Dutch progressive metallers, Cirrha Niva, will release their new album, Out Of The Freakshow, on April 14th via Parnassus Records. Check out the new video for "Afraid To Bleed" featuring Scarlet Stories' Lisette van den Berg.

Vocalist Legrand about the lyrics:

"If you're Afraid to Bleed for whatever thoughts you might have that's not according to or differs from whatever you were made to believe. Act like you're taught to, and be as the ones before you. Don't question or doubt, just do as you’re told. Or they will cut you down."

Guitarist Rob Willemse about the song:

"For this up-tempo rock song we had a clear ending in mind. We aimed for a vocal part in the sphere of Pink Floyd’s 'The Great Gig In The Sky’ or Ennio Morricone’s 'Once Upon A Time In The West’. And with Lisette van den Berg’s voice, input, creativity and emotion we got what we wished for."  

On Out Of The Freakshow, Cirrha Niva welcomes some very talented guest musicians. Drummer and interim band member Nathanael Taekema (Thomas Zwijsen) did the band a huge favour by creating and playing all drum tracks on the album. Psychotic Waltz frontman Devon Graves adds depth to “Just Another Legacy” with his poignant vocals and flute, and singer Lisette van den Berg (Scarlet Stories) takes “Afraid To Bleed” to a breathtaking climax. Under supervision of Joost van den Broek (ex-After Forever), keyboardist Erik van Ittersum (Theater Equation) adds spheric elements to the album using piano, Hammond organ, strings and soundscapes. And finally, the mysterious Mr. Gold, speaks as The Ringmaster in the opening song, “I Guess”.

Visualy, Cirrha Niva is surrounded by a team of creative and devoted freaks! The stunning artwork is made by Blacklake Design (Damien Wilson, Maiden United) and the band pictures are shot by Tim Tronckoe Photography. The band outfits are exclusively created by Ingeborg Steenhorst from I Style Stars (Lacuna Coil, Epica, Karmaflow).

Vocalist Legrand: “Like the saying goes: ‘out of the furnace, into the fire’. After escaping your worst nightmare you find yourself in one that’s even worse. That’s what Out Of The Freakshow is all about: getting out of whatever you want to get out of, but beware of the alternative. For we all have a freak inside of us that’s waiting for the right opportunity to get out, maybe the dirty lies of the “Silver Tongues”, or the seconds, minutes and hours that “Time” hits. Ah, you don’t have a freak hiding in the shadows? You only do good, and jealousy and envy are just words you know by looking at things ‘From Ego’s point of view? Well my friend, you are “Just Another Legacy” waiting to happen and with your dying breath you will wish you’d have gotten Out Of The Freakshow.”

Pre-order in various formats at this location.

Cirrha Niva lineup:

Legrand (vocals)
Rob Willemse (guitars)
Carlo Heefer (guitars)
Michel Steenbekkers (bass)
Robert van Kooij (drums)

It's time for the fourth installment of WOLFPAKK, the melodic metal allstar project led by Mark Sweeney (ex-Crystal Ball) and Michael Voss (Mad Max, Michael Schenker). Once again the two experienced musicians have gathered a pack of "guest wolves" to refine the 11 new songs which will be featured on "Wolves Reign" (release date: April 28). Among the 26 guests are:
Biff Byford (Saxon), George Lynch (Dokken), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne), Ronny Atkins (Pretty Maids), Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy Osbourne), Tony Harnell (TNT), Chris Holmes (W.A.S.P.), Oliver Hartmann (Avantasia), Timo Somers (Delain), Brad Gillis (Night Ranger), Pasi Rantanen (Thunderstone), Danny Vaughn (Tyketto), Michael Vescera (Yngwie Malmsteen), just to name a few.

Tracklisting:
01. Falling
02. Run All Night
03. Blood Brothers
04. Wolves Reign
05. No Remorse
06. Inside The Animal Mind
07. Scream Of The Hawk
08. The 10 Commandments
09. Mother Earth
10. Tomorrowland
11. I'm Onto You

Norwegian black metallers SATYRICON have entered the studio to begin recording their new album for a September 22 release. A European tour in support of the disc will kick off the same weekend.

SATYRICON vocalist Sigurd "Satyr" Wongraven, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2015, told Metal Hammer 's "In Residence" show on Spotify that the follow-up to 2013's self-titled album would see the band moving away from the "violent, aggressive" vibe of its earlier efforts.

He said: "When we started getting back in to the rhythm after I was hospitalized, the music changed. I wasn't so much into what we did earlier — it wasn't that I didn't like it, but I didn't feel it in the same way anymore.

"A lot of what we did in the beginning is relentless, violent and aggressive. It's not like it's sobbing or really sad now, but it's more percussive, varied and soulful. There's less emphasis on the aggressive violent part of it."

Satyr also revealed that SATYRICON's next album is being recorded on a farm outside Oslo, Norway.

"We've been jamming in a barn for a long time," he said. "Every time we go there, the atmosphere is really nice — we really enjoy being there.

"I just said, 'We play so well when we're here — the spirit and the soul, and what we do comes across as unique. What if we brought recording equipment and engineers here, instead of bringing SATYRICON to a studio?' So we're doing that."

SATYRICON drummer Kjetil-Vidar "Frost" Haraldstad told VirtualFestivals.com last summer that the material for the band's next album "feels more creative than anything we have done before. I think that we managed to open quite a few doors, creatively, than with previous albums at least. This dynamic element was important. What I have been feeling is all those doors lead somewhere, and we have been exploring them and the result is what you will hear on that next album. It will go much further than previous albums, and I think it will be a very loaded album. Intense, very very diverse. An album impossible to sum up in a few words, which is a good thing."

SATYRICON celebrated the 20th anniversary of its seminal album "Nemesis Divina" with a series of exclusive European shows which saw the Norwegian trailblazers performing the LP in its entirety for the first and last time. The album was also re-released in spring 2016, newly remastered by Satyr himself and boasting upgraded and revamped packaging.




After two and a half years of writing songs, the day is finally here: We have officially begun the recording of the new...

Posted by Satyricon on Saturday, March 4, 2017



Here we are, doing what we like the most. #newalbum #recording #satyricon

Posted by Satyricon on Sunday, March 5, 2017

"Mad Love", the new video from BUSH, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's new album, "Black And White Rainbows", which will be released on March 10.

Written, recorded and produced by Gavin Rossdale, "Black And White Rainbows" is the follow-up to 2014's "Man On The Run" and will arrive just prior to BUSH's headlining tour of North America, which kicks off May 4 in Dallas, Texas.

March will also see the live television premiere performance of "Mad Love" on the U.K. version of the popular singing reality show "The Voice", where Gavin currently serves as a coach along with will.i.am, Tom Jones and Jennifer Hudson.

Among "Black And White Rainbows"'s highlights is the propulsive "Dystopia", the sweeping chorus of "Lost In You" and "People At War", which was written last summer in honor of World Refugee Day, followed by a People premiere for the song's companion video (directed by Jesse Davey), which is particularly poignant given recent events.

Gavin stated about "People At War": "Having seen the footage of innocent refugees forced to flee their homes and lives, culminating in the picture of the young boy, Aylan Kurdi, lying dead on the shore — the horror of that photograph, as a father, as a human being — was too powerful to avoid. It was the catalyst to write this song and to show empathy with the plight of the refugees.

"We stand #WithRefugees. Stand with us."

When asked about the sound of the follow-up to 2014's "Man On The Run", the 51-year-old rocker told Metro: "My whole career I've been trying to make music that's a hybrid of rock and electronic. I'd say it's a textured, approachable and commercial record. People are going to fucking love it."

"Black And White Rainbows" track listing:

01. Mad Love02. Peace-s03. Water04. Lost In You05. Sky Turns Day Glo06. Toma Mi Corazon07. All The Worlds Within You 08. Nurse09. The Beat of Your Heart10. Dystopia11. Ray Of Light12. Ravens13. Nothing But A Car Chase14. The Edge of Love15. People At War

"Man On The Run" was released in October 2014. It followed up BUSH's 2011 comeback effort, "The Sea Of Memories", which was the first all-new BUSH album in a decade.

BUSH is comprised of Gavin Rossdale (vocals/guitar), Robin Goodridge (drums), Chris Traynor (guitar) and Corey Britz (bass).

Newly formed technical death metal supergroup, Virulent Depravity, recently announced the upcoming release of their debut full-length, Fruit Of The Poisoned Tree, out on April 7th via The Artisan Era Records. The new single, “Mechanized Defilement”, is available for streaming below. Whereas the group's first single, "Beyond The Point Of No Return", was a compact and short three minute long song, "Mechanized Defilement" showcases what the band is capable of in a much longer length format, clocking in at just over six minutes of adrenaline-pumping intensity that makes for truly memorable and punishing technical death metal.

Virulent Depravity is the brainchild of guitarist, bassist, and vocalist Colin Butler. While he may be a new name to many, his impressive playing attracted the attention of well-known guitarist Malcolm Pugh (Inferi, ex-Entheos) who joined the band in 2016 on rhythm guitar and additional solos. The lineup is rounded out by Svart Crown (and ex-Benighted) drummer Kevin Paradis, whose incredible playing is the perfect foil to Colin and Malcolm's dazzling performances.

Preorder the album here.

Tracklisting:

“Serpentine Messiah”
“Spineless Obedience”
“Your Demise”
“Desecrating Eden”
“Fruit Of The Poisoned Tree”
“Bad Drug”
“Beyond The Point Of No Return”
“Only Human”
“Mechanized Defilement”
“Crushed By Futuristic Filth”

"Mechanized Defilement":

“Beyond The Point Of No Return”:

Teaser:

Doom / heavy metallers Exorcism featuring Raven Lord's and Metal Machine's Csaba Zvekan (vocals) have released the single “Endless Fight” via Dream Records. The track comes from the upcoming album Whore Of Babylon with an undisclosed release date. 

The record was produced, mixed and mastered by Csaba Zvekan at Total Master Sound, Münchenstein, Switzerland.

Artwork was created by Gragoth:

Singer and bandleader Csaba Zvekan comments:

“…Another chapter has opened for Exorcism. This time with George ‘The Kid’ Karafotis on guitars. Together with his brother Vaggelis a fantastic world class drummer. Me and George have been working together on Raven Lord many years now. After Tore Moren surprisingly quit the band I had to look for another guitar player as the show must go on. George ‘The Kid’ was definitely next in line. He brings a fresh new color to the music. His brother Vaggelis Karafotis both come from Thessanoliki, Greece where we will make our upcoming video shoot. I don’t want to spoil too much. And of course Nic Angileri has been with us during our live shows quite some time but now he debuts for the first time on Exorcism’s recordings. We welcome the Greek connection for some future damage \m/…"

Exorcism are set to play in Bellinzona, Switzerland on March 27th at Peter Pan supporting the Ross The Boss tour.

Peterborough's hard-rockin' assault Mokomokai have announced the release of their debut album Poison Whiptail, produced by Ian Blurton. The full-length record will be released on March 17th to coincide with a headlining East Coast Canadian tour.

Frontman John Ellis comments:

"This is a lot of hard work by a lot of people pooled together and condensed down to the roux. We're very proud and very excited to unleash this bad boy on rock 'n’ rollers and metal heads alike!"

The new release will feature the title track "Poison Whiptail", plus a mixture of brand new material and re-mastered songs.

Canadian East Coast Tour:

March
17 – Quebec City, QC – Scanner
18 – Moncton, NB – The Caveau
20 – Fredericton, NB – Maniac Mansion
22 – Sydney, NS – Little Vegas Showroom
23 – Halifax, NS – Gus’ Pub
24 – Saint John’s, NL – CBTG’s
25 – Saint John’s NL – CBTG’s

April
1 – Toronto, ON – Bovine
15 – Peterborough, ON – The Pig’s Ear Tavern
17 – Ottawa, ON – House Of Targ

(Photo by: Bryan Reid)

Philadelphia's heavy psych quartet, Ecstatic Vision, have shared the second single from their forthcoming new album, Raw Rock Fury. Hear "Electric Step”, available for streaming below.

April 7th, 2017 will see the worldwide release of Raw Rock Fury via Relapse Records on CD/LP/Digital. Physical pre-order and bundles are available via Relapse.com here and digital downloads can be pre-ordered by Bandcamp at this location.

Raw Rock Fury exhibits the band locking in on primordial, troglodyte Detroit rock grooves, krautian motorik sounds that recall the obscure one-time collaboration between NEU and the MC5, grimy harmonica flourishes that evoke Beefheart at his most savage, and the Hawkwindian, primal world heavy psych their debut expertly showcased. All of this is captured on four songs and 35+ minutes of the dirtiest sounding recordings since Kick Out The Jams. Do you miss the days when rock recordings were dangerous? If so, you must crave Raw Rock Fury.

Raw Rock Fury tracklisting:

“You Got It (Or You Don’t)”
“Electric Step”
“Keep it Loose”
“The Twinkling Eye”

“Electric Step”:

“You Got It (Or You Don’t)”:

Ecstatic Vision is:

Doug Sabolik
Michael Field Connor
Jordan Crouse
Kevin Nickles

(Photo - Michael Connor)

Dallas, Texas-based heavy rock band, Mothership, will release its new album, High Strangeness, on March 17th via Ripple Music. Recorded at Fire Station Studios in San Marcos, TX and mastered by Tony Reed (Mos Generator, Stone Axe), the album delivers eight strong songs of the band's "supersonic intergalactic heavy rock".

In advance of the album's release, the new song "Helter Skelter" is available for streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“High Strangeness”
“Ride The Sun”
“Midnight Express”
“Crown Of Lies”
“Helter Skelter”
“Eternal Trip”
“Wise Man”
“Speed Dealer”

“Helter Skelter”:

"Crown Of Lies":

In support of High Strangeness, Mothership will launch a US headlining tour on March 9th that will consist of two separate legs and run through April 2nd. The first leg of the tour will run March 10th - 17th and feature support from Slow Season and Beastmaker. The second leg will launch on March 19th and run through April 2nd including support act Black Pussy.

March (with Slow Season, Beastmaker)
9 - Tempe, AZ - Yucca Tap Room (Mothership only)
10 - Costa Mesa, CA - The Wayfarer
11 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
12 - San Jose, CA - The Ritz
13 - Oakland, CA - Golden Bull (Mothership and Beastmaker only)
14 - Sacramento, CA - Starlite Lounge
15 - Bend, OR - Volcanic Theater
16 - Eugene, OR - Old Nick's
17 - Portland, OR - Kenton Club (Black Pussy also performs)
18 - Seattle, WA - Funhouse (Black Pussy also performs)

March (with Black Pussy)
19 - Port Angeles, WA - Cherry Bomb
20 - Everett, WA - Tony V's
21 - Bellingham, WA - TBA (Mothership Only)
22 - Spokane, WA - Observatory
23 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
24 - Denver, CO - Hi Dive
25 - Colorado Springs, CO - Black Sheep
26 - Amarillo, TX - Leftwoods
27 - Wichita, KS - Elbow Room
28 - Oklahoma City, OK - Blue Note
29 - Omaha, NE - Dr Jack's Drinkery
30 - Green Bay, WI - Gasoline
31 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's

April (with Black Pussy)
1 - St. Paul, MN - Turf Club
2 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room

Returning to Europe later this summer the band kick off their journey with an appearance at Freak Valley Festival in Germany on June 17th before arriving in the UK for a string of dates with rising rockers Poseidon in support.

June
17 - Siegen, Germany - Freak Valley Festival
18 - Berlin, Germany - Badehaus*
19 - Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang*
21 - Landgraaf, Netherlands - Oefenbunker
22 - Utrecht, Netherlands - dB’s
23 - Brussels, Belgium - Magasin 4
24 - Bourlon, France - Rock In Bourlon
25 - Milton Keynes, UK - Craufurd Arms**
26 - Coventry, UK - The Phoenix**
27 - Manchester, UK - Factory**
28 - Edinburgh, UK - Bannermans**
29 - Cardiff, UK - Fuel**
30 - Bournemouth, UK - The Anvil**

July
1 - London, UK- The Black Heart**
3 - Paris, France - Le Glazart***
4 - Nantes, France - Le Scene Michelet***
6 - Barcelona, Spain - Rocksound
7 - Turin, Italy - Blah Blah
8 - Povegliano Veronese, Italy - Art Pollution Festival
9 - Parma, Italy - App Colombofili
10 - Zerobranco, Italy - Altroquando
11 - Vienna, Austria- Arena
12 - Nuremberg, Germany - Muzclub
13 - Munich, Germany - Feierwerk
14 - Erfurt, Germany - Stoned From The Underground Festival

* w/ Yawning Man
** w/ Poseidon
***w/ Egypt

(Photo - Andree Brown)

Ahead of their UK headline tour this month, hard rockers Monster Truck performed a stripped-back live session at Planet Rock HQ. Footage of the band performing the tracks “Don't Tell Me How To Live” and “The Lion” can be seen below.

Monster Truck tour dates:

March
13 - Belfast, Northern Ireland - Limelight 2
14 - Dublin, Ireland - Academy 2
15 - Bristol, England - Marble Factory
17 - Birmingham, England - O2 Institute 2
18 - Manchester, England - Club Academy
19 - Glasgow, Scotland - King Tuts
21 - Nottingham, England - Rescue Rooms
22 - London, England - Electric Ballroom

In the video below, Nightwish singer Floor Jansen performs “Oi Jouluyö” (“O Holy Night”) with Finland's all-star symphonic Christmas rock project, Raskasta Joulua, which translates to "Heavy Christmas”. The performance was filmed on December 17th, 2016 at Metro Areena in Espoo, Finland.

After 20 years of making albums and being on the road, Nightwish has decided to take 2017 off. While Floor Jansen, who is expecting her first child, did not urge for time off, she nonetheless sees it as a welcome break.

Ever since she joined the band on stage in 2012, Jansen has been working non-stop. Having suffered through some though years with a burn-out earlier in her career she knows exactly how important it is to have some distance and focus on other things, like family.

“It taught me what I can and can’t do, and also never to take anything for granted. The dedication and drive is there, but you need to know when to say stop. Just to keep it healthy in a longer run.”

Watch FaceCulture’s interview with Floor Jansen below:

Andorran prog/melodeath riff-masters Persefone have released a video for “Living Waves”, a song from their new album, Aathma, released on February 24th via ViciSolum Records. The track features a special guest appearance from Paul Masvidal (Cynic, ex-Death).

Guitarist Carlos Lozano states: "Picking one song from an album that works as a whole, is always a complicated task. "Living Waves" marks the middle point, musically as well as lyrically on the album before its conclusion, and with the addition of Paul Masvidal's vocals, lyrics and guitar playing, it creates a unique atmosphere by itself. That's why we chose this piece of music and this message, to go along the images with this clip.”

Aathma was mixed and mastered by legendary producer Jens Bogren in his Fascination Street Studios (Sweden). The album includes the epic 20-minute title-track, with guest appearances from vocalist Merethe Soltvedt and Leprous guitarist Øystein Landsverk.

Aathma is available as double vinyl, digipak, CD and digital. The cover was created by none other than Travis Smith, who shouldn't need further introduction. Smith also did the cover art for Persefone's last album.

Aathma tracklisting:

“An Infinitesimal Spark”
“One Of Many…”
“Prison Skin”
“Spirals Within Thy Being”
“Cosmic Walkers”
“No Faced Mindless”
“Living Waves” (feat. Paul Masvidal)
“Vacuum”
“Stillness Is Timeless”
“Aathma”
Part I. Universal Oneness
Part II. Spiritual Bliss
Part III. One With The Light
Part IV. …Many Of One

“Prison Skin” video:

Tour dates:

April
7 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz
8 - Madrid, Spain - Changó
9 - Murcia, Spain - Garaje
11 - Milano, Italy - Barrio's Cafe
12 - München, Germany - Backstage
14 - Paris, France - La Boule Noire
15 - Nantes, France - La Ferrailleur
16 - London, England - Underworld Camden
17 - Essen, Germany - Turock
18 - Hoofddorp, Netherlands - Podium Duycker
19 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Merleyn
20 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
21 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Forbrændingen
22 - Stockholm, Sweden - Göta Källare

Persefone lineup:

Marc Martins: Vocals
Carlos Lozano: Guitars
Miguel Espinosa: Keyboards, vocals
Tony Mestre: Bass
Sergi Verdeguer: Drums
Filipe Baldaia: Guitars

"Only The Dead", the new lyric video from WESTFIELD MASSACRE, the Los Angeles-based band featuring former DIVINE HERESY and SNOT singer Tommy Vext, can be seen below. The song is taken from WESTFIELD MASSACRE's forthcoming sophomore album, due this spring.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE featuring Vext alongside lead guitarist Ira Black (METAL CHURCH, LIZZY BORDEN), guitarist Stephen Brewer, bassist Erik Tisinger (OTEP, THROWN INTO EXILE) and Brazilian drummer Dio Britto.

WESTFIELD MASSACRE's self-titled debut album was released in April 2016 via Urban Yeti Records. The CD was recorded at Echelon Studios with producer Joseph McQueen.

Regarding WESTFIELD MASSACRE's musical direction, Vext said: "There's definitely a traditional American metal vibe, but we blend power metal, melodic death metal, metalcore all together to get an original flavor to our sound."

Polish extreme black/death metallers HATE will release their new album, "Tremendum", on May 5 via Napalm Records. The cover artwork was created by Daniel Rusilowicz and can be seen below.

The official lyric video for the song "Asuric Being", taken from "Tremendum", can be seen below. HATE leader Adam "ATF Sinner" Buszko stated about the track: "The lyric for 'Asuric Being' is inspired by Rudolf Steiner's philosophical concept of Asuras - Spirit of Darkness or spirit of self-hood (egoism). It has a lot of archaic references and a history that long pre-dates Christianity. A truly great concept that has become a big source of inspiration to me. As for the music, you may notice how much we have refined the formula since Crusade. Tremendum is a profound, organic and adventurous album. We are really proud of it!"

The title "Tremendum" (eeriness and the fear of the holy) refers to an archaic notion of holiness, which is both good and evil. And you will have absolutely no doubt which part of it this band represents.

You will rediscover the band and on a new level, as they seem to reach into different musical resources, including progressive beats, ingenious song structures and a completely new sound, which is still authentically harsh and yet very powerful.

Buszko stated about the album artwork: "The drawing on the cover depicts a nighthawk (Polish: lelek), a nocturnal bird that was treated with great respect by Slavic tribes in pre-Christian times. Nighthawks were believed to bring souls to this world and take them away from dying people. In that case, they gathered in big numbers screeching for long hours. So they were called 'messengers of death.' As this album has different Slavic references, we chose Nighthawk as a symbol that best conveys its meaning."

"Tremendum" track listing:

01. Asuric Being02. Indestructible Pillar03. Svarog's Mountain04. Numinosum05. Fidelis Ad Mortem06. Into Burning Gehenna07. Sea Of Rubble08. Ghostforce09. Walk Through Fire10. Hearts Of Steel (Bonus Track)

HATE is:

Adam "ATF Sinner" Buszko - Guitar, VocalsPavulon - DrumsApeiron - Bass (live)Domin - Guitar (live)

Frontiers Music Srl will release SNAKECHARMER's sophomore album, "Second Skin", on May 12. The British hard rock supergroup SNAKECHARMER was originally founded in 2011 by former WHITESNAKE members Micky Moody and Neil Murray along with the perfect mix of high-caliber musicians, including Laurie Wisefield (WISHBONE ASH), Harry James (THUNDER, MAGNUM), Adam Wakeman (OZZY OSBOURNE), 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 Europe. In 2016, Moody left the band and was replaced by the Irish-born Simon McBride on lead guitar. Simon was hailed "among the best blues-rock players anywhere in the world" by Guitarist magazine and has built up an impressive resume playing with outstanding rock, soul, and blues artists. "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. 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." Track listing:

01. Sounds Like A Plan02. That Kind Of Love03. Are You Ready To Fly04. Follow Me Under05. I'll Take You As You Are06. Hell Of A Way To Live07. Fade Away08. Dress It Up09. Punching Above My Weight10. Forgive & Forget11. Where Do We Go From Here SNAKECHARMER is:

Chris Ousey - vocalsLaurie Wisefield - guitarSimon McBride - guitarAdam Wakeman - keyboardsNeil Murray - bassHarry James - drums

Gear Gods conducted an interview with KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood during this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise. You can now watch the chat below.

Speaking about the KAMELOT songwriting process, Thomas said: "Right now, myself, Oliver [Palotai, keyboards] and our singer, Tommy [Karevik], work really hard on all the songs, and also [producer] Sascha [Paeth]. The other guys have side bands and they've got a lot of things going on. So that's probably the core right now. And it could be where Oliver, the keyboard player, wrote all the music and then I came up with the idea for the lyrics and Tommy wrote the lyrics. Or I could have wrote [sic] most of the music. Also Tommy is also a guitar player now, and he has a lot of really cool musical ideas. So we all work together really well, I think, and it's pretty fast too."

He continued: "I was in Germany with Oliver about a month ago, and I was there for about eight days and we had about five, six new song ideas. We start in the morning, ten a.m., and finish at eight [p.m.]. Sometimes we'll hit a wall, but, basically, when there's a good time between each album, you have a lot of influences from that time, whether it's touring or things going on in the news, whatever it might be, that will help you create new ideas."

KAMELOT's latest album, "Haven", sold around 7,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD was made available in May 2015 via Napalm Records as part of an exclusive licensing deal through the band's Kamelot Music LLC.

EUROPE guitarist John Norum is preparing to release his first-ever solo DVD, "Let It Shine - A Look Inside John Norum's Crazy Guitar World".

Not a traditional instructional DVD but "more of a song-oriented thing," as John described it, the effort is "a journey into his playing through some of his most famous guitar solos — played also slowly and described in the details for those who want to learn them — and through the description of his guitars and gears," according to a press release.

With a running time of 83 minutes, "Let It Shine - A Look Inside John Norum's Crazy Guitar World" includes an eight-page booklet for collectors with exclusive photos by Tallee Savage, and two bonus features containing behind-the-scenes footages and interviews with musician friends.

A limited number of copies will be signed by John, on a first-come-first-served basis.

Says Norum: "A while back, I decided to make an instructional DVD for guitar fans, so I started planning it and everything was going fine, but after a while, I felt that it was just getting way too technical for my personal taste. I'm more into 'If a solo has feeling and fits the song and sounds good, then it is good!' So I decided to start over and do more of a song-oriented thing instead, where I play solos from some of my favorite songs, talk about my gear and so on. And I think it came out great! It's loose and fun which is what guitar playing is all about!"

He continued: "In the meanwhile, I had a daughter and decided to put the DVD 'on ice' for a while and focus on my family and EUROPE, who has been very busy the last couple of years with albums and touring. But now I feel that the time is right to put this DVD out so you can see what it's like in my crazy guitar world ...ha."

"Let It Shine - A Look Inside John Norum's Crazy Guitar World" was produced by John Norum and Peer Stappe and filmed by Peer Stappe at Play Yard Studios and Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden.

Only the PAL version is available at the moment. While filling out the order form, choose between PAL and NTSC, but keep in mind that the NTSC version will be available approximately a month after the PAL release.

EUROPE recently entered the studio to begin recording the follow-up to 2015's "War Of Kings" album.

The rare video below features Pink Floyd performing “Instrumental Improvisation” from The Sound Of Change’ a BBC TV programme filmed in London on March 26th, 1968. This clip and others are included on the CD/DVD/Blu-ray package Pink Floyd - The Early Years 1968 Germin/ation, which also includes a photo booklet, memorabilia from the period, and a credits booklet. To be released on March 24th, complete details can be found at this location.

The Pink Floyd Exhibition: Their Mortal Remains opens on May 13th and runs for 20 weeks at Victoria And Albert Museum in London, England. Purchase tickets here. A video trailer can be found below.

The first international retrospective of one of the world’s most iconic and influential bands. Experience a spectacular and unparalleled audio-visual journey through Pink Floyd's unique and extraordinary worlds, chronicling the music, design and staging of the band, from their debut in the 1960s through to the present day.

Opening on Saturday, May 13th, 2017

Daily: 10 AM - 5:30 PM
Last ticketed entry: 4:15 PM

Friday: 10 AM - 9:30 PM
Last ticketed entry: 8:15 PM

Tickets cost £20 – £24 (varying weekday and weekend prices apply)

Presented by the V&A, Pink Floyd and Iconic Entertainment Studios. More details at this location.

Sweden’s Avatar have released a statement on the recent discovery of Trappist-1, also designated as 2MASS J23062928-0502285. The band plans to visit the newly named solar system immediately.

"The ‘new land’ mission will focus primarily on finding life and sustainable living conditions,” says His Royal Majesty King Kungen. "Secondly we will look for harvestable resources such as various types of metal, lead, copper, zinc, thrash, death... that sort of thing. How do I turn this off? I'm thirsty! Where is my mead? And where are your pants? Wait, is this thing still recording?!"

As of today, it has been reported that the dwarf star has been shown to host seven terrestrial planets, a larger number than detected in any other planetary system.

“The mission will be aired LIVE on Avatar Country state television, KTV (Kungliga Television). For people abroad, unable to watch the event as it is happening, a summary can be seen below on AvatarVEVO today. Glory to Avatar Country! Glory to our King!”

Upon mission completion, Avatar will return to earth to embark on a North American tour supporting In This Moment and Motionless In White on the aptly named Half God Half Devil tour. The tour begins Friday, April 7th at Milwaukee, Wisconsin's Eagles Ballroom and then continues through mid-May. One off shows will be announced soon.

"We've got many friends in the United States nowadays and we feel like making some new ones," says frontman Johannes Eckerström. "We are grateful for this opportunity to hit the road. I believe this will not only be a chance to meet all our faithful Avatar Country-citizens once again, but I think there will be a busy day on our embassy following this."

"It's funny that the one I look forward to the most to perform in front of this time is YOU, who won't be reading this as you don't know who we are yet. Boy, oh boy are you in for a treat... It's on."

Avatar will also make appearances at a number of highly coveted hard rock festivals, including Chicago's Chicago Open Air (Saturday, July 15th), France's Hellfest (Friday, June 16th) and Belgium's Graspop (Saturday, June 17th).

Tour dates:
 
April
7 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Ballroom  
8 - Green Bay, WI - The Sandlot  
9 - Maplewood, MN - Myth Live  
11 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium/Underground  
12 - Kansas City, MO - Arvest Bank Theater - The Midland  
13 - Springfield, MO - The Regency*
14 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room - Old National Centre  
15 - Columbus, OH - Express Live  
16 - Toronto, ON - The Danforth Music Hall  
18 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory  
19 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre  
20 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus*
21 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!  
22 - Stroudsburg, PA - Sherman Theater  
23 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium  
25 - Pittsburgh, PA - Stage AE  
26 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit  
27 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom*
28 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade - Heaven  

May
2 - Birmingham, AL - Iron City  
3 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's  
5 - Nashville, TN - War Memorial Auditorium  

* - headline show

Guitarist/vocalist Scott Owen (Subversion A.D., ex-Eliminate, ex-Hirax, ex-Piranha) and drummer Joe Cangelosi (Brooklyn Militia, ex-Eliminate, ex-Whiplash, ex-Kreator) have teamed-up with bassist Rich Day (Brooklyn Militia  ex-Primal Scream, ex-Whiplash) to form the new thrash metal outfit, Uncivil War.

The timeline for this union dates back to almost two months ago when they both mutually parted ways with Eliminate, who are fronted by vocalist Don Doty (ex-Dark Angel). Per both Scott Owen and Joe Cangelosi, the explanation for leaving Eliminate was the desire to write, record and perform new music.

At the current time, Eliminate are only performing songs from the two albums Don Doty helped write and record with Dark Angel, We Have Arrived (1985) and Darkness Descends (1986). They have both wished Eliminate good luck in the future as all parties involved move forward.

At this point in time, the respective members of Uncivil War have all recorded their parts for songs for an independently-financed demo in locations both in Texas and in New York. The demo should be finished by April and mixing will be done at that time in New York. Upon the completion, it will then be submitted to various record labels for securement of a recording contract.

Marc C. Pietrek spoke with Joe Cangelosi recently and he offered this comment: “We are excited to finally be writing new original music in the old school style we came up playing… it’s time to thrash!”

He has also just recently finished his drum tracks for the upcoming Reaper Metal All-Stars benefit release for Grim Reaper vocalist Steve Grimmett. The 7”/digital download will also feature noted metal musicians Gary Holt, Chuck Billy, Bobby ‘Blitz’ Ellsworth, Doro Pesch, Glenn Drover, Todd La Torre, Mantas, Tony Dolan, Neil Turbin, Lips, Ross The Boss and John Gallagher.

(Photos - Uncivil War Facebook)

Dunderbeist will release their new EP, titled Tvilja, on March 10th via Indie Recordings. A lyric video for the title track is available for streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“Kometen kom”
“Terpentin”
“Vakum”
“Tvilja”
“Isvind (grå gås)”

“Tvilja” lyric video:

"We all have our doubts about most things, something the lyrics on this release describes. But there is no doubt about that Tvilja might be the very best stuff we have created with this band ever. I think. Probably." - Dunderbeist

Pre-order the Tvilja EP + CD here.

X Games Norway has decided to spice up their line-up with a bit of good-old Norwegian hard rock. Dunderbeist are ready and will rock the stage at X Games Norway on March 10th.

(Photo - Stian Froysang)

Australia’s Rebel Wizard have released a video for “Eat The Warlock”, a track from their album, Triumph Of Gloom, re-released by Prosthetic Records last month with the previously unheard bonus track, "Defenders Of The Gloom". The new video for “Eat The Warlock” can be found below.

Tracklisting:

"On The Unknown Self They Weep"
"Where We Surrender Completely To The Miserable Shaman"
"Trampled By Wolves And Sheep"
"Ease Of Wretchedness And Wonder"
"A Spell Of Sorrow To Relieve The Curse Of Triump"
"Eat The Warlock"
"Sorcerery"
"Hemorrhage Wonders"
"Defenders Of The Gloom" (bonus track)

“Eat The Warlock” video:

"Ease Of Wretchedness And Wonder”:

"Trampled By Wolves And Sheep" video:

GUNS N' ROSES sold a whopping 353,000 tickets during its recent tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The band also became the first international act to sell out the 74,000-capacity MCG in Melbourne. In addition, 85,000 people saw the band perform over two nights in Sydney.

Paul Dainty, CEO of TEG Dainty, said that he was surprised GN'R sold so many tickets this time around.

"GUNS N' ROSES has a huge fan base in Australia, but I would say it's now bigger than ever after this fabulous tour," he said. "Every night the band delivered its trademark sound and performance. I can't speak highly enough of their professionalism and passion. We would love to see them back soon."

GUNS N' ROSES "Not In This Lifetime Tour" attendance figures for New Zealand and Australia:

Feb. 02 - Westpac Stadium, Wellington - 33,000Feb. 04 - Western Springs Stadium, Auckland - 50,000Feb. 07 - QSAC Stadium, Brisbane - 40,000Feb. 10 - ANZ Stadium, Sydney - 50,000Feb. 11 - ANZ Stadium Sydney - 35,000Feb. 14 - MCG, Melbourne - 74,000Feb. 18 - Adelaide Oval, Adelaide - 36,000Feb. 21 - Domain Stadium, Perth - 35,000

As previously reported, 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.

Thirteen concerts on the South American leg of the "Not In This Lifetime" tour yielded a total box office gross of $56.5 million, according to Billboard Boxscore. More than 565,000 tickets were sold for the shows, including 105,000 tickets for the November 4 and November 5 gigs in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and another 93,600 for the November 11 and November 12 dates in São Paulo, Brazil.

Last summer's North American leg, which consisted of 25 shows in 21 stadiums, grossed $116.8 million with over one million tickets sold.

The band's appearances at MetLife Stadium in the metropolitan New York City market brought in $11.6 million from shows on July 23 and 24.

The tour features classic lineup members Slash on guitar, Duff McKagan on bass and Axl Rose on vocals, backed by drummer Frank Ferrer, guitarist Richard Fortus, and keyboardists Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese.

Snovonne is known for her melancholic and psychoanalytic creations, which often reveal things one would rather not see.  The new album The Child And The Bitch is exactly that and so much more.  
 
“The concept carries a strong psychoanalytic undertone.” Snovonne says. “It's about perception, points of view. It's the battle between two voices - how you were born vs. what the world turns you into. There's no right or wrong, both the entities have values to stand on, but that doesn't stop them from clashing... I wanted to give room to both voices.”  

The album will be introduced with the super-melancholic “Best Days”.  Coming out March 17th, the video presents the album’s concept of duality, musically and visually.
 
The third official full-length album The Child And The Bitch (subtitled “Chronicles 1984 - 2014”) has been in production since 2015 and is now scheduled for release on April 17th. 

With all artistic gears spinning to a maximum, it’s a big leap forward - not only its heavily emotional and expressive content, but also in its audio and visual presentation. Heavy-hitting, stomping riffs are supported by epic, aggressive orchestral arrangements and cut through with razor-sharp melancholy. 
 
Sno´s grandfather was, in his time, a reputable psychiatrist with a passion for fine arts and swing music. That had a significant influence on her artistic life. 

She continues: "I’ve always been fascinated by old medical journals and books… Grew up around it, family of doctors… So given the self-analytical tone of the record, it was only natural to make the artwork an old medical journal. The lyrics are my entries with dates when they were written, some of them I wrote when I was very young. As a parallel, I put in old articles from the 20’s, which I scanned from the original personal scrapbook of Dr. Frederick Finch Strong. He was a renowned persona of the last century - promoter of electrotherapy, cutting-edge in developing methods of treatment, and highly esoteric and eccentric. He was the first American to employ Tesla Coils therapeutically."

Tracklisting:

“The Child And The Bitch”
“Bullshit”
“Home”
“Sally”
“Anatomy”
“Breakdown”
“Best Days”
“All My Ghosts”
“Filth”
“My Poison’s Made For Me”
“Home” (orchestral version)

“Best Days” trailer:

Arkansas progressive doom quartet, Pallbearer, have released a video for “I Saw The End”, the lead track from their upcoming third album, Heartless. The band recently signed with Nuclear Blast Entertainment for the territories of UK, Europe, Australia & New Zealand. Heartless is due for release on March 24th via Nuclear Blast in the UK, Europe, Australia and New Zealand and via Profound Lore in North America. The new video is available for streaming below.

Initially formed in 2008, Pallbearer grew from the fertile underground metal scene of Little Rock, Arkansas - releasing their debut full length Sorrow And Extinction, in early 2012. The record made an immediate and immense impact on die-hard doom fans and metal critics alike, also forming the four piece fans outside of the metal scene. Their formidable sophomore record, 2014's Foundations Of Burden featured on countless critic's end of year lists and cemented their reputation as an unstoppable and emotive force - driving doom beyond its imagined limits, carving themselves an entirely original path through the realm of heavy music.

Pallbearer commented on the signing: "We are very excited to be working with Nuclear Blast on this record, as so many of the bands that have helped to shape our own artistic pathways have before us."

Monte Conner, Nuclear Blast Entertainment president added: "Pallbearer continue to evolve and scale new creative and sonic heights with Heartless. I am very honoured to be working hand-in-hand with the band, Profound Lore and Oblique Artist Management, and look forward to Nuclear Blast playing a key role in exposing new fans to this incredible band."

Pallbearer commented on Heartless: "This album finds us exploring new territories; instead of staring into to the void - both above and within - Heartless concentrates its power on a grim reality. Our lives, our homes and our world are all plumbing the depths of utter darkness, as we seek to find any shred of hope we can."

And on the ruminative album artwork, created by hugely talented Indiana based oil painter Michael Lierly: "Michael Lierly's indelibly expressive work perfectly captures the feelings of fear and heartbreak we hoped to convey as our world crumbles around us."

The album layout was handled by Chimere Noire.

Heartless tracklisting:

“I Saw The End”
“Thorns”
“Lie Of Survival”
“Dancing In Madness”
“Cruel Road”
“Heartless”
“A Plea For Understanding”

“I Saw The End” video:

“Thorns”:

Heartless was recorded entirely to analogue tape at Fellowship Hall Sound, Little Rock, Arkansas between June and August 2016. The record was produced by Pallbearer, and mixed by acclaimed producer Joe Barresi. Engineering was handled by Jason Weinheimer and Zach Reeves, and mastered by Grammy winning mastering engineer Dave Collins (Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper).

Pallbearer were initially formed in 2008 by Joseph D. Rowland (bass) and Brett Campbell (vocals/guitars) - growing from the underground metal scene of Little Rock, Arkansas. A year later they were joined by guitarist Devin Holt and (since departed) drummer Zach Stine, the four members quickly recorded the band’s first impressive demo. These three tracks garnered the band well-deserved attention, with critics and fans taking notice of what could only be described as a wholly singular sound from the promising newcomers.

Pallbearer's debut full-length Sorrow And Extinction was released in early 2012. At just under fifty minutes, the album's five tracks capitalized on the primal clout of the band's demo, but here the songs were freed from reliance on volume as the music wavered beautifully between subdued introspection and towering aural force. Released by respected Canadian underground label, Profound Lore, Sorrow And Extinction instantly made waves among listeners and critics who found Pallbearer's compositional paradox of vulnerability and might unparalleled in a metal world replete with imitators. Sorrow And Extinction proved to be an unequivocal masterpiece and, most importantly, compelled Pallbearer to reach even further creatively for what would come next. 2012 would also see the addition of drummer Mark Lierly, adding further depth to the already immense and mercurial sound the band had pioneered.

Rather than settle themselves into the convenient safety of listener expectation, Pallbearer delved even deeper into melodic contexts for their second record - 2014's Foundations Of Burden, working with legendary Bay Area producer Billy Anderson. With Joseph D. Rowland adding his own impressive vocalizations to the sonic texture, this new vocal dynamic brought an authentically visceral component to Pallbearer's music that, while giving credence to their metal foundations, added a new and compelling dimension to the music which has long since proved itself to be inexorably captivating.

Pallbearer have toured relentlessly since the release of 2014’s Foundations Of Burden and the same will happen in support of Heartless.

Dates:

March
22 - Little Rock, AR - Revolution Music Room
23 - Nashville, TN - The End
25 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
28 - Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
29 - Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme
31 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall

Bobby Blotzer has tapped former QUIET RIOT and ADLER'S APPETITE singer Seann Nicols (a.k.a. Sheldon Tarsha) to front his version of RATT when the band performs on March 18 at the Prairie Knights Casino & Resort in Fort Yates, North Dakota.

Nicols joins Blotzer's RATT as the replacement for Joshua Alan, who quit the band in January, explaining that he will be working and focusing on his original music this year.

Regarding how Seann landed the singer gig in his version of RATT, Blotzer wrote on Facebook: "In July [2016], when we were on the very successful RATT tour of 2016, and we had a few dropouts, I moved swiftly to a great array of awesome friends and great players — we never skipped a beat. Not a day or a show fell.

"When the other guys dropped, I asked our then-singer, 'Are you going too?', because the road might not be as easy as everyone thought it might be. I was apprised by a great buddy of mine that he knew of a ripping lead singer. I told our then-singer about him out of sheer honesty. And he replied to me as he did at every single show: 'No. You know how much I appreciate being in this, I'm in for THE LONG HAUL.'

"The last time I spoke to him was December 16th, Kentucky show.

"GREAT!

"We continued through the year with 35 more shows, give or take.

"This other lead singer guy sent me his voice singing over our RATT songs with [Stephen] Pearcy's voice pulled out and him singing in place. Well, fucking hell, I was quite astonished, to be honest.

"I stuck it out with the other singer [because] my word is real. But he knew there was someone in the wings. And the guy I met over the phone in July ended up with our fellow touring band guys in QUIET RIOT. Cool, way to go, I thought (also not knowing why our ex-bandmate Mr. Jizzy Pearl was gone from QUIET RIOT). But the music business is an incestuous small world.

"So, there you go.

"There is still a war waging but I'm not going to get into those specifics.I will, though, give you a little taste of what I was sent on the road in July 2016. I wish I had future vision then."

A recording of Seann Nicols singing the RATT song "Lovin' You Is A Dirty Job" can be heard below. Also available is footage of Blotzer, Nicols and thre other musicians performing the RATT hit "Round And Round" on March 5 at the Balz Magazine Release Party at the Mas Fina Cantina in Carlsbad, California.

Blotzer, who had a spinal fusion surgery for the C6-C7 vertebrae in his neck four years ago, said that he will undergo lumbar spine surgery two days after his version of RATT performs at the Prairie Knights Casino & Resort.

The drummer also promised that he would "mop up [the] litigation" he is currently embroiled in with his former bandmate over the rights to the RATT name and that he would return to the road "with RATT around late June."

Blotzer has spent the last year and a half battling the other three members of RATT's classic lineup in court. At the same time, he has been hitting the road with his version of RATT, which, in addition to Alan, most recently included guitarists Mitch Perry (TALAS, HEAVEN, STEELER, MSG, LITA FORD) and Stacey Blades (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Brad Lang (Y&T).

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor joined KORN on stage on Sunday night (March 5) at the House of Blues in Anaheim, California to perform the KORN song "A Different World". Fan-filmed video footage of his appearance can be seen below.

"A Different World" is taken from KORN's latest album, "The Serenity Of Suffering", which came out last October.

KORN singer Jonathan Davis spoke about getting Taylor to appear on the track. "We were trying to figure out who we wanted to collaborate with, and I'm like, 'You know, that's the one, that's the guy,'" he said. "And I texted him, I'm like, 'Do you want to be on a new KORN track?' He's all, 'Hell yeah! When and where, what do I do?' So he did great on the song. I already did my parts, I'm like, 'Do what you do, man.' And I like the way he did it, the approach: he starts creeping in underneath the song, you can start slowly hearing his voice under mine, and it crescendos up into the middle part where he sings, and then it's just full-on at the end, so the song came out great."

Taylor said that he became involved in "A Different World" after receiving "a phone call, like, 'Hey, do you wanna do this?' And I was on the plane the next day. I flew in, and I hadn't even heard the music. I was, like, 'Yeah.' 'Cause as a fan and as a friend, it was just something that we had been talking about for years. And all the stars aligned and I got to do this track. And it is heavy, dude. It is so righteous. People are gonna lose their minds."

KORN and STONE SOUR will join forces for a summer tour, set to get underway June 16 at the USANA Amphitheatre in Salt Lake City, Utah and then continue through early August. Presented by Live Nation, "The Serenity Of Summer" tour will be rounded out by support from Japan's female-fronted BABYMETAL, southern rapper YELAWOLF and ISLANDER (June 16-25), followed by a second leg (July 19 - August 2) which will see KORN joined by SKILLET, YELAWOLF and DED, creating a versatile bill reminiscent of KORN's famed "Family Values" tours in the past.

The first four classic albums by ACCEPT — "Accept", "I'm A Rebel", "Breaker" and "Restless And Wild" — will be available as CD re-releases in digipak format on April 14. These reissues were compiled in close collaboration with original ACCEPT vocalist Udo Dirkschneider. The booklets include the song's lyrics, old photos from the archives and liner notes by Udo; "I'm A Rebel", "Breaker" and "Restless And Wild" also come with exclusive live bonus tracks, performed by Dirkschneider.

Note: The "Accept" album, instead of written liner notes, includes an audio interview with Udo in which he gives insight on the foundation of the band.

These "Platinum Edition" reissues will only be available in North and South America, Asia, Russia, Turkey and the Baltic Countries.

Udo insists that he has no interest in reuniting with his former bandmates, even if it's just to play one last show with the group. "If Peter [Baltes, bass] and Wolf [Hoffmann, guitar] called me [to play with them again], but I don't think [they would], but [if they did], I would say, 'Have fun. Bye bye,'" he told Greece's Rockpages.

Last year Udo told Spark TV that he has "no relationship at all" with the members of ACCEPT. "We don't talk to each other," he said. "It's, in a way, also sad, but what can you do?"

The current lineup of ACCEPT includes American vocalist Mark Tornillo, who joined the band in 2009.

Canadian guitarist Sean Kelly has checked in with the following update:

"Just wrapped up an incredible 5 days working on the new Lee Aaron album in Vancouver. Big love and respect to John Cody, Dave Reimer, John Webster and of course Lee herself, this record is rockin'!!!!"

Guess who's in the studio making a kickin' new record? #fall2017 #newmusic pic.twitter.com/cADTYV5n1l
— Lee Aaron (@LeeAaronMusic) 7 March 2017

Lee Aaron has announced a string of live dates for Germany, due to take place in July 2017. Her schedule is currently as follows:

July 
10 - Köln, Germany - Yard Club
11 - Bensheim, Germany - Musiktheater Rex
12 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos-Saal
13 - Nürnberg, Germany - Hirsch
14 - Balingen, Germany - Bang Your Head!!! Festival

Lee Aaron released her first album of her 30 year career in the United States with Fire & Gasoline on March 25th, 2016. BraveWords premiered Aaron’s third single of the album with the video for “Bad Boyfriend”.

Aaron says about the track, "I had this campy little song kicking around for a couple of years. We had included it in our live set as an encore and it always went over great so we decided to record it. It's one girl's self-satirical dialogue about the struggle between the worldly and the divine and coming to the realization that she's really the common denominator in all her relationship problems. Is it autobiographical? Ha, ha...in a 'been there, done that,' taking the piss out of myself, kind of way.

BraveWords’ Carl Begai spoke to Aaron about the album. An excerpt below:

"It's a rock n' roll record," she says. "I think it would have been a huge mistake to make an album that sounds like something I did before. Doing that doesn't show any growth as an artist or a writer. I think the guitar playing, the fact I used my live band in the studio, and that we recorded it in the same room live off the floor made a huge difference in the way the record sounds. I think all these songs belong on the same record even though they're different from one another."

"With this album, I don't think I have anything to lose. I'm of the mindset that I was going to let the songs flow naturally, and whatever came out we'd tie it all together in the studio with the same band, the same guitar tones, the same keyboard sounds. Obviously, having my history of jazz and blues, it would be crazy to think that wouldn't creep into my writing somewhere. The whole intro for 'Wanna Be' is actually four times as long as what's on the album, but we edited it because the distributor felt that for the third track in it was just too much. We'll probably put out the complete version out at some point. The complete jazz prelude to a punk song; why not? (laughs)."

Go to this location to check out the BraveWords feature story.

   

Photo by Rockingham Festival