Arduini / Balich has released a new teaser video (below) in support of their forthcoming debut album, Dawn Of Ages, scheduled for release on February 24th.

Arduini / Balich is the result of two very powerful figures in their own right of the metal scene. Victor Arduini needs no introduction being one of the founding members of Fates Warning, same can be said  for Brian "Butch" Balich, the mighty voice of Argus.

Dawn Of Ages is one of the most ambitious records ever released on Cruz Del Sur Music. A monumental piece of music on the level of While Heaven Wept or Atlantean Kodex's releases (to name two Cruz Del Sur recording artists). A rollercoaster of emotions, an album that captures the collisions of two worlds, progressive and doom. The final result is a really amazing journey inside human soul. Through six original compositions that last for more than an hour, the audience will be captured and hypnotized by the eclectically familiar Victor's guitar melodies empowered by Butch's passionate interpretation. Indeed Dawn of Ages is an album that could have been easily recorded in the mid / late '70s for the total dedication that transpires through each and every note of it. It is not an album that wants to please any old or new trend in metal, rather an intimate expression  of two musicians who have always put their passion for heavy music before anything else.

Dawn Of Ages will be released in a deluxe six-panel digipack embellished by a wonderful, original Michael Cowell's (Alunah) artwork. The vinyl version will be released in a gatefold colored vinyl double LP with three incredible cover songs as a bonus. Uriah Heep's "Sunrise", Beau Brummels' "Wolf Of Velvet Fortune" and Black Sabbath's "After All (The Dead)."

Tracklisting:

“The Fallen”
“Forever Fade”
“Into Exile”
“The Wraith”
“Beyond The Barricade”
“The Gates Of Acheron”
“Sunrise” (Uriah Heep) - Vinyl Bonus Track
“Wolf Of Velvet Fortune” (Beau Brummels) - Vinyl Bonus Track
“After All (The Dead)” (Black Sabbath) -Vinyl Bonus Track

Teaser video:

 
Promo video:

AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perry has told Ultimate Classic Rock in a new interview that the band's "farewell" tour will last for a very long time.

"The feeling is, right now is gonna be in semi-tour mode for the next few years," Perry said. "We'll be taking time off here and there, but we really want to play some of the places that we've maybe played once before, maybe never before. Kind of go around and hit all the spots you can."

The guitarist, however, stopped short of putting an end date on AEROSMITH's final trek, explaining: "We're much closer to the end than the beginning. I'm not going to say this is — after the U.S. tour that we'll never play the States again. I'm not going to say that. I feel like, at this point, every show could be the last show. You just don't know. … I always have this attitude, it's gotta be as good as it can be that day. That said, we don't have a day planned where we say 'Okay, this is the last show.' You can't picture that. On the other hand, I know there will be a last show just like there's a one last time for everything in life."

Perry also left the door open for new music from AEROSMITH, although it's not clear what form such a release would take.

"I've been talking to Steven [Tyler, vocals] a little bit about going into the studio and maybe even just getting one or two new songs," Perry said. "But I also know we're going to be looking at some of the archives and pulling out some of the more outtake things and some live stuff — stuff we've never recorded. So, I don't know. I'd like to think we'd get at least one more going into the studio."

Last fall, AEROSMITH announced what was being billed as the band's "farewell" tour of Europe — with an opening stop in Israel thrown in for good measure. The group announced the 2017 "Aero-Vederci Baby!" European tour in November, posting on its Aerosmith.com site: "AEROSMITH will return across the Atlantic with one of the greatest rock shows ever seen and will undoubtedly be the ultimate must see event of 2017 as the band embark upon this, their 'farewell' tour, saying 'Aero-Vederci Baby!'"

In addition to Israel, AEROSMITH's spring and summer dates will hit Georgia, Russia, Germany, Poland, Denmark, Sweden, England, Ireland, France, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland. Tyler and Perry announced the tour via a fake newscast video featuring "The Toxic Twins" portraying cable TV anchors.

Greek guitar virtuoso Gus G., well known in rock and metal circles for his work as Ozzy Osbourne's guitarist and as leader of his own band FIREWIND, was interviewed by rock journalist Mitch Lafon for a recent edition of the "One On One With Mitch Lafon" podcast (Facebook page). You can listen to the chat below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On the concept behind the new FIREWIND album "Immortals":

Gus: "Doing a concept record with the guys is something we talked about for years. It's not something new, but you need to have the right kind of material for that. You need to be in the right mindset, and of course, you have to decide what it's going to be about. For us, since most of us are Greek, we thought it would be cool to talk about our heritage, or some part of Greek history. In 2013, we took a break from touring and recording and I went on to do solo stuff. When I started gathering all this material over the years, I realized the character was very epic and more focused, like into power metal, and this epic style, so I thought it would be a good idea to do the concept record we talked about now. I needed a co-writer for this, so I reached out to [producer] Dennis Ward [UNISONIC, PINK CREAM 69]. To make a long story short, we decided to do a record about the battles of Thermopylae and Salamis during the second Persian invasion in 480 B.C."

On why veteran Swedish vocalist Mats Levén (CANDLEMASS) wasn't considered for the open FIREWIND vocalist position:

Gus: "Of course he was considered. Mats was always a guy I wanted to work with. After FIREWIND went on hiatus, I started doing all these songs with Mats for my solo record. He became the main singer on my solo record, on the first one ['I Am The Fire'], at least."

On selecting Henning Basse (METALIUM, SONS OF SEASONS) as FIREWIND's new vocalist.

Gus: "I had lost touch with Henning for a few years. Then there was one show Mats couldn't do, it was a festival a few years ago, and I reached out to Henning to bring him in to help me out with that. We started hanging out again and remembered the good times we had in 2007, so I asked him to help me out on the next couple of solo tours that I had. Then, it was one of those things where we started discussing FIREWIND again and when I would bring the band back again. He really wanted to be the singer. Honestly, Henning is the perfect guy for this band. He's one of the really great power metal singers of Europe. He's been doing it for a long time. He was looking to join a band; we were looking for a singer, and we knew him already. He's a good friend. We've toured with him already, so we knew he wasn't going to go weird on us."

On the 2013 departure of longtime FIREWIND singer Apollo Papathanasio:

Gus: "We both moved on. For me, when somebody leaves the band, it's done. I've never went back and played with somebody that either got fired or quit. In Apollo's case, he quit. He chose to quit. Obviously, he was the voice of the band. He was a very important part of the band. We were all disappointed in the group. We briefly tried it with another guy for our 2013 commitments, and it didn't work out. Then that's when we decided to just take a break, especially me, I started getting tired of it. I wanted to do other things."

On if he thought about dissolving FIREWIND entirely:

Gus: "It did cross my mind that I should have split up the band. During the last few years, it just felt like there was a lot of pressure, even from fans. I think it just happens when you start building a catalog and you've been around for a while, people have their own opinions, and they have their favorite eras and all of that stuff. It just started piling up too much with me. I needed a fresh start. As I went along with my solo stuff, which I really enjoyed doing… I'm a pretty stubborn guy, I'm not a quitter. I was thinking, 'I've worked pretty hard to establish FIREWIND, even to this level, for 15 years, I don't see a reason why I would quit because somebody decided to quit.' The guys had felt the same way. We decided we're going to come back."

On whether he's still a member of Ozzy Osbourne's solo band:

Gus: "That would be a question for him, not for me. [Laughs] I don't have any inside info, except for the news that we all keep seeing popping up on various web sites. I know he's been hinting at work on a new solo record, but when will that be? I sure don't know."

On whether Ozzy's recent songwriting sessions with BILLY IDOL guitarist Steve Stevens suggest Gus is out of the band:

Gus: "I don't know. I don't think [Ozzy] said that Steve Stevens is in the band. He said he was writing with him. I know some web sites went on to say, 'It sucks for Gus because he's not there anymore.' I don't think Ozzy ever said that. At least I didn't think that, anyway. That's something I've known about since last year. I've heard a couple of those demos he did with his buddy, Billy Morrison [who also plays guitar in Billy Idol's band], and Steve Stevens. Those guys are great songwriters. I love what they did on the last Billy Idol record. I don't know what the plans are. This is not the kind of band where I make decisions. I'm hired to play guitar. Whatever Ozzy and Sharon [Osbourne, Ozzy's wife and manager] decide, or their label executives, or producer, or whoever is going to be writing that… First of all, it's too early to say, and I would be the wrong guy to ask."

On whether he would accept an offer to play for another band:

Gus: "For me, I never saw myself as being a hired gun. It just so happened that I was asked by Ozzy to join his band. You don't say no to that. That was an amazing thing, even for me, it was weird because I'm not one of those session guys. I was never used to being a sideman, but I learned a lot from doing that. Other than that, I've always been the kind of guy that had his own thing going on, and I'm really enjoying doing my thing. I was never the guy who thought, 'Where do I go? Where's the next gig for me?' I don't look for that stuff. I have my own thing, which I've been working on for the last ten years-plus. That's what I see myself doing if I'm no longer with Ozzy, or when that happens. I'm just going to keep doing my thing."

"Immortals" was released on January 20 via FIREWIND's longtime label partner Century Media Records in Europe, and AFM Records in North America.

Ozzy currently has two solo shows booked for July: Rock USA festival in Oshkosh, Wisconsin and Chicago Open Air festival in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Meltdown of the WRIF radio station in Detroit, Michigan recently conducted an interview with QUIET RIOT drummer Frankie Banali. You can now listen to the chat using the audio player below.

Speaking about QUIET RIOT's plans for the rest of 2017, Banali said: "Well, we've got a new record coming out. This will be the first new record of all new songs, newly recorded material, that we've done since 2006; that's the last time we released an official QUIET RIOT record. And that's coming out early spring on Frontiers Records, so I'm really, really excited about that. And it's got the current lineup, it's on that record. And we continue to tour. I'm concentrating on hitting as many cities — be it large cities or small cities — as I can this year, as well as continuing to make headway in European markets."

He continued: "This is what I do, this is what I love to do. When it comes to the business of it, I'm very serious about it, but from the time I get to an event for soundcheck, and especially from the time I put the stage clothes on to the time I take 'em off in a hotel room, it's all about the music — nothing else. I don't think about business, I don't think about family, I don't think about anything except the music and the fans, and, for me, that's what keeps me going."

Asked what fans like to talk to him about when they approach him on the road, Banali said: "It runs the gamut, because I run into diehard fans that have seen us time and time again, and you have to search the memory banks: 'Oh, yeah, I remember that date,' or something that happened that particular day. The other rewarding aspect of it is that I'm seeing fans out there that clearly were not even born when the 'Metal Health' record came out, and they're equally as enthusiastic about the band as the diehard longtime fans are. And when I'm sitting there behind the drums — I've go the best seat in the house — and I'm watching an older fan and I'm watching a much, much younger fan and they're both singing the lyrics to songs, and not just the hits, but even some of the deep tracks, that's when you know you've made an impact in some manner into a lot of people's lives, and those lives have impacted mine and the career of QUIET RIOT, so I'm really grateful for that."

He continued: "It means the world to me. Most musicians won't admit it, but the reality is that without the fans, we wouldn't be able to do what we do, so I'm forever grateful for three decades of being able to do what I do with QUIET RIOT."

Last October, QUIET RIOT announced Seann Nicols (a.k.a. Sheldon Tarsha; formerly of ADLER'S APPETITE) as its new vocalist.

Vocalist Jizzy Pearl (LOVE/HATE, L.A. GUNS, ADLER'S APPETITE, RATT) left QUIET RIOT at the end of 2016 to concentrate full time on his solo career.

Banali revived QUIET RIOT in 2010, three years after singer Kevin DuBrow's death, along with veteran bassist Chuck Wright, who played on several of the tracks on the classic QUIET RIOT album "Metal Health", and guitarist Alex Grossi. The group went through two vocalists — Mark Huff and Scott Vokoun — before settling on Pearl in 2013.

The Pearl-fronted QUIET RIOT recorded six new songs for an album called "10", which was released digitally on iTunes and Amazon.com in June 2014, but Banali pulled the songs from both download stores shortly after putting the effort on sale and hasn't made them available again. He later explained that his decision to remove "10" from iTunes and Amazon.com was motivated in part by the fact that he couldn't find a record label that would properly promote the album. In addition, he said that the system that brought us classic rock music has been forever altered by the times and the promotional and marketing engine that is broken, no longer effectively exposing music from the labels through radio and to the masses.

Interview (audio):

AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Zacky Vengeance has slammed the band's former record company Warner Music Group as "imbeciles."

The label announced an AVENGED greatest hits package just days before the surprise unveiling of AVENGED's new studio effort, "The Stage", scheduling it for a December 2 release after initial rumors hinted at a December 9 arrival for the group's Capitol debut.

"As far as our old label is concerned," Zacky told The National Student, "we had no idea they were even going to attempt any of that. We didn't know about that until the album was coming up; we actually thought it was quite hysterical when they were misled by a fake tweet that [FOZZY singer and close friend] Chris Jericho sent out, and that just kind of shows what kind of a label they were in the first place that they were led on by that rumor. And that's, obviously, why we wouldn't want to be with a team of people that were — I mean, I hate to use the word 'imbeciles,' but I'll go ahead and use the word — imbeciles."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD lead singer M. Shadows was equally critical of Warner Music Group, telling the 101.1 WJRR radio station last November: "We're not promoting [the greatest-hits album] at all. That has nothing to do with us. They, basically, saw the [rumored release date] and, from what we understand, they are trying to undercut our new record, so they were trying to put it out the week before. And as childish as things can be behind the scenes with lawyers and stuff, as I'm sure you can imagine, this is childish on a whole new level."

Shadows added: "You're gonna try to put this record out right before our new record just to undercut us and try to confuse the casual fan, like, 'Is this the new record? Or is that the new record?'… It's a record label basically digging themselves into a deeper hole, as far as I'm concerned, 'cause it doesn't look good to other bands who are potentially gonna sign there, and it doesn't look good to fans."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD is locked in a legal battle with Warner Music Group over what the label claims is a breach of contract.

"The Stage" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart last November. The surprise release of the disc, which was announced the night it went on sale, earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in eleven years. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, less than half the tally of its previous two efforts.

The group made the album available at midnight on October 27 with almost no promotion beforehand, save for the arrival of a new song one week earlier.

"For us, it was about surprising our fans," Zacky told The National Student. "Because, for [the band's previous album] 'Hail To The King', we did the three-month roll-out and we could sense the boredom in our fans: 'Oh, AVENGED is trolling us. They're doing the campaign and doing scavenger hunts, just release the fucking songs already! We just wanna hear the album!' This time, we gave them nothing and then we gave them the album, like, 'Here you go. Make up your mind!'"

He continued: "Album sales weren't as good, but at what point do people critique success on how many fucking albums you sell in a week rather than how big your balls are? So for us, I think we had some pretty big fucking balls and we did some exciting shit. I think the fans appreciate that too."

Former AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd says that he has changed his opinion about Axl Rose fronting the band.

Rudd was ousted from AC/DC when he was sentenced to eight months of home detention by a New Zealand court in 2015 after pleading guilty to charges of threatening to kill and drug possession.

The GUNS N' ROSES leader completed nearly two dozen shows with AC/DC last year after singer Brian Johnson, who joined in 1980 after the death of original vocalist Bon Scott, was told he was at risk of going deaf.

The controversial Rose-AC/DC pairing received mostly positive reviews, but not before Rudd panned the collaboration, claiming that he wouldn't have been willing to rejoin the band if Rose remained at the mic. "If Angus [Young, AC/DC guitarist] wanted me to play, then that's up to him," Rudd said last year. "But I don't really want to play with Axl Rose. I don't really rate him."

However, in a brand new interview with Music Radar, Rudd sang a different tune, explaining that he has "watched some clips the other day of Axl singing with the boys. I was surprised; it wasn't too bad. I was quite surprised, I thought he did quite well and that's not an easy gig, mate, it's not an easy gig at all. AC/DC is a tough gig for everyone in the band. I saw Angus jamming with GUNS N' ROSES as well. Apart from watching those clips though, I don't know what's going to happen or what's going on with the band."

Rudd also revealed that has "spoken to a couple of the guys" in AC/DC, but added: "I can't say what's on the horizon for AC/DC, I can't really say. That's not my thing to say. I have seen, though, that GUNS N' ROSES are playing over here in Wellington [New Zealand] soon and they have a big tour all over the world. I wonder whether Angus will be happy to see GUNS N' ROSES going out on a big tour which means that AC/DC can't go out on tour. We will see. You'd need a crystal ball to know what's going to happen there."

Rudd appeared to take responsibility for his dismissal from AC/DC, saying: "I was just being a fucking dickhead. I shot myself in the foot. You make your own bed, mate. You make your own mistakes and you have to deal with them and that is what I have done. Hindsight is 20/20."

Rudd, who has appeared on all but three of AC/DC's 18 studio albums, is getting ready for his first solo tour in support of his 2014 solo debut, "Head Job". It was the release of that album that led indirectly to Rudd's arrest, with the drummer allegedly so angry at a personal assistant over the way the record was promoted that he threatened to have the man and his daughter killed.

Rudd's replacement in AC/DC is Chris Slade, who also did a three-year stint with the group from 1990 to 1993.

Brad Tolinski of BackStory Events conducted an interview with Nita Strauss, the Los Angeles-based guitar shredder for the ALICE COOPER band, at this year's NAMM show, which was held January 19-22 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. You can watch the chat below.

Strauss recently released a brand new solo single titled "Pandemonium". Written, recorded and produced by Nita, the song features the axewoman on all guitar and bass, alongside her boyfriend and manager Josh Villalta on drums and Katt Scarlett on keyboards.

The drums were recorded at Sable Studios while the track was mixed and mastered by Travis Huff at Nocturnal Studios.

The official video for "Pandemonium", produced by Flarelight Films, LLC and directed by Brian Cox and Corey Soria, can be seen below.

"We did that video… We were planning on just releasing a SoundCloud link for this song, and then my boyfriend Josh looks at me a week before the premiere date and he goes, 'Let's go make a video for it,'" Nita said. "And I said, 'What? Now? We don't have time.' And he said, 'Just let me worry about that.' And I said, 'Okay.' And sure enough, we threw together a video in four days and got it ready to premiere. And, for me, it really encapsulated the song. It's a raw, aggressive song, and we shot kind of a raw, aggressive video. And it came out exactly how I wanted it to."

Regarding her plans to release more solo music, Nita said: "We've got four months off with Alice, which is a rarity in our world. So I'm gonna take these next four months. I've put together my own band, [I'm] working on original music and hoping to have something out before I leave again in April."

Strauss told Ultimate Classic Rock about her upcoming album: "I started writing music, and it turned into something that sounded like it needed to be a band. It didn't sound like something that was indulgent enough to just be like, 'This is the Nita show.' They sounded like band songs. I'm a band person. I might come across like kind of a show-off onstage and stuff, but I like collaborating with people. So I threw together a great group of girls. I thought it needed a great female lineup, and I think I've almost got it the way that I want it now."

"Pandemonium" is featured on Favored Nations Entertainment's all-female compilation "She Rocks, Volume 1". This collection of kick-ass guitar goddesses is produced by Tolinski with iconic guitarist Steve Vai as executive producer, and showcases eleven female guitarists, each a virtuoso in her own right.

Strauss is a longtime Ibanez signature series endorsee who made her name with THE IRON MAIDENS, FEMME FATALE and LA Kiss.

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford took part in the Musicians Institute Conversation Series on August 5, 2016 in Hollywood, California. The legendary frontman took the stage with Alternative Press senior editor Ryan J. Downey (MTV News, Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter) for a wide-ranging question-and-answer session about Halford's illustrious career as "The Metal God." You can now watch the discussion in five parts below. A few excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On his performance with the the Japanese teenage girl pop metal band BABYMETAL at last year's Alternative Press Music Awards in Columbus, Ohio:

Rob: "It was pretty cool. A lot of people hated me after that, which is… whatever. Whatever. My philosophy in life is 'do everything that you wanna do and don't let nobody try and stop you.' Because if you're living your life for yourself… That can be kind of dangerous territory in the music world, because our fans, who I love with all my heart, are like family. And when you're in a family, you're very opinionated. 'What is he wearing?' You know, that kind of thing. 'What is he doing with BABYMETAL?' I just wanted to do it because they asked me, and I think they're pretty cool, and that was that. So end of story. And then you go to Blabbermouth, there's, like, five thousand, 'Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you!'"

On the JUDAS PRIEST creative process:

Rob: "I still enjoy the adventure, the challenge of a new vocal idea, an approach. PRIEST is making new music right now. I never talk about PRIEST music before it's officially time to talk about it, but there is some fucking incredible things coming from this band — some really, really serious stuff is about to happen. I think everybody's gonna be very, very happy with what we're trying to do next. And that again is always what else can you do? After forty-something years, you can still do something different. And that's what I love about this band, about PRIEST — that we haven't kind of let go of the reins. We're still very much hungry and searching and trying to prove what we've got left inside of us as musicians. And so this next batch is gonna be a real thrilling moment for everybody, I think."

On JUDAS PRIEST's 2011 announcement that it was embarking on the "Epitaph" world tour, which was intended to be a "farewell" run for the band:

Rob: "You never lose sight of the fact of where you are and how you got to the place that you're at, and I think that's not just in music, but in everything. There's very few of us that can get through life without having some kind of a team or a person or a bunch of people helping us move ahead and achieve the things that we love. And so it is with us in PRIEST. There's a tremendous love that we have for each other as far as, you know, musicians. And the fact that this thing about… When you say you're gonna do a farewell tour, please don't say that, because… [Laughs] I'm saying that because I'm talking from experience. Before K.K. [Downing, guitar] retired, it was gonna be a farewell tour, but then when Richie came along — the incredible guitar player Richie Faulkner came along — not only did he give us a boost, which is a natural thing… It's like when you change a guy on your football team or your basketball team, the team is the same but you bring in another player and the dynamics should shift, the energy should shift. And that's what happened with Richie. The sense of longevity is still within us. I don't think we're going… Even though the clock is ticking, we're not even thinking about the end. What else can we do? It's gonna be more live shows and more records for the future."

On how JUDAS PRIEST's songwriting process works:

Rob: "It still comes down to the really rudimentary stuff. It's all about riffs — it really is about riffs and just the way the notes are arranged. I always emphasize the melodic side of what we do in PRIEST. There's always melody. Even in the fiercest stuff, there's some kind of melody that you can kind of attach yourself to. So in all the years that we've been together, I don't think that's changed one bit. I've got most of the PRIEST album on my phone — the new PRIEST album — but it's very rudimentary, and it is all about the simplicity of the riffs. And that would be a great challenge: could you make another album in thirty days? That would be a throwdown, wouldn't it? And I dare say that if push came to shove, we'd have a damn good go. It's different in today's world that… I wouldn't say that we enjoy the luxury of waiting, it's just the way that things go on in life. We're still very disciplined when we go in the studio. I mean, we have set hours. We take the weekends off. We have set hours. We get there, we do the work for the day, and then we leave. And I think it's important, as a musician, to have that sense of responsibility, not only to yourself as a musician, but to your bandmates. 'Cause we're all in this together. Everybody's as important as everybody else, everybody has something valuable to share. And ideas are popping in the room right from the moment that the sound starts happening. So who knows? This one that we're working on now, it's coming together pretty quickly, but it'll be a long way off until the final crescendo, just because we're so fanatical. When you've left this incredible treasure trail behind you, we're always… We're always looking backwards, but we know we have a sense of trying to get to that next place, whatever that place might be. So it is increasingly challenging. We don't just a bang a song together. It's very deliberately kind of thought out without killing the soul and spirit. When you get spontaneous, that's a great feeling. If you can capture that spontaneity, that can be within the song, but what goes around that song can take a while to accomplish at this point, hundreds of songs later. But it works, and it's a joy making this PRIEST record right now."

JUDAS PRIEST's latest album, "Redeemer Of Souls", was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

Interviewing #RobHalford from @judaspriest right now. We hope hope your Friday night is going just as well. pic.twitter.com/fB4oaKvPNI

— Musicians Institute (@MIHollywood) August 6, 2016

METALLICA played the song "Confusion" live for the first time on January 18 at LeSports Center in Beijing, China. Official footage of the performance can be seen below.

METALLICA's official video for "Confusion" was directed by Claire Marie Vogel. The clip, in which one soldier's civilian life blurs into a battlefield, cuts back and forth between a woman fighting in a war zone and working in a mundane office.

"Confusion" is taken from METALLICA's latest album, "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", which debuted as expected at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 album chart on November 27, selling 291,000 copies in its first week of release. Both of the band's previous outings, 2008's "Death Magnetic" and 2003's "St. Anger", sold more copies in shortened sales weeks. "Death Magnetic" moved 490,000 copies in a three-day window, while "St. Anger" shifted 418,000 copies in a similar frame.

Nevertheless, the overall fan reaction to the new disc has inspired the band to release its next record sooner. Frontman James Hetfield told Italy's Linea Rock, "At least for now, we've booked out two years (of touring), at least. So I can't predict the future, but… I would like to make some new music sooner than eight years, for sure. (You get) such a pleasure and a joy of hearing your new music and having other people hear it. So we don't wanna wait that long."

METALLICA has shows booked in Denmark, Mexico and South America over the next three months, but has yet to unveil its full 2017 tour plans, including its first North American tour in eight years.

The band's sole North American date so far is May 21 at the Rock On The Range festival in Columbus, Ohio.

The brand new studio album "Novum" (on CD and 2LP) by PROCOL HARUM will be released on April 21 via Eagle Records. The band's first studio album in fourteen years, and thirteenth overall, follows 2003's "The Well's On Fire". "Novum" is released as the band celebrates its 50th anniversary, while also undertaking a European tour. The album release is preceded by that of the single "Sunday Morning" on April 7.

Half a century ago, powered by the huge and ongoing success of their debut single "A Whiter Shade Of Pale", PROCOL HARUM went on to help define the progressive rock genre while at the same time embracing their roots in blues and soul. "A Whiter Shade Of Pale" continues to be one of the best-selling singles of all time. The cover artwork of "Novum" by Julia Brown references elements of the sleeve of that album — the band's eponymous debut album in 1967.

PROCOL HARUM has been an evolving musical force from the first performance in '67, but always led by founding member, singer, pianist and composer Gary Brooker. Most of today's lineup has been playing together since the early '90s and it includes bassist Matt Pegg (JETHRO TULL, Ian Brown), drummer Geoff Dunn (Jimmy Page, Dave Stewart, Van Morrison), guitarist Geoff Whitehorn (Roger Chapman, Paul Rodgers, Roger Daltrey) and Hammond organ player Josh Phillips (Pete Townsend and Midge Ure), but to all their fans, they are the real PROCOL HARUM.

"Our last studio album was in 2003, and with 2017 being 50 years of PROCOL HARUM, something special was needed, which has resulted in a new album of new songs with the band as we've stood for the past decade, all contributing with producer Dennis Weinreich to make what I believe to be one of the finest PROCOL HARUM albums ever — 'Novum' — just listen," states Gary Brooker.

"Novum" sees a new direction for PROCOL HARUM, with the songs being written and created by the whole band, with most songs featuring words by Pete Brown, most famous for his songwriting collaboration with the members of CREAM. This has given a different feel to the songs, retaining the thought provoking content for which the band has always been known but with a different slant and elements of humor.

"Novum" marks not only an incredible fifty years of amazing music, but also the next step for this seminal band. This long-awaited collection of brand new songs is sure to be welcomed by PROCOL HARUM's devoted fanbase.

"Novum" track listing:

01. I Told On You02. Last Chance Motel 03. Image Of The Beast 04. Soldier 05. Don't Get Caught 06. Neighbour 07. Sunday Morning 08. Businessman 09. Can't Say That 10. The Only One 11. Somewhen

Available exclusively in North America and released in conjunction with the band's upcoming spring co-headline tour with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE — "KillThrax" — thrash metal icons ANTHRAX have announced the release of the limited-edition "For All Kings 7-Inch Box Set" (Megaforce Records). The set goes on sale March 24, will retail for $79.99, and is an absolutely stunning collector's item for any ANTHRAX fan, as the unboxing video below will illustrate.

The "For All Kings 7-Inch Box Set" includes a removable lenticular cover and contains ten seven-inch vinyl discs featuring twenty songs — the eleven finished album tracks, two brand new covers (THE WHITE STRIPES' "Black Math" and the classic KANSAS song "Carry On"), six demos from the "For All Kings" track listing, and "Vice Of The People", a bonus track previously released only in Japan and now making its North American vinyl debut. The original album cover art sketch by Alex Ross is also part of this package, as well as a download card enabling the holder to access the box set's track listing for free.

Each seven-inch disc features gorgeous, double-sided four-color artwork designed by Douglas Heusser with additional art by Stephen Thompson, as well as band photos by Jimmy Hubbard. The tracks are pressed onto different-colored vinyl discs — red, green, blue, maroon, orange, most with a two-color swirl design.

"Doing a box set edition of 'For All Kings' was something that we've always wanted to do," said ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante, who worked closely with Heusser and Thompson on the box set's artwork. "We wanted to do something special, something that was so much more than the original release, and have it be fun for our audience when they open it up, just be floored by the different colored vinyl, the artwork, everything that's inside. And we think we've done that."

"For All Kings 7-Inch Box Set" track listing:

Breathing Lightning (album version)Breathing Lightning (demo)

Monster At The End (album version)Monster At The End (demo)

Suzerain (album version)Suzerain (demo)

Black Math (THE WHITE STRIPES cover)Carry On (KANSAS cover)

You Gotta Believe (album version)For All Kings (album version)

Evil Twin (album version)This Battle Chose Us (album version)

All Them Thieves (album version)Vice of the People (previously unreleased in North America)

Zero Tolerance (album version)Zero Tolerance (demo)

Blood Eagle Wings (album version)Blood Eagle Wings (demo)

Defend Avenge (album version)Defend Avenge (demo)

British rock legends DEEP PURPLE will release their new album, "InFinite", the highly anticipated follow-up to their worldwide chart-topping effort "Now What?!", on April 7 via earMUSIC.

"InFinite" was tracked in February 2016 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee and was once again helmed by Bob Ezrin, who has previously worked with KISS, PINK FLOYD, PETER GABRIEL, ALICE COOPER and KANSAS, among others.

A limited-edition EP for "Time For Bedlam", with non-album songs and unreleased recordings, will hit the shops on February 3.

A documentary movie, "From Here To InFinite", witnessing the songwriting process and the recording of the album with Ezrin, has been produced, allowing for the first time for the fans to be part of the private band member interactions in the studio. The movie will be included in some editions of the album and it will be presented before release in various fan events worldwide.

A short clip from the above-mentioned documentary movie can be seen below.

DEEP PURPLE recently announced their "Long Goodbye Tour", which will bring the legendary live show once again all over the world. The band has not yet answered the many questions received by fans from all over the world who are speculating about the meaning of the title "InFinite" and "Long Goodbye".

Singer Ian Gillan declared: "If you take it literally, you may, quite reasonably, think the 'Finite' part of the word describes the life of DEEP PURPLE, with a clear beginning and a nebulous end; but what of the 'in' bit? The word 'infinite' is a three-dimensional, double-edged sword. It describes something that goes on forever in all directions; not unlike its temporal equivalent 'Eternal'. What's that all about?

"Stephen Hawking declared (in 'A Brief History Of Time') that, before the Big Bang there was nothing. That would put the kybosh on the idea of our universe being Infinite, as he provides a starting point, which is not acceptable to the concept. So, Hawking's universe in 'Finite'; by definition; whether he agrees or not.

"Ironically, he is quite wrong (scientists always are eventually), therefore the Universe is infinite, which means it will never end, and also means that it never started, and the corollary to that of course is that we don't exist.

"There is a metaphysical solution to all this, but it will have to wait until the tour is over because (thanks heavens) there are only 24 hours in a day (for the time being) or 10 hours in a metric day. More on that later…"

PURPLE drummer Ian Paice suffered a minor stroke in 2015, forcing him to miss the band's shows in Sweden and Denmark — the first time his medical condition prevented him from performing with the group.

DEEP PURPLE — which has been eligible for induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for two decades now — finally entered the Rock Hall as part of the class of 2016. The band's first three lineups were inducted, including drummer Ian Paice, guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, late keyboardist Jon Lord, and various singers and bassists — Rod Evans; Ian Gillan and Roger Glover; and David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.

DECADENCE — the Sweden-based thrash metal quintet fronted by Kitty Saric (a.k.a. Metallic Kitty) — has released lyric videos for all the songs that appear on the band's fifth full-length album, "Undergrounder". Joining Kitty and her songwriting partner of over fifteen years, Kenneth Lantz, on the new effort is drummer Lawrence Dinamarca (NIGHTRAGE, LOCH VOSTOK, CARNAL FORGE).

"Undergrounder" track listing:

01. The Inner Circle02. Steam City03. Underground04. In Sickness And Health05. Powerhouse06. One More Fight07. Manifesto08. Always The More Extreme

Says Kitty: "Kenneth and I have created something that I didn't think was possible. We've taken all we've learnt and gathered through the many years we had with early DECADENCE and lifted it to create an album for you that reveals everything about who we are as musicians due to it.

"DECADENCE is such a huge part of our lives and it always will be. We didn't leave a bit behind. It's all there for you.

"We give Joakim Antman (bass) and Erik Röjås (drums) our biggest gratitude for the years we played together."

According to a press release, "DECADENCE has an inspiring resume to show for the past decade with four full-length albums, two of which were released within one year.

"DECADENCE has always been a promoter of the underground music scene. Pushing for the DIY, licensed their top selling release to three different labels simultaneously while running it through the own label HTI Records (now re-named Heavy Dose after the band's first single), pushed for other bands to do the same, and had all promotion pushed by fans for fans through street teams, fan clubs and metalheads from all over the world.

"In addition to amazing fan-driven concerts, they most recently visited Venezuela that became the summing up of the ten years together.

"DECADENCE never stopped, it evolved. And now they are back to continue spreading the message."

LIZZY BORDEN has entered the studio to begin recording the long-awaited follow-up to 2007's "Appointment With Death" album. Speaking to The Metal Voice at this year's NAMM show in Anaheim, California, the band's frontman and namesake said about the long delay in getting a new record out: "Well, what happened was we've been on tour, on this perpetual tour for, like, the last ten years, and there was no reason to release a record. We just kept booking our winters, booking our summers, and just kept going and going. And finally we were in Russia, and I said, 'That's it. I'm done.' Our last show. I took the train off the track and decided to make a record. And Metal Blade offered a great deal. And, actually, it's reasonable to make a record now. So, yeah, all my thoughts and everything I'm putting into making this new record, which comes out this year. The first single should be out in May, [and] the album should be out in August."

Regarding the musical direction of the new LIZZY BORDEN material, Lizzy said: "I went back to thinking about individual songs. I make theme albums, conceptual albums, and they all kind of work together. And I'm still doing that on this album too, but I'm more interested in each song standing up on its own and not having to do deal with the concept. So I individualized all of these songs as if they were singles. That was kind of my thinking when I did the 'Visual Lies' album in '87, which was one of our biggest records. It was the same thing; the songs were individualized even though, thematically, it was all the same. And so I went back to that way of thinking. I hadn't done that in a while. There's a ton of vocals — probably more vocals on this than I have ever done, and I usually do a lot of vocals [laughs], if you've heard any of my records."

Lizzy Borden has spent over three decades creating some of the most theatrical metal in existence, releasing classics such as "Love You To Pieces" (1985) and "Master Of Disguise" (1989), while obliterating audiences worldwide with a stage show that rivals that of Marilyn Manson and Alice Cooper. For his efforts, he has become nothing short of a metal icon.

Joining Lizzy in LIZZY BORDEN's current lineup are Joey Scott on drums, Mårten Andersson on bass and Ira Black on guitar.

Gritty progressive metal band Barishi have released a new music video for the track "The Great Ennead". The clip, directed by Bobby Csehak showcases a live performance by the band, and can be seen below.

"The Great Ennead" appears on the band's ambitious new full-length, Blood From The Lion's Mouth, which can be streamed via the Bandcamp audio player below.

Blood from the Lion's Mouth by Barishi

Blood From The Lion's Mouth was recorded by Brian Westbrook at PDP Recording in Greenfield, MA during winter 2015 - 2016, and features cover art by Brian Mercer (Lamb Of God, Black Tusk, Wildlights).

Catch Barishi live in concert:

February
25 - Revere, MA - Sammy's Patio

March
31 - Stratton, VT - Grizzly's Nightclub

April 
28 - Portland, ME - Space

 

Season Of Mist has announced the signing of french black metal cultists Merrimack.

Regarding their signing, the band comments: "We are pleased to announce that Merrimack is joining the Season Of Mist roster. This is another significant step in our goal to deliver the blackest of metal, without compromising our art. Working with fellow countrymen will ensure a fruitful cooperation, and their unquestionable professionalism can be nothing but a motivation for the band to make this union last long!"

Merrimack were founded by guitarist Perversifier in 1994 with a clear vision to keep the black metal flame burning as an act of aesthetic terrorism – adamantly based in the underground as opposed to any attempts to co-opt or commercialize.

With a number of demo recordings under their belt in the mid '90s, the French gained recognition and respect in the scene for being true to their words. Following the release of three well-received full-lengths, the Parisians remained dedicated to their roots firmly lodged in dirty, grime, and fanatical passion. The band's daft combination of harsh soundscapes with epic songwriting appealed to critics and fans alike, allowing the band to embark on their celebrated first US-tour with Marduk and Nachtmystium in 2009.

Following the recording of their last album, (The Acausal Mass, 2012) at the legendary Necromorbus Studio (Watain, Destroyer 666), Merrimack embarked on a European tour with Norwegian genre icons Mayhem and accepted invitations to prestigious festivals such as Hellfest in their native France, Germany's Party-San Open Air and Summer Breeze and Montreal's Messe des Morts in Canada.

Having firmly established their black name and message around the globe, Merrimack are currently preparing to release their next milestone of extreme black metal with a malicious underground spirit this year.

 

 

 

 

Bonfire have released a video for “Locomotive Breath”, featured on their new album, Byte The Bullet, out on March 24th. Find the new video, as well as a “making of” clip, below.

In 2016, Hans Ziller made a pledge to make Bonfire great again. He recruited a new face to the line-up, German vocalist Alexx Stahl. With Bonfire veterans guitarist Hans Ziller, guitarist Frank Pane and bassist Ronnie Parkes, in the addition to Alexx Stahl and drummer Tim Breideband, Bonfire now have the fire and energy they were so well known, a force to be reckoned with once again.

Bonfire recorded Byte The Bullet at Flatliners Studios in their hometown of Ingolstadt, Germany.

Tracklisting:

“Power Train”
“Stand up 4 Rock”
“Praying 4 a Miracle”
“Some Kinda Evil”
“Lonely Nights”
“Byte the Bullet”
“Locomotive Breath”
“Reach For the Sky”
“Sweet Surrender”
“Friedensreich”
“InstruMetal”
“Too Far from Heaven”
“Without You”
“Sweet Obsession”

“Locomotive Breath” video:

“Locomotive Breath” making of:

New Jersey metal act, Fit For An Autopsy, have debuted a music video for their newest track, "Heads Will Hang”.. Directed by Max Moore, this is the first music video the band has released from their upcoming new album, The Great Collapse.

Founding guitarist/producer Will Putney comments, "The concept behind the song/video was to set a scenario in America where a normal happy family was placed in a similar extreme situation, in the hope that it creates a certain feeling of empathy for what less fortunate nations are experiencing right now. And to shed some light on just how close we are to the same tragedies hitting our homes.

"People in the United States always seems to form these really strong opinions about war, refugees, and other crisis situations in third world nations without really having the perspective of what's actually happening there," says Putney. "Everyone's guilty of it to some extent; a lot of us live very privileged lives in comparison to other pockets of the world, where the basic comforts like clean water, power, shelter, and safety are not guaranteed."

“The Great Collapse is a reflection on the current chaotic state of mankind’s relationship with the world, and it’s effect both outward and inward,” says Will Putney. “It’s a dark and unsettling record that encapsulates a variety of approaches to aggressive music, and a definite expansion of our capabilities as a band.”

The Great Collapse will be the the band's fourth full length record, continuing the momentum gained from a solid 200+ days of worldwide touring backing the buzz-worthy release of Absolute Hope Absolute Hell in late 2015, as well The Depression Sessions, a split release with The Acacia Strain and Thy Art Is Murder in 2016. “It’s going to be the strongest record in our catalog. The overall mood and atmosphere of this album feels fully realized and emotionally stirring.”

The Great Collapse is set to release on March 17th via Entertainment One (eOne) / Good Fight Music in North America, Long Branch Records in Europe, and SPV overseas. Artist Adam Burke was tapped to create the visually stunning cover art seen below.

Tracklisting:

“Hydra”
“Heads Will Hang”
“Black Mammoth”
“Terraform”
“Iron Moon”
“When The Bulbs Burn Out”
“Too Late”
“Empty Still”
“Spiral”

The crushing music of Fit For An Autopsy is for any fan of extreme metal, as it’s devoid of preachy politics or grandstanding soapboxing, but its sound and fury is absolutely unflinching in purpose. The band expertly blends excessive-force fueled death metal with atmospheric groove and impassioned personal diatribes, reflecting back the dark state of current events. Their fourth album, The Great Collapse, doesn’t waste time with fantasy bullshit or cliché gore horror. Fit For An Autopsy are metal guys, to be certain, but they grew up in the hardcore scene. They embrace the responsibility to put as much devoted purpose into their lyrics and message as they do into their dense, heady, songs, forging a magnificently powerful new post-deathcore.

“When I write a song, I’m trying to feel emotionally connected to it. I really don’t like saying things that don’t matter over music that I want to matter,” says Putney, guitarist, principal songwriter and cofounder. “We’ve always addressed serious topics going back to our first album. We aren’t a politically charged band up on a podium yelling at people – anybody can relate to the aggression, anger, frustration, and sadness often communicated in our music. But we absolutely raise important questions in the lyrics. Those themes are there to discover.”

Putney’s fellow guitarist/cofounder, Patrick Sheridan, strongly agrees. He emphasizes that while the music of Fit For An Autopsy may evolve it will always be aggressive and will always have purpose. “We think it's important to carry that torch. Somebody's got to say something about the shit that's going on. If you're not using your music, which is a great platform, for something meaningful that you care about on some level, then you're kind of wasting it.”

The six-men of the New Jersey based group - which includes vocalist Joe Badolato, bassist Peter Spinazola, third guitarist Tim Howley, and drummer Josean Orta - put maximum intentionality into everything they do. They are constantly challenging themselves as musicians, adding to the band’s overall creative arsenal, connecting with audiences around the world, and supporting one another in the band as individual people.

Fit For An Autopsy is set to take part in the Carry The Flame Tour featuring After The Burial, Emmure and Fit For A King, this spring. All dates can be found here.

(Photo - Bobby Bates)

Based out of Los Angeles, CA, Witherfall is the collective brainchild of guitarist Jake Dreyer (Iced Earth, Kobra And The Lotus, White Wizzard), singer Joseph Michael (White Wizzard) and the late Adam Sagan (Circle II Circle, Into Eternity). The recording lineup is rounded out with the addition of acclaimed Bassist Anthony Crawford (Allan Holdsworth, Virgil Donati).

Witherfall are set to release their debut, Nocturnes And Requiems, on February 10th. Pre-orders are available here.

A new album trailer, in which the band discuss the album title and the artwork by Kristian Wåhlin, can be found below.

Witherfall headed to Phoenix, AZ to self-produce their debut album, Nocturnes And Requiems, with engineer Ralph Patlan (Megadeth, Brian "Head" Welch, MSG) in late 2014. The album was then sent on to New York City for mixing and mastering by Chris "Zeuss" Harris (Rob Zombie, Queensrÿche, Hatebreed) at Planet Z. Resulting in eight masterfully executed tracks featuring the group's dynamic blend of darkened melodic and progressive metal.

Nocturnes And Requiems is dedicated to the life of Adam Sagan who passed on December 7th, 2016 during the final stages of production. The band collectively commented, "This, as we know, is the last piece of work that Adam contributed and played on. Adam’s talent, passion and personality is woven throughout every part of this record as he was easily 1/3 of the creative force. Nocturnes And Requiems was a name that Adam eerily came up with one evening when we were figuring out album titles would not have sounded the way it does now without his immense contribution on and off the drums. Adam, we love you and it's a tragedy that you were not able to see this release. You will always and forever be a member of Witherfall. Rest In Peace man."

Tracklisting:

“Portrait”
“What We Are Dying For”
“Act II”
“Sacrifice”
“The Great Awakening”
“End Of Time”
“Finale”
“Nobody Sleeps Here ”

Trailer:

“Nobody Sleeps Here”:

“End Of Time” lyric video:

“End Of Time” album version:

Raleigh, NC-based traditional metal band, Widow, are streaming the songs “Burning Star” and “Live By The Flame”, featured on the band’s new album, Carved In Stone, out now via Pure Steel Records. Listen to the songs below.

The album offers their strongest material to date, yet more diverse than ever before. The follow up to 2011’s Life’s Blood, also on Pure Steel, shows the band taking their true metal sound in a much catchier, song oriented direction. Carved In Stone is a strong, rocking affair that will appeal to traditional metal fans young and old.  

Tracklisting:

“Burning Star”
“Carved In Stone”
“Another Time And Place”
“Wisdom”
“Time On Your Side”
“Borrowed Time”
“And We Are One”
“Anomaly”
“Live By The Flame”
“Of The Blood, We Bind”
“Nighttime Turn”
“Let It Burn”

“Burning Star”:

“Live By The Flame”:

“And We Are One”:

“Wisdom”:

Athanasia has released the official music video for the lead single off their upcoming debut album, The Order Of The Sliver Compass. This is the second music video release from the album, following "Spoils Of War" (both streaming below). "The Order Of The Silver Compass" was directed by renowned filmmaker Matt Zane and filmed at Modern Sector Studios in Burbank, CA.

Says vocalist/guitarist Caleb Bingham: “If you got hooked after your first dose of the potent heavy metal concoction that is Athanasia, then you should be ecstatic to know that your next fix is coming in the form of a speedball entitled "The Order Of The Silver Compass”, taken from our LP of the same name... Max out your volume knobs and prepare to thrash!”

Pre-order The Order Of The Sliver Compass here.

The Order Of The Sliver Compass tracklisting:

“Read Between The Lines”
“Spoils Of War”
“The Order Of The Silver Compass”
“Cyclops Lord (My Will Is Done)”
“The Bohemian”
“Mechanized Assault”
“Nightmare Sound”
“White Horse”

“The Order Of The Silver Compass” video:

“Spoils Of War” video:

Mayhem's Live In Sarpsborg receives it’s official debut release on this Peaceville 2017 pressing, due for release on April 7th. Pre-order here.

With new audio captured from a master source, the show, originally performed on February 28th, 1990 was one of only a handful to feature the now legendary lineup of Dead, Euronymous, Hellhammer and Necrobutcher.

Perfectly demonstrating the pure raw essence of Mayhem, the band surge through some of their early classics, from the Deathcrush release to tracks which would later feature on their highly revered debut, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.

This first edition of Live in Sarpsborg is presented on limited clear heavyweight vinyl and includes a 12" booklet featuring rare and unseen band photos, plus extensive thoughts and recollections from Metalion and others associated with the event, as well as former Mayhem members Manheim and Messiah.

Tracklisting:

Side A
“Deathcrush”
“Necrolust”
“Funeral Fog”
“Freezing Moon”

Side B
“Carnage”
“Buried By Time And Dust”
“Chainsaw Gutsfuck”
“Pure Fucking Armageddon”

SKID ROW will enter the studio in late February to begin recording the final installment of its "United World Rebellion" trilogy of EPs, to be released later in the year. 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 joined SKID ROW in December 2015.

SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan told Billboard in a 2014 interview that the group was surprised and gratified to see fans buying into the EP concept and starting "sectors" of the Damnation Army all over the world. "We came up with this idea of United World Rebellion, and it's united a lot of people together," Bolan said. "Someone in Finland would start the street team, then Japan, New York — we're watching them all come to life in front of us, and the common thread is SKID ROW. We'll see fans from Italy who invite fans from Brazil to hang out because they've started sectors and started communicating with each other through social media. It's like, 'Wow, we're bringing our fans from different parts of the world together,' so the United part is really working. It's just a really cool thing."

Bolan added that the EPs allow SKID ROW to keep a steady flow of new music coming. "It's a really awesome way of doing things for us being that we don't live down the street from each other anymore, or even in the same state," he explained. "I think it's cool for our fans. In a day of information overflow to have five songs, you don't have to commit to a whole, long album. Creatively, it keeps things fresh; we're out there playing more and giving our fans more new music more often. This is a band that can get lazy really quick, so this keeps you on your toes. If you take six years between albums, you can get complacent sometimes. We really like working in short bursts like this."

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

Theart said in a statement: "[SKID ROW's] music was the soundtrack to the largest part of my younger years and many a crazy adventure. Now I get the chance to re-live all of them for a hour and a half every night! I am beyond honored to be given this opportunity. Think I'm a bit jealous of my actual self."

Theart's involvement with SKID ROW was exclusively reported by BLABBERMOUTH.NET on December 31, 2015. He stepped into the group following the departure of Tony Harnell, the TNT frontman who joined SKID ROW in April 2015 as the replacement for Johnny Solinger, the band's singer for fifteen 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."

The release of the self-titled debut album from Finnish rockers One Desire is scheduled for March 24th. The album track “Whenever I’m Dreaming” is available for streaming below.

One Desire was started in 2012 by drummer Ossi Sivula. A couple of years were spent writing songs and making demos with different musicians and friends with an aim to create music that could change the world. Various musicians came and went along the way, but in 2014 things started to click when they met Jimmy Westerlund (Negative, Sturm und Drang, Joel Madden of Good Charlotte, Pitbull, etc.), who has several platinum and gold albums to his credit as a producer, guitarist, and songwriter. He had just moved back to Finland after a stint in Los Angeles and the band hired him to produce some songs.

After recording three songs with a new musical direction, they managed to attract the attention of Serafino Perugino, owner and head of A&R at Frontiers Music Srl, but, at this point the band needed a great singer. After trying out some different options, Jimmy suggested his long time friend Andre Linman from the band Sturm und Drang (who had sold over 100,000 records and gone platinum and 2x gold in Finland) who had recently decided to go on hiatus. Andre got together for a couple of sessions with the guys and after writing a couple new songs together, the style and sound that was about to become One Desire was born. Ossi and Andre asked Jimmy to join the band in 2016 and this is the album that was born from that collaboration. Also, not long after this happened, the very talented Jonas Kuhlberg (Paul Di'Anno, Cain's Offering, MyGrain) was brought on and he became the last link in the chain.

This kickass new lineup perfectly captures the original vision for the band and continues upon Linman's and Westerlund's successful legacies. Musically, the band draws musical influences from classic rock bands like Journey, Toto, and Def Leppard, but also lots of heavier, more modern bands. “Our sound is very melodic, slightly pop-ish at times, but still based on a heavy rock sound,” says singer Andre Linman.

After Jimmy brought in the song “Hurt”, the band felt that that they had taken it to the next level. Andre wrote the beautiful ballad, “This Is Where The Heartbreak Begins” plus many other songs and at that time, One Desire started to find the right direction for Ossi's rocker, “Do You Believe”. Finally, in mid-2016, the band felt they finally were musically locked in and had the material to make an album that they could honestly stand behind and love beyond a shadow of a doubt.

“After the album is released we will be touring heavily, so stay tuned for some shows!” concludes Linman. 2017 will be a fantastic year as the journey of One Desire just begins!

One Desire tracklisting:

“Hurt”
“Apologize”
“Love Injection”
“Turn Back Time”
“Falling Apart”
“Straight Through The Heart”
“Whenever I'm Dreaming”
“Do You Believe”
“Buried Alive”
“This Is Where The Heartbreak Begins”

“Whenever I'm Dreaming”:

“Hurt” video:

Catch One Desire on tour with Eclipse this spring.

Lineup:

Jimmy Westerlund - guitars
André Linman - lead vocals
Ossi Sivula - drums
Jonas Kuhlberg - bass guitar

In the new video below, guitarist Thomas Zwijsen performs an acoustic guitar arrangement of "For The Greater Good Of God”, from Iron Maiden’s 2006 album, A Matter Of Life And Death. Arranged for classical / fingerstyle guitar by Thomas Zwijsen for the Nylon Maiden double album.

The previously posted video below is an acoustic / classical / flamenco / fingerstyle guitar arrangement of “Wasted Years” by Iron Maiden, performed by Zwijsen and Ben Woods at Edgetip Studios in Arnhem (NL) during the Master Guitar Tour in Europe, 2016. The footage in this video comes from all the 19 concerts on the tour.

Check out a video below of Zwijsen and Woods covering Bruce Dickinson's "Tears Of The Dragon":

Drummer Bobby Blotzer is hopeful that the court will decide in his favor in connection with his legal dispute with the other three members of RATT's classic lineup over the rights to the band's name.

Back in November, a California judge ruled against Blotzer with respect to whether bassist Juan Croucier had committed trademark infringement by using the RATT name and logo to advertise his band RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER back in the fall 2015. The judge furthermore decided that the corporation WBS, Inc. — of which Blotzer and guitarist Warren DeMartini were thought to be the sole shareholders — did not have ownership interest in the RATT marks and that the name and brand was still owned by the members who were part of the original RATT partnership agreement.

In addition to claiming to have expelled Blotzer from the partnership following the latest court ruling, DeMartini, Croucier and singer Stephen Pearcy said that Blotzer could now only refer to himself as a "former member of RATT," as per the partnership agreement.

Blotzer's attorney later filed a request for reconsideration, and a hearing was scheduled for Monday (January 23) in a downtown Los Angeles federal courtroom.

In a Facebook post from Monday night, Blotzer confirmed that his attorney "appeared in front of the court" earlier in the day and claimed that "the court and his honor were given such a plethora of evidence that the judge is now moving on submission." He explained: "This basically means he's going to comb through the stacks of documents and then render his decision.

"We feel that it's a very strong result as in if he thought that the information/evidence wasn't very compelling or had teeth, he would have cut and there would have been a ruling in there today."

Blotzer continued: "Our guess: 1. We get the proper reversal, and fury like fire reigns on down the line. 2. Jury trial. If that happens, oh man, I can't imagine how these guys can think they'll pass these lies off on anyone with a brain.

"We'll know soon. Could be five days, could be ten.

"Can't come soon enough. Truth is a strong thing. But we'll be back on the pad [as soon as possible]. Maybe a few changes."

The RATT version featuring Pearcy, DeMartini, Croucier and later-period RATT guitarist Carlos Cavazo (ex-QUIET RIOT) is scheduled to make its first official return to the stage on February 11 at the Treasure Island Resort Casino in Welch, Minnesota.

A completely different version of RATT — led by Blotzer and featuring a revolving door of members — has been hitting stages across the country since the fall of 2015.

Blotzer's most recent lineup of RATT included singer Josh Alan alongside guitarists Mitch Perry (TALAS, HEAVEN, STEELER, MSG, LITA FORD) and Stacey Blades (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Brad Lang (Y&T).




Aloha Rattlers & greetings from GORRRRGEOUS Maui Hawaii.

So, few things to pass on to your ears (and eye,...

Posted by RATT on Monday, January 23, 2017

Three members of RATT's classic lineup — singer Stephen Pearcy, bassist Juan Croucier and guitarist Warren DeMartini — performed a full set of the band's classic songs as the "surprise band" on October 1, 2016 on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise West, also known as Monsterwood. Joining Pearcy, Croucier and DeMartini on stage at the event were former QUIET RIOT guitarist Carlos Cavazo, who played on RATT's last studio album, 2010's "Infestation", and drummer Jimmy DeGrasso, who previously played with Y&T, WHITE LION and MEGADETH, among others.

Asked if DeGrasso will once again sit behind the kit when Pearcy, Croucier, DeMartini and Cavazo start playing shows as RATT beginning next month in Welch, Minnesota, the singer told "Trunk Nation", Eddie Trunk's show on SiriusXM channel Volume (106): "I think we're still figuring that out. You know, we're taking things a little differently nowadays. Everything has to be I's dotted, T's crossed. No disrespect to anybody, but we want things done properly, we want things done right to where there's some life left in this and we can walk away going, 'Hey, that was a really good run. Let's do it again in three years.' You know what I'm saying? So we wanna do everything very meticulously — just like the approach I took on [my new solo album] 'Smash'. I mean, look, we took our time until we couldn't do anything else to it. We didn't throw more icing on it to sweeten it up; we just said, 'Hey, it is what it is.' So the same approach is going to be schematic with how we approach RATT and our business — very carefully, very meticulously and very smart."

Pearcy added that DeGrasso's touring schedule with the BLACK STAR RIDERS could conflict with RATT's upcoming live activities, but remained confident that a suitable drummer would be found in time to take part in all of RATT's shows. "There's options, believe me," he said. "You know, this time around, it's working smart, not hard. So we wanna plan on taking RATT to some of these places that we should have been and could have been and more. We wanna go to South America, Australia, Europe, Japan… I mean, we wanna cover some ground. If this is the last rodeo, you know, we're getting on it."

A completely different version of RATT — led by drummer Bobby Blotzer and featuring a revolving door of members — has been hitting stages across the country since the fall of 2015.

Last November, a California judge ruled against Blotzer with respect to whether Croucier had committed trademark infringement by using the RATT name and logo to advertise his band RATT'S JUAN CROUCIER back in the fall 2015. The judge furthermore decided that the corporation WBS, Inc. — of which Blotzer and DeMartini were thought to be the sole shareholders — did not have ownership interest in the RATT marks and that the name and brand was still owned by the members who were part of the original RATT partnership agreement.

In addition to claiming to have expelled Blotzer from the partnership following the latest court ruling, DeMartini, Croucier and singer Stephen Pearcy said that Blotzer could now only refer to himself as a "former member of RATT," as per the partnership agreement.

Blotzer's most recent lineup of RATT included singer Josh Alan alongside guitarists Mitch Perry (TALAS, HEAVEN, STEELER, MSG, LITA FORD) and Stacey Blades (L.A. GUNS) and bassist Brad Lang (Y&T).

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST are "still slaving away in the studio" working on material for the follow-up to 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" album. "It's sounding great," singer Rob Halford tells Ultimate Classic Rock in a new interview. "I can't really say any more than that, because it's still very nebulous, but it is sounding incredibly exciting and I'm sure we'll talk about that when the time comes."

Halford said last year that JUDAS PRIEST wasn't interested in making "a 'Redeemer Of Souls Part Two'." He explained: "I think it's very important that we make another stand-alone record again, a heavy metal record that's going to have its own legs and just be as different as all of them have been so far."

"Redeemer Of Souls" was released in July 2014. The follow-up to 2008's double-disc concept album "Nostradamus" was billed as a return to JUDAS PRIEST's heavy-metal roots.

Halford told Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show last year that the songwriting process was "one of the most thrilling moments for me personally in PRIEST. You go into a room with some amps, and turn the amps on, start riffing and boom, you could have another amazing PRIEST song by the end of the day. I love that part of being in PRIEST."

"Redeemer Of Souls" sold around 32,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart.

JUDAS PRIEST's tenth studio album, "Turbo", was recently remastered and will be released via Sony Music on February 3 on three CDs (the original album and two bonus discs) as well as one-LP 150-gram vinyl. Included on disc 2 and 3 of the CD reissue is, previously unreleased, "Live in Kansas City", a live recording from the band's 1986 "Fuel For Life" tour in support of "Turbo".

Atlantic Records has announced its release of "The Shack: Music From And Inspired By The Original Motion Picture", due everywhere on Friday, February 24 to coincide with the nationwide release of the film from Lionsgate's Summit Entertainment label on March 3.

"The Shack: Music From And Inspired By The Original Motion Picture" is available now for pre-order and accompanied by two instant grat downloads: "Keep Your Eyes On Me" from multi-Grammy Award-winning superstar music couple Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and "Stars (The Shack Version)" by Grammy-nominated rock band SKILLET, which is currently top 20 on Mediabase's National Christian Audience chart. Both tracks are available for purchase and streaming at all DSPs, with the latter also joined by a new companion video, which can be seen below. McGraw and Hill's "Keep Your Eyes On Me", co-penned by McGraw and Hill along with Lori McKenna and Shane McAnally, is currently featured in film trailers for "The Shack". McGraw also narrates the film and appears as the character Willie. A new soundtrack trailer revealing the album's superstar artist lineup also includes the song, as well as an exclusive audio preview of the forthcoming single from Dan + Shay, "When I Pray For You".

Featuring previously unreleased music from a wide range of contemporary stars, "The Shack: Music From And Inspired By The Original Motion Picture" includes a collaboration from multi-Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Kelly Clarkson and Grammy-nominated soul artist Aloe Blacc; as well as offerings from CMA and ACM-winning solo country artist Dierks Bentley; multi-platinum country artist Lady Antebellum; 2x Grammy Award winners for KING & COUNTRY; 6x chart-topping country artist Brett Eldredge; and Grammy-nominated rock band NEEDTOBREATHE, whose current album debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Albums chart.

Before "The Shack" opens nationwide on March 3, fans can attend an exclusive "Movie Premiere Night" in select theatres on Thursday, March 2, where they will be among the first to see the film, followed by special behind-the-scenes footage, including a taped conversation with the actors and acoustic performance of "When I Pray For You" by Dan + Shay.