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

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

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

Pre-order here.

The band continue to spread their power on their Winter tour with Wintersun and Tribulation across Western Europe. Remaining dates listed below. Tickets available at here.

Tour dates:

February (with Wintersun, Tribulation)
9 - Glasgow, UK - ABC
10 - Nottingham, UK - Rock City
11 - London, UK - Koko
13 - Manchester, UK - Ritz
14 - Bristol, UK - Academy

(Photo - Katja Kuhl)

On March 9th, Experience Hendrix and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, release Both Sides Of The Sky, a dynamic new Jimi Hendrix album featuring 13 studio recordings made between 1968 and 1970 - 10 of which have never before been released. The album will be released on multiple formats including CD, digital, and as a numbered 180 gram audiophile vinyl 2LP. Watch a new trailer below.

This previously unreleased recording was the first ever studio session by the group Hendrix would christen as his Band Of Gypsys. It was recorded at the Record Plant in New York, April 22nd, 1969. Hendrix, Cox & Miles shared a love for the blues as this driving, uptempo reworking of “Mannish Boy” by Muddy Waters immediately makes clear.

Both Sides Of The Sky is the third volume in a trilogy of albums intended to present the best and most significant unissued studio recordings remaining in the music legend’s archive. Beginning with Valleys of Neptune (2010), which earned top ten sales rankings in fifteen countries (including a top position of #4 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart), followed by People, Hell and Angels (2013) which peaked on Billboard’s Top 100 album chart at #2. Billboard’s coveted number one singles ranking went to “Somewhere,” the album’s lead track and the legendary guitarist’s highest ever US singles chart achievement. This third release is anticipated to complete the spectacular recording event in epic fashion. “Since Experience Hendrix began its restoration of the Jimi Hendrix music catalog in 1997, our goal has been to present these important recordings to Jimi’s fans in the best possible quality. We are excited about achieving that. We’ve also been intent on generating album releases which present this amazing music in its proper context,” explains John McDermott, one of the album’s co-producers, together with Janie Hendrix and Eddie Kramer.

Pre-order Both Sides Of The Sky here.

Recorded between January 1968 and February 1970, Jimi’s desire to push the boundaries of blues music can be heard throughout. Both Sides Of The Sky additionally highlights Jimi’s mastery of studio production and his increasing use of these facilities as a proving ground for new sounds, material, and techniques. Many of the album’s tracks were recorded by the trio that would come to be known as Band of Gypsys: Jimi on guitar and vocals, Billy Cox on bass, and Buddy Miles on drums. For their first-ever recording session on April 22nd, 1969, Hendrix turned to their shared musical root, delta blues. Their previously unreleased, uptempo reworking of Muddy Waters’ “Mannish Boy” opens the album and sets the tempo for what follows. “Lover Man” was a favored Hendrix original and the guitarist was determined to realize a finished master. Previous attempts by the original Experience had yet to yield this for Hendrix but this December 1969 effort by the Band Of Gypsys - complete with its homage to the popular Batman theme song - was his strongest effort to date.

“Hear My Train A Comin’” features drummer Mitch Mitchell and bassist Noel Redding from the original Jimi Hendrix Experience. This original blues composition had become a staple of Hendrix’s concerts. This previously unreleased April 1969 recording captured the furious power and dynamic tension that made the song so memorable. Previously unheard recordings of “Stepping Stone,” “Jungle,” “Cherokee Mist” (which features Hendrix on both electric guitar and sitar) as well as the January 1968 recording of “Sweet Angel” provide further highlights.

Both Sides Of The Sky also features an assortment of notable guest musicians. Stephen Stills befriended Hendrix at the June 1967 Monterey Pop Festival. In September of 1969 Stills was invited to a Hendrix session at the Record Plant in New York. Stills burst into the session with a song Joni Mitchell had recently composed, titled “Woodstock.” Joined by Hendrix and Buddy Miles, the trio recorded this version first - months before Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released their popular rendition of Mitchell’s song. Stills would also contribute $20 Fine, an original song that featured Hendrix on multiple guitars, Mitchell on drums, Stills on organ and lead vocals and Duane Hitchings (Buddy Miles Express) on piano.

Another of the album’s unique band creations sees Jimi Hendrix and Johnny Winter on guitar, backed by Billy Cox and drummer Dallas Taylor of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. An excerpt of their rendition of Guitar Slim’s “Things I Used To Do” was initially heard as part of a 1990 nationally syndicated radio program and accompanying box set, but here it is presented in full, newly mixed by Eddie Kramer for Both Sides Of The Sky. On “Georgia Blues,” Jimi is reunited with his old bandmate Lonnie Youngblood (vocals/sax) from his pre-fame days in Curtis Knight & The Squires. Briefly issued as part of the 2008 Martin Scorsese Presents the Blues series but out of print for nearly a decade, this special recording is once more available to Hendrix fans throughout the world on all audio formats.

Both Sides Of The Sky was produced by Janie Hendrix, John McDermott, and Eddie Kramer. Kramer served as recording engineer on every Jimi Hendrix album made during the artist’s life. In order to preserve the integrity and continuity of the Hendrix legacy, this same team has produced every Jimi Hendrix audio and visual release since 1996.

Janie Hendrix, President and CEO of Experience Hendrix, L.L.C. commented, “We have a growing commitment to preserve the legacy of Jimi and also to continue to give the worldwide family of Jimi fans quality releases. That’s what Both Sides Of The Sky reflects…our ongoing commitment. In a deeper sense, it’s the keeping of a promise. Jimi and I once made a promise to each other. He said he would take care of me and I told him I would take care him. Through his music and our preservation of his work, my brother and I honor one another. We are now in our third decade of watching over Jimi’s creative works and our resolve to maintain the integrity of what he left us has only grown stronger with time.”

That is also the purpose for Eddie Kramer’s involvement and his devotion to the project. He remarked, “Jimi’s true home was the studio, that’s where the music and the magic happened. He loved everything about recording and it’s been my distinct pleasure and an honor to play a part in that process both then and now.”

Both Sides Of The Sky tracklisting:

"Mannish Boy" *
"Lover Man" *
"Hear My Train A Comin’" *
"Stepping Stone" *
"$20 Fine" *+
"Power Of Soul" ^
"Jungle" *
"Things I Used To Do" #
"Georgia Blues" ++
"Sweet Angel" *
"Woodstock" *+
"Send My Love To Linda" *
"Cherokee Mist" *

* Previously unreleased
^  Previously unavailable extended version
+ Featuring Stephen Stills
# Featuring Johnny Winter
++ Featuring Lonnie Youngblood

Produced by Janie Hendrix, Eddie Kramer and John McDermott for Experience Hendrix, L.L.C.

Ontario progressive power metal act Borealis will release their new album, The Offering, on March 23rd via AFM Records. Pre-orders are available at this location, and a lyric video for “Sign Of No Return” can be found below.

"The Offering is our best creation yet, it's a mix of Fall From Grace and Purgatory with an atmospheric twist. We feel better than ever and can't wait to take this album on the road." - Matt Marinelli (vocals)

The Offering now marks the return of the five Canadians with an album full of new material. But it is also a premiere for the band in a different way. As Marinelli explains, The Offering describes a story concept resulting from an interest in cults sparked by his fascination for horror movies. “The album follows the creation, rise and ultimate demise of a cult who practices human, more specifically child sacrifice. They believe this method of belief, sacrifice and devotion will bring an end to the suffering of humanity, as well as bring back the innocence of mankind that was lost to greed and industrialism. However, due to their lack of respect to powers greater than themselves, they unwittingly create a deity out of the sacrificed kid, whom ultimately delivers punishment due to their injustice. The men in the cult are too self-consumed with their righteous quest, they've completely overlooked the fact that children are the true key to restoring and preserving lost innocence.”

Underlined by this story concept the album again delivers forceful, sometimes progressive metal riffs which are accompanied by epic melodies and Matt Marinelli’s expressive voice which elegantly guides through the twelve songs. The dense atmosphere Borealis are creating with this mixture adds a depth to “The Offering” which only few others can achieve and which will amaze fans of bands like Evergrey, Kamelot or Nocturnal Rites.

The Offering was produced and mixed again by drummer Sean Dowell, who was also responsible for mastering this time.

Tracklisting:

“The Fire Between Us”
“Sign Of No Return”
“The Offering”
“River”
“The Second Son”
“The Devil’s Hand”
“Into The Light”
“Scarlet Angel”
“The Awakening”
“The Path”
“Forever Lost”
“The Ghosts Of Innocence”

“Sign Of No Return” lyric video:

The title track of "The Deep & The Dark", the seventh studio album from symphonic metal masters VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, can be streamed using the widget below. The disc will be released on February 16 via Napalm Records.

Says vocalist Siegfried Samer: "The title track to our new album, 'The Deep & The Dark', encompasses everything that the album stands for: a return to the musical and lyrical roots of VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, with colorful orchestrations, the dual vocals the band is known for, and a great, catchy hook in the chorus. This is definitely a standout track on the album!"

"The Deep & The Dark" track listing:

01. The Deep & The Dark
02. Return To Lemuria
03. Ritual Night
04. The Silent Mutiny
05. Book Of Nature
06. The Last Home
07. The Grand Illusion
08. Dead Reckoning
09. Words Of War
10. Prayer To The Lost

Says the band: "This is the album we have always dreamed of making. It is everything fans of this genre love and VISIONS OF ATLANTIS was founded for. This is the heart and soul of this band and symphonic metal. We are proud and excited that after over four years we put out the best 10 tracks the band has to offer. This is VISIONS OF ATLANTIS — this is symphonic metal!"

The scenic video for the track "Return To Lemuria" can be seen below.

"The Deep & The Dark" will be made available as a deluxe box set, CD digipak and digital download.

Hauntingly beautiful duets between vocalists supreme Clémentine Delauney and Siegfried Samer meet classic power metal infusions, embodying the symphonic metal cake: a must-have for all genre-fans and beyond! With "The Deep & The Dark", VISIONS OF ATLANTIS created its most powerful and perfectly executed magnum opus to date, waiting to be performed live at the "Symphonic Metal Nights" in February 2018.

Photo by Moritz Maibaum Photography




Listen to VISIONS OF ATLANTIS - The Deep & The Dark byNapalmRecords on hearthis.at

Classic metal renegades Sacred Leather will release Ultimate Force on February 23rd via Cruz Del Sur Music. Check out a video for the track "Power Thrust" below. Pre-orders are now available for CD and Vinyl.

While time travel is merely a figment of the imagination, Sacred Leather's brand of steely, raucous and pure metal straight out of 1983, is not. Brandishing leather and chains, rafter-reaching vocals and scorching solos, Sacred Leather represent heavy metal in its truest form on their first full-length album and debut Cruz Del Sur Music release, Ultimate Force.

The product of five metal banshees from the Midwestern portion of the United States, Sacred Leather has spent the better part of their existence fine-tuning their live presentation while releasing a series of singles and splits in preparation for Ultimate Force. Written over the course of two years, Ultimate Force was recorded during the fall of 2017 at Earth Analog Studios in Tolono, Illinois, with additional sessions taking place at Beware Sounds and Clandestine Arts Recording in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mixing and mastering was handled by Sacred Leather lead guitarist Carloff Blitz at Clandestine Arts Recording shortly thereafter.

The result is a fierce blend of classic and thrash metal, fully capable of unleashing an all-out blitz ("Ultimate Force", "Master Is Calling"), dealing mid-tempo bashers ("Watcher", "Power Thrust") and perhaps best of all, offering an epic, towering ballad in the form of "Dream Searcher", which, according to lead vocalist Dee Wrathchild, is the most ambitious track on the record. "It's centered around the theme of heartbreak. A man has lost his love and is only able to be reunited with her in his dreams. He is poised to suffer eternally in reality, but in the realm of sleep, he is able to revisit her."

Heavy metal with this kind of conviction is not to be taken lightly. On Ultimate Force, Sacred Leather brings the hammer and anvil, the silver and steel, magic and might, providing one of the most convincing representations of metal to be heard in 2018. "Heavy metal represents individualism in the face of conformity and an escape from reality," concludes Wrathchild. "You can crank it up, bang your head, and you will always have thousands of brothers and sisters in heavy metal that connect with what they are hearing as much as you do. It's timeless. It's power. It's the Ultimate Force.

Tracklisting:

"Ultimate Force"
"Watcher"
"Power Thrust"
"Dream Searcher"
"Master Is Calling"
"Prowling Sinner
"The Lost Destructor / Priest Of The Undoer"

"Power Thrust" video:

Teaser:

"Ultimate Force" live video:

Sacred Leather is:
 
Dee Wrathchild - Vocals
JJ Highway - Lead Guitar
Magnus LeGrand - Bass Guitar
Carloff Blitz - Lead Guitar
Jailhouse - Drums

This past week, Dead Soul Communion drummer Simon Dawson and guitarist Daniel J Finch (ex-Devilment) entered the studio to being recording the follow up to MMXVII.

Drums for seven of fifteen songs have been completed and Finch is currently held up in his studio tracking guitars. The new songs are in a more straight ahead metal feel. But Finch has said this will be the last time as the band are wanting to go in a more melodic progressive route for their third album. The new album is set for release in May via the bands own label DEF2MUSIC.

The band recently unveiled the cover art for MMXVIII. The cover was designed and drawn by Drake Mefestta having done the cover art for the first DSC album. Finch met drake when he did the cover for his previous band Devilment. Drake has done a number of covers and art including 69 Eyes, Symphony X, Devilment and Cradle Of Filth.

The band released their  debut album in July 2017, gaining a lot of attention from the metal community. You can buy the album now direct from the band from their website or download from iTunes, Google Play & Amazon. Stream it from Apple Music and Spotify.

The band are also lining up a number of festival appearance in 2018.

Dead Soul Communion is:

Daniel Finch - guitars
Dan Jackson - guitars
Kev Jackson - bass
Simon Dawson - drums
Edwin Mascorn - vocals
Paul Jensen - vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards

Johan Kihlberg's Impera has released a lyric video for the new song, "Why Does She Care", featuring Saga singer Michael Sadler. The track is featured on the forthcoming album, Age Of Discovery, out on February 23rd via German label Metal/AOR Heaven. Watch the video below.

After three albums with his band Impera, founding drummer Johan Kihlberg decided it was time to spread his wings, and the Swede came up with the idea to record his first solo effort, Johan Kihlberg’s Impera - Age Of Discovery.

“I felt this would give me the opportunity to spread my wings a bit and work with some other people," Johan said. "I grew up with bands like KISS, Queen, Abba and The Beatles, who were not afraid to have a wide range of styles on their albums. I’m obviously a hard rock fan at heart, but I’m also influenced by bands like Simple Minds, Kraftwerk, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, Human League and many others. I’m also a huge fan of movies and movie soundtracks."

The first person Johan approached was Lion's Share guitarist Lars Chriss, who is also a renowned producer and mixer.

“Johan and I got together and started writing songs," Chriss said. "He usually had an idea of the direction and we took it from there. We also had a couple of friends coming up with basic ideas for about half of the album. We had the luxury to cherry-pick the songs we thought would add to what we already had going. For lyrics and melodies we worked closely with singer Mick Devine of the band Seven, whom I’ve done a couple albums with the last couple of years. My old friend and Lion's Share keyboardist Kay Backlund stepped up to the plate and worked with us on a couple of tracks as well."

Kihlberg and Chriss decided to work with several different singers on the project, while enlisting Kihlberg’s longtime friend and Impera bandmate Mats Vassfjord to lay down the bass tracks.

"As soon as we had the songs written, we started thinking about what voice and singer that would fit each individual track the best," Kihlberg said. "Fortunately, they all agreed and did an amazing job on the album. I even managed to get one of my all-time favorite singers, Michael Sadler from Saga, to sing a song."

Johan Kihlberg’s Impera - Age Of Discovery features a wide range of musical influences while remaining a very strong, melodic and powerful album. It boasts great production work by Chriss and a stunning artwork by Carl-André Beckston.

Tracklisting:

"Prelude" (intro)
"That's The Way That Life Goes"
"Fear"
"Falling"
"The End Of The Road"
"Just A Conversation"
"The Right Stuff"
"Why Does She Care"
"I Am I"
"It's A Revolution"

"Why Does She Care" lyric video:

"Fear" lyric video:

San Diego-based brutalizing metal quintet Cave Bastard - comprised of ex / current members of Cattle Decapitation, Gutrot, Ritual Torture, Bridge Jumper, Temblad, and others - has completed harnessing the grinding, blackened scourge of their debut LP, The Bleak Shall Devour The Earth, set for release through Accident Prone Records in late March.

The Bleak Shall Devour The Earth was captured in October 2016 at Audio Design Studios in San Diego, recorded and mixed by legendary engine-ear, Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Brutal Truth, Cattle Decapitation) with assistant engineer Jordan Andreen, mastered at Trakworx by Justin Weis, and completed with artwork by Varises Otak.

Cave Bastard will issue The Bleak Shall Devour The Earth on LP and digital formats on March 23rd via Accident Prone, who also released the band's split with Blk-Ops in August 2017. A brief trailer including a snippet of audio, the cover art, and more can be viewed below:

Three-and-a-half years in the making, the debut full-length dark vision of Cave Bastard is ready to be unleashed. The album combines the band's bleak imagery and outlook with devastatingly brutal riffs and earth-moving rhythms which set the tone for a voyage into the apocalypse. Featuring eight new songs bearing titles such as "Massacre Reaction", "Trapped In A World Of Formlessness", and "Purity Through Oblivion", Cave Bastard draws you in to their void of chaos. Cave Bastard is the manifestation of atrocities, inhumanities, and corruption, and The Bleak Shall Devour The Earth is the first chapter in their tale of torment.

Cave Bastard has just announced the addition of their new drummer Marlon Matthew (Temblad) who replaces longtime drummer Steve Reed, joining vocalist Steve Pearce, bassist Troy Oftedal (ex-Cattle Decapitation, Piglife), and guitarists Nick Padron and Chase Ferguson (both formerly of Bridge Jumper). The revamped lineup's first show will take place on February 15th supporting Mammoth Grinder at a hometown show. Additional tour dates are to be expected shortly and throughout the year.

Tracklisting:

"Throes Of The Devourer"
"Neo - Genesis"
"Methane Epistaxis"
"Massacre Reaction"
"Trapped In A World Of Formlessness"
"Martial Asphyxiation"
"Purity Through Oblivion"
"Liar Betrayed"

For further details, visit the official Cave Bastard Facebook page.

(Band photo by Chase Ferguson)

 

"All I Care For", a song from CORELEONI, the new project founded by GOTTHARD guitarist Leo Leoni to pay a very personal tribute to his rock and roll past, can be streamed below. The track is taken from CORELEONI's debut album, "The Greatest Hits - Part 1", which will be released on February 23 via Frontiers Music Srl.

Leo Leoni is joined in CORELEONI by Ronnie Romero (LORDS OF BLACK, RAINBOW) on vocals, Hena Habegger on drums, Jgor Gianola on guitar and Mila Merker on bass.

Says Leo: "On the 25th anniversary of the release of the first GOTTHARD album, I wanted to pay tribute to songs like 'Downtown', 'Firedance', 'Higher', 'Here Comes The Heat', 'In The Name', 'Ride On…', 'Let It Be' and 'All I Care 4'. Songs that with GOTTHARD we have kind of left aside. We've re-recorded, refreshed, and 're-brushed' them in a respectful way. These songs are very dear to me and they are part of a period that will remain forever with me."

Leoni dusted these songs off and brough a new life to these overlooked masterpieces from his past.

"Walk On Water" is the sole new track featured on "The Greatest Hits - Part 1".

"This CORELEONI project made me feel so many emotions and memories, filling my heart with joy," says Leo. "I hope hearing these new versions gives all the GOTTHARD fans, especially the ones who knew and loved the band in the early days, the same great emotions that it has brought to me."

"The Greatest Hits - Part 1" track listing:

01. Il Padrino
02. Firedance
03. Downtown
04. Higher
05. Get It While You Can
06. In The Name
07. Let It Be
08. All I Care For
09. Walk On Water
10. Here Comes The Heat
11. Tell No Lies
12. Ride On
13. Anytime Anywhere
14. El Traidor (bonus track; CD edition only)

The official lyric video for the song "Heart And Soul" from legendary German guitarist Michael Schenker's MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST project can be seen below. The track is taken from MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST's new album, "Resurrection", which will be released 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).

The official video for MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST's digital single "Warrior", featuring impressions of the studio recording process, can be seen below.

"Warrior" is one of two album tracks on which all of the four lead singers appear. It was composed by Schenker while the lyrics were written by Michael Voss-Schön.

"When Michael Voss-Schön showed me his lyrical and vocals ideas, it instantly came to my mind that all four singers should be involved," Michael Schenker looks back and adds: "I'm really fascinated by the result. It's really interesting how the different voices complement each other. 'Warrior' is really heavy but at the same time ear-friendly and catchy!"

"Michael Schenker played the basic riff of the track to me and I immediately had the expression 'Warrior' pop into my mind," says Michael Voss-Schön. "On the next day, the first raw version of the song was created; my vision was to let the four voices sound like the four musketeers!"

According to Schenker, "Resurrection" contains all brand new songs, including "Warrior", which he previously described as "really, really good and really powerful."

"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

The studio album will follow the release of "Michael Schenker Fest Tokyo", a concert recording filmed in August 2016 at Tokyo, Japan's International Forum, which was made available last March via Inakustik.

"It was so funny when [Gary, Graham and Robin] all had to sing their lines and we were shooting behind-the-scenes footage, to see them how they get on," Michael recalled. "You can actually see it on the ['Michael Schenker Fest Tokyo'] DVD already, but it just continues to be as if these people have been together forever."

Michael added that he is celebrating his music career and life itself with MICHAEL SCHENKER FEST. "It seems like everybody's celebrating their life and their career at the same time," he said. "But it's all the most popular music of Michael Schenker, and the best I can do at the moment is to have Gary and Graham and Robin and now [with the addition of] Doogie White."

German metallers CALIBAN have released the official music video for the song "Intoxicated". The clip was produced by Iconographic.

CALIBAN first performed "Intoxicated" live during the band's recent "Darkness Over X-Mas" tour. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "Elements", which will be released on April 6 via Century Media.

CALIBAN guitarist Marc Görtz had this to say about the album cover: "We used the elements Earth, Air, Fire, and Water as symbols for realization, ideas, power, and emotion. These symbols inspire us to continue to do what we love the most, which is to create, evolve, and be inspired by our music. And these elements directly correspond to the cover art, which was done by Marcel Gadacz. He did the art for 'Gravity', so we're happy to have him back."

For "Elements", CALIBAN brought back longtime collaborator — going all the way back to 2007's "The Awakening" — and studio wizard Benny Richter to co-produce with Görtz at his Nemesis Studios. CALIBAN also hired on German-based Andy Posdziech and buddy Sebastian "Sushi" Biesler, as well as Australian-based Callan Orr to assist in the recording process. "Elements" was mixed by Görtz and mastered by Olman Viper, whose repertoire includes previous CALIBAN albums "I Am Nemesis" (2012), "Ghost Empire" (2014), and "Gravity" (2016).

"The production on 'Elements' was pretty different," says Görtz. "The instrumental side of the production was produced by me, Andy and Callan. Then, Benny and myself worked on fine-tuning the music. The vocals, however, were produced by Benny, with Sushi acting as a vocal coach. We wanted Benny to focus on the vocals and the vocal production. Getting them right was very important to us."

"Elements" track listing:

01. This Is War
02. Intoxicated
03. Ich Blute Für Dich
04. Before Later Becomes Never
05. Set Me Free
06. My Madness
07. I Am Fear
08. Delusion
09. Carry On
10. Masquerade
11. Incomplete
12. The Great Unknown
13. Sleepers Awake

CALIBAN is:

Andreas Dörner - Vocals
Denis Schmidt - Guitar
Marc Görtz - Guitar
Marco Schaller - Bass
Patrick Grün - Drums

"Straight Jacket", the new video from the Atlantic Records/604 Records group THEORY OF A DEADMAN, can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Wake Up Call", which was released last October.

Recorded with producer Martin Terefe at London's Kensaltown Studios, "Wake Up Call" finds THEORY — Tyler Connolly (lead vocals, lead guitar), David Brenner (rhythm guitar), Dean Back (bass), and Joey Dandeneau (drums) — extending themselves beyond the easy comforts of complacency to create an album that pushes the songwriting envelope with songs like "Rx", which takes aim at the opioid epidemic impacting families across North America and "PCH", which juxtaposes the nostalgia for seemingly endless nights with friends and the bitter realities of life.

THEORY will kick off a spring headline tour on February 16 in San Francisco, California.

"Wake Up Call" follows 2014's "Savages", which earned THEORY their second consecutive Top 10 album on the Billboard 200 and third consecutive #1 on Billboard's Hard Rock Albums chart. "Savages" also featured the #1 Rock Radio smash, "Angel", which is accompanied by an official music now boasting upwards of 10 million views on THEORY's official YouTube channel.

For more than a decade, THEORY has been among the most distinctive and popular bands in hard rock history, combining frank, earnest lyricism and extraordinary melodies with massive power and electrifying dynamics. With singer/songwriter Tyler Connolly at the helm, the Vancouver-based band has earned a fervent fan following as well as a long line of multi-format hits, among them the #1 Mainstream Rock breakthrough, "Bad Girlfriend" (found on 2008's RIAA-platinum-certified "Scars & Souvenirs").

"Wake Up Call" track listing:

01. Straight Jacket
02. Rx
03. Echoes
04. Wake Up Call
05. PCH
06. G.O.A.T.
07. Loner
08. Time Machine
09. Glass Jaw
10. Po Mouth
11. Wicked Game

Matt Sorum has paid tribute to Pat Torpey, calling him "a great human being and musician" who was "a huge part" of the former GUNS N' ROSES drummer's career.

A founding member of MR. BIG, Torpey passed away Wednesday, February 7 at the age of 64 from complications of Parkinson's disease.

Earlier tonight, Sorum mourned Torpey's loss, writing in a Facebook message: "Sad to hear about the passing of Pat Torpey. A great human being and musician, Pat and I came up together in the clubs around Hollywood in the '80s. Pat was a go-to guy but was always supportive of me and handed a few gigs over to me when he wasn't available.

"The first big break for me was a band called JEFF PARIS GROUP. Pat did the first record, then left and mentioned me. I came in and did Jeff's second record, 'Wired Up'. Then being asked by THE CULT to join them in '88 after seeing Pat with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, Pat recommended me to Billy [Duffy] and Ian [Astbury] so he could he could pursue his new band MR. BIG.

"I remember the first time [GUNS N' ROSES] went to Japan in '91. MR. BIG was No. 1 and we were No. 2. They were huge there and we always respected one another, although Pat practiced like a maniac at Mates Studio daily while listening to political talk radio. His drum chops were insane. He helped me in the mid-'90s put together my drum video, producing and directing me. We also cowrote a song for MR. BIG called 'Crawl Over Me'.

"I hadn't seen him in quite awhile now that people go in different directions, but Pat was such a huge part of my career and I do feel very connected spiritually as one of those people that you meet in life that changes the course of your life.

"I owe you so much, Pat. I hope you are at peace now, my drumming brother. Condolences to family and friends and bandmates."

MR. BIG released its ninth original studio album, "Defying Gravity", last July. Formed in 1988, the band produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres — be it ballads, heavy metal, or blues rock. Their hits included "Alive And Kicking", "Just Take My Heart" and the chart-topping ballad "To Be With You".

Photo credit: Adopt The Arts / Alex Kluft





Sad To hear about the Passing of Pat Torpey , A great human being and musician , Pat and I came up together in the clubs...

Posted by Matt Sorum on Thursday, February 8, 2018

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's studio video for "Love Remains" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's fourth album, "BCCIV", which was released last September via Mascot Records. This is BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's first studio album since 2013's "Afterglow".

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is the Anglo-American rock group comprising vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, TRAPEZE), drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN, FOREIGNER), Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER, ALICE COOPER, BILLY IDOL) and blues-rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa.

Hughes told Planet Mosh that "Love Remains" is a very personal song for him. "I wrote it for my father while I was flying over [to England] from L.A.," he revealed. "My father had just passed away in his sleep — he'd had dementia and died the day I got home from the [DEEP PURPLE Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame induction, so I had to leave almost immediately to fly over. I wrote that song on a little notepad and I was going to sing it at the memorial, but just couldn't — I was just so sad — so I sang it on the album. I sang the song to my mother before my Dad's funeral, so she knew I was going to sing it on the BLACK COUNTRY album. I'm okay with it now. I can't bring my mum back or my dad. They've lived their lives. The message she gave me was to continue and live my life."

Just like its three predecessors, "BCCIV" was overseen by Kevin Shirley, whose catalogue of hit records for LED ZEPPELIN, IRON MAIDEN, AEROSMITH, JOURNEY and THE BLACK CROWES has made him one of the hottest producers that rock music has to offer. Shirley, who originally had the idea of putting Hughes and Bonamassa in a band after seeing them jamming together onstage in Los Angeles back in November 2009, is the group's unofficial "fifth member."

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's inception took place when Hughes and Bonamassa fused their styles on stage in Los Angeles in November 2009 for an explosive performance at Guitar Center's King Of The Blues event. With the help and guidance of Shirley, they further added to their rock lineage by recruiting Bonham and Sherinian.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION played two exclusive concerts in the U.K. last month.

The visualizer video for the song "Take It To The Cross" from STRYPER can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's upcoming album, "God Damn Evil", which will be released on April 20 via Frontiers Music Srl. Produced by frontman Michael Sweet, it is STRYPER's most powerful album to date, doubling down on the hard rock/heavy metal sound that earned the group a worldwide fan base.

"'Take It To The Cross' is our answer to many fans asking us to do something a little heavier and even bordering on thrash," said Michael. "The verses are heavy with a vocal and lyric delivery that's bold and relevant yet the chorus kicks in with a fast, thrashy vibe. We brought in Matt Blanchard (ACT OF DEFIANCE, SHADOWS FALL) to handle the vocal growl on the choruses and the end vamp. This song is 100 percent high octane."

"God Damn Evil" is available now for pre-order in multiple configurations.

Regarding the "God Damn Evil" album title, Sweet said: "We thought long and hard about this title. It was actually considered quite a few years ago and it just didn't feel like the right time. Now, with all the evil in the world that we see around us on a daily basis, it made perfect sense. It's a very bold statement yet a prayer asking God to damn/condemn evil. Nothing more, nothing less."

The follow-up to 2015's "Fallen" marks STRYPER's first effort since the addition of former FIREHOUSE bassist Perry Richardson. Perry joined the band as the replacement for STRYPER's longtime bassist Tim Gaines, who was fired from the group last year.

Perry did not play bass on STRYPER's new album due to scheduling constraints. The bass tracks on "God Damn Evil" were laid down by John O'Boyle, who played bass on Sweet's last two solo albums.

"We all see and hear the darkness that surrounds us in our society, but with faith and love, we'll always have hope," said Michael. "That's what STRYPER is all about — powerful music and a message that builds foundations, not walls. We couldn't be more excited about 'God Damn Evil' as it showcases our undying love for what we do and why we do it."

"God Damn Evil" track listing:

01. Take It To The Cross
02. Sorry
03. Lost
04. God Damn Evil
05. You Don't Even Know Me
06. The Valley
07. Sea Of Thieves
08. Beautiful
09. Can't Live Without Your Love
10. Own Up
11. The Devil Doesn't Live Here

Sweet previously said about "God Damn Evil": "I can tell you this: if you kind of take the best of a handful of STRYPER albums and you kind of roll it up into a big, old fat burrito, that's what you're gonna get with this album. On a couple of songs, you're gonna hear qualities of 'Against The Law', you're gonna hear qualities of 'Fallen', you're gonna hear qualities of 'No More Hell To Pay' — and even 'To Hell With The Devil' and 'Soldiers [Under Command]'. You're gonna get the best of all those worlds in one world.

"We have already said this in private, I don't know if we've said it publicly, and people always kind of sneer when they hear bands say this, and I say it for every album —whatever — I really believe it for every album, 'cause I'm one of those guys that strives to improve and get better. But this is STRYPER's best album," he said. "And when it comes out and people hear it, in terms of the songs, the performances, the quality, the audio, the sonic quality, the flow, the feel, the energy, people, I think, will agree — most people. There are always those people that live in denial and just say, 'There's nothing as good as 'To Hell With The Devil',' and that's because they're kind of stuck in the '80s. And that's fine — it's totally fine. I love the '80s too. I'm stuck in the '80s in some ways as well, and that's great — there's some great music that came from the '80s. But, at the same time, I really believe, and I think a lot of our fans — I'll go as far as to say maybe even most of our fans believe that we're doing some of the best music and making some of the best albums that we ever have in our career."

STRYPER will return to the road this year, kicking off the "God Damn Evil" world tour in Milan, Italy on April 28 at the Frontiers Rock Festival.

Pat Torpey, drummer and founding member of MR. BIG, passed away Wednesday, February 7 at the age of 64 from complications of Parkinson's disease. His family, bandmates and management request privacy at this very difficult time. Services are pending.

MR. BIG bassist Billy Sheehan said: "Pat Torpey has been my closest friend in music for over 30 years. He passed away yesterday from complications as a result of Parkinson's disease.

"Pat was one of the finest human beings I've ever had the privilege of knowing, and the honor of working with. All of us in MR. BIG had nothing but the highest respect and admiration for him. He is loved by anyone and everyone who ever met him. And surely one of the finest rock drummers the world has ever known.

"Please keep his sweet wife and wonderful son in your prayers."

"I love you, Pat. You made the world a better place. We will miss you. We will never forget you. Rest in peace, my brother."

Former MR. BIG guitarist Richie Kotzen stated: "So saddened to learn of the passing of my friend and former bandmate Pat Torpey. We spent years touring the world, making music, family holiday gatherings, and even remodeled a house together. Pat's sense of humor, wit, and smile lit up any room the moment he walked in.

"I am grateful and thankful to have had you as an incredibly important friend and influence in my life. You will be missed beyond words. With love and tears... Rest in peace, my friend."

MR. BIG vocalist Eric Martin called Torpey "the strongest guy I know" in an interview with Total Rock last December. "He's such a strong personality, very smart, great rock n' roll drummer, and [Parkinson's disease] has taken apart his nervous system," he said. "Once in a while, he'll play a few songs with us. Our last tour, he played half the songs, and Matt [Starr] played the other half. On [the most recent European] tour, Matt plays the full drum kit, and then we call it a cocktail kit, but it's a percussive kit, and he's to the left of Matt and plays all the percussion and sings all the stuff. Spiritually, [Pat is] our driving force behind the band. Every time he goes, 'Oh, man, I don't know if I can do this,' I don't know about the rest of the guys, [but] if he bows out, I'm going to bow out with him."

In a 2017 interview with Rock Rebel magazine, Sheehan spoke about Torpey's battle with Parkinson's disease. He said: "Pat, unfortunately, ran into a bad situation, and as a band, we wanted to make sure that he knew that we were with him 100 percent. It's a tough thing for everybody, but Pat has demonstrated incredible courage and strength. He's inspiring to so many people all over the world. I get e-mails from people every day who maybe don't have the same affliction, but have something similar and Pat inspires them to get out of bed and get going and push back a little bit more. I think that's a wonderful thing in itself. The American military, the Navy Seals and their motto is 'No Man Left Behind.' So for the beginning of this, we adopted their motto to a rock band and [it was] 'No Man Left Behind'. A lot of bands are out there now and they don't have all the original members. Sad, sometimes you can't. People pass on and situations, but we really want it to be Paul, Eric, myself and Pat. Matt is incredible at helping out. I have to mention how awesome he is and how wonderful a job he's done to do Pat's parts the way they should be done. Really wonderful."

Asked in a 2011 interview with OnlineDrummer.com what influenced him to pick up a pair of sticks and start drumming, Torpey said: "I was about 7 or 8 years old, and my family used to go to this local picnic event with a live polka band. I was able to sit behind them and look down on the drummer, right on the top of him, and so from that vantage point I could see what he was doing, and I thought, 'Wow, that looks like fun!' That was my first memory of when I can remember wanting to play the drums. I went to my mother and said, 'I wanna play the drums,' and she gave me that look that parents give you, you know the 'Oh, yeah, sure you do… you're 7 years old.' So from there I kind of held on to that dream. I'd fashioned some drum sticks from a couple of sticks out of the yard. I carved them and drew my name on them with a magic marker, you know, the kind of thing an aspiring kid would do."

MR. BIG — Torpey, Martin, Sheehan and guitarist Paul Gilbert — released its ninth original studio album, "Defying Gravity", last July.

MR. BIG, formed in 1988, produced numerous hit songs that ranged across a wide array of rock genres — be it ballads, heavy metal, or blues rock. Their hits included "Alive And Kicking", "Just Take My Heart" and the chart-topping ballad "To Be With You".

Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly gave Pat Torpey's age as 58.

Photo credit: William Hames

It's with great sorrow that our beloved Pat has passed away due to complications of Parkinson's disease on 2/7, aged 58. Family and friends request privacy on this sad time and our hearts and condolences go with them. We'll miss you Pat Torpey, the man, the legend, for always ? pic.twitter.com/0XDW1jidtH

— Mr. Big (band) (@MrBig_band) February 9, 2018

Cliff Burton's father says that his son would have been thrilled about having February 10 proclaimed "Cliff Burton Day" by Alameda County supervisors. The late METALLICA bassist would have turned 56 years old on that date had he lived.

"I do not have a moment of doubt that, if Cliff were alive, he would have had a huge smile on his face about receiving this proclamation," Ray Burton said in a statement.

"February 10 has always been a very special day for me, and I am honored to now share this day with everyone in Castro Valley," he said.

METALLICA announced the proclamation on Twitter, writing, "It's official! The Board of Supervisors from Alameda County has just proclaimed February 10th, 2018, which would have been Cliff's 56th birthday, 'Cliff Burton Day.' Thanks to all of the fans who got behind this initiative. We love that he remains so revered."

The proclamation comes after metallica fans started a Change.org petition to recognize Burton in his hometown of Castro Valley.

Petition organizer Robert Souza asked the Castro Valley Municipal Advisory Council (MAC) to back his effort, and the Council voted 7-0 in favor of it. The issue then went to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, who voted for it on Tuesday (February 6).

"It goes just beyond his tenure in METALLICA," Souza said at the Council's January 22 meeting.

"I know people who knew Cliff personally, and from what I've heard, he was a soft-spoken, polite gentlemen, which kind of contrasts with the bass player that he was; he was a ferocious, phenomenal bass player. In this day and age where there are so many issues that divide us and tear people apart, with people bickering and arguing, why not come together in Castro Valley with some pride of this phenomenal guy who's from our town?" he said.

Burton was asked to join METALLICA in 1982 after the band saw him perform with his group at the time, TRAUMA.

The bassist was not willing to move to Los Angeles, where METALLICA was based at the time, so they decided to move to the San Francisco area so that he would join.

Burton played on METALLICA's first three studio albums — "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning" and "Master Of Puppets" — and co-wrote classic songs like "Ride The Lightning", "For Whom The Bell Tolls", "Fade To Black", "Creeping Death" and "Master Of Puppets".

His life was tragically cut short at the age of 24 in a tour bus crash on September 27, 1986 in Sweden.

Burton's initial replacement in the group was Jason Newsted, who stayed in the lineup until 2001. Robert Trujillo joined in 2003 and remains in the band to this day.

Above photo of Cliff Burton by Harald Oimoen taken from the Bazillion Points photo book "Murder In The Front Row: Shots From The Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter", which can be ordered here.

IT’S OFFICIAL! The Board of Supervisors from Alameda County has just proclaimed February 10, 2018, which would have been Cliff’s 56th birthday, “Cliff Burton Day.” Thanks to all of the fans who got behind this initiative. We love that he remains so revered. pic.twitter.com/Qxy0yFptSS

— Metallica (@Metallica) February 6, 2018

Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release "Johnny Cash: Forever Words" — a collaborative album consisting of songs created from Johnny Cash's unknown poetry, lyrics, and letters set to music by an astounding array of contemporary artists — on Friday, April 6.

"Johnny Cash: Forever Words" will be available on CD, 2LP vinyl and digital formats. A video trailer is available below.

When Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash passed, they left behind what John Carter Cash, their son and "Johnny Cash: Forever Words" co-producer, describes as a "monstrous amassment" of things, including a treasure trove of undiscovered material that includes Johnny Cash's handwritten letters, poems and documents, penned across the entirety of his life.

Over the past two years, album producers John Carter Cash and Steve Berkowitz invited a stellar cast of musicians to create new music to accompany these newly discovered Cash writings.

Recorded primarily at The Cash Cabin Studio in Hendersonville, Tennessee, "Johnny Cash: Forever Words" is also the musical companion to the best-selling "Forever Words: The Unknown Poems", a volume of Cash's unpublished writing edited by Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Paul Muldoon and curated by John Carter Cash and Steve Berkowitz.

Many of the songs on "Johnny Cash: Forever Words" were directly inspired by material in the book while others are drawn from different sources of Cash's unpublished writings. The tone of the album is established with the opening track "Forever/I Still Miss Someone" featuring Kris Kristofferson reciting the last poem Cash ever wrote alongside guitar accompaniment from Willie Nelson, both lifelong friends of Johnny. Continuing the close-to-home theme, the music then transitions to the deeply personal "To June This Morning", a letter Johnny wrote to his wife, June Carter Cash, now interpreted by real-life couple Ruston Kelly and Kacey Musgraves.

Twenty-one years after Johnny Cash recorded his cover of SOUNDGARDEN's "Rusty Cage" for his Grammy Award-winning album "Unchained", Chris Cornell continues this special relationship with "You Never Knew My Mind", setting some of Cash's own poignant and introspective words to original music on one of Cornell's last solo recordings.

The album also showcases Rosanne Cash, Johnny Cash's eldest daughter, who interpreted her father's "The Walking Wounded", marking just the second time that she has collaborated on a record with her half-brother John Carter Cash.

John Carter Cash also collaborated here with his half-sister Carlene, his mother June's first daughter, on "June's Sundown". Carlene Carter was just twelve years old when her mother June Carter married Johnny Cash, but bonded immediately with her stepfather who she referred to as "Big John."

The Grammy Award-winning bluegrass super-group ALISON KRAUSS & UNION STATION made a rare recording together on "The Captain's Daughter", the group's first new studio recording in six years.

"Determining the artist for each song was truly a matter of the heart," said John Carter Cash. "I picked the artists who are most connected with my father, who had a personal story that was connected with Dad. It became an exciting endeavor to go through these works, to put them together and present them to different people who could finish them in a way that I believed that Dad would have wanted."

When making the "Johnny Cash: Forever Words" album, producers John Carter Cash and Steve Berkowitz tapped into a spirit of musical collaboration between the musicians and the words of Johnny Cash. The goal of "Johnny Cash: Forever Words" was not to create a "lost" Johnny Cash album, but rather for musicians to connect with these poems and allow them to flourish in a new musical world.

"Johnny Cash: Forever Words" track listing:

01. "Forever/I Still Miss Someone" - Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson
02. "To June This Morning" - Ruston Kelly and Kacey Musgraves
03. "Gold All Over The Ground" - Brad Paisley
04. "You Never Knew My Mind" - Chris Cornell
05. "The Captain's Daughter" - Alison Krauss and Union Station
06. "Jellico Coal Man" - T. Bone Burnett
07. "The Walking Wounded" - Rosanne Cash
08. "Them Double Blues" - John Mellencamp
09. "Body On Body" - Jewel
10. "I'll Still Love You" - Elvis Costello
11. "June's Sundown" - Carlene Carter
12. "He Bore It All" - Daily and Vincent
13. "Chinky Pin Hill" - I'm With Her
14. "Goin', Goin', Gone" - Robert Glasper featuring Ro James, and Anu Sun
15. "What Would I Dreamer Do?" - The Jayhawks
16. "Spirit Rider" - Jamey Johnson

Noise metal legends WILL HAVEN will release their sixth full-length album, titled "Muerte" (Spanish for "death"), on March 23 via Minus Head Records.

The origins of WILL HAVEN can be traced back to 1995, when they first emerged as a staple in Sacramento, California's storied underground. For over two decades, they've existed on the fringe of extreme music — championing an apocalyptic amalgam of metal, noise, hardcore, and alternative all their own.

WILL HAVEN breathes entirely new life into its sound with "Muerte", taking notes from the past but incorporating modern tones to create a chaotic, haunting auditory attack.

"All said and done, we spent two years on this record," says guitarist Jeff Irwin. "We had more time than ever to fine tune the music. We really benefitted from that. We're also more in tune with who we are. It's the first time I walked away going, 'There's nothing else I could've done to make this better.'"

Spiral down into the heavy, atmospheric thickness of "Muerte" by sampling the first offering of new WILL HAVEN music now. Stream the six-minute-plus epic "El Sol", co-written and performed with guest guitarist Stephen Carpenter of DEFTONES, below.

"If WILL HAVEN and DEFTONES had a kid, that's what it would sound like," Irwin says about "El Sol".

"I was in my first band with Stephen. This was really a family thing. While we were in the studio, he sent us an e-mail with an eight-minute song of all riffs. I added the spacey elements. Our vocalist, Grady, is reciting this famous poem about being kind to your fellow man and taking care of each other. Lyrically, it fits the times."

"Muerte" is available for pre-order now via Amazon and Bandcamp, with iTunes digital, PledgeMusic bundles and Spotify streaming becoming available very soon.

Throughout 2017, the members of WILL HAVEN secretly recorded "Muerte" at Pus Cavern Studios in Sacramento with Joe Johnston engineering and co-producing alongside Irwin. They pieced together a corrosive, chaotic, and cohesive vision that never relents over its 11 tracks. Mastering was handled by Logan Mader (DEVIL YOU KNOW, FEAR FACTORY, PERIPHERY).

Irwin adds about recording "Muerte": "It felt like a rebirth. It sounds like a whole new band. There's a chemistry that only the four of us can achieve. Who knows what's next, but this is everything we were always meant to be on a record."

"Muerte" track listing:

01. Hewed With the Brand
02. Winds of Change
03. Kinney
04. The Son
05. 43
06. No Escape (feat. Mike Scheidt of YOB)
07. Unit K
08. Ladwig No. 949
09. Bootstraps
10. Now in the Ashes
11. El Sol (feat. Stephen Carpenter)

WILL HAVEN will perform at four California shows and one Oregon show this spring, including a May run with FAKE FIGURES.

WILL HAVEN is:

Grady Avenell - Vocals
Jeff Irwin - Guitar
Adrien Contreras - Bass
Mitch Wheeler - Drums

Photo credit: Rockin Ryan Richardson

Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY will release their new album, "Family Tree", on April 20 via Mascot Records/Mascot Label Group.

The official lyric video for the disc's first single, "Burnin'", can be seen below.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Family Tree" track listing:

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

The first 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.

TESSERACT will release its fourth studio album, "Sonder", on April 20 through Kscope.

TESSERACT is a band that sits outside the bounds of any genre specificity. They are pioneers of the ever-evolving metal scene and unstoppable force of off-kilter riffs, soaring melodies, and disorientating atmospherics.

"Sonder" adds significant firepower to the band's arsenal, blending the harsh abrasiveness of "One" (2011) and progressive ethereal elements of "Altered State" (2013) with the accessibility of "Polaris" (2015).

"Sonder" is streamlined, honest, and direct, with all the trademark TESSERACT dreamy atmospherics and bending grooves. It was recorded in the U.K. at 4D Sounds, Celestial Sounds and Project Studios, and engineered by the band and Aiden O'Brien, with mastering by Acle Kahney and cover artwork designed by Amos Williams.

Listen to the new single "Luminary" below. The song is described by vocalist Daniel Tompkins as "conceptually exploring a deep and devouring sense of insignificance, which ties into the overall theme and meaning behind 'Sonder'." Also featured is an extended and reworked version of last summer's single "Smile".

"Sonder" will be released on CD and a 2-CD deluxe package featuring a binaural album bonus disc. Also available will be a vinyl LP edition in multiple color variants as well as a picture disc (exclusive to the band's webstores). Digital album pre-orders will receive "Luminary" as an instant download.

For audiophiles, TESSERACT has produced a binaural version which will be available exclusively as part of the 2-CD version. This version is a 360-listening experience designed by Klang: Fabrik for headphones listening.

Bassist Amos Williams explains: "The concept is to push past the restrictions of a stereo headphone mix and create an accurate '3D' space in which positioning outside of the normal Left Right axis can occur. This is something that every artist that uses in ear monitors on stage wishes to recreate; the real and accurate positioning of instruments. We immediately felt that this technology could be applicable to us in the studio. TESSERACT loves to bring what it does in the studio to the stage, but this time it's experimenting with bringing a live element to the studio."

"Sonder" track listing:

01. Luminary
02. King
03. Orbital
04. Juno
05. Beneath My Skin
06. Mirror Image
07. Smile
08. The Arrow

Building on the phenomenal success with worldwide tours in support of "Polaris" over the last two years, as both headliners and as special guests for the likes of MEGADETH, MESHUGGAH, DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and GOJIRA, TESSERACT is gearing up take "Sonder" to worldwide audiences beginning in North America in April. On this tour, they will be supported by PLINI and ASTRONOID, with the first show in Boston on April 19 and the tour culminating at New York's Irving Plaza on May 24.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, February 9.

"North America is where TESSERACT first took off and is always the leg of the album cycle that holds the most sentiment to me," said Williams. "There are a lot of good memories made and good friends discovered along those long and bumpy roads. This time we're lucky enough to share the road with two boundary pushing bands: ASTRONOID, a wall of euphoric noise who have a bright and noisy future ahead of them. And PLINI, with his genre-defying effortless virtuosity. It's going to be a fun tour for us, especially as we've got a bunch of new tunes to add to the set!"

TESSERACT on tour:

Apr. 19 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
Apr. 20 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA
Apr. 21 - Baltimore, MD - Baltimore Sound Stage
Apr. 22 - Greensboro, NC - Arizona Pete's
Apr. 24 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
Apr. 25 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
Apr. 27 - Dallas, TX - Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
Apr. 28 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
Apr. 29 - San Antonio, TX - Alamo City Music Hall
May 01- Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine
May 02 - Phoenix, AZ - Club Red
May 03 - Los Angeles, CA - Regent
May 04 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues

CYHRA's video for the song "Heartrage" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's debut album, "Letters To Myself", which was released last October via Spinefarm Records. The disc was recorded at Top Floor Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden.

CYHRA is the new band featuring vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE), guitarist Jesper Strömblad (ex-IN FLAMES), guitarist Euge Valovirta (ex-SHINING), bassist Peter Iwers (ex-IN FLAMES) and drummer Alex Landenburg (LUCA TURILLI'S RHAPSODY).

CYHRA made its live debut on October 27 at Nosturi in Helsinki, Finland.

CYHRA will support KREATOR and SABATON on their North American tour in February and March. CYHRA will join the trek in Portland on February 12.

Speaking to AntiHero Magazine, Jake stated about CYHRA's formation: "I have been friends with Jesper for a long time, probably ten years. We met for the first time when I was working for IN FLAMES as a pyro technician back in the day. That was also when I got to know Peter. We had been friends since then. I was considering to make a solo album, and I would say that I have no idea what I'm going to do, but I'm probably going to write some songs as well. And he asked me, 'Would you do the vocals on my solo album?' And I said, 'Of course. Would you be interested in playing guitar on whatever I'm doing?' And he said yes. And then we started to talk about what our solo albums, projects, whatever it was meant to be would sound like and when we were discussing that we just realized that okay, we want the same. We want to make the same album. So that's where it all came to be and then we decided to start writing songs together. So, we were actually talking over a cup of coffee on a Friday and then on Monday we actually sat down in the studio and we started working on the first song. So that was really, really good. And then when we were doing the same thing there, we didn't know what to do. But after a couple of songs, everything started to come together. Then Jesper said, 'Okay what are we going to do?' And I said that I had the perfect drummer for this band, and that's Alex Landenburg. I said that you are going to love this guy. And a couple of months later we all met, and Jesper and Alex became best friends instantly. And then Jesper said that it would be cool if Peter would like to join. And so we asked him and he was still the bassist for IN FLAMES, and he said, 'Yeah, absolutely, I will gladly jump on board of this ship. But just to let you know, I am going to still be a member of IN FLAMES as well.' We were cool with that and then things happened like they did. Peter eventually decided to part ways with IN FLAMES."

Regarding the CYHRA sound, Jake said: "It is hard to describe what we sound like because we've been writing for almost a year. We've been influenced by so many different bands. We are, of course, influenced by ourselves. Because like, as the main songwriter in all our different projects before, you know, like, Jesper has his touch of things, I have the touch on my side, and also the other guys. Of course, you will find similarities in our former bands. But I won't say that we have reinvented the wheel in any way, but it's still something that sounds really, really fresh and new, even though music is music. You could always probably find similarities. But I would not say that it sounds like old AMARANTHE, or that it sounds like IN FLAMES. But you could completely, you know, recognize yourself within these boundaries."

The song "Il Mostro Atomico" from Southern Californian hard rockers FU MANCHU can be streamed using the SoundCloud widget below. The track is an 18-minute-8-second side-long epic featuring a special guest performance by Alex Lifeson, guitarist and songwriter of the legendary band RUSH. Heavier than anything FU MANCHU has ever done and broken into four distinct sections, it's new ground for a band that's been pushing the boundaries of "fuzz and wah" since its formation in 1990.

"Il Mostro Atomico" is taken from FU MANCHU's 12th studio album, "Clone Of The Universe", which will be released on February 9 via the group's own label At The Dojo Records. The upcoming record will be their first in four years, following the 2014 release of "Gigantoid".

"Clone Of The Universe" marks a new chapter for the "fuzz rock" pioneers as they mix the straight ahead blistering rock with unexpected time shifts, featuring tracks like the roaring cuts "Don't Panic" and "(I've Been) Hexed" and the dynamically complex "Clone Of The Universe" and "Slower Than Light".

"We are excited to get out and play this stuff, especially 'Il Mostro Atomico'," said founding guitarist Scott Hill. "We think it's some the strongest music we've ever done. We really love the overall sound of the album and having Alex play on it is just incredible. It gives it that special validation for the idea that we had to try something like a side long song."

The album was recorded and produced by FU MANCHU and Jim Monroe at The Racket Room in Santa Ana, California, with additional recording by Andrew Giacumakis at Susstudio in Simi Valley, California.

"Clone Of The Universe" track listing:

01. Intelligent Worship (3:08)
02. (I've Been) Hexed (2:48)
03. Don't Panic (2:05)
04. Slower Than Light (3:26)
05. Nowhere Left To Hide (4:19)
06. Clone Of The Universe (2:58)
07. Il Mostro Atomico (18:08)

FU MANCHU is Scott Hill (vocals, guitar), Bob Balch (guitar), Brad Davis (bass) and Scott Reeder (drums and percussion).

Photo credit: John Gilhooley

According to The Pulse Of Radio, PEARL JAM bassist Jeff Ament revealed in a new interview with Rolling Stone that he will release his third solo album, titled "Heaven/Hell", in March. Ament is the second member of the group to issue a solo effort in the past year, following drummer Matt Cameron's solo debut, "Cavedweller", in late 2017.

Ament did not indicate an exact date for the release or whether he would tour behind it. PEARL JAM itself has been writing its 11th studio LP and is heading out on European and North American tour dates this spring and summer.

Ament did discuss his favorite 2017 albums in the article, naming records by ST. VINCENT, THE WAR ON DRUGS, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, MOGWAI, AT THE DRIVE-IN, PORTUGAL. THE MAN and THE XX among his top albums of last year.

In addition to a full month of European dates, PEARL JAM will play two shows apiece at Seattle's Safeco Field, Chicago's Wrigley Field and Boston's Fenway Park, as well as a gig in Missoula, Montana. It's not clear whether more North American dates are in the works.

The rising stars on the Greek and European prog-scene Poem are releasing the first video off their 3rd album Unique, set for release worldwide on February 23rd through Vicisolum Records.

The video is once again a very emotional and theatrical stage, where Poem displays their amazing flair for bringing out the full spectrum of feelings within the human.

The directing and filming was done by Haris Kontouris of HK Visual Creation, as well as Panos Tzortzakis of FubART P&V, who have both previously worked with the band on videos.

Check out “False Morality” below:

The Unique album will be followed up by a European split headliner tour with the OZ melodic metal masters from Damnations Day and Romanian proggers White Walls as openers.

French black metal veterans Glorior Belli have unveiled new details behind the release of their forthcoming album, The Apostates. Their seventh album, The Apostates is the latest and greatest in their canon of disparate black metal. Glorior Belli smashes orthodox black metal rules; honing their pitch-black extremity with sinewy and serpentine heavy rock riffs. The resulting new album proves once again that their left-hand path always travels forward.

The Apostates will see a worldwide release on April 6. Pre-orders for The Apostates are available across various CD and LP formats at the Season Of Mist E-Shop.

Glorior Belli are streaming the first new track off The Apostates titled "Deserters Of Eden". The track, a  mix of cold-and-calculated black metal with thunderous rock can be heard via the YouTube clip below:

Regarding the new track, Glorior Belli comment: "Much has happened over the course of our 15 years of existence. Deals have been sealed and broken, notoriety built and destroyed, comradeships fixed and voided. It is a treacherous path, the one that we have chosen. 'Deserters Of Eden' is a song that perfectly illustrates the progression in Glorior Belli's crusade, but not only that. This track also sparks the very first act in the denying of one's faith, a most serious crime, such as an apostate would. This song is dedicated to all of you, who walk a similar path, struggling against bigotry and abuse of all kinds!"

The cover art and tracklisting for The Apostates can be found below:

"Sui Generis"
"Deserters Of Eden"
"The Apostates"
"Bedlam Bedamned"
"Hangin' Crepe"
"Jerkwater Redemption"
"Split Tongues Won't Atone"
"Runaway Charley"
"Rebel Reveries"

 

Professionally filmed video footage of METALLICA performing the song "Seek & Destroy" on February 3 at WiZink Center in Madrid, Spain can be seen below.

As previously reported, bassist Robert Trujillo and guitarist Kirk Hammett performed a cover of BARÓN ROJO's "Los Rockeros Van Al Infierno" during METALLICA's February 5 concert in Madrid.

BARÓN ROJO is a Spanish heavy metal band which had some international success in the 1980s. The band's original lineup included brothers Armando and Carlos De Castro (guitars and vocals), José Luis Campuzano (known as Sherpa; bass and vocals) and Hermes Calabria (drums).

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

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

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

The "WorldWired" trek was Pollstar's fifth-highest grossing tour of 2017, with 1.5 million tickets sold.

Prepare your mind, body, and the deepest recesses of your soul as the black gates that Dark Buddha Rising opened a decade ago with I, shall open once more on March 23rd with the release of the EP entitled II (Neurot Recordings). 
 
On the surface, the band emits the darkest of psychedelia, yet deep down, their sounds are forged in the blue fires of the ancients, exhalations of gods, goddesses, and demons alike. II continues to traverse these ancient, spiritual planes, opening up a vortex with their sonic thunder, and following calls from beyond, in search of deeper truths and meaning. Even the song titles elude to this, the band noting their reference to, "offering oneself to the guidance from beyond all transitory phenomena." 

For a decade, the Finnish band has convened in the now-famous Wastement studio space, set below their home city of Tampere to roil in the sounds of the underground, to meet dark spirits, to breathe in time with rhythmic pulses sent from the skies, the stars, and the very dirt around them. From this thriving community a new commission has been born between Dark Buddha Rising and Oranssi Pazuzu who shall write and perform a new concept piece exclusively at Roadburn Festival 2018, this collaboration named Waste Of Space Orchestra. See all confirmed live ceremonies below.
 
II will see release on CD and vinyl formats on March 23rd via Neurot Recordings. Preorders are available at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Mahathgata I”
“Mahathgata II”

Teaser:

(Photo by: Maija Lahtinen)