The current version of L.A. GUNS — which includes singer Phil Lewis and the band's co-founding guitarist Tracii Guns — will release its new album, "The Missing Peace", on October 6 via the Italian record label Frontiers Music Srl. The disc's cover artwork was created by the Las Vegas portrait painter Kahla and can be seen below.

The last time Lewis and Guns joined forces was back in 2000 with legendary producer Andy Johns for the making of what would become "Waking The Dead". Speaking with Express & Star, Tracii said: "With Phil and I in particular, we have a certain chemistry that's undeniable. And, you know, when you're at your loneliest, you wanna go home, right? So, we both felt like it was time to go home and be comfortable with that undeniable relationship that we have musically. I mean, right away, the first time we got back together and played, you know, it's so obvious, you can't deny it. At some point in your life, you can't deny what's real." Regarding the sound of the new L.A. GUNS material, Tracii said: "Phil's vocal style and his way of writing kind of offsets that balance of the heavy music, that's something that's possibly more mainstream or identifiable, so there's a lot of, you know, kind of typical sleazy L.A. GUNS, high-energy riff rock. There's a little bit of sloppy New Orleans, kind of sweaty, kind of bluesier stuff too. It's a big record." L.A. GUNS' present lineup is rounded out by Shane Fitzgibbon on drums and Johnny Martin on bass with Michael Grant on guitar as a touring member. On the topic of the decision to use the L.A. GUNS moniker for the new album, Guns told LA Weekly: "When you put Phil and I together, that's the sound of L.A. GUNS. There's no way around that. As much as I love certain other [former] members of the band, it's hard to say what their contribution to the overall sound of the band was — but Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns, the band's gotta be L.A. GUNS. It can't be anything else." Back in December, Phil announced that he was leaving the L.A. GUNS version that included drummer Steve Riley.

Video footage of L.A. GUNS performing a new song called "Speed" on April 8 at Yost Theater in Santa Ana, California can be seen below.

Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes is perhaps best known for the infamous scene in the 1988 movie "The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years" in which he was interviewed while floating in a swimming pool, fully clothed and visibly quite intoxicated while his mother sat poolside. The interview stood out in stark contrast to the more light-hearted and humorous interviews conducted by director Penelope Spheeris, which mostly portrayed rockers as good-natured, though often dimwitted or deluded, party animals. During the interview, Holmes smiled drunkenly at the camera, deeming himself "a full-blown alcoholic" and "a piece of crap" despite his band's success, and punctuated his remarks by guzzling from three bottles of vodka. At the end of the interview, Holmes upends a full bottle of Smirnoff over his head as he rolls out of his inflatable chair and into the water.

Fast forward to 2017 and Duke TV has posted brand new pool interview with Holmes — conducted by his wife Sarah — which starts out with the same exact questions Chris was asked in the "Decline Of Western Civilization" scene. Check it out below.

Asked if he drinks very much, Chris said: "You've gotta drink something to stay alive. I drink Diet Pepsi, Gatorade, Powerade. I hate the water out of the tap. But I like Sparkletts. If you're asking about alcohol, no, I don't drink alcohol anymore. [I stopped] a long time ago — February 6 of '96. Why do I not drink anymore? After six DUIs, they throw you in jail, and it's really hard to drink in jail. And they'll make you quit, the government, or they'll lock you up."

He continued: "I've learned when somebody's drunk that they don't do really too much that's really constructive. They have a fun time, but they're not that smart. Drinking turns you into an idiot. A lot of people like to be idiots. I used to be one — probably the biggest one there was. But as you get older, things change.

"When I stopped drinking, I'd see all my friends drinking and they'd just turn into idiots. I was the one leading the pack anyway, so I'm not one to talk about being an idiot and drinking."

Asked if he thinks the "rock and roll lifestyle" turned him into an alcoholic, Chris said: "Drinking alcohol gives you something to do when you're on the road. If you don't have alcohol and you do drugs or whatever, you need something to do, something to keep you preoccupied. Drinking's easy, 'cause you've always got alcohol and everybody drinks at shows."

"The Decline Of Western Civilization" received a deluxe box set release in June 2015 from Shout! Factory. The four-disc set was made available in both Blu-ray and DVD formats, and contains Penelope Spheeris's "The Decline Of Western Civilization" (1980), "The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years" (1988) and "The Decline Of Western Civilization Part III" (1998), a 40-page book containing an essay written by rock historian Domenic Priore ("Riot On Sunset Strip: Rock 'N' Roll's Last Stand In Hollywood"), rare stills, and bonus features, including extended interviews, a commentary recorded by Dave Grohl in February 2015, and more. This was the first-ever official Blu-ray or DVD release of the films.

"The Decline Of Western Civilization" box set features a new 2K high-definition scan of each film, supervised by director Penelope Spheeris. In keeping with the spirit of the rebellious times in which they were shot, the vintage aspects have been respected, and the films retain their original feel.

A couple of years ago, Spheeris spoke to Goldmine magazine about the Holmes scene in "The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years". She said: "When I shot Chris Holmes, you know, I thought we didn't get the interview. I remember saying, 'We're going to have to reshoot this.' Because we didn't get anything. The guy's just sitting there screwing off and we didn't get anything. And then I saw Jon and Val [Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris], who are the producers, and I told them, we're going to have to reshoot that interview with Chris Holmes. And they said, 'Well, too bad, because we don't have enough money to reshoot it.' So I tried to cut something together and include it. I would never have imagined it would be the most talked about and kind of most memorable moment of the movie."

Asked what happened in the five or ten minutes after she finished the interview with Chris Holmes, Spheeris said: "I think I was so stunned… You know how when you're in shock and you don't remember what happened? I don't remember! I don't remember him afterwards. Because I was just horrified that I didn't get an interview. I'm sure somebody must've given him a towel and… you know, most of that, [Penelope's daughter] Anna [Fox, who was instrumental in assembling the bevy of extras for the elegant box for the recently released 'The Decline Of Western Civilization' trilogy], when she put the DVD extras together, she pasted together all of the interviews from beginning to end. And so you can see in there the entire progression — or I should say digression — of his interview. And most of that clear liquid was pool water, by the way."

Spheeris offered more details about how the scene was shot during a separate interview with Rolling Stone. She said: "I don't remember if the pool was my idea or Chris's idea, but it was my idea to have his mom come down, 'cause I knew Sandy [Holmes]. She looks like she knows how far she can go with what she says to him. Like, she can't be too critical or he's just gonna go off on her.

"I didn't know he was going to be as drunk as he was. When we finished the interview, I took [cinematographer Jeff] Zimmerman behind a tree and said, 'I don't got this interview. We're gonna have to film him again.' But the great thing about doing documentaries is you just have to let them lead you. It turned out to be the most memorable thing.

"What I liked about the scene is you had all these younger kids talking about how they were gonna make it, but Chris was sort of an example of, 'Okay, I made it. Are you sure you want this?' That's why I liked it just from a filmmaker's standpoint. It counterbalanced all those crazy dreams that those kids had that were not gonna happen. It was a reality check.

"By the way, the first half of the bottle of vodka was real, and after that he was filling it up with pool water."

In a 2014 interview with Metallväktarna, Holmes stated about his appearance in "The Decline Of Western Civilization": "I get a lot [of questions] about that. [People wanna know], 'Was it alcohol? Were you drunk?' Or whatever. Yeah, I was drunk. I'm not known to be a liar. In fact, I was real drunk; I couldn't even talk. So a lot of people ask me, 'How do you feel about that being on TV?' or whatever. The only thing I don't like is where some kid will come up to me and go, 'Man, that's the coolest! I wanna live like that.' And, to me, personally, that's, like, me going down the tubes. And why would somebody wanna live like that?"

STEEL PANTHER singer Michael Starr told The Verge that the Holmes scene in "The Metal Years" "shaped my whole career, to be quite honest with you. At that point, heavy metal was at its peak. It was awesome to be drunk, floating in a pool. You knew you had a disease and you were going to kill yourself eventually, but that was cool back then. People just looked at that and said, ‘Wow, this guy knows how to party. Everybody knows how to party.'"

Holmes joined W.A.S.P. in 1982 and remained with the group until 1990. In 1996, Holmes rejoined W.A.S.P. and stayed with the band until 2001. Holmes has not played with W.A.S.P. since.

"Louder Harder Faster", the new video from WARRANT, can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's new studio album, which 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).

With a lineup featuring original members Erik Turner (guitar), Jerry Dixon (bass), Joey Allen (guitar) and Steven Sweet (drums) along with singer Robert Mason (LYNCH MOB, CRY OF LOVE), WARRANT is now stronger than ever. Mason's vocals remain a breath of fresh air and his swagger on the songs gives new life and a bright future to the band. "Louder Harder Faster", true to the band's roots, is full of rockers with some classic ballads thrown in and will surely send their faithful fans into a frenzy.

Turner says: "You can hear and feel the emotions of the last twenty-five-plus years of being in this band poured into 'Louder Harder Faster'. The fun and the frustrations, the pleasure and the pain... a whole lot of blood, sweat, tears and beers went into the making of this album. Love it or hate it, it's the real-fuckin'-deal, hundred-percent pure melodic hard rock handcrafted by five musicians who dedicated their lives to music when they were just little kids with big dreams."

Dixon adds: "'Louder Harder Faster' is truly one of our best records to date. It has all the classic WARRANT ingredients that people have come to know, plus a lot of extras that keep it in the modern realm of todays music. It's a perfect mix between balls and ballads.

"When we started this project over two years ago, we wanted to bring the listener back to the days of sitting in the living room and cranking up a record from start to finish.

"Making full records seems to be a lost art, [and] we hope in some small way that this album helps people find that art again."

Regarding how the "Louder Harder Faster" album title came about, Mason told "The Rock Brigade" podcast: "On stage, since probably '09, '10, '11… I don't remember when; maybe it was after our record [was released]. But as a thing to say between… It kind of just came out of my mouth one day — 'louder, harder, faster' — and I screamed it into the microphone and we started the next song. It was kind of one of those dumb things lead singers say to break up the dead air between songs in live shows. And it kind of stuck in my head and I started doing it. It was a thing I kind of started saying. And one day I had a riff in my hands and a guitar in my house, or in a hotel room, and then it turned into, 'Oh, guys, by the way, I wrote this song. It's called 'Louder, Harder, Faster'.' And I think I half-drunkenly said in a hotel bar one night, maybe three or four years ago, 'Oh, by the way, the record should be called 'Louder, Harder, Faster', 'cause I have this fucking song.' And, you know, that's what cocky lead singers say to their guitar players. And I think Joey Allen was, like, 'Yeah, yeah. Blah blah blah. I'll believe it when I hear it.' So there you go. When we came up with the songs for this record, it just kind of became obvious that that was the… If you're gonna name it after one of the songs, there you go."

"Louder Harder Faster" track listing:

01. Louder Harder Faster02. Devil Dancer03. Perfect04. Only Broken Heart05. U In My Life06. Music Man07. Faded08. New Rebellion09. Big Sandy10. Choose Your Fate11. Let It Go12. I Think I'll Just Stay Here and Drink (bonus track available on CD only)

"Grave Slave", a brand new song from DEAD CROSS, the Southern California outfit featuring drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MISFITS), and singer Mike Patton (FAITH NO MORE), can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track is taken from DEAD CROSS's debut album, which will be released on August 4 via Patton's Ipecac Recordings. The effort was helmed by producer Ross Robinson, who has previously worked with KORN, DEFTONES, SEPULTURA and LIMP BIZKIT, among others, and was mastered at Golden Mastering in Ventura, California.

Patton told Rolling Stone that he got involved with DEAD CROSS after reaching out to Lombardo to see if he could release the band's album on Ipecac. After getting a text from the drummer asking him to join the group, "my jaw dropped," the singer said. "I was like, 'Who, me? Hmm …' And I think it took like all of 30 seconds, but in a sarcastic way, I'm like, 'Yeah, of course. I can do this. Are you sure you want me?' So I kind of second-guessed him a little bit. And he said, 'Man, you'd be our dream vocalist.' And then it was just a matter of logistics. I decided to record it here in my basement, which is fitting. It shouldn't sound too polished."

Regarding DEAD CROSS's musical direction, Patton said: "To me, it is a traditional hardcore record. It is very pointed, direct and visceral. Like, I wasn't going to play keyboards, add samples or any kind of orchestration. It was like, 'Yo, just go for it.' In some ways, it reminded me of stuff that we had collectively all grown up with and loved when we were like teenagers — bands like the ACCÜSED, DEEP WOUND or SIEGE, stuff that was just brutal, uncompromising and right to the point. I was listening to all those bands again before this came to be, so it was already back infused in my blood. And now I got a chance to do a pencil-in-your-eye record."

Lombardo concurred, telling Rolling Stone: "The album is only 28 minutes long. And the funny thing is [SLAYER's] 'Reign In Blood' was 29 minutes. This album carries so much anger and frustration. You hear it in my drumming. It was the perfect birth of a hardcore album. It's one of the most brutal albums I've ever done."

DEAD CROSS, which is rounded out by Justin Pearson (THE LOCUST, RETOX, HEAD WOUND CITY) and Michael Crain (RETOX, FESTIVAL OF DEAD DEER), last year parted ways with singer Gabe Serbian.

DEAD CROSS has announced an appearance at Riot Fest in Chicago in September, and is planning two-week West Coast run in August and another one on the East Coast in September.

HALESTORM has unveiled a powerful new video for the song "Dear Daughter" from the band's latest full-length album, "Into The Wild Life". "I'm hoping that through this song, I can spread the inspiration and empowerment that has been instilled in me," said HALESTORM lead singer Lzzy Hale about the clip. "Carve your own path, ladies (and little gents too). I'm living proof that nothing in life is impossible." To celebrate the video launch, Lzzy will perform "Dear Daughter" for fans today via the band's Facebook page at noon Eastern. In honor of Mother's Day, HALESTORM is encouraging fans to post photos of their mothers and/or daughters with their own stories of encouragement and the hashtag #DearDaughter.

In an interview with RockSverige.se, Lzzy stated about "Dear Daughter": "This is a subject that… I mean, obviously, [HALESTORM drummer Arejay and I] grew up with a very supportive mother. We decided to start a rock band, and she actually said, 'Yes! Do that! Go for it!' So, for me, this was… We get to speak to a lot of young girls, and a lot of them do have those supportive parents, but a lot of them don't. So I think this was my way — lyrically, at least — just passing that on… As in, like, if I were… if and when I were to have a daughter, I would be passing these words on to her… I don't know… It's a strange song."

Added bassist Josh Smith: "It's a strange song, but [with] a great message. And although it says 'Dear Daughter', that's just great advice for anyone… be it a young kid, or anyone in a spot where they're, like, 'Man, I'm in just the pits right now. What the hell's my life gonna be like in ten years?' So it's just good sound advice for anyone kind of trying to find their way."

HALESTORM's third covers EP, "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP", was released on January 6 via Atlantic. The effort was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (FOO FIGHTERS, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN).

"ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP" follows HALESTORM's previous covers EPs, 2011's "ReAniMate" and 2013's "ReAniMate 2.0".

Lzzy told Swedish outlet RockSverige that HALESTORM is continuing to write material for its next album, tentatively due later this year.

The new record will follow up 2015's "Into The Wild Life", which was criticized by some fans for veering too far into pop music territory.

Legendary New Jersey thrashers OVERKILL have announced the addition of drummer Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM) to the group's ranks.

Even though Ron Lipnicki had been part of OVERKILL's lineup for more than a decade, the drummer was absent from the band's last few tours, with OVERKILL's longtime drum tech, Eddy Garcia, stepping in to take his place.

"OVERKILL would like to announce its newest member, behind the kit and steering the ship, Jason 'Sticks' Bittner," comments OVERKILL frontman Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth. "We wholeheartedly would like to thank Eddy 'The Mexicutioner' Garcia for holding down the ship and keeping the momentum up for the band over this past year plus. Eddy has, and always will be, part of the OVERKILL machine.

"Jason is a long time friend of the band and his abilities have always spoke for themselves. Let the touring continue... onward-upward!"

Bittner states, "When my phone rang about two months ago and Blitz said 'Hey, me and D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist] are wondering if you would be interested in joining?' It really didn't take much for me to write back a one-word answer.... ABSOLUTELY! I am extremely excited to be a part, once again, of thrash metal history, and I cannot wait to get out on the road and wreck stages across the world with the 'Mean Green Killing Machine!'"

In a recent interview with HardrockHaven.net, Ellsworth spoke about Garcia's involvement with OVERKILL. He said: "Eddy's been part of our team since Ron's been part of our team, since 2005. He came on very soon thereafter. He was our sound guy. He played for a band called PISSING RAZORS. We had an issue with Ron. He'd broken his wrist, I think it was back in '12. And we were scheduled to do 70000 Tons Of Metal, two shows. We really like Andy [Piller], who puts it together — he's a friend of ours — so we said, 'Hey, here's our situation. We're gonna slide Eddy in.' So Eddy has played with us in the past, filled in for Ron. So when Ron just didn't wanna tour anymore, or just couldn't tour anymore — it seems to be a personal issue that he has — Eddy just was the slide-in. Just, you know, move over… It's kind of cool that he's already part of the team and you know him personally… We know him personally and we know what to expect from what he brings to each day. So he's a good choice for us to have, and we're lucky to have him as part of this team."

OVERKILL's latest album, "The Grinding Wheel", was released on February 10 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was produced by OVERKILL and mixed by Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, EXODUS, ACCEPT). The artwork was created again by Travis Smith (NEVERMORE, OPETH, SOILWORK, DEATH).

"Eye On You", the new video from BIG KIZZ — the rock band featuring drummer Axel Sjöberg (ex-GRAVEYARD), guitarist John Hoyles (SPIDERS, ex-WITCHCRAFT) on bass and vocalist / guitarist Pontus Westerman from Swedish garage outfit LADY BANANA — can be seen below. The song is the title track of the band's debut EP, which will be released on June 9 via Tee Pee Records.

"We used the multibillion dollar budget that Tee Pee gave us for this video and spent it all on something else other than the video," Sjöberg comments. "But we're pretty confident that it will win all the awards in the world! And that you'll have a good time watching it!"

BIG KIZZ's bad-as-hell debut features the swinging originals "Eye On You" and "Baby Boy" and a rousing remake of the Roky Erickson ripper "White Faces". The three-song release — described as "good time rock 'n' roll energized with elements of power pop and punk" — is but a precursor to BIG KIZZ's full-length debut, tentatively slated for release this fall.

Regarding BIG KIZZ's formation, Sjöberg said: "I've been doing this too long to quit rocking now. When I turn a page and wonder what to do in life, I go to country lyrics and in this case Willie Nelson: 'The life I love is makin' music with my friends, and I can't wait the get on the road again.' So that's just what I did; I made music with my friends."

The song "Domino" from the Swedish classic/progressive rock supergroup THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA — featuring members of metal frontrunners SOILWORK and ARCH ENEMY — can be streamed below. The track is taken from THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA's third studio album, "Amber Galactic", which will be released on May 19 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded at Handsome Hard Studio in Lund, Sweden. The album follows THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA's two previous releases, 2012's "Internal Affairs" and 2015's "Skyline Whispers".

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA singer Björn Strid states: "'Amber Galactic' is a relationship drama set in space, the first classic rock space opera on double vinyl.

"As seasoned musicians, we're taking this project seriously, although we might come across as slightly retrofuturistic at times, there's no irony involved. It's just us trying to shape our future into a place where our race is led by female space commanders with pearl necklaces and a quasar sense of gravity.

"'Amber Galactic' is about setting free from genre boundaries and expectations that are put on people like us. We just want to create music that we would like to hear ourselves, but that isn't only for us.

"THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA is here to set you free, to invite you to enjoy music in whatever form it is presented.

"For this particular journey, we'd like you to follow us into space, but who knows where we'll go next! After entering the NFO universe, you won't ever be the same!" "Amber Galactic" will be available as a limited edition digipak CD featuring an alternate cover art (see below), 2LP vinyl (black and violet sparkle) and as digital download and stream via all known platforms. "Amber Galactic" track listing:

01. Midnight Flyer02. Star Of Rio03. Gemini04. Sad State Of Affairs05. Jennie06. Domino07. Josephine08. Space Whisperer09. Something Mysterious10. Saturn In Velvet11. Just Another Night (bonus track, limited-edition digipak, vinyl)12. Fly Tonight (Never Rewind) (bonus track, Japan only)

Strid previousy stated about the album: "'Amber Galactic' was made during late nights and way too early mornings, when sometimes, in the corner of your eye, you can catch a glimpse of another dimension, where all the women are heartbroken space commanders in evening gowns, the champagne is always free and the drugs won't hurt you.

"We wanted to create more than just a listening experience; instead we want it to be an alternative reality.

"We hope that after listening to 'Amber Galactic', you'll be wide-eyed, horny and slightly drunk."

Guitarist David Andersson added: "Musicianship in itself is not interesting, neither are the technical aspects of creating music. The ideas and visions behind the music are the only things really worthy of in-depth discussions.

"We've all reached a point where we can all pretty much play and sing whatever we want.

"We didn't talk much about chord changes or amplifiers during the recording sessions. But we spent a lot of time discussing Kierkegaard's concept of anxiety, different vintages of sparkling wine, the psychoacoustic aspects of modulation, the innate superiority of women and why a pearl necklace always look better when whoever wears it has a bored expression on her face."

When asked about the direction of THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA within the realm of classic rock, Strid explained with a chuckle: "Most other classic rock bands sound like weed or LSD — we sound like cocaine."

THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA is:

Björn Strid - VocalsSharlee D'Angelo - BassDavid Andersson - GuitarRichard Larsson - KeyboardsJonas Källsbäck - DrumsSebastian Forslund - Guitar, Percussion





Alternate cover art for limited-edition digipak CD:

THREE DAYS GRACE has emerged out of the writing sessions for its sixth studio album to play a series of festival shows. It was at the Fort Rock event in Florida last weekend that The Pulse Of Radio caught up with drummer Neil Sanderson and asked about a timeline for when we could expect the new record. "We're starting recording in late July and we're probably going to take about six weeks, and so you know, by the end of the summer we'll be mixing and really gearing up for, you know, the tour and the release and everything," he said. "So I'd like to think that there will be new music by the end of the year. Can't guarantee that but we're in good scoring position [laughs] to have a record in our pockets by fall."

The band will play scattered festival dates through the end of May before heading to Russia and Poland in July.

THREE DAYS GRACE's latest album, "Human", came out in March 2015 and was the group's first record with singer Matt Walst, who joined THREE DAYS GRACE in 2013 following the departure of original frontman Adam Gontier.

On "Human", the band re-teamed with producer Gavin Brown, who did the same honors for THREE DAYS GRACE's platinum-selling 2003 self-titled debut album. Music heavyweights Nick Raskulinecz and Chris Lorde Alge signed on to mix "Human".

Last November, Downfall Of Gaia released their fourth full-length, Atrophy, via Metal Blade Records, plus completed a successful European tour supporting Conan. Now, the band is ready to launch a new lyric video for the title track of the album (produced by K Digital Productions).

Downfall Of Gaia comments: "We are pleased to present the lyric video for the title track of our recent album 'Atrophy', the grand finale of the story told on our latest record! This song is the end of a journey, the final chapter of a dialogue between life and death."

Downfall Of Gaia is a dark wall, moving forward relentlessly, enveloping the listener, absorbing one's spirit to take one into the realm of the band's potent sound. Although the group's roots lie within the DIY / crust scene, Downfall Of Gaia has expanded their sound to incorporate elements of black, doom, and sludge metal. To preview and purchase their latest album, Atrophy, please visit here.

Downfall Of Gaia has announced additional European shows in support of Atrophy.

Dates:

May
6 - Manchester, UK - Rebellion
7 - London, UK - Underworld
11 - Poznan, Poland - Pod Minoga
12 - Hannover, Germany - Bei Chez Heinz
13 - Leipzig, Germany - Westwerk

June 
17 - Kiel, Germany - Kiel Explode
24 - Munchen, Germany - Saint Helena Festival

August
5 - Karlsruhe, Germany - New Noise Fest

Ursinne, the old school death metal project helmed by Dave Ingram (Hail Of Bullets, Echelon, Down Among The Dead Men, Bolt Thrower, Benediction) and Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath, Ashcloud, Henry Kane, SYN:DROM), have announced an addition to their ranks in the form of bass player Sonia Nusselder (pictured above), former member of Ecocide, Deamension, and most recently Shade Of Hatred and Sepiroth.

Says the band: “Sonia will join us on our second release, somewhat off in the future. Remember, our debut album, Swim With The Leviathan, will be out in the next few months on Transcending Obscurity Records. The track “Talons” can be streamed, or downloaded as part of the Transcending Obscurity Records digital sampler package, here. Everyone take a moment to welcome Sonia to the band!”

Swim With The Leviathan tracklisting:

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

The album will also include four cover versions, some featuring guest vocalists. More details to follow.

(Photo - Ursinne Facebook)

According to Malaysiakini, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine has expressed a willingness to remove "offensive" songs from the band's setlist for tonight's (Thurday, May 4) concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

It was reported yesterday that the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) Youth had voiced its objection to the MEGADETH show at Stadium Negara. The wing's information chief Hishamuddin Abdul Karim said the approval for the gig was given without taking into consideration the negative effects bands like MEGADETH have on the audience.

Mustaine later took to his Twitter account to ask Malaysian followers to name specific songs that "offend Malaysians or their faith" and said that MEGADETH had to drop certain tracks when touring China.

"If there is a song that offends Malaysians or their faith, please tell me. I wish to offend no one here. We cut songs for China," he wrote.

The MEGADETH frontman was replying to a fan who told Mustaine that PAS Youth would not be protesting at the concert venue.

MEGADETH's concert in Kuala Lumpur will be the band's debut performance in Malaysia since their ban was lifted as the group was previously banned from performing in the country back in 2001. Mustaine later said in an interview that MEGADETH was "banned in Malaysia because some knobhead in a remote area had conducted a black metal séance of some sort and killed somebody, then gave us the indubitable honor of spray painting MEGADETH and SLAYER on the wall."

PAS has previously protested against other concerts before, which it viewed as going against Islamic decorum.

Calls to ban concerts over moral concerns are not uncommon in the Muslim country. In 2013, the aforementioned Jakim raised objection to a planned LAMB OF GOD concert in Malaysia, claiming that the band's music was a mix of metal songs with the reading of verses from the Quran.

In 2015, British extreme metallers CARCASS upset some of their Malaysian fans by posting picture of the Malaysian flag upside down after the band failed to get visas for a show in the country.

An inverted flag is usually used in distress situations or sometimes as a form of protest.

Thank you. If there is a song that offends Malaysians or their faith, please tell me. I wish to offend no one here. We cut songs for China 🙏 https://t.co/Tuq5qBuGTo

— Dave Mustaine (@DaveMustaine) May 4, 2017

Icelandic death metal machine Narthraal will release their new album, Screaming From The Grave, on May 26th via Inverse Records. The first single "Death Of The Undying" can be heard on Spotify here. Check out the video below.

Vocalist/bassist Viktor comments the album and single: "Screaming From The Grave focuses more or less on human greed and how it is consuming the world and destroying it, the evil of organized religion and of course, gore, death and zombies. Death of the undying revolves around religion and how more and more people are slowly becoming enlightened."

Tracklist:

"Death Of The Undying"
"Screaming From The Grave"
"Million Graves To Fill"
"Worldwide  Destruction"
"Envy"
"Descent Into Darkness"
"Blood Path"
"Symbols Of Hate"
"Feed The Pig"
"Dismember The Entombed"

 

Line-up:

Vocals/Bass: Viktor Penalver
Rhythm Guitar: Antonio Aguilar
Lead Guitar: Birkir Karason
Drums: Jónas Haux

On April 20th, Internal Bleeding drummer and veteran FDNY firefighter Bill Tolley passed away after falling five stories from a rooftop while battling a two-alarm apartment fire in Queens, New York. The tragedy touched family, friends, his bandmates, the city of New York, and the worldwide metal community.

Many fans expressed concerns as to whether Internal Bleeding would continue and more specifically, whether they would still take part in the upcoming Strike Of The Empire US tour with Vader.

"Bill was having trouble getting all the vacation time needed to complete the tour, so we had a backup drummer in place and ready to go. He will be filling in," says the band. "Bill would want it no other way. When we were discussing the problems with his vacation, he told Chris [Pervelis] something along the lines of, 'You've gotta do it, bro. Fuck it, no matter what happens, Internal Bleeding needs to go on. You gotta do it, asshole.' So we think it's only appropriate that we do this tour, continue with the band, and continue to release music in Bill's memory, and in the memory for all those metalhead men and women who have fallen. There is no other way. Metal is our life. Our love. Our passion. And to our fans, you are family: we don't leave family hanging. We got your back, because you always had ours. Our backup drummer will be announced soon. Out of respect to Bill, please don't ask. Love and metal always: Chris, Shaun, Chris, and Joe.”

The Strike Of The Empire US tour will commence on May 27th in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and run through June 16th in New York City, New York. Additional support will be provided by Sacrificial Slaughter, Voices Of Ruin, and Micawber.

Tour dates:

May
27 - Ground Zero - Spartanburg, SC
28 - Brass Mug - Tampa, FL
29 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
30 - Siberia - New Orleans, LA
31 - Acadia - Houston, TX

June
1 - Curtain Club - Dallas, TX
3 - Blu Phoenix - Albuquerque, NM
4 - Club Red - Phoenix, AZ
5 - Malones - Santa Ana, CA
6 - Oakland Metro - Oakland, CA
7 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
8 - Las Vegas Death Fest - Las Vegas, NV
9 - Metro - Salt Lake City, UT
10 - Bluebird Theatre - Denver, CO
11 - Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
13 - High Noon Saloon - Madison, WI
14 - Reggies - Chicago, IL
16 - Webster Music Hall - New York City, NY

Internal Bleeding's digital single, "Final Justice”, was released just one day after Tolley's passing. The track serves as a teaser from the band's forthcoming full-length, Corrupting Influence. While filled with all the hooks, slams, and grooves you've come to expect from the band, the track is more focused, sophisticated, and sharper, than anything they're released previously.

"Final Justice" is available now through Unique Leader here, and via iTunes.

Bloody Heels are gearing up for the release of their debut album, Through Mystery, out on May 20th. A video for the track “Cheap Little Liar” is available for streaming below.

Bloody Heels has been around since 2012, and has released two videos, an EP and toured all over The Baltics and Europe. The EP, Summer Nights, was released in 2014.

Says the band: “Well, actually, we have put a lot of effort in the writing process, just to get the right sound and the right feel. The album is well balanced, there are fast and heavy songs yet not missing slower and more melodic sounds and you surely can feel the 80s influences, yet it’s a modern rock album, so we’re excited to finally show the songs to our fans.”

Through Mystery tracklisting:

“Danger Calling”
“Can’t Help Myself”
“Through Mystery”
“Victim”
“Cheap Little Liar”
“Hope”
“Bittersweet Memories”
“Take Off Your Mask”
“Love May Have Gone”
“P.A.T.P.”
“One More Time”

“Cheap Little Liar” video:

On his recent visit to EMGtv, Zakk Wylde improvised over an Andy James track provided by Jam Track Central (tabs and backing track available for download here). Zakk is showcasing his signature EMG ZW pickup set.

For the first time in more than a decade, Ozzy Osbourne and Zakk Wylde are together again.

Known as one of rock's most lethal singer and guitarist pairings, the two will hit the road for a series of Ozzy headlining shows in the US this summer and fall, beginning July 14th (see dates below).  While they've performed together over the years, these shows are the first collaboration for the duo for a full tour since 2006. These dates also mark Ozzy’s first solo tour in the US in years beyond one Ozzy & Friends performance at the Voodoo Music + Arts Experience in New Orleans, LA in October 2015.

Ozzy and Zakk first teamed up 30 years ago when Zakk (who Ozzy describes as "a f***ing absolutely amazing guitar player") joined Ozzy’s band in 1987; they last recorded in 2007 on Ozzy’s acclaimed Black Rain album.

In addition to reuniting with Zakk Wylde on guitar, Ozzy’s band will include longtime collaborators Blasko (bass), Tommy Clufetos (drums) and Adam Wakeman (keyboards). Ozzy’s tour dates kick off in July at the Rock USA Festival in Oshkosh, WI with additional dates to be announced in the coming weeks.

"I'm so happy to be getting back on the road with Zakk, Blasko, Tommy and Adam," says Ozzy. "This is what I do. This is where I belong, on the road."

"I'm really looking forward to The hardcore powahlifting training sessions with Ozzy as well as playing music in between sets of heavy squats, benching and deadlifts," Zakk Wylde adds.

Next up for Ozzy: prepping for a new solo album for 2018 on Epic.

Ozzy’s initial 2017 tour dates are as follows:

July
14 - Oshkosh, WI - Rock USA Festival
16 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Open Air Festival

August
9 - Sturgis, SD - Buffalo Chip
21 - Cartersville, IL - Moonstock Festival

(Photo - Mark Weiss)

Florida power metal act, Seven Kingdoms, have released a video for “Kingslayer”, a track from their forthcoming full-length album and Napalm Records debut, Decennium.

The band states: “”Kingslayer” is a song about Jaime Lannister's betrayal of his oath, which earned him that very nickname across the Seven Kingdoms. The Mad King was ready to blow up all of Kings Landing with stocks of wildfire hidden under the streets, rather than face defeat to Robert's rebellion. Having already seen enough atrocities committed by the king, Jaime could not stand by any longer with the lives of the entire city at stake. He murdered the Mad King, the one his life was sworn to protect. Instead of becoming a hero, this betrayal would be how history remembered Jaime Lannister.”   

Decennium will be released worldwide via Napalm Records on May 5th. Pre-order here.

Decennium was recorded with Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Savatage, Death) and Phil Pluskota (Abiotic, King Conquer) at North Avenue Studios and Morrisound Recording. Seven Kingdoms mixed the album at Morrisound Recording and was mastered by Jacob Hansen (Avantasia, Evergrey, Volbeat).

Decennium tracklisting:

“Stargazer”
“Undying”
“In The Walls”
“The Tale Of Deathface Ginny”
“Castles In The Snow”
“Kingslayer”
“The Faceless Hero”
“Neverending”
“Hollow”
“Awakened From Nothing”
“In The Walls” (EP Master) (Bonus Track)
“Undying” (EP Master) (Bonus Track)
“The Bloody Meadow” (Re-Recording) (Bonus Track)
“Stormborn” (Re-Recording) (Bonus Track)

“Stargazer” lyric video:

“Neverending” video:

Seven Kingdoms will embark on full length North American tour with Evergrey, Need and Ascendia in May and June 2017 to support the new album. More shows are being added; catch them live at the following confirmed shows:

May
6 - The Haven - Orlando, FL
7 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL
9 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
10 - Gas Monkey - Dallas, TX
11 - The Rock Box - San Antonio, TX
13 - Joe's Grotto - Phoenix, AZ
14 - Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA
15 - Adrenaline bar - Las Vegas, NV
17 - The Viper Room - Los Angeles, CA
18 - TBA - San Francisco, CA
19 - TBA - Portland, OR
20 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
21 - The Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC
22 - Dickens Pub - Calgary, AB
23 - Exchange - Regina
25 - The Cabooze - Minneapolis, MN
26 - Reggie's - Chicago, IL
27 - The Token Lounge - Detroit, MI
28 - Mod Club - Toronto, ON
30 - L'Anti - Quebec City, QC

TBA - New York, NY
TBA - Philadelphia, PA

More dates will be announced shortly.

Seven Kingdoms lineup:

Sabrina Valentine - Vocals
Camden Cruz - Guitar
Kevin Byrd - Guitar
Keith Byrd - Drums
Aaron Sluss - Bass

Brutal, old school death metallers Hideous, featuring former and current members of Death, Obituary, Six Feet Under, Massacre and Lividity, have released a lyric video for their track “Man Shall Fall”.

Says the band: “We at Hideous are proud to unleash our new lyric video for "Man Shall Fall". Thanks to YODMultimedia for the killer video. There is more to come we just wanted to give you a  sample of what we are doing.”

Hideous is:

Terry Butler (Obituary, Death, Six Feet Under, Massacre) - bass
Ed Webb (Massacre, Generichrist) - vocals/guitars
Matt Bishop (Lividity, Horrific Demise) - lead guitars
Greg Gall (Six Feet Under) - drums

For more on Hideous, visit the band’s Facebook page.

Eisregen's new album, Fleischfilm, will be released on May 5th via Massacre Records. The album is an homage to the wild Italian cinema of the ’70s and ‘80s. Check out a Adrian Keindorf-directed video for the album track, “Tiefrot”, available for streaming below.

Eisregen's 12th album will be available as jewel case CD, limited digipak with bonus track, limited and numbered vinyl LP with gatefold cover, digital download as well as a limited box set, including the album as a digipak w/ bonus track, a patch, 3D glasses and 3D art cards.

Fleischfilm was mixed and mastered by Markus Stock at Klangschmiede Studio E. Adrian Keindorf is responsible for the cover and booklet artwork.

Tracklisting:

“Drei Mütter”
“Hauch des Todes”
“Jenseits der Dunkelheit”
“Die letzte Reise des Alan Yates (Metamorphose 2)”
“Auf den Spuren der Säge”
“Tiefrot”
“Nahe der Friedhofsmauer”
“Menschenfresser”
“Syndikat des Schreckens”
“Im Blutrausch”
“Satan der Rache”
“Nachts kommt das Delirium” (Digipak Bonus)

“Tiefrot” video:

German alcohol-soaked thrash metal act, Tankard, will celebrate their 35th anniversary with the release of their 17th studio album, One Foot In The Grave, to be issued on June 2nd via Nuclear Blast. In the new trailer below, the band discuss the sound of the new album:

A recent message from Tankard about the cover artwork: “With this, our iconic mascot, the Tankard-Alien, celebrates his return after about 13 years of absence. The alien was born in 1989 with the Alien EP and has already graced five album covers. Our fan club, Maniac Aliens, is named after it also. The artwork was brought to life by Patrick Strogulski, who is a student of Sebastian Krüger, the former Tankard cover artist. He also created the cover artworks for A Girl Called Cerveza and R.I.B..”

Tracklisting:

“Pay To Pray”
“Arena Of The True Lies”
“Don’t Bullshit Us!”
“One Foot In The Grave”
“Syrian Nightmare”
“Northern Crown (Lament Of The Undead King)”
“Lock ‘Em Up!”
“The Evil That Men Display”
“Secret Order 1516”
“Sole Grinder”

“Arena Of The True Lies” lyric video:

Listening session impressions:

Behind-the-scenes with song snippets:

Upcoming Tankard tour dates are listed on the flyer below:

Russell Allen says that there are "no future plans" for SYMPHONY X to work on a new album or tour, explaining that he is "a hundred percent committed" to his other band 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.

Asked by Metal Wani in a new interview if SYMPHONY X will regroup next year to begin work on new material or play some more gigs, Russell said (hear audio below): "No plans at this time, no. I don't see anything in the foreseeable future with that, because we… I know [guitarist and main songwriter Michael] Romeo is talking about doing a solo record he's been working on and some other stuff, and the other guys are doing the same. There's been no talk of a new album, there's been no talk of any touring, and so…

"To be honest with you, I'm a hundred percent committed to [ADRENALINE MOB] and that's what I'm about right now," he admitted. "So if you wanna come see me sing in the next few years or forever, however long this thing goes on for, then you're gonna see me in the MOB. There's no future plans for SYMPHONY X at this time."

ADRENALINE MOB — which features Allen alongside guitarist Mike Orlando, drummer Jordan Cannata and bassist David Zablidowsky (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) — will release its third studio album, "We The People", on June 2 via Century Media.

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

AYREON, the highly acclaimed project from singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and record producer Arjen Lucassen, has released the official lyric video for the song " Run! Apocalypse! Run!", taken from the recently released album "The Source". Check it out below.

"The Source" is an exciting new chapter in the AYREON saga, with contributions from renowned vocalists like James LaBrie (DREAM THEATER), Simone Simons (EPICA), Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH), Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN), Tobias Sammet (EDGUY, AVANTASIA), and Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X). "The Source" will be released on April 28 through AYREON's new label Mascot Label Group/Music Theories Recordings.

While AYREON's "Forever/Planet Y" saga seemed to have reached its conclusion with the album "01011001", it's clear that Lucassen's creative muses had other plans. The new AYREON album "The Source" revisits the "Forever" saga, adding a whole new chapter to Lucassen's impressive body of work. With its top-flight cast of singers and musicians, compelling songs, overwhelming sound, and intriguing story, "The Source" offers everything that has gained Lucassen dedicated fans worldwide since he laid the foundations of AYREON back in the mid-'90s.

The story of "The Source" is set six billion years in the past relative to Earth. It begins on Planet Alpha, a world in the Andromeda system where computer intelligence has far surpassed that of humanity. Alpha is facing a massive global crisis, with ecological and political catastrophes threatening all human life. The Alphans (our human ancestors) try to save their planet by entrusting the global computer mainframe — The 'Frame — to find a solution. Given total control of the planet, the 'Frame reaches the logical conclusion that its creators are the cause of all the trouble. The only way to solve Alpha's problems is to exterminate humanity. This leaves the Alphans no other option than to try and escape their horrific fate. But their escape comes at a terrible price. It's the beginning of a story that contains everything that has made the Ayreon epics so endlessly fascinating all these years.

The international status of AYREON enables Arjen Lucassen to write his characters with some of the most respected singers in rock in mind: James LaBrie (DREAM THEATER), Tommy Giles Rogers (BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME), Simone Simons (EPICA), Mike Mills (TOEHIDER), Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH), Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN), Michael Eriksen (CIRCUS MAXIMUS), Tobias Sammet (EDGUY, AVANTASIA), Nils K. Rue (PAGAN'S MIND), Zaher Zorgati (MYRATH), Tommy Karevik (KAMELOT) and Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X). Special contributions were offered by guitarists Paul Gilbert (MR. BIG), Guthrie Govan (THE ARISTOCRATS, ASIA, STEVEN WILSON), Marcel Coenen and keyboard player Mark Kelly (MARILLION).

Just as on his previous albums, "The Source" has Arjen Lucassen playing a wide variety of instruments, while the inimitable Ed Warby (ELEGY, GOREFEST, HAIL OF BULLETS) once again masterfully handles the drums.

2017 will be a particularly exciting year for AYREON fans thanks to a unique chance to actually see AYREON live. Limited to three exclusive performances, "The Ayreon Universe" will take place in September in the prestigious 013 venue in Tilburg, Holland. This unprecedented live event features the best of twenty years of AYREON music, brought to life by a top cast of musicians such as Floor Jansen (NIGHTWISH), Russell Allen (SYMPHONY X), Damian Wilson (THRESHOLD), Hansi Kürsch (BLIND GUARDIAN), Tommy Karevik (KAMELOT), Jonas Renkse (KATATONIA), Anneke van Giersbergen, and various others. The reclusive Arjen Lucassen himself is also expected to make a rare appearance on stage. The tickets for all concerts — 9000 in total — sold out within a day, proving once again that the AYREON magic is still very much alive and kicking.

"The Source" track listing:

CD1

Chronicle 1: The 'Frame

01. The Day That The World Breaks Down02. Sea Of Machines 03. Everybody Dies

Chronicle 2: The Aligning Of The Ten

04. Star Of Sirrah 05. All That Was 06. Run! Apocalypse! Run! 07. Condemned To Live

CD2

Chronicle 3: The Transmigration

08. Aquatic Race 09. The Dream Dissolves 10. Deathcry Of A Race 11. Into The Ocean

Chronicle 4: The Rebirth

12. Bay Of Dreams 13. Planet Y Is Alive! 14. The Source Will Flow 15. Journey To Forever 16. The Human Compulsion 17. March Of The Machines

British/American hard rock veterans DEEP PURPLE have launched a new video series, "About The Band", in support of their new studio album, "InFinite". Check out parts one and two below.

"InFinite" was released on April 7 via earMUSIC. The disc was tracked in February 2016 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee and was once again helmed by Bob Ezrin, who has previously worked with KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER and KANSAS, among others.

Asked about the meaning of the "InFinite" title, Glover told Metal Talk: "Well, it's whatever you think it is, really. We couldn't come up with a title for this album. Not that we were thinking about ending or anything, but we just left it up to the record company. And they came up with the title, mainly because [2013's] 'Now What?!' had a great image on it — a question mark — and it [was] very immediate. And they were looking for something like that. And they sent us an image of the inifinity symbol. And I went, 'That's a pretty good image.' I said, 'What are you gonna call it?' And they said, ''InFinite'.' 'Oh, okay. Decision made.' We don't read anything into it. And I think, actually, the way they made that symbol work, in the ice and stuff, is brilliant. We just thought, 'We give up. We can't do anything better than that.'"

Glover also spoke about the band's upcoming tour, "The Long Goodbye", which starts May 13 in Europe and includes a late-summer North American leg with ALICE COOPER and EDGAR WINTER. He said: "It's gonna be a long goodbye, because none of us can actually face the fact that we're gonna end at some point. The band's been going for a long time, and especially this lineup, and we're happy doing what we do. It's just the realization that... Paicey [drummer Ian Paice] had a little hiccup last year… We're all getting into that age where we're okay at the moment, but… 'Fragile' is not a word I'd like to use, although this morning I feel a little fragile. But, no, it's the realization… it's a wake-up call. The world tour is gonna go beyond this year, as far as we can tell, and it may go on another year. We don't know how long it's gonna be. We're just putting ourselves and our fans on notice that, don't expect us to be doing this when we're a hundred and ten."

In addition to Glover and Paice, DEEP PURPLE's current lineup features singer Ian Gillan, keyboardist Don Airey and guitarist Steve Morse. Airey joined in 2002, replacing Jon Lord on keyboards. Morse joined in 1994 as the replacement for Ritchie Blackmore.

Asked if he thinks this will be the final lineup of DEEP PURPLE, Glover told Metal Talk: "I think the last twenty-three years has been the most consistent period in the band's history. The only one change was [the addition of] Don, and that was a friendly change. Jon left. And so, yeah, I can't envisage… I mean, we don't envisage anything. We don't actually plan much for the future. The future will take care of itself — I kind of like that phrase. Steve said, 'I may not be the first guitarist in PURPLE, but I'd like to be the last.' Which is a lovely thing to say. And I feel the same way. I may not be the first bass player, but I'd like to be the last."

Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA have released a performance video for "Dancing In A Hurricane". The track is featured on the band's latest album, "The Holographic Principle", which was released via Nuclear Blast in September 2016 and charted worldwide.

The "Dancing In A Hurricane" clip was captured during EPICA's sold-out show in February at the Zenith in Paris, where the band closed its most successful European tour to date together with an excited legion of 5,000 fans. This live video perfectly mirrors the band's craving for non-stop innovation and for continuously improving their live performance.

EPICA keyboardist Coen Janssen comments on the video: "When you are in the midst of touring, you tend to forget how special it is and how privileged we are to be able to perform every night. The show in Zenith Paris is an absolute highlight in our career and therefore I am extra happy we decided to shoot some live videos of this show. This first one, featuring one of my favourite songs on 'The Holographic Principle', takes me back to this night instantly so I can relive the moment again and again. The video shows me in retrospect what an awesome tour this was!! Thank you all again for joining us that night and for making our days brighter all the time!!"

This video was captured and edited by the video production team Panda Productions.

EPICA will return to North America this August and September for "The Ultimate Principle Tour" with LACUNA COIL, INSOMNIUM and ELANTRIS. Asked how the heavier-sounding tracks on "The Holographic Principle" have been going over live on the band's current tour, EPICA singer Simone Simons told A Music Blog, Yea!: "Amazing. There are some songs, like 'Beyond The Matrix' and 'Ascension', that just are really made to be live songs. And that's also a little bit how we kind of went about when we were writing the songs and finalizing them together with our producer, Joost [Van Den Broek], that we wanted these songs to become live songs. But then when we're on the stages, songs like 'Ascension' and 'Beyond The Matrix' [and] 'Divide And Conquer' are amazing live songs. The fans also really welcome those and go crazy. Yesterday, we had so many brutal-looking metalheads jumping up and down during 'Beyond The Matrix'. I'm, like, 'That's a pretty gay song, but okay.' [Laughs]"

Simons told Metal-Rules.com about the lyrical themes covered on "The Holographic Principle": "It isn't a concept CD as the story is not in a chronological order of events from beginning to the end. Some songs deviate from the idea. 'The Holographic Principle' is, basically, that we are living in a hologram. With the new technology and virtual reality glasses we realize reality is generated so perfectly that you can no longer tell the difference, so can reality also be a hologram?"

According to The Star Online, the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) Youth has voiced its objection to the MEGADETH concert on May 4 at Stadium Negara in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The wing's information chief Hishamuddin Abdul Karim said the approval for the show was given without taking into consideration the negative effects bands like MEGADETH have on the audience.

"We view this oversight very seriously and it is in violation of the guidelines on entertainment in the perspective of Islam published by Jakim (the Malaysian Islamic Development Department) and endorsed by the National Fatwa Committee at their 107th meeting in February 2015," Hishamudin said in a statement on Wednesday.

He, however, denied that the party had anything to do with posters spread on social media featuring newly elected PAS Youth chief Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi with an invitation for people to protest against the concert.

"I want to clearly state here that the posters are meant to discredit our leader and he is not involved with them in any way," he said.

MEGADETH's May 4 concert in Kuala Lumpur will be the band's debut performance in Malaysia since their ban was lifted as the group was previously banned from performing in the country back in 2001.

"I'm super thrilled about this," MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine said.

"We had been banned in Malaysia because of some knobhead in a remote area had conducted a black metal séance of some sort and killed somebody, then gave us the indubitable honor of spray painting MEGADETH and SLAYER on the wall," he continued.

PAS has previously protested against other concerts before, which it viewed as going against Islamic decorum.

Calls to ban concerts over moral concerns are not uncommon in the Muslim country. In 2013, the aforementioned Jakim raised objection to a planned LAMB OF GOD concert in Malaysia, claiming that the band's music was a mix of metal songs with the reading of verses from the Quran. Jakim's director-general, Datuk Othman Mustapha, said the objection was in accordance with the decision of the Fatwa (Edicts) Committee that the practices and acts of black metal groups were misguided and contrary to the true teachings of Islam. Othman hoped that the authorities would not approve the performance by taking into consideration the sensitivities of Muslims and to ensure that it did not open up crises related to faith and morality.

In 2015, British extreme metallers CARCASS upset some of their Malaysian fans by posting picture of the Malaysian flag upside down after the band failed to get visas for a show in the country.

An inverted flag is usually used in distress situations or sometimes as a form of protest.

DEFTONES returned to the stage Tuesday night (May 2) in Paris, France — one day after the band's concert in Cologne, Germany was canceled because frontman Chino Moreno broke the top of his foot.

Fan-filmed video footage of last night's L'Olympia show can be seen below. Photos are available at Manuwino.com.

DEFTONES' European tour kicked off on April 18 in Vienna, Austria and will play Paris again Wednesday night (May 3).

DEFTONES is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Gore", which debuted at No. 2 on The Billboard 200, having shifted 71,000 equivalent album units in the week ending April 14, 2016. It was the band's highest-charting effort since their self-titled fourth album bowed and peaked at No. 2 in 2003.

"Gore" serves as the follow-up to 2012's "Koi No Yokan", which featured the Top 15 rock radio hit "Tempest".

The new disc features a guest appearance from ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist Jerry Cantrell.

DEFTONES have released eight studio albums to date and have sold over 10 million albums worldwide. The multi-platinum, Grammy-winning alternative rock band from Sacramento, California is vocalist/guitarist Chino Moreno, guitarist Stephen Carpenter, keyboardist/samplist Frank Delgado, drummer Abe Cunningham and bassist Sergio Vega.

Only fourteen months after the arrival of its "The Devil Strikes Again" disc, German heavy metal trio RAGE will release its 23rd studio album called "Seasons Of The Black" on July 28 via Nuclear Blast.

The first trailer for "Seasons Of The Black" is available below. "Our fans are getting RAGE metal of the very first grade," says RAGE leader Peter "Peavy" Wagner. "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." Since RAGE was revamped in 2015, the three bandmembers have 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 longtime RAGE fans from the very beginning. Their input also leaves its mark on their second album with RAGE. "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," Peavy says. "This contributed to the possibility of continuing to develop and expanding the band's spirit." 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 lifelong dream," says Peavy. "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."

"Seasons Of The Black" was recorded in February and March 2017 at Megafon Studios in Burscheid, Germany and at Soundchaser Studios in Zandhoven, Belgium. Its production was handled by RAGE, while Dan Swanö (MARDUK, OPETH, KATATONIA) took care of the mix and mastering at Unisound Studios in Grefrath, Germany.

REVOLUTION SAINTS, the band featuring Deen Castronovo (JOURNEY, BAD ENGLISH), Doug Aldrich (THE DEAD DAISIES, WHITESNAKE, DIO), and Jack Blades (NIGHT RANGER, DAMN YANKEES), played its first full electric show on Saturday, April 29 at the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance can be seen below.

One day earlier, REVOLUTION SAINTS made its live debut at the Frontiers Rock Festival VIP acoustic party.

REVOLUTION SAINTS recently entered the studio in Italy to start recording its second album with producer Alessandro Del Vecchio, who also helmed the band's debut album.

Castronovo, Aldrich and Blades will record a scorching set of songs written by Doug and Alessandro between the end of 2016 and early 2017.

The band hopes to do more shows to promote the forthcoming album, which is currently set for a release in early October.

REVOLUTION SAINTS was initially the vision of Frontiers president Serafino Perugino, who for years had hoped to work on a project where Deen would be the lead vocalist. Having previously worked with all three artists on different projects on Frontiers, getting Deen, Jack and Doug together was a dream come true for the president of the label. With production overseen by in-house Frontiers man Del Vecchio, the recording process for REVOLUTION SAINTS' debut happened in Portland, Oregon during the summer of 2014.

Aldrich told CrypticRock.com about REVOLUTION SAINTS: "We definitely have a chemistry together. When we got together to do some videos as well as recording together up in Portland, it was undeniable that we had a chemistry, and it sounds like that on the record. Spending time with those guys is super fun and we all fell into our own zone. For example, Deen is a frontman and the drummer with Jack, but he is like the young kid that has way too much energy, bouncing off the walls. I am kind of the quiet guy; I really do not have much to say. I just want to play. Jack is kind of the general; he took over, and in a good way, because you need somebody to be the boss. You need somebody to organize stuff or else you are wasting time or going down long paths. Jack keeps you focused. Then we all have our creative side, but the energy that Deen has is just infectious. I hope to be able to put it together where we will be able to do some shows."

The official lyric video for the song "Still Standing Up" from THE FERRYMEN, the new project featuring guitarist Magnus Karlsson (MAGNUS KARLSSON'S FREE FALL, PRIMAL FEAR), vocalist Ronnie Romero (LORDS OF BLACK, RAINBOW) and drummer Mike Terrana (TARJA, RAGE, AXEL RUDI PELL, VISION DIVINE), can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's self-titled debut album, which will be released on June 2 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The songs for "The Ferrymen" were written by Karlsson in Sweden during the summer of 2016. Once Romero was sent the music via their main bands' shared label home Frontiers, he immediately wanted to be part of the project. Terrana was the last piece of the puzzle and he recorded his drums in Italy, where he currently resides. The resulting album is a shot of adrenaline for all lovers of melodic metal! Musically, you can expect maximum melodic metal fusing the songwriting and epic structures of the great ALLEN/LANDE records (for which Magnus Karlsson was the main architect of the first three widely praised releases) with the Ronnie James Dio-esque vocal approach of Romero. (Let's not forget that Romero was hand-picked by DEEP PURPLE (1968-1976) and RAINBOW's legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore to be the lead vocalist for RAINBOW's recent reunion shows, so the Dio comparison is more than accurate!) Says Magnus: "When I wrote this record, having Ronnie singing, I had no limits in mind with the lyrics. Ronnie could sing everything and I am also very proud of the songs." Adds Romero: "I am used to working with LORDS OF BLACK in a certain straight style, but this record was very different and it was very exciting for me." "Overall, I think it is one of the coolest and grooviest records I've ever done," concludes Terrana, a drummer with more than a hundred records under his belt! With stunning artwork courtesy of Stan W. Decker and an outstanding mix courtesy of Simone Mularoni (of Italian prog metal masters DGM), "The Ferrymen" is an album which will take the metal world by storm in 2017. "The Ferrymen" track listing: 01. End Of The Road02. Ferryman03. Fool You All04. Still Standing Up05. Cry Wolf06. One Heart07. Darkest Hour08. How The Story Ends09. Enter Your Dream10. Eyes On The Sky11. Eternal Night12. Welcome To My Show