Judas Priest will be Inducted into The Hall Of Heavy Metal History in 2018. The ceremony will take place August 2nd at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. The induction will take place just before the band performs one of the biggest shows of their current Firepower world tour.

"We have made sure that Judas Priest finally gets the Induction and respect they truly deserve," says Pat Gesualdo, Founder/CEO of The Hall of Heavy Metal History. "We thank them for the decades of hard work and dedication to Heavy Metal, an art form they helped establish."

An official statement from the band reads: "Judas Priest are thrilled and honoured to accept induction into the Hall Of Heavy Metal History and be amongst so many of our friends. This also sends a great message of inclusion for the metal community around the world, and keeps us defending the metal faith together."

Judas Priest’s latest studio album Firepower was released March 9th via Epic Records. Co-produced by Tom Allom and Andy Sneap, the 14-track album has become one of the most successful of the band’s entire career - landing in the Top 5 in 17 countries (including their highest chart placement ever in the US), and scoring their highest charting commercial rock radio single in decades with “Lightning Strike”. The band’s new music video, “No Surrender”, can be seen below.

“’No Surrender’ captures the true metal fighting spirit and metalheads around the world find a united voice within the message of this song,” says the band. “When you honestly believe in yourself and live your life the way you have the right to with no surrender, then nothing will ever stop you from living your dream.”

Judas Priest North American tour dates:

August
21 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
22 - Chicago, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
24 - Detroit, MI - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill
25 - Mt. Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort
27 - Hamilton, ON - FirstOntario Centre
29 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
30 - Quebec City, QC - Centre Videotron

September
1 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
2 - Bethel Woods, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
5 - Darien Center, NY - Darien Lake Amphitheater
6 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
8 - Virginia Beach, VA - Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
9 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
11 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
12 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place
14 - Atlanta, GA - Verizon Amphitheatre
16 - Biloxi, MS - Mississippi Coast Coliseum
18 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
20 - Welch, MN - Treasure Island Casino
21 - Council Bluffs, IA - Harrah's Council Bluffs
23 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
26 - San Diego, CA - Mattress Firm Amphitheatre
27 - Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheatre
29 - Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre
30 - Wheatland, CA - Toyota Amphitheatre

Chris Peters of Australia's Heavy magazine recently conducted an interview with former NIGHTWISH frontwoman Tarja Turunen. You can listen to the entire chat via the Spreaker widget below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On her new live album, "Act II":

Tarja: "I'm very happy. Actually, the work for the live album, even though it's a live album and you might think that artists in general end up working not so much for their live albums, I'm working a lot. It me took many, many months to finish the product, but I'm super-happy with it because it's kind of an important album for me to be able to show where I'm at the moment as an artist. I'm very happy with the final results. You know, it's always a pain in the butt to check yourself on screen and work on the video edits and all that because I'm very critical when it comes to my own performance. I have to bear myself for a long time. [Laughs] It was a fun process anyway."

On the differences in releasing a live album versus a conventional studio album:

Tarja: "Actually, the whole thing of being a solo artist has been such a learning process for me. Since I departed from my previous band, NIGHTWISH, it was the whole beginning of my career, there was stuff in the air. I had to learn so much. After all these years, being alone, creating your art and finding your way, finding the path I wanted to take, writing the songs, being more comfortable and confident in what I do, it's been actually an incredible joyride. Actually, the whole freedom that is around me nowadays, I wouldn't change that at all. It's a really, really beautiful thing."

On whether she planned in advance to release a second live album titled "Act II":

Tarja: "Well, when I was working on 'Act I', certainly, or naturally, I thought that hopefully after a couple of more studio albums, I could come up with 'Act II'. Now that I have released 'Act II', hopefully there will be a chance for 'Act III' one day, obviously. The first, 'Act I', is representing the first two studio albums of mine and 'Act II' is representing the last three studio records, so, in that sense, well, hopefully, one day there is a chance for me to come up with another live album. I enjoy doing these kind of things. I have a great band with me. I have great people working with me. We have good times, we have fun on the road. I'm still enjoying a lot of the touring aspects. I think that I will become very miserable if I wouldn't be able to tour. I love my audience and the performances, so it's important."

On the idea and concept behind the live performances captured on "Act II":

Tarja: "The 'Shadow Shows', the tour that I made for almost two years, it's really representing the latest record of mine, 'The Shadow Self' record. It is an album that is actually, I would say, it's very natural, the whole learning and all that I've been doing as a solo artist. It really represents me. It represents my passion in music. Also, it's kind of a self-discovery that I went through writing the music for the album. It's kind of talking about the two sides in us, the darkness and the light that is in all of us, naturally. You see me performing, I'm very happy in performing, but there is a certain amount of darkness in me that without the darkness, I don't think I could deliver music or I could create music. I find that darkness very beautiful. Don't get me wrong — it's not like I love writing the songs in the dark in the night or something like that. No! I could write songs on the beach, but the interior darkness, we have it all. We have it. For me, it's the power that I have to create, so I'm celebrating of having embraced that darkness in me, how silly it sounds, but it's really like that. This tour has been like that. The celebration of that life of mine. I feel so goddamn good at the moment. That's what you can hopefully see in 'Act II' in the live DVD."

On whether she's happy to have become a solo artist after being fired from NIGHTWISH in 2005:

Tarja: "The past is the past. I got to share the stage with Marco [Hietala], the bass player/singer of NIGHTWISH last year. I met him since I haven't seen him in 12 years or something, so we shared the stage in Finland, there was a tour called 'Raskasta Joulua', which is a heavy metal Christmas tour. I went there after one of the soloists and I sang some songs with him. It was actually a really good meeting. We felt really good embracing each other on the stage and people were crying; the audience was crying. It was a good thing for us. They have their own life, I have my own life, everything is fine. Time heals. Also, the thing is that you're an adult. You need to think and live your life. You only live once. That's how it is."

"Act II" was released on July 27 on earMUSIC as 2CD digipak, 3LP gatefold (180g, black), DVD, Blu-ray, limited mediabook 2CD+2BD (including two full live shows filmed at Hellfest in France and Woodstock Festival in Poland as bonus) and digital.

Listen to "TARJA Acts Up" on Spreaker.

The Canadian extreme progressive metal quintet INTO ETERNITY recently unveiled a new song, "Fringes Of Psychosis", which marked the first official taste of the band's long-awaited sixth album, "The Sirens". Today, M-Theory Audio has announced the group's signing, and that the record will be released on October 26. Physical pre-orders are available now at this location, while a digital pre-order (which includes an instant download of "Fringes of Psychosis") is underway on Bandcamp.

Originally, INTO ETERNITY intended to independently release "The Sirens" after a planned release through a European label fell through, but the group recently reconnected with M-Theory Audio president Marco Barbieri, who served as president of Century Media Records when the band released such acclaimed albums as "Buried In Oblivion" (2004) and "The Scattering Of Ashes" (2006).

"The Sirens" — which features guest appearances by former vocalist Stu Block (now in ICED EARTH), Cam Dixon (ex-ANNIHILATOR) and Glen Drover (ex-MEGADETH) — sees INTO ETERNITY firing on all cylinders, with Amanda Kiernan's fierce vocals and Tim Roth's trademark guitar heroics and vocal harmonies backed by longtime bassist Troy Bleich and newer recruits Bryan James Newbury (drums) and Matt Cuthberston (guitars, also of UNTIMELY DEMISE). The album was co-produced, mixed and mastered by former guitarist Justin Bender, while longtime artist Mattias Noren (EVERGREY, EPICA, KAMELOT) designed the cover and layout.

Says founding guitarist Tim Roth: "First of all, INTO ETERNITY would like to thank all of our fans for the support regarding this new album we're about to release. The original plan was to release it independently ourselves, but the plan has changed. We are pumped to announce that we are now releasing 'The Sirens' worldwide through M-Theory Audio! Thanks go out to Marco for reaching out to us and providing us a new deal that we simply could not refuse.

"INTO ETERNITY worked for years and years with Marco when he was president of Century Media, so for us this is a perfect fit for our band. Unfortunately, this does mean that we will be pushing back our release date until October, as our new label is going to need some time to manufacture and properly promote the release.

"Thanks, again, to everyone for the longtime support, and you'll all be hearing 'The Sirens' in the coming months!"

From 2005 to 2008, there wasn't a harder-working metal band on the planet than INTO ETERNITY, whose extreme progressive metal built on the pioneering work of such forward-thinking acts as DEATH, CYNIC and OPETH. The group toured seemingly nonstop with the likes of DREAM THEATER, SYMPHONY X, DARK TRANQUILLITY, THE HAUNTED, KATAKLYSM and HATE ETERNAL, and also joined the epic lineup of MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD, OPETH, ARCH ENEMY and OVERKILL on the 2006 edition of Gigantour.

In 2008, the group released its fifth record, the concept album "The Incurable Tragedy", and prepared for another busy touring cycle, which began with a vengeance on that year's Summer Slaughter Canada (where the band played alongside NECROPHAGIST, DYING FETUS, VEIL OF MAYA, WHITECHAPEL and others). From there, the group hit the road in support of ICED EARTH, after which they planned to take a short break to recover from four years of road work.

Soon after Roth returned home to Regina, Saskatchewan, however, he became a first-time father, and it became clear that touring as aggressively wouldn't be possible. The group still performed periodically in subsequent months, even traveling to Japan, Hong Kong and Taiwan in the spring of 2009, but as the band considered their next moves after the end of "The Incurable Tragedy" touring cycle, vocalist Stu Block was asked to join ICED EARTH. At first, he planned to perform double duty, and in 2011, INTO ETERNITY recorded two digital singles featuring Block. It quickly became apparent, though, that ICED EARTH's touring commitments would keep Block on the road indefinitely, so in 2012, Roth recruited the Edmonton-based singer Amanda Kiernan (also of THE ORDER OF CHAOS) to become INTO ETERNITY's new vocalist. The group subsequently began demoing material for a new album, which they would record gradually over the next few years.

On August 5, INTO ETERNITY will join FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY and ARCHSPIRE as co-headliners of the Loud As Hell festival in Drumheller, Alberta. Additional tour dates are in the works.

"The Sirens" track listing:

01. The Sirens (7:54)

02. Fringes Of Psychosis (6:58)

03. Sandstorm (3:46)

04. This Frozen Hell (7:01)

05. Nowhere Near (7:17)

06. Devoured By Sarcopenia (7:17)

07. Fukushima (5:56)

08. The Scattering Of Ashes (3:47)

INTO ETERNITY is:

Tim Roth - Lead Guitar/Vocals

Amanda Keirnan - Vocals

Troy Bleich - Bass/Backing Vocals

Bryan Newbury - Drums, Justin Bender – Guitar

Matt Cuthberson - Guitar

Swedish vintage rock band BLACK INK RIVER, featuring members of WOLF, GRANDEXIT, MONACO BLUES BAND and UNCLE DOGHOUSE, will release its debut album, "Headstrong", later this year via GMR Music Group.

According to The Midlands Rocks, Dano Wahlström (vocals) and Anders Modd (bass) both play in metal bands (GRANDEXIT and WOLF) but they are both big fans of rock acts from the seventies. Bosse Karlsson (guitar) and Roger Johannessen (drums) both come from a more traditional rock and blues background, having played in various bands through the years. These two worlds merged and formed this heavy and groovy thing that is BLACK INK RIVER.

BLACK INK RIVER started out as a studio project but ended up as something much more ambitious than just recording songs.

After writing and recording for two years, "Headstrong" was finally completed and the first gig was booked at a club in the band's hometown.

BLACK INK RIVER is:

Dano Wahlström - Vocals/Percussion

Bosse Karlsson - Guitar

Anders Modd - Bass

Roger Johannessen - Drums

Infectious pop hooks, exhilarating vocals, hair-raising riffs, and unforgettable melodies are only a fraction of what listeners should expect to hear on A Light Divided's upcoming full-length release, Choose Your Own Adventure, releasing to the masses on October 5th. Chock full of catchy, memorable anthems that poise A Light Divided to be the next big pop/metal crossover, Choose Your Own Adventure is an essential listen. Preorders available here.

Get your very first taste of Choose Your Own Adventure with the hooky, high-energy new single and electrifying music video for "Fear of Heights", directed and filmed by Justin Reich of Antimatter Studios.

"As someone who constantly battles with anxiety and self-image concerns, ‘Fear Of Heights’ deals with being afraid to get out of your own way when it comes to relationships," says vocalist Jaycee Clark. "It's scary being vulnerable enough to let someone into your inner crazy because what if they don't like what they find? But for the right person, you realize you have to open up and face those fears or you risk losing everything."

As made evident on "Fear of Heights", A Light Divided's undeniable songwriting prowess is accented by Choose Your Own Adventure's lyrical content. The band explores personal, relevant topics - ranging from relationships to mental health - inspired by their own lives and losses. At the age that important decisions they make now could impact the development of the rest of their lives, all five members of A Light Divided put their own experiences to paper on Choose Your Own Adventure, creating a relatable experience for listeners.

"We underwent a lot of major changes since our last record so, it was really important for Choose Your Own Adventure to reflect all of that growth," says Jaycee. "We constantly pushed ourselves to step further and further outside our comfort zone and ultimately created a record I couldn't be more proud of. Lyrically, Choose Your Own Adventure deals with topics like frustration, mental health, loss, betrayal, relationships, hope and continuing to fight for what you love despite those challenges. I think everyone has had those experiences at some point and I hope these songs can help someone to see the light in those dark times."

Choose Your Own Adventure was produced by Kile Odell (Motionless In White, Cane Hill) and Joshua Landry (Letters From The Fire, Motionless In White).

Tracklisting:

“Make Your Luck”
“Fear Of Heights”
“Remedy”
“Another Bar Fight In Brooklyn”
“Life Lessons”
“The War We Watched”
“Scars Of You”
“Finding Center”
“Sink Into Nothing”
“Plastic Crowns”
“Counting To Sober”
“Armor And War Paint”

“Fear Of Heights” video:

(Photo by: Rei Haycraft)

German thrash metal veterans DARKNESS will release their new album, "First Class Violence", on October 12 via Massacre Records. The disc was recorded and mixed by Rambado Recordings studio and mastered by Dennis Köhne. Timon Kokott was recruited to take care of the album artwork.

Jürgen "Ventor" Reil (KREATOR) and Thomas "Angelripper" Such (SODOM) have contributed guest vocals to a song that's featured on the album.

According to a press release, "First Class Violence" "is another missing piece in the puzzle that helps you to see the world through the angry and desperate eyes of DARKNESS!"

"First Class Violence" track listing:

01. Prelude In E (intro)

02. Low Velocity Blood Spatter

03. Neoprimitive

04. Hate Is My Engine

05. See You On The Bodyfarm

06. Zeutan

07. The Autocrazy (Autocracy) Club

08. Born Dead

09. First Class Violence

10. I Betray

Formed in 1984, DARKNESS has released a number of demos and albums so far.

Fan-filmed video footage of SLAYER's July 31 concert at The Pavilion at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

SLAYER kicked off its farewell tour on May 10 at the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California.

This past January, SLAYER announced that it would do one last concert tour around the globe to thank their fans for all of their support over the years, for making the last three and a half decades so packed with good times and unforgettable experiences, and then move on.

SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya talked about his possible retirement in a 2016 interview with Loudwire. He said: "At 35 years, it's time to collect my pension. [Laughs] This is a career move." He continued: "I'm grateful that we've been around for 35 years; that's a really long time. So, yeah, to me, it is. Because when we started off, everything was great, because you're young and invincible. And then there came a time where I became a family man, and I had a tough time flying back and forth. And now, at this stage, at the level we're at now, I can do that; I can fly home when I want to, on days off, and spend some time with my family, which is something I wasn't able to do when [my kids] were growing up. Now they're both older and mature. So now I take advantage of that." Araya added: "Yeah, it just gets harder and harder to come back out on the road. 35 years is a long time."

Tom also revealed another reason for his diminished enjoyment of the touring life. He said: "There's things that have gone on in my life that have made me change how I play as a bass player. I had neck surgery, so I can't headbang anymore. And that was a big part of what I enjoyed doing what I do — singing and headbanging. I liked knowing that I was one of the fucking badass headbangers. That played a big part. Now I just groove with the music, which is cool, because I'm grooving with the music and the feel of the songs, so that's changed a little for me."

SLAYER has been touring in support of its latest album, "Repentless", which was released in September 2015 via Nuclear Blast. That effort marked the band's first release since the death of SLAYER's co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, in January 2011 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.

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".

Original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was effectively fired from the band after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of SLAYER. He has since been replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band.

SLAYER has U.S. dates booked through August 26 at San Jose, California's SAP Center. The band will embark on the European leg of its "farewell" tour in the fall. Support on that trek will come from LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX and OBITUARY.

Italian metal band Handful Of Dust has announced their new album called Cosmopolis. The new album was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen and featured 11 tracks from death metal till progressive and alternative metal. Two tracks are streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“Mind Charade”
“Silent Heart”
“Volcano”
“Dying Sun”
“Settembre”
“No American Dream”
“Cosmopolis”
“Winter Song”
“Ghost Brigade”
“Black Storm”
“Missing Pieces”

“Silent Heart”:

“Cosmopolis”:

On September 14th, Rivers Of Nihil will release their second full-length, Monarchy, for the first time ever on vinyl via Metal Blade Records.

Monarchy versions:
-opaque bone vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 500 copies)
-electric blue / mustard splattered vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
-sea blue inside beer vinyl (US exclusive - limited to 250 copies)
-aqua blue / bone splattered vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 200 copies)
-bone / bronze hazed vinyl (EU exclusive - limited to 100 copies)

Tracklisting:

Side A
“Heirless”
“Perpetual Growth Machine”
“Reign Of Dreams”
“Sand Baptism”
“Ancestral, I”
“Dehydrate”

Side B
“Monarchy”
“Terrestria II: Thrive”
“Circles In The Sky”
“Suntold”

New Jersey-based progressive metal quartet Etherius recently announced the release of their new instrumental progressive metal EP, entitled Thread Of Life, out August 24th. The new five track offering is available for pre-order via Amazon, iTunes, and Google Play. You can also stream select tracks now via Spotify.

Etherius has revealed a brand new drum playthrough video for the massive track "The Inevitable End", featuring stunning aerial views in the natural environment of High Tor State Park, NY. The video was filmed/directed/edited by Michael J Adams of Blackline Studios.

The concept of Thread Of Life and the album's artwork was inspired by ancient Greek mythology. "The Greeks believed that many aspects of a person's life were determined by the three fates, or Moirai (moy-ray) as they were called," says Tarantino. "The Moirai were three sister goddesses who "spun out" a child's destiny at birth. The sisters determined when life began, when it ended, and the events that occurred throughout one's life. The first sister, Clotho, or spinner, spun the thread, which was a person's life. The second sister, Lachesis, or unbending, measured the thread, which was the length of that life. The third sister, Atropos, meaning inevitable, chose the manner in which life ended, thus cutting the "Thread Of Life". The reason they are depicted as having no eyes on the album cover is because the ancient Greeks described the sisters as "cold" and "unmerciful."

Thread Of Life tracklisting:

"Thread Of Life"
"The Soothsayer"
"March And Defy"
"The Inevitable End"
"Lament"

"The Inevitable End" video:

Thread Of Life was produced and engineered by Jay Tarantino and Zaki Ali with Angel Vivaldi acting as co-producer, was recorded at Backroom Studios in Rockaway, New Jersey (owned by Dillinger Escape Plan guitarist Kevin Antreassin), and was mixed/mastered by Mutiny Within vocalist Chris Clancy at Audioworks Productions. Additional tracking was completed with Angel Vivaldi at his home studio.

Tarantino says about the band's writing and recording process, "Whereas a lot of modern bands compose music in pieces, swapping ideas back and forth through email/Dropbox and using modern recording technology to cut and paste it, we write music together in our rehearsal space and arrange the parts as a band. This gives the music a more organic quality that doesn't sound as mechanical or sterile as it does with the former approach. We try to rely on technology as little as possible when composing songs."

With one listen to Thread Of Life it's clear that combined, the four extremely talented musicians of Etherius produce a clean, awe-inspiring sound merging powerful progressive elements that will appeal to not only the most discerning and critical metal fans, but to the heavy music-loving masses as well.

GWAR has released LP reissues of the classic albums Carnival Of Chaos, Ragnarök and This Toilet Earth via Metal Blade Records. Available as 180g picture discs, these exclusive editions can be purchased here.

Carnival Of Chaos
- dark blue / light blue marbled vinyl (limited to 1000 copies)
- yellow w/ red splatter vinyl (limited to 500 copies)

Side A
"Penguin Attack"
"Let's Blame The Lightman"
"First Rule Is"
"Sammy"
 
Side B
"Endless Apocalypse"
"Billy Bad Ass"
"Hate Love Songs"
"Letter From The Scallop Boat"
"Pre-Skool Prostitute"
 
Side C
"If I Could Be That"
"In Her Fear"
"Back To Iraq"
"I Suck On My Thumb"
"The Private Pain Of Techno Destructo"
"Gonna Kill U"
 
Side D
"Sex Cow"
"Antarctican Drinking Song"
"Don't Need A Man"
 
Ragnarök
- grey / white marbled vinyl (limited to 1000 copies)
- blue / red swirl vinyl (limited to 500 copies)

Side A
"Meat Sandwich"
"The New Plague"
"Whargoul"
"Ragnarok"
"Dirty, Filthy"
"Stalin's Organs"
"Knife In Yer Guts"
 
Side B
"Think You Outta Know This"
"Martyr Dumb"
"Nudged"
"Fire In The Loins"
"Surf Of Syn"
"Crush Kill Destroy"
"None But The Brave"
 
This Toilet Earth
- red / black split vinyl (limited to 1000 copies)
- blue / red splatter vinyl (limited to 500 copies)

Side A
"Saddam A Go-Go"
"Penis I See"
"Eat Steel"
"Jack The World"
"Sonderkommando"
"Bad Bad Men"
"Pepperoni"
 
Side B
"The Innsiduous Soliloquy Of Skulhedface"
"Fight"
"The Issue Of Tissue (Spacecake)"
"Pocket Pool"
"Slap U Around"
"Krak Down"
"Filthy Flow"
"The Obliteration Of Flab Quarv 7"

Denver’s Primitive Man have shared the official audio for “Naked” off the impending split LP with labelmates Unearthly Trance. Listen below.

Primitive Man & Unearthly Trance’s Split LP is due out August 17th on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse.com. Physical packages, digital downloads, and streaming services are available on Relapse.com.

Primitive Man - "Naked":

Unearthly Trance - “Mechanism Man”:

Trailer:

(Photo - Alvino Salcedo)

DISTURBED's upcoming album will feature "many styles of music," the band has revealed.

The disc, which will follow up 2015's "Immortalized", was recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko.

In preparation for the release of the lead single from the upcoming record, DISTURBED has launched an online poll to collect public opinion regarding the type of track that should be unveiled as the first taste of the group's new music.

DISTURBED wrote: "The new record is done! The new album includes many styles of music. Since our last album and the recent footage from the studio, we've seen a lot of discussion about the evolution of our new music. Disturbed Ones, we have decided to embrace the debate. For our next single — what kind of sound do you want it to be?"

The two choices provided in the poll are: "Heavy" and "Ballad."

Frontman David Draiman said in a recent behind-the-scenes video that DISTURBED goes to "war" each time it makes a new album to make sure it's the best it can be. Draiman explained: "You fight for the strength of your creation, you fight to make the greatest thing you possibly can, and it's worth every minute, it's worth every bit of sweat, it's worth every tear. So that's what we live for."

He added: "Every time we put out a piece of art, it continues to define who we are. What could possibly be more important than that and require more of your focus and your time and your energy."

Donegan told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the band doesn't like to waste time in the studio. "I mean, we definitely go in there very prepared," he said. "We never enter the studio unless we feel like, right now, if these are the songs we record, that we would have an album that we're proud of and we're excited about. And we put everything under the microscope and examine it the best we can to make sure that we're prepared. We don't like going in there wasting time. We go in there to work, and to try to make the best album we can."

"Immortalized" ended a four-year hiatus for the quartet and was its fifth album to enter the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1.

"Immortalized" featured the band's cover of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence", a massive hit that introduced DISTURBED to new audiences.

The Who frontman Roger Daltreys autobiography, Thanks A Lot Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story, will be published on October 18th (October 23rd in North America).

To celebrate publication Roger will be at the Southbank Centre’s 2018 London Literature Festival on October 18th. Pre-order Roger’s book to be in with a chance of winning an exclusive personalized signed print. Click here to pre-order the book, buy tickets and get more info.

A book description follows:

Roger Daltrey is the voice of a generation. That generation was the first to rebel, to step out of the shadows of the Second World War... to invent the concept of the teenager.

This is his story, from his birth at the height of the Blitz, through tempestuous school days to his expulsion, age 15, for a crime he did not commit (though he was guilty of many other misdemeanours he'd got away with). Thanks to Mr Kibblewhite, his draconian headmaster, it could all have ended there. The life of a factory worker beckoned.

But then came rock and roll. He made his first guitar from factory off-cuts. He formed a band. The band became The Who - Maximum R&B - and, by luck and by sheer bloody-mindedness, Roger Daltrey became the frontman of one of the biggest rock bands on the planet.

This is the story of My Generation, Tommy and Quadrophenia, of smashed guitars, exploding drums, cars in swimming pools, fights, arrests and redecorated hotel rooms. But it is also the story of how that post-war generation redefined the rules of youth. Out of that, the modern music industry was born - and it wasn't an easy birth. Money, drugs and youthful exuberance were a dangerous mix. This is as much a story of survival as it is of success.

Four years in the making, this is the first time Roger Daltrey has told his story. It is not just his own hilarious and frank account of more than 50 wild years on the road. It is the definitive story of The Who and of the sweeping revolution that was British rock 'n' roll.

IQ Magazine is reporting that in the latest stop on their Not In This Lifetime Tour, Guns N’ Roses have broken the attendance record for a hard rock/metal act at Sweden’s Ullevi Stadium in Gothenburg, Sweden. 64,289 people turned up to see the band perform, surpassing the record previously set by Metallica (63,036 attendees).

Guns N' Roses perform tonight, July 24th, at Laugardalsvollur in Reykjavik, Iceland. Find the band's live itinerary here.

(Photo: Katarina Benzova)

With their new album Vicious out now (as of July 27th), US rockers Halestorm have shared three new tracks: "White Dress", "Conflicted" and "Skulls". Check out the official visualizers below.

Recorded earlier this year at Nashville, Tennessee's Rock Falcon recording studio with producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Rush), Vicious is available at all DSPs and streaming services.

Deluxe album packages are available for pre-order exclusively at the band’s official webstore, including the new album on standard vinyl, plus a limited edition opaque purple double vinyl with enhanced cover art and bonus tracks, limited to 1,500 units worldwide. Also exclusively available at the webstore are a limited edition t-shirt, dog tag necklace, autographed poster, and a free album cover magnet with physical album purchase while supplies last.

Vicious tracklisting:

"Black Vultures"
"Skulls"
"Uncomfortable"
"Buzz"
"Do Not Disturb"
"Conflicted"
"Killing Ourselves To Live"
"Heart Of Novocaine"
"Painkiller"
"White Dress"
"Vicious"
"The Silence"

"Black Vultures" visualizer:

"Uncomfortable" video:

"Uncomfortable" behind the scenes:

Find Halestorm's live itinerary here.

Rajeh James Khazaal, frontman for Dubai-based death metallers Nervecell, has checked in with the following recap of the band's recent European tour:

"Just settled back from a crazy ride of a tour. Met lots of souls, friends and family. I would like to thank the promoters and people that came to our shows, the support and motivation we get is never ending. Last but not least, none of all of this could have been possible without my brothers in crime Rami H. Mustafa, Barney Ribeiro, Bachir Ramadan and Serge Lutfi.

For the fourth time, playing in Escape Club was and will always be nostalgic. I am actually looking forward to play there in the future. Meeting and catching up with Sinister and sharing the stage with them was one of the highlights of the tour.

I would like to thank Claude Schobert and his wife for the awesome show and time we had with them in our first stop in France. I would also like to thank my family in Nihilism (Seb Nihilism and his gang) for the awesome time and vibe they shared with us on stage and off stage. Can't wait for that project to be released. I want to thank everyone who worked in the project, especially from the director to Jen Kalamity and Alexia Poups for the great spirit and crazy selfies!

Would like to thank the club in Lyon and its crew members. It was a delight to catch up with our brother Kevin Foley, who also not played shows with Nervecell but also recorded drums for the band's latest album.

My thanks also go to Savage Annihilation and Nervo Chaos. We will see Nervo Chaos again this year.

Will need to crash now to recharge. There's alot of work happening currently with regards to Nervecell. Stay tuned for news coming to you shortly. See you guys on the road very, very soon!

There is a lot in the works."

An unpacking video for the vinyl edition of Nervecell's latest album Past, Present...Torture can be seen below:

The album consists of 13 tracks and is the most extreme and versatile Nervecell record to date. The title speaks for itself, focusing on the state of the world and where we are all headed as a civilization. Past, Present…Torture serves as a concise summary for both, the lyrical message and the musical direction. Offering unpleasant truths and a rigorous death metal sound. Just as you know and expect from the beast from the Middle East... Nervecell.

Past, Present...Torture tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Aadvent”
“Proxy War”
“D.N.A. (Diruo Nocens Acervus)”
“Abyssviand”
“Hypnosis”
“Malice Within”
“Dawn Of Decimation”
“Habitual Deceit”
“Maqabre”
“Tree Of Lies”
“Treading Beneath”
“Past, Present... Torture”

“Abyssviand” lyric video:

“Proxy War”:

Nervecell have been confirmed to support Nile when the band play Dubai, UAE on August 5th at The Music Room. Go to this location for ticket information.

Pasadena based record label Pure Noise Records has announced the signing of the breakout hardcore/metal band Left Behind. The band joins the ranks of the label which also includes acts like Knocked Loose, Sanction, Counterparts, Terror and other burgeoning bands in the scene.
 
“We’re all very proud to be signing to Pure Noise. We’ve been into the label and the bands on it for a long time so the choice feels right to us.” - Zach Hatfield
 
In conjunction with the signing announcement, Pure Noise Records has reissued Left Behind’s 2017 critical breakthrough record, Blessed By The Burn, available now on iTunes.

Hailing from Charleston, West Virginia, Left Behind has been whipping the pit with a new frenzy of commotion since their beginning half a decade ago. The band’s dark, brooding amalgam of hardcore and metal with sludgy breakdowns and blistering riffs calls to memory acts like Harms Way, Crowbar and Black Breath. In a few short years the band has amassed a dedicated following and underground buzz with their debut record Seeing Hell and subsequent 2017 follow-up Blessed By The Burn. Now backed by Pure Noise, the band will take their furious music to new brutal heights.

Brandon, Manitoba's ArcticCircle have returned with a heavy dose of bush metal on their new album Where Ice Meets Ocean. The Canadian trio's fourth full-length is out now and streaming at Bandcamp and via the audio player below.

Where Ice Meets Ocean by Arcticcircle

The story of ArcticCircle begins in Manitoba, Canada circa 2001 when vocalist / guitarist Sean Vermentor brought his bedroom black metal project out of the basement and formed a band of the same name with Jon Cloud on drums and Howard on bass. Playing in a black / thrash style dubbed 'bush metal', the band released numerous EPs and three full lengths including 2006's Forcing The Astral, which was released on Profound Lore Records. Fast forward to 2018 and we find the band releasing Where Ice Meets Ocean. A new album also signifying a new direction which centres around a slower pace and a huge rock / metal influence. ArcticCircle consider this release to be the epitome of bush metal: raw, dirty and exciting!

Tracklisting:

"Cosmic Egg"
"Big Heavy Door"
"Madness Powder"
"Change The Wave"
"Oracle Bones"
"Onanole"
"Firebird Over Falcon Lake"
"Into One"

 

Powerful atmosphere and soaring vocals: Quebec's Empress is quickly becoming a new standard in female-fronted metal. Mixing heavy, modern melodies with authentic, relatable lyrics, Empress combines Eddy Levitsky’s (Hollow) original music with Karina Charbonnier’s unique vocal talent to create a distinctive approach to melodic metal.

Spearheaded by the desire of the imperious Karina Charbonnier to write her own music and lyrics along with her powerful, melancholic soprano voice, Empress was brought to life by working with celebrated guest talents from the Quebec metal scene such as Tommy Mckinnon (ex-Augury), Fred Riverin (I Legion), and Sebastien Ladouceur (Our Darkest Days). 

Mostly an online project, Empress’ focus is sharing their love of making music with the world. Their second single "Crawl" is now ready to be revealed to follow their 2017 debut track "Your Prize" (available for free download here). "Crawl" is a track that has post-rock influences and a solid metal foundation to be catchy, heavy and ethereal. The song combines Karina Charbonnier's powerful vocals with modern guitar work and even a touch of progressive elements to create a well-rounded, original song that is sure to please any fan of melodic metal.

Karina comments:

"‘Crawl’ is for those who go through hard times and are searching for a way to regain strength. So basically, this song touches everyone, we all go through rough patches at different times in our life! I hope that Crawl makes people realize that they’re not alone, that it motivates them to first accept their difficulties and then, help overcome them."

Forever Warriors, Forever United, Doro's upcoming 25-track double album will be released on August 17th via Nuclear Blast. In a new instalment of the track-by-track video series, Doro discusses "Black Ballad". Watch the new clip below and find more track-by-track videos beneath.

An official video for the song "If I Can't Have You, No One Will" featuring Johan Egg of Amon Amarth can be seen below:

"There are some big anthems on the album, countless heavy songs, as well as heart-warming melodies! The album is supposed to give you power and thus contains a lot of energy!", says the metal queen.

The album cover artwork was once again created by Doro's favourite artist, Geoffrey Gillespie. It portrays Doro in the middle of a swarm of wild metal heads exuding attitude, power and positive vibes. "The cover and the title form a perfect unit," Doro explains, "Just as it should be. It all fits perfectly in line with the songs, which also deal with some political themes."

Doro continues: "On Forever Warriors, Forever United, there will be a lot of big rock heroes. Fans might be curious about the many awesome guest musicians involved. There are some big anthems on both albums, countless heavy songs, as well as heart-warming melodies! The records are supposed to give you power and thus contain a lot of energy."

Pre-order Forever Warriors, Forever United here.

Track-by-track videos:

"Be Strong":

"Caruso":

"Backstage To Heaven":

"Lost In The Ozone":

"Fight Through The Fire":

"Love's Gone To Hell":

"Don't Break My Heart Again":

"Living Life To The Fullest":

"Love Is A Sin":

"Turn It Up":

"It Cuts So Deep":

"Soldier Of Metal":

"Heartbroken":

"If I Can't Have You - No One Will":

"Lift Me Up":

"Bastardos":

"All For Metal":

"Résistance":

Doro Pesch, affectionately referred to as The Metal Queen by industry and fans alike, will be inducted into The Hall of Heavy Metal History in 2018. The ceremony will take place August 3rd on-stage at the Wacken Open Air.

"What an honor to be inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History," says Doro Pesch. "I am so excited!! What makes this induction even more special is the fact that it takes place in front of 80,000 metal maniacs right after our 35 Year Anniversary Show at the world famous Wacken Open Air in my home country of Germany!"

Pat Gesualdo, founder/CEO of The Hall of Heavy Metal History, comments: "We are so proud to join with Wacken Open Air to induct Doro Pesch into the Hall of Heavy Metal History. Doro has been working non-stop for decades to ensure that metal music continues to thrive for future generations."

The Hall of Heavy Metal History is a non-profit organization dedicated to enshrining forever, those iconic musicians and music industry executives who are responsible for making hard rock and heavy metal music what it is today. Their contribution to the genre is invaluable, and they keep inspiring heavy metal fans throughout the world, from generation to generation.

For more information, please contact info@thehallofheavymetalhistory.org, or 973-725-5150.

Go to The Hall of Heavy Metal History website here.

Hard rock band New Years Day have released an ominous music video for their single "Disgust Me". In the dark coming-of-age visual narrative, an all-red haired Ash Costello is summoned to an abandoned house where she meets her alter ego, a gothic goddess who conjures the collide of both worlds. Watch "Disgust Me" below.

"Disgust Me" is the first song on New Years Day's most-recent EP, Diary Of A Creep, released in January 2018 and is accompanied by five cover songs. The six-song EP follows the tradition of landmark releases like Garage Days by Metallica by paying tribute to the artists who shaped the band. New Years Day offers renditions of Garbage's "Only Happy When It Rains", New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle", No Doubt's "Don't Speak" and more.

The release of the "Disgust Me" music video coincides with the start of the second leg of New Years Day’s tour with Halestorm and In This Moment in the US. The all-female-fronted US tour kicked off in May and will hit 35 additional cities through the end of the year. Visit NYDrock.com for tickets.

New Years Day has previously toured with Escape the Fate, Hellyeah and Attila in addition to headlining multiple North American tours, including the 2017 Vans Warped Tour.

On August 29th, Waxen returns with their fourth album, Terror Decree, available via Moribund Records. Terror Decree is an album that's as dark and grim as anything by Watain or Leviathan, without compromising Toby Knapp's signature guitar mastery. Waxen sets a new standard for both extreme and black metal.

This release features Toby Knapp's Affliktor - Blade From The West MCD as bonus material. The cover art and tracklisting are as follows:

"Denier"
"Wir Kampfen"
"Terror Decree"
"Ionized"
"Arc Of Abomination"
"I Pass Away"
"Tyrant Of Armageddon"
"Conflagration Elite"

Bonus Tracks: Affliktor - Blade From The West MCD
"Enter 731"
"To See The Light"
"Blade From The West"
"Fortress Of Zhongma"

 

Kansas City’s death metal veterans Ares Kingdom have returned to their own Very Metal Sound studio to record their fourth full length album, By The Light Of Their Destruction for NWN Productions – the band’s label home since 2004.

Following up 2015's First World War-themed album The Unburiable Dead - an album recognized by the National World War I Museum in the USA - By The Light Of Their Destruction brings a new focus for Ares Kingdom’s sound on an altogether darker, heavier, and more obscure trajectory.

What was the inspiration behind the pivot to darkness? Guitarist and songwriter Chuck Keller explained: “I was a bit worried about a direction for AK after finishing writing The Unburiable Dead, but one day during the summer of 2015, I was going through my Vulpecula archive and found a few forgotten and unused ideas I had been outlining before we ended the band in 1999. They reawakened the old Vulpecula fire in me and I knew it was time to go back to darkness and obscurity.”

 “Fourth albums are often more technical and noodling than an ordinary band’s older records and so are notoriously lacking original fire and fury. Rarely does a band in our position purposely make their approach more primitive, but for us it was the natural thing to do,” said bassist / vocalist Alex Blume.

Drummer Mike Miller echoed, “While the new songs and our production style still sound like Ares Kingdom, our focus during rehearsals was on the primal power of the songs. It’s easily the heaviest material we’ve ever come up with.”

By The Light Of Their Destruction is slated for release in spring 2019 on LP, CD, PD, MC, and digital formats.

Tracklisting:

"The Hydra Void"
"Burn, Antares (Scorpius Diadem)"
"Dark Waters Eridanus"
"Radiant And Storm"
"Eighteen Degrees Beneath"
"Allegory"
"The Bones Of All Men"
"Iconologia"
"A Reward For Sin"
"Talis Chimera Est"

 

Swedish hard rockers Eclipse have released a video for "Killing Me" (Sellout Version), which can be seen below. "Killing Me" is featured  on the band’s fifth studio album, Monumentum, released last year.

Guitarist Magnus Henriksson and vocalist/guitarist Erik Martensson will perform the following acoustic dates in October:

October
5 - Slaughter Club - Paderno Dugnano (MI), Italy
6 - Loft - Trieste, Italy
9 - Clamores - Madrid, Spain
10 - Rock Sound - Barcelona, Spain 

The world might have heard of Erosion a little sooner if the members weren’t busy sharing duties in a handful of other projects. Guitarist Nick Yacyshyn, drummer Danny Marshall, and bassist Andrew Drury are more widely known for their work in Vancouver’s beloved hardcore veterans Baptists. Rick O’Dell was snagged from his bass duties with sludgy classic rockers Tobeatic and punk rippers Hard Feelings to join Erosion on second guitar while vocalist Jamie Hooper was recruited for the vitriol he unleashed with the triumphant metal export 3 Inches Of Blood and the grimy punk band Congress.

Given their pedigree, it’s no small wonder that their debut full-length, Maximum Suffering (out October 19th on Hydra Head) exudes the kind of ugliness that only comes from artists steeped in the art of musical ferocity.

Maximum Suffering is Erosion’s first release since 2013’s Kill Us All cassette EP. Self-described as a “cathartic audio expulsion of our collective contempt for humanity,” Maximum Suffering combines the reductionist brutalism of early grind outfits, the blazing tempos of classic d-beat hardcore, and the warped stomp-and-crush riffage of modern death metal’s most nefarious troglodytes. On songs like “Human Error” (listen below), the band takes the punishing lurch-and-mangle of classic powerviolence acts and ramps it up with adroit musicianship and meaty, blown-out tones.  
 
Hydra Head Records is proud to unleash Erosion upon the world with digital formats and a vinyl edition of Maximum Suffering on October 19the. Pre-orders are available now and more songs will surface soon.

Maximum Suffering tracklisting:

"Maximum Suffering"
"Everything Is F***ed"
"Need For Death"
"Human Error"
"Serpent Lust"
"The Crone"
"Deep In Hell"
"We Have Failed Us"
"Scorched Earth"
"Black Waves"
"Storm Of Steel"
"Dusted"
"Consumed"

"Human Error":

Maximum Suffering by Erosion

(Photo - Taylor Ferguson)

Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice spoke to Brian Vollmer, lead singer of Helix, at Heavy Montreal 2018 on July 29TH. Vollmer spoke about being a vocal instructor, working on Helix's new album, his thoughts on Lemmy, and more. Watch below.

About the upcoming new album by Helix and the Icon series to be released by Universal, Vollmer reveals: "Capital EMI was bought out by Universal and Universal is releasing albums from bands that were on the Capital label that sold substantial amount of units. Universal is releasing the Helix Icon series with limited run of vinyl, probably 500 units.

"In regards to a new album, we are planning on getting the writing done this fall, probably out next year 2019. I have already written one song with Sean Kelly that's a real rocker and it started off as a 7 minute rap that I wrote down in Florida called "The Helix Story", it just tells the story of Helix. We recorded the rap in the studio and now we are putting on the sound effects, that rap will then roll into the hard rock songI wrote with Sean Kelly."

His thoughts on Lemmy: "Lemmy  was a great guy and unlike a lot of other people in the business he was totally unique, what you saw is what you got and I think that's why people loved the guy so much."