According to a February 14 Facebook post from RATT singer Stephen Pearcy, he is preparing to enter the studio to begin recording his fifth solo album.

Stephen's fourth solo album, "Smash", was released in January 2017 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Speaking about the songwriting process for his solo material, Pearcy told Music Existence: "RATT's music is its own entity and animal, and it has its own schematics. With my solo stuff, I tend to do whatever I like — an acoustic song, a really heavy song — and go places and talk about things that I want to. It's my freedom of speech. That's one thing I like about it, and I'm always writing, so what else can I do, you know? Just try to get it out and get it heard! I don't care if it sells ten million or nil million; it's just what I do. You do the best that you can."

Pearcy also talked in more detail about the musical inspiration for "Smash", saying: "It's just my guitar player Erik [Ferentinos], who I co-wrote most of the stuff with. We'd just come up with songs and take them through a journey. That's pretty much how it happens. I don't think about anything. If it sounds like something that's an influence, and if it's a good one, that's even better! I don't really think about emulating anybody; it's more of an influential thing that just came out. That's a compliment to both of us, how I respect them. And I'm sure they'd say, 'Woah, that sounds pretty good!' But that's about it — the light and the dark of the things, you know?"

Stephen added that he wanted "Smash" to be a "diverse" record. "The subject matter's very different than what was expected, and what would be expected," he explained. "And there's some personal stuff in there — a song I wrote for my daughter, 'Rain'. I'm able to do whatever I want with my solo stuff, so this is what you get."

RATT's classic-era members Pearcy, Juan Croucier (bass) and Warren DeMartini (guitar) reunited in October 2016 for a surprise performance on a Monsters Of Rock cruise. The trio has since played a series of RATT shows, including high-profile sets at Maryland's M3 Rock festival and Oklahoma's Rocklahoma. They were joined on stage by former QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on RATT's last studio album, 2010's "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.





Start recording in couple days solo record #5. Time to kick yr ass with Erik Ferentinos, then we fly. You’ll get what you deserve on this one☠ and more. First drums then more fun☠

Posted by Stephen Pearcy on Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Marilyn Manson played an "amazing" show in Sayreville, New Jersey, one day after his disastrous performance in Huntington, New York.

"He was [blanking] awesome, sorry for my language," one fan told the Asbury Park Press after last night's concert. "He outdid himself. He made up for [Thursday]. He said how much he loved New Jersey and we gave him the love he deserved."

"The show [in Sayreville] was amazing, the show [in Huntington] wasn't so good," another fan who attended both concerts said. "[Friday night] he was able to sing the full songs. [Thursday] night, he wasn't able to sing the full songs."

The Huntingon concert was a make-up date for a show that was originally supposed to happen last October but which ended up getting postponed after Manson broke his right leg in two places.

During Thursday night's gig, Manson reportedly had his back to the crowd for most of the set and seemingly confused his own band by his actions as several songs were started and stopped. He also mumbled incoherently at one point and appeared to improvise bizarre lyrics.

A number of people who went to the concert took to social media to express their displeasure and to ask for their money back.

Marilyn is on the road supporting his latest album, "Heaven Upside Down", which was released last October.

The singer injured his lower leg in a freak accident on stage during a concert last fall in New York City, resulting in the postponement of nine tour dates.

A short time later, longtime Manson bassist Twiggy Ramirez (real name Jeordie White) was fired from the group following allegations of sexual assault.

Manson returned to touring last November.

The official lyric video for "Back With A Vengeance", the title track of the second album from SAINTED SINNERS, the band featuring former ACCEPT singer David Reece, can be seen below. The disc was released on February 16 via El Puerto Records.

Expressing the "pure essence of rock 'n' roll" was the ambition that paired those four well-known and experienced musicians together in early 2016 to create and play the music which is deeply inside their hearts and in their blood. The love for rock legends, such as DEEP PURPLE, LED ZEPPELIN, RAINBOW, WHITESNAKE, UFO, BLACK SABBATH, VAN HALEN and many others, built the cornerstone for the music of the new founded quartet called SAINTED SINNERS.

Fronted by the unique, soul-driven voice of American-born vocalist David Reece and highly gifted guitar player Frank Pané (BONFIRE), SAINTED SINNERS got completed by the dynamic rhythm section of the two former PURPENDICULAR members Malte Frederik Burkert (bass) and the Hungarian drum maestro Berci Hirleman.

"We were aiming for a more guitar-heavy approach this time and also a warmer, more ballsy sound," explains Pané and continues: "This time we already knew where to go. You definitely can hear my huge VAN HALEN and Randy Rhoads influences more than on the previous one. But it also has that DEEP PURPLE touch, even with less keyboards this time. In other songs, you definitely hear a RAINBOW and DIO influence... and it goes on and on. These influences are totally natural and are not planned. So we just go with the flow and that's the essence of rock 'n' roll for us."

The keyboards on "Back With A Vengeance" were handled by guest musicians Angel Vafeiadis and Eric Ragno, who is known for his work with Alice Cooper, Paul Stanley (KISS) and Billy Gibbons (ZZ TOP).

"I'm really happy and satisfied with the end result," summarizes Pané. "Being a new band, it's hard to be recognized nowadays with all the hundreds of releases every month, so we wanted to make a statement that SAINTED SINNERS is a band you should look out for."

The video for the song "Burnin' The Candle" can be seen below. Pané says: "For the video, we went for a very spontaneous approach. Having a day off in Hamburg between two shows, we were happy to have our friend Volker Thiele (who did our previous clips as well) with us. There was no bigger plan what to do; we basically walked through the city searching for cool locations."

Reece adds: "The shooting was a challenge, because firstly the weather was cold and we shot some on the pier in Hamburg, but it was freezing balls and tough to do. We looked behind us and there was Hard Rock Cafe Hamburg, so we asked the manager out of need to warm up if we could shoot some footage and he luckily agreed, before we froze to death, haha!"

SAINTED SINNERS is:

David Reece - Vocals
Frank Pané - Guitar
Malte Frederik Burkert - Bass
Berci Hirleman - Drums

Fan-filmed video footage of ROBERT PLANT & THE SENSATION SPACE SHIFTERS' February 14 performance at the Beacon Theatre in New York City can be seen below.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, Plant and the band kicked off the tour last Friday night (February 9) in Raleigh, North Carolina and played a set tapping into Plant's latest album, "Carry Fire", and 2014's "Lullaby And.. The Ceaseless Roar", along with several folk and bluegrass standards, as well as his 1998 collaboration with Jimmy Page, "Please Read The Letter", which also found a home on his Grammy Award-winning "Raising Sand" album with Alison Krauss.

Highlights for fans were the several tips of the hat to his LED ZEPPELIN years with performances of "That's The Way", "Gallows Pole", "Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You", "Misty Mountain Hop" and the show-closing "Whole Lotta Love". Plant's '80s career was represented by just one track, the concert's second-to-last song, "In The Mood".

Despite promoters essentially offering LED ZEPPELIN a blank check for a series of concerts, 10 years after the band's one-off reunion and the incredible success of his collaboration with Krauss, Plant remains committed to his current musical direction. "I hate to say it, but it felt young," he said. "It felt like I didn't know what was going to happen next, and it didn't really matter — and that was the great thing. I know the songs that I like and the songs that I always attach myself to have been of a certain genre, if they're not self-penned. And I was in very good company with people who had a very familiar lean in the same direction."

Facing Fire has released their debut EP through Pavement Entertainment. The band is excited to bring their heavy-hitting music to life. The new release is available on digital and streaming outlets worldwide.

Facing Fire is a hard rock band from Southern Ohio. The band consists of guitarists Tony Phillips and Caleb Miller, vocalist Scott Artis, bassist Josh Quillen, and drummer Levi Ausmus.

In addition to releasing their new EP, Facing Fire is premiering the official music video for the single "Filthy Life." The song puts an emphasis on freeing yourself from a past that has the power to weigh you down. "I personally connect so much with our new single 'Filthy Life.' It just felt right as I began to write the lyrics," says Artis. "I love the positive message and I hope it has an impact on people who may need it."

"Facing Fire has been the chance of a lifetime. I finally get to make the kind of music I've always wanted. When all the pieces come together like this and there's that chemistry there, it's an amazing experience as an artist. You can't help but want to work even harder and do even more. We just want to explore where the music takes us and we really hope the listeners will be as involved in the experience as we are," says Phillips.

Former MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP and current CENTURY LOST and STARGAZERY singer Jari Tiura will release his debut solo album on March 23. "King Of Lions" is a bit different from Jari's previous output, having more of an AOR feel to it but also with a genuine hard rock vibe.

Tiura was born 1968 in Tampere, Finland. He began to sing around the age of 17 when he also formed his first real band CROMMER. Two years later, the group changed their name to BOURBON and started to play gigs in its hometown.

A big change in Tiura's musical career happened in the end of the '90s when he joined SNAKEGOD, a Finnish power metal band. With SNAKEGOD, he released an album called "Invitation" in 2001.

In 2004, Michael Schenker contacted Tiura and asked him if he would like to fly over to London for an audition gig. Everything went well and Jari even recorded most of his lead vocals for the MSG release "Tales Of Rock 'N' Roll" during his stay in London. The first MSG concert featuring Tiura on vocals took place in 2006. The show was broadcasted live from Underground, Cologne and aired on the program "Rockpalast" on German TV.

Between 2006 and 2007, Jari toured with MSG in Europe, Asia and the USA, and played big festivals like Wacken Open Air and Sweden Rock, to name a few.

After leaving MSG, the singer joined Finnish band STARGAZERY. With STARGAZERY, he so far has released two albums, "Eye On The Sky" (2011) and "Stars Aligned" (2015). He is also a member of a new group called CENTURY LOST which is currently working on a debut album, to be released in 2018.

A few years ago, Tiura and his good friend and producer Sami Ala-lahti hooked up and started to write music together for his first solo album. "King Of Lions" is a release that, from the beginning, was meant to sound different from anything he had done in the past. Sami Ala-lahti handled the production and also played rhythm guitars, sang backing vocals and did some programming.

"King Of Lions" features Yrjö Ella on lead guitar, Jaan Wessman on bass and drums. On keyboards you will find Jussi Kulomaa, Jani Kemppinen and Mikko Kangasjärvi. Tiura is the executive producer. "King Of Lions" was mixed by Antto Tuomainen and mastered by Esa Orjatsalo.

"King Of Lions" track listing:

01. Away From All The Magic And Wonder
02. London
03. Friends And Foes
04. Human
05. Lion Of Judah
06. Dreamchaser
07. Silent Moon
08. Take On The World
09. Blue Sky Lightning

Lyric videos for the songs "Dreamchaser" and "London" can be seen below.

Aegean Sorrow, the impending new full-length from Greek death/doom veterans On Thorns I Lay, will see release this March via Alone Records. In advance of its official unveiling, the summons the video "Erevos" for public consumption.

On Thorns I Lay's Aegean Sorrow will see release on CD and digital formats via Alone Records and on vinyl via The Vinyl Division on March 12th with preorders to be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Tracklisting:

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

"Erevos" video:

"Olethros II":

“Aegean Sorrow” lyric video:

French power metal band, Öblivion, (featuring former Nightmare members) will release their debut album Resilience + DVD Live at Leym’Fest on February 23rd via Rock Of Angels Records. A new lyric video for "Bells Of Babylon" is streaming below.

The album was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by Pat "Magician" Liotard (Nightmare, Now Or Never) at Peek Studio in the South of France.

The DVD contains the live performance of the band at the Leym'Fest in France on September 2nd 2017. The DVD features the full show (including seven brand new songs and three Nightmare tracks), a bonus section with interviews, and also a trailer section.

CD tracklisting:

"Spectral Warrior"
"Honor And Glory"
"In The Arms Of A Queen"
"Bells From Babylon"
"Shine In My Galaxy"
"I Thought I Was A King"
"Evil Spell"
"Punished By The Crowd"
"Facing The Enemies"
"Race Is On"
"Dreamers Believers"

DVD tracklisting:

"Spectral Warrior"
"Evil Spell"
"In The Arms Of A Queen"
"Shine In My Galaxy"
"Eternal Winter"
"Cosmovision"
"I Thought I Was A King"
"Honor And Glory"
"Bells From Babylon"
"Lord Of The Sky"
"Dreamers, Believers"

"Bells Of Babylon" lyric video:

Öblivion is:

Jo Amore – vocals (Now Or Never, Temple Of Dio, ex-Nightmare)
David Amore – drums and machines (ex-Nightmare)
Markus Fortunato – bass (Fortunato)
Steff Rabilloud – guitars (Urgent, Eye On Maiden, ex-Nightmare)
Florian Lagoutte – guitars (Forsaken World)
 

Nuclear Blast Entertainment will release the new album from Tax The Heat, Change Your Position, on March 9th, 2018. The album will be available as CD and digital. The band have released a new video trailer, entitled The Medicine Sessions: Episode Three. Check it out below.

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

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

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

Tracklisting:

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

“Change Your Position” video:

“All That Medicine” lyric video:

“Money In The Bank” video:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode One:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Two:

The Medicine Sessions: Episode Three:

Belgium’s Wiegedood are releasing a video to the title track of their upcoming album, De Doden Hebben Het Goed III. The final chapter of their De Doden Hebben Het Goed trilogy will be out April 20th, just in time for their performance at the prestigious Roadburn Festival on Sunday, April 22nd.

Wiegedood shared insight on the album's cover art (featured below), which was completed by Stefaan Temmerman, stating: "The picture for this cover was taken in Sint-Eloois-Winkel, a small town near Kortrijk where Levy grew up. Subsequently, the cover for De Doden Hebben Het Goed II was taken in De Haan, where Gilles spent his childhood and the first cover picture was taken in Ransberg, where Wim grew up and is still living today.”

After being formed in 2014 by Levy Seynaeve (Amenra, Oathbreaker) as well as Wim Coppers and Gilles Demolder (both also in Oathbreaker) Wiegedood quickly became a household name in the European extreme metal scene. Both of their previous albums, De Doden Hebben Het Goed and De Doden Hebben Het Goed II, as well as their furious and cathartic live performances made waves beyond the realms of black metal.

Wiegedood have already confirmed the following live shows and more international dates will follow shortly:

March
17 - Lokeren, Belgium - De Kapel
22 - Vilnius, Lithuania - Narauti
23 - Minsk, Belarus - Brugge
24 - Moscow, Russia - Model T
25 - St. Petersburg, Russia - Zoccolo
28 - Hasselt, Belgium - Muziekodroom
30 - Oslo, Norway - Inferno Festival
31 - Edegem, Belgium - Catacomb

April
22 - Tilburg, Netherlands - Roadburn Festival

May
5 - Sydney, Australia - Direct Underground Fest
6 - Melbourne, Australia - Direct Underground Fest
27 - Langres, France - Outch! Festival

August
8-11 - Jaroměř, Czech Republic - Brutal Assault
18 - Mean, Belgium - Metal Mean Festival

Band lineup:

Gilles Demolder - Guitars
Wim Coppers - Drums
Levy Seynaeve - Guitars & Vocals

Long Branch Records recently announced the newest addition to the family. The UK atmospheric-djent-proggers Valis Ablaze have signed a deal with the label and will release their debut full-length, Boundless, on April 6th. The first single, "Paradox", is available now on all digital platforms. A video for the track can be found below.

Pre-order Boundless at this location.

Tracklisting:

"Afterlight"
"The Crossing"
"Lumen"
"Evade"
"Hex"
"The Static Between Us"
"Signals"
"Faster Than Light" (feat. Sithu Aye)
"Frequency" (feat. Drewsif Stalin)
"Paradox"
"Reflections" (feat. Reece Fullwood)

"Paradox" video:

Lineup:

Phil Owen - Vocals
George Demner - Bass
Ash Cook - Guitars
Tom Moore - Guitars
Rich New - Drums

(Photo - Tim Rees)

Vocalist Carley Coma of Candiria has launched a new series of videos for the band's latest album While They Were Sleeping. The series dives deep into the story behind the album's concept.

The first video addresses the title track. The second centers on "Mereya", the second track on the album. The third video looks at "Wandering Light" and the new fourth video talks about "The Cause". Watch all below.

New videos for each track will be launched in sequence in the coming weeks.

Candiria will be headlining the Blacklight Media Records showcase in New York City on March 8th at the Gramercy Theatre. The band has put together a special set list for the night, celebrating over 20 years of its sophomore album Beyond Reasonable Doubt. The band will also appear at this year's New England Metal + Hardcore Fest in April.

Swedish prog/extreme metal architects, Letters From The Colony, have released their debut album, Vignette (Nuclear Blast Records). A fourth video trailer for the album can be found  below.

The album, which was mastered by Jens Bogren (Dimmu Borgir, Opeth, Paradise Lost), reaches a length of over 55 minutes. Vignette can be ordered here.

Tracklisting:

"Galax"
"Erasing Contrast"
"The Final Warning"
"This Creature Will Haunt Us Forever"
"Cataclysm"
"Terminus"
"Glass Palaces"
"Sunwise"
"Vignette"

"Galax" video:

"Terminus" lyric video:

"Erasing Contrast" video:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

Trailer #4:

Letters From The Colony build upon the intersection between perfection and ordered chaos; the unbridled joy of experimentation and virtuosic instrument mastery and create their new niche compartment of technically challenging extreme metal. They deliver highly complex songs full of unbound aggression and progressive structures in the vein of Meshuggah, Opeth and Gojira, and also do not shy away from playing saxophone with a guitar or sampling the call of a deer into a track!

Letters From The Colony are:

Alexander Backlund - Vocals
Sebastian Svalland - Guitar
Johan Jönsegård - Guitar
Emil Östberg - Bass
Jonas Sköld - Drums

Dutch melodic death metal band, Purest Of Pain, will release their debut album, Solipsis on March 1st to follow their 2013 single "Momentum" and 2011 EP Revelations In Obscurity.

Lead by guitarist and main songwriter Merel Bechtold of Delain, whom also performs in much respected bands MaYaN and The Gentle Storm/Anneke van Giersbergen, the energetic quintet from Holland, which now includes Delain drummer Joey de Boer is a force to be reckoned with. Combining Scandanavian metal influences with groove, ambiance, tone and melody, the band has unleashed a lyric video for "The Solipsist", which can be found below.

Seven years in the making, from the writing process up to the final mastering to launching a successful online crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo (raising over 18,000 Euros, thank you video here), along with increasing their funds through live performances, which saw them open for such bands as Opeth, Textures, Suicide Silence, Unearth and Attack Attack! plus an unforgettable slot at Wacken in 2014. Solipsis is 14 tracks of brutality blended with groove and emotion produced by Merel Bechtold with recording done at Mantis Audio Studio (Delain) and mastering by Jens Jorgen (Opeth, Arch Enemy, Soilwork).

“Really digging the album, honestly! You guys have managed to blend brutality with groove and emotion in a great way!” - Jens Bogren

Guitarist Merel Bechtold comments: "Solipsis is a guitar oriented record, is has been recorded as organic as possible: partly at home, partly at Mantis Audio Studio. The song ‘E.M.D.R.’ is written by fellow guitarist Michael van Eck. All the other songs were summoned by myself. The lyrics are written by vocalist J.D. Kaye. And even though the music isat times technical and challenging, it's undeniably driven by relentless groove, enhanced by hugely melodic passages, wonderful tone and moments of ambient clarity."

Solipsis will be available on CD, Vinyl plus as a digital release and is available for pre-order here. Their single "Terra Nil" is available for download and stream on iTunes, Amazon, Google Play, Spotify, Deezer.

The CD and Vinyl versions have slightly altered artwork. Merel Bechtold was responsible for its concept and bass player Frank van Leeuwen designed and finalized the covers.

Tracklisting:

"The Pragmatic"
"Truth–seeker"
"Vessels"
"Crown Of Worms"
"Momentum"
"The Sleep Of Reason"
"Tidebreaker"
"Trial & Error"
"Terra Nil"
"Noctambulist"
"E.M.D.R."
"Phantom Limb"
"The Solipsist"
"The End"

"The Solipsist" lyric video:

"Terra Nil":

Lineup:

J.D. Kaye -­ Vocals
Merel Bechtold - Guitars
Michael van Eck - Guitars
Frank van Leeuwen - Bass
Joey de Boer - Drums

ASESINO, the death metal/grindcore project featuring FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares and FEAR FACTORY/ex-STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos (on bass/vocals), played a free show this past Tuesday, February 12 at Slidebar in Fullerton, California. Fan-filmed video footage of the concert can be seen below.

ASESINO will return to Mexico this May, a little over half a year after canceling an appearance at the 2017 Knotfest México due to Cazares's broken leg.

ASESINO will play the following shows:

May 18 - Guadalajara - Foro Indepencia
May 19 - Monterrey - Cafe Iguana
May 20 - Mexico City - Carpas Astros

ASESINO has spent the last few years sporadically working on material for its long-awaited third album.

The band's second disc, "Cristo Satanico", came out in 2006.

Escape The Fate are streaming the new track "Digging My Own Grave", which is available for fans to download as an instant grat when pre-ordering the new album I Am Human, out March 30th via Better Noise Records/Eleven Seven. Listen below. Pre-order the album here.

I Am Human sees Escape The Fate at their most raw, real, and relatable. Produced by Grammy Award-nominated super producer Howard Benson (My Chemical Romance, Adam Lambert), this record sees an evolution of Escape The Fate’s sound that brings the band back to the excitement of their roots.

“We’re getting older, and we’re changing - so our music should change with us,” singer Craig Mabbitt says, “At the same time, we rediscovered what made us who we are. I felt like I was 17-years-old again. I haven’t been this excited to release something since I first joined the band and we put out This War Is Ours.”

Tracklisting:

"Beautifully Tragic"
"Broken Heart"
"Four Letter Word"
"I Will Make It Up To You"
"Bleed For Me"
"Do You Love Me"
"I Am Human"
"If Only"
"Empire"
"Recipe For Disaster"
"Riot"
"Digging My Own Grave"
"Resistance"
"Let Me Be"

"Digging My Own Grave":

"Broken Heart" lyric video:

"I Am Human" lyric video:

"Do You Love Me" lyric video:

“Empire” lyric video:

(Photo - Sean Edwards)

Neal Morse has released a video for "JoAnna", a track from his new solo album, Life & Times, out now through Radiant Records via Metal Blade Records/SONY on all digital outlets, as well as CD and vinyl. Order the album here, and watch the Stephen Yake/Christian Rios-directed clip for "JoAnna" below.

Tracklisting:

"Livin’ Lightly"
"Good Love Is On The Way"
"JoAnna"
"Selfie In The Square"
"He Died At Home"
"She’s Changed Her Mind"
"Wave On The Ocean"
"You + Me + Everything"
"Manchester"
"Lay Low"
"Old Alabama"
"If I Only Had A Day"

"JoAnna" video:

"Livin’ Lightly" video:

"He Died At Home" video:

Morse recently released a new promo video, in which he discusses his upcoming tour in support of his new album, Life & Times. Watch below:

Check out Neal Morse at the following tour stops (with more dates to be added in the coming weeks on his official website):

February
20 - Boston, MA - Club Passim
22 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater
23 - New York, NY - The Cutting Room

March
17 - Denver, CO - The Soiled Dove
22 - Decatur, GA - Eddie’s Attic
23 - Charlotte, NC - The Evening Muse
28 - Mesa, AZ - Make Weird Music HQ
30 - Whittier, CA - Whittier Theater

April
3 - San Francisco, CA - Hotel Utah
5 - Portland, OR - The Old Church Concert Hall
6 - Seattle, WA - The Triple Door
12 - Evanston, IL - Space
13 - St. Louis, MO - Blueberry Hill Duck Room
14 - Milwaukee, WI - Shank Hall
18 - Quebec City, QC - TBA
19 - Montreal, QC - TBA
21 - Toronto, ON - The Great Hall

Orange County, California-based hard rock outfit, New Years Day, kicks off 2018 with a brand-new EP, a killer North American tour alongside In This Moment, all while continuing work on their new full-length release for a tentative fall release. New challenges and new worlds beckon, but first, it’s time for a celebratory look inward. This comes in the form of a brand new EP, Diary Of A Creep, which follows the tradition of landmark releases like Garage Days by Metallica by paying tribute to the artists who shaped the band, even as they continually redefine their music with each successive bold stage of their evolution.

Diary Of A Creep was released digitally January 26th via Century Media Records, in the UK a limited edition in the CD Jewelcase format is available as of today, February 16th. Diary Of A Creep kicks off with the brand-new, hard-hitting track, “Disgust Me”. Check out a static video for the track below:

Ash Costello (vocals) states: "I want to start by saying, it was incredibly difficult to narrow this down to the 5 songs I wanted to cover the most. Narrowing it down to 20 songs was hard! Let alone just 5. It felt very important to me to not only pay tribute to the artists that shaped who I am today, but to share it with all of you. It’s easy to dismiss where an artist has come from if you have no clue who they worshipped when they were just kids in school, dreaming of being a real musician someday. Honestly, everyday, I cant believe how far I’ve come and how absolutely happy I am that I get to share my music with whoever wants to listen, and these are just a few of the songs that helped me and shaped me along the way. When I was just a middle schooler, trying to get thru those horrible teenage years, I wish I had known then, that someday I would become of the heroes I looked up to, and it would be all thanks to YOU. I am grateful to you for listening and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do."

There’s “Only Happy When it Rains”, (featuring Lzzy Hale of Halestorm) a somber alt-rock anthem by the multiplatinum Garbage, the Shirley Manson fronted band, which includes songwriter and performer Butch Vig (who produced landmark albums by Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, Green Day, and Foo Fighters). There’s NYD's version of the Linkin Park mega-hit “Crawling”, with Costello putting her own spin on the fierce vocal delivery of the late Chester Bennington. There’s “Don’t Speak”, the smash ballad from No Doubt’s diamond-selling album Tragic Kingdom. Dark new wave finds its way into the EP via New Order’s “Bizarre Love Triangle”. On the other end of the New Years Day spectrum, there’s Pantera classic “Fucking Hostile”, now a staple of NYD’s live show.

Remaining New Years Day tour dates with In This Moment, P.O.D., and Ded are listed below.

February
17 - Kansas City, MO - Voodoo Lounge
18 - St. Paul, MN - The Palace

(Photo - Bryan Kirks of Enlighten Creative Studio)

On March 23rd, Thunder will release the brand new live set, Stage, via earMUSIC. A video for "Backstreet Symphony" from the release is available for streaming below.

Stage features hits from right across the band's career and includes fan-favorite classics, like "Backstreet Symphony," "Low Life In High Places," and "Love Walked In," and brings things right up to date with tracks from the 2017-released, Top 3 UK Chart Album Rip It Up, like the storming title track and "She Likes The Cocaine".

Thunder are, of course, a noted and globally in-demand live act.

Stage was captured at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena on March 24th, 2017 during the UK Tour; the band also played Europe, North America, and Asia, across Germany with Alice Cooper, at Planet Rock's Rockstock, and are preparing to fly to Japan for some January 2018 dates. This is a band that knows how to rock a crowd.

Frontman Danny Bowes says, "The Rip It Up album was so well-received - it was no surprise the tour was brilliant, too. We decided to include a Cardiff Motorpoint Arena show on the tour, purely because it was so good when we played there with Journey and Whitesnake in 2013. Capturing it as well turned out to be one of our better decisions, because the resulting film and album are a shining example of an organic 'coming together' of fans and a band. We've released a few live recordings over the years, but this is most definitely up there with the best of them. We're extremely pleased with it."

Stage will be available as a 2-CD + Blu-ray, 3-LP, DVD, Blu-ra,y and a Limited Edition Box Set.

The audio-visual formats will feature a host of bonus and interview material, whilst the Limited Edition Box Set will include also boast the full Live At The 100 Club set, the 29 Minutes Later acoustic set (only previously available as a Record Store Day release), and the documentary film A Difficult Day In January: Thunder In London.

Further details, including tracklistings and pre-orders, here.

Since forming in 1989, Thunder have established themselves at the top table of UK rock, notching up some 20 Top 50 singles and two Gold albums. The band's sound is a timeless marriage of unforgettable melodies and sheer rock power. Stage shows off not just an amazing catalogue of unforgettable rock hits, but just the sheer live power that Thunder possess.

Houston-based progressive metal outfit, Oceans Of Slumber, have released a video for their new single, “No Color, No Light”, featured on their upcoming album, The Banished Heart, to be released on March 2nd. The track features guest vocals by Evergrey’s Tom Englund.

Drummer Dobber comments, “‘No Color, No Light’ was the last song the band wrote for the album and our answer to love’s deathly bellows. A song about crossing into the darkness and chasing the shadows to find her or him. Would you answer the call? Don’t wait....”

"No Color, No Light" is available as a digital single on all download and streaming platforms and as an Instant Grat Track on iTunes and Amazon. Pre-orders for all physical formats of the album are also available. Use this link to direct you to selected download and streaming platforms or to pre-order a physical copy of the album.

Tracklisting:

"The Decay of Disregard"
"Fleeting Vigilance"
"At Dawn"
"The Banished Heart"
"The Watcher"
"Etiolation"
"A Path to Broken Stars"
"Howl of the Rougarou"
"Her in the Distance"
"No Color, No Light"
"Wayfaring Stranger"

"The Banished Heart" video:

“The Decay Of Disregard” video:

Oceans Of Slumber live:

March
2 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall (album release show)
3 - New York, NY - St. Vitus Bar (album release show)

April
6 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
7 - Glasgow, UK - ABC1
8 - Bristol, UK - O2 Academy
10 - Dublin, Ireland - Tivoli
12 - Manchester, UK - O2 Ritz
13 - London, UK - O2 Forum

Oceans Of Slumber lineup:

Cammie Gilbert - Vocals
Anthony Contreras - Guitar
Sean Gary - Guitar
Keegan Kelly - Bass
Dobber Beverly - Drums

Three Days Grace, the internationally acclaimed and multi-platinum certified Canadian band with over a billion streams on Spotify, will release their new album, Outsider, on March 9th via RCA Records. Outsider is the sixth full-length album from the band, and is their latest since 2015’s chart-topping album Human.

The track "I Am An Outsider" is available for streamign below. Pre-order Outsider on all formats here.

Tracklisting:

"Right Left Wrong"
"The Mountain"
"I Am An Outsider"
"Infra-Red"
"Nothing To Lose But You"
"Me Against You"
"Love Me Or Leave Me"
"Strange Days"
"Villain I’m Not"
"Chasing The First Time"
"The New Real"
"The Abyss"

"I Am An Outsider":

“The Mountain” video:

Tour dates:

April
20 - Tampa, FL - WXTB 98 Rockfest
21 - Orlando, FL - 101.1 WJRR Earthday Birthday
22 - Charleston, SC - WYBB 98 Rockfest

May
18 - Columbus, OH - Rock On The Range

"Ministry Of Metal", the new video from IRON ANGEL, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Hellbound", which will be released on May 4 through Scandinavia's premiere metal-rock label Mighty Music.

IRON ANGEL is one of the true cult legends of the German speed metal genre. Formed in the Hamburg-area back in 1980 and known for two classic eighties metal album "Hellish Crossfire" from 1985 and "Winds Of War" from 1986 and a reputation as a staggering live band. The band has toured Germany with KING DIAMOND and in recent years has showed it is still a live band to reckon with at festivals like Metal Magic in 2016 and earlier this year at the Headbanger's Open Air in Germany. The band also recently toured South America with big succes.

Now the time has finally come for the long awaited comeback album from the band — the first studio effort in over 30 years!

"Hellbound" track listing:

01. Writing's On The Wall
02. Judgement Day
03. Hell And Back
04. Carnivore Flashmob
05. Blood And Leather
06. Deliverance In Black
07. Waiting For A Miracle
08. Hellbound
09. Purist Of Sin
10. Ministry Of Metal

IRON ANGEL lineup:

Dirk Schröder - vocals
Didy Mackel - bass
Mitsch Meyer - guitars
Robert Altenbach - guitars
Mäx Behr - drums

Welsh "ragga metal" band SKINDRED has released a music video for its new single, "Machine". The clip features actor and stuntman Neil Chapelhow, best known for his work in the films "Wonder Woman" and "Fantastic Beasts".

The band states: "When we were told we were doing a video with the stunt team that's be behind the Marvel films, James Bond and the Bourne films, we knew we were in for a good time on the shoot. Throw in Gary from REEF and one of our fave bars in London (Big Red) and you have the ingredients for a really fun video. The idea is don't judge a book by its cover. SKINDRED is inclusive. Not exclusive. So when someone in a rock bar is being teased by some 'rockers' for not being the same as them, he hits back! In a big way!"

"Machine" features vocals by REEF frontman Gary Stringer and guitar by Phil Campbell of MOTÖRHEAD. The track was previously used as both the intro and outro theme to AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson's TV show "Cars That Rock".

"Machine" is taken from SKINDRED's upcoming album, "Big Tings", which will be released on April 27 via Napalm Records. A single,

Behind-the-scenes studio footage from the "Big Tings" recording sessions at Peter Gabriel's Real World studio in the village of Box, Wiltshire, England, can be seen below.

SKINDRED, along with producer James Loughrey and engineer Lee Slater, could not be more excited about what will be the band's seventh studio album.

Says SKINDRED guitarist Mikey Demus: "The name hopefully says it all. You can expect some seriously 'Big Tings' from SKINDRED on our next record. We've thrown away the rulebook and pushed ourselves harder than ever to create the biggest, baddest, and most banging songs we could muster. We can't wait to start unleashing this new stuff on the world, so prepare yourselves for some 'Big Tings'!"

Roaring and pounding, the follow-up to 2015's "Volume" is a magnificent beast churning out heavy, distortion-laden riff punches melting into vocalist Benji Webbe's frenzied rapping. Explosive metal and punk material rubs shoulders with smooth melodies — and, of course, SKINDRED wouldn't leave us on the dancefloor without a hefty helping of their trademark Godzilla-esquely huge choruses. Big songs, big sound, big tings!

SKINDRED will embark on a full U.K. tour in April with special guests CKY.

Recently signing to Vancouver, BC's Test Your Metal Records this past December, North Carolina sci-fi metallers Xael have their next track offering "In The Hallows Of Pathos" as part of their forthcoming sci-fi adventure album The Last Arbiter.

The track follows their previously unleashed story singles "Apathy Of The Immortal", "Watchers Of Xan", and "SRAI (Chained To The Demon Of Erring)", which are available for free download on Bandcamp.

The band comments: "Our music represents a dual mission in terms of its purpose. The songs represent both the sci-fi lore and serve as a conduit for our own emotions and life endeavors. 'In The Hollows Of Pathos' is about the immortal's specific weakness, which we call 'soul sickness'. This temporarily renders him unconscious and vulnerable as his immortality is only so, if he is in a conscious state.  Chained to him is ancient and insidious entity from antiquity that hungers to feed on his life essence as such he has to strive to overcome such. The song represents depression and the need to grow and overcome it as a disease."

Founded by Nassaru of Rapheumets Well / Enthean as well as Sorgiem “Daniel Presnell,” Tuurm “Alex Rush” from Enthean, and Xolotl “Fernando Ortega”, Xael's science fiction experience "Last Arbiter" is set for later release in 2018 via Test Your Metal Records. The overall summary of the album is the sky ghost, the wayfarer, the shadow of time, the exile; in which the many names he is called by yet for the Immortal, he is cursed to traverse the cosmos aimlessly, searching for an unattainable purpose. Chained to him is a beast, a demon from antiquity who the Immortal keeps as a reminder of his past.

The Last Arbiter audio story video:

"Apathy Of The Immortal" music video:

For further details, visit the official Xael Facebook page.

(Photo - Shannon Wells)

 

Light The Torch (formerly known as Devil You Know) will release their new album, Revival, via Nuclear Blast Entertainment on March 30th. The band has released this new trailer, in which they introduce new drummer, Mike "Scuzz" Sciulara.

Revival is available for pre-order here.
 
The album artwork, pictured below, was designed by Artusato.

Revival tracklisting:

"Die Alone"
"The God I Deserve"
"Calm Before The Storm"
"Raise The Dead"
"The Safety Of Disbelief"
"Virus"
"The Great Divide"
"The Bitter End"
"Lost In The Fire"
"The Sound Of Violence"
"Pull My Heart Out"
"Judas Convention"

"Die Alone" video: