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

Vocalist Elize Ryd of Swedish melodic metallers AMARANTHE recently spoke to Finland's Kaaos TV about her favorite artists, places to play, movies, AMARANTHE songs and singers. Check out the chat below.

AMARANTHE's latest album, "Maximalism", was released last October via Spinefarm Records. The disc was produced once again by Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT, EPICA, DELAIN) and mastered by Svante Forsback (RAMMSTEIN, APOCALYPTICA, DRAGONFORCE).

Ryd recently said that DYNAZTY's Nils Molin is "top of the list" of candidates to join AMARANTHE as the replacement for the recently departed singer Joacim "Jake E" Lundberg.

Having previously used Chris Adam Hedman Sörbye from the band SMASH INTO PIECES as a stand-in for Jake on some of the shows in 2016 and earlier this year, AMARANTHE recruited Molin for three Swedish concerts in March.

Fan-filmed video footage of VIXEN's April 29 performance at the M3 Rock Festival at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland can be seen below.

VIXEN recently parted ways with guitarist Gina Stile and replaced her with Britt Lightning. The band also welcomed a new keyboardist, Tyson Leslie.

Lightning and Leslie made their live debut with VIXEN on March 25 at the Rock The Arena II festival at Savage Arena in Toledo, Ohio.

Stile originally played with VIXEN in 1997-1998 and returned to the band in 2013 as the replacement for the group's deceased founding guitarist Jan Kuehnemund.

Lightning (a.k.a. Brittany Denaro) previously played guitar for LA BANDA DE ALEJANDRO SANZ, CHIX 6 – THE MUSICAL and Rachel Platten.

Drummer Roxy Petrucci, singer Janet Gardner and bassist Share Ross honored Kuehnemund by resurrecting VIXEN in 2013.

The band was committed to reunite in 2012 but Kuehnemund's cancer diagnosis caused what was thought of at the time as a delay. Sadly, however, after a fierce battle, Kuehnemund succumbed to her illness, thus the reunion was not meant to be.

After discussing the idea with friends and family as well as lead vocalist from VIXEN's previous lineup, Jenna Sanz-Agero, it was agreed that it was the right decision for the three surviving definitive members to carry on as VIXEN.

Kuehnemund was only 51 years old at the time of her death.

Petrucci recently told Totally Driven Radio that VIXEN has "a bunch of demos" recorded for a possible new studio album but that the band is not yet ready to begin work on a new disc in earnest. She explained: "It's a timing thing. We've just gotta take the time and start buckling down and doing it. It's just that everybody has lives going on too, so between playing live and then everybody going back to their homes, which is all over the place… We'll get there. We'll get there. We're having a lot of fun, and we love doing the live stuff right now."

On August 4, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release "I Love You All The Time - Live At The Olympia In Paris" by EAGLES OF DEATH METAL on DVD. Also available is a 2CD and digital video / audio version thru UMe. This emotionally charged concert performance includes the tracks "Complexity", "Don't Speak (I Came To Make A Bang)", "Cherry Cola", DURAN DURAN cover "Save A Prayer", "I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)" and many more.

During EAGLES OF DEATH METAL's November 13, 2015 concert at the Bataclan in Paris, gunmen entered the venue and opened fire on the crowd, leaving 89 dead. On February 16, 2016, the band returned to Paris to complete their show as part of the "Nos Amis" tour¸ performing at the Olympia hall. This release encapsulates the pure emotion and intensity of that extraordinary Olympia concert and is dedicated to all those who lost their lives at the Bataclan.

Before the show, EAGLES OF DEATH METAL co-founder and lead singer Jesse Hughes said: "The people of Paris have always been incredible to us, and our feeling of love towards this beautiful city and its people has been reinforced a million times over this past month. Hearing the stories of the survivors, the injured and those who have lost loved ones has been overwhelming. Not returning to finish our set was never an option."

The lineup for this historic show features Jesse Hughes (vocals, guitar); Joshua Homme (drums); Dave Catching (guitar); Matt McJunkins (bass); Julian Dorio (drums) Eden Galindo (guitar) and Tuesday Cross (keyboards). As well as the full Olympia concert, bonus material includes three live video tracks from the band's October 2015 performance at L.A.'s Teragram Ballroom: "Anything 'Cept The Truth", "Bad Dream Mama" and "Shasta Beast". (Note: Bonus tracks are not featured on the 2CD format.)

"I Love You All The Time - Live At The Olympia In Paris" track listing:

01. Intro: Il Est Cinq Heures, Paris S'Éveille02. I Only Want You03. Don't Speak (I Came To Make A Bang!)04. So Easy 05. Complexity 06. Whorehoppin' (Shit, Goddamn)07. I Love You All The Time 08. Cherry Cola 09. The Reverend 10. Got A Woman 11. I Got A Feelin' (Just Nineteen)12. Stuck In The Metal 13. Miss Alissa 14. I Like To Move In The Night 15. Secret Plans 16. Wannabe In L.A. 17. Bag O' Miracles 18. Save A Prayer 19. I Want You So Hard (Boy's Bad News)20. Speaking In Tongues

"Eternally Yours", the new video from MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, can be seen below. The track, which features a guest appearance by KORN frontman Jonathan Davis, is taken from MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's new album, "Graveyard Shift", which was released on May 5 via Roadrunner.

MOTIONLESS IN WHITE has been announced as lead support on the second leg of IN THIS MOMENT's "Half God Half Devil Tour". The second leg of the summer trek is set to begin June 28 at St. Louis, Missouri's The Pageant and continue through early August. As if that were not enough, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE is also set to light up an array of festivals around the world, including Somerset, Wisconsin's Northern Invasion (Sunday, May 14), and Columbus, Ohio's Rock On The Range (Friday, May 19). From there, the band will cross the Atlantic for a European tour highlighted by headline dates and festival performances. "Graveyard Shift"'s striking artwork was selected from over 2000 contest entries from fans and designers in partnership with Creative Allies. The contest's winner, Crystal Johnson, created the album's cover as well as other elements in the album package. Founded in 2005, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE has won over audiences worldwide with its aggressive music and arresting imagery. The band — currently comprising lead singer Chris Motionless, guitarists Ryan Sitkowski and Ricky Horror, bassist Devin "Ghost" Sola and drummer Vinny Mauro — have proven a ferocious and inventive live act, earning an increasingly fervent fan following via countless headline shows, festival sets, and tours alongside such iconic acts as SLIPKNOT, KORN and BREAKING BENJAMIN. "Graveyard Shift" track listing: 01. Rats02. Queen For Queen03. Necessary Evil (feat. Jonathan Davis)04. Soft05. Untouchable06. Not My Type: Dead As F*ck 207. The Ladder08. Voices09. Loud (F*ck It)10. 57011. Hourglass12. Eternally Yours

MR. BIG will release its ninth studio album, "Defying Gravity", on July 7 via Frontiers Music Srl. The effort will be available at traditional retail and all digital service providers, as will a deluxe edition version with CD and bonus DVD that features music videos and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new album. The album will also be made available on vinyl in the coming months.

An official trailer for "Defying Gravity" can be seen below. "Defying Gravity" deftly showcases that patented MR. BIG blend of crunch and melody, from the freight-train ride of opening cut "Open Your Eyes" to the harmony-laden wonderment of "Damn I'm in Love Again" to the grateful/wistful nostalgia of "1992" (recalling the days when the band was flying high atop the singles charts with their international No. 1 smash "To Be With You") to the barnburning slide-blues closer, "Be Kind". Overall, "Defying Gravity" is prime evidence that the only thing MR. BIG remains tethered to is their ongoing pursuit of achieving creative excellence. Original members Eric Martin (lead vocals), Paul Gilbert (guitars), Billy Sheehan (bass) and Pat Torpey (drums) reunited with producer Kevin Elson (who was behind the boards for the band's 1989 self-titled debut, 1991's "Lean Into It" and 1993's "Bump Ahead") for an intensive six-day recording session in Los Angeles. While Torpey was unable to perform some of the songs on "Defying Gravity" due to a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, Matt Starr has been filling in for him on a majority of the album. Starr also been touring with the band for the past couple of years, with Torpey able to play a couple of songs at each stop. "It was great to get back in the studio with our original producer, Kevin Elson," says Gilbert. "Kevin recorded all of our original classic albums from the '80s and '90s, and we immediately felt that magic chemistry with him on 'Defying Gravity'. We basically played live in the studio.

"Over the years, we've all had a chance to experiment with every recording technique possible, but it's still always the best just to play together as a band. Most of my guitar solos were tracked live with the band. I've worked hard on my improvisation in the last few years, and it really paid off on this record… both melodically and on the face-melting stuff." MR. BIG is gearing up for the launch its latest worldwide tour, which starts May 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Potowatami Casino. "2017 is filling up quickly with tour dates all around the world," proclaims Gilbert. "I can't wait to play the new songs, and, of course, our favorites from the old days, like 'Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy', 'Just Take My Heart', 'Green Tinted Sixties Mind', 'Wild World' and 'To Be With You'." "Defying Gravity" track listing: 01. Open Your Eyes02. Defying Gravity03. Everybody Needs a Little Trouble04. Damn I'm In Love Again05. Mean To Me06. Nothing Bad (About Feeling Good)07. Forever And Back08. She's All Coming Back To Me Now09. 199210. Nothing At All11. Be Kind

Photo credit: William Hames

San Francisco Bay Area metallers VICIOUS RUMORS have welcomed back lead singer Brian Allen. Brian sang on the VICIOUS RUMORS albums "Razorback Killers" (2011), "Live You To Death" (2012) and "Electric Punishment" (2013) before leaving the band for family reasons.

VICIOUS RUMORS guitarist Geoff Thorpe says: "We're so excited to have Brian back! Life really does have a funny way of coming full circle."

Singer Nick Holleman, who sang on VICIOUS RUMORS' twelfth studio album, 2016's "Concussion Protocol", left the band to pursue other projects. Thorpe says: "With no bad feelings at all, we wish Nick all the best and thank him for four great years of recording and touring."

VICIOUS RUMORS has also introduced a new lead guitarist — Gunnar DüGrey from Portland, Oregon. Only 18 years old, Gunnar is a world-class guitar player along the lines of virtuosos like Jeff Loomis, Vinnie Moore, Mark McGee etc. Thorpe comments: "His style, feel and general playing ability is out of this world."

In the summer of 2017, VICIOUS RUMORS will perform an exclusive German open-air concert at the prestigious Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen as well as club shows. VICIOUS RUMORS returns to the legendary Dynamo Club in Eindhoven (The Netherlands), Zoom Nightclub inFrankfurt (Germany) with fellow bay area legends DEATH ANGEL. The band will also perform German headline shows in Munich at the Backstage and in Marburg. The only North American appearance is scheduled at Bossanova Ballroom in Portland on June 24. A full European headline tour is being booked by the EAM booking agency for November (exact dates and support bands will be announced in July), with much more to be announced soon.

VICIOUS RUMORS 2017 lineup:

Brian Allen - VocalsGeoff Thorpe - GuitarGunnar Dügrey - GuitarTilen Hudrap - BassLarry Howe - Drums

Checkout the coverart for the upcoming Masterplan release. "PumpKings" will be out on June 30th via AFM Records.

Tracklisting:
1. The Chance
2. Someone's Crying
3. Mankind
4. Step Out Of Hell
5. Mr. Ego
6. Still We Go
7. Escalation 666
8. The Time Of The Oath
9. Music
10. The Dark Ride

KORN played a special surprise acoustic set Saturday (May 6) as part of the the "Zippo Sessions" at this weekend's Carolina Rebellion festival at Rock City Campgrounds at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

The two-song performance — consisting of "Alone" and "Clown" — was witnessed by roughly fifty fans who stopped by the Zippo Encore tent and were given a special guess pass to check out an acoustic set by a band that was to be announced later.

Video footage of KORN's acoustic gig can be seen below. Photos are available at SideStageMagazine.com.

KORN recently postponed more than half a dozen headlining tour dates that the band was set to play this month due to what the band called in a statement "unforeseen circumstances." Two festival shows — not including Carolina Rebellion — remain on the May schedule.

The band just returned from a short run of shows in South America on which METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo's 12-year-old son Tye played bass. Tye was filling in for KORN's regular bassist, Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu, who was unable to make the tour due to what the group also called "unforeseen circumstances."

It is not clear at this point if the newly postponed dates are also connected to why Arvizu missed the South American tour.

KORN's summer trek with STONE SOUR is set to get underway on June 16 in Salt Lake City.

Never before @Korn CLOWN acoustic @ZippoEncore jam session today @cRebellion @Zippo @JC_SHAFFER @brianheadwelch @RayLuzier1 @fieldyofficial pic.twitter.com/HNjzXevha2

— Jose Mangin (@josemangin) May 7, 2017



Korn put on a very intimate acoustic performance moments ago as part of the #ZippoSessions with Zippo Encore & Metal...

Posted by Carolina Rebellion on Saturday, May 6, 2017

Seattle-based progressive metallers QUEENSRŸCHE are hoping to entering the studio in September to record their new album for an early 2018 release via Century Media. The band's third full-length effort with Todd La Torre on lead vocals will once again be produced by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who has previously worked with ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, SOULFLY and SHADOWS FALL, among others.

Speaking to Canada's The Metal Voice, La Torre stated about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to 2015's "Condition Hüman" (see video below): "Right now, [we have] around fifteen songs. Not all of them are completed. There are many that are. There are many that have all the [arrangements].

"I went to Seattle and stayed there for a week to ten days, and we just worked on arrangements. Like, 'Okay, here's a good intro, here's a verse, here's a bridge, here's a chorus…' 'Cause once you have that established, there's pretty much your song… So right now the tentative recording timeline is to get into the studio September. It was supposed to be March. But we did a hundred shows last year, and when you only have four days off at home, you're not locking yourself in your studio to work. And you can't force creativity — good stuff."

Regarding the musical direction of the new QUEENSRŸCHE material, La Torre said: "It's still premature to answer that. We have a song that Eddie [Jackson, bass] wrote. When he was here, we wrote all the orchestrations for it, and it's kind of BEATLES-ish. It's a really cool song — it's not a heavy song.

"I would say that the stuff so far, I think, has more upbeat, driving, faster-tempo songs," he continued. "I think 'Condition Hüman', in hindsight, probably lacks… it could have used a couple of more faster songs… Out of all of the ideas, there's stuff that's more… So far there seems to be more odd-time stuff, a little more progressive.

"In some aspects, there is definitely some reminiscent-of-'Rage For Order'-kind-of-era-sounding songs maybe. I don't know… It's kind of hard to just… I can't lump it in right now, because by the time Zeuss gets hold of it, it'll totally shift. So probably once we get into full pre-production with Chris Harris, then I'll have a better answer for you."

La Torre also talked about his plans to release his debut solo album in 2018 via Rat Pak Records. "I have a friend named Craig Blackwell, and he's a lifelong friend," he said. "We played in bands together our whole lives. That is more… I would say it's… musically, it is probably, like, FIGHT meets PANTERA meets BLACK LABEL [SOCIETY]. It's definitely got that kind of southern… You know, PANTERA had that certain power groove — not full-fledged [speed], but has thrash elements. And then vocally, I'm singing probably a lot more chest voice, and then I've got some brutal gutteral vocals on it… That'll be a lot more brutal and more thrash, but the vocals are definitely more a power-metal, operatic kind of a thing — very aggressive…"

According to La Torre, the original plan was for him to put out his solo debut this year. "But if I can get everything pretty much recorded by the end of the year and ready for the middle-of-next-year [release]… It'll be my first solo effort, so I really want it to be just right, and if it takes another six months, who cares?" he explained. The singer also wasn't sure if he would play any shows in support of the solo album. "It's really just an outlet for me to just get down these ideas that I've had in my head for a long time and new ones that come up, and stuff that I know that's not suitable for QUEENSRŸCHE, that it still allows me, as a musician, to record and just put it out there," he said.

KAMELOT's Casey Grillo made his live debut with with QUEENSRŸCHE on April 1 at Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, California. He is filling in for regular QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who is taking time off from the band's touring activities to spend time with his newborn son, appropriately named Rockson.

"Condition Hüman" debuted at No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 14,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

QUEENSRŸCHE last fall completed a month-long headlining tour of the United States. Support on the trek came from ARMORED SAINT and MIDNIGHT ETERNAL.

Japan's Alphoenix, featuring former MyProof members Thor (vocals) and Shimpei (guitars, vocals) released a new album, Final Crusades, on April 12th. It includes a guest appearance by Season Of Ghosts / ex-Blood Stain Child vocalist Sophia on the track "Last Ignition".

The tracklist is as follows:

"The Final Crusade"
"Give Me Fire"
"Foreshadow"
"Tragic Night Falls"
"Into the Ashes"
"Rise"
"City of Phoenix"
"Last Ignition"
"Cygnus"
"Noir Rain"
"Reincarnation"

Check out the official Alphoenix Facebook page here.

Five Finger Death Punch took the stage at Maximus Festival 2017 in Argentina this past weekend (May 6th) with vocalist Ivan Moody fronting the band.  It was his first performance with the band since last year. The band has been touring with Phil Labonte (All That Remains) and other vocalists filling in for Moody. Fan-filmed video of the show is available below.

The setlist was as follows:

"Lift Me Up"
"Never Enough"
"Wash It All Away"
"Got Your Six"
"Bad Company"
"Jekyll and Hyde"
"Burn MF"
"Remember Everything" (acoustic)
"Coming Down"
"Under and Over It"
"The Bleeding"

Rumors have been circulating recently that Moody was leaving Five Finger Death Punch. An official statement from Moody claims otherwise.

Moody released the following statement:

“It’s no secret that this has been a tough year for me and for my bandmates in Five Finger Death Punch. When you put everything you have into making music, both on and off the stage, it can be very frustrating when the music you work so hard to create is not allowed to see the light of day. I know we share this frustration with our fans too, who have come to expect new music from us – fans who mean everything to us. It is true that Five Finger Death Punch has come to a crossroads – and that crossroads is we’re all at a place where we will never again let someone or something hold us back from making music for our fans.

“The lawsuit by Prospect Park holding our new album hostage has taken a toll on me. I was in a rehabilitation facility when Prospect Park decided to sue the band last year, and that was very difficult for me to handle all at once.

“Yesterday I made a statement that was taken out of context by the media – a media always looking to create headlines that will make people click them. The truth is, I want to start a side-project like Corey Taylor has with Stone Sour or Maynard has with A Perfect Circle and I want to do it when Five Finger Death Punch’s deal with Prospect Park is over and we are out of this lawsuit.

“THIS DOES NOT MEAN I PLAN ON LEAVING FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH!

“The great thing about being a musician today is that you can explore your creativity in multiple ways without compromising your primary focus. I learned this watching people like Corey and Maynard and I think their fans are glad they’ve put more music out into the world. I hope my fans are, too.

“All that said, Five Finger Death Punch fans can expect our next album via Prospect Park and we are geared up to tour all throughout 2017. We are about to leave for South America and Europe and we have other dates TBD.

“All of us in the band have worked incredibly hard over the last 10 years to build this band and none of us are going to let that go just because our record company is trying to sabotage us. I am sorry if the media took my statement as a resignation, but I assure you it wasn’t.”

The second of three webisodes featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the making of "Paris", the new concert DVD and Blu-ray from German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN, can be seen below. Due on May 19, the set was recorded in March 2012 at the then-named Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy in Paris (now AccorHotels Arena) during RAMMSTEIN's "Made In Germany" tour, and was helmed by the band's longtime collaborator, Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund. Åkerlund has also worked with METALLICA, SATYRICON, MADONNA and THE PRODIGY, among others.

21 years down the line, with the original lineup, the six East Berliners stand at the very apex of the rock world, achieving album and DVD sales in the millions, headlining festivals and major venues around the world and selling out shows in record time (the band's bill-topping appearance at New York's Madison Square Garden saw the 20,000 seats snapped up in just 20 minutes!) Trafalgar Releasing had worldwide rights to "Paris" excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland (which were distributed by NFP). The top-performing territories for Trafalgar Releasing were Russia, Latin America and Poland, helping to achieve over $1 million for the outfit. NFP's territories saw a grossing of almost $1.2 million across two screening dates, coming in second on Germany's weekend box office. "Paris" has become one of Trafalgar Releasing's top music events following the worldwide screenings of "Roger Waters: The Wall" (which made almost $5 million at the global box office with top performing territories including Italy, Latin America, Czech Republic, France and Germany) and "One More Time With Feeling With Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds" (from acclaimed director Andrew Dominik, which achieved over $2.2 million). 2017 has also seen Trafalgar Releasing (in partnership with CinEvents) screen across the U.K. and selected European territories, a targeted release of "Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars" (alongside a new interview with the drummer from David Bowie's band produced by MOJO magazine), which made an impressive $240,000 from just 200 screens. Marc Allenby, CEO of Trafalgar Releasing, has said on the success: "It was great to work so closely with RAMMSTEIN's management team on the release of 'Paris' — they helped us talk directly to the passionate fan base of the band, who came out to celebrate this truly unique event. We look forward to working on similar kinds of projects in the future and bringing music events to the big screen around the world."

"Darkest Day", the brand new video from the Swedish progressive death pop band THE GREAT DISCORD, can be streamed below. The song is taken from the group's sophomore album, "The Rabbit Hole", which will be released on September 8 via The Sign Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Echoes" EP and "Duende" full-length was recorded at Pazuzu Recordings with drummer and founding member Aksel Holmgren behind the helm.

Says THE GREAT DISCORD: "We are very excited to give you the first single, titled 'Darkest Day', off our coming album, 'The Rabbit Hole'. As the titles reveal, this album is our take and our dark twist on a famous story by Lewis Carroll. Don't worry, the story will unfold further as we go along and more songs and stories will see the light of day. Or not, depending on how you look at it."

THE GREAT DISCORD just wrapped up four dates opening for GHOST and KVELERTAK on the "Popestar" tour, performing to packed rooms in Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. THE GREAT DISCORD vocalist Fia Kempe lent her pipes to her Swedish brethren in GHOST for the tracks "Missionary Man" and "Bible" on the "Popestar" EP (released last September) that recently won a Grammis award (Swedish Grammy equivalent).

THE GREAT DISCORD is preparing to embark on a tour of the U.K. and Ireland with KATATONIA and GHOST BATH.

THE GREAT DISCORD is:

Fia Kempe - Vocals, KeysAksel Holmgren - DrumsAndré Axell - GuitarGustav Almberg - GuitarRasmus Carlson - Bass

Three of the surviving former members of NOTHINGFACE — guitarist Tom Maxwell, bassist Bill Gaal and drummer Tommy Sickles — joined forces with DOG FASHION DISCO frontman Todd Smith last night (Friday, May 5) at Ottobar in Baltimore, Maryland to perform the NOTHINGFACE song "For All The Sin" as a tribute to late NOTHINGFACE singer Matt Holt, who passed away at home in Maryland on April 15. He had been battling a degenerative illness for several years. He is survived by his parents and his younger brother.

The "For All The Sin" performance took place during a concert by KNIVES OUT!, the long-running project which features Maxwell, Sickles and Smith alongside guitarist Jasan Stepp and bassist David Cullen.

While he had not been active musically in recent years, Holt, who toured the world several times over with his band in the early 2000s, is remembered as being an unparalleled talent and as one of most skilled vocalists of his generation, thanks to his incredibly impressive range, which shifted from terrifically brutal to beautifully melodic.

NOTHINGFACE released five studio albums, including 2000's "Violence" and 2003's "Skeletons", before splitting in 2004, citing musical differences, internal turmoil and label troubles. NOTHINGFACE reunited in 2005 and went through a couple of lineups before finally disbanding again in 2009.

Maxwell, who is now a member of HELLYEAH, told the "Talk Toomey" podcast last year that he had no interest in a NOTHINGFACE reunion, largely because of his nonexistent relationship with Holt.

"It was a good time, but, you know, people change and people are different — they're not the same people," he said. "Matt Holt, you know, is doing his thing and we don't get along, we don't talk, I don't want nothing to do with him or his life. It's not gonna happen man. I have dignity."

He added: "There's just nothing anymore. There's no communication, there's no desire. I don't need to do it, I don't have to do it. I'm happy where I'm at and I'm going to leave it right where it is. It's dead."

"Count Me Out", a brand new song from SEETHER, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's seventh full-length studio album, titled "Poison The Parish", which will be released on May 12. The first release via frontman Shaun Morgan's new label imprint Canine Riot Records, "Poison The Parish" is among the heaviest and emotionally pure efforts of the band's illustrious career. Recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, "Poison The Parish" marks the first album produced in its entirety by the band's lead singer and songwriter, Shaun Morgan. Playing with a newfound ferocity and purpose, the new material gelled quickly, providing Morgan's dense, melodic grooves and brooding subject matter a gritty luster and room to breathe. Fifteen years deep into an incredibly consistent and rewarding career, SEETHER continues to thrive, pushing its creative boundaries while remaining true to its fiercely loyal, worldwide fan base. "Poison The Parish" is SEETHER at its very best, a gripping and self-assured affirmation of a quintessential hard rock band in peak form.

"Poison The Parish" track listing: 01. Stoke The Fire02. Betray And Degrade03. Something Else04. I'll Survive05. Let You Down06. Against the Wall07. Let Me Heal08. Saviours09. Nothing Left10. Count Me Out11. Emotionless12. Sell My Soul

The album's epic lead single "Let You Down", premiered in February. The track's beautifully shot, horror-inspired video was unveiled via VEVO.

SEETHER's "Poison The Parish" world tour will include headline shows and major festival appearances throughout the spring and summer of 2017.

A portion of all tickets sold for the "Poison The Parish" world tour will benefit the Rise Above Fund, which is a subset of Suicide Awareness Voices Of Education, the largest suicide prevention organization in the country and the band's partner on the Rise Above Fest.

Now in its fifth year, Rise Above Fest has expanded to two days, Saturday, July 22 and Sunday, July 23 at Darling's Waterfront Park in Bangor, Maine. Performers include KORN, SHINEDOWN, STONE SOUR, SKILLET, HALESTORM, FALLING IN REVERSE and more.

Photo credit: Marina Chavez

Fan-filmed video footage of KISS's entire May 4 concert at Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Deuce02. Shout It Out Loud03. Lick It Up04. I Love It Loud05. Love Gun06. Firehouse07. Shock Me08. Guitar Solo (Tommy Thayer)09. Flaming Youth10. Bass Solo11. War Machine12. Crazy Crazy Nights13. Cold Gin14. Say Yeah15. Let Me Go, Rock 'N' Roll16. Psycho Circus17. Black Diamond18. Rock And Roll All Nite

Encore:

19. Detroit Rock City20. I Was Made For Lovin' You

KISS kicked off its month-long "KissWorld" tour on May 1 at the Olympijskiy Stadium in Moscow, Russia and has European dates scheduled through May 31 at London's O2 Arena.

KISS frontman Paul Stanley told The Morning Call about how the band goes about choosing its setlist: "The cream has always risen to the top, and the people expect certain songs and they'll get those, undoubtedly. And we'll try to mix in some lesser classics. But the idea of playing obscure songs is only appealing to a die-hard fan who knows our albums inside out. To go up on stage and play unknown sons for a handful of people as opposed to playing the songs that everybody wants to hear is really not in our best interests or the audiences."

He continued: "We want to do the best show and we want to blow away people who get to see us once every two years, five years, ten years. Those are the people who we put the show together for. If somebody come night after night or sees ten or fifteen shows on a tour, well, they may be asking why we don't change the show up much. But the fact is we don't change it up that much because once it's great, you don't mess with it. If you mess with it, you're doing it more for yourself than for the audience. We want to do the best show possible."

DOROTHY has released its newest single, "Down To The Bottom", a stomp-worthy, hard-rock anthem dripping with soul and attitude. Co-written by Dorothy Martin, Mark Jackson, Ian Scott and the legendary Linda Perry (Adele, Alicia Keys, Cristina Aguilera), the track's lyrics and production combined with front-woman Dorothy Martin's powerhouse vocals are nothing short of adrenaline-inducing. "Working with Linda Perry on 'Down To The Bottom' was an amazing experience because she pulls the truest songwriter out of each artist," Dorothy Martin says. "Plus she plays every instrument under the sun and is just a total badass!" "Down To The Bottom" is available now on all digital streaming platforms nationwide. DOROTHY is a high-energy rock and roll group comprised of frontwoman and vocalist Dorothy Martin, guitarist DJ Black, bassist Gregg Cash and drummer Dylan Howard. The powerful and soulful rock vibes that radiate from the band's performances make them a force to be reckoned with on the music scene. Their sound has been compared to that of Janis Joplin. DOROTHY's debut album, "Rockisdead", was released in summer 2016 and they have since toured with the likes of Miguel and HALESTORM. The group also recently completed its first national headlining tour. Fans can look forward to a new album this fall.

Iron Maiden are currently on the UK leg of their The Book Of Souls Tour 2017. Check out a brief video from the road showcasing the band's luxurious tour bus!

Check out the new tour intro and a selection of fan-filmed footage from the show below:

Iron Maiden’s The Book Of Souls Tour concludes onntheir home turf with two sold-out shows at London’s 02 arena on May 27th and 28th.

The band then flies to the US for an extensive series of arena and amphitheatre shows including dates in Canada, ending with two nights in Brooklyn, New York on July 21st and 22nd.

Most shows are already sold-out. Go to ironmaiden.com/tours for dates availability.

Dead Cross, the SoCal band featuring Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, Suicidal Tendencies, Misfits), Mike Patton (Faith No More, Tomahawk), Justin Pearson (The Locust, Retox) and Michael Crain (Retox, Festival Of Dead Deer) release their self-titled debut album on August 4th via Ipecac Recordings.

The track “Grave Slave” (streaming below) is available as an instant download with album pre-orders, available here.

“”Grave Slave” is S&M for your ears,” says Lombardo. “Patton’s vocal range and intensity are on full blast throughout this entire album. This song is a two-minute example of what it's like to travel through the depths of his brain while JP, Crain and myself commandeer the vehicle. It's jarring, aggressive and unsettling. We're coming at you hardcore, but leaving you with a kiss.”

“As the song states, we can blow out the candles on the urinal cake,” adds Pearson. “A track like this only makes complete sense in this climate... absurdity, pigs, neo-fascist authoritarianism... the American dream is alive and well. Well, when the suits and white hoods screw the planet, you get this slab.”

Dead Cross tracklisting:

“Seizure And Desist”
“Idiopathic”
“Obedience School”
“Shillelagh”
“Bela Lugosi’s Dead”
“Divine Filth”
“Grave Slave”
“The Future Has Been Cancelled”
“Gag Reflex”
“Church Of The Motherf*****s”

“Grave Slave”:

 

 

(Photo - SAWA)

With the release of the Ana Metal for Charity project by Anniken Rasmussen and Marius Danielsen, the project has released the video accompanying the first song on the album.
The full amount of raised money will be donated to Norwegian Cancer Research.

The album will hold another great all-star song (DIO’s “Holy Diver”) and seven more songs from bands who were happy to donate a song for this great cause. 

Artists and bands on the album:
Amanda Somerville (Avantasia, Kiske/Somerville)
Roland Grapow (ex-Helloween, Masterplan)
Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear)
Matt Barlow (ex-Iced Earth, Ashes of Ares)
Matias Kupiainen (Stratovarius)
Rafael Bittencourt (Angra)
Doogie White (ex-Rainbow, Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock)
Jake E (Amaranthe, Dreamland)
Rick Altzi (Masterplan)
Al Atkins (ex-Judas Priest)
Mark Sweeney (Wolfpakk, ex-Crystal Ball)
Ramy Ali (Freedom Call, Iron Mask)
David Readman (Pink Cream 69, Almanac)
Daniel Heiman (ex-Lost Horizon)
Tony Mills (ex-TNT, ex-Shy)
Mike LePond (Symphony X)
Thomas Winkler (Gloryhammer)
Frank Beck (Gamma Ray)
Christian Eriksson (Twilight Force)
Alessio Garavello (ex-Power Quest, A New Tomorrow)
PelleK (soloartist, ex-Damnation Angels)
Snowy Shaw (ex-King Diamond, ex-Therion)
Mats Levén (Candlemass)
Yama-B (ex-Galneryus, Gunbridge)
Bernt Fjellestad (Guardians of Time, Susperia)
Ida Haukland (Triosphere)
Martin Steene (Iron Fire)
Jo Amore (ex-Nightmare, Now or Never)
Patrik Johansson (Bloodbound, Shadowquest)
Carsten "Lizard" Schulz (ex-Domain, CLS Syndicate)
Sean Peck (Cage, Death Dealer)
John Jaycee Cuijpers (Praying Mantis)
Siegfried Samer (Dragony, Visions of Atlantis)
Magnus Winterwild (Axenstar)
Leo Figaro (Minstrelix)
David Åkesson (Qantice)
Henning Stranden (soloartist)
Tore André Helgemo (Stargazer)
William Ernstsen (Stargazer)
Anniken Rasmussen (Darkest Sins)
Marius Danielsen (Darkest Sins, Eunomia)
Peter Danielsen (Darkest Sins, Tindrum, Eunomia)

Holy Diver bonus track:
Rick Altzi (Masterplan)
Neil Turbin (ex-Anthrax, DeathRiders)
Marius Danielsen (Darkest Sins, The Legend of Valley Doom)
David Readman (Pink Cream 69, Almanac)
Urban Breed (Serious Black, ex-Tad Morose)
Elias Holmlid (Dragonland)
Jake E (Dreamland, Amaranthe)
Anniken Rasmussen (Darkest Sins)
Ramy Ali (Freedom Call, Iron Mask)
Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69)
Jo Amore (ex-Nightmare, Now or Never)
Jimmy Hedlund (Falconer)

Mixed by Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69)
Artwork by Stan W Decker.
Release and CD production: Into The LimeLight Records and Indieplant

Voivod are reissuing their albums Rrröööaaarrr, Killing Technology and Dimension Hatross, out today on CD, and available on vinyl for the first time in 30 years on May 19th.

Rrröööaaarrr - Rrröööaaarrr is the band’s 2nd studio album, released on Noise Records in 1986. This sophomore album features their unique blend of thrash, electronic and industrial soundscapes creating a primordial fusion of progressive metal. This definitive issue of Voivod’s second album is a must-have item for any fan of this unique and ground-breaking progressive metal band. The 2CD/DVD set vividly captures the period surrounding this album and details the band’s early development within their native Canada plus their first live ‘assaults’ across the border into the US.

Along with a previously unreleased complete show - the ‘Spectrum ’86 ’No Speed Limit Week-End’ concert from Montreal - the set also includes a complete demo of the Rrröööaaarrr album, band rehearsal tracks and a ‘never-before-heard’ sound-collage from the tapes of Piggy, Voivod’s late lamented guitarist. The set also contains tantalizing early video footage of several live concerts from the band both in Canada and the US, the grainy films providing a unique insight into this developmental world of ‘the’ Voivod. The album has been re-mastered from the original tapes, pressed on high quality heavy-weight vinyl and the artwork has replicated the original release.

Rrrroooaaarrr track listing:

CD1
“Korgull The Exterminator”
“Fuck Off And Die”
“Slaughter In A Grave”
“Ripping Headaches”
“Horror”
“Thrashing Rage”
“The Helldriver”
“Build Your Weapons”
“To The Death!”

CD2 - Spectrum '86 - No Speed Limit Weekend; Live at Montreal, October '86
“Korgüll The Exterminator”
“Ripping Headaches”
“Blower”
“Fuck Off And Die”
“Tornado”
“Iron Gang”
“War And Pain”
“Warriors Of Ice”
“Nuclear War”
“Overreaction”
“The Helldriver”
“Ravenous Medicine”
“Voivodv
“Thrashing Rage”

DVD

Audio:
* Rrröööaaarrr Rough Mix Demo 1985
* Anachronism Live 25.06.86 (first show)
* Early Rehearsals 1983-1984
* Piggy Sound Collage 1980

Video:
* Live, NYC, N.Y., USA - 05/05/86; First U.S. Show
* Live, Long Beach, C.A., USA - 06/13/86
* Live, Jonquiere High School, QC, Canada, 12/20/84; Morgoth Invasion
* Live, Jonquiere Cultural Center QC, Canada, 01/27/84; To the Death!
* Slideshows: Artwork (1983 - 1986) + Live & Studio Photos (1985 - 1986)

Killing Technology - The band’s third full album perfectly reinforces their image of a post-apocalyptic wasteland set against a thrashing-punk-speed-metal soundscape. It was released on Noise Records in 1987. This definitive issue of Voivod’s Killing Technology is a must-have item for any fan of this unique and ground-breaking progressive metal band. The 2CD/DVD set vividly captures the period surrounding this album and details the band’s development as they strove to perfect their sound and become a band of international acclaim.

Along with a previously unreleased complete show - the ’Spectrum ’87 concert recorded Live in Montreal - the set also includes concerts performed by the band in both the US and Switzerland. The album has been re-mastered from the original tapes, pressed on high quality heavy-weight vinyl and the artwork has replicated the original release.

Killing Technology tracklisting:

CD1
“Killing Technology”
“Overreaction”
“Tornado”
“Too Scared To Scream”
“Forgotten In Space”
“Ravenous Medicine”
“Order of The Blackguards”
“This Is Not An Exercise”
“Cockroaches”

CD2 - Spectrum '87 - Live In Montreal, September 1987
“Killing Technology”
“Overreaction”
“Ravenous Medicine”
“Tornado”
“Korgull The Exterminator”
“Ripping Headaches”
“Blower”
“Live For Violence”
“Tribal Convictions”
“Order of The Blackguards”
“Cockroaches”
“To The Death”
“Voivoid”
“Batman”

DVD

Audio:
* Live At Kriekelaarzaal, Brussels, Belgium: 28/11/87

Video:
* Live At The Token Lounge, Westland, MI, USA: 14/05/87
* Live At Rossli Azmoosm, Sargans, Switzerland: 06/11/87
* Live At Festhalle, Tuttlingen, Germany: 07/11/87
* Live At Rex Club, Paris, France: 01/12/87
* Live At Ildiko's, Toronto, ON, Canada: 19/09/87
* Slideshows: Artwork (1987) | Live & Studio Photos (1987)

Dimension Hatross - Highly influential Canadian prog metal quartet continue to hone their distinctive blend of experimental speed-infused sci-fi to great effect on album number four. This definitive issue of Voivod’s fourth album is a must-have item for any fan of this unique and ground-breaking progressive metal band. The 2CD/DVD set vividly captures the period surrounding this album, a work where the band’s sound and concept come together in perfect union, and where the transition from thrash metal into something altogether more unique, was finally made.

Along with a previously unreleased complete show - the ‘Spectrum ’88 concert - A Flawless Structure? (Recorded Live in Montreal, December 21st 1988) - the set also includes concerts performed by the band in the US. It was released on Noise Records in 1988. The album has been re-mastered from the original tapes, pressed on high quality heavy-weight vinyl and the artwork has replicated to the original release.

Dimension Hatross tracklisting:

CD1
“Experiment”
“Tribal Convictions”
“Chaosmongers”
“Technocratic Manipulators”
“Macrosolutions To Megaproblems”
“Brain Scan”
“Psychic Vacuum”
“Cosmic Drama”
“Batman”

CD2 - Spectrum '88 - 'A Flawless Structure?'; Live in Montreal, December 21st 1988:
“Overreaction”
“Experiment”
“Tribal Convictions”
“Chaosmongers”
“Ravenous Medicine”
“Korgull The Exterminator”
“Technocratic Manipulators”
“Macrosolutions To Megaproblems”
“War And Pain Medley”
“Brain Scan”
“Psychic Vacuum”
“Order to The Black Guards”
“Holiday In Cambodia”
“Batman”

DVD

Audio
* Dimension Hatröss Demo 1987

Videos
* Live At Blondies, Detroit, MI, USA: 18.11.88
* Live At The Axiom, Houston, Texas, USA: 10.12.88
* Live At Anthrax, Norwalk, CT, USA: 09.11.88
* Live At Fenders Ballroom, Long Beach, California, USA: 03.12.88
* Slideshows - Artwork + Live And Studio Photos (1988)

Get the albums via the following links:

- Rrrroooaaarrr
- Killing Technology
- Dimension Hatross

German power metal outfit Stormhammer's new album, Welcome To The End, is out now via Massacre Records. A full album stream can be found below.

Graced with artwork created by Jan Yrlund, mixed by Mario Lochert and mastered by Jan Vacik, Welcome To The End features the 14 tracks listed below.

"The Beginning Of The End"
"Northman"
"Welcome To The End"
"The Heritage"
"Secret"
"The Law"
"Watchmen"
"Road To Heaven"
"My Dark Side"
"Into The Night"
"Spirit Of The Night"
"Soul Temptation"
"The Awakening"
"Black Dragon"

Album stream:

"Northman" lyric video:

Visit the official Stormhammer Facebook page for further details.

I Am Morbid / former Morbid Angel frontman David Vincent has teamed up with Slim Jim Phantom (Stray Cats) and Danny B. Harvey (13 Cats, Lonesome Spurs) in Headcat, formerly known as The Head Cat. He replaces music icon and Motörhead legend Lemmy Kilmister, who passed away at the age of 70 in December 2015. An official statement is available below:

"After the success of the Headcat show last December in Berlin, the two surviving members of Headcat, Slim Jim Phantom and Danny B. Harvey, have decided to continue the band they started with Lemmy Kilmister over 17 years ago. They will be playing three shows next month in the USA and a handful of European shows in late summer that will be announced over the next few days. 

In the meantime, here's the answer to the question we're sure is on everyone's mind: the bass and most the vocal duties will be handled by former frontman and bassist from Morbid Angel, David Vincent. David's powerful baritone voice and thunderous bass playing is very complimentary to both Danny B.'s guitar style and Slim Jim's drumming. Different than Lemmy but true to Headcat's vision and direction.

Rockabilly and death metal? As Lemmy Kilmister, Danny B., Slim Jim and our fans have always tried to tell to you, 'It's All Rock'n'roll!' LONG LIVE ROCK 'N' ROLL"

Headcat has announced the first of several show, due to take place at Dante's in Portland on June 24th, 2017. Ticket information is available here.

Vincent and former Morbid Angel drummer Tim Yeung have joined forces with guitarists Bill Hudson (Circle II Circle, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) and Ira Black (Metal Church, Lizzy Borden) in I Am Morbid.

Their schedule is below. Watch the official I Am Morbid Facebook page here for venue confirmations.

May
23 - Krasnodar, Russia
24 - Samara, Russia
25 - Ekaterinburg, Russia
26 - Moscow, Russia
27 - St. Petersburg, Russia
29 - Bielsko-Biala, Poland
30 - Kosice, Slovakia
31 - Budapest, Hungary

June 
1 - Ljubljana, Slovenia
2 - Venice, Italy
3 - Lyss, Switzerland
6 - Munich, Germany
7 - Erfurt, Germany
8 - Flensburg, Germany
9 - Den Haag, Netherlands
10 - Tilburg, Netherlands
11 - Leipzig, Germany
12 - Oberhausen, Germany

Vincent recently spoke with Zero Tolerance Magazine about launching I Am Morbid. An excerpt is available below.

Vincent: “This is certainly something that has been on my mind for some time now and, truthfully, even prior to Trey and I parting ways again. When the news of our separation became public last year I was literally bombarded with all manner of requests from around the globe. This is the first instalment of a very busy new year. I Am Morbid is a much different vehicle. Apart from my personal provenance and legacy, this is a separate entity altogether.”