Former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal says that he was so "angry and bitter and frustrated" before he left the band three years ago that it "was not healthy" for him to continue playing with the Axl Rose-fronted outfit.

Thal never officially announced his departure from the GN'R, but a source confirmed to Detroit music writer Gary Graff back in 2015 that the guitarist had been out since the end of the band's second Las Vegas residency in 2014.

Thal later revealed that he was focusing on his solo career after spending eight years playing in GUNS.

Asked by Metal Wani in a new interview how he looks back on his time with GUNS N' ROSES, Thal said (hear audio below): "Well, how do you sum up such a big part of your life in one conversation? It was great. There were ups, there were downs, just like anything in life. There were challenges, there was good stuff, there was fun times, there was difficult times, but in the end, the one thing that makes me smile when I think back on it is when I think of all the fans that are now friends and staying in touch with them and that connection that we make and being part of something that affects so many people. That was really good. It was nice."

When pressed about whether he would ever consider reuniting with GUNS N' ROSES for a show or a tour, Thal said: "I want to say 'no,' but the truth is you never know what's gonna happen. And let me put it this way, let me say it this way: If somebody was gonna die and their last wish was to see that happen, and everybody put past grievances aside, and all of that, yeah, then it would happen. If it was just, like, 'Hey, Ron, do you wanna tour?' I don't think they would ask me, and if they did, I don't think I would do it, because just the way things ended for me, I was so burned out and so in need of moving on that it was not healthy for me — and for them — for me to be there anymore. I was not happy. I feel like I was doing more harm than good at that point. I was miserable. I needed to get out. I needed to get back to creating and doing the things that made me feel alive my whole life, and I wasn't getting to do that. And it was too much of a challenge to try and schedule between the two. And I didn't want it to be that way, but it was. So I just reached the point that I needed to get out. And I don't wanna go back to that. I don't wanna regress as a human being to the person I left as — very unhappy. So for that reason. Not for musical reasons, not for anything like that — just for that. But also, still, with all that [said], I left angry and bitter and frustrated and unresolved, and it didn't end in a nice way between us when I left. But even with all of that, it's very easy to hold a grudge [against] someone for eternity. But still, in life you can never say never."

Thal joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2006 and played on 2008's "Chinese Democracy", an album which contained music that had been written before he came into the group. He has also released a number of solo CDs.

Thal is currently involved with ART OF ANARCHY alongside CREED singer Scott Stapp and DISTURBED bassist John Moyer.

Thal told "Trunk Nation" last month that he was not interested in seeing GUNS N' ROSES perform on the "Not In This Lifetime" tour, saying that it would be like "going to your ex-girlfriend's wedding." He explained: "It's just kind of weird. I know too much. I've seen too much. I've been on the other side of the stage, and it's not like it ended pretty — for me. I don't have [any hard feelings] now, but at the time, there was a volatility, yeah."

Richard Fortus says that being part of GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour has been "beyond [his] wildest dreams."

Only singer Axl Rose, guitarist Slash and bassist Duff McKagan from GN'R's "Appetite For Destruction"-era lineup are taking part in the band's current reunion. They are being joined by Fortus, keyboardist Dizzy Reed, and drummer Frank Ferrer. Also appearing with them is second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Fortus, who joined GUNS N' ROSES in 2001 and became the band's longest-serving post-Slash guitarist, tells Honky Tonk (see video below): "I've been in the band fourteen, fifteen years and it's now… When we were preparing for this tour, we knew how important this was gonna be, as far as historically. This was a big deal, and we had to make it as perfect as we possibly could. And we really put a lot of time into rehearsing — more than we'd ever done before — for this tour, because we knew how important it was. So there's an air of importance of… We knew it had to be great. We knew the world was watching. And it's been amazing. It's been so great. It's been really fantasic. It's beyond my wildest dreams. I never thought it would be as crazy as it's been as far as the reception [from] the fans. And it's such an honor to be a part of this."

Fortus also praised Axl as "very loyal" and "very generous," explaining that the reclusive singer "likes to have people that have his back."

According to Fortus, the feeling in the GUNS N' ROSES camp is more positive than it has been in a number of years. "Within the band, it's great," he said. "It's better than it's ever been since I've been in the band. And some of my best friends have been in this band — Tommy [Stinson] and Dizzy [Reed] and Robin [Finck]… Those are really close friends of mine. But now the vibe is better than ever. Everybody gets along great."

The St. Louis native got his big break when his band PALE DIVINE opened for THE PSYCHEDELIC FURS. This led to Fortus forming the band LOVE SPIT LOVE with PSYCHEDELIC FURS frontman Richard Butler and future GN'R drummer Frank Ferrer. In 2000, Fortus and Ferrer became touring members of the reformed PSYCHEDELIC FURS before Fortus hooked up with GUNS N' ROSES. Ferrer himself joined GN'R in 2006.

GUNS N' ROSES is coming back to North America this summer for at least another 15 stadium dates starting on July 27 in St. Louis.

The band kicked off its reunion trek last April with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

Kittie drummer Mercedes Lander is now fronting a new band, The White Swan, which sees her singing and playing guitar. The band has been working on a follow-up EP to their debut, Anubis, released in October 2016.  Tracking is nearing completion; video from the studio sessions is available below.

Mercedes recently spoke with BraveWords scribe Carl Begai about The White Swan and the future of Kittie, who are currently on an indefinite hiatus.

"Honestly, I don't even know," Mercedes says of Kittie's future activities. "Everyone knows where I stand; I'm more than happy to write a new record and put it out, but it's up to the rest of the band as to whether they want to continue to do it. That's not something we've really even talked about. Kittie is on hold until they figure out what they want to do."

Mercedes also commented on The White Swan's live debut which put her on stage front and center, a position usually occupied by sister Morgan Lander when Kittie performs. Asked what Morgan thought of Mercedes singing and playing guitar rather than drums...

"Morgan came to the band's first show and she said 'That was really weird. It was like I was in an alternate universe...' laughs Mercedes. "It is fucking odd, though, which is cool. I knew it was going to be strange and it'll be that way for other people until they forget I play drums in that other band. Until everyone becomes comfortable with it they're going to be weirded out by it."

Stay tuned for more. Check out The White Swan Facebook page here.

Anubis by The White Swan

Sweden's self-styled “Alfapokalyptic Rockers”, Alfahanne, have launched another song from their upcoming album, Det Nya Svarta, due out on April 7th via Indie Recordings. Check out “Satans verser” featuring Kampfar singer Dolk below.

According to the band the track itself "has so many meanings depending on who is doing the listening. But the first and obvious layer is about raising children in a world that is totally fucked up. Should you lock your doors and just protect them from what's going on? Or stand up and speak your satanic verses?"

Hailing from Eskilstuna, Alfahanne burst onto the scene in 2010 with the avowed intent to bring back a sense of danger to rock n’ roll. Playing what the band calls “Alfapocalyptic Rock”, which mixes black metal with classic rock and punk, and good old rock n’ roll, Alfahanne have created their own style of music, full of the kind of swagger and attitude that earns them plaudits from critics and fans alike.

Add to this the fact that Alfahanne were, right from the word go, able to attract high calibre guests such as as Taake’s Hoest, Shining’s Niklas Kvarforth, Helheim’s V’gandr, Kvelertak frontman Erlend Hjelvik, Spellgoth from Horna and Turmion Katilot, and Nattfursth from Sorhin, not just on their first two albums, but also live on stage, and have continued this enviable the tradition with Det Nya Svarta, and you know you have something pretty special.

The band's lineup of Pehr Skjoldhammer on vocals and guitar, Fredrik Sööberg on guitars, Niklas Åström on drums and Jimmy Wiberg on bass, have a couple of decades of experience under their belts in bands like Vinterland and early Maze Of Torment. Bringing that experience to the studio Alfahanne released their debut full-length album Alfapokalyps on Dark Essence Records in 2014.

This was followed by Blod Eld Alfa in 2015, and, within a short two-year period , Alfahanne's high energy, exuberance, and easy going, friendly interaction with the fans (both on and off the stage) brought the band to the attention of audiences world-wide, garnering them a legion of fans.

Frontman Skjoldhammer explains that with their third full-length album Alfahanne continues to explore the dark side of mankind: "Alfahanne's lyrics are very personal and have many layers of dirt. Once you dig deeper into them you find many truths as I see them. Alfahanne will never lean to the left or to the right or write about political issues. The only political issue that is close to our hearts is equal rights but the flipside of that same coin is that we think everyone is equally.... Equally useless."

Det Nya Svarta was recorded at the Dödskult studio by Alfahanne's Pehr Skjoldhammer and Mixed and mastered by Stamos Koliousis. Guests on the album include Kampfar’s Dolk, David Lindh from Yvonne & Broder Daniel, Sanrabb from Gehenna, and Nadine Skjoldhammer

Tracklisting:

“Satans verser” (with Dolk from Kampfar)
“Stigmata”
“Avgrundsgravitation” (with David Lindh from Yvonne & Broder Daniel)
“Klubb 27”
“Mitt mörker är mörkare än ditt” (with Nadine Skjoldhammer)
“Dödsmaskin” (with Samrabb from Gehenna)
“Även hund har sin dag”
“Svarta får”
“Det nya svarta”

"Stigmata" stream:

Commenting on their collaboration with Indie Recordings Alfahanne had this to say: "We think Indie is a natural choice for us and we are very pleased to be collaborating with them. Now we just hope that they are aware that they have thrown a bone to a dog, fed the beast, poured gasoline on the fire and unchained a monster."

Det Nya Svarta is now available to pre-order in CD and Vinyl formats here, and in Digital format here.

UK rockers Def Leppard celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their Adrenalize album by posting a video clip showcasing the record's hits. It was released on March 31st, 1992. 

The tracklist is as follows:

"Let's Get Rocked"
"Heaven Is"
"Make Love Like a Man"
"Tonight"
"White Lightning"
"Stand Up (Kick Love into Motion)"
"Personal Property"
"Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad"
"I Wanna Touch U"
"Tear It Down"

Adrenalize debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard 200 and peaked at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart. It was also recorded as a four piece, their band's first album without guitarist Steve Clark, who passed away in 1991 due to alcohol poisoning.

Slaughter frontman Mark Slaughter has checked in with the following update via https://www.facebook.com/markslaughterofficialFacebook:

"So, I have a HUGE surprise for everyone. The 'official' press release isn't going out until Monday, but I wanted to let you guys in on it first. We have been dropping hints for a while, but it is official. I have signed a deal with EMP Label Group, the record label owned by my good friend David Ellefson of Megadeth, who will release my new solo record Halfway There on May 26th in the US and Europe!! I'm so proud of this record, and can't wait for everyone to hear it!

We have also signed a joint venture with Universal Music Japan International who will release the record with EMP May 10th (just in time for the Slaughter tour in Japan)! As if that's not enough, right now you can pre-order Halfway There on CD and limited edition Vinyl LP (also available in several bundles) from empmerch.com (and get a peek at the amazing artwork by legendary artist Mister-Sam Shearon), and you will get a free immediate download of 'Hey You'! Also, the first 200 pre-orders will come signed!" 

The tracklist is as follows:

"Hey You"
"Devoted"
"Supernatural"
"Halfway There
"Forevermore
"Conspiracy"
"Reckless"
"Disposable"
"Turn It"
"Not Here"

Pre-order now at this location.

New York-based Killcode has released an official video for "Kickin' And Screamin", taken from their new full length album, The Answer. Directed by David Swajeski and produced by Maryanne Grisz, the video features footage from their Spread The :::CODE::: tour. Check it out below.

The band has issued the following statement: "'Kickin' And Screamin'' is a real deal, classic, straight ahead rock n' roll song. It's the type of rock that we grew up on that makes you want to drive a little faster, scream a little louder and party a little harder with your fists in the air."

Killcode's tour schedule is as follows:

April
14 - The Chance Theatre - Poughkeepsie, NY 
22 - Mulcahys (w/ LA Guns) - Wantagh, NY

July
2 - Rock Fest Barcelona 2017 - Barcelona, ES 
13 - Bang Your Head Festival - Balingen, Germany

August
17 - Bergen Performing Arts Center - Englewood, NJ w/Queensrÿche) 
26 - Hull City Hall - Hull, UK

September
2 - Riverside Aarburg Open Air Arena Festival - Aarburg, Switzerland

November
9 - Hard Rock Hell Festival UK - Wales, UK

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have released Canada's evil black metal desecrators, Ordoxe's new album Towards Eternity, today, March 31st on CD and digital formats. A description follows.

Ordoxe make their Horror Pain Gore Death Productions debut with the new album entitled Towards Eternity. Formed in 1989, Ordoxe hail from Quebec, Canada and perform melodic black metal with elements of thrash, death and doom metal. Towards Eternity is the fourth album in the Ordoxe catalog and delivers a fierce, judicious mix of dark arts, bliss, grim moods and evil ambiences. For fans of Behemoth, Cradle Of Filth, Dark Funeral, Destroyer 666, Dissection, Enthroned, God Dethroned, Naglfar, Rotting Christ and Satyricon

Order the CD for only $10 with free shipping at this location. Order the digital download for only $6.66 and listen to the full album for free on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“We Are Eternal”
“The Auspicious One”
“Trépas I”
“Your Sorrow, My Sorrow”
“Sword Of Damocles”
“Soyez Illuminés”
“A Passage In Time”
“Trépas II”
“The Essence Of Life”
“Trépas III”

“We Are Eternal”:

German industrial metallers RAMMSTEIN will release a new concert DVD and Blu-ray, "Paris", 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.

An extended trailer for "Paris" is available below.

Åkerlund has also worked with METALLICA, SATYRICON, MADONNA and THE PRODIGY, among others.

RAMMSTEIN last year played a number of concerts where the band opened each show with a brand new song, presently only known as "Ramm 4". The track contains lyrics that seem to be a combination of various titles of previous RAMMSTEIN songs.

RAMMSTEIN in 2015 released a 21st-anniversary box set, a numbered, career-wide collection titled "XXI". The set included the band's six studio albums, produced by Jacob Hellner and remastered onto 180-gram heavyweight double vinyl by Svante Forsbäck, as well as a separate rarities double LP, "Raritäten", including a previously unreleased version of the track "Los".

RAMMSTEIN hasn't made a new CD since 2009's "Liebe Ist Für Alle Da".

The band's frontman Till Lindemann in 2015 released a debut album with his side project LINDEMANN.

RAMMSTEIN guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe's EMIGRATE project issued its sophomore album, "Silent So Long", in November 2014 via Spinefarm.

KAMELOT's Casey Grillo made his live debut with with QUEENSRŸCHE last night (Saturday, April 1) at Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, California. He is filling in for regular QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who is taking time off from the band's touring activities to spend time with his newborn son, appropriately named Rockson.

Said Grillo: "It has been an amazing few days of practicing and learning some amazing songs for me to pull this show off' I would like to thank the 'RŸCHE gang. They are some amazing dudes."

QUEENSRŸCHE is preparing to enter the studio to begin work on the follow-up to 2015's "Condition Hüman" album, to be released later in the year via Century Media.

"Condition Hüman" debuted at No. 27 on The Billboard 200 chart, having shifted 14,000 equivalent album units in the week ending October 8, 2015.

QUEENSRŸCHE last fall completed a month-long headlining tour of the United States. Support on the trek came from ARMORED SAINT and MIDNIGHT ETERNAL.

Bassist Jason Viebrooks (GRIP INC., HEATHEN) has joined forces with guitarist Vinnie LaBella (EXHORDER) and drummer Sasha Horn (FORBIDDEN, HEATHEN) in a brand new band called YEAR OF THE TYRANT. The trio is joined in the new project by an as-yet-undisclosed vocalist who "may or may not have a strong [San Francisco] Bay Area connection as well," according to VieBrooks.

YEAR OF THE TYRANT is finishing up the pre-production on its first batch of tunes, to be made available later in the year.

Regarding how the band came together, Sasha said (see video below): "Jason kind of put this together, and him and Vinnie go way back. And he knew the players he wanted, but we all get along great. It's kind of a family affair at this point."

Added Jason: "We've just gradually been building material, writing it together. We didn't really wanna say anything to anybody until we were ready to just basically suckerpunch you — you didn't see it coming; here we are.

"It's been amazing to finally play with these guys," he continued. "I played with Sasha when he did 70000 Tons Of Metal with HEATHEN a couple of years ago, and I clicked with him on a personal level and just jamming around on some riffs and stuff. I had a feeling that he was gonna be the guy to really gel and who we needed to have to come pull the whole thing together."

Vinnie joked about the YEAR OF THE TYRANT frontman, whose identity will be revealed later in the month: "All I know is this: Our singer can kick your singer's ass whenever he wants to, and that's good enough for me."

LaBella was a founding member of EXHORDER, the legendary New Orleans metal band cited by many as the originator of the riff-heavy power-groove approach popularized by PANTERA.

Fan-filmed video footage of BATTLE BEAST's March 30 performance at at Kubana Live Club in Siegburg, Germany can be seen below.

BATTLE BEAST's fourth album, "Bringer Of Pain", was released on February 17 via Nuclear Blast Records. The ten-track disc was recorded and produced at JKB Studios by keyboardist Janne Björkroth, was mixed by Björkroth alongside Viktor Gullichsen and Mikko Karmila, and was mastered by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios. The cover artwork was crafted by Jan Yrlund.

"Bringer Of Pain" is BATTLE BEAST's first album to feature guitarist Joona Björkroth, who joined the band in 2015.

BATTLE BEAST in February 2015 parted ways with lead guitarist and main songwriter Anton Kabanen due to "insurmountable disagreements" with the other members of the band.

Speaking to Metalholic, BATTLE BEAST vocalist Noora Louhimo stated about the writing process for "Bringer Of Pain": "You always have the pressure on to write good music and do a good album, but now we had extra pressure because people had their suspicions. People were already judging us that, 'They're not going to make it. They're not going to make as good music.' But as you can hear, yes we can! [Laughs] So, yes, it was a nerve-breaking, but still a very rewarding process to do this new album. For me personally, this was such a great experience. I learned so much about the other guys; the other band members. We got Joona to be part of this BATTLE BEAST family and now I'm just full of excitement. I can't wait to get on the road and bring the pain!"

Asked how she thinks having six songwriters instead of one impacts the sound and dynamic of the band, Noora said: "We all learned a lot from each other, how we want to work together. There are so many different ways to write songs. For example, Janne likes to write songs by himself and bring them to the table when they are almost final. I like to do solo also, but I like co-writing also. With Joona, we have a similar wave we are on, and we have a really good work ethic, and a good friendship also. So it's very easy to work with him. I did write some demos with Eero, our bass player, and our other guitar player Jusso, and it was fun also. I think through these next years, we are going to find new ways, and the best ways, for BATTLE BEAST to produce music."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Crooked Teeth" track listing:

Standard Edition (Digital, CD, Vinyl)

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

Deluxe Edition (Digital + CD Only)

Disc 1

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

Disc 2

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

Photo credit: Bryson Roatch

Canadian progressive thrash legends VOIVOD will reissue their three classic albums from the Noise Records years through BMG on April 28. 1986's "Rrrroooaaarrr", 1987's "Killing Technology" and 1988's "Dimension Hatross" have all been remastered, with the CD versions containing a whole host of addition extras including a double CD of the album, a live set and an additional DVD of live performances, rehearsals and photos all compiled from the bands own personal archives. The 2CD/DVD Set vividly captures the period surrounding the albums, where the band's sound and concept come together in perfect union, and where the transition from thrash metal into something altogether more unique, was finally made. All three albums have been re-mastered from the original tapes, pressed on high quality heavy-weight vinyl and the artwork has replicated from the original release. Available on vinyl again for the first time in 30 years! VOIVOD is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Québec. Their musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, VOIVOD have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style, and are credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with SACRIFICE, RAZOR and ANNIHILATOR. They are considered by many as one of the most influential metal bands from the '80s, influencing and gaining praise from multiple bands and across numerous genres. Since its inception in 1982, VOIVOD have released thirteen studio albums, as well as one EP, one live album, two compilations, seven demos and one DVD featuring a live concert. The band found mainstream success in the late 1980s with their fifth studio album, "Nothingface" (1989), which is VOIVOD's only album to enter The Billboard 200 chart, peaking at number 114. "Rrrroooaaarrr" track listing:

CD1

* Korgull the Exterminator* Fuck Off And Die* Slaughter In A Grave* Ripping Headaches* Horror* Thrashing Rage* The Helldriver* Build Your Weapons* To The Death!

CD2 - Spectrum '86 - "No Speed Limit" Weekend; Live at Montreal, October '86

* Korgüll The Exterminator* Ripping Headaches* Blower* Fuck Off And Die* Tornado* Iron Gang* War And Pain* Warriors Of Ice* Nuclear War* Overreaction* The Helldriver* Ravenous Medicine* Voivod* Thrashing Rage

DVD

Audio:

* Rrröööaaarrr Rough Mix Demo 1985* Anachronism Live 25.06.86 (first show)* Early Rehearsals 1983-1984* Piggy Sound Collage 1980

Video:

* Live, NYC, N.Y., USA – 05/05/86; First U.S. Show* Live, Long Beach, C.A., USA – 06/13/86* Live, Jonquiere High School, QC, Canada, 12/20/84; Morgoth Invasion* Live, Jonquiere Cultural Center QC, Canada, 01/27/84; To the Death! * Slideshows: Artwork (1983 – 1986) + Live & Studio Photos (1985 – 1986)

"Killing Technology" track listing:

CD1

* Killing Technology* Overreaction* Tornado* Too Scared To Scream* Forgotten In Space* Ravenous Medicine* Order of The Blackguards* This Is Not An Exercise* Cockroaches

CD2

Spectrum '87 - Live In Montreal, September 1987:

* Killing Technology* Overreaction* Ravenous Medicine* Tornado* Korgull The Exterminator* Ripping Headaches* Blower* Live For Violence* Tribal Convictions* Order of The Blackguards* Cockroaches* To The Death* Voivoid* Batman

DVD

Audio:

* Live At Kriekelaarzaal, Brussels, Belgium: 28/11/87

Video:

* Live At The Token Lounge, Westland, MI, USA: 14/05/87* Live At Rossli Azmoosm, Sargans, Switzerland: 06/11/87* Live At Festhalle, Tuttlingen, Germany: 07/11/87* Live At Rex Club, Paris, France: 01/12/87* Live At Ildiko's, Toronto, ON, Canada: 19/09/87* Slideshows: Artwork (1987) | Live & Studio Photos (1987)

"Dimension Hatross" track listing:

CD1

* Experiment* Tribal Convictions* Chaosmongers* Technocratic Manipulators* Macrosolutions To Megaproblems* Brain Scan* Psychic Vacuum* Cosmic Drama* Batman

CD2 – Spectrum '88 – 'A Flawless Structure?'; Live in Montreal, December 21st 1988:

* Overreaction* Experiment* Tribal Convictions* Chaosmongers* Ravenous Medicine* Korgull The Exterminator* Technocratic Manipulators* Macrosolutions To Megaproblems* War And Pain Medley* Brain Scan* Psychic Vacuum* Order to The Black Guards* Holiday In Cambodia* Batman

DVD

Audio

* "Dimension Hatröss" Demo 1987

Videos

* Live At Blondies, Detroit, MI, USA: 18.11.88* Live At The Axiom, Houston, Texas, USA: 10.12.88* Live At Anthrax, Norwalk, CT, USA: 09.11.88* Live At Fenders Ballroom, Long Beach, California, USA: 03.12.88* Slideshows - Artwork + Live And Studio Photos (1988)

Former ANTHRAX guitarist Dan Spitz is putting together a new thrash band with ex-JOURNEY drummer Deen Castronovo.

Spitz, a born-again Christian and Messianic Jew who frequently cites his faith as an influential component to his life, said: "Castronovo has arrived to complement my thrash riffs. It just got real, people. All blessings and prayers are welcome for our new ministry and band."

Castronovo, who claims to have given his life to Christ in 1985, added: "[It's] gonna be a powerful statement for Christ! And for music in general!"

Spitz and his ex, Candi, filed for divorce in early 2015 — three months to the day after his arrest in a domestic violence incident.

The now-54-year-old musician was arrested at the couple's then-home in Lake Worth, Florida when Candi's mother called 911 to report he was trying to choke his wife. The charges were eventually dropped, but Candi said she and the rocker were calling it quits after nine years and the birth of autistic twin boys.

In 2009, Spitz underwent open-heart surgery to repair a main artery in his heart that was said to be "almost completely closed."

Spitz took part in the reunion of ANTHRAX's classic lineup in 2005 and 2006 but left the band after ANTHRAX split with singer Joey Belladonna for the second time.

Back in June 2015, Castronovo was arrested and charged with physically abusing and harassing his now-ex-fiancée, Deidra. Two weeks later, a rape charge was added in his indictment. The charges led to his dismissal from JOURNEY in August 2015, and in October that same year he accepted a plea deal and was sentenced to four years of supervised probation, pleading guilty to two counts of fourth-degree assault, two counts of menacing, one count of coercion and one count of unlawful use of a weapon.

A four-and-a-half-minute YouTube clip containing audio samples of the tracks that will be featured on the forthcoming first-ever solo album from VIXEN singer and guitarist Janet Gardner is available below. All songs were written, performed and produced by Gardner and her husband of one year, Justin James, a musician who previously played bass for TYKETTO on the Monsters Of Rock cruise.

Gardner was previously married to Andy Katz, whom she met during the recording of VIXEN's third album, 1998's "Tangerine", which he co-engineered.

Janet and Andy have one son, Ryan, who was born in 2003.

Gardner graduated from the University of Bridgeport in 2005 with a degree in dental hygiene. Janet has also performed with SCRAP METAL, co-founded by Gunnar and Mathew Nelson.

Gardner, drummer Roxy Petrucci and bassist Share Ross honored their friend and bandmate, guitarist and founder of VIXEN, Jan Kuehnemund, by resurrecting VIXEN in 2013.

The band was committed to reunite in 2012 but Kuehnemund's cancer diagnosis caused what was thought of at the time as a delay. Sadly, however, after a fierce battle, Kuehnemund succumbed to her illness, thus the reunion was not meant to be.

After discussing the idea with friends and family as well as lead vocalist from VIXEN's most recent lineup, Jenna Sanz-Agero, it was agreed that it was the right decision for the three surviving definitive members to carry on as VIXEN.

After a five-year hiatus, Finnish rock band THE RASMUS has just released a new single, "Paradise". The track was recorded and mixed in Stockholm, and produced by the Swedish team The Family.

The official lyric video for "Paradise" can be seen below.

One of Finland's biggest music exports, THE RASMUS has had a remarkable career to date, with the band's big international breakthrough coming with their fifth album, when single "In The Shadows" became a worldwide hit.

In 2012, after releasing three more albums, and multiple world tours, members Lauri Ylönen, Pauli Rantasalmi, Eero Heinonen and Aki Hakala, took a break from their busy band schedule. During this period, singer Lauri Ylönen moved to Los Angeles, a change that resonates in many of the songs he has written since.

"Paradise is a relative thing," Ylönen says of the single. "One man's hell can be another man's paradise."

ANTHRAX and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE kicked off "The Killthrax Tour" this past Wednesday night (March 29) at the Wellmont Theater in Montclair, New Jersey.

Fan-filmed video footage of ANTHRAX's performance can be seen below.

With ANTHRAX and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE rotating the closing slot over the course of the dates, the tour will criss-cross the continent, wrapping up in Boston on May 7. The intense and dynamic THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA is providing direct support on all dates.

ANTHRAX's February 15 concert at the Barrowland in Glasgow, United Kingdom was filmed for a DVD, to be released later this year via Megaforce. Seventeen cameras, including five GoPros and a full-size camera crane, captured more than two hours of ANTHRAX favorites that were voted onto the evening's set list by fans and included "Madhouse", "Be All, End All", "Breathing Lightning" and "A.I.R.", followed by ANTHRAX's classic 1987 album "Among The Living" performed start to finish. In addition to the live footage, the DVD will include "fly-on-the-wall" interviews and other B-roll shot on the band's tour bus, backstage, in hotels and elsewhere. The DVD is being produced and directed by Paul Green of the Manchester, U.K.-based Paul Green Productions who has filmed concerts for OPETH, THE DAMNED, Gary Numan, THE LEVELLERS and many others.

ANTHRAX's European tour ended in Paris on March 16.

"Outlive", the new album from DEMON HUNTER, can be streamed in its entirety in the YouTube playlist below. Released on March 31 through a partnership with Solid State Records, the disc is the band's eighth overall and the follow-up to 2014's "Extremist".

DEMON HUNTER has shared the track listing and the two covers for "Outlive". The first cover is for the digital and CD versions. The second cover is for the double vinyl.

The band has also released a beautifully packaged "Outlive" box set that will certainly appeal to DEMON HUNTER's legion of diehard fans. The box set includes two bonus tracks, a behind-the-scenes DVD, photo cards, booklet, poster, bandana, a ring, and more. It is housed in a drawer-style box with metallic gold detail and is a true collector piece.

DEMON HUNTER will make a rare live performance this summer, appearing at Chicago Open Air, which takes place July 14-16 at Toyota Park in Bridgeview, Illinois. The band is scheduled to perform on Sunday, July 16.

"Outlive" track listing:

01. Trying Times02. Jesus Wept03. Cold Winter Sun04. Died In My Sleep05. Half As Dead06. Cold Blood07. One Step Behind08. Raining Down09. The End10. One Less11. Patience12. Slight The Odds

"Extremist", the band's most recent album, enjoyed a Top 20 debut on The Billboard 200 in 2014. "The Last One Alive", "Artificial Light" and "I Will Fail You" received an amount of airplay unprecedented in the band's storied career, a legacy that has seen the group sell over 600,000 albums in North America. Like the album before it, "Outlive" was produced and engineered by DEMON HUNTER guitarist Jeremiah Scott (LIVING SACRIFICE, THE SHOWDOWN) with additional production by the group's longtime collaborator Aaron Sprinkle (ANBERLIN, NEW FOUND GLORY). "Outlive" was mixed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (ROB ZOMBIE, HATEBREED, QUEENSRŸCHE). DEMON HUNTER formed in Seattle in 2001. The lineup features singer Ryan Clark alongside co-founder Jonathan Dunn (bass), drummer Tim "Yogi" Watts (drums, since 2004), lead guitarist Patrick Judge (since 2008) and guitarist Scott (since 2011). Clark remains the primary songwriter, with increasing contributions from Judge. "Patrick's contributions to 'Outlive' unveil an exciting new path for the future of the band," promises the frontman. "He wrote the music for 'Cold Winter Sun' and it's absolutely one of my favorites from the record." DEMON HUNTER's dedicated supporters wear the group's symbol and lyrics on their shirts, vests, backpacks, and in many cases, on their skin. Based in both Seattle and Nashville, the group embraces brazenly transcendent melodies, without apology, while maintaining a defiant heaviness reminiscent of the most timeless of metal. A regular attraction at festivals, in theaters, and clubs, DEMON HUNTER has visited Europe, Australia, and South America, while touring North America several times. They were a headlining act on "Scream The Prayer", co-headlined with the band RED, played as direct support to IN FLAMES and introduced their fans to bands like AUGUST BURNS RED and HASTE THE DAY, who they took on tour with them early in their career. Put simply, DEMON HUNTER is an American metal institution.

SIKTH, the U.K.'s progressive metal forefathers, will release their new album, "The Future In Whose Eyes?", on June 2 via Millennium Night, the newly created label imprint from Snapper Music, home of Peaceville and Kscope.

SIKTH guitarist and producer Dan Weller stated about the band's first full-length studio album since 2006's "Death Of A Dead Day": "Ever since SIKTH was formed way back at the turn of the century, we've tried to self improve as musicians and as songwriters. We take our music very seriously.

"This record feels like the one we've always wanted to make. We spent over a year writing it and pushed ourselves extremely hard — sometimes too hard.

"'Opacities' was the rebirth of SIKTH but 'The Future...' is our statement. I want this album to define us.

"I don't care how overambitious it sounds — we want this record to be heard by every metal fan on the planet." SIKTH vocalist and lyricist Mikee W Goodman adds: "Personally, I feel this is our best album yet. From my point, I have written all vocals and lyrics. I have taken myself to some very dark places, commentated on this world as I see it. Also, swimming into fictional worlds and dreamscapes. There are some beautiful moments. The band have made incredible music, brutal, technically warped mixed with some psychedelic moments. I think we've done something special here." The vocals were recorded at Mikee's own studio and at Adrian Smith's (IRON MAIDEN) R&R Studios, and this is the first release featuring new co-vocalist and former member of ALIASES Joe Rosser. The guitars and drums were laid down at the renowned Monkey Puzzle House studios. Dan Weller has been producing, alongside Adam "Nolly" Getgood (PERIPHERY) on mixing duties.

"Joe has done a great job singing on this album," says Mikee. "He has a lot of scope to his voice. He's very versatile indeed." "The Future In Whose Eyes?" features the first-ever guest vocalist on a SIKTH album — Spencer Sotelo, singer in PERIPHERY, joins Mikee on the track "Cracks Of Light".

In late summer 2016, SIKTH made their first foray into the U.S. live arena after being invited to join PERIPHERY on tour.

"They're really nice people. Everyone on that U.S. tour felt it was the best one they'd been on," smiles Mikee. It was over those weeks that a plan was hatched. "We actually got him down to R&R Studios in Uxbridge where we made the album," Mikee continues.

"I really like PERIPHERY and especially love Spencer's voice. He's not your usual djent singer, and he's very much a spiritual man. He knows his mind well and so we nailed the song really quicky."

The spectacular artwork for "The Future In Whose Eyes?" has been created by 3D animator and artist Meats Meier.

"Meats has been a friend for years and he came out to see the show in L.A. and loved it," Mikee says. "We wanted something really special and we got it. He is an absolute genius, a visionary and a pioneer. We are all so proud to have him design our sleeve."

Meier adds: "This image represents the construction of the future and its ultimate demise. A perfected human race brought down by its own need to innovate and improve. A simple error breaks the machine and brings us back to the beginning." Ahead of the album's release, SIKTH has premiered a new song, "Vivid". Mikee explains: "Lyrically, it is inspired by traumatic dreaming. The verses talk from perspective of being in the actual dream, where the choruses are in despair from an awoken perspective. The song itself has a lot of elements of both tradition and new SIKTH."

The digital single is available to buy, stream and will also be available an instant download with all digital album pre-orders. Photo credit: Gobinder Jhitta

Bassist Tim King of Chicago heavy rockers SOIL has confirmed to Meltdown of the WRIF radio station that the band is working on new music, to be released later this year.

"We're definitely gonna have something out new in the fall, and we'll be launching a single and a video for that and everything," Tim said (hear audio below). "So everybody can just stay tuned. We're still in the very early stages of it, but it's coming along quite well."

King told Metal-Heads.de last year that the changes in the music industry in the last few years have made it harder for bands to survive. "It hasn't changed in the fact that you still have to write good music, you still have to play great live shows, you still have to do all the things that you always did in the past — you still have to do those things — it's just…. it's smaller. So in order for bigger bands, and bands that came out before, like us and your DEFTONES and things, for them to live the lifestyles that they've become accustomed to, they either have to tour consistently or work harder, or they have to do various things. And that's one thing we've learned — to go into different avenues and survive, because we still love doing SOIL and we still love our fans, our fans still love and come see us play, so we wanna keep doing it."

SOIL's last album, "Whole", was released in August 2013 via Pavement Entertainment.

Interview (audio):

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST are returning for "Vol. III - Hell Bent For Hollywood" this September 14-17 in Los Angeles, California, continuing the celebration of Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp's 21st anniversary.

Fresh out of the recording studio and before they hit the road for their world tour, this hard and heavy camp features four members of JUDAS PRIEST — including vocalist Rob Halford, bassist Ian Hill, guitarist Richie Faulkner and drummer Scott Travis. Back to Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp for their third time, this is a not-to-be missed experience!

Over the course of four metal-filled days, campers will be placed into bands led by rock star counselors including Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, WHITESNAKE), Vinny Appice (DIO, BLACK SABBATH) and many more. Musicians will hone their stage presence, learn to play some of metal music’s greatest songs, get tips on playing as a band and hear stories of life on the road from their rock star counselors. Attendees will also attend master classes and jams rooms with these renowned musicians and then perform live with their band and the members of JUDAS PRIEST in front of a packed house at the infamous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip.

Also available is The Ultimate Backstage Pass fan package-for the non-musician man or woman who always wanted to come to Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp! Attendees will participate in the question-and-answer sessions and watch the amazing jams and performances with JUDAS PRIEST along with the incredible rock star counselors. Attend master classes; attend the opening night party and all-star counselor jam as well as the live performances at Lucky Strike and the Whisky A Go Go on the legendary Sunset Strip plus much more!

Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp is a non-competitive atmosphere designed for all levels of musicians and music enthusiasts. Participants are placed in bands with like-minded people and skill level to make for an off-the-charts experience.

Some of the campers play well and even gave up careers as musicians to become CEOs and lawyers. Some campers can't play at all. What they all have in common is passion for rock music. At Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp, they all get to pursue their passion — and meet, and play with the artists who became the soundtrack of their lives. David Fishof is the founder and creator of the famed Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp where rock dreams become reality. The idea came to him after years of producing rock tours throughout the word. He's been honored to work with veteran rockers Roger Daltrey, Joe Walsh, Ringo Starr, Todd Rundgren, Gene Simmons, Dr. John, Randy Bachman, and so many more. He feels fortunate to have seen their talent first hand. David's desire to share this experience with you, gave him the inspiration to produce the one-of-a-kind Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy Camp.

The four-day camp is on sale now at at www.rockcamp.com.

Horror Pain Gore Death Productions have released Canada's evil black metal desecrators, Ordoxe's new album Towards Eternity, today, March 31st on CD and digital formats. A description follows.

Ordoxe make their Horror Pain Gore Death Productions debut with the new album entitled Towards Eternity. Formed in 1989, Ordoxe hail from Quebec, Canada and perform melodic black metal with elements of thrash, death and doom metal. Towards Eternity is the fourth album in the Ordoxe catalog and delivers a fierce, judicious mix of dark arts, bliss, grim moods and evil ambiences. For fans of Behemoth, Cradle Of Filth, Dark Funeral, Destroyer 666, Dissection, Enthroned, God Dethroned, Naglfar, Rotting Christ and Satyricon

Order the CD for only $10 with free shipping at this location. Order the digital download for only $6.66 and listen to the full album for free on Bandcamp.

Tracklisting:

“We Are Eternal”
“The Auspicious One”
“Trépas I”
“Your Sorrow, My Sorrow”
“Sword Of Damocles”
“Soyez Illuminés”
“A Passage In Time”
“Trépas II”
“The Essence Of Life”
“Trépas III”

“We Are Eternal”:

Death metal supergroup Echelon, featuring Dave Ingram (Hail Of Bullets, ex-Bolt Thrower) on vocals, Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Down Among The Dead Men) on bass, Johan Berglund (Ribspreader, Demiurg) on bass, Kjetil Lynghaug (Johansson & Speckmann, Paganizer) on lead guitar, and Travis Ruvo (Cropsy Maniac, Akatharta) on drums, are streaming the the lyric video for “The Brimstone Aggrandizement”:

The band’s second album, The Brimstone Aggrandizement, was released on December 22nd via Indian record label Transcending Obscurity. The album artwork was specifically commissioned from the artist Propraetor.

New death metal supergroup Echelon carry on where another supergroup Stench Price left, employing the services of Dave Ingram (Hail Of Bullets, ex-Bolt Thrower, ex-Benediction), Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Demiurg, Putrevore), Johan Berglund (Ribspreader, The Grotesquery), Kjetil Lynghaug (Johansson & Speckmann, Paganizer) and Travis Ruvo (Akatharta, Cropsy Maniac). Expect death metal that is stupendous, old school and fleshed out, emphasizing on crushing British brutality coupled with classic Swedish melodic sensibilities and riffing power. Care has been taken to ensure that the nostalgic value remains foremost, as the music traverses through many winding yet memorable songs, with impeccable compositions by the riff-master Rogga and probably one of Dave Ingram's finest vocal performances of his career. This is a varied, bombastic album that will go down as one of the strongest albums of this era.

"Lex Talionis":

“Plague Of The Altruistic”:

Order the new album at this location.

The Dutch metallers of Jackal are about to release their new album Gods Of War through Into The LimeLight Records. The album will be available worldwide and be distributed by Soulfood Gmbh and Indieplant in The Netherlands. Release is set for May 26th.

The album will treat you with a fantastic selection of new songs. Check out a preview at Jackal Metal.

Jackal is:

Erwin Siereveld – vocals
John Bouman – guitar
Rick Waalewijn – drums
Vladik Budnyy – bass

Danish / American rock singer Maryann Cotton returned to Detroit for the 3rd Annual Dick Wagner Memorial Concert - March 24th at the Motor City Casino.

Dick Wagner worked with the Alice Cooper group on School's Out, Billion Dollar Babies, and Muscle Of Love, before he became a permanent member and Alice's co-writer in 1975. Wagner wrote a full concept album together with Maryann, where he brought in Alice to write three songs for him. (They never released the album, Dick died few weeks before the final studio recordings.).

Maryann Cotton paid tribute to Dick Wagner, performing four Alice Cooper songs:

“Scarlet And Sheba” (Dada 1983)
“Eighteen” (Love It To Death 1971)
“School's Out” (School's Out 1972)
“Welcome To My Nightmare” (1975)

Van Halen News Desk has unearthed an unreleased track from the The Wild Life movie score, which guitarist Eddie Van Halen wrote for Universal Pictures in 1984.

“Here’s what we call “Strike”, a short but sweet guitar track from the 1984 movie The Wild Life. This has never been heard in full until now. (This track was only played for a few seconds, as someone in the movie bowls a strike at a bowling alley).

“Our guess is that this piece might be one of the first recordings that Ed and Donn Landee had ever made with the Steinberger guitar. The trans trem bridge on a Steinberger has a very distinct tonality/sound.”

Read more at Van Halen News Desk, and listen to “Strike” below:

Hungarian neo thrash masters Ektomorf have released a video trailer for Warpath, their new DVD/CD, out on May 5th via AFM Records. Watch the clip below. Pre-order Warpath at this location.

Warpath includes the band's entire gig from Wacken Open Air 2016 on DVD and CD, plus a more than 60 minute. brutally honest and heavily entertaining behind-the-scenes documentary of Ektomorf’s tour life: Live And Life On The Road. This is real as it gets. Audio mix was again handled by the band's longtime engineer Tue Madsen (Antfarm studios).

Tracklisting:

“Aggressor”
“Move On”
“Ambush In The Night”
“Holocaust”
“Black Flag”
“Evil By Nature”
“United Nations”
“Leech”
“Fuck You All”
“I Know Them”
“Outcast”
“Live And Life On The Road” (road movie; DVD only)

Washington, D.C.-based metal band, Gloom, has signed a worldwide deal with Entertainment One Music / Lifeblood Inc. and is streaming an all new track, “Cede”. A lyric video for the track can be found below.

“We couldn't be happier to be a part of the Lifeblood and eOne family," says the band. "We've been hunkered down working so hard that I don't think the reality has set in for all of us. We're just really grateful to have such high a quality team backing us."

Gloom will release their debut full length, Solaris, on June 2nd.

"Solaris is our first full length and while we were writing the album we really wanted to bring all our individual influences to the table and create something dynamic. We really want to carve out our own niche in metal and Solaris is a big step in that direction. For us, “Cede” is a good musical representation of some of the different styles you'll hear on the album. Lyrically, it's about breaking the cycle of a bad on-off relationship I had for years and finding a place where I could grow out of those feelings."

Gloom will be opening the Devastation On The Nation Festival Tour throughout the US and Canada from 5/19-6/11 alongside Cryptopsy, Decrepit Birth, Rivers Of Nihil, The Zenith Passage, The Kennedy Veil, Visceral Disgorge, and Seeker via Continental Concerts USA.

Gloom began without career expectations and devoid of obligation toward any particular niche or sub genre. Gloom trades in succinct, to-the-point, blackened death metal groove with a doomy swagger, created first and foremost as art for its own sake. That mentality has paid off in spades, as the band’s unrelenting authenticity and overpowering singular heaviness quickly made fans out of underground metal fans and media tastemakers.

On their first release through Lifeblood, Inc. and eOne Music, the Washington D.C. quartet has fully hit their creative stride with nine masterpieces of sonic devastation and diverse musical prowess. Metal maniacs weaned on the dark ferocity of Norwegian black metal stalwarts Gorgoroth, the chaotic and challengingly surreal assault of early Burzum, or the demonstrative brutality of death metal icons Suffocation will find something evocative and provoking within Gloom. These savage elements collide with combustible energy against the near psychedelic, progressive, and technical excursions reminiscent of bands like Between The Buried And Me, all intermingled with the atmospheric groove of Deftones and Tool.

Gloom has the seemingly at odds brooding melodic menace of the darker sirens of grunge coursing through its DNA, as evidenced by their killer take on “Them Bones,” the song that opens Alice In Chain’s sophomore set, Dirt.

While Suffocation and modern deathcore kingpins like Whitechapel and Suicide Silence are kindred spirits vocally, frontman and co founder Bill Calomiris performance and lyrics draw from the earnestness and emotional honesty of Billy Corgan and Fiona Apple, jettisoning the gimmicky “gore” favored by the genre for a more sincere form of self-expression. Gloom never shies away from confronting feelings of anger, rejection, or nostalgia. As heavy and uncompromising as their music can be, the emotions at their core maintain a relatable nature, from relationship issues to inner struggle.

The fact that Musicians Institute graduate Dante Dalton, the band’s guitarist, has worked on film scores will come as no surprise after hearing the more cinematic moments mined within Gloom. Drummer Albert Born is a trained aerospace engineer; it would be both an easy joke and a severe understatement to say that his propulsive pummeling gives the band a lift. Like the rest of his close friends in the band, bassist Jason Sayell offers a true emotional outpouring within Gloom. Their music is deadly serious and cathartic, while the guys are fun loving and easygoing in everyday life.

The moody post-black metal of “1% Empty” is drawn from the bassist’s life experience, melding seamlessly but dynamically with the more traditional death metal attack of the David vs. Goliath style story of “Perseus,” the groovy, progressive, and sometimes esoteric bad relationship ender, “Cede,” and the unabashedly heavy and haunting “Sub Umbral.”

Combining death metal, black metal, doom metal, progressive metal, post-grunge, and grooving atmospheric rock to create a distinctive artistic identity of their own, Gloom earns a place in the pantheon of heavy music in closer proximity to timeless giants than forgettable clones. Gloom represents honesty in its glorious heaviness, philosophically and musically.

Tracklisting:

“Fallen”
“Perseus”
“Orbits”
“Cede”
“Coronation”
“Naught”
“1% Empty”
“Appetence Hominae”
“Sub Umbral”
“Them Bones” (cover)

“Cede” lyric video:

Pre-order the album via the following links:

Digital
Physical