Florida death metal veterans Killing Addiction have released a lyric video for "Cult Of Decay," a song from the Shores Of Oblivion EP. Order the EP here.

On Shores Of Oblivion, Killing Addiction exemplifies a style that spans death metal (Death, Morbid Angel), grindcore (Napalm Death, Carcass), and thrash (Slayer, Kreator). Equally heavy is a lyrical approach that deals in themes both political and philosophical.

After its 1989 formation, right in the thick of the influential Florida death metal scene, Killing Addiction released a demo and EP prior to the release of its 1993 full-length debut, Omega Factor. After another EP and a split release, the band called it quits in 1998, then reformed in 2006, eventually releasing sophomore full-length Fall Of The Archetypes on Xtreem Music in 2010 (also released as a limited-edition, six-song EP). The When Death Becomes an Art 7" EP followed in 2015 (Inverse Dogma Records).

Momentum gained and all cylinders firing, Killing Addiction wasted no time in releasing Shores Of Oblivion last fall, but the season was a bittersweet one for the band, as founding member Chad Bailey passed away in September. The band is slowly moving forward in an effort to continue the work and vision he helped create.

Former HANOI ROCKS frontman Michael Monroe will release a best-of compilation album, "Michael Monroe - The Best", before the summer to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of his debut solo album, "Nights Are So Long". Included on the new collection will be five bonus tracks, one of which is a new song called "One Foot Out Of The Grave", to be released as a single on April 7. 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 earlier this 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."

Finnish extreme death metal band Enragement and Inverse Records have joined forces concerning their second album named Burned, Barren, Bloodstained. Release is set for June 9th. Preorder the album at Inverse Records.

The “Blood For The Sun God” single was released today as a video and can be streamed below and listened to on Spotify.

Since their debut full-length, 2014’s Omnimalevolence Of Man, Enragement has taken ever further leaps into the darkness. Honing skills, technique and atmosphere, and above all, their myriad visions of evil, the band’s new opus Burned, Barren, Bloodstained paints the band’s most abysmal portrait of man to date. 

Enragement presents a unique blend of three equal-footed growlers adding twisted nuances into the sea of brutality, to seamlessly highlight each step of their disgusting stories. No sound, no idea is beyond Enragement’s quest to create the ultimate song to capture the human condition at its darkest.

Tracklisting:

“River Of Corpses”
“Dead Flesh Treasury”
“Raining Bodyparts”
“Mass Of A Thousand Suns”
“Divine Catatonia”
“Ashen Unity”
“As The Acid Burns”
“To Become Earth”
“Blood For The Sun God”
“Armed Redeemer”
“Smite The Impure”

“Blood For The Sun God” video:

(Photo by: Joel Korhonen)

Dress The Dead have parted ways with former The Haunted vocalist, Peter Dolving. Guitarist Craig Locicero (ex-Forbidden) has posted the following message via the Dress The Dead Facebook page:

“After the last few weeks of change and the shock that followed, it was best to regain our bearings before saying too much.

“Let's recap. Peter announced to Facebook that he almost took his own life, has occupational burnout and he's retiring from being a professional musician. Just the day before we were having conversations about him moving to the Bay Area and setting up a string of local shows to sharpen our claws as well as our future dealings with a certain kick ass record label. He hit us without warning and left us standing at the alter.

“Of course we went through the natural cycle of emotions when you hear these things. Shock, worry, sorrow, anger, questions, numb, frustration, repeat and then finally some more clarity. We understood how this makes anyone who was getting into DtD feel. I mean, we just got started, played two kick ass sold out shows with Death Angel (thanks Boys!) and released “1969” to a fantastic response. It was brutal to be thrown into chaos and we deservedly needed to reevaluate ourselves and the band.

“What in the fuck does anyone say to such a dark statement and change? We love the hell out of Peter, but finding this out on Facebook was completely unacceptable and it made for an uncomfortable situation much worse by the way everyone was alerted. No way around it. He owed us at least a private conversation. Maybe a warning shot? At least he's alive and that's what matters on that level. But there's the others in the band that are continuing to think about. Our careers and family's. We matter as well. What's done is done and we're are moving on...

“This band started with my vision and that vision will continue. I wanted to create something heavy, beautiful, thrashy, melodic and rocking with dynamic musicians. I found the right brothers and we've done that. Our template has been set and we will continue doing so with the another singer. So far we've had some inquiries and conversations. Haven't brought anyone into the room as of yet.

“We feel as if we need to cast a larger net for submissions because the right person may or may not be located in the Bay Area. They would be preferably the U.S. and willing to relocate if need me. That would be ideal, but this is the modern era so nothing is off the table. We have the example of “1969” already out there, but there's so much more music to be worked on.

“This is how we'll do it... For now submit your audio or video clips via PM our Dress The Dead page on Facebook. It can be your own material, live or in the studio. Doesn't matter, just make it your best example.

“In the meantime we will be setting up a way for those who make the cut to get a couple of tracks with no vocals on them that the public hasn't heard to work with. This will be ideal for anyone serious about inquiring. There will be a clean slate going forward. What was in the past is now far behind us.

“That being said there are a few requirements. Have your shit together. Be able to sing and scream with range when needed. Be brave enough to stay the fuck out of the box. Be a great live performer with stage presence. Don't take yourself too seriously and have a sense of humor. No hard drugs or alcoholics. Simple stuff, really.

“It's okay to start feeling better about DtD again. Spring has sprung and we're moving on.

“Please keep buying those shirts and supporting “While we've been knocked down for a minute, we're getting right the fuck back up!

Canadian progressive metallers, Trilateral, have released a bass playthrough video for “Arbitrarium”, the track from their critically-acclaimed album, Elliptic Orbits.

In this second of three playthroughs, bassist Sam Smit demonstrates the dexterity, prowess, and sophisticated-brutality that have become the hallmarks of the Trilateral experience.

The first of three playthrough videos, featuring the talents of drummer Jacob Goose, delves into the subtle-yet-punishing percussive nuances of their song “Fountainhead”.

Trilateral is a multidimensional progressive metal band with influences as diverse as their music. A trinity of adept and nonconformist musicians, the band are not easily categorized into one simple genre, but that’s exactly what keeps hungry, forward-thinking metal fans interested in their unique sound. Although they integrate various fundamental elements of multiple genres and styles, Trilateral delivers their neural depth without mercy to shatter audiences’ expectations of what modern prog metal is truly capable of.

With their unique blend of brutality and jazz-fusion, the band manages to create a vast soundscape within every track that is not typically associated with metal.

Elliptic Orbits can be ordered at the band’s Bandcamp page.

Tracklisting:

“Dividers Of Infinity”
“Cloud Forest”
“Airlock”
“Celestial Bodies”
“Whalefall”
“Fountainhead”
“Nomad”
“Blessed Protagonist”
“Charon”
“Darkless”
“Arbitrarium”
“Convergence”

“Whalefall” lyric video:

Promo video:

Band lineup:

Graeme Kalb - Guitar/Vocals
Sam Smit - Bass/Vocals
Jacob Goose - Drum

Texas' Power Trip has released their official video for "Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)". The band continues to tour the planet in support of their Nightmare Logic LP, as they are currently torching the West Coast of North America and will head to Europe in the coming weeks.

Power Trip's new video for "Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)" takes us front and centre, into the eye of what is guaranteed to be a perfect storm time and time again. The footage, captured at a spirited hometown show in Dallas melts with clips of political propaganda which encompass vocalist Riley Gale's lyrics that hone in on the devaluation of human life by those who've gained power through money and politics. The video was directed by Andy Capper (Vice, Noisey) with director of photography Joel Pront, and editor Andrew Betsch.

After a wild, sold out East Coast/Midwest tour, Power Trip is currently taking over West Coast this month with Destruction Unit. Highlights include Los Angeles, Portland, Denver, Vancouver, and more just before they head to Europe with Napalm Death and Brujeria. Check below for a full list of dates.

March
28 - Marquis Theater - Denver, CO (with Destruction Unit, Call Of The Void, Primal Rite)
29 - Beehive Social Club - Salt Lake City, UT (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite)
30 - WavePOP House - Boise, ID (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite)
31 - Real Art Tacoma-The Deal - Tacoma, WA (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite, Gag)

April
1 - Astoria - Vancouver, BC (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite, Gag)
2 - Analog Theater - Portland, OR (with Destruction Unit, Gag)
4 - Arlene Francis Center - Santa Rosa, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
5 - Thee Stylehouse - Stockton, CA (with Mizery)
6 - The New Parish - Oakland, CA (with Destruction Unit, Primal Rite, Mizery)
7 - The Ritz - San Jose, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
8 - Teragram Ballroom - Los Angeles, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
9 - Constellation Room - Santa Ana, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
10 - The Casbah - San Diego, CA (with Destruction Unit, Mizery)
11 - Rebel Lounge - Phoenix, AS (with Destruction Unit, Mizery, Gatecreeper)
12 - Club Congress - Tucson, AZ (with Destruction Unit, Mizery, Gatecreeper)
25 - Amager Bio - Copenhagen, Denmark (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
26 - Pustervik - Gothenburg, Sweden (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
27 - Kraken STHLM - Stockholm, Sweden (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
28 - Roxy - Flensburg, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
29 - Flensburg - Magdeburg, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
30 - Patronaat - Haarlem, Netherlands (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)

May
1 - Underground - Koln, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
2 - SO36 - Berlin, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
4 - Kwadrat Club - Krakow, Poland (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
5 - Klub Fléda - Brno, Czech Republic (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
7 - Garage - Saarbrücken, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
9 - O2 Institute - Birmingham, UK (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
10 - Classic Grand - Glasgow, UK (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
11 - Rebellion - Manchester, UK (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
12 - The Electric Ballroom - London, UK (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
13 - Le Glazart - Paris, France (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
14 - Zappa - Antwerpen, Belgium (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
16 - Espace André Malraux - Six Fours Les Plages, France (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
17 - L'Usine - Geneva, Switzerland (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
18 - Zona Roveri - Bologna, Italy (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
19 - NCO Club - Karlsruhe, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
20 - Backstage - München, Germany (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)
21 - Effenaar - Eindhoven, Netherlands (with Napalm Death, Brujeria)

(Photo - Sarah Churchill)

On April 7th, Australian thrashers Harlott will release their new album, Extinction, worldwide via Metal Blade Records. For another preview of the album, the third and final single, “Whore”, can be streamed below.

Harlott returns with a harrowing offering of thrash metal, and a bleak interpretation of mankind's future. A blistering assault of speed and aggression awaits those who endure Extinction, as well as a reverent journey into the power and force that is metal.

The album can pre-ordered here in the following formats:

- Digipak CD
- 180g black vinyl
- clear blue green vinyl (limited to 200 copies - EU exclusive)
- toxic green vinyl (limited to 100 copies - EU exclusive)
- burnt orange-marbled vinyl (limited to 100 copies - USA exclusive)

* digital options are also available

Featuring artwork by Andrei Bouzikov, Extinction is Harlott's third album and the successor to 2015's critically acclaimed Proliferation. Recorded at Monolith Studios (Orpheus Omega, In Malice's Wake, Bane of Winterstorm) and mastered by Jens Bogren (Kreator, Opeth, Soilwork), the album seeks to rain pure savagery upon any listener with furious riffs, spitting verses and face melting shred that are blended effortlessly with triumphant melodies and thundering groove to make a diverse and adaptable record which pays tribute to the kings of thrash metal, while making waves in the new dawn of evil. Taking what they had already mastered and pushing the limits of dissonance, evil, and atmosphere, they bring together an offering that will satisfy the bloodlust of their manic legion, and draw in the revelers of a dying breed. Containing 12 songs of pure bedlam, Extinction pauses only for the deafening silence between each blistering track.

Extinction tracklisting:

“Extinction”
“First World Solutions”
“The Penitent”
“Whore”
“No Past”
“Conflict Revelation”
“Better Off Dead”
“Violent Conspirator”
“And Darkness Brings The Light”
“Final Weapon”
“Parasite”
“Epitaph”

“Whore”:

“The Penitent”:

“First World Solutions”:

Harlott recently announced new lead guitarist Jake Weber: "We are psyched to announce we have found the right guy in Jake! It was never going to be an easy task but we couldn't be happier with how everything has fallen into place. With our new album Extinction due out on Metal Blade on April 7th, he couldn't have come along at a better time!"

Jake had this to add: "A little over 16 years ago, I first picked up the guitar and I've been swinging that axe ever since. In that time, I've played for bands such as The Murdering and Deprivation, as well as toured and recorded at home and abroad. Finally, I feel like I've really found my home and it's right where I always thought it would be, playing Thrash! I've joined at a very important time in Harlott's career. Andy, Tom and Tim have welcomed me with open arms and we are ready to become the tightest, fastest and hardest working machine Harlott can be! See you in the pit!"

Harlott lineup:

Andrew Hudson - Guitar/Vocals
Jake Weber - Lead Guitar
Tomas Richards - Bass
Tim Joyce - Drums

Florida-based metal band, World Gone, has released the official music video for their single, "Feed The Machine”. Self-directed and produced, "Feed The Machine" was shot in a Florida bunker.

Says the band: “”Feed the Machine" is a story of human enslavement and the struggle to find a way to finally be free. Afraid of death, future loss, injury, and imprisonment, the majority of humans have become easily controlled and dominated by the powerful few. The greatest resource in history has not been gold or oil, it has been the extortion of other humans. You can't get a hen to lay more eggs by threatening it but you can get a human to give you his eggs by threatening him. Human fear farming has been the most lucrative trade of all time and even now continues to feed the evil plans for domination of the universe by the bloated, power mad, and greedy Human Coercion Machine.”

Hailing from a rusted old shed behind a trailer park on the Westside of Jacksonville, World Gone is preparing to assault your life and senses with a freak audio apocalypse like none before. Years of pent up aggression and disgust with state of our so called civilized society and clustered masses of trendy spineless media outlets have bred a wholeheartedly honest and vigorously explosive combination of volatile ingredients forming the thing know as World Gone. Your ears will be forcefully penetrated and your eyes will be ruthlessly violated by being witness to this xenomorph of maximum twisted force.

Coming into existence through the wake of an unrealized dream, fueled by discontent and unwanted experiences, feelings, and thoughts, World Gone dissects and probes the depths of these shadow areas somehow trying to make something sick yet beautiful from the darkness in our lives and their current state of disrepair. World Gone has set on a journey to provoke inspired thought among the listening legions with poetry wrapped in an audial onslaught of brutality tempered with deep emotions that have been carved from the rotten flesh we call life.

Singer and frontman Joe Bennett is no newcomer to the shit storm known as the music business. Formerly with platinum selling artist Cold and other local Jacksonville heavy hitters like Snagglepuss and Order By Chaos, Joe has set out to make a difference not just for one group of listeners but all listeners. He has the presence, mind, and voice to delivers this post apocalyptic mutant gospel through at times terrifying and haunting orchestrations. Through years of writing and collaborating with some of the most creative minds in the industry like former and current members of Puddle Of Mudd, Cold, and Evanescence, Joe has honed his craft and ability to pull at the frayed heart strings of your soul. Prepare to feel something, prepare to think, prepare to go beyond what is seen and explore the hidden dark corners of your mind.

World Gone will rise to the pulpit to deliver this sermon with a dysfunctional choir to the fallen congregation. Give us your restless and shattered souls, we will give them the nourishment they seek. Sick and twisted things are happening in the underground of Florida. Come with us.

Italian folk/power metal band, Wind Rose, will release their new album, Stonehymn, on May 26th in Europe and North America via Inner Wound Recordings.

Having toured with bands like Wintersun, Eluveitie and Ensiferum, and with two successful albums under their belt, Wind Rose are ready to take things to the next level with the release of their third album Stonehymn, an album filled by the epic, powerful and folk inspired brand of power metal the band is known for.

Stonehymn was mixed and mastered by Simone Mularoni (DGM, Ancient Bards, Secret Sphere) and the artwork was created by Jan Yrlund (Apocalyptica, Korpiklaani, Tyr).

Stonehymn tracklisting:

“Distant Battlefields”
“Dance Of Fire”
“Under The Stone”
“To Erebor”
“The Returning Race”
“The Animist”
“The Wolves’ Call”
“Fallen Timbers”
“The Eyes Of The Mountain”

Wind Rose are confirmed for Masters of Rock 2017, that takes place in Vizovice, Czech Republic July 13th - 16th. Other bands confirmed for the festival are Sabaton, Running Wild, Kreator, Edguy, Epica and more.

Corners Of Sanctuary (COS) have released the Cut Your Losses EP, available via Exquisite Noise Records. Purchase at this location.

The 4-song release is a nostalgic collection from the group as it contains new versions of two previously released songs, "Wild Card" and "My Revenge".

"These songs appeared on our first album and never came across the way we wanted them to in the studio," said Mick Michaels, COS guitarist and founder. "We wanted the opportunity to do it right and this was that opportunity. Both have new arrangements as well as all new lyrics for My Revenge... these are the versions we wanted," he continued.

The EP also includes two new tracks, the 80's anthem laden "Tonight We Roll" and "Mind's Eye"' a much darker-sounding change of pace for the band which was co-written by Michaels and bassist James Pera.

"I have to admit, I don't know how these guys can keep cranking out the quality tunes at such a furious pace! It's pretty amazing," stated Jason McGathey, Exquisite Noise Records President. "I love the machine gun sounding drums in My Revenge...and Wild Card is definitely a favorite,” he added.

A new music video, produced by A Creation Productions, for the single "Wild Card", was released in conjunction with the EP.

The video was filmed at the 3,400 acre Green Lane Park, the largest county park in northwestern Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the band's home state. Primary footage was shot at the now closed Farms Bridge. The historic 133 foot structure, which overlooks Yellow Breeches Creek, was built in 1889 by the Phoenix Bridge Company and has become a center piece for Park hikers, fishermen and bird enthusiasts.

"Most of my memory of that day was trying to stay warm before, during and after takes... the wind was extremely frigid," said lead singer Frankie Cross. “I did more than my share of complaining...," he joked. "...but after seeing the final edit, it was well worth the hypothermia," Cross added.

A free mp3 download of ”Wild Card" is available here.

COS has a number of upcoming shows which include supporting Tim "Ripper" Owens of Judas Priest and Iced Earth fame, thrash legends Blood Feast and the Italian power metal band Savior From Anger. Plus spots at the NEPA Metal Meltdown Fest in May and the Chicago Festival of the Witch in July which will coincide with a short run of Midwest shows among others.

“We are really grateful for all the support,” said drummer Mad T. “The new EP sounds great… the shows have been going well… at times I still can’t believe all this happening and I have had a chance to be part of it,” he further added.

Corners of Sanctuary also plan to release a new full-length album, The Galloping Hordes, later this year and are currently in the studio recording.

"Everything is written and all the music is recorded. We're moving forward with vocals at this point," said Pera. "There are going to be a few surprises with this album... COS is an ever-changing musical landscape," he added.

Tour dates:

April
1 - Irish Wolf Pub - Scranton, PA (with Beyond Fallen)
2 - Whiskey Tango - Philadelphia, PA (with Tim “Ripper” Owens)
22 - The Vinyl Closet - Jeffersonville, PA (with Powerless Rise)
28 - Jabber Jaws – Allentown, PA

May
5 - NEPA Metal Meltdown 2017 - Plains, PA (with Sacred Oath)
6 - Backstage Pass - Ronkonkoma, NY (with Blood Feast)
7 - WADIO Radio (in Studio Performance) - Long Island, NY
12 - Saints Tavern – St. Clair, PA
13 - Metal Devastation Fest -Oddity Bar - Wilmington, DE
20 - On the Rox - Richmond, VA (with Fallout of Fear & Scarz Within)

June
3 - Bobby’s Place - Erie, PA (with Storms Within)
23 - The Rusty Nail - Ardmore, PA (with Savior From Anger)
24 - Irish Wolf Pub - Scranton, PA (with Savior From Anger & Beyond Fallen)

July
22 - Festival Of The Witch - Chicago, IL

More to be announced.

Argentina-based heavy/power metal band, Helker, have released a lyric video for “Fight”, a track from their new album, Firesoul, out on May 5th via AFM Records. The new clip is available for streaming below.

Helker is widely considered as the leading South American heavy metal band to emerge from Argentina. Since their start, Helker released three highly respected albums in their native language, Legado Secreto in 2001, Resistir in 2008 and A.D.N. in 2010; these albums helped a lot to built up a loyal fan-base not only by Argentina’s metal fans. Since their beginning, Helker was one of the most active live bands in South America and toured with Primal Fear, Hammerfall, Stratovarius, Gamma Ray, Shaman, Sinner, Masterplan and many more across Argentina and its neighbouring countries.

Firesoul will also be released in a Spanish version, Alma de fuego, which will be available digital only, also on May 5th.

Tracklisting:

“Genesis” (Intro)
“Fight”
“For All The Eternity”
“Playing With Fire”
“The One”
“Where You Belong”
“You Are In My Heart”
“Empty Room”
“Leaving Out The Ashes”
“Stay Away”
“Break Your Chains”
“Firesoul”

Bonus tracks:

“Rise Or Fall”
“Neon Knights”

“Fight” lyric video:

Snakecharmer’s sophomore album, Second Skin, will be released on May 12th. An EPK (Electronic Press Kit) for the album is available for streaming below.

The British hard rock supergroup was originally founded in 2011 by former Whitesnake/David Coverdale members Micky Moody and Neil Murray along with the perfect mix of high calibre musicians including Laurie Wisefield (Wishbone Ash), Harry James (Thunder, Magnum), Adam Wakeman (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath live), and Chris Ousey (Heartland).

The band’s debut self-titled album was released in 2013 and musically the record showed a finely crafted hard rock style mixed with blues and melodic overtones, akin to Micky and Neil's former band and Bad Company, with hints of early Foreigner as well.

Snakecharmer played live shows regularly in support of the album’s release and built a solid fanbase in the UK and Europe. In 2016, Moody left the band and was replaced by the Irish-born Simon McBride on lead guitar.

Second Skin is the hotly anticipated second effort from Snakecharmer and brings the listener straight back to the good old days of real rock n' roll played with heart and soul. Slightly harder edged compared to the debut, but with roots still firmly planted in the classic hard rock vibe with a hint of late '70s AOR, this new record sounds fresh and crisp.

Bassist Neil Murray says: “It’s been a rather long journey, but finally I’m very pleased to announce that Snakecharmer are soon to release our new album, Second Skin. The band has now found its own unique musical identity and in particular Laurie Wisefield and Chris Ousey have contributed some very powerful and melodic songs, which still have the Snakecharmer blues-rock distinctive trademarks. The band works in a very democratic and collaborative way, which means that sometimes there is a lot of discussion before decisions are finally made, and it was great to have a more objective viewpoint from producer Gary Stevenson, who also fired the band up with his ideas, enthusiasm and sonic skills. We can’t wait to get out on tour and play some of the new songs, together with the best of our established classics, both Snakecharmer and Whitesnake, and showcase our new virtuoso guitarist, the brilliant Simon McBride.”

Tracklisting:

“Sounds Like A Plan”
“That Kind Of Love”
“Are You Ready To Fly”
“Follow Me Under”
“I'll Take You As You Are”
“Hell Of A Way To Live”
“Fade Awayv
“Dress It Up”
“Punching Above My Weight”
“Forgive & Forget”
“Where Do We Go From Here”

EPK:

“That Kind Of Love” video:

UK tour dates:

May
5 - Cardiff, UK - The Globe
7 - Bingley, UK - Bingley Arts Centre
10 - Hull, UK - Fruit
12 - Sheffield, UK - The Plug
13 - Tavistock, UK - The Wharf
14 - London, UK - O2 Academy Islington
18 - Glasgow, UK - 02 ABC2
19 - Newcastle upon Tyne, UK - 02 Academy
20 - Alva, UK - Scotland
24 - Preston, UK - Guildhall
25 - Milton Keynes, UK - The Stables
26 - Frome, UK - Cheese And Grain
27 - Holmfirth, UK - Picturedrome

Snakecharmer lineup:

Chris Ousey - vocals
Laurie Wisefield - guitar
Simon McBride - guitar
Adam Wakeman - keyboards
Neil Murray - bass
Harry James - drums

Dave Mustaine says that he made a "mistake" releasing "Risk" under the MEGADETH name, explaining that it would have been received far better if it had been made available as his solo album.

Issued in 1999, "Risk" received a mixed response from critics and alienated hardcore MEGADETH fans due to its departure from the band's heavy thrash metal roots to a more commercial, pop rock sound. The album debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard chart and was later certified gold for selling half a million copies in the United States.

In a recent interview with uDiscover about the birth of thrash metal, Mustaine admitted that MEGADETH had a few directional missteps over the course of its three-decade-plus career and pointed to the mid-to-late 1990s as a particularly turbulent period in the band's history.

"We did write some songs with [a] much larger scope in mind, obviously," he said (hear audio below). "I think if you look at the record 'Youthanasia' [1994], for example, there was an accompanying DVD that we put out with that record called 'Evolver', and during 'Evolver', there was a scene in there — if you have seen that, you may recall — [producer] Max Norman is holding a metronome and he's counting out beats per minute."

He continued: "This is what happens when you have a production team and somebody has control over the time and different stuff like that that goes along with creating the songs. Because the BPM [beats per minute] for that record… He had said the key to hit songs is everything being in the 120 BPM range. So it wouldn't surprise me if you got a metronome and went and listened to 'Youthanasia' how many songs you would find are in that 120 BPM range. And that's one of the reasons why, when I went back and remixed those and remastered those records, we reset some of those songs back to their original temps, which a lot of them were a little faster. 'Cause the songs felt better, but when you slowed them down, sure, they got a certain heaviness to them, which was awesome, but there was also that speed complex that you have to add into the equation if it's MEGADETH music. Thus the backlash with 'Risk', because people expected that speed and thrashy kind of stuff. If that record would have been called the 'Dave Mustaine Project', people would have loved it. But because it said MEGADETH, they expected MEGADETH. And that was my mistake; I should have called it a solo record. But I had the band guys on there, which would have been totally disrespectful to do that."

Mustaine's latest comments echo those he made to Full Metal Jackie last month when he said that writing MEGADETH's latest album, "Dystopia", was "really invigorating" since he didn't "care anymore about trying to write stuff for radio because it just backfires." He added: "Whenever you try and do something for somebody, it usually doesn't work, it ends up being something that's hit-or-miss. At this stage in my life, I don't wanna be taking any chances. I wanna have fun, I wanna write music that I love listening to, and I think that's what we did with 'Dystopia'."

MEGADETH will open for German hard rock veterans SCORPIONS on a month-long North American tour this fall.

On February 12, MEGADETH was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category for "Dystopia".

MEGADETH recently completed a month-long U.S. tour with AMON AMARTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, METAL CHURCH and BUTCHER BABIES.

Singer Myles Kennedy, who has fronted Slash's solo band since 2010, was asked in an interview with Metal Wani if there are still plans for the group, dubbed SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, to work on a new studio album now that Slash is off touring with the reunited GUNS N' ROSES. Kennedy responded: "Yeah, there's been talk of that. I think it's just a matter of when everybody's schedules can make it so that can happen. 'Cause the GUNS N' ROSES thing is going great. So it's just a matter of when that window comes."

Kennedy was also asked if he agrees with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons's controversial "rock is dead" comment. He responded: "No, absolutely not. I think that [the GUNS N' ROSES 'Not In This Lifetime'] tour is a testament the fact that there are still millions of people that wanna hear rock and roll, which is a good thing. I think that people have been saying that rock and roll is soon to be dead, really, since it started, which is fascinating to me. But I don't think it's gonna die anytime soon."

GUNS N' ROSES, with Slash and bassist Duff McKagan rejoining frontman Axl Rose in the band, began touring last year and has already book dates for much of 2017.

There's no word yet on how long GUNS intends to stay on the road or whether they plan to record new music.

Slash's second album with Kennedy and the CONSPIRATORS, titled "World On Fire", came out in September 2014. Their previous effort was 2012's "Apocalyptic Love".

Slash released his first self-titled solo effort in 2010. On that album he employed a different vocalist on each track, before settling on Kennedy for both touring and eventually recording.

Kennedy and ALTER BRIDGE issued their fifth studio album, "The Last Hero", in October.

Distorted Sound recently caught up with Children Of Bodom keyboardist Janne Wirman on the band's 20 Years Down & Dirty European Tour. An excerpt is available below.

Q: What made you choose this special setlist? I’ve seen on Facebook that you hinted you’d use material from your first four albums. What made you choose them?

Janne: "Well, this year is the 20th anniversary of the first album, so we decided to build a setlist mainly on the first two albums, so we have five songs from the first album and five songs from the second album. And then we came up with the idea of filling the rest of the setlist with songs only from the first four so we don’t play anything newer than that on this tour."

Q: Awesome. What would you say your highlights are of your career with Children Of Bodom?

Janne: "Well, some of the highlights, like these days, the first three or four albums we never got to tour the US, but after the fourth album we started touring the US. That was, obviously, a big thing for us because it’s a big market, it’s a whole other continent out there. But there’s so many, we’ve played in so many countries, over 60 countries, and stuff like that. I mean, a lot of great stuff has happened, but yeah, we’ve got to play in so many places, and I think that’s probably the best thing ever! (laughs)"

Q: So, what have you guys got planned for after the tour?

Janne: "This year, we’re going to start writing our new album, we will record a new album this year."

Read the complete interview here.

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"

 

 

 

 

Remaining tour dates:

March
30 - Pustervik - Gothenburg, Sweden

April
1 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
2 - KB - Malmö, Sweden
3 - Rockefeller - Oslo, Norway
4 - Debaser Strand - Stockholm, Sweden

September
14 - Bingo Club - Kiev, Ukraine
15 - Re:public - Minsk, Belarus
16 - Yotaspace - Moscow, Russia
17 - Cosmonaut - St. Petersburg, Russia

RATT singer Stephen Pearcy, who, along with some of his bandmates, is involved in a legal battle with drummer Bobby Blotzer over the rights to the group's name, spoke in a brand new interview with "Sound Matters" about the fact that a legendary act like FOREIGNER is continuing to tour with Mick Jones as the sole remaining original member of the band. Asked if FOREIGNER's situation is different from RATT's in the sense that Jones has been the former outfit's main songwriter throughout its four-decade-plus existence, Pearcy replied: "Oh, I think so. And he's been around longer and has more of these redeeming qualities. He's not doing anything… I mean, that's the guy — he wrote the words and music. I mean, what are you gonna say? You can't do that? Anybody can play anybody's music, but, I mean, c'mon! Give respect. That was the analogy [comparing FOREIGNER to RATT] this other person [Editor's note: referring to Blotzer] was trying to use in this situation, but it doesn't work, because we wrote all the music, including myself, and to see it destroyed… I don't even wanna dwell on this shit; it's just psychopathic."

Pearcy went on to suggest that Blotzer should be placed under an involuntary 5150 psychiatric hold and is need of a trip to rehab. "It's just a scary situation to think of," the singer said. "It's, like, 'Woah!' Help is needed, please."

Last November, a California judge ruled against Blotzer with respect to whether bassist Juan Croucier had committed trademark infringement by using the RATT name and logo to advertise his band RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER back in the fall 2015. The judge furthermore decided that the corporation WBS, Inc. — of which Blotzer and guitarist Warren DeMartini were thought to be the sole shareholders — did not have ownership interest in the RATT marks and that the name and brand was still owned by the members who were part of the original RATT partnership agreement.

In addition to claiming to have expelled Blotzer from the partnership following the latest court ruling, DeMartini, Croucier and Pearcy said that Blotzer could now only refer to himself as a "former member of RATT," as per the partnership agreement.

Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini played their first official show as the reunited RATT on February 11 at Treasure Island in Welch, Minnesota. They were joined on stage by Cavazo and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

A completely different version of RATT — led by Blotzer and featuring a revolving door of members — has been hitting stages across the country since the fall of 2015.


Listen to "INTERVIEW: Stephen Pearcy from Ratt on Sound Matters" on Spreaker.

On March 25th, Metallica performed at Lollapalooza Brasil at Autódromo de Interlagos in São Paulo. Metallica TV has posted "Halo On Fire" from the show; check the clip out below.

 

Pro-shot video of the band's entire São Paulo set is available below. The setlist was as follows:

Setlist is pretty much awesome and it goes like this:

"Ecstasy Of Gold"
"Hardwired… To Self-Destruct"
"Atlas, Rise!"
"For Whom The Bell Tolls"
"The Memory Remains"
- Kirk Hammett solo 1 -
"The Unforgiven"
"Now That We’re Dead"
"Moth Into Flame"
"Harvester Of Sorrow"
"Halo On Fire"
- Robert Trujillo's solo -
"Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)"
"Whiplash"
"Sad But True"
"One"
"Master Of Puppets"
- Kirk Hammett solo 2 -
"Fade To Black"
"Seek And Destroy"
"Battery"
"Nothing Else Matters"
"Enter Sandman"

 

Video footage of AKANI, the metallic hardcore supergroup featuring current and former members of MERAUDER, SOILWORK and DARK TRANQUILLITY, performing on March 25 in Stuttgart, Germany can be seen below.

AKANI released its debut full-length, "Through My Darkest Infernal", in July 2016 via Demons Run Amok.

AKANI was formed in 2012 by singer Jorge Rosado from MERAUDER and DEAD REPRISE drummer Anders Löwgren with the aim of merging the rage of New York hardcore with heaviness of Swedish death metal. Joined shortly thereafter by guitarists Anders Björler and Daniel Antonsson, from AT THE GATES and SOILWORK, respectively, and ENTOMBED bassist Victor Brandt, the group soon recorded four songs for an EP titled "Santa Muerte", which was released in 2014 by Demons Run Amok and is now completely sold out.

With Daniel Cederborg, formerly of PATH OF NO RETURN, replacing the departed Anders Björler and Daniel Antonsson taking over the bass as well as guitars, AKANI is back with its first full-length and sounds more potent and heavy than ever before.

Captured between Gothenburg and New York, "Through My Darkest Infernal" sees AKANI confidently blending the straight-up, intense rage of hardcore with the crushing heaviness of metal, yet this time they've included some new twists and ideas to make this 14-track album a thoroughly rewarding and interesting listen.

Following up on an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign late last year, GWAR will bring the blasphemous, blood-soaked series that fans demanded to print in June, courtesy of Dynamite Entertainment.

GWAR has released an official video announcing the Dynamite partnership, which can be viewed below.

From the depths of outer space to the frozen wasteland of Antarctica, punk rock and heavy metal's most shocking band of intergalactic blood-spewing alien monsters has returned to kill everything and respect nothing in the pages of GWAR: Orgasmageddon! Banished to the past by the cold and calculating Mr. Perfect, the heroes of GWAR trample through time like a deranged Bill & Ted on bath salts. Antics ensue as they stomp and smash and shape human history to what we accept as our current reality. Co-written by GWAR themselves and Matt Miner (Toe Tag Riot, Critical Hit), and featuring art by Jonathan Brandon Sawyer (Welcome Back, Critical Hit), GWAR: Orgasmageddon is a love letter to comics, grindhouse movies, and heavy metal, sure to appeal both to the most die-hard fan and the comics fanboy/fangirl intrigued by the prospect of social awareness drowned in geysers of blood and alien jizz.

"It's awesome to have a comic coming out!" says Matt Maguire, better known in the band lineup as Sawborg Destructo. "When Matt Miner and I first talked, everything clicked and I knew we were going to do a cool project. We can't wait to show all of the amazing work that is being generated for this comic! With Dynamite in our corner, it's gonna be a big book!"

Regarding what GWAR fans will love most about the series, Maguire adds, "The blood... maybe the story... but mostly the blood. Oh, did we mention that Slymenstra Hymen is gonna be in it? And oh yeah — blood!"

"I always wanted to be the guy to help bring GWAR to modern-day comics," says Miner. "Most people when they get into comics want to do Batman or Spider-Man or write the next great Punisher story, but I really, really wanted to write my favorite scumdogs of the universe... the all-mighty GWAR! Although working on that other stuff would be cool, too."

Regarding the concept and audience for the new series, Miner says, "People who love fun comics are gonna dig this crazy story that dives into the past and shows how GWAR not only created humans, but shaped our history to what we now know as our actual modern-day reality. GWAR fans are going to love that all the creators on the book are fans — every single one, from me and artist Jonathan Brandon Sawyer, all the way to every single variant cover artist — and GWAR themselves are contributing art and co-writing the book, to boot. This isn't a case of us getting the license and then running with it; we collaborate very closely with the band and are in almost constant contact during the creation. Fans of comics with a deeper meaning may have to dig through the blood, the guts, and the sometimes off-color jokes, but they're gonna find what they're looking for; GWAR has always been a mirror held up to the worst aspects of humanity, so that social satire and consciousness is there, although it may be splattered with politician brains and alien bile. You do not need to be a GWAR fan to have a ton of fun with this comic!"

"Anyone who is familiar with GWAR's theatrical performances, and over their thirty-year history will agree that it is hard to think of a band better suited to the comic book page," says Dynamite CEO and publisher, Nick Barrucci. "It seems only fitting that these masters of gore find their published home alongside the comic book adventures of the original shock rockers, KISS!"

GWAR: Orgasmageddon #1 will be solicited in Diamond Comic Distributors' April 2017 Previews catalog, the premier source of merchandise for the comic book specialty market, and slated for release in June. Comic book fans are encouraged to reserve copies of GWAR with their local comic book retailers. GWAR: Orgasmageddon will also be available for individual customer purchase through digital platforms courtesy of Comixology, Dynamite Digital, iVerse and Dark Horse Digital.

Miner has written a post explaining the comic book pre-order system and why it's so important if we want more GWAR comics in the future. The comic's creators have also provided a pre-order slip to make reserving copies with your local comic shop easy, and the band asks their fans to please call their local comic stores and both pre-order copies of the comic and request the store stocks GWAR comics for their shelves.

San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT have teamed up with Rocket 88, an imprint of the established British book production company Essential Works, for the release of a book called "The Official Illustrated History".

A new promotional video for "The Official Illustrated History", featuring TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson, can be seen below.

According to a press release, "The Official Illustrated History" will offer "the full story of the Bay Area thrash kings as told by the band in their own words. Heavily illustrated with rare and candid photographs, memorabilia and using recently unearthed band archives from the halcyon days of heavy music in the early 1980s, this is the ultimate TESTAMENT book.

"From 'The Legacy' in 1987 through to 2016's 'Brotherhood Of The Snake', longtime members Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick tell TESTAMENT's incredible history in full detail and glorious color."

Said TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy: "Wow! It's hard to believe, but it's been thirty years since we released 'The Legacy'. And we've been talking about what a great trip it's been and wanted to put it on record. So we're creating a book with the Rocket 88 guys. We've dug up tons of photos and memories, and they'll all be in there. We're telling our own side of the story. Each and every one of us has a different version. I'm sure that's gonna be very interesting."

Those interested in the book can register at TestamentBook.com to receive updates on its progress, get your name printed in the book and receive a discount on the final price.

Asked in a 2012 interview with Powerline magazine what he would attribute TESTAMENT's longevity to, Billy said: "In the '90s, metal was kind of a bad word. Over the last ten, twelve years or so, there's been a lot more new generations of thrash-style music and it's getting more popular. It's just a new generation of that fan base. There's always gonna be a young rebellious teenager looking for something against the grain. And heavy metal's always been the answer, it seems like, or punk rock or something. I think bands like us kind of survived those '90s and are still creating music that doesn't sound like it's dated, or like a thirty-year-old band writing the same stuff. You always try to keep it new and different with every record we do. I think that's what kept us alive. And it just happens that there's a true spirit at heart still driving us."

"Someone Says", the new video from Italian metallers LABYRINTH, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new studio album, "Architecture Of A God", which will be released on April 21 via Frontiers Music Srl.

In the spring of 2016, the band's founding members, Andrea Cantarelli and Olaf Thorsen received a call from Frontiers asking them to discuss with vocalist Roberto Tiranti the possibilities of a reunion with a return to their classic sound to mount a comeback for the band. After much discussion, the guys agreed to make an album and also to make a very special appearance at the the first annual Frontiers Metal Festival, where they performed their signature album, "Return To Heaven Denied", in its entirety. [Said performance is being prepared for a future home video release.] Olaf says: "This has been easily the most difficult and challenging album I ever worked on.

"To be honest, when Frontiers contacted me, insisting to make this reunion happen, I was skeptical and worried. We couldn't simply make a new album; it wouldn't have been honest to the fans, to ourselves.

"Of course, this is as easy to say as also unbelievably tough to make real: we have so many good albums out there, looking at us from their past and which people still keep in their minds and hearts. That's why we decided to strengthen our lineup, joining with nobody else but the best musicians we believed they would have fitted perfectly into our perspective of the music we were about to write." Andrea adds: "The making of this album has been a fantastic journey. We brought back a lot of classic elements of our music, mixing it with something new and I'm so enthusiastic about the final result." Roberto Tiranti makes it short: "Just when you thought you already gave everything you could, expressing every possible musical aspect of your way of intending music for a band like LABYRINTH, then comes 'Architecture Of A God' to remind you that nothing is impossible!" With a new lineup rounded out by drummer extraordinaire John Macaluso (TNT, RIOT, ARK), Oleg Smirnoff (VISION DIVINE, EDRITCH) on keyboards, and Nik Mazzucconi on bass, LABYRINTH are truly coming back stronger than ever and have offered up a superb self-produced album. "Architecture Of A God" (mixed by DGM's Simone Mularoni) is a record that encompasses all the elements the band is known for: fast power metal songs with unforgettable hooks, epic prog-infused metal songs, and some great melodic numbers that compose a record which is easily going to be another milestone for the Italian metal masters! "What we have in our hands, now, it's 'Architecture Of A God': by far, the most mature and complete album we ever wrote," concludes Thorsen.

"There's no will to challenge our glorious past, but I'm really confident that, once released, this album will set a new standard for our music!"

"Architecture Of A God" track listing:

01. Bullets02. Still Alive03. Take On My Legacy04. A New Dream05. Someone Says06. Random Logic07. Architecture Of A God08. Children09. Those Days10. We Belong To Yesterday11. Stardust And Ashes12. Diamond LABYRINTH 2017 is:

Roberto Tiranti - lead vocalsOlaf Thorsen - lead guitarsAndrea Cantarelli - lead guitarsNik Mazzucconi - bass guitarOleg Smirnoff - keyboardsJohn Macaluso - drums

Glenn Danzig has suggested that at least some of the major California wildfires in the last several years may have been acts of terrorism.

A recent study found that 84 percent of U.S. wildfires and 97 percent of wildfires in coastal California and the Central Valley were started by people.

In California's Mediterranean climate region, 89 percent of the total 5,921,861 acres burned was caused by human-started wildfires.

During an appearance on yesterday's (Monday, March 27) edition of SEX PISTOLS guitarist Steve Jones's radio show, "Jonesy's Jukebox", on the 95.5 KLOS station in Los Angeles, Danzig stated about California's destructive blazes: "I have a theory about fires in California: terrorism. It's maximum amount of carnage for the littlest amount of money: a match and a can of gas. And you go out and [find] a brush and boom! It doesn't cost a lot of money [and] it's done. That's really what it's about, right?

"If you're gonna outlaw guns, some guy just decides he's gonna plow a giant truck into a ton of people in France and kills way more people," he continued.

"If somebody wants to do something terrible like that, they're gonna do it."

Asked if he thinks that's always been the way of humans — to have a percentage of people who are just not happy campers and want to cause havoc, Danzig said: "They just wanna F shit up, right? Yeah, of course, there's always gonna be people that aren't happy with something. It's just a matter of whether they're gonna go to an extreme to do it."

According to the University Of Colorado At Boulder, the U.S. has experienced some of its largest wildfires on record over the past decade, especially in the western half of the country. The duration and intensity of future wildfire seasons is a point of national concern given the potentially severe impact on agriculture, ecosystems, recreation and other economic sectors, as well as the high cost of extinguishing blazes.

The annual cost of fighting wildfires in the U.S. has exceeded $2 billion in recent years.

The first DANZIG album of all-new material since 2010's widely acclaimed "Deth Red Sabaoth", "Black Laden Crown", will be released mid-May on Evilive Records/Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

As previously reported, DANZIG and MINISTRY will perform at this year's edition of the "Blackest Of The Black" festival, set to take place May 26-27 at Oak Canyon Park in Silverado, California. The two-day event will feature over 20 artists, with DANZIG serving as headliner on May 27.

Video footage of the Serbian all-girl metal band JENNER performing on March 25 at Rock Club Shadows in Skopje, Macedonia can be seen below.

JENNER released its debut album, "To Live Is To Suffer", on February 20 via Infernö Records.

Formed in December 2013, JENNER is said to be the only all-girl metal band from the Belgrade area.

"To Live Is To Suffer" was made available as a CD and cassette tape, with both formats limited to 1,000 copies each.

The track listing for the effort is as follows:

01. Factory Of Death02. Hear The Thunder Roar03. Demon's Call04. The Heath Is Coming Again05. On The Judgement Day06. How Deep Is Your Greed07. Silent Killer08. Opened (On The Table)

The track "How Deep Is Your Greed" can be streamed below. Also available is an album teaser.

JENNER released a two-song demo in 2015.

JENNER is:

Anđelina Mitić (vocals)Aleksandra Stamenković (guitar)Mina Petrović (bass)Marija Dragićević (drums)

British gothic metal pioneers PARADISE LOST have entered Orgone Studios in Woburn, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom to begin recording their new album for a tentative late 2017 release via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2015's "The Plague Within" is once again being helmed by Jaime Gomez Arellano, who has previously worked with GHOST, CATHEDRAL and TURISAS, among others.

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

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

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




The recording of our new album begins and once again we are working with Jaime Gomez Arellano at the freshly revamped ...

Posted by Paradise Lost on Tuesday, March 28, 2017

QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield will be taking time off from the band's touring activities to spend time with his newborn son, appropriately named Rockson. Filling in for him for the group's upcoming shows will be Casey Grillo (pictured) of KAMELOT.

Said QUEENSRŸCHE in a statement: "We couldn't be more excited to welcome Scott's son to the QUEENSRŸCHE family."

Added Casey: "I am very excited and humbled to be doing some shows with my favorite band of all time QUEENSRŸCHE! Congratulations to Scott Rockenfield and his family for the birth of his new son Rockson!"

Grillo will make his live debut with QUEENSRŸCHE on April 1 at Sycuan Casino in El Cajon, California.

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.

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe

Washington, D.C. metallers DARKEST HOUR, who released their ninth album, "Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora", earlier this month, have announced a limited-edition seven-inch singer, "Painkiller/I Don't Want to Hear It" (via Southern Lord Recordings) for Record Store Day (April 22).

The release, which is limited to 1000 copies, features new song "Enter Oblivion" from "Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora", as well as covers of MINOR THREAT's "I Don't Want To Hear It" and JUDAS PRIEST's "Painkiller". All proceeds from the seven-inch will be donated to the National Immigration Law Center.

DARKEST HOUR founder and guitar player Mike Schleibaum had this to say about the release: "It is with great pride we present to you our first Record Store Day release, which also happens to be our first seven-inch record in almost two decades! This seven-inch features two covers that we recorded before the launch of our Indiegogo campaign last year. Although the songs were released for free as part of a thank you to our loyal fans, we felt they wouldn't get their justice served without some sort of physical release. In addition to the covers, this seven-inch also includes the song 'Enter Oblivion' from our new album, 'Godless Prophets & The Migrant Flora'. This song and seven-inch have a very special meaning for us.

"Having toured the world countless times at this point, we have seen the destructiveness and divisiveness that arises from nation states, borders, and immigration policies. These invisible, arbitrary lines that divide families, cultures, and humanity are archaic and obsolete. We believe that no human being is ever illegal just for existing. We believe that everyone regardless of race, religion, age, ethic heritage, sexual identification and sexual orientation should be treated with the respect and dignity that everyone deserves. A DARKEST HOUR show is a place where everyone is welcome, where individual thought is celebrated. We do not want a hive mind of loyal followers; we want a community of free-thinking individuals. It is in this spirit that we, in conjunction with Southern Lord Recordings, will donate all proceeds from this seven-inch record to the National Immigration Law Center. They are a non-profit who have been on the forefront of the fight to deliver services to those who find themselves caught in the middle of this outdated, feverishly demonic system.

"The song 'Enter Oblivion' centers on a traveler with no home and is, therefore the perfect choice for this seven-inch. Vinyl is our preferred way of enjoying music and the depth of these songs on wax is unparalleled in any other medium. If you can find this seven-inch before it sells out, get it! It will never be repressed and will always be a special part of our history. Cheers to Southern Lord Recordings for helping us make this unique record and also for echoing our thoughts. It is only together that we can turn the present tide of humanity towards the idea that we all share one world, together."

German alcohol-soaked thrash metal act TANKARD will release its seventeenth studio album, "One Foot In The Grave", on June 2 via Nuclear Blast. The follow-up to 2014's "R.I.B. (Rest In Beer)" was recorded at Gernhart Studios in Troisdorf with producer Martin Buchwalter (DESTRUCTION, ACCUSER, PERZONAL WAR, SUIDAKRA).

The cover artwork for "One Foot In The Grave" was created by Patrick Strogulski, who is a student of Sebastian Krüger, the recent artwork designer of TANKARD. He also created the cover artwork for the "A Girl Called Cerveza" and "R.I.B." albums. With this, the iconic band mascot, the TANKARD Alien, celebrates his return after about 13 years of absence. The alien was born in 1989 with the "Alien" EP and has already graced five album covers. The TANKARD fan club "Maniac Aliens" is also named after it.

States TANKARD vocalist Andreas "Gerre" Geremia: "Mister Strogulski has once again created a real masterpiece and surpassed himself. Our first plan was that I would be on the cover instead of the alien... but, lucky me, it ended up being the alien..."

The clip below offers a look behind the scenes of the "One Foot In The Grave" album production, as well the very first song snippets.

"Cheaper To Drink Alone", the new Blake Judd-directed video from Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY, can be seen below. The clip was filmed on February 21 at Spillway Bar And Grill in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

"This video is the first time we have stepped outside of our comfort zone, only to end up further into our comfort zone," commented BLACK STONE CHERRY. "It's funny, it's light hearted, it's rock 'n' roll. It shows a side of the band that exists on a daily basis, and that is our love for ridiculous humor and not taking ourselves too seriously. We hope y'all enjoy it as much as we did creating it! We are also honored to have appearances of our friends from Number JUAN Tequila, Against The Grain Brewery, and Lzzy and Joe from our longtime buddies HALESTORM."

"Cheaper To Drink Alone" is taken from BLACK STONE CHERRY's fifth studio album, "Kentucky", which was released in April 2016 via Mascot Label Group. The CD was recorded at Barrick Recording in Glasgow, Kentucky. Taking a "back-to-the-roots" approach, the effort was produced in the same way and same place as BLACK STONE CHERRY's eponymous debut album, which broke the band out of the small southern backwater and onto the world stage.

BLACK STONE CHERRY guitarist Ben Wells told Metal Hammer magazine about "Kentucky": "This is the first time we [got] to self-produce. And most of the songs, with the exception of maybe two or three out of fifteen, are all written by us, the four of us. Which all of our songs always are — we might co-write with somebody — but this time, the majority of the songs are all written by us. So it feels really good to kind of have that creative freedom. It's raw, it's heavy. [We went] back to our hometown to record it, where we did our debut album. So we're kind of revisiting some of that old mojo that we had, and I think our fans have been wanting that from us for a long time now. These are probably some of the coolest songs we've written as far as the music and the melodies."

Fan-filmed video footage of GHOST's March 26 performance at O2 Forum Kentish Town in London, England can be seen below.

The new lineup of GHOST gave its first live performance on Friday night (March 24) as the Swedish-based band kicked off its 2017 "Popestar" European tour in Norwich, England. As previously reported, rumors have circulated for several months that lead singer and founder Tobias Forge — who performs as Papa Emeritus — fired the entire previous lineup at the end of GHOST's fall 2016 North American tour.

Meanwhile, the identity of one of the band's new members — who wear masks and are only known as Nameless Ghouls — may have already been revealed. Former KORN touring keyboardist Zac Baird hinted in a series of tweets that he was in England for his first show with an unnamed act, adding, "I've spent 90% of my life in costume."

Since the musicians wear masks and are only identified as Nameless Ghouls, personnel changes in the group over its eight-year existence have gone unannounced.

Earlier this month, however, Swedish guitarist Martin Persner released a video message in which he claimed to have played in GHOST for seven years under the name Omega. He also revealed that he exited the band last July, although he did not disclose the reasons for his departure.

Forge writes almost all of the group's music and does most of the act's interviews disguised as a Nameless Ghoul.

GHOST will begin recording its fourth full-length album in August, after the band returns home from a North American tour with IRON MAIDEN.

Fan-filmed video footage of BATTLE BEAST's March 25 performance at Petit Bain in Paris, France 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."