In the clip below, Canadian vocalist/guitarist/producer Devin Townsend reveals his process for writing song lyrics to Prog Snob:

In a new interview with Ultimate Guitar, Townsend revealed his #1 guitar fetish and how he approached production on the latest Devin Townsend Project album, Transcendence:

On his guitar fetish: "The gear I use live now is a Kemper and an Axe-Fx, a couple of wireless units and all my switching is done by MIDI. I used to have a fetish and still do: I've got a '65 Fender Champ and an old Tele and a bunch of boutique pedals. But I've got so many things I've got to think about in my life that at least now, my rig is five cables and I can fly with it. I don't have to stress about it and I've got so many things to stress about that it sounds great to me right now not to have to stress about my gear. And it sounds pretty good, man."

On Transcendence: "Nolly (producer Adam 'Nolly' Getgood) wasn't necessarily there for the production but engineering and mixing. I really thought the sound he had was kind of hip and much more current than where I have my skill sets sonically. There's a cool sound he has with a lot of compression and he's really got good ears and he's a great person and I really enjoyed working with him. So I thought, 'You know what? Let's make this one sound a little hipper and little less like I'm up my own ass. Maybe make it sound like we're not in our mid-40s now or something.'"

The Devin Townsend Project will play at this year's ARTmania Festival, which is held in Transylvania, Romania between July 28th and 29th. Go to this location for ticket information.

To celebrate their 25th anniversary, oriental metal pioneers Orphaned Land have released a digital compilation of special versions of some of their most popular songs and previously unreleased material, titled Orphaned Land & Friends.

Frontman Kobi Farhi comments: “We are very proud to release these amazing collaborations we did with amazing different and various musical heroes of ours such as Steven Wilson, Erkin Oray or Yehuda Poliker. Not to mention that cover we did with friends for Pearl Jam or that amazing Piano cover Moran Magal did to our ORwarriOR song "From Broken Vessels". These tracks were released only as bonus tracks on our previous albums’ limited editions and some songs were never released officially. Many people were not aware of these amazing versions and we believe that Orphaned Land & Friends' is something you should all know!”

You can find all streaming and download links here.

A live video for “M I ?” featuring Steven Wilson can be seen below:

Orphaned Land is:

Kobi Farhi - Vocals
Chen Balbus - Guitars
Idan Amsalem - Guitars
Uri Zelcha - Bass
Matan Shmuely - Drums

Get ready to be pulverized by Vancouver old-school death metal force Assimilation. BraveWords is premiering the new video for the track for “Remotion Of The Succubus”, taken from their Laws Of Power debut; released in March. Enjoy and headband to the fullest!

The band comments: "Not to sugar coat it, this song is about my ex-girlfriend. It is about realizing that you are in a toxic relationship, and doing what is best for both of you, and removing yourself from it. It has to be done ruthlessly, there is no way to be nice about it. It is like chopping off a diseased limb so that your whole body can continue to live. Short term pain for long term gain. I think a lot of people have gone through something like this, and I see people in toxic relationships every day. I am just glad I had the foresight to see the problem and remove myself from it. Hopefully someone else can fix their situation with the help of this song. Or at least bang their head off, whatever comes first."

Like a force of nature, the voice of singer and founding member Jesse Jardine’s vocal attack leaves the listener penetrated by high shrieks, and pummeled by mids and lows. Lead guitarist Matt Chanway brings his neo-classical shred style into the fold to melt off any remnants of what used to be your face. Shiloh Anderson holds the low end down with his finger/slap hybrid style, and Stephen Shaw brings his experience and ferocity as the entity that keeps this   juggernaut from flying off the rails.   

With The Laws Of Power, the four Canadians make it clear: there are still bands well versed in the art of original uncompromising death metal, something that is hard to find these days.

 

Ursinne, the old school death metal project helmed by Dave Ingram (Hail Of Bullets, Echelon, Down Among The Dead Men, Bolt Thrower, Benediction) and Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath, Ashcloud, Henry Kane, SYN:DROM), are streaming the track “Talons”, featured on the band’s debut album, Swim With The Leviathan, out on August 20th via Transcending Obscurity Records. Listen to “Talons” below.

Ursinne recently announced an addition to their ranks in the form of bass player Sonia Nusselder (pictured above), former member of Ecocide, Deamension, and most recently Shade Of Hatred and Sepiroth, who will join the band on their second release, somewhat off in the future.

Swim With The Leviathan tracklisting:

“Devil May Care”
“I, Serpentine”
“Bullet Bitten”
“The Chimes Of Midnight”
“Talons”
“Underworld”
“Hollow Hearse”
“Something Wicked This Way Comes”

“Talons”:

Swim With The Leviathan (Death Metal) by URSINNE (International)

The album will also include four cover versions, some featuring guest vocalists including Massacre’s Kam Lee. More details to follow.

Los Angeles rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES have completed work on their fifth album for a tentative mid-September release. The follow-up to BLACK VEIL BRIDES' 2014 self-titled effort was produced by John Feldmann at his Southern California studio.

Speaking to Front Row Live at last night's (Sunday, May 14) inaugural "Strange 80s" benefit concert at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, California, BLACK VEIL BRIDES guitarist Jake Pitts stated about the band's upcoming disc (see video below): "We're pretty used to being in the studio. [Fellow BLACK VEIL BRIDES guitarist] Jinxx [a.k.a. Jeremy Miles Ferguson] and I have our own studio. That's what we live for. If we're not touring, we're always in the studio. We'd done a record with John Feldmann previously, so this time, going in with him, we have a relationship with him, we know how everything works. It was really, really painless and we just gelled really well together and made the album."

Jinxx added that BLACK VEIL BRIDES entered the studio in November 2015, about a month after performing at the Aftershock festival at Gibson Ranch just outside Sacramento, California. "We just got off tour and we just went straight in the studio with Feldy. And every day we had a new track or two; we were just writing up a storm. And we're pretty stoked with the turnout."

Asked how the members of BLACK VEIL BRIDES continue to challenge themselves every time they go into the studio, Jake said: "For me, I think it's just, as far as songwriting, trying to outdo ourselves and not putting out the exact same thing. So many bands just play the same kind of riffs and breakdowns and everything, and everything sounds the same, so it's just trying to create something that sounds different, even from what we've done, but still not get too far off track and make fans be, like, 'What the hell are you doing?' and 'I don't like this anymore.' But try to get a bigger fanbase but make everybody happy at the same time. So we try to mix it up with heavy stuff, the ballads, the radio rock kind of stuff, and just kind of give the albums a little bit of everything for somebody."

Added Jinxx: "And I feel like we've matured a lot as writers as well as a band, and we just went back and sought out our influences growing up — our favorite bands growing up, our favorite albums. And that's what we did. And me and him [Jake] sat down and we just wrote riffs based on that. Basically, what we enjoyed, what influenced us growing up, what made us wanna pick up a guitar and play, and that's what we put into this album. And we're super stoked to share that with the world."

GOLDFINGER frontman John Feldmann previously helmed BLACK VEIL BRIDES' 2013 effort "Wretched And Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones".

A new BLACK VEIL BRIDES song called "The Outsider" was released last December and can be streamed below.

BLACK VEIL BRIDES released its first-ever concert DVD and Blu-ray, "Alive And Burning", in July 2015. The cover artwork for the set was designed by the band's longtime friend and previous album cover illustrator Richard Villa.

BLACK VEIL BRIDES' fourth, self-titled album was helmed by producer Bob Rock, whose resume includes LPs by METALLICA, MÖTLEY CRÜE, THE CULT and many others.

After launching a video clip for the song "Blood, Tears, Dust", Italian heavy rockers LACUNA COIL are revealing the full story of their two conceptual videos with their latest clip for the song "You Love Me 'Cause I Hate You". Like "Blood, Tears, Dust", the video was directed and edited by Cosimo Alemà and produced by the production company Borotalco.

Says LACUNA COIL's Cristina Scabbia: "The videos we shot with Cosimo Alemà are exactly what we wanted to deliver visually, especially if connected with a record like 'Delirium'. The darkness, the intensity, the script itself are taking the viewer to the dimension we wanted to be transported to. 'You Love Me 'Cause I Hate You' and 'Blood, Tears, Dust' are tightened together in a twisted story that I like a lot as there is so much that can be defined with each one's imagination. Interpreting different characters was also exciting, an interesting challenge I hadn't faced until then. I hope the viewers can capture the magic we breathed while we shot them."

Adds LACUNA COIL's Andrea Ferro: "Every age has its form of storytelling, and video clips have been a huge part of our culture. Talking with Cosimo and our label, we decided to create something to bring back the artistic quality video clips used to have. We put our love for cinema into our video for the song 'You Love Me ‘Cause I Hate You', as you will see there is a clear inspiration from TV series like 'True Detective' and also a certain 'Twin Peaks'/'Resident Evil' vibe. We wanted the viewers to contemplate the story and question what it really means. There is also a tight connection with the previous video for the song 'Blood, Tears, Dust' as both clips should be considered almost as one single piece. The videos clearly explore the main theme of our latest album, 'Delirium', and all its madness and symbols. It's been a really great and challenging experience to be on the set for several days and work in 'cinema style' for the very first time to create something completely new for LACUNA COIL."

Ferro recently told the Impact metal channel that LACUNA COIL fans will have to wait at least a couple of years for the follow-up to "Delirium". "Next year's gonna be twenty years of LACUNA COIL, so first we're preparing some surprises for next year, and then after that maybe we'll start working on a new record," he said. "So I don't think there will be a new record at least until 2019."

Scabbia and Ferro revealed to the Brazilian metal channel Heavy Talk earlier in the year that they were planning "something special" to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut EP.

LACUNA COIL will join Dutch symphonic metal giants EPICA on the North American leg of the band's "The Ultimate Principle" tour. The month-long September trek marks the band's first U.S. tour dates in over a year, as they continue to support "Delirium". Joining LACUNA COIL and EPICA on "The Ultimate Principle" tour are INSOMNIUM and ELANTRIS.

LACUNA COIL in December released a new song called "Naughty Christmas". The front cover and font were all created by bassist Marco "Maki" Coti-Zelati. "Delirium" entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 33 with first-week sales of just over 13,000 units — nearly all from pure album sales. The set followed the No. 27-peaking "Broken Crown Halo", which also opened with around 13,000 copies back in 2014.

A special deluxe version of MÖTLEY CRÜE's multi-platinum fourth studio album, "Girls Girls Girls", will be released on August 25 to coincide with the LP's thirtieth anniversary. The set will be offered in various exclusive bundles. Sign up at www.motley.com now to receive all updates on this release and additional surprises from the band coming up.

A trailer for the "Girls Girls Girls" special deluxe edition is available below.

A product of the '80s Hollywood Sunset Strip, MÖTLEY CRÜE was the quintessential L.A. hair metal band. Their string of hit albums and crossover songs on radio and MTV was only matched by their over-the-top live show, mounting legal bills, and alarming drug use. By 1987, the band was dancing on a fine line between real life or death. MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx told the "In The Studio" show what he remembered about the Billboard No. 2-charting album. "We were a mess," he said. "I know we didn't go overseas, because the management said, 'You guys go, and somebody’s not coming back. Or if they do, they're coming back in a body bag... We were operating like a punk band! We were completely out of control."

MÖTLEY CRÜE's last studio album was 2008's "Saints Of Los Angeles", which was followed by a 2009 "Greatest Hits" compilation.

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

Sixx told SiriusXM's "Debatable" about MÖTLEY CRÜE's decision to call it quits after one last show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles following an eighteen-month tour that saw the group performing to packed houses all over the world: "MÖTLEY CRÜE was never really meant to stay together. I mean, I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. It was wired like a bunch of Rottweilers or like a gang. And there's all these Type A personalities and different issues within the band that made it really magical. But maturity and that doesn't necessarily work together, and I think that it was kind of cool that we sat down together and said, 'Hey, man, let's just let this thing go.'"

Corey Taylor (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR), Scott Ian (ANTHRAX) and members of BLACK VEIL BRIDES are among the musicians who took part in the inaugural "Strange 80s" benefit concert on Sunday, May 14 at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, California.

Hosted by Finn Wolfhard of the Netlfix hit "Stranger Things", "Strange 80s" featured performances by Finn and a rotating cast of rock stars and celebrities covering the timeless anthems of the '80s.

Video footage of Taylor singing the Prince songs "Let's Go Crazy" and "1999", as well as the JUDAS PRIEST classic "Electric Eye", can be seen below.

All proceeds will go to Sweet Relief Musicians Fund to provide financial assistance to career musicians and music industry workers in need due to illness, disability or age-related problems.

In addition to a full concert of musicians and actors covering anthems of the '80s, "Strange 80s" featured a silent auction offering exclusive, big-ticket items and experiences.

Sweet Relief was founded by singer-songwriter Victoria Williams in 1993. Victoria, while on a career-making tour with Neil Young, was forced to drop off mid-schedule after experiencing unexplained debilitating symptoms. A long and painful diagnostic process revealed she had multiple sclerosis. After her diagnosis, a group of friends assembled an all-star album of Victoria's songs, "Sweet Relief", which alleviated much of her medical debt. Vic, knowing that there were many musicians like her — unable to afford medical expenses and compromised in their ability to work — donated some of her proceeds from the album to found Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. The name of the fund derives from a song of Victoria's, "Opelousas (Sweet Relief)", and the fact that sweet relief is provided in the form of financial assistance to many musicians who would otherwise be in untenable predicaments.

"C'est La Vie", a song from EZOO, the project featuring legendary singer Graham Bonnet (pictured; RAINBOW, MSG, ALCATRAZZ, GRAHAM BONNET BAND) and Italian axeman and producer Dario Mollo, can be streamed below. The track is taken from band's debut album, "Feeding The Beast", which will be released on June 2 via earMUSIC. Grooving and stomping music, with the great feeling straight from the golden days of hard rock, EZOO features the immediately recognizable voice of Bonnet and Mollo's melodic and powerful guitars. While Mollo is well known for his collaboration with Glenn Hughes (VOODOO HILL) and his three albums with former BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin, you can claim that probably every rock fan has heard the biting and unique voice of Bonnet before.

The classic hit single "Since You Been Gone" (still played worldwide on the radio) from Ritchie Blackmore's RAINBOW album "Down To Earth" gave the band which, at the time, also featured two current DEEP PURPLE members Roger Glover and Don Airey, one of its biggest successes. Not to be forgotten, Bonnet also worked with the MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and ALCATRAZZ, which launched the careers of Steve Vai and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Drawing on the experience of these two rich rock careers, the two leaders of EZOO obviously know how to rock. Nobody is free from a good dose of nostalgia, but the pair has created an album that catches the charm and the grandeur of the classic hard rock sounds but comes in a modern and contemporary guise.

The first time Mollo and Bonnet worked together was during a tour, as Mollo remembers: "In 2001 I received a call from Don Airey, who I know since the dawn of my career. He asked me to participate to an English tour with Graham Bonnet on vocals and Harry James and Chris Childs from THUNDER on drums and bass. I really enjoyed the tour so much that in 2004 we repeated the same experience with Graham, organizing an European tour with a new band that we called ELECTRIC ZOO. During the tour rehearsals, we recorded three RAINBOW songs."

Out of this very enjoyable experience the idea to record a new album started to grow, but it took quite a while to make it real.

"In 2007, I decided to record a new album with Graham and we started to write new material. This process took a very long time because I was very busy with my projects with Glenn Hughes (VOODOO HILL) and Tony Martin (THE CAGE) and Graham was busy too. A while ago, I received a call from Graham's manager telling me that he had listened to some of the demo songs and that it would have been criminal to not release this awesome material. We decided to add new songs and we recorded the now renamed EZOO album with some members from the ELECTRIC ZOO band, Roberto Gualdi on drums (of Italian prog legends PFM), Guido Block on bass and backing vocals on the RAINBOW songs and a new keyboards and bass player (Dario Patti) for the rest of the album."

As a special treat, "Feeding The Beast" contains new versions of RAINBOW classics "Eyes Of The World" and "Since You Been Gone" (written by Russ Ballard).

"Feeding The Beast" track listing:

01. You Are Your Money02. The Flight Of The Sapini03. C'est La Vie04. Guys From God05. Feeding The Beast06. Eyes Of The World07. Colder Than Cool08. Too High To Be Falling09. Motorbike10. Since You Been Gone11. Don't Look Back12. Coda

"Castaways", a new song from RADIATION ROMEOS, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's self-titled debut album, which will be released on June 2 via Frontiers Music Srl. RADIATION ROMEOS is a new band formed by Parramore "Perry" McCarty, best known for being the frontman of legendary U.S. metal act WARRIOR and famed BILLY IDOL guitarist Steve Stevens's solo project ATOMIC PLAYBOYS (in fact, the inspiration for the name RADIATION ROMEOS came from a line in the song "Atomic Playboys").

Musically, the band moves in a melodic hard rock direction with solid, metallic edges thanks to the production of Michael Voss (PHANTOM 5, CASANOVA, MICHAEL SCHENKER), who also contributed to the songwriting. In the studio, Parramore sang all vocals with Dag Heyne handling guitars, Jogi Spittka on bass, and Gereon Homann laying down the drum work with gusto! Perry says: "RADIATION ROMEOS started when producer Michael Voss contacted me in San Diego through Facebook. A few days later, we had the record agreement with Frontiers, so the RADIATION ROMEOS album was soon under way.

"Our goal was to write great melodic rock songs. The album 'spans the globe' from the title track, power-rockin' 'Radiation Romeos', to some songs with a bit more grit like 'Castaways'. All the way to a beautiful ballad, 'Like An Arrow'. Something for everyone, if you will…

"The recording was so much fun and exciting for me. I couldn't wait to get up the following day to work on the next song!

"Michael is a wonderfully professional person with endless talent and the musicians super-cool guys and top players!" Parramore McCarty's career in music started when Robbin Crosby of RATT gave him his start singing in cover bands. His first major label album was "Fighting For The Earth" on Virgin Records in 1985 for the legendary heavy metal band WARRIOR. Steve Stevens's ATOMIC PLAYBOYS followed in 1989 on Warner Bros. Records. Then he returned to WARRIOR and also started gigging in the L.A. area with METAL FREQS and MONSTER TRAXX. "Radiation Romeos" track listing:

01. Radiation Romeos02. Ocean Drive03. Bad Bad Company04. Mystic Mountain05. Like An Arrow06. Promised Land07. Castaways08. Ghost Town09. Til The End Of Time10. On The Tight Rope11. Monstertraxx RADIATION ROMEOS is:

Parramore McCarty - vocalsDag Heyne - guitarsJogi Spittka - bassGereon Homann - drums

ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer has confirmed that he and BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch are working on material for the long-awaited third album from their side project DEMONS & WIZARDS.

DEMONS & WIZARDS was launched in 1997 and has released two full-length albums so far: 2000's self-titled effort and 2005's "Touched By The Crimson King". The latter was partially based on the "The Dark Tower" series of books (written by Stephen King) in which the Crimson King is the main antagonist.

In a brand new interview with Metal Wani, Schaffer revealed that songwriting sessions for the follow-up to "Touched By The Crimson King" have officially begin, but cautioned that "it's gonna take some time. [Hansi] did work up two songs that I sent him of vocal melodies and cadences and I still have to fly him into the sessions and move him around and experiment with him and stuff and see how it's feeling," he said. "We're gonna take our time, but at least now we're actually doing it. So I would hope that next year we'll have it out. I hope that we can get the songwriting all dialed in in this calendar year in between the holes — he's busy, I'm busy — but at least we're actually moving forward with it for the first time in twelve years or whatever."

"Touched By The Crimson King" was released in Japan in September 2005 with the following bonus tracks: "Lunar Lament", "Wicked Witch" (slow version) and "Spatial Architects". The CD also includes the "Terror Train" video. The disc featured an appearance by ICED EARTH/HALFORD drummer Bobby Jarzombek.

Schaffer said in a 2009 interview that he felt "Touched By The Crimson King" was a bit rushed and he was determined to do things differently next time around. "We had this window of opportunity where we had to get it done and we kind of let time dictate the schedule instead of our feelings, and that was probably a mistake," he explained. "I mean, I'm proud of that record and it sold killer and it's a good album, but I think Hansi and I are capable of a lot more, especially when we get back to the root reasons of why we did this thing together."

ICED EARTH, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Incorruptible", which will be released on June 16 via Century Media. The cover artwork for the disc (as well as additional illustrations to every song) was created by David Newman-Stump from Skeleton Crew Tattoo (pencil illustrations) and Roy Young (colors).

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

This Friday, May 19th, international metal superstars DragonForce will release their new studio album, Reaching Into Infinity, via Metal Blade Records in the US and Cadence Music Group / Universal Music in Canada.

The band have released a video for the album track “Ashes Of The Dawn”, which is available for streaming below:

The new album will be available in the following formats:

- special CD/DVD edition
- 2LP (limited to 1000 copies; sides A and B: translucent purple vinyl, sides C and D: fluorescent green vinyl)

* exclusive bundles with a shirt, plus digital options are also available.

The special edition of the album comes with a multi-angle bonus DVD, the first taster of which can be seen below in the form of “Operation Ground And Pound” live at Woodstock Poland. Reaching Into Infinity details follow.

Standard Edition:

“Reaching Into Infinity”
“Ashes Of The Dawn”
“Judgement Day”
“Astral Empire”
“Curse Of Darkness”
“Silence”
“Midnight Madness”
“WAR!”
“Land Of Shattered Dreams”
“The Edge Of The World”
“Our Final Stand”

Special Edition with multi-angle Bonus DVD:

Disc 1 - CD
“Reaching Into Infinity”
“Ashes Of The Dawn”
“Judgement Day”
“Astral Empire”
“Curse Of Darkness”
“Silence”
“Midnight Madness”
“WAR!”
“Land Of Shattered Dreams”
“The Edge Of The World”
“Our Final Stand”

Bonus Tracks
“Hatred And Revenge”
“Evil Dead

Disc 2 - Bonus DVD - DragonForce Live at Woodstock Festival Poland 2016
“Holding On”
“Heroes Of Our Time”
“Operation Ground and Pound”
“Holding On” (Multi-angles)
“Heroes Of Our Time” (Multi-angeles)
“Operation Ground And Pound” (Multi-Angles)

"Curse Of Darkness”:

“Operation Ground And Pound” (Live at Woodstock):

Rapid Fire Interviews:

Pt. 1:

Pt. 2:

DragonForce will give North American fans their first taste of new songs starting July 7th, when the band hits the road for a summer tour. Dates are listed below:

July
7 - San Francisco, CA - Slims
8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Roxy
9 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red
11 - San Antonio, TX - The Rock Box
12 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey
14 - St Louis, MO - Fubar
15 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Open Air
17 - Detroit, MI - El Club
18 - Washington DC - Rock & Roll Hotel
20 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
21 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
22 - Bangor, ME - Rise Above Festival
23 - Montreal, QC - Corona
24 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
26 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade ("Heaven")
27 - Orlando, FL - The Beacham
28 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
 29 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room

DragonForce have revealed the dates for the UK leg of their Reaching Into Infinity World Tour. The 10-date tour kicks off in Glasgow on October 4th, ending in Tunbridge Wells on October 15th.

“The UK is still one of DragonForce's favourite place to tour, and we can’t wait to bring the epic-ness back home!” says guitarist Herman Li.

UK tour dates:

October
4 - Glasgow, Scotland - The Garage
5 - Newcastle, England - Riverside
6 - York, England - Fibbers
7 - Sheffield, England - Corporation
8 - Manchester, England - Sound Control
11 - Birmingham, England - O2 Academy 2
12 - Cardiff, Wales - Globe
13 - London, England - Electric Ballroom
14 - Portsmouth, England - Wedgewood Rooms
15 - Tunbridge Wells, England - Forum

AC/DC singer Brian Johnson and LED ZEPPELIN frontman Robert Plant joined Paul Rodgers for an encore performance of Barrett Strong's 1959 classic "Money (That's What I Want)" earlier tonight (Sunday, May 14) in Oxford, England. Fan-filmed video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

The gig at the New Theatre Oxford was part of Rodgers's "Free Spirit" tour, which is celebrating the music of his first band, FREE.

Plant and Johnson were recently seen filming an episode of Johnson's "A Life On The Road" television series.

Brian, who was born in Dunston, Gateshead, joined AC/DC in 1980 as lead vocalist and his first album with the group, "Back in Black", is one of the most successful albums of all time, selling over 22 million copies in the U.S. alone.

Brian has maintained his thick Geordie accent despite splitting his time between Florida, where he has had a home for the last four decades, and London.

AC/DC postponed the last ten dates of its North American tour last year after doctors told Johnson he faced a total loss of hearing if he did not stop touring immediately. AC/DC completed the tour last summer, with GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose as a "guest vocalist" and Johnson apparently not returning to the group.

Johnson said in an open letter to fans that he intends to solve his hearing problem and continue recording and touring, although he pointedly did not say whether he would be rejoining AC/DC.

The vocalist wrote: "My entire focus is to continue medical treatment to improve my hearing. I am hoping that in time my hearing will improve and allow me to return to live concert performances. While the outcome is uncertain, my attitude is optimistic."

Alice Cooper was rejoined by three members his original band — bassist Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith and guitarist Michael Bruce — for a special performance earlier tonight (Sunday, May 14) in Nashville. The legendary rocker's concert at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall included a five-song set by the quartet who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011. The encore, "School's Out", saw Cooper, Dunaway, Smith and Bruce joined by the rest of Alice's current band — guitarists Ryan Roxie and Tommy Henriksen, plus bassist Chuck Garric and drummer Glen Sobel.

Dunaway, Smith and Bruce appear on Cooper's forthcoming album, "Paranormal", produced again by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin and due on July 28 via earMUSIC.

In addition to performing on "Paranormal", Smith, Bruce and Dunaway were involved in the songwriting for the new record. "I wrote three songs [with them] for the new album," Alice said. "Dennis brought in two songs, Mike brought in a song. There's one song called 'I Wanna Be A Genuine American Girl'. It was gonna be 'I Want A Genuine American Girl', and I went, 'No, no, no. I Wanna Be A Genuine American Girl! It's really a tough song, so it's this guy going, 'I've gotta paint my nails, I've gotta do my hair.' [Laughs]"

Cooper last year released a special seven-inch single containing two songs he sang in 2015 with the surviving members of the original ALICE COOPER band. The set, which took place in October 2015 at Dallas music store Good Records, brought Cooper together onstage with Dunaway, Bruce and Smith for the first time since 2011, when they staged a pair of performances coinciding with their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as well as their appearance on Cooper's "Welcome 2 My Nightmare" LP. Guitarist Ryan Roxie, a member of Cooper's current band, stepped in for Glenn Buxton, who died in 1997.

Swedish death metal supergroup THE LURKING FEAR played its second-ever concert Saturday night (May 13) at Sticky Fingers in Gothenburg, Sweden. Fan-filmed video footage of the show can be seen below.

THE LURKING FEAR will release its debut album, "Out Of The Voiceless Grave", on August 11 via Century Media. The disc is being recorded at Welfare Sounds in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The band said in a statement: "We are in the middle of wrapping everything up in the studio and have just started the mixing process for the 11 tracks we recorded. It's sounding nasty and raw, just the way we want it! The record is called 'Out Of The Voiceless Grave' and that title sums up what the album and actually band are all about. Our idea is that you get a glimpse of the horrors spewing out from our metal grave of interstellar death. The album is basically our Vortex spawn, a beast with eleven heads, all ready to devour you! We are very pleased with how it sounds right now, as the guys at Welfare Sounds understood our concept immediately and have managed to capture some pure death metal filth on tape!" Featuring members/ex-members of illustrious and influential acts like AT THE GATES, THE HAUNTED, SKITSYSTEM, DISFEAR and GOD MACABRE, THE LURKING FEAR is not just another retro all-star project, but a real band of five death metallers who organically got together in order to celebrate the metal breed closest to their roots as well as their hearts. THE LURKING FEAR is:

* Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES) - Vocals* Jonas Stålhammar (THE CROWN) - Guitar* Fredrik Wallenberg (SKITSYSTEM) - Guitar* Andreas Axelsson (DISFEAR, TORMENTED, EDGE OF SANITY) – Bass* Adrian Erlandsson (AT THE GATES, THE HAUNTED) – Drums

Citing common inspiration by bands like AUTOPSY, POSSESSED, early DEATH, REPULSION, early MORBID ANGEL, SLAUGHTER, BATHORY, early SLAYER and MASTER/DEATH STRIKE, THE LURKING FEAR previously stated about the band's formation: "We are a death metal band. Not your average new wave of old-school death metal band. We play death metal from the heart with pure emotional impact and a focused artistic vision. This is the music we live and breathe. Always have, always will. "We have all played in various other bands for over 25 years and we just want to spew out the music that we want to hear. When we get together, this is what comes out of naturally, because we share the exact same reference points. We love 'Seven Churches' and 'Mental Funeral' for the exact same reasons. "We want our death metal ugly, twisted and possessed. We miss the urgency, intensity and 'realness' in a lot of the modern death metal. Therefore, it is natural for us to stray away from the streamlined sounds of today, but rather focus on bringing sheer, natural weirdness and horror back to the table…"

Decrepit Birth performed the Death classic "Crystal Mountain" with guest vocalist Joe Arellanes of Solanum at The Starlite Lounge in Sacramento, CA on May 11th. Video courtesy of Capital Chaos TV is available below.

Decrepit Birth's current lineup includes founders Bill Robinson (ex-Suffocation) on vocals and Matt Sotelo on guitars, together with Sean Martinez (ex-Rings Of Saturn, ex-Decapitated) on bass and Sam Paulicelli (ex-Abigail Williams, ex-Goatwhore) on drums.

Decrepit Birth are joining Cryptopsy on the Devastation On The Nation tour, also featuring Rivers Of Nihil, The Zenith Passage, The Kennedy Veil, and Visceral Disgorge. Rounding out this cataclysmic assemblage are musical extremists Seeker and Gloom.

Tour dates:

May
19 - Manchester, NH - Bungalow
20 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground
21 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus Bar
22 - Clifton Park, NY - Trickshots
23 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck
24 - Reading, PA - Reverb
25 - Baltimore, MD - Maryland Deathfest (Cryptopsy & Decrepit Birth only)
26 - West Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern
27 - Atlanta, GA - The Drunken Unicorn
28 - Fort Worth, TX - The Rail Club
29 - Laredo, TX - The Cold Brew (RON & TZP only)
30 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
31 - Austin, TX - Grizzly Hall

June
2 - Mesa, AZ - Club Red
3 - Upland, CA - Gideon's Hall
4 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
5 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
6 - Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall
7 - Denver, CO - The Roxy Theatre
8 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room
9 - Berwyn, IL - The Wire
10 - Dayton, OH - Oddbodys
11 - Montreal, QC - Foufounes Électrique

For information and updates on Decrepit Birth go to this location.

Chris Annunziata of 90.3 WMSC FM's "The Metal Teddy Bear Experience" conducted an interview with Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish metallers OPETH prior to the band's May 7 show at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey with GOJIRA and DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT in support. You can listen to the full chat via the SoundCloud widget below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On vaping with MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine:

Mikael: "I was pretty drunk at the time. We were touring with them on Gigantour [in 2006]. I think Dave took a liking to me a little bit. Every now and then he would not say 'hi' to me, depending on his mood, but we talked a lot. He's a good guy, a fun guy to talk to, contrary to what a lot of people think about him that he's a big narcissistic type of guy who's just moody as hell. Yeah, he could be a bit moody, but he's fun. What happened was I got to his dressing room, or their dressing room. I can't remember what I was doing there, to be honest. He was smoking this thing and I had never seen it. He was, like, 'Do you want a hit?' And the other guys too, like the crew, some people in there, and I was, like, 'Yeah, I'll try it.' But it's not for me. I don't smoke weed and that kind of stuff. I got really high, actually. I haven't tried anything. I'm Swedish. We drink beer. I'm a wine guy. I never tried all the classic-type drugs. I never tried anything."

On whether OPETH will ever play their 1996 "Morningrise" album in full:

Mikael: "I'm not into those kind of things. We've done those things a couple of times. It's all right, I guess. It would probably be fun. There's only five songs on that record because of that long track [the 20-minute-plus 'Black Rose Immortal']. We tried to make the record clock in at 66 minutes and 6 seconds, but we fucked it up during the mastering and it came in at 66 minutes and 7 seconds. We tried. You never know. I would probably say no to those kind of things. That was a long time ago. Those albums to most of our fans, they never reached that type of 'classic' status. I think the general public would probably prefer we would play an album that's a bit more well-known."

On whether he goes back and listens to older OPETH songs:

Mikael: "Yeah, like I said, we did listen to 'Black Rose Immortal' to see if we wanted to play it. We do that every now and then, but mostly, it sounds dull, but for research, what we could pull out that we haven't played that we could play. We could play all the songs, of course, but what would work? There's still a couple of songs from our catalog that we never played live, mostly from the newer records. But yeah, we do every now and then. We sometimes pick a song, like 'We haven't played this.' We'll rehearse it so everyone knows it, then last minute, most often we're like 'Ah, fuck it.'"

On a possible future collaboration with drummer Mike Portnoy [ex-DREAM THEATER, THE WINERY DOGS, TRANSATLANTIC]:

Mikael: "It's mostly him. I would say he's a bit of a workaholic. He's a friend of mine now. He's a cool guy, a great drummer, of course. I'd love to do something with him. Initially, when he brought it up, he wanted to do something really heavy, but I've been doing that for a really long time, and I was like, 'It's not really interesting for me. I want to do something else.' So it all depends. We talked about collaborating on the record for the project I had with Steven Wilson [PORCUPINE TREE] called STORM CORROSION, but we ended up with no drums. We didn't need a lot of drums for those songs. We just had bits and pieces here and there. I don't think that would be enough for Mike. You never know. It's one of those things that every time we meet or every time we're on e-mail, we talk about it a little. It hasn't materialized. We don't have any ideas on what that should be. Generally, I'm the type of musician that tries to put everything I want to into OPETH, so I don't really need for side projects. Him, he's with, of course he was with DREAM THEATER before, he has TRANSATLANTIC, WINERY DOGS, he was with ADRENALINE MOB, lots of different bands, lots of different styles. We try to bring everything into OPETH, which leaves me quite content. I don't have too much that I can't explore within the band."

OPETH's twelfth album, "Sorceress", was released last September. For the band's first effort for Nuclear Blast via OPETH's imprint label Moderbolaget Records, the group returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from QUEEN, RUSH and JUDAS PRIEST, where the Swedes had tracked "Pale Communion" in 2014 with Tom Dalgety.

Steve Harris says that IRON MAIDEN doesn't care about getting radio airplay, explaining that the band's appeal has been largely misunderstood. "It's amazing if you get played [on the radio], but we never relied on it, because we never used to get played at all," Harris told iNews. "So maybe you get annoyed with it because you think — not just with us, bands that deserved to get played and don't — there has been a bit of a closed shop."

He continued: "I think a lot of it is because they don't understand it. They've never really embraced it or seen it — the people who look down their noses at it — they don't understand what it's all about. Maybe if they were to go to a show, they would understand."

MAIDEN's manager Rod Smallwood concurred, telling iNews: "They don't play us anywhere, really. We don't give a toss. To be honest, it's about the number of people who come and see you.

"In [the United Kingdom], it's been farcical. Anywhere else in the world, MAIDEN are a mainstream band. It really annoys me that they don't get the respect they should generally, because they are a massive benefit to this country. It annoys me a lot more than it annoys the band. I think it is a kind of snobbery. When we went round NASA, they were all MAIDEN fans. We were invited around Cern because all the scientists are MAIDEN fans. People who don't get it maybe don't have the brains to get it."

In a 1987 interview with the Los Angeles Times, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson dimissed the suggestion that the band could refine its songwriting approach to make its music more palatable to radio stations.

"Are you kidding?," Dickinson asked in disbelief. "We won't change. We could do shorter songs or songs with a more pop feel or songs that aren't really the hardest rock. Then we might get airplay and have a shot at a hit single. But we'd never make changes like that to get played on the radio. I'd jump off a bridge first.

"Radio and metal just don't seem to mix," he said. "Right now BON JOVI are the darlings of radio. [Editors note: That band's 'Slippery When Wet' had been the No. 1 pop album for weeks at the time of the interview.] It's a good album but that's not really the hardcore heavy metal. It's just pop enough to get airplay. But radio thinks of us as hardcore heavy metal. Radio hates us and our music, which they think is noise. They would like to see us fall off the face of the earth. I think it's funny."

IRON MAIDEN's "The Book Of Souls" world tour will return to North America for an extensive series of arena and amphitheater shows in June and July. Support on the trek will come from GHOST.

SOUNDGARDEN bassist Ben Shepherd has confirmed in a new interview with Weld that the band is "pretty much ready to record" the follow-up to 2012's "King Animal" album. Speaking about the group's approach for the upcoming disc, Shepherd said: "It's pretty much the same. Each one of us brings in a song and we work on it — or we'll all start something together, though there's less of that now than there was on any previous record, where we would just start jamming and form something out of it. We'd do that and we'd each bring in a song and work on it, and then one of the other guys would change it or add something. This time around, we haven't tended to jam as much. We've just been more focused on working on the next song.

"We're more capable of recording at any second and working out ideas than we used to be," he continued. "Of course, we've aged and figured out how to do things a lot better. Same thing with 'King Animal'. It was like, 'We know what we're doing, and we can do it better now than we used to.' So our songwriting, we have it more honed, and we know more what to do. It's not stale or anything — it's just more honed, more simpatico with each other. It's easier and more attainable to get to the idea."

Work on SOUNDGARDEN's seventh studio effort started in 2015, but the band took breaks while singer Chris Cornell toured his "Higher Truth" solo set and drummer Matt Cameron hit the road with PEARL JAM.

SOUNDGARDEN 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.

The band kicked off a North American tour on May 3 in Atlanta, winding down on May 27 at the Rocklahoma festival in Pryor, Oklahoma.

Support on selected dates is coming from THE PRETTY RECKLESS and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN. This is SOUNDGARDEN's first trek since a summer 2014 co-headlining run with NINE INCH NAILS.

Vocalist Shagrath (real name: Stian Tomt Thoresen) of Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR spoke to Antihero about the band's long-awaited follow-up to 2010's "Abrahadabra" album, tentatively due before the end of the year via Nuclear Blast. He said: "I can't go really into details, but what I can say about it is that we have used now three years to make a new album. It's just finished right now, actually, so the plan is that it will be out during fall. These days we do the preparation in connection with that release. If I can say something about the album, it will be that we are very proud of it, it sounds great, it's very atmospheric, and it also includes a lot of the elements which DIMMU BORGIR are known for, so I think the fans will not be disappointed. It also includes a lot of themes and riff ideas that you can link back to '93. So, it's like a combination of different themes throughout the history of DIMMU BORGIR. It also has a lot of symphonic elements and we are using a big choir on this new record, and it's also darker, more atmospheric, more primitive, more black metal. Yeah, a mixture of different things, basically.

Shagrath elaborated on the musical direction of the new DIMMU BORGIR album, saying it's "a mixture of everything, but in DIMMU BORGIR you can expect the unexpected. That's how we like to, when we do something we want to, there is no limits for where we can take it, in which direction, and that's how we want it to be, it needs to be. It's progressive also, the new album, but it also includes a lot of atmosphere, as I said. Elements from like the riff atmospheres from 'Enthrone Darkness Triumphant' [1997] album and the 'For All Tid' [1995], the debut record, and all that stuff. So, it's a good combination of it all, but at the same time, it's also progressive, and that's very important for us as artists to stretch the limits and try out new stuff. We are a band, we have never been afraid of going into new directions and as an artist, it's also important to not try to repeat yourself too much, because then it would be boring. But we are not a band like AC/DC, where you buy an album and you know what to expect. But DIMMU BORGIR are quite different, even though I'm a fan of AC/DC."

Drummer Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad of Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON spoke to HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's official podcast, "The Jasta Show", about SATYRICON's upcoming album, which will be released on September 22 via Napalm Records. He said (hear audio below): "This is an album that we have been really working a lot with for a long time. It's all about getting the right expression for each and every song.

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

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

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

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

SATYRICON has already announced a European tour for September/October to coincide with the release of the upcoming studio album.

SATYRICON frontman Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2015, told Metal Hammer 's "In Residence" show on Spotify that SATYRICON's follow-up to 2013's self-titled album would see the band moving away from the "violent, aggressive" vibe of its earlier efforts.

He said: "When we started getting back in to the rhythm after I was hospitalized, the music changed. I wasn't so much into what we did earlier — it wasn't that I didn't like it, but I didn't feel it in the same way anymore.

"A lot of what we did in the beginning is relentless, violent and aggressive. It's not like it's sobbing or really sad now, but it's more percussive, varied and soulful. There's less emphasis on the aggressive violent part of it."

In 2016, SATYRICON celebrated the 20th anniversary of its seminal album "Nemesis Divina" with a series of exclusive European shows which saw the Norwegian trailblazers performing the LP in its entirety for the first and last time.

In a brand new interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Sammy Hagar was once again asked about the possibility of a reunion with VAN HALEN, almost a year and a half after he sent a tweet to Eddie Van Halen wishing him a happy birthday — and getting a cordial response. "That whole VAN HALEN thing lurking in the woods out there, I feel there's a sniper out there — any minute the bullet is going to come flying in that says 'VH' on it, 'You're it!' We'll see what happens. I don't understand them. I haven't understood them in a long time. I would only do it with Sam and Dave [Lee Roth] anyway. I'd rather Dave go out and sing his own songs. I'll sing my songs. That would be the ultimate show, I think. If we could do it that way, I would suck it up. It would be fun."

Hagar told The Pulse Of Radio a while ago that his problems with Eddie began as far back as the sessions for VAN HALEN's 1995 effort "Balance", Hagar's last album with the group. "Eddie needs somebody to make decisions and a leader, y'know?" he said. "He's not a natural born leader kind of guy. And his brother was always the leader before — or Roth was the leader before — and when Roth left, his brother and him bumped heads so much, when I walked in it was like, 'Well, what does Sam wanna do?' y'know? So it became kind of like, yeah, I was making all the decisions, so then on 'Balance', all of a sudden, he didn't like my decisions and it was like really weird."

Hagar blasted his former bandmates in a 2015 interview, saying there was "no chemistry" between the members of the group's current lineup, including David Lee Roth. He said at the time: "They don't like each other. I mean, it's obvious. It's like a backup band with a guy out there in front. I bet they don't say five words to each other offstage."

Hagar, bassist Michael Anthony, Alex and Eddie Van Halen last teamed up in 2004 for a U.S. summer tour. In exchange for taking part in the tour, Anthony reportedly had to agree to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the band name and logo.

Metal Wani editor in chief Owais "Vitek" Nabi recently conducted an interview with former MORBID ANGEL and current I AM MORBID frontman David Vincent. You can now listen to the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his decision to launch I AM MORBID after his latest exit from MORBID ANGEL:

Vincent: "Well, as the world knows, Trey [Azagthoth, MORBID ANGEL guitarist] and I don't work together anymore. But that has little to do with my love for all of the things that I've been involved in over the years. So I don't look at it as… I look at it as something separate. This is not MORBID ANGEL, and for sure it will sound much different."

On how he selected the musicians for I AM MORBID: Tim Yeung (drums; MORBID ANGEL), Bill Hudson (guitar; CIRCLE II CIRCLE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Ira Black (guitar; METAL CHURCH, LIZZY BORDEN)

Vincent: "Well, quite frankly, this is an idea that I had many years ago, and to be able to perform songs that I love, that the fans love, and that there wasn't any interest within the guys of actually MORBID ANGEL that some of these things were ever gonna happen.

"Tim and I get along very well. We spent a lot of time hanging out. Obviously, bass players and drummers tend to get along pretty well, 'cause it is the rhythm section after all. And then both of the guitar players have been longtime friends of mine."

On the possibility of I AM MORBID making a studio album after completing the upcoming tour:

Vincent: "We had a very casual discussion about that. I think that it's something… We'll see how this goes."

On whether the I AM MORBID album would feature the same lineup as the upcoming tour:

Vincent: "That would be my choice. Again, all of these people that I'm working with are longtime friends and quality musicians. I mean, there's definitely a lot of talent."

On his decision to name the new band I AM MORBID:

Vincent: "Well, it's the title to a song that I wrote, and it is really the way that I feel. I'm definitely not an angel, but I am morbid."

I AM MORBID, which will play 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.

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.

Video footage of former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo's SUPERJOINT project — previously known as SUPERJOINT RITUAL — performing on April 27 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California can be seen below (filmed by Jake Perry).

SUPERJOINT kicked off the second leg of its "Caught Up In The Gears" U.S. tour on April 21 at Alamo City Music Hall in San Antonio, Texas. The eighteen-date journey is working its way west, ending on May 14 in Dallas, Texas. Support is again provided by Motor City thrashers BATTLECROSS and noise rock eccentrics CHILD BITE, also of Detroit, who both trekked out with SUPERJOINT during the first leg of the tour in January.

Anselmo told Decibel magazine that SUPERJOINT was forced to drop the "RITUAL" from its name was "because there's a bloodsucking leech out there who took advantage of a situation. But we're all at fault as well for signing a document that basically has a zero sunset clause, meaning that this person is privy to a cut of any money a 'SUPERJOINT RITUAL' would make. Hence getting rid of the 'RITUAL,' coming back as SUPERJOINT, and cutting out that cancer."

SUPERJOINT's new album, "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application", was released in November via Anselmo's Housecore record label. The disc was recorded at Philip's New Orleans-area studio, Nodferatu's Lair and was produced by Anselmo and Stephen Berrigan. The effort was mastered by Scott Hull (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, PIG DESTROYER) at Visceral Sounds.

Anselmo stated about "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application": "The overall theme [of the album] means many things, or no things, but there is an underlying message regardless, about how modern technology — computers and all that comes with them, mainly — has affected our lives. As a musician, it has affected my life both negatively (music being stolen) and positively (being in touch with fellow musicians around the world and staying visible). But when looking at the broader spectrum, computer-land has given everyday people a platform in which to bellow like carnival barkers about anything and everything, humdrum or political, whether qualified or not, some with good intentions, some with disingenuous intentions, and some with ideas that lay somewhere in the middle, creating a mishmash of results."

SUPERJOINT's current lineup includes guitarists Kevin Bond (CHRIST INVERSION, ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER) and Jimmy Bower (DOWN, EYEHATEGOD), drummer José Manuel Gonzalez (WARBEAST, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) and bassist Stephen Taylor (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, WOVEN HAND, 16 HORSE POWER).

Singer Kyle Thomas (TROUBLE, EXHORDER) has announced his departure from DEVIL'S HIGHWAY, the band he launched several years ago with Ralph Santolla (DEICIDE, OBITUARY, DEATH), Steve DiGiorgio (TESTAMENT, SADUS), guitarist Matt Brunson (CROWBAR, KINGDOM OF SORROW) and Tony Laureano (DIMMU BORGIR, NILE).

Thomas said in a statement: "It is with great sadness, disappointment, and regret that I must announce that I am withdrawing myself from any involvement with DEVIL'S HIGHWAY. This is due to personal and business differences that are irreconcilable.

"This project started with much promise, magic, and pleasure. Eight years later, it is still unfinished, and the vision that I had for what it could and should have been can no longer come to fruition.

"I thank everyone that was involved in trying to help it get off of the ground, but sadly I believe it never will. If it does, it will be without me.

"I wish nothing but peace, love, happiness, prosperity, and good health to all of the band members."

Thomas recently spent time at Carriage House Studios in the suburbs of Stamford, Connecticut laying down vocals DEVIL'S HIGHWAY's debut album with legendary producer Max Norman, who has previously worked with OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, SAVATAGE and LOUDNESS, among others.

DEVIL'S HIGHWAY's sound was previously described in a press release as "a mixture of classic metal and hard rock with nods to BLACK SABBATH, ALICE IN CHAINS, vintage SCORPIONS and early OZZY OSBOURNE.

Back in 2014, Thomas had the following to say about the formation of DEVIL'S HIGHWAY: "I met Ralph on tour when ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY was doing main support for OBITUARY. We hit it off perfectly from day one and have been close friends ever since. On that tour, he played me some songs he was writing and asked if I'd be interested in working on it with him. I immediately said yes, because I thought it was fantastic. After going to Japan with Ralph, Tony and Steve [as the DEATH METAL ALLSTARS], we decided it was so much fun that we should make a real band."

Pictured: Kyle Thomas with producer Max Norman

Will there be a new KISS studio album, or won't there? Bassist / vocalist Gene Simmons was recently interviewed by Michael Cavacini, during which he answers that very question; an excerpt follows:

Paul Stanley publicly announced on stage that KISS is going to record a new album. You’ve said that you don’t want to record a new KISS album. Which is it?

"There’s some writing going on. Not too long ago I wrote a song called "Your Wish Is My Command'. It sounds anthemic, like something that might have come off Love Gun, maybe. But I’m not incentivized. The idea that you work your ass off and then someone with freckles on their face decides they want to download your music and file share – that’s not what I work for. How’d you like to be a plumber, come over somebody’s house and work all day to fix their plumbing and then when it’s time to get paid they say, “No, I just wanted to say thank you."

No.

"You do work and you get paid for that work, right?"

Yes.

"Why shouldn’t I?"

Right. Makes sense to me.

"I’ve heard people say, 'Oh, you have enough money.' That’s what I need: an eighteen-year-old kid telling me when enough is enough. It doesn’t affect me at all. And it doesn’t affect the Stones or U2 – a lot of the bands that do well. There’s only a handful, actually. The saddest thing of all is that the next great bands, with the talent and the charisma and all that stuff, will never have the chance that we did – because there’s no music industry. There’s no way for them to pay the rent. They’re going to have to give away their music, practically, for free.

My daughter last year, Sophie, had a huge song that was released on Casablanca: 10 million downloads. Do you know how much she made?"

How much?

"$450."

Wow! That’s nuts.

"It almost makes you say, 'You know what, I’ll get a day job.' The saddest part of all is that, it’s not aliens from another planet, it’s not another country that invaded us and did that. No, no, no. Your next-door neighbor, the fans, are killing new music. They’re killing the bands that want to create music for them. That’s who’s killing it. You’re killing it, by not paying for it. Imagine how long a supermarket would stay in business if everybody went in, took the food and went away and didn’t pay for it."

Not very long.

"No, wouldn’t last very long at all."

To read the complete interview, visit this location.

KISS is currently on tour in Europe, their next show is May 12th in Dortmund, Germany. To view the complete live itinerary, click here.

Fan-filmed video of KISS performing "Shock Me" and "Cold Gin" live in Helsinki, Finland earlier this month can be enjoyed below:

 

 

 

 

 

METALLICA kicked off the North American leg of its 2017 "WorldWired" tour this past Wednesday night (May 10) at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, marking the start of the band's first full trek here in seven years.

The 18-song setlist included five tracks from METALLICA's latest studio effort, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", along with classics from throughout the group's 35 years and nine previous albums.

Official video footage of METALLICA performing the new song "Atlas, Rise!" in Baltimore can be seen below.

METALLICA was joined in Baltimore, as they will be on most of the rest of the trek, by VOLBEAT and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

The North American run will hit stadiums in 23 more cities before ending in mid-August. METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Rolling Stone that the band was genuinely surprised to learn they could still play stadiums, saying, "It was like, 'Holy fuck, people really still care about this band in ways that you stopped taking for granted literally decades ago. It was very inspiring and kind of eye-opening."

He added: "Full stadium runs can sometimes be a little intimidating. There's all these things to worry about like, 'You should really try to play maybe only on the weekend,' and, 'Where do you play on Tuesday?' and some of those practicalities can get a little bewildering. We just threw caution to the wind. Doing a stadium run seemed like the perfect thing on the back of how well this record has been received and all the good will that's out there in METALLICA's world right now."

The next stop on the tour is MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey on Sunday (May 14).

GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose joined Billy Joel on stage last night (Saturday, May 13) at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles to perform two songs: AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" and Joel's own "Big Shot". Fan-filmed video footage of Axl's appearance can be seen below.

Joel has frequently performed "Highway To Hell" during his concerts in recent years, often recruiting his roadie Chainsaw to sing lead vocals.

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.

Fan-filmed video footage of British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) performing on May 9 at Lemmy in Kaunas, Lithuania can be seen below.

Bayley's ninth solo album, "Endure And Survive", was released on March 3 via Blaze Bayley Recording. The disc was recorded at Birmingham, England's Robannas Studios and said to be "an exciting and enthralling sequel" to his 2016 release "Infinite Entanglement", which was the first of a trilogy of releases following a sci-fi concept and storyline.

Throughout the "Endure And Survive" world tour, Blaze is being backed by his main recording and touring musicians, picked from British metal band ABSOLVA and including Chris Appleton (guitar, backing vocals), Martin McNee (drums), Karl Schramm (bass, backing vocals).

In addition to the established bandmembers as above from ABSOLVA, "Endure And Survive" also contains a talented array of collaborators: Luke Appleton (ICED EARTH, ABSOLVA) on backing vocals; Michelle Sciarrotta on nylon acoustic, backing vocals, voice actor; Jo Robinson on backing vocals; Mel Adams on backing vocals; Liz Owen on backing vocals; Thomas Zwijsen on nylon acoustic, Anne Bakker on violin, backing vocals; Corvin Bahn (Uli Jon Roth) on accordion; Aine Brewer (voice actor); and Rob Toogood (voice actor) on backing vocals.

The spectacular album artwork was created by Andreas Sandberg, with additional images from Christopher Steenstrup who is also working on a Blaze Bayley video game.

"Endure And Survive" was recorded between October and December 2016, produced by Blaze Bayley and Chris Appleton, mixed and engineered by Miguel Seco, mastered by Ade Emsley (IRON MAIDEN, TANK, PHIL CAMPBELL). As with the previous record, the songwriting has been a collaboration between Blaze, Chris Appleton and Michelle Sciarrotta.

Fan-filmed video footage of Yngwie Malmsteen's May 11 performance at Newton Theatre in Newton, New Jersey can be seen below.

Malmsteen's current trek marks his first run of dates in the States since 2016 when he took part in the "Generation Axe" tour alongside Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Nuno Bettencourt and Tosin Abasi, playing to more than 70,000 people over 27 shows.

Yngwie's latest album, "World On Fire", came out last June via King Records. He told Seymour Duncan about the CD: "I spent two years [working] on it, touring, recording, touring, recording. And that's much, much better, actually, in a way. Back in the day I would write the songs then rehearse them with some musicians, then go and do a backing track and we'd record it, mix it, learn the songs to go play them on tour, then do it all again. That way isn't necessarily conducive to making the best music, y'know what I mean? So in a very, very backhanded way, this weird twist of fate in the music industry has actually made it a more inspiring environment, for me at least. I can write anytime and record anytime. My recording studio is always open, 24 hours. I can just record when I want and it's a beautiful thing."

Asked what the new record sounds like, Malmsteen said: "It's a Malmsteen record. [Laughs] But I would say it's a little different. First of all, I do all the lead vocals on it. Any time I did lead vocals in the past, I was singing blues stuff. This time I decided to do lead vocals in my style of songwriting, so it's different in that way. It's a very hard-hitting album and some parts are very advanced, very complicated. But it's a broad record. It's definitely a must-listen-to!"

Regarding what keeps him inspired to regularly release studio albums over the last thirty years, Malmsteen told Heavy Metal Bands Info in a 2015 interview: "It's the same approach I have when I am in the studio. I go into the studio and pick up the guitar or play the drums or whatever. I just do something and something comes out that inspires me. Then I carry on with it. I wanna have it happen like an inspired thing. Then I just put it down and listen to it in the car or wherever and I think, 'Oh, that sounds great.' I mean, I play it back a week later or so and I don't even remember doing it. Then I go, like, 'Wow, that’s great,' or, 'Wow, that's shit.' This is important to me, because at that stage I am listening more like a listener. Then I take that further and make it into a more complete thing. I found that this is the best way for me. That makes it exciting and inspiring. That's why I'm still doing it."