The creativity and productivity of German heavy metal trio Rage seems to have no limits. Only 14 months after the successful The Devil Strikes Again neckbreaker, Rage deliver their new, 23rd studio album, entitled Seasons Of The Black, out  on July 28th via Nuclear Blast. An second official studio trailer can be found below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Studio trailer #1:

Studio trailer #2:

Rage live dates:

May
12 - Borgo Priolo (Pavia), Italy - Rockland Festival

June
3 - Eichstätt, Germany - Open Air am Berg
10 - Starnberg, Germany - Food Rock Festival, Schlossberghalle
17 - Duisburg, Germany - Rage Against Racism (RAGE meets REFUGE)
29 - Gardelegen, Germany - Metal Frenzy

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

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

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

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

Rage lineup:

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

Long-running Swedish death metal giants, Paganizer, will release their 10th full-length album, Land Of Weeping Souls, on August 5th via Transcending Obscurity Records. The album track “Dehumanized” is available for streaming below.

Having been around for nearly two decades, Paganizer’s music has only gotten faster and heavier. Land Of Weeping Souls is undeniably their fiercest and tightest yet. Fresh from the success of their recent EP on the same Indian label, this new album is a huge leap ahead. Each of the songs retain the classic Swedish riffing appeal and is enhanced by accelerated drumming, heaving hooks and even a rabid thrash metal influence.

In the words of Rogga Johansson himself, “The new album is the best Paganizer album, death fucking metal the way it is supposed to be done.”

The album artwork was created by Daniel "Devilish" Johnsson (Just Before Dawn, Entrails, Sorcery, etc.).

Tracklisting:

“Your Suffering Will Be Legendary”
“Dehumanized”
“Forlorn Dreams”
“Land of Weeping Souls”
“The Insanity Never Stops”
“Selfdestructor”
“Death Addicts Posthumous”
“The Buried Undead”
“Soulless Feeding Machine”
“Prey To Death”

“Dehumanized”:

Land of Weeping Souls (Death Metal) by Paganizer (Sweden)

It has been determined by multiple doctors that Yoshiki of X Japan will undergo an emergency cervical artificial disc replacement surgery on Tuesday, May 16th in Los Angeles.

As a result of Yoshiki's intense drumming style and the impact it has had on his physical health, he was diagnosed with cervical foraminal stenosis in July 2009, and then underwent a cervical laminectomy and a cervical foraminotomy.

After suffering from a herniated disc that has worsened over the past six months, Yoshiki has experienced symptoms including numbness and severe paralysis of the left hand and arm, which have since been affecting his musical performances. Upon receiving a complete examination by his doctors in both Japan and the U.S., Yoshiki was diagnosed with cervical foraminal stenosis (radiculopathy of the left arm and herniation of intervertebral disc C5-C6). After thorough consultation, Yoshiki has no choice but to undergo surgery at this time.

Yoshiki has been informed by a neurosurgeon in Japan that his neck has experienced severe damage that would force a professional rugby player to retire. It has been medically determined that he is approaching his limit, both physically and mentally. The intensive schedule has taken its toll on his already damaged nervous system. With performances at Visual Japan Summit Festival, Yoshiki Classical Special in Japan, Hong Kong, Carnegie Hall in New York and Wembley Arena in London, he has continued to play around the world with X Japan and solo. In addition to adopting an intensive travel schedule to over 20 film festivals globally to promote the documentary We Are X, contributed to his health condition. 

"I had the pleasure of seeing Yoshiki, who has a C5-6 disc herniation with left arm radiculopathy. He has been recommended to have a cervical artificial disc replacement," explains Neel Anand, M.D., Yoshiki's Orthopedic Spine surgeon in the US.

Dr. Tommy Tomizawa, M.D., adds "It was decided upon consultation that he will undergo emergency surgery as the condition of his neck at present will interfere not only with his career as an artist, but also with everyday life. From viewing the results of the MRI and CT scans, the damage is so severe that it is apparent that he has experienced considerable pain while performing. As this would be his second such procedure, we eliminated the option of a cervical foraminotomy, an operation in which a portion of bone is removed. Yoshiki's symptoms reappeared at the Visual Japan Summit festival, which was held last October in Japan. By the time he performed in January of this year at New York's Carnegie Hall, he had already lost the sensation in his left hand. The symptoms worsened this March following the U.K. Wembley performance, but he continued recording. Even in his condition at that state, Yoshiki stated that he wanted to see things through to the end. However, due to the worsening of his symptoms, doctors, determined that if the situation continued he would have gone beyond the point of surgery and recovery."

The operation is to be performed on May 16th at a Los Angeles hospital. Unfortunately, the cancellation of all scheduled activity in May could not be avoided. X Japan's World Tour of Japan We Are X 2017 dates in July, the Yoshiki Premium Dinner Show dates in August and September, as well as yet-to-be-announced dates for the summer world tour that was to start in Los Angeles, are now undergoing rescheduling with his US agency William Morris Endeavor.

Following Yoshiki's operation, a discussion whether to cancel, postpone or move forward as scheduled will be held amongst the agent, promoter and management.

“We deeply apologize for the inconvenience this will cause to fans and everyone involved.” - Management

New York death metal pioneers Suffocation will release their new album, ...Of The Dark Light, on June 9th via Nuclear Blast Records. In the first video trailer, Suffocation discuss the addition of Charlie Errigo (guitars) and Eric Morotti (drums). Watch below:

...Of The Dark Light was produced by Suffocation and tracked at Full Force Studios with longtime engineer Joe Cincotta (Obituary). Mixing and mastering was handled by world renowned producer/engineer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Arsis, Suicide Silence). Cover artwork was created by Colin Marks (Origin, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Kataklysm).

Comments founding guitarist Terrance Hobbs: "The moment we have been waiting for is here, our new album ...Of The Dark Light will finally be released through Nuclear Blast on June 9th, 2017! Over the last 4 year period Suffocation has taken its time to write this record and we couldn't be prouder. It is our most brutal record yet!

"Suffocation worked through the end of 2016 to hash out and lay down the tracks at Full Force Studios with Joe Cincotta and once again enlisted Zeuss to bring this creation to life! Myself, Frank Mullen, Charles Errigo, Eric Morotti and Derek Boyer have all pushed the limit of what Suffocation is and we hope you enjoy it!

"We also had the honor of having Colin Marks handling our artwork which is a new frontier for us and a different avenue and style to the traditional Suffocation records. We also included some backup vocals from Kevin Muller (The Merciless Concept) which for us makes this album very unique!  This will be our 10th studio release and we really hope you like ...Of The Dark Light! Keep the grind alive and hope to see you on the road!"

Pre-order ...Of The Dark Light in various bundles and formats, here. Receive the song "Your Last Breaths" instantly, when you pre-order the album digitally through iTunes or Amazon..

Tracklisting:

“Clarity Through Deprivation”
“The Warmth Within The Dark”
“Your Last Breaths”
“Return To The Abyss”
“The Violation”
“Of The Dark Light”
“Some Things Should Be Left Alone”
“Caught Between Two Worlds”
“Epitaph Of The Credulous”

“Your Last Breaths”:

Suffocation will be on tour with Morbid Angel and Revocation, beginning this month. Find the band’s live itinerary here.

IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris spoke to Planet Rock's Paul Anthony this past Thursday night (May 4) about the 2017 leg of the band's "The Book Of Souls" European tour, which kicked off on April 22 at Sportpalais in Antwerp, Belgium. He said (see video below): "When we ask [MAIDEN manager] Rod [Smallwood] for a warm-up gig, he gives us a gig in Antwerp with, like, 12,000 people, or whatever it was, so it's not really a warm-up gig, is it? So you've still got that pressure there, but I think we work well under pressure anyway."

He continued: "It doesn't really matter where we do a gig, any first gig is gonna be a little tentative perhaps, but because we did the last tour, most of the songs [in the setlist have stayed the same] — there's only two different songs, so we [spent] a lot less time [rehearsing] this time, and, obviously, we're more comfortable with the songs, the new stuff, because we've played it before. So it wasn't really a warm-up — it was just getting the rust off a little bit."

Explaining why MAIDEN added "Wrathchild" and "The Great Unknown" to the 15-song setlist in place of "Tears Of A Clown" and "Hallowed Be Thy Name", Steve said: "We just wanted to mix it up a little bit, [throw] a couple of fresh things in there, move it around a little just to shake things up a bit… It's just nice to do a few different things."

Harris went on to say that IRON MAIDEN refuses to rest on its laurels, even when it comes to performing songs that they have played thousands of times before. "We still rehearse," he explained. "We don't take anything for granted. We're not complacent at all. We're professional and make sure everything is comfortable for ourselves and we're confident when we go out there. The last thing you wanna do is go on a tour and not be confident. It's a bit like football where they use the match-fit thing. It's the same sort of thing — you can prepare, you can go running, you can do whatever, you can rehearse and everything else, but you've still gotta get out there and actually physically do the business, and to do that, you have to get out and do it with a crowd. So we could rehearse until the cows come home, but it's not the same as playing in front of an audience."

Harris also once again reiterated his stance that IRON MAIDEN has absolutely no plans of retiring. "I think we're all in pretty good shape, so we'll do it as long as we can, really," he said. "He [points at security guard nearby] is looking at me over there, 'cause he wants a job for the next few years as well. So… don't we all?!"

"The Book Of Souls" is MAIDEN's first ever double studio album and their most successful chart-wise to date, debuting at the No. 1 spot in over 40 countries around the world and No. 4 in the U.S.A.

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.

THE PRETTY RECKLESS frontwoman Taylor Momsen has admitted that she "thought about auditioning" for the vacant singer slot in STONE TEMPLE PILOTS.

STP began a search for a new vocalist following the 2015 departure of Chester Bennington, who joined the band in early 2013 following Scott Weiland's exit.

Asked by Alternative Nation in a new interview if she would ever consider singing for STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, Taylor laughed and said: "I thought about auditioning for that!" She added: "Honestly, I freaked out the rest of [THE PRETTY RECKLESS]. I called Mark [Damon, bassist] and Jamie [Perkins, drummer] and was like, 'Yeah, so I'm gonna go sing for STONE TEMPLE PILOTS now. And, yeah, so we're not touring anymore. Sorry, guys. This is it, my new gig.' And they bought it for a while. We fuck with each other all the time, but I actually had them for a minute."

Momsen went on to say that she would "think about" throwing her hat in the ring as a candidate for the STP singer position. "But I like writing and playing my own songs," she said. "I love STONE TEMPLE PILOTS. I think they're fantastic… Maybe one show I would sing their songs."

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS last year completed their online open audition submissions for a new singer. Many of the musicians who posted audition tapes also paid tribute to Weiland, who was dismissed in 2013 and who died on his tour bus in December 2015 while on a solo tour. The surviving bandmembers posted on the official STP web site that they had been listening to "thousands" of submissions.

Bennington ended his time with STP in order to concentrate on his main act, LINKIN PARK, as well as spend more time with his family.

Bennington recorded one EP with the band, "High Rise", and did a handful of tours during his tenure.

In announcing the auditions, the members of STP wrote, "No one will ever 'replace' Scott; that was never the intent. The intent is for STONE TEMPLE PILOTS to continue on, to evolve, and to do what we do… make music!"

Bret Michaels has once again said that he is open to recording music with POISON. Speaking to Billboard, he stated about the possibility of returning to the studio with his longtime bandmates: "I will never say never. I'd love to do it. Whether or not we will do it is yet to be seen. But I'd love to say yes. To come out with an updated, new 'Nothin' But a Good Time', 'Talk Dirty To Me' or 'Every Rose Has Its Thorn', I would love that. It's no one's fault it hasn't happened. And if it does happen, that would be great."

POISON's last album of new material was 2002's "Hollyweird". Back in 2007, they released "Poison'd", an album of covers.

POISON drummer Rikki Rockett recently said that there has been "talk" about the band writing and recording "at least one" new song. He told the "Trunk Nation" show: "We find ourselves in a position right now where we're in a singles market. It's like back to the '50s again, and that's not where we came from. I mean, we had a lot of singles and we had Top 10 hits and we had MTV video hits, so you could say that we came in that way, but it was our relentless touring and the fact that we did do cohesive records that really created our fanbase, I think, in the long run. I think those singles is what put us in the spotlight to be able to capture that audience."

Rockett went on to express his uncertainty over how a POISON standalone single would fare in today's market, explaining that "we've always walked in and done a whole record." But, he added, "maybe we [could] do three songs.

"I would like to do a whole record," he continued. "I'm a studio rat; I love being in the studio. I love playing live, but I love being in the studio too. I think it's great. I love that creative process."

Michaels, Rockett, guitarist C.C. DeVille and bassist Bobby Dall recently kicked off POISON's first U.S. road trip since 2012. The singer's focus on his solo career had made it look doubtful that the original quartet would ever tour together again, and it's not presently clear if POISON will return to hibernation once the DEF LEPPARD trek ends on June 25 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

POISON and DEF LEPPARD first hit the road together back in 2009, and then again three years later.

WARRANT singer Robert Mason says that the band never considered changing its name after the final split with its frontman and main songwriter Jani Lane.

Lane recorded several albums with WARRANT in late 1980s and early 1990s but left the group several times. The band's seventh studio LP, "Born Again", was released in 2006 and featured Jaime St. James as the lead singer. In 2008, Lane returned to WARRANT temporarily and toured with the group. In September that year, WARRANT announced that Jani had left again. The band replaced him with Mason and released its eighth studio album, "Rockaholic", in 2011.

Lane died in August 2011 at age 47. Paramedics found his body in a Comfort Inn motel room in Woodland Hills, California, which is near Los Angeles. Lane had battled alcohol abuse for years.

Asked by Rock N Roll Experience at this past weekend's M3 Rock Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland if the members of WARRANT ever thought about calling the band something else after Lane's exit almost a decade ago, Mason said (see video below): "There's a legacy of songs that we still play, and people remember it that way. I don't know why I would ever wanna change the name of the band."

After Rock N Roll Experience told Mason that fans of 1980s hard rock bands like WARRANT don't seem to be interested in hearing new music from those artists, the singer said: "I have to absolutely diametrically oppose and differ with your opinion. We were in Portland, Maine last night, the place that was just opening. [It was] us and DOKKEN [on the bill], and we played a song called 'Louder Harder Faster'; it's the title track of our new record. I told the audience about it, I told them they needed to scream the chorus, I gave them an example, they did it back twice. During the song, they sang their asses off, and they screamed like bloody murder when we were done. A brand new song they've never heard before. Who says you can't teach people to embrace new music? Not me. I'm thankful for it."

Asked if he ever feels "the spirit of Jani Lane" out there when he is singing Jani's songs, Robert said: "He and I were friends. Of course, there's a legacy of songs that I do my absolutely damndest to faithfully pay tribute to my friend and what fans remember. That's why the name of the band ain't gonna change, playing those songs ain't gonna change. I embrace the fact, and I was a fan first anyway, and a friend. So the fact that I get to do this — coolest job in the world for me."

When pressed about whether he thinks Jani would have given him his blessing to take over as the singer of WARRANT after Lane's final departure from the band, Mason said: "He did. I was in the band for three and a half years before he passed. Like I said, he and I were friends. He was probably not as comfortable with it because of his own personal reasons, but the guy couldn't keep himself heathy, and nobody in the band wanted to have him die on the road. It was five cylinders and only four cylinders working. That's the God's honest truth, and, believe me, it pains me to say so. Because when they got together in 2007 with all original guys, I sent Lane texts and left him messages and all that, wishing him well, and knew that he was still in and out of rehab. I never heard back from him. And our paths crossed a few times. He made his peace with it."

Mason added: "[Jani was] a great songwriter, a great frontman. We were really good friends. Our friendship was the reason why LYNCH MOB supported WARRANT in arenas back then."

WARRANT's new studio album, "Louder Harder Faster", will be released on May 12 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc was recorded with producer Jeff Pilson, a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others, and was mixed by Pat Regan except for the song "I Think I'll Just Stay Here And Drink", which was mixed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, PRONG, LAST IN LINE).

Polish extreme metallers BEHEMOTH have around a dozen rough song ideas for the band's next album. Guitarist/vocalist Adam "Nergal" Darski told the Rockhok online music channel about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to 2014's "The Satanist": "We're taking it easy — it's not tense whatsoever. But we have ten or thirteen, already, sketches of new songs."

Estimating that the next BEHEMOTH album will arrive in the fall of 2018, Nergal said: "I know it's [a long] time [from now], but time's flying and we're super stoked about this new stuff. I like the approach with BEHEMOTH too, because when I went from [doing the ME AND THAT MAN folk project] to do BEHEMOTH songs, I was super hungry — I was hungry for doing radical sounds. And I really hope that it sounds different again, that it's refreshing and it's something redefining and rejuvenating in what we do with BEHEMOTH — again. But let's see, because maybe it's too early to talk about it."

ME AND THAT MAN, which pairs Nergal with British/Polish rock musician John Porter, released its debut album, "Songs Of Love And Death", on March 24 through Cooking Vinyl. The project draws heavily on blues, country and folk to make music as dark as if it was being screamed over shredding guitars.

Nergal recently revealed that BEHEMOTH is mixing a new album focusing on the touring cycle behind the band's 2014 album "The Satanist". It is not presently clear when the effort will be made available.

BEHEMOTH last year completed a North American tour where the band played "The Satanist" in its entirety. In addition to the concert, fans also had the chance to view "The Congregation" exhibition at each venue. Dubbed "a symbiosis of BEHEMOTH and Toxic Vision," the display showcased the collaboration between the two parties.

"The Satanist" sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 34 on The Billboard 200 chart.

German progressive power metal pioneers 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.

BLIND GUARDIAN vocalist Hansi Kürsch speaks about the difficulties to create such an ambitious album: "In general, I would say that we've had a really good run on this tour and that nearly every show was perfect. But at the end of the day, after every bandmember has checked each and every song and concert of those 30 shows again and again. There were only like two or three versions of each song being suitable to be used for an album. We then had to decide between those last remaining versions, which would have been the most impressive one. This was a nearly endless task!"

He continues: "The songs finally chosen reveal such an energy that poissible smaller mistakes appeared to be totally unimportant for the evaluation. As soon as you have listened to the songs, you will know what I mean. They feel alive."

But the end result is well worth the effort. Hansi sums it up: "There is always something happening at each show, let's call it 'magic,' that is giving us all creeps. We are really satisfied when the people sing with us, have a good time and go back home happy."

"Live Beyond The Spheres" track listing:

CD1

01. The Ninth Wave02. Banish From Sanctuary03. Nightfall04. Prophecies05. Tanelorn06. The Last Candle07. And Then There Was Silence CD2

01. The Lord Of The Rings02. Fly03. Bright Eyes04. Lost In The Twilight Hall05. Imaginations From The Other Side06. Into The Storm07. Twilight Of The Gods08. A Past And Future Secret09. And The Story Ends CD3

01. Sacred Worlds02. The Bard's Song (In The Forest)03. Valhalla04. Wheel Of Time05. Majesty06. Mirror Mirror

Jason Rullo, drummer for the progressive metal band SYMPHONY X, has put together a new project that will showcase some other aspects of his drumming. The trio's debut release will be an instrumental fusion CD, with elements of rock, jazz, Latin and even some metal. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched, with all funds set to be used for the actual recording and marketing of the music. The plan was for the three-piece — which also includes Ron Sanborn on guitar and Artha Meadors on bass — to start tracking the music in late April, with gigs to follow. The band will also film a "making-of" video, featuring rehearsal footage and behind-the-scenes "stuff."

Rullo and his bandmates write on their GoFundMe page: "Getting this support from you would mean a lot to us as so many people think music just happens for free these days. We have dedicated our lives to music and have so much to share, but we need your help to make this happen on the level it deserves. Everyone involved will be able to submit a name for the band and will be thanked on the liner notes as we are forever grateful for your support!"

SYMPHONY X singer Russell Allen recently said that there were "no future plans" for the band to work on a new album or tour, explaining that he was "a hundred percent committed" to his other group ADRENALINE MOB.

SYMPHONY X released its latest album, "Underworld", in 2015 and completed an extensive tour behind the effort, including a U.S. run of shows with OVERKILL and a pair of headlining performances in Australia last October.

WE START WARS, the new all-female group led by Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, will make its live debut on May 25 at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California.

The band's lineup is as follows:

Nita Strauss (ALICE COOPER) - GuitarAlicia Vigil (VIGIL OF WAR) - BassSeana (a.k.a. Shauna Lisse) - VocalsNicole Papastavrou - GuitarKatt Scarlett (FEMME FATALE) - KeyboardsLindsay Martin - Drums

Asked how WE START WARS came together, Strauss told Guitar World: "I've been trying to put this band together since I started playing guitar. I've always felt that female musicians were under-represented in the music scene. It's not that they weren't out there, it's just that there wasn't a lot of all-female bands getting notoriety, especially ones with good technique and musicianship. I started out looking for great musicians and great performers that cold elevate the status of the female musician. I met Nicole at a NAMM show a few years ago and after we started talking we realized we had very similar views. It was an instant connection and it's cool that we've finally gotten a chance to work together."

Regarding the band's sound, Papastavrou said: "I'd say it's super-melodic metal but also has a little bit of something for everyone. We wanted to broaden our audience — not do anything too aggressive, but there's still a little bit of heaviness in there." Strauss concurred, adding: "There's a lot of crossover appeal. Nicole and I probably have the heaviest influences in the band, but when it comes down to it, we make music a lot of people can enjoy."

WE START WARS' first single, "The Animal Inside", can be streamed below.

Strauss said of the band's name: "A phrase I heard years ago has always stuck with me: 'Some of the greatest wars in history were fought over a beautiful woman.'

"I've always been fascinated by the idea of the female warrior, someone who fights her own battles and doesn't take shit from anyone, and equally fascinated with the concept that a woman's love or defending her honor would be worth so much that people would actually put their own lives and the lives of others at risk over it. The most famous story everyone thinks of first is, of course, 'The face that launched a thousand ships,' Helen of Troy. But there was also Cleopatra and Marc Antony, Attila the Hun's invasion of Rome, Richard the Lionheart rescuing his sister Joan of England during the crusades, General Wu Sangui's betrayal, which led to the downfall of the Ming Dynasty in the 1600s, and the Celts uprising against the Roman Empire in AD 60. The list goes on and on.

"So that's the story behind the name — WE START WARS represents not only the battles that women face in daily life, but also the battles that have followed them throughout history.”

Strauss recently released a brand new solo single titled "Pandemonium". Written, recorded and produced by Nita, the song features the axewoman on all guitar and bass, alongside her boyfriend and manager Josh Villalta on drums and Katt Scarlett on keyboards.

Strauss is a longtime Ibanez signature series endorsee who made her name with THE IRON MAIDENS, FEMME FATALE and LA Kiss.

AntiHero Magazine conducted an interview with guitarist Björn Gelotte of Swedish metallers IN FLAMES at this past weekend's Carolina Rebellion festival at Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked how much longer he thinks IN FLAMES can continue touring and making albums, Gelotte said: "If we have as [much] fun as we have right now, I don't see an end to this at all. I mean, we're healthy — [laughs] sort of — and we love what we do. We had some lineup changes, but we found some really good people that are bringing a lot of new energy into the band. 'Cause it is a sad thing when people leave a band; you've been together for twenty years or whatever, or eighteen or fifteen years, and there's always something gonna be missing. But we've been very, very lucky in finding the new guys that we have in the band, and they bring a lot of positive stuff to the table. And that keeps us going on. And loving what we do."

IN FLAMES has recruited Bryce Paul — a member of the Southern California pop-rock outfit IVES — to play bass for the band on their current U.S. tour, which includes a number of headlining shows and festival appearances.

Longtime IN FLAMES bassist Peter Iwers quit the band in November saying that he was leaving IN FLAMES "to pursue other endeavors." His replacement for some of the recent European shows was Håkan Skoger, who had previously played with PASSENGER and GARDENIAN.

Asked by Metal Express Radio why Iwers chose to depart IN FLAMES after almost twenty years with the band, Gelotte said: "He's always been a very busy man, and I think he was just done with this life. He's still writing music, playing music with friends in different constellations. [Peter and I] have [a] bar together [in Gothenburg, Sweden], 2112, so he's busy doing that. He has a brewery together with the old drummer from IN FLAMES, Daniel [Svensson], so he's a very busy man."

According to Gelotte, Iwers first brought up the subject of leaving IN FLAMES before the band's fall 2016 tour with HELLYEAH. "We talked a little bit before the last U.S. run now, and that was, like, November 'till December some time," the guitarist recalled. "We talked a little bit beforehand, and I think he just made the decision early on on that tour.

"We're not 18 anymore," he added. "There's different priorities for different people, and it's just how it works. It's super sad — it's our brother — but then again, we have so much together that we do that I will talk and meet him all the time anyway."

"Battles", IN FLAMES' twelfth studio album, was released on November 11 via Nuclear Blast in all territories excluding North America and Scandinavia and Eleven Seven Music Group in the U.S.

Vocalist Amanda Somerville (Trillium, Avantasia) has checked in with the following update: 

"The last time I’d written to you, I had thought that the new project I’m involved in would be released around now and I could therefore tell you all about it. Ah, but the music industry is ever an elusive beast! Sooooo… the release has been pushed back to the first of August. Thus, it’ll be a while before I can go public with the news, but hopefully not too long! Next week, I have several video shootings, a photo shoot and all kinds of crazy stuff going on for said project. It’s exhilarating and a tiny bit overwhelming how things keep going with this. Like I said, though I’ve been in the biz for a long time, this is all pretty new to me, so it’s very exciting. Even if nothing really takes off, I’m absolutely grateful to be a part of something like this.

And in the meantime, I’ve been writing and recording up a storm for the new Trillium album! This one’s definitely got a life of its own; no Alloy knock-off in any way, which may intrigue some of you and may scare some – haha! But I am really happy with how things are going. We’ve got a very new lineup for this album than we had for Alloy, which helps contribute to that, but Sander (Gommans / HDK) and I are running the show :-) Yves Huts, formerly from Epica, is contributing a song co-write as is a good friend of mine from my hometown, the talented Ashley Peacock."

Somerville released the debut Trillium album, Alloy, in November 2011.

METALLICA has released a performance video for the song "Hardwired", filmed between September 2016 and February 2017 during the kick-off of the band's "WorldWired" tour. Check it out below.

"Hardwired" is the opening track on METALLICA's latest album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which was certified platinum on April 12 by the RIAA (Recording Association Of America). The platinum certification reflects a million equivalent album units, which blends traditional album sales, tracks sold from an album and on-demand audio and video streams.

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield told Guitar World: "'Hardwired' is the first song on the album, but it was actually the last song we wrote. In my mind, it's more of a summary of the whole album than an opening statement. Lyrically, I wanted it to be really simple, fast, quick and punk rock. The idea is to make it communal. You know, we're fucked. All of us. But we're blessed as well, because we're all in this together."

The recent gain in "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" sales is owed mostly to a concert ticket/album bundle sale redemption promotion with the band's stadium tour that went on sale on February 17. Redemptions of albums included with the purchase of a concert ticket register as a sale in the week the customer redeems/receives the album.

"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" debuted as expected at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart last November, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release. Both of the band's previous outings, 2008's "Death Magnetic" and 2003's "St. Anger", sold more copies in shortened sales weeks. "Death Magnetic" moved 490,000 copies in a three-day window, while "St. Anger" shifted 418,000 copies in a similar frame.

"Hardwired... To Self-Destruct" consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

The North American leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" 2017 tour kicks off on May 10 in Baltimore, Maryland and will hit stadiums in 25 cities before winding down in mid-August. Support on the quartet's first North American trek since 2009 will come mainly from AVENGED SEVENFOLD and VOLBEAT, with GOJIRA taking over for the latter group for the last six shows.

SECRET SPHERE's song "Faith" can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's ninth studio album, "The Nature Of Time", which will be released on June 2 via Frontiers Music Srl. The new recording celebrates 20 years of hard work that started back in 1997 with the release of the band's widely praised debut album, "Mistress Of The Shadowlight". Since then, SECRET SPHERE has evolved and developed its unique style into what has become a trademark sound, making it one of an elite group of bands putting the Italian metal scene on the global map. The addition of extraordinary singer Michele Luppi (also currently serving as keyboardist and background vocalist for the legendary hard rock act WHITESNAKE) in 2012 brought the band to the next level. This was evidenced by his first release with the band, "Portrait Of A Dying Heart", receiving wide fan and critical acclaim and landing on many metal journalists best releases of 2012 lists. "The Nature Of Time" proves to be the ultimate showcase of the band's skill in composing highly orchestrated songs and introducing their foray into a new age of heavy rock and metal music. High-class songs with amazing choruses, big vocals, majestic orchestral arrangements, and amazing, mind-blowing, guitar heroics are the order of the day. "The Nature Of Time" explores the "back-to-life" concept, an inward looking search of the self that can positively impact everyone's everyday life. States guitarist Aldo Lonobile: "The long writing process of this album has been a constant 're-living' of memories and feelings that started with only instrumental pieces that were put together only in order to vent my then current state of mind: a way to express emotions purely, without any kind of 'holding back,' so to speak. I then talked to Michele and we decided these were the perfect basis for a new SECRET SPHERE record" Adds Luppi: "What can I say about this album? We spent a few months writing songs in a way that opened the doors to our new age of heavy rock... definitely a new beginning for each member of the band, a new approach that got inspired by the concept of the album itself.

"It's not easy to open and talk about love and kindness. We chose the most direct way, no masks, only passion, energy and light guided each note leaving any kind of fear behind. Eventually, with time, we became US, not individuals... THIS IS US. Some of these songs earned a very special place in my heart." "The Nature Of Time" track listing:

The Nature Of Time Chapter I - Genesis

- Intermission- The Calling Chapter II - The Seven Virtues

- Love- Courage- Kindness- Honesty- Faith- Reliance- Commitment Chapter III - The New Dawn

- The Awakening Chapter IV - The Way

- The New Beginning

SECRET SPHERE is:

Michele Luppi - VocalsAldo Lonobile - GuitarsAndrea Buratto - BassGabriele Ciaccia - KeyboardsMarco Lazzarini - Drums

The 2017 reissue of one of death metal’s most important albums, None So Vile by Cryptopsy, is available now - not remastered - in regular CD jewel case at this location, and limited edition digipak (only 100 available) by clicking here.

Tracklisting:

"Crown Of Horns"
"Slit Your Guts"
"Graves Of The Fathers"
"Dead And Dripping"
"Benedictine Convulsions"
"Phobophile"
"Lichmistress"
"Orgiastic Disembowelment"

In celebration of the twentieth anniversary of this venerable album, Cryptopsy will be bringing the entirety of None So Vile to the masses as part of the third annual Devastation On The Nation tour, which kicks off later this month. From the terrifying roar of opener "Crown Of Horns", to the Army Of Darkness-procured sound clip of closer "Orgiastic Disembowelment", audiences will be pummelled into submission with all 32 minutes of this Northern Hyperblasting slab of extremity.

Joining Cryptopsy is a who's who of brute-tech force, which includes tech-death legends Decrepit Birth, 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

(Photo - Eric Sanchez)

Arizona death metal unit Gatecreeper has released a live tape, entitled Unleashed In The Middle East, from their recent tour with Nails and labelmates Toxic Holocaust. Recorded live at The Middle East in Cambridge, MA on March 23rd, 2017 by Robert Cheeseman at GodCity Studio and mixed by Ryan Bram at Homewrecker Studios. The full set is available now via Bandcamp at this location.

Watch the full concert, filmed by Maximum Volume Silence, below.

Vocalist Chase Mason commented: "We recorded this set at a sold out show in Cambridge, MA while on tour with Nails and Toxic Holocaust. It's a perfect snapshot of our band at a time when we are running on all cylinders and at the top of our game."

Unleashed in the Middle East is also available now on Spotify here and Apple Music here.

Additionally, Gatecreeper begin their early summer tour with Pallbearer this week. Select dates include labelmates Pinkish Black and Inter Arma. The band will also perform with Young And In The Way from June 9th - 13th and at Psycho Las Vegas (August 18th - 20th). Full tour schedule below.

Tour dates:

May (with Pallbearer)
11 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live ^
12 - Dallas, TX - Curtain Club ^
13 - Austin, TX - Barracuda ^
15 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
16 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
18 - Los Angeles, CA - Echoplex
19 - Oakland, CA - New Parish
20 - Reno, NV - Jub Jub’s
22 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
23 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
24 - Omaha, NE - Milk Run *
25 - Kansas City, MO - The Riot Room +
26 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St. Entry +
27 - Des Moines, IA - VaudevilleMews +
28 - Madison, WI - High Noon Saloon +
30 - Columbus, OH - Ace of Cups +
31 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater +

June (with Pallbearer)
1 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel +
2 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie *
3 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus Bar (Matinee) *
3 - West Babylon, NY - Sinclairs Pub *
5 - Harrisonburg, VA - The Golden Pony +
6 - Louisville, KY - Zanzabar +
7 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar +

* Gatecreeper only
^ with Pinkish Black
+ with Inter Arma

June (with Young And In The Way)
9 - Phoenix, AZ - Pub Rock
10 - Los Angeles, CA - Sound and Fury Fest
11 - Fresno, CA - The Mark Out
13 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick

August
18-20 - Las Vegas, NV - Psycho Las Vegas

Czech Republic-based metallers, Sebastien, performed at Germany’s Wacken Open Air festival in the summer of 2016. Video footage of the band’s full performance can be seen below.

Sebastien’s setlist:

“Frozen Nightingales”
“Crucifiction Of The Heart”
“Highland Romance”
“Stranger At The Door”
“Tears Of White Roses”
“Phoenix Rising”
“Dorian”

Queen continue to release new lyric videos for their classic songs, this time for “Somebody To Love”, featured on the band’s 1976 album, A Day At The Races. Watch the new clip below:

Queen previously released official karaoke style lyric videos for their songs “Bohemian Rhapsody”, “Radio Ga Ga”, “The Show Must Go On”, “I Want It All”, “Don’t Stop Me Now”, “Another One Bites The Dust”, and “We Will Rock You”, all available for streaming below:

Queen + Adam Lambert will return to Europe later this year for a series of 24 dates including 12 arena concerts in the UK and Ireland. The tour will showcase a spectacular new stage production and a set list that the band hints will provide some surprises. Watch a UK tour TV ad below:

Queen + Adam Lambert’s 11-city UK and Ireland tour will kick off in Dublin on November 25th. They perform in Belfast in Northern Ireland the following day, then reach mainland Britain on November 28th to play Liverpool’s Echo Arena. More dates follow in Birmingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Nottingham, Leeds, Sheffield and Manchester, climaxing with two huge London shows at the O2 Arena on December 12th and The SSE Arena, Wembley, on December 15th. Tickets are on sale now. The tour is presented by Phil McIntyre Entertainments.

These shows will mark the band’s first full British tour in almost three years, having last performed across the UK in January 2015 when they played 10 sold out shows. Their only UK appearance in 2016 was a one-off headlining set at the closing night of the Isle of Wight Festival on Sunday, June 12th, part of a 15-date European summer festival tour. Isle of Wight festival organizer John Giddings credited the band with “the greatest show we have ever had”.

For their 2017 tour, the band will unveil a brand new show including a specially designed state-of-the-art production. The choice of performance material will no doubt acknowledge this year’s 40th anniversary of Queen’s biggest-selling studio album to date, News Of The World from 1977, which yielded the immortal anthems “We Will Rock You” and “We Are the Champions”.

Queen drummer and co-founder Roger Taylor insists the 2017 tour “will look entirely different to the show we took around before. Production has really changed a lot, the things you can do now, you have a much broader palette, the technology has really come along. But we don’t use it all. We don’t play to click track. It’s 100% live. We're planning on doing stuff we either haven't done before or haven't done for a long time. We started as an albums band, that's what we were. The fact that we had hits was just a byproduct.”

Guitarist Brian May confirms Queen’s 2017 shows will have a more ambitious musical agenda. “The general public knows the hits, so you've got to cater for that,” he says, “but we can chuck in a few things that people really don't expect. We’ll do quite a bit more of that this time around. There are so many dimensions to Adam, which of course fits with our music. He can get down and do the rock stuff really dirty, and you have all those dimensions, and we can explore that even more.”

Adam Lambert welcomes the challenge of digging deeper into the band’s canon of classics. “What people should know if they came to the shows a couple of years back, is obviously we will still be playing the big hit songs you know and love from Queen, but we thought it would be good to challenge ourselves a bit,” he explains. “Change it up a little bit, change the visuals, change all the technology, change the set list to some degree. We will probably be pulling some other songs out of the Queen catalogue which we haven’t done before, which I am very excited about.”

Tickets are on sale now.

Queen + Adam Lambert Tour Dates 2017:

June
23 - Phoenix, AZ - Gila River Arena
24 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
26 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl
29 - San Jose, CA - SAP Center

July
1 - Seattle, WA - Key Arena
2 - Vancouver, BC - Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
4 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
6 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center Arena
8 - Omaha, NE - CenturyLink Arena
9 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
13 - Chicago, IL - United Center
14 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
17 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
18 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
20 - Detroit, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills
21 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
23 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
25 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
26 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
28 - New York, NY - Barclays Center
30 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
31 - Washington D.C. - Verizon Center

August
2 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
4 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
5 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center

November
1 - Prague, Czech Republic - O2 Arena
2 - Munich, Germany - Olympiahalle
4 - Budapest, Hungary - Sportarena
6 - Lodz, Poland - Atlas Arena
8 - Vienna, Austria - Stadhalle
10 - Bologna, Italy - Unipol Arena
12 - Luxembourg, Amneville - Galaxie
13 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Ziggo Dome
17 - Kaunas, Lithuania - Zalgiris Arena
25 - Dublin, Ireland - 3 Arena
26 - Belfast, Ireland - SSE Arena
28 - Liverpool, England - Echo Arena
30 - Birmingham, England - Barclaycard Arena

December
1 - Newcastle, England - Metro Radio Arena
3 - Glasgow, Scotland - The SSE Hydro
5 - Nottingham, England - Motorpoint Arena
6 - Leeds, England - First Direct Arena
8 - Sheffield, England - Motorpoint Arena
9 - Manchester, England - Arena
12 - London, England - 02 Arena
15 - London, England - The SSE Arena, Wembley

Up and coming melodic death metal act Oracles has premiered "Dawn Of The Sycophant", a stand-alone single. The song is streaming below, and is also available via Spotify and on all digital platforms.

The "Dawn Of The Sycophant" single follows Oracles' universally well received debut album Miserycorde, which was released late last year and received scores of extremely high ratings in press reviews; entering the lists of essential 2016 albums in the eyes of reviewers and fans alike.

"Dawn Of The Sycophant" was tracked between thee studios; Hearse Studio in Belgium, Double Impact Productions in Holland, and finally Kohlekeller Studio in Germany where vocals were tracked and the final product was mixed and mastered. The compelling artwork was created by Collin Marks of Rain Song Design and evokes a dystopian imagery reminiscent of Lord Of The Rings.

Founded in 2014, Oracles quickly became a fan favourite due to their unique combination of extreme aggression and tasteful yet melodic songwriting. The band - currently comprising lead singers Sven De Caluwe (Aborted) and Sanna Salou, guitarists Mendel bij de Leij (Aborted) and Steve Miller, bassist Andrei Aframov, and drummer Ken Bedene (Aborted) - showed themselves to be a unique creative force, with their challenging yet accessible music quickly converting fans of both metal and other genres alike.

Belgian trio Brutus have shared a new track from the forthcoming release of their debut album, Burst. Hear "Drive”, available for streaming below.

Sargent House recently signed Brutus to its label and management roster and will soon release the band's debut in North America and the rest of the world in partnership with Hassle Records, the band's European label.

"My reaction was immediate, the second I heard the first track I was hooked and knew I wanted to be part of this band's team," says Cathy Pellow, who also manages such artists as Chelsea Wolfe, Deafheaven, Russian Circles to name just a few.

Hailing from Leuven, Belgium, Brutus create a pummeling, meteor-shower of sound. Vocalist/drummer Stefanie Mannaerts mixes black metal blast beats with math-rock flourishes whilst belting out the most impassioned vocals that shift from deceptively melodic to outright larynx-punishing in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, guitarist Stijn Vanhoegaerden takes ethereal post-rock tones to hardcore punk levels of speed and energy alongside Peter Mulders' powerful sub-frequency shift. The three conspire to make a sound as monolithic and frantic as it is emotive.

"For this record, I had to dig deep into hidden and guarded emotions," Stefanie reveals. "It's not so easy to sing about myself, so I used the third person. And it's also not easy to drum a blast-beat over a melodic vocal to capture some exact feelings. 'All Along' is for a loved one, a band, the friends around me that are actually able to stand me."

Having gigged rigorously across Belgium, in April 2016 Brutus decamped to Vancouver, BC to record Burst. "We sent an email to Jesse Gander (Japandroids, White Lung), his reply with sushi emoji's was an instant ticket," Stefanie explains. "The time in Canada, living together and working in the studio was refreshing, inspiring, healing and confronting at the same time."

Burst is the perfect title for this debut album, then. "It's the perfect title for me," Stefanie adds. "It's a ball of emotions, ready to burst with frustration and anger. But also with tons of energy, love... everything at once." Trouble comes in threes... and so does Brutus.

Burst will be available digitally worldwide on May 12th and physically on June 30th via Sargent House. Pre-orders for LP/CD via HelloMerch and download via iTunes.

Burst tracklisting:

“March”
“All Along”
“Not Caring”
“Justice De Julia II”
“Drive”
“Bird”
“Crack / Waste”
“Looking For Love On Devils Mountain”
“Horde II”
“Baby Seal”
“Child”

“Drive”:

“All Along”:

Live dates:

May
19 - Middelkerke, Belgium - De Zwerver
26 - The Hague, Netherlands - Sniester Festival

June
10 - Retie, Belgium - Retie Rockt

July
7 - Gloucester, UK - 2000 Trees
14 - Herk-De-Stad, Belgium - Rock Herk
15 - Dour, Belgium - Dour Festival
29 - Michelau, Germany - Rock Im Wald

August
13 - Budapest, Hungary - Sziget Festival
19 - Bristol, UK = ArcTanGent Festival

September
2 - Heusden, Netherlands - Misty Fields

(Photo - Eva Vlonk)

The release date for Decibel Casualties, the new album from US titans Destructor, is set for June 9th via Pure Steel Records. The pre-order phase will start on May 26th.

Dave Overkill (vocals, guitar) and Matt Flammalbe (drums) from the Ohio-based band have returned with sharpened steel. After the 2016 release, Back In Bondage, now the brand new album is ready. High speed and energy like in their early 20s is the one and only basis for the guys. Nick Annihilator (guitar) and Tim Hammer (bass) joined the legends and you can be sure that Destructor sounds fresher than ever before.

Tracklisting:

“Restore Chaos”
“Keep The Faith”
“Metal Spike Deep”
“We Are Ready”
“The Last Days”
“Firey Winds”
“Metal Till Death”
“In Hell”

Lineup:

Dave Overkill – vocals, guitars
Tim Hammer – bass
Matt Flammable – drums
Nick Annihilator – guitars

The Metal Voice has released a special report on a three night Alcatrazz special engagement as part of The Graham Bonnet Band's 2017 The Book tour in Japan - Parole Denied In Japan Report.

Founding members Graham Bonnet (vocals), Jimmy Waldo (keyboards) and Gary Shea (bass) of the 80's supergroup Alcatrazz reunited in Japan after 33 years. The report includes in-depth interviews with the Graham Bonnet Band, and details on their travels, and tells the complete back story of the rise and fall and rise of the Alcatrazz band. Watch as both bands immerse themselves in the Japanese culture and are embraced by the Japanese people.

Alcatrazz was formed in 1983 by former Rainbow and Michael Schenker Group vocalist Graham Bonnet, along with Jimmy Waldo and Gary Shea, and made three albums in the 1980's.The band’s debut album included young Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen and their second album, guitar virtuoso Steve Vai.

The report was produced by Jimmy Kay and Giles Lavery for The Metal Voice, along with narration by Beth-Ami Heavenstone.

An all-star jam spearheaded by former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler took place Sunday (May 7) in Los Encinos Park in Encino, California at the conclusion of the third annual Ride For Ronnie motorcycle rally and concert, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund. Adler was joined by a number of notable musicians, including Jeff Pilson (bass; DOKKEN, FOREIGNER), Alex Grossi (QUIET RIOT), Robert Sarzo (HURRICANE) on guitar, Patrick Stone (vocals; BUDDERSIDE), Lita Ford (vocals) and Michael Devin (bass; WHITESNAKE) for performances of three GUNS N' ROSES classics: "Welcome To The Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Rocket Queen".

Video footage of the event can be seen below (courtesy of Ravinder Pilson).

Adler appeared with GUNS N' ROSES onstage last November in Buenos Aires, Argentina, as well as on three separate occasions during the U.S. leg of the "Not In This Lifetime" tour last summer.

This marked Adler's first appearance with GUNS N' ROSES since 1990, although he performed with members of the band at their 2012 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Speculation about Adler having some sort of involvement in the GUNS N' ROSES reunion has been rampant ever since the band made it official with a surprise April 1, 2016 show at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.

The regular GUNS N' ROSES drummer for several years has been Frank Ferrer, who is also part of the current lineup that boasts classic-GN'R members Axl Rose, Slash and McKagan.

Adler revealed in February that he was originally supposed to appear at more than just a handful of shows on the GUNS N' ROSES reunion trek. He told the "One On One With Mitch Lafon" podcast that he expected to sit behind the drum kit for all the "Appetite For Destruction" material during the entire tour, only to be told he was out after he hurt his back during rehearsals.

Adler was thrown out of GUNS N' ROSES in 1990 due to his heavy drug use, a problem he struggled with for years after his dismissal.

Snoop Dogg will join LINKIN PARK on their "One More Light" world tour as a special guest on six West Coast dates in October. The rap legend and rock outliers will share the stage for six consecutive shows beginning October 14 in Seattle and concluding October 22 at the historic Hollywood Bowl.

LINKIN PARK with special guest Snoop Dogg:

Oct. 14 - Seattle, WA @KeyArenaOct. 15 - Vancouver, BC @ Pepsi Live at Rogers ArenaOct. 17 - Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center at Fresno StateOct. 18 - San Jose, CA @ SAP Center at San JoseOct. 20 - San Diego, CA @ Mattress Firm AmphitheatreOct. 22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

Last week, LINKIN PARK announced a North American tour in support of the band's seventh album, "One More Light", with the trek kicking off on July 27 in Boston and extending into the fall, winding down on October 22 in Los Angeles. To combat scalpers, the band is offering fans first access to tickets through a unique new technology that will help weed out bots and ticket-buying software.

LINKIN PARK unveiled the details of the tour through lyric annotation platform Genius. Support will come from MACHINE GUN KELLY and, on selected dates, Japanese rock act ONE OK ROCK.

Every single full-priced ticket purchased for the tour includes a choice of a standard CD or standard digital copy of the new album.

"One More Light" arrives on May 19. LINKIN PARK has already been criticized for the album's major shift toward a pop sound on songs like "Heavy" and "Good Goodbye".

Singer Mike Shinoda spoke a while back about using technology to recreate the band's heavily produced studio sound in a live setting. "Although there is the technology in the setup of what we've got going on onstage — and I feel like it's very high-tech for a music set-up — we also feel like we have a great deal of responsibility to be a live band," he said. "So, you know, whereas we have the opportunity to put certain things in the computer or on a sampler and whatever, we're very careful about what we do put in the computer because we want to be playing everything, we want the crowd to see us performing the song."

Snoop Dogg's new album, "Neva Left", will be available on May 19.

Photo credit: James Minchin