Former LOVE/HATE and QUIET RIOT singer Jizzy Pearl has commenced work on a new solo album, to be released via Frontiers Music Srl. "I'm having one of my ex-LOVE/HATE guitar players, Darren Householder, he's gonna be playing guitar on it," Jizzy told HRH TV at this year's HRH AOR festival, which was held last month in North Wales. "So it's gonna be LOVE/HATE-ish."

Householder joined LOVE/HATE after the band's original guitarist, Jon E. Love, quit the group.

Also expected to appear on Pearl's upcoming solo album are Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER) on drums, Mike Szuter (MAGNA-FI) on guitar and Mark "Muddy" Dutton on bass and keyboards.

Asked what fans can expect from his forthcoming solo disc, Jizzy told Uber Rock: "I write about things, recent experiences, people around me, some not so affectionately. I'd like to think I’m a little past writing about beer and chicks — unless it's about my wife, who is a cool chick."

Pearl recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of LOVE/HATE's "Wasted In America" album by performing the LP in its entirety on a U.K. tour.

Jizzy told The Moshville Times about his current setlist: "I do throw in some Jizzy solo songs in from time to time, but, to be honest, people want to hear the first two LOVE/HATE records sung by the guy who can still sing them."

Pearl announced his exit from QUIET RIOT last October after about three years fronting the band. He told NI Rocks about his departure: "I just wanted to move on. I just wanted to do more work of my own, including my own record, and wanted to explore other options in the musical sphere."

OF MICE & MEN has released a surprise new single and video called "Unbreakable". The song is the new material from the Orange County metalcore outfit since the departure of longtime singer Austin Carlile. Handling lead vocals in the group now is bassist Aaron Pauley.

Carlile announced his departure from OF MICE & MEN last December. Although his exit was initially believed to have been caused by the fact that he was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a rare genetic tissue disorder, he has since revealed that a feud with his former bandmates contributed to the split.

Speaking to BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show With Daniel P. Carter", Pauley stated about OF MICE & MEN's decision to carry on without Carlile: "If you followed the media reports over the past year along with Austin's statement, having to leave because of his health. I think we… I don't know. It's hard to talk about. It's still not an easy thing to think about the future without him. One of the things that Austin expressed to us was that he really wanted us to keep going. He didn't really want this to slow anything down as far as playing shows or anything else. For us, we took a few days to decide that."

Earlier this month, Carlile gave fans an update on his health, saying that he would be "seeing some of you THIS summer!"

OF MICE & MEN's latest album, "Cold World", came out in 2016.

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN kicked off the 2017 leg of "The Book Of Souls" European tour last night (Saturday, April 22) at Sportpalais in Antwerp, Belgium.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. If Eternity Should Fail02. Speed Of Light03. Wrathchild04. Children Of The Damned05. Death Or Glory06. The Red And The Black07. The Trooper08. Powerslave09. The Great Unknown (live debut)10. The Book Of Souls11. Fear Of The Dark12. Iron Maiden

Encore:

13. The Number Of The Beast14. Blood Brothers15. Wasted Years

Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

MAIDEN's European tour consists of a total of sixteen dates, including three shows in Germany, eight in England, two in Scotland and one each in Ireland and Wales. The U.K. leg marks MAIDEN's first full UK arena tour in six years.

The Antwerp concert was MAIDEN's first appearance in the city since the "Killers" tour in 1981.

The German leg will see MAIDEN perform in Oberhausen, Frankfurt and Hamburg before dates in Nottingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Newcastle, Liverpool, Birmingham, London, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Cardiff and Dublin.

SHINEDOWN is providing support act on all sixteen dates.

Prior to the tour, IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris said: "As it's been so long since our last full U.K. arena tour, we really wanted to get to our fans in as many cities as possible. We're really looking forward to it, especially visiting places we haven't been to for a very long time, like Leeds, where we haven't played since 2005, and Liverpool, where we haven't played since 1990.

"The whole band is really enjoying this tour and although we love playing festivals and stadiums, it is terrific to return to the intimacy and atmosphere of arenas.

"The songs from 'The Book Of Souls' album and the new Maya-themed Eddies and stage sets have gone down really well and fan reaction has been amazing. And, of course, we know our fans appreciate us playing a lot of the older songs too, which we will continue to do."

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

IRON MAIDEN's "The Book Of Souls" world tour will return to North America for an extensive series of arena and amphitheater shows in June and July. Support on the trek will come from GHOST.

NEW YEARS DAY's Ash Costello, STITCHED UP HEART's Alecia "Mixi" Demner and ONCE HUMAN's Lauren Hart appear on the cover of Revolver magazine's "25 Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock" April/May issue, which will hit newsstands on May 2 and is available for purchase online right now. You can view the cover below, which was photographed by Travis Shinn.

Behind-the-scenes footage from the cover shoot can be seen below.

Asked what "the most fucked up thing" is that they have seen in the music industry, Demner said: "Oh, boy. I think one thing that's really, really challenging is that you still have to keep proving yourself over and over and over again when it should be just as simple as, 'Hey, I'm just here to make some music and I hope that you like it.' It's a simple thing, making music, but it turns into a lot of stuff that really doesn't matter."

Added Hart: "I guess that there's just so much drama in heavy metal. I was thinking this music would have the least amount of drama, because we're a bunch of kids that were all kind of different. And we were the underdogs. The outcasts. So I thought it would be more unified."

Costello said: "The most fucked up thing I've ever seen personally is watching people in bands take advantage of their power and their influence over people. I toured with a band where the singer was a guy and he used his position to take advantage of fans. Younger ones. And it was actually pretty controversial because I came forward about it at the time. And a lot of people didn't believe me at first and I ended up getting kicked off the tour because I was so unhappy about what I saw. At the time, it was a big controversy for me, but it finally came out that I was right."

Asked what they stand up for, Demner said: "Hopefulness. I don't want to write a song that's going to bring somebody down and not be able to lift them back up. Because we're so moved by music. Why write something that's going to make you feel bad?"

Added Costello: "In music and in general, I have the same message: Don't let anybody take advantage of you. Don't get pushed around. Don't let anyone step on you. You have to be your own hero, you have to be your No. 1 fan, you have to be the strongest person in your court. I'm a big advocate of the idea that if anybody says anything bad about you, go up there and take them down."

Stated Hart: "I also don't like seeing anyone get taken advantage of. For some reason, that's a sore spot for me. Maybe because I was sort of picked on a lot when I was a kid and didn't really find my voice until I was older. So now that I've grown out of that, if I see someone getting taken advantage of, I get really angry about it and want to be their voice."

"With You And I" is the first official single off Live & Louder, the high-octane live album from The Dead Daisies, recorded last year in Europe, scheduled for a May 19th release via Spitfire / SPV. You can pre-order it now at this location.

"We’re quite happy how this staple of our setlist turned out," says The Dead Daisies. "Sounds like a band firing on all cylinders, don’t you think? That happens when we’re all having fun at a show, so thanks to all that come to rock with us. We hope all you new and old fans alike will get a kick out of this - now crank it!"

The Dead Daisies’ awesome live juggernaut is set to storm into North America in August for a dozen prime live dates as part of their Live & Louder World Tour, in support of the release of their landmark Live & Louder album on Spitfire Music / SPV / eOne on May 19th. Heralded as The Dirty Dozen Tour, the trek is set to kick off in Chicago, IL on August 10th and will wrap in Las Vegas, NV on August 27th.

The Dirty Dozen Tour is inspired by the classic 1960s movie of the same name. “Rehearse them, Excite them, Arm them - then turn them loose on the Fans!”

It will be the band’s first North American Headline Tour where demand has been steadily building after 2016’s smash success of their third album Make Some Noise.

Lead singer John Corabi - “We're all very excited for our very first North American headline run. We're kicking it all off on August 10th in Chicago and ending it in 'Sin City' Las Vegas! You guys have been amazing with all of your support and requests for shows here, so we're giving it to you 'Live And Louder', and 'down and dirty' on The Dirty Dozen Tour 2017! See ya on the road kids!”

Before being turned loose on North American audiences, the troops will be fresh from playing some of the most prestigious and high profile UK and European rock festivals coupled with a series of headline club shows, dates in Japan to then make their long-awaited debut in South America. From South America it’s back to one of Europe’s largest festivals Woodstock Poland, to be part of a “Concert Inspired by Freedom” which will see the band perform with a 60-piece Orchestra.

Special guests on this North American run will be The Dives, which the band made instant friends with on the previous years’ KISS Kruise and who will add their own blend of signature rock and roll to the fiery package.

Confirmed dates for The Dirty Dozen Tour are as listed:

August
10 - Arcada Theatre - Chicago, IL
11 - Shelter at Saint Andrews - Detroit, MI
12 - Lee’s Palace - Toronto, ON
16 - House Of Independence - Asbury Park, NJ
17 - Highline Ballroom - New York NY
18 - Rams Head Live - Baltimore, MD
19 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
20 - The Basement East - Nashville, TN
23 - Gas Monkey - Dallas, TX
25 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
26 - House Of Blues - San Diego, CA
27 - Counts Vamp’d - Las Vegas NV

Live & Louder, will be available in multiple deluxe formats and perfectly captures the awesome vibe of their supreme, sweat drenched, roof-raising live sets, recorded on a heady high at the end of an unbelievable 2016. The result, once again mixed by Anthony Focx (Aerosmith, Bad Company), is an absolute stunner!

Lead guitarist Doug Aldrich has some choice words about the upcoming live album - "Live & Louder really helps define The Dead Daisies’ sound. Like bands I've been involved with co-producing (Whitesnake and Dio), we have a great team that makes sure our sound is consistent and we are always looking to pump it up. Onstage I just play guitar but our crew and production team are very instrumental in capturing what happens on stage. Now get out there and go Live & Louder with us this summer!”

Tracklisting:

"Long Way To Go"
"Mexico"
"Make Some Noise"
"Song And A Prayer"
"Fortunate Son"
"We All Fall Down"
"Lock’N'Load"
"Something I Said"
"Last Time I Saw The Sun"
"Join Together"
"With You And I"
"Band Intros"
"Mainline"
"Helter Skelter"
"American Band"
"Midnight Moses"

Exclusive Bonus 7″ in Limited Edition Box Set:

"My Generation"
"American Band"
"Maggie May"
"Ramble On"

Lead singer John Corabi: “We’re extremely excited and proud of Live & Louder! A lot of the fans have been writing to us and saying how much they LOVED our records but were even more blown away by the band live. The album shows the world how truly loud and supportive The Dead Daisies fans are! Turn It Up!!!!”

Live & Louder formats:

• Digipak (Contains CD & DVD & massive photo booklet. The DVD features an exclusive Live & Louder Documentary, a massive “Make Some Noise World Tour” Documentary, all music videos of the Make Some Noise album cycle and a picture gallery)

• Vinyl (Double 180g Multicolor Vinyl, Gatefold, Printed Inner Sleeves, 4-Page Booklet, CD in Paper-Sleeve)

• Limited Edition Box Set (contains Digipak with CD & DVD, Double 180g 12” Vinyl, Exclusive Colored-Vinyl 7” Single, Poster, Sticker, Button, Patch, PhotoCard)

• Digital Download & Stream

The Live & Louder World Tour 2017 will visit the following countries: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom, Holland, France, Belgium, Hungary, Czech Republic, Japan, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Mexico, Poland, Canada and the US.

Tour dates:

June
2 - Rock Hard Festival - Gelsenkirchen, Germany
3 - Rock In Vienna - Vienna, Austria
4 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany
5 - Druso - Bergamo, Italy
6 - Dynamo - Zürich, Switzerland
8 - Amager Bio - Copenhagen, Denmark
9 - Sweden Rock Festival - Solvesborg, Sweden
11 - Download Festival - Donnington, United Kingdom
12 - Liquid Room - Edinburgh, United Kingdom
14 - Boerderij - Zoetermeer, Netherlands
16 - Le Forum - Vaureal, France
17 - Hellfest - Clisson, France
18 - Graspop Metal Meeting - Dessel, Belgium
20 - Hirsch - Nürnberg, Germany
21 - Hellraiser - Leipzig, Germany
23 - Harley Days Festival - Hamburg, Germany
25 - Bluesiana - Velden, Austria
26 - Bluesiana - Velden, Austria
27 - Rockhouse - Salzburg, Austria
28 - A38 - Budapest, Hungary
29 - Lucerna Music Bar - Prague, Czech Republic

July
1 - Freigericht Rockt Festival - Freigericht, Germany
5 - Shibuya Club Quattro - Tokyo, Japan
6 - Umeda Club Quattro - Osaka, Japan
12 - Opera de Arame - Curitiba, Brazil (special guest to Richie Kotzen)
13 - Carioca Club - Sao Paulo, Brazil (special guest to Richie Kotzen)
15 - Vorterix - Buenos Aires, Argentina
16 - Teatro Vorterix - Rosario, Argentina
18 - TBA - Santiago, Chile

August
3 - Woodstock Poland - Kostrzyn, Poland
10 - Arcada Theatre - Chicago, IL
11 - Shelter at Saint Andrews - Detroit, MI
12 - Lee’s Palace - Toronto, ON
16 - House Of Independence - Asbury Park, NJ
17 - Highline Ballroom - New York NY
18 - Rams Head Live - Baltimore, MD
19 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
20 - The Basement East - Nashville, TN
23 - Gas Monkey - Dallas, TX
25 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
26 - House Of Blues - San Diego, CA
27 - Counts Vamp’d - Las Vegas NV

For additional information visit thedeaddaisies.com.

The Dirty Dozen Tour Trailer:

“Make Some Noise” live video:

Live & Louder Trailer:

Iron Maiden kicked off their The Book Of Souls Tour 2017 last night (April 22nd) in at the Sportpalais in Antwerp, Belgium. Check out the new tour intro below:

Iron Maiden’s The Book Of Souls Tour will continue into Germany, UK and Ireland, finishing with two sold-out shows at London’s 02 arena on May 27th and 28th.

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

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

Parlophone Records will follow 2014’s reissue of the first eight Iron Maiden albums, which spanned the 1980s, with twelve brand new pressings of albums from the period 1990 - 2015 in heavyweight 180g black vinyl.

Unlike the 1980’s reissues which were cut from the original analogue master tapes, the audio on these releases has been cut from the high resolution remasters of 2015 when the Maiden catalogue was digitally upgraded. They will be packaged in identical artwork to the initial vinyl releases.

The records will be released chronologically across a three month period:

May 19th: Collector's Box / No Prayer For The Dying / Fear Of The Dark / The X Factor / Virtual XI

June 23rd: Brave New World / Rock In Rio (Live) / Dance Of Death / A Matter Of Life And Death

July 21st: Death On The Road (Live) / Flight 666 (Live) / The Final Frontier / En Vivo! (Live)

As a bonus, the first two albums (No Prayer For The Dying / Fear Of The Dark) will also be made available in an exclusive Collector’s Box sized to house all 12 albums with additional space for fans to insert the latest Maiden studio album The Book Of Souls, which was released on triple black vinyl in 2015. The Collector’s Box will be a strictly limited edition and available while stocks last.

These high quality, black vinyls comprised of eight studio albums together with a specially selected choice of four live recordings from this period, completes the Iron Maiden album reissues series and offers Maiden fans the opportunity to own the band’s entire studio album legacy on vinyl simultaneously for the very first time.

According to Variety, Neill Byrnes and Anthony Rocco Bovo will play Aerosmith legends Steven Tyler and Joe Perry in the upcoming Lynyrd Skynyrd biopic Street Survivors: The True Story Of The Lynyrd Skynyrd Plane Crash, which begins shooting in Los Angeles on Monday.

The movie centers on drummer Artimus Pyle’s recollection of the events surrounding the crash of the group’s touring plane in Mississippi on October 20th, 1977. Ronnie Van Zant and Steve Gaines, along with backup singer Cassie Gaines (Steve's older sister), assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary, and co-pilot William Gray were killed on impact; other band members (Collins, Rossington, Wilkeson, Powell, Pyle, and Hawkins), tour manager Ron Eckerman,and several road crew suffered serious injuries.

One week before Lynyrd Skynyrd boarded the flight, members of Aerosmith were scheduled to board the same Convair CV-300.

The accident came just three days after the release of the band’s legendary Street Survivors album which featured "What's Your Name" and "That Smell”.

Read more at Variety.

 

KISS performed at the Grand Sierra Resort in Reno, NV on April 21st. The clip below features the band's entrance and the first song of their acoustic set, "Comin' Home". Watch for video of the full stage show, coming soon.

 

KISS have announced a date at Casino Rama in Orillia, Ontario (north of Toronto) on August 18th. Tickets are on sale now.

Find the complete KISS concert schedule at this location.

YouTube user AmericanJackassI continues to post rare '80s bootleg video online, one of the latest installments being David Lee Roth performing at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario on April 13th, 1988 on the Skyscraper tour.

Toronto, Ontario (1988)

 

Setlist:

"The Bottom Line" 
"Hot Dog & A Shake" 
"Ain't Talkin Bout Love" 
"Just Like Paradise" 
"Knucklebone" 
"Easy Street" 
"Hot For Teacher" 
"Stand Up" 
"On Fire" 
- Steve Vai solo -
"Skyscraper"
"Just A Gigolo" 
"Goin' Crazy" 
- steel drums - 
"Yankee Rose" 
- jam -
"Panama" 
"California Girls" 
"You Really Got Me" 
"Jump"

David Lee Roth's band was:

David Lee Roth - vocals
Steve Vai - guitar
Matt Bissonette - bass
Gregg Bissonette - drums
Brett Tuggle - keyboards

Former PANTERA and current DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo's SUPERJOINT project — previously known as SUPERJOINT RITUAL — kicked off the second leg of its "Caught Up In The Gears" U.S. tour on Friday, April 21 at Alamo City Music Hall in San Antonio, Texas. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below. The eighteen-date journey will work its way west, ending on May 14 in Dallas, Texas. Support is again provided by Motor City thrashers BATTLECROSS and noise rock eccentrics CHILD BITE, also of Detroit, who both trekked out with SUPERJOINT during the first leg of the tour in January.

Anselmo told Decibel magazine that SUPERJOINT was forced to drop the "RITUAL" from its name was "because there's a bloodsucking leech out there who took advantage of a situation. But we're all at fault as well for signing a document that basically has a zero sunset clause, meaning that this person is privy to a cut of any money a 'SUPERJOINT RITUAL' would make. Hence getting rid of the 'RITUAL,' coming back as SUPERJOINT, and cutting out that cancer."

SUPERJOINT's new album, "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application", was released in November via Anselmo's Housecore record label. The disc was recorded at Philip's New Orleans-area studio, Nodferatu's Lair and was produced by Anselmo and Stephen Berrigan. The effort was mastered by Scott Hull (AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED, PIG DESTROYER) at Visceral Sounds.

Anselmo stated about "Caught Up In The Gears Of Application": "The overall theme [of the album] means many things, or no things, but there is an underlying message regardless, about how modern technology — computers and all that comes with them, mainly — has affected our lives. As a musician, it has affected my life both negatively (music being stolen) and positively (being in touch with fellow musicians around the world and staying visible). But when looking at the broader spectrum, computer-land has given everyday people a platform in which to bellow like carnival barkers about anything and everything, humdrum or political, whether qualified or not, some with good intentions, some with disingenuous intentions, and some with ideas that lay somewhere in the middle, creating a mishmash of results."

SUPERJOINT's current lineup includes guitarists Kevin Bond (CHRIST INVERSION, ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER) and Jimmy Bower (DOWN, EYEHATEGOD), drummer José Manuel Gonzalez (WARBEAST, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) and bassist Stephen Taylor (PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, WOVEN HAND, 16 HORSE POWER).

Greece's "TV War" conducted an interview with bassist Pär Sundström of Swedish metallers SABATON prior to the band's March 8 show at Piraeus 117 Academy in Athens, Greece with ACCEPT as direct support. You can watch the full chat below (the interview starts around the 20-minute mark). A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the turning point in SABATON's career:

Pär: "There has been many turning points. Well, points, where I see, 'Okay, we are ready for the next level.' The first one was 2004 when we recorded 'Primo Victoria'. I was listening to it and I realized, 'This is good enough. This is so good that it can get somewhere.' 'Metalizer' [2007] was just a cool album. It was nothing that I felt like it would be something big, it was just a cool album in some ways, some good songs, some not-so-good songs, but it was a cool album. 'Primo Victoria' was 'Wow!' So that was one thing. With 'The Art Of War' [2008], it was also one thing because it brought us outside of Sweden to a wider audience. We could tour. We got appreciated in some media, they wrote 'This is a cool band.' We got reviews and stuff, then a big turning point was a bit later as well, we signed a contract with Nuclear Blast, making our albums available worldwide. That was 2010. That was one thing. Around 2012, we were kind of really going towards something, but that's when we split up with the band because some people thought it was too much. It was not what they wanted when they started. It was completely different."

On why SABATON lost four of its members (who went on to form CIVIL WAR) in 2012:

Pär: "They saw that it could be possible, that it could be done, but it would require too much. That was the main thing why we went different ways. I said, 'Okay, I believe in it. I will take it to the next level. If you guys also want to take it to the next level, you know what is required. It requires to tour this over two hundred days in a year and a lot of energy and sacrifices, but we can make it.' And people [went] 'No, no.' That's why we are now in two different bands. They tour when they feel like it and we tour all the time."

On whether bands like AMON AMARTH, GHOST and SABATON are using bigger stage productions to appeal to younger audiences:

Pär: "I'm not sure exactly why others do it and why some don't do it. It is very costly and it requires a lot. Also, a lot of regulations are popping up all the time making things complicated to use and do. We do everything by the book which makes it very complicated. I know a lot of bands do it without asking permission, so to say, and that makes it more possible and cheaper. If something happens, it's going to be trouble for the band. But, of course, I think that as a fan, you ask of something more of a band. Some bands, they look good when they are stripped down. SABATON works fine stripped down in a small club, but when you want to move to a bigger place, you have to fill up the stage with something. Even if we are an active band running around the stage, I still don't think it's enough."

On ACCEPT opening for SABATON in certain European markets despite ACCEPT's legendary status:

Pär: "We've heard the same, funnily enough only from a few countries. There was a few other countries where we also heard it. Actually, I was a little bit sad in some ways. We did some co-interviews together with Wolf [Hoffman, guitar] from ACCEPT. We did triple interviews where we and ACCEPT were doing together with journalists in front of the tour. They even approached us in kind of an evil way saying, 'You are heretics. You are blasphemy' and stuff like this. Then Wolf is there, and he's like 'Hey, this is not like we signed a contract that we have to do something we don't want to do. We are here because we want to be here. This is a great opportunity for ACCEPT. These are my words. I am here because I want to be supporting SABATON. I'm not here because of any other reason. If I didn't want to be here, I'd stay home. So, how can you be angry about this? This is a great opportunity for people to discover ACCEPT and yes, as a matter of fact, these days SABATON pulls a bigger crowd than ACCEPT. It's no secret.' It would be odd and more people would be disappointed if they played a longer set these days. For us, this is a good thing. For ACCEPT, it's a good thing. For the fans, it's a good thing. I don't see the problem, really.

"Okay, if some people say 'ACCEPT is this legendary band, how can they open for you?' But if they are so big and legendary, why don't people go out and buy their albums if they have so many fans that complain? But you're right, they don't support them that much [in Greece]. For ACCEPT, it's great, they have a new audience now. Every night, you see a lot of young people in the crowd and they're like, 'Oh, wow!' A lot of people can sing along to their tracks. I think it's great. ACCEPT is still, even though they are quite old compared to us, they are still doing great albums, great shows and I think they still have a lot of things to give. That's one of the reasons. If they weren't interested in continuing with the band, they'd go 'We're not interested in the young crowd anyway. We'll stay home and we won't do this tour.' Now, they are even seeing there is a couple of years more for ACCEPT in the future, which is great."

SABATON began the North American leg of their "The Last Tour" headlining trek on April 20 at The Trocadero in Philadelphia. The tour will hit seven Canadian cities plus Chicago, Anaheim, Dallas, and conclude at the The Fillmore in Silver Springs, Maryland on May 22.

SABATON's eighth album, "The Last Stand", was released last August via Nuclear Blast.

In a brand new interview with Music Choice, Ice-T explained how MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine came to make a guest appearance on "Bloodlust", the latest album from the hip-hop legend, actor and director's metal band BODY COUNT. He said (see video below): "What happened is, BODY COUNT, when we came in the game over twenty years ago, we debuted at the Lollapalooza tour. Once we got in, and they saw we were serious, every rock group became our friend. People were coming out of the woodwork, whether it was SLAYER… all these different groups were, like, 'Yo, I see what you're doing, and it's unique, and, uh, we down. And if you're ever getting ready to make a record, call us.' The first person was Dave Mustaine. And Dave has been a fan… I've been a fan of Dave for years, but I learned about Dave Mustaine a long time ago because when I did the 'Original Gangster' album, he reviewed my album. They asked him, 'What's your favorite album this year? Five favorite albums?' He said, ''O.G.', 'O.G.', 'O.G.', 'O.G.' and 'O.G.'' So my boy's, like, 'Yo, you've gotta go meet this motherfucker, right? So I met Dave Mustaine. I'm, like, 'Okay, you're the business. You're MEGADETH.' I was like 'This shit's badass.' So, we became friends but never had a chance to work [together]. So, I called Dave, and Dave was, like, 'I'm on it. What do you want me to do?' So the first verse, the first voice you hear on the new BODY COUNT album is Dave Mustaine doing that announcement."

"Bloodlust" was released on March 31 via Century Media Records. The disc was recorded with producer Will Putney (MISS MAY I, UPON A BURNING BODY), who also helmed 2014's "Manslaughter". The new CD features additional guest appearances by Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, SEPULTURA) and LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe. The effort also contains BODY COUNT's medley of the SLAYER songs "Postmortem" and "Raining Blood".

Pictured: Ice-T at Music Choice Studios on April 20, 2017

Photo credit: Music Choice / Juan Navarro

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield has paid tribute to Iggy Pop on his 70th birthday, calling the rock icon "not only a survivor but a huge inspiration."

Hetfield made his comments in a video message that was posted on Iggy's Facebook page. The METALLICA singer said: "Hey, Iggy. Happy 70th birthday. You don't look a day over 30. I've enjoyed immensely getting to know you over this year and have nothing but respect and love for you and what you've done for rebellious music. And I just wanna say that you're not only a survivor but a huge inspiration for me as I battle on into older age and enjoy every moment of it. So I think everyone there, in honor of Iggy and his 70th, should take their shirts off. Yeah! Have the faith! Keep the faith, brother! Take your shirt off."

METALLICA and Iggy Pop performed THE STOOGES song "T.V. Eye" on March 5 in Mexico City.

Pop was the opening act for METALLICA at each of the three shows METALLICA played at the Foro Sol venue, where the two acts were seen by a total of nearly two hundred thousand fans.

METALLICA welcomed Pop on stage for the final encore, with frontman James Hetfield telling the crowd: "METALLICA has much respect for the man coming out here to sing a song with us, and we're grateful that he's been able to be on this Mexico City tour with us. Please show your sign of respect and love to Mr. Iggy Pop."

THE STOOGES singer came onstage for a blistering rendition of the "Fun House" classic, with Pop and Hetfield screaming together on the "Right on!" portion of the bridge before sharing some call-and-response vocals on the third verse.




James Hetfield of Metallica sums it up! You're an inspiration to so many, Iggy!

Posted by Iggy Pop on Friday, April 21, 2017

Fan-filmed video footage of former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd and his solo band performing on April 21 at L'Empreinte in Savigny-le-Temple, France can be seen below.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.

Rudd appeared to take responsibility for his dismissal from AC/DC, saying: "I was just being a fucking dickhead. I shot myself in the foot. You make your own bed, mate. You make your own mistakes and you have to deal with them and that is what I have done. Hindsight is 20/20."

Rudd, who has appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 studio albums, has just kicked off his first solo tour in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

Rudd's replacement in AC/DC is Chris Slade, who also did a three-year stint with the group from 1990 to 1993.

In a recent interview with Kaaos TV, Rudd stated about the AC/DC songs he is performing with his solo band on the group's current European tour: "[Those are] the ones I like, that I feel I contributed a lot to, with just the way I played them. We don't wanna be a covers band, so we just brought in two or three [AC/DC tracks]. Because we're playing the Bonfest [the annual celebration of the life and music of AC/DC legend Bon Scott, who died in 1980 at the age of 33] on the 28th of April in Scotland, so we've got three of Bon's songs that we're playing, and hopefully we'll do them well for the fans in Scotland."

Asked if he would like to play with AC/DC again in the future, Phil said: "I'd like to be involved with Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist] again, maybe on the next album or something. But I still have some traveling restrictions, and I'm not sure if I can go to America or not. I've got some lawyers doing some work so I can go back to America, but I'm not too sure. So I have some limitations on what I can do, and I'm just making the best of my situation at the moment."

Rudd played with AC/DC from 1975 until 1983, and then again from 1994 through 2014. He first appeared on the band's second album, 1975's "T.N.T."

Jimmy Kay from Canada's The Metal Voice conducted an interview with guitarist/vocalist Mille Petrozza of German thrash metal veterans KREATOR prior to the band's April 12 show in Montreal, Quebec, Canada at Club Soda. You can watch the full chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his influences:

Mille: "As a kid, I was listening to a lot of JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN. Later on, I got into VENOM, all of the old-school stuff. MERCYFUL FATE, a lot of MERCYFUL FATE. Anything from THE BEATLES to Lana Del Ray… to anything. Kate Bush. I listen to everything; all kinds of music. I don't know if that is a direct influence on the music. I don't really think about it, really. When I write an album, it's almost like it's very spontaneous. It's very intuitive. I'm really focusing on what's coming out and don't think about what's going to transpire. What I try to do is, I try, since I absorb a lot of music, I try not to sound like anyone else. Rather than being influenced, I try to filter the riffs that I write in the category of whether or not they sound like somebody else. That's more like a negative…you get rid of things rather than you put in things where you go 'I want to write a part that sounds like THIN LIZZY.' If I hear it and it sounds like some other band, I go 'No.' I would re-write it to make it sound like KREATOR. That's maybe the way that I write."

On how KREATOR's music could be considered a reflection of today's world:

Mille: "It's very easy if you open your eyes. You can see it all. It's right there, every day, every time, all the time. It's nothing that I do…again, I don't think about these things. I write about stuff that just moves me from the inside and every time I have my lyrics done at the end of the day, mostly, five minutes before I record them, the final version, I can see it mirroring reality. It's like that with a lot of bands that don't sing about personal emotions like love. There's a lot of bands, or a lot of artists that write more personal stuff and I don't really write…I do write personal stuff, but it's very hidden. I guess if you write, like I said, I avoid current events to pop up in my lyrics, like saying names or mentioning places where something took place, or attacking certain people in my lyrics. I just try to keep it more general. Maybe that's why you could take 'Gods Of Violence' as the soundtrack to the Syrian war where you could have taken [2012's] 'Phantom Antichrist' to the soundtrack of whatever was going on back then. It's just a matter of all my lyrics are reflected by stuff that's actually happening, but I don't want to mention them. It's hard for me to talk about lyrics."

On KREATOR's 1999 goth-infused "departure" album "Endorama":

Mille: "It's a different album. It's little bit of a different approach. Some people said that it shouldn't have come out under the name of KREATOR. I think it should have."

On whether KREATOR would ever play albums like "Renewal" (1992) and "Cause For Conflict" (1995) in full:

Mille: "We just did 'Renewal' here and there, the title track pops up. For some reason, we don't play so many songs from 'Cause For Conflict' because the album…there's some bad memories from that album. That's one we should re-record one day, but then again, it's over."

On whether he felt any pressure in the '90s to fit in with industrial-sounding bands:

Mille: "It's not that we felt any pressure. The general vibe was a different one. We were in a mindset where we wanted to experiment with different sounds because it was an exciting time. It was an exciting new technology. When you're a musician, you want to experience it. That's the reason why we experimented with all of these new technologies, even though it was in a very primitive way because we came from a different era of music. We didn't really know too much about electronic music even though we come from a country that brought out bands like KRAFTWERK, but we never really went into that direction before it was accessible for us and also possible for us to experiment with these sounds."

On what his "desert island" album would be:

Mille: "Maybe I would take… MAIDEN. 'Killers', maybe."

On how long it took for him to become proficient at rhythm guitar:

Mille: "I'm still learning. It depends on the time of the day. I'm not as perfect as it might sound. I can be very sloppy if I have a bad day. I'm constantly learning. Once you say it's perfect, it's over. If you say, 'This is it. I'm perfect. That's it.' Then you're done."

On what KREATOR has left to accomplish:

Mille: "For me, the journey is never-ending until the day I die. I think it's still exciting. Maybe we should work with a different producer. Maybe we should go to a different country to record the album. Maybe we should write a more metal or more full-on thrash metal. Whatever we feel, first and foremost, that is the most important thing. Time will tell."

KREATOR is headlining this year's edition of the annual Decibel Magazine Tour. Support on the trek is coming from Florida death metal legends OBITUARY, old-school Ohio brutalizers MIDNIGHT and progressive death prodigies HORRENDOUS.

KREATOR's new album, "Gods Of Violence", entered the official chart in Germany at position No. 1. The cover artwork for the disc was created by renowned artist Jan Meininghaus, who also made the limited-edition artwork for KREATOR's previous effort, 2012's "Phantom Antichrist", and has lent his talents to bands like BOLT THROWER, ACCEPT and OVERKILL in the past.

"The Mission", STYX's sixteenth studio album and its most ambitious, most challenging, and most rewarding release to date, will arrive on June 16 via the band's label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe.

The first single, "Gone Gone Gone", was released today at radio and online retail outlets. A video can be seen below. "The planets truly aligned for 'The Mission', and I couldn't be prouder," says vocalist/guitarist Tommy Shaw, who co-wrote the album's storyline with longtime collaborator Will Evankovich (SHAW/BLADES, THE GUESS WHO). "It's our boldest, most emblematic album since 'Pieces Of Eight'." As founding guitarist James "JY" Young continues: "In the fourtieth-anniversary year of our release of our biggest selling album of all time, 'Grand Illusion', it just seemed truly appropriate to save our new studio album until this year. Needless to say, I'm very excited." "The Mission" is an aurally adventurous 43-minute thrill ride that chronicles the trials, tribulations, and ultimate triumphs of the first manned mission to Mars in the year 2033. From the hopeful drive of "Gone Gone Gone" to the stargazing machinations of "Locomotive" to the rough-riding blaze of glory that permeates the hard-charging "Red Storm" to the elegiac optimism of the closing track "Mission To Mars", the album succeeds in delivering the greater good from a band that continues to fire on all cylinders, forty-five years after signing its first recording contract. In fact, "The Mission" — which was recorded over a two-year period at Blackbird Studios, The Shop and 6 Studio Amontillado in Nashville — displays the best aspects of the ongoing in-harmony musical intersection of the six-man STYX team: the aforementioned guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw, co-founding guitarist/vocalist James "JY" Young, keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan, original bassist Chuck Panozzo, drummer/percussionist Todd Sucherman, and bassist Ricky Phillips. The new music was created to reflect the viewpoint of the six-person crew enlisted for the maiden voyage of Khedive, the first entry in a new fleet of nuclear-powered interplanetary spacecraft underwritten by the Global Space Exploration Program (or GSEP, for short). The Khedive team consists of The Pilot, a fully hands-on, seat-of-the-pants born leader; a First Officer who serves as the team's big-brother figure; an Engineer who is skeptical of every phase of the mission but remains confident in his own abilities to make the best of any technical situation; and a Top-Shelf Trio of science, astrophysics, and survivalist experts. "The album feels simultaneously comfortable and new," observes Gowan. "It's both entertaining and charming, and a natural progression of our sound." Concludes Panozzo, "'The Mission' is a sincere and honest representation of how STYX built upon where we were in the 20th century in order to go somewhere new in the 21st century." And that's the gist of "The Mission", STYX's bold sonic voyage into an exciting new frontier with the goal of discovering how the universe's mysteries unfold — and then creating the perfect soundtrack to accompany it. "The Mission" track listing: 01. Overture02. Gone Gone Gone03. Hundred Million Miles From Home04. Trouble At The Big Show05. Locomotive06. Radio Silence07. The Greater Good08. Time May Bend09. Ten Thousand Ways To Be Wrong10. Red Storm11. All Systems Stable12. Khedive13. The Outpost14. Mission to Mars Photo credit: Jason Powell

INTERNAL BLEEDING drummer and veteran FDNY firefighter Bill Tolley passed away Thursday, April 20 after falling five stories from a rooftop while battling a two-alarm apartment fire in Queens, New York. Tolley leaves behind a wife and eight-year-old daughter. Said Tolley's bandmates upon his tragic passing: "Our drummer, the heartbeat of the band, William Tolley, died today. There are zero words to describe the loss. He was a good, decent, and honorable man who loved his friends, his family, and the people he served. There will never be another like him. There are no words to describe the utter sadness and despair we feel right now. Bill was our rock, our heart, and supplier of insane laughter. The music world lost a very influential drummer, and the world lost a friend, a father, and a damn good man. We love you, Bill." Today, marks the release of INTERNAL BLEEDING's digital single "Final Justice". The track serves as a teaser from the band's forthcoming full-length, "Corrupting Influence", and the band planned to celebrate today's release with a new video for the track. INTERNAL BLEEDING wishes to unveil the clip today as planned in Tolley's honor. "Bill would want that more than anything. It will mean so much," his bandmaes said. "Final Justice" takes the patented INTERNAL BLEEDING sound into new, more intense levels. It's still filled with all the hooks, slams, and grooves you've come to expect from the band, but at the same time, it's more sophisticated, sharper, and focused than anything they're released previously. "Final Justice" is available now via iTunes.

INTERNAL BLEEDING last full-length album, "Imperium", was released in 2015 via Unique Leader. Produced by the band and Joe Cincotta at Full Force Studio (SUFFOCATION, DEHUMANIZED, MORTAL DECAY) in Ronkonkoma, New York and engineered by Cincotta and Derek Boyer, the effort featured guest appearances by SUFFOCATION's Terrance Hobbs and Frank Mullen as well as former INTERNAL BLEEDING throat Frank Rini.

A short teaser video for "Hydrograd", the forthcoming album from STONE SOUR, is available below. The disc will be released in late June via Roadrunner.

STONE SOUR filmed a music video for the band's new single, "Fabuless", on Tuesday (April 18) in Los Angeles. The track is expected to make its online debut at the end of April.

STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor recently said about the full-length follow-up to "House Of Gold & Bones": "It is the best stuff that we've ever written. It's got a lot of different directions, but at its core it's very hard rock, almost in a modern/classic sense. There are some hints of punk in there. There's some cool hard rock/heavy metal. There's just all of these really cool elements that we've never maybe allowed ourselves to kind of go to."

Bassist Johnny Chow described the disc as "a straight rock and roll album" in an interview with Detroit radio station WRIF, adding, "It's just very groove-oriented, very melodic (with) big choruses. We've got some mellower songs on there too, which are equally just as amazing and have a lot of groove to them."

Chow called the record a "bit of a departure" from previous STONE SOUR albums.

"Hydrograd" was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER.

The band tracked the album live in the studio, cutting a total of 18 songs from which 14 or 15 will make the CD.

STONE SOUR will play the Rock On The Range Kick-Off Party on Thursday, May 18 at Express Live! in Columbus, Ohio. The event will start the Rock On The Range weekend, with METALLICA, SOUNDGARDEN and KORN headlining this year's festival.

STONE SOUR will also be special guests of KORN on the latter act's "Serenity Of Summer" trek, which starts on June 16 in Salt Lake City and wraps on August 2 in Cleveland.

Sweden's masters of gloomy progressive metal, Wolverine, will embark on their headlining European tour next week, joined by Laser's Edge Group collective labelmates Oddland and Until Rain. Preceding the tour, the band offers an official new video to their fans, the visual depiction of the epic "Pledge”, one of the standout tracks from the band's fifth album, Machina Viva.

Machina Viva was recorded and produced by Wolverine in various locations throughout Sweden during late 2015 and early 2016, mixed at Spacelab Studio in Germany by Christian "Moschus" Moos (Everon, Haken, Delain, Cloverseeds), and mastered by Grammy Award winning audio engineer Bob Katz. A natural progression from Communication Lost, released in 2011 via Candlelight Records, Machina Viva invites the listener into the harmonious yet portentous and sullen musical dimensions of Wolverine with perhaps their most dynamic album to date.

Offers Wolverine's Thomas Jansson about the rapidly approaching tour with their labelmates, "At the end of April we will hit the road for a European co-headline tour together with Until Rain and Oddland. All three bands being Sensory label artists, this tour-package will offer the listener a vivid spectrum of explorative music, mainly in the sphere of progressive metal."

Tour dates:

April
26 - The Bodega - Nottingham, UK
27 - Garage Highbury - London, UK
28 - La Boule Noure - Paris, FR
29 - Boerderij - Zoetermeer, NL
30 - W2 - Hertogenbosch, NL

May
3 - Musik & Frieden - Berlin, DE
4 - Beta2300 - Copenhagen, DK
5 - Frölunda Kulturhus - Gothenburg, SE
6 - Bowlan - Östhammar, SE

(Photo - Wolverine Facebook)

SLAUGHTER vocalist Mark Slaughter will release his sophomore solo album, "Halfway There", in May worldwide via EMP Label Group, the U.S.-based label of MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson. The follow-up to 2015's independently released "Reflections In A Rear View Mirror" is a stunning return to form for Slaughter, channeling the familiar hard rock sensibility of classic-era SLAUGHTER releases like "Stick It To Ya" and "The Wild Life" on "Hey You" and emotionally charged title track, "Halfway There", with a mature, progressive, metal bent, evidenced on cuts like "Devoted", "Conspiracy" and "Reckless".

Produced and co-mixed by Slaughter with John Cranfield (AFI, Andy Grammer), with art by famed horror/album artist "Mister" Sam Shearon (ROB ZOMBIE, IRON MAIDEN, KISS, Clive Barker), "Halfway There" is slated to be released May 26 in North America by EMP Label Group/Amped, and EMP/SPV in Europe, and May 10 in Japan via EMP Label Group/Universal.

The song "Devoted" can now be streamed below.

Mark will tour Japan in May with SLAUGHTER, supporting RATT, in conjunction with the Japanese release of the LP, with shows in Nagoya, Osaka, and a performance at the Tokyo Metal Summit on May 14 with RATT, SEBASTIAN BACH, ENUFF Z'NUFF and more.

Not only is "Halfway There" a blistering showcase of Slaughter's seemingly never-ending vocal abilities, but a glowing testament to his perpetually underserved prowess as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, handling all production, engineering, songwriting, arrangements, guitar, and the bulk of the album's instrumentation himself.

Slaughter says: "My first solo record was kinda getting back on the horse, so to speak. I mean doing everything and recording... I'm taking on a lot more tasks as an engineer/producer/ writer on all this… because I'm doing everything.

"Ultimately, at the end of the day, anybody who is a SLAUGHTER fan will certainly understand that I am a large part of the SLAUGHTER sound and vibe, so, obviously, if you like that, it's in there. It's just that I take a lot more liberties on the solo side that I probably wouldn't do when it's a group effort."

He adds: "The record is basically… I spend a lot of time writing songs and things just grow out of me.. I'll be woken up in the middle of the night from nowhere and the song's just in my head and I just exorcize the demons and there you have it. I guess what it is is an artist makes art. And I've really come to the fact that since we haven't made a SLAUGHTER record in so long, it's one of those things that I still have to make the art. That's what I do. That's what I love to do, and that's what I'll continue to do."

EMP A&R director Thom Hazaert chimes in: "It's been such an incredible honor to put this record together with Mark, who, truly, in my humble opinion, is one of the greatest hard rock singers and songwriters of our generation, and, what a lot of people don't realize, just a phenomenal player as well.

"We spent almost a year going back and forth about the idea of putting the record out together. Obviously, Mark and David (Ellefson) have a great longstanding friendship, so it really was an amazing fit.

"From the first time I heard the working demos of these songs, I knew Mark was working on something very, very special.

"Growing up (and still) a huge SLAUGHTER fan, I think these songs are going to not only resonate with the people who already love Mark and what he does, but carve a niche far beyond."

Ellefson adds: "I have been friends with Mark for over 30 years, since he was in VINNIE VINCENT INVASION, and there's a lot of shared history. So when we started talking about the idea of putting this record out, yes, it was a great and natural fit.

"Mark is such a tremendous talent and songwriter, and the scope of that is truly evident on 'Halfway There'.

"We're extremely proud, and excited to have been able to partner with him on it, and can't wait for the world to hear it."

Seamlessly blending melody with adrenaline fueled, heavy rock and roll, Blacktop Mojo draws in everyone from old metal heads to people whose radio dials have never left top 40 stations. With soaring, gritty vocals and impeccably blended heavy guitar grooves set around a raucous southern stomp, Blacktop Mojo's live shows are sure to leave fans' screaming at the top of their lungs with metal horns in the air.

“It was a blast making this video. We got to do it with a bunch of our friends from our home town of Palestine, TX in the bar where we played our first show. It basically turned into a two day party and the fun we had really comes through in the video”. - Blacktop Mojo

Formed in the final weeks of 2012, Blacktop Mojo began cutting their teeth in the numerous country venues that Texas has to offer, but the guys never quite felt like they belonged. With each song they wrote, the vocals got less twangy and the sound from the amps became more gravelly and distorted until the guys had found their own unique blend of heavy southern rock. Through touring, the band has played with many national acts such as Bon Jovi, Sammy Hagar, Aaron Lewis, Daryl "DMC' McDaniels, Candlebox, Drowning Pool, Puddle Of Mudd, Smile Empty Soul, Audiotopsy, and Whiskey Myers.

After running the highways for two years in support of their debut album, I Am (2014), in July of this year the band loaded their gear in the van and made a trip to Sound Emporium Studios in Nashville, as well as FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, AL to make their sophomore effort entitled, Burn The Ships. In addition to the producer of the band's first record, Philip Mosley, the band brought in co-producer, Jimmy Johnson of the legendary Muscle Shoals Sound studios as well as his long time engineer, Steve Melton (Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Rolling Stones, Bob Seger) to bring a seasoned sonic quality to their brand of raw, grungy rock.

Burn The Ships was released March 10th of 2017 garnering critical acclaim in both US and European press outlets.

Fire From The Gods has released their Ramon Boutviseth-directed music video for "The Voiceless”. Produced by Jonathan Davis (Korn), "The Voiceless" is off of their upcoming full length album, Narrative Retold, due out May 19th via Rise Records.

“The Voiceless is referring to the callousness of society. This generation is exposed to so many shocking and graphic events. No one seems to bat an eye. There is no compassion or care for one's fellow man. Violence towards each other is a normal occurrence factored into our lives these days. Speaking up about it is nothing new, but it needs to be said. Yes, the world will keep spinning, and life does go on, but we need to slow down and smell the fucking roses once in a while." - Vocalist AJ Channer

Pre-order the album at this location.

He Is Legend are streaming the new song “Gold Dust”, from their upcoming Spinefarm Records debut few, out April 28th. Listen to the track below.

Tracklisting:

"Air Raid"
"Sand"
"Beaufort"
"Silent Gold"
"Alley Cat"
"Jordan"
"Gold Dust"
"Call Ins"
"Eastern Locust"
"Fritz The Dog"
"The Vampyre"
"The Garden"

“Gold Dust”

“Sand”:

For further details, visit He Is Legend on Facebook.

Canadian bashers Untimely Demise have checked in with the following announcement:

"Introducing Untimely Demise 2017. We are extremely happy to annouce the addition of our brother in shred - Adam Sweeney of TheLuciferProject to the family. Adam brings with him a wealth of experience, ability and energy to our team and we couldn't be more excited."

On May 21st, 2016 Untimely Demise supported Zimmers Hole in Edmonton, Alberta at The Starlite Room. Fan-filmed video from their set is available below.

Untimely Demise have issued an official lyric video for the first track off their new Black Widow record, "Forgotten In Time". It can be viewed below.

The album tracklist is as follows:

"Forgotten In Time"
"Enslaver"
"Black Widow"
"Cancer Of The Heart"
"Anticolonizer"
"Calling Me Back From The Light"
"Sickening Repression"
"Holy Man"
"Anticolonizer" (drums - Shawn Drover)

Black Widow was produced by Justin Bender (Into Eternity) and Untimely Demise

U.K. gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST are putting the finishing touches on their new album, recorded at Orgone Studios in the misty countryside of Woburn, England. Together with producer Jaime Gomez Arellano, they have forged the follow-up to their highly acclaimed release "The Plague Within" (2015), which brought them a step closer to their death metal roots. This time, PARADISE LOST will haunt their fans with a heavy, doom-ridden monster, as lead guitarist and songwriter Greg Mackintosh reveals. "The new album will be slower, sludgier and more doom-filled than ever before," he said. "Eight riff-laden monster tracks of sheer Northern misery."

PARADISE LOST's fifteenth studio album, titled "Medusa", will see the light of day at the end of summer via Nuclear Blast. As some might know, Medusa is considered a hideous Gorgon in Greek mythology — a winged female monster with living venomous snakes in place of hair and everyone who dares taking a look at her will immediately turn to stone.

Formed in Halifax, West Yorkshire in 1988 and still boasting four of its five original members, PARADISE LOST is widely credited with co-founding the gothic metal genre with its sophomore album, "Gothic" (1991). Through the years, PARADISE LOST has changed its style effectively and reinvented itself again and again. They elbowed their way from their original melodic death metal sound on their debut, "Lost Paradise" (1990) to the classic "Icon" (1993) and more experimental "One Second" (1997). Finally they went back to the roots with their most recent release, "The Plague Within", achieving some of the best reviews of their career. In a 2015 interview with Isolation Grind, Holmes stated about "The Plague Within"'s heavier sound compared to that on some of PARADISE LOST's earlier albums: "We just tried to capture the spirit of the old days without forgetting everything else that has happened over the last 20 years. I don't think the album is back to our roots as such, as we couldn't have written an album like this 25 years ago."

Nick also talked about the progression of PARADISE LOST's sound, calling it "just evolution. Certain albums have taken us in significant directions, I guess 'Icon' was probably the first album to do that, and we continued that style until 'One Second'. It's too early to see if ['The Plague Within'] will be a new progression." PARADISE LOST 2017 is:

Nick Holmes - VocalsGreg Mackintosh - Lead GuitarsAaron Aedy - Rhythm GuitarsSteve Edmondson - BassWaltteri Väyrynen - Drums

Scottish folk/power metallers ALESTORM have released the official music video for their new song "Alestorm", taken from the band's upcoming fifth full-length album. Titled "No Grave But The Sea", the disc will be released on May 26 via Napalm Records.

Says the band: "Oh wow! It's a new ALESTORM album! I hope all of you fellow humans and dogs like it; we think it's pretty gosh darn okay! It's also our first album to feature our grandiose guitarist Máté Bodor who brings his tasty and delicious solos and rifftacular riffing into the mix.

"This is the place in the press release where we would usually tell you this album is darker and heavier than our previous works, but that's probably not true. It is, however, full of epic songs about pirates, drinking, and pseudoscientific cryptogeography. I'm sure y'all will enjoy those things just as much as we do." "No Grave But The Sea" track listing:

01. No Grave But The Sea02. Mexico03. To the End of the World04. Alestorm05. Bar und Imbiss06. Fucked with an Anchor07. Pegleg Potion08. Man the Pumps09. Rage of the Pentahook10. Treasure Island

ALESTORM's last album, "Sunset On The Golden Age", came out in August 2014 via Napalm Records.

"Devil On Hwy 9", a brand new song from DANZIG, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's first album of all-new material since 2010's widely acclaimed "Deth Red Sabaoth". "Black Laden Crown", 50 minutes of long-awaited brand new DANZIG music, will be released on May 26 via Evilive Records/Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

"Black Laden Crown" track listing:

01. Black Laden Crown02. Eyes Ripping Fire03. Devil On Hwy 904. Last Ride05. The Witching Hour06. But A Nightmare07. Skulls & Daisies09. Blackness Falls09. Pull The Sun The details of "Black Laden Crown" follow on the announcement of DANZIG's "Blackest Of The Black" festival: two days of non-stop music and mayhem taking place at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, California on May 26 and may 27. DANZIG will close the festivities May 27, headlining a bill featuring more than 20 artists playing amidst a full scale takeover and transformation of the park grounds featuring literally dozens of attractions, vendors, performers, and other surprises musical and otherwise. "Blackest Of The Black" promises to create a site-wide atmosphere like no festival before or since. A full rundown of performers and attractions will be announced shortly. This June also marks the 25th anniversary of "Danzig III: How The Gods Kill". "How The Gods Kill" was the first DANZIG album to crack Billboard's Top 30 and the first DANZIG album produced by the band's frontman and namesake Glenn Danzig himself. In honor of this momentous occasion, DANZIG will play a select handful of shows this summer and will perform many songs from "How The Gods Kill".

In a 2015 interview with Noisey, Glenn Danzig was asked what it is that keeps him coming back to the creative well. He responded: "It's so many different things. There's always stuff to write about, but I think that the whole punk thing helped a lot. If it gets boring, change it, fix it, make it exciting, make it relevant again, and that's what I did without sacrificing the music. That's what I try to do. I try to do stuff where first thing is I'm excited about the record, and then I hope that the people who listen to my music are gonna dig it too. That's pretty much how I go into doing a record, and I don't do a new record until I have stuff to write about it. I don't force myself to do a record. Someone doesn't come to me and say, 'Hey, it's been a year or two since your last record. You've gotta write a record and put one out in a couple of months.' No one comes to me and says that to me."

Asked if that attitude of not forcing the creative process is something that's always been there for him, Danzig said: "Yeah. I mean, I used to do it on a more frequent basis. [Laughs] But I think even back in the MISFITS and SAMHAIN days, I put out a record every two years, I think. The same thing with DANZIG, too, where I put out a record every two years. Later on it became further and further apart, but that's just the way it worked out. I think in between 'Danzig IV' and 'V' was probably a two-year period, and then between 'V' and 'VI' was probably a three-year period. It seems to be now it's gone to four or five. I think one of the things also was for 'Deth Red' we toured a lot over those years. Not two or three months at a time, but we just kept getting offers to go to Europe and then back to America. The record did pretty well for me, especially the way it was received, so hopefully the next one will be the same."

Glenn's covers record, "Skeletons", was released in November 2015 in North America via Nuclear Blast Entertainment/Evilive Music. A labor of love that dates back to 1979, "Skeletons" saw Danzig pulling back the curtain behind his influences with a collection of ten covers spanning artists as diverse as Elvis Presley, ZZ TOP, and AEROSMITH to BLACK SABBATH, THE TROGGS, THE EVERLY BROTHERS, and more.

California rockers PAPA ROACH have released another new song — "American Dreams" — from their forthcoming ninth studio album, "Crooked Teeth". Due on May 19 via Eleven Seven Music, the disc will be available digitally and physically, as a standard (10 tracks) and deluxe (10 tracks + 3 brand new tracks + 16 Live tracks Live at the Fillmore Detroit) editions (see details below).

Written and recorded in a cramped North Hollywood studio, "Crooked Teeth" was produced by first timers Nicholas "RAS" Furlong and Colin Brittain, with the exception of "Born For Greatness", which saw the band collaborate with writer/producer Jason Evigan (Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, Zedd, MAROON 5) for this positive, pulsating anthem. Furlong and Brittain, who grew up listening to PAPA ROACH, inspired the band to revisit some of the traits that personally endeared the band to them, most notably singer Jacoby Shaddix's remarkable rapping technique and the band's intense live energy.

"The first time we met up with RAS and Colin, they said that [2000's] 'Infest' was on constant rotation when they were growing up and they wanted to bring back some of that fire," says Shaddix. Adds Furlong, "The whole idea was to take the classic elements of PAPA ROACH that everyone loved and revamp them into a modern version of the sound through the creative process, and we ended up with a bold, courageous and more adventurous version of PAPA ROACH."

The Furlong/Brittain production team worked to bring in elements of music from different genres and parts of the world, and pockets of rhythm people associate more with rap or reggae, while still staying true to PAPA ROACH's sound. "The people who have wanted to hear me rap for years are gonna love some of the viciousness on this record," Shaddix proclaims.

From the instantly infectious nature of the title track to the atmospheric sheen of the moody ballad "Periscope" (featuring Skylar Grey) and the acoustic/ hip-hop rock mashup of "Sunrise Trailer Park" (featuring Machine Gun Kelly adding a verse to Shaddix rap) "Crooked Teeth" displays the various sides of PAPA ROACH and illustrates why they've managed to remain relevant while other musical trends ebb and flow. "We didn't go into this album with the intention of trying to write radio singles," guitarist Jerry Horton explains. "This collection of songs was really about bookending everything that we’ve done prior to this album and reintroducing PAPA ROACH to people who didn't realize the depth that we have," says drummer Tony Palermo.

In many ways making "Crooked Teeth" reminded Shaddix of the band's earliest days, well before they sold millions of albums and became a household name. "When we were in the rehearsal space I wasn’t thinking about who I needed to impress, I was thinking about how much I love making music with the guys in this band." "It [the album] feels honest and pure and that’s all we could hope for," adds bassist Tobin Esperance.

The band is set to hit the road throughout the year, with more shows to be announced soon.

"Crooked Teeth" track listing:

Standard Edition (Digital, CD, Vinyl)

01. Break The Fall02. Crooked Teeth03. My Medication04. Born For Greatness05. American Dreams06. Periscope (feat. Skylar Grey)07. Help08. Sunrise Trailer Park (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)09. Traumatic10. None Of The Above

Deluxe Edition (Digital + CD Only)

Disc 1

01. Break The Fall02. Crooked Teeth03. My Medication04. Born For Greatness05. American Dreams06. Periscope (feat. Skylar Grey)07. Help08. Sunrise Trailer Park (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)09. Traumatic10. None Of The Above11. Richochet (bonus)12. Nothing (bonus)13. Bleeding Through (bonus)

Disc 2

01. Intro (Live at Fillmore Detroit)02. Face Everything And Rise (live at Fillmore Detroit)03. Getting Away With Murder (live at Fillmore Detroit)04. Between Angels And Insects (live at Fillmore Detroit)05. Where Did The Angels Go? (live at Fillmore Detroit)06. Broken Home (live at Fillmore Detroit)07. Burn (live at Fillmore Detroit)08. Forever (live at Fillmore Detroit)09. Scars (live at Fillmore Detroit)10. Lifeline (live at Fillmore Detroit)11. Infest (live at Fillmore Detroit)12. Kick In The Teeth (live at Fillmore Detroit)13. Broken As Me (live at Fillmore Detroit)14. Still Swingin' (live at Fillmore Detroit)15. To Be Loved (live at Fillmore Detroit)16. Last Resort (live at Fillmore Detroit)

Photo credit: Bryson Roatch