The newly established Symmetric Records, a record label run by busy musician and producer Bob Katsionis has just announced the beginning of its collaboration with Athens-based modern atmospheric progressive metallers Mask Of Prospero.
 
Their debut album will be released on March 11th alongside a live performance of the band in Athens and it will be available as a Digipak and also in the form of an Icon-Disc, a pioneering format which brings the experience of listening to an album in every iOS/Android based device.

 
“We are really happy for our collaboration with Symmetric Records, not only because we know and trust Bob (to whom we also trusted the production of our album), but also because we want to be one of the first bands to release their music as an Icon-Disc! In addition to that, there is a notable transparency in financial agreements between us and Bob and we also know that he will do the best possible for us, without false promises. We are looking forward to the release date!” says the band.
 
Bob states that “Mask of Prospero is a band that I really wanted to include in my label’s roster. They are thirsty to create and passionate to work. They are also nice guys and I really prefer working with and helping such musicians to collaborating with a band that may sell more, but I can’t get along with. Their debut album is something that hasn’t been heard before in our country and I will do whatever I can to make this album as successful as possible.”

“Dark Matter” lyric video:

The new lineup of the legendary American thrash metal band EXHORDER made its live debut on February 9 at the St. Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, New York. Official video footage of the "Legions Of Death" performance from the concert can be seen below.

EXHORDER now features founding members Vinnie LaBella (guitar) and Kyle Thomas (vocals) along with Jason Viebrooks (HEATHEN) on bass, Marzi Montazeri (ex-SUPERJOINT RITUAL, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) on guitar and Sasha Horn (FORBIDDEN) on drums.

Thomas told The Metal Crypt that "it's really kind of odd" how the EXHORDER reformation happened. "We had been gradually talking again after many years of not seeing each other too much, and one night we were at a Corey Feldman concert, of all places," he said. "It just kind of popped up where we were like, 'Do you want to?' and the other guy said, 'Yeah, sure.' It was just about that boring."

Thomas also talked about EXHORDER's latest additions, explaining: "Jason has been a friend of ours since the '90s, and he has a long history of being involved with EXHORDER. It always seemed like he was around right before we broke up, so maybe he is the problem. [Laughs] Seriously though, Jason and Vinnie started YEAR OF THE TYRANT with Sasha Horn, which Dan Nelson [formerly of ANTHRAX] has now joined. Marzi invited me to collaborate with him in HEAVY AS TEXAS and we played one show last year. We are currently recording an album together. Marzi jumped on board recently, and the two bands kind of merged into an EXHORDER reformation. Weird, but it will be amazing."

EXHORDER is planning on making several festival appearances during the summer.

Kyle confirmed that if the upcoming shows go well, there are plans for EXHORDER to play more concerts and possibly even work on new music. "We are going to gauge the interest level before we go crazy booking a lot of shows, but the more we get into this, the more it seems likely that a lot will happen with new material eventually surfacing," he said. "It's pretty exciting having it unfold before our eyes." As for what a new EXHORDER album may sound like, Kyle said: "We would want it to be deserving of the EXHORDER logo on the front of anything we release. We owe that to the EXHORDER fanbase. We owe that to ourselves also. I have a pretty good feeling it will not disappoint."

EXHORDER relased two albums in the early 1990s through the Roadrunner label — 1990's "Slaughter in the Vatican" and 1992's "The Law" — before breaking up, with Kyle going on to form FLOODGATE and also briefly appearing live as the vocalist for TROUBLE, which he later joined on a full-time basis (and is still a member of).

EXHORDER is cited by many as the originators of the riff-heavy power-groove approach popularized by PANTERA.

Photo credit: Dante Torrieri

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS will release "Bad Frequencies", the band's first full-length album since 2013, on April 27 via on Pure Noise Records.

Singer and guitarist JT Woodruff states: "We wrote 'Bad Frequencies' over the course of a year, which was our longest writing process as a band. We played 170 shows in 2017, wrote every moment that we could, then demoed, then recorded an album. I think we fit everything we possibly could in 365 days, and we are very proud of that."

Along with the news of the upcoming album and label signing, HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS is premiering "Pink Hearts", the first single from "Bad Frequencies". Woodruff says: "If we try, we can stay young forever, but I'm not sure we actually want to. 'Pink Hearts' is about burning through relationships, because you are selfishly just having fun when you are young. Eventually you have to wake up and grow up, and hope that you haven't cut someone too deep."

"Bad Frequencies" was produced by HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS along with Nick Ingram, and mixed by Cameron Webb (NOFX, SOCIAL DISTORTION). The band previously worked with Ingram on the "Hurt" EP and Webb on "Push Me Away", which was released last summer ahead of their full run on the Vans Warped Tour.

"Bad Frequencies" track listing:

01. In Gloom
02. Pink Hearts
03. Crimson Sand
04. The Perfect Way To Fall Apart
05. Just Another Ghost
06. Bad Frequencies
07. Skylark
08. Edge Of Town
09. Starlighter (Echo, Utah)
10. Push Me Away
11. The Suicide Mile
12. Straight Down The Line
13. Pills

Although the HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS members wrote "Bad Frequencies" on their own, they felt like the timing was right to join a label again, but were thoughtful and careful in their outreach. On joining the Pure Noise Records family, the band says: "We had been doing it ourselves for a few years, and while we love having all that freedom, we really thought that this was a great album to dive back into the label atmosphere. We've followed Pure Noise for years, and have always been impressed with how they release records, and the bands they choose to sign. We really believe that 'Bad Frequencies' is one of the best things that we've created as HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS, so we wanted to give it every possible chance at success. After a few conversations with Jake, we knew everything would come together quickly, and that it would be a fun project for both the band and label."

HAWTHORNE HEIGHTS will hit embark on a 50-city USA headlining tour in April. With support from LISTENER, HOTEL BOOKS, SIENNA SKIES and HEAVY THINGS, the "Bad Frequencies" tour will kick off in Albany, New York on April 18 and travel to cities like San Antonio, Columbus, San Diego, Boise, Seattle and Honolulu before wrapping up in Fairbanks, Alaska on June 30.

Power metallers Reverence released their Foreverence EP on December 22nd through Razar Ice Records and is available at the band's official website, iTunes, Amazon, Spotify and other media outlets. Foreverence is a tribute to their guitarist Pete Rossi, who passed away unexpectedly this past March. A lyric video for "New Order" is streaming below.

Guitarist Bryan Holland: “This EP is a really special release for us, to pay our respects and honor the memory of Pete Rossi who was not only a tremendously gifted musician and bandmate but also our friend. Although I do have a few other recordings of Pete that may see the light of day down the road, a few tracks on this EP are his very last recordings with Reverence, one of which is a solo spotlight idea that he put together for our live shows where he and I were to trade guitar solos back and forth with a climactic solo harmony ending. Sadly, we were never able to bring it to life on stage but it is presented here exactly the way he gave it to me.”

 All Reverence artwork is from Jobert Mello of Sledgehammer graphix.

"Fire Lord" video:

Reverence is a Detroit, Michigan based power metal band featuring Scott Oliva (Wind Wraith, Oceans Of Night, Live After Death), Bryan Holland (Tokyo Blade, Arrest), Steve "Doc Killdrums" Wacholz (founding member of Savatage, Crimson Glory), Pete Rossi (RIP 2017), Paul Kleff (Firewolfe, Metal Church), and Russell Pzutto (Scarecrow).

For further details, visit the official Reverence Facebook page.

KREATOR frontman Mille Petrozza was interviewed on a recent episode of the "TV War" show on Greece's Mad TV. You can now watch the chat below (starting at around 12-minute mark). A couple of exerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On why it took five years to release the follow-up to 2012's "Phantom Antichrist" album:

Mille: "Inspiration, timing… There's been a lot of touring for 'Phantom Antichrist'. And, of course, you don't wanna release an album when you don't have anything to say, if you're not inspired. And I know some bands that just… they have a plan where they go, like, 'Okay, we're gonna release an album now at this time, or this time.' I couldn't do this. I mean, I don't wanna wait another five years for the next record, but I can't force creativity. Inspiration comes when you work on music, of course. But I wanna stay relevant as a metal band. And I don't wanna be, 'Okay, this is our 14th album,' and this is, like, 'We love the old stuff, but the new stuff doesn't matter.' I'm not that kind of band. As soon as I think that we don't have anything more to say, we will split up the band. I think there's no need to release another KREATOR record if there's no great ideas."

On whether he still feels a need to take KREATOR in a more "experimental" musical direction, like he did in the 1990s:

Mille: "Experimenting, to me, nowadays means a different thing than, let's say, in the '90s. In the '90s, the technology that came up was inviting bands, or artists, to come up with new sounds, samples, new ways of integrating technology into the music. And we did that — on 'Endorama' we did that, we did that on 'Outcast' and 'Renewal'. But nowadays, this is not a challenge, because we know the technology, we know what's there and we know that you can, in theory, record the album in your living room, and you have the same great equipment as we would have in the '80s when we had to pay a lot of money to rent a studio. So that period is over — absolutely. I don't think it's exciting anymore to put a sample into a KREATOR song; what's the big deal? So we focus more on the melodies, we focus more on the music, we focus more on the energy. The essential element of KREATOR's music nowadays would be the combination of the four characters — the four characters that are creating something exciting and something fresh. I'm the main songwriter, I write the songs, but it's very important that all four members participate with their ideas when it comes to arrangements, little bits and pieces. So coming across as a band is the most important thing. The technology nowdays makes mediocre bands sound amazing, so we're trying to step back and keep the old-school vibe with the modern sounds. So, to us, it's all about authenticity and creativity and the true spirit of KREATOR, which has a legacy. We started in the '80s, so keeping the spirit alive in the year 2018, or 2017, when we released the last album, that's the challenge."

On what's next for KREATOR:

Mille: "We tour. This year is another touring year. I think we're gonna take next year off and write a new record. That's the plan at least. We'll see what happens. I don't put myself under pressure. Let's see how I feel after this tour, and if I have ideas for new music, I will book a studio and start working on demos as soon as I have the time. And then I'll come up with some new stuff."

KREATOR is currently on a co-headlining North American tour with SABATON. The 24-date trek kicked off February 8 at The Van Buren in Phoenix, Arizona and makes stops in Los Angeles, Montreal, and Philadelphia before concluding at Jannus Landing in Tampa, Florida on March 10.

KREATOR is continuing to tour in support of "Gods Of Violence", which entered the official chart in Germany at position No. 1. The cover artwork for the album was created by renowned artist Jan Meininghaus, who also made the limited-edition artwork for KREATOR's previous effort, 2012's "Phantom Antichrist", and has lent his talents to bands like BOLT THROWER, ACCEPT and OVERKILL in the past.

SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo has told Ireland's Overdrive that the band is continuing to work on material for the final installment of its "United World Rebellion" trilogy of EPs. The follow-up to 2014's "Rise Of The Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two" and 2013's "United World Rebellion: Chapter One" will mark the band's first release with the South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), who officially joined SKID ROW last year.

"Myself and Rachel [Bolan, bass] are here in Nashville where Rachel lives and has a studio," Sabo said. "We're working on some post-production stuff at the moment. We have a small rehearsal space in east Nashville, which is really great as it's like jamming in someone's living room. I got down here a couple of days ago to write, which I've been doing now for a while. I come down here once a month and Rachel and I just get together and write and start working on new ideas, so we don't really have a definitive timeline as to when we will actually be recording the record."

According to Sabo, SKID ROW has spoken to Michael Wagener, the producer of the band's first two albums (1989's "Skid Row" and 1991's "Slave To The Grind"), about helming the new EP. "He's totally up for doing that, so we just have to make both schedules work," the guitarist said. "Obviously, we have a lot of touring that we are doing this year, so I don't know if we're gonna be able to go in a do it all in one shot, or just by doing a few tracks at a time." He added: "We are just so psyched to be working with Michael again, so much so that it's really energized us and we'll just do whatever we have to do in order to make it work."

Sabo was also full of praise for Theart, whom he called "such a welcome presence within the band. Number one, he's a good guy and a very positive person that doesn't get thrown off the rails," he said. "He's got a very positive outlook on life and that in itself has brought so much to the inner workings of the band. For me, having that energy around has been fantastic and has had a very profounding effect on us all… He's all about the band and the idea of making SKID ROW bigger, better and stronger. ZP's also very respectful of our past, he understands where we came from and our body of work, which he shows great reverence towards. That's huge for us, man. This is just all just part of who ZP is and his natural personality. He's a really good guy and a total team player."

As for Theart's approach to singing the classic SKID ROW material, Sabo said: "He really knows where these songs have come from and pays huge respect to each and every one of them. He wants to do the tracks as they were originally recorded because he's very aware that the people in the audience want to hear the songs the way they were recorded. ZP is very interested in paying respect to the legacy but also doing the best job that he can when performing them. The bottom line is, ZP loves the material and it shows."

Sabo also once again dismissed talk of a reunion with former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach, saying "it's been talked to death on so many levels" and insisting that "nothing has changed." He added: "I don't disregard our past in any way because it's what got us here, but let's just concentrate on the present. It's like talking about an ex-girlfriend that you dated 20 years ago. Why bother? I'm all about moving forward and concentrating on the stuff that I'm doing or about to do."

Despite having played sporadic shows with SKID ROW for a year, Theart wasn't officially announced as the band's new frontman until January 2017.

Theart stepped into the group following the departure of Tony Harnell, the former TNT frontman who joined SKID ROW in April 2015 as the replacement for Johnny Solinger, the band's singer of 15 years.

Agoraphobic News conducted an interview with mainman Patrick Mameli of reactivated Dutch death metal veterans PESTILENCE prior to the band's February 12 concert at SKC Fabrikaon in Novi Sad, Serbia. You can watch the entire chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On PESTILENCE's new studio album, "Hadeon":

Patrick: "The new stuff is just, I guess, more of the same of PESTILENCE. It's not a 'part two' of anything, it's just like a combination of everything that I've done in the past and I guess, a little bit more simplified. So, going a little bit away from the progressiveness of the last two albums, I think. It's a little more straightforward."

On why PESTILENCE, who temporarily disbanded in 2014, but reformed in 2016, took so long to record the follow-up to 2013's "Obsideo":

Patrick: "It doesn't have anything to do with that we've been away to record an album. Within a year, I can write a new album, that's not it. It's finding the right people and getting a good record label. Once that was finished and done, we inked a deal and within a year, all the songs were done. Now we're here and the new album comes out March 9."

On the band's 1988 debut, "Malleus Maleficarum":

Patrick: "It was our first real album and back then, we were little bit more influenced by thrash and during the days when SEPULTURA was getting big and KREATOR and all these bands, so we still have really fond memories of that album, although we have progressed a lot since then. But, tonight, we're going to play four songs [from it] and they're still difficult to play because it has high thrash standards."

On whether he has ever taken influence from thrash metal bands when composing for PESTILENCE:

Patrick: "No. I'm not influenced by anything, really. I don't listen to metal. Of course, back in the day we did listen to metal. That's why, let's say, 'Malleus' and 'Consuming [Impulse]' kind of sound like certain bands. We were influenced by DEATH, INFERNAL MAJESTY and stuff like that. After those two albums, we didn't want to go in that direction anymore and we started to create our own style, I guess. With that new style comes, of course, your own lyrics that are more based on reality, what's happening nowadays in the world. That hasn't changed, although we touch sometimes religious subjects and anti things, anti church and stuff like that. But, we are not a gore band or bloody band or anything like that. We try to approach little more intelligent topics."

On the importance of the band's 1989 "Consuming Impulse" album:

Patrick: "That was the first, I guess, the first time we were actually thinking of what PESTILENCE could be like and trying to define your own style and sound. We always wanted to be the European answer to DEATH. I think that album was kind of setting the standard for us, although we listened too much to death metal at that time, so we didn't have totally our own style. It was developing still, but, we still had a long way to go. Finally, with 'Testimony Of The Ancients', I guess our most successful album to date, is when we started to create our own style which is what we're still doing now."

On the cover art for "Consuming Impulse", which reportedly was replaced at the last minute by Roadrunner Records without the band's consent:

Patrick: "That was our first encounter with Roadrunner Records where we thought, 'Well, those guys are really a bunch of idiots.' We had another album cover that kind of fitted the style and fitted the lyrics and everything. 'Consuming Impulse', I don't understand why 'Consuming Impulse' has anything to do with ants. They don't consume anything, but whatever. I don't get it. They told me that the album cover we had was too brutal for the mainstream American market, which we didn't care about anyway for any market, we just wanted to make good music. If it gets picked up because of our musical and creative integrity, that will be the case, but since they took that away from us and there was no communication whatsoever and it was just in the stores. We were just like 'Wow. How can you do that? Just take the creativity away from a band?'"

On the "dirty" production values found on "Consuming Impulse":

Patrick: "I had this little idea how to make it sound really, really dirty. It hadn't been done before. We just figured 'Let's try it.' It became a success. We put a flanger over both guitar signals throughout the whole album, which is unheard of to do something like that. This sound is all over the album and it's not too dominant there, but it makes the album sound really, really dirty."

On whether "Consuming Impulse" had an impact on the Swedish death metal scene:

Patrick: "I don't think those guys were influenced by us or Florida death metal. I think that they wanted to define themselves so they came up with their own raunchy sound. It works for them. It worked for bands like GRAVE. I still like the old demos, the older GRAVE and stuff like that, the old ENTOMBED, but as time passes on, you have to keep on exploring and reinventing your own style. But, we're more into the Florida scene because I think those bands were of a higher standard."

"Hadeon" is slated for a March 9 release via Hammerheart.

The new "Hadeon" cover artwork was created by Michal "Xaay" Loranc (BEHEMOTH, NILE, EVOCATION, VADER, NECROPHAGIST), a very talented Polish graphic designer who perfectly turned Mameli's visions and concept into art.

The previously released artwork for "Hadeon" was ditched in October amid accusations of plagiarism.

Guitarist extraordinaire Santiago Dobles (AGHORA, CYNIC, DOBLES ENSEMBLE) contributed some excellent solos to "Hadeon", but is not participating in live performances with PESTILENCE.

Replacing Dobles in PESTILENCE's current lineup is Calin Paraschiv. Calin hails from Romania and also plays in another project (NECROVILE) with current PESTILENCE drummer Septimiu Hărşan.

PESTILENCE is:

Patrick Mameli - Lead guitar/Vocals
Calin Paraschiv - Lead guitar
Tilen Hudrap - Bass
Septimiu Hărşan - Drums

Former QUEENSRŸCHE and current OPERATION: MINDCRIME singer Geoff Tate was recently interviewed by AntiHero Magazine. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked to name the most inspirational musician he has ever worked with, Tate said: "Oh, wow! Inspirational… I would say probably Michael Kamen. He was a classical orchestrator and a writer and a musician who I worked with several times over the years. And he was just very musical. He really had insight into music and really loved the music for the purity of it and the art of it. He didn't give a shit about what anybody else thought. He just liked what he liked and he did what he liked. And I really respect people who have that kind of vision and fortitude, really."

Tate is celebrating the 30th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's "Operation: Mindcrime" album on his current European tour.

Geoff was fired from QUEENSRŸCHE in 2012. He has since been replaced by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Tate recently recorded a brand-new song in support of charity. All proceeds from the track, which is titled "I've Seen The Way The Wind Blows", will benefit MercyWatch, a nonprofit focused on outreach to the homeless community in Snohomish County, located in the U.S. state of Washington, where Tate lives with his family.

"A New Reality", the third and final of a concept album trilogy from Geoff's OPERATION: MINDCRIME project, was made available in December.

Former Guns N' Roses manager Alan Niven recently guested on Appetite For Distortion. He talks about his first impressions of GNR, to the eventual change in management, to specific tours (Rolling Stones/Iron Maiden), to his relationship with former Guns N' Roses guitarist Izzy Stradln, to Axl/DC, to KISS, to mental health.

During the discussion Niven reveals that Stradlin was in fact due to take part in Guns N' Roses' Not In This Lifetime Tour, but things didn't go as hoped.

Niven: "Izzy did get as far as flying out and doing a soundcheck, and he left after a soundcheck. He didn't want to have anything to do with it. It was last year, somewhere out in the midwest, when they were doing stadiums. Obviously had it gone well and everybody had been happy, and there had been a little bit of brotherhood, I'm sure he would have stayed with it, but something must have really upset him because he left after the soundcheck and never turned up for another one or an appearance. I would think right now he's probably a little pissed off."

Guns N’ Roses have released a recap video showing highlights from the fall 2017 North American leg of their Not In This Lifetime tour. Watch below:

The resurgent Guns N’ Roses and their massively successful Not In This Lifetime Tour continue to show no signs of slowing down as the band storms into 2018 with 13 stadium shows lined up across Europe, as well as festival headline slots at Download Festival UK, Paris and Madrid, Italy’s Firenze Rocks and Belgium’s Graspop Metal Meeting.

Starting on June 3rd at Berlin’s Olympiastadion, the Live Nation produced tour will steamroll across Europe including shows scheduled in Denmark, UK, France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, Holland, Poland, Norway, Sweden as well as multiple shows in Germany. For the first time in the group’s history the international rock icons will perform in Estonia, at the renowned Tallinn Song Festival Grounds.

Tour dates:

June
3 - Berlin, Germany - Olympiastadion
6 - Odense, Denmark - Dyreskuepladsen
9 - Donnington, UK - Download
12 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Veltins Arena
15 - Firenze, Italy - Firenze Rocks
18 - Paris, France - Download
21 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal Meeting
24 - Mannheim, Germany - Maimarktgelände
26 - Bordeaux, France - Matmut Stadium
29 - Madrid, Spain - Download

July
1 - Barcelona, Spain - Estadio Olympico
4 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Goffertpark
7 - Leipzig, Germany - Festwiese
9 - Chorzow, Poland - Stadion Slaski
13 - Moscow, Russia - Otkritie Arena
16 - Tallinn, Estonia - Tallinn Song Festival Ground
19 - Oslo, Norway - Valle Hovin
21 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadium

The Pulse Of Radio reports that Ozzy Osbourne and his guitarist Zakk Wylde have given a helping hand to a Canadian man whose CD collection was stolen out of his car while he was making a pizza delivery. According to CBC News, Josh Cook of St. John's, New Brunswick was inside an apartment complex delivering the pizza when he heard his engine rev and ran outside to see his car speed off, with a large collection of music inside.

The car was later returned to the same location, irreparably damaged and missing Cook's trove of hard rock and metal CDs — all except one disc by Wylde's band BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. Somehow Wylde's son got word of what happened and within a few days, an enormous box of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY swag arrived on Cook's doorstep. That was followed a few days later by a box containing Ozzy Osbourne T-shirts, a signed photo and a complete discography of Ozzy's work, including all his solo CDs and his catalog with BLACK SABBATH.

Cook said: "These guys, they don't know who I am, but they set me up with all this stuff. It's amazing."

Neither Wylde nor Ozzy have issued any comments on the matter.

Ozzy reunited with Wylde for the first time in more than a decade last year, with Wylde — who first joined Ozzy's solo band back in 1988 — joining the Prince Of Darkness for some 2017 shows and his upcoming "No More Tours 2" trek, which is expected to last through 2020.

Ozzy told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that playing guitar for him is a high-pressure job. "Whoever stands in the shoes of another guitar player that's played with me has got a lot to achieve, you know. And no matter what I say to them, you know — Zakk was the new guy once, and Randy [Rhoads] was the new guy once, and Jake E. Lee was the new guy — it's got to be the hardest gig in the world after all them guys I've had, from Tony Iommi onwards, you know. I mean, the guitar players I've worked with in my career have been unbelievable, you know."

Ozzy's final world tour kicks off this spring with dates in Mexico, South America and Europe, coming to North America in August. It's slated to last until 2020.

He insisted that he is not retiring from music at the end of the tour, but is instead saying goodbye to long global treks in favor of select shows.

He also said at a press conference last month that he has "eight or nine" song ideas for a new album, which he may work on once the tour is completed.

Robert Plant says that there will be a celebration "somewhere" of LED ZEPPELIN's 50th anniversary this year and that he will meet up with the other surviving members of the band to discuss plans to mark the milestone.

An official illustrated book, "Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin", will be released in October while guitarist Jimmy Page recently said that another LED ZEPPELIN live album will arrive later this year, with additional "releases" coming out over the next decade.

Speaking to The Current about ZEPPELIN's plans to celebrate hitting the half-century mark, the singer said: "Well, we're planning to get together and talk about it. Basically, it's very difficult to find stuff that still is unheard. And not only will it be 50 years, but it'll be, next year, 38 years since John [Bonham, drums] passed away. And the great thing about LED ZEPPELIN was that we didn't chronicle ourselves; we just kind of went from town to town and sang songs and played guitars and stuff and then went about our lives."

Plant added that he wished "that we had more stuff to look at, but there will be a book of photographs and stuff. But some of it will be particularly interesting, I think," he said. "Beyond that, musically, there's bits and pieces lying around, but not an album or anything like that. But there will be a celebration, I'm sure, somewhere. A cork will pop! [makes sound effects]"

LED ZEPPELIN hasn't performed together in more than a decade, having last played London's O2 Arena in December 2007. The concert was part of the Ahmet Ertegun tribute event, which was chronicled on the band's 2012 "Celebration Day" CD and DVD. The set, which featured Jason Bonham subbing for his late father John Bonham on drums, marked Page, Robert Plant and Paul Jones's first full-scale concert together since John Bonham's 1980 death.

Last October, Plant shot down the possibility of a LED ZEPPELIN reunion, telling the Daily Telegraph that "you can't ever really go back." He added: "It's tough enough repeating yourself with something that's a year old, never mind 49 years old. I've got to keep moving."

Plant has arguably been the lone holdout for another LED ZEPPELIN reunion. Despite promoter-led attempts to get the band to reform for a series of concerts, Plant remains committed to his new musical direction in the roots and blues-based "Americana" field.

Deadline is reporting Tony Cavalero, who stars on Nickelodeon’s School Of Rock series, has officially signed on to play Ozzy Osbourne in Netflix’s Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt.

Best known for School Of Rock, Cavalero has also had recurring roles on Hart of Dixie and the digital series Aim High. He can currently be seen alongside Adam Devine, Alexandra Daddario and Robbie Amell in the Netflix movie When We First Met.

As the long-gestating Mötley Crüe biopic The Dirt heads toward a production start, the film is in the home sweet home stretch of securing the leads who will play the iconic hair metal band, reports Borys Kit of The Hollywood Reporter.

Game Of Thrones actor Iwan Rheon and The Punisher actor Daniel Webber are in negotiations to star as guitarist Mick Mars and frontman Vince Neil, respectively.

If the deals go through, the actors will join Douglas Booth, who is on board as Nikki Sixx, and Machine Gun Kelly, who is due to play drummer Tommy Lee, in the movie based on the best-selling autobiography written by the band and author Neil Strauss.

Learn more at this location.

"Hey kids, good news," Tommy Lee recently proclaimed. "The Mötley Crüe movie The Dirt has begun pre-production. Starts shooting in February. Here we go!"

Stay tuned for updates.

"Heretic", a new song from Norwegian extreme, melodic metallers SUSPERIA, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's first full-length studio album since 2009, titled "The Lyricist", which will be released on March 16 via Agonia Records.

The origins of SUSPERIA can be traced back to 1998 when Tjodalv, then occupying the drum seat with DIMMU BORGIR, and longtime friend Cyrus (ex-SATYRICON, OLD MAN'S CHILD) got together to share ideas and write songs. Clearly rooted and seasoned in the Norwegian black metal scene, SUSPERIA elevated its sound into more melodic areas of extreme metal, embracing and exploring a variety of musical avenues with ease.

On "The Lyricist", SUSPERIA has gone back to its black origin in many ways, one of which is a grimmer expression. The characteristic melodic twist the band is known for is still present, and an additional layer of variety has been added thanks to new vocalist, Bernt "Dagon" Fjellestad (whose stage debut with the band was made at last year's 70000 Tons Of Metal). From SUSPERIA's pragmatic point of view, the new album is a "good old-fashioned kick in the head, both old and new fans should find enjoyable".

Track listing:

01. I Entered
02. Heretic
03. The Lyricist
04. My Darkest Moment
05. Day I Died
06. Void
07. Feed The Fire
08. Whore Of Man
09. Come Alive

"The Lyricist" was recorded at three different studios in Norway between February 2015 and May 2016. The album was later mixed and mastered at Strand Studio (CHROME DIVISION, THE WRETCHED END, IN VAIN) by Marius Strand. Cover design and artwork was prepared by Vincent Fouquet. New band photos were shot by Espen Bakken.

SUSPERIA lineup:

Dagon - vocals
Tjodalv - drums
Memnock - bass
Cyrus - guitar
Elvorn - guitar

Quality multi-camera video footage of former MARILYN MANSON and current ROB ZOMBIE guitarist John 5 performing on February 17 at the Token Lounge in Westland, Michigan can be seen below (clip edited and produced by George S Pogacich).

As previously reported, John 5 will be joined by Ace Frehley (KISS) during his April 6 concert at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Also scheduled to appear at the show are Nikki Sixx (MÖTLEY CRÜE), Scott Ian (ANTHRAX) and Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW), who will perform the MÖTLEY CRÜE classic "Shout At The Devil" with John 5 and his solo band THE CREATURES.

John 5 is touring in support of his concert album, "It's Alive!", which came out on January 25. The first live album released by John 5 and THE CREATURES — which includes Ian Ross on bass and Rodger Carter on drums — is also the first LP released by John 5 to be made available on vinyl.

John 5 told the New Jersey radio station 91.3 WTSR about "It's Alive!": "It just came together by accident. We were in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, and the guy was like, 'Hey, do you want to record your show?' I was, like, 'Sure.' We didn't move around like we did tonight. I said, 'Let's just concentrate — look at each other, stand still.' I even explained to the crowd — I said, 'Listen, we're recording tonight. That's why we're not jumping around. Just bear with us.' They loved it, and I kept that on the record, too. It was cool, and it came out great, and I'm very proud of it. That's why I wanted to put it out and tour it and celebrate it."

AXS TV, the premier destination for classic rock programming, takes viewers on an unforgettable journey with one of rock's greatest guitar gurus in the broadcast premiere of the 2017 documentary "Joe Satriani: Beyond The Supernova" — airing on Tuesday, March 6 at 10:00 p.m. EST / 7:00 p.m. PST.

Directed by Satriani's talented filmmaker son ZZ Satriani, "Beyond The Supernova" is a deeply personal introspective that captures the legendary virtuoso at a pivotal point as he contemplates the future of his career, 30 years after the release of his groundbreaking multi-platinum masterpiece "Surfing With The Alien". Traveling throughout Asia and Europe on his acclaimed "Surfing To Shockwave" world tour, Satriani reflects on his legacy and plots his next steps, while performing music from his landmark 15th studio album, "Shockwave Supernova", and giving viewers a unique glimpse into the autobiographical elements of the record and its role in helping him determine the creative direction that he is heading towards. In addition to Satriani, "Beyond The Supernova" features appearances and performances by former Frank Zappa guitarist Mike Keneally, versatile bassist Bryan Beller, and prolific percussionist Marco Minnemann, as well as special cameos by fellow guitar masterminds Steve Vai and Guthrie Govan. The film received high praise from critics and fans when it was highlighted last October at the Mill Valley Film Festival.

Encore broadcasts of "Joe Satriani: Beyond The Supernova" will air immediately following the premiere on March 6 at 12 a.m EST / 9:00 p.m. PST, and again on Sunday, March 11 at 12 p.m. EST / 9:00 a.m. PST.

Turbowolf have released their new single "Cheap Magic", the latest track from their upcoming album, The Free Life, out March 9th via So Recordings. Find the clip below.

Frontman Chris Georgiadis says, "Our latest song release from our new album The Free Life springs out of the hat in the form of 'Cheap Magic.' A song conjured up specially for our times; whether they be good, bad or most likely, entirely made up. Plus as a bonus, we're incredibly happy to have our friend Sebastien Grainger from Death From Above do some singing on it too. You're welcome."

"Cheap Magic" opens with an unrelenting guitar riff, drenched in near speaker-breaking levels of distortion, propelling the track into stratospheric aural majesty amid reverb-laden vocal whispers. It then explodes into its blistering verse and anthemic chorus, with vocoder saturated lyrics casting the spell of "Cheap Magic" over the track.

The video sees both the band and Grainger performing in a psychedelic, lo-fi nightmare, which lures the viewer into a deep trip of breakneck sonic extravagance which comes in at just under three minutes. A recurring theme in the band's music, the track highlights their interest in magic, including the mystical practice of numerology, ancient civilizations, and the theories of Graham Hancock, which are regularly referenced lyrically in addition to pearls of ancient esoteric philosophy.

"We, like you, enjoy a plethora of thoughts and ideas, and heartily drink them into our bellies, where they congeal and effect our outpourings. These ingredients can come from the most visible sources or from the most invisible. Some of the most invisible ones taste the best, so sometimes we binge on them and get fat," explains Chris.

"Cheap Magic" is the third single to be taken from the band’s upcoming album, The Free Life. It follows "Domino," which featured Mike Kerr of Royal Blood and earned support from the likes of Sir Elton John, who described them as "fabulous!"

The Free Life  is a vibrant masterpiece for this fractured era, as Turbowolf push back the boundaries of music with ambition in their heads and disruption in their hearts. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"No No No"
"Capital X"
"Cheap Magic"
"Very Bad"
"Halfsecret"
"Domino"
"Last Three Clues"
"Up & Atom"
"Blackhole"
"The Free Life"
"Concluder"

"Cheap Magic" video:

"Domino":

Finnish melodic death metallers OMNIUM GATHERUM are working on their new album for a late summer release.

Comments guitarist Markus Vanhala: "We're busy at forging the new OMNIUM GATHERUM album during the Finnish winter madness season. Hopes are high here, even though the outside temperature isn't.

"A lot of special good stuff is going on, and new adventures are coming up for camp OG.

"We're just in the middle of recording guitar and synth stuff for the next album, and all I can say is that this is gonna be one bad-ass album.

"Again we trust our good ol' tour de force of Teemu Aalto doing recording and producing, and Dan Swanö who will fix it in the mix and master the universe.

"Everything's been going really well and easily so far with producing this successor for the successful 'Grey Heavens', and I'll promise this album's gonna beat the previous one for real! The league of angry old men are here for your enjoyment! Already at this early stage it seems like this is going to be OG's epic guitar heroism magnum opus… Maybe, haha… Me and Joonas have found some great spirit of the lost shred guys. All hail the almighty guitar and heavy metal!"

After completing the recording process, OMNIUM GATHERUM will escape from the studio to get back on the road again.

"We enjoyed the Finnish-Icelandese rivalry of the 'Arctic Circle Alliance' European tour last year with SKALMÖLD and STAM1NA so much that we wanted to do a European round 2," says Vanhala. "This time we'll go to the islands of United Kingdom and Ireland, and also Scandinavia including Denmark, Sweden and Norway."

OMNIUM GATHERUM's latest album, "Grey Heavens", came out in February 2016 via Century Media Records.

In October 2016, the classic lineup of DOKKEN — Don Dokken (vocals), George Lynch (guitar), Jeff Pilson (bass) and Mick Brown (drums) — reunited to play the Loud Park festival in Japan. Fortunately for fans outside of Japan, cameras were there to capture the performance and now Frontiers Music Srl is set to issue "Return To The East Live 2016" on April 20. In addition to the Japanese performance, this set will feature footage from the classic lineup's only U.S. show in September 2016 at Badlands in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

A performance clip of the song "In My Dreams", taken from "Return To The East Live 2016", can be seen below.

"Return To The East Live 2016" will be available in the following formats:

* CD/DVD* Blu-Ray
* Collector's Box (CD/DVD + T-Shirt) [Comes with XL tee in the U.S., L tee in EU]
* 2xLP Standard 180g Black Vinyl
* 2xLP Limited Edition 180g Green Vinyl (Exclusive to Frontiers' U.S. Store - Limited to 150 worldwide)
* 2xLP Limited Edition 180g Red Vinyl (Exclusive to Frontiers' EU Store - Limited to 150 worldwide)
* MP3 (audio only)

If the release wasn't amazing enough, the package includes a brand-new studio track, "It's Just Another Day", and two acoustic re-workings of classic tracks.

Don Dokken says: "After 25 years, it was great to reunite with George and Jeff and Mick and do a couple shows for the fans. We hope you like this album and video. There's a lot of great bonus footage of us having fun, so enjoy it."

Pilson adds: "I'm so thrilled this piece of the DOKKEN story is hitting the streets. What a magical experience it has been and this CD/DVD captures a lot of that wonderful manic energy that has always made DOKKEN so vital! I remain extremely grateful to have been a part of such a vibrant voice in the world of heavy rock. Thanks to the fans and to George, Don and Mick for being the musicians, writers and friends that you are!"

Track listing:

CD

01. It's Another Day (new studio track)
02. Kiss Of Death
03. The Hunter
04. Unchain The Night
05. When Heaven Comes Down
06. Breakin' The Chains
07. Into The Fire
08. Dream Warriors
09. Tooth And Nail
10. Alone Again (intro)
11. Alone Again
12. It's Not Love
13. In My Dreams
14. Heaven Sent (acoustic studio bonus track)
15. Will The Sun Rise (acoustic studio bonus track)

DVD

01. Tooth And Nail
02. Unchain The Night
03. When Heaven Comes Down
04. Breakin' The Chains
05. Into The Fire
06. Alone Again
07. It's Not Love
08. Paris Is Burning
09. Kiss Of Death
10. The Hunter
11. Dream Warriors
12. In My Dreams
13. Behind The Scenes

Don recently told the "The Classic Metal Show" that he didn't know "why it took a freaking year" to complete the DVD. He said: "We had almost two hours of just backstage, goofing around, on the train, going to Osaka, Nagoya, on the train, having fun backstage, screwing around. That took forever to edit. So on the new live DVD, there's gonna a lot of bonus footage — a lot of just candid, messing around, having fun. 'Cause, you know, George and Jeff hadn't been in DOKKEN for over 20 years."

As for the musical direction of the new song, Don said that it is "very DOKKEN-sounding" and "very classic '80s" with "big harmonies. It's just like 'Paris Is Burning' meets 'In My Dreams'," he said. The track is the first new song to be recorded by the classic DOKKEN lineup since the 1997 "Shadowlife" album.

Don also talked about his current relationship with George and Jeff, both of whom he had previously traded verbal barbs with in the press. "I would say that I had some trepidation [about playing with them again], obviously," Dokken said. "We've been getting offers for years and years and years to do a reunion, quote-unquote, tour, and I said, 'Guys, I'm not interested. DOKKEN, to me, is Chris McCarvill, 'Wild' Mick Brown and Jon Levin, who's been in the band for 22 years. That's DOKKEN.' I don't see why I need to go back in time and do this. What's the point? If it's just for money, they know how I feel about that. And there's more to life than money. You can live in a mansion and drive a Ferrari and be miserable. And I said, 'I'm not interested.' So I had some trepidation. We only rehearsed with Jeff and George for three days when we did the South Dakota one show only in America, where we filmed. But they showed up, we rehearsed, went to Japan, we filmed the show, we did these huge arenas, sold out. And it was great. George and I shot the shit for hours and hours every day over sake and beer on the bullet trains and we talked about everything from politics to spirituality and it was all good. And Jeff is such an addict, he's almost maybe worse than me when it comes to music. I mean, every day, Jeff's on the bullet train looking at the footage from the night before and he's looking at this, he's looking at that. 'Check this out. How about that? This is a good shot.' He's mixing the songs, he's trying to figure out what's the best takes. So it was a band effort. That was nice."

In January, DOKKEN filmed a video for "It's Just Another Day" with director Jamie Brown, who has previously worked with LYNCH MOB and KXM.

The official lyric video for the song "Black Widow's Web" from Brazilian/Italian metallers ANGRA can be seen below. The track, which features guest appearances by ARCH ENEMY's Alissa White-Gluz and the Brazilian singer Sandy, is taken from the band's ninth studio album, "Ømni", which was released on February 16 via earMUSIC.

2018 marks the beginning of yet another era in ANGRA's history.

At age 26, the band shows motivation and strength like never before. Not even the sometimes-uncertain trajectory was able to take away the focus, determination and inspiration of the quintet led — and founded — by Rafael Bittencourt, and completed by Felipe Andreoli (bass), Fabio Lione (vocals), Marcelo Barbosa (guitar) and Bruno Valverde (drums).

"Ømni" is the result of months of intense dedication, blood, and sweat.

Once again, the album was recorded in Sweden with Jens Bogren, who also produced the previous disc, "Secret Garden", and manages to capture the same excellent chemistry.

The sound, while fully contemporary, has an organic character and respects the different nuances and dynamics of each instrument. Many musicians were involved in creating the album, ranging from the percussion sound of Bahia to European orchestral arrangement — all of which give the album its outstanding variety.

"Ømni" is a concept album, a set of science fiction short stories that take place at various places in time, simultaneously. The backbone of the plot is based on the idea that in 2046 an artificial intelligence system will change human perception and cognition. It is a system which will allow conscious communication between present and future human beings. Characters such as time travellers, cavemen, warriors, among others, help tell this story.

The album connects the concepts of previous albums (Holy Land, Rebirth, Temple of Shadows) to one main system, "Ømni", which in Latin means "everything." "Ømni" fabricates an interconnectivity that shines light towards a universal truth: everything that has happened, led to what the band is today. "Ømni" celebrates and unites the whole history of ANGRA to this exact, current moment.

ANGRA's trademark formula, a Brazilian style mixed with classical music and heavy metal, is enhanced by different influences such as progressive rock, thrash metal, Latin music, and djent, which transforms the albums into a swirl of modern and familiar. The conjoined moods and dynamics put a special spin on the lyrics and therefore increase deep sense of immersion in the story.

The cover artwork was hand-drawn by Daniel Martin Diaz, a unique American artist who dedicates his life to mixing scientific and philosophical concepts such as anatomy, computer science, mathematics, cosmology, sacred geometry, symbolism and esotericism. The designer Gustavo Sazes was responsible for integrating such an organic art piece to the visual concept of the album as a whole.

Even in a cultural environment increasingly sterile and unfavourable for music with soul and identity, the band gathers eleven tracks that completely differ from each other, but at the same time tell a cohesive story, and wander through all styles and nuances that have made ANGRA a worldwide reference. A very well bonded line-up, both personally and musically, overflowing with creativity, was the necessary fuel to bring these songs to life, songs which are undoubtedly among the best in the band's discography.

"Ømni" track listing:

01. Light Of Transcendence
02. Travelers Of Time
03. Black Widow's Web
04. Insania
05. The Bottom Of My Soul
06. War Horns
07. Caveman
08. Magic Mirror
09. Always More
10. Ømni - Silence Inside
11. Ømni - Infinite Nothing

The official lyric video for the song "Losing My Humanity" from KOBRA AND THE LOTUS can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's second part of its opus magnum, which will be released one year after the successful arrival of rock juggernaut "Prevail I".

Due on April 27 through Napalm Records, "Prevail II" is the proverbial yang to the yin and continues right where KOBRA AND THE LOTUS left off in 2017.

Says vocalist Kobra Paige: "Humanity. One of the greatest struggles of our human existence is to retain it.

"This sequel album takes a deeper dive into the darkness of our psyche and explores the personal torment and struggle we inflict upon ourselves, one another, and the earth.

"It has become commonplace for people to give up on themselves and lose their belief in their abilities and self-worth. This in turn affects our daily actions/behavior. We are a cripplingly, self-harming species but we are also profoundly capable beings of altruism, evolution, and positivity.

"This album will close the 'Prevail' double sequel on the lightest of all notes by acknowledging that every single person has a desire to be and deserves to be truly seen, loved, and heard. When the ignorance is cleared, we can recognize that we are all in this together."

"Prevail II" track listing:

01. Losing My Humanity
02. Let Me Love You
03. Ribe
04. My Immortal
05. Human Empire
06. Heartache
07. Velvet Roses
08. Modern Day Hero
09. You're Insane
10. White Water
11. The Chain
12. Let Me Love You (acoustic bonus track)

In support of "Prevail II", KOBRA AND THE LOTUS will tour the States with TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION starting in late April.

Photo by Nat Enemede Photography

U.S. progressive rockers SPOCK'S BEARD will release their 13th studio album, "Noise Floor", on May 25. For this disc, Ted Leonard, Alan Morse, Dave Meros and Ryo Okumoto are joined in the studio once again by drummer and original member Nick D'Virgilio.

SPOCK'S BEARD is a band that is in a continual state of evolution, as is always the case with genuinely creative musicians. And "Noise Floor" fits perfectly into this process.

"We are always about evolution, not revolution. But what we have done this time is make the songs more melodic," believes vocalist/guitarist Ted Leonard. "We still love our crazy prog, but now appreciate how important it is to grab people's attention early on."

As with all SPOCK'S BEARD songs, most of the new album was written by the individual members, and then brought to the rest of the band as high-quality demos. "We all do this type of thing in our home studios," says Leonard. "So, by the time they reach the stage where the entire band get to judge them, they are really developed, and therefore everyone can make a reasoned judgement." Much of what you will listen to here is very much the product of fresh inspiration from the Californian band.

One key change on this album sees the return of drummer Nick D'Virgilio, who originally left in 2011. There are also two violinists, a cello player, a viola player and an English horn featured on the album, thereby giving the sound a slightly more evocative and persuasive twist.

The album was once again engineered by long-time collaborator Rich Mouser and will be released as a 2CD digipak (featuring an EP of material from the same sessions), gatefold 2LP + 2CD and as a digital download.

The track listing is as follows:

Disc 1 - Noise Floor

01. To Breathe Another Day
02. What Becomes Of Me
03. Somebody's Home
04. Have We All Gone Crazy Yet
05. So This Is Life
06. One So Wise
07. Box Of Spiders
08. Beginnings

Disc 2 - Cutting Room Floor

01. Days We'll Remember
02. Bulletproof
03. Vault
04. Armageddon Nervous

European diabolical death/black metal kings BELPHEGOR have released a lyrical performance video for "The Devil's Son", a song dedicated to the legendary violinist Niccolò Paganini (1781-1849), whose playing skills were so unique and virtuouso that he was told to have made a pact with the devil.

"The Devil's Son" is taken from BELPHEGOR's latest album, "Totenritual", which was released last September via Nuclear Blast. The disc was recorded at Stage One Studios in Germany and Studio Mischmaschine in Austria and was mixed by Jason Suecof and mastered by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios in Florida. The artwork was once again created by Greek artist Seth Siro Anton, who also painted the cover artwork for 2006's "Pestokalypse VI" and 2014's "Conjuring The Dead".

BELPHEGOR singer, guitarist and founder Helmuth Lehner told The Rockpit about "Totenritual": "For 'Totenritual', we tuned our guitar down even lower than ever before, so we reached a different low-end tone and a more ritualistic vibe, a kind of new soundwall. Those lower-tuned guitars are a new challenge and an interesting experiment; it opened a new guitar world in my playing, I'm still blown away by how the new material rips. The tone and the atmosphere have really given a new heaviness to BELPHEGOR's sound."

Video footage of BUTCHER BABIES performing an acoustic version of the song "In Denial" for VIP ticket holders prior to the band's February 25 concert at G2 in Glasgow, Scotland can be seen below.

BUTCHER BABIES' third album, "Lilith", was released on October 27 via Century Media. The follow-up to 2015's "Take It Like A Man" was produced by Steve Evetts (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, SEPULTURA, SUICIDE SILENCE) and marks the band's recording debut with new drummer, Chase Brickenden, who replaced Chris Warner last year.

Co-frontwoman Carla Harvey told Meltdown Of Detroit's WRIF radio station that the music on "Lilith" "runs the gamut" from "great thrash metal" to "a little bit of '90s influence." She said: "We're singing, we're screaming and it's just a great, great album. I couldn't be prouder of it. I think there's four songs where we do predominantly singing on it. And normally that would scare even me, 'cause I'm, like, 'I'm a metal girl! I don't wanna be singing.' But it's so beautiful — it really is. So it's kind of ballady, but not too ballady. It's very dark, sensual — the lyrics are very sensual on this album."

She continued: "I think we're bringing a little bit of the sexy back on this album that we kind of steered away from for a while. When we were building up our career, we wanted to be taken so seriously as metal chicks, so I think we kind of let those hindrances go a little bit and said, 'Let's just be us in all aspects of us' — from the metal to the sexy to everything else."

Co-frontwoman Heidi Shepherd told Metal Discovery that the "cool" thing about "Lilith" is "that we took a year and a half to write it, to write and record, and you can really hear how much we've practiced these songs. And every note you hear, we sing. There's no Auto-Tune, there's no pitch shifting — none of that shit. It's all drums, all real guitars, even the tambourines, shakers and everything… all real. Piano… real. Everything's real. And I think that that's how you get that live sound. Our producer that we worked with, Steve Evetts, he was so adamant about, 'I want this to sound like you. I don't want it to be perfect, but I want it to be you.' And so you hear things with attitude in 'em. I feel like so many times nowadays that producers will look for that perfect note, that perfect sound…"

Tuomas Holopainen's three-track demo earned him his first record deal with his freshly founded band NIGHTWISH back in 1996. 20 years later — with over 2,000 shows played and more than eight million records sold — NIGHTWISH is the biggest European symphonic metal band. Reason enough for Nuclear Blast to celebrate this huge anniversary by releasing a 2CD compilation titled "Decades" on March 9.

"Decades" will be available as a 2CD jewelcase, 2CD digipak, 3LP box (different colors) and 2CD earbook.

The third trailer for "Decades" is available below.

Track listing:

CD1

01. The Greatest Show On Earth
02. Élan
03. My Walden
04. Storytime
05. I Want My Tears Back
06. Amaranth
07. The Poet And The Pendulum
08. Nemo
09. Wish I Had An Angel

CD2

01. Ghost Love Score
02. Slaying The Dreamer
03. End Of All Hope
04. 10th Man Down
05. The Kinslayer
06. Dead Boy's Poem
07. Gethsemane
08. Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean
09. Sacrament Of Wilderness
10. Sleeping Sun
11. Elvenpath
12. The Carpenter
13. Nightwish (demo)

3LP Box (33 rpm)

Side A

01. The Greatest Show On Earth

Side B

01. Élan
02. My Walden
03. Storytime
04. I Want My Tears Back
05. Amaranth

Side C

01. The Poet And The Pendulum
02. Nemo
03. Wish I Had An Angel

Side D

01. Ghost Love Score
02. Slaying The Dreamer
03. End Of All Hope
04. 10th Man Down

Side E

01. The Kinslayer
02. Dead Boy's Poem
03. Gethsemane
04. Devil & The Deep Dark Ocean

Side F

01. Sacrament Of Wilderness
02. Sleeping Sun
03. Elvenpath
04. The Carpenter
05. Nightwish (demo)

The release will be accompanied by a nine-month tour across the globe. After kicking off with 34 concerts in North America in March-April, the journey will continue with dozens of European festival and headline shows. On this tour, NIGHTWISH will also be presenting a special setlist, featuring rare material from the early years of their career. That's why these evenings will not only be special events for the fans, but also for the band themselves. Be prepared to hear a lot of old-school material.

Palace Of The King have dropped the second single from their forthcoming album, Get Right With Your Maker, available to pre-order now and out on March 23rd through Golden Robot Records, as they gear up for their next European tour.

An epic moment on the album, “I Am The Storm”, is the lead single and second offering from the new LP. The single is streaming now on Spotify. It hits the listener straight up and sets the tone for one hell of a rock record, taking you on a huge journey, storm and all. It follows on from their recent single, “It’s Been A Long Time Coming”, which let everyone know that Palace Of The King were back.

Get Right With Your Maker is the band’s third full length album and fifth release overall, but it’s much more than that – it’s their coming of age.  It was recorded in multiple sessions around touring commitments, with life on the road having become part of the DNA of Get Right With Your Maker lyrically and musically.  The polishing was done with mixing duties shared between Machine (Clutch/Crobot) at The Machine Shop in Texas and Liam Jenkins at Somedays Studios in NYC.

Touring constantly, Palace Of The King average 100 shows a year. They’ve headlined three tours of Europe, spending 4 – 8 weeks on the road there every year since 2015. They’ve supported Airbourne in the U.K and France in front of thousands of rabid rock fans, played the USA twice in 2016 and 2017, headlined the Black Woodstock Festival in New Caledonia and circled Australia dozens of times in a tour van. They tour more than any of their peers because even though they’re a fully-fledged new millennium rock band, they also believe in the old school work ethic of the old school rock bands.

Get “I Am The Storm” and “It’s Been A Long Time Coming” instantly when you preorder the digital album via iTunes or the CD or vinyl edition via the official store (SFR Store).

Tracklisting:

“I Am The Storm”
“It’s Been A Long Time Coming”
“Sold Me Down The River”
“A Dog With A Bone”
“Said The Spider To The Bird”
“Move Through The Fire”
“The Serpent”
“Horizon”
“Fly Like An Evil”
“Back On My Feet Again”

Arch Enemy have posted a new recap video from their Will To Power tour. The clip below recaps the band's February 27th show in Hiroshima, Japan.

More recap videos can be seen below:

Arch Enemy will release their deluxe vinyl box set including all ten studio albums and a bonus gatefold 2LP featuring covers and bonus tracks recorded between 1996 and 2017 on March 9th. The hand-numbered box set also comes with a 36-page-booklet with liner notes. All albums are mastered for vinyl.

It will be available as a picture LP box set and also in the following vinyl colors:

* Black vinyl - limited to 1.500 copies
* Clear vinyl - limited to 100 copies, only available at CMDistro
* Transparent red vinyl - limited to 200 copies, only available at EMP
* Silver vinyl - limited to 100 copies, only available at Nuclear Blast
* Dark green vinyl - limited to 100 copies, only available at ST Records
* Picture vinyl - limited to 500 copies

Pre-order here.

Monster Magnet's new studio album, Mindfucker, will be released on March 23rd, and can be pre-ordered here. An unboxing video is available for streaming below.

“Mindfucker is a fuzzed out, headbangin’ celebration of hard rock and 21st century paranoia” says Dave. “Ten fuel injected, nitro burning tracks of fiery rock ’n roll and garage psych madness, all done Monster Magnet style. It’s also an album that gets right to the point: the world is out of it’s fucking mind and I’m livin’ it….for better or worse. It’s simple, really. In these crazy times I’ve been wanting to just drive my car at 100 miles per hour and howl, you know what I mean? So I wrote songs I can do that with. And with lyrics that don’t deny the times we’re living in. Feels good, feels right. Rock is alive, baby!”

Mindfucker tracklisting:

"Rocket Freak"
"Soul"
"Mindfucker"
"I'm God"
"Drowning"
"Ejection"
"Want Some"
"Brainwashed"
"All Day Midnight"
"When The Hammer Comes Down"

"Ejection":

Listen to MONSTER MAGNET – Ejection byNapalmRecords on hearthis.at

"Mindfucker" video:

Monster Magnet have confirmed a European tour in May and June, visiting the biggest cities in Europe to promote the recent announced new album, Mindfucker. They will surely peform the Monster Magnet classics, as well as some songs from the new album, which will be "full-ahead Detroit-style, early 70s, MC5 and Stooges type of rock", according to mastermind Dave Wyndorf.

Tour dates:

May
3 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
4 - Berlin, Germany - Desertfest Berlin
5 - Nijmeden, Netherlands - Doornroosje
6 - London, England - Desertfest London
8 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall
9 - Saarbrucken, Germany - Garage
11 - Bilbao, Spain - Santana 27
12 - Madrid, Spain - Sala Riviera
14 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
15 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz Club
16 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
18 - Nuremburg, Germany - Hirsch
19 - Groningen, Netherlands - Vera
21 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
22 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Strand
23 - Oslo, Norway - Blâ
24 - Malmö, Sweden - Kulturbolaget (KB)
26 - Bremen, Germany - Schlachthof
28 - Leuven, Belgium - Het Depot
29 - Ghent, Belgium - Vooriut
31 - Manchester, England - Gorilla

June
1 - Glasgow, Scotland - The Garage
2 - Belfast, Ireland - Limelight
3 - Dublin, Ireland - The Tivoli

Monster Magnet lineup:

Dave Wyndorf (vocals, guitar)
Garrett Sweeny (guitar)
Phil Caivano (guitar)
Chris Kosnik (bass)
Bob Pantella (drums)

(Photo - Jeremy Saffer)

Chicago/Minneapolis-based quintet Wolvhammer are streaming "Eternal Rotting Misery", the opening track of the band's upcoming fourth album, The Monuments Of Ash & Bone, set for release on May 4th via Blood Music. Pre-order the album here, and listen to the track below.

The Monuments Of Ash & Bone was recorded and mixed by Jarrett Pritchard (Goatwhore, Exhumed) at his own New Constellation Studios in Orlando, Florida, and mastered by Ken Sorceron (Abigail Williams, The Faceless) - both of whom provide additional guitar tracks to the album - and completed with artwork by Brian Sheehan.

Tracklisting:

“Eternal Rotting Misery”
“Call Me Death”
“Law Of The Rope”
“Bathed In Moonblood And Wolflight”
“The Failure King”
“Dead Rat Rotting Raven”
“Solace Eclipsed”

"Eternal Rotting Misery":

(Photo - Margaret McMakin)

The second trailer for "Messe Noire", the forthcoming DVD/Blu-ray from Polish black/death overlords BEHEMOTH, is available below. The set will be released on April 13.

Commented singer, guitarist and mainman Adam "Nergal" Darski: "'Messe Noire'. Well, that is everything that the BEHEMOTH live magick represents, and we're stoked that we have a true representation on record for everyone out there to enjoy. 'Messe Noire' captures the true intensity of what we do as a band and the energy we share with our fans. This is also an exclamation mark, the perfect way to conclude 'The Satanist' cycle which has been an overwhelming experience and amazing chapter in BEHEMOTH's career and our lives so far! By the release of 'Messe Noire' we would like to hail our legions all around the world for undying support! Now let the art speak..."

"Messe Noire" includes the band's victorious shows in Warsaw, Poland on October 8, 2016 and Brutal Assault 2016 as well as "The Satanist" cinematic archive featuring all official videos associated with the band's globally successful record of the same name.

DVD/Blu-ray track-listing

Live Satanist (Warsaw 2016)

01. Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
02. Furor Divinus
03. Messe Noire
04. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
05. Amen
06. The Satanist
07. Ben Sahar
08. In The Absence Ov Light
09. O Father O Satan O Sun!
10. Ov Fire And The Void
11. Conquer All
12. Pure Evil And Hate
13. At The Left Hand Ov God
14. Slaves Shall Serve
15. Chant For Ezkaton 2000

Live Assault (Brutal Assault 2016)

16. Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
17. Furor Divinus
18. Messe Noire
19. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
20. Amen
21. The Satanist
22. Ben Sahar
23. In The Absence Ov Light
24. O Father O Satan O Sun!
25. Ov Fire And The Void
26. Conquer All
27. Chant For Ezkaton 2000

"The Satanist" cinematic archive

28. Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
29. Messe Noire
30. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
31. The Satanist
32. Ben Sahar
33. O Father O Satan O Sun!

CD track listing

Live Satanist (Warsaw 2016)

01. Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
02. Furor Divinus
03. Messe Noire
04. Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
05. Amen
06. The Satanist
07. Ben Sahar
08. In The Absence Ov Light
09. O Father O Satan O Sun!

Vinyl track-listing

Live Satanist (Warsaw 2016)

Side A:

01. Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
02. Furor Divinus
03. Messe Noire
04. Ora Pro Nobis Luficer

Side B:

01. Amen
02. The Satanist
03. Ben Sahar
04. In The Absence Ov Light

Side C:

01. O Father O Satan O Sun!
02. Ov Fire And The Void
03. Conquer All
04. Pure Evil And Hate

Side D:

01. At The Left Hand Ov God
02. Slaves Shall Serve
03. Chant For Ezkaton 2000