TRIVIUM's Paolo Gregoletto has commented on his Twitter fight with ALL THAT REMAINS's Phil Labonte, explaining that it gave him a chance to say "something that needed to be said and said by someone in a band."

The war of words between the two musicians started after Labonte appeared on Internet provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos's InfoWars show to discuss the contentious issue of U.S. gun control in the wake of last month's mass shooting in Florida.

After video of Labonte's appearance on Milo's program was posted on YouTube, Paolo took to Twitter to call out the singer for his comments, at one pointing referring to Labonte as "a discount Jesse Leach." Labonte fired back by accusing Paolo of "riding coattails" and calling him "the third most important guy in a four-man band."

In a brand new interview with Metal Wani, Gregoletto was asked why he thinks Labonte went out of his way to respond to the bassist's comments, going so far as to make a YouTube video about it. "Probably 'cause I'm in a band that is prominent and a lot of other band guys don't really say much," Paolo said (hear audio below).

"I generally don't dive into stuff like that, and I really don't care about the content of any of the [Phil's] interview [with Milo Yiannopoulos] or what was said — it's irrelevant.

"It's something I felt that needed to be said and said by someone in a band, because it's usually just maybe fans saying something back, and it's kind of easy to bat that stuff down.

"For us, this genre is all about bringing up new bands, bringing up good stuff, and I feel like that sort of shit really overshadows what matters, which is good music, good players, good vocalists, people that deserve a chance to be heard," he continued. "And we're about empowering that, and the attention-grabbing stuff takes away from all of that. And when you don't do your actual job good, and you're using it as an attention-seeking thing, I think it's fucking stupid. And if that's what you wanna get out of this, fine, but I wanna drag it back to new bands, I wanna drag it back to better bands, the bands that never get any attention, because it's always sucked into the bullshit of people like that. The bands that we're bringing out, I want people to know those bands, because they give a shit — they're busting their ass. And they deserve the attention — not the people that don't give a shit, don't put any effort into their craft or music, have given up on it or given up on the genre but wanna use it when it's convenient to them."

Paolo added: "That was really all it was about it. It was sort of me being, like, 'I don't really care. I think I'm gonna break the seal here, which is stepping back down from the fray, or into the fray.' I don't like to be a drama, attention seeker, but if that's what it's gonna take to maybe force people to kind of think about other things — like I said, new bands, bands that try hard — then it is what it is. But at the end of the day, what matters is our music, our touring, focusing on that. That's why it didn't go anywhere else past those two days [of the Twitter back-and-forth]. It is what it is. Everyone has their views on how that was or what it achieved. But it is what it is. And it's nice to just be able to say what you think and not always pretend that everything is great and stay silent when you don't really need to be or want to be."

Last month, Labonte, a staunch gun-rights advocate, posted a video message in which he offered his thoughts on the gun debate, expressing his belief that a ban on semi-automatic rifles would not reduce mass shootings and insisting that this nationwide crisis of firearm injuries and deaths would not be solved by a formal change to the Second Amendment.

Myles Kennedy has released the song "Love Can Only Heal", taken from his debut solo album, "Year Of The Tiger". Due on March 9 via Napalm Records, the effort was helmed by ALTER BRIDGE's longtime producer Michael "Elvis" Baskette.

The acclaimed singer/songwriter known for his work with ALTER BRIDGE as well as SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS recently completed the highly anticipated record, which is available for pre-order in various bundle configurations at this location.

On "Year Of The Tiger", Kennedy 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. His appreciation for the blues and acoustic based music can be heard throughout the 12-song concept record inspired by the loss of his father when he was a child.

The multi-instrumentalist played lap steel, mandolin, banjo and bass in addition to the guitar on the record. This shift in instrumentation helped create a new sonic canvas that some might consider a departure from the high gain wall of sound Kennedy has been associated with. Examples of this can be heard throughout the record, from the hypnotic drone of the title track, to the intricate finger style approach of "Haunted By Design" and "Ghost Of Shangri La".

"Year Of The Tiger" is a personal story framed in a new context from an artist willing to take chances. It's also a story that took decades to summon up the courage to tell.

"Year Of The Tiger" track listing:

01. Year Of The Tiger
02. The Great Beyond
03. Blind Faith
04. Devil On The Wall
05. Ghost of Shangri La
06. Turning Stones
07. Haunted By Design
08. Mother
09. Nothing But A Name
10. Love Can Only Heal
11. Songbird
12. One Fine Day

"Year Of The Tiger" was described by Kennedy in a recent interview with Metal Wani as "probably the closest thing to a full-on concept record that I've ever written. I mean, the story is congruent throughout the entire... It basically tells a story from start to finish, and it documents when my father passed away when I was a kid and basically what happened after that with my mom, my brother and I — it tells that story," he said. "So it's a full-on concept from start to finish."

Video footage of Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY performing an acoustic version of their new song "Bad Habit" at the Dr. Feelgood rock bar in Paris, France can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Family Tree", which will be released on April 20 via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group.

"Family Tree" is the much-anticipated follow up to 2016's "Kentucky". As was the case on "Kentucky", the BLACK STONE CHERRY members opted to produce and track the new disc at David Barrick's Barrick Recording in Glasgow, Kentucky, the same studio where the four-piece recorded its eponymous debut. BLACK STONE CHERRY also chose to not over-rehearse upfront of the album sessions, instead preferring the immediacy and spontaneity of in-the-moment takes. The band also entrusted frontman Chris Robertson to mix the songs, which perfectly fit the loose, creative process that birthed "Family Tree".

"Family Tree" boasts BLACK STONE CHERRY's tried-and-true lucky number with its 13 songs, and like all BLACK STONE CHERRY releases, features songwriting contributions from each member.

Drummer John Fred Young says: "'Family Tree' showcases all of our collective musical influences and how we have taken those to create something that is truly our own unique Southern American rock 'n' roll sound."

Two special guests appear, one bringing the concept of family full circle. Chris's five-year-old son contributes backup vocals on the swaggering "You Got The Blues", while the other, revered jam-band musician Warren Haynes (GOV'T MULE) offers a guitar cameo and vocals on the delta stomp of "Dancing In The Rain". The band first met Warren 17 years ago as freshly signed youngsters on their first visit to New York City.

The concept of family looms large in the world of BLACK STONE CHERRY's four band members. Young's father Richard and his uncle Fred are founding members of the Grammy Award-winning country rock 'n' roots band THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS.

BLACK STONE CHERRY's four high school-aged friends — Young, plus frontman/guitarist Chris Robertson, guitarist Ben Wells and bassist Jon Lawhon — grew up honing their craft in the HEADHUNTERS' Practice House, an abandoned property on the Young family's farmland. John Fred says: "We grew up in THE KENTUCKY HEADHUNTERS' rehearsal space, looking up at posters of CREAM, LED ZEPPELIN, URIAH HEEP, THE [ROLLING] STONES MONTROSE, and THE FACES. We were like kids someone took in a time capsule and put in the woods."

"Family Tree" track listing:

01. Bad Habit
02. Burnin'
03. New Kinda Feelin
04. Carry Me On Down The Road
05. My Last Breath
06. Southern Fried Friday Night
07. Dancin' In The Rain (feat. Warren Haynes)
08. Ain't Nobody
09. James Brown
10. You Got The Blues
11. I Need A Woman
12. Get Me Over You
13. Family Tree

According to Deadline, Rebekah Graf ("The Amityville Murders", "Lycan") has been tapped to play actress Heather Locklear, ex-wife of Tommy Lee, in the film adaptation of MÖTLEY CRÜE's biography, "The Dirt - Confessions Of The World's Most Notorious Rock Band".

The movie, which is being helmed by "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" director Jeff Tremaine, will also reportedly star Daniel Webber ("The Punisher") as frontman Vince Neil, Douglas Booth as bassist Nikki Sixx, Machine Gun Kelly as Lee, and Iwan Rheon ("Game Of Thrones") as guitarist Mick Mars. Playing rock and roll legend Ozzy Osbourne in the film will reportedly be actor-comedian Tony Cavalero.

"The Dirt" is being produced by LBI Entertainment's Julie Yorn and Rick Yorn, along with Erik Olsen and Amanda Adelson, who wrote the script. Netflix will distribute the project, which was previously at Focus and before that at Paramount.

Neil previously told Las Vegas Magazine that "The Dirt" movie script stays "pretty close to 'The Dirt', so if you've read 'The Dirt', it's really something to look forward to."

Asked how it struck him that he would be seeing an actor playing him on screen, Vince said: "That's gonna be strange. It's funny, I saw the table read of the last script. They have these different actors playing each person, and even just the table read of the script was weird when the Vince guy was talking. [Laughs] It wasn't the guy that's gonna play me, but it was just kind of weird hearing somebody say your words. It's a bit of a trip."

AC/DC's classic 1980 LP "Back In Black" will be released on cassette on Record Store Day, the annual celebration of the annual celebration of independent record stores, taking place on Saturday, April 21. The cassette will be made available through RCA in a limited edition of 2,500 copies.

On July 25, 1980, AC/DC released "Back In Black" in the U.S., followed by the album's U.K. release on July 31. It was the band's first album without lead singer Bon Scott, who had died a few months earlier after passing out and choking on his own vomit following a long night of drinking.

The group quickly decided to press on and hired Brian Johnson from the band GEORDIE to take over on vocals, and they headed to the Bahamas for about six weeks to do the album. AC/DC had made some serious headway in America before Scott's death, but no one knew how "Back In Black" would be received. The album took off, and eventually sold over 22 million copies in the U.S.

Johnson told The Pulse of Radio that he didn't have a clue how successful "Back In Black" would turn out to be. "I'd just melted me brain in there, and I didn't know if it was good or bad," he said. "That was the first time I'd been in the Bahamas, anyway, or near America, you know, and you (have to) remember, I was just fascinated by the whole culture and all, and I had no idea what the hell I was doing! And (laughs) lucky, really — I was a bit lucky, I think."

"Back In Black" included the singles "You Shook Me All Night Long", which peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Back In Black", which peaked at No. 37.

Despite its massive success, it never got higher than No. 4 on the album charts. The band's next album, "For Those About To Rock", reached No. 1.

"Back In Black" is No. 6 on the list of the biggest-selling albums in the U.S.

The album was produced by Robert "Mutt" Lange, who went on to produce DEF LEPPARD, FOREIGNER, THE CARS, and BRYAN ADAMS.

In 2012, "Back In Black" was added to The Recording Academy's legendary Grammy Hall Of Fame collection.

MOTÖRHEAD will release a seven-inch picture disc of its cover version of David Bowie's "Heroes" on Record Store Day, the annual celebration of the annual celebration of independent record stores, taking place on Saturday, April 21. The single's art will be a new "sketch" take on the classic war-pig. The flip-side will be "Heroes (The Wacken Family Choir Mix)" with previously unheard audio of the crowd at 2017's Wacken Open Air festival singing along to the single as it was being officially launched via the festival P.A., an emotional moment of celebration and tribute which can now be shared globally.

MOTÖRHEAD's version of "Heroes" originally appeared on the compilation album "Under Cöver" — a collection of some of the band's best covers — which was released last September.

Laid down during the "Bad Magic" sessions in 2015 by Cameron Webb, "Heroes" was one of the last songs MOTÖRHEAD recorded together.

"It's such a great Bowie song, one of his best, and I could only see great things coming out of it from us, and so it proved to be," says Phil Campbell, "and Lemmy ended up loving our version."

"He was very, very proud of it," says Mikkey Dee, "not only because it turned out so well but because it was fun! Which is what projects like this should be — fun!"

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on December 24, 2015, learned two days later that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28, 2015, at his home in Los Angeles.

The MOTÖRHEAD frontman had dealt with several health issues over the past few years, including heart trouble, forcing him to cut back on his famous smoking and Jack Daniels habits.

The band canceled a number of shows three years ago, although they did manage to complete one final European tour on December 11, 2015.

Former SCORPIONS drummer James Kottak has once again confirmed that he is in discussions with singer Lenny Wolf for a reunion of the original lineup of '80s rockers KINGDOM COME. Kottak played on the group's first two albums, 1988's "Kingdom Come" and 1989's "In Your Face" before leaving. The drummer went on to play on MCAULEY SCHENKER GROUP's 1992 "MSG" album before joining SCORPIONS in 1996.

Asked by Maximum Metal in a new interview for an update on the KINGDOM COME comeback talks, Kottak said: "The story behind this is, when the SCORPIONS announced the farewell tour in 2010, I was meeting with Lenny in Hamburg, who's the singer from KINGDOM COME, and we talked many times about this reboot. So I was, like, 'Okay, wait, so I have two years [of touring left with SCORPIONS]. I have PROJECT ROCK [now A NEW REVENGE] together, which we toured Russia three times, I was doing my KOTTAK band and another album; we toured Germany, Japan and America. And then KINGDOM COME, we went so far... We were all in L.A. We rehearsed together. We had it all set up and running, and then the phone rang one day in February 2012 and it was Mr. Klaus Meine [SCORPIONS singer]. He was, like, 'Hey, James, you know, I noticed you've been doing these bands on the side, and we've decided not to retire and to continue on. So, can you please not play with these other bands?' I was going, 'You've got to be joking.' But I respect Mr. Meine and the band, and I love SCORPIONS and that's my allegiance, so I put everything on hold. That meant putting 20 people's lives on hold. 'Cause we had managers, agents and bandmembers and we had the original lineup [ready to go]. Now, I've been talking to Lenny [again] and we're reaching out to promoters and we have some offers and everything looks really good for a KINGDOM COME reboot with the original five members." He added: "I hope it happens. I really worked hard on it. It hasn't been easy. We'll see."

Last year, Kottak told Shut Up & Rock On that he is "so proud" the first two KINGDOM COME albums. "I co-wrote on both of them on a few songs," he said. "They're just great albums. The songs are great. Lenny's incredible. We just killed it."

LED ZEPPELIN comparisons dogged KINGDOM COME throughout the latter band's '80s peak, in particular, Wolf's vocal resemblance to ZEPPELIN singer Robert Plant and the group's penchant for blues-based hard rock, a style ZEPPELIN helped pioneer. Kottak was asked by Shut Up & Rock On how he felt about these ongoing claims. "If you're going to be accused of something, at least rip off the best," he said. "It was just great music. My drumming compared to [legendary ZEPPELIN drummer] John Bonham? Thank you, I'll take it. I think some of the responses from a couple of the guys in the band maybe misled people.

"The press is so funny when a band comes and they get huge really fast. They love to knock them down, some press people do. Sometimes the press won't. It's like, good news travels fast, but bad news travels faster. That's what happened to KINGDOM COME. The same thing happened to QUIET RIOT in the early days. It's what it was. I'm super-proud of this stuff. I never had a problem with it. Call us 'ZEPPELIN rip-offs.' Who cares?

"Before I even went to audition, I got this tape and these four songs were on there. It was just Lenny with his drum machine and him singing. I went, 'Oh my God! This is phenomenal.' I listened to the tape three times in a row. It was 'Get It On' and 'What Love Could Be' and '17' and some other song. I was just going 'This is great!' If anything, '17', if you listen to STP's [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS] 'Vasoline', it's a complete rip-off of '17'. It's the exact same riff. It goes round and round. Who cares? It's just rock and roll."

After its early run of success in the '80s, KINGDOM COME released several albums, with Wolf remaining the only constant member of the band. The group's most recent effort was 2013's "Outlier".

DANGER DANGER singer Ted Poley has partnered with Frontiers Music Srl for the release of another solo album.

Ted is currently hard at work in Sweden on this still-untitled effort. This time around, he is collaborating with some incredibly talented Swedish musicians, namely Mats Ericsson, Micke Jansson, Daniel Johansson and Robin Ericsson (on additional vocals).

"You might know some of those guys other musical work as the band DEGREED," says Ted. "I am also getting some vocal layering with the help of my good friend, the Italian stallion of vocals, Alessandro Del Vecchio. The album is being co-produced by Mats Ericsson and myself in Kopperberg, Sweden."

Ted continues: "After almost 40 years of recording and releasing music, I wanted to stretch out a little bit musically and I am proud to say that I have come up with a magical combination of amazing musicians and songs! The songs are awesome, and the musicianship will blow you away. Every one of the players are masters of their instruments and you might hear just a hint of modern prog interlaced with my usual catchy choruses this time around! This is going to be my favorite solo album ever and an album that I felt I had to make. And I am so happy with the results so far!"

Poley will also appear live at this year's Rockingham Live with his project with Steve Brown of TRIXTER, TOKYO MOTOR FIST.

Ted's last solo album, "Beyond The Fade", was released in May 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl.

"We Avenge!", a new song from Swedish death metal veterans THE CROWN, can be streamed below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Cobra Speed Venom", which will be released on March 16 through Metal Blade Records. Produced with Fredrik Nordström at Studio Fredman, the record promises to be one of the biggest surprises of the year — a return to death metal speed and darkness in full glory!

THE CROWN comments: "We are really looking forward to finally be able to show our fans how damn good this band can be when the circumstances are right. With that, [we] mean to be able to do an album the way we want to do it: creating as a band, rehearsing as a band, recording as a band. You will hear a band performing here, with fierce energy and hunger!"

With their motivation at an all-time high, THE CROWN spent most of 2017 intensely rehearsing 13 new songs. They eventually entered Studio Fredman with Nordström to record what would become "Cobra Speed Venom". The sound is massive, brutal and a real punch in the face. Extreme speed and aggression mixed with classic heavy metal and rock 'n' roll, which really shows that THE CROWN has no boundaries. The apocalyptic theme of the lyrics and music also fits perfectly with the outstanding artwork of Christian Sloan Hall.

"Cobra Speed Venom" track listing:

01. Destroyed By Madness
02. Iron Crown
03. In the Name of Death
04. We Avenge!
05. Cobra Speed Venom
06. World War Machine
07. Necrohammer
08. Rise In Blood
09. Where My Grave Shall Stand
10. The Sign of the Scythe
11. Nemesis Diamond (bonus track)
12. The Great Dying (bonus track)

THE CROWN is:

Johan Lindstrand - Vocals
Magnus Olsfelt - Bass
Marko Tervonen - Guitar
Robin Sorqvist - Lead guitar and backing vocals
Henrik Axelsson - Drums

Rhythm-driven heavy rock band SAULT — featuring members of internationally acclaimed power metal group KAMELOT and groove metal outfit ARCANIUM, and guest appearances by members of KING DIAMOND, ONE EYED DOLL and more — has just released its debut full-length album, "Seeds Of Power".

The official video for the song "Last Man Standing" can be seen below. The clip features Michael McCallum and Pat Bird as actors, and was directed by Pat Bird, Pat Dowdle and Jasper Thewes at Bad Trip Design.

The new video is the second of two videos shot with producer Roy Warner — the first being video for the single "Adonai". Unlike "Adonai" that was shot in a studio in Detroit, Michigan, band takes for "Last Man Standing" were shot in a warehouse reserved for artist. The story line was filmed in the outskirts of town in a wooded area. The band and producer's crew all brainstormed after the initial shoot to come up with a plot for the story line. SAULT didn't want it to look dystopian or to look old school either; they were aiming for somewhere in the middle. The story meshed well with the music and captures an element of suspense, and the hero of the story did a great job of building up the character to become, in fact, the Last Man Standing.

Bassist and composer Sean Tibbets commented about the song: "When I originally wrote the song, I wasn't sure I wanted to use it. But once the guys in the band started putting their own vibe and feel to the song, it became this crushing riff that sticks in your head. It is my personal favorite SAULT song so far."

SAULT originally formed in 2014 as a solo project of acclaimed bassist Sean Tibbetts, who sought to write hookier metallic rock music while not in the studio or touring with his full-time band KAMELOT. After deciding to branch the project out to a full band, Tibbetts joined forces with solo guitarist/tattooist Curtis Jay, and — after an introduction via ONE EYED DOLL and SAULT guest vocalist Kimberly Freeman — linked up with singer Benjamin Riggs of groove metal group ARCANIUM. "Seeds Of Power" features the talents of two rotating drummers — Matt Thompson (KING DIAMOND) and Casey Grillo (KAMELOT).

SAULT draws influence from the heyday of '90s alternative and grunge rock — ebbing and flowing with inspiration from bands like TOOL, LIVING COLOUR, SEVENDUST, SOUNDGARDEN and beyond — and accented by a further heavy metal impact. The sound is catchy and hard-hitting that will appeal to diehard rock fans and metal headbangers alike.

"Seeds Of Power" track listing:

01. Balance *
02. Guilt ^
03. Adonai ^
04. Entropy (feat. guest vocals by Kimberly Freeman of One Eyed Doll) *
05. Fragile ^
06. Peaceful Moment ^
07. Save Myself ^
08. Last Man Standing *
09. Null Space *

* feat. guest drummer Matt Thompson (KING DIAMOND)
^ feat. guest drummer Casey Grillo (KAMELOT)

"Seeds Of Power" was recorded using the power of the Internet, with different members recording their parts in Florida, Kentucky, Colorado and Texas. The album was then produced, mixed and mastered by Oliver Palotai (KAMELOT, ULI JON ROTH, DORO) in Stuttgart, Germany. Vocal tracking is credited to Adam Stewart of ARCANIUM and additional vocal edits were made by Jason Sewell of ONE EYED DOLL. Contributing writers on the album include Kole Kruger, Vic DeLeon and Jeff Garner.

Jeramie Kling of the Tampa-based melodic death metal band THE ABSENCE has revealed that he will play drums for VENOM INC. on the U.K. outfit 's upcoming European tour.

The "Blood Stained Earth Tour 2018", which also features SUFFOCATION, NERVOSA, AETERNAM and SURVIVE, will kick off on March 9 in Bristol, U.K.

Says Jeramie in a Facebook post: "Cat's outta the bag. I'll be out on tour playing drums for heavy metal legends VENOM INC. in Europe.

"Come out and bang your heads to a lot of classic VENOM tunes as well as some really heavy new cuts."

VENOM INC. features original VENOM members Jeff "Mantas" Dunn (guitar) and Anthony "Abaddon" Bray (drums) alongside ex-VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan.

It is not presently clear why Bray is unable to join his VENOM INC. bandmates on the European tour.

VENOM INC.'s debut album, "Avé", was released last August via Nuclear Blast.

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the Conrad "Cronos" Lant-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

Dunn, Bray and Dolan released three albums as VENOM between 1989 and 1992 — "Prime Evil" (1989), "Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).

The classic lineup of VENOM — Lant, Dunn and Bray — is often credited with kickstarting the whole black metal movement, but is more accurately seen an early example of extreme metal.

VENOM's second album, 1982's "Black Metal", was a major influence on on the early Norwegian black metal scene.

THE ABSENCE will release "A Gift For The Obsessed", its first album in eight years, on March 23 via M-Theory Audio.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral

The first new RAINBOW single since 1996, "Waiting For A Sign", will be made available on March 16. The track will be included on "Memories in Rock II", which is due on April 6 via Minstrel Hall/Soulfood. The set will also contain a double CD of the June 2017 U.K. RAINBOW concerts, a DVD containing over 80 minutes of interview footage with the band and crew, an additional backstage clip and a video for the 2017 studio version of "I Surrender".

A one-and-a-half-minute snippet of "Waiting For A Sign" was made available via the Japanese iTunes store and can now be streamed below.

In 2017, legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore brought his new RAINBOW lineup to the U.K. for three unique concerts; these memorable musical moments will be released in high-quality format on a double-disc CD set. Also included in this amazing package will be the backstage videos. Special interviews exclusive to this video set include those with Blackmore, Ronnie Romero, Jens Johansson, Bob Nouveau, Drummer Dave, the lovely backing singers Lady Lynn and Candice Night — as well as the phenomenal crew that brings these shows to the fans; production managers, lighting director, guitar technician, etc.

The setlist, combining classic tracks from both DEEP PURPLE and RAINBOW, was exactly what the fans have requested most and will be found in this double-CD package. A few of the highlights are "Spotlight Kid", "I Surrender", "Mistreated", "Man On The Silver Mountain" / "Woman From Tokyo", "Perfect Strangers", "Black Night" and "Smoke On The Water" — each with Blackmore's stellar performance on guitar and solos executed to perfection by the master. His brilliant fretwork can never be duplicated and is clearly a highlight of each track of this double-CD package.

"Memories in Rock II" track listing:

Disc 1

01. Over The Rainbow
02. Spotlight Kid
03. I Surrender
04. Mistreated
05. Since You've Been Gone
06. Man On The Silver Mountain/Woman From Tokyo
07. 16th Century Greensleeves
08. Soldier Of Fortune
09. Perfect Strangers
10. Difficult To Cure
11. All Night Long
12. Child In Time

Disc 2

01. Stargazer
02. Long Live Rock'n'Roll/Lazy
03. Catch The Rainbow
04. Black Night
05. Carry On Jon
06. Temple Of The King
07. Smoke On The Water
08. Waiting For A Sign

Disc 3

01. Ritchie Blackmore Interview
02. Ronnie Romero Interview
03. Jens Johansson Interview
04. Bob Nouveau Interview
05. David Keith Interview
06. Candice Night Interview
07. Lady Lynn Interview
08. Dave David Interview
09. Andreas Bock Interview
10. Michael Bockmühl Interview
11. Bonus Backstage Clip
12. I Surrender 2017 Backstage Clip

Back in May 2017, the revamped version of RAINBOW released its first new music in more than two decades. Two tracks were made available on iTunes: an instrumental song called "Land Of Hope And Glory", which is is a reworking of the 1902 British patriotic song of the same name from Edward Elgar's "Pomp And Circumstance March No. 1", and a re-recording of the RAINBOW classic "I Surrender", which was written by Russ Ballard and was first released by RAINBOW in 1981. The latter song features vocals recorded by Ronnie Romero, who is originally from Chile but is now settled in Madrid.

Blackmore stepped away from his Renaissance-inspired brand of music with BLACKMORE'S NIGHT in 2016 to perform a handful of shows with a brand-new lineup of the band he had formed after quitting DEEP PURPLE.

Although Ritchie initially said that he had no plans to make a new RAINBOW album — explaining in early 2016 that he wanted to "just get back to playing the old songs one more time" — he revealed to Japan's Burrn! magazine that he changed his mind.

In addition to Blackmore and Romero, the current incarnation of RAINBOW includes STRATOVARIUS keyboardist Jens Johansson, BLACKMORE'S NIGHT drummer David Keith, bassist Bob Nouveau (a.k.a. Robert "Bob" Curiano, ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT), and backing singers Candice Night and Lady Lynn.

The two shows RAINBOW played in Germany in June 2016 were caught on camera to produce "Memories In Rock - Live In Germany", which was released in November 2016 via Eagle Rock Entertainment on DVD+2CD, Blu-ray+2CD, and digital formats.

After Ritchie left DEEP PURPLE for the final time in 1993, he reformed RAINBOW for one album (1995's "Stranger In Us All") and one tour, ending things in Denmark in 1997.

British extreme metal pioneers CARCASS have parted was with guitarist Ben Ash and have replaced him with Tom Draper (POUNDER, ex-ANGEL WITCH, PRIMITAI).

Draper, who is from the United Kingdom but currently resides in California, made his live debut with CARCASS this past weekend at the Netherlands Deathfest at 013 in Tilburg. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

In a video message confirming his departure from CARCASS, Ash said (see video below): "At the start of 2018, I decided to come away from the touring circuit and focus on getting back into an educational role and also focus on a bit of study and some individual music projects. And from the footage that I saw of the band playing at the Netherlands Deathfest, I knew they'd knock it out of the park. They sounded killer and the chap who's now in the place I was is doing a cracking job. And from the bottom of my heart, I wish the guys all the best for the upcoming shows this year."

In a 2016 interview, CARCASS guitarist Bill Steer said that it was "not clear" if Ash would appear on the band's seventh album. Ash joined CARCASS following the release of the band's comeback LP, 2013's "Surgical Steel".

When asked by Dead Rhetoric whether Ash would contribute to CARCASS's next disc, Steer said: "At this stage, it's not clear whether he will actually be on the record, in all honesty. What he does live works in that environment. Recording is putting everything under a microscope.

"If somebody’s bringing in influences that are not within the scope of the band, it's going to be problematic.

"Ben's a killer guy and he works hard on his playing, but some of his favorite stuff is not our favorite stuff. If some of those things bled into our music, it would really dilute it, to be honest with you."

Steer continued: "It remains to be seen, but I'm just saying we wouldn't just make another album. We want everything to be as good as it can be.

"You could have the best guitarist on earth. I'm sure if Steve Vai played on it, that would excite a lot of people, but it would dilute it. It wouldn't work with our stuff."

Joining Steer, Walker and Draper in CARCASS's latest incarnation is drummer Daniel Wilding, who played on "Surgical Steel".

"Surgical Steel" sold around 8,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 41 on The Billboard 200 chart.

According to a new Instagram post from TOOL guitarist Adam Jones, the band has finally entered the studio to begin recording its next LP.

Last month, TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan revealed that he had finished writing the "words and melodies" to all but one new song for the new disc. Jones later wrote on Instagram that recording would begin in March.

Keenan has said very little about the new TOOL album in recent years, with his last message being perhaps his most specific in a long time. He also sings on the new album from A PERFECT CIRCLE, which arrives in April.

TOOL hasn't released any new music since the "10,000 Days" LP, which came out in May 2006.

Jones told The Pulse Of Radio not long ago that everyone in TOOL respects the fact that the other members also have lives outside the band. "Everyone's got their own lives," he said. "We have kids, we have other projects, we have other interests. You know, it's like a marriage, you know, as you get older you kind of have to work at it and, you know, your partner changes and you have to kind of work to keep it going and keeping it positive and keeping the communication going and compromising and the respect and all that stuff."

The instrumental members of the band have been working steadily on music for the past year, with drummer Danny Carey recently saying that the disc could be released sometime this year.

TOOL's only currently scheduled appearance of 2018 is a May 18 headlining performance at Somerset, Wisconsin's Northern Invasion festival.

UK melodic rockers Vega will release their fifth studio album, Only Human, on May 11th on CD, LP and digital formats. Pre-order the album here, and listen to the track "Last Man Standing" below.

The band self-produced the record but teamed up with legendary Canadian musician and producer Harry Hess (Harem Scarem) for the mixing and mastering to bring their fans another gem of a release.

If you're very lucky, there may be occasions in your life when you find a band and you realize you’ve discovered something a bit special. We've all heard groups who release 'great' albums, but Vega certainly make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and provide butterflies in the stomach excitement when all fans of modern melodic rock listen to their new records for the first time. The 12 songs that comprise Only Human truly see Vega take their songwriting and musicianship to the next level.

Tracklisting:

"Let’s Have Fun Tonight"
"Worth Dying For"
"Last Man Standing"
"Come Back Again"
"All Over Now"
"Mess You Made"
"Only Human"
"Standing Still"
"Gravity"
"Turning Pages"
"Fade Away"
"Go To War"

"Last Man Standing":

"We wear our love of 80's rock music on our sleeves, but we also have injected our love of modern rock music to it. We aren't trying to rehash anything: the sound we have achieved is 100% Vega. We didn't want to try and guess what people expect and get it wrong," says singer Nick Workman.

Lineup:

Nick Workman: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar
Tom Martin: bass guitar
Marcus Thurston: lead guitar
James Martin: keyboards
Mikey Kew: guitar, backing vocals
Martin ‘Hutch' Hutchinson: drums

Melodic metal act Artizan have announced that legendary vocalist Harry Conklin (Jag Panzer, Satan's Host, Titan Force) will be a special guest on their forthcoming album.

Artizan founder/drummer Ty Tammeus states, "We have always been a big fan of Harry! This track is a special bonus for the fans on which Harry performs all vocals, and he sounds stronger than ever!"

Artizan previously confirmed that bassist Joey Vera (Fates Warning, Armored Saint) will guest on their upcoming project, tracking all bass parts.

Ty Tammeus said, "It is an honour for us to announce that Joey will be making a special guest appearance on the upcoming Artizan project. When I think of the elite bass players in rock/metal, Joey is at the top of the list. I have always admired his skills and the pure energy that he delivers. Joey absolutely nailed it!"

Fans can expect a first quarter 2018 release for the new album. Stay tuned for updates.

Studio Diary #1:

Studio Diary #2:

Studio Diary #3:

Studio Diary #4:

Studio Diary #5:

Founded by drummer Ty Tammeus in 2008, Artizan crafts powerful, traditional metal. Dynamic arrangements, dominant rhythms and soaring melodies are key ingredients to the Artizan formula. The band has released three critically acclaimed albums via German record label Pure Steel Records, all produced by legendary producer Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Death, Jag Panzer, Crimson Glory): Curse Of The Artizan (2011), Ancestral Energy (2013) with guest vocalist Matt Barlow (Iced Earth), The Furthest Reaches (2015) - an epic sci-fi rock opera featuring guest vocalists Sabrina Cruz (Seven Kingdoms) and Matt Barlow (Iced Earth). Artizan was honored to be direct support for Fates Warning on their 2013 tour and recently performed at the legendary Keep It True festival in Germany.

New York progressive rockers Edensong have announced the addition of drummer Nicholas DiGregorio and koto player Kento Iwasaki to the band roster. The duo joins the eclectic lineup of James Byron Schoen (vocals/guitar), TD Towers (bass/vocals) and Barry Seroff (flute), following the departures of Tony Waldman (drums) and Stefan Paolini (keyboards) last year after a successful North American tour.

DiGregorio, a dear friend of the band for twenty years who has a background in jazz and improvisational drumming, and Iwasaki, a koto player and composer who is at home playing anything from traditional Japanese music to jazz and modern pop, further expand the sonic palette of Edensong, a band already known for its constantly evolving sound.

Edensong explained these lineup changes in a new video, which can be viewed below:

Regarding the new additions to the band, bassist TD Towers states: "Edensong is in crush mode like never before...With Nick, we've knocked out all the pillars of rigidity and embraced a fluidity that this band has never experienced. The way he plays the drums is very different; a technical virtuoso, but so much more about finding the inspiration of the moment and keeping this complex music eternally fresh. You'll find it's a freer, very fierce and fearless Edensong on stage where no two sets are the same...

...Kento is remarkable - not only is he a bafflingly talented koto player who manages the very tricky job of making a 13-string zither work gorgeously across very complex music, but he's a charismatic performer, and a compelling personality"

He adds of the recent departures: "The 2009-2017 lineup will always be classic, and what we achieved with YITGOY and the subsequent shows was monumental...Stefan is an esoteric spiritualist and chaos magician...in the top tier of prog keyboard players...endlessly inventive, and responsible for a lot of the technical challenges that helped those of us remaining really level up our musicianship...

...There are no words to express what Tony did for Edensong. As a promoter, unique personality, community builder, tireless advocate for the scene in general and genuinely generous friend, he is in a class of his own...While it is hard to imagine life after Tony, I am grateful that he is free to pursue boundless personal growth, new creative outlets, and remain a scout on the very frontier of the gorgeously unusual."

Edensong are gearing up for a North American tour in April and their first European tour in October, which includes a performance at the esteemed Summers End Progressive Rock Festival in Wales. The band have released the following tour dates:

April
13 - Boston, MA - The Lilypad
14 - Winooski, VT - The Monkey House
15 - Quebec, QC - Centre d'art la Chapelle
16 - Ottawa, ON - details TBA
17 - Syracuse, NY - details TBA
19 - New York, NY - DROM
20 - Nyack, NY - Olive's

October
5 - Chepstow, UK - Summers End Festival
9 - Southampton, UK - The Talking Heads
10 - Leicester, UK - The Musician

Singer/Guitarist James Byron Schoen says of the upcoming tours and musical direction: "Rehearsing for this tour and working with this incredible new lineup has been an opportunity to dig a little deeper into our back catalog and rework some classics. We'll also be trying out some brand new music that will likely find its way onto the next Edensong album. While 2017 was about promoting Years in the Garden of Years specifically, the new set is about unifying the past, present, and future sounds of the band. We're all excited to get out there!"

Morbid Angel's 2003 album, Heretic, is available in a Full Dynamic Range vinyl edition via Earache. An unboxing video can be seen below.

Order the release here.

Morbid Angel's 1998 album, Formulas Fatal To The Flesh, will be reissued in a Full Dynamic Range 2x12" gatefold vinyl edition on March 9th. Pre-order the release here.

More details at this location. Check out the video trailer below:

Amoriello is the project of guitarist and children’s picture book author, Thomas Amoriello, who has teamed up with a stellar roster of special guest musicians including former members of Black Sabbath, Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne, Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force, and the Michael Schenker Group to bring the 80's inspired metal with a modern feel.

The first Amoriello release on 7" vinyl via H42 Records of Hamburg, Germany features a power ballad called "Flood" with Swedish vocalist Goran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen, John Norum), British bass legend Neil Murray (formerly of Whitesnake and Black Sabbath), session ace drummer extraordinaire Atma Anur (Jason Becker, Cacophony, Richie Kotzen) and former Yngwie Malmsteen keysman Michael Troy.

An epic guitar instrumental called "Nightmusic MCX" with former Ozzy, Ultimate Sin-era bassist Phil Soussan, Canadian drum virtuoso Shane Gaalaas (Michael Schenker Group, Uli Jon Roth) rounded out by Michael Troy fills up the B-Side with anthem like, 80's inspired metal.

Amoriello’s books, A Journey To Guitarland With Maestro Armadillo and Ukulele Sam Strums In The Sand, have received favourable reviews in Guitar Player Magazine (US), Rock Hard Magazine (Germany), Screamer Magazine (Los Angeles) and praise from guitar legends Brian May, Steve Hackett and Jennifer Batten.

"Flood", a beautiful 80's inspired power ballad being the first single from Amoriello. Thomas Amoriello's gothic lyrics are a tale of a 19th century Massachusetts woman named Jerusha Howe. He co-wrote the music with Edman who dazzles at the climactic ending. Troy lays down lush keys that breath while Anur brings power to this untypical metal ballad. Neil Murray who played bass on one of the biggest power ballads of all time ("Here I Go Again") glues and weaves the fabric for a Flood Ravaged Heart. Oh yea, don't forget the triple harmonized guitar solo!!!

The B-side "Nightmusic MCX" is a seven and a half minute instrumental that was composed by guitarist Amoriello in a heavy metal style. The anthem like track features Scottish bassist Phil Soussan, Canadian drummer Shane Gaalaas , and American keyboardist Michael Troy displaying taste and virtuosity from Soussan laying down the fretless courtesy of a WAL Pro II bass and Gaalaas double bass tribal rhythmic onslaught, Troy conjuring spirits while Amoriello powers fifths, slithering from moody slide to elegiac nylon string guitar. The track is more of an homage to the classic instrumentals of the 50's and 60's than a typical neoclassical shred rocker. Amoriello is a huge fan of classics such as Rebel Rouser, Green Onions, Rumble, Buckaroo, Misirlou, Walk Don't Run, Wipe Out, mixed with a touch of Yngwie, Iommi, Depeche Mode, Sisters Of Mercy and Goblin.

Get the single here.

Edge Of Paradise, hailing from sunny California, are heading to the land of ice and snow, to bring you an epic taste of their third full length album. This captivating rock group is getting ready to film a music video in Iceland, for their first single, "Face Of Fear".

Frontwoman Margarita Monet explains, "Over the last six years we've worked extremely hard, we've had many highs and lows, we even released a 6 year anniversary book about all our trials and tribulations :) But we've experienced and learned so much from traveling and sharing our music with people. I have many fears, one of them is loosing inspiration, but I can tell you that right now I am fearless, we have so much fire, and it's fuelling the new music in an incredible way! I know this next album will define our band in a major way, and we want to make the most epic video to introduce you to this album!"

Edge Of Paradise teamed up with Swiss based foundation Souls Of Rock, who's aim is to support talented bands and help bring their music to the stage. Souls Of Rock foundation will help sponsor the making of the video shoot in Iceland. "Face Of Fear" will be directed by award winning film maker, Christian Filippella.

On picking the location, Margarita explains, "The idea came from Christian, when we first met to plan the video. It sounded overwhelming at first, but to capture the essence of the song, we knew we had to make it happen! Nature can be very powerful in making us feel a certain way, and the vast and majestic landscape of Iceland is the perfect combination of mystery and grandeur, to bring forth the empowering message of the song! I can't wait to tell you more, but for now i want to let you know that we will be documenting the making of the video on our social media pages, we want to share with you the magic of Iceland and what it takes to make this video come to life!"

The band is recording their third full length album with Mike Plotnikoff (Halestorm, Three Days Grace) and Chuck Johnson (Korn). Edge Of Paradise broke a lot of ground in 2017, with their Alive EP reaching the Billboard charts, as well as making their European live show debut, among the few achievements for the band, but Edge Of Paradise dove into the new year and is ready to make some serious noise.

Stay posted for the tour announcements, but for now you can catch their electric at a festival in Arizona May 19th - 20th, and at the City National Grove of Anaheim, as Edge Of Paradise share the stage with Hammerfall, June 15th.

The eighth annual Monsters Of Rock Cruise set sail February 11th - 16th aboard Royal Caribbean's Navigator Of The Seas visiting two new ports: Falmouth, Jamaica and the private isle of Labadee. During Stryper frontman Michael Sweet's live acoustic set, he invited Symphony X singer Russell Allen and Whitesnake guitarist Joel Hoekstra on stage for a killer rendition of Bon Jovi's "Livin' On A Prayer".

In the clip below, new Stryper bassist Perry Richardson (ex-Firehouse) joins Sweet for acoustic renditions of Stryper "Soldiers Under Command" and "To Hell With The Devil".

Stryper have released a visualizer for "Take It To The Cross", the opening track of the band's upcoming God Damn Evil album.

"'Take It To The Cross’ is our answer to many fans asking us to do something a little heavier and even bordering on thrash,” says frontman Michael Sweet. “The verses are heavy with a vocal and lyric delivery that's bold and relevant yet the chorus kicks in with a fast, thrashy vibe. We brought in Matt Blanchard (Act Of Defiance, Shadows Fall) to handle the vocal growl on the choruses and the end vamp. This song is 100% high octane.”

Watch the video below and pre-order the new album via the options at http://www.stryper.com/.

God Damn Evil will be released on April 20th. The band's follow-up to 2015's Fallen album was recorded at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts. Artwork and tracklisting below.

Michael Sweet recently stated: "The new Stryper album is our best to date. If this was 1987 (when rock and metal ruled the charts) we might have a Grammy waiting with our name on it. But since this is 2018, we're just happy knowing that our fans will love it. We are blessed. Can't wait to get this one into your ears!"

God Damn Evil tracklislting:

"Take It To The Cross"
"Sorry"
"Lost"
"God Damn Evil"
"You Don’t Even Know Me"
"The Valley"
"Sea Of Thieves"
"Beautiful"
"Can’t Live Without Your Love"
"Own Up"
"The Devil Doesn’t Live Here"

"Take It To The Cross" visualizer:

The South American leg of Epica's The Ultimate Principle Tour kicked off on March 1st in Montevideo, Uruguay. Fan-filmed video is available below featuring "Eidola" (Intro), "Edge Of The Blade", "Sensorium", "Fight Your Demons" and "The Essence Of Silence".

The complete setlist was as follows:

"Edge Of The Blade"
"Sensorium"
"Fight Your Demons"
"The Essence of Silence"
"Storm The Sorrow"
"Ascension - Dream State Armageddon"
"Dancing In A Hurricane"
"Victims of Contingency"
"Cry For The Moon"
"Unchain Utopia"
"Once Upon A Nightmare"

Encore:
"Sancta Terra"
"Beyond The Matrix"
"Consign To Oblivion"

Tour dates:

March
4 - Teatro Flores - Buenos Aires, Argentina
6 - Teatro Del Huerto - Salta, Argentina
9 - Music Hall BH - Belo Horizonte, Brazil
10 - Tropical Butantã - São Paulo, Brazil
11 - Circo Voador - Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
13 - Opinão Porto - Alegre, Brazil
14 - Spazio Van - Curitiba, Brazil
16 - Teatro Manauara - Manaus, Brazil
17 - Espaco Jangada - Fortaleza, Brazil
18 - Clube Português - Recife, Brazil

According to a message on the official Loudness Facebook page, "drummer Masayuki 'Ampan' Suzuki has suffered a stroke and is recovering in hospital. He is doing well under the circumstances. Loudness will do their announced March tour with Ryuichi Nishida as a fill-in. Nishida has performed with Marty Friedman and Gackt in the past."

Suzuki replaced original Loudness drummer Munetaka Higuchi following his passing in November 2008 due to liver cancer, making his recording debut with Loudness on the band's King Of Pain album. Frontman Minoru Niihara commented on Suzuki joining the band in a conversation with BraveWords scribe Carl Begai:

“Masayuki was discovered by Akira (Takasaki / guitars). I didn’t know anything about him until we met at the rehearsal studio. There was a festival a month after Munetaka’s passing, the gig had been booked one year prior. We had an option to cancel the gig but we decided we’ll play because we knew Munetaka would be disappointed if we cancelled. So, we urgently needed a drummer to fill in and that’s when Akira brought Masayuki to the band. He’s very different from Munetaka in terms of his style of drumming but superb in both technique and power. On top of that, we love his sincere and passionate attitude towards rock music.”

“He’s a dedicated drummer who practices with enthusiasm, a world-class drummer who has brass balls. We toured with him several times and came to the conclusion that he’s the guy. After Munetaka’s passing, we feel blessed to have met such an amazing drummer. His drum sound injected new life into Loudness. There wasn’t much difficulty in recording or in live shows. Seemingly, our fans like him as well. It sure does make me feel weird without Munetaka, though.”

Go to this location for the complete story. Loudness' live itinerary can be found here.

Loudness recently released Rise To Glory, the  band's first album in four years and first since 2014's The Sun Will Rise Again, via earMUSIC. The new album is packed with aggression, melody and positive vibes. Vocalist Minoru Niihara says: “The album cheers you up, makes you feel fresh.”

Tracklisting:

"8118"
"Soul On Fire"
"I'm Still Alive"
"Go For Broke"
"Until I See the Light"
"The Voice"
"Massive Tornado"
"Kama Sutra"
"Rise To Glory"
"Why And For Whom"
"No Limits"
"Rain"
"Let's All Rock" (Bonus Track)

"Soul On Fire" video:

"I'm Still Alive":

With the album and the ensuing major scale world tour, Loudness will embark on the biggest global conquest since the 1980s. This indeed is the beginning of their Rise To Glory.

The European and US versions of the album are accompanied by Samsara Flight, a collection of 13 of the band's early classics re-recorded; it was originally released in Japan in 2016, including “Loudness”, “In The Mirror”, etc.

Loudness are:

Akira Takasaki - Guitar
Minoru Niihara - Vocals
Masayoshi Yamashita - Bass
Masayuki Suzuki - Drums

The Fright have released a video for “Fade Away”, a track from their new album Canto V, available via SPV/Steamhammer. Watch the new clip below.

The Canto V album was produced by Waldemar Sorychta (Lacuna Coil, Tiamat, Sodom, Moonspell), who commented on his co-operation with The Fright: "This is a really outstanding band and they present a well dosed mixture between Gothic tunes and metal. Strong melodies and hook lines alongside a very talented shouter - this is top notch! The whole production process was extremely enjoyable. I definitely found some new friends. Thanks a lot guys."

Canto V’s cover art was created by German artist Timo Würz.

Tracklisting:

“Bonfire Night”
“No One”
“Wander Alone”
“Love Is Gone”
“Fade Away”
“Oblivion”
“Leave”
“Drowned In Red”
“Century Without A Name”
“In Sicherheit”

“Fade Away” video:

“Oblivion” video:

“Bonfire Night” video:

Saigon Kick guitarist Jason Bieler has released a new solo song via Bandcamp. Check out the song "Turn Out The Lights" via the audio player below.

Turn Out The Lights by Jason Bieler

On February 14th, students and staff at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland (Miami), FL were victims in a mass shooting. Seventeen people were killed and fifteen more were taken to hospitals. The suspected perpetrator, Nikolas Cruz, was arrested shortly afterward and charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.

Saigon Kick frontman Matt Kramer and guitarist Jason Bieler attended and performed at the event. They have posted the following updates:

Bieler: "I'm going to write a full recap of the night soon, but what a wonderful evening filled with wonderful people doing wonderful things in a wonderful town that I will always call home."

Kramer: "What a beautiful night of healing. Even got the old NMB crowd together with my Mom who in her day was quite the opera singer turned 80 last week. She really enjoyed the one time ever acoustic setup we were doing.. Feeling blessed after a night of service for MSDstrong. Love and light from my family to all of yours. Been having a lot of people contact me asking for a full version of the 'Hallelujah' performance. I had this sent to me and wanted to share. My love goes out to all students, friends and families affected by this horrible tragedy. It was an honor to be playing this event."

Following the single announcement earlier this week, Monument have announced the details of their new album Hellhound, out via Rock Of Angels Records.

On May 25th, Hellhound will see the light of day. The album, consisting of nine plus three bonus tracks of pure British heavy metal, will also be available in a limited 500 copy Boxset version, red, yellow and orange marbled double vinyl and on black vinyl (nine tracks only).

Twin guitar melodies, loud bass tones, thundering drums and soaring tenor vocals are all present in abundance. Lyrically, the album draws inspiration from a variety of sources like history, urban London life, the occult and personal relationships.

Peter Ellis - the voice of Monument- comments: "Hellhound is, in my opinion, the best album we have released so far in our career. The song writing is a lot more mature on this album and the songs are very cohesive. Musically, it is the natural progression of Hair Of The Dog, with lots of twin harmonies, loud lead bass tones etc. Lyrically, I drew inspiration from different sources and situations, like I usually tent to do, so it is a mixture of historical themes, urban London culture as well as some more lighthearted stuff which I do enjoy writing as well. Another big step up was the inclusion of Tony Newton to the team as our producer, which played a very big part in finally being able to capture the real sound of the band on tape and it is something we have always wanted to do. Monument is a ‘live’ band and Tony was able to capture that in a really cool way."

Tony Newton's inclusion as the band's producer has captured the band's real sound for the first time and that sound is unmistakably British. To drop a few more names, the album was engineered by the band's very own guitarist Dan Baune. Produced and mixed by Tony Newton (Iron Maiden - Producer of The Book Of Souls: Live Chapter) at Barnyard Studio, Essex, UK and mastered by Ade Emsley at Table of Tone Mastering.

Hellhound’s artwork, design and layout was done by graphic designer Stan-W Decker (Masterplan, Vanden Plas, Resurrection Kings, Stryper).

The boxset includes: 
-Hellhound In Limited Digipack CD
-Hellhound In Red/Yellow/Orange Marbled Double Vinyl (Boxset Exclusive Vinyl)
-Artwork / Band Photo Poster
-Signed Postcard
-“William Kidd” Official Flag 150x100cm
-Monument Logo Patch

Tracklisting:

Red/Yellow/Orange Marbled Double Vinyl (Boxset Exclusive Vinyl):

Side A
“William Kidd”
“The Chalice”
“Death Avenue”

Side B
“Nightrider”
“Hellhound”
“Wheels Of Steel”

Side C
“The End”
“Attila”
“Straight Through The Heart”

Side D (Bonus Tracks)
“Creatures Of The Night”
“Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Rainbow cover)
“Déjà vu” (Iron Maiden cover)

Black Vinyl:

Side A
“William Kidd”
“The Chalice”
“Death Avenue”
“Nightrider”
“Hellhound”

Side B
“Wheels Of Steel”
“The End”
“Attila”
“Straight Through The Heart”

Nuclear Blast Entertainment will release the new album from Tax The Heat, Change Your Position, on March 9th. The album will be available as CD and digital. The band have released a new video trailer, entitled The Medicine Sessions: Episode Five. Check it out below.

Change Your Position is the follow up to the 2016 critically-acclaimed debut album Fed To The Lions. The new album sees the band take a huge step forward as both songwriters and performers. The band's unique blend of fuzz-driven rock with a modern alternative twist has won them a legion of fans. The album stamps its authority right from the off with the taut "Money In The Bank" (also the first single). From the staccato stomp of "Playing With Fire" to the huge riffs of "Cut Your Chains," from the garage rock of "On The Run" to the slow groove and instant lyrical hit of "All That Medicine". Change Your Position is a lean, focused album loaded with an energy that is set to propel the band to headline status.

The driving rhythms of Jack Taylor (drums) and Antonio Angotti (bass) are overlaid with the powerful riffs of JP Jacyshyn (guitars) and distinctive melodies of Alex Veale (vocals, guitars).

"If an album is about capturing a band or artist at a certain point, Change Your Position might have happened at the perfect time. As a band we toured, found our sound, found our place and took inspiration from a world in utter chaos. With Change Your Position we pushed ourselves creatively as hard as we could and it took us further into ourselves than we expected - we hope it's apparent to the listener." - Alex Veale

Tracklisting:

“Money In The Bank”
“Change Your Position”
“Playing With Fire”
“All That Medicine”
“On The Run”
“The Last Time”
“Taking The Hit”
“My Headspace”
“We Are Consumers”
“Cut Your Chains”
“Wearing A Disguise”
“The Symphony Has Begun”

“Change Your Position” video:

“All That Medicine” lyric video:

“Money In The Bank” video:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode One:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Two:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Three:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Four:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Five:

East Coast crossover titans Iron Reagan and rising Sonoran death metallers Gatecreeper unite for a split recording of cranium crushing proportions. Across eight new tracks of auditory and lyrical venom, both bands showcase why they're two of the most talked about groups in extreme metal today. The split LP, mixed by Kurt Ballou at Godcity Studios, is out today, March 2nd on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records.

Stream Iron Reagan’s new video for "Take The Fall" below:

Physical packages are available via Relapse.com here and digital downloads via Iron Reagan’s Bandcamp here and Gatecreeper’s Bandcamp here.

Tracklisting:

Side A - Iron Reagan

"Warning"
"Paper Shredder"
"Take the Fall"
"Proudly Unaccountable"
"Burn for This"

"Warning":

"Paper Shredder":

Side B - Gatecreeper

"Daybreak" (Intro)
"Dead Inside"
"War Has Begun"

"Dead Inside":

"War Has Begun":

 

On May 23, the surviving members of MR. BIG will perform a tribute concert to late drummer Pat Torpey — who passed away due to complications from Parkinson's disease on February 7 — at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, California. Also performing will be Torpey's former bandmate Richie Kotzen, who was a member of MR. BIG from 1999 to 2002, and an "all-star lineup" that will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for "Mr. Big And Friends: Celebrating The Life Of Pat Torpey" are $15 and can be purchased now via Ticketmaster.

Formed in 1988, MR. BIG produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide away of rock genres, including ballads, heavy metal and blues rock. Their hits included "Alive And Kicking", "Just Take My Heart" and the chart-topping ballad "To Be With You". The group released its ninth studio album, "Defying Gravity", last July via Frontiers Music Srl.

During his career, the Cleveland-born Torpey also toured and/or recorded with a number of high-profile musicians, including Robert Plant, Belinda Carlisle, John Parr, MONTROSE, THE KNACK and Ted Nugent. After announcing his Parkinson's diagnosis in 2014, he continued to write, record and perform with MR. BIG, who also recruited Matt Starr (Ace Frehley) to share drum duties. "I've been dealing with Parkinson's symptoms for the past couple of years and only recently received a confirmed diagnosis as symptoms worsened," Torpey said at the time. "I intend to fight the disease with the same intensity and tenacity that I drum and life my life by, and will continue recording and performing, as always, to the best of my ability."

MR. BIG will apparently honor its existing live commitments — which include a June Australian tour with EXTREME and a series of European summer festival dates — but it remains unclear whether the group will continue on afterward.

Prior to Torpey's death last year, vocalist Eric Martin described Torpey as the spiritual "driving force" behind the band. "Every time he goes, 'Oh, man, I don't know if I can do this,' I don't know about the rest of the guys, if he bows out, I'm going to bow out with him."

Photo credit: William Hames