US death metal veterans Skinless recently released their new album Savagery via Relapse Records. A full stream of the record can be found below.

Savagery was recorded by Tom Case at Doomsday Bunker Studio in New York and by Dave Otero (Primitive Man, Cattle Decapitation, Cephalic Carnage) at Flatline Audio in Colorado.

Savagery embodies ten slabs of rotting, aural remains across 37 minutes of titanic slams, untouchable grooves, mauling riffs and blood-thirsty, bestial growls. Savagery sees Skinless at the top of their game, more than 25 years into an untouchable reign of terror. Features stunningly sick cover art by renowned tattoo artist Jesse Levitt.

Savagery is available on CD/LP/Digital. Physical packages are available via Relapse.com here, and Digital Downloads / Streaming Services here.

Savagery Tracklist:

"Savagery"
"Siege Engine"
"Skull Session"
"Reversal Of Fortune"
"Exacting Revenge"
"Medieval"
"Line Of Dissent"
"Cruel Blades Of The Guillotine"
"The Hordes"
"High Rate Extinction" (Bonus Track)

Album stream:

"Skull Session" video:

Skinless have announced three East Coast tour dates supporting the impending release of the Savagery full-length. The weekend tour is June 7th - 9th with support by Ringworm, Churchburn and Outer Heaven. Additionally, Skinless will perform at California Deathfest and Quebec Deathfest in October. All confirmed tour dates below.

June (with Ringworm, Churchburn & Outer Heaven)
7 - Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall
8 - Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Bazaar
9 - Clifton Park, NY - Upstate Concert Hall

October
13 - Oakland, CA - California Deathfest
20 - Montreal, QC - Quebec Deathfest

(Photo - Melissa Sheffer)

Progressive rock masters Riverside have just signed a new deal with longtime partners InsideOutMusic, and have announced their upcoming seventh studio album Wasteland, as well as its corresponding first European tour for October/November.

Riverside checked in with the following: “Well, we're back in the game! We're happy to tell you that our seventh album will be called Waste7and (Wasteland) and will be released at the end of September this year. It will be our first album recorded as a trio. Our music has become more serious and more mature, so get ready for a manly and emotional album. Waste7and is going to be a really accomplished one. It combines the emotional character of the first two and the production maturity of the latest two releases. If everything goes according to plan (as we're still recording), the new Riverside album will simply d e s t r o y you :)

"Also this year we’re going on the Wasteland 2018 Tour to promote the new album. Below you will find a list of the cities we’re going to visit in the autumn of 2018. Tickets go on sale this Friday, June 1st. More info soon!“

In regards to the extended co-operation via a new deal between Riverside and InsideOutMusic, Thomas Waber, label manager/A&R international InsideOutMusic, checked in with the following: "We have been working with Riverside for a long time now and there is a lot of personal history. The InsideOutMusic family would be very different without them, so I am extremely pleased that the family is staying together. We all miss Piotr dearly, but i am looking forward to this new chapter. You are still with us, Grudzień!"

Upcoming Riverside dates:

Festivals 2018/2019:

June
21 - Konin, Poland - Progressive Evening
23 - Valkenburg, The Netherlands - Midsummer Prog Festival

July
13 - St. Goarshausen, Germany - Night Of The Prog Festival XIII

February
4-9 - Tampa to Key West & Cozumel - Cruise To The Edge

Wasteland 2018 Tour:

October
12 - Gdansk, Poland - B90
13 - Poznan, Poland - Tama
14 - Wroclaw, Poland - A2
16 - Katowice, Poland - Miasto Ogrodów
17 - Lódz, Poland - Magnetofon
18 - Torun, Poland - Od Nowa
20 - Kraków, Poland - Studio
21 - Warszawa, Poland - Hala Kolo
30 - Berlin, Germany - Kesselshaus
31 - Schorndorf, Germany - Manufaktur

November
3 - Lisbon, Portugal - LAV      
4 - Madrid, Spain - MON Live
5 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra 1
6 - Lyon, France - CCO
7 - Paris, France - La Machine
9 - Manchester, UK - Academy 2
10 - London, UK - The Electric Ballroom
11 - Sint Niklaas, Belgium - Casino
12 - Utrecht, The Netherlands - Tivoli Vredenburg
14 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
15 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle 2
16 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z-7
17 - Neunkirchen, Germany - Gloomaar Festival

Riverside had previously announced guitarist Maciej Meller to complete the band’s lineup for shows after taking a longer break from any live performances due to the tragic passing of founding member and guitarist Piotr Grudziński on February 21st, 2016.

Look out for more news on Riverside in the coming weeks.

(Photo - Oskar Szramka)

Norwegian black/thrash metal outfit The Konsortium, featuring bassist Teloch (Mayhem, ex-Orcustus, ex-Gorgoroth, ex-1349) and drummer Dirge Rep (Orcustus, ex-Enslaved, ex-Aura Noir), are streaming their sophomore studio album Rogaland prior to it's release on June 1st in Europe and June 8th in North America via Agonia Records. Listen below, and pre-order the album at this location.

Named after a county in Western Norway, Rogaland sees the band taking a different turn from its self-titled predecessor and critically acclaimed 2008 demo combined, following a more complex and technical trajectory. The band has taken the utmost care in every detail to channel and bring forth the forces of their album’s namesake, with vocals recorded and lyrics written on site in the woods, in the mountains and on the Northern shores. Nature-inspired and folk-tinged, it's the kind of album that rewards each new listen, and progressively reveals its secrets.

"This album has been a long time coming," founder and mastermind Fredrik G. Fugelli explains. "The process has been tedious and time-consuming, but in the end it has definitely been worth it. Everything clicked and fell into place; from vision to finished product, each and everyone involved has delivered their best. I feel confident that we’ve managed to define and refine the material in such a way that we ended up capturing the essence of what the album tries to convey: the timeless battle and coexistence between man and nature; the old magic and the bond that is lost in a modern and controlled world, void of spirituality. Rogaland is a strong affirmation of roots, and a damn well executed one, at that".

Drummer Dirge Rep adds to that, saying: "It's the most technical and demanding album of my somewhat 25 years under black metal. I am extremely grateful for the honor of performing under The Konsortium and dedicated myself in entirety to the excellence of the work, its will and its energy".

Not only does The Konsortium return with new music, but they return in style, too. Unmasked, the Norwegians finally shed light on their identity - we have the aforementioned F.G. Gugelli (vocals, guitars), famed black metal veterans Teloch (bass) and Dirge Rep (drums), followed by the talented T. Jacobsen and B. Waldejer (both on guitars). Together, they journey through the wild and untamed, the harsh darkness and the bewitching cold that is Rogaland.

Rogaland was mixed and mastered by Gomez at Orgone Studios (Paradise Lost, Ulver, Grave Pleasures, Primordial) and produced by F.G. Fugelli. The cover artwork and layout were designed by Trine+Kim (Ulver, Darkthrone, Virus). Cpt. Estrella Grasa (Nidingr) guest appears on vocals on tracks "Skogen" and "Arv".

Album formats:
-Digipak CD
-Gatefold black LP
-Gatefold transparent white LP (limited to 150 copies)
-Black t-shirt
-Digital

Tracklisting:

“Innferd”
“Skogen”
“Fjella”
“Stormen”
“Hausten”
“Arv”
“Havet”
“Utferd”

Album stream:

“Arv” video:

Northern Ireland-based band No Hot Ashes have released a video for "Glow", featured on their self-titled album released back in March. Watch the clip below.

Originally formed in 1983, No Hot Ashes were influenced by UFO, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Journey, Foreigner, Thin Lizzy and other classic rock/AOR acts of that era. They released their first single, "She Drives Me Crazy", in 1986 and supported bands such as Mama’s Boys, Magnum, Girlschool and Steve Marriott’s Packet Of Three.

The group signed a record deal with GWR Records in early 1988, joining Motorhead, Girlschool and Hawkwind on that label’s roster. They also relocated to London in order to be closer to the company and made an album before the end of that year. However, delays then occurred in getting it released and by the end of 1990 the band had called it a day and the record was shelved.

That should have been it, but in September 2013 NHA reformed for a one-off tribute gig which subsequently snowballed. Performing what can be described as classic melodic rock with a contemporary twist, they have been delighting new fans in the years since with their hook-laden guitar and keyboard driven songs, supporting Aerosmith, Foreigner, UFO and Scorpions along the way and touring the UK with FM and Romeo’s Daughter. They have also performed at major festivals such as Hard Rock Hell AOR, Download, London Calling, Ramblin’ Man, Steelhouse, Rockingham and the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, going down a storm each time.

No Hot Ashes tracklisting:

"Come Alive"
"Good To Look Back"
"Satisfied"
"Boulders"
"I’m Back"
"Glow"
"Over Again"
"Jonny Redhead"
"Souls"
"Running Red Lights"

"Glow" video:

"Boulders":

Lineup:

Bass - Paul Boyd
Keyboards - Tommy Dickson
Guitar - Niall Diver
Guitar - Davey Irvine
Vocals - Eamon Nancarrow
Drums - Steve Strange

Swedish metal act Follow The Cipher have released an official live video for "I Revive", a track from their self-titled debut album, available now via Nuclear Blast. Watch below:

Order the new album here.

Follow The Cipher tracklisting:

"Enter The Cipher"
"Valkyria"
"My Soldier"
"Winterfall"
"Titan's Call"
"The Rising"
"A Mind's Escape"
"Play With Fire"
"I Revive"              
"Starlight"
"Carolus Rex"

Bonus DVD
"Valkyria" - Music Video
"Carolus Rex" - Music Video
"A Mind's Escape" - Lyric Video
"The Rising" - Lyric Video
"Enter The Cipher" - Live from Masters of Rock
"My Soldier" - Live from Masters of Rock
"A Mind's Escape" - Live from Masters of Rock
"Winterfall" - Live from Masters of Rock
"I Revive" - Live from Masters of Rock
"My Soldier" - Live from Falkenberg w/ studio sound
"Carolus Rex" - Live from SOA w/ camera sound
Presentation - Ken Kängström
Band Interview
Masters Of Rock - Vlog
Sabaton Open Air - Vlog
Behind The Music Videos - Vlog

"Winterfall" live video:

"A Mind's Escape" lyric video:

"Carolus Rex" video:

"Valkyria" video:

"The Rising" lyric video:

Follow The Cipher live dates:

June
1-3 - Pilsen, Czech Republic - Metalfest Open Air
21 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting

According to Vanyaland, guitarist Josh Martin, best known for his work in Massachusetts grindcore legends Anal Cunt from 1996 to 2011, has died. He was 46.

Martin, who also played in bands like Adolf Satan, Fukk, Impaled Northern Moonforest, and Failure Clinic, reportedly fell off a Providence Place escalator late Monday (May 28th) near the mall’s food court.

“According to Providence Police, the man fell off an escalator from the upper level to the food court area around 10:45 p.m., sustaining severe head trauma,” reports WPRI. “He later died from his injuries. Officials say the incident appears to be completely accidental and there is no indication that the victim intentionally jumped or was pushed.”

WPRI did not cite Martin in its report, but Vanyaland has confirmed with the musician’s friends that it was him who took the fatal fall.

Read more at Vanyaland.

(Photo - ReturnToThePit.com)

Greek extreme metal veterans ROTTING CHRIST have entered the studio to begin recording of their brand new album, to be released in early 2019 via Season Of Mist. The disc will be produced by vocalist Sakis Tolis, and Jens Borgen (AMON AMARTH, KREATOR, DIMMU BORGIR, OPETH, KATATONIA) will again take on the job of mixing and mastering.

Regarding the new record, Sakis comments: "After almost two years on the road promoting and supporting our latest album, 'Rituals', the time has come to create its follower. An album that will be inspired by the intense artistic worries which arose during those two years on the road, and which seems to be our darkest and most mystical influences yet in our career! Thanks for the support all those years, we will not disappoint you!"


ROTTING CHRIST will make a select number of festival appearances this summer.

Asked in a recent interview with Pavillon 666 if he thought ROTTING CHRIST would last 30 years upon the band's 1988 formation, Sakis said: "It's a full life. No, of course [not]…you don't start the band to exist for 30 years or to be famous or rich or whatever the fuck. We just started the band because I wanted to sound like my idols back then. I wanted to play only one show and now I'm in a position where I've played 1,500 shows. And, no, I didn't expect something like this, but the spirit remains the same, even if I'm not that young. I still have the spirit and the hope that if we are in good health to keep playing with the band until our death. If health permits, of course. It's not up to me. If health does not permit, then I will not serve."

Pressed about what advice he would give to younger bands, Sakis said: "I don't know. I grew up in a very different era than nowadays. I remember I took the train with my band back in the '90s and we toured Europe on the train. It would be very hard nowadays for something like this to happen. I remember, myself, I did this without [making] money for 20 years, but I did it. I could survive because the situation wasn't like it is today. Things were better back in the day, or maybe more easy to make sacrifices like I used to make. So, if new bands want advice, it's just to concentrate on what they're doing and if they don't achieve something, that's no problem. Life is not only for them, everyone is good at something. For instance, if you tell me to do something else than music, believe me, it would be very bad. Someone else should be very good at something else. You need my music sometimes, I need your work. Everyone needs everyone. I suggest just be yourself, play your music, but be yourself, that's important. If you don't achieve something, no problem. Life is short, you should enjoy it."

ROTTING CHRIST's "Their Greatest Spells" was released in March via Season Of Mist. This double-CD compilation features a best-of selection approved by Tolis as well as the new track "I Will Not Serve".

Florida-based melodic power metal band Artizan is slated to release their new album Demon Rider on August 17th via Pure Steel Records.

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 (Fates Warning).

Pre-orders are now available here.

Wayward Sons - the UK guitar act made up of Toby Jepson (vocals, guitar), Sam Wood (guitar), Nic Wastell (bass), Dave Kemp (keys) and Phil Martini (drums) - have released a video for  "Don't Wanna Go", featured on their  debut album, Ghosts Of Yet To Come, out now. Watch the clip below.

The album was produced by Wayward Sons (Toby Jepson’s previous credits as a songwriter and producer include the likes of Katie Melua, The Virgin Marys, The Answer and Toseland) and Chris D’Adda (Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds).

Tracklisting:

“Alive”
“Until The End”
“Ghost”
“Don't Wanna Go”
“Give It Away”
“Killing Time”
“Crush”
“Be Still”
“Small Talk”
“Something Wrong”

“Don't Wanna Go” video:

“Ghost” video:

“Crush” video:

“Alive” video:

“Until The End” video:

Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has released a new solo EP entitled The Madness Of It All. It is available for streaming and purchase via the audio player below.

The tracklist is as follows:

"The Madness Of It All"
"The Depths"
"Turn Out The Lights"
"Spazztastic"

The Madness Of It All EP by Jason Bieler

Bieler has scheduled a string of solo shows for 2018 leading into the fall. His schedule is currently as follows:

July
14 - New York City, NY - Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2

August
10 - Baton Rouge, LA - Red Dragon Listening Room 
11 - New Orleans, LA - Howlin’ Wolf Porch

October
13 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hotel Cafe

Singer/guitarist Zach Slaughter (frontman for Skull Fist) 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. The album is available at this location.

Check out the official video for "Punch Patrol" 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"

Promo video:

On June 29th, Paradise Lost will release a new version of their eighth full-length album Believe In Nothing that initially saw the light of day in 2000. The band was never really satisfied with the overall production and artwork of this record, Jaime Gomez Arellano remixed and remastered the twelve tracks and Branca Studio designed a dark and moody new cover artwork, to bring it closer to the initial vision that the band once had for their gothic rock album.

In the new trailer below, Nick Holmes and Greg Mackintosh discuss the artwork:

Believe In Nothing - Remixed & Remastered will be available in the following formats:

- Digipack CD
- Bi-coloured LP
- White LP
- Standard Black LP
+ T-Shirt Bundles

Pre-order via the following links:

- Official Omerch Store
- Nuclear Blast Mailorder
- Digital

New artwork by Branca Studio.

Tracklisting:

"I Am Nothing"
"Mouth"
"Fader"
"Look At Me Now"
"Illumination"
"Something Real"
"Divided"
"Sell It To The World"
"Never Again"
"Control"
"No Reason"
"World Pretending"

Bonus tracks:
"Gone"
"Leave This Alone"

"Mouth" lyric video:

WE ARE SENTINELS (formerly SENTINELS), the new project featuring vocalist Matt Barlow (ICED EARTH, ASHES OF ARES, PYRAMAZE) and composer, keyboardist and pianist Jonah Weingarten (PYRAMAZE, STRUCTURE OF INHUMANITY), will release its self-titled debut album on July 6 in Europe via SAOL.

The official Chance White-directed video for the song "Kingdom In Winter" can be seen below.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. From My Tower

02. My Only Sin

03. Life, Death, Rebirth

04. Kingdom In Winter

05. Dreaming In Winter

06. Battle In Winter

07. In Memoriam

08. Sirens of Odysseus

09. Miracle

10. Soul On Fire

11. Holy Diver

Combining sweeping motion picture style orchestral arrangements, modern classical piano, thunderous percussions, and the dynamic and powerful vocals of Barlow, WE ARE SENTINELS has set out to create something truly unique and groundbreaking. With musical and thematic elements inspired by the great drama, sci-fi, and fantasy films of the last thirty years — combined with duo's obvious enthusiasm for all things heavy metal — WE ARE SENTINELS works to embody the very essence of the word "epic."

WE ARE SENTINELS is:

Matt Barlow: Vocals, Lyrics, Choirs

Jonah Weingarten: Keyboards, Piano, Percussion, Orchestration

Pure Steel Records has announced June 29th as the official release date for Commander Of Pain, the new album and all-star project headed by Austrian rock legend Klaus Schubert. 

Schubert In Rock, inaugurated by Klaus Schubert, lead guitarist and mastermind of No Bros, is taking what was previously established to the next level. 

Back in 2013, Schubert assembled some of the most legendary international rock artists and long-time friends to record new versions of No Bros’ greatest hits. Among those previously featured were: Tony Martin (Black Sabbath), Biff Byford (Saxon), Joe Lynn Turner (Rainbow, Deep Purple), Marc Storace (Krokus), Doogie White (Rainbow), Bernie Marsden (Whitesnake), Neil Murray (Black Sabbath, Brian May) and Don Airey (Deep Purple). The riveting project turned out to be a huge success and culminated in a sensational sell-out show at the Congress concert hall in Innsbruck.

Much like the first self-titled album, the new Commander Of Pain project will feature some of the world’s most celebrated artists and musicians, making for yet, another milestone in Austrian rock music. 

Commander Of Pain will introduce entirely new songs, all of them tailor-made for each artist while remaining true to Schubert's distinctive sonic signature. The cover art, along with the tracklisting and a list of special guests, is available below:

"Empathy" – Jeff Scott Soto (Sons Of Apollo) - vocals
"Burning Heart" – Marc Storace (Krokus) – vocals
"Little Boy"
"Too Late" – Dan McCafferty (Nazareth) – vocals
"Under The Lights" – Doogie White (Rainbow) – vocals, Don Airey (Deep Purple) – keyboards
"World With No Tomorrow" – Carl Sentance (Nazareth) – vocals, Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson) – guitar
"Forgive Me When I Fall" - Jeff Scott Soto (Sons Of Apollo) - vocals, Don Airey (Deep Purple) – keyboards
"Ride The Bullet"
"On The Line" – Michael Vescera (Yngwie Malmsteen, Loudness) – vocals
"It's Our World" – Dan McCafferty (Nazareth) – vocals, Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson) – guitar
"Dance Of The Black Tattoo"
"Commander Of Pain" – Marc Storace (Krokus) – vocals, Don Airey (Deep Purple) – keyboards
"My Name Is Judas" – Doogie White (Rainbow) – vocals, Don Airey (Deep Purple) – keyboards

 

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser joined DEATH ANGEL on stage on May 20 at the final show of the two bands' Australian tour in Perth to perform the song "Hatred United / United Hate". Fan-filmed video footage can be seen below.

Kisser originally appeared on the studio version of "Hatred United / United Hate", which was included on DEATH ANGEL's latest album, 2016's "The Evil Divide". The CD was once again recorded at AudioHammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, DEICIDE), who previously worked on 2010's "Relentless Retribution" and 2013's "The Dream Calls For Blood".

Back in January, DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda told The Metal Voice that the band was hoping to have its next album "written, recorded and mixed by the end of the year."

Regarding the musical direction of the next DEATH ANGEL LP, Mark said: "This will be the fourth album with this lineup. This will be the most albums ever by DEATH ANGEL with the same lineup. We're going to stay with the same producer as well — Jason Suecof out in AudioHammer in Florida. So we're gonna stick with kind of the same formula, as far as it's gonna be aggressive, in your face, but I think our arsenal has gotten a lot more varied — say on the last record, 'The Evil Divide', with a song like 'Lost'. So we always have our own little subtle nuances that we throw in that other thrash bands just don't do, and I think that's what separates us from them. I don't know if it's a better thing, but it's an original thing, and that's what we always strive for."

Soulfly made the crowd go nuts at Wacken Open Air 2006 as they belted out "Roots Bloody Roots" and "Eye For An Eye". The fine folks at Wacken TV have just shared professionally filmed footage of this killer performance:

Next month, Soulfly will return to the road. Catch Max Cavalera and co. live at the following shows:

June
16 - With Full Force - Gräfenhainichen, Germany
19 - M.A.U. Club - Rostock, Germany
21 - Copenhell - Copenhagen, Denmark
22 - Tons Of Rock - Halden, Norway
24 - Musikbunker - Aachen, Germany
25 - Turock - Essen, Germany
26 - Patronaat - Haarlem, Netherlands
27 - Poppodium Hedon - Zwolle, Netherlands
28 - La Poudriere - Belfort, France
29 - La Souris Verte - Epinal, France

July
1 - Nuvolari Liberia Tribu - Cuneo, Italy
2 - Circolo Magnolia - Milan, Italy
3 - Vintage Industrial Bar - Zagreb, Croatia
6 - Univerisada - Sofia, Bulgaria
7 - Metalhead Meeting - Bucharest, Romania
8 - Dürer Kert - Budapest, Hungary
10 - Szene - Wien, Austria
13 - Gefle Metal Festival - Gavle, Sweden
18 - Melnä Piektdiena - Riga, Latvia
22 - Roxy - Prague, Czech Republic
23 - Dynamo - Zurich, Switzerland
25 - Metaldays - Tolmin, Slovenia
27 - Secret Place - Saint Jean De VÉdas, France

August
2 - Pol'and'Rock Festival - Kostrzyn Nad Odrą, Poland
11 - Boomtown Fair - Winchester, United Kingdom

 

Italian deathsters Grind Zero have a teaser for for Concealed In The Shadow, the new full-length album out now via Punishment 18 Records. Listen below.

The effort was mastered by Dan Swanö (Opeth, Bloodbath, Katatonia, Edge Of Sanity) that, about the band, also said: "...awesome death/grind that brings me back to the '80s/'90s!"

Tracklisting:

"Soul Collected"
"Corrosion"
"See You In Hell"
"Master's Pleasure"
"Sodomizing The Sun"
"A Shadow"
"Lost Shrine"
"Buried Deception"
"The Horde"
"Cursed Be My Path"

Teaser:

Scandinavian melodic metal / hardcore band Halcyon Days have released a video for "Keeper", a track from their second full-length, Rain Soaked Pavements & Fresh Cut Grass, out on June 15th via Indie Recordings. Watch the clip below.

Halcyon Days is a melodic metal and hardcore band not swaying stylistically too far away from bands such as Architects, Underoath and Counterparts. Since their beginning in 2012, they have released two EP’s, and most importantly their debut album (2014) titled .ELEVATE. Their debut album was frequently play listed and recommended on Norway’s national radio, NRK P3. Two years after their debut album, they released a self-titled EP in 2016, scoring more than 250k total streams on digital platforms. The EP was met with an amazing response from their fans all over the world, in addition to awarding the band the title of “Band of the Week” from NRK P3’s Urørt at the end of 2016. The band is now ready to release their second full-length album, with the title Rain Soaked Pavements & Fresh Cut Grass.

The album tells stories in simple ways. The book of synonyms that we all love so dearly had been tossed out of the window, focusing on a way more simple vocabulary. The stories talks about reflections on specific events or periods in our lives. The intention from their side was to write songs that wasn’t too open for interpretation, but as you read the lyrics you will get a view into their personal lives and thoughts, with the intent of having the listener being able to relate to the message the songs carry.

Tracklisting:

“Fragments”
“Lights Out”
“July”
“Cerca Trova”
“Catcher”
“In Memoriam”
“Keeper”
“Monument”
“Winter”
“Friendship”

“Keeper” video:

“July” video:

British heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN played the second show of the "Legacy Of The Beast" world tour earlier tonight (Monday, May 28) at the Hartwall Arena in Helsinki, Finland.

As was the case three days earlier in Tallinn, IRON MAIDEN opened the concert with "Aces High" — complete with a Spitfire war plane replica suspended over the musicians — and continue with "Where Eagles Dare". Other notable tracks during the set included the Blaze Bayley-era classics "The Clansman" and "Sign Of The Cross", as well as three additional songs that received their first airing in years at the Tallinn show: "For The Greater Good Of God", "The Wicker Man" and "Flight Of Icarus".

This past March, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson said in an interview that there will be "one or two things" in the "Legacy Of The Beast" setlist "that people are gonna be really surprised by" and predicted that "there'll be social media madness after the first show."

The concept for the "Legacy Of The Beast" tour was inspired by MAIDEN's mobile game and comic book of the same name and the stage set design features a number of different but interlocking "worlds" with a setlist covering a large selection of 1980s material with a handful of surprises from later albums to add diversity.

MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood explained: "As our fans know, we've been following a particular touring cycle ever since Bruce and Adrian [Smith, guitar] rejoined MAIDEN at the start of the millennium, alternating new album tours with 'History/Hits' tours. We enjoy working this way for many reasons, not least because it gives the band a chance to play both new material and the older favorites which we know fans like to hear. It keeps things fresh, not just for the fans but for the band too.

"For this 'History/Hits' tour, we decided to base the theme around the 'Legacy Of The Beast' name, which suits our purposes perfectly by giving us scope to get creative and have some fun, especially with Eddie! We're working on a number of different stage sets, all in keeping with the MAIDEN tradition and we hope to give our fans a

Video footage of former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted and his THE CHOPHOUSE BAND performing the song "Blackbird" at the Norton Sculpture Garden in West Palm Beach, Florida can be seen below (clip filmed by Michelle Pariseleti).

Named after Jason's four recording studio facilities around the U.S. and featuring a fluid roster of players, THE CHOPHOUSE BAND began in 1992 when Newsted founded The Chophouse Records Studio in San Francisco.

Following the success of METALLICA's 1991 Black Album, The Chophouse Records Studio was conceived by Newsted to assemble friends and comrades from other established acts and groups, to have a special place to enjoy chasing ideas and sounds, having fun playing pure and wild music on breaks and downtime, mixing up wicked musical soup away from rigorous touring schedules and agendas.

THE CHOPHOUSE BAND is led by Newsted, playing acoustic guitars and performing lead vocal, accompanied by 
close friends/musicians of all walks and styles, sharing some great American songs from familiar and unfamiliar heroes.

The members of THE CHOPHOUSE BAND reside from coast to coast, including Chris Barnett, Mike Hughes, Tom Jordan, Joe Ledesma, David Lopez, Jesus Mendez, G.E. Perez, Mike Ramos, Brian Sagrafena, Angeline Saris, Chris Scianni, Amir Tal and Rob Tucker.

"Blackbird" was written by Newsted and Tal.

THE CHOPHOUSE BAND in the clip below consists of the following musicians:

Jason Newsted - lead vocals, guitar

Joe Ledesma - bass

Robert John Tucker - percussion, backing vocals

Amir Tal - lead guitar, backing vocals

During an appearance on the SiriusXM satellite radio show "Eddie Trunk Live", Newsted explained how his mother's illness and eventual passing inspired his current acoustic-based projects. He said: "What transpired was I had to keep playing, and she knows I had to keep playing. So I picked up the acoustic and started doing what I was able to do when I was just hanging around her, and started learning my cowboy chords and started collecting my songs. This was about the beginning of summer of 2014. So I would play certain songs for her, kind of choking through 'em — a bass player playing heavy handed on the acoustic guitar and just banging these cowboy chords out and learning Johnny Cash and Neil Young and George Jones and some more popular things like that. And by now, I've dug in a lot deeper than that, but it was originally inspired by that thing, where I'd play mom songs. And she wouldn't necessarily remember, the next day or the next couple of days, which ones I'd played for her, and so she would react to certain songs the same way each time she heard them as if she was hearing them the first time. And so that kind of showed me which ones to chase, that showed me which ones had the groove, which ones my voice fit with, and all that. That's how I started collecting my songs. I had to keep playing music, of course, but the way and the form that it had to take was me with an acoustic, one voice, working through those songs as I had to put everything else on hold."

Jason left METALLICA back in 2001 but was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, along with Ulrich, guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield, guitarist Kirk Hammett, and the man who replaced him, bassist Robert Trujillo, in 2009.

Mark "Barney" Greenway of British grindcore pioneers NAPALM DEATH joined Danish metal rock 'n' rollers VOLBEAT on stage on May 27 at the at the Olympia in Dublin, Ireland to perform the VOLBEAT track "Evelyn". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

In an April 2011 interview with Straight.com, VOLBEAT vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen spoke about Barney's appearance on the studio version of "Evelyn", which appears on the band's fourth album, "Beyond Hell/Above Heaven".

"Writing a song like 'Evelyn' was my way of showing people that it was not only the '50s elements we were inspired by, but we were actually growing up with a lot of great metal bands," Michael said. "And NAPALM DEATH was one of the first extreme metal bands I was listening to — I was listening to them when I bought my first guitar. So being able to have a singer like Barney from NAPALM DEATH on my record was a real accomplishment. It's great to see that it's actually possible for dreams to come true, in a way."

VOLBEAT plans to enter the studio before the end of the year to begin recording its seventh album for a tentative 2019 release. The follow-up to 2016's "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie" will mark the band's first full-length effort to feature bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen, who joined VOLBEAT too late to appear on the last CD.

DEF LEPPARD has recorded a session at the Spotify studios in New York.

The two-song session was taped on May 16 and will be aired at a later date as part of the streaming service's "Spotify Singles" series.

"Spotify Singles" was launched in 2016 and features artists recording at least two live songs — an original and a cover — for release exclusively on Spotify. As the name suggests, the "Spotify Singles" concept channels back the good old days of vinyl and CD singles.

The first round of "Spotify Singles", which launched in November 2016, gave users access to new music by more than 20 artists, including John Legend, Grouplove and Lindsey Stirling.

DEF LEPPARD singer Joe Elliott spoke about the band's Spotify session during a recent appearance on "The Eddie Trunk Podcast". He said: "[We recorded] just two songs. I won't say any more because I don't want to spoil the surprise for whenever it's gonna get broadcast, but [it was a] bit of fun. [We laid down] one of ours and a cover of somebody else's stuff."

Back in January, DEF LEPPARD finally made its entire catalogue available for downloading and streaming. The British rock icons, who had been longtime holdouts to having the band's music available digitally, even went so far as to re-record their classic hits in note-for-note replications rather than cave to a deal that didn't serve them well. Now, the band's work — from its 1979 debut, "The Def Leppard E.P." through 2015's self-titled album — can all be found online.

DEF LEPPARD's 58-city tour with JOURNEY kicked off on May 21 in Hartford, Connecticut and will run through October 6 in Los Angeles.

This past week, DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen left the JOURNEY tour to deal with a family emergency. Replacing him until he returns is TRIXTER's Steve Brown.

DIMMU BORGIR has announced the addition of Swedish bass player Victor Brandt (ENTOMBED A.D., FIRESPAWN) to the group's ranks. The Norwegian symphonic black metal titans will play their first show since 2012 in June and will visit all corner of the world throughout this year and 2019, and Victor is ready to storm the stage with vocalist Shagrath, guitarists Silenoz and Galder, keyboardist Gerlioz and drummer Daray.

Victor comments: "It's a great honor and pleasure to be a part of the mighty DIMMU BORGIR. And such great timing for me to start at the release of their new album, 'Eonian', which, in my opinion, is their best album so far. The members of the band are equally awesome to their music so I am looking forward to good times ahead."

The band adds: "We are very excited to have Victor become a part of the team! His experience, dedication and craftmanship is very much appreciated and we look forward to sharing the world stages with him!"

Released on May 4 via Nuclear Blast, "Eonian" contains 10 new tracks, produced by the band itself and engineered by Jens Bogren. Emerging from the dark minds of the three songwriters, "Eonian" follows a philosophical concept, dealing with the illusion of time.

Silenoz told Metal Shock Finland about DIMMU BORGIR's long-awaited follow-up to 2010's "Abrahadabra": "We feel that we're sitting on the best album that we could possibly do at this time, and personally, I think it's definitely our best album to date. Obviously, that's something that everybody says, but if I didn't believe that we would do our best album, there wouldn't really be any point doing a new one. So, yeah, I'm really excited about it, and I know that quite a few fans will probably be positively surprised."

As for the musical direction of DIMMU BORGIR's new effort, Silenoz, said: "I think it's safe to say that [the parts that are] more epic and majestic are more epic and majestic, and the same goes for the brutal sound of DIMMU and also the primitive and more black metal sound of DIMMU is more black metal this time around. So you will have the more extremes of each part that we are known for."

Phil Mogg has confirmed that next year's 50th-anniversary tour with UFO will be his last as the frontman of the long-running hard rock band. Consequently, it seems almost certain that at that point they will cease to exist. UFO were formed in London in 1968 and Mogg is their only ever-present member, performing on all of the group's 22 studio albums.

"This decision has been a long time coming. I've considered stepping down at the end of UFO's previous two tours," Mogg explains. "I don't want to call this a farewell tour as I hate that word, but next year's gigs will represent my final tap-dancing appearances with the band.

"2018 marks UFO's 50th anniversary, so the timing feels right," he continues. "There will be a final tour of the U.K. and we will also play some shows in selected other cities that the band has a strong connection with. But outside of the U.K. this won't be a long tour.

"Being out on the road isn't always tremendously luxurious and although the playing is as great as it ever was, the stuff that surrounds it becomes very tiresome. I always told myself that when I reached that stage, I would step down, and that's what I'm going to do. This is the right time for me to quit."

Mogg turned 70 back in April and although his voice remains strong, he admits that age played its part in his conclusion.

"I'm a big reader of obituaries, and my finger always goes down to: 'I wonder how old they were…'," he chuckles. "The last few years have been tough — losing Lemmy was awful and I was sad that Jimmy Bain passed on a cruise ship. That distressed me quite a lot."

While many veteran bands in such a position simply cease playing live and continue to record, UFO will no longer be releasing new music. "A Conspiracy Of Stars" in 2015 and last year's covers collection "The Salentino Cuts" are set to become a signing-off point, though Mogg insists that however unlikely the prospect might seem — the singer is a lone strand of consistency throughout a 50-year history — he would have no problem with UFO continuing with a replacement.

The band's current lineup – completed by keyboard player/second guitarist Paul Raymond, guitarist Vinnie Moore, drummer Andy Parker and bassist Rob Le Luca — have, of course, been informed of Mogg's decision.

"I've told the guys that this is how it is," he says. "They know it's my time to go and they know that they can do whatever they want to do without me but I don't want to play live or make records anymore, though having said that I might go on and do an album of my own. I'll have to see how I feel about that."

Of course, UFO has either split up, retired or gone on hiatus several times before but Mogg is keen to make the distinction that next year's dates don't just mark the end of his touring commitments with UFO — for Phil, there will be no further concerts of any kind.

"For me, this is the end of my stint with UFO," he clarifies. "This is a line in the sand. I'm suggesting we call the tour 'Last Orders', though I also like 'The Bar Is Closing'. I'm also tempted to name it 'The Drinks Are On Parker'," he chuckles, referring long-suffering sticksman Andy Parker.

You'll have gathered that Mogg is not about to slash his wrists anytime soon. Of course, he is sad that the finishing line is now within slight but has had sufficient time to live with and process such a massive personal decision.

"Maybe the best word to use is 'bittersweet'," he concludes. "But my time has arrived and all that remains is to make sure that we have a good tour."

UFO's first confirmed live appearance of 2019 will take place in March at the Hard Rock Hell festival in North Wales.

Organizational and individual reasons have compelled German death metal veterans MORGOTH to refrain from any further live activities. A new record is not planned.


The last scheduled live show will take place on June 8 at the Chronical Moshers Open Air in Germany. The band made this decision after careful consideration.

Guitarist Sebastian Swart says: "Since a while, it is difficult for us to act flexibly enough as a band. The main reason is that we all live spread all over Germany. My individual reasons are the fact that I suffer from massive and multiple hearing problems, and on top of that, I will be moving abroad for my work."

The decision does not mean that MORGOTH will permanently split up, but all activities are being suspended at this time.

Guitarist Harry Busse says: "This decision was not an easy one for us, but at this point it is necessary to take this step. The initial idea back in 2011 was to play only a handful of shows to celebrate the 20th anniversary of 'Cursed'. The fact that we went on for another seven years and would follow with a new studio album, 'Ungod', wasn't something that we had anticipated back then. We really enjoyed this time and want to thank all of our fans, Century Media Records and our management, Clandestine Music, for their support during these years."

MORGOTH is:

Karsten "Jagger" Jäger - Vocals

Harry Busse - Lead & Rhythm Guitars

Sebastian Swart - Rhythm Guitars

Sotirios Kelekidis - Bass

Marc Reign - Drums

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200 chart with seventh studio album, "And Justice For None". The set, which arrived last Friday (May 18), launched with 71,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending May 24, according to Nielsen Music. Of that sum, 60,000 were in traditional album sales.

The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week based on multi-metric consumption, which includes traditional album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH previously landed in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 chart with "Got Your Six" (No. 2, 2015), "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell: Volume 2" (No. 2, 2013), "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell: Volume 1" (No. 2, 2013), "American Capitalist" (No. 3, 2011) and "War Is the Answer" (No. 7, 2009). According to Billboard, the group's only studio album to miss the top 10 was its debut effort, "The Way Of The Fist", which topped out at No. 107 in 2008.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael told Iowa's Rock 108 radio station that "And Justice For None" marks the first time that the band has had an album available on Spotify the first week of release. He said: "The other years, they didn't count streaming towards physical sales and album sales. But now, they've gotten together and streaming actually counts towards album sales," he said. "So this is the first time we've actually gone in guns blazing on every single platform — whether it be physical sales, your vinyl, all that stuff, streaming, Apple Music, everything. It's all available now right out of the gate."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's sixth album, "Got Your Six", sold 119,000 units in its first week of release.

The group's first four albums all shifted at least 500,000 units.

Standard cover:



Deluxe cover:

HEART's Nancy Wilson made an unannounced appearance at this past Saturday's (May 26) weekly "Soundcheck Live" event at Lucky Strike Live in Los Angeles, California.

Wilson, one of the founding members of legendary Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame group, joined event curator Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME), bassist Marty O'Brien (LITA FORD, TOMMY LEE, DISTURBED, STATIC-X) and Liv Warfield, acclaimed R&B singer and former Prince's NEW POWER GENERATION bandmember, for a rendition of the HEART classic "Barracuda".

Video footage of the performance can be seen below. Photos are available at WillToRock.com (courtesy of Will Greenberg).

"Soundcheck Live" is a weekly live music night that brings together the industry's top musicians alongside emerging talent to create a vibrant social experience driven by the artists.

Nancy and her sister, HEART singer Ann Wilson, had a very public falling out in 2016 due in large part to an incident in which Ann's husband Dean Wetter was arrested and convicted on charges of assault against Nancy's 16-year-old twin sons backstage at a HEART show in suburban Seattle.

Nancy told ABC Radio last month that she and her sister "[have] done a little more communicating recently" and revealed that "HEART has a nice offer to go on a tour next year, so [I'm] hoping [for that]."

Nancy's main focus right now is her new band ROADCASE ROYALE, which recently released its debut album, "First Things First".

In addition to Wilson and Warfield, ROADCASE ROYALE features Ryan Waters (lead guitar) along with HEART members Chris Joyner (keys), Dan Rothchild (bass) and Ben Smith (drums).

Denver metal/doom conquerors KHEMMIS will release their third album, "Desolation", on June 22 through 20 Buck Spin in North America, with Nuclear Blast Entertainment handling international territories.

A visualizer video for the album's triumphant opening track, "Bloodletting", can be seen below.


While KHEMMIS is undeniably influenced by doom and classic metal, to tag them with those labels doesn't do justice to what's accomplished on "Desolation"; a perfect representation of modern heavy metal in 2018 that integrates the past in a way only possible in the present. "Desolation" is not just the best KHEMMIS record to date but a testament to the quality that heavy metal is still capable of.

From the stadium-sized opening notes of "Bloodletting", it is immediately evident that KHEMMIS is again putting distance between themselves and their earlier influences to inform a sound that is singularly their own. "Isolation" — which the band recently aired live on the Decibel tour — is the album's lead single and most immediate track, with the classic metal melodies the band have become revered for shining throughout. On epic closer "From Ruin" and throughout the entirety of the album, the lead vocals and melodies of Phil Pendergast are the clearest, most powerful and best arranged that the band has achieved. Working for the third time with Dave Otero at Flatline Audio in Denver, the band and producer now have the familiarity and mutual experience to arrive at the perfect symbiosis of songwriting, arrangement and production value.


KHEMMIS states about the new single: "'Bloodletting' displays a number of new directions we take throughout this album. A big, harmonized overture gives way to soaring vocals and classic metal grooves before dragging you into uncharted, crushing darkness."


"Desolation" is completed with cover artwork by Sam Turner (BLACK BREATH, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, IN THE COMPANY OF SERPENTS). The album will be released on CD, digital and LP — with a foil-stamped jacket and eight-inch lyric booklet.


"Desolation" track listing:

01. Bloodletting

02. Isolation

03. Flesh To Nothing

04. The Seer

05. Maw Of Time

06. From Ruin

Progressive metal pioneers FATES WARNING will release a new live album, "Live Over Europe", on June 29 via InsideOut Music.

Captured during the most recent European headlining run for FATES WARNING's acclaimed latest studio album, "Theories Of Flight", in January 2018, "Live Over Europe" includes recordings from eight different cities (Aschaffenburg, Germany; Belgrade, Serbia; Thessaloniki and Athens, Greece; Rome and Milan, Italy; Budapest, Hungary and Ljubljana, Slovenia) and a total of 23 songs in over 138 minutes of playing time, spanning 30 years of the group's seminal career.

A performance clip of the song "The Light And Shade Of Things", which was edited by Chris Anderson at Divine Digital based on live footage from Germany (filmed by Bernhard Baran of B-Light Pictures) and several other locations on FATES WARNING's recent European tour, with audio recorded in Milano, Italy on January 20, 2018, can be seen below.

"Live Over Europe" was mixed by Jens Bogren (OPETH, KREATOR, SYMPHONY X) and mastered by Tony Lindgren at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden and will be available as limited 2CD mediabook, gatefold 3LP + bonus-2CD or as digital album.

FATES WARNING vocalist Ray Alder stated: "We would like to thank each and every one of our fans that helped us make 'Live Over Europe'. We had a great time making this album and we hope that you enjoyed the shows as much as we did playing them."

"Live Over Europe" track listing:

CD 1:

01. From The Rooftops

02. Life In Still Water

03. One

04. Pale Fire

05. Seven Stars

06. SOS

07. Pieces Of Me

08. Firefly

09. The Light And Shade Of Things

10. Wish

11. Another Perfect Day

12. Silent Cries

13. And Yet It Moves

CD 2:

01. Still Remains

02. Nothing Left To Say

03. Acquiescence

04. The Eleventh Hour

05. Point Of View

06. Falling

07. A Pleasant Shade Of Gray, Pt. IX

08. Through Different Eyes

09. Monument

10. Eye To Eye

FATES WARNING 2018 is:

Bobby Jarzombek - Drums

Joey Vera - Bass and Vocals

Ray Alder - Vocals

Jim Matheos - Guitars

Mike Abdow - Guitars and Vocals

Asked how he feels being attached to the "progressive" tag, Matheos told Goldmine in a 2016 interview: "I understand the need for labels. We all use labels. I use them if I have to describe something I'm listening to… I'll use whatever label comes to mind. That's the one that fits in general. It doesn't bother me. I just think that whole term doesn't mean that much anymore. The stuff that people give to me to listen to all the time — 'Oh, this is great prog stuff. You're gonna love it.' But, to me, if I even bother to listen to it, it sounds like something I've heard a hundred times before."


Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral