Blind Guardian performed at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in the summer of 2011. Below is pro-shot video of the band performing the tracks "Time Stands Still" and "Valhalla":

On September 14th, Blind Guardian will re-release their first four studio albums via Nuclear Blast. The back catalogue has been remixed and remastered, and will be available as 2CD-Digi and black vinyl formats, as well as individual coloured vinyl for each album. There will also be a vinyl box available, including all re-issues exclusively available via the Nuclear Blast Mailorder (see details below). The vinyl box can be also purchased separately as an empty slipcase without vinyls.

At the end of this year and also in early 2019, more re-issues are due to follow, so in total there will be 10 Blind Guardian re-releases. The previously mentioned re-issues due for September 14th, which can be pre-ordered now, are available in the following formats:

Battalions Of Fear (1988), remixed 2007/remastered 2018
- 2CD-DIGI (remixed/remastered CD+original CD)
- black LP in gatefold
- NB Mail-order only violet LP in gatefold

Tracklist:
"Majesty"
"Guardian Of The Blind"
"Trial By The Archon"
"Wizard’s Crown"
"Run For The Night"
"The Martyr"
"Battalions Of Fear"
"By The Gates Of Moria"
"Gandalf’s Rebirth"

Follow The Blind (1989), remixed 2007/remastered 2011
- 2CD-DIGI (remixed/remastered CD+original CD)
- black LP in gatefold
- NB MAILORDER ONLY green LP in gatefold

Tracklist:
"Inquisition"
"Banish From Sanctuary"
"Damned For All Time"
"Follow The Blind"
"Hall Of The King"
"Fast To Madness"
"Beyond The Ice"
"Valhalla"
"Don’t Break The Circle"
"Barbara Ann"

Tales From The Twilight World (1990), remixed 2012/remastered 2018
- 2CD-DIGI (remixed/remastered CD+original CD)
- black LP in gatefold
- NB Mail-order only gold LP in gatefold

Tracklist:
"Traveler In Time"
"Welcome To Dying"
"Weird Dreams"
"Lord Of The Rings"
"Goodbye My Friend"
"Lost In The Twilight Hall"
"Tommyknockers"
"Altair 4"
"The Last Candle"

"Run For The Night" (live):

Somewhere Far Beyond (1992), remixed 2012/remastered 2018
- 2CD-Digi (remixed/remastered CD+original CD)
- black LP in gatefold
- NB Mail-order only blue LP in gatefold

Tracklist:
"Time What Is Time"
"Journey Through The Dark"
"Black Chamber"
"Theatre Of Pain"
"The Quest For Tanelorn"
"Ashes To Ashes"
"The Bard’s Song - In The Forest"
"The Bard’s Song - The Hobbit"
"The Piper’s Calling"
"Somewhere Far Beyond"

Bonus (not on vinyl/only on CD):
"Spread Your Wings"
"Trial By Fire"
"Theatre Of Pain" (classic version)

All are available for pre-order now here.

Hard rock power trio La Chinga will release their impending new full-length, Beyond The Sky, via Small Stone this fall. Preorders can be found on this location.
 
The follow-up to La Chinga's 2016 critically-lauded Freewheelin' full-length was captured at Vancouver's fabled Warehouse studio with no-less-fabled producer Jamey Koch (DOA, Copyright, Tragically Hip). Opening track "Nothin' That I Can't Do" sets the agenda for Beyond The Sky's 45 minutes of sublimely confident freedom rock, sometimes meaty and beaty ("Mama Boogie," "Death Rider"), sometimes glam-handed ("Killer Wizard"), and occasionally even dirtbag pretty ("Keep On Rollin'). When it all melts into a puddle of phased goo in the final bars of "Warlords," the listener has been rolled, boogied, and otherwise supernaturally conveyed well beyond the sky, maybe even beyond ridiculous.

Tracklisting:

“Nothin’ That I Can’t Do”
“Wings Of Fire”
“Mama Boogie”
“Black River”
“Beyond The Sky”
“Keep On Rollin’”
“Killer Wizard”
“Death Rider”
“Feel It In My Bones”
“H.O.W.”
“Warlords”

“Nothin’ That I Can’t Do”:

Beyond The Sky by La Chinga

Swiss heavy rockers Felskinn, featuring Maxxwell, Krokus and Live/Wire members, have released a new music video for “Close Your Eyes” featuring extracts from their last live shows. The song is taken from their debut album, Mind Over Matter, which was released on March 16th, 2018 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. The album was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Primal Fear, Pretty Maids). 

The video was made by Jim Evgenidis of Icon Filmworx. Live photos by Photofrank.ch.

"Rain Will Fall" video:

“Our Favorite Game” lyric video:

Lebanese blackened death metal band kaoteon are hitting the studio and have announced they are recording with drummer Adrian Erlandsson of At The Gates and The Haunted. Linus Klausenitzer of Obscura is also returning to play bass.

This follows the band's triumphant win at the 2018 Metal Hammer Golden Gods, where they picked up the Global Metal award.

With seven tracks prepared already, guitarist Anthony Kaoteon commented: “I am discovering new territories with the new release and the new legendary drummer, Adrian Erlandsson, will take it to the next level complementing Linus Klausenitzer’s bass wizardry who is part of our family and sound.”

Vocalist Wolflust commented: “We have rested and refuelled the black-hearted beast, which comes charged furthermore this time with the addition of one of my all-time favourite drummers, Adrian Erlandsson!”

Adrian, who recorded classic albums with At The Gates, Cradle Of Filth, Paradise Lost and The Haunted, commented: “I’m really excited to be working on these killer songs with the guys in Kaoteon!”

Kaoteon plan to release a new album in 2019.

Underground extreme metal trio Mammoth Grinder have released the official video for “Cosmic Crypt”, the title-track off their recently released full-length album. Watch below:

Additionally, Mammoth Grinder announce a brief headlining tour in the Pacific Northwest beginning July 31st. The four-date tour including a performance at the annual Olympia Hardcore Festival. All confirmed tour dates are listed below.

July
31 - Vancouver, BC - 333

August
1 - Portland, OR - Tonic
2 - Seattle, WA - Highline
3-4 - Olympia, WA - Olympia HC Fest

We Came As Romans will follow-up their headlining US spring tour as direct support to UK metal titans Bullet For My Valentine, starting in September (see all dates below). On the heels of this aforementioned announcement comes the release of their pummelling new music video for “Vultures With Clipped Wings”.

In their expansive tenure as a band, they’ve released four full-length releases, charted #8, #11 and #21 respectively on the Billboard Top 200, performing in five continents and over 40 different countries. Their fifth full-length studio album, Cold Like War (SharpTone Records) is a thrilling, energetic and immensely catchy compendium of songs that run the full gambit of emotion - aggression to sorrow, love to hate - to capture the fullest extent of the conflict and turmoil.

Dave Stephens (vocals) states: "We’ve been so excited to announce this tour and we’re ecstatic to get back out on the road. Touring with a band as legendary as Bullet For My Valentine is a blessing and we can’t wait to see you all there!

"Our European/UK tour we just finished was perfect. The support we received from our fans was unlike anything we’ve ever seen in that part of the world! We wanted to capture the energy we felt on a nightly basis while we were there, so we had this video shot at the Impericon Festivals"

Tour dates:

September
14-16 - Chicago, IL - Riotfest
15 - St. Paul, MN - Myth Live
18 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
20 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
21 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
22 - Austin, TX - Emo’s
24 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec Theatre
25 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues
27 - Atlanta, GA - Buckhead Theatre
30 - Grand Rapids, MI - 20 Monroe Live

October
2 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues
3 - Syracuse, NY - SI Hall
4 - Boston, MA - House Of Blues
7 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore
9 - Wichita, KS - Cotillion Ballroom
10 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
12 - Los Angeles, CA - The Wiltern
14 - Sacramento, CA - Aftershock Festival
16 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues

Metallic horror trailblazers Integrity share the second single "Sons Of Satan" off the impending split LP with Krieg. "Sons Of Satan" is a re-recorded cover of Integrity frontman Dwid Helllion's solo project Vermapyre. Watch the official video below.

Dwid Hellion comments on the video: "The 'Sons Of Satan' music video is intended to appear like a demented remnant of a 1980s MTV video. One that has decayed and fermented for the past 3 decades, until morphing into an abomination."

Additionally, Integrity is celebrating their 30 year anniversary as a band in 2018. Since 1988, Integrity has been known for being one of the most incendiary and influential bands in hardcore and modern metal history.
 
Integrity will return to Europe in August for performances at Brutal Assault, Roadkill, Sylak and Vagos Metal Fest before returning to the states for Psycho Las Vegas.

Integrity and Krieg's split release is out on August 3rd on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Scorched Earth" - Integrity
"Flames Of The Immortal" - Integrity
"Sons Of Satan" - Integrity
"Document One" - Integrity
"Circle Of Guilt" - Krieg
"This Time I'll Leave You To Drown" - Krieg
"The Sick Winds Stir The Cold Dawn" (Live) - Krieg

Integrity - "Scorched Earth" video:

Krieg - "Circle Of Guilt":

(Photo - Roberto Graziano Moro)

Professionally-filmed video of Backyard Babies' full set at Hellfest 2018 is available for streaming below:

With an impressive track record of eight critically acclaimed studio albums, including Total 13 and Making Enemies Is Good, and extensive touring around the world, Backyard Babies have earned their reputation as a true force of nature.

It’s been a long wait since the release of their latest album, Four By Four, in 2015, but now Backyard Babies are back stronger than ever with their new single ”Shovin’ Rocks” as a part of the forthcoming album Sliver And Gold, which is scheduled for an early 2019 release.

The band comments, “We will soon enough celebrate 30 years as Backyard Babies, with the original lineup intact, and ‘Shovin’ Rocks’ is in full covering that fact. This is our first single in a major since ‘Look At You’, our breakthrough single from 1998. If you don’t’ love this, then you don’t love rock’n’roll.”

Watch the video for “Shovin’ Rocks”, directed by the band’s drummer Peder Carlsson, below. Follow this link to direct you to the single on all streaming and download platforms.

Jens Prueter, Head of A&R Century Media Europe comments on signing Backyard Babies, “It’s no surprise that you meet twice if both a label and a band are already around for almost 30 years. It’s 12 years ago when we worked together on the People Like People Like People Like Us album and it feels great to welcome back the Backyard Babies to celebrate their 30th anniversary of rock’n’roll with a new album in early 2019. And the new single is a perfect way to invite the guests to a party that won’t end soon. Some people don’t get older but just stronger. People like us.”

Lineup:

Nicke Borg - lead vocals / guitar
Dregen - lead guitar / vocals
Johan Blomquist - bass
Peder Carlsson - drums

Peaceville Records will reissue the 1995 Darkthrone album Panzerfaust on picture disc with cut-out sleeve on July 13th.

Panzerfaust was originally released in 1995. The album was recorded similarly to their previous release, Transilvanian Hunger, in that it was written and recorded solely by Fenriz at his home 'Necrohell' studio, with Nocturno Culto later adding vocals.

Panzerfaust was largely inspired by the works of Celtic Frost, a longtime favourite of the Darkthrone members, and also includes a couple of fast songs in the Bathory style, a follow-on to the faster tempo of the tracks featured on Transilvanian Hunger. Panzerfaust is also notable for including some of the most raw and primal vocals in black metal - completely well suited to the music on display and the misanthropic nature of the band at the time. With its feast of Frost-fuelled riffing, Panzerfaust is rightly hailed as one of THE classic Darkthrone black metal albums. It also features lyrical contributions written by Varg Vikernes of Burzum.

Preorders are available at this location.

Tracklisting:

Side A
“En Vind Av Sorg”
“Triumphant Gleam”
“The Hordes Of Nebulah”

Side B
“Hans Siste Vinter”
“Beholding The Throne Of Might”
“Quintessence”
“Sno Og Granskog (Utferd)”

Tony Reed is Mos Generator’s mastermind and main songwriter and now releases a collection of cover songs entitled The Lost Chronicles of Heavy Rock Vol 1as a Vinyl / CD bundle package on Listenable Records this July . 

Mos Generator have delivered some of the finest heavy rock since 2002 and have also just released their brand new studio album Shadowlands . As an extremely prolific songwriter, Tony Reed has written hundreds of songs for all his past projects including Mos Generator, and in various music genres from stoner rock, hard rock, doom metal, progressive rock and even hardcore punk as well. 

Over a period of four years, the man has recorded a series of cover songs from the ‘70s era and the result is nothing but outstanding in terms of delivery and production .Aside from the extraordinary performance (Reed also plays ALL instruments), It really sounds genuinely passionate. 

Tony Reed comments on the process of doing covers of those ‘70s gems:

“When I get a song stuck in my head it usually doesn’t go away until I cover it. With these songs I tried to be true to the original in playing and production style. It’s an exercise in recording and playing skills and a real challenge. 

“Many of these songs have been with me through my life and some have just been introduced to me by other fans of underground rock of the 1970's. There are, of course, many other songs that I could have done or added to this but I have chosen these because they moved me in some way.  Also, this is called Vol. 1 for a reason.. I would like to thank Henry Vasquez of Saint Vitus for bringing much of this music to my attention over the years. "

Throughout these 16 tracks, Lost Chronicles of Heavy Rock Volume One are an exciting celebration of some of the most obscure material and also of some underground hits from an artistically vibrant past sounding so relevant today still.

“Battle” (Boomerang ’72)
“Ain’t No Lovin’ Left” (Fanny Adams ’72)
“Fifteen” (Highway Robbery ’72)
“Queen Of Torture” (Wishbone Ash ’70)
“Nobody Else” (Atomic Rooster ’70)
“Garden Road” (Rush ’74)
“Still Born Beauty” (Necromandus ’73)
“Forever My Queen” (Pentagram ’73)
“Dier Not A Lover” (Bloodrock ’70)
“Court Of The Crimson King” (King Crimson ’69)
“Much Too Young To Know” (Pentagram ’78) *
“Need Your Love” (Cheap Trick ’79) *
“Walk Of The Bug” (Poobah ’73) *
“Know Who You Are” (Slade ’70) *
“Review Your Choices” (Pentagram ’73) *
“Butterfly Beau” (Iron Butterfly ’70)

*CD bonus tracks

Florida-based melodic power metal band Artizan is slated to release their new album Demon Rider on August 17th via Pure Steel Records. The tracklisting for Demon Rider has been released and can be found below.

The sensational Demon Rider artwork was illustrated by Berlin based artist Eliran Kantor, who has created numerous masterpieces for the likes of Testament, Iced Earth and Hatebreed.

The album will be available as standard and limited edition CD, as well as standard vinyl with bonus poster. The limited edition CD will include a bonus track featuring vocalist Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer), live tracks, and isolated drum and bass tracks, showcasing the extraordinary performance of guest bassist Joey Vera.

Pre-orders are now available here.

Tracklisting:

Standard Edition
“Demon Rider”
“The Hangman”
“Soldiers Of Light”
“The Endless Odyssey”
“When Darkness Falls”

Limited Version:

CD1
“Demon Rider”
“The Hangman”
“Soldiers Of Light”
“The Endless Odyssey”
“When Darkness Falls”
“Demon Rider” (feat. Harry Conklin)
“Hopeful Eyes” (live)
“I Am The Storm” (live)

CD2
“Demon Rider” (instrumental, drums-bass)
“The Hangman” (instrumental, drums-bass)
“Soldiers Of Light” (instrumental, drums-bass)
“The Endless Odyssey” (instrumental, drums-bass)
“When Darkness Falls” (instrumental, drums-bass)

"Demon Rider" featuring Joey Vera:

German power metal band BRAINSTORM proudly announces the release of their new album, „Midnight Ghost“, scheduled for release on September 28th.
The band‘s already 12th studio album is seemingly forging into something very special.

Vocalist Andy B. Franck comments:
„Midnight Ghost“ is the album we always wanted to create for our fans – and ourselves. Every song, the sound, the cover artwork… it feels perfect to us! It all has such an incredible power, which is hard to describe. For me it’s definitely one of our best albums and I’m confident that we can reach a new Brainstorm level with „Midnight Ghost“ now. We can’t wait to bring this to the stages!“

„Midnight Ghost“ was produced by Seeb Levermann (Orden Ogan, Rhapsody Of Fire), the cover artwork was created by Gyula Havancsak (Annihilator, Stratovarius).

The album will be available as CD, CD/DVD Digibook, blue Vinyl (limited to 400 units), yellow/blue splatter Vinyl (limited to 100 units and exclusively available in the AFM webshop) & box set.

„Midnight Ghost“ tracklisting:

CD:

01. Devil's Eye
02. Revealing The Darkness
03. Ravenous Minds
04. The Pyre
05. Jeanne Boulet (1764)
06. Divine Inner Ghost
07. When Pain Becomes Real
08. The Four Blessings
09. Haunting Voices
10. The Path

Digibook bonus DVD: "Scary Creatures Over Europe 2016" at LKA Stuttgart:

01. The World To See
02. Firesoul
03. Fire Walk With Me
04. Highs Without Lows
05. We Are
06. Worlds Are Coming Through
07. Shiva's Tears
08. End In Sorrow
09. How Much Can You Take
10. Falling Spiral Down
11. All Those Words
12. Shiver

Lucifer's Child, the Greek black metal band from Athens, has signed a record deal with Agonia Records. The band, combining members of Rotting Christ, Nightfall and Chaostar, is on the final lap of the recording process of their sophomore album, follow-up to 2015 debut The Wiccan.

Lucifer's Child music is a bridge to the world of atmospheric black metal, and a vessel for spiritual self-expression through lyrics. "Our goal was to create a untiy between the two", comments co-founder, George Emmanuel, a prolific guitarist primarily knwon for his work as part of Rotting Christ, and former guitarist of Chaostar. Together with bassist Stathis Ridis, orignially a member of another long-running Hellenic metal unit, Nightfall, they decided to form Lucifer's Child in 2013, which makes them a relatively newcomer to the genre.  

Vocalist Marios Dupont (Karma Violens) and drummer Nick Vell (Chaostar) complete the band's lineup. They joined in 2013 and 2015 respectively.

On signing with Agonia, Geroge said: "Lucifer’s Child new album shall resonate the black metal hordes through Poland’s most extreme metal label, Agonia Records. We look forward to our darkest and most extreme release!”

Lucifer's Child released their debut album The Wiccan on Dark Essence Records in 2015, displaying a sound that could be likened to Dissection, Nifelheim, Rotting Christ and Bathory. The album was followed by several festival appearances, including Inferno Festival (Norway), Blastfest (Norway) and Incineration Festival (UK). The band's new album is currently being recorded in Athens and is planned for a 2018 release.

Lineup:

George Emmanuel - guitars
Stathis Ridis - bass
Marios Dupont - vocals
Nick Vell - drums

Greek power metallers Secret Illusion have released a video for "Sailing The Open Sea", featured on their new album Awake Before The Dawn, out now via Lion Music. Watch below.

Tracklisting:

"Curtain Falls"
"Neverland"
"Fall Of Human Kind"
"Sailing The Open Sea"
"Hope Is Lost"
"Kings And Pawns (Napoleon)"
"Winds Of Tomorrow"
"Falling"
"Eerie"
"Awake Before The Dawn"

"Sailing The Open Sea" video:

"Hope Is Lost" lyric video:

"Neverland":

"Fall Of Human Kind" lyric video:

On September 22nd, 2017, Devin Townsend Project played a special show at the Ancient Roman Theatre in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the landmark Ocean Machine album in full, as well as a set of fan-requested tracks alongside the Orchestra of Plovdiv State Opera. This concert was filmed, and on July 6th it will see the light of day as Ocean Machine - Live At The Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv. An unboxing video can be found below.

Ocean Machine - Live At The Ancient Roman Theatre Plovdiv will be available as a limited deluxe 3CD/2DVD/Blu-Ray artbook (with liner notes from Devin and a special documentary dubbed ‘Reflecting The Chaos’ on the second DVD & Blu-Ray), Special Edition 3CD/DVD Digipak, standalone Blu-Ray and as digital audio download.

Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

By Request with Orchestra

"Truth"
"Stormbending"
"Om"
"Failure"
"By Your Command"
"Gaia"
"Deadhead"
"Canada"
"Bad Devil"
"Higher"
"A Simple Lullaby"
"Deep Peace"

Ocean Machine

"Seventh Wave"
"Life"
"Night"
"Hide Nowhere"
"Sister"
"3 A.M."
"Voices In The Fan"
"Greetings"
"Regulator"
"Funeral"
"Bastard"
"The Death Of Music"
"Things Beyond Things"

Unboxing video:

"Regulator" video:

"Truth" video:

Italian power metallers Frozen Crown, signed to Scarlet Records, released their debut album The Fallen King on February 9th. They have checked in with the following update:

"When we started all this, we couldn't expect our debut album to sell so many copies. Your amazing support made it possible for us to go further and give The Fallen King a new incarnation. From today, a limited, 350 copies signed version of our debut album is available in vinyl on our BigCartel store! Thanks for setting this milestone with us. We owe you everything!"

Check out the band's official Facebook page here.

Frozen Crown are:

Giada "Jade" Etro - lead and backing vocals
Federico Mondelli - vocals, guitars, keys
Talia Bellazecca - guitar
Filippo Zavattari - bass guitar
Alberto Mezzanotte - drums

Canadian bashers Skull Fist have issued a long-awaited up date on their new album, which has been in the works for several months.

"Mega news: the Skull Fist record is being mixed right now by the mighty Eric Ratz, will be done next week. Release date real damn soon."

Skull Fist singer/guitarist Zach Slaughter has released the debut album for his new project, Freedumb. The musical style includes punk, acoustic, doom and traditional metal all combined with a cheeky sense of humour. The debut album Skate N Die was released on May 18th via Boonsdale Records and is available at this location.

Check out the song "Street Surfing Man" below

Freedumb’s debut release unleashes nine tracks of high energy punk/metal in the vein of Candlemass, Bad Religion, Dead Kennedys, Skull Fist, trademarked with Zach’s unique vocal style along with metal elements and virtuoso guitar solos, plus the lyrical humour of NOFX / Frank Zappa. Skate N Die offers an alternate approach to mainstream music that can give attention to the counter culture of today’s social circles.

Tracklisting:

"Punch Patrol"
"S.O.S."
"Shark Attack"
"Grand Canyon"
"Jerkathon"
"Skate N Die"
"Anarchy Will Prevail"
"Street Surfing Man"
"Finding Emo"

"S.O.S."

"Punch Patrol"

Italian legendary thrashers Extrema are currently in the studio, mixing their 7th album, the follow-up to 2013's critically acclaimed The Seed Of Foolishness.

Founder and guitar player Tommy Massara states:

“We have just finished the recordings of our 7th studio album and we’re actually mixing it, we decided to team up again with Gabry Ravaglia, that in the last ten years has been for us the 5th hidden member of the band, I shared the production with him and we recorded it at his own facility the ‘Fear studio’ in Alfonsine, Italy. Musically, it’s a 100% straight in the face metal album. The title says more than a thousand words: Headbanging Forever.”

Extrema has also released a first video form the studio:

Extrema recently welcomed their new singer Tiziano Spigno, chosen for his own style and personality. 

Tommy comments: “With Tiziano, we started again to work and explore first on the melody and on the vocal lines before the message itself. With the old course, at certain point of our path, something went wrong, now we think the fans will enjoy our music better than in the last years.”

Multi-instrumentalist Arjen Lucassen's beloved Ayreon metal opera outfit performed its first ever festival show on June 22nd at the Graspop Metal Meeting 2018 in Dessel, Belgium. Fan-filmed video from the performance is available below.

Lucassen has checked in with the following update:

"Thank you all so much for your amazing support at our Graspop performance, hope you enjoyed it as much as we clearly did! This was Ayreon’s very first festival show, so it was a bit scary. But what a warm welcome we got... a full house, 15.000 people showing us a whole lotta love. Thanks again from us all, you are the best crowd we could wish for! 

Thanks to all these amazing musicians! Left to right: Barry Hay, Tommy Karevik, Ferry Duijsens, Mike Mills, Tom Englund, Mark Jansen, Simone Simons, Robert Soeterboek, Ed Warby, Anneke van Giersbergen, Irene Jansen, Arjen Lucassen, Joost van den Broek, John Jaycee Cuijpers, Johan van Stratum, Marcela Bovio, Maggy Luyten, Jeroen Goossens, Maaike Peterse, Marcel Coenen, Lisette Marije, Ben Mathot and Damian Wilson."

The setlist was as follows:

"Age of Shadows" (with Mark Jansen, Tom Englund, John Jaycee Cuijpers, & Simone Simons)
"The Theory of Everything, Part 1"(with Marcela Bovio, Mike Mills)
"The Theory of Everything, Part 2" (with Marcela Bovio, Mike Mills)
"Intergalactic Space Crusaders" (Star One cover - with John JayCee Cuijpers, Damian Wilson)
"Dawn of a Million Souls" (with Magali Luyten)
"Into the Black Hole" (with Tommy Karevik)
"Valley of the Queens" (with Anneke van Giersbergen, Simone Simons & Marcela Bovio)
"Collision" (with Tommy Karevik, Tom Englund)
"Star of Sirrah" with Mike Mills, John Jaycee Cuijpers & Simone Simons)
"And the Druids Turn to Stone" (with Damian Wilson)
"Day Sixteen: Loser" (with Mike Mills, Ayreon Angels)
"Sail Away to Avalon" (with Barry Hay live debut; Golden Earring's '… more )
"Everybody Dies" (with Anneke van Giersbergen, Tommy Karevik & Mike Mills)
"The Castle Hall" (with Robert Soeterboek, Arjen Lucassen & Damian Wilson)
"Day Eleven: Love" (with Arjen Anthony Lucassen, Marcela Bovio, Robert Soeterboek, Ayreon Angels & Ed Warby on vocals)

Encore:
"The Eye of Ra" (Star One cover - with all singers)

Photo by Cristel Brouwer

In the video below, Neal Morse talks about the Life & Times album and tour with Paul Gosling. He also tells of future plans for Morsefest and The Neal Morse Band. The video features clips from his show at The Musician in Leicester, UK.

Get tour info and tickets here.

The Neal Morse Band's triumphant double album, The Similitude Of A Dream, is the most acclaimed release that Morse has helmed to date. The 2017 tour was their largest yet, including new continents for the band. At the O13 in Tilburg, Holland, the stars aligned for the most commanding performance of the run, captured for live release in stunning quality. "An epic night on an epic tour," proclaims Neal.

Released from Radiant/SONY/Metal Blade, it will be available on Blu-Ray and 2CD/2DVD. Join Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Eric Gillette, Bill Hubauer, and Randy George for over two hours of musical magic, as they play the album in its entirety, as well as a four song encore that will leave you breathless. Watch a second promo video below.

The Similitude Of A Dream: Live In Tilburg 2017 is now available for pre-order. Release date is June 15th. All pre-orders of both versions receive a free bonus track download. "Ways Of A Fool" includes just the vocals from the studio album. First 200 pre-orders of both versions signed by Neal Morse.

Tracklisting:

Disc One:
Intro
"Long Day"
"Overture"
"The Dream"
"City Of Destruction"
"We Have Got To Go"
"Makes No Sense"
"Draw The Line"
"The Slough"
"Back To The City"
"The Ways Of A Fool"
"So Far Gone"
"Breath Of Angels"

Disc Two:
"Slave To Your Mind"
"Shortcut To Salvation"
"The Man In The Iron Cage"
"The Road Called Home"
"Sloth"
"Freedom Song"
"I'm Running"
"The Mask"
"Confrontation"
"The Battle"
"Broken Sky / Long Day" (Reprise)
"Momentum"
"Author Of Confusion"
"Agenda"
"The Call"

Promo video #1:

Promo video #2:

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the official cause and manner of Vinnie Paul Abbott's death is still pending. Clark County spokesman Dan Kulin said that information will likely take several days to be issued.

Vinnie Paul passed away on Friday (June 22) at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. The former PANTERA drummer's death "did not appear suspicious," according to the official report of the event recorded by Metropolitan Police officers.

Officers were dispatched to a dead-body call at 5:41 p.m. Friday. Medical personnel were summoned, and Vinnie Paul was pronounced dead at the scene.

After an official cause of death has been determined, Vinnie's body will be flown to Texas to be buried between his mother and brother.

Abbott's brother, guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, was shot to death in December 2004 while performing onstage. The Abbotts founded the bands PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN together. After Dimebag's death, Vinnie Paul joined singer Chad Gray and other members of MUDVAYNE and NOTHINGFACE in HELLYEAH, who have released five albums.

While Vinnie Paul managed to carve out a second phase to his career even after the horrific tragedy of what happened to his brother, it's his staccato drumming and thunderous sound of PANTERA for which he'll be most remembered — as the backbeat for one of the most influential metal acts of all time.

In a 2010 interview with The Pulse Of Radio, Vinnie stated about the 20th anniversary of PANTERA's "Cowboys From Hell" album: "It's pretty amazing, man, it's pretty amazing, and you know, the great thing about it is that I think the record stood the test of time without a doubt. I think it still sounds amazing, the songs are pretty untouchable, the energy that we had on that record was pretty untouchable. You know, after being turned down by every record label 27, 28 times, we knew that we were a great live band — I think it all came through in the record when we were playing it."

Monotheist — Orlando’s progressive tech-death macabre just posted their brand new video for “The Grey King.” Featuring Christian Alvestam (ex-Scar Symmetry), “The Grey King” is the ireful opener off the latest Monotheist album, Scourge, out now on Prosthetic Records.

"We're excited to announce that we are hitting the road the finally! To celebrate, we are dropping our first-ever music video for the track 'The Grey King.' We are stoked to get out on the road for this east coast run and we can't wait to meet you guys. We also got some all-new merch coming out so come out and let's have an awesome time!" the band adds.    

Scourge features eight tracks, clocking in at almost an hour of music and sees the band taking their progressive and technical style of metal into the next stage of their musical evolution. It was mixed and mastered by Aaron Smith (7 Horns 7 Eyes) of Envisage Audio and features guest contributions from metal luminaries such as Bobby Koelble (ex-Death, Death to All) and the aforementioned Alvestam.

Scourge tracklisting:

"The Grey King"
"The Great Chain At The Neck Of The Earth"
"Mark Of The Beast Pt. 1: The Image"
"Mark Of The Beast Pt. 2: Scion Of Darkness"
"Infinite Wisdom"
"Desolate It Mourns Before Me"
"Abominable Acts"
"Scourge"

"Scourge":

"Mark Of The Beast Pt. 2: Scion Of Darkness":

"The Grey King":

In addition to the new video, Monotheist have also confirmed new tour dates in the U.S. this summer. Taking off in August, Monotheist will hit the road headlining the Consumed and Forgotten Tour.

Lineup:

Shiv - Vocals
Prophet - Guitar
Cooper Bates - Drums/Vocals
Tyler McDaniel - Guitar/Vocals
Jose Figueroa – Bass

(Photo - Anthony Basso)

Hard rock band KINGDOM COME was formed in 1987 and was quickly signed to Polydor Records. They released their first single "Get It On" which had a stranglehold on AOR radio in early 1988, prompting their self-titled debut album to ship gold. The quintet, comprised of guitarists Danny Stag and Rick Steier, bassist Johnny B. Frank, drummer James Kottak, and singer Lenny Wolf, took to the road immediately as part of the North American "Monsters of Rock" tour alongside VAN HALEN, SCORPIONS, METALLICA and DOKKEN. In addition to touring and extensive radio airplay, they also became MTV favorites with such videos as "Get It On" and "What Love Can Be" helping the band to sell two million debut albums worldwide.

2018 marks the 30th anniversary of the release of that classic album prompting James Kottak to revive KINGDOM COME. Along with original members Danny Stag, Rick Steier, Johnny B. Frank, a tour to commemorate the success of the band and album is born. Original singer Lenny Wolf declined to participate in the tour, but wishes the rest of the guys all the success and best in the world. Keith St. John (formerly of MONTROSE and LYNCH MOB) will be stepping up to fill that large void, "but is definitely up to the job” according to the bandmembers.


Stag says: "We all love each other like brothers, get along, and laugh a lot. It's like a miracle that this is finally happening!" Frank adds: "It was 30 years ago The Wolf recruited us, The Rock produced us, MTV aired us and VAN HALEN made us Monsters Of Rock. Grateful to rock another day!!!"

KINGDOM COME will tour in 2018 and 2019, performing its debut album in its entirety (when headlining) along with music from its second album, "In Your Face".


KINGDOM COME 30th-anniversary tour dates:

Sept. 27 - Seattle, WA - Club Sur Rocks

Sept. 29 - Sacramento, CA - Holy Diver

Oct. 03 - West Hollywood, CA - Whisky a Go-Go

Oct. 05 - Las Vegas, NV - Vamp’d

Oct. 06 - Ramona, CA - Ramona Mainstage

Oct. 11 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theatre

Oct. 17 - Warrendale, PA - Jergel’s

Oct. 18 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater

Oct. 21 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall

Oct. 23 - New Bedford, MA - Greasy Luck Brewpub

More shows will be added.

Kottak played on KINGDOM COME's first two albums, 1988's "Kingdom Come" and 1989's "In Your Face" before leaving. The drummer went on to play on MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP's 1992 "MSG" album before joining SCORPIONS in 1996.

Last year, Kottak told Shut Up & Rock On that he is "so proud" the first two KINGDOM COME albums. "I co-wrote on both of them on a few songs," he said. "They're just great albums. The songs are great. Lenny's incredible. We just killed it."

LED ZEPPELIN comparisons dogged KINGDOM COME throughout the latter band's '80s peak, in particular, Wolf's vocal resemblance to ZEPPELIN singer Robert Plant and the group's penchant for blues-based hard rock, a style ZEPPELIN helped pioneer. Kottak was asked by Shut Up & Rock On how he felt about these ongoing claims. "If you're going to be accused of something, at least rip off the best," he said. "It was just great music. My drumming compared to [legendary ZEPPELIN drummer] John Bonham? Thank you, I'll take it. I think some of the responses from a couple of the guys in the band maybe misled people.

"The press is so funny when a band comes and they get huge really fast. They love to knock them down, some press people do. Sometimes the press won't. It's like, good news travels fast, but bad news travels faster. That's what happened to KINGDOM COME. The same thing happened to QUIET RIOT in the early days. It's what it was. I'm super-proud of this stuff. I never had a problem with it. Call us 'ZEPPELIN rip-offs.' Who cares?

"Before I even went to audition, I got this tape and these four songs were on there. It was just Lenny with his drum machine and him singing. I went, 'Oh my God! This is phenomenal.' I listened to the tape three times in a row. It was 'Get It On' and 'What Love Could Be' and '17' and some other song. I was just going 'This is great!' If anything, '17', if you listen to STP's [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS] 'Vasoline', it's a complete rip-off of '17'. It's the exact same riff. It goes round and round. Who cares? It's just rock and roll."

After its early run of success in the '80s, KINGDOM COME released several albums, with Wolf remaining the only constant member of the band. The group's most recent effort was 2013's "Outlier".

Two-time-Grammy-nominated blues-rock titan Joe Bonamassa returns with a brand-new studio album, "Redemption", which will be released on September 21 via his own record label J&R Adventures. As part of today's announcement, he shares the official music video for the hard-hitting title-track single "Redemption".


"Redemption", Bonamassa's 13th solo studio album and third in a row of all-original material, sees him at his most ambitious yet as he continues to redefine and push the barriers of blues-rock. It features a staggering collection of 12 songs that weave effortlessly through an assortment of genres and reflect the artistic rebirth that he is currently experiencing.

"I'm going through some other stuff in my life I didn't expect to be going through," he explains. "It's a rising, it's contrition, it's acceptance, it's everything. It's painful, but knowing that there's a rising coming."


The album reunites Bonamassa with some of Nashville's finest music minds such as Tom Hambridge, James House, Gary Nicholson as well as Richard Page and American rock and roll legend Dion DiMucci (THE WANDERER, RUN-AROUND SUE) who adds his songwriting expertise to the title track. Joe also continues his long creative relationship with Kevin Shirley and together create an album bigger than ever before. "From a producer's perspective, this is far and away the most challenging and diverse album that Joe has ever made, " says Shirley.


The album was recorded at various locations, including Blackbird Studios in Nashville, The Cave Australia in Sydney, Studio At The Palms in Las Vegas, Criteria Hit Factory in Miami and Addiction Sound Studios in Nashville. It was once again recorded with a remarkable collection of musicians, including drummer Anton Fig (DAVID LETTERMAN BAND), bassist Michael Rhodes, keyboardist Reese Wynans, horn players Lee Thornburg and Paulie Cerra, harmony vocalist Gary Pinto, background singers Mahalia Barnes, Jade McRae, Juanita Tippins, and Kevin Shirley introduced two additional guitar players, Kenny Greenberg and Doug Lancio. "It was interesting, because having two extra guitar players involved, allowed me to play a certain way," Bonamassa adds.

The album opens with a tip of the hat to LED ZEPPELIN on "Evil Mama" that burrows into a deep groove before ripping into the rockabilly-tinged boogie blues of "King Bee Shakedown". Next, Bonamassa dips into his BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION influence to tell a tragic tale with timeless hard rock riffs for "Molly-O" and "Deep In The Blues Again" changes the course yet again with a driving rhythm meant for the car stereo.


"Self-Inflicted Wounds" is most telling of Bonamassa's progression as a true singer-songwriter, and Joe claims it as his best songwriting yet. "Pick Up The Pieces" channels Tom Waits for a late night after hours while "The Ghost of Macon Jones" sees Joe trade vocals with Nashville country singer Jamey Johnson as they recount a cautionary tale of a rural renegade. "Just Cos You Can Don't Mean You Should" channels Gary Moore for an upbeat taste of blues-rock euphoria before Bonamassa makes light of his trials and tribulations on "I've Got Some Mind Over What Matters".


Then Joe strips it down to only acoustic guitar and vocals on the heart-breaking tale of "Stronger Now In Broken Places", which promises that things will be better over time and features MIDNIGHT OIL's Jim Moginie providing soundscapes and Kate Stone on the hand pan. After this intense musical journey, Joe wraps it all up with a traditional blues rock tune with "Love is A Gamble".


There is a resounding theme of redemption and salvation on the album, but also very much a sense of strength and empowerment. "We all need to be redeemed at some point in our lives. It's this yearning to redeem yourself after just this tremendous loss and this tremendous feeling of pain," explains Bonamassa.

Bonamassa is at his ultimate creative peak with "Redemption", which follows the recent release of his last live masterpiece, "British Blues Explosion Live", that debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart and marked his 20th No. 1 album. Bonamassa's fire is unstoppable both in the studio and live on the road. Joe will also be performing live on tour this summer and fall in North America as he debuts new tracks from "Redemption" as part of his live set.

Rhythm-driven heavy rock band SAULT — featuring members of internationally acclaimed power metal group KAMELOT and groove metal outfit ARCANIUM, and guest appearances by members of KING DIAMOND, ONE EYED DOLL and more — has released a lyric video for the song "Save Myself". The track is taken from SAULT's debut full-length album, "Seeds Of Power", which came out in March.

SAULT originally formed in 2014 as a solo project of acclaimed bassist Sean Tibbetts, who sought to write hookier metallic rock music while not in the studio or touring with his full-time band KAMELOT. After deciding to branch the project out to a full band, Tibbetts joined forces with solo guitarist/tattooist Curtis Jay, and — after an introduction via ONE EYED DOLL and SAULT guest vocalist Kimberly Freeman — linked up with singer Benjamin Riggs of groove metal group ARCANIUM. "Seeds Of Power" features the talents of two rotating drummers — Matt Thompson (KING DIAMOND) and Casey Grillo (KAMELOT).


SAULT draws influence from the heyday of '90s alternative and grunge rock — ebbing and flowing with inspiration from bands like TOOL, LIVING COLOUR, SEVENDUST, SOUNDGARDEN and beyond — and accented by a further heavy metal impact. The sound is catchy and hard-hitting that will appeal to diehard rock fans and metal headbangers alike.

The official video for the song "Last Man Standing" can be seen below. The clip features Michael McCallum and Pat Bird as actors, and was directed by Pat Bird, Pat Dowdle and Jasper Thewes at Bad Trip Design.

"Last Man Standing" is the second of two videos shot with producer Roy Warner — the first being the clip for the single "Adonai". Unlike "Adonai" that was shot in a studio in Detroit, Michigan, band takes for "Last Man Standing" were shot in a warehouse reserved for artist. The story line was filmed in the outskirts of town in a wooded area. The band and producer's crew all brainstormed after the initial shoot to come up with a plot for the story line. SAULT didn't want it to look dystopian or to look old school either; they were aiming for somewhere in the middle. The story meshed well with the music and captures an element of suspense, and the hero of the story did a great job of building up the character to become, in fact, the Last Man Standing.

Tibbets stated about "Last Man Standing": "When I originally wrote the song, I wasn't sure I wanted to use it. But once the guys in the band started putting their own vibe and feel to the song, it became this crushing riff that sticks in your head. It is my personal favorite SAULT song so far."


"Seeds Of Power" track listing:

01. Balance *

02. Guilt ^

03. Adonai ^

04. Entropy (feat. guest vocals by Kimberly Freeman of One Eyed Doll) *

05. Fragile ^

06. Peaceful Moment ^

07. Save Myself ^

08. Last Man Standing *

09. Null Space *

* feat. guest drummer Matt Thompson (KING DIAMOND)

^ feat. guest drummer Casey Grillo (KAMELOT)


"Seeds Of Power" was recorded using the power of the Internet, with different members recording their parts in Florida, Kentucky, Colorado and Texas. The album was then produced, mixed and mastered by Oliver Palotai (KAMELOT, ULI JON ROTH, DORO) in Stuttgart, Germany. Vocal tracking is credited to Adam Stewart of ARCANIUM and additional vocal edits were made by Jason Sewell of ONE EYED DOLL. Contributing writers on the album include Kole Kruger, Vic DeLeon and Jeff Garner.

FALLING IN REVERSE released the standalone single "Losing My Mind" earlier this year. It was a sonic triumph for a band that constantly thrills its fans with unpredictable musical left turns, accompanied by a neon-tinged, rebellious, and futuristic video. It racked up nearly seven million views and nearly three million streams since its release.

The band has followed with the frenetic sequel — "Losing My Life". Watch the video below.

"'Losing My Life' is the continuation of where 'Losing My Mind' ended," said singer Ronnie Radke. "[It's] the dichotomies and ironic parallels between self-reflection and the self-destructive nature that we as humans face on a daily basis in modern times. Whether it be constant judgments from our peers, not being good enough, to not knowing who to trust, I've come to the realization that we are all the same at our core. Yet, ironically, we project our fears in the form of hate onto each other."


He continued: "Bouncing between dimensions, as the video portrays, there are two of me that are polar opposites of each other: one trying to prove to the world he is good enough, and the other trying to stop him from it. He ultimately kills his 'reflection' — the mirrored entity negating his progress by inter-dimensional time travel — only to find that the other version of 'him' he kills comes back to life, regenerating the feelings again. It's my analogy of the cyclical battle we all face on a day to day basis. However, this underlying message can be translated in many different ways. It's all in the eyes and ears of the beholder."

FALLING IN REVERSE will perform at select dates of the final traveling edition of the annual Vans Warped Tour. The band appears from June 28 through July 16.

The band's latest full-length album, "Coming Home", is out now via Epitaph Records.

ALICE IN CHAINS will release its new album, "Rainier Fog", on August 24. The latest single from the effort, "So Far Under" can be streamed below.

About "So Far Under", ALICE IN CHAINS vocalist/guitarist William DuVall says: "It's about feeling completely up against it — outnumbered, surrounded, facing seemingly unbeatable odds and being really pissed off about it. It was inspired by personal circumstances, as well as events in the wider world. But it's not as resigned to defeat as it may seem. The lyric is a cold, hard assessment of a difficult situation but the music has a message all its own. There's still room to flip the script. Every aspect of writing and recording this song will always be remembered with a lot of joy — from recording the basic tracks and the guitar solo at Studio X in Seattle to doing further overdubs at Nick Raskulinecz's studio in rural Tennessee. Everyone in the band and our studio team really stepped up and knocked it out of the park on this one. We're extremely proud of this song and the entire album."

"Rainier Fog" marks a few firsts for ALICE IN CHAINS: in addition to being their first album in five years, it's their first album for BMG and their first time recording in their hometown of Seattle in more than 20 years (worth noting that the album title is a tribute to Seattle). They recorded at Studio X, the same facility where they tracked 1995's self-titled "Alice In Chains" album (back when the studio was known as Bad Animals). The "Rainier Fog" recording process also saw the band spend time at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles and at the Nashville studio of producer Nick Raskulinecz. "Rainier Fog" is the third straight ALICE IN CHAINS album recorded with Raskulinecz and engineer Paul Figueroa. The album was mixed by Joe Barresi (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, TOOL).

"Rainier Fog" track listing:

01. The One You Know

02. Rainier Fog

03. Red Giant

04. Fly

05. Drone

06. Deaf Ears Blind Eyes

07. Maybe

08. So Far Under

09. Never Fade

10. All I Am

Guitarist and co-vocalist Jerry Cantrell told Guitar World about the upcoming LP: "It's not that we were keeping it a secret — we just didn't want to say a whole lot about it until we had something to say. And we certainly have something to say with this one. It's a fucking strong record."

As for the musical direction of the new ALICE IN CHAINS material, Cantrell said: "It's a record we haven't done yet, I can tell you that. But it's also a record that has all the elements of anything you would expect from us. It's got our fingerprint. And we're really proud of the material that we wrote and the performances we captured. There's some really heavy shit, some really ugly stuff, some real beautiful stuff, some weirdo trippy shit… it's good!"

Cantrell also addressed the fact that it has been five years since the release of ALICE IN CHAINS' last album. "It's a lot of work doing a record," he said, "and I think it gets harder the older we get. But we just wait until we're ready and until we have enough material that's up to the ALICE IN CHAINS standard, and then we do what we do. This is just the racket that we make when we get together."

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" was the band's second disc with Duvall, who joined in 2006 following the death of Layne Staley.

"The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" sold 62,000 copies in its first week of release. It followed up 2009's "Black Gives Way To Blue".

The first two singles from "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here", "Hollow" and "Stone", both hit No. 1 on the rock radio airplay charts, while the album itself debuted on the Billboard album chart at No. 2.

Photo credit: Pamela Littky