Doomsday Outlaw will release their new album, Hard Times, on May 11th. A video for the track "Over And Over" is available for streaming below. Order the album here, or via PledgeMusic.

Doomsday Outlaw is a ten-legged hard rock, blues tinged juggernaut based in darkest Derbyshire. Coupling huge riffs and killer grooves with soaring, soulful vocals to deliver timeless tales of heartbreak and redemption, the group is set to show off its distinctive sound to the legions of hard rock faithful around the globe via a new album, Hard Times, which is set for worldwide release in May.

Doomsday Outlaw vocalist Phil Poole says: "Not wanting to sound clichéd, but we’re so excited to be sharing our new album with the world. We’ve given everything to create something we are really proud of and having the opportunity to share it is really what's it's all about. Whether you buy the record, just listen to it, or come and see us live, getting feedback from fans is amazing and is a feeling that never gets old. This is a big year for us and we can't wait to get cracking. Look out for some big announcements coming your way and we'll see you on the road! Much love."

Drummer John Willis adds : “Phil is our ace in the hole. Everything else was in place with the songwriting and performance, but Phil has helped take the band to the next level.”

Poole joined the already well-oiled quartet of Steve Broughton and Gavin Mills (guitars), John ‘Ironfoot' Willis (drums) and Indy (bass) in June 2015, after which the band really gelled as a cohesive unit. Wasting no time in crafting a killer new set, they subsequently hit the road and have shared stages with the likes of Stone Broken, Warrior Soul, Vintage Caravan and Electric Boys.

Tracklisting:

"Hard Times"
"Over And Over"
"Spirit That Made Me"
"Into The Light"
"Bring It On Home"
"Days Since I Saw The Sun"
"Will You Wait"
"Break You"
"Come My Way"
"Were You Ever Mine"
"Too Far Left To Fall"

"Over And Over" video:

"Spirit That Made Me":

Nils Patrik Johansson (Lion's Share, Astral Doors, ex-Civil War), will release his first solo album Evil Deluxe, this spring on German label Metalville.

"I have thought about a solo album for ten years, but then Civil War came into the picture and I used all my ideas for the three albums that we did" Nils Patrik reveals.

"After my departure from them, I felt that I wanted to focus 100% on Astral Doors and Lion's Share. But all of a sudden inspiration came back - and from out of nowhere I had 10 new killer songs. It felt natural to hire my Lion's Share band mate, Lars Chriss as producer and guitar player. My son Fredrik Johansson play drums on the record, so finally father and son Johansson will appear on the same album." Nils Patrik adds.

Other musicians on the album:
Andy Loos (Lion's Share, Glory) - Bass
Fredrik Bergh (Bloodbound) - Keyboard
Kay Backlund (Lion's Share) - Keyboard
Anuviel (Saecred Spirit) - Keyboard
Marcus Bengts - Bass

A couple of special guests are to be revealed later on as well.

UK quartet, Skarlett Riot, have released a video for the new song “Affliction”, featured on the band’s Regenerate album, out now via Despotz Records. Watch below.

The band’s new material is harder, heavier, faster but still driven by the anthemic hooks that have kept them at the forefront of the UK modern metal scene. The band have constantly developed and honed their craft; and the band are in comfortable in their darker and heavier guise, with elements of Asking Alexandria, In This Moment and Bullet for My Valentine shining through; opening up all new possibilities for the band.

A press release states: “Whereas their peers are all seemingly heading towards a lighter direction, Skarlett Riot are embracing the anger and aggression of the modern world and challenging it into some of their most challenging material to date. The commanding voice of Skarlett has taken on a bolder and more forceful presence, whilst the guitars of Danny are razor sharp and incisive, giving the rhythm section of Luke and Martin the room to progress and expand into a taut, almost hostile driving force, as the first single ‘Break’ ably demonstrates!”

Tracklisting:

“Break”
“Closer”
“Stand Alone”
“What Lies Beneath”
“Calling”
“Affliction”
“Outcast”
“Paralyzed”
“The Storm”
“Warrior”

“Affliction” video:

“Warrior” video:

“Break” video:

Enigmatic bringers of darkness, Deathwhite, have released their debut album, For A Black Tomorrow, available via Season Of Mist. A full album stream can be found below. Order the album here.

Formed in 2012, Deathwhite were created in part to follow on the path first explored by dark metal torchbearers such as Anathema, Katatonia, My Dying Bride, and Paradise Lost. The band’s Ethereal EP (2014) successfully established a template of melodic, clean vocals alongside melancholic, but heavy riffing. Their debut created an early buzz within the metal underground that grew significantly with the following Solitary Martyr EP (2015), which was hailed by critics as “thick with emotion” and “wonderfully engrossing.”

Backed by such praise, Deathwhite spent 2016 writing and recording their first full-length under the supervision of producer and engineer Shane Mayer.

Tracklisting:

"The Grace Of The Dark"
"Contrition"
"Poisoned"
"Just Remember"
"Eden"
"Dreaming The Inverse"
"Death And The Master"
"Prison Of Thought"
"For A Black Tomorrow"

Album stream:

"Dreaming The Inverse" video:

Deep Dark River, the acoustic doom, folk, blues, ambient and soul side project from Vesperia's Morgan Rider has posted a new video covering Ghost's "Square Hammer". 

Rider comments: 

"This week I created a blues version of Ghost's single 'Square Hammer'. I knew I wanted to do something a little different with this video when I noticed my stag skull as well as my wife's geode collection. They made a couple awesome elements for this video. Enjoy the video! Be sure to subscribe to my channel! I upload new videos every week."

Rider was inspired to create Deep Dark River by the works of his close friend David Gold (Woods of Ypres). Deep Dark River's self-titled debut album is currently being recorded and is planned for a 2018 release featuring all original tracks. Rider has performed across Canada, USA and Europe with a variety of heavy metal groups such as Vesperia, Crimson Shadows, Woods of Ypres and SIG:AR:TYR .

Deep Dark River's previously unleashed cover of Woods Of Ypres' "Allure of The Earth" was in tribute of the memory of dear friend David Gold. The video was shot in Whitby, UK, Sherwood Forest, UK and Clarington, ON.

Other cover videos by Deep Dark River can be viewed below:

Spanish thrash metallers Angelus Apatrida return to the spotlight with a new studio album entitled Cabaret de la Guillotine, set for worldwide release via Century Media Records on May 4th. Following up 2015’s Hidden Evolution, which entered the charts in Spain on # 2, this sixth studio album showcases the wide heavy metal range of Angelus Apatrida, from neck-breaking thrash, to truly melodic and yet powerful metal, acting as the group’s most diverse effort to date. Check out the lyric video and lead single, “Sharpen The Guillotine”, below.

In regards to “Sharpen The Guillotine”, Angelus Apatrida checked in with the following comment: “The song resumes the actual political situation of Spain, while I am writing this, a rapper singer is going to spend 3 years and 6 months in jail because of their lyrics. Spain is a dangerous place now. Freedom of speech? Yes, only for the rich."

The album was mixed and mastered by the longtime sonic partner Daniel Cardoso (Anathema, Anneke van Giersbergen) and with artwork by Gyula Havancsák (Destruction, Annihilator).

Tracklisting:

“Sharpen The Guillotine”
“Betrayed”
“Ministry Of God”
“The Hum”
“Downfall Of The Nation”
“One Of Us”
“The Die Is Cast”
“Witching Hour”
“Farewell”
“Martyrs Of Chicago”

“Sharpen The Guillotine” lyric video:

Furthermore, Angelus Apatrida have just confirmed a first headlining tour across Europe starting on the day of release of Cabaret de la Guillotine, where label-mates Skeletal Remains and Spanish newcomers Trallery will be appearing in the support slots.

Trivium have released a video recapping the fall 2017 leg of The Sin and The Sentence Tour, featuring Arch Enemy. A big success for the band, it notched up some of the largest North American attendance tallies in Trivium's history.

In the six-minute clip, singer/guitarist Matt Heafy reveals that "Betrayer", which appears on the band's new album The Sin and The Sentence, is his favourite new song to play live. He explains that the song encapsulates everything that fans have come to know and love about Trivium, while also branching out into new sonic territory. The footage ends with a live rendition of the song, which was captured during the rehearsals for that tour.

Feel front and centre at a Trivium show below:

Trivium have announced their return to the UK and Europe this spring. This will be the Florida band's first visit since the October release of The Sin And The Sentence.

The Sin And The Sentence Tour kicks off in Koln on March 11th, and pile drives across Europe, wrapping up in the UK on April 21st at London's O2 Academy Brixton. Trivium will be joined by special guests Code Orange (UK only), Power Trip (all dates) and Venom Prison (all dates).

Trivium declare, "It’s time to bring The Sin And The Sentence to the UK and Europe! One of the greatest things about headlining a tour is picking the bands to round out the bill. Code Orange, Power Trip and Venom Prison are not only the leading edge of the next wave of great metal acts, they are also three of our personal favourites. We are going to dive deep into our back catalogue to pair up the new tunes with some older classics and a few rarities we haven’t played in a long time. See you all very soon!"

Tour dates:

March
11 - Koln, Germany - Live Music Hall
12 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle 2
14 - Malmo, Sweden - KB
15 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Klubben
16 - Oslo, Norway - Rockefeller
17 - Norrköping, Sweden - Arbis
19 - Helsinki, Finland - Cable Factory
21 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
22 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
23 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
24 - Leipzig, Germany - Täubchenthal
25 - Warsaw, Poland - Progresja
27 - Prague, Czech Republic - Roxy
28 - Bratislava, Slovakia - Majestic
29 - Budapest, Hungary - Durer Kert
30 - Vienna, Austria - Simm City

April
1 - Zagreb, Croatia - Tvornica Kulture
2 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Kino Siska
3 - Novara, Italy - Phenomenon
4 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex
6 - Bilbao, Spain - Sala Santana
7 - Madrid, Spain - Teatro Barcelo
8 - Barcelona, Spain - Sala Razzmatazz
10 - Geneva, Switzerland - L’Usine
11 - Munich, Germany - Tonhalle
12 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA-Longhorn
13 - Paris, France - Bataclan
15 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
16 - Bristol, UK - O2 Academy
17 - Birmingham, UK - O2 Academy
19 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy
20 - Manchester, UK - Academy
21 - London, UK - O2 Academy Brixton

Bon Jovi performed "When We Were Us" from the reissued version of their This House Is Not For Sale album on CBS' The Late Show With Stephen Colbert last night (February 22nd). You can now watch the performance below:

Bon Jovi is finally being honored by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and it’ll be none other than Howard Stern who’ll induct them at the ceremony later this year. The announcement was made on the Stern Show during Jon Bon Jovi’s interview with Howard.

“I am so honored that you asked me. I am thrilled to do it," Howard told Jon.

Jon explained he spent a lot of time considering who should be the one to induct him and his band into the Rock Hall, but in the end he knew it had to be Howard. “Our careers have paralleled in a lot of ways and whether it was the ups or the downs, we’ve come through everything together,” Jon said on the air. “Nobody knows not only me but the members of the band as well as Howard.”

Hear the full story of how Jon asked Howard to induct Bon Jovi into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame below, and read more at HowardStern.com.

Jon Bon Jovi discussed the upcoming induction during his appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert on January 17th. Watch below:

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Class Of 2018 inductees:

Performer Category

* Bon Jovi
* The Cars
* Dire Straits
* The Moody Blues
* Nina Simone

Award For Early Influence

* Sister Rosetta Tharpe

The 33rd Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, presented by Klipsch Audio, will take place on Saturday, April 14th in Cleveland. Ticket on-sale dates will be announced in January. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2018 Induction Ceremony will again have its television premiere on HBO, and a radio broadcast on SiriusXM. Broadcast details will be announced in early 2018.

Bon Jovi have announced the spring leg of their This House Is Not for Sale Tour, presented by Live Nation. The run will kick off in Denver, CO on March 14th and conclude May 14th at Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. The Grammy-winning band will also celebrate their return to the road with the re-release of This House Is Not For Sale as a new version, containing two brand new songs, “When We Were US” and “Walls,” available via all download and streaming partners on February 23rd.

Visit bonjovi.com for updated tour and ticketing information.

Dates:

March
14 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Vivint Smart Home Arena
17 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
20 - Little Rock, AR - Verizon Arena
22 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center
23 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
25 - New Orleans, LA - Smoothie King Center
26 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center

April
2 - Boston, MA - TD Garden
4 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
7 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
8 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
18 - Orlando, FL - Amway Center
20 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
21 - Charlotte, NC - Spectrum Center
24 - Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena
26 - Chicago, IL - United Center
28 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
29 - Milwaukee, WI - BMO Harris Bradley Center

May
2 - Allentown, PA - PPL Center
3 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
5 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
7 - Ottawa, ON - Canadian Tire Centre
9 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
10 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
12 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
14 - Washington, DC - Capital One Arena

Barcelona-based vintage thrash battalion Crisix will release their Against The Odds full-length via Listenable Records this spring.
 
In advance of its release, the band is pleased to unveil the hilarious visual accompaniment to the track "Get Out Of My Head." "'Get Out Of My Head' talks about the stupid pop hit songs that you hear everywhere on the radio, TV, on the bus, in the bar... The melodies get stuck in your head, even if you hate them," comments the band. "The video story is a parody of reality talent shows. Crisix members act as all characters from the jury to the contestants."

Against The Odds will see release in Europe on March 23rd followed by a North American release on April 6th. Preorders are available at this location.

Sporting a symbolic title that represents the band's hard work, dedication, and friendship, Crisix' fourth full-length studio output was self-produced at Axtudios in Spain and mastered by Jens Bogren (Arch Enemy, At The Gates, Bloodbath, Kreator et al) at Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. Straight from the raging kick off of "Get Out Of Head," the nine-track Against The Odds commands its listener's attention with a devastating formula of power thrash with an often hardcore edge proving Crisix' importance in today's new generation of thrash.

Thematically, the record draws from a wide range of subject matter including Ridley Scott's Aliens in “Xenomorph Blood”, novelist George R. R. Martin's fantasy worlds in “The North Remembers”, and Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball character in “Prince Of Saiyans”. 

Tracklisting:

“Get Out Of My Head”
“Leech Breeder”
“Technophiliac”
“Perseverance”
“Xenomorph Blood”
“Prince Of Saiyans”
“Leave Your God Behind”
“Cut The Shit”
“The North Remembers”

"Get Out Of My Head" video:

Video footage of Gatecreeper's November 28th, 2017 show at Brooklyn NY's Saint Vitus Bar can be seen below.

Setlist:

"Sweltering Madness"
"Desperation"
"Craving Flesh"
"Dead Inside"
"Flamethrower"
"Rotting As One"
"Sterilized"
"Mastery Of Power"
"Force Fed"

Gatecreeper will take on a North American co-headlining tour with recent Relapse signees Full Of Hell this summer. Gatecreeper will join The Sweltering Ecstasy Tour on May 28th in Phoenix, Arizona following their appearance at the Modified Ghost Festival III in Vancouver, British Columbia on May 24th. From there, the pair will crush skulls together for three weeks, the tour concluding on June 17th in San Antonio, Texas.

Gatecreeper’s split LP with Iron Reagan is due out March 2nd on CD/LP/Digital via Relapse Records. Physical packages are available via Relapse.com here and digital downloads via Iron Reagan’s Bandcamp here and Gatecreeper’s Bandcamp here.

Dates:

May
28 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
29 - Los Angeles, CA - Hi-Hat
30 - Oakland, CA - Golden Bull
31 - Eugene, OR - Old Nick’s

June
1 - Seattle, WA - Northwest Terror Fest
2 - Boise, ID - V.I.P. Boise Event Center
3 - Salt Lake City, UT - Diabolical Records
4 - Denver, CO - Streets Of London
5 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
6 - Chicago, IL - Cobra Lounge
7 - Detroit, MI - Sanctuary
8 - Toronto, ON - Velvet Underground
9 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz
10 - Boston, MA - Sonia
11 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus Bar
12 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
13 - Atlanta, GA - Drunken Unicorn
14 - Nashville, TN - The End
15 - Little Rock, AR - White Water
16 - Ft. Worth, TX - Ridglea
17 - San Antonio, TX - Limelight

Thy Antichrist have released a video for "The Great Beast", a track from their new album, Wrath Of The Beast, out now via Napalm Records. Watch the clip below.

Thy Antichrist is an existentialist black metal band showcasing extreme elements that’s been making tidal waves in the underground metal community since 1998 and has been building an important fan base around the world.

In 2016, these US based black metallers found a home with the reputable Extreme Management Group, as well as joined the roster of well-known booking agency, Continental Concerts. With a stout history and commanding presence, Thy Antichrist has tremendous potential for further growth going with the recent worldwide signing with Napalm Records.

The band comments on the new album: “We read Aleister Crowley’s wicked spell to awake an ancient evil pharaoh from the ashes of time, to condemn this modern world of chaos by the cursed hands of man. We invoke the Wrath of the Beast, the eclipsing star that rises from the east!”

Wrath Of The Beast is available in jewel case CD, gatefold LP, and digital formats. Order at this location.

Wrath Of The Beast tracklisting:

"Desolation"
"Metal To The Bone"
"The Great Beast"
"A World Burnt To Ashes"
"No Place Like Hell"
"Nightmares"
"Crown Of Lies"
"Skeletons Of Disgrace"
"Walking Through The Soul"
"The Last Breath" - Instrumental Outro

"The Great Beast" video:

"Metal To The Bone" lyric video:

Thy Antichrist has handcrafted a sui generis style into their live performance and music respecting the old traditional metal influence of different metal genres such as thrash metal, heavy metal, death metal and of course the black metal touch. The band has taken to the masses with notable festival appearances with some of metals biggest names. Thy Antichrist has without a doubt connected with fans and created a loyal fan base eager to see what’s coming next. Keep your eyes and ears open.

Tour dates (with Septicflesh and Dark Funeral):

February
23 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick
24 - Las Vegas, NV - Beauty Bar
25 - Oakland, CA - Metro Opera House
26 - Portland, OR - Rock Hard PDX
27 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven

March
1 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
2 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
3 - Ringle, WI - Q & Z Expo Center
4 - Chicago, IL - Reggie’s
5 - Columbus, OH - Alrosa Villa
6 - Lakewood, OH - The Foundry
7 - Detroit, MI @Harpo’s
8 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club
9 - Montreal QC - L’Astral
10 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theater
11 - Worcester, MA - Palladium
12 - Baltimore, MD - Soundstage
13 - Spartanburg, SC - Ground Zero
14 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
16 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
17 - Ft Worth, TX - Rail Club
18 - Austin, TX - Come and Take it Live!
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red

Thy Antichrist lineup:

Antichrist 666: Terryfying Vocals of Tragic Existence and Tragic Poetry
Abyssus: Six Strings of Human Suffering
Frost Giant: Bassist of Cold and Tragic Whisperings
Oricuss: Apocalyptic Thunders of Chaos. Drums

NWOBHM veterans Blitzkrieg will release their new album, Judge Not, on April 27th via Mighty Music. Pre-order the album here, and watch a lyric video for the track "Forever Is A Long Time" below.

Judge Not is, although five years later in the Blitzkrieg world, a continuation from where the band left off from that last album release. Once again solidifying the band's roots in the British metal genre.

The Newcastle-based quintet whose heritage evolves from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal-era some thirty-five plus years ago in the UK, and the connection with Metallica for the times the Bay Area metal giants have covered the bands’ anthem "Blitzkrieg" over the years, and still sporadically play it in their live set.

When the connection with Mighty Music had been made, and the band were offered a new home by the label and the opportunity to release a new album to a wider public.

“We're all really excited in the band about the release of the new Blitzkrieg album, especially after how well the Reign Of Fire EP turned out to close out last year, the reviews and response to that has been very good. This will be the band's first recorded new material since 2013! We all hope everyone enjoys listening to the new material as much as we enjoyed the production and recording of Judge Not,” says guitarist Ken Johnson.

The album was recorded in Newcastle UK at Downcast Base HQ by Phil Davies, but the band elected to use a different studio this time around for mixing, and because the band all admire the work that the Hansen Studios do, most notably the mix of the Pretty Maids Pandemonium album, Jonas Haagensen came on board from the Hansen Studios to mix the album.

Tracklisting:

"Heretic"
"Who Is Blind"
"Forever Is A Long Time"
"Reign Of Fire"
"All Hell Is Breaking Loose"
"Without You"
"Loud And Proud"
"Angels Or Demons"
"Wide Legged And Headless"
"Falling Into Darkness"
"Judge Not Lest You Yourself Be Judged" (alternate album version)
"Schools Out" (Alice Cooper cover, bonus track)

"Forever Is A Long Time" lyric video:

"Reign Of Fire" video:

Blitzkrieg will support Judge Not with a European tour and festival dates that are currently being booked, and will be headlining these shows this spring:

April
28 - Think Tank - Newcastle, UK

May
5 - Metal Bash - Hamburg, Germany
11 - Nordic Noise - Copenhagen, Denmark

November
9 - Hard Rock Hell - Pwllheli Gwynedd, UK

Blitzkrieg lineup:

Brian Ross - Lead vocals
Ken johnson - Guitars, keyboards, backing vocals
Alan Ross - Guitars, Backing vocals
Matt Graham - Drums
Huw Holding - Bass

(Photo - Geoff Duke)

Starkill pay homage to their heroes with a new video for "The Pretender", a symphonic metal rendition of the original and infamous Foo Fighters classic. This comes in just as the Chicago-based 5-piece prepare to announce tour dates before retreating to the studio to record what they reveal to fans as “the most epic album in their entire catalogue."

“The Pretender” is available for download/purchase here. A video can be seen below.

When asked about the inspiration behind covering “The Pretender” track, Parker shares, "Foo Fighters have long been one of our favorite groups of all time, and we’ve long considered doing a cover or interpretation of one of their tracks. 'The Pretender' is one of those instantly recognizable rock anthems, and we decided to bring together various aspects from both the original and other versions we had heard to form a cohesive, more metal-centric cover. We’ve always been a band to straddle, combine, and question sub-genre stereotypes and what is or isn’t “allowed” in metal, so we thought the idea of combining rock, shred, orchestration, and crazy drums made perfect sense for us. To me, the song is about standing your ground and staying true to who you are. We got this idea together of mimicking the original Pretender video, but replacing the riot police with metalheads of all sorts, showcasing that no matter what your preferred sub-genre is, music brings people together."

While Starkill will always maintain their tradition of continually expanding their musical horizons by putting out unique and striking material; on the forthcoming album, listeners can expect a lot more clean and choir singing, and heavier, more technical/proggy soundscapes than Shadow Sleep. “It's ridiculous!," says Parker.

More album details to be announced.

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Atlas, Rise!" on February 16 at SAP Arena in Mannheim, Germany can be seen below.

METALLICA's February 1 show in Lisbon, Portugal kicked off the 2018 European leg of the group's "WorldWired" tour, which will run through May 11 in Helsinki, Finland.

The first European leg of METALLICA's "WorldWired" tour launched in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 2 and ran through November 3.

The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band is touring in support of its tenth studio album, "Hardwired... To Self-Destruct", which came out in November 2016.

The "WorldWired" trek was Pollstar's fifth-highest grossing tour of 2017, with 1.5 million tickets sold and $153 million earned. The band was also the top-selling rock act of the year and had the third best-selling rock album.

The first in a series of videos in which the members of SLAYER look back on the band's 37-year history can be seen below.

After making some of the most brutal, breathtakingly aggressive, all-hell's-a-breaking-loose music ever created, being one of the four bands that defined an entire musical genre and being the band that other heavy acts are measured against and aspire to... after nearly 37 years, releasing 12 studio albums, multiple live recordings, compilations, live video and two box sets, playing nearly 3000 concerts in all corners of the world, receiving countless awards including five Grammy nominations and two Grammy awards, gold records and other accolades...having its own exhibit in the Smithsonian Institute, gracing hundreds of magazine covers, experiencing the devastating loss of a founding brother, and even appearing on "The Tonight Show", the age of SLAYER, one of the greatest thrash/metal/punk bands of this or any age, is coming to an end.

SLAYER has announced that it will do one last concert tour around the globe to thank their fans for all of their support over the years, for making the last three and a half decades so packed with good times and unforgettable experiences, and will then move on.

LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, BEHEMOTH and TESTAMENT will support SLAYER on the first leg, North America, of its final world tour.

SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya talked about his possible retirement in a 2016 interview with Loudwire. He said: "At 35 years, it's time to collect my pension. [Laughs] This is a career move." He continued: "I'm grateful that we've been around for 35 years; that's a really long time. So, yeah, to me, it is. Because when we started off, everything was great, because you're young and invincible. And then there came a time where I became a family man, and I had a tough time flying back and forth. And now, at this stage, at the level we're at now, I can do that; I can fly home when I want to, on days off, and spend some time with my family, which is something I wasn't able to do when [my kids] were growing up. Now they're both older and mature. So now I take advantage of that." Araya added: "Yeah, it just gets harder and harder to come back out on the road. 35 years is a long time."

Tom also revealed another reason for his diminished enjoyment of the touring life. He said: "There's things that have gone on in my life that have made me change how I play as a bass player. I had neck surgery, so I can't headbang anymore. And that was a big part of what I enjoyed doing what I do — singing and headbanging. I liked knowing that I was one of the fucking badass headbangers. That played a big part. Now I just groove with the music, which is cool, because I'm grooving with the music and the feel of the songs, so that's changed a little for me."

A few months later, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King told Germany's EMP Rock Invasion that Araya was "very unclear" about his plans for the band's future. "That's just how he is," Kerry said. "I don't know if he likes holding his cards in his pocket or what." He continued: "I mean, I don't have an answer [as to what the future holds for SLAYER]. I'm holding off a lot of things I wanna do at home, just 'cause I don't know if I'm gonna be working in two years. I'm gonna be working, hopefully in SLAYER. Yeah, dude. What else am I gonna do? I came out of high school and fucking went on tour. [Laughs]"

Pressed about whether there was any end in sight for SLAYER, King said: "Not for me. Not for me, man — especially on such a good record [2015's 'Repentless']."

When the interviewer said that he was looking forward to another 35 years of SLAYER, Kerry said: "Well, I don't know about that. I'll take another record or two."

SLAYER has been touring in support of its latest album, "Repentless", which was released in September 2015 via Nuclear Blast. That effort marked the band's first release since the death of SLAYER's co-founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman.

Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis, also known as flesh-eating disease, in January 2011 from a spider bite in his backyard. The infection ravaged the flesh and tissues of Hanneman's arm, leading to numerous surgeries, skin grafts and intense periods of rehab that forced him into semi-retirement and left him near death at several points.

Hanneman eventually died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. He is credited for writing many of SLAYER's classic songs, including "Angel Of Death" and "South Of Heaven".

Original SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was effectively fired from the band after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other members of SLAYER. He has since been replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band.

Seattle metal legends SANCTUARY kicked off their North American tour with ICED EARTH last night (Thursday, February 22) at Old National Centre in Indianapolis, Indiana.

These shows are acting as a tribute to the musical legacy of SANCTUARY singer Warrel Dane, who passed away last December. Guest vocals for SANCTUARY on the trek are being provided by Joseph Michael (WITHERFALL). Also joining the band on the road is second guitarist Joey Concepcion (ARMAGEDDON, THE ABSENCE).

Prior to the start of the ICED EARTH tour, SANCTUARY guitarist Lenny Rutledge said that the band "decided to continue on" with the shows "to pay tribute to our brother Warrel Dane." He added that the set would "consist of many old and some newer songs performed with the utmost respect and quality to honor our friend" and invited fans to "join us in this farewell as we celebrate Warrel's musical legacy with SANCTUARY."

A year ago, SANCTUARY released the official prequel to 1988's classic debut "Refuge Denied", "Inception", which showcased several previously lost recordings from their 1986 studio session that have now been restored, remixed and remastered by Chris "Zeus" Harris (QUEENSRŸCHE).

Formed in 1985, the band was signed to Epic Records with the help of MEGADETH guitarist Dave Mustaine and released two records, "Refuge Denied" (1988) and "Into The Mirror Black" (1989), which saw them perform with the likes of MEGADETH, FATES WARNING, WARLOCK and DEATH ANGEL. The band disbanded in 1992 as members Dane and Jim Sheppard (bass) went on to form the highly successful metal act NEVERMORE with acclaimed guitarist Jeff Loomis. SANCTUARY reunited nearly 25 years later in 2010 and appeared at several festivals worldwide before returning to the studio to record their acclaimed full-length comeback album, "The Year The Sun Died", for Century Media Records in 2014.

Dane tragically passed away on December 13, 2017 due to a heart attack while recording his second solo album in São Paulo, Brazil.

Seattle-based progressive metallers QUEENSRŸCHE have shot down Internet rumors that founding drummer Scott Rockenfield has left the band.

For the past year, Rockenfield has been taking time off from QUEENSRŸCHE's touring activities to spend time with his young son, who was born last spring. Filling in for him is former KAMELOT drummer Casey Grillo.

In response to online chatter regarding Scott's status in QUEENSRŸCHE, the drummer's bandmates released a statement earlier today in which they reiterated that "he has not quit" the group. "He told us he's taking time off and we have no timeframe on when he will return," they said. "We thought he would take few months off. Obviously, he doesn't want to tour right now. There is nothing more we can say about it and we can't be more honest about it than that."

QUEENSRŸCHE is currently in the studio with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris recording the follow-up to 2015's "Condition Hüman" LP for a tentative summer release. The band said: "We only have vocals and guitar solos to finish, but we're very happy with the direction of the new album."

It is not presently clear if Rockenfield laid down the drum tracks on the new QUEENSRŸCHE disc. However, the band has confirmed that Grillo did not play on the record, which will mark QUEENSRŸCHE's third full-length release with singer Todd La Torre, following the departure of Geoff Tate in 2012.

La Torre told KNAC.COM in December that the band had just spent "about 10 days doing pre-production" for its next album. "We had about 30 song ideas," he said. "Some of them were fairly completed, some were completed, others were just ideas. And so we've narrowed things down to about 13 songs right now. So if we have 10 to 12 songs on the record that are super solid, we'll be happy with that. But yeah, we're working with Chris, and he's done a great job. You know, after you've been sitting on songs a long time, you just kinda feel like you've taken as far as you can. Sometimes you're burned out on the material and it needs that fresh ear to come in and help orchestrate things and find a better arrangement."

Asked where he is getting his lyrical inspirations from for the new QUEENSRŸCHE material, Todd said: "A lot of the stuff on this, I think, just has to do with, again, the political spectrum and just what's going on in the world. And QUEENSRŸCHE always injected those kinds of topics in their content. And so a lot of it has to do with just what's going on socially and politically, and globally and these subjects are timeless. So, if you listen to songs from the '60s that have to do with social discourse and stuff like that, it still applies today."





Ed Bass throwing down the last 2 songs with Chris Zeuss Harris in the studio! We only have vocals and guitar solos to...

Posted by Queensrÿche on Friday, February 23, 2018

LIGHT THE TORCH (formerly DEVIL YOU KNOW), the band fronted by former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones, will release its debut album, "Revival", on March 30 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

The song "Calm Before The Storm" can be streamed below.

"'Calm Before the Storm' is just a fun song," said Jones. "It pairs well with good friends and a road trip. We hope you'll enjoy putting it on repeat.

"We are more than excited to release our album, 'Revival', and we all feel it's been worth every bit of the struggle to get it done," he added.

In addition to Jones, LIGHT THE TORCH features guitarist Francesco Artusato (ALL SHALL PERISH) and bassist Ryan Wombacher (BLEEDING THROUGH). The Los Angeles, California-based trio drew from five years together as DEVIL YOU KNOW to forge a wholly distinct path. Amidst a myriad struggles, they returned from the brink under a new name.

"2016 was a really tough year for us as a band, both personally and professionally," explains Jones. "While going through some lineup changes, we were also battling some issues with the use of our band name. At the same time, I was trying to deal with the loss of my oldest brother, which really hit me hard. During that time, we just bonded like never before. We all meshed because we faced war together. We survived. At the end, we realized we were a real band and decided to make an album representing that resilience. Honestly, we came out of the dark. The name literally signifies what we went through."

"It was time for a change", the singer continues. "It was time for us to try and stretch our wings. We were really going for songs. The structuring made more sense. I was focused on melody and harmony. I really cut loose. All in all, it was the perfect storm. We had so much fun making this, because there were really no restrictions other than creating a heavy and catchy body of work."

The LIGHT THE TORCH lineup boasts one of the most esteemed pedigrees in modern heavy music. Jones spent a decade at the helm of Grammy Award-nominated and gold-selling titans KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Artusato had much-lauded stint in ALL SHALL PERISH and has attained status as a shred virtuoso. Wombacher was a staple in BLEEDING THROUGH for well over a decade. For "Revival", they are joined by EXTINCTION A.D. drummer Mike "Scuzz" Sciulara.

The album artwork was designed by Artusato.

"Revival" track listing:

01. Die Alone
02. The God I Deserve
03. Calm Before The Storm
04. Raise the Dead
05. The Safety Of Disbelief
06. Virus
07. The Great Divide
08. The Bitter End
09. Lost in the Fire
10. The Sound Of Violence
11. Pull My Heart Out
12. Judas Convention

It is speculated that DEVIL YOU KNOW's name change was prompted by a dispute with the band's former drummer, John Sankey, who left the group in June 2016.

DEVIL YOU KNOW released two albums through Nuclear Blast Entertainment: 2014's "The Beauty Of Destruction" and 2015's "They Bleed Red".

In addition to playing songs from its upcoming debut, LIGHT THE TORCH will perform DEVIL YOU KNOW songs at its live shows.

Gothenburg, Sweden-based rockers HARDCORE SUPERSTAR have released their new single and video, "Bring The House Down", via Gain Music Entertainment. The song is taken from the band's forthcoming full-length album, "You Can't Kill My Rock 'N' Roll", which is due on September 21.

"Bring The House Down" is available on all digital platforms and will be released as an exclusive, limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single.

To coincide with the release of "Bring The House Down", HARDCORE SUPERSTAR will embark on a new tour, including select co-headline dates with fellow Swedes MUSTASCH, that will take the band through all of Sweden before it plays on the opening day of the prestigious Sweden Rock Festival in June.

The first single from "You Can't Kill My Rock 'N' Roll", a song called "Have Mercy On Me", was released last fall.

HARDCORE SUPERSTAR vocalist Joakim "Jocke" Berg told Metalforce that "Have Mercy On Me" "is not the best song on the album; there's many more songs [that are better]."

"Have Mercy On Me" was released to coincide with the band's co-headline tour of Europe with FOZZY. The song is available on all digital platforms and as an exclusive, limited-edition 12-inch vinyl single. The B-side on the vinyl single is "Next Please", a demo from the writing sessions for "You Can't Kill My Rock 'N' Roll".

The official lyric video for "Victory", a brand new song from RIOT V, the band featuring members of legendary metal pioneers RIOT, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Armor Of Light", which will be released on April 27 via Nuclear Blast. The disc was produced by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (METAL CHURCH, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, SLIPKNOT, KORN), while the cover artwork was created by Mariusz Gandzel (CRYSTAL VIPER).

The new songs promise to please fans of the "Thundersteel" era of RIOT, as longtime Mark Reale music collaborator Donnie Van Stavern undertakes a lot of the writing as he did on "Thundersteel", "The Privilege Of Power" and the latest offering, "Unleash The Fire".

Van Stavern states: "'Victory' is the first song on the new album, 'Armor Of Light', and the first song I wrote for it. I'm taking it back to my writing roots of 'Thundersteel'/'Privilege Of Power' style, a fast, no-holds-barred face-melting assault on your ears! Although it is about a victorious battle of Thunder Bay, it also means a victory of sorts for us and the fans for keeping the torch burning! Rise up your voices strong and scream along cry out...Victory!"

Hardly any other metal act has such a long and absorbing history behind it. Since the quintet formed in 1975, they have been hit by several severe strokes of fate during their long career. Three deceased members — Rhett Forester (R.I.P. 1994), Guy Speranza (R.I.P. 2003) and Mark Reale (R.I.P. 2012) — have left their mark on the four decades of RIOT's band history.

Since their legendary debut album, "Rock City" (1977), RIOT has released numerous heavy metal classics, including "Fire Down Under" (with classics like "Swords And Tequila"), their masterpiece "Thundersteel" (1988) and the unforgotten "The Privilege Of Power" (1990).

After the death of Mark Reale and the departure of Tony Moore, Todd Michael Hall (from Michigan), completed the lineup of RIOT, which changed its name to RIOT V and moved forward under the auspices of the two long-term members and main songwriters Donnie Van Stavern (bass) and Mike Flyntz (guitar). With the critically acclaimed "Unleash The Fire" (2014), a pure power metal jewel once again underlined the musical importance and influence of the quintet.

Many artists name-check RIOT as an important influence of their musical career and have paid tribute to the power metal godfathers on multiple occasions. The list is long and includes several well-known acts such as HAMMERFALL ("Flight Of The Warrior"), Luca Turilli's RHAPSODY ("Thundersteel"), AXEL RUDI PELL ("Warrior") and newcomers such as NIGHT DEMON ("Road Racin'"), ALPHA TIGER ("Flight Of The Warrior"), SAVAGE MASTER ("Swords And Tequila") and STALLION ("Rock City").

Montréal, Quebec, Canada-based melodic death metallers KATAKLYSM have completed work on their new album, "Meditations", due later in the year via Nuclear Blast. The 10-song disc was produced by the band's guitarist Jean-François Dagenais and drummer Oli Beaudoin, and was mixed by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STONE SOUR). Mastering duties were handled by Paul Logus (PANTERA).

The "Meditations" cover artwork, which was created for Ocvlta Designs by Surtsey, who also crafted the artwork for KATAKLYSM's previous record, "Of Ghosts And Gods".

Singer Maurizio Iacono commented: "This is a very personal album to me with old wounds being revisited — I felt a big urge to pour my soul into this release. The boys and I were isolated under the same roof during the writing process, just like we did in the early days... with no worries except having fun, being honest and delivering a serious album that represents us today but respects our past. Our new story is coming and we are eager to share it with you!"

"Meditations" track listing:

01. Guillotine
02. Outsider
03. The Last Breath I'll Take Is Yours
04. Narcissist
05. Born To Kill And Destined To Die
06. In Limbic Resonance
07. And Then I Saw Blood
08. What Doesn't Break Doesn't Heal
09. Bend The Arc, Cut The Cord
10. Achilles Heel

Dagenais previously stated about KATAKLYSM's decision to work with Ruston: "This album has so much to offer that we decided to search for someone outside the box for it. Someone who comes with a fresh outlook and hasn't work with extreme or death metal bands. We wanted someone with a more organic feel but at the same time can pound a mix into your chest with the power and definition it deserves. When Jay accepted to work with us, we knew he would bring just that."

The song "Ejection" from MONSTER MAGNET can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's 11th album, "Mindfucker", which will be released on March 23 via Napalm. The disc "is different, a step forward and a step back at the same time to the almighty roots of hard rock music, kindled by the unpretentious proto-punk era," according to a press release. "Up-tempo, savage in both sound and spirit, 'Mindfucker' is the real deal! The album has the potential to surprise and to whip up the love for the genre, while still giving the sludgies and stoner freaks exactly what they wish for in a new MONSTER MAGNET album."

Commented MONSTER MAGNET leader Dave Wyndorf: "'Mindfucker' is a fuzzed out, headbangin' celebration of hard rock and 21st Century paranoia. 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 its 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!"

MONSTER MAGNET guitarist Phil Caivano told Metal Express Radio in May 2016 that the band's follow-up to 2013's "Last Patrol" was "very aggressive, very straight-ahead, very 'Detroit.' Once again, [it's] back to some of our American roots. We did the 'space rock' thing on the last couple of records. Being the huge HAWKWIND fans we are, AMON DÜÜL fans, GROUNDHOGS fans… that whole thing. 'Last Patrol' was very, very influenced by space rock, and there'll always be elements of space rock in MONSTER MAGNET stuff, but we brought it back to what we were influenced by as kids, which would be the Detroit thing: STOOGES, MC5, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD. Very punchy, American… That's really what it is. All I can say is the word 'Detroit' always keeps coming to mind."

"Mindfucker" track listing:

01. Rocket Freak
02. Soul
03. Mindfucker
04. I'm God
05. Drowning
06. Ejection
07. Want Some
08. Brainwashed
09. All Day Midnight
10. When The Hammer Comes Down

MONSTER MAGNET's last release was "Cobras And Fire (The Mastermind Redux)", which came out in October 2015. The album was dubbed an "alternative listening experience" to the band's 2010 effort "Mastermind". The approach was similar to what MONSTER MAGNET did in 2014 when they took "Last Patrol", pulled the songs apart and rebuilt them as "Milking The Stars: A Re-Imagining Of Last Patrol".

MONSTER MAGNET is:

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

Photo credit: Jeremy Saffer


Listen to MONSTER MAGNET – Ejection byNapalmRecords on hearthis.at

Ross The Boss Band: "New album “By Blood Sworn" out on April 20th via AFM Records / world tour dates announced!

Guitarist Ross the Boss’ stature in the history of hard rock and heavy metal has been well-solidified for decades by this point - with a resume including some of the most influential and hardest-hitting bands of all-time, particularly both the Dictators and Manowar. And he continues to rock - as a member of the group DeathDealer, and also, as the leader of his own solo outfit, which has issued such stellar releases as ‘Hailstorm,’ ‘New Metal Leader,’ and his latest offering, ‘By Blood Sworn'. Joined by Marc Lopes on vocals and keys, Mike LePond on bass, and Lance Barnewold on drums for the sessions (Steve Bolognese will beat the skins on the album’s tour), ‘By Blood Sworn’ was produced by Dean Rispler, and will be released April 20th in Europe, via AFM Records. “The main thing is that my band all live nearby me instead of in Germany,” explains Ross. “So, we were able to really work the tunes up. Mike LePond and I started going thru riffs and tunes in July, worked up the tunes, and started forming them. It was a very satisfying process.”
And as evidenced by such standout tracks as title track, “Among the Bones,” “Devil's Day,” and a re-do of Manowar’s “Hail and Kill,” ‘By Blood Sworn’ is certainly as hard-hitting and heavy as Ross’ previous classics. “Actually, I know what direction the songwriting should go, and we go. As for my guitar playing, whatever the song needs, the songs get! The record is more old school, but with a fresh attack - the songs are not repetitive, and this record is also not a ‘drum machine recording’ like most these days.” Also featured is extremely eye-catching album cover artwork. “Marc and I had this concept for the cover art by Stan W. Decker. It was a knight kneeling after battle - holding his mighty sword and my eagle behind him.”

"By Blood Sworn" tracklisting:

01. By Blood Sworn
02. Among the Bones
03. This is Vengeance
04. We Are the Night
05. Faith of the Fallen
06. Devil's Day
07. Lilith
08. Play Among the Godz
09. Circle of Damnation
10. Fistful of Hate

Bonus tracks on Digipak:
11. Each Dawn I Die
12. The Oath
13. Hail And Kill

BY BLOOD WE TOUR WORLDWIDE 2018

3/7 - SELLERSVILLE - PA - SELLERSVILLE THEATER
3/8 - MANCHESTER - NH - JEWEL MUSIC VENUE
3/9 - BROOKLYN - NY - SAINT VITUS
3/10 - POUGHKEEPSIE - NY - THE CHANCE
3/11 - PATCHOGUE - NY - STEREO GARDEN
3/14 - QUEBEC - QU - L’ANTI
3/15 - MONTREAL - QU - KATACOMBES
3/16 - TORONTO - ON - ROCKPILE
3/18 - DETROIT - MI - TOKEN LOUNGE
3/22 - INDIANAPOLIS - IN - BLACK CIRCLE BREWERY
3/23 - CHICGO - IL - REGGIES
3/24 - DARIEN - IL - Q CLUB
4/15-17 - MALLORCA - ES/ MARSEILLE - FR FULL METAL CRUISE 6
4/18 - MANNHEIM - DE - MS CONNEXION COMPLEX
4/19 - BREDA - NL - MEZZ
4/20 - LEIBERTINGEN-KREENHEINSTETTEN - DE - BURGERHAUS
4/21 - ZUG - CH - CHOLLERHALLE
4/22 - BRESCIA - IT - CIRCOLO COLONY
4/26 - SYDNEY - AU - THE STAG
4/27 - ADELAIDE - AU - FOWLERS LIVE
4/28 - MELBOURNE - AU - THE CROXON
4/29 - BRISBANE - AU - WOLLY MAMMOTH
7/6 - BARCELONA - ES - ROCKFEST
8/10 - KORTRIJK - BE - ALCATRAZ METAL FEST
8/11 - VILLENA - ES - LEYENDAS DEL ROCK
8/12 - VAGOS - PT - VAGOS METAL FEST
8/15 - DINKELSBUHL - DE - SUMMER BREEZE
9/5 - ATLANTA - GA - PROGPOWER XIX - THE LOFT
10/15 - CALA BARCA - ES - FULL METAL HOLIDAY

MORE TBA.

"Interdimensional Summit", the new video from Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR, can be seen below. The clip was directed by Patric Ullaeus, who previously worked with the band on the clips for "Progenies Of The Great Apocalypse", "Sorgens Kammer - Del II" and the award-winning "The Serpentine Offering".

"Interdimensional Summit" is taken from DIMMU BORGIR's new album, "Eonian", which will be released on May 4 via Nuclear Blast.

The songwriting core of DIMMU BORGIR furthermore consists of charismatic vocalist Shagrath, as well as the string wizards Silenoz and Galder, but other familiar faces also emerge from the darkness: drummer Daray and keyboardist Gerlioz are still part of the team, and Gaute Storaas helped with the choral arrangements for the majestic voices of the Schola Cantrum Choir.

The cover artwork was designed in fascinating detail by Zbigniew M. Bielak (GHOST, BEHEMOTH, MAYHEM).

"Eonian" contains 10 new tracks, produced by the band itself and engineered by Jens Bogren. Emerging from the dark minds of the three songwriters, "Eonian" follows a philosophical concept, dealing with the illusion of time:

"Time, when not approaching it from the construct we're used to can't be defined and thus it is illusory," explains guitarist Silenoz. "There's only an 'eternal now,' which the album title is already hinting at. When we travel between the worlds seen and unseen, the perception of time ceases to exist, it has no function. Our energy is our torch and our compass when we make rifts and pierce through the veil — when we go beyond."

Vocalist Shagrath adds: "'Eonian' represents the illusion of time, everything that is and always has been. For us, it also marks the 25th anniversary of DIMMU BORGIR and the album itself is a tribute to our own history and the Norwegian black metal history."

Silenoz told Metal Shock Finland about DIMMU BORGIR's long-awaited follow-up to 2010's "Abrahadabra": "We feel that we're sitting on the best album that we could possibly do at this time, and personally, I think it's definitely our best album to date. Obviously, that's something that everybody says, but if I didn't believe that we would do our best album, there wouldn't really be any point doing a new one. So, yeah, I'm really excited about it, and I know that quite a few fans will probably be positively surprised. And, yeah, we can't wait to get this stuff off the ground and get going."

Silenoz told Rock 'N' Roll Journalist last summer that all the writing on the new DIMMU BORGIR album was done by the core trio of Silenoz, vocalist Shagrath and guitarist Galder. "We had a little bit of assistance from the keyboard player, but it was less on this album than it was on the previous one," Silenoz said. "That seems to be working best and it means there's less cooks in the kitchen. [Laughs]"

As for the musical direction of DIMMU BORGIR's next effort, Silenoz, said: "I think it's safe to say that [the parts that are] more epic and majestic are more epic and majestic, and the same goes for the brutal sound of DIMMU and also the primitive and more black metal sound of DIMMU is more black metal this time around. So you will have the more extremes of each part that we are known for."

"Eonian" track listing:

01. The Unveiling
02. Interdimensional Summit
03. Ætheric
04. Council Of Wolves And Snakes
05. The Empyrean Phoenix
06. Lightbringer
07. I Am Sovereign
08. Archaic Correspondence
09. Alpha Aeon Omega
10. Rite Of Passage

DIMMU BORGIR's latest release was the "Forces Of The Northern Night" DVD, which was made available in April 2017 via Nuclear Blast. The set contains two of the band's live performances: their legendary show in Oslo, presenting DIMMU BORGIR on stage with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and a bombastic choir, as well as their entire performance at Wacken Open Air festival in 2012 in Wacken, Germany with almost a hundred musicians on stage.

Polish black/death overlords BEHEMOTH will release a brand new live DVD/Blu-ray titled "Messe Noire" 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..."

Watch the official teaser video below.

"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

The official lyric video for the song "Twilight Sunrise" from Austin, Texas metal luminaries THE SWORD can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's sixth studio album, "Used Future", which will be released on March 23. The disc was recorded in Portland, Oregon with producer Tucker Martine (MY MORNING JACKET, THE DECEMBERISTS, FIRST AID KIT).

Multiple pre-order bundles are available from both the band's webstore and the label's store. This includes an exclusive "eight-track" version featuring a USB drive containing the full album and visualizer, housed in an authentic eight-track cassette shell, and a vinyl version with bonus 12-inch "Serpent Weather" single featuring art by Thomas Hooper.

THE SWORD will take part in extensive touring throughout 2018. Support on the first leg of the tour will come from KING BUFFALO.

THE SWORD's live album "Greetings From..." , was released last May via Razor & Tie. The band recorded all of the shows on its fall 2016 tour with OPETH and chose nine songs to make up the track listing on the disc.

Photo credit: Dean Dickinson

Longtime GUNS N' ROSES keyboardist Dizzy Reed played a free one-off Australian show in support of his debut solo album, "Rock 'N Roll Ain't Easy". Fan-filmed video footage of the concert, which was held on February 18 at Frankie's Pizza By The Slice in Sydney, can be seen below (courtesy of Rock From The Crowd's Colin Hay).

"Rock 'N Roll Ain't Easy" was released on February 16 via Golden Robot Records. Written by Reed, Ricky Warwick (THIN LIZZY, THE ALMIGHTY, BLACK STAR RIDERS) and Del James, the disc's first single, "This Don't Look Like Vegas", features Warwick and Mayuko Okai on guitar, with GUNS bandmate Richard Fortus (PSYCHELIC FURS, THIN LIZZY, THE DEAD DAISIES) providing the guitar solo. Mike Dupke (W.A.S.P.) is on drums, with Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.) on bass, while Reed handles lead vocals, piano, shaker and tambourine, with backing vocals from Nadja Reed, Chela Johnson and Del James.

"Rock 'N Roll Ain't Easy" is 12 tracks (or 13, if you download the digital version) of rock with Reed uniting with fellow members of GUNS N' ROSES, along with some other greats, including players from W.A.S.P., QUIET RIOT, PSYCHEDELIC FURS, THIN LIZZY, NO DOUBT, THE REPLACEMENTS, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, and more.

Reed is the longest-serving member of GN'R after singer Axl Rose. He joined the band as a touring member in 1990, during the "Use Your Illusion" era, and has played with most of the original members as well as in all the later editions of the group and the current reunion lineup.

The Pulse Of Radio asked Reed how he's managed to stay in the band for so long. "I get asked that a lot and it's really just, I just never really thought about doing anything else, you know, on sort of a permanent basis," he said. "You know, I kind of feel like I'm in GUNS N' ROSES and that's where I was meant to be."

In the world of music, GUNS N' ROSES need no introduction. Few bands in history have achieved the level of success and recognition that GN'R has. The addition of Reed marked a stylistic turning point in the band's maturity, incorporating piano and the epic tones of the Hammond B-3 into their aggressive hard rock sound.

In 2012, Dizzy was inducted into the the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of GUNS N' ROSES. He has toured with the PSYCHEDELIC FURS and has toured, recorded and written with supergroup THE DEAD DAISIES whose lineup has featured members of THE CULT, MÖTLEY CRÜE, WHITESNAKE, THE ROLLING STONES and THIN LIZZY. He also sings lead vocals with his side project HOOKERS & BLOW. On surviving and flourishing in rock's 'sharky' waters, he says: "Never stop learning and exploring, but don't forget what you do best. Stick to your guns."

"Rock 'N Roll Ain't Easy" track listing:

01. This Don't Look Like Vegas
02. Mother Theresa
03. Cheers 2 R Oblivion
04. Fragile Water
05. Dirty Bomb
06. Mystery In Exile
07. I Celebrate
08. Understanding
09. Crestfallen
10. Forgotten Cases
11. Reparations
12. Rock 'N' Roll Ain't Easy