Video footage of former HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe performing a new song called "One Foot Out Of The Grave" on the Finnish reality singing competition "The Voice Of Finland" can be seen below.

Playing bass in Monroe's backing band for "The Voice" performance was Swedish musician and BACKYARD BABIES guitarist/vocalist Dregen, who left Monroe's solo band in 2014 to focus on a solo career. Dregen was filling in for Monroe's regular bassist Sami Yaffa, who was in Bali shooting the television series "Sound Tracker".

Released as a single on April 7, "One Foot Out Of The Grave" is one of five bonus tracks that will be included on Monroe's best-of compilation album, "Michael Monroe - The Best", which will be released before the summer to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of his debut solo album, "Nights Are So Long". There will also be a "very significant" cut featuring an as-yet-undisclosed "big-name" guest.

Monroe revealed the first details of the upcoming compilation during an interview with "Star Radio Rock Show With Neil Jones". Asked if he has already begun work on material for the follow-up to his last solo album, 2015's "Blackout States", the Finnish singer said: "We've already got a bunch of stuff. Right now we've got at least half an album of really strong stuff.

"Right now we're in the middle of labels, actually," he continued. "Well, I'm releasing a compilation of… It's been thirty years now since my first solo album, 'Nights Are So Long', came out, so it's like a thirty-year-anniversary kind of year. So we're releasing a best-of of all these years of all my solo albums. It's twenty-six songs, including the last three, and there's five bonus tracks, including a new single called 'One Foot Out Of The Grave', which is also included. There's five bonus tracks, previously unreleased, and one of them is very significant. I can't reveal yet, but there's a big name playing on one of them, so it'll be a nice surprise."

"Michael Monroe - The Best" was mastered last month at Chartmakers studio in Espoo, Finland with mastering engineer Svante Forsbäck.

Even though HANOI ROCKS was formed in Finland, their trashy, hedonistic, decadent hard rock/pop-metal boogie influenced many Los Angeles acts, including GUNS N' ROSES and MÖTLEY CRÜE.

Asked in a January 2016 interview with Ytsejam if he ever felt like he was unfairly coined within the hair metal scene, Monroe said: "First of all, I never felt like I was part of that hair metal scene, I was blamed for it. I got blamed for it a lot. I said don't blame me. I didn't do that, I couldn't relate to a lot of that stuff. Those guys were into posing; sex drugs, rock and roll stuff. They guys were so wacky; partying, chicks and booze that always seemed more important to the music. To me, it was always about music and the attitude. HANOI ROCKS was always more about punk. I think any words such as glam, punk, or grunge or whatever, as soon as something has a name, it's over. The cool thing about HANOI ROCKS is that it defied all categories. Nobody could categorize us because we played everything from punk to calypso. I think, okay, what do you call AEROSMITH? Are they a rock band? I never liked being put into categories. The hair metal thing was ridiculous. Most of those bands played their hairspray cans better than they did their actual instruments. That was why I was almost embarrassed to say I was a rock singer."

Nikki Sixx is recovering at home in Los Angeles from hip replacement surgery.

The MÖTLEY CRÜE and SIXX:A.M. bassist underwent the two-hour procedure earlier this month after announcing online that was he was preparing to go under the knife.

Speaking about the operation during this past Thursday's episode of his nationally syndicated radio show "Sixx Sense", Nikki said (hear audio below): "There's so much about it that I was excited about, and then there was parts of me that I was a little bit freaked out about.

"The thing that was interesting is, at first, when I heard that I needed that, I had that feeling, 'Oh my God! That's like an old person thing.' And I started getting a lot of feedback from our listeners and people in their 30s and 40s that have had hip replacement. In fact, I was just talking to a friend of mine, and his wife, who is 38, just had it done. So it's actually more common than not. And especially because people are more active now."

Sixx said that the doctor told him he could take sawed-off bone home "for religious reasons," but added that it "was complete mush." He explained: "The bone had just basically disintegrated from where they sawed it off and from where it was bone-on-bone. So I'd actually earned this surgery."

Nikki marveled at the speed of his recovery, saying: "It's amazing what they can do with modern medicine. I have to tell you, I was up, I was walking. The next day, I walked three hundred feet, and the next day, with only a cane, I walked up a flight of stairs, they showed me how to get in and out of a car, and they sent me home. And I've been here in the house pretty much ever since then. I went out a little bit yesterday, and I kind of took it too far. But I just wanted to be active."

He added: "So for anybody out there that has to go through a surgery like this, it's probably the best thing you'll ever do for yourself, 'cause I'm really feeling a lot better than I was before I went in for surgery."

Sixx is working on the Broadway adaptation of his memoir, "The Heroin Diaries: A Year In The Life Of A Shattered Rock Star".

SIXX:A.M.'s latest double album, "Prayers For The Blessed" and "Prayers For The Damned", came out during 2016.

Audio:

Fan-filmed video footage of RATT singer Stephen Pearcy and his solo band performing on April 13 at the Proof Rooftop Lounge in Houston, Texas can be seen below.

Stephen's fourth solo album, "Smash", was released on January 27 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Speaking about the songwriting process for his solo material, Pearcy told Music Existence: "RATT's music is its own entity and animal, and it has its own schematics. With my solo stuff, I tend to do whatever I like — an acoustic song, a really heavy song — and go places and talk about things that I want to. It's my freedom of speech. That's one thing I like about it, and I'm always writing, so what else can I do, you know? Just try to get it out and get it heard! I don't care if it sells ten million or nil million; it's just what I do. You do the best that you can."

Pearcy also talked in more detail about the musical inspiration for "Smash", saying: "It's just my guitar player Erik [Ferentinos], who I co-wrote most of the stuff with. We'd just come up with songs and take them through a journey. That's pretty much how it happens. I don't think about anything. If it sounds like something that's an influence, and if it's a good one, that's even better! I don't really think about emulating anybody; it's more of an influential thing that just came out. That's a compliment to both of us, how I respect them. And I'm sure they'd say, 'Woah, that sounds pretty good!' But that's about it — the light and the dark of the things, you know?"

He continued: "I wanted this record to be diverse. The subject matter's very different than what was expected, and what would be expected. And there's some personal stuff in there — a song I wrote for my daughter, 'Rain'. I'm able to do whatever I want with my solo stuff, so this is what you get."

Stephen will be supporting "Smash" with live dates in the U.S. and internationally. "It took long enough to finish the new record 'Smash' and it is well worth the patience taken, giving every song as much attention as the next," said Pearcy. "Erik Ferentinos (lead guitarist and co-writer), Greg D'Angelo (drummer) and Matt Thorne (bassist, keyboardist) and myself didn't settle on any first, second or third takes. We let some songs grow if needed, then go back and complete it. We're very happy with the outcome, that we were able to experiment and grow with the new songs."

Celebrating the brilliant talents of Ritchie Blackmore and Jon Lord, check out this classic Deep Purple instrumental performed live at the Alpine valley stadium in 1985 supporting the Perfect Strangers album.

Deep Purple released their new studio album, inFinite, on April 7th via earMUSIC. The label has uploaded Part 1 of new video series, entitled About The Album. Watch below:

inFinite album details follow.

Tracklisting:

"Time For Bedlam"
"Hip Boots"
"All I've Got Is You"
"One Night In Vegas"
"Get Me Outta Here"
"The Surprising"
"Johnny's Band"
"On Top Of The World"
"Birds Of Prey"
"Roadhouse Blues"

“All I Got Is You” video:

“Time For Bedlam” lyric video:

From Here To inFinite documentary snippet:

Rapid Fire Q&A Part 1:

Rapid Fire Q&A Part 2:

 

 

 

 

Tommy Bolin will be inducted into the South Dakota Rock And Roll Music Association Hall Of Fame on Saturday, April 22 at the Ramkota Exhibition Hall in Sioux Falls.

"Tommy is being inducted into the Hall of Fame as a Spirit of Music recipient," Johnnie Bolin, the younger brother of Tommy Bolin, explained to Sioux City Journal. "He'll be inducted alongside (teen idol and Fargo, North Dakota, native) Bobby Vee and Buddy Miles (an Omaha native best known for being a drummer in Jimi Hendrix's BAND OF GYPSYS)."

"It was an honor and a privilege to play drums with one of the greatest guitar players and songwriters on the planet." This quote from respected Sioux Falls drummer Bobby Berge encapsulates how many musicians and fans remember Tommy Bolin.

Tommy was born in Sioux City, Iowa on August 1, 1951. He loved rock and roll as a young boy, idolizing Elvis Presley. Bolin got his first guitar at the age of 10, and soon was organizing his own band. He and other pre-teen musicians used to attend THE VELAIRES rehearsals. His PATCH OF BLUE band played frequently at the Broadway Ballroom in Centerville, and he appeared several times with the Vermillion-based THE CHATEAUX, led by Bob Ellison. Tommy even played organ with the group at the Varsity Pub as a 14-year-old. He is said to have appeared on guitar on "Reference Man", released by THE CHATEAUX.

This restless, precocious young man grew tired of the local rock scene. As a 10th grader, Tommy was expelled from school because his hair was deemed too long. After getting it cut once, he was sent back home for not having enough trimmed off. With his parents' blessing, 15-year-old Tommy hitch-hiked to Denver to find fame. His brother, Johnnie, refers to the event: "To let a kid hitch to Denver, it's not like they didn't care. They knew that it was what Tommy had to do."

Soon after arriving in Denver, he met singer Jeff Cook and joined CROSSTOWN BUS. Cook said, "Tommy was very humble about his gift, and he never made any of us feel that we weren't as good as he was. We grew and became better players and better people." In 1968, Tommy joined ZEPHYR, but his love for jazz caused problems with the rest of the group. Tommy and Bobby Berge left to form ENERGY. Headquartered in Boulder, ENERGY was one of the first jazz-fusion bands. They backed John Lee Hooker, Albert King and Chuck Berry.

Tommy discovered glam rock. He wore flashy clothes designed by his girlfriend, Karen Ulibarri. His hair was multi-colored and he wore leopard skin platform boots. Tragically, this era started Bolin's attraction to hard drugs.

Drummer Billy Cobham visited Tommy's apartment to ask him to play guitar on his "Spectrum" album. That led to the JAMES GANG asking him to replace Joe Walsh when Walsh left the group. Albums in 1973, "Bang", and 1974, "Miami", featured Tommy's guitar virtuosity.

Jazz-fusion drummer Alphonse Mouzon asked Bolin to play on his 1975 album, "Mind Transplant". That led to an invitation from DEEP PURPLE to join them. He recorded "Come Taste The Band" with DEEP PURPLE, and was able to finish his only solo album, "Teaser", that year. He had begun work on a second solo disc, "Private Eyes", but that was cut short by his tragic premature death in Miami from a drug overdose.

It's less then a week away and then the new Junkyard album, High Water, will be released April 21st via Acetate Records; get yourself a copy at this location. Eleven songs mark a triumphant return for Junkyard on their first official album in 26 years. To whet your appetite, the group have shared the song "Styrofoam Cup", enjoy it now via the Soundcloud audio player below.

While odds and sods have been released over the decades, High Water is a firm statement of the band's 2017, and onward, intent. As singer and founding member David Roach explains, in recent years, Junkyard had a blast playing "reunion" shows, which quickly turned into mini-tours through Spain and packed gigs across America. New songs began percolating, and Junkyard began writing.

"I had no grand illusions of a magnum opus, or that we'd try and recreate what we were 25 years ago," Roach states. "This album is not a departure; it's a rock 'n' roll record from Junkyard with songs about life, love, regret, addiction and memories."

Junkyard, who hit MTV and radio hard with their self-titled 1989 Geffen Records debut and singles "Hollywood" and "Simple Man”, cement the authenticity their first two records on High Water, such blunt songs as the soul-searching of "Cut From The Same Cloth," to "We Fuck Like We Fight" (politely abbreviated as "WFLWF" for the politically correct) going down as easy as an aged Kentucky bourbon.

The band members are straight ahead guys, but High Water has a few shades of meaning. Guitarist Tim Mosher explains: "It could be interpreted more than one way - like a "high water mark" or the old phrase come "hell or high water," or with the image of the bottle on our CD cover, the actual "high water," aka booze!" High Water also boasts writing and lead guitar credits from Brian Baker, a Junkyard founding member who played with the band more than 25 years, but now plays his trade full time with Bad Religion. On the road, Junkyard are joined by Jimmy James (The Hangmen), with founding member Pat Muzingo and bassist Todd Muscat, who joined the band in 1991, rounding out the lineup.

"The Junkyard sound is a pretty classic one: big guitars and drums with David spilling his guts on top," says Mosher, who produced the album. We wanted High Water to sound loose and live, so as far as production goes we weren't trying to re-invent the wheel, just deliver the songs in the best light we could, then mix in some big riffs and throaty vocals and that's 'Yard." Junkyard's classic sound got some help from a fan and friend on High Water: Charlie Starr from the band Blackberry Smoke wrote the dramatic, forthright statement "Till the Wheels Fall Off" specifically for Junkyard.

As for a theme running through High Water, Roach jokes "we're not that clever," but describes the album as "a rock 'n' roll record with a nod to punk rock and outlaw country rock." It's a sound that's both timeless and timely.

As always, Junkyard steer clear of politics: "I personally prefer to keep politics out of my rock. I understand it's a great platform, and maybe some feel it's your duty to use it to a purpose, but I just feel our music is just for escape."

For his part, lyricist Roach is unafraid to mine his own missteps in song, as he did in the past with 1989 fan favorite, "Hands Off." This go-round, he confesses all via the tune 'Wallet." "That song was inspired by a night I spent with a stranger on the eve of a tour," says Roach. "I met her at [Hollywood bar] Boardners and we went to her place. The next day I snuck off like a rat to go home and pack for the tour. After I left I realized I left my wallet and had to do the walk of shame to retrieve it. Similar incidents have occurred--before and since to me--and I'm sure, countless others."

The band-and it's legion of longtime fans--is excited that High Water brings back Junkyard as an ongoing concern. As one of the great guttersnipe L.A. bands of the late 80s - a storied crew that includes Guns N' Roses, Little Caesar, The Hangmen - Junkyard were proud to be part of "one of the last great rock n roll scenes" as they term it.

"I don't think we dated ourselves too badly in the beginning so a lot of our songs still have some relevance," said Roach. "Also, we were in hibernation a while, we weren't playing while a lot of our contemporaries were. It's not so much longevity as it was people who missed us 20 years ago finally have a chance to see us."

Mosher, who was a fan of the group before joining Junkyard in 2000, sees all angles of the Junkyard saga...

"Although it's been 17 years since I joined, I'm still 'the new guy,' so with High I wanted to give the fans something I would've wanted as a Junkyard fan--a proper 3rd album," said Mosher. "It was important to all of us that the record be a statement of intent that could connect with fans from back in the day as well as hopefully find new ones for whom this might be their first 'Yard record. It's a tall order, but we're up for it."

Tracklisting:

“Walk Away”
“Faded”
“Cut From The Same Cloth”
“Styrofoam Cup”
“Hellbound”
“W.F.L.W.F.”
“Don't Give a Damn”
“Hell or High Water”
“Wallet”
“'Til The Wheels Fall Off”
“Kindness to the Dead”

Bonus tracks:

“The River”
“Rome Is Burning”
“Don't Give A Damn” (acoustic)
“Styrofoam Cup” (acoustic)
“Wallet” (live)

“Cut From The Same Cloth”:

“Wallet”:

Order the new album here. 2017 tour dates are listed below:

April
29 - M3 Festival - Columbia, MD

May
19 - Blackthorn 51 - New York, NY (w/ Little Caesar)
20 - Jewel Nightclub - Manchester, NH (w/ Little Caesar)
21 - The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY (w/ Little Caesar)
22 - Brass Monkey - Ottawa (w/ Little Caesar)
23 - The Rockpile - Toronto (w/ Little Caesar)
25 - Phatheadz - Green Bay, WI (w/ Little Caesar)
26 - The Token Lounge - Westland, MI (w/ Little Caesar)
27 - TBA - Cleveland, OH (w/ Little Caesar)
28 - TBA - Philadelphia, PA (w/ Little Caesar)

June
30 - Texas Mist - Austin, TX

July
1 - The Curtain Club - Dallas, TX

August
26 - Hair Metal Heaven Festival - Hull, UK

September
22 - 80’s In The Park Festival - Cocoa Beach, FL

Junkyard lineup:

David Roach - Vocals
Tim Mosher - Guitar
Todd Muscat - Bass
Patrick Muzingo - Drums
Jimmy James - Guitar

SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil spoke to the 93.3 WMMR radio station about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2012's "King Animal" album. "There are some songs that have been demoed," he said. "I think Matt's [Cameron, drums] demoed some things completely on his little… stuff he's recorded on computer. Chris [Cornell, vocals] has demoed a few things. He's written lyrics for ideas that I've written and that Ben [Shepherd, bass] and Matt have written. So there's some things that have been documented in rehearsal, there's some things that are at the demo stage, there are some that are still in the developmental stage, ideas that we jammed on that we're kind of working out arrangements for. Every different stage within the process of songwriting is being addressed at this point."

Work on a new SOUNDGARDEN record started in 2015, but the band took breaks while Cornell toured his "Higher Truth" solo effort and drummer Matt Cameron hit the road with PEARL JAM.

SOUNDGARDEN reunited in 2010 after a 13-year layoff, touring and then eventually writing new material that became the basis for "King Animal", its first new studio album in 16 years.

SOUNDGARDEN's North American headline tour will kick off on May 3 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Fox Theatre. THE PRETTY RECKLESS and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN will provide support on select dates.

SOUNDGARDEN will also appear at a variety of previously announced summer festivals, including WXTV Rockfest, Welcome To Rockville, Fort Rock Festival, 89.7 The River's Rockfest, Rock On The Range, and more.

On March 10, SOUNDGARDEN released a remixed deluxe version of its 1988 full-length debut album, "Ultramega OK". This expanded version of the record is described as a "correction" of the original mix, which the band was never satisfied with.

Since reuniting seven years ago, SOUNDGARDEN has embarked on an extensive restoration of its catalog, including deluxe archival versions of the classic albums "Badmotorfinger" and "Superunknown", along with a three-disc collection of rarities, B-sides and previously unreleased tracks called "Echo Of Miles: Scattered Tracks Across The Path".

"My Rock", the new video from Richie Kotzen, can be seen below. The song is taken from the ever-adventurous triple-threat songwriter/guitarist/vocalist 21st solo album, "Salting Earth", which was released on April 14 via his own custom label, Headroom-Inc. Kotzen tossed convention on its ear by actually taking one step back in order to move two steps forward. "It's something I really needed to do in order to reset myself," he explains. Kotzen's "charge to recharge" was officially put into play following the mega-success of the 2015–16 tour behind his band THE WINERY DOGS' sophomore effort, the oh-so-appropriately named "Hot Streak". And the man's reset manifesto wound up hitting all the right buttons too. The proof is on display deep within the grooves of "Salting Earth", which veers from the balls-out, heads-up declaration of the opening track and first single, "End Of Earth", to the burning-sky harmonic thrust of "Thunder" to the Prince-like funk-jazz swing of "This Is Life" to the acoustified take-me-as-I-am self-reflection of the album's final song, "Grammy". The majority of "Salting Earth" is the result of Kotzen's one-man production machine, with the exception of Julia Lage adding background vocals to "Make It Easy", a tasty, sing-along groove stew. "It's really not deliberate when the record is finished and suddenly I'm the only performer on it," Kotzen admits. "It actually comes out of my process of writing and documenting my ideas. It started back in the late '80s when I had a makeshift studio in my parents' barn. I grew up fairly isolated, and I soon realized in order to get this music out of my head and onto a format where I could listen to it, I'd have to figure out how to do it alone." Kotzen's previous solo release, 2015's diverse, far-reaching "Cannibals", was a well-received hit among his core fan base, and "Salting Earth" cuts like the aforementioned "End Of Earth", "Thunder" and "Divine Power" all showcase the scorching guitar solos and soaring vocals that one would expect from a Kotzen solo album. That said, there's also quite a vulnerable side on display here that's perhaps best demonstrated in the stripped-down approach to the album's closing salvo, "Grammy". "That song came to me in the oddest way at the most inconvenient time," he reveals of the track that can be filed in the "first thought, best thought" category. One night when he was home alone, "I basically woke myself up with the chorus melody in my head, and in my haze, I knew that if I didn't at least record the idea, it would be forever lost. I ended up programming a simple drum beat, and then recorded the acoustic guitar. The lyrics pretty much wrote themselves. By 6 in the morning, the song was finished. I was going to do more overdubs, but I kept playing it over and over, and I just felt like there was something so personal coming out of the speakers. By messing with it, I'd likely destroy the magic — so I left it as it is." Bringing "Salting Earth" live to the people is Kotzen's next holy mission. "My real outlet is touring — playing live as much as I can, wherever I can, whenever I can," he says enthusiastically. "It's one of the few things you can't copy, steal, or download. It's an engaging human experience that's a give-and-take between both the performer and the audience, and there is nothing else like it on this earth." Kotzen will launch his "Salting Earth" tour on April 21 at The Canyon club in Agoura Hills, California. He and his band are planning to tour extensively throughout the U.S. and continue their journey into Mexico, South America, and Europe. "Salting Earth" track listing: 01. End Of Earth02. Thunder03. Divine Power04. I've Got You05. My Rock06. This Is Life07. Make It Easy08. Meds09. Cannon Ball10. Grammy

Photo credit: Julia Lage

HELLYEAH guitarist Tom Maxwell has revealed that he has already begun composing material for the follow-up to the band's 2016 album, "Unden!able". "I'm already there, yeah," he told Metalshop TV in a new interview (see video below). "I'm already thinking next record. I'm already starting to write. [I'm] not quite there yet."

He continued: "I'm weird when it comes to writing music. It's, like, I can't just do it… I mean, I can — I can sit down and probably write a song every day — but it doesn't mean it's gonna be any good. And I really have to… My head's gotta be right. I've gotta want to write songs. It's almost like your guitar calls you. And when I don't hear that call, it's not time."

Maxwell also confirmed that HELLYEAH will once again work with producer Kevin Churko, who helmed "Unden!able" and 2014's "Blood For Blood" record. "Yes, I hope so, yes," the guitarist said. "I don't wanna work with anybody else. [He's] kind of like the sixth member.

"For me, producers… It's a loosely thrown around word," he continued. "In my opinion, most producers are just glorified engineers. They know how to do good sounds, but a good producer, to me, is a composer who can bring ideas, who can help you re-write your song five or six different ways. And that's a good thing to have. I welcome feedback, and I welcome other ideas. It just inspires me. You might not like it, you might like it; you've just gotta try it and see if it works.

"So, yeah, the next record, I'm sure we're gonna be back in the studio with Kevin and it's gonna be just like what we're doing now — moving forward, [recording the] same heavy [kind of stuff]. Up and down, and giving people a journey."

HELLYEAH's fifth album, "Unden!able", which was released on June 3, 2016 via Eleven Seven Music. The effort marks the first time HELLYEAH's current lineup — Maxwell, singer Chad Gray, guitarist Christian Brady, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott and bassist Kyle Sanders — has recorded together as a unit.

Kelly Keagy, the drummer, co-lead vocalist and co-founder of long-running rock band NIGHT RANGER, is taking a temporary leave of absence from the band during April and May, as he recovers from a successful heart procedure. Veteran drummers Deen Castronovo (formerly of JOURNEY and BAD ENGLISH) and Fred Coury (CINDERELLA) will sit in for Keagy for the next six weeks during the "35th Anniversary World Tour", which coincides with the release of the band's eleventh studio album, "Don't Let Up". Keagy issued the following statement: "I've dealt with a heart abnormality my entire life. At the recommendation of my doctors, I decided to undergo a procedure that will allow me to come back even stronger. I've asked the guys in the band to go ahead with the tour, and I'm looking forward to rejoining them on the road as soon as I can. I'm grateful for the support and prayers of my family, my bandmates, and our fans, which have meant everything to me as I've gone through this process." Keagy is now at home continuing his recovery, which is expected to take six weeks. NIGHT RANGER's Jack Blades (lead vocals, bass), Brad Gillis (lead and rhythm guitars), Keri Kelli (lead and rhythm guitars), and Eric Levy (keyboards) issued the following statement: "We support and applaud Kelly's decision to put his health first and undergo this treatment now so he can be back at full strength as quickly as possible. While it will be strange being out on the road without our brother Kelly for the first time in the band's history, we take comfort in knowing it's a temporary situation, and he'll be back soon even stronger to continue the '35th Anniversary World Tour'. "We're grateful to our buddies Deen and Fred, for agreeing to step in as guest drummers for NIGHT RANGER during Kelly's short hiatus (Deen will perform at the May shows and Fred will perform at the April shows). They've both been good friends of the band for years, and it'll be great to be rockin' America with them while Kelly recuperates. "We know our fans join us in sending their thoughts and prayers to Kelly and his family as he recovers from his procedure, and we look forward to reuniting with him on the road very soon as we celebrate the release of 'Don't Let Up' and the '35th Anniversary World Tour' rolls on."

KIX guitarist Ronnie Younkins will once again be checking in to rehab to be treated for alcohol abuse, his bandmates have revealed.

Younkins missed a KIX concert in Pennsylvania last month when the rest of the band was unable to reach him. He was eventually found "not in great condition and very upset," according to TMZ.

In a new statement posted on the KIX Facebook page, the group wrote: "Thank you for your concern about our dear friend Ronnie. Our hearts and prayers go out to him and his family, and we wish him the best on his continued journey toward recovery.

"As we all well know, the road to recovery is not easy, but with the support of family, friends, and fans too, this difficult time becomes just a little easier to manage.

"Ronnie is currently headed to a rehab facility and will be in good hands. Brian will once again fill Ronnie's shoes until Ronnie is ready to return to KIX, to his side of the stage, which is waiting for him."

In a December 2015 interview with the Rock N Roll Experience, KIX guitarist Brian Forsythe confirmed that Younkins went back to rehab earlier that year to receive treatment for alcohol addiction. Forsythe said at the time: "[Ronnie returned to rehab] for a little bit — for a month and a half, two months. He did kind of a refresher course. He had been sober for a long time and then had this relapse, so we had to stick him back in there just to get him back on track."

KIX frontman Steve Whiteman told Sleaze Roxx two years ago that Younkins's substance abuse problems date back to the early '80s when the guitarist was briefly replaced by Brad Divens. "Ronnie has an addictive personality," Steve explained. "Ronnie has had his battles with drug problems throughout his life, and at that point, he was of no good to us, so we had to find a replacement for that period of time. Brad was a young guy in the area and we moulded him into what we needed for another guitar player. So he came in and did a great job and recorded 'Cool Kids' with us. And then we got wind that Ronnie had recovered and gotten better. It just felt weird not having Ronnie in the band. So when we knew that he was ready to come back, we got him back and cut Brad loose and set him off to — what's the name of the band? — WRATHCHILD AMERICA was his next band. And he did quite well after that.'

Younkins, a founding member of KIX, told The Frederick News-Post in a 2014 interview that he had been abusing hard drugs and alcohol for a while before he hit his rock bottom while the band was promoting its 1988 album "Blow My Fuse". "My drinking and drugging went overboard," he said. The guitarist checked himself in to rehab, an experience that turned his life around. Out on tour, he played gigs at night and attended addiction meetings during the day. "I took it seriously," he said. "And it saved my life."

Last October, KIX released the "Can't Stop The Show: The Return Of Kix" two-disc DVD/CD set via Loud & Proud Records. The 71-minute film was an in-depth look into KIX's decision to record their first new album, 2014's "Rock Your Face Off", in almost twenty years.




To all our fans:Thank you for your concern about our dear friend Ronnie. Our hearts and prayers go out to him and his...

Posted by Kix Band on Thursday, April 13, 2017

Rock vocalist Titta Tani (Takayoshi Ohmura, ex-DGM), metal bassist Alberto Rigoni (solo artist, Vivaldi Metal Project, TwinSpirits), guitarist Alessio "Lex" Tricarico (HorsePowerOverload, Four Roxx Down) and drummer Denis "Denzy" Novello teamed up to create the outstanding new metal band, Badass. More Pain, More Gain is the name of their debut album, released through Lion Music.

Titta Tani is an Italian singer and drummer, worldwide known also for his collaborations with Takayoshi Ohmura (Baby Metal, Marty Friedman), DGM, Emir Hot, Roger Staffelbach (Artension), Arthur Falcone, Ashent, Phoenix Rising and many others. As drummer he is currently playing for Claudio Simonetti’s Globin and has collaborated with bands such as Necrophagia, Edu Falaschi (Almah, Angra), Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring of Fire), Mistheria (Vivaldi Metal Project). In October 2016 he joined Badass as their official singer.

More Pain, More Gain is Badass' first album and was released digitally today (April 15th). The record was mixed andmastered by Federico Solazzo at Pannekoek Rehab Studio (NL), artwork by Laslzo “Absurdcus” Demeter.

Tracklist:

"Intro"
"More Pain, More Gain"
"Nightmares of My Youth"
"Royal Chains"
"Strong and United"
"What We Need"
"One More Night"
"Join Me"
"Redemption"
"Don't Bother Me"
"Outro"

 

The last year has been quite a ride for legendary rock band Candlebox. Not only did they come out swinging with the April 2016 release of Disappearing In Airports (Pavement Entertainment), which debuted among the Top 10 of the Top Rock Albums, and netted them the hit single “Vexatious” but they also went on to conquer both the U.S. and Europe with a relentless tour schedule that brought in an entirely new generation of Candlebox fans.
 
Now, about to embark on the anniversary of their comeback, the band that refuses to slow down has announced that they and Pavement Entertainment have teamed up with Record Store Day 2017 to release Disappearing Live. The first official live Candlebox CD, this seven-song EP was recorded in Long Island, NY from the uber successful Disappearing in Airports tour. And as a special bonus to fans, an exclusive live rendition of the band’s multi-platinum hit “Far Behind” has been included.
 
The EP was recorded and produced by renowned sound engineer Carlos Novais and mixed by bassist/engineer/mixer Adam Kury. Featured on the album are lead singer/guitarist Kevin Martin, Drummer Dave Krusen, who was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with Pearl Jam, Bassist Adam Kury, Lead Guitarist Brian Quinn and Guitarist Island Styles.

In addition to “Far Behind”, the EP includes the following tracks:

“Vexatious”
“Supernova”
“Crazy”
“I Want It Back”
“All That We Got”
“The Bridge”

Disappearing Live EP Digi-pack will be available starting April 22 at participating Record Store Day locations. For a list, visit http://www.recordstoreday.com. The EP will then be available on May 22 as a special bundle with a commemorative T-shirt on Pavement Entertainment’s web site (http://www.pavementmusic.com) and on all major digital platforms starting in June.
 
To celebrate the release of Disappearing Live, Candlebox has announced that it will also be releasing its third single “Crazy” to Mainstream Rock and Alternative Rock Radio. The track is streaming NOW at the BraveWords Featured Audio page. The follow up to the album’s single “Vexatious”, Martin describes the track as a song about obsession.

“It’s about the position that a lot of people find themselves in at some point in their lives”, Martin said. “That place where they want something physical that they necessarily couldn’t have but pursue it anyway. It’s about that unrelenting desire to always have more than we should.”
 
The release of their new EP and single aren’t the only things that will keep Candlebox busy this summer. According to Martin, the band will be performing at some of the largest venues and rock music festivals throughout the U.S.

Candlebox Disappearing In Airports dates:

April
15 – Everett, WA – Historic Everett Theater
22 – Orlando, FL – WJRR Earth Day Birthday

May
6 – Yucaipa, CA – Yucaipa Music And Arts Festival
7 – Pauma, CA – Casino Pauma

June
3 – Kansas City, KS – Rockfest

July
14 – Oshkosh, WI – Rock USA

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett has once again defended "Lulu", the band's controversial collaborative disc with Lou Reed, calling it "one of the most important albums" he has ever been a part of.

"Lulu" polarized fans around the world and earned METALLICA some of the most scathing reviews of its career. The effort featured the late THE VELVET UNDERGROUND frontman's spoken-word poetry and lyrics combined with METALLICA's musical assault for a jarring experience that didn't sound like anything METALLICA had ever attempted before.

More than five years since its release, "Lulu" has only sold around 35,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Speaking to Chile's HumoNegro.com, Kirk said about "Lulu" (see video below): "I think it's one of the best things we've ever done. I mean, you can kind of call it a METALLICA album, but it's not really a METALLICA album. I think that's part of the reason why it's so misunderstood. People were thinking it was gonna be an album of heavy metal songs with Lou Reed, but no — it was a collaboration. It was our two musical entities coming together to build something fresh and new and unique. And the fact that it turned out so unique was, I think, a huge success. And I love it. I still listen to it. I miss Lou; it's a shame that he's not with us anymore. But in retrospect, that's one of the most important albums, I think, I've been a part of in my life. So that's how I feel about it."

In a 2012 interview with Spin, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich admitted that the band was caught off guard by the vehement reaction to "Lulu", saying, "It was more spiteful than anyone was prepared for. Especially against Lou. He is such a sweet man. But when METALLICA do impulsive riffing and Lou Reed is reciting abstract poetry about German bohemians from 150 years ago, it can be difficult to embrace." Asked whether the band had second thoughts over some of Reed's lyrics, like "I swallow your sharpest cutter / Like a colored man's dick," Ulrich said, "I understand that to some 13-year-old in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, it can all seem a little cringe-worthy, but to someone raised in an art community in Copenhagen in the late '60s, that was expected."

The collaboration between METALLICA and Reed was sparked by their performance together of Reed's "Sweet Jane" and "White Light/White Heat" at the 25th anniversary of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at Madison Square Garden in October of 2009.

The songs were all written by Reed with extensive arrangement contributions by METALLICA.

Only two songs on the album are under five minutes in length, while two are more than 11 minutes long and the closing cut, "Junior Dad", clocks in at 19 minutes.

Reed died in October 2013 at the age of 71, five months after he had a life-saving liver transplant, according to his wife, Laurie Anderson.

Prevail delivers groovy death metal directly from the darkest parts of Jutland Denmark. The experienced five-piece - including former members of Svartsot, recently released their debut album through Prime Collective.

Now they are releasing a music video for their first single "Smiting Our Enemy". With a tornado of leg crushing guitar riffs and technical ability fused with lyrics that address topics and stories about the darker side of the human mind, they present to you a very controversial music video, which includes the executions of major political characters.

The production of the album is thick, chaotic and crystal clear and is recorded and mixed in the legendary Hansen Studios by Jonas Haagensen.

Their debut album is available on most digital streaming services - Spotify, Tidal, iTunes, and others.

Former MORBID ANGEL members David Vincent (vocals, bass) and Tim Yeung (drums) will join forces with guitarists Bill Hudson (CIRCLE II CIRCLE, TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA) and Ira Black (METAL CHURCH, LIZZY BORDEN) to perform classic MORBID ANGEL songs under the I AM MORBID banner.

The new band, which will play material from MORBID ANGEL's "Altars Of Madness" (1989), "Blessed Are The Sick" (1991), "Covenant" (1993) and "Domination" (1995) albums, will perform five shows in Russia in late May, followed by fourteen dates in the rest of Europe. The tour, whcih is presented by The Flaming Arts Agency, will feature NECROPHAGIA as direct support.

Tour dates/locations:

May 23 - Krasnodar (Russia) May 24 - Samara (Russia)May 25 - Ekaterinburg (Russia)May 26 - Moscow (Russia)May 27 - St. Petersburg (Russia)May 29 - Bielsko-Biala (Poland)May 30 - Kosice (Slovakia)May 31 - Budapest (Hungary)Jun. 01 - Ljubljana (Slovenia)Jun. 02 - Venice (Italy)Jun. 03 - Lyss (Switzerland)Jun. 05 - [to be announced]Jun. 06 - Munich (Germany)Jun. 07 - Erfurt (Germany)Jun. 08 - Flensburg (Germany)Jun. 09 - Den Haag (Netherlands)Jun. 10 - Tilburg (Netherlands)Jun. 11 - Leipzig (Germany)Jun. 12 - Oberhausen (Germany)

Vincent recently told Ghost Cult about I AM MORBID: "It's been discussed off and on for a few years now, but, as they say, actions speak louder than words. While it was exciting to discuss, it was held off for a few years until I decided to go through some personal changes in my life, and really absorb the possibility of it happening. I went ahead and focused on my roots music, but this kept lingering, and now it's time for I AM MORBID to finally happen."

Regarding the I AM MORBID setlist, Vincent said: "Like everything I do, I want to make this special. This is very different from MORBID ANGEL. If you want to see a MORBID ANGEL show, you know where to go, but this isn't it. I'm only going to be performing songs that I wrote on this tour. If I didn't write it, we aren't playing it. We are going to throw in things, here or there, to make things more unique, but it's going to be one brutal show. I can promise you that."

Today, thrash metal genre pioneers Megadeth have released “Megadeth Invasion”: a video game for Cyber Army fans to fight the invasion for a chance to win a Dystopia Prize Pack, including a Kiko Signature KIKOSP2
Ibanez Guitar. 

 
Fans can either log in now or sign up to the Cyber Army, Megadeth’s official fan club, to play at this location.

Made in partnership with Songkick, the Cyber Army can log in to battle space monsters for the opportunity to win additional prizes including a Dystopia Deluxe VR bundle; a Dystopia poster signed by Dave Mustaine; and a vinyl Dystopia record. Songkick and Megadeth will choose the winner May 1st, 2017.

In live news, catch Megadeth in concert at the following venues:

April
29 - Pulp Summer Slam - Quezon City, Philippines
 
May
2 - Kallang Theatre - Singapore, Singapore
4 - Stadium Negara - Kl, Malaysia
7 - Hammersonic Festival - Jakarta, Indonesia
10 - Star Hall - Hong Kong, China
14 - Tango Live House - Beijing, China
17 - Zepp Bayside - Osaka, Japan
18 - Zepp DiverCity - Koto Ku, Japan
19 - Zepp DiverCity - Koto Ku, Japan
 
June
24 - Amnesia Rockfest - Montebello, QC
 
July
13 - Rock USA - Oshkosh, WI
14 - Chicago Open Air - Bridgeview, IL
15 - Rock Fest - Cadott, WI
28 - Rockcock Festival - Kuopio, Finland
30 - Gröna Lund - Stockholm, Sweden
 
August
1 - Sentrum Scene - Oslo, Norway
2 - Store Vega - Copenhagen, Denmark
4 - Wacken Open Air - Wacken, Germany
5 - Veenhoop Festival - De Veenhoop, Netherlands
6 - Lokerse Festival - Lokeren, Belgium
8 - Carroponte - Milan, Italy
11 - Leyendas del Rock - Alicante, Spain
13 - Bloodstock - Walton On Trent, UK
15 - 013 - Tilburg, Netherlands
16 - Z7 Konzertfabrik - Pratteln, Switzerland
17 - Summer Breeze Festival - Wilburgstetten, Germany
19 - Elb-Riot - Hamburg, Germany
 
September
14 - Santander Arena - Reading, PA
16 - Madison Square Garden - New York, NY
22 - Budweiser Stage Amphitheater - Toronto, ON
25 - 1st Bank Center - Broomfield, CO
26 - USANA Amphitheatre - West Valley City, UT
29 - Veterans Memorial Arena - Spokane, WA
30 - Tacoma Dome - Seattle, WA
 
October
3 - Grand Sierra Resort - Reno, NV
4 - Oracle Arena - Oakland, CA
7 - The Forum - Inglewood, CA
8 - Talking Stick Arena - Phoenix, AZ
11 - Freeman Coliseum - San Antonio, TX
12 - Pavilion at The Music Factory - Dallas, TX
14 - BB&T Center - Sunrise, FL
15 - Amalie Arena - Tampa, FL

Finland's Children Of Bodom performed in Malmö, Sweden on April 2nd as part of their 20 Years Down & Dirty European Tour. Drummer Jaska Raatikainen has posted drum cam video of "Deadnight Warrior" from the night. Check it out below.

On March 10th, Children of Bodom played the third show of their current 20 Years Down & Dirty European Tour at Den Atelier in Luxembourg. The tour sees the band dusting off material from their first two albums, Something Wild (1998) and Hatebreeder (1999). "In The Shadows" had never been performed live prior to this tour, "Black Widow" hadn't been played since 2000, "Red Light in My Eyes: Part 2" was last heard on the COB stage in 1999, and "The Nail" has been put back into the set after almost 20 years.

Fan-filmed video is available below. The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Deadnight Warrior" 
"In The Shadows" 
"Needled 24/7"
"Black Widow" 
"Bodom After Midnight"
"Warheart" 
"Angels Don't Kill"
"Red Light in My Eyes: Part 2" 
"Hate Me!"
"Downfall"
"Everytime I Die"
"Lake Bodom"
"Bed of Razors" 
"Children of Decadence"

Encore:
"The Nail" 
"Towards Dead End"

 

 

 

On May 5th, Dutch death metallers God Dethroned will release their new album The World Ablaze worldwide via Metal Blade Records; it can be pre-ordered here.

The band has just unleashed a video for the brand new second single and title track "The World Ablaze", which can be seen below. Comments vocalist / guitarist Henri Sattler: "This song is a mix between epic melodies and fast but catchy riffs and a song where Mike Ferguson shows off his skills as a lead guitar player. The lyrics deal with the war then, but can also be projected on the current situation in the world."

God Dethroned comments: "The World Ablaze is our final album in the WWI trilogy. We aimed to create an album that is very dynamic and diverse. It contains typical GD riffing with loads of melodies and catchy hooks. The songs are perfect for our live shows as they contain many mid-tempo parts combined with faster and more brutal parts. Diversity to the max! Dan Swano mixed the album in his typical fashion but without robbing the band of its own identity. Mastering was handled at the Wisseloord Studios where they also mastered albums for bands like Rammstein, among many others, and they put the icing on the cake. The album sounds crystal clear and heavy as fuck at the same time. We are very proud to present this album during our upcoming Serpent Fest album release shows early May!"

The World Ablaze tracklisting:

“A Call To Arms”
“Annihilation Crusade”
“The World Ablaze”
“On The Wrong Side Of The Wire”
“Close To Victory”
“Konigsberg”
“Escape Across The Ice (The White Army)”
“Breathing Through Blood”
“Messina Ridge”
“The 11th Hour”

“On The Wrong Side Of The Wire” video:

The album will be available in the following formats:

- CD/DVD Digipak
- Jewelcase CD
- 180g black vinyl
- pale violet vinyl (limited to 400 copies - EU exclusive)
- gray-marbled vinyl (limited to 300 copies - EU exclusive)
- clear-pastel rose vinyl (limited to 200 copies - EMP exclusive)
- deep violet-marbled vinyl (limited to 200 copies - USA exclusive)
- clear/black-marbled vinyl (limited to 100 copies - Hells Headbangers exclusive)

* exclusive bundles with a shirt, plus digital options are also available

God Dethroned will play two German release shows on the weekend of release, plus one Belgium and two Dutch shows on the following weekend. See below for all dates.

Release shows:

May
5 - Oberhausen, Germany - Helvete (with Lifeless, Visionary 666)
6 - Munchen, Germany - Backstage (with Revel In Flesh, Commander, Visionary 666)
11 - Kortrijk, Belgium - De Kreun (with Visionary 666, Fractured Insanity)
12 - Lelystad, Netherlands - Poppodium (with Visionary 666, Disquiet)
13 - Groningen, Netherlands - Vera (with Visionary 666, The Heritage)

Live shows:

April
15 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Baroeg

June
22-24 - Grafenhainichen, Germany - With Full Force

July
13-15 - Neukirchen-Vluyn, Germany - Dong Open Air

August
10-12 - Schlotheim, Germany - Party.San Open Air

December
2 - Dresden, Germany - Skullcrusher

God Dethroned lineup:

Henri Sattler - vocals/guitars
Mike Ferguson - guitars
Jeroen Pomper - bass
Michiel van der Plicht - drums

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

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

Danish metal veterans ARTILLERY will be rejoined by several former members — including classic-era vocalist Flemming Rønsdorf — for their appearance at the High Voltage Rock Awards on Saturday, April 15 at High Voltage in Copenhagen, Denmark.

ARTILLERY is nominated for three awards at the event: Best Danish Metal Release ("Penalty By Perception"), Best Danish Producer (Søren Andersen) and Best Danish Metal Band.

ARTILLERY's setlist will consist of the following songs:

01. In Defiance of Conformity02. Legions03. The Challenge04. Live By the Scythe05. The Almighty06. 10000 Devils07. Deeds of Darkness08. Khomaniac09. Terror Squad

Featured musicians: Michael Stützer - GuitarTobias Neefer - BassRune Gangelhof - GuitarMichael Bastholm Dahl - VocalsAnders Gyldenøhr - DrumsJosua Madsen - DrumsCarsten Nielsen - DrumsMorten Stützer - GuitarSøren Adamsen - VocalsFlemming Rønsdorf - VocalsCarsten Lohmann - Vocals

This year's High Voltage Rock Awards will be hosted by former WHITE LION singer Mike Tramp.

ARTILLERY's latest album, "Penalty By Perception", was released in March 2016 via Metal Blade Records.



HIGH VOLTAGE ROCK AWARDS 2017
⚡️ HIGH VOLTAGE ROCK AWARDS 2017 ⚡️

ON STAGE: APHYXION // BAEST // DEFECTO // FRANKLIN ZOO // HELHORSE // HULDRE // MÅNESKJOLD // ÅRETS ÆRESPRISMODTAGER + VERY SPECIAL GUESTS

OFF STAGE: 1 TIMES GRATIS FADØL // 14 STATUETTER // SUBLIMT SHOW // KÆMPE AFTER PARTY // DANSK ROCK HISTORIE

VÆRT: MIKE TRAMP

⚡️ FORSALG & VIP BILLETTER ⚡️

KØB HER: https://billetto.dk/en/e/high-voltage-rock-awards-2017-tickets-187045

ALMINDELIGE BILLETTER: koster 250,- . Der er 300 billetter til salg.

VIP BILLETTER: koster 595,- og giver adgang til det VIP teltet hvor man vil kunne mingle med de nominerede, der er fri bar i øl og sprut frem til midnat og man vil få udleveret en goodie bag pakket med lækkerier fra vores sponsorer. Der er kun 50 VIP billetter til salg.

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Sponsorer: Breki Jewelry Fernet Branca 4Sound Danmark EMP Danmark Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey

Video: Allan Tonning

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VI SNES OG SPRED ORDET!

Posted by High Voltage Rock Awards on Thursday, March 30, 2017

Peaceville Recrods has announced a special collector's 7-inch vinyl release marking the 30th anniversary of Norwegian legends Darkthrone, scheduled for release on June 23rd. It includes a raw master version of the 2016 Arctic Thunder track "Burial Bliss", and a previously unreleased cover version of Celtic Frost's "Visual Aggression", originally recorded in Oslo in 1989, and featuring the classic early lineup of Darkthrone, but with Fenriz on guitars / vocals, and Nocturno Culto on drums.

Pre-order your copy now at this location.

 

Hell Or Highwater, featuring Atreyu drummer Brandon Saller on lead vocals, are streaming the song “Walk Out In The Rain”, featured on Vista, their upcoming second full-length album and Spinefarm debut. Listen to the song below.

Vista will be released on May 19th. Pre-orders are available at this location as well as by clicking here.

 

 

Tracklisting:

"Colors"
"Walk Out In The Rain"
"Don't Hate Me"
"Another Good Time"
"Lighter Than Air"
"Blister"
"Don't Stop. Get Up."
"Dame"
"Washed Away"
"Pieces"
"I Want It All"
"Revolution"

"Walk Out In The Rain”:

"I Want It All" video:

The band’s live itinerary can be found at this location.

Atlantic Canada's Doom Machine returns with their fourth full-length album June 2nd. Comprised of two EPs: Let There Be Doom and Vol. 4.5, the band promises this is the best material they have ever written.

"We really hit a home run with these songs," says frontman and primary songwriter Bill Arsenault. "A lot of these songs were from ideas left over from the writing of our last album. The whole idea of doing the two EPs is that one would be focused and follow where we started heading with Written In Stone, and the second EP would be songs that don't follow that direction. It was a great way to include all the ideas while having it make sense." 

In addition to the release, there will be a second bonus disc Decade Of Doom, which will commemorate the band's 10th anniversary and will feature 13 re-recorded tracks from their first three albums. "Once we knew we were going to have this kind of sound quality we agreed to do the re-recordings. Finally these songs have the recording quality that we feel they deserve. If you were to own only one of our albums, this one is it." Drummer Jason Reeves adds "It's definitely way better than our other stuff... no comparison."

The band is having their CD release June 2nd in Halifax, Nova Scotia and are performing at this year's Maritime Metal and Hard Rock Festival 5th Year Bash in Windsor, Nova Scotia July 28th and 29th.

 

The official 360-degree visualizer video for the song "Your Last Breaths" from New York death metallers SUFFOCATION can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "...Of The Dark Light", which will be released on June 9 via Nuclear Blast Records. The disc was produced by SUFFOCATION and tracked at Full Force Studios with longtime engineer Joe Cincotta (OBITUARY). Mixing and mastering was handled by world-renowned producer/engineer Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, ARSIS, SUICIDE SILENCE). Cover artwork was created by Colin Marks (ORIGIN, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, KATAKLYSM).

Comments founding guitarist Terrance Hobbs: "The moment we have been waiting for is here. Our new album, '...Of The Dark Light', will finally be released through Nuclear Blast on June 9, 2017! Over the last four-year period SUFFOCATION has taken its time to write this record and we couldn't be prouder. It is our most brutal record yet!

"SUFFOCATION worked through the end of 2016 to hash out and lay down the tracks at Full Force Studios with Joe Cincotta and once again enlisted Zeuss to bring this creation to life! Myself, Frank Mullen, Charles Errigo, Eric Morotti and Derek Boyer have all pushed the limit of what SUFFOCATION is and we hope you enjoy it!

"We also had the honor of having Colin Marks handling our artwork which is a new frontier for us and a different avenue and style to the traditional SUFFOCATION records. We also including some backup vocals from Kevin Muller (THE MERCILESS CONCEPT) which for us makes this album very unique! This will be our tenth studio release and we really hope you like '...Of The Dark Light'! Keep the grind alive and hope to see you on the road!"

"...Of The Dark Light" track listing:

01. Clarity Through Deprivation02. The Warmth Within The Dark03. Your Last Breaths04. Return To The Abyss05. The Violation06. Of The Dark Light07. Some Things Should Be Left Alone08. Caught Between Two Worlds09. Epitaph Of The Credulous

SUFFOCATION will embark on a U.S. tour with MORBID ANGEL and REVOCATION in late May.

Photo courtesy of SUFFOCATION Facebook page

Veteran Dutch extreme metallers PESTILENCE have inked a deal with Hammerheart Records. The band will enter the studio in June to begin recording its new album, "Hadeon", for a late 2017 release.

Hammerheart has also come to an agreement on the PESTILENCE back catalog, but plans are still in the works to get all details finalized concerning these essential recordings ("Malleus Maleficarum", "Consuming Impulse", "Testimony Of The Ancients" and "Spheres"). It is hoped that those records will be reissued as deluxe 2-CDs and LPs later this year 2017.

Joining vocalist/guitarist Patrick Mameli in the band's current lineup are Santiago Dobles (AGHORA) on lead guitar and Septimiu Hărşan (DISAVOWED) on drums.

Although Alan Goldstein was previously announced as PESTILENCE's new bassist, Mameli explained on April 9 that Alan will no longer be involved with the group "due to differences within the business realm."

Asked by a fan on Facebook why bassist Tony Choy — whose return to PESTILENCE was announced last October — is not involved with the band anymore, Mameli responded: "Choy's out. I only work with professional people."

In July 2014, Mameli announced that PESTILENCE was "on a permanent hold" while he concentrated fully on his new NEUROMORPH project, which he said would be "more brutal, more crazy, more tech, more futuristic and more death" than his longtime outfit.

PESTILENCE's seventh album, "Obsideo", was released in November 2013 via Candlelight Records. The CD was produced by Mameli and featured ten new songs. According to Mameli, the album's overall lyrical theme was "the journey of the human soul."

In a 2013 interview with Live Reviewer, Mameli said that it was his "passion" that motivated him to keep PESTILENCE alive after all these years. He explained at the time: "I think we can still contribute to the death metal community. PESTILENCE has always been my passion since I formed the band. It feels like a child that's grown up now. If I would run out of ideas, that would be the end."

Mameli also dismissed constant calls for a reunion with early PESTILENCE bassist/vocalist Martin Van Drunen, who sang on the band's classic albums "Malleus Maleficarum" (1988) and "Consuming Impulse" (1989). He said: "It's been 25 years. We try to become better musicians all the time. I think we deserve some credit for always looking ahead and trying to be innovative."

"Lost In The Grey", the new video from Ohio metallers MISS MAY I, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Ramon Boutviseth, who has previously worked with ASKING ALEXANDRIA and VEIL OF MAYA, among others.

"Lost In The Grey" is taken from MISS MAY I's upcoming album, "Shadows Inside", which will be released on June 2 via SharpTone Records. The disc was co-produced by Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, EMMURE, CROWN THE EMPIRE) and Nick Sampson (ASKING ALEXANDRIA, BORN OF OSIRIS). Andrew Wade (A DAY TO REMEMBER, THE WORD ALIVE, NECK DEEP) handled all mixing duties.

MISS MAY I vocalist Levi Benton states: "Our new video for 'Lost In The Grey' was by far the most extreme video we have ever done! The shoot involved an entire forest landscape set, live action volatile weather elements and rodents in mouths. We have never had a video like this before. The vibe for the song is really captured well and sets a great image not only for the song, but the record as a whole.

"'Shadows Inside' is the most honest record we have ever created and a big part of that was just having the freedom and time to put everything we had into it.

"This is a great first track to release to the mass as it represents the effort it takes to get out of the complacent and stale life people live. The song is about finding that hope and drive to push you to a new and better life. The lion has always represented hope and ambition and now with this video it's physical and represented as a mask that one needs to show them there is a better life for everyone, if you push for it."

According to a press release, "Shadows Inside" "doubles as monster riff-fest and forcefully vocal driven statement shaped by changes both within and without. Make no mistake, this isn't an about-face album full of contrived sentiment or glossy emptiness. It's a record where the band challenged each other to work from outside of their comfort zone, to really hone in on what makes MISS MAY I vital, and deliver something fully authentic and raw."

MISS MAY I will kick off their European run in support of THY ART IS MURDER and BEING AS AN OCEAN, dubbed "The Heaven And Hell Tour", on Sunday, April 16. Their first appearance on the Impericon Festivals 2017 is today in Vienna, Austria.

Swedish death metallers, Sarcasm, have released a video for “Scars Of A Land Forgotten”, the track from the new album, Within The Sphere Of Ethereal Minds, to be released April 28th via Dark Descent Records. Watch the new clip below.

Following the unearthing of their first proper full-length, Burial Dimensions (originally recorded in 1994 and officially released in 2016), the new long player is in a sense the payoff of a long, bumpy history that included demos, compilations, and an EP (Scattered Ashes in 2000). Indeed, it is the full realization of Sarcasm's blackened Swedish death metal sound, yet with an identity all its own.

While the music of all eight tracks was written by guitarist Peter Laitinen, he somehow did find that perfect balance in between that very specific sense of melody that could only be summarized as “typically Swedish” (fans of the early No Fashion records catalogue will know exactly what we mean here), raging speed and brutality. With one foot firmly planted in the mid-‘90s and another in the present, Sarcasm is no nostalgia trip, but a genuine return to form to that specific mix of black and death-metal. Moving from the melancholic leads of "Embodiment Of Source," they answer with the blast-o-thon that is "Scars Of A Land Forgotten" or the epic-to-kill-all-epic that is the eight-minute-plus "A Black Veil For Earth."

Tracklisting:

“Bloodsoaked Sunrise”
“From The Crimson Fog They Emerged”
“Embodiment Of Source”
“Scars Of A Land Forgotten”
“In The Grip Of Awakening Times”
“Silent Waves Summoned Your Inner Being”
“A Black Veil For Earth”
“The Drowning Light At The Edge Of The Dawn”

“Scars Of A Land Forgotten” video:

“In The Grip Of Awakening Times” lyric video: