Jimmy Page has once again shot down talk of a possible LED ZEPPELIN reunion, explaining that he "very much" doubts there will be any further activity from the legendary band.

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

In a special new issue of Bauer Media's Planet Rock magazine, Page was asked whether or not he thinks the band would ever reform to play another gig. "I very much doubt it," Page responded. "You've just got to face facts. We've gone past the 10th anniversary of the O2 [show], where we managed to do one serious concert. That's the only thing that we've done for such a long time, so I very much doubt we'll do anything else. I really think the time has gone."

In the same interview, Page also revealed that another LED ZEPPELIN live album will arrive later this year, with additional "releases" coming out over the next decade.

"I can't give the game away, but there's a recording that's another multi-track that we'll release," Page said. "It's so different to all the other things that are out there. It's another view compared to 'How The West Was Won' or 'The Song Remains The Same'. I'm looking forward to people hearing that. There's a lot of stuff to come out, a number of releases. I'd like to say that they'll be coming out over the next 10 years. There's more to come for sure."

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

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

An official LED ZEPPELIN illustrated book, "Led Zeppelin By Led Zeppelin", will be released in October.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, former SMASHING PUMPKINS bassist D'arcy Wretzky has given her first full interview in nearly 20 years with Alternative Nation, in which she slams PUMPKINS frontman Billy Corgan (pictured) for saying that she turned down offers to play with the band again. Although Corgan claimed within the past week that Wretzky had repeatedly skipped opportunities to get together, Wretzky said the opposite was true and that she was never given any real chance to rejoin the group.

Wretzky said: "[Corgan] says that he's invited me to come out and play for all of these things, which is a complete lie. He's never invited me to anything... They hired Jack Bates for this tour. I made Billy spell it out, because he was doing his nonsense double-talk crap bullshit."

Wretzky also claimed that Corgan offered to have her come out and do sporadic appearances on the upcoming reunion tour, with Wretzky saying: "It was just unbelievable, really just disgusting. The fucking nerve, and then for him to come back and say, 'Well, we haven't seen you in this long, and you haven't done this, and you couldn't even make it to this. Everyone has shown up, and you didn't?' How could I, I didn't even know you were there?"

Bates, the son of JOY DIVISION and NEW ORDER co-founder Peter Hook, played bass on the last PUMPKINS tour.

Wretzky also addressed her long-rumored drug use, saying: "You know how they're always telling you in school, 'Drugs will do this to you; they'll do that to you, drinking kills your brain cells'? At the time, I was, like, 'Good, maybe I can kill off all these horrible memories... I wouldn't recommend it; it didn't work. I count myself lucky to be alive."

She saved her most pointed responses for Corgan, however, saying: "Billy loved to humiliate people and shame people in front of other people. It was incredibly abusive, and I was the only one who would fight back."

Wretzky also released an exchange of text messages between her and Corgan that seem to back up the idea that she was not going to be the full-time bass player on the reunion tour or any future recordings, but more or less appear as a "special guest."

The PUMPKINS are expected to announce this Thursday (February 15) a tour involving the other three original members as well as some new music.

Rob Halford says that Glenn Tipton made the decision only five days ago to sit out JUDAS PRIEST's touring activities as a result of his battle with Parkinson's disease, with which he was diagnosed a decade earlier.

Tipton, who is now 70 and has performed on every PRIEST album since the band's 1974's debut set, "Rocka Rolla", is not quitting the band, but simply cannot handle to rigorous challenges of performing live. Joining PRIEST for its upcoming dates will be the band's co-producer and HELL/ex-SABBAT guitarist Andy Sneap.

Yesterday afternoon, only a few hours after PRIEST made the announcement about Tipton's condition, the JUDAS PRIEST singer spoke to U.K.'s The Quietus about the prospect of performing without the lone remaining member of the band's twin-lead guitar attack that powered solos on such classic tracks as "Electric Eye", "Hell Bent For Leather" and "Painkiller".

"Glenn has been battling hardcore with Parkinson's for 10 years and he's not let it stop him in any way whatsoever — you know, writing, recording, touring the world for the last 10 years," Halford said (see video below). "He can still play guitar — we have to emphasize this as well — he can still play the guitar, but when it comes to some of the more challenging songs that PRIEST has written over the years and songs that, for the most part, have to be included in the set, that's when it's just becoming a little bit difficult for him. So the biggest thing for Glenn — this is why he's really a hero for us — was to come to the conclusion that Andy Sneap would be flying the flag for him. We know Andy, and Andy has been so gracious to accept the request from Glenn, to be on stage for him for the 'Firepower' tour."

Although Tipton will not be traveling with PRIEST, Halford left the possibility of the guitarist joining the band onstage open during the upcoming trek.

"The great positive side of this for us and for Glenn particularly is that he's not let this challenge change his life that much," Rob explained. "Glenn is still Glenn — Glenn can still play the guitar," he said. "Same guy — a wonderful, great heavy metal guitar player. His role is a little bit different now. And I can't wait for those moments when he's gonna show up unexpectedly anywhere around the world on the 'Firepower' tour and come and jam out 'Living After Midnight', 'Breaking The Law', those kinds of songs. It's gonna be a really special moment. It could be the first show, it could be the last show — we don't know. But the joy is that Glenn is still playing and he's still with us, and he's as excited as we are to celebrate the release of 'Firepower'."

According to Halford, everything is "an open book" right now in terms of how much involvement Glenn will have in the "Firepower" tour, "'cause we're still kind of digesting all of this," he said. "Glenn made the decision about not being able to full commit to the tour only last Thursday [February 8]. So we're still very much processing all of the possibilities. The other thing is, much like some of the other areas in these kinds of challenges, daily, there are incredible advances in medicines, in drugs and such things that can help to alleviate the condition. So that's all part of the ongoing story for Glenn. Who knows? Next year or the year after that, things could be dramatically different. But in the meantime, yeah, Glenn can show up, as we've said in the statement, anytime anywhere."

Adding that Tipton will be there "with us in spirit — every show, every song" on the "Firepower" tour, Halford said that he was touched by the PRIEST fans' overwhelmingly supportive response to yesterday's announcement. "I've been [checking my phone] every hour or so, and it's just been beautiful — it's been absolutely beautiful," he said. "Thank you, everybody that's been sending these wonderful messages for Glenn. I know he'll be reading them and I'm sure he'll be so uplifted by the love that's coming to him.

"This is the other side of anyone that's dealing with Parkinson's, cancer, anything of that nature," he continued. "There's always this beautiful thing of hope and optimism and positivity that's pushing ahead of everything else. And so if you do go on to the Facebook of PRIEST or our Instagram and leave a message like that, it's not only great for Glenn, but it's also great for other people that are dealing with the same kind of issues."

Parkinson's is a degenerative neurological disorder that affects the body's motor system, often causing shaking. As the symptoms worsen, it gets harder to cope with everyday tasks and lead an independent life.

Pat Torpey, the longtime drummer for rock group MR. BIG, died last week due to complications from Parkinson's disease.

JUDAS PRIEST's new album, "Firepower", will be released on March 9 via Epic. The disc was recorded by Sneap, the band's longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH). The cover artwork for "Firepower" was created by the Chilean/Italian digital artist and photographer Claudio Bergamin.

The North American leg of the "Firepower" tour will kick off on March 13 in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania and will wrap on May 1 in San Antonio, Texas. Support on the trek will come from SAXON and BLACK STAR RIDERS.

LIFE OF AGONY's video for the song "Dead Speak Kindly" can be seen below. The clip was directed by Leigh Brooks of Firebelly Films.

"Dead Speak Kindly" is taken from LIFE OF AGONY's latest album, "A Place Where There's No More Pain", which was issued in April 2017 via Napalm. LIFE OF AGONY's fifth studio LP marked the band's first release since singer Mina Caputo (formerly known as Keith Caputo) came out as transgender in 2011.

LIFE OF AGONY last month announced the addition of drummer Veronica Bellino to the group's ranks. She joined the band as the replacement for Sal Abruscato, who "amicably" left LIFE OF AGONY in December.

Bellino is a New York native who has been on the rise as one of the industry's hottest young drummer/songwriters. Veronica has co-written with the legendary DMC, found a national spotlight in The Game's "Red Nation" video, worked with LL Cool J as a member of his signed band 13, conquered dozens of stages with drum icon Carmine Appice's SLAMM group, and worked with Living Legend Award recipient Jeff Beck.

Bellino will make her live debut with LIFE OF AGONY when the band plays two intimate hometown shows on Wednesday, April 18 and Thursday, April 19 at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, New York. Each night's set will be unique, with the group diving deep into its catalog to perform never-before-played tracks along with some of its classics.

"I am extremely excited and grateful to play these first two shows in the birthplace of LIFE OF AGONY," said Bellino. "Being a New York native myself, I can't wait to share this with friends, family and fans!"

Caputo added: "I'm excited to think that this thing we're doing is touching so many people in so many cultures. I'm extremely grateful to be sharing that stage again, the most intense stimulating way to hear music, with my brothers Alan and Joey, and, of course, our newest member of the band, Veronica. Connecting with her is certainly another dream come true for us. I'm so excited to do our thing, with all our soul and all our might."

NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal) veterans BLITZKRIEG will release their new album, "Judge Not!", on April 27 via Mighty Music. The follow-up to 2013's "Back From Hell" was recorded at Downcast Base HQ in Newcastle, U.K. by Phil Davies, but the band elected to use a different studio this time around for mixing. Because the BLITZKRIEG members all admire the work of Denmark's Hansen Studios, most notably the mix of the PRETTY MAIDS' "Pandemonium" album, they enlisted Jonas Haagensen from Hansen to mix "Judge Not!"

"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," said guitarist Ken Johnson.

"We all hope everyone enjoys listening to the new material as much as we enjoyed the production and recording of 'Judge Not!'."

BLITZKRIEG's "Reign Of Fire" was released as a seven-inch vinyl EP in December in a limited edition of 500 copies embraced by amazing handdrawn old-school metal artwork by Lee Murphy.

2015 marked the thirty-fifth anniversary of BLITZKRIEG, which came into existence in 1980. Although their debut single, "Buried Alive" b/w "Blitzkrieg" (on Neat Records) was released in 1981, it was not till 1985 that the band recorded its debut album, as singer Brian Ross was involved with his other group, SATAN, recording and touring their debut opus, "Court In The Act".

BLITZKRIEG's "A Time Of Changes" included the band's self-titled song "Blitzkrieg", which was covered by METALLICA on the "Creeping Death" EP. METALLICA's drummer, Lars Ulrich, commented that BLITZKRIEG was one of his band's main musical inspirations, along with DIAMOND HEAD.

Brian, the only remaining founding member of BLITZKRIEG, said: "Lars Ulrich phoned me up and asked if they could cover the song.

"METALLICA were, and still are, big fans of the band. We have met up with them a few times over the years and I am really pleased that they still play 'Blitzkrieg' at gigs."

Brian said that he tried to give the then-unknown METALLICA a helping hand in the early 1980s.

"They sent me their demo when they were still unsigned, asking for my help to get them on our label," he said. "But the label turned them down, saying they'd never go anywhere.

"I met up with the guy who made that call a few years ago and he says it is the biggest mistake of his life."

BLITZKRIEG is:

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

Band photo by Geoff Duke

PAPA ROACH's music video for the song "My Medication" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's ninth studio album, "Crooked Teeth", which was released last May via Eleven Seven Music.

Written and recorded in a cramped North Hollywood studio, "Crooked Teeth" was produced by Nicholas "RAS" Furlong and Colin Brittain, with the exception of "Born For Greatness", which saw the band collaborate with writer/producer Jason Evigan (Jason Derulo, Demi Lovato, Zedd, MAROON 5). Furlong and Brittain, who grew up listening to PAPA ROACH, inspired the band to revisit some of the traits that personally endeared the band to them, most notably singer Jacoby Shaddix's rapping technique and the band's intense live energy.

"The first time we met up with RAS and Colin, they said that [2000's] 'Infest' was on constant rotation when they were growing up and they wanted to bring back some of that fire," said Shaddix. Added Furlong: "The whole idea was to take the classic elements of PAPA ROACH that everyone loved and revamp them into a modern version of the sound through the creative process, and we ended up with a bold, courageous and more adventurous version of PAPA ROACH."

PAPA ROACH will return to the studio in the summer to resume work on the follow-up to "Crooked Teeth". Shaddix told TheRave TV: "In June and July, we're gonna step in the studio and continue working on the next record — we've already started work on the next record — and pick up where we left of with 'Crooked Teeth' and just keep kicking ass and taking names."

PAPA ROACH has been previewing a new song called "Geronimo" at some of the band's recent shows. Drummer Tony Palermo told Germany's Metal-Heads.de that the track's lyrics "are basically [about] Jacoby growing up and looking for stuff to do in a small town."

DEAD CROSS, the Southern California outfit featuring drummer Dave Lombardo (ex-SLAYER, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MISFITS) and singer Mike Patton (FAITH NO MORE), will bring its frenetic blitz of thrashing hardcore fury to stages across Europe this summer. They will appear at major festivals, including Primavera Sound (Spain), Hellfest (France), Download (U.K. and France), Grasspop Metal Meeting (Belgium), Dour (Belgium) and Tuska (Finland), as well as headline club shows across the mainland, and a show in Moscow, Russia.

DEAD CROSS also includes guitarist Michael Crain (RETOX, FESTIVAL OF DEAD DEER) and bassist Justin Pearson.

Lombardo remarks: "Since DEAD CROSS made its rattling debut, touring Europe has been a goal. We have had incredible support from the European fans and I can't wait for them to experience this band live. We intend on leaving the fans musically beaten and sonically battered."

Meanwhile, as if to continue the strong socio-political commentary that permeates DEAD CROSS's debut album, Pearson adds: "It will be a literal breath of fresh air to leave the U.S. for a chunk of time in light of the political rhetoric that we are currently experiencing. Perhaps by the time we return, we can see the complete demise of #45."

Tour dates:

June 02 - Primavera Sound - Barcelona, Spain
June 03 - This Is Not A Love Song - Nimes, France
June 05 - Estragon Club - Bologna, Italy
June 06 - Alcatraz - Milan, Italy
June 07 - Greenfield - Interlaken, Switzerland
June 10 - Download Festival - Donington, UK
June 12 - Rockhal - Luxembourg, Luxembourg
June 13 - Backstage Werk - Munich, Germany
June 14 - Novarock Festival - Nickelsdorf, Austria
June 16 - Gloria Theatre - Cologne, Germany
June 17 - Download Paris - Paris, France
June 19 - Les Docks - Lausanne, Switzerland
June 20 - Westrock - Cognac, France
June 23 - Hellfest - Clisson, France
June 24 - Grasspop - Dessel, Belgium
June 26 - Effenaar - Eindhoven, Netherlands
June 27 - Markthalle - Hamburg, Germany
June 29 - Tuska Metal - Helsinki, Finland
July 01 - Glav Club - Moscow, Russia
July 03 - SO36 - Berlin, Germany
July 10 - Melkweg - Amsterdam, Netherlands
July 12 - Dour Festival - Dour, Belgium

The self-titled debut album from DEAD CROSS was released in August via Ipecac Recordings. The effort was helmed by producer Ross Robinson, who has previously worked with KORN, DEFTONES, SEPULTURA and LIMP BIZKIT, among others, and was mastered at Golden Mastering in Ventura, California.

Patton told Rolling Stone that he got involved with DEAD CROSS after reaching out to Lombardo to see if he could release the band's album on Ipecac. After getting a text from the drummer asking him to join the group, "my jaw dropped," the singer said. "I was like, 'Who, me? Hmm …' And I think it took like all of 30 seconds, but in a sarcastic way, I'm like, 'Yeah, of course. I can do this. Are you sure you want me?' So I kind of second-guessed him a little bit. And he said, 'Man, you'd be our dream vocalist.' And then it was just a matter of logistics. I decided to record it here in my basement, which is fitting. It shouldn't sound too polished."

Regarding DEAD CROSS's musical direction, Patton said: "To me, it is a traditional hardcore record. It is very pointed, direct and visceral. Like, I wasn't going to play keyboards, add samples or any kind of orchestration. It was like, 'Yo, just go for it.' In some ways, it reminded me of stuff that we had collectively all grown up with and loved when we were like teenagers — bands like the ACCÜSED, DEEP WOUND or SIEGE, stuff that was just brutal, uncompromising and right to the point. I was listening to all those bands again before this came to be, so it was already back infused in my blood. And now I got a chance to do a pencil-in-your-eye record."

Former SISTER SIN vocalist Liv "Sin" Jagrell has released a video for her song "The Fall". The clip was filmed in Stockholm and at the festival Skogsröjet in Rejmyre, Sweden during the summer of 2017.

Says Liv: "For this video, we wanted to capture the energy of our live shows. It is one of our more faster and aggressive songs, so it made sense in that purpose to represent our concerts."

She continues: "LIV SIN is a heavy metal band and we want our shows to reflect that just as much as our music does. It should be an intense experience full of headbanging, pumping fists in the sky and screaming along in the lyrics. We hope that this video of the 'The Fall' will give you a taste of what that is like at a LIV SIN concert."

"The Fall" is taken from Liv's debut solo album, "Follow Me", which was produced by the duo of Stefan Kaufmann and Fitty Weinhold. Liv stated about the collaboration: "[Stefan and Fitty] brought out more intense metal in me than I ever could imagine. These guys have been in the business and in this music for so long, so their experience really brought out the essence of our songs, for the better."

From the gutters of south Sweden, Jagrell emerged as a major force as the vocalist for hard rockers SISTER SIN. Throughout their 13-year career, SISTER SIN sold thousands of albums and toured the world with high-profile tours supporting the likes of SLAYER and KING DIAMOND on the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, as well as being a part of the Revolver magazine "Hottest Chicks In Metal" tour. SISTER SIN toured relentlessly for over a decade across Europe and North America garnering an intensely loyal following of rockers that craved the band's aggressive and melodic brand of hard rock.

When SISTER SIN called it quits at the end of 2015, Liv knew that she had much more to give to her fans. From this, LIV SIN was born. Liv's new music shows the power, sexiness, and attitude that she is known for.

LIV SIN offers a modernized hard rock sound to take Liv into her next phase, a sound that is destined to please both new fans and her longtime fans of SISTER SIN.

"Follow Me" track listing:

01. The Fall
02. Hypocrite
03. Let Me Out
04. Black Souls
05. Godless Utopia
06. Endless Roads
07. Killing Ourself To Live
08. I'm Your Sin
09. Emperor Of Chaos
10. Immortal Sin (FIGHT cover)
11. The Beast Inside

GODSMACK has released a short video teaser for its upcoming album, tentatively due out this spring. The band's follow-up to 2014's "1000hp" will arrive to coincide with the 20th anniversary of GODSMACK's debut LP. The group's seventh studio disc was produced by Erik Ron, who has previously worked with PANIC! AT THE DISCO and SAOSIN.

GODSMACK filmed a video for its new single last Thursday (February 7) at a studio in Los Angeles, featuring cameos from country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach in addition to TV personality Chris Jacobs from "Overhaulin'". The title of the single has not yet been divulged. The clip was directed by the band's longtime visual collaborator Troy Smith.

Frontman Sully Erna told FaceCulture in September that the band's new songs "have a lot more of a commercial aspect to 'em. There's some stuff in there that definitely will service the core fanbase of GODSMACK. But we also felt that it's time to expand a little bit."

Erna added that the band is "gonna try to reinvent a little bit more of our sound, our look, our stage show, and come out with a brand new GODSMACK."

The singer said last July in an interview with Los Angeles radio station KLOS: "I'm a lot older now, I have a daughter of my own, I'm in a good place in my life. I don't have a whole lot to really be stressed out about or mad. And so the music has to evolve with that."

GODSMACK is scheduled to perform at several music festivals this spring and summer, including April's Welcome To Rockville and Fort Rock, May's Carolina Rebellion and July's Rock USA.

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

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

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

"Memories in Rock II" track listing:

Disc 1

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

Disc 2

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

Disc 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The first trailer for the self-titled debut album from AURI, the project featuring NIGHTWISH mainman/keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen and his wife, popular Finnish singer Johanna Kurkela, can be seen below. The disc will be released on March 23 via Nuclear Blast.

"Auri" track listing:

01. The Space Between
02. I Hope Your World Is Kind
03. Skeleton Tree
04. Desert Flower
05. Night 13
06. See
07. The Name Of The Wind
08. Aphrodite Rising
09. Savant
10. Underthing Solstice
11. Them Thar Chanterelles

AURI begun its life with three people, united through their shared need to hear a kind of a music which can't be described by words alone. A magical kind of sound to be heard whilst falling down Alice's rabbit hole.

The first song born of this mindset, "Aphrodite Rising", appeared in 2011. And slowly the earth has cracked open again and ten more tracks have emerged out of the soil's dust.

Thus the trio was formed. Kurkela lent her unique voice, while Holopainen and English composer and multi-instrumentalist Troy Donockley (also of NIGHTWISH) cast their spells with various other instruments. Using selected guest musicians and friends, the album finally takes its ultimate form under the direction of sound engineer Tim Oliver, all within the pastoral splendor of Real World studios in Southern England.

Everything begins with a vision. A virtuoso imagination hovering auspiciously in the air, composed of multi-faceted fragments and ideas that gradually become more concrete, slowly taking shape and then finally forming out of the minds of their makers as a new project. Completely unexpected, it's just a natural, flowing process. This is just what happened with these three outstanding, internationally successful musicians who have created a musical gem in the form of AURI, which shines even brighter than the glittering Polar Star in the night sky. Kurkela, Holopainen and Donockley take their eponymous debut on a fairytale journey through time and space, far from here and now reminding us of the fantastic adventures of "Alice In Wonderland".

Comprehensive sound cascades full of magical and surreal moments that touch all senses await us; sometimes yearning and dreamy, then again rousing and intense. AURI celebrate a kind of epic-romantic ethno pop that seems to float in quaint spheres, which are intangible yet unleash multi-faceted sounds capes filled with powerful imagery. These sound cascades are based on Celtic traditional sounds, atmospheric-cinematic dream sequences, melancholic melodies and a touch of transfigured mysticism; beautiful instrumentation yielding an unfathomable depth.

AURI is the result of a shared passion. Everyone was involved in everything. However, Tuomas Holopainen does not want to reveal too much about the songs and their stories, "since the listener should bring their own story to the songs — after all, that's what makes the album so beautiful. It lives from the imagination of every single person!" says the composer. "But what I can tell you is that some of the content and the song lyrics are inspired by the Patrick Rothfuss books. Maybe people who know those books and those stories will recognise some parallels and certain scenarios, but believe me; the album equates to so much more."

If Tuomas describes "Auri" in his own words, he cannot help but smile. "Just a few days ago, we had this conversation within the band and we thought about the best way to describe it," he says. "Two terms came to our minds; rabbit hole music and celestial metal. Obviously, you can hear influences from folk music, Celtic music, soundtracks — all that music that we love and adore, but categorising the style is really impossible. I'll leave that to the listeners."

A tour is currently not planned but one thing is already certain: "This is definitely not just a one-album thing!" So sit back, close your eyes and let yourself fall into the depths. A world of wonder and miracles awaits you behind the mirrors.

AURI is:

Johanna Kurkela: Voices, viola
Tuomas Holopainen: Keys, backing voices
Troy Donockley: Acoustic and electric guitars, bouzouki, uilleann pipes, low whistles, aerophone, bodhran, keys, voices

Holopainen and Kurkela have been married since October 2015.

Swiss all-girl heavy metal outfit BURNING WITCHES has inked a deal with Nuclear Blast.

BURNING WITCHES' self-titled debut album was released last year. The disc was recorded at the Little Creek Studios in Switzerland with producers V.O. Pulver and Schmier (DESTRUCTION).

Commented guitar player Romana Kalkuhl: "We are a bunch of crazy ladies from Switzerland that love to play old-school metal. Of course, we are super excited and honored to work with such a great label as Nuclear Blast Records. We are burning to kick some serious ass and are confident that we have found the right partner that believes in our music, just as much as we do. Get bewitched if you dare — check out our heavy sound and you will be thrilled!"

Nuclear Blast CEO Markus Staiger added: "We're proud to welcome BURNING WITCHES to the Nuclear Blast family. These girls are one of the best newcomers within the heavy metal scene. Both live and on record, the 'witches' are magnificent and we know that they have a lot of potential. That's why we are really happy to start a new chapter with them, within our band and label history!"

Schmier previously stated about BURNING WITCHES: "Those ladies sound original, fresh and heavy! I love the classical heavy metal influence and the [Rob] Halford-inspired vocals!

He continued: "The BURNING WITCHES will sure get their fans. Their sound, in between classical [JUDAS] PRIEST and U.S. power metal like ICED EARTH, caught my attention right away."

BURNING WITCHES was founded during spring 2015 in Brugg, Switzerland, by guitar player Romana Kalkuhl. It has always been her big dream to perform with a women's heavy metal band on stage. During the music university studies, she already started her first group together with Kevin Schaffer, with whom she has recorded two albums and played several concerts.

In 2015, Romana started to look for talented ladies for the new combo. Jeanine Grob (bass), a longtime friend, became the first official member. At a party at a festival, Romana met Seraina Telli (singer) for the first time. It clicked right away between the two girls, on a musical and on a personal level. Seraina brought in many ideas and a lot of experience because of her studies at the Music Academy and her band SURRILIUM. The guitarist and the singer became a great songwriting team right away.

Romana wrote Schmier from DESTRUCTION about her new project, and the ladies brought him onboard as a producer/consultant.

After an intensive search and different auditions, BURNING WITCHES found Lala Frischknecht the perfect drummer for the all-girl metal band.

BURNING WITCHES' latest addition is guitarist Sonia Nusselder, who joined the band in January 2018.

BURNING WITCHES is:

Seraina Telli (Vocals)
Romana Kalkuhl (Guitars)
Sonia Nusselder (Guitars)
Jeanine Grob (Bass)
Lala Frischknecht (Drums)

The second trailer for "The Silent Vigil", the second album from MEMORIAM, the Birmingham, United Kingdom-based death/grind metal band featuring Karl Willets (BOLT THROWER) on vocals, Frank Healy (BENEDICTION, CEREBRAL FIX) on bass, Scott Fairfax (CEREBRAL FIX) on guitar and Andy Whale (BOLT THROWER) on drums, can be seen below. Due on March 23 via Nuclear Blast, the disc's impressive artwork was once again created again by Dan Seagrave (BENEDICTION, DISMEMBER, HYPOCRISY, SUFFOCATION) and can be seen below.

"The Silent Vigil" track listing:

01. Soulless Parasite
02. Nothing Remains
03. From the Flames
04. The Silent Vigil
05. Bleed The Same
06. As Bridges Burn
07. The New Dark Ages
08. No Known Grave
09. Weaponised Fear

The song "Bleed The Same" can be streamed below.

MEMORIAM stated about the track: "'Bleed The Same' is a response to the fear and hatred that exists in the world that we live in today. The lyrics are predominately about freedom, equality and justice. This is a theme that is explored throughout the new album, 'The Silent Vigil'. The lyrical content of the song is a comment on the the rise of nationalistic xenophobic ideologies that proliferate on a global scale right now. The song was ironically inspired by a speech given by Donald Trump in his inauguration ceremony in 2017."

MEMORIAM previously stated about "The Silent Vigil" cover artwork: "Following the success of working with Dan Seagrave for our debut album 'For The Fallen', we decided that we had to get Dan involved for the next album cover.

"Initially, we used Dan as we were all very impressed with the art that he has created for bands over the decades, and Scott in particular wanted to have an album cover designed by Dan Seagrave as part of the things he wanted to achieve with MEMORIAM.

"Dan really encapsulates the old-school death metal feel to the album covers that he creates; they are full of detail and very atmospheric. We gave him a brief for the 'For The Fallen' debut cover and he did a great job.

"We briefed Dan and asked him to create an image which followed on from the first album. The first album features a funeral procession, the coffin of the fallen leader paraded across an ethereal battle-scarred landscape. 'The Silent Vigil' represents the next phase of the journey, where the coffin is lying in state with the followers standing in silence almost like terracotta soldiers. The cover has an overall solemn feel to it, with the ravaged landscape in the background and burnt out wrecks of military hardware in the foreground. The tree in the centre of the album cover is symbolic of life — that continues on.

"We are really pleased with what Dan Seagrave has created for us once again and we are proud to have his artwork on our album cover.

"We already have an idea for the next album cover and we hope that Dan will be able to do this for us too."

MEMORIAM was primarily developed to fill the void that was left following the tragic death of Martin "Kiddie" Kearns, the drummer from BOLT THROWER, back in September 2015. BOLT THROWER subsequently placed all activity on hold for the foreseeable future which gave Karl Willetts an opportunity to develop a new project with friends that had expressed interest in forming a band for some time.

MEMORIAM is an old-school death metal band, maintaining the standards set by their previous bands, focusing on the themes of death, loss and war. Initially, the bandmembers got together to play covers of songs that had influenced them throughout their careers within the death metal scene. However, it soon became apparent that the new songs that they created were of a superior standard.

New York rockers KILLCODE will release their new album, "The Answer", on February 20.

KILLCODE combines southern-infused rock/metal with modern-day vocals to create a unique style that boasts hooky, super-charged anthems, huge guitars and driving rhythms that send your adrenaline pumping the second you hear them!

KILLCODE consists of Tom Morrissey (lead vocals), Chas (guitar, vocals), D.C Gonzales (guitar), Erric Bonesmith (bass/vocals) and Rob Noxious (drums).

"We really enjoyed recording 'The Answer' with producer Joey Z (guitarist for LIFE OF AGONY) and feel it's our strongerst record to date," said Morrissey. "It continues to deliver on our promise to bring you hard, melodic rock that is undeniably catchy, while still bringing the riffs and guitar work that we feel has been missing in todays modern world."

"The Answer" track listing:

01. The Answer
03. Shot
02. Show Me
04. Bleed
05. Own It Now
06. Kickin' Screamin'
07. Pick Your Side
08. The Haunting
09. Slave
10. Put It Off

The song "Own It Now" can be streamed below. The track features Chris Wyse (ACE FREHLEY, OWL, THE CULT) on upright electric bass.

The third trailer for "Resurrection", the new album from legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker's MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST project, is available below. Due on March 2 via Nuclear Blast, the disc, which was produced by Michael Voss-Schön, was recorded in four different locations over a five-month period and features guest appearances by METALLICA's Kirk Hammett, Wayne Findlay and Michael Voss-Schön along with contributions from three original MSG (MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP) singers — Gary Barden, Graham Bonnet and Robin McAuley — plus Doogie White, who plays with Michael in MICHAEL SCHENKER'S TEMPLE OF ROCK. Also appearing on the album are musicians Steve Mann (guitars, keyboards), Ted McKenna (drums) and Chris Glen (bass).

Asked how Hammett came to be involved with the project, Schenker told Poland's Interia.pl (see video below): "He is a fan. He always wanted to jam with me. He actually did something very nice for me — he put [MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP's] 'Armed And Ready' on [METALLICA's] version of 'Guitar Hero'; they had their own version. Peter Mensch, he used to be the manager of AC/DC, then DEF LEPPARD and then METALLICA, he told me that Kirk Hammett, I'm his Santa Claus. And so that's how it started. So I found out very late in life that he was a fan. And then we met at a guitar magazine, [when we were named two of] the 10 most influential guitarists, we made the cover page for a guitar magazine in America, but we never talked. So he always wanted to jam with me. [Radio personality] Eddie Trunk, from New York, he arranged for Kirk and me to meet and jam. And so we jammed and then we did an interview together. And then, eventually, he even came to a concert and jammed a song with us. So, basically, Kirk was a fan, he became a friend and he plays in the biggest band in the world. And so I said, 'Kirk, you wanna [guest on 'Resurrection']?' And he was more than happy. His management even… 'Cause he wanted to record in Hawaii in his own recording studio, so [METALLICA's] management paid for the ticket for Michael Voss, the co-producer, to fly over there to record [Kirk's solo]. Then they sent me a picture of Kirk [in the studio]. He looked like a teenager, 20 years old, with his casual Hawaiian outfit, baseball hat, and he was happy."

Hammett and Schenker first traded licks during the taping of VH1 Classic's "That Metal Show" in April 2015 at Metropolis Studios in New York City. Less than a month later, Kirk joined Michael on stage at the RockBar in San Jose, California to perform a couple of songs: UFO's "Natural Thing" and SCORPIONS' "Blackout".

"Resurrection" track listing:

01. Heart And Soul
02. Warrior
03. Take Me To The Church
04. Night Moods
05. The Girl With The Stars In Her Eyes
06. Everest
07. Messin' Around
08. Time Knows When It's Time
09. Anchors Away
10. Salvation
11. Livin' A Life Worth Livin'
12. The Last Supper

Italian metal band Forbidden Seasons will make their anticipated return this year with the release of their debut full-length album, Promise, which will be available on March 16th from This Is Core Records. The new single, "Keys And Locks", is available for streaming below.

Vocalist Mark Seasons says of the ferocious new tune: “Keys and Locks is dedicated to myself, as a reminder to keep believing, not counting on others, especially in recent times, deception reigning supreme over everything! I wrote this song thinking about people living their lives constantly looking for answers. I don’t believe in fate, but I think it’s the willpower in all of us to define the path we want to take. The answer to all our existential questions is within us, this song is an incentive to stay strong and keep going on with the head held high in this drifting world.”

“Keys And Locks”:

Hailing from Turin, Italy, the band is completed by Symon Ray on lead guitar, Danny Ghale on rhythm guitar, Paul J. Price on bass and Federico Spagnoli handling both drums and keys. Founded in 2015, they simply came together as five individuals intent on realizing their dreams to play music.

Mark explains the moniker: “It’s about discrimination and lack of half measures in society. Everything is completely bad or good, black or white. There’s no space for gray anymore. Forbidden Seasons, it’s like forbidden feelings, forbidden thoughts, forbidden actions, forbidden goals... So we thought that name fit great with this idea.”
 
The writing of forthcoming LP ‘Promise’ began after their Russian tour in February 2017, with Mark revealing “it’s been both amusing and hard at the same time to create it. The lyrics address topics such as loneliness, anger, apathy and misplaced trust, and all of those are reflected on the listener.”

Taking their time, recording took place over seven months at HTR Studios in Turin and was wrapped up with mixing and mastering by Studio Fredman. The outcome is self-described as “really reflecting who we are and the direction we want to take. The sound of this album is heavier than our last work; we wanted to create a deeper sound according to our emotional state. On the other hand, it features a lot of melodic verses and choruses, so both sides bind together exactly the way we wanted.”

Melodically charged, beauty meeting darkness, their sound evokes Saosin and Underoath, Forbidden Seasons certainly are a promising prospect.

Promise tracklisting:

“Atlantis”
“Thank You For The Venom”
“Keys And Locks”
“Gravity Fall”
“Wormhole”
“The Human”
“Sorrow Won't End”
“I've Seen The End In Your Eyes”
“The Rejected”
“Promise”

“Thank You For The Venom” video:

DISTURBED's 2015 comeback album, "Immortalized", was officially certified platinum on January 25 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of a million copies.

The RIAA developed its gold and platinum awards program in 1958 to honor artists and create a standard by which to measure the commercial success of a sound recording. The program trademarked the gold record and formalized the industry practice of presenting awards to artists for music sales achievements.

Presently, the RIAA awards a gold honor for 500,000 units sold, a platinum honor for 1 million units sold and a diamond award for more than 10 million units sold, with 100 streams counting as one certifiable unit.

The success of "Immortalized" has been driven, in large part, by DISTURBED's cover version of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence", which was officially certified double platinum last May, commemorating more than two million units' worth of sales and streams.

Asked if DISTURBED had to get permission from Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel to record a cover version of SIMON & GARFUNKEL's "The Sound Of Silence" for DISTURBED's "Immortalized" album, singer David Draiman told the X96 radio station: "No. When you do a cover, you don't actually have to get permission from anybody. You just need to give them the publishing that it generates, legally. Now, you always hope that whoever the writer is, that they'll give you their blessing, or at least like what you've done, but unless you're going to utilize it for television purposes, or things of that nature, it's a different licensing, and for those purposes, you'd have to get permission. But just to actually cover the song, that you don't need permission.'

He continued: "Permission or not, Paul reached out to me and we've been in contact with each other a number of times already. He contacted me right after [DISTURBED's] 'Conan' performance [of 'The Sound Of Silence'] and was very, very complimentary, and has been a big supporter. And [he] posted the 'Conan' performance, actually, on his own social media and has really been very, very positive and, like I said, very flatteringly complimentary about it. So it's been very surreal."

The video for DISTURBED's version of "Silence", which was released in December 2015, has been seen more than 337 million times, a record number of views on YouTube for the group.

DISTURBED went on hiatus at the end of 2011, with Draiman and the other members of the band all pursuing other projects for several years before returning in 2015.

DISTURBED recently returned to The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko to record its first new music since "Immortalized".

SMASHING PUMPKINS have denied claims by original bassist D'arcy Wretzky that an invite for her to join the reunited band was later rescinded.

D'arcy alleged in an interview with BlastEcho that SMASHING PUMPKINS leader Billy Corgan sent her a contract that was agreed upon, but a month later, he told her "that wasn't a real offer." She said: "My apologies to all of the SMASHING PUMPKINS fans out there who are excited about this oncoming reunion tour of the original members of the band. I know this is a huge disappointment for me, as well, but it's not going to happen."

Earlier today, SMASHING PUMPKINS released a statement explaining why Wretzky won't be taking part in the band's reunion.

"In reuniting THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, the band's dedication remains to its fans and its music," the statement reads. "To that, James Iha, Jimmy Chamberlin and William Corgan haven't played a show with D'arcy Wretzky for over 18 years. But it's not for a lack of trying. For despite reports, Ms. Wretzky has repeatedly been invited out to play with the group, participate in demo sessions, or at the very least, meet face-to-face, and in each and every instance, she always deferred. We wish her all the best, and look forward to reconnecting with you all very soon."

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS have not yet officially confirmed their reunion, but the band's web site was updated over the weekend with a countdown clock set to expire on Thursday, which will likely coincide with the announcement.

Earlier in the month, the SMASHING PUMPKINS did a new photo shoot in Los Angeles, featuring frontman Billy Corgan, original guitarist James Iha, founding drummer Jimmy Chamberlin and latter-era guitarist Jeff Schroeder.

Corgan, Iha and Chamberlin make up three-quarters of the PUMPKINS' charter lineup, with only Wretzky missing.

It's unclear if Schroeder will be taking over on the bass for the alleged reunion or if he will stay on as third guitarist while the group recruits a new bassist.

Although Iha played a handful of shows with the PUMPKINS in 2016, this would mark the first time he's recorded and toured with the band since 2000. Chamberlin has toured with the PUMPKINS for the last couple of years but last recorded with the group in 2007.

Corgan, Iha, Chamberlin and Schroeder have all been photographed in a Los Angeles studio recently, where the PUMPKINS are said to be working with producer Rick Rubin.

Corgan even hinted at the possibility of a double album by writing that there were "26 songs currently in various states of completion, production, insanity."

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

Stream Iron Reagan’s new track “Warning” and Gatecreeper’s “Dead Inside” below.

Iron Reagan kick off their brief East Coast headline tour tomorrow in Washington D.C. and consists of five intimate concerts ending January 14th in Richmond, VA. Gatecreeper will perform an exclusive headline concert on January 27th at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, NY. The band has also announced two February concerts in Arizona with label-mates Mammoth Grinder plus festival appearances at Modified Ghost Festival III and Northwest Terror Fest.

Iron Reagan and Gatecreeper’s split LP 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.

Tracklisting:

Side A - Iron Reagan

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

"Warning":

"Paper Shredder":

Side B - Gatecreeper

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

"Dead Inside":

"War Has Begun":

 

Dutch destroyers Death Alley, revolving around former The Devil’s Blood guitarist Oeds Beydals, singer Douwe Truijens, Swedish drummer Uno Bruniusson (ex-In Solitude) and latest addition Sander Bus on bass, have released a video for "Murder Your Dreams", a track from their sophomore album, Superbia, out on March 23rd via Century Media Records.

The band comments, “‘Murder Your Dreams’ shows a side of our musicality that was always there but never revealed itself in our music before. Just when we needed it, The Wipers came knocking and we crushed them to bits. A bittersweet taste of Superbia in its most compact form."
 
Video director Luuk Bouwman explains, "The video is based on chase and falling dreams - which I felt would fit well with the song. I remembered a great scene in the Nightmare On Elm Street series in which the characters are stuck in a loop. So I wanted to create a nightmare-like slapstick in which the protagonist is condemned to keep falling, eternally. I was already joking that it was an autobiographical story and as if it was an ominous prophecy, a day after finishing the video I fell really hard on a bridge because of black ice. I broke my arm, cheekbone and eye socket. So last week I was in surgery to reconstruct my face."

“Murder Your Dreams” 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 Superbia are also available as of now.

Watch the clip below, and pre-order the album here.

The album was recorded at Moon Studios with producer Pieter Kloos (Motorpsycho, The Devil’s Blood, Dool, etc.).

Tracklisting:

"Daemon"
"The Chain"
"Feeding The Lions"
"Headlights In The Dark"
"Shake The Coil"
"Murder Your Dreams"
"Pilgrim"
"The Sewage"

"Murder Your Dreams" video:

“The Sewage”:

Death Alley lineup:

Douwe Truijens - vocals
Oeds Beydals - guitar
Uno Bruniusson - drums
Sander Bus - bass

On March 9th, Twitching Tongues will release their new album, Gaining Purpose Through Passionate Hatred, via Metal Blade Records. The new single, "Kill For You", is available for streaming below.

The title for Twitching Tongues' fourth full-length, Gaining Purpose Through Passionate Hatred, was drawn from a quote by famed social philosopher Eric Hoffer - "Passionate hatred can give meaning and purpose to an empty life" - and it reflects the band's mentality in approaching the record: paying homage to those who supported them while belligerently responding to their detractors. With "failure" as a core theme driving Colin Young's lyrics, it also features his first foray into the political arena, motivated by the contemporary political climate to speak his mind. Directly inspired by film scores, the record has a strong epic feel, the band realizing their vision of having the music flow like a story being told. With interconnected parts, musical references and callbacks in each song, everything is tied together in a manner unlike any of their previous releases. At the same time, while maintaining the same levels of hardness and aggression that has characterized their later work, it features much more immediate and memorable melodies, which evoke the sound of In Love There Is No Law yet at the same time feel fresh and new.

The record is available for pre-order here. in the following formats:

- CD-
- Ultra clear vinyl + download card (limited to 500 copies - USA exclusive)
- Metallic gold/black split vinyl + download card (limited to 250 copies - USA exclusive)
- Metallica gold w/ black smoke vinyl + download card (limited to 250 copies - USA exclusive)
- Ultra clear w/ black smoke and metallic gold splatter vinyl + download card (limited to 500 copies via Closed Casket)
- Black w/ bronze splatter vinyl + download card (limited to 300 copies - EU exclusive)
- Beer inside grey split vinyl + download card (limited to 200 copies - EU exclusive)

* exclusive bundles with a shirt, plus digital options are also available

Gaining Purpose Through Passionate Hatred tracklisting:

"AWOL (State Of The Union)"
"Harakiri"
"Kill For You"
"T.F.R."
"Forgive & Remember"
"Gaining Purpose"
"Long Gone"
"The Sound Of Pain"
"Defection (Union Of The State)"

"Kill For You":

"Harakiri" video:

In support of this release, the band will hit the road with Hatebreed, Crowbar, and Acacia Strain, before heading out on a headlining tour in the USA.

With Hatebreed, Crowbar, Acacia Strain

March
16 - Syracuse, NY - Westcott Theater
17 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
18 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
19 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Theatre
20 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
21 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
22 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Auditorium
23 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly’s
24 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
25 - Indianapolis, IN - Deluxe at Old National Centre
26 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
27 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
28 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
29 - Reading, PA - Reverb

With True Love, Vamachara

March
30 - Brooklyn, NY - Saint Vitus
31 - Waterford, NY - Chrome

April
1 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
3 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Club
4 - Hamden, CT - Ballroom at The Outer Space
5 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fire
6 - Richmond, VA - The Canal Club
8 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Purgatory)

Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released the second in a series of tour video logs. Watch two clips below.

Says Thomas: "Part 2 of the MusiciansVlog in which I show you how fun it is to be a professional musician touring around the world. I'm in Italy, Czech Republic and Slovakia with Blaze Bayley (ex-Iron Maiden singer) and Anne Bakker."

Part 2:

Part 1:

Richmond, VA’s Windhand are streaming the new track "Three Sisters", featured on the band's upcoming split release with Satan's Satyrs, due for release this Friday, February 16th on CD, LP and digital formats. Listen to the song below.

Two of Virginia's finest heavy bands team up for an amp-worshipping, acid trip from hell! Includes two brand new songs of smouldering gloom and grief from Windhad, paired with three tracks of devilish, fuzz-drenched metal/punk from Satan's Satyrs. Pre-order here.

Tracklisting:

"Old Evil" - Windhand
"Three Sisters" - Windhand
"Alucard AD 2018" - Satan's Satyrs
"Succubus" - Satan's Satyrs
"Ain't That Lovin' You, Baby" - Satan's Satyrs

"Three Sisters":

"Old Evil" video:

Meanwhile, Windhand have announced a quick run down the West Coast next spring, with more dates to be announced.

March
23 - The Broadberry - Richmond, VA (Record Release Show)*

April
19 - Neumos - Seattle, WA #
20 - Stumpfest - Portland, OR #
22 - Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA #
23 - Roxy Theatre - Los Angeles, CA #
26 - Barracuda (Levitation Fest) - Austin, TX

June
23 - Maryland Doom Fest 2018 - Frederick, MD

* with Satan's Satyrs
# with Ruby The Hatchet

(Photo - Sally Patti)

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach's hardcore/punk project THE WEAPON has released a two-song, selft-titled EP via Bandcamp. The singer is joined in the new band by guitarist Chris Drapeau, bassist Josh Mihlek and drummer Andy Mass.

Leach told Revolver magazine that he has been "wanting to do a hardcore project for years but just never had the right people or the right timing. It started with my friend Chris Drapeau who used to play for AGGRESSIVE DOGS, a Japanese crossover band," he said. "He saw me post about wanting to start a hardcore project and sent me some tracks he had been messing with. I was immediately into what he was doing and the rest just came together fairly easy. I have my good friend Josh Mihlek — also KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's production manager — on bass and my friend and Dark City Studio — where we recorded — owner Andy Mass on drums."

Jesse also talked about the differences between what he does with THE WEAPON and his work with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and TIMES OF GRACE. HE said: "[With THE WEAPON] we are not striving for perfection, just feeling. With KILLSWITCH and TIMES, it's very polished and precise. It can be tiring and tedious. Don't get me wrong, I love it and I'm very fortunate to do both of those bands, but to me, THE WEAPON is for fun and for the love of hardcore! On top of that, I can go in a little more hard on the lyrics and I don't have to concern myself with melodies or singing a part near perfect. I am not a fan of unflawed 'perfect'-sounding vocals — clearly, if you've seen me live — so it's a breath of fresh air to just belt it out and be done. Each song, I did three full takes, picked the best one and slapped backups on them and it was done in 45 minutes tops."

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE is hoping to complete work on its new album by the middle of the summer for a tentative late 2018 release. The follow-up to 2016's "Incarnate" will mark the band's third full-length effort since the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

Imperative Music Agency has announced a special agreement as official management of the Canadian heavy metal band West Of Hell.

West Of Hell has recorded their new album at the Armoury Studios (Strapping Young Lad, Nickelback, Kiss, Stone Sour, AC/DC) in Vancouver; they are focused juggernaut redefining the genre.

Musically, their new songs feature unique time signatures and unconventional arrangements leaning toward the epic, each and every note, guitar shred, wail, lyrical phrase and crushing thunder from the rhythm section is delivered with technical prowess, passion, and polish. In the tradition of British invasion metal from days past some songs continue on for longer than 7 minutes, holding the listener in its grasp from beginning to end.   

West Of Hell seamlessly incorporates elements of thrash, death, tech melodic, aggressive, progressive, and timeless classic heavy metal. Blackened themes addressing the human condition dominate the lyrical content. West Of Hell’s new album unifies the genre.

West Of Hell will be presented on the new Imperative Music Compilation alongside Death, Cradle of Filth, Destruction, Hammerfall, and more.

Rocksmith, a method of learning how to play the guitar through video game consoles and PCs, has released downloadable tracks from Trivium for players to learn.

More than three million people have learned to play guitar and bass through the Rocksmith method and they are continuing to add new songs regularly for players to master. Currently there are more than 1,100 songs that players can access.

An exclusive interview with Matt Heafy can be found here.

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 their eighth album, The Sin And The Sentence.

The Sin And The Sentence Tour kicks off in Koln on March 11st, 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

Blues-rock quartet Dirty Thrills will release a new single, entitled "The Brave", on February 20th and are playing a free acoustic charity show in North London on the 16th to promote it.

The band state: “In the sprit of the song, it’s meaning and lyrical message, we will be raising money for the homeless charity Crisis at a free stripped back gig on 16th February at the World’s End pub in Camden. We hope to see you all there to raise awareness and funds for a cause close to our hearts.”

Find an event page here.

Dirty Thrills were recently announced as special guests on the mainland European leg of a tour with Skid Row that takes place in April and May. The updated itinerary is below.

April
29 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
30 - Freiburg, Germany - Crash

May
1 - Bochum, Germany - Zeche
2 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
4 - Regensburg, Germany - Eventhall Airport
5 - Telfs, Austria - Rathaussaal
7 - Saarbrucken, Germany - Garage
9 - Malmo, Sweden - KB
11 - Haugesund, Norway - Karmøygeddon Festival  
12 - Gjerdrum, Norway - Gjerdrum Rockfest
13 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
14 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryshuset Klubben
19 - San Martino, Italy - La Base Live Factory
20 - Brunico, Italy - Ufo
21 - Ranica, Italy - Druso
23 - Paris, France - L’emperient

Eagerly anticipating the tour, the band say: “We can’t wait to hit the road with one of America’s big guns, Skid Row! See you down the front and we will deliver the goods.”

Dirty Thrills will also perform at the Stone Free Festival on June 16th at The O2 in London.

 

Relapse Records has announced the signing of prolific extreme metal quartet, Full Of Hell. Formed in 2009, in Ocean City, Maryland, Full Of Hell have been pushing the boundaries of sonic extremity with their suffocating blend of hardcore punk, grind, noise, power electronics, industrial and death and black metal. The group already has already released six full-lengths, including collaborative albums with Japanese noise legend Merzbow and experimental doom/sludge outfit The Body. Additionally, Full Of Hell has released numerous splits and EPs, including collaborations with Nails and Code Orange. The band plans to begin writing their next full-length this year.

Known for their intense live performances, Full Of Hell has toured the globe with the likes of Nails, The Cavalera Brothers, Entombed, 1349, Cattle Decapitation, Integrity and many more. The band will tour Europe this spring as direct support for Immolation. A complete listing of dates is included below with more to be announced shortly.

The band commented on the signing: "We are very pleased to align ourselves with Relapse Records. We grew up listening to so many Relapse artists, discovering new sounds and cutting our teeth.. In many ways, we wouldn't even be here if not for some of the truly formative releases in their discography. This feels like a very fitting place for us to be and we're looking forward to releasing this next record."

Full Of Hell tour dates are listed below.

February
22 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar

March (with Immolation)
15 - Warszawa, Poland - Proxima
16 - Lodz, Poland - Magnetofon
17 - Bielsko-Biala, Poland - Rudeboy
18 - Vienna, Austria - Viper Room
21 - Bilbao, Spain - Santana 27
22 - Porto, Portugal - Hard Club
23 - Madrid, Spain - Nazca
24 - Lisbon, Portugal - RCA Club
25 - Sevilla, Spain - Custom
27 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
29 - Paris, France - Petit BAin
30 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Baroeg
31 - Esbjerg, Denmark - Konfus

April (with Immolation)
2 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
4 - Essen, Germany - Turock
5 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Effenaar
6 - London, UK - The Dome
8 - Haarlem, Netherlands - Patronaat
8 - Kassel, Germany - K19

(Photo - Reid Haithcock)

METALLICA will be honored with the prestigious Polar Music Prize.

The San Francisco Bay Area heavy metal giants have been chosen as one of the 2018 recipients of Sweden's biggest music award.

The announcement was made Wednesday (February 14) morning at Stockholm City Hall by Alfons Karabuda, chairman of the Polar Music Prize award committee.

The Polar Music Prize was founded in 1989 by Stig "Stikkan" Anderson, the manager and music publisher of ABBA. A well-known lyricist, he also was the co-writer on many of their early hits. The prize was first presented in 1992.

METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich said: "Receiving the Polar Music Prize is an incredible thing. It puts us in very distinguished company. It's a great validation of everything that METALLICA has done over the last 35 years. At the same time, we feel like we're in our prime with a lot of good years ahead of us. Thank you very much."

METALLICA frontman James Hetfield added: "I feel very honored to be in such great company with the others who have accepted the Polar Music Prize. As myself and as METALLICA, I'm grateful to have this as part of our legacy, our history. Thank you."

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo said: "Receiving the Polar Music Prize is such an honor, especially sharing it with [previous laureates] such as Joni Mitchell, Keith Jarrett and Wayne Shorter, who I admire dearly… Hopefully this will inspire younger generations of musicians to keep the music alive."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett said: "It means a lot to me because we've been added to a list of very distinguished artists and musicians who I respect. And to be acknowledged for the work we've done. I know how important this is and how much of an honor it is."

Previous winners of the Polar Music Prize include Elton John, Sting, Ray Charles, Bob Dylan, LED ZEPPELIN, PINK FLOYD, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, B.B. King, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, Max Martin and Bruce Springsteen.

The Polar Music Prize honors two laureates every year to "celebrate music in all its various forms" and "to break down musical boundaries by bringing together people from all the different worlds of music." It awards each laureate one million kronor (approximately $125,000) at a gala in Stockholm.

Ulrich and Trujillo will accept METALLICA's prize from His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on June 14 at the Grand Hôtel.

METALLICA will donate the prize money to its All Within My Hands Foundation, which is dedicated to assisting and enriching the lives of the members of the communities by supporting workforce education, the fight against hunger, and other critical local services.

In a statement announcing METALLICA's award, the Polar Music Prize award committee said: "Not since Wagner's emotional turmoil and Tchaikovsky's cannons has anyone created music that is so physical and furious, and yet still so accessible. Through virtuoso ensemble playing and its use of extremely accelerated tempos, METALLICA has taken rock music to places it had never been before. In METALLICA's world, both a teenage bedroom and a concert hall can be transformed into a Valhalla. The strength of the band's uncompromising albums has helped millions of listeners to transform their sense of alienation into a superpower."