Corey Taylor says that his STONE SOUR bandmate Josh Rand is "doing really, really well," a week after it was announced that the guitarist had entered treatment for unspecified issues.

Rand most recently performed with the band on last month's ShipRocked cruise. STONE SOUR has enlisted a temporary replacement for the current tour, which started last week in British Columbia. The trek includes dates with HALESTORM, IN THIS MOMENT and RED SUN RISING.

Speaking to Dalby of the Regina rock radio station 104.9 The Wolf, the STONE SOUR singer said about Rand (hear audio below): "We talk to him every day, and he seems to be doing really, really well, so that's really good. And this is not just somebody who I've been in a band with for a while; we've been best friends since we were 15 years old — I mean, we go way back. For me, it's not just the worry of my cohort, my partner, my songwriting guy, my lead guitarist, it's about worrying about my friend, my brother, somebody who let me sleep on his floor when I was homeless. So, for me, that's the biggest thing — worrying about him. But he seems to be doing really, really well. And, like I said, we talk every day, he's letting us know how he's doing. And we just support him as much as we absolutely can. And when it comes to being a friend, that's all you really can do — just be there for them. The best way to be a friend is just to stay right where you are and just let somebody lean against you if they need it, and that's what we're trying to do."

STONE SOUR is touring in support of its sixth studio effort, "Hydrograd", which came out at the end of June and features the chart-topping rock radio hit "Song #3". The disc was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER. The latest track issued from the effort is "Rose Red Violent Blue".

Montreal-based progressive death metallers AUGURY will release their third full-length album, "Illusive Golden Age", on March 30 through The Artisan Era. The stunning cover art for the follow-up to "Fragmentary Evidence" was designed by renowned artist Filip Ivanović, who created last year's ORIGIN album art. AUGURY enlisted CRYPTOPSY guitarist Chris Donaldson at The Grid Studios in Montreal with the album's mixing and mastering to ensure a high-quality sounding final product.

"Illusive Golden Age" is certain to be one of 2018's most memorable death metal records, and a strong return to form from one of the modern eras most influential progressive death metal acts.

The album's first single, "Mater Dolorosa", can be streamed below.

AUGURY had the following to say about "Illusive Golden Age": "We're proud to present you 'Illusive Golden Age', our new album, which makes the connection musically and lyrically with 'Concealed' and 'Fragmentary Evidence'. It took us quite a long time to concretize so we're eager to see people's reaction to our new music. 'Illusive Golden Age' is a poetic tale about the recurrence of downfall and a glance at some factors that bring down societies, influenced by lost civilizations and their enigmas."

"Illusive Golden Age" track listing:

01. Illusive Golden Age
02. The Living Vault
03. Carrion Tide
04. Mater Dolorosa
05. Maritime
06. Message Sonore
07. Parallel Biospheres
08. Anchorite

AUGURY is:

Patrick Loisel - Vocals, Guitars
Mathieu Marcotte (HUMANOID) - Guitar
Dominic "Forest" Lapointe (FIRST FRAGMENT, ex-BEYOND CREATION) - Bass
Antoine Baril (CONTEMPLATOR) - Drums

Live music's premier hologram production company Eyellusion today announced that a who's who of Zappa fan favorite musicians will support "The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa" hologram tour set to hit music venues in late 2018. Longtime and legendary Zappa players Ray White, Mike Keneally, Scott Thunes, Robert Martin and Joe "Vaultmeister" Travers are set to perform as the show's touring lineup; they will be joined along the way by Steve Vai, Warren Cuccurullo, Ian Underwood, Vinnie Colaiuta, Napoleon Murphy Brock, Arthur Barrow, Ed Mann and more. Hours of never-before-seen Zappa performance footage from the early seventies will form the basis of the "can't miss" concert spectacle. Eyellusion is producing the tour in close cooperation with the Zappa Family Trust and made the announcement at the annual Pollstar Live! event, where it is nominated for an award in the "tech enhancement of the year" category.

"As a futurist, and hologram enthusiast, Frank fearlessly broke through boundary after boundary as an artist and in honoring his indomitable spirit we're about to do it again, 25 years after his passing," said Ahmet Zappa, EVP of business development for Eyellusion and co-trustee of the Zappa Family Trust. "This mind-melting show we're putting together celebrates the music, often surreal imagery and humor synonymous with Frank. We will be pushing the limits of what anyone has seen holographically on stage before in a live venue. Circumstances, objects, places and subject matter from Frank's songs and imagination will be brought to life for the first time on stage. We are anthropomorphizing Frank's music, so his own hand-drawn illustrations, classic imagery from his album artwork and characters from his songs can all interact and perform on stage. And let's not forget, Frank himself will be rocking his fans, alongside his bandmates like nobody's business.

"My father and I actively discussed 3D and 'holography' and it was a concept he actively engaged in. He actually devoted half a chapter of his 'The Real Frank Zappa Book' (1990) to this subject. This is a love letter and a journey celebrating the genius artistry of Frank Zappa. On a personal note, I feel like I am finishing something my father started years ago."

In 1974, Frank Zappa transformed his Los Angeles rehearsal space into a sound stage and cranked out a passionate, trademark performance seen only by the camera operators in the room who captured every last bizarrely beautiful moment. This footage, locked away in the Zappa vaults for 44 years, will serve as the basis for what will be the world's most ambitious hologram tour to date, blending live footage of Frank with outrageous visuals that offer a striking view into his complex musical works. Dates for "The Bizarre World Of Frank Zappa" performances will be announced in the coming months.

"When we debuted rock's first live hologram experience in 2016 and saw the reactions of mesmerized fans in the crowd, we knew we tapped into something huge," said Jeff Pezzuti, CEO of Eyellusion. "We've been working tirelessly since then to create live music experiences that people could previously only dream of, drawing full capacity crowds along the way. Until now, it would have been unheard of for fans to imagine being treated to a lost Frank Zappa performance backed by more than a dozen of the iconic musicians that played with him throughout his career. But this is why Eyellusion was founded — to make the impossible come to life before the eyes of fans, while preserving the legacy of music's most important artists so it can be passed down to future generations."

Eyellusion recently wrapped the European leg of its "Dio Returns" tour featuring a hologram of the late Ronnie James Dio backed by the DIO DISCIPLES band. The tour played to sellout crowds, ripping through Germany, Poland, Spain, Romania, United Kingdom, Netherlands and Belgium. 2018 dates will be announced soon.

KAMELOT has parted ways with longtime drummer Casey Grillo and has replaced him with Johan "Jo" Nunez.

Prior to the recording of KAMELOT's upcoming album, "The Shadow Theory", Casey informed the band that he had made the difficult decision to pursue other music and touring opportunities, in addition to the desire to focus more time on his drumhead company.

"Casey has been my friend and colleague for nearly 20 years," said KAMELOT guitarist Thomas Youngblood. "We have seen and done a lot together both in and outside of KAMELOT. As his friends, the band and I respect his decision. I'm sure that we will all still be hanging out together when we have down time."

In a statement announcing his departure, Casey said: "First and foremost, I would like to thank all of the KAMELOT fans around the world for your support during my time with the band. It has afforded me the opportunity to travel the globe, meet the most amazing people, experience so many cultures, and to share some of the most memorable experiences of my life. Between the various other musical endeavors I am involved with, along with my rapidly growing business, DrumStatic.com, it really just became evident it was time for me to explore and focus on these new opportunities without compromising the exclusivity KAMELOT needs and deserves.

"I sincerely ask for you all to give a warm welcome to Johan Nunez and to embrace him as the new drummer. He is a great guy and will proudly represent and continue the KAMELOT legacy!"

The technical musical arrangements and intense touring demands drove the band to enlist a proficient and energetic musician which would fit perfectly within the KAMELOT machine. The new KAMELOT drummer, Johan "Jo" Nunez, is a 29-year-old drum master and instructor who has been touring and playing albums with Marty Freedman, Gus G., FIREWIND, NIGHTRAGE and more.

"We knew Johan already from touring and he worked with us on the entire recent European tour," said KAMELOT bassist Sean Tibbetts. "He's a sensational drummer, and was an easy choice in my mind. Be sure to make him feel welcome, and bug him for a photo; he's a super-nice dude!"

Nunez stated: "I am thrilled to join the KAMELOT family! I've known the band for well over 15 years and always looked up to Casey as a drummer, so it was a big honor for me when I was asked to step in.

"I have toured in the past with KAMELOT and I could see how dedicated and loving their fans are! Everybody in the band and crew has been wonderful and already made me feel at home, so I'm really excited to meet you all soon on the road!"

The band wishes Casey all the best in his future musical and business journeys. As part of the KAMELOT family, he will continue to work behind the scenes with band.

Grillo has been filling in for QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield since April 2017. Scott is taking time off from the band's touring activities to spend time with his son, appropriately named Rockson.

"The Shadow Theory" will be released on April 6 via Napalm Records. The follow-up to 2015's "Haven" features all the signature elements of KAMELOT and also sees the band step out to add new and industrial elements along while combining amazing emotions that harken to the band's earlier days. The group's epic new music is chock full of symbolism relating to how the band feels about the world and the current state of civilization.

Youngblood stated: "'The Shadow Theory' album is a psychological journey through the complexity of the human mind. We are subjected to stimuli constantly through media, technology, social experiments and AI. Can we still be social creatures in the near future? 'The Shadow Theory' is an album that is mixing many worlds, giving the listener an ecape within our own realities. This album was written and recorded over the entire year and we are really proud of the song elements and diversity on 'The Shadow Theory'."

"The Shadow Theory" was helmed by acclaimed music producer Sascha Paeth and mastered by Jacob Hansen. Guests on the album include Lauren Hart (ONCE HUMAN), Jennifer Haben (BEYOND THE BLACK) and Sascha Paeth. The cover and artwork was created by Stefan Heilemann.

Photo credit: Tim Tronckoe

CODE ORANGE has released a new song, "Only One Way", via Adult Swim's Singles Series. Recorded with producer Will Yip at Studio 4 in Conshohocken, Pensylvania, the track is the first new music from the band since the release of its widely acclaimed LP "Forever", which earned CODE ORANGE a Grammy nomination.

CODE ORANGE commented on the new track: "We wanted to write a song that felt like something structurally sound and melodic, being chewed up and spit out by a machine; our machine.

"We plan to release material on a more regular basis in an attempt to break down rock and metal's formulaic pattern of long breaks between outputs. This means we must work twice as hard, so we will. The hurt will go on. The end will never come..."

"Forever" was released in January 2017 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up album to 2014's "I Am King" was recorded with producers Yip at Studio 4 and Kurt Ballou at GodCity Studios in Salem, Massachusetts.

CODE ORANGE drummer/co-vocalist Jami Morgan told Rolling Stone about "Forever": "Everywhere we've turned, we've met a lot of 'You're not this enough for this, or that enough for that.' 'Forever' opens it up by saying, 'Fuck you, we're here. We're gonna do whatever the fuck we wanna do, and there are no rules.'"

CODE ORANGE is comprised of Jami Morgan (drums, vocals), Eric Balderose (guitar, vocals), Reba Meyers (guitar, vocals) and Joe Goldman (bass). The band's elevated and expansive mixture of hardcore and punk finds them at the forefront of a new generation of artists.

Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are hoping to complete work on their 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 vocalist Jesse Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

Speaking to the Lubbock, Texas radio station KFMX, Leach stated about the progress of the recording sessions for KILLSWITCH's new disc (hear audio below): "We're deep into a record. Actually, on the road here, Mike [D'Antonio], our bass player, tracks on days off. We've got the drums done. So we're just working as fast as we can to get it wrapped up. We've got about 20 songs to choose from. We're ready to crank out a record in the next six, seven months, hopefully — get that thing done."

According to Leach, the plan for KILLSWITCH is to finish recording the new album prior to the band's European summer tour with IRON MAIDEN. "We're gonna try to get the record done before that, hopefully," he said.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE is currently touring North America with ANTHRAX as part of "KillThrax II", a 29-city run that will conclude in Portland, Maine on March 4. HAVOK is serving as the opening act for the entire tour.

"Incarnate" debuted at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 35,000 equivalent album units. In terms of pure album sales, it opened with 33,000 copies.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's last release was the "Beyond The Flames: Home Video Part II" two-disc, Blu-ray and CD package.

STRYPER has set "God Damn Evil" as the title of its new album, due on April 20 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc was recorded at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts. 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.

"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

STRYPER guitarist/vocalist Michael Sweet stated 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. 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."

Sweet recently told ListenIowa that both the title and the lyrics of the title track of STRYPER's new album would be "shocking" to STRYPER fans — "moreso than with 'To Hell With The Devil'. When people hear it, they're going to go, 'What? Can you tell me that again?'" he said.

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

"Actual Human Blood", a new song from Chicago experimental metallers THE ATLAS MOTH, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's fourth album, "Coma Noir", which will be released on February 9 via Prosthetic Records.

"Coma Noir" marks a few firsts for THE ATLAS MOTH; it's the first release for L.A. metal indie Prosthetic Records, it's the first to feature Mike Miczek (BROKEN HOPE) on drums, and it's the first time the band worked with an outside producer. On previous releases, the band's guitarist/vocalist Andrew Ragin handled production duties. This time around, longtime friend Sanford Parker (EYEHATEGOD, VOIVOD) stepped in to steer the "Coma Noir" ship. An outside voice, one that the band was comfortable with, was key to channeling all the different elements the band brings to the table and keeping everything cohesive and concise.

As the title suggests, the writing process was influenced by film noir, mixed with a love for the story telling found in graphic novels. Although it stops short of being a concept album, the threads of the initially planned narrative weave throughout the album's nine songs, a vehicle for real life experiences and emotions. Lyrically and thematically, it stays loose, but clues are littered throughout; is the private detective hot on the heels of an evil cult anything more than a shadow or a figment of our imaginations? "Coma Noir" is the only way to unravel it all.

"Coma Noir" track listing:

01. Coma Noir
02. Last Transmission From The Late, Great Planet Earth
03. Galactic Brain
04. The Streets of Bombay
05. Actual Human Blood
06. Smiling Knife
07. Furious Gold
08. The Frozen Crown
09. Chloroform

THE ATLAS MOTH guitarist/vocalist David stated about "Galactic Brain": "This song is very much a call to action for anyone out there that feels like deep down there is a bigger reason that we are all here together, in this moment. You may think that the world as it stands is chaotic and full of randomness, but I would argue if you listen closely to the silence and accept Timothy Leary's and Terrence McKenna's life experience as in the realm of possibility, you will find that there is an organized, rhythmic, mathematical song that is always playing in the background. Well, at least it is for me. I try to tap in to that song and 'turn on' whenever possible and 'Galactic Brain' is our version of that universal song. The message is clear. And it's not new. Be kind. Hurt no one. Open your eye."

The band will kick off its 2018 plans with a North American tour with ROYAL THUNDER and MIRRORS OF PSYCHIC WARFARE. Further tour dates, including European shows, are expected in due course.

Sebastian Bach has lamented the fact that social media platforms are being used as tools by unscrupulous individuals to spread hate, abuse and extremism.

The former SKID ROW singer, who has been extremely vocal in his distaste for the current U.S. president, tweeted on Thursday (February 1): "Donald Trump and [GUNS N' ROSES singer] Axl Rose have shown to the world that Twitter, Facebook and the Internet just isn't that fun anymore. For opposite reasons. Like Time magazine said: 'We are losing the Internet to the culture of hate.'"

Bach added in a separate tweet: "Axl does not tweet at all and is the biggest rock singer on the planet. Donald Trump tweets every single day about whatever terrifying divisive thought he has in his head. Axl shows that being off Twitter is 100% cooler than being on Twitter."

Sebastian's latest comments echo those he made last September in an interview with Australia's Music Injection. He stated at the time: "In the last year or so, I have discovered that one of the greatest feelings that I can feel is that I can wake up and turn my phone off! I didn't do that since these phones are being invented. It is almost like the same feeling that you get when you go to the record store and you are digging for albums. Turning your phone off and not refreshing the latest shittiest news headline or commenting or say this about this person. Turning it off is a glorious feeling!

"I think that celebrities are off the Internet now, like Axl Rose, the biggest-selling musician, has no social media whatsoever — nothing! The Internet is a very negative… it is pretty much all negative there is very little positive stuff on there."

Bach added that things had gotten particularly bleak in the months after Trump took office.

"Well, since Donald Trump became president, Facebook became not fun for me," he said. "Every headline sucks, everything sucks and I get to the point where I can't take it! All of that news, constantly, day after day, week after week, it gets me down and it gets me in a bad mood.

"I don't know about everybody else, but when I read about nuclear war, I find it hard to get on with my day," he added. "I thought we got rid of that nuclear war conversation in the '70s! It gets [me] very sad and angry at the same time. Climate change makes me angry. It makes me mad that people deny that when the world is fucked. It makes me furious."

Sebastian recently confirmed that he was preparing to make the follow-up to his 2014 album "Give 'Em Hell".

Donald Trump and Axl Rose have shown to the world that twitter, facebook, and the internet, just isn't that fun any more. For opposite reasons. Like Time Magazine said: "we are losing the internet to the culture of hate" https://t.co/iFmWheSKEB

— Sebastian Bach (@sebastianbach) February 1, 2018

A PERFECT CIRCLE will release its fourth album, "Eat The Elephant", on April 20 via BMG. The disc arrives following years of anticipation and speculation, which reached a fever pitch as the outfit helmed by Maynard James Keenan and Billy Howerdel launched their fall 2017 tour with the release of "The Doomed". The band then ushered in the new year with the debut of the contemplative song "Disillusioned".

"Although I'm extremely excited to finally be completing this album after a 14-year hiatus, I'm actually more excited that its intentional release date is serving a greater purpose," explains Keenan. "The 20th of April is Carina Round's birthday. She is a dear friend who is extremely difficult to shop for. Pressure off. Of course, I must also note that the potheads are gonna be thrilled that this album comes out on 4-20. May it serve as a glorious soundtrack to accompany all of the giggling and vexing sounds of nibbling and snacking. Fingers crossed, Cheech & Chong will be proud."

"Demos are these precious ideas that you love in their initial state," adds Howerdel. "Then you collaborate, invite other ideas, and watch them progress. That's the dynamics and growth of a great record. I feel we've made a great record."

Pre-orders for the 12-song album, which was co-produced by Dave Sardy (AUTOLUX, SLAYER), are available now nand come with instant digital downloads of "TalkTalk", "Disillusioned" and "The Doomed". "Eat The Elephant" is being released in multiple formats, including digital, CD, double gatefold 180-gram vinyl and a box set with vinyl, CD and hi-res digital download as well as a prism and custom playing card deck. In advance of Record Store Day, a limited-edition independent retail exclusive version of the LP on white 180-gram vinyl with alternate cover will also be available.

The track listing for the disc is as follows:

01. Eat The Elephant
02. Disillusioned
03. The Contrarian
04. The Doomed
05. So Long, And Thanks For All The Fish
06. TalkTalk
07. By And Down The River
08. Delicious
09. DLB
10. Hourglass
11. Feathers
12. Get The Lead Out

The song " TalkTalk" can be streamed below.

The band's lineup remains unchanged from 2013. Joining Keenan and Howerdel once again are James Iha on rhythm guitar, Matt McJunkins on bass and Jeff Friedl on drums.

Howerdel told Razor 94.7 about A PERFECT CIRCLE's songwriting process: "Typically, I'll start an idea at home, kind of in isolation, and just kind of work on it until I don't hate it anymore. And then send it over to Maynard, see if he finds anything compelling about it. He'll kind of say 'yay' or 'nay' and find something he latches on to. And he'll throw down a scat vocal — syllables and a vocal melody idea, and it helps me move the song forward from there. And then if it's enough, then he starts working on lyrics, so he does all the lyrics and melodies and orchestrates the backups and all that. And then I concentrate on making the music. So that's kind of the back-and-forth conversation that we have musically."

Howerdel, who helmed all of A PERFECT CIRCLE's previous albums, explained his decision to enlist an outside producer for the new disc. "I wanted to bring a producer on in this record, just to take the musician's role more than the engineer-slash-producer-slash, you know, looking at budgets and the whole thing," he said. "And it let me, I think, hone in and see a twenty-thousand-foot view of these songs in a way that I've not been able to do in the past."

Howerdel is excited for fans to hear A PERFECT CIRCLE's next album, telling Razor 94.7: "I've said this before, so I'm being a little redundant: I can talk you out of anything, really, and I can talk you out of listening to our music or anything I've ever done, but I would say this record is some of the best songs we've ever done, and certainly some of the favorite things I've ever heard Maynard sing."

Photo credit: Tim Cadiente

HALESTORM debuted a new song called "Black Vultures" at the opening show of its Canadian co-headlining tour with STONE SOUR on January 27 at Abbotsford Entertainment And Sports Center in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Fan-filmed video footage of the performance (as well as the "Black Vultures" airing on January 29 in Dawson Creek, British Columbia) can be seen below.

HALESTORM is putting the finishing touches on its fourth album for a tentative mid-2018 release. The disc is being laid down at Dark Horse Recording studios just outside Nashville with Nick Raskulinecz, an acclaimed producer who has previously worked with RUSH, KORN, ALICE IN CHAINS and DEFTONES, in addition to having produced HALESTORM's third covers EP, "ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP", which came out in January 2017.

During an appearance on Eddie Trunk's SiriusXM show "Trunk Nation", HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale said that the band was "almost done" recording the follow-up to 2015's "Into The Wild Life" and that "it sounds awesome."

According to guitarist Joe Hottinger, HALESTORM will spend the next couple of weeks on the road with STONE SOUR before returning to the studio to finish the record. "We only have, like, two weeks left on it — just some vocals and candy stuff," he said.

As for the musical direction of the new HALESTORM material, Joe said: "It rocks. It's the heaviest stuff we've ever done." Lzzy concurred, adding: "We just don't like staying in the same lane, because, as you know, album cycles for rock right now, it's, like, three years is one album cycle, and you're a whole different person than you were in the beginning of it. So it's really hard for us to go back, so we just keep moving forward."

Hottinger went on to describe the recording process for HALESTORM's new album as "so different than the last three records. We went in last January with Nick, and we were, like, 'We don't know what to do. We don't have any songs or anything.' And he's, like, 'It's cool. It's cool.' That's his forte," Joe explained. "He did it with KORN, he did it with RISE AGAINST, on their new one, he did it with DEFTONES. This is what he does. He was, like, 'When was the last time the four of you got in a room and wrote together?' And we were, like, 'Wow, it's been a while.' And he was, like, 'Let's start there.' And we were, like, 'Okay.' So we would get a riff and we'd just start jamming, and he'd pop in [and go], 'That was cool. Do that again.' And we were, like, 'Okay.' And [we'd] just start building songs from nowhere. It was great."

Lzzy believes that the songwriting on the new HALESTORM album is a notch above all of the band's previous efforts, something she attributes to the group finding "our mojo again and just our place. And just sonically, I think it's gonna be the first time that you can actually hear what everybody brings to the table in our band instead of it just being kind of, like, 'Oh, okay, Lzzy sings and there's something going on in the background,'" she said. "Especially considering my little brother [Arejay Hale] as a drummer. Nick is like the drum whisperer. He just loves him, and he's such a drum nerd. He did the last two RUSH records, and he just brought some stuff out of Arejay that we were all in the control room, like, 'How did you get him to do that?' It takes a lot to surprise us with little bro, 'cause we know him so well. He's at a whole other level and he finally has a producer that has the patience and the… I don't know… I wanna say the psychological [laughs]… how to bring that out of him."

"Into The Wild Life" was criticized by some HALESTORM fans for veering too far into pop music territory.

"ReAniMate 3.0: The CoVeRs eP" featured an eclectic mix of songs from artists like METALLICA, SOUNDGARDEN, JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS, SOPHIE B. HAWKINS, TWENTY ONE PILOTS and WHITESNAKE.

Frontiers Music Srl will release the debut album from REVERTIGO, a Stockholm, Sweden-based duo formed by Mats Levén (vocals) and Anders Wikström (guitar), on February 23. As close personal and musical friends for nearly 30 years, REVERTIGO is the next chapter in an ongoing collaboration.

The official video for the song "Sailing Stones" can be seen below.

Anders says: "Mats and I always had an idea of creating something that would celebrate the fact that we really enjoy working together, but with busy separate music careers, it wasn't until 2016, we sat down and concentrated on new songs with a firm plan."

Adds Mats: "The fact that we, besides writing for other international artists, hadn't done a proper album together in twenty-five years also gave the writing and recording process of REVERTIGO a purpose."

In September 2016, a three-song demo found its way to Frontiers Music Srl, which decided to sign the band on the spot. In between touring activities with CANDLEMASS, TREAT and TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, the pair finalized the eleven songs featured on the debut album. All the instruments on the album are played by Mats and Anders, except for the drums, which were performed by their dear friend Thomas Broman (GREAT KING RAT, MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP, ELECTRIC BOYS).

"Both of us have a strong mutual vision; that's why we choose to play and sing most of the instruments and parts on the album ourselves," says Mats. Peter Mansson is responsible for the mixing duties, which took place at Mir Studios in Stockholm and Svante Forsbäck mastered at Chartmakers in Helsinki.

REVERTIGO's music itself is a blend of heavy-yet-melodic songs paying tribute to their favorite albums and artists from the '70s, '80s and up to present day filtered through the chemistry that comes to life when Mats and Anders join forces.

"I love when you get that teenage excitement together over a song idea, and how you hear a finished gem in your head, hence the band's name REVERTIGO," says Mats.

"We might not be reinventing the wheel, but we're certainly putting on fresh tires," says Anders.

"Revertigo" track listing:

01. Hoodwinked
02. Sailing Stones
03. Symphony Of Fallen Angels
04. The Cause
05. Gate Of The Gods
06. False Flag
07. Unobtainium
08. Luciferian Break Up
09. Joan Of Arc
10. Break Away
11. In Revertigo

A video clip of L.A. GUNS performing the song "No Mercy" last year in Milan, Italy can be seen below. The track will be featured in the band's new CD, DVD and Blu-ray, "Made In Milan", which will be released on March 23 via Frontiers Music Srl.

After more than a decade apart, Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis reunited in 2016 under the L.A. GUNS banner and released arguably the most critically praised album of their catalog, "The Missing Peace".

With a newfound energy and the enthusiasm of the then-imminent release of "The Missing Peace", L.A. GUNS stormed onto the stage in Milan, Italy for the 2017 edition of the Frontiers Rock Festival and took absolutely no prisoners, packing the set front to back with stone-cold classics and soon-to-be classics.
"Made In Milan" track listing:

CD:

01. No Mercy
02. Electric Gypsy
03. Killing Machine
04. Bow Solo/Over The Edge
05. Sex Action
06. Speed
07. One More Reason
08. Kiss My Love Goodbye
09. Don't Look At Me That Way
10. Malaria
11. Never Enough
12. Jelly Jam
13. The Ballad Of Jayne
14. Rip And Tear

DVD/Blu-ray:

01. No Mercy
02. Electric Gypsy
03. Killing Machine
04. Bow Solo/Over The Edge
05. The Bitch Is Back
06. Sex Action
07. Speed
08. One More Reason
09. Kiss My Love Goodbye
10. Don't Look At Me That Way
11. Malaria
12. Never Enough
13. Jelly Jam
14. The Ballad Of Jayne
15. Rip And Tear

Prior to "The Missing Peace", the last time Lewis and Guns joined forces was back in 2000 with legendary producer Andy Johns for the making of what would become "Waking The Dead".

Speaking with Express & Star, Tracii said: "With Phil and I in particular, we have a certain chemistry that's undeniable. And, you know, when you're at your loneliest, you wanna go home, right? So, we both felt like it was time to go home and be comfortable with that undeniable relationship that we have musically. I mean, right away, the first time we got back together and played, you know, it's so obvious, you can't deny it. At some point in your life, you can't deny what's real."

Regarding the sound of the new L.A. GUNS material, Tracii said: "Phil's vocal style and his way of writing kind of offsets that balance of the heavy music, that's something that's possibly more mainstream or identifiable, so there's a lot of, you know, kind of typical sleazy L.A. GUNS, high-energy riff rock. There's a little bit of sloppy New Orleans, kind of sweaty, kind of bluesier stuff too. It's a big record."

L.A. GUNS' present lineup is rounded out by Shane Fitzgibbon on drums and Johnny Martin on bass with Michael Grant on guitar as a touring member.

On the topic of the decision to use the L.A. GUNS moniker for the new album, Guns told LA Weekly: "When you put Phil and I together, that's the sound of L.A. GUNS. There's no way around that. As much as I love certain other [former] members of the band, it's hard to say what their contribution to the overall sound of the band was — but Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns, the band's gotta be L.A. GUNS. It can't be anything else."

Back in December 2016, Phil announced that he was leaving the L.A. GUNS version that included drummer Steve Riley.

L.A. GUNS 2018 is:

Phil Lewis - Vocals
Tracii Guns - Guitars
Johnny Martin - Bass
Michael Grant - Guitar
Shane Fitzgibbon - Drums

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler is the latest celebrity honored on the Broad Street Walk Of Stars in Birmingham, England.

He was awarded this past Saturday (February 3) during the half-time break in the Aston Villa vs. Burton Albion match.

Geezer was presented with the honor by Lord Mayor of Birmingham Anne Underwood.

Butler's BLACK SABBATH bandmate Tony Iommi attended the event and joined Geezer and Anne for a photo.

Geezer later shared a photo of the presentation on his social media sites, writing: "Lord Mayor of #Birmingham presenting me with my Walk of Stars plaque @AVFCOfficial. Great day! Thank you so much to all involved!”

Iommi wrote on his Facebook page: "I was so pleased to see my dear friend Geezer Butler last night and to finally see him joining myself and Ozzy [Osbourne] on Broad St Walk Of Stars in Birmingham. He received his award on the pitch of his favourite football team Aston Villa. Congratulations Geez!"

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail last week, Geezer said he was nervous about receiving the honor. "Usually, you are there with the whole band," he explained. "But this is just for me — and that's different. I'm not used to it, so the presentation has been on and off for years. I've had to take some anxiety pills this week.

"I was quite outgoing as a kid, but the older I get, the more introverted I seem to have become. I never thought I would get the courage to say I would come and be able to do it but, in the end, I got fed up of refusing it and plucked up the courage to say, 'Yes!'"

February 3 marked 50 years year since SABBATH played its first gig together in the city of Birmingham and came exactly 12 months since the band's last-ever show in the city.

The Broad Street Walk Of Stars is a walk of fame-style installation on the pedestrian pavement of Broad Street in Birmingham, which honors those people who have made a significant contribution in the categories of music, television, film, radio, theatre, sport, business and literacy.

The criteria for nomination is that the living star(s) must have made a recognizable impact in their specialist category and performed at one of Birmingham’s major venues, including the International Convention Centre (ICC), National Indoor Arena (NIA), Symphony Hall and The REP theatre, or be originally from the area or have prominent links with Birmingham and the Midlands.

Both Osbourne and Iommi were previously honored with a star. Ozzy got the nod on July 6, 2007, while Tony became the eighth recipient on November 23, 2008.

Walk Of Stars chairman Jasper Carrott said: "Geezer is a very good guy, very principled and someone who cares about people who are not well off. His heart in the right place."

A founding member of BLACK SABBATH, Butler is also the lyricist of such SABBATH classics as "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Paranoid" and others.

Butler, Osbourne and Iommi reunited in late 2011 and released a comeback album, "13", in June 2013.





Lord Mayor of #Birmingham presenting me with my Walk of Stars plaque @AVFCOfficial. Great day! Thank you so much to all involved!

Posted by Geezer Butler on Saturday, February 3, 2018

SKID ROW plans to return to the studio soon to resume recording the final installment of its "United World Rebellion" trilogy of EPs. The follow-up to 2014's "Rise Of The Damnation Army - United World Rebellion: Chapter Two" and 2013's "United World Rebellion: Chapter One" will mark the band's first release with the South African-born, British-based vocalist ZP Theart (DRAGONFORCE, TANK, I AM I), who officially joined SKID ROW last year.

Speaking to Terrie Carr of the New Jersey radio station WDHA-FM 105.5 FM, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan said that the band was "hoping" to enter the studio around February or March to complete work on the long-awaited EP. "We've been writing and writing and writing," he said (see video below). "[And] we play [out] a lot and we already have 50 shows on the books for [2018]. We're going back to the U.K. for, like, three weeks and then into [the rest of] Europe. We're headlining a couple of festivals. In May, we'll be five weeks in Europe. And we're actually going to Israel; we've never [played there before]."

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

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

SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo told News-Press.com that Theart has been doing a great job on the road. "He's come in," the guitarist said, "and he's a really great source of positive energy. He knew all of our songs coming in, and he knew them well. He started singing the crap out of all of them, and we were all very impressed."

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

The official music video for the album opener, "Die Alone", can be seen below.

"'Die Alone' is basically a note I had written to myself a couple years ago and it seemed to really fit the music", explains Jones.

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

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

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

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

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

The album artwork was designed by Artusato.

"Revival" track listing:

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

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

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

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

The official video for the song "Hollywood Dancer" from FREEDOM CALL founder and frontman Chris Bay can be seen below. The track is taken from Bay's first solo album, "Chasing The Sun", which will be released on February 23 via Steamhammer/SPV.

Says Bay: "The title 'Hollywood Dancer' is about a topic that has probably met almost every one of us in a dream... Let's face it, who of us has never imagined being a big star, a celebrity ... a 'Hollywood dancer.' However, this status not only includes pleasant sides of life, but separates these privileged ones from the working life... from reality. Not participating in everyday life can end in isolation and loneliness."

It's a well-known predicament that Bay shares with many other composers: occasionally, his wealth of inspiration goes beyond the stylistic and thematic scope of his own band.

"I permanently write songs and am constantly working on ideas in the studio," he explains. "That's why I've collected a whole lot of tracks over the years that on the one hand don't really suit FREEDOM CALL and on the other are just too good to gather dust in my archive." The solution to his "luxury" problem: "Chasing The Sun", committing himself in his very own, unmistakable way to the music that has inspired him since the very early days of his career. And although the songs on the album were created over a long period of time, Bay produced the whole material in spring 2017 at his own studio.

Which must be one of the reasons why "Chasing The Sun" — despite the diversity of the individual tracks — sounds cohesive. Alongside a number of rock songs in characteristic Chris Bay style, he has skilfully blended in modern sound elements on the opening track "Flying Hearts", added Wurlitzer piano touches, which bring to mind the currently trendy 1970s, on "Hollywood Dancer" and risked a song with a slow shuffle groove, a consciously dark atmosphere and an avant-garde flair in "Where Waters Flow In Heaven".

This title once again underscores the boundless ease with which Bay moves in his world of music. As the album title "Chasing The Sun" already suggests, Bay casually processed the desires and wishes that probably each of us holds in this dark season.. sun, freedom, warmth and harmony ... a "summer hit" in winter, a matter of interpretation.

PAPA ROACH has unveiled the Bryson Roatch-directed music video for "Born For Greatness". The track is taken from the band's ninth studio album, "Crooked Teeth", which was released last May via Eleven Seven Music.

Featuring galvanizing performances from Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham, Jen Bricker and Jean Sok — three talented individuals who refuse to be limited by physical challenges — the clip is a testament to the limitless possibilities within all of us.

"This video is to showcase to the world that no matter your struggle and/or adversity, you are born for greatness," says PAPA ROACH frontman Jacoby Shaddix.

Aaron "Wheelz" Fotheringham was born with spina bifida, a birth defect of the spinal cord. Fotheringham has gone on to become a professional WCMX (wheelchair motocross) athlete. He completed the first ever wheelchair front flip while touring the world with Nitro Circus.

Jen Bricker was born without legs and her heart on the opposite side of her chest. "Never say can't" is her motto. The professional aerialist has toured the world and performed with global superstars, including Britney Spears.

Jean Sok is a breakdancer with only one leg. Employing "b-boy" style techniques, Sok incorporates his crutches into his moves, using them as an extension of his arms. He gained international acclaim as a performer for Cirque Du Soliel's "Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour" and "Michael Jackson One".

PAPA ROACH will tour with A DAY TO REMEMBER in February and March before launching a North American headline tour with support from NOTHING MORE and ESCAPE THE FATE on April 5.

TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider has finished laying down the final vocal tracks for his upcoming solo album. The as-yet-untitled disc, which is being produced by HATEBREED vocalist Jamey Jasta, will tentatively feature contributions from Howard Jones (ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE), Mark Morton (LAMB OF GOD), Joel Grind and Nick Bellmore (TOXIC HOLOCAUST) and Charlie Bellmore (KINGDOM OF SORROW).

Jasta previously described the LP as a "full-on metal album," adding that "people are gonna lose their minds when they hear this." He also called Dee "one of the best vocalists of our time" whose "voice is up there with Ozzy [Osbourne], [Ronnie James] Dio, [Bruce] Dickinson and [Rob] Halford to me. "And it's as powerful as ever!" he said.

"Although this album will be very heavy, the songs are anthemic and will fit well in his solo set with 'We're Not Gonna Take It', 'I Wanna Rock', 'Burn In Hell', 'We Are The Ones', 'So What' and others," Jamey promised.

In an interview with Poughkeepsie radio station 101.5 WPDH, Snider discussed how his pairing with Jasta came to be. "I decided to do a very aggressive metal record — a true metal record," he said. "Jamey is a fan of mine, and I was on his podcast, and he literally challenged me on the air. He said, 'Dude, you're iconic. I think you need to do a true metal record. Think Rob Halford's 'Resurrection', think in that direction. I go, 'Well, what do you got in mind?' He goes, 'Dude, I will produce it, and I've got songs, and I've got people stumbling over each other to write a song for Dee Snider.' Then he just started sending me music. The new stuff is powerful; it's great."

Snider's last solo album, "We Are The Ones", was released in October 2016 via Red River Records (distributed by BFD/RED). Produced by Damon Ranger, the disc was described by Dee as "an album that is think part FOO FIGHTERS, part IMAGINE DRAGONS, part THIRTY SECONDS TO MARS."

TWISTED SISTER called it quits in 2016 after completing a farewell 40th-anniversary tour.

Finished recording final track for new @jameyjasta produced record! So much label interest! This album is haaaaard! #WeAreAllFuckingMetal

— Dee Snider (@deesnider) February 3, 2018

Polish death metal act Stillborn have completed the work on their new material titled Crave For Killing, scheduled for a release via Godz Ov War Productions on March 12th.

If you want to find out how much hatred there still is in Stillborn, check out a new track titled “To Be”, streaming below:

A press release states:

“The Crave For Killing EP contains slightly over 20 minutes of music, but it definitely is the most mature stuff in the band's discography. It perfectly corresponds to the Testimonio de Bautismo album - on the one hand, it reveals distinct inspirations drawn from old school black thrash, but on the other hand it closely follows up on the band's earliest accomplishments known from their demo tapes or the debut album titled Satanas el Grande. Furious riffing, blasting drums, bestial vocals and uncompromising lyrics topped with Ataman Tolovy's raw production. 

“As always, Stillborn don't tend to avoid brutality, vulgarity and straightforward message, but they are also capable of slowing down, taming their explicit madness and making the listener reflect upon the latter. Four premiere tracks plus a re-recorded version of the title 'Crave for Killing' are an excellent bridge between the band's past and present in their musical accomplishments. Stillborn don't lay down their weapons, quite the contrary, they continue to painfully punch the slaves of moral doctrines and spit venom into the face of religious fanatics!”

Fan-filmed video footage of TNT's January 12 concert at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway can be seen below.

Spanish singer Baol Bardot Bulsara made his live debut with TNT on November 22 at the Oslo Spektrum on Oslo, Norway, where the band performed as the support act for the SCORPIONS.

TNT said in a statement: "This will be a new chapter for TNT and we wish Baol Bardot Bulsara welcome as our new singer. We look forward to a new year with gigs and a new album coming up soon!"

Baol stated in a video message: "I'm very happy and very grateful to be here, to be a part of the TNT family now. This is a dream come true for me, actually, because I've been a fan of TNT since my teens. You could say I grew up listening to the band. So this is kind of a strange karma for me, you know. I just wanted to tell you that I'm here to continue with the legacy and hopefully see you all in the near future touring and having fun together."

TNT announced in October that it was once again parting ways with American vocalist Tony Harnell.

Harnell rejoined TNT in May 2016, less than a year and a half after his previous departure from the group.

At the time of Harnell's latest exit from TNT, the band was said to be working on a new studio album for a 2018 release via Frontiers Music Srl.

Harnell previously quit TNT in January 2015 after a 15-month stint with the band.

British singer Tony Mills appeared on three studio albums from TNT: 2007's "The New Territory", 2008's"Atlantis" and 2010's "A Farewell To Arms".

War Of Thrones, featuring former members of Crimson Glory and Rob Rock, have released a new music video, “Rule The World”, from their forthcoming debut album. The album, Conflict In Creation, will hit stores worldwide on March 9th via Sonic Night Music Club.

Forged in steel, War Of Thrones was formed when iconic vocalist Wade Black and virtuoso guitarist Rick Renstrom joined forces in 2012. Previously, the two had worked together in Leash Law releasing Dogface in 2005.

Wade is no stranger to metal. For more than two decades, Wade has thrilled audiences worldwide fronting such legendary metal bands as Crimson Glory, Seven Witches, and Leatherwolf. Rick entered the scene in 2000, joining legendary vocalist Rob Rock's touring and recording band. Having toured around the world, hundreds of thousands have witnessed Rick’s incredible and inspiring guitar playing. Joining Wade and Rick is bass player Rich Marks (Vivaldi Metal Project) who delivers a booming low end and virtuosic moving lines along with former Yngwie Malmsteen drummer Patrick Johansson behind the drumkit.

“Rule The World”:

The band is set to appear at Rocklahoma 2018. War Of Thrones continues to thrill audiences live as they share the stage with bands such as: Kamelot, Drowning Pool, Marty Friedman, Anvil and Mushroomhead.

The album was mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Halford, Armored Saint, Faith No More) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in California, and recorded and mixed by James Fox at Sweet Spot Studio in Florida.

 

Florida death metal veterans DEICIDE have resumed recording their long-awaited follow-up to 2013's "In The Minds Of Evil" LP. The band wrote on Facebook on Saturday: "Back in the studio, wrapping up the new album. Stay tuned for further updates."

DEICIDE drummer Steve Asheim told Metal Wani last year that the band's upcoming disc would be "heavy as shit." Regarding DEICIDE's musical approach on the new album, Steve said: "The challenge was just trying to, as always, not repeat yourself too much — come up with something catchy, but not blatant, and something that is not overly technical but kind of sounds technical. But there was this one thing that everyone was saying… I demoed this one song, and they were, like — and don't get me wrong when I say this — they were, like, 'Dude, that kind of sounds like JUDAS PRIEST.' And I was, like, 'That's interesting.' 'Cause, I mean, it's fast and heavy and it's just an onslaught, but there was a catchiness in the riff writing, with the big chords and the change that was kind of reminiscent of PRIEST, I guess. I've heard that from two separate people. Glen [Benton, DEICIDE frontman] said that and [producer Jason] Suecof said that. And I never knew Jay to be a huge PRIEST fan by any stretch, but he picked up on it. And I just remember the one particular riff was… I'd been working out the line for a while, figuring out how to get it just right. All the pieces are there, and I don't wanna use too much of it and I don't wanna use too little of it, and I wanna arrange it just right and play it properly and then get the most out of it. So I hit on it one night. I was, like, 'That's it.' It's almost like a church hymn, how it's arranged. A three-chord thing, that repeats, then you shift to one chord, then it comes back, and you just use the same pieces to mix it up; you don't have to go too far. Three chords — that's it. It's just how you arrange that. It was powerful. So I'm waiting for people to hear that, yeah. It's gonna be awesome."

DEICIDE in 2016 parted ways with longtime guitarist Jack Owen and replaced him with Mark English (MONSTROSITY).

"In The Minds Of Evil" was released in November 2013 via Century Media Records. The follow-up to 2011's "To Hell With God" was recorded at AudioHammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof.

French heavy metal band Night Thunder have released two lyric videos with special guest Luke Appleton (Iced Earth, Absolva) on lead guitars.

Night Thunder is a heavy metal band from France, formed in late 2017 and combining elements of classic and modern metal, heavy and melodic. Their influences are bands like Iron Maiden, Saxon, Iced Earth, and Megadeth. They are working on their debut album.

“Faceless Stranger”:

“Night Thunder”:

Suidakra frontman Arkadius Antonik has checked in via Instagram:



Realms Of Odoric, the artwork/soundtrack project from Arkadius Antonik and illustrator Kris Verwimp, released a video for the song "Return To Ankrath", which is animated with the impressive illustrations by Kris Verwimp, giving an insight into the story of the second era.

The album includes 18 tracks with a running time of 44 minutes and tell the story of the second age of Odoric. Due to the study and completion of Arkadius at the Audiocaution Academy, the compositions are much more mature than ever before. For the first time in the history of the project, the recordings were realized with the participation of many guest musicians from all over the world.

“Towering Solitude” (studio video featuring Eva Brönner, Cello):

"Odoric Overture“, played by the Brandenburg State Orchestra:

French metal hardcore band, Beyond The Styx, have released a music video for “Danse Macabre”, a track taken from their new album Stiigma, out on February 23rd via Klonosphere/Season of Mist Distribution & Diorama Records. 

Stiigma was recorded at DOME Studio by David Potvin, in Avrillé, France. Poduced, engineered, mixed & mastered by Nick Jett (Terror, Backtrack, Lionheart) & Beyond The Styx.

Art direction, illustrations & design by AMMO. Guest vocals on “Neoblivion” by Paul Marie, on “King S” by Romain Vée and on “Lightmare” by Sylvain Tardiveau.

Tracklisting:

“Neoblivion”
“Poison IV”
“paranØmmunation”
“Decima”
“King S.”
“Danse Macabre”
“DTNT”
“Lightmare”
“Walls (Cement Of Disorder)”
“Checkfate”

“Danse Macabre” video:

Czech death metallers Godless Truth mixing technical, progressive, brutal and traditional directions of death genre together have a great news for all fans. 

After hundreds shows, few European tours (with bands like Disgorge, Vomit Remnants, Malignancy), one Japanese tour and few years of silence the pre-production of successor of the album Arrogance Of Supreme Power (2004, Lacerated Enemy/Amputated Vein) and EP Too Late to Stop My Hate (2010) was finished in studio Abbadon under the supervision of the well-tested Zdeněk 'Čepa' Čepička. 

The new single “Fortune Time” was recorded there and at the end of the month, they will begin work on a new album.

Willowtip Records has announced the return of Lecherous Nocturne with Occultaclysmic, the fifth chapter in the band’s legacy and an album that is both genre defying and technically vicious. The album will be available on April 6th.

Comments guitar player Krieshloff:

"Occultaclysmic is darker, more chaotic, and much more brutal, drawing more influence from blackened and atmospheric masterpieces than previous releases. The structured evolution of our musicianship is at an all-time high, resulting in a torturous opus that will leave death metal fans craving more!”

New track “Quantum Mysticism” is streaming below.

Tracklisting:

“By Conquest Or Consent”
“Quantum Mysticism”
“Occultaclysmic”
“Tower Of Silence”
“Remembrance”
“Unidimensional Eclipse”
“Psionics”
“Time’s Ceaseless Onslaught”
“Planet Of The Crossing”

“Quantum Mysticism”:

Swedish metallers Corroded have given Venezuelan DJ, producer, and remix artist Zardonic access to their entire Defcon Zero album, rather than just a single track and he's given it a complete overhaul, just as he has with other Despotz artists such as Sonic Syndicate, Skarlett Riot, Nightrage and The Unguided. You can check out the single and title track, "Defcon Zero", below:

Corroded released their fourth album, Defcon Zero in April 2017 and started off the festival season by breaking the audience record at Sweden Rock Festival’s 4Sound Stage. After an intense summer on tour performing at Sweden’s biggest rock festivals, such as the aforementioned Sweden Rock Festival as well as Skogsröjet and Sabaton Open Air, they went on an autumn tour in Europe together with Pain and are set to kick off a new tour in the middle of February.

Regarding the remix, the band says, “We’ve been totally up for the idea of hearing a remix to one of our songs. Zardonic came up with this brutal mix of all songs from the album and we all loved it after listening to it the first time. You still feel and hear the heart of Corroded beating in this remix but Zardonic put it with his ideas onto another level. Great job.”

And Zardonic adds, “Putting this remix together was quite the challenge because unfortunately, I couldn’t count with the separate instruments as I usually do, but I decided to do what I did back in my early years and treat it like a bootleg, but with a bit more of what I’ve learned recently. I let my head run free creatively and literally wrote all the ideas as they were coming to me. You get sick of the same sounding dance music structure after you’ve done it forever, you know? So this is something truly special I put my heart and soul into, even did my own vocals which is something I don’t normally do in remixes, but Corroded is just too fucking badass and inspiring and it put my head in the right place to put together this monstrosity. You can call it a remix if you will. I call it an extreme dance music tribute to good fucking metal. Respect!”

Corroded on the road:

February
14 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Hornstulls Strand Bar Brooklyn och Calexio's
15 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
16 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
24 - Paris, France - Le Backstage by the Mill
26 - Zurich, Switzerland - Dynamo 21
27 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
28 - Wien, Austria - Chelsea

March
2 - Nurnberg, Germany - Z-Bau

Medicine Man, the new release by the Canadian heavy metal group Snake Eyes Seven is set for a March 30th release on HighVolMusic and will be distributed through Amped Distribution. This latest effort features nine tracks of classic heavy metal and their most solid effort to date. Medicine Man was engineered and mixed by Cam MacLeod at the Wolf's Den in Canada and mastered by Maor Applebaum in Los Angeles California. Listen to the title track below.

A new video for the track “Medicine Man” will debut on February 16th, worldwide. A video for the track “Can You Hear Me Calling” can be viewed below.

Tracklisting:

“Speaking Ill Of The Dead”
“Can You Hear Me Calling”
“Medicine Man”
“The Kill”
“Angel Of Death”
“SOB”
“What About Peace”
“Goodbye Ronnie”

"Medicine Man":

“Can You Hear Me Calling” video: