ
17 - Highline Ballroom - New York NY
18 - Rams Head Live - Baltimore, MD
19 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
20 - The Basement East - Nashville, TN
23 - Gas Monkey - Dallas, TX
25 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
26 - House Of Blues - San Diego, CA
27 - Counts Vamp’d - Las Vegas NV

Lineup:

Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio) - guitars
John Corabi (Mötley Crüe, The Scream) - vocals
David Lowy (Red Phoenix, Mink) - guitars
Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) - bass
Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne, Foreigner) - drums

Earlier this year Canadian bashers Sumo Cyco released their second album, Opus Mar. The song "Move Mountains" features guest vocals from Skindred frontman Benji Webbe, who also appears in the official video. Check it out below.

Skindred released their sixth studio album, Volume, back on October 30th, 2015. The band released a video for the track “Sound The Siren” in 2016, which can be found below.

Volume was recorded at The Strongroom Studio in East London and was produced by longtime collaborator James 'Lerock' Loughrey (White Zombie, Depeche Mode, Manic Street Preachers).

Tracklisting:

“Under Attack”
“Volume”
“Hit The Ground”
“Shut Ya Mouth”
“I”
“The Healing”
“Sound The Siren”
“Saying It Now”
“II”
“Straight Jacket”
“III”
“No Justice”
“Stand Up”
“Three Words”

“Sound The Siren” video:

“Volume” video:

“Under Attack” video:

Steve Vai and Devin Townsend reunited on stage for the first time in over 25 years at Norway’s Starmus Festival. Fan-filmed video of the former bandmates performing "Here And Now" from the Vai band’s Sex & Religion album is available below.

Townsend made the revelation about the reunion while speaking to eonmusic at the Metal Hammer Golden Gods, which took place in London on June 13th. Speaking about the upcoming Starmus appearance, Townsend said that he was looking forward to performing with Vai once again. “We’re doing one of my songs with an orchestra, and I’m singing with him for the first time in 25 years. I’m also playing some of his stuff, so I think, now that I’ve been elevated to Riff Lord, I may get a promotion!”

Read more at eonmusic.co.uk.

Because of JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford's importance to the heavy metal genre, Rolling Stone magazine reached out to him while putting together a list of the "100 Greatest Metal Albums" and asked him to name his personal top 10. He kindly e-mailed a list with a few words about each one and why it's important to him and to metal. Check out his comments at RollingStone.com.

Rob Halford's favorite heavy metal albums:

01. BLACK SABBATH - "Black Sabbath" (1970)02. METALLICA - "Kill 'Em All" (1983)03. KORN - "Korn" (1994)04. IRON MAIDEN - "Iron Maiden" (1980)05. SLAYER - "Reign In Blood" (1986)06. PANTERA - "Cowboys From Hell" (1990)07. DIO - "Holy Diver" (1983)08. EMPEROR - "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk" (1997)09. SLIPKNOT - "Slipknot" (1999)10. MOTÖRHEAD - "Ace Of Spades" (1980)

As previously reported, JUDAS PRIEST is putting the finishing touches on its long-awaited follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" album. Helming the sessions for the new disc are the band's longtime producer Tom Allom, acclaimed British knob-twiddler Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, TESTAMENT, ACCEPT) and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

Halford recently told Planet Rock about the band's new disc: "It's just great to watch how a record comes together, from those early, early days where there was just me and [guitarists] Glenn [Tipton] and Richie [Faulkner] sitting in the studio with a couple of guitars and just, you know, doing what we do. You start the day with nothing, and then at the end of day, potentially, you've got a really great, classic PRIEST song that may live forever."

He continued: "So we're hard at it. We're still doing what we love to do. PRIEST is a working band more than anything else. It's that Midlands ethic, the work ethic of anybody that goes to work… I say it's work, 'cause it is work — you're working with your mind, you're being creative. And now we're moving through into other stages, we're preparing for another big world tour, getting stage designs sorted, lighting designs sorted. So this is the beginning of what's gonna be a very exciting 2018 period."

Allom produced every PRIEST release from "Unleashed In The East" (1979) through "Ram It Down" (1988), along with several live records since then. As a young engineer, he also worked on the first three BLACK SABBATH records under producer Rodger Bain.

During a January 2017 appearance on "Trunk Nation", Eddie Trunk's show on SiriusXM channel Volume (106), Halford said that there was no set-in-stone timetable for the release of PRIEST's next album. "You know, there is no rush," he said. "There is no rush. We feel great. We're very happy, we're very confident, we're very excited. And so, yeah, we're working with our label and with promoters, and there's a lot of stuff going on behind the scenes."

He continued: "When we go out, we want it to be good — we want it to be good, we want it to be well planned, we wanna make sure that everybody's happy."

Halford said last year that JUDAS PRIEST wasn't interested in making "a 'Redeemer Of Souls Part Two'." He explained: "I think it's very important that we make another stand-alone record again, a heavy metal record that's going to have its own legs and just be as different as all of them have been so far."

"Redeemer Of Souls" was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

"Last Apology", the first song from HUNDRED SUNS, the trio featuring Cory Brandan (NORMA JEAN), Ryan Leger (EVERY TIME I DIE) and Chris LeMasters (DEAD & DIVINE), can be streamed below. The song is taken from the band's debut album, "The Prestaliis", which will be released on August 11 via New Damage Records. Fans can catch HUNDRED SUNS performing "Last Apology" and more from the new album on their upcoming North American tour, which kicks off August 5 in Dallas, Texas. HUNDRED SUNS drown themselves in doomy groove, bass-driven power, loud guitars, and surreal sonic tribalism, with reverent worship of classic darkly romantic alt-rock bands, the scorching intensity of underground music, and the melodic clarity of the more uncompromising radio trailblazers of decades past. But HUNDRED SUNS boast disparate elements from post-grunge to the mind-expanding meditative epics churned out by critical darling progressive rock in equal measure, fused into something freshly unique. In short, the band sounds both familiar and groundbreaking. The trio responsible for HUNDRED SUNS are known for celebrating the heavier extremes of the art form with angst-fueled anthems heard around the world, in their respective projects, both past and present. But vocalist and lyricist Cory Brandan, powerhouse drummer Ryan Leger and principal songwriter/guitarist Chris LeMasters unlock grand mysteries with emotional resonance as HUNDRED SUNS, as evidenced all over their immersive and diverse debut album, "The Prestaliis". LeMasters assembled a massive stockpile of songs with Brandan's voice and sensibilities in mind after the duo got to know each other sharing a bus together while touring across Europe. As soon as the singer heard what would become "Fractional", he raced to his home recording setup to lay down ideas. Those early inspirations tracked as preproduction demos survived to the finished versions of many songs. Early adopters quickly embraced both "Fractional" and "Bedburner" (both released last year). The band recorded the album with producer/engineer Sam Guaiana (LIKE PACIFIC), vocal engineer/producer Jeremy SH Griffith (NORMA JEAN, UNDEROATH), and producer/mixer (and SAOSIN guitarist) Beau Burchell (BLAQK AUDIO, THE BRONX). Brandan said: "It was a long four-year road to get here and the album is everything I hoped it would be and more. We set out to make something unique and meaningful. I know it's at least one of those things. To me, it's both."

MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil performed at Resorts in Atlantic City, New Jersey on June 23.

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert — which was part of Neil's solo tour "The Legacy Continues" — can be seen below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE called it quits in December 2015 following an eighteen-month tour that saw the group performing to packed houses all over the world.

A tour film about CRÜE's final shows, "The End", came out last fall, and a film adaptation of the band's 2001 autobiography "The Dirt" is still said to be in the works.

Speaking to "Trunk Nation", Eddie Trunk's show on SiriusXM channel Volume (106), Vince acknowledged that he is currently the only member of MÖTLEY CRÜE who is waving the flag for the band's music by performing CRÜE songs as a solo artist.

"It's a cool thing, because I love MÖTLEY CRÜE, I love MÖTLEY CRÜE's music, and I love singing, and I love the fans' reactions when they hear the songs," he said. "Whether we're playing in front of a thousand people or twenty thousand people, I can only see the front row anyway. So I'm happy for me and for the fans to be able to still hear that music after MÖTLEY CRÜE is finished."

Neil reiterated the fact that he doesn't mind performing in much smaller places with his solo band than he was accustomed to playing with MÖTLEY CRÜE. "I always look at it like the best of both worlds," he explained. "You know, we had the big, giant MÖTLEY stuff and everything, and then you've got… I like going out and playing… We do fifteen-hundred, two-thousand, three-thousand seaters and some festival stuff, and it's fun to go out there and just let the music do the talking, as the song goes. And I don't miss it. I like just going out there and just raw."

Even though Neil's solo set consists exclusively of MÖTLEY CRÜE material, he says that he tries to keep things fresh by occasionally throwing in "deeper" album cuts that many fans wouldn't expect to hear in a live situation.

"Like [the] songs 'Red Hot' and 'Piece Of Your Action', we didn't have [them] in the set for a long time, and then I was, like, 'Yeah, let's just go ahead and let's do this,'" he said. "Then we added 'Red Hot' and we stopped doing it for a while, and then we just added it again."

He continued: "The old songs are… MÖTLEY didn't play all these old songs, and I enjoy singing these old songs, so it's fun for me and it's fun for the band and it's fun for the crowd."

Neil's solo band includes Dana Strum and Jeff Blando from SLAUGHTER, along with drummer Zoltan Chaney.

Fan-filmed video footage of IRON MAIDEN's entire June 24 concert at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. If Eternity Should Fail02. Speed Of Light03. Wrathchild04. Children Of The Damned05. Death Or Glory06. The Red And The Black07. The Trooper08. Powerslave09. The Great Unknown10. The Book Of Souls11. Fear Of The Dark12. Iron Maiden

Encore:

13. The Number Of The Beast14. Blood Brothers15. Wasted Years

IRON MAIDEN bassist and main songwriter Steve Harris recently told Express & Star about the band's current trek: "We had always planned to go back [to North America] and to the U.K. as last year, due to the global nature of the tour and the period it took, we just didn't have time to cover them properly and we do still like to get to fans in as many places as possible.

"We will, of course, be bringing the full production with us, including all the Eddies and the Maya-themed stage sets. There's been a great reaction from everyone to this tour's theme; people really seem to love it.

"Most of our North American fans haven't seen the show yet, so as we want to give them the same 'Book Of Souls' live experience that we took around the world, it's unlikely we'll change much. And, of course, we know our fans appreciate us playing a lot of the older songs too, so we will continue to do that."

MAIDEN's recent European tour consisted of a total of sixteen dates, including three shows in Germany, eight in England, two in Scotland and one each in Ireland and Wales. The U.K. leg marked MAIDEN's first full U.K. arena tour in six years.

"The Book Of Souls" is MAIDEN's first ever double studio album and their most successful chart-wise to date, debuting at the No. 1 spot in over 40 countries around the world and No. 4 in the U.S.A.

QUIET RIOT played its new song "Freak Flag" live for the first time Friday night (June 23) at Phase 2 in Lynchburg, Virginia. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

"Freak Flag" is taken from QUIET RIOT's new album, "Road Rage", which will be released on August 4 via Frontiers Music Srl.

QUIET RIOT is led by drummer Frankie Banali, who is joined by bassist Chuck Wright (who has been in and out of the band since 1982), guitarist Alex Grossi (who has been in the band since 2004), and new vocalist James Durbin.

Durbin, who became known as the "metal guy" on 2011's season of "American Idol" after performing "Living After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law" with JUDAS PRIEST, hooked up with QUIET RIOT last month after the dismissal of Seann Nicols (a.k.a. Sheldon Tarsha; formerly of ADLER'S APPETITE). Nicols was with QUIET RIOT for just a few months, but long enough to record the vocals for an early version of "Road Rage".

"Road Rage" was originally scheduled for release in the spring of 2017, but with the injection of newfound energy for the band with the addition of Durbin in the vocalist slot, the band decided to scrap the original sessions and record a new version of the album with the new and improved lineup.

Banali said: "QUIET RIOT has always recorded songs that have a link with the QUIET RIOT 'sound' and at the same time always musically moving forward. 'Freak Flag' is such a song with a strong connection to our iconic sound from the past, which I think our longtime fans will appreciate and newer fans will embrace." Durbin added: "'Freak Flag' is a concept I've been holding on to for a few years. It's all about being you no matter what life has labeled you with. We're all broken and searching for acceptance, but there's a beauty in that search and it's something that should be celebrated."

"Road Rage" track listing:

01. Can't Get Enough02. Getaway03. Roll This Joint04. Freak Flag05. Wasted06. Still Wild07. Make A Way08. Renegades09. The Road10. Shame11. Knock Em Down

"The recordings for the new 'Road Rage' record have been an incredible musical journey in the storied history of QUIET RIOT," said Banali.

"I asked vocalist James Durbin to fill the very large shoes of the late great Kevin DuBrow because I knew he could. While no one can ever replace Kevin DuBrow, he has the same spirit and drive that Kevin had.

"James is an amazing live performer with insane vocal range, but he is also a very gifted songwriter and brought to the 'Road Rage' record totally unique original lyrics and melodies. Not only do they fit perfectly to the music we wrote, but took the songs to a completely new level.

"All the work that we have put into this record has been well worth the wait!

"I am extremely proud of guitarist Alex Grossi, bassist Chuck Wright and especially James Durbin for the work we have created on this record.

"QUIET RIOT continues to tour relentlessly and will be on the road throughout the year. Expect to hear your QUIET RIOT favorites as well as new songs from 'Road Rage' at our shows!" Durbin comments on joining the band and his work on "Road Rage": "The crown jewel, on top of joining one of your favorite bands, has to be writing, recording and releasing a new album. No matter what, you are now a part of that band's history and I'm honored to have had the opportunity to do that with QUIET RIOT.

"I spent just over three weeks marathon songwriting brand new lyrics and melodies for every song and recording vocals.

"I'm extremely proud of the 'Road Rage' record, not only that I had the band's support and trust to deliver, or how great of a personal accomplishment and blessing it's been, but that we can keep the QUIET RIOT freak flag flying and have the chance to inspire a new generation of fans!" Durbin made his live debut with QUIET RIOT on March 18 at The Cotillion in Wichita, Kansas.

Banali revived QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after DuBrow's death, along with Grossi and Wright. The group went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Jizzy Pearl in 2013. Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT last October.

Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM), Amos Heller (Taylor Swift), Bryan Wickmann (formerly of SEETHER), Christopher Williams (ACCEPT), Meta Dead (THE DEAD DEADS) and Brandon Bruce (TIME TRAP) are among the musicians who took part in "Say Hello 2 Heaven", a tribute concert to Chris Cornell, this past Friday night (June 23) at The Basement East in Nashville, Texas.

Fan-filmed video footage of the "Hunger Strike" (TEMPLE OF THE DOG) and "Black Hole Sun" (SOUNDGARDEN) performances can be seen below.

In a recent interview with the 97.7 WQLZ radio station, Hale stated about Cornell: "Honestly, SOUNDGARDEN was a huge building block with my bandmates, 'cause that band… that kind of knocked me out of my '80s obsession. That was the band that brought me into the '90s and the magic of that. I remember… I think it was a couple of days after I met Joe [Hottinger, HALESTORM guitarist], he ended up giving me — back when you used to burn CDs — he gave me this kind of mixed tape of… there was 'Down On The Upside' and there was some stuff from 'Superunknown', and it blew my freaking mind, because I hadn't really dug into that band yet. And it literally… I think it helped shape our HALESTORM sound. This was in 2003 when we started kind of really getting it together."

She continued: "Nobody approached the microphone like [Chris] did. There was just this effortless… and all these different characters that he developed over records, which is something I always kind of go to. We're actually doing that in the studio now — we're, like, 'This about all the characters that Chris Cornell had and how he used them in every song.' There were a couple of different voices. And we discussed that even before he passed, we discussed this over the years."

Hale added: "It's just so sad to lose another one. He's such a great talent, and it's so incredibly heartbreaking that he's gone now."

HALESTORM is currently writing and recording material for the follow-up to 2015's "Into The Wild Life" album.

The band's last disc, 2015's "Into The Wild Life", was criticized by some fans for veering too far into pop music territory.

HALESTORM's third covers EP, "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP", was released on January 6 via Atlantic. The effort was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN).

Less than three months after the death of Paul O'Neill, creator of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, the surviving members of the multi-platinum rock theater experience have announced plans to bring the show back for a fall 2017 U.S. tour.

O'Neill passed away on April 5 of an accidental drug overdose. According to a copy of the autopsy report from the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's office in Tampa, Florida, O'Neill died of intoxication from a mixture of methadone, codeine, Valium and an antihistamine. The medical examiner listed the manner of death as drug abuse, noting that O'Neill also suffered from heart disease, hypertension and moderate hardening of the arteries. He was found dead in his room at the Tampa Embassy Suites hotel by staff.

In a statement posted on the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA web site on Saturday (June 24), O'Neill's bandmates and colleagues announced their intention to keep the show alive in his honor. They wrote: "While all of us, the members of the TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA family, are heartbroken by the tragic loss of our friend and leader Paul O'Neill, we are determined to carry on the rock theater project to which he dedicated his life.

"Paul always talked about how he saw TSO as both an idea and ideal that would continue long after he stepped off the 'flight deck' (his name for the stage). We hope to continue his work of providing a timeless, multi-generational tradition like those created by his idol Charles Dickens.

"In that spirit, we are proud to announce that TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA will return with their 2017 Winter Tour featuring the cherished tale 'The Ghosts Of Christmas Eve'!"

An official statement from O'Neill's family reported that the multi-instrumentalist died as a result of an "unexpected reaction" to prescription medication for his various ailments. "The Hillsborough, Florida medical examiner's office has determined the official cause of Paul O'Neill's death as accidental, resulting from an unexpected reaction to prescribed medications to treat his numerous chronic illnesses (including bone augmentation surgery, complications from spinal fusion surgery, heart disease, and hypertension)," read the statement released on May 30.

TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA formed in 1996 out of the ashes of the Florida power metal band SAVATAGE and started touring three years later, connecting with fans by releasing a series of rock operas, such as 1996's "Christmas Eve And Other Stories", 1998's "The Christmas Attic" and 2004's "The Lost Christmas Eve". Over the past 20 years, it has become a critically acclaimed, multi-platinum, musical powerhouse. The progressive rock group's record-setting "rock theater" tours sell out venues year after year and they have cemented their status as a must attend, multi-generational, holiday tradition.

2016 was another record-breaking year for TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA (TSO). Proving that it is more popular on the road than ever before, TSO's winter tour 2016 sold the most tickets per show in the group's history, with a total in excess of 927,000. The tour also set a record gross for TSO with a total of more than $56.9 million.

20 years since the band's first album, and since its historic touring debut, TSO has played in excess of 1,800 shows for more than 14 million fans, with tour grosses of over $625 million, and sold in excess of 12 million albums and DVDs. In 2009, Billboard magazine placed TSO at #25 on its "Top Touring Artists Of The Decade."

Vinny Appice says that Ronnie James Dio would be "pissed off" if he was alive to see Gene Simmons attempt to trademark the so-called "devil's horns" hand gesture.

The late BLACK SABBATH and RAINBOW singer is widely credited with popularizing the symbol — a staple at rock concerts for decades — which the KISS bassist/vocalist filed an application to trademark on June 9, only to abandon it less than two weeks later.

Appice, who played with Dio in SABBATH, DIO and HEAVEN & HELL, was asked for his thoughts on Gene's trademark attempt during a recent appearance on the "Ouch You're On My Hair" podcast. Vinny said (hear audio below): "Ronnie's hand gesture thing is an old Italian thing; it's called the maloik. And his grandmother showed him that and used to do that, and so did the elders in my family too. And that's to put… one way's to put horns on people, and the other way is to wish 'em good luck. So Gene couldn't have invented it, because it's an old Italian thing. And if Ronnie was alive, man, he'd be pissed off. Oh, yeah!"

Ronnie James Dio, who reportedly didn't start using the hand gesture on stage until after joining BLACK SABBATH in 1979, himself declined to take credit for the symbol, explaining in a 2001 interview: "I doubt very much if I would be the first one who ever did that. That's like saying I invented the wheel. I'm sure someone did that at some other point. I think you'd have to say that I made it fashionable. I used it so much and all the time and it had become my trademark."

Dio ― who said his Italian grandmother often invoked the horns to ward off the malocchio (the evil eye), bad luck or malevolent spirits ― also took issue with Simmons.

"Gene Simmons will tell you that he invented it," Ronnie once said. "But then again, Gene invented breathing and shoes and everything else."

Ronnie James Dio's widow Wendy also criticized Simmons for attempting to trademark the hand sign. She told TheWrap: "To try to make money off of something like this is disgusting. It belongs to everyone — it doesn't belong to anyone. It's a public domain, it shouldn't be trademarked."

Most music fans have slammed Simmons for the trademark request, saying the symbol has become ubiquitous and means different things to different people.

When asked if it was Ronnie James Dio who actually started it, Simmons told Classic Rock magazine: "Well, I've heard Ronnie say that to my face and I said, 'God bless you.' I mean him no ill will, but I think he's wrong. Mine came from Spider-man doing his hand signal, as a homage to him. If you see me in photos, I'm sticking out my thumb. That's the sign in sign language which means 'I love you.'"

Fan-filmed video footage of VIMIC, the new band featuring former SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison, perfoming on June 20 at the Limelight Eventplex in Peoria, Illinois as the support act for IN THIS MOMENT can be seen below.

VIMIC in February postponed its previously announced European tour so that the group could finish work on its first full-length disc, to be released later this year. "Open Your Omen", is described in a press release as "quite possibly the biggest triumph of Jordison's illustrious career."

VIMIC's debut album was originally supposed to be released last year via Jordison's longtime label, Roadrunner, but the band has since parted ways with the record company and has yet to announce a new label home.

In April, photos surfaced on social media of Jordison and Dave Mustaine at a Nashville studio, leading to speculation that the MEGADETH mainman was involved in the mixing process for VIMIC's upcoming effort.

Joining Jordison in VIMIC are singer Kalen Chase Musmecci, who has toured with KORN as a backing vocalist and percussionist, and Joey's former SCAR THE MARTYR bandmates Jed Simon (guitar), Kyle Konkiel (bass) and Matthew Tarach (keyboards). VIMIC has also welcomed new guitarist Steve Marshall to the band.

In a December 2016 interview with Shockwave Magazine, Jordison stated about the making of VIMIC's first album: "The way we did 'Open Your Omen', the way we wrote it is exactly like how a garage band would do their demo tape. We went all the way back to the basics, and it was cool doing it like that because you didn't have the influence of your label, and the huge studio, and cars, hotels, and fancy dinners, all this bullshit that goes on along with being in the record industry. It was done literally in my home, organic, and we went out just to the studio not too far from my house and we just laid it down there. So, it was pretty much born in my home and then we just cruised up to the studio and just laid it down really quick."

Before his dismissal from SLIPKNOT in December 2013, Jordison had been quietly struggling with the career-threatening neurological condition acute transverse myelitis, an inflammation of the spinal cord which damages nerve fibers, which ultimately led to Joey losing the use of his legs. Never one to quit or back down from a fight, Jordison overcame the impossible through months and months of rehabilitation, regaining the strength to walk again. He is feeling stronger than ever and is eager to show the world what is possible.

"When this stuff happened to me, most, a lot of people, they just don't come back from it," he told Shockwave Magazine. "They just don't. They're crippled for life, they give up, and they're either in a wheelchair, or they just don't come back from this. My fighting spirit is to never give up no matter what and I fought so hard. I had to throw music away, I had to kiss it goodbye for a little bit and it sucked. But I knew that if I was going to be able to do this again that I had, with all my strength that I had in my body, mentally, in my heart as well, soulful, spiritually, whatever I had to get through this, I had to do it. I put myself all the way through it and I came back and I'm actually stronger than I've ever been. It took a long time to get through it. It was not an easy road, but I'm back and I'm happier than I've ever been. I'm playing music all the time. I play better than I ever have, cause all I do is gym and just work out. Life takes you down troubled roads sometimes, not to hurt you, but to cleanse you. That's the way I kind of look at it."

On June 19, Finland's Kaaos TV conducted an interview with guitarist Wolf Hoffmann of veteran German/American metallers ACCEPT at The Riff in Helsinki. You can watch the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On whether the addition of guitarist Uwe Lulis (GRAVE DIGGER, REBELLION) and drummer Christopher Williams changed the writing process for the band's new "The Rise Of Chaos" studio album:

Wolf: "That makes a little bit of difference, but really, we have a machine that's been rolling for the last eight years. It's very well in place. It always starts the same way. Peter [Baltes, bass] and I are really responsible for most, all of the music, really. He and I, we get together first and we trade licks and we play each other ideas that we have collected over time. Then we start making some first demos between the two of us. When we feel like we have something that's actually worth for the other guys to listen to, then we'll send it to Mark [Tornillo, vocals], and he'll put the final lyrics on it. Once all that is done, we call [British producer/engineer] Andy Sneap in, then we get to the recording process, which at that point, in this case, we had Christopher Williams playing the drums. Really, a whole lot has not changed. We really worked that way ever since. We haven't been to some exotic island. We didn't do anything crazy like that. We just work at home in Nashville."

On whether ACCEPT's goal is to continue writing music as if it sounded like it was created 30 years ago:

Wolf: "Absolutely, and if you want it to sound like it sounded back then, you've gotta use what you know worked back then. That's how we've been doing it back then, so we're doing it still the exact same way. My goal is always to write songs that I could have written 30 years ago, just never did. I want it to sound somewhat old-school and '80s, only with a modern touch and modern sound, fresh ideas and all of that. But, really, the core of the music should be like back in the '80s."

On the importance of ACCEPT's production team understanding the band's aim of staying true to their '80s sound:

Wolf: "It's super important. The role of a producer is one of the big mysteries in the music business because, on one hand, you have producers who come in and go, 'Oh, no, everything you're doing, no, no, we have to take it all apart and put it back together.' They question everything. Some other producers just let you do your thing and they make it sound good. Then there's a million ways in between where you can just say, 'He's just stepping out of the way when it's necessary and stepping in when it's necessary.' That's how I would see Andy, really. For the first time we worked with him was for 'Blood Of The Nations' when we regrouped with Mark. He was very instrumental then because we didn't really know what exact direction to go. What should ACCEPT sound like in 2010? So he was really the one who picked through all the song ideas and picked the ones that he felt would be right for us from a fan perspective. He was a fan when he was a teenager and, to a certain degree, I guess he still is. He was really, really helpful then and ever since, we sort of know more and more what we're all going for. We kind of have our marching orders and we have a clear direction even when we start writing the songs, so we don't even bring stuff to the table that we know is not right. Nowadays, he's much more of the guy who comes in and makes it happen. Once we have all the ideas demoed out, he comes in and records proper drums with us, proper guitars, just makes sure it's all up to his specs."

On whether he prefers a "hands-off" type of producer:

Wolf: "We've had that experience back in the '80s with [German producer] Dieter Dierks when we produced 'Metal Heart'. I mean, we learned a lot and it was probably very necessary back then, but right now, I feel we're secure enough, we know what we're going for that we don't think that will be very helpful, but who knows, maybe one day in the future, we want that. Right now is where we stand and we're totally happy with the way it works with Andy, so we're not wanting to change anything."

On whether ACCEPT would consider making slight changes to their sound:

Wolf: "No, we don't, and I don't think we need to and we shouldn't. It sounds incredibly easy to stay true to yourself, just get better, but you already are doing [it]. That's the challenge. That brings a band forward. It's always easy to do something that you haven't done before. If we make, I don't know, a bunch of ballads now or something super heavy, fast that nobody would expect from us… that's easy because we haven't done that. It's a lot of fun sometimes because it's sort of new territory for everybody, but is that really what we should be doing or what the fans want us to do? I don't think so. I think they like us for a certain reason and we want to give them more and better stuff of exactly what it is of who we are."

"The Rise Of Chaos" will be released August 4 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the disc was created by the Hungarian artist Gyula Havancsák and can be seen below.

ACCEPT parted ways with guitarist Herman Frank and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann in December 2014.

TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider paid tribute to Chris Cornell by performing the SOUNDGARDEN classic "Outshined" on June 16 at the Graspop Metal Meeting in Dessel, Belgium. Professionally filmed video footage of his rendition can be seen below.

Cornell was pronounced dead on May 18 after being found unresponsive in his Detroit hotel room the previous night. SOUNDGARDEN had played a show earlier that evening.

The 52-year-old had sedatives and an anxiety drug in his system on the night he died by hanging himself. According to a completed toxicology report released by Michigan's Wayne County Medical Examiner, the drugs didn't contribute to the cause of death.

Chris was laid to rest on May 26 at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Dee's solo album, "We Are The Ones", was released last October via Red River Records (distributed by BFD/RED). Produced by Damon Ranger, the disc was described by Dee as "an album that is think part FOO FIGHTERS, part IMAGINE DRAGONS, part THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS." He added: "Forget anything from the past. Most of my heavy metal fans are gonna hate it; I've abandoned my past to move forward."

According to Metro, NAPALM DEATH's Spotify streams rose by a staggering 228% in the first two days after frontman Mark "Barney" Greenway tried to teach well-known British politician Ed Miliband to sing in a death metal style live on radio.

Miliband hosted a discussion on BBC Radio 2 on Wednesday asking, "Why does anyone like death metal?" He was joined by Greenway, who tried to give the former Labour Party leader a lesson in the difficult singing style.

Greenway was brought on to the show to discuss the topic as a stage dedicated to the death metal genre is making an appearance at Glastonbury for the first time ever, curated by the long-running label Earache Records.

"I've been a groupie for SO long, been to the gigs, got the T-shirt, now's my chance to meet Napalm Death in person….," Miliband wrote excitedly on Twitter Wednesday morning.

Introducing the type of music NAPALM DEATH plays, Miliband said: "This isn't the heavy metal you might know like IRON MAIDEN. This is heavier than heavy."

Miliband's attempt at death metal singing came as he and Greenway were discussing NAPALM DEATH's record-setting shortest song "You Suffer" and playing it twice.

Milliband, who has been sitting in for Jeremy Vine on the radio show this week, told the listeners: "I'm now going to take my career into my hands, if it isn't already down the pan, and you're going to try to help me do a bit of this extreme metal."

"Force it up through the throat," was Greenway's advice, before Miliband produced something that sounded more like a shout than a growl. Greenway then commented: "No, no. More throat, definitely more throat."

NAPALM DEATH has been in existence since the early 1980s, with their sixteenth album, "Apex Predator - Easy Meat", released in January 2015.

The band's most successful album in the U.K. was "Utopia Banished", which was released in 1992 and reached No. 58 on the British album chart.

Ed Miliband just attempted to sing death-metal on Radio 2, tutored by the lead singer of Napalm Death. You're welcome. pic.twitter.com/1gnZgSMU9O

— Tim Johns (@timoncheese) June 21, 2017

Fan-filmed video footage of HEADCAT's June 21 performance at Come And Take It Live in (Grizzly Hall) in Austin, Texas can be seen below.

In 1999, Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD), Slim Jim Phantom (THE STRAY CATS) and rockabilly guitar-slinger Danny B. Harvey (ROCKATS) teamed up to create a high-energy, take-no-prisoners combo to remind the world how rock 'n' roll was supposed to sound. For over sixteen years, HEADCAT (formerly THE HEAD CAT) continued doing just that to the accolades of fans worldwide.

Since Lemmy's untimely passing in 2015, Slim Jim and Danny B. have put HEADCAT on hold out of respect for their fallen bandmate and have waited until the appropriate time to start performing, and recording again.

Which brings us to the spring of 2017. Along with new HEADCAT bassist and vocalist — former MORBID ANGEL frontman David Vincent — HEADCAT have recently recorded a heartfelt and rockin' tribute to their late friend Lemmy Kilmister, appropriately titled "Born To Lose, Live To Win".

The song was released digitally worldwide on June 23 and will be available on a very limited-edition seven-inch single (only 300 copies pressed!). The seven-inch vinyl singles will be available at the band's European shows this August, including at this year's Wacken Open Air festival — where the band will be performing two sets throughout the weekend.

"Lemmy was my true pal for 35 years," says Slim Jim Phantom. "The HEADCAT 'Born To Lose, Live To Win' track is a tribute to his spirit, image and love of original rock and roll. With his gang, MOTÖRHEAD, he made an everlasting impact on their fans, and like his famed Rickenbacker/Marshall spine tingling feedback, their legacy will continue to resonate for a long time." Danny B. Harvey continues: "This single is both dedicated to, and a tribute to our dear friend and fallen leader. As just about every Lemmy fan knows 'Born To Lose, Live to Win' was not only tattooed on Lemmy's arm but also the credo he lived his life by. Rest in peace, my friend."

Track listing:

A Side: "Born To Lose, Live To Win"B Side: "(This Train Is Going) Straight To Hell"

* Digital-only additional track: "T For Texas"