Multi-camera video footage of DIRKSCHNEIDER — the band fronted by former ACCEPT singer Udo Dirkschneider — performing on March 6 at the Token Lounge in Westland, Michigan can be seen below (clip edited and produced by George S Pogacich).

Dirkschneider has spent the last two years touring under the DIRKSCHNEIDER banner, performing classic ACCEPT songs for the last time. The trek, which was originally supposed to conclude with the band's North American run in January/February 2017, has now been extended through the fall of 2018.

In a recent interview with the "Talking Metal" podcast, Udo offered an update on U.D.O., which released its last studio LP, "Decadent", in 2015. He said: "We just finished recording for a new album. We just started mixing. And the album is coming out at the end of August in Europe, I think maybe in September in the U.S. And then we stop [touring] with DIRKSCHNEIDER the middle of October is the last show. And then after the last show with DIRKSCHNEIDER, we start rehearsing for a U.D.O. tour, and then we start touring in November, I think, in Russia — we start touring with U.D.O."

In addition to Udo, the DIRKSCHNEIDER and U.D.O. bands include Sven Dirkschneider on drums, Fitty Wienhold on bass, and Andrey Smirnov and Bill Hudson on guitar.

DIRKSCHNEIDER released "Live - Back To The Roots - Accepted!" last August as a DVD/2CD, Blu-ray/2CD and gatefold triple vinyl in two different colors.

After putting out the live double CD in 2016, fans were asking for a visual output, so finally, in December 2016, the show in Brno, Czech Republic was recorded for that purpose. Besides many classics from Dirkscheider's ACCEPT era, there's a cover version of Frank Sinatra's "My Way" as a bonus track on the CD and vinyl.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will release its seventh full-length studio album, "And Justice For None", on May 18. The long-awaited collection is available for physical pre-order today in the following formats: standard physical CD (13 tracks), deluxe physical CD (13 tracks + 3 bonus tracks + deluxe artwork), Vinyl (13 tracks + 3 bonus tracks + deluxe gatefold artwork). The band is also offering fans a variety of new CD/merchandise bundles. The digital album pre-order for "And Justice For None" will launch on April 6. Fans who pre-order the new album will also receive an exclusive ticket pre-sale code for FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's just-announced 32-date North American summer co-headlining amphitheater tour with BREAKING BENJAMIN.

"And Justice For None" (standard album) track listing:

01. Fake
02. Top Of The World
03. Sham Pain
04. Blue On Black
05. Fire In The Hole
06. I Refuse
07. It Doesn't Matter
08. When The Seasons Change
09. Stuck In My Ways
10. Rock Bottom
11. Gone Away
12. Bloody
13. Will The Sun Ever Rise

"And Justice For None" (deluxe album) track listing:

01. Trouble (Bonus Track)
02. Fake
03. Top Of The World
04. Sham Pain
05. Blue On Black
06. Fire In The Hole
07. I Refuse
08. It Doesn't Matter
09. When The Seasons Change
10. Stuck In My Ways
11. Rock Bottom
12. Gone Away
13. Bloody
14. Will The Sun Ever Rise
15. Bad Seed (Bonus Track)
16. Save Your Breath (Bonus Track)

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is thrilled to be hitting the road for a massive series of co-headlining North American dates with BREAKING BENJAMIN this summer. As special guests, they will bring along two of the most exciting new rock acts in the world: three-time-Grammy Award nominees NOTHING MORE and BAD WOLVES who are currently dominating the No. 1 spots on the mainstream, rock and metal charts in multiple countries around the world with their cover version of THE CRANBERRIES' "Zombie".

The summer amphitheater tour, co-produced by Live Nation and Frank Productions, kicks off on July 16 in Seattle, Washington and will make stops in 32 North American cities. Last week, select dates were announced via Live Nation's "Ticket To Rock" program. Today, all dates are now available and VIP presale begins today at 12:00 p.m. EST. Fan-club members have access to the presale tomorrow, March 14 at 10:00 a.m. EST. Tickets will go on-sale to the general public beginning Friday, March 16 at 10:00 a.m. at LiveNation.com. Watch a world premiere sneak peek of music from the new FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH album in the tour trailer below.

"When I'm asked for a tour quote I'm always scratching my head… Is there anything to add?" says FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist, Zoltan Bathory. "We are putting together 2018's biggest hard rock tour of the summer; where even the first band on the bill has a massive hit single around the world. There will be fire, there will be lights and it's going to be loud. An experience you can't just download, you have to be there. We all get about 80 summers in our lifetimes, so make them count."

"This is the type of tour package that is all too rare nowadays," adds Larry Frank, owner, Frank Productions/Live Nation. "FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, BREAKING BENJAMIN, NOTHING MORE and BAD WOLVES is the kind of tour that keeps music alive and exciting and at the same time introduces the audience to newer bands that will become the next generation of arena rock acts."

Fans purchasing a ticket to the tour will also support a good cause. The co-headliners will donate $0.50 from each ticket sold to two charity organizations close to their hearts. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH has chosen C.O.P.S - Concerns Of Police Survivors, an organization whose mission is rebuilding shattered lives of survivors and co-workers affected by line of duty deaths, through partnerships with law enforcement and the community. BREAKING BENJAMIN has chosen Prevent Child Abuse America to help counteract the abuse and neglect of our nation's children by promoting services that improve child well-being and developing programs that help to prevent all types of abuse and neglect.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH + BREAKING BENJAMIN summer tour dates

Jul. 16 - White River Amphitheatre - Seattle, WA **
Jul. 18 - Spokane Arena - Spokane, WA **
Jul. 20 - Taco Bell Arena - Boise, ID
Jul. 21 - USANA Amphitheatre - Salt Lake City, UT
Jul. 24 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - San Francisco, CA
Jul. 25 - Mattress Firm Amphitheatre - San Diego, CA
Jul. 27 - FivePoint Amphitheater - Irvine, CA
Jul. 29 - Isleta Amphitheater - Albuquerque, NM **
Aug. 01 - Austin360 Amphitheater - Austin, TX
Aug. 03 - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Houston, TX **
Aug. 04 - Starplex Pavilion - Dallas, TX
Aug. 06 - BankPlus Amphitheater at Snowden Grove - Southaven, MS
Aug. 07 - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - St. Louis, MO
Aug. 09 - Heritage Park Amphitheatre - Simpsonville, SC
Aug. 11 - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre - Tampa, FL
Aug. 12 - Verizon Amphitheatre - Atlanta, GA
Aug. 14 - KeyBank Pavilion - Pittsburgh, PA
Aug. 15 - BB&T Pavilion - Camden, NJ
Aug. 17 - The Pavilion at Montage Mountain - Scranton, PA
Aug. 18 - Xfinity Center - Boston, MA
Aug. 20 - Budweiser Stage - Toronto, ON
Aug. 22 - Lakeview Amphitheater - Syracuse, NY **
Aug. 24 - Jiffy Lube Live - Bristow, VA
Aug. 25 - PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ **
Aug. 28 - Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
Aug. 29 - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - Chicago, IL
Aug. 31 - Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center - Indianapolis, IN **
Sep. 01 - DTE Energy Music Theatre - Detroit, MI
Sep. 03 - Darien Lake Amphitheater - Darien Center, NY
Sep. 06 - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater - Wantagh, NY **
Sep. 07 - XFINITY Theatre - Hartford, CT
Sep. 09 - Blossom Music Center - Cleveland, OH **

* FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH & BAD WOLVES only
** FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, BREAKING BENJAMIN & BAD WOLVES only

Previously announced FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH spring festival dates

Apr. 20 - KUPD's UFEST - Tempe, AZ
Apr. 21 - Las Rageous - Las Vegas, NV
Apr. 27 - Welcome To Rockville - Jacksonville, FL
Apr. 28 - Fort Rock Fest - Sunrise, FL
May 05 - Carolina Rebellion - Concord, NC

Previously announced FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH / SHINEDOWN spring U.S. tour dates:

May 06 - Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN
May 08 - Rupp Arena - Lexington, KY
May 10 - BOK Center - Tulsa, OK
May 11 - Westfair Amphitheatre - Council Bluffs, IA
May 12 - Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI *
May 14 - Salem Civic Center - Salem, VA
May 16 - Legacy Arena - Birmingham, AL
May 17 - Ford Center- Evansville, IN
May 18 - Mark of the Quad - Moline, IL
May 20 - Alerus Center - Grand Forks, ND
May 30 - Casper Events Center - Casper, WY

Photo credit: Kenneth Baluba Sporsheim / @kenspo

U.S. death metal veterans SKINLESS return with their pulverizing sixth studio offering, fittingly titled "Savagery". Recorded by Tom Case at Doomsday Bunker Studio in New York and by Dave Otero (PRIMITIVE MAN, CATTLE DECAPITATION, CEPHALIC CARNAGE) at Flatline Audio in Colorado, "Savagery" embodies ten slabs of rotting, aural remains across 37 minutes of titanic slams, untouchable grooves, mauling riffs and blood-thirsty, bestial growls. "Savagery" sees SKINLESS at the top of the band's game, more than 25 years into an untouchable reign of terror and comes swathed in the stunningly sick cover art of renowned tattoo artist Jesse Levitt.

"Savagery"'s title track can be streamed below.

"Savagery" is due out May 11 on CD, LP, and digital formats via Relapse Records. Physical packages are available via Relapse.com and all digital download/streaming services.

"Savagery" track listing:

01. Savagery
02. Siege Engine
03. Skull Session
04. Reversal Of Fortune
05. Exacting Revenge
06. Medieval
07. Line Of Dissent
08. Cruel Blade Of The Guillotine
09. The Hordes
10. High Rate Extinction (Bonus Track)

Formed in 1992 in Albany, New York, SKINLESS released several full-length albums and numerous EPs throughout its 25-plus-year career. After disbanding in 2011, the group is now back together with the classic "Progression Towards Evil" lineup (Sherwood Webber on vocals, Noah Carpenter on guitar, Joe Keyser on bass, Bob Beaulac on drums) plus the recent addition of Dave Matthews on second guitar.

SKINLESS's first new studio offering in nearly a decade, "Only The Ruthless Remain", arrived in 2015.

Australian metal band PARKWAY DRIVE will release its new studio album, "Reverence", on May 4 via Epitaph Records.

Frontman Winston McCall states about the follow-up to 2015's "Ire": "'Reverence' represents the most honest and personal record we have ever created. It has been born through pain, sacrifice, and conviction, with the ultimate goal of expanding not only what PARKWAY DRIVE stand for musically, but who we are as people. Thank you for listening."

01. Wishing Wells
02. Prey
03. Absolute Power
04. Cemetery Bloom
05. The Void
06. I Hope You Rot
07. Shadow Boxing
08. In Blood
09. Chronos
10. The Colour Of Leaving

The official video for "The Void" can be seen below. Directed by Allan Hardy, the clip fully channels the furious energy of "The Void", a track built on thrashing rhythms, ferocious vocal work, and deeply infectious melodies.

Last month, PARKWAY DRIVE released the"Wishing Wells" single and video, featuring McCall giving a powerful close-up performance with fierce intensity.

PARKWAY DRIVE is McCall, guitarists Luke Kilpatrick and Jeff Ling, bassist Jia O'Connor and drummer Ben Gordon.

LYNCH MOB has recuited singer Nathan Utz to front the band following the recent departure of Oni Logan.

The Atlanta, Georgia-based Utz previousy sang for the late 1980s/early 1990s glam metal band BLONZ and is currently the frontman for the AEROSMITH tribute act PANDORA'S BOX, which also features EVANESCENCE's Troy McLawhorn.

Utz made his live debut with LYNCH MOB this past Friday, March 9 in Medina, Minnesota. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

LYNCH MOB was rejoined by singer Robert Mason for appearances at last month's Monsters Of Rock cruise and the '80s In The Park festival.

During a recent interview with Eddie Trunk, LYNCH MOB guitarist George Lynch declined to get into specifics about Oni's decision to exit the band in January, explaining: "We have tremendous respect for each other on the musical level, and I'll just leave it there and wish him well. I'm sure he's going to do fine. He's one of the great ones. Maybe he hasn't been recognized like I feel he should be. To me, he's a modern-day Paul Rodgers. We made a lot of fantastic music together, including the latest record, 'The Brotherhood' — which didn't turn out to be such a brotherhood after all [laughs], but it's a beautiful, beautiful record. I'll have a soft spot in my heart for these guys and wish it had continued on, but it didn't, so..."

LYNCH MOB's current lineup also includes returning drummer Scot Coogan. "I played with Scot off and on in various projects over the years, and he was in LYNCH MOB a number of variations, most recently up to a few years ago," the guitarist told Trunk. "Scot's wonderful. He brings so much to the table. He's one of those multitasking guys. He's a great singer; he's a great songwriter; and he plays everything a little bit. He's very tuned in with drum programming and the recording side of it, so that always helps. He's like a Swiss army knife, plus his drumming, it's got a great R&B feel. LYNCH MOB has that — LYNCH MOB has this blues-based, R&B-based, heavy rock thing. He really brings a lot to the table. He's a great fit, and we're great friends."

Logan first hooked up with LYNCH MOB in 1990, but exited the group after the release of its first album, only to rejoin the George Lynch-led outfit in the late 2000s.

"The Brotherhood" was released last September via Rat Pak Records.

Swedish melodic death metal pioneers AT THE GATES played a "secret" show on March 2 at Bastard Club in Osnabrück, Germany. A three-minute documentary on the gig, which saw the band billed as THE BURNING DARKNESS, can be seen below (video by Twilight 13 Media's Costin Chioreanu).

AT THE GATES' new album, "To Drink From The Night Itself", will be released on May 18 via Century Media. Produced with Russ Russell (NAPALM DEATH, THE HAUNTED, DIMMU BORGIR) at Parlour Studios in the U.K., the follow-up 2014's "At War With Reality" will feature conceptual artwork created by Chioreanu, who previously worked with AT THE GATES on the band's last disc.

AT THE GATES frontman Tomas Lindberg recently spoke to Decibel magazine about how the departure of the band's longtime guitarist and primary songwriter Anders Björler has affected the group's sound. "It is true that there is a big shift in the lineup," he said. "What you have to take into consideration is that Jonas Björler [bass] wrote 40 percent of both 'Slaughter Of The Soul' and 'At War With Reality'. Some people seem to forget this. They just assume that the lead guitarist is the sole songwriter. Jonas had to take a lot more responsibility this time around, but me and him have had a really great and creative time writing this album. There is a slight change of direction, maybe, but AT THE GATES fans shouldn't be worried — it is still an AT THE GATES record. If anything, it is heavier and more death metal than the last one."

Lindberg said that new AT THE GATES guitarist Jonas Stålhammar came into the band too late to be involved in the composing process for the new disc. "This one is basically Jonas [Björler] and me when it comes to the writing. All the guys have contributed in some way, but the main writing comes from Jonas and me. Most of the songs were already in the finishing stages when Jonas Stålhammar joined, so there wasn't much time for him to contribute, but we look forward to having him more involved next time around. Saying that, his solos will, of course, be written by himself."

AT THE GATES 2018 is (left to right in photo):

Adrian Erlandsson - Drums
Jonas Björler - Bass
Tomas Lindberg - Vocals
Jonas Stålhammar - Guitar
Martin Larsson - Guitar

Quality fan-filmed video footage of Alice Cooper's March 10 performance at at The F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania can be seen below.

Alice Cooper, who released his 27th album, "Paranormal", last July via earMUSIC, has announced his summer 2018 tour plans. Following on his current "A Paranormal Evening With Alice Cooper" March run, the tireless legend will embark on another North American trek. The summer tour kicks off on August 3 at the Wisconsin State Fair and winds through the U.S. and Canada before wrapping up in September.

This leg is also "A Paranormal Evening With Alice Cooper". The Las Vegas and Los Angeles dates will feature special guest — guitarist Ace Frehley.

In other Alice Cooper news, he will portray King Herod in the upcoming live television production of "Jesus Christ Superstar". The show is set to air on Easter Sunday (April 1) on NBC.

Produced by Bob Ezrin, "Paranormal" was immediately saluted as a classic album, strong of the collaboration with iconic guests such as ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons, U2's Larry Mullen and DEEP PURPLE's Roger Glover.

Cooper, who turned 70 last month, said in a 2017 interview that he has no plans to retire from touring. "The live show is something I'll never give up," he said. "To me, the lyrics to the songs are the script to what's going to happen on stage. If you sing 'Welcome To My Nightmare', you have to give the fans something. There are places where you have to kill the ballerina, you know. That's how I design the show. It's all about the lyrics."

German gothic metallers CREMATORY have called out their "lazy" fans for not buying tickets to the band's upcoming tour and have threatened to break up the act unless "metalheads start honoring the value of real music and come back to" spending money on artists' physical product.

CREMATORY will release its new album, "Oblivion", on April 13 and is scheduled to embark on a 15-show tour of Germany at the end of next month. The follow-up to 2016's "Monument" is described in a press release as "multi-faceted and timeless," with "the group's classic trademarks still present," while "at the same time new influences emphasize their great commercial potential."

In a March 7 post on CREMATORY's Facebook page, drummer Markus Jüllich expressed his dissatisfaction with the tour's advance ticket sales and painted a bleak picture about the band's future, explaining that the amount of money that trickles down to CREMATORY from streaming music services is less than they can survive on.

Jüllich wrote: "The end of CREMATORY? Will 'Oblivion' be the last studio album and the tour in May the final one?

"CREMATORY's new studio album, 'Oblivion', will be released on Friday, April 13, 2018. We were planning to promote the album with a tour, starting on April 27, 2018 and running through all of May in Germany. That will only happen [if] you fans get off your lazy asses and start buying tickets for the announced shows. The presales are horrible and we will cancel the tour completely if the numbers don't increase radically.

"The most important thing is that you buy our new CD and double vinyl edition, 'cause when I look at our sales statistics, I could start throwing up! Nowadays we are selling way more downloads and streams than we sell the original products, and this will be the death for all bands, 'cause you hardly get any money from this shit compared to the CD compensation. So as a matter of fact, a band will hardly make enough money to put a good-sounding album on the market.

"The worst is, that streaming on iTunes, Spotify, Deezer, Napster and all the other bullshit platforms doesn't pay out for the band at all. Our last album, 'Monument', had 1.5 million streams and we don't even sell 1% of that in original vinyl or CD products.

"This can't go on like this anymore! It's not only CREMATORY who is suffering from all that, but only we have the balls to stand up and tell you the truth. Wake up, you metalheads, and start honoring the value of real music and come back to buying the products. We don't want music just getting wasted and being stored on harddrives, USB sticks, SD cards in miserable MP3 quality.

"We hope you understand how important that is to us. Because of this, we will give you something special with the new album, 'Oblivion', so you think twice before you buy the shitty download or the even worse stream.

"Every CD and vinyl LP comes with a 10 € merchandise voucher that you can use on our concerts or in our merchandise shop at the CREMATORY website. That makes every CD or LP including the voucher even cheaper than a download and you get a great digipack with booklet, lyrics, pictures and poster.

"So, please dear fans, buy CDs and LPs and forget the downloads, 'cause otherwise there won't be another CREMATORY album. Don't make 'Oblivion' the final album and give us your support on the tour. Start buying tickets now, so we can have great shows together. Even after 27 years of CREMATORY, we are still hungry to keep going, but all that is in your hands.

"Believe in you and especially in CREMATORY!"

CREMATORY was founded in Mannheim in 1991 and has released nearly 15 albums. The band began as a strict death metal unit before adding goth and industrial elements into its arsenal.





The end of CREMATORY? Will „Oblivion“ be the last studio album and the tour in May the final one?

CREMATORY´s new...

Posted by CREMATORY on Wednesday, March 7, 2018

German TV program "Rockpalast" has produced a one-hour documentary, "All Is One", on Israeli progressive folk metallers ORPHANED LAND. The film, which contains performance footage of ORPHANED LAND and CARCASS (who have a guest appearance in the documentary), can be seen below.

"All Is One" is more than the name of one of ORPHANED LAND's albums, it is the quintet's philosophy claiming that all three big religious groups — Christians, Muslims and Jews — are coming from the same origin. German filmmakers Ingo Schmoll and Conny Schiffbauer visited Israel to follow the band's path and to get a personal insight view into the musicians' lives by visiting the bandmembers at home, getting to know their families and learning about their daily existence.

"In the documentary, we are trying to take the audience beyond the endless discussions about the conflicts in the Middle East by taking a far more human approach to it all," the filmmakers explain.

ORPHANED LAND incorporates Middle Eastern influences into nearly all of its songs and is considered the premier metal band in Israel. They also regularly critique religion and politics, with singer Kobi Farhi telling New Statesman in a recent interview that he avoids adopting straightforward political stances. "Look, I don't like the current Israeli government," he explained, "but people make the mistake of thinking we are left wing. We are not. We are not right wing either. We don't like politicians and their corruption."

ORPHANED LAND boasts a large and devoted following of both Jews and Arabs. What's more, the band made headlines in 2013 by touring with Palestinian metal outfit KHALAS. The two bands shared a tour bus, a stage and even the prestigious Metal Hammer award.

Asked by New Statesman whether he would accept that being Israeli puts him in a privileged position compared to the Palestinians, Kobi said: "To be Jewish is not privilege! Look at our history. We are boycotted across the Middle East. We have fans in Egypt, but we can't play for them. And it's just a car drive away!"

ORPHANED LAND has been around since 1991 and has supported METALLICA in Israel. In 2012, ORPHANED LAND's fans even started an online petition to nominate the band for the Nobel Peace Prize.

ORPHANED LAND's latest album, "Unsung Prophets & Dead Messiahs", was released on January 26 via Century Media.

IRON MAIDEN has settled a lawsuit over the writing credits for the band's classic song "Hallowed Be Thy Name".

A year ago, retired rock band manager Barry McKay took MAIDEN's Steve Harris and Dave Murray to court over the 1982 track, claiming reproduced major parts of another song, "Life's Shadow", co-written nearly a decade earlier by musician Brian Quinn, under the name Brian Ingham.

"Life's Shadow" was a collaboration between Quinn and Robert Barton, who later recorded the song for the self-titled 1974 album from his band BECKETT. At the time, BECKETT was managed by Rod Smallwood, who went on to become the manager of IRON MAIDEN.

In court documents, Harris's lawyers admitted he saw BECKETT perform in 1973 and said that BECKETT's debut was one of his favorite albums when it was first released.

Although McKay has said that Harris and Murray have been ordered to pay £900,000 (approximately $1.25 million) in costs and damages, a spokesperson for IRON MAIDEN told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that the actual figure was much lower.

"We do not believe that Brian Quinn was the one who wrote these six lines in question over 40 years ago as was claimed by Barry McKay," the MAIDEN spokesperson said. "However, due to escalating legal fees and the potential huge costs of a court case, it was pragmatic to reluctantly settle this action with McKay for £100,000 [approximately $139,000], a fraction of what he brought the action for. A serial litigant like Mr. McKay would have foreseen this."

In response to MAIDEN's statement, McKay said: "To call me a 'serial litigant' is sour grapes. Harris and Murray and their managers appear to me to be bad losers. However, I am now also representing three other songwriters who also allege that Steve Harris and Dave Murray have profiteered from lyrics that they wrote. If that makes me a 'serial litigant,' so be it. Musicians who have their intellectual property exploited by others who did not write or compose it are entitled to professional assistance."

MAIDEN last year dropped "Hallowed Be Thy Name" from its setlist after the band became embroiled in the legal dispute. The settlement means that the group can now resume performing the song during its live shows.

MAIDEN's representatives at Phantom Management issued a statement last year in which they acknowledged that "Steve Harris was a fan of BECKETT and some six lines from 'Life's Shadow' were referenced in Steve's song 'Hallowed Be Thy Name'." However, they insisted at the time that as far as Steve was concerned, "this matter was settled some years ago by agreement with Robert Barton."

ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer has confirmed that he will spend some time later this year working on material for the long-awaited third album from DEMONS & WIZARDS, his side project with BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch.

DEMONS & WIZARDS was launched in 1997 and has released two full-length albums so far: 2000's self-titled effort and 2005's "Touched By The Crimson King". The latter was partially based on the "The Dark Tower" series of books (written by Stephen King) in which the Crimson King is the main antagonist.

Schaffer touched upon DEMONS & WIZARDS' future plans while speaking to Capital Chaos TV about ICED EARTH's current record-label situation, having completed the latter band's deal with Century Media with the release of last year's "Incorruptible" album.

Asked how ICED EARTH intends to release its next disc, Schaffer said: "I haven't made a decision on that yet. There's a lot of labels that are interested, and we're looking at different business models, but there's no hurry for ICED EARTH to rush into anything. It's gonna be a while before we do a new record, 'cause this is so new. And the next thing on my docket is DEMONS & WIZARDS anyway, so that's coming later in the year — that's gonna be the focus of the creative energy this year. So we've got plenty of time. We're talking to some labels and looking at different options, but there's nothing set in stone yet."

Last summer, Kürsch told That Drummer Guy that songwriting sessions for the follow-up to "Touched By The Crimson King" had already begun, but that he and Jon had to take a break while they were both busy with their main acts. "Once he's finished with his touring for ICED EARTH, I'm pretty sure we will spend some very realistic and very valuable time together either finishing the songwriting of DEMONS & WIZARDS or even doing the whole production," Hansi said. "That depends. Usually we're very quick once we're together. And it's just great to work with such a gifted person which I call a very, very close friend of mine."

As for what fans can expect from the next DEMONS & WIZARDS album, Hansi told That Drummer Guy: "You will be surprised, I'm sure. These first two [songs] we've worked on, they are quite interesting. I'm really looking forward to spend some more time and getting deeper into the subject. Because even though ICED EARTH and BLIND GUARDIAN are quite similar in many ways, Jon and I are, songwriting-wise, different persons and by coincidence and pure luck and probably by friendship, the chemistry is pretty good once we are together. And what comes out is a blend of these two bands, which [one] would expect, but there's something more. And I like to go for this something more."

Hansi also sounded very optimistic about the possibility of DEMONS & WIZARDS live performances in support of the upcoming album. He said: "That really depends on how fast we are with BLIND GUARDIAN, obviously, and how the schedules will be worked out. But it would be a shame not to do so, at least being on the road for a festival season and doing some smaller club shows, for example, just in between… There should be a gap, and we are working on this gap. It would be a waste not to do so."

According to Kürsch, the main motivation for him and Schaffer to work on new DEMONS & WIZARDS material and prepare for possible live shows is "the need to do so and for the fun to do so. And this is always a very good starting point. We don't have to do it, there is no pressure behind us in doing so," he said. "Obviously, there can't be any pressure, because the last album is, I think, twelve years old already. And we just did some minimal touring for the first album and did not even do any proper touring for the second album. So I could imagine that just the performance will be so different from what either BLIND GUARDIAN or ICED EARTH is doing that this might attract a lot of people. I'm curious myself to figure out what we would come up with this time, because there's a long time between our last show which we played together, which is probably seventeen years ago, eighteen years. And we have to find the right people and the right moment, but the whole thing, once it is built up, will be, I think, very skillful."

"Touched By The Crimson King" was released in Japan in September 2005 with the following bonus tracks: "Lunar Lament", "Wicked Witch" (slow version) and "Spatial Architects". The CD also included the "Terror Train" video. The disc featured an appearance by HALFORD and SEBASTIAN BACH drummer Bobby Jarzombek.

Schaffer said in a 2009 interview that he felt "Touched By The Crimson King" was a bit rushed and he was determined to do things differently next time around. "We had this window of opportunity where we had to get it done and we kind of let time dictate the schedule instead of our feelings, and that was probably a mistake," he explained. "I mean, I'm proud of that record and it sold killer and it's a good album, but I think Hansi and I are capable of a lot more, especially when we get back to the root reasons of why we did this thing together."

Richie Faulkner says that the credibility of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame should be questioned if JUDAS PRIEST doesn't eventually get the honor of being inducted.

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for this year's class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but ultimately didn't clinch the nomination.

Faulkner told The Vindicator that he would like to see PRIEST get its rightful place in the Hall — even if just for the sake of its fans.

"I don't speak for the rest of the band," the guitarist said. "This is my own opinion. But [induction into the Rock Hall] means a lot for some fans. Metal has always been the underdog. For a band like PRIEST to be nominated is great for metal and its fans, and it's great to see those fans being appreciated. On the other hand, I think after 50 years of creating new music and touring the world, with our fan base, that's more of an accolade than any award. Our fans are passionate.

"We could get in next year," Faulkner continued. "If PRIEST is not inducted, what is the credibility of it?"

In a separate interview with the Long Island Pulse, Faulkner admitted that he has "split views" on PRIEST's potential induction into the Rock Hall. "First of all, I am not eligible to be included in the Hall Of Fame; you have to have a 25-year history," he said. [Editor's note: Richie joined PRIEST in 2011]

"To be putting out music like this — after 50 years — to a fanbase that is so loyal is affirmation enough," he added. "I don't think a band like PRIEST needs any award or any ceremony. The proof is in the pudding; the proof is in the fans; the proof is in the music; and the proof is in the band forging forward after 50 years. That is the only accolade anyone can ever wish for."

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

DEEP PURPLE was eligible for the Rock Hall since 1993 but didn't get inducted until 2016.

PRIEST singer Rob Halford recently said that he "would love" to see his band inducted into the Rock Hall. "I think we deserve it," he said. "We've put our 10,000 hours in and more. And beyond that, we just feel that heavy metal music deserves more space on the shelf at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame."

Adding that he and his bandmates "were thrilled and honored to be even nominated," Halford admitted that it's "kind of bittersweet" to find out that they wouldn't be inducted this year. "We got the nomination, which is something of a recognition for the work that you've done, but we didn't quite get in this time. But I'm hopeful that eventually we'll get some more metal [in there]."

JUDAS PRIEST's new album, "Firepower", was released yesterday (Friday, March 9) via Epic.

The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will kick off on March 13 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas.

Praying Mantis will release their 11th studio album, Gravity, on CD, LP and digital formats on May 11th. The album's title track is available for streaming below.

After the positive reception afforded to the band's last studio release Legacy (2015), the new record sees the band return with another inspired, take-no-prisoners set. The album also sees Mantis retain the same lineup, with John Cuijpers (vocals) and Hans in’t Zandt (drums) again contributing to the songwriting process. Alongside founder members Tino Troy, Chris Troy and Andy Burgess, they have not only helped in the writing of the songs, but also in providing a new dimension in terms of sound engineering and overall production.

One of the most influential and well known sleeve artists in the rock field, Rodney Matthews (Magnum, Diamond Head, Allen/Lande), has been commissioned to design the artwork for Gravity in the same style and stunning quality that so many fans loved on Mantis albums such as Time Tells No Lies, Predator In Disguise and the aforementioned Legacy.

Praying Mantis are a well established band of melodic hard rockers. They were formed by brothers Tino and Chris Troy in 1973 and, together with bands like Iron Maiden, Def Leppard and Saxon, they spearheaded the NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) movement of the late ’70’s. While they did not attain the same dizzying heights of success as some of their contemporaries, they nonetheless became one of the most influential bands in the genre. The band has remained active over the years and still record and play live regularly.

Praying Mantis will perform at the annual Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan, Italy on April 28th.

"Gravity":

Lineup:

John Cuijpers - lead vocals
Tino Troy - guitars & vocals
Chris Troy - bass & vocals
Andy Burgess - guitars & vocals
Hans in ’t Zandt - drums

Occult rock quintet Spiral Skies has officially joined forces with German based independent label AOP Records, and will release their debut full-length album, Blues For A Dying Planet, on May 18th. The record will be released digitally and on CD and vinyl with distribution from Plastichead (Europe, USA, World) and Edel (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

With influences ranging over decades, Spiral Skies has created a sound that can most easily be described as “rock from another planet.” A unique blend of folk, doom and 70’s inspired rock music. The band has been compared to band such as Jefferson Airplane, Curved Air and The Devil's Blood, to name a few.

Spiral Skies has spellbound audiences with a unique visual performance at their intense and enchanting live shows, and their debut EP A Queendom To Come gained a lot of attention on Bandcamp, resulting in the following single “Event Horizon”.

Blues For A Dying Planet tracklisting:

"Black Hole Waltz"
"Awakening"
"Dark Side Of The Cross"
"The Wizard's Ball"
"Danse Macabre"
"Labyrinth Of The Mind"
"Shattered Hopes"
"Left Is Right And Right Is Left Behind"
"The Prisoner"

Tour dates:

April
7 - Stockholm, Sweden - Ragsveds Krog

May
8 - Stockholm, Sweden - Stockholm Copperfields (Album Release Show)

June
7 - Sölvesborg, Sweden - Sweden Rock Festival

Lineup:

Frida Eurenius - Vocals
Jonas Lyander - Guitar, Percussion, Choir
Dan Svanljung - Guitar, Organ, Mellotron
Eric Sandberg - Bass
Daniel Bäckman- Drums, Percussion, Synthesizer

“Rise Up”, the first single off The Dead Daisies’ new album Burn It Down sets the scene for another huge year for the band. A massive, trailblazing beat, meaty guitars and a thundering vocal deliver a powerful, highly relevant message.

“'Rise Up' is a blistering old school Sabbath riff with angry lyrics about the state of the world!!! It‘s about the people in power that say they have our best interests at heart but don't!!!! We need to 'Rise Up' and let our voices be heard and tell them we want CHANGE and deserve BETTER!!!!!” – says vocalist John Corabi.

In line with the single release, the band will soon be premiering a provocative, extremely visual video underscoring these very issues. Until then, enjoy the following visualizer:

The album Burn It Down, set for release on April 6th via Spitfire Music / SPV, is a muscular tour- de-force, a tornado of pounding drums, pulverizing bass, screaming guitars and in-your-face raw vocals. Evoking the best of '70s rock, with moments of Birmingham’s finest, blended with the early works of Boston’s best, Burn It Down will do just that: Burn down everything in its path until there is nothing left standing.

Burn It Down tracklisting:

"Resurrected"
"Rise Up"
"Burn It Down"
"Judgement Day"
"What Goes Around"
"Bitch"
"Set Me Free"
"Dead And Gone"
"Can’t Take It With You"
"Leave Me Alone"

"Resurrected":

The Dead Daisies will embark on yet another massive World Tour, kicking it off in April with shows in Sold-Out venues all over the UK, then the band play packed houses in Europe before making their long- awaited return to Japan, the USA and South America.

Tour dates:

April (with special guests The Treatment* and The Amorettes)
8 - Garage - Glasgow, UK
9 - Robin 2 - Bilston, UK
10 - Koko - London, UK*
12 - Academy 2 - Manchester, UK
13 - Rock City - Nottingham, UK*
14 - Academy - Bristol, UK*

April (with special guests The new Roses)
16 - 013 - Tilburg, Netherlands
17 - Biebob - Vosselaar, Belgium
18 - Markthalle - Hamburg, Germany
20 - Sticky Fingers - Gothenburg, Sweden
21 - Parktreateret - Oslo, Norway
22 - Klubben - Stockholm, Sweden
24 - Pumpehuset - Copenhagen, Denmark
25 - Rosenhof - Osnabrueck, Germany
26 - Backstage Werk - Munich, Germany
27 - Barba Negra Track - Budapest, Hungary
29 - Simm City - Vienna, Austria

May
1 - Thanks Jimi Festival - Wroclaw, Poland
3 - Kesselhaus - Berlin, Germany
4 - Schlachthof - Wiesbaden, Germany
5 - Live Music Hall - Cologne, Germany
6 - Le Trabendo - Paris, France
8 - Z7 - Pratteln, Switzerland
9 - Live Club - Trezo (Milan), Italy
11 - Zentral - Pamplona, Spain
12 - Mon - Madrid, Spain

The Dead Daisies are:

Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake, Dio)
John Corabi (Mötley Crüe, The Scream)
Marco Mendoza (Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy)
Deen Castronovo (Bad English, Journey)
David Lowy (Red Phoenix, Mink)

Swedish power metal band Bloodbound has gathered an impressive following since the band debuted on the scene in 2006 with Nosferatu. In 2011, Bloodbound joined the AFM Records roster and since became more and more successful with every new release. Bloodbound and AFM now proudly announce the continuation of their long-term relationship.

The band’s early albums Book Of The Dead and Unholy Cross will now finally see the release on vinyl: both titles are limited to 300 units each (Unholy Cross in yellow, Book Of The Dead in clear (double) vinyl) and out on March 30th.

Also, the band’s latest, chartbreaking studio album War Of Dragons saw its second vinyl edition earlier this year, being available on red/yellow splatter vinyl now (also limited to 300 units).

Bloodbound’s Fredrik Bergh comments: "We are very happy to have extended our contract with AFM Records. We feel they are the perfect labels for us. AFM have a love for our kind of music and they give us artistic freedom. Unlike other labels they let us do what we wanna do, without trying to change the formula. We are continuously growing as a band and last year AFM did a stellar job putting War Of Dragons in the album charts in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. We are looking forward to taking Bloodbound to the next level together with AFM Records!"

2018 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductees The Moody Blues celebrate the 50th anniversary of Days Of Future Passed on March 23rd. Their performance at the Sony Centre For The Performing Arts In Toronto comes alive on DVD, Blu-ray, 2CD, 2LP, and Digital formats with the release of Days Of Future Passed Live, out March 23rd.

The band is accompanied by a full orchestra, performing stunning renditions of classic songs such as “Nights In White Satin”, “Tuesday Afternoon (Forever Afternoon)”, “I’m Just A Singer (In A Rock And Roll Band)” and “Isn’t Life Strange”.

In addition to performing Days Of Future Passed in its entirety, The Moody Blues (Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graeme Edge) not only featured voice-overs by Oscar-winning actor Jeremy Irons on “Morning Glory” and “Late Lament”, but completed the set with encore songs “Question” and “Ride My See-Saw”. Originally airing on PBS, Days Of Future Passed Live is now packaged with the bonus feature Remembering Days Of Future Passed, which includes brand new interviews with Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graeme Edge.

Pre-order here, and watch an extended trailer below:

Witch Mountain return from their three-plus-year hiatus with a refreshed lineup (new singer Kayla Dixon and bass player Justin Brown join band stalwarts Rob Wong and Nate Carson) and a new album, Witch Mountain, out on May 25th via Svart Records.

“We’ve always been a patient band,” said founding member/drummer Nathan Carson. “Thanks to all of the touring Rob and I have done with Justin and Kayla over the last three years, we were able to make this album as a full-fledged, road-tested, family unit. Over twenty years, Witch Mountain has never peaked; each record and tour are better than the last. It was a tiny scene when we started, and even though it’s incredibly saturated now, own unique twist on Northwestern doom has continued to set us apart. I can’t wait to share the latest and greatest album with our fans.”

The five-song release features the aforementioned new singer, Kayla Dixon, who had large shoes to fill when Uta Plotkin announced she was moving on following the release of Mobile Of Angels.

Witch Mountain pre-orders and the band's North American tour dates will be announced soon.

Witch Mountain tracklisting:

"Midnight"
"Mechanical World"
"Burn You Down"
"Hellfire"
"Nighthawk"

"Burn You Down":

Burn You Down by Witch Mountain

(Photo - Whitey McConnaughy)

Infectus 13 has been on a temporary forced hiatus since August 2016, due to founder Sid Falck’s health problems. However, the band is now in the process of exploring locations to set up a new recording studio, where the writing and recording of fresh material can resume.

Due to the different songwriters involved between 2014 and now, the current lineup of Sid Falck, Bob Barnak (vocals) and Steve Pogue (guitars), have decided that all new material will best serve the purpose of documenting where the project is at in 2018. However, some of the material written prior, was deemed too good to simply forget about. So, three of the old songs were chosen to be reworked for release as a series of singles over the coming months.

The option has been, or will be, extended to some of the former collaborators, to have their contribution included on the songs, either “as is” or in re-recorded form.

The first release, "Break Your Bones", was originally reordered in 2014/15. While Steve Pogue re-recorded all his guitar tracks, the song will also feature the original rhythm tracks of Janna Jordan-Squires, as well as the original bass tracks of Andrew Guthrie.

The song is in the mastering stage, and will be released accompanied by an original video, currently being created by J. Plaster of GraveTerror Designs. The song will be available as a download only, and we will update closer to March 28th, as to the how and where to acquire the song.

Sarajevo in 1994 was a city under siege. Mortars and grenades rained down on the city, killing indiscriminately every day. Amongst the madness, would it be possible to persuade a global rock star to come and play a show for local fans?

Scream for Me Sarajevo is the amazing and astonishing story of the most unlikely of rock concerts, performed by Bruce Dickinson and his band Skunkworks in 1994, in the midst of the Siege of Sarajevo. This is a film about extraordinary people defying the horrors of war, and the musicians who risked their lives to play a show for them.

Featuring footage from the historic gig, the film also meets those that made it to the show and made the show happen; determined to keep living their lives despite the atrocities going on around them. Interviews with the band, crew and security bring home the reality of the situation that was not only dangerous, it was barbaric.

“We weren’t protected, there was no plan and the bullets were real, but fuck it, we went anyway” said Bruce in his recent best-selling autobiography What Does This Button Do?, “The gig was immense, intense and probably the biggest show in the world at that moment for the audience and for us. That the world didn’t really know didn’t matter. It changed the way I viewed life, death and other human beings.”

As well as the striking documentary, screening in select UK cinemas from April 17th, there will be an exclusive Q&A with Bruce Dickinson from London that will accompany the film in cinemas globally. A special London screening will take place at Vue Cinema Wes End on April 11th.

To book tickets, head here.

Trailer:

Dorian Sorriaux, acclaimed guitarist for blues rock superstars Blues Pills, has announced the release of his first solo EP this summer. Sorriaux recently signed a deal with Soulseller Records.

The EP will be entitled Hungry Ghost, and was produced by fellow Blues Pills bass player Zach Anderson at the band's own studio in Örebro, Sweden. Hungry Ghost will feature four psychedelic acoustic folk tracks with Sorriaux on guitar as well as vocals.

Sorriaux explains: "The title Hungry Ghost comes from a book I read called In The Realm Of Hungry Ghosts by Dr. Gabor Maté. I really liked how those two words fit together when I first saw the title. But there is a deeper meaning to it, the hungry ghost inside of us makes us feel as we're not good enough the way we are. It drives people to seek for more money, more booze... and leads to self destructive patterns. It's also a theme throughout the lyrics of the EP, 'Need To Love' was inspired from a time I walked by a really shady neighborhood filled with junkies, living in that dark realm at all time."

The French guitarist will play select live shows in his home country in April/May.

April
26 - Brest, France - Le P’tit Minou (with The Red Goes Black)

May
4 - Quimper, France - La Maison Jaune
5 - Brest, France - La Maison Bleu
11 - Lorient, France - Le Galion (with The Red Goes Black)

(Photos - Niño Obenza)

Ignitor have released a video for "Hatchet (The Ballad Of Victor Crowley)", a song inspired by the Hatchet franchise and featured on the movie's soundtrack. The track is also featured on the band's fifth full length album, Haunted By Rock & Roll (EMP Label Group). Watch below.

Hatchet director Adam Green comments "The first concert I ever went to was Dangerous Toys when they performed at Boston's Orpheum Theater back in 1989. From that moment on, Jason McMaster played a pivotal role in my life musically and I've followed everything he's ever done since. Almost thirty years later to be putting out Ignitor's Haunted By Rock N Roll through my own sublabel ArieScope Records, with EMP Label Group, and for the band to have written the song 'Hatchet (The Ballad of Victor Crowley)' specifically for the latest entry in my Hatchet slasher film franchise... it is truly a dream come true. Ignitor represents everything that made me fall in love with metal to begin with."

Ignitor vocalist Jason McMaster adds: "A killer old school heavy metal video in the style of late 80's bloody horror slasher films! This was a labor of love for blood and metal. I am proud of this moment, and very happy with the song we built for Adam's creation of the bloodiest freak of them all, the king of the swamp... Victor Crowley!"

"To Brave The War"
"Haunted By Rock And Roll"
"Heavy Is The Head That Wears The Crown"
"Hatchet (The Ballad Of Victor Crowley)"
"Leather Forever"
"Nomad"
"No Sanctuary"
"Throw Them From The Cliff"
"Hung Drawn And Quartered"

"Hatchet (The Ballad Of Victor Crowley)" video:

"To Brave The War" video:

"No Sanctuary" video:

US power metal band Reverence have released a lyric video for "New Order", which can be found below. The track is featured on the band's Foreverence EP, recently released in tribute to their guitarist Pete Rossi, who passed away unexpectedly in March 2017.

Reverence just have singed a multi-album deal for Europe, CIS and UK with ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. Reverence is working on a live CD and writing on a new full length studio album for an release later this year. Reverence will add some summer US shows, and a European tour is being planned for this fall.

Reverence is:

Scott Oliva - Vocals (ex-Wind Wraith, Innerstrength)
Bryan Holland - Guitars (ex-Tokyo Blade)
Paul Kleff - Guitars (ex-Firewölfe, Metal Church live)
Steve ‘Doc Killdrums’ Wacholz - Drums (ex-Savatage/Crimson Glory)
Russ Pzutto - Bass (Twisted Sister live)

On March 16th, Brooklyn's Eyes Of The Sun will release their debut album, Chapter I, via Blacklight Media Records. Watch a video for the track "Slavery Of Another Name" below.

Originally self-released in 2013, Chapter I blends ambient and moody guitars with bouts of double bass driven aggression. This is sludgy doom with an angry edge, and as vocalist/bassist Jeff Blanchard describes: "'Chapter I' is all about the demise and destruction we do to our planet and to ourselves."

Pre-order the album and hear the song "My War" here.

Chapter I tracklisting:

"My War"
"When It Dies"
"Walks Of Life"
"Choke"
"End Of Origin"
"Nineteen"
"Sound The Horns"
"Slavery Of Another Name"

"Slavery Of Another Name" video:

"Walks Of Life":

Eyes Of The Sun was conceived in early 2007 by bassist/vocalist Jeff Blanchard. Long-time friend Miguel De Jesus Jr. joined the ranks with Jeff a few months later on guitar. Within a few years, and after a couple of past members on second guitar and drums, Chris O'Neil joined as the permanent drummer. As a trio, they performed countless shows over the past 10 years, delivering their unique brand of doom metal - which leaves listeners with a range of emotions, that the band themselves then experience and extract from. The band explains: "It is known throughout the laws of science and nature that the sun creates and sustains life...Now it stands witness to the atrocities, depletion and vile consumption manifested by mankind, which it originally sustained life for. In our way, we portray what is seen through the Eyes Of The Sun."

Eyes Of The Sun lineup:

Jeff Blanchard - Vocals & Bass
Miguel De Jesus Jr. - Guitar
Chris O'Neil - Drums

(Photo - Sophy Holland)

Munich, Germany's Tenside peformed inside Bullhead City Circus at Germany's Wacken Open Air festival in the summer of 2014. Professionally filmed video of the band's full set can be seen below.

Setlist:

"Here And Now"
"At The Top Of The Tide"
"Reborn"
"Nothing Will Remain"
"This Is Reality"

Long-running death doom collective On Thorns I Lay unveiled their new full-length, Aegean Sorrow, today via Alone Records. The complete album is available for streaming via the audio player below:

Aegean Sorrow by On Thorns I Lay

Tracklisting:

“Intro”
“Aegean Sorrow”
“Erevos”
“In Emerald Eyes”
“Olethros Part I”
“Olethros Part II”
“The Final Truth”
“A Sign Of Sadness”
“Skotos”

Aegean Sorrow was captured at Devasoundz Studios by Fotis Benardo (Rotting Christ, Septic Flesh) and mixed and mastered at Unisound AB Studio by Dan Swanö (Edge Of Sanity, Bloodbath, Incision). Easily among the most intense records of their more than 20-year career, Aegean Sorrow fuses seemingly clashing concepts of catchy melodies and an incessantly mournful ambiance throughout. "We never stopped listening to our favorite albums - simple atmospheric doom death metal music since our formative years - so this is how Aegean Sorrow was created," the band notes. "It is a mix taken from our first demos and our first four albums back in the '90s, but with a modern sound. It is exactly what we love to hear, first of all, as fans. No trends, just pure feelings and music. Aegean Sorrow is the music we have dreamed of since we were teenagers. Waves of emotions flow over and over; it is a magical journey into the depth of our soul."

"Erevos" video:

"Olethros Part II":

“Aegean Sorrow” lyric video:

Orlando based Gothic folk metal band Urn has released an official music video for their single "Silently, I'm Still Screaming", off of their 2015 released Epiphany LP. The band's newly announced members, keyboardist Cleve Hall (SyFy’s Monster Man) and drummer Eric James Peterson (ex-Electric Hellfire Club) are featured in “Silently, I’m Still Screaming”.

"Many fans had given feedback that this song was one of their more favorites off of the album, so we wished to honor them by doing this video. We also wished to showcase our guitarist, Christopher Migdalski's lead work on this song, as he has been a role model for those afflicted with Parkinson's Disease and how to overcome disabilities to still pursue his life dream. Our hope is that this will inspire those to continue on in their battle and achieve whatever dreams/goals that they have." - Urn

Cleve Hall had become friends with the band a couple years ago when attending a Hollywood tour date of theirs back in 2015 and expressed interest in producing a video. Over time during their collaboration, it was discovered that Hall was an accomplished musician and worked with several bands in the Los Angeles are in the 1980s such as Exquisite Corpse and Mad Love. Cleve filled in on keyboards for Urns's 2016 West Coast tour and appeared and helped produce the new promotional video.

Eric James Peterson was the original drummer of the Electric Hellfire Club whom Urn frontman/guitarist Dominic St. Charles was also an alumni member. The two had an opportunity to connect during the EHC’s 25th anniversary/farewell concert last year at The Orpheum Theater in Tampa and wanted to continue to work with each other afterwards. Eric Petersen also was recently the touring drummer for former American Idol alum James Durbin.

The video was filmed in Los Angeles, CA by Jackie Bones for Steal Your Ghost Productions and additional footage was filmed by Noel McD of Global Rapture Productions (Melbourne, FL) who also edited the video.

Myles Kennedy (Alter Bridge, Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators) recently performed an acoustic version of the title track of his debut solo album, Year Of The Tiger, at HardDrive Radio studios. Video of the performance can be seen below:

Kennedy released Year Of The Tiger on March 9th via Napalm Records. The album can be ordered in various bundle configurations here. Get the album digitally this location.

On Year Of The Tiger, Myles embarks on his first venture as a solo artist by embracing musical elements and influences he hasn’t explored until this point in his career. Kennedy himself plays banjo, lap steel, bass, and mandolin, in addition to guitar throughout the album. His emotional journey and personal story is captured in a bluesy-Americana album with a twist of country and rock, highlighting his unmistakable and soulful voice.

To read BraveWords scribe Aaron Small's in-depth interview with Myles, click here.

Tracklisting:

"Year Of The Tiger"
"The Great Beyond"
"Blind Faith"
"Devil On The Wall"
"Ghost Of Shangri La"
"Turning Stones"
"Haunted By Design"
"Mother"
"Nothing But A Name"
"Love Can Only Heal"
"Songbird"
"One Fine Day"

"Devil On The Wall" lyric video:

"Haunted By Design" lyric video:

"Year Of The Tiger" video:

Best Buy stores in The United States are offering an exclusive version of Year Of The Tiger, featuring three acoustic demos: "Nothing But A Name"​, "The Great Beyond"​, and "Haunted By Design".

Recently announced is the first leg of Kennedy's US solo tour; tickets and meet & greet packages on sale now. The routing is as listed:

May
2 - Spokane, WA - Bing Crosby Theater - SOLD OUT
3 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile - SOLD OUT
5 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
6 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour - SOLD OUT
9 - Dallas, TX - Cambridge Room (HOB)
10 - Houston, TX - Bronze Peacock (HOB) - SOLD OUT
12 - Nashville, TN - Topgolf
14 - Atlanta, GA - City Winery - SOLD OUT
16 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Soundstage
17 - Asbury Park, NJ - House Of Independents - SOLD OUT
19 - Lancaster, PA - Chameleon Club
21 - Boston, MA - City Winery - SOLD OUT
22 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom
24 - Detroit, MI - The Crofoot Ballroom
25 - Dundee, IL - Rochaus - SOLD OUT