With last year's triple album opus, Triangle, Swiss avant-garde metal outfit Schammasch gained wide international acclaim and defiantly raised the bar within the extreme metal scene. Doubtlessly one of the most daring, interesting and multidimensional bands of today's black metal oeuvre, their constant striving for artistic freedom makes them an important part of the genre's future, never bound by rules or limits.
 
This summer, Schammasch will extend their body of work by adding a new branch - the first in a line of shorter releases entitled The Maldoror Chants, entirely based on "Les Chants de Maldoror"; one of 19th century's darkest and most fascinating literary works which would later become part of the foundation of the surrealist movement. Having been an important lyrical influence for Schammasch since their second album, Contradiction, they have now decided to give this inspiration the space it deserves and, on the other hand, to give themselves the artistic space it would require.
 
Hermaphrodite, as the first of these releases will be called, shows a different side of the band's artistic repertoire with focus upon spoken word and atmospheric soundscapes rather than the "song by song" formula. A new approach to their visual aesthetic can be found in the artwork design as well, which presents a hand drawn illustration by Mexican artist / surrealist Héctor Pineda, whilst the layout was completely handled by vocalist/guitarist C.S.R's art project Saros Collective, which is also responsible for the audio production.
 
The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite will hit digital and physical retailers on June 9th via Prosthetic Records. The album encompasses seven interlinking tracks over a 31-minute duration, presented as a deluxe CD digipak and strictly limited vinyl LP.

Schammasch, as always, dare to explore foreign grounds on The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite, allowing themselves to drift into unfamiliar territory, which may be due to the fact that the band invested all their creative energy in successfully developing a philosophical manifesto during the last eight years, and is now willing to focus on another side of what art can be - strange.
 
Stay tuned for more material to be revealed leading up to the release of The Maldoror Chants: Hermaphrodite.

Tracklisting:

“Prologue”
“The Weighty Burden Of An Eternal Secret”
“Along The Road That Leads To Bedlam”
“These Tresses Are Sacred”
“May His Illusion Last Until Dawn’s Awakening”
“Chimerical Hope”
“Do Not Open Your Eyes”

(Photo by: Ester Segarra)

The creativity and productivity of German heavy metal trio Rage seems to have no limits. Only 14 months after the successful The Devil Strikes Again neckbreaker, Rage deliver their new, 23rd studio album, entitled Seasons Of The Black, out  on July 28th via Nuclear Blast. New single, "Blackened Karma" will be released on this Friday, May 26th. Listen to a snippet below:

"Our fans are getting Rage metal of the very first grade. We've been able to bring the band's typical trademarks into eleven new songs, and we're sticking to the course that we forged on the last album! This means hard and very catchy compositions that also sound thrash, aggressive and epic", says band leader Peavy.

Since the reorientation of 2015, the three band members have now fully adapted to each other and the lost harmony has been fully restored. "We are even better matched with each other," says Peavy. "We offer new ideas to each other like we’ve never done something else before! It also happened that we created a whole new song within just two hours from start to finish, from scratch! Regarding the production we were also able to prevent some complications, which had been an element of the last album due to a lack of experience. This time, everything worked perfectly."

Guitarist Marcos Rodriguez and drummer Vassilios "Lucky" Maniatopoulos have been long-time Rage fans from the very beginning. Their input also leaves its mark on their second album. "Marcos and Lucky well know the "classic" style-creating spirit of Rage so to speak, and on a personal level we all really like each other as well. This contributed to the possibility of continuing to develop and expanding the band’s spirit," the vocalist adds.

The stylistic connection between The Devil Strikes Again and Seasons Of The Black is also visually reflected in the artwork, once again created by graphic artist Karim König.

"We developed the idea together," says Peavy. “In this way we want to show that both albums belong together in their own way. I modelled the sonically inspired sculpture that dominates the cover on my own. As a basis, I used a very rare skull from my collection, which I poured myself and then re-modelled. Karim created the gloomy landscape with the Golgotha Hill."

The title song “Seasons Of The Black” will be the opener of the 11 track-album. “The song is very personal, it is about a failed life-long dream. Imagine being stamped to the ground and looking at the broken pieces of your existence. This sadly is a destiny that many people have to share. Most of the songs on the album include a very gloomy view of the world, so we thought “Seasons Of The Black” would be suitable for the entire album,” the vocalist, who founded Rage over three decades ago, sums up.

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).

Studio trailer #1:

Studio trailer #2:

Studio trailer #3:

Rage live dates:

June
3 - Eichstätt, Germany - Open Air am Berg
10 - Starnberg, Germany - Food Rock Festival, Schlossberghalle
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

 

On May 17, the Swedish Court of First Instance (Patent and Market Court [PMD] at Stockholm District Court) ruled on the long-running case brought by founding ENTOMBED guitarist Alex Hellid, along with Nicke Andersson and Uffe Cederlund, against original ENTOMBED singer Lars-Göran "LG" Petrov regarding the trademark name "Entombed," finding in their favor on all points.

"Naturally we are delighted with the decision of the courts," Hellid, Andersson and Cederlund said in a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "It's a great relief that this issue is now finally ruled on and we can return to focusing on giving people more ENTOMBED. We have discussed ideas and plans of what we want to do and look forward to working together on creating the best possible ENTOMBED for the future, both in the recording studio and in a live setting."

Hellid and Petrov have been embroiled in a legal battle over the ENTOMBED name for several years. In 2014, Petrov was reportedly awarded the right to use the band name in connection with future recording and touring activities, a decision which Hellid appealed without success. The guitarist then went on to register a trademark for spirits production under the "Entombed" name. This move did not sit well with Hellid's former bandmate, who filed a letter of protest against Alex's registration of the name, claiming that it could be confused with band activities. He also said that Hellid acted in "bad faith" when he registered name and that there was a desire to "deceive the public." Petrov's protest, however, found no favor with the Swedish Patent And Registration Office, which rejected his claims on the issue in a March 8, 2016 ruling.

In an interview with Revolution-Music.dk, Petrov defended his group's decision to release albums and tour under the name ENTOMBED A.D. in order to avoid a legal battle with Hellid who didn't want his former bandmates to use the ENTOMBED moniker: "It had to be done, because without an album you can't tour," he explained. "I mean, you can tour, but if there's seven years between albums, it's ridiculously long. So we did the right thing, and we did what bands should do, and still do — release an album and go on tour and headbang and have a good time with friends, and that's what it's all about."

He continued: "There was too much bullshit — crying and whining about things. It's just ridiculous.

"Some people are comfortable staying at home, but then just step aside and let us do our thing.

"We added two letters, but it's still the same band — [only] without people that wanna stay at home, or take millions of years [coming up with] a [new] riff."

Asked if he thinks the ENTOMBED name has been damaged as a result of the drama surrounding the split with Hellid and the decision to continue as ENTOMBED A.D., Petrov said: "Nah, not really. A thousand people have a thousand different opinions — good and bad. But we do what we felt was right. And we're out here touring, and that's the most important [thing], I think. And leave the childishness aside and play metal, basically."

ENTOMBED A.D.'s second album, "Dead Dawn", was released in February 2016 via Century Media.

A completely different version of ENTOMBED — featuring Hellid, Cederlund and Andersson — played the band's groundbreaking 1991 album, "Clandestine", in its entirety at Malmö Live in Malmö, Sweden in November 2016. Joining them at the show were Robert Andersson (vocals) and Nicke's half brother Edvin Aftonfalk (bass), both formerly of the Swedish death metal band MORBUS CHRON.

Two weeks earlier, the new Hellid-led lineup of ENTOMBED made its live debut on the Close-Up Båten cruise.

Professionally filmed video footage of SCOUR — the new extreme metal "supergroup" featuring Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT) alongside members of CATTLE DECAPITATION and PIG DESTROYER — performing the PANTERA classic "Strength Beyond Strength" at SCOUR's first-ever concert, which took place on February 19 at One Eyed Jacks in New Orleans, Louisiana can be seen below. The clip was filmed by Mike Holderbeast, Carolyn Babauta, Ritchi Rooster, Steven W. Richardson and Justin Delong. The audio was recorded and mastered by Steven W. Richardson.

The self-titled debut EP from SCOUR was released last July via Anselmo's Housecore label. The six-track effort was mixed by Dave Otero (CEPHALIC CARNAGE, CATTLE DECAPITATION, COBALT, KHEMMIS) and was made available on CD and vinyl formats.

SCOUR recently officially recruited Adam Jarvis (MISERY INDEX, PIG DESTROYER) as its drummer.

Adam Jarvis's next gig with SCOUR will take place on June 14 at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, New York.

Anselmo previously stated about his involvement with from SCOUR: "Doing the SCOUR project was a blast. The track 'Dispatched' was the first one I attacked, as it was the first one sent to me. Lyrically, I leave it to the listener to evaluate, as usual. The way I saw it, the songs were short, and extremely straight-forward, so I didn't want to clutter 'em up with too much. Therefore, I had to pick particular lyrics that seemed provocatively absurd enough, and to perform them as raw as deemed fit."

SCOUR is:

* Phillip H. Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT) - Vocals* Derek Engemann (CATTLE DECAPITATION) - Guitar* Chase Fraser (ANIMOSITY) - Guitar* John Jarvis (PIG DESTROYER) - Bass* Adam Jarvis (MISERY INDEX, PIG DESTROYER) - Drums

Rob Zombie performed WHITE ZOMBIE's 1994 album "Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs Of Love, Destruction And Other Synthetic Delusions Of The Electric Head" live in its entirety at Chicago's Riot Fest last September. The set was professionally recorded and is currently being mixed by Rob's longtime collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris for a late 2017 release.

Rob posted a short preview of the upcoming album on his Instagram account. You can check it out below.

Zombie said last year that he had "many legit reasons" for not wanting to reform WHITE ZOMBIE, despite some fans' suggestion to the contrary.

The subject of a WHITE ZOMBIE reunion once again came up after Rob performed "Astro-Creep: 2000" live at Riot Fest.

As video footage of the performance made its way online, a WHITE ZOMBIE fan made an impassioned plea for Zombie to reform the group. The fan wrote in the comments section on Instagram: "Please, for the love of God, reunite WHITE ZOMBIE. The reasons you've given in the past for not wanting to do it… honestly make no sense. First you said that reunions are never good, and it's best to let sleeping corpses lie. Hello… GUNS N' ROSES? MISFITS? Reunions are beloved bands are totally welcomed and completely awesome. a white zombie reunion has zero chance of being bad.

"The second reason you have is that your crowds these days 'barely react' to the WHITE ZOMBIE songs. Well, maybe they would react more if those songs weren't abandoned. I can promise you that thousands of people still love and cherish those albums you need in the '80s and '90s. A WHITE ZOMBIE tour would be a huge success.

"I love you, Rob, but I gotta be honest.. I think the truth is that you just think you're too good to pick up the phone, call up Sean [Yseult, former WHITE ZOMBIE bassist and Rob's ex-girlfriend] and the guys… and get that ball rolling again. I don't know if there's some sort of Sean/Sherri [Moon Zombie, Rob's wife] jealousy thing that caused you guys to break up in the first place… I mean, it's kinda funny you broke up WHITE ZOMBIE but took the drummer with you… But either way… just do a WHITE ZOMBIE reunion. [You] have no legit reason not to."

Rob took notice of the fan's comment and personally responded via Instagram, writing: "[I am] always amazed at how people can speak with such authority on subjects they know zero about.

"I have many legit reasons [for not wanting to reform WHITE ZOMBIE]. Just because you don't know them does not mean they don't exist.

"Everything is not everybody's business."

Yseult was recently asked by rock journalist Mitch Lafon what her reaction was when she first found out Rob was pursuing a solo career after WHITE ZOMBIE's 1997 split. She said: "First of all, I knew that we were breaking up — it wasn't a big surprise — but it was a little bit of a slap in the face to me and Jay [Yuenger, former WHITE ZOMBIE guitarist] when we had our… After one year, we were supposed to be taking a break, and then we were gonna have a call and talk about getting back together and making a record. I knew that we weren't getting back together, but literally the next… Jay and I both said, 'We have more riffs. We'd love to write some more music.' And Rob kept saying, 'No, no, no. I think we're done.' And what are you gonna say? You can't tell the singer that he has to sing. [Laughs] Even though our manager told Jay and I that we should go on and continue on with WHITE ZOMBIE and get a new singer, we both refused that. But the slap in the face was that [Rob's] solo record came out, like, the next day, so he spent that year making a record, knowing that [WHITE ZOMBIE wasn't] gonna be a band again. So that was a little… you know… whatever. But, like, who cares? You know, really. I didn't care. I moved to New Orleans. I knew that we'd already broke up anyway."

WHITE ZOMBIE split up in 1997 and Rob Zombie went on to launch a successful solo career in 1998. He told The Pulse Of Radio that nowadays a lot of his audience isn't even familiar with the old WHITE ZOMBIE songs. "The crowds are really, really young and I've been noticing that with the set list too, because, you know, as the time has gone on, we've really worked the WHITE ZOMBIE material more out of the set, because we've been finding that it's not working like it used to," he said. "It seems like that those songs just seem now old to people and it's very strange."

CANDLEBOX paid tribute to Chris Cornell by performing the TEMPLE OF THE DOG song "Say Hello 2 Heaven" in the SOUNDGARDEN frontman's honor during CANDLEBOX's May 20 concert at Ohio Spring Fest in Toledo, Ohio. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below (courtesy of YouTube user "Staatsiebuckeyegirl").

In the days since Cornell's tragic death, a number of artists have paid tribute by covering his songs, including MEGADETH, DREAM THEATER, STONE SOUR, QUEENSRŸCHE, LIVE, THE PRETTY RECKLESS and HEART's Ann Wilson.

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit.

Chris's wife Vicky and an attorney representing the Cornell family have questioned the results of a medical examiner's report that said the 52-year-old musician committed suicide.

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH was joined by Phil Labonte of ALL THAT REMAINS on stage on May 17 at Concrete Street Amphitheater in Corpus Christi, Texas for a performance of the DEATH PUNCH song "Wash It All Away". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

Labonte fronted FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH for eight concerts during the band's fall 2016 U.S. co-headlining arena tour with SHINEDOWN after DEATH PUNCH's regular singer, Ivan Moody, "fell ill" and stepped away from the road to receive treatment.

Prior to the "Wash It All" performance in Corpus Christi, Moody addressed the crowd, telling them: "This is the first show I play with DEATH PUNCH in six months in America. And about six months ago, I had a complete meltdown, and I'm willing to admit it. And luckily for me, my band understood and they told me to take some time to myself. Now here's the best part. They asked me, if there was one person that they would pick to front this band if I was dead, I picked one of my oldest, greatest friends and one of the greatest fucking singers in heavy metal today, Phil from ALL THAT REMAINS. Now while I was taking my vacation, I realized something. DEATH PUNCH isn't just about us — it's about you motherfuckers. So I'm gonna give credit where credit is due. Make some noise for my best friend and one of the greatest of all time. Phil, come on out here."

Labonte recently said that he was surprised by overwhelmingly positive reaction he got from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH fans when he filled in for Moody. Speaking to Revolver magazine, Labonte explained how he came to be asked to sing for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH as a temporary replacement for his longtime friend. He said: "[Around the] holidays, [I] usually kind of chill out. But right after Thanksgiving, I got a phone call, [saying], 'Hey, can you get on an airplane?' So I got the opportunity to help those guys out.

"We've known the guys in FIVE FINGER since before they were even a band — I've known Ivan since he was in MOTOGRATER — so the fact that I could jump in and help out my friends, it was really cool. It was a lot of fun — a really good experience."

Labonte went on to say that he was "a little surprised at how well the fans responded" to his addition to FIVE FINGER's touring lineup. He explained: "Especially with a band like FIVE FINGER, with a frontman like Ivan, I kind of expected some people to be, like, 'If it's not Ivan, I don't wanna hear about it,' and I didn't get that at all. It was nothing but love and message of support and messages from people saying, 'Thanks' and 'Good job,' pat-on the-back stuff, which is always really, really nice to hear that you're doing a good job for your friends. So it was a great experience."

KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque was interviewed by Metal Jacket Magazine the day after his May 16 performance in Zagreb, Croatia as a guest at a concert of Zele Lipovača, longtime guitarist of the Bosnian heavy metal band DIVLJE JAGODE. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the progress of the songwriting sessions for KING DIAMOND's long-awaited follow-up to 2007's "Give Me Your Soul … Please" album:

Andy: "I can't really say that we have started working on it yet, but it's coming. So as soon as we have some time, we're gonna start working on new songs."

On the KING DIAMOND songwriting process:

Andy: "What [KING DIAMOND singer and namesake and I] do is we both have our studios, so we send files [to each other], and if there's something that needs to be changed, we just talk about it and have it changed."

On the status of KING DIAMOND's much-anticipated DVD:

Andy: "We're actually still working on it, because we have a few options — different shows and stuff — so we have to make a decision which one is the best. And it's hard to know that before you start working on it. And you know the picture and the sound — that combination — have to match, of course, and when you see the whole thing, [you go], 'Okay, that show is really good.' So we're still working on it. And I have no release date; I'm sorry about that. We just want it to be really, really good."

KING DIAMOND's November 2015 concerts in Philadelphia and Detroit during the "Abigail In Concert 2015" tour were filmed for the band's forthcoming DVD. The massive, multi-camera shoot was directed by Denise Korycki, who has previously worked with CANNIBAL CORPSE and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE).

KING DIAMOND received a Grammy nomination in the "Best Metal Performance" category for the track "Never Ending Hill" off "Give Me Your Soul … Please".

"Give Me Your Soul ... Please" entered the Swedish national chart at position No. 28. The CD also landed at No. 58 on the Danish chart. The effort sold 4,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 174 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Frontiers Music Srl has announced the signing of legendary rockers NAZARETH. The band's brand new studio album will be released in 2018. The current lineup of NAZARETH consists of Jimmy Murrison (longest-serving guitarist in the band's history), Lee Agnew (drummer since Darrel Sweet's death in 1999), Pete Agnew (founding member, on bass) and new singer Carl Sentance (who joined the band in 2015 after Dan McCafferty had to retire due to illness). Pete Agnew says: "With Carl as our brand new singer and Frontiers as our brand new record company, the buzz surrounding us right now is the same as it was when we went in to record our very first album. Can't wait for the sparks to fly!" Originally coming together as THE SHADETTES in 1968 in Dunfermline, Scotland, the entity known as NAZARETH came together in spring 1970 and released their eponymous debut album in 1971. The band came to prominence after the release of the Roger Glover (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW) produced "Razamanaz" in 1973. Two more successful releases, "Loud 'N' Proud" and "Rampant", followed before the release of "Hair Of The Dog" in 1975, which was an unqualified success. The title track was a staple of '70s rock radio and the ballad "Love Hurts" is a worldwide hit. NAZARETH mantained a solid sales history during the '80s, particularly in Germany, where "Dream On" became a hit single. A tribute of note to the band came in 1993 when GUNS N' ROSES covered "Hair Of The Dog" on their "The Spaghetti Incident?" album. To date, NAZARETH has recorded 23 studio albums, earning them platinum, gold, and silver awards around the world. Their latest release, "Rock N' Roll Telephone" was released in 2014 and generally hailed by music critics as another masterpiece in a long line of them from the band.

EVANESCENCE singer Amy Lee has paid tribute to Chris Cornell, saying that SOUNDGARDEN's combination of "bluesy soulful wailing and the dark, heavy music changed what metal was to me."

Cornell died last Wednesday night (May 17) by apparently hanging himself after a concert in Detroit. The homages to the late musician began moving from social media to the concert stage, where a number of acts covered SOUNDGARDEN songs during their sets.

Writing on her Facebook page, Lee said: "Chris Cornell was one of my favorite vocalists of all time. When we were recording [EVANESCENCE's debut album] 'Fallen', I would sit in the car in the studio parking lot every morning before going in and warm up my voice to 'Fell On Black Days'. I loved how deeply soulful he was — it was such a beautiful and unique combination between his bluesy soulful wailing and the dark, heavy music. It was so much cooler than just screaming, which would have been the more obvious match to the music. That's what made it special. They changed what metal was to me. Expanded the boundaries...

"There have been way too many tragic, early deaths in the music industry lately. Why are we so lost? Cornell moved and inspired so many people. SO many...

"For now, my thoughts are here: No one is immortal. Everyone feels the pain. No one has a perfect life. We have to remember our fragility — that of the people we love, look up to, even our enemies. You never know what people are really going through on the inside, so we must take extreme care. And love the best we can, while there's still time.

"'I'm only faking when I get it right...' Oh, how I've always related to that line. Knowing you felt that way made me stronger.

"Farewell to another hero. Thank you for sharing your heart, your search light soul with us."

Chris's wife Vicky and an attorney representing the Cornell family have questioned the results of a medical examiner's report that said the 52-year-old musician committed suicide.

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

A moment of silence in Chris Cornell's memory was held at this year's Billboard Music Awards, whick took place last night (Sunday, May 21) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

IMAGINE DRAGONS frontman Dan Reynolds made an emotional speech about the late SOUNDGARDEN frontman's life and legacy, saying: "Although tonight is a time to celebrate the music and artists of the past year, it's also a time to recall a member of our community we lost this past week, SOUNDGARDEN and AUDIOSLAVE's Chris Cornell was a true innovator. A musical architect and pioneer on the cutting edge of the Seattle grunge movement. He was a prolific songwriter, a legendary performer, a singer who had a voice for the ages, and a philanthropist — whose Chris And Vicky Cornell Foundation helped so many children around the world.

"Even though Chris is gone, his legacy endures," Reynolds continued. "We send our respects as well as our love to Chris's family at this time. Please join us in a moment of silence to remember Chris Cornell."

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

In the days since Cornell's tragic death, a number of artists have paid tribute by covering his songs, including MEGADETH, DREAM THEATER, QUEENSRŸCHE, STONE SOUR, LIVE, THE PRETTY RECKLESS and HEART's Ann Wilson, while LINKIN PARK dedicated their appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to him.

While the surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN have not yet issued a public statement about Cornell, drummer Matt Cameron posted a brief message on Facebook, saying, "My dark knight is gone… Thank you for the incredible outpouring of kindness and love."

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

Extreme metallers ARCH ENEMY will release their tenth studio album, "Will To Power", on September 8 via Century Media Records.

Commented guitarist Michael Amott: "After many months of writing and recording in the studio, we are delighted to have finally completed work on our tenth studio album, 'Will To Power'. We are looking forward to sharing new music with you soon. We are equally excited to announce the first leg of our 'Will To Power' world tour... Can't wait to play new and old songs for our fans. See you all soon!"

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

ARCH ENEMY bassist Sharlee D'Angelo recently told Metal Wani about the band's upcoming follow-up to 2014's "War Eternal": "On 'War Eternal', there was a certain desperation about that album. But I still can feel it when I listen to it, maybe because I was involved in it. Having lost a longtime, very important member of the band and introducing someone else, a new face into the band, and you wonder, that's even more, like, 'Okay, we have a new album. I wonder what people will like about it, or if they will like it at all.' There's a few nerves there. In the process of recording that album, writing and recording, there was so much going into… There's something desperate and very dense about that album. Now, we know we did it. We're still here; people have accepted the change and embraced Alissa and everything as well. Things are better than they were before, so now you have a completely different vantage point and starting point, for that matter."

He continued: "This album is a bit more open in that sense. It sounds more open and some of the songs I would say, dare I use the word 'epic'. [Laughs] It's different, yes, we can do a lot more now than we could… We just don't have to cram as much metal as possible in the most sort of 'energetic' way. We can do it in other ways as well. Don't be scared, I'm not saying everything will be slow; that's not what is happening. It's extremely ARCH ENEMY, but within what it is ARCH ENEMY, we have gone out to explore new worlds. It will be some of the same and also some new stuff."

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

Back in December, Loomis told Metal Wani that he would "probably just be doing solos" on ARCH ENEMY's upcoming album. He explained: "If you look at it, ARCH ENEMY is Michael Amott — it's his band, it's his baby, and he is the main songwriter in the band. I did submit a few songs, and I don't know if they'll make it or not. But I definitely will be playing solos on it."

He continued: "I love being in the band. I am fan of the band. I love the music, and I love playing in front of thousands of people with that band. But we'll see what happens. It's kind of the same thing if you can think the same way with NEVERMORE; me and Warrel [Dane, vocals] were the main writers in that band, and we had a revolving door of guitar players. But pretty much, it was me and Warrel that did a lot of it. Steve Smyth wrote a little bit, Tim Calvert wrote for 'Dreaming Neon Black', but most of it, eighty percent, was me and Warrel. So each band has their own chemistry and their way of doing things."

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

"1992", a brand new song from MR. BIG, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's ninth studio album, "Defying Gravity", which will be released on July 7 via Frontiers Music Srl. The effort will be available at traditional retail and all digital service providers, as will a deluxe edition version with CD and bonus DVD that features music videos and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new album. The album will also be made available on vinyl in the coming months.

"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 No. 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 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." MR. BIG is gearing up for the launch its latest worldwide tour, which starts May 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Potowatami Casino. "2017 is filling up quickly with tour dates all around the world," proclaims Gilbert. "I can't wait to play the new songs, and, of course, our favorites from the old days, like 'Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy', 'Just Take My Heart', 'Green Tinted Sixties Mind', 'Wild World' and 'To Be With You'." "Defying Gravity" track listing: 01. Open Your Eyes02. Defying Gravity03. Everybody Needs a Little Trouble04. Damn I'm In Love Again05. Mean To Me06. Nothing Bad (About Feeling Good)07. Forever And Back08. She's All Coming Back To Me Now09. 199210. Nothing At All11. Be Kind

Photo credit: William Hames

The official lyric video for the song "Chasing Dragons" from ADRENALINE MOB — the band featuring Russell Allen (vocals; also of SYMPHONY X) and Mike Orlando (guitar) — can be seen below. The track is taken from the group's third studio album, "We The People", which will be released on June 2 via Century Media. The follow-up to 2014's "Men Of Honor" is the first ADRENALINE MOB release to feature the band's new drummer Jordan Cannata and bassist David Zablidowsky (of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA).

ADRENALINE MOB stated about "Chasing Dragons": "Dealing with the growing opiate abuse issue that is having worldwide implications, the video reveals the horrible statistics that highlights this growing problem."

"We The People" will be available for purchase as a special edition CD digipak, gatefold 2LP+CD, and on all standard digital and streaming music platforms.

"We The People" track listing:

01. King Of The Ring02. We The People03. The Killer's Inside04. Bleeding Hands05. Chasing Dragons06. Til The Head Explodes07. What You're Made Of08. Raise 'Em Up09. Ignorance & Greed10. Blind Leading The Blind11. Violent State Of Mind12. Lords Of Thunder13. Rebel Yell

You can pre-order "We The People" from iTunes.

As the title "We The People" indicates, there's a political side to ADRENALINE MOB. Throughout their years as a musicians and songwriters, they hadn't stayed silent on matters significant. Whether they were masked in metaphor or flatly conspicuous, they've always poured their feelings into song. It was, as Orlando puts it, a form of catharsis. So, as they were watching the presidential campaigns, feeling the negativity — the constant bickering and finger pointing — they knew ADRENALINE MOB's next venture would be affected. In fact, the first song Orlando began writing for "We The People" was the politically charged rocker "Blind Leading The Blind". "The title track is very much inspired by the past election year," confirms Allen. "It touches on our society, here in America. The album title is a reflection of our times. The songs have certain particular stories that stand on their own. Many of them are also driven by the climate we live in today and some are about having a good time, being free and loving rock 'n' roll. All the tracks have a personality and character to them."

ADRENALINE MOB will embark on a 30-date U.S. tour on June 16 in Poughkeepsie, New York. Support on all dates will come from the Canadian band THE WILD!

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN will mark the launch of "Rammstein: Paris" with a visit to London to meet fans and sign copies of this long-awaited concert film, first shown theatrically and now available as a multi-format, lavishly-packaged release via Spinefarm Records. This rare event — only the second time RAMMSTEIN has undertaken a signing session of this type in the U.K. — will take place on Wednesday, May 24 at the historic Café De Paris in London's West End. Café de Paris3 Coventry St.LondonW1D 6BL Signing times:

6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Closest tube stations:

Piccadilly Circus / Leicester Square Fans will be able to queue outside the venue from 5 p.m. on May 24, and wristbands will be distributed to ensure entry.

In March 2012, during the "Made In Germany" tour, Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund shot two acclaimed RAMMSTEIN concerts at the Palais Omnisports arena in Paris in front of 17,000 rabid fans. Featuring 22 songs (128 minutes) from the band's entire repertoire, the resulting film is not only the most spectacular collection of imagery about the most successful German rock band of our time, but also a masterpiece of music cinema, capturing RAMMSTEIN's energy as a unique visual and sonic experience. "Rammstein: Paris" is available on DVD, Blu-ray, CD, LP and as a digital download.

21 years down the line, with the original lineup, the six East Berliners stand at the very apex of the rock world, achieving album and DVD sales in the millions, headlining festivals and major venues around the world and selling out shows in record time (the band's bill-topping appearance at New York's Madison Square Garden saw the 20,000 seats snapped up in just 20 minutes!).

On Sunday, May 21, Brazilian/American metallers SEPULTURA celebrated the world premiere of their documentary, "Sepultura Endurance", at the Regent theater in Los Angeles. A screening of the film was followed by a question-and-answer session with the band, as well as the "Sepultura Endurance" director Otavio Juliano.

You can now watch video footage of the discussion below.

"Sepultura Endurance" shows the journey from SEPULTURA's humble rural beginnings to decades spent on the international stage, giving an in-depth look into how the band continues to thrive in a changing metal landscape. Crammed full of rare archival footage, and featuring interviews with legends like Lars Ulrich (METALLICA) and Scott Ian (ANTHRAX), and younger artists influenced by SEPULTURA, like SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor, "Sepultura Endurance" is the definitive document of the band's myths, struggles and heart.

"I'm very happy and excited that the SEPULTURA movie is finally done," comments SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser. "It is an amazing achievement from the director Otavio Juliano and the producer Luciana Ferraz from the Interface Films. Otavio followed the band on the road, on the studio and collected amazing statements from many people who are or were a part of this fantastic history. 'Sepultura Endurance' shows a story of this Brazilian band who conquered the world, suffered the ups and downs of a unique career that are still going strong. He filmed the historical show we did in Sao Paulo in 2015 for the celebrations of the 30th-year-anniversary tour and that's the central line of the whole history, our music! Through the music, we tell this story. We invite you to enter this time machine and explore the SepulHistory with no dramas or sensationalism."

"Sepultura Endurance" director Otavio Juliano states: "I had been filming the band SEPULTURA for the better part of 2010-2016, a time of tension and triumph for the band celebrating 30 years. Nothing has been off limits. The band gave me complete access, every door was open, I was never asked to leave.

"'Endurance' is an honest portrait of SEPULTURA: part concert film, part testimonial to the power of music, part intimate insider hang and great archival footage. Ultimately, the film is a testament to the endurance required to make a documentary for almost seven years, taking itself 800 hours of footage to complete. When you're filming cinema verite style, you're following the story as it's unfolding and you don't know the destination. 'Sepultura Endurance' has been a great journey."

Igor Kupstas of O2 Play comments: "This has been a passion project for Interface and it sure is a passion project for us at O2 Play. We are not only proud worldwide distributors of this amazing film but also metal fans, proud of SEPULTURA's work for the last 30 years. We are extremely happy with this partnership with Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and the Regent theater and to release 'Sepultura Endurance' first in Los Angeles, land of cinema and rock and roll, is a great honor. O2 Play is a Brazilian distribution company with a global approach, and, as part of O2 Filmes (production company of 'City Of God') we want to bring more and more of our culture to the theaters and platforms abroad."

Greek extreme metal veterans Rotting Christ have posted time-lapse video of Kata Ton Daimona Eaftou album artwork created by Evangelina Atzoletaki. Check it out below.

In the clip below, the band performs the title track of their 2013 album, Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy, live in San Jose, Costa Rica on December 1st, 2016.

Peaceville Records presents the early works of Rotting Christ, commencing with the 1993 classic album Thy Mighty Contract, available now on 180gm heavyweight vinyl, featuring an eight page booklet with thoughts and reflections from the band penned by Cult Never Dies author Dayal Patterson, and including rare images. Also available is a special old school shirt design from the early era of the band, featuring the iconic Satanas Tedeum demo artwork.

Order here.

Tracklisting:

Side A
“The Sign Of Evil Existence”
“Transform All Suffering Into Plagues”
“Fgmenth, They Gift”
“His Sleeping Majesty”

Side B
“Exiled Archangels”
“Dive The Deepest Abyss”
“The Coronation Of The Serpent”
“The Fourth Knight Of Revelation”

Inspired by the overwhelming response to previous release "Unbreakable" and the outpouring of support at live shows and fan demand for more new music, OF MICE & MEN has surprise-released its second new song, "Back To Me". Like "Unbreakable", "Back To Me" was recorded with Grammy-nominated producer Howard Benson (IN FLAMES, ALL THAT REMAINS), mixed by Grammy winner Chris Lord-Alge (DEFTONES, MUSE) and mastered by Chris Athens (DRAKE, OZZY OSBOURNE). The video for "Back To Me" chronicles the band's past few weeks — a frenzied whirlwind that saw them release an "Unbreakable" video that's already amassed 1.7 million views and deliver a string of electrifying, show-stealing performances at Las Rageous, Fort Rock, Welcome To Rockville, Carolina Rebellion, Northern Invasion and, most recently, Rock On The Range. "'Back To Me' is a very meaningful song for us," says vocalist/bassist Aaron Pauley. "When going through major life changes, whether it's loss or growth, it's incredibly easy to feel like you've lost a part of yourself — and like you'll never be yourself again. I've come believe that we can never truly lose ourselves. I believe we persist through these changes, and that if you can discover, tap into, and ignite your true passions, you'll always be able light the way back to you. We really wanted to put out 'Back To Me' as the follow up to 'Unbreakable', because we wanted to reassure and encourage ourselves and others to press on when times get tough. 'Let hope be everything that you need...'" Next comes an international tour that kicks off June 8 at the Greenfield festival in Switzerland and includes stops at the Download festival in the U.K., In.Fest in Milan, Nova Rock in Austria and more. Los Angeles-based fans can catch the band — Aaron Pauley, guitarist Alan Ashby, drummer Valentino Arteaga and guitarist Phil Manansala — performing alongside RISE AGAINST on July 13 at the Shrine Auditorium. "Unbreakable" and "Back To Me" are OF MICE & MEN's first new releases since the departure of vocalist Austin Carlile, whose ongoing battle with Marfan syndrome forced him to leave the band at the end of last year.

Formed in 2000, Resistance are a Los Angeles based Heavy Metal band delivering a full on metal assault from a broad range of influences. The band signed with Finland's Lion Music in 2004 and released two critically acclaimed albums: Lies In Black (2004) and the conceptual metal masterpiece Patents Of Control (2007). In 2015, the band returned with the Battle Scars EP, and most recently inked a deal with No Remorse Records, which will release their brand new studio album, Metal Machine. First reviews describe the album as "US power metal for fans of Metal Church and Liege Lord".

 

Metal Machine was produced and engineered by Dan Luna, Bill Metoyer and Resistance, and was is mixed and mastered by Neil Kernon. The album cover artwork was painted by Dusan Markovic. Metal Machine will hit the streets on June 27th and will include eight songs, including cover version of the Scorpions classic "Blackout".

 

Metal Machine tracklisting:

"The Metal Machine"
"Hail To The Horns"
"Rise And Defend"
"Some Gave All"
"Time Machine"
"Dirty Side Down"
"Heroes"
"Blackout"

For information on Resistance go to their official Facebook page here.

LIVING COLOUR paid tribute to Chris Cornell by performing the SOUNDGARDEN song "Blow Up The Outside World" on May 19 at the final show of the group's New Zealand/Australia tour at Astor Theatre in Perth. Singer Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish and drummer Will Calhoun played an emotional cover of the 1996 "Down On The Upside" number, welcoming fans to join in during the song's chorus.

Reid had always been a huge fan of SOUNDGARDEN, and LIVING COLOUR had previously performed "Blow Up The Outside World" throughout 2001-2003 after the track was banned from radio play after the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

In the days since Cornell's tragic death, a number of artists have paid tribute by covering his songs, including MEGADETH, DREAM THEATER, QUEENSRŸCHE, STONE SOUR, LIVE, THE PRETTY RECKLESS and HEART's Ann Wilson, while LINKIN PARK dedicated their appearance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" to him.

While the surviving members of SOUNDGARDEN have not yet issued a public statement about Cornell, drummer Matt Cameron posted a brief message on Facebook, saying, "My dark knight is gone… Thank you for the incredible outpouring of kindness and love."

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

LIVING COLOUR's sixth studio album, "Shade", will be released on September 8 via Megaforce Records. The follow-up to 2009's "The Chair In The Doorway" was recorded with producer Andre Betts.

Savatage / Trans-Siberian Orchestra guitarist and solo artist Chris Caffery has posted the following tribute to Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who died on May 18th at the age of 52.

"I headed out this evening to support a local karaoke. I sang an Ozzy song but a couple of people asked if I could do a Soundgarden song. Now, Chris was one of those people that made me happy that I chose guitar as an instrument. To me he was the best of that entire decade. The grunge movement I adored Alice In Chains and Soundgarden. There were a lot of other bands that I liked but those two were my favs. Chris Cornell was always one of those singers you would have loved to do a record with. I met him a couple times at festivals in Europe. He, to me, was a modern day Jim Morrison but he had a Dio-like voice. Type of guy that as they say 'could sing the phone book!'

I'm not going to touch on the how and why and how come. I've dealt with enough death this year as it is.

Just wanted to post a lil bit of respect for a real superstar. I have never sang this before just gave it a go and I hope you don't mind me covering one of the greatest ever. If Paul O'Neill is producing Heaven's rock band he just got someone alongside of Ray Gillen and Ronnie Dio that makes it even better."

Respectfully,
Chris

P.S.: "If your sync is off open Facebook in a browser and not and app! They have problems!"

A report from Variety reveals that Cornell’s family has issued a statement questioning the coroner’s report that the singer intentionally took his own life.

“Without the results of toxicology tests, we do not know what was going on with Chris - or if any substances contributed to his demise,” the Cornell family said.

The vocalist had a prescription for Ativan, the family shared, and may have taken a higher dosage that impaired his judgement. Attorney Kirk Pasich noted that Ativan can cause paranoid or suicidal thoughts and slurred speech. Ativan is a tranquilizer and anti-anxiety medication that is sometimes used as a sleeping aid.

Cornell was a recovering addict and had allegedly been sober since 2002. His wife, Vicky, said in an emotional statement, “Chris’s death is a loss that escapes words and has created an emptiness in my heart that will never be filled. As everyone who knew him commented, Chris was a devoted father and husband.”

She said Cornell flew home from Soundgarden’s tour the weekend before to spend time with his wife and children, before returning to the mid-west.

Read the full report at Variety.com.

Chris Cornell was found dead in his hotel bathroom at 12:05 AM, ET on Thursday. Soundgarden had played a show just hours before at Detroit’s Fox Theater. Fan-filmed video of his final performance can be seen below:

James LaBrie forgot some of the lyrics to SOUNDGARDEN's classic song "Black Hole Sun" while paying tribute to Chris Cornell during DREAM THEATER's May 20 concert in Bucharest, Romania.

The embarrassing moment took place just before the end of DREAM THEATER's main set Saturday night at Arenele Romane when the frontman joined keyboardist Jordan Rudess on stage for an extended keyboard intro during the band's 2017 "Images, Words & Beyond" tour.

LaBrie sang the first half of "Black Hole Sun"'s opening verse correctly before losing his way and changing one of the lines to "I forgot the fucking words" prior to launching into the song's chorus. The visibly frustrated singer could be heard saying "shit" into the microphore before the duo proceeded to play the regularly scheduled DREAM THEATER song "Wait For Sleep", followed by "Learning To Live", thereby concluding the "Images And Words" "Act 2" portion of the Bucharest show.

In the days since the SOUNDGARDEN singer's tragic death, a number of artists have paid tribute by covering his songs, including MEGADETH, STONE SOUR, LIVE, THE PRETTY RECKLESS and HEART's Ann Wilson.

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

AEROSMITH paid tribute to Chris Cornell by holding a moment of silence in his memory during the band's May 20 concert at Black Sea Arena in Batumi, Georgia.

AEROSMITH honored the SOUNDGARDEN frontman by displaying a photo of Cornell on the stage's video screens before singer Steven Tyler came out for the show's first encore and positioned himself behind a white grand piano. He told the crowd: "Let's take a moment of silence for Chris Cornell." After a brief pause, he added: "Dear God, may this man forever 'dream on.'" Tyler then launched into the first notes of AEROSMITH's 1973 rock epic "Dream On".

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

The family's attorney, Kirk Pasich, said in a statement that the family would await the toxicology results to see if Ativan — the anti-anxiety prescription drug Cornell was taking — or other drugs contributed to his death.

"The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions," Pasich said.

According to CNN, Cornell will be laid to rest on May 26 in Los Angeles. His body will be flown from Michigan to Los Angeles on Sunday, and the singer will be buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Seattle-based progressive metallers QUEENSRŸCHE paid tribute to Chris Cornell by performing the TEMPLE OF THE DOG song "Say Hello 2 Heaven" in the SOUNDGARDEN frontman's honor during QUEENSRŸCHE's May 20 concert at the Hard Rock Hotel And Casino in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Prior to launching into the track, QUEENSRŸCHE singer Todd La Torre addressed Cornell's passing, telling the crowd: "So many of us have seen just all of these amazing people that touch our lives. And a lot of us, including the band, music is our escape, so when we lose an artist that writes music that touches our heart, I don't know that the artists even realize how that might feel to a lifelong fan or a listener. It's our friend, right? It's our therapy. And so it was tragic news when the singer of SOUNDGARDEN, Chris Cornell, was… He passed away. I'm not gonna get into why that happened, because it's not even my business, but the fact is it was deemed a suicide. It is very tragic. I'm sure there's people in this room that have been affected by that. I have — my dad committed suicide in 2014 — so it's rough. And so this next song… We decided to try to honor Chris Cornell and his family and the millions of people around the globe that have been touched by him and his music and his amazing voice — amazing voice; very unique. His music lives on beyond all of our time. And so we threw this together, literally. We're gonna give it our best attempt. We had about three hours to try to learn this song to try to perform for you. It's something that we don't [usually] do. But our hearts go out to the band and his memory and his family. I'm sure many of you know this song, so please sing along, won't you? Yes, I have a couple of 'cheat sheets,' but we wanted to show the most respect we could in a short amount of time."

In the days since Cornell's tragic death, a number of artists have paid tribute by covering his songs, including MEGADETH, DREAM THEATER, STONE SOUR, LIVE, THE PRETTY RECKLESS and HEART's Ann Wilson.

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

According to TMZ, Chris Cornell used "red elastic exercise band" to take his own life after performing at a concert in Detroit Wednesday night. Sources tell the site that the SOUNDGARDEN frontman secured the band attached to a carabiner to the top of his hotel bathroom door. A carabiner is a device commonly used by mountain climbers which they attach to a belt to keep them from falling. The device can withstand enormous weight. Cornell jammed the door shut with the carabiner at the top of the frame. The carabiner was jammed so tight it left an indentation in the door frame.

A police report obtained by The Detroit News reveals that Cornell's wife asked his bodyguard to check on him in his hotel suite because she became concerned when her husband kept repeating "I am just tired" in a telephone conversation with her a short time earlier. The bodyguard, Martin Kirsten, went to Cornell's room in the MGM Grand Hotel just after midnight and kicked two doors open — the front door as well as a second door leading to the bedroom suite — before finding Cornell slumped on the bathroom floor "with blood running from his mouth and a red exercise band around [his] neck."

According to the police report, which was filed by officers from the Detroit Police Gaming Unit who responded to the scene, Kirsten was in Cornell's room late Wednesday night to help him fix his computer and to give Cornell two Ativan pills, "which victim takes for anxiety."

MGM medic Dawn Jones arrived at the room at 12:56 a.m., the report said. "Jones untied the red exercise band from [the] victim's neck and began CPR on [Cornell, who] was not breathing."

At 1:30 a.m. on Thursday, Cornell was pronounced dead by a doctor who came to the scene, the report said.

On Thursday afternoon, the Wayne County Medical Examiner's Office announced Cornell's cause of death "has been determined as suicide by hanging." But, it added, "A full autopsy report has not yet been completed."

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

Cornell family's attorney Kirk Pasich added in a statement that the family is "disturbed" by inferences that Cornell knowingly took his life.

"Chris, a recovering addict, had a prescription for Ativan and may have taken more Ativan than recommended dosages," Pasich said. "The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions."

According to CNN, SOUNDGARDEN frontman Chris Cornell will be laid to rest on May 26 in Los Angeles. His body will be flown from Michigan to Los Angeles on Sunday, and the singer will be buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

A source told CNN: "The family is thinking about a [public] memorial for fans, but is coping now with their loss and the funeral service."

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

SOUNDGARDEN had been working on material for its seventh studio album and had tentatively planned to enter the studio later this year.

The band reunited in 2010 after a 13-year hiatus, first touring and then writing and recording "King Animal", its first new studio album in 16 years.

In addition to SOUNDGARDEN, Cornell sang with AUDIOSLAVE and TEMPLE OF THE DOG, while also recording four solo studio albums and one live set on his own.

He formed SOUNDGARDEN in 1984 with guitarist Kim Thayil and bassist Hiro Yamamoto, originally playing drums in addition to singing until drummer Matt Cameron joined the lineup.

SOUNDGARDEN became one of the first and most successful bands to emerge from the Seattle scene, alongside friends and contemporaries NIRVANA, PEARL JAM and ALICE IN CHAINS.

The band first broke through to rock radio with its 1991 third album, "Badmotorfinger", which featured the singles "Outshined", "Rusty Cage" and "Jesus Christ Pose". That paved the way for 1994's five-million-selling "Superunknown", which included "Black Hole Sun", "My Wave", "Spoonman" and "Fell On Black Days".

SOUNDGARDEN split up in 1997 due to tensions within the band, with Cornell first starting a solo career than teaming in 2001 with the instrumental members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE to launch AUDIOSLAVE. That band recorded three studio albums before splitting in 2007.

Cornell also collaborated in 1990 with members of what would become PEARL JAM to form TEMPLE OF THE DOG, making a self-titled album in 1991 in tribute to late MOTHER LOVE BONE frontman Andrew Wood. TEMPLE OF THE DOG reunited last year for a short five-date tour, its first ever.

Cornell also contributed solo songs to a number of films, including "Great Expectations", "Machine Gun Preacher", "12 Years A Slave" and the recent "The Promise". He also sang the theme song, "You Know My Name", to the 2008 James Bond adventure "Casino Royale".

Cornell and his wife also started the Chris And Vicky Cornell Foundation to support children facing challenges, including homelessness, poverty, abuse and neglect.

He is survived by Vicky and three children, a daughter named Toni, a son named Christopher and a daughter named Lillian from his previous marriage to former SOUNDGARDEN manager Susan Silver.

Chris Cornell's friend, Detroit artist and musician Kevin Morris, who attended the singer's final show with SOUNGARDEN on Wednesday (May 17) at Detroit's Fox Theatre, has told People.com that something was definitely wrong with Chris at the gig.

"The whole performance, you could tell something wasn't right," Morris said. "Into the second song, he started getting disoriented or something. I just figured he wasn't feeling well.”

"Everybody felt there was something going on," Morris continued. "Like he wasn't with us. Like he was on a cloud. It was like he was really fighting to get through the show."

He added: "What was troubling him I don't think we'll ever know. I think he was a little nervous about playing in Detroit, the music capital of the world, and he took a little too much of the Ativan."

Ativan is the brand name for lorazepam, a benzodiazepine, that is used to treat anxiety, drug withdrawal, agoraphobia and seizure disorders, among other things. According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, serious side effects of using Ativan include worsening depression, unusual mood or behavior and suicidal thoughts.

A bodyguard gave Chris Cornell two Ativans before his suicide and found his dead body. According to a police report, the bodyguard gave Cornell two of the anti-anxiety pills after the Detroit concert. Cornell's attorney said that the singer had a prescription for the medication.

Dr. Drew Pinsky, who has worked with everyone from actors and musicians to everyday folks as an addiction specialist, told 95.5 KLOS that, as a recovering addict, Cornell "should never have been exposed to" Ativan. He added (hear audio below): "Benzodiazepines can make people suicidal. It's the hidden epidemic. People have gotta remember — we're getting awareness about opiates. Benzos, over a long term, particularly — and by long term, I mean more than two weeks — are a very dangerous class of medications, and extremely dangerous if you have a history of addiction."

Cornell admitted to becoming a "daily drug user" at the age of just 13 and returning to drug use after SOUNDGARDEN disbanded in 1997. He said he used "everything," describing himself as a "pioneer" in the use of OxyContin. In the mid-2000s, he went to rehab. "I'm not sure if it was the best place for me, but it worked," he later said.

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor had an emotional moment as her remembered Chris Cornell, saying that his "one regret" is that he never got to tell the SOUNDGARDEN singer how much Chris inspired him.

Speaking to SiriusXM at this weekend's Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio, Taylor said (see video below): "[Chris] was truly an inspiration for me as a songwriter, as a singer, as a performer, because he wrote what he wanted. He didn't care about anything. He didn't let genres get in his way, he didn't let styles get in his way, and he was like that from the very beginning, whether it was stuff like 'Badmotorfinger' or the solo stuff that he put on the 'Singles' soundtrack, like 'Seasons'. It was amazing! He could go back and forth and all over the place musically, and that inspired me so much. And my one regret is that I never got to tell him… [Pauses and gets choked up] We love you, Chris."

STONE SOUR honored Cornell by performing a cover version of SOUNDGARDEN's "Outshined" Thursday night (May 18) at the Rock On The Range Kick-Off Party at Express Live! (formerly LC Pavilion) in Columbus, Ohio. Taylor stated about his band's decision to play the track: "It was important, you know. Chris's impact can never probably ever be really encapsulated and spoken about enough. So us playing 'Outshined', and playing it with heart, and not just because we wanted to, but because we needed to, it came off really well, and the audience loved it."

Cornell apparently committed suicide by hanging on Wednesday night (May 18) after SOUNDGARDEN played a show in Detroit. He was 52 years old.

Cornell's family issued a statement Friday questioning whether his death by hanging was intentional and if "substances contributed to his demise."

The family's attorney, Kirk Pasich, said in a statement that the family would await the toxicology results to see if Ativan — the anti-anxiety prescription drug Cornell was taking — or other drugs contributed to his death.

"The family believes that if Chris took his life, he did not know what he was doing, and that drugs or other substances may have affected his actions," Pasich said.

According to CNN, Cornell will be laid to rest on May 26 in Los Angeles. His body will be flown from Michigan to Los Angeles on Sunday, and the singer will be buried at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.



Chris Cornell remembered at Rock on the Range
Chris Cornell's music and spirit live on here at Rock On The Range.

Stone Sour Slipknot Corey Taylor Chevelle Of Mice & Men

Posted by SiriusXM Octane on Friday, May 19, 2017

The first photo of I AM MORBID, the new band featuring former MORBID ANGEL members David Vincent (vocals, bass) and Tim Yeung (drums) alongside guitarists Bill Hudson (CIRCLE II CIRCLE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Ira Black (METAL CHURCH, LIZZY BORDEN), can be seen above.

I AM MORBID, which plays material from MORBID ANGEL's "Altars Of Madness" (1989), "Blessed Are The Sick" (1991), "Covenant" (1993) and "Domination" (1995) albums, will perform five shows in Russia in late May, followed by fourteen dates in the rest of Europe. The tour, which is presented by The Flaming Arts Agency, will feature NECROPHAGIA as direct support.

Vincent recently told Ghost Cult about I AM MORBID: "It's been discussed off and on for a few years now, but, as they say, actions speak louder than words. While it was exciting to discuss, it was held off for a few years until I decided to go through some personal changes in my life, and really absorb the possibility of it happening. I went ahead and focused on my roots music, but this kept lingering, and now it's time for I AM MORBID to finally happen."

Regarding the I AM MORBID setlist, Vincent said: "Like everything I do, I want to make this special. This is very different from MORBID ANGEL. If you want to see a MORBID ANGEL show, you know where to go, but this isn't it. I'm only going to be performing songs that I wrote on this tour. If I didn't write it, we aren't playing it. We are going to throw in things, here or there, to make things more unique, but it's going to be one brutal show. I can promise you that."

MORBID ANGEL's controversial 2011 album, "Illud Divinum Insanus", marked the group's first CD to feature Vincent since "Domination".

The band recently recorded a new studio album with a lineup that includes Steve Tucker on bass/vocals, Scott Fuller (ANNIHILATED, ERRORGEIST) on drums, and Dan Vadim Von (guitarist/frontman of the American death metal group VADIMVON) on second guitar.



Posted by I Am Morbid on Friday, May 19, 2017