QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's new album, "Villains", will be released this summer. The title of the band's first record since 2013's "Like Clockwork" was revealed in an album trailer directed by Liam Lynch. The clip features QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE leader Josh Homme and his bandmates taking a polygraph test where they deny the LP's title; the machine, of course, detects their lies. Also revealed in the trailer is that "Villains" was helmed by Grammy-winning producer, DJ and artist Mark Ronson, who has previously worked with Amy Winehouse, Paul McCartney, Lady Gaga, DURAN DURAN and Adele, among others. Fans can also hear a snippet of the album's first single, "Feet Don't Fail Me", which is expected to make its online debut in the coming days.

Homme recently compared "Villains" to "a panther in the trees leaping out of the darkness" and described it as "uptempo." The frontman also recently revealed that the new record wouldn't feature any special guests.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE has been confirmed for Chicago's Riot Fest in September. They will also play at Montebello Rockfest in Canada (June 22-25) and San Francisco's Outside Lands festival in August.

STAIND frontman Aaron Lewis, who is widely considered to be one of the most politically conservative musicians in rock, has released a new single, "Folded Flag", across digital retailers.

A patriot through and through, Lewis has spent much of his career honoring those who sacrifice their lives every day to protect our nation and the new music is just a small reminder of that mentality.

"In today's world, the ultimate sacrifice that our servicemen and women give selflessly in protection of the American Dream is often overlooked," stated Lewis. "The first time I heard this song, I watched three battle-hardened special forces soldiers cry after hearing it. I knew it hit home and I knew it deserved to be heard."

Written by Marty Morgan, Luc Nyhus and Yasmine Van Wilt and produced by Ben Kitterman, this is a perfect addition to Lewis's catalog of raw tunes that hit close to the heart. It is hard to miss importance of the sentiment as he sings lyrics like "Two men with starch white gloves / Fold the colors till they touch / It's probably more than I deserve / But I'm proud to get this much / Sendin' all the love I ever had / Inside this folded flag."

Fans who have been to his shows in the past know that Lewis opens every performance with a rendition of the The Pledge Of Allegiance. His passion for the strong tradition is something loyal concert-goers have come to expect from the country rocker.

Lewis described himself in a recent interview as a fiscally conservative, socially libertarian, constitutionally driven patriot. "Freedom means freedom," he said. "Get out of my business."

He added that he wanted "capitalism with a conscience" and after backing Senator Ted Cruz, Trump's closest competitor in the Republican nomination race, in the Massachusetts primary, he "proudly jumped into the basket of deplorables and voted for Trump."

The STAIND frontman had been a staunch critic of President Barack Obama, telling a crowd at one of his solo concerts last year: "For the last eight years, I thought our country was going fucking crazy. Barack Obama should have been impeached a long fucking time ago. Every fucking decision he makes is against the Constitution, it's against what's good for our fucking country, and he is truly the worst fucking president that we have ever had in the history of this fucking country. And a hundred years from now, our fucking grandkids will be looking back at this, going, 'What the fuck was going on?' I truly believe that he was elected over three hundred years of guilt… because he is the least qualified, most inept, completely useless president we have ever fucking had."

Lewis told Billboard last year that he would support Trump in the U.S. presidential race, even though he was "disappointed" by the real estate mogul "with the bickering and the name-calling."

Greek masters of symphonic death metal SEPTICFLESH will release their tenth full-length album, "Codex Omega", on September 1 via Prosthetic Records.

A 360-degree video for the song called "Dante's Inferno", taken from "Codex Omega", can be seen below. The clip was created by Tommy Jones of Videohammer studios.

SEPTICFLESH comment: "We are proud to present the first track from the upcoming album 'Codex Omega'. The song is appropriately entitled 'Dante's Inferno', acting as a gateway to hell... As it was inscribed on the top of the Hellgate in the famous poem by Dante Alighieri, 'Through me you pass into the city of woe; Through me you pass into eternal pain; Through me among the people lost for aye'. This is just the first glimpse, the entrance to our new album. Stay tuned as more will gradually be revealed with the release date of our new album getting closer... "

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

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

Disc One

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

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

Stryper have checked in with a very brief message on Facebook, revealing that "we're recording a new album in October and touring extensively throughout 2018. It's going to be the best album/tour yet!"

Stay tuned for updates.

In recent months there has been speculation as to whether Stryper bassist Tim Gaines was still part of the line-up due to "personal matters." In November 2016 frontman Michael Sweet alluded to a possible parting of ways during an interview with WSOU (found below) when asked if the band would continue without Gaines.

Sweet: "That remains to be seen, but it's very possible, and I'd probably go as far as to say even probable. But we don't really know quite yet. It's something that very well could happen, absolutely. It is important for the original members to stay together. But, sadly, sometimes things happen that keep that from happening. People make decisions and choices, and, unfortunately, it does affect other people many times, and then you have to re-evaluate things. But that is the ideal situation, for it to be the original line-up. But, you know, sometimes things get in the way of that, and that's sad. But, again, thinking about it more and sleeping on it more, I think about how, you know, if we were to disband or dissolve or stop, it really wouldn't be fair to the fans, it wouldn't be fair to the other guys, and it's important to keep that in mind as well."

Note that as of this writing Gaines there has been no confirmation of Gaines leaving Stryper.

Gaines remarried on May 17th, which should be a happy occasion, but his wife Brandee Renee Gaines has been the victim of haters on social media. On June 1st he addressed the issue via Facebook, taking his "fans" to task:

"Given all of the hype, hatred, and half truths being spewed around social media the last few days, I would like to join in prayer for our friends, loved ones, and enemies alike. My wife has been falsely accused of being 'the devil', a 'whore', a 'home wrecker', a 'bitch', a 'dog', and even a carrier of 'herpes...?' The accusations have come from the 'Christian' community. But in reality, my wife, wrongfully attacked, wants to pray for her enemies. She is a good woman. She doesn't deserve the hatred coming from the Stryper fanbase. I love my wife so much, and it kills me to see some of these so called 'fans' and 'Christians' spew their vile filth. So like my wife, rather than get angry, we will let this pass and pray for our enemies."

Pro-shot video of Metallica performing the …And Justice For All album track “One” at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, IA on June 9th is available for streaming below.

Metallica’s WorldWired live dates are listed below:

June
14 - San Antonio, TX - Alamodome*#
16 - Dallas, TX - AT&T Stadium*#
18 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field*#

July
5 - Orlando, FL - Camping World Stadium*^
7 - Miami, FL - Hard Rock Stadium*^
9 - Atlanta, GA - Suntrust Park*^
12 - Detroit, MI - Comercia Park*^
14 - Quebec City, QC- Festival D'Ete
16 - Toronto, ON - Rogers Centre*^
19 - Montreal, QB - Parc Jean-Drapeau*^
29 - Los Angeles, CA - Rose Bowl*+

August
4 - Phoenix, AZ - University of Phoenix Stadium*+
6 - San Diego, CA - Petco Park*+
9 - Seattle, WA - Centurylink Field*+
11-13 - San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands
14 - Vancouver, BC - BC Place*+
16 - Edmonton, AB - Commonwealth Stadium*+

* With Avenged Sevenfold
^ With Volbeat
+ With Gojira
# With Local H

"Here's an additional recap video capturing our amazing time at Download Festival - there's no way around celebrating this awesome and legendary UK festival in a very special way," says The Dead Daisies.

"You guys have been a fantastic crowd and it was more than heartwarming to see how de(a)dicated each and everyone of you is! You drove miles and miles to see us, even brought your kids and had an overall blast partying with us - we highly appreciate that!

As if that weren't enough, our Edinburgh show with The Amorettes at The Liquid Room was packed under the roof and completely Sold Out! It was unbelievable to sing along with you guys and we want to say thank you for coming out!

Europe, there are 15 shows left on this tour - let's rock and party like there were no tomorrow! Here you go, if you haven't booked your tickets yet, get 'em here."

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

June
14 - Boerderij - Zoetermeer, Netherlands
16 - Le Forum - Vaureal, France
17 - Hellfest - Clisson, France
18 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium
20 - Hirsch - Nürnberg, Germany
21 - Hellraiser - Leipzig, Germany
23 - Harley Days Festival - Hamburg, Germany
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

Swedish unorthodox extreme metal Godhead Machinery released a first single "Praise The Flesh" from their upcoming album Ouroboros due out September 29th via Inverse Records.

Godhead Machinery was started by Kail during 2015 in the aftermath of his previous black metal band Misericordia, and after a lot of studies within religion and political structures that permeates this world.

Tracklisting:

“Ouroboros”
“The Plague”
“Tithe”
“A House Divided”
“Council Of Nicaea”
“Revelation”
“Praise The Flesh”

“Praise The Flesh” lyric video:

Lineup:
Robert "Kail" Karlsson - Guitars, Bass, FX and Vocals
Marcus "Somliga" Andersson - Drums

Session member:
David Engström - Brass

"Worms Of Rusted Congregation" comes off of Heaving Earth's sophomore album Denouncing The Holy Throne. The video comes courtesy of YOD Multimedia.

Despite the fact that two years have passed since the album release, there have been few records bold enough to explore the intricacies of death metal from the same perspective and on the same level as Heaving Earth have done. 

The album has thus far withstood the test of time and, as the initiated have come to discover, gets better with each listen.    

Denouncing The Holy Throne is a mercilessly complex symphony of ungodly death metal orchestrated in 12 movements. The album showcases Heaving Earth's ability to unearth elements of the genre that many have overlooked in recent years, while still finding room for progression.

Rising Swedish metal heroes Corroded have released the lyric video for their single "Carry Me My Bones”.

Regarding the track, the band says, '"Carry Me My Bones" is a great song, both musically and lyrically and we wanted to make a video that didn't take too much attention away from that. We think it turned out to be the most honest, dark and beautiful video we've ever made. Jens really gets to show his emotions in this video and we’re happy to finally share it with you all!"

"Carry Me My Bones" comes from Corroded's new Defcon Zero album, out now on Despotz Records.

In addition, Despotz will digitally release the band's back catalogue (previously only available via Ninetone / Universal), Eleven Shades Of Black (2009), Exit To Transfer (2010), and State Of Disgrace (2012). The three albums will also be made available on vinyl later in the year.

Their debut album, Eleven Shades Of Black. marks the first strike: the single “Time And Again“ was chosen as the title and theme song for the Swedish version of the reality show Survivor (called Expedition Robinson in Sweden) and put the band on the map overnight. Consequently the album cracked the Swedish Top 3 by entering at #2 on the charts.

Exit To Transfer, their sophomore effort, peaked at #6 on the charts, supported by a sold out Scandinavian tour with US melodic metal monsters Avenged Sevenfold in the fall of 2010 alongside two showcases at the established Berlin, Germany music fair Popkomm. At this point, Corroded had finally made an impact beyond Swedish borders. But even more important was their contribution to the renowned computer game Battlefield, with “Age Of Rage“ being picked up as the game’s theme song.

A lineup change didn't stop the band's third release, State Of Disgrace, from slamming into the Swedish charts once again at #2.

Swedish sensations Thundermother are back with three new members and a new single, “We Fight For Rock ‘N’ Roll," which was just released through Despotz Records and can be purchased on iTunes.

Guitarist and founder, Filippa Nässil, started Thundermother in 2009 and since their inception, the band has released two albums and played hundreds of shows. They’ve been on the road with artists such as Michael Monroe, W.A.S.P, D-A-D and Danko Jones and had a sold out headline tour in Europe last year.

The former line-up - including Clare Cunningham, Tilda Stenqvist, Giorgia Carteri and Linda Ström - was formed in 2013. When the other four members decided to leave Thundermother just this spring, Filippa was determined to keep on rolling, adding singer Guernica Mancini, bass player Sara Pettersson and drummer Emlee Johansson to the fold.

The band says, "This is a new beginning. We’ll fight for our passion for as long as we can. We fight for rock ‘n’ roll!"

About the new members:

Guernica Mancini is the soulful rock singer from Lund in southern Sweden who previously lived in Los Angeles where she was the singer in the band Souls On 11 with Jeff Young (ex Megadeth). In 2012 she moved back to Sweden, working on her own solo project and later she founded the band Royal Ruckus. Filippa’s request about singing in Thundermother fortunately came just when Royal Ruckus was going through a rough period with one band member dropping off leading to a cancelled tour and leaving Guernica up for a new challenge.

Bass player, Sara Pettersson, from Märsta, Sweden, was an obvious choice since she and Filippa already play together in their side project Hifly. Sara is a great musician who also plays the violin, guitar, contrabass and piano. Aside from classic rock she’s also very passionate about progressive rock and has played in bands such as In Spirit Side Dreaming, Shewolf and GUSH.

Falköping, Sweden native Emlee Johansson is the drummer who also plays a mean guitar. Currently studying at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, she has previously played in bands such as Vision, Frantic Amber and Spitchic. Johansson first met Filippa when they played the same stage at Sweden Rock Festival a few years ago. Emlee completes the new Thundermother lineup.

The new lineup launched at Debaser Strand in Stockholm on May 24th and they were immediately accepted by fans and critics alike.

After months of public speculation on who will be playing bass on the new Nitro album, the band releases the following statement: 

“Nitro is proud, humbled and honored to finally tell fans and friends that Victor Wooten will be the guest bass player on the new Nitro album. A five time Grammy Award winner and widely-recognized as the greatest living bass player in the world, Wooten is also a Resident Scholar of Performance at the prestigious Berklee College Of Music and has been running his own music retreat located near Nashville, TN for 18 years called Vix Camps.” 

"I'm so happy to be Included as part of the new Nitro project. I've been a fan of Michael Angelo Batio for decades, Jim Gillette and Chris Adler are just as amazing. They're causing me to have to step up my game. Fans will be thrilled to hear what we are coming up with, I'm really excited about it!” says Wooten.

Chris Adler, states: "I have been in awe of Victor for many, many years. His musical gifts, which are second to none, are matched by his ability to inspire. I am giddy, humbled and amazed to have the chance to share music with, and learn from, him. Hearing him play music - or even speak about playing music for that matter, is truly a gift. Playing this material with him is mind blowing, listening to what he brings to this is game-changing." 

"Victor is the best-of-the-best! He is a legendary musician and the most amazing bass player I've ever heard. Beyond excited is an understatement. We can't wait for everyone to hear what we're coming up with.” says Michael Angelo Batio. 

Jim Gillette adds: "To have Victor on board is a dream come true. The caliber of musicianship is beyond anything the metal community has ever experienced. This takes the term 'Super Group' to a whole new level. The metal gods are definitely watching over us." 

A release date for the new Nitro album, currently being recorded, is forthcoming. The band plans to debut a single from the new record, along with a promotional video, within the next two weeks. Those, and other announcements, are upcoming.

(Photo - Stephen Jensen)

On August 11th, EMP Label Group will release Desolation, Motograter's sophomore album, produced by Ahrue Luster (Ill Nino/ex-Machine Head) and mixed by Joshua Wickman (Within the Ruins, KING 810). The album was engineered by Luster, Wickman, and Jon Berrier, and recorded at Illustrious Productions, Dreadcore Productions, and BlackPlate Productions.

Art for Desolation was created by Mister-Sam Shearon, who has created covers for comic books and graphic novels including Clive Barker’s Hellraiser, Judge Dredd, The X-Files, Mars Attacks, KISS, and Clive Barker’s Books of Blood as well as artwork for some of the biggest names in rock music, such as Godhead, Ministry, Rob Zombie, Iron Maiden, Powerman 5000, Biohazard, American Head Charge, Rammstein, Fear Factory and Kill Devil Hill.

Desolation marks the band’s first full-length album since the 2003 Elektra/No Name self-titled release featuring Ivan Moody (Five Finger Death Punch) on vocals (Motograter is now fronted by James Anthony Legion (Deadform/The Breathing Process).

Tracklisting:

“Parasite”
“Dorian”
“Victim”
“Paragon”
“Bleeding Through”
“Misanthropical”
“Daggers”
“Portrait Of Decay”
“Locust”
“Rise (There Will Be Blood)”
“Shadows”

Israeli/Norwegian prog-rockers Subterranean Masquerade have signed with the Swedish label Vicisolum Records (Persefone, Loch Vostok) for a 2-album deal, starting off with the newly finished album Vagabond, set for release on September 1st. The band features members of Orphaned Land and Green Carnation, and is one of the most exciting ethnic-influenced prog-artists to emerge from the underground layer these days. It's prog-rock, but it's also psychedelic ‘70s metal. It's "Jesus Christ Superstar" but it's also Israeli folklore and traditional heavy metal - all wrought through the grinder and delivered perfectly by a bunch of very talented musicians.

The album was mixed by Christer Andre Cederberg (Anathema, Tristania, etc.) and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios, which has secured the final crunchy approach in the sound, so all parameters are met for ultimate quality.

Tomer Pink (guitars) on the signing: 

“We all at Subterranean Masquerade are very excited to be a part of the Vicisolum family and together with them bring our music to the world. We can't wait for you to hear our new album and see you all at our shows.”

 

Frontiers has had an ongoing successful working relationship with the one and only Jeff Scott Soto for many years now, so when JSS put a band in front of them and told them they HAD TO HEAR IT, they turned up the volume, leaned back, and awaited what would soon wash over their ears.

What immediately stood out was the way the singer had such a commanding presence of the hard rock songs that were being performed. So, a conversation was started and a deal has been struck. Frontiers Music Srl now introduce the world to Animal Drive, a young and driven hard rock band founded in Zagreb, Croatia in 2012 by singer Dino Jelusic, who is the primary writer and driving force behind the band's sound. Dino was chosen by the late, great Paul O'Neill to tour as a featured vocalist on Trans-Siberian Orchestra's most recent US tour, which is how he crossed paths with Soto and which would ultimately lead to them becoming labelmates.

Animal Drive's lineup is completed by guitarists Ivan Keller and Alen Luke (who unleash a ferocious twin guitar attack on the listener), Damjan Milekovic on bass, and Adrian Boric on drums. Influenced by legendary bands such as Whitesnake and Skid Row with progressive rock and metal elements from Dream Theater thrown in the mix, Animal Drive take their listeners on a wild ride of hard rock bombast.

Dino says: "I am more than delighted and excited to be part of Frontiers' machine, the label that Animal Drive's music can relate to in so many aspects, from classic rock, progressive metal, heavy metal, hard rock... Our music contains everything that Frontiers holds right now, and some of the bands that are our biggest influences are signed to the label, which makes us even more excited. Can't wait to share material we have been working on for almost a year now, and can't wait to kick ass!"

The band's debut album is expected to be released in late 2017/ early 2018 with a tour in support of the release to follow.

Former Anthrax singer, Neil Turbin (Deathriders), recently spoke with Destruction frontman Schmier in Los Angeles for Canada’s The Metal Voice.

On lyrical themes on the band’s new album, Under Attack: “One song is about the backing track situation in playing live, a lot of bands go out there and don't play live anymore, they have backing track running through the vocals, through tape, it's fake. It's an important matter right now cause many fans don't know this. Fans go to the show and say hey you were so great tonight but it was playback, it's f#$! cheating the fans to have playbacks, if you cannot do it live, don't do it."

When will Destruction begin writing and recording a new album: “We have learned last year that overworking new material is not good for the spirit and for the creativity, so we will start writing an album next year. We finish this tour, I think 2018 we start writing, then release 2019 or so, maybe earlier."

Advice to bands touring South America: “I think the most important thing is you need to trust promoters and you need all the money upfront. Bands go down there, they don't get paid and they are stranded with no money, no flight tickets. The advice I can give is get your fees before you fly over or at least 50% of the money so you have something in your pocket to go back home."

(Photo - Destruction Facebook)

Melodic metal act, All But One, have released a video for “Persistence”, a track featured on the band’s debut album, Square One, out now via Lifeforce Records. Watch the clip below, and order the album at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Square One”
“Persistence”
“For The Waiting Good”
“Coloured in Vivid”
“Hope Fuel”
“Little White Lies”
“The Reaper, The Sower”
“Fire Sale”
“Serenity”

“Persistence” video:

Album stream:

“Coloured In Vivid” lyric video:

“Little White Lies” video:

With members of Alestorm, Heaven Shall Burn and Lifeforce Records' very own When Our Time Comes, All But One have a brand new message to deliver. Their powerhouse debut album tastefully fuses the worlds of pop and metal music, combining accomplished melody with masterful guitar and fearsome breakdowns.

All But One was born as a passion project of Alestorm guitarist Máté Bodor. After catching the attention of an elite group of likeminded musicians, what began as a side project evolved into what will undoubtably become a formidable force in the rock music industry.

All But One are a product of professionalism, uncompromising passion and an unstoppable hunger to succeed.

(Photo - Kornél Györgyei)

Full format details and a slightly delayed release date have been announced for Mr. Big’s new album, Defying Gravity, pushing it back from the previously announced street date of July 7th.

The album will be available on CD, LP, deluxe CD/DVD, and digitally on July 21st, and a deluxe Collector’s Edition box set will be available on August 18th which includes deluxe CD/DVD, LP, poster, numbered lithograph, t-shirt, sticker. The box set is strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide.

Defying Gravity deftly showcases that patented Mr. Big blend of crunch and melody, from the freight-train ride of opening cut "Open Your Eyes" to the harmony-laden wonderment of "Damn I'm In Love Again" to the grateful/wistful nostalgia of "1992" (recalling the days when the band was flying high atop the singles charts with their international #1 smash "To Be With You") to the barnburning slide-blues closer, "Be Kind”. Overall, Defying Gravity is prime evidence that the only thing Mr. Big remains tethered to is their ongoing pursuit of achieving creative excellence.

Original members Eric Martin (lead vocals), Paul Gilbert (guitars), Billy Sheehan (bass) and Pat Torpey (drums) reunited with producer Kevin Elson (who was behind the boards for the band’s 1989 self-titled debut, 1991’s Lean Into It and 1993’s Bump Ahead) for an intensive six-day recording session in Los Angeles. While Torpey was unable to perform some of the songs on Defying Gravity due to a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, Matt Starr has been filling in for him on a majority of the album. Starr also been touring with the band for the past couple of years, with Torpey able to play a couple of songs at each stop.

“It was great to get back in the studio with our original producer, Kevin Elson,” says guitarist Paul Gilbert. “Kevin recorded all of our original classic albums from the ‘80s and ‘90s, and we immediately felt that magic chemistry with him on Defying Gravity. We basically played live in the studio. Over the years, we’ve all had a chance to experiment with every recording technique possible, but it’s still always the best just to play together as a band. Most of my guitar solos were tracked live with the band. I’ve worked hard on my improvisation in the last few years, and it really paid off on this record…both melodically, and on the face-melting stuff.”

Defying Gravity tracklisting:

“Open Your Eyes”
“Defying Gravity”
“Everybody Needs A Little Trouble”
“Damn I’m In Love Again”
“Mean To Me”
“Nothing Bad (About Feeling Good)”
“Forever And Back”
“She’s All Coming Back To Me Now”
“1992”
“Nothing At All”
“Be Kind”

DVD contents:

“Defying Gravity” (music video)
“Everybody Needs A Little Trouble” (music video)
Making of Defying Gravity (video)
Making of “Everybody Needs A Little Trouble” (video)
Track by track interview

“Everybody Needs A Little Trouble” video:

"1992":

The Making of "1992”:

Trailer:

Catch Mr. Big live on tour:

June
14 - Lexington, KY - Manchester Music Hall
16 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Live
17 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
19 - Kansas City, MO - Knuckleheads Saloon
22 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
23 - Agoura Hills, CA - Canyon Club
24 - Pasadena, CA - The Rose

(Photo - William Hames)

For over 25 years now, Germany’s leading gothic metal act, Crematory, have enthralled their countless fans at home and abroad. Since the band was founded in 1991, they have released twelve studio albums, in addition to a number of live recordings, singles, EPs and compilations.

The music is based on brute guitar riffs and hard-as-nails drum grooves, replete with sinister keyboard hooks and that mix of growls and clear vocals - some in English, some in German - that is so typical of this band.

Crematory will release a new CD+DVD, Live Insurrection, on September 8th. It's the whole show from the prestigious german Bang Your Head Festival 2016 in Germany, also including four videoclips on the DVD from their latest album, Monument.

Tracklisting:

CD
Intro
“Misunderstood”
“Fly”
“Greed”
“Tick Tack”
Instrumental
“Haus mit Garten”
“Ravens Calling”
“Pray”
“Everything”
Instrumental
“Shadowmaker”
“The Fallen”
“Höllenbrand”
“Die So Soon”
“Kommt näher”
“Tears Of Time”

DVD

Live:
Intro
“Misunderstood”
“Fly”
“Greed”
“Tick Tack”
Instrumental
“Haus mit Garten”
“Ravens Calling”
“Pray”
“Everything”
Instrumental
“Shadowmaker”
“The Fallen”
“Höllenbrand”
“Die So Soon”
“Kommt näher”
“Tears Of Time”

Monument videoclips:
“Misunderstood”
“Ravens Calling”
“Haus mit Garten”
“Everything”

Crematory tour dates:

July
1 - Mülheim, Germany - Castle Rock Festival
7 - Erfurt, Germany - From Hell
8 - Berlin, Germany - Biesdorfer Parkbühne
15 - Vizovice, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock
31 - Burgas, Bulgaria - Summer Chaos

September
9 - Deutzen, Germany - NCN Festival

Belgium’s Evil Invaders will release their new album, Feed Me Violence, worldwide on September 29th via Napalm Records. The band have released a video for the new song, “Mental Penitentiary”, available for streaming below.

Vocalist/guitarist Joe commented on the track: “One of the faster songs on the record and definitely one of the coolest tracks we've written so far! Pretty intense lyrics, which are definitely worth checking out! The mid tempo part in the middle gives a nice contrast with the fast shit that's happening before and after. Making this video was compulsive endless lunacy! Fortunately only the camera guy got injured...”

Feed Me Violence will be available as regular jewel case edition, a 1LP gatefold edition, and digitally. Pre-order will be available shortly.

Tracklisting:

“Mental Penitentiary”
“As Life Slowly Fades”
“Suspended Reanimation”
“Broken Dreams In Isolation”
“Feed Me Violence”
“Oblivion”
“Shades Of Solitude”
“Anger Within”
“Among The Depths Of Sanity”

“Mental Penitentiary” video:

After touring extensively all over Europe in support of their latest efforts Pulses Of Pleasure (2015) and In For The Kill (2016), make sure to meet Evil Invaders live, starting with Graspop Metal Meeting this weekend.

Death metal overlords Dying Fetus have shared the latest single off their impending eighth studio album, Wrong One To Fuck With. Listen to the song “Die With Integrity” below.

The band will be on tour throughout the year starting with Summer Slaughter alongside The Black Dahlia Murder, The Faceless, Oceano and more. The tour kicks off July 27th in Reading, PA and runs through August 26th in Cleveland, OH. Following a quick break, Dying Fetus will head overseas on the Wrong One To Fuck With Europe 2017 Tour. The tour runs October 13th through November 18th and features support from Psycroptic, Beyond Creation and Disentomb. A complete list of tour dates can be found here.

June 23rd will see the worldwide release of Wrong One To Fuck With via Relapse Records on CD/2xLP/Digital. Physical pre-orders and bundles are available via Relapse.com here and digital downloads can be pre-ordered via Bandcamp here.

Dying Fetus once again raise the bar of sonic extremity with their eighth studio album and first new material in over five years, Wrong One To Fuck With. The seasoned veterans manage to further stretch their creative and technical boundaries across 10 complex tracks of pulverizing death metal, filled with more dynamic intricacies, brutal breakdowns and varied vocal patterns than ever before. Now over 25 years into their distinguished career, Dying Fetus cement their legacy with Wrong One To Fuck With and uphold their position as the most dominant force in death metal today.

Tracklisting:

“Fixated On Devastation”
“Panic Amongst The Herd”
“Die With Integrity”
“Reveling In The Abyss”
“Seething With Disdain”
“Ideological Subjugation”
“Weaken The Structure”
“Fallacy”
“Unmitigated Detestation”
“Wrong One To Fuck With”

“Die With Integrity”:

“Panic Amongst The Herd” video:

“Fixated On Devastation” live video:

Teaser:

(Photo - Scott Kinkade)

California death metal merchants, Carnifex, have released a live video for "Dark Heart Ceremony”, from last year's Slow Death ahead of Warped Tour. The band will spend the entire summer performing as part of the annual festival and this clip demonstrates the type of live fury with which the band takes the stage. It is certainly a taste of what's to come this summer. You've been warned.

"The stage is where everything about our music comes to life," said vocalist Scott Ian Lewis about the clip. "The love, the hate, the pain, everything is on display. This video captures those moments both on stage and in the crowd and so much more."

The footage in this live clip was shot by Enlighten, a creative studio, at The Glasshouse in Pomona, California.

The band’s live itinerary can be found at this location.

German heavy metal trio, Rage, have released a second official video trailer for their upcoming 23rd studio album, Seasons Of The Black, out on July 28th via Nuclear Blast. Parts 1 & 2 are available for streaming below.

Seasons Of The Black is available for pre-order. You can purchase it in the following formats:

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

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

These bonus tracks originate from the time when Rage was still called Avenger.

Peavy comments: "It was really nice to re-record the songs from my first years of being a musician! I remember quite well how the songs were created. I always thought that it's a pity that most of the people don't know these songs, just because they were released with another band name. For me it was always clear that these songs are kind of timeless and when we played them together it was really awesome! Back then, we couldn't realise our ideas as good as today. When you listen to the new recordings you will recognize how fantastic these songs really are!"

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

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

“Blackened Karma” video:

Studio trailer #1:

Studio trailer #2:

Studio trailer #3:

Rage live dates:

June
17 - Duisburg, Germany - Rage Against Racism (RAGE meets REFUGE)
29 - Gardelegen, Germany - Metal Frenzy

July
2 - Barcelona, Spain - Rock Fest
6 - Ballenstedt, Germany - Rock Harz Open Air
16 - Vizovice, Czech Republic - Masters of Rock
21 - Ternopil, Ukraine - Faine Misto Festival

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

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

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

Rage lineup:

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

Back on May 5th, Dutch death metallers God Dethroned released their new album The World Ablaze, worldwide via Metal Blade Records; it can be ordered here. A full album stream is available below.

The World Ablaze tracklisting:

“A Call To Arms”
“Annihilation Crusade”
“The World Ablaze”
“On The Wrong Side Of The Wire”
“Close To Victory”
“Konigsberg”
“Escape Across The Ice (The White Army)”
“Breathing Through Blood”
“Messina Ridge”
“The 11th Hour”

Album stream:

"Annihilation Crusade" video:

“The World Ablaze” video:

“On The Wrong Side Of The Wire” video:

Live dates:

June
22-24 - Grafenhainichen, Germany - With Full Force

July
13-15 - Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany - Dong Open Air

August
10-12 - Schlotheim, Germany - Party.San Open Air

December
2 - Dresden, Germany - Skullcrusher

God Dethroned lineup:

Henri Sattler - vocals/guitars
Mike Ferguson - guitars
Jeroen Pomper - bass
Michiel van der Plicht - drums

Yesterday (Monday, June 12th), Devin Townsend attended the Metal Hammer Golden Gods ceremony in London, where he was named “Riff Lord”, an award previously given to the likes of Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, Queen’s Brian May and Motörhead’s Phil Campbell. To celebrate, a brand new lyric video for the track “Offer Your Light”, taken from the Transcendence, is available for streaming below.

Says Devin: “"Hey all! Well heck, I guess I won an award for being a guitar guy... sweet! All those years of social ineptitude has manifested in an ability to play 32nd notes. Take that, dad!

“To celebrate, we are doing a lyric video for a track I had been encouraged to release when the album first came out, but decided to go with another one instead. As it turns out, people seem to really like this song, so have at 'er! Here's a kind of rockin, kind of straightforward track from Transcendence called “Offer Your Light”, written essentially about trying to look at the positive amidst the ever increasing sea of neurosis-inducing bullshit the world keeps spewing at us.

“I’m in the beginning stages of writing new music now, and I hope this finds a home in your listening world for the next 4 minutes or so... best part is; there's no guitar solo!

“Lots of love, Devin 'riff-lord' Townsend (apparently!)”

Southern California progressive blackened death metal outfit WITCH CASKET has released the video for "Hatred Index", the title track of its upcoming album. The clip was filmed in Los Angeles with director Matt Eskew. WITCH CASKET lead vocalist Drogoth said: "We wanted to do something fairly simple for our first video with footage of the band performing. This is to give people a look into how the band presents itself and what to expect when seeing the band performing in a live setting. The next video that's currently in production will be a much more cinematic endeavor."

"Hatred Index" is the second song to be made available by WITCH CASKET, following the release of a lyric video for the track "That Damn Devil" earlier this year. The "Hatred Index" album will be released in late 2017.

WITCH CASKET was formed in 2013 when ex-SOTHIS guitarist Colin "Nylock" Cameron and guitarist Neal Tiemann started working on writing songs together in Nylock's Los Angeles studio. Once a majority of the songs had been written, ex-SOTHIS vocalist Adam "Drogoth" McCarthy was brought on to handle writing lyrics and recording vocals.

Originally formed simply as a studio project, all musical instrumentation was composed and executed by both Nylock and Tiemann. The album in its entirety was also produced; engineered, and mixed by Nylock himself in both his personal Hollywood studio and Los Angeles-based Unfriendly Studios where he is the lead engineer and co-founder, along with Metal Sanaz. The album was completed with this lineup. However, towards the end of the recording process, Tiemann departed the project to focus on writing for and touring with established SoCal metal band DEVILDRIVER. As completion of the "Hatred Index" album approached, live rehearsals were started with the addition of ex-SOTHIS guitarist Robert "Scathe" Enriquez and drummer Kaspars Lucey-Grinbergs.

According to Ekstra Bladet, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich has been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Dannebrog.

The Order of Dannebrog is an Order of Denmark, instituted by Christian V in 1671. In the beginning, only noblemen could be decorated, but in 1808 Frederik VI changed the requirements so non-nobles could be rewarded for "true merit."

Today the Order is given to Danish citizens who have merited the special decoration.

The Order of Dannebrog is a white enameled silver cross, edged in red, with a crown and the monogram of the reigning monarch. It carries an inscription "God and King."

Ulrich received the honor on May 26.

In a 2016 interview, Lars spoke about how his Danish upbringing relates to METALLICA's need to always challenge itself creatively. "Being Danish, I've always had, I think, a fairly easy relationship with being contrary," he explained. "I think a lot of Danish people are quite contrarian and like to challenge things and like to… If somebody says, 'Let's go left,' then Danish people will pull off and just go, 'Let's go right.' I certainly have a bit of a contrarian kind of attitude in me that, I think, comes certainly significantly from being Danish, and I think METALLICA has always enjoyed floating around in our own little bubble, being outsiders, living in our own world, being contrary and a little bit opposite of what everybody else embraces. We've never been a big part of a movement, of a fad, of a wave. We never particularly felt like we fit into anything, and METALLICA has always, I think, enjoyed an element of contrary energy."

Lars recalled in a 1995 interview that he "grew up in as open an upbringing as you can imagine... I was very independent. I had nothing tying me down. At the same time, anything I wanted I had to get it myself."

He added: "Even though tennis was his main source of income, my dad was also writing about jazz in the papers in Copenhagen. Miles Davis and Ornette Coleman were always playing in the stereo around the house. Later it was THE DOORS and Jimi Hendrix."

Joe Bonamassa’s new release, Live At Carnegie Hall - An Acoustic Evening, will be available on  on June 23rd on 2CD, 3LP, 2DVD and Blu-ray via Mascot Label Group. A video for “The Valley Runs Low” from the upcoming release can be found below, and pre-orders can be made at this location.

Last year, on January 21st and 22nd, Joe Bonamassa performed two unique all-acoustic shows at the iconic Carnegie Hall in New York City. Both performances were filmed and made into Joe Bonamassa Live At Carnegie Hall - An Acoustic Evening.

An evening of extraordinary music with new arrangements of favourite songs as well as brand new, never-before-heard songs. It will be released on Double CD, Double DVD, Blu-ray and 3 LP Vinyl on June 23rd. The video pieces include 104 minutes of feature film, over 45 minutes bonus features and all are sold in beautifully designed packages that are perfect for a music lover’s collection.

The concert was part of a special all-acoustic tour and featured an all-star ensemble of world-class musicians. Acclaimed Chinese cellist and erhuist Tina Guo, whose repertoire stretches from classical to heavy metal; and Hossam Ramzy, the Egyptian percussionist and composer, who has performed on dozens of film soundtracks and records, including on Jimmy Page and Robert Plant’s No Quarter: Unledded Tour. Reese Wynans (piano), Anton Fig (Drums) Eric Bazilian (mandolin, hurdy-gurdy, saxophone, acoustic guitar, vocals), and three Australian backing vocalists, Mahalia Barnes, Juanita Tippins, and Gary Pinto round out the band.

Says Bonamassa: “Despite being among the most ambitious things I’ve done - I played with a 9 piece acoustic band - It came out great. It was a typical Joe freak show.”

“The Valley Runs Low”:

“Woke Up Dreaming”:

“Drive”:

“Song Of Yesterday”:

Trailer:

GUNS N' ROSES performed a cover version of the AC/DC classic "Whole Lotta Rosie" during the Axl Rose-fronted band's June 7 concert at Letzigrund Stadion in Zurich, Switzerland.

Prior to launching into the song, Axl told the crowd: "When we play this song, nobody really knows that I… When I'm singing this song, I actually, in my head, I see this little dog of ours with me on stage, 'cause she's always so fucking happy. Before we came to the show today, she passed away. So we'll dedicate this to her. Kind of the whole show for me in mind has been for Rosie."

Rose did a string of European and North American concerts with AC/DC in 2016, mostly to fan and critical acclaim.

It is unknown whether Rose will continue singing with AC/DC. The band's future remains in doubt after the band completed its world tour in support of 2014's "Rock Or Bust", a cycle that saw a massive turnover in the group's personnel. Guitarist and sole original member Angus Young has not yet indicated whether the group will continue recording and touring.

In March 2016, AC/DC's singer of 35 years, Brian Johnson, had to leave the band's North American tour after doctors told him he might lose his hearing, while 40-year bassist Cliff Williams announced his retirement at the rescheduled trek's conclusion.

The lineup that completed the tour consisted of Williams, Angus Young, Rose, Chris Slade on drums and Angus's nephew Stevie Young on guitar.

GUNS will come back to North America for at least another 15 stadium dates this summer, starting on July 27 in St. Louis and ending on September 8 in San Antonio.

"This Is The Moment", the new video from Sweden's KRYPTONITE, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's self-titled debut album, which will be released on August 4 via Frontiers Music Srl. Sometimes musicians are put together who only know each other from afar via their respective recordings, but something clicks and triggers a magical moment. That's exactly what happened when Jakob Samuel from THE POODLES met up with producer Alessandro Del Vecchio on the heels of a concept created by Frontiers president Serafino Perugino. Together, they set off to work on a new band that could offer lyrical concepts that are deep and intelligent with music that operates within the genres they excel in. And most importantly, has a great energy and impact. Samuel, Del Vecchio and Perugino handpicked each musician to be part of their vision for a strong lineup of young and hungry Swedish musicians that would be ready to go out there and kick some ass. Pontus Egberg, formerly of THE POODLES and now the bass player for KING DIAMOND and TREAT, was the first one to enter the picture, followed shortly thereafter by Robban Back of MUSTASCH (and ex-ECLIPSE). The choice of guitar player fell to the young and immensely gifted Mike Palace. Mike showed his huge talents as a writer and performer on his band Palace's debut album and on several songs he has already written for the label. The recording and writing sessions flowed freely and the songs came naturally. This band will truly set a standard for what fans perceive as melodic hard rock in today's climate. It is classic, but modern at the same time, groovy and cool.