Metallica kicked off their WorldWired Tour 2017 at M&T Bank Stadium Baltimore, Maryland on May 10th. The first batch of fan-filmed live videos have hit the internet and can be viewed below.

The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Hardwired"
"Atlas, Rise!"
"For Whome The Bell Tolls"
"Fuel"
"The Unforgiven"
"Now That We're Dead"
"Moth Into Flame"
"Wherever I May Roam"
"Halo On Fire"
"Hit The Lights"
"Sad But True"
"One"
"Master Of Puppets"
"Fade to Black"
"Seek And Destroy"
"Battery"
"Nothing Else Matters"
"Enter Sandman"

WorldWired live dates:

May
12 - Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field*^
14 - East Rutherford, NJ - MetLife Stadium*^
17 - Uniondale, NY - New Coliseum^
19 - Boston, MA - Gillette Stadium ^#
21 - Columbus, OH - Rock On The Range Festival

June
4 - St. Louis, MO - Busch Stadium^#
7 - Denver, CO - Sports Authority Field*^
9 - Dayton, IA - Iowa Speedway
11 - Houston, TX - NRG Stadium*^
14 - San Antonio, TX - Alamodome*#
16 - Dallas, TX - AT&T Stadium*#
18 - Chicago, IL - Soldier Field*#

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

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

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

Photo courtesy of Metallica's Official Facebook page

Alice Cooper will release his new album Paranormal in July. The album will feature guest appearances by ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, three members of the original Alice Cooper band (Neal Smith, Michael Bruce, and Dennis Dunaway), and U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. 

During an appearance on last Friday's (May 5th) episode of the SiriusXM radio show Trunk Nation, Cooper said producer Bob Ezrin was responsible for getting Mullen Jr. involved in the sessions.

"Bob Ezrin and I sat there, and Bob says, 'What do you think about Larry Mullen on drums?' And I went, 'That's a great idea. It'll change things up so much on just the basic tracks.'"

Cooper also talked about the U2 drummer's somewhat unusual approach to recording. Alice recalled: "Larry (said), 'I wanna see the lyrics.' I said, 'Really?' He (said), 'Yeah, I play to the lyrics. I don't play to the bass.' And I said, 'That is so cool — just the idea that you're interpreting the lyrics on the drums.' So that totally makes the album another album."

Gibbons plays guitar on a song called "I've Fallen In Love And I Can't Get Up". "After we cut the record, I went, 'If Billy Gibbons doesn't play on this, we shouldn't put this one out,' 'cause, I mean, it is so much him," Alice said. "And he got the record, and he said, 'I've got the flu, but, man, this song makes me feel better.' He just killed it."

Original Alice Cooper band members Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith and guitarist Michael Bruce will perform with the legendary shock-rock performer at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center's Andrew Jackson Hall on May 14th. Nashville is the only date on the 2017 Spend the Night With Alice Cooper US tour where fans can experience a special mini-set featuring the four original members of the group, who were inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2011.

Tickets are on sale now at TPAC.org, by phone at 615-782-4040, and at the TPAC box office (505 Deaderick St.) in downtown Nashville. VIP packages are available through the TPAC box office for a limited time.
 
Bassist Dennis Dunaway, drummer Neal Smith, and guitarist Michael Bruce have contributed to and appear on Cooper's forthcoming new album due this summer, produced again by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin.
 
“We've recorded much of my last album and my new one in Nashville and it's such a great music town,” said Cooper. “With so many musician, songwriter and producer friends here, as well as great rock fans who come to our concerts, it's special to be performing with Neal, Michael and Dennis in Nashville for them.”
 
Spend The Night With Alice Cooper
May 14, 2017 - 8:00pm
TPAC’s Andrew Jackson Hall
Nashville, TN
505 Deaderick St.

Alice Cooper will tour Australia in October to mark the 40th anniversary of his first tour down under. Alice will be joined on the tour by special guest Ace Frehley, the former KISS guitarist, reports NEWS.com.au.

This will be Alice Cooper’s 13th Australian tour. He will play Perth Arena on October 17th, Thebarton Theatre in Adelaide on October 19th, Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne on October 20th, Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on October 21st, AIS Arena in Canberra on October 23rd, Newcastle Entertainment Centre on October 24th and Brisbane Convention Centre on October 25th.

KISS icon Gene Simmons recently guested on The Ride With JMV on 107.5/1070 The Fan and revealed he will release a new book entitled On Power this November. According to Simmons the book is about "how everybody can make more money and actually become relatively rich." 

Simmons released his book, Me, Inc.: Build An Army Of One, Unleash Your Inner Rock God, Win In Life And Business in 2014. The official press release for Me, Inc.:

In Me, Inc., the marketing and finance wizard Gene Simmons gives aspiring entrepreneurs the critical tools they need to succeed. Simmons teaches you how to build a solid business strategy, harness the countless tools available in the digital age, network like hell, and be the architect for the business entity that is you. Inspired by The Art of War, Me, Inc. is organized around thirteen specific, easy-to-understand principles for success, drawn from Simmons’s own triumphs and failures. From finding the confidence necessary to get started, to surrounding yourself with the right people, to knowing when to pull the plug and when to double-down, these principles can help you attain the freedom and wealth of your dreams. Pre-order at HarperCollins.com or by using the Amazon.com widget below.

Speaking to Good Celebrity on May 1st at the 10th anniversary George Lopez Celebrity Gold Classic at Lakeside Country Club in Toluca Lake, CA, Alice In Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell revealed the band will begin recording their new album in June.

Cantrell said, "We are just gearing up to make a record. We'll be moving up to Seattle in about a month and record the record over the summer out there in the same studio we recorded our third record in. So it'll be kind of fun — go home, make a Seattle record. Hometown boys in a hometown studio."

The band’s last album, The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here, was released in 2013 and was the band’s second album with singer William Duvall, who joined in 2006.

 

Greek melodic epic power metallers Valor have returned with their third album, four years since their last offering (The Yonder Answer) which received nothing but praises from all over the world.

Originally formed in 2002, Valor have released since then an EP, a 7” single and two albums while also playing live with every chance they got, perfecting the chemistry between them as well as their song-writing while fine-tuning their sound.

Valor have always been distinguished by unique epic compositions and superb performances filled with melody and passion and of course pure epic heaviness. These attributes are clearly evident throughout the band’s newest release, Arrogance: The Fall.

Even though their latest work might be a bit more on the aggressive side in terms of song-writing, the band’s masterful blend of melodic power metal with galloping riffs and epic elements is still there. Along with an improved and refined sound, Arrogance: The Fall promises not to disappoint their fans who are eagerly awaiting this release or any other fans of finely-crafted epic power metal for that matter.

Arrogance: The Fall is out on June 9th on CD and Digital. Preorders are available on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“Uprising”
“Arrogant Fall”
“Flying Away”
“In The Name Of Valor”
“The Crown Of Evermore”
“Dark Are The Eyes Of The Night”
“Pandora’s Gift”
“In Another Time”
“Sanctuary For All”
“No Angel’s Face”

“Arrogant Fall”:

Arrogance: The Fall by VALOR

(Photo by: Themis Giannopoulos)

Headstones, one of Canada’s most enduring and hardest rocking bands, announced earlier this year that they were heading to the studio to record their forthcoming album Little Army. It will be unleashed to the world on June 2nd via Cadence Music. They have released the official video for the first single, "Devil's On Fire". Check it out below.

In celebration of the release of Little Army, the Headstones are excited to announce that they will be performing two intimate shows in one night, in a small Toronto venue – the Velvet Underground.

These limited capacity performances will be on June 2nd, with sets at 9:00pm (doors at 8pm) and 12:00am (doors at 11:00pm). The band will be performing songs from the new album, including the single ‘Devil’s On Fire’, as well as fan favourite hits. Ticket proceeds will benefit CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health). Tickets are on sale now.

- early show
- late show

Purchased tickets are only valid for showtime indicated. Both shows are 19+.

Please note that current PledgeMusic Fan For Life pass holders will be honoured. If you hold a FFL pass, please submit your attendance by May 26th 2017, to [email protected] FFL passes can no longer be purchased.

Headstones frontman Hugh Dillon couldn’t be more excited to share this with the world, saying “We set out to write the best rock album of our career, and I think that’s what we’ve done.”

Formed in 1987, the band's debut release Picture Of Health (1993) was met with not just critical acclaim but was certified Platinum, selling in excess of 100,000 copies and spawning the singles "When Something Stands For Nothing", "Cemetery", "Tweeter and the Monkey Man" and "Three Angels". Kicking off a recording career that spans three decades, the band has since gone on to release seven studio albums and countless chart topping singles. Known for their intense and authentic performance style, Headstones remain true to their DIY aesthetic. At a time when style is often valued over substance, they craft hard hitting tunes with brutally honest lyrics and Little Army is no exception.

With Little Army, Headstones are again inclusive of their fans, sharing exclusive behind the scenes footage and real-time content. Using an old school approach while employing new school technology, Hugh and company recruit their army of fans to be a fly-on-the-wall of the recording and launch of Little Army.

Headstones are posting an ongoing series of clips to promote the album dubbed Navigating The Music Industry. The fourth clip in the series, Influencing Sales Executives, is available below.

 

 

 

During the night of April 26th, 1986, a world-changing accident occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. A catastrophic meltdown befell Reactor No. 4, resulting in core explosions and open-air fires. Copious quantities of radioactive materials and airborne isotopes were consequently dispersed into the atmosphere and surrounding lands. The disaster has been widely regarded as the worst accident in the history of nuclear power globally. As a result, Reactor No. 4 was destroyed and is being enclosed in a concrete and lead sarcophagus to prevent further escape of radioactivity. Large areas of Europe were affected by the accident. The radioactive cloud spread as far as Norway.
 
Moved by devastating consequences of the event, a German band called Cytotoxin pulverized the death metal world in 2010. In 2011, Cytotoxin released their self-produced full-length, Plutonium Heaven. Just one year later, they entered Kohlekeller Studios (Aborted, Benighted) to forge their critically-lauded Radiophobia full-length released via Unique Leader Records in 2012. A stunning display of musical precision, Metal Wani awarded the record a perfect 10/10 review calling it the, "most technical music I've ever heard," further lauding its, "well-structured slams and breakdowns... This music will make you headbang till you become Nearly-Headless Nicholas!...a milestone in the world of death metal."
 
Five years later, it is time for Cytotoxin's Gammageddon. Captured earlier this year again at Kohlekeller Studios, Gammageddon centers itself on the city of Pripyat. Named after the nearby Pripyat River, Pripyat was founded on February 1970 as the ninth nuclear city -- a type of closed city -- in the Soviet Union, to serve the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. It was officially proclaimed a city in 1979, and had grown to a population of nearly 50,000 by the time it was evacuated the day after the Chernobyl disaster. The city is now a ghost town. Gammageddon serves as a soundtrack to the horrors leading to the evacuation with its unadulterated technical extremity. At a 40 minute run time, even the deepest, densest bunkers won't protect you from this massive overindulgence of radioactive brutality.
 
Gammageddon will be released on CD and digital formats via Unique Leader Records on July 28th.

Preorders will be announced in the coming weeks. The track “Radiatus Generis” is streaming below. 

Notes the band of the track, “You all have had almost five years to prepare for the next radioactive fallout, but you may not be ready for such an overdose of extreme metal.This is brutal... this is frightening... this is Gammageddon!"

Tracklisting:

“Radiatus Generis”
“Chaos Cascade”
“Gammageddon”
“Chernopolis”
“Deadzone Outpist”
“Redefining Zenith”
“Corium Era”
“Antigenesis”
“Outearther”
“Sector Zero”

“Radiatus Generis”:

Gammageddon by Cytotoxin

Musical and heavy metal alchemists Candiria have premiered a video for the title track from their new album and Metal Blade debut While They Were Sleeping, out now. Watch the clip, recorded live at Spaceman Sound. The intimate footage truly puts the viewer in Candiria's orbit.

Fans can find additional exclusive Candiria content as part of the ongoing "90 Days to Warped" promotion, leading up to the band's appearance on this summer's Warped Tour.

Below are Candiria Warped Tour dates. Please note that Candiria joins the tour on June 21st, which is the third date of Warped Tour.

June
21 - Albuquerque, NM
22 - Phoenix, AZ
23 - Las Vegas, NV
24 - Salt Lake City, UT
25 - Denver, CO
27 - Nashville, TN
28 - Metaire, LA
29 - Atlanta, GA
30 - Orlando, FL

July
1 - St. Petersburg, FL
2 - West Palm Beach, FL
4 - Wilmington, NC
6 - Charlotte, NC
7 - Camden, NJ
8 - Wantagh, NY
9 - Hartford, CT
10 - Scranton, PA
11 - Virginia Beach, VA
12 - Mansfield, MA
13 - Darien Center, NY
14 - Burgettstown, PA
15 - Holmdel, NJ
16 - Columbia, MD
18 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH
19 - Cincinnati, OH
20 - Noblesville, IN
21 - Auburn Hills, MI
22 - Tinley Park, IL
23 - Shakopee, MN
24 - Milwaukee, WI
26 - Maryland Heights, MO
27 - Bonner Springs, KS
28 - Dallas, TX
29 - San Antonio, TX
30 - Houston, TX

August
1 - Las Cruces, NM
4 - Mountain View, CA
5 - San Diego, CA
6 - Pomona, CA

Copenhagen, Denmark-based rockers, Sea, have released a video for “The Stranger Within”, taken from the album The Grip Of Time, out on May 12th on LP, CD and digital worldwide through Mighty Music (ex. Japan by Bickee Music). The clip can be seen below.

The band's raw and challenging style is a blend of the classic heavy rock from the giants of the past and their own unique and powerful expression. Strong vocals, heavy riffs, catchy choruses, twin guitar soloing and a mission to keep the guitar led rock alive, combine into making the band a huge adrenaline boost into the Danish music scene.

The new album was recorded in Vibe Factory Studios in Copenhagen with producer Jakob Winther, who is primarily known for his work with artists like Justin Hawkins (The Darkness) and Lukas Graham. Even though the sound is heavy and energetic, The Grip Of Time explores more mellow, melancholy and melodic elements.

The Grip Of Time tracklisting:

“Rust”
“Once We Were Dead”
“Time Will Let You Know”
“Shout”
“No Dawn”
“Back To The Ground”
“Sing For Your Right”
“Dust Will Fall”
“The Stranger Within”
“Sea”

“The Stranger Within” video:

“Once We Were Dead” video:

Comatose Music has set a June 9th release date for Aftermath, the new album from Logic Of Denial. A lyric video for the album track “Euphoric Abhorrent Synthesis” can be seen below.

This is the third album by these Italian miscreants, further expanding the sonic exploration crafted in their previous 2013 effort Atonement with a more diverse, brutal and complex approach.

Conceived as a three chapter concept album about the various stages during the grieving process, Aftermath contains twelve vicious tracks which conceptually probe the resentment consistent with the incessant and infamous vilification of human vulnerability.

Album artwork by the mighty Jon Zig.

Tracklisting:

“Abscission”
“Devouring Seeds Of The Apocalypse”
“Gorging On Innocence”
“Miroir”
“Sufferance”
“Assenza (The Sufferance Ouverture)”
“Larvae Of Eden”
“The Decaying Drama (Pt. I: Quietus – Pt. II: Antinferno)”
“Defilement”
“Violating The Canvas Of Forgotten Purity”
“Immaculate”
“Euphoric Abhorrent Synthesis”

“Euphoric Abhorrent Synthesis” lyric video:

“Devouring Seeds Of The Apocalype”:

Consisting of current and formers members of The Dillinger Escape Plan, The Faceless, John Zorn and many other renowned projects, John Frum will release the new album, A Stirring In The Noos, on May 12th via Relapse Records.

The band has released a video for “Wasting Subtle Body”, directed by Mitch Massie (Cattle Decapitation, The Locust). It’s is a mind-bending depiction of a terrifying ritual with haunting visuals.

“One thing I was really excited about with this project was to shoot nature in a way that depicts the character's inward journey. I didn't want to use the weird sex and death stuff I tend to do. This project was to be the beauty of nature herself! I went way out there with my camera and tried to get my inner hippie excited about tickling chakras, absorbing energy from stones, bathing in nature's blushing design... but all I found in mother nature was death and fucking (in macro)." - Mitch Massie

The patron saints of altered states known as John Frum began its chronicle of disturbances on 11.11.11 in Philadelphia, and have been fermenting their bedeviled broth in the clandestine corners of their collective consciousness ever since.

John Frum borrows its name from a relatively isolated group of natives in the South Pacific islands, known as a Cargo Cult, who first used the alias John Frum as a means to reject European ways, escape oppressive missionaries, and return to their old traditions. The narrative changed, during the war in the 1940s, to reflect their encounters with thousands of American soldiers who spectacularly descended on that region by sea and air with crates of wartime materials dropped from the sky, known as “Cargo.” These events drastically changed the beliefs and lifestyle of the islanders as they took the soldiers and their offerings to be god-like, as they descended from the heavens.

Alt-religious narratives induced by these encounters were incongruent with islanders’ long-held beliefs, yet the natives could not deny the call of the cargo. Attempting to reconcile their existing beliefs with the new understanding of the outside world led to some strange interpretations which evolved into a bizarre narrative about a dark-skinned soldier-deity who resides inside a nearby volcano, and who many believe will one day return, showering them in riches and technology.

Like a planchette moved by the presence of subtle energies, John Frum functions as a medium for malefic musings. Existing at the intersections of perception, superstition, intoxication, ritual, rhetoric, metaphysics and mystical experience, John Frum welcome in the golden age of musical enlightenment with their first manifesto, A Stirring In The Noos. Nearly six years in the making, John Frum’s unorthodox debut maneuvers through 40-minutes of darkly psychedelic and meticulously crafted death metal, the backdrop of a bad trip. A Stirring In The Noos is a dismal distillation of oneiric transmissions, an aural reliquary of mis-shapen manifestations, and a totem to modern primitivism in heavy music.

Tracklisting:

“Presage Of Emptiness”
“Pining Light”
“Memory Palace”
“Through Sand And Spirit”
“Lacustrine Divination”
“He Come”
“Assumption Of Form”
“Wasting Subtle Body”

“Pining Light” live video:

“Memory Palace” video:

“Presage Of Emptiness” video:

Album teaser:

Pre-order options are available at this location.

John Frum Is:

Matt Hollenberg (John Zorn, Cleric) - guitar
Eli Litwin (Intensus/Deveykus/Knife The Glitter) - drums
Derek Rydquist (Ex-The Faceless) - vocals
Liam Wilson (The Dillinger Escape Plan, Starkweather) - bass

(Photo - Kristie Krause)

Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has uploaded the video below, featuring a live acoustic performance of Iron Maiden’s “Lord Of The Flies” with former Maiden singer Blaze Bailey and violinist Anne Bakker.

Says Zwijsen: “Found this video in my archives, I believe it's the very first acoustic performance we ever did! “Lord Of The Flies” live in Deinze, Belgium, with ex-Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley. Blaze performed in the same venue with Iron Maiden during the X Factour.”

In the video below, Thomas Zwijsen performs an acoustic/classical guitar arrangement of Metallica's "The Unforgiven II”. Guitar lessons can be found at this location.

“Ortega Guitars invited me to do a series of videos on a selection of their guitars,” says Thomas. “In this video (below) I'm performing “The Trooper” by Iron Maiden on the Eclipse Suite CE model.”

Original Voivod bassist Blacky (Jean-Yves Thériault) has teamed up with bassist Monica Emond and launched Cœur Atomique, a project formed in 2014. Their music, written for two basses and electronics, is accompanied with film projections during live performances. Art, they say, is meant to act and to resist!

“Watch out weird monkeys! Yes, it’s you we are talking to. You won’t get away so easily reshaping the whole wide world around.”

They will release their first album called Landscape Of Emergency I on June 5th, 2017, both available on vinyl and in digital format through their website. This album is the first part of the Landscape of Emergency serie of releases which address the impacts of the silencing machine of ignorance and indifference.

The Landscape Of Emergency I tracklist is as follows:

"Fail Safe"
"Calutron"
"Castle Bravo"
"The Waste"
"Berghof"
"Green Run"

Belgium thrashers, Evil Invaders, have posted an update on Facebook detailing their recent trip to the US for a debut show on American soil. As fans are aware, that never happened. The update appears below in its entirety.

"As some of you might know we were scheduled for our very first USA festival ever in Milwaukee on April 22nd. The deal was simple: the festival purchases our flights and covers all our costs to make the show happen, but no money for our own pockets. We were definitely up for that and we were stoked to head for the US of A to tear down the house for our 1st ever US live performance. Did we manage to enter the country? Yes, Sir! Did we kick ass and leave the country to ashes after our devastating show? Well, not exactly… Here’s how it goes...

On April 20th we took our flight from Brussels to Chicago. The flight was OK as we already flew multiple times to Japan or South America. We were all good! When we arrived at Chicago airport everything went smooth and we were ready to kick ass. We took our bags, stood in line at customs and went out of the airport as always. Standard procedure, no big deal. Except for… Joeri and Max.

While chatting with the festival driver who would pick us up, we got a text message from Joeri saying that cops were looking for us and that we needed to get back to customs asap. Also Joeri passed customs, but he was waiting for Max to get through as well. But that never happened… Obviously all of us got back and when we arrived back at customs cops immediately took our fingerprints while explaining that we would be sent back to Europe as we didn’t have a valid work permit and thus could not enter the USA. Yes, exactly. Two of us had already passed through customs and were having a cool chat with our driver outside of the airport. I guess they changed their minds for some reason and decided that we could not stay in the US after all. But in the end it’s their country and they can do whatever they want, so that’s cool…

At customs everyone was really nice and they told us that it was not our fault that we couldn’t stay in the country. We’re being kicked out of the country… but it was not our fault. What a relief! Eventually cops googled Max and found out through Metal Archives that Max was playing in Evil Invaders and that the band was playing at a US festival where people were paying entrance tickets. So even though we weren’t being paid to perform (which made it kinda silly to apply and spend quite some money on work permits), the fact that festival tickets were being sold was enough to hold us from staying in the US and performing.

Anyway, all our personal belongings were taken from us before being escorted -again, cops were actually very friendly!- to prison. God forbid we would hang ourselves with our own belts or strangle each other with our shoelaces! Ironically, while waiting at the entrance hall there was a television on with US president señor Trump giving some speech. Maybe he was telling that he had caught some evil invaders at the airport, we couldn’t exactly hear what he was saying. After that, cops brought us to our cell where we got nice American water and free food: all you can eat. Joe kinda liked it, so good for him.

Our cell was quite nice as it had a toilet in there and some blood and other human leftovers against the walls. We weren’t too excited about the cameras, though. Especially the one pointed to the toilet. Don’t know if this is common there, but we Europeans tend to keep that area a bit private. Another cool thing was that every once a while cops added another dude to our cell, so eventually we were 7 dudes chillin’ in one prison cell. Eventually we stayed there for 22hrs, lights on constantly probably to keep an eye on us when going to the toilet. They gave us some sort of towels to sleep on, so we didn’t really get why they kept the lights on 24/7. Another cool feature of the cell was that, through our door window, we could see a screen in the control room with the video footage from our cell and keep an eye on that dirty captured scum they had captured.

But unfortunately there comes an end to every beautiful story, so after our 22 hr marathon of 100% pure metal mayhem BOREDOM, cops escorted us back to the airport where people started taking pictures of us like mad as we could just see their excitement! It was there at the airport on that very moment at customs when we realized: we fucking nailed it! We are Metallica! The cops played the game along and told the people that we were VIPs. True story!

Eventually we got back on the plane back to Europe. Surprisingly we had the same stewardesses as on the previous day. They recognized us and were again surprised that we were flying back so soon. We told them what happened and they wished us luck on our future travels to the USA: “Well, better luck next time.”

Raging Dead is an Italian horror punk metal band that came together at the beginning of 2014 from an idea of vocalist Cloud Shade and lead guitarist Matt Void. The line-up was then rounded out with drummer Tracii Decadence and bassist Simon Nightmare.

Raging Dead had an intense first year of activity, in which it gained recognition in Italy playing with well-known Italian Horror bands and glam/sleaze bands. The quartet also had the chance to share the stage with many international bands, which built them a massive following in Italy.
Their debut EP Born In Rage gained national attention in Italy and the body of Europe. The band toured heavily in support of the EP across Europe and gained quite a sizable fan base as a result.

In June 2016, the band entered the BI-OS Music Production Studio with producer Francesco Altare to record their first full-length album, When The Night Falls. While sticking true to their Horror Rock roots, the new album led to a progression in musicianship with more aggressive melodies and production than their previous efforts.

This new creation gained the attention of Pavement Entertainment and led to the group signing a partnership deal to release When The Night Falls worldwide. The album will be available on May 26th through all digital and streaming platforms. Preorder the album on iTunes.

Tracklisting:

“Streets Of Rage”
“When The Night Falls”
“Within Shadow”
“Army Of The Restless”
“Nightstalker”
“Bloodlust”
“Crimson Garden”
‘Scratch Me”
“Doomsday”
“Ballad Of The Storm”

“Crimson Garden” video:

NY/NJ based metal band Dark Sky Choir has announced the release of their self-titled debut album on May 16th.  The record release party will take place on June 23rd at The Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ, and will be hosted by Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine of That Metal Show.  The show is being sponsored by WRAT and WDHA radio stations.  

Artwork for the project was created by legendary cover artist Ioannis (Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Dream Theater, Dokken, Fates Warning, Skid Row, Sepultura, Yngwie Malmsteen).  The album will also feature guest appearances by Chris Caffery of Savatage, and Michael Pinnella of Symphony X.

Tracklisting:

“Death Of A Nation”
“Like It Or Not”
“Walking By Myself”
“Die Young (Maybe He Wanted To)”
“The End”
“Sails Of Charon”
“Cry For The Legions”
“Show No Mercy”
“Bedouin Caravan”

Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON have signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records for the release of the band's next studio album, due on September 22.

Thomas Caser, CEO of Napalm Records, comments: "We are proud to announce the signing of one of the most influential extreme metal acts and pioneers of a whole genre. This upcoming album will surely set another mile stone in heavy music and we are honored to release it this fall!"

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

SATYRICON has always excelled live, its powerful, evocative performances, spearheaded by charismatic frontman and visionary Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven, are shows that stick in the memory. Their gigs are increasingly becoming special events, as the frequency is dialled back to accommodate the Oslo band's "modus operandi."

Speaking about the band's new album and return to the live fray, Satyr commented: "The vast majority of our shows have been sold out in recent years and it makes me very thankful and proud.

"Our fans know that we are done a long time ago with relentless touring, so that makes every opportunity special to us now.

"I know our new album is one that our fans will love and we know how much people appreciate SATYRICON as a live band. We are going to make every show unforgettable".

Satyr, 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."

Satyr also revealed that SATYRICON's next album is being recorded on a farm outside Oslo, Norway.

"We've been jamming in a barn for a long time," he said. "Every time we go there, the atmosphere is really nice — we really enjoy being there.

"I just said, 'We play so well when we're here — the spirit and the soul, and what we do comes across as unique. What if we brought recording equipment and engineers here, instead of bringing SATYRICON to a studio?' So we're doing that."

SATYRICON drummer Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad told VirtualFestivals.com last summer that the material for the band's next album "feels more creative than anything we have done before. I think that we managed to open quite a few doors, creatively, than with previous albums at least. This dynamic element was important. What I have been feeling is all those doors lead somewhere, and we have been exploring them and the result is what you will hear on that next album. It will go much further than previous albums, and I think it will be a very loaded album. Intense, very very diverse. An album impossible to sum up in a few words, which is a good thing."

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. The album was also re-released in spring 2016, newly remastered by Satyr himself and boasting upgraded and revamped packaging.

Red Hot Chili Peppers have released a new music video for their song "Goodbye Angels", from the band's most recent album The Getaway, which was released by Warner Bros. Records on June 17th, 2016. The "Goodbye Angels" music video was shot in Atlanta and directed by Thoranna "Tota" Sigurdardottir.

Red Hot Chili Peppers have spent the year playing sold out shows in Europe and  North America in support of The Getaway and will headline Bonnaroo, Austin City Limits, and The Meadows Festival. See below for a complete list of dates.

The Getaway debuted at #1 on the Billboard Album Sales Chart and at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 upon its release in June. The Getaway marks the Grammy Award-winning band's seventh top 10 album and third #2 on the Top 200 Chart. The album debuted at #1 in Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Netherlands, and New Zealand and at #2 in the United Kingdom and Germany. The Getaway was produced by Danger Mouse and mixed by Nigel Godrich.

Tour dates:

May
11 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena
13 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans
14 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center-
16 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center
18 - Indianapolis, IN - Bankers Life Fieldhouse
19 - Cincinnati, OH - US Bank Arena
21 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
23 - Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena
26 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
28 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
29 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome

June
10 - Manchester, TN - Bonnaroo
20 - Montreal , QC - Bell Centre
22 - Hamilton, ON - FirstOntario Centre
23 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Centre
25 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena
30 - Chicago, IL - United Center

July
1 - Chicago, IL - United Center

October
13 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits
16 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
18 - Glendale, AZ - Gila River Arena

On April 22nd, Enslaved Roadburn Live - a split release between By Norse Music and Burning World Records - was released as limited Record Store Day Color Editions and a Gold Edition, sold via the Enslaved web store and at Roadburn Festival 2017. Color and Gold 2LP Editions include the original A3 Roadburn Festival poster and color stickers. Stream "Isa" below, the song originally appeared on the 2004 album of the same name.

Grutle Kjellson from Enslaved comments: "This, ladies and gentlemen is the very FIRST Enslaved live album ever! It was recorded in our favorite festival, Roadburn, which makes it even more special to us. Although a live album cannot preserve the essence of being present at a concert, we hope you will still find some pleasure in this Roadburn Live album, both in the music and in the magnificent artwork. Besides, we hope to see all of you on our forthcoming tour, summer festivals in 2017 and in the years to come. Hail and salute dear friends!"

Watch the unpacking video of the exclusive Record Store Day clear edition (Europe only) below:

Walter Hoeijmakers / Roadburn's Artistic Director comments on the release: "It’s no secret that there’s a strong friendship between Roadburn and Enslaved. One of the most hard-hitting and progressive bands to come out of Norway, Enslaved has played a significant part in the festival's history - both musically and artiscally. Not only has Enslaved been our artist in residence, bringing side-projects such as The Armageddon Concerto (the Enslaved / Shining collaboration), Dream of an Opium Eater and Trinacria to Roadburn, Ivar Bjørnson has also been our 2015 co-curator, along with Wardruna’s Einar Kvitrafn Selvik, and resulting in Skuggsjá's first ever performance outside of Norway. Enslaved’s 2015 performances were the pinnacle of this enduring and artistic friendship, and showcased the massive influence the band has had on both Roadburn, and the (underground) metal scene for the past two decades. To have these shows captured on vinyl is a dream come true for me, and I truly hope it’s the same for anyone who was in attendance, or those who want to indulge themselves in the Northern magic of Enslaved."  

Roadburn Live is available as limited and exclusive Record Store Day (April 22nd) color editions and as Roadburn/Enslaved-Webshop Gold edition including the original A3 Roadburn poster and color stickers.

To celebrate the release, what better way than to hold a playback session with the members of Enslaved at the Roadburn Festival 2017! Becky Laverty / Roadburn Festival comments:

“Enslaved and Roadburn share a history that is entwined and their 2015 performance on the main stage was such a fantastic milestone for both parties, that it makes perfect sense for the show to be released as a live album. As the album will be released during Roadburn 2017, it seemed fitting to invite attendees and the band alike to join us for a playback session at the festival as part of our popular side program.”

Roadburn Live also features a brilliant layout created by highly respected artist and Roadburn’s regular graphic designer Costin Chioreanu. The album was mixed by Iver Sandøy at Solslottet Studio, mastered by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Opeth, Sepultura) in Fascination Studios. It is also the last official release with Herbrand Larsen on keys and vocals.

After celebrating 25 years in 2016 showcasing a majority of older material, Roadburn Live displays songs mainly from the "newer" and more progressive era of Enslaved’s career, with songs from In Times, Riitiir, Isa, Below The Lights and Monumension. Featuring guest appearances of Einar Selvik (Wardruna), Aðalbjörn Tryggvason (Sólstafir), Per Wiberg (Opeth, Candlemass); and Menno Gootjes (Focus) on "Immigrant Song", this is the first cover song by Enslaved to appear on any record ever.

Grutle Kjellson comments on the album: "I'm generally not a huge fan of live albums, I like to be present at a show, to grasp the energy of the band and to witness the, sometimes, magical symbiosis that occurs between the band and the audience. I am, however, a huge fan of the Roadburn Festival! I consider this to be my all-time favorite, both as a musician and as a guest. Therefore; if ever Enslaved were to release a live album, it had to be from a Roadburn show! I hope you will enjoy listening to this piece of wax as much as we did recording it!"

Tracklisting:

“Building With Fire”
“Death In The Eyes Of Dawn”
“In Times”
“Daylight”
“Convoys To Nothingness”
“As Fire Swept Clean The Earth”
“Isa”
“Immigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin cover)

“Death In The Eyes Of Dawn”:

Progressive black/death metal collective Cormorant are readying to release their fourth LP Diaspora this August.

Recorded and mixed by Greg Wilkinson (Vastum, Graves At Sea, Noothgrush, Brainoil) at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, California in late 2016, Diaspora serves as the follow-up to 2014's critically-lauded Earth Diver full-length and sees Cormorant take their unique style of progressive metal in an expansive, and adventurous direction. With four songs that total 61 minutes, the album features the band's longest, most detail-oriented compositions to date -- the collective result of two years of collaborative writing. Musically, Diaspora features familiar elements of black, death, prog, and folk metal, but pronounced psychedelic and funeral doom influences can be heard throughout as well, particularly on the twenty-six-minute closing epic, "Migration."
 
Diaspora also features dynamic performances from renowned cellist Jackie Perez Gratz (Grayceon, Giant Squid, ex-Amber Asylum) while Utah-based visionary artist Jeff Christensen created the album's vivid, four-panel artwork. Mastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, YOB, Gatecreeper) at Audiosiege, the album is a crushing statement from one of the Bay Area's most consistent extreme metal bands.
 
Diaspora will be available on 2LP, CD, and digital formats on August 11th with US and European distribution through War Crime Recordings.
 
Artwork and preorder details will be unveiled in the coming weeks. In the meantime, check out the album trailer below.

Tracklisting:

“Preserved In Ash”
“Sentinel”
“The Devourer”
“Migration”

Album trailer:

Bakersfield, CA-based rockers, Adema, have announced that the band’s original lineup of Kris Kohls (drums), Mike Ransom (guitar), Dave DeRoo (bass), Tim Fluckey (vocals, guitar), and Mark Chavez (vocals) have reunited.

Says the band: “You can catch us live at the world famous Whiskey A Go Go (West Hollywood, California) on Wednesday, May 24th! Writing and recording a new record soon! The magic is back!”

Also on the bill for the Whiskey A Go Go show are LA Story, Desire The Fire, Blakk Mantra and Ampage. An event page can be found at this location.

(Photo - Adema Facebook)