Fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's January 20 concert at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland can be seen below.

BLACK SABBATH will bring its storied career to a close in its native England, with seven shows booked there in January and February. The last two, on February 2 and February 4, will take place in SABBATH's hometown of Birmingham and will likely be their final shows.

Asked if he has regrets about anything that transpired during SABBATH's nearly five-decade career, singer Ozzy Osbourne told Kerrang! magazine: "You're talking about my fucking diary! I've made a fucking idiot of myself so many times. I don't drink anymore. I haven't drunk for four years, I haven't got stoned for four years, but back in the day when I did get stoned, I was constantly making a fucking idiot of myself, falling on my arse or some crazy fucking thing."

Guitarist Tony Iommi said: "You always think there's loads of things you could've done, but would you be where you are now if you'd done them? I could say, 'Oh, I wish I hadn't done all those drugs in the early days,' but there must have been a reason, somewhere along the line, why you do these things, so you learn something and go on to the next stage. I can complain about things, but there's been a reason for it."

Stated bassist Geezer Butler: "It's hard to say because I believe in fate, and the whole thing has been guided by something else beyond us. There are things I could be unhappy about — the way we got ripped off in the '70s and stuff like that — but it's all worked its way out. Things happen for a reason, I really believe that, and there's nothing I can change about anything, so I don't really regret anything. And we've always maintained our friendship. It's almost like friends going on tour together. We went through such a lot together; we've got really strong bonds together."

BLACK SABBATH played its last show ever in the U.S. on November 12 at AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas. The gig took place nearly five years to the day that the legendary act announced their reunion.

The original lineup of SABBATH came together in 1969 with Osbourne on vocals, Iommi on guitar, Butler on bass and Bill Ward on drums. That lineup recorded and toured through 1978, and periodically reformed through the '90s and 2000s for live work.

They regrouped again in late 2011 for a new album and tour, although Ward dropped out after just a few months. The remaining trio issued the "13" album in 2013 and backed it with a successful world tour — despite Iommi being treated for lymphoma since 2012.

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman and his solo band performed on Friday, January 20 at the City National Grove Of Anaheim in Anaheim, California as the support act for METAL ALLEGIANCE. You can now watch fan-filmed video footage of his set below.

Friedman recently completed work on the follow-up to his 2014 album "Inferno" for a tentative early 2017 release via Prosthetic. The new disc was mixed by Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who performed the same duties on "Inferno" and has also worked with such acts as KREATOR, SEPULTURA, DRAGONFORCE and PARADISE LOST.

Regarding the musical direction of Friedman's new album, the guitarist stated: "This time it's even more ambitious than that album was, a bit more dense, and, with any luck, more exciting for those of you who will hear it."

He added: "There will be 11 or 12 songs in total. Sometimes a song you really love doesn't make it to the album because it doesn't fit nicely in the sequencing. Either way, we're pushing 60 minutes, so it won't be a short album."

Marty's new CD was recorded in part at Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in California with engineer Paul Fig (ALICE IN CHAINS, RUSH, DEFTONES) and was previously described by Friedman as "a way more intense version" of its predecessor: "deeper, sadder, happier and more aggressive."

Like "Inferno", Friedman's upcoming album will feature several guests, including prog-thrashers MUTOID MAN, Jørgen Munkeby of the Norwegian avant-garde jazz-metal outfit SHINING and Jinxx of Los Angeles theatrical rockers BLACK VEIL BRIDES.

Regarding how the collaboration with Jinxx came about, Friedman told Guitar World: "I'm a big fan of Jinxx and BLACK VEIL BRIDES. He came to my show in L.A. in 2015. Right after that, I was told that he plays violin. I didn't even know that! Then light bulbs went off. I thought now's the chance to really turn some heads by doing something that's a little bit, well, a lot, unexpected to my fans and his fans."

You don't need to be a die-hard '80s metal fan to know that the fruits of an artistic alliance between DANGER DANGER singer Ted Poley and guitarist/producer Steve Brown of TRIXTER is going to make melodic rock fans rejoice! The two musicians from New Jersey recently created TOKYO MOTOR FIST and the new band is ready to unleash on the world their self-titled debut album on February 24 via Frontiers Music Srl.

The song "Put Me To Shame", taken from "Tokyo Motor Fist", can be streamed below. Indeed, TOKYO MOTOR FIST is exactly what you would expect: catchy and uplifting hard rock, the way is should be! You want big — we mean, BIG — hooks? You got 'em. What about major guitar riffs? Of course there's plenty of those. Killer rhythm section? Well, with Greg Smith (TED NUGENT, RAINBOW, ALICE COOPER) and Chuck Burgi (RAINBOW, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT, JOE LYNN TURNER), you simply can't go wrong! Ted and Steve have been friends for a long time. They were playing the same club circuit with their respective bands, DANGER DANGER and TRIXTER, when both bands were starting their careers. Over the years, they've had a great personal relationship and the idea of doing a record together has been in the cards for many years. Now, thanks to Frontiers, this concept has become a reality. "To say that I'm excited for the world to hear TOKYO MOTOR FIST would be an understatement," says Steve Brown. "Working on this project with my rock and roll brothers Ted Poley, Greg Smith and Chuck Burgi was a total blast… We had fun and it shows in the performances and in the music! As a songwriter, I couldn't be happier with the way the songs came together. Fans of TRIXTER, DANGER DANGER, DEF LEPPARD, BON JOVI and CHEAP TRICK will get the best of all those worlds." Poley adds: "Working with guys of this caliber was amazing. I was excited to collaborate with my longtime friend Steve Brown, who is not only a really great songwriter and guitarist but also an insanely cool producer! The band sounds great and very high energy. The vocals of Steve and I along with his SHREDDING guitar, combined with the world-class rhythm powerhouse section of Greg Smith and Chuck Burgi is amazing. What a cool band — the sound is HUGE. But it's the songs that drew me into making this album in the beginning and the record is full of catchy songs with massive choruses and great melodies and sounds BIG BIG BIG! I am beyond THRILLED with the final result and I hope you will be too." "Tokyo Motor Fist" track listing: 01. Pickin' Up The Pieces02. Love Me Insane03. Shameless04. Love05. Black And Blue06. You're My Revolution07. Don't Let Me Go08. Put Me To Shame09. Done To Me10. Get You Off My Mind11. Fallin' Apart TOKYO MOTOR FIST is:

Ted Poley - VocalsSteve Brown - Guitar, Vocals Greg Smith - BassChuck Burgi - Drums

David Ellefson (MEGADETH), Tony MacAlpine, Jill Janus (HUNTRESS), Nita Strauss (ALICE COOPER) and Glen Sobel (ALICE COOPER) performed a cover version of the IRON MAIDEN classic "The Number Of The Beast" at the 42nd weekly "Soundcheck Live" on January 18 at Lucky Strike Live in Los Angeles, California. Check out video footage below High-quality photos are available at California Rock News.

"Soundcheck Live" is a weekly live music night that brings together the industry's top musicians alongside emerging talent to create a vibrant social experience driven by the artists.

Over the last year, Lucky Strike Live has gone through profound changes in becoming a live music and entertainment venue. The venue is known for the 2016 launch of a weekly Wednesday night series, "Soundcheck Live" where the night is formatted into three riveting acts including Meet The Cast, Guest Curated and ending with an "All Together Now" jam session, completely unrehearsed. The intimate music stage has had special guest performances by the likes of Gene Simmons, Johnny Depp, Sebastian Bach, Linda Perry, Phil X of BON JOVI, Gilby Clarke of GUNS N' ROSES, Robbie Krieger of THE DOORS and Jackson Browne.

Metallica performed in Singapore at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on January 22nd. Fan-filmed video from the show is available below. The setlist on the night was as follows:

"Hardwired"
"Atlas, Rise!"
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"Fuel"
"The Unforgiven"
"Now That We're Dead"
"Moth Into Flame"
"Wherever I May Roam"
"Confusion"
"Halo on Fire"
"Sad But True"
"One"
"Master of Puppets"
"Fade to Black"
"Seek & Destroy"

Encore:
"Fight Fire With Fire"
"Nothing Else Matters"
"Enter Sandman"

Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR have hired Schola Cantorum, one of the leading chamber choirs in Norway, to lay down some guest vocals on the band's upcoming album, due later in the year via Nuclear Blast.

In a 2014 interview with Finland's Radio Rock, DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Sven Atle Kopperud (a.k.a. Silenoz) stated about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2010's "Abrahadabra": "We always take our time [in the studio]. If we're gonna rush things, then it's not gonna be something we can stand behind anyway, so we just have to take the time it takes to make it."

He added: "I think we always need a sort of break. Maybe not this long, but after each album and touring cycle, I think every band should take a short break at least, because you need to get away from each other, just to regroup and get perspective."

DIMMU BORGIR will release its highly anticipated double DVD, "Forces Of The Northern Night", on April 14 via Nuclear Blast. The set will contain two of the band's live performances: their legendary show in Oslo, presenting DIMMU BORGIR on stage with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and a bombastic choir, as well as their entire performance at Wacken Open Air festival in 2012 in Wacken, Germany with almost a hundred musicians on stage. Both concerts present a spectacular sound scenario of raging black metal in front of an epic orchestral landscape plus the band's unique visuals.

In addition to the two concerts, "Forces Of The Northern Night" will include a bonus documentary feature.

DIMMU BORGIR's most recent touring lineup included Geir Bratland (APOPTYGMA BERZERK, THE KOVENANT) on keyboards and Terje Andersen (a.k.a. Cyrus; SUSPERIA) on bass.




"VOICES OF THE APOCALYPSE" ......

It's a wrap...Recording sessions with Schola Cantorum choir now complete 👌🏻😈🤘🏻Excellent teamwork : Jock Loveband ,Gaute Storaas ,Gerlioz ,Shagrath #DimmuBorgir2017

Posted by Dimmu Borgir on Sunday, January 22, 2017

On August 19, 2015, SLIPKNOT invited fans to film the band from their point of view at the Red Rocks show in Morrison, Colorado. The footage has been compiled and is currently being edited for a series of clips, including for the song "Killpop", which can be seen below.

SLIPKNOT percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan recently confirmed to Metal Insider that he and guitarist Jim Root will get together in early February to begin writing new music, but will not book any studio time just yet to start recording the follow-up to 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter". That disc ended a six-year drought between SLIPKNOT albums during which founding bassist Paul Gray passed away in 2010 and drummer Joey Jordison was dismissed in 2013.

With SLIPKNOT closing out the touring cycle for ".5: The Gray Chapter", singer Corey Taylor has just regrouped with his other band, STONE SOUR, to record a new set, "Hydrograd", for a mid-2017 release.

Crahan, meanwhile, is pursuing a career as a feature film director. His first effort, "Officer Downe", arrived in theaters and on-demand platforms in November.

Disturbed continue to upload video from their UK tour, this time stage view footage live in Nottingham. Check it out below along with previously released footage of the band performing their hit cover song of Simon & Garfunkel’s "The Sound Of Silence" live in Sheffield.

Disturbed are are nominated in the “Best Rock Performance” category with “The Sound Of Silence” (Live On Conan) for the 59th Grammy Awards, which will air live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 12th at 8 PM, ET, on CBS. Disturbed are up against Alabama Shakes (“Joe” Live From Austin City Limits), Beyonce featuring Jack White (“Don’t Hurt Yourself”), David Bowie (“Backstar”), and Twenty One Pilots (“Heathens”).

Veteran rockers WARRANT have set "Louder, Harder, Faster" as the title of their new album, due later in the year via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc was recorded with producer Jeff Pilson, a veteran bassist who has played with DIO, FOREIGNER, DOKKEN and T&N, among others, and is currently being mixed by Chris "The Wizard" Collier (FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, PRONG, LAST IN LINE).

Speaking to "The Rock Brigade" podcast, WARRANT singer Robert Mason stated about the long-awaited follow-up to 2011's "Rockaholic" (hear audio below): "Our songs are turning out really cool. I'm pretty freakin' proud of this. I'm about as proud of this, vocally and performance-wise, as I was… I mean, the 'Rockaholic' record I love — still do — but the CRY OF LOVE record that I did a bunch of years ago, I'm still fiercely proud of those vocal performances. And it's not a reflection about the songs or the style or anything like that. It's just… For my two seconds of being selfish, 'cause I'm a lead singer and that's what people expect of me anyway, I'm really proud of the vocal performances on this record. And, obviously, we all do our part."

On the subject of the new WARRANT album title, Mason said: "Here's the way that came about. On stage, since probably '09, '10, '11… I don't remember when; maybe it was after our record [was released]. But as a thing to say between… It kind of just came out of my mouth one day — 'louder, harder, faster' — and I screamed it into the microphone and we started the next song. It was kind of one of those dumb things lead singers say to break up the dead air between songs in live shows. And it kind of stuck in my head and I started doing it. It was a thing I kind of started saying. And one day I had a riff in my hands and a guitar in my house, or in a hotel room, and then it turned into, 'Oh, guys, by the way, I wrote this song. It's called 'Louder, Harder, Faster'.' And I think I half-drunkenly said in a hotel bar one night, maybe three or four years ago, 'Oh, by the way, the record should be called 'Louder, Harder, Faster', 'cause I have this fucking song.' And, you know, that's what cocky lead singers say to their guitar players. And I think Joey Allen [WARRANT guitarist] was, like, 'Yeah, yeah. Blah blah blah. I'll believe it when I hear it.' So there you go. When we came up with the songs for this record, it just kind of became obvious that that was the… If you're gonna name it after one of the songs, there you go."

Regarding the musical direction of WARRANT's new album, Mason said: "I wanted to come out with a record that… And I know it almost sounds pompous to say, so I really hope people take this in the right spirit. True fans maybe will. My initial vision for this was, musically and sonically, between the big-anthem, memorable, hooky kind of stuff of 'Cherry Pie' [1990] and then the little bit darker, little bit harder of 'Dog Eat Dog' [1992]. And it kind of like… Towards the writing of it, [Jerry] Dixon's [WARRANT bassist] got a real pop sense, I just wanna do rock and scream. I talked with Joey early on, and I'm, like, 'Dude, I want this thing to just crush. We're not getting any younger. How many more years can we do a real serious rock record before it's comical because we're 70?' You know, like, really?"

WARRANT guitarist Erik Turner spoke to the "Talking Metal" podcast last fall about how the band's new material was shaping up. He stated at the time: "I would call it a cross between classic '70s hard rock and '80s hard rock that we're known for, from everything that I'm hearing from the demos. It's pretty rocking stuff, but it has that melodic sensibility. We all grew up on pretty much the same bands. Robert's heavily influenced by not only '80s rock bands but guys like BAD COMPANY, Paul Rodgers, Steve Marriott… So a little more grit, a little more blues, rock, I would say, with some good melodies… That's how I would describe it."

At the helm for "Rockaholic" was mega-producer Keith Olsen (OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE, SCORPIONS), while the mixing duties were handled by Pat Regan (KISS, DEEP PURPLE, TED NUGENT).

WARRANT solidified its current lineup in 2008 when Mason joined the four original WARRANT members: Turner, Dixon, Allen and drummer Steven Sweet.

Former WARRANT singer Jani Lane suffered from "acute ethanol poisoning" when he died in August 2011 at a Comfort Inn motel room in Woodland Hills, California. The singer had battled alcoholism for years and also had a history of alcohol-related arrests.

Gavin Rossdale has confirmed that he has completed work on the new BUSH album, to be released later in the year.

The disc was mastered on January 17, less than an hour before Rossdale was interviewed by The New Music Buzz on the red carpet of the premiere of the "The Space Between Us" movie at ArcLight in Hollywood (see video below).

When asked about the sound of the follow-up to 2014's "Man On The Run", the 51-year-old rocker told Metro: "My whole career I've been trying to make music that's a hybrid of rock and electronic. I'd say it's a textured, approachable and commercial record. People are going to fucking love it."

The BUSH frontman was recently named a mentor on the U.K. version of the popular singing reality show "The Voice".

Asked why he took on the job, Gavin, who was previously married to Gwen Stefani, said: "I thought it would be interesting to find a superstar in England.

"'The Voice' around the world hasn't managed to produce anyone, so It's a challenge.

"And I wanted to be back in England — it gives a different slant to my already manic life."

"Man On The Run" was released in October 2014. It followed up BUSH's 2011 comeback effort, "The Sea Of Memories", which was the first all-new BUSH album in a decade.

BUSH recorded "Man On The Run" at Studio 606, the private studio owned by FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl.

Bay Area band Cultural Warfare are a unique combination of traditional metal and aggressive, melodic thrash metal topped by the powerful vocals of Jacques Serrano (Taunted). The group will be releasing their Future Kill EP this Friday, January 27th on M-Theory Audio. Produced by Juan Urteaga (Machine Head, Testament, Exodus), mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Fates Warning, Faith No More) and featuring cover art by Brian Lewis (DevilDriver, Black Label Society), this specially priced five-song EP showcases a promising young band's abilities.

In tandem, Cultural Warfare release a lyric video for the EP’s title track, “Future Kill”, following up on the popular “Defy The Blade” lyric video that initially caught the M-Theory Audio label’s attention.

“We are very excited to release our next video, ‘Future Kill’, from our EP of the same name,” explains drummer Kevin Doughty. “‘Future Kill’ is essentially a spin on a futuristic World War 3. The apocalypse or the almighty Cultural Warfare! Politics, division, false media, and corruption will lead us to this if we do not take a stand. This song is also a precursor to our full-length that we will release by the end of the year. That album will have songs that describe our world in a post-apocalyptic environment and what the human condition will be. It will also show the perseverance of humanity to rebuild the human race. Enjoy the new clip, and we’re excited to be releasing our EP, this Friday. The Future Kill is upon you!”

Future Kill will be available online at all outlets, and physical copies of the CD can be ordered directly from the label at this location.

Hailing out of Oakland, California, Cultural Warfare is made up of four seasoned musicians with one common goal. Former Taunted members vocalist Jacques Serrano and bassist Pete Aguilar join forces with Cultural Warfare alum guitarist Billy Garoutte and drummer Kevin Doughty to form the heaviest lineup of CW to date. All four members having long standing roots in the Bay Area back to the golden age of thrash metal, Cultural Warfare understands as well as anyone the rich history and lineage that bands like Metallica, Exodus, Death Angel, Testament, Forbidden, and Vio-lence started in the '80s.

 

 

Queens, New York deathcore act Footage Of A Yeti have released their new album Purging The Human Condition.

Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Kevin Antreassian of Backroom Studios (The Dillinger Escape Plan), Purging The Human Condition features a total of seven tracks including titles such as, “D.R.E.A.M. [Death Rules Everything Around Me]”, “Death Prayer”, and “Wretched World.”

To celebrate its release, members Mike Pellegrino (lead vocals), Vincent Heffron (guitar), John Alaimo (guitar), Brian Ginzberg(drums) and Jesse Heimowitz (bass) have premiered the “Wretched World” video, directed by Nicholas Prainito.

Tracklisting:

“D.R.E.A.M. [Death Rules Everything Around Me]”
“Purging The Human Condition Part 1”
“Purging The Human Condition Part 2”
“Wretched World”
“Hellgate”
“Deceiver Deceiver”
“Death Prayer” (featuring Tyler Shelton of Traitors)

“Death Prayer”:

In live news, Footage Of A Yeti will return to the road next month, confirmed shows are as listed:

February
3 - Fearcliff Sk8 Park - Woodbridge, VA
4 – Swayzes - Marietta, GA
6 – HBGB - Brunswick, GA
7 - Uncle Lou's Pub - Orlando, FL
9 – The Juke Joint – Ocean Springs, MS
10 – The Atomic Pop Shop - Baton Rouge, LA
11 - Grizzly Hall - Austin, TX
12 – Boozers Bar – Corpus Christi, TX
13 – Freakshow Studio – Dallas, TX
15 – Malverne City Park, Malverne, AZ
17 – Triad Underground – Jamestown, NC
18 – 37th & Zen – Virginia Beach, VA

(Photo credit: Brenda Cespedes)

 

Melodic metal band, Starchild, have launched a trailer video for their upcoming studio album, set for release in spring 2017. Watch the trailer below and stay tuned for complete details, coming soon.

Starchild lineup:

Sandro Giampietro - vocals/guitars
Kai Stringer - guitars
Aiex Landenburg - drums
Benedikt Zimniak - bass

"Desolation Architect", a brand new song from LOCK UP — the international grindcore "supergroup" featuring Kevin Sharp (BRUTAL TRUTH, PRIMATE, VENOMOUS CONCEPT), Anton Reisenegger (PENTAGRAM, CRIMINAL), Shane Embury (NAPALM DEATH, BRUJERIA, VENOMOUS CONCEPT) and Nick Barker (CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR) — can be streamed below. The track is taken from LOCK UP's forthcoming album, "Demonization", which will be released on March 10 via Listenable. The disc was recorded at Parlour Recording Studios in Kettering, U.K. with longtime friend and acclaimed producer Russ Russell (THE EXPLOITED, NAPALM DEATH, EVILE, THE BERZERKER, DIMMU BORGIR).

Wonders Embury in considering the track's theme, "From conception to dissolution, what do we leave behind? Or what can we? If our lives could be compared to a canvas of artwork, how defined and inspirational will it be to our next of kin? Was it fulfilled and true? Can they learn from the mistakes we all make?"

"Demonization" track listing:

01. Blood And Emptiness02. The Decay Within The Abyss03. Locust04. Demonization05. Demons Raging06. Desolation Architect07. Instruments Of Armageddon08. Sunk09. The Plague That Stalks The Darkness10. Foul From The Pure11. Mind Fight12. Void13. Secret Parallel World14. We Challenge Death

"Demonization" is the first LOCK UP album to feature "vokillist" Kevin Sharp, who replaced Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES) in 2014.

Kevin made his live debut with LOCK UP at Manizales Grita Rock festival in Colombia in October 2014.

"Demonization" has been long in the making for a variety of reasons. Logistically, the band is based in different corners of the globe. Life invades at any given moment, disrupting the thought process as it does for anyone. At the same time, the realities/brutalities of life have also inspired the band's creative process in many ways.

Lyrically, this record deals with the rise and the fall and the rise again of the human consciousness: The struggle to resist the powers that be, the addiction of escape, the turmoil of reality, and how to survive the carnage and come out stronger....the reborn phoenix!

Musically, Reisenegger's riffs scream out in every mutated direction — fast, heavy and darkly colorful manifesting a true homage to the underground from which the band members all originate while simultaneously setting new standards in extremity. Barker's drumming surpasses lightning speeds of precision. The chaos is joyfully indefinable as he charges through the compositions like a bull to the red flag of hate. Embury's bass tones once again invoke rapid, low-end bestial movements to carry the lost souls across The River Styx! And Sharp, what needs to be said? Nearly thirty years of guttural exorcisms that continue to inspire the world underdogs. It just doesn't get any better that this.

Sainted Sinners are fronted by the unique, soul-driven voice of American born vocalist David Reece (Accept, Bonfire) and highly gifted guitar player Frank Pané. Rounding out Sainted Sinners are keyboard player Ferdy Doernberg (Axel Rudi Pell), and the dynamic rhythm section of two former Purpendicular members Malte Frederik Burkert on bass, and Hungarian drum maestro Berci Hillman.

El Puerto Records will release the band's self-titled debut album on February 24th. To tide fans over, the first official trailer can be viewed below.

Tracklisting:

"Knight Of The Long Knives"
"Beauty In The Beast"
"Maybe She's Got Balls"
"We're All Sainted Sinners"
"Blue Lightning Man"
"The Love That I Have Found"
"Did You"
"In Need"
"Evangeline"
"Shine Diamond Girl"
"Truth Is A Lie"

(Photo by Matt Bischof)

 

French extreme metallers, Betraying The Martyrs, will release their third studio album, The Resilient, on January 27th via Sumerian Records. Following recent singles “The Great Disillusion” and “Lost For Words”, the band has issued a track by track preview.

Says the band: ”We are extremely pleased and proud to announce the release date of our third full-length album, The Resilient, out January 27th on Sumerian Records. After over a year and a half of hard work, taking into consideration our strengths and our weaknesses, looking back on our success and more importantly our downfalls, we can honestly say that this is by far the best material we have written since the beginning of this incredible journey. Betraying The Martyrs has been taken to a whole new level, we couldn't be more excited to share the result of everything we have lived since day one; we are back.”

The Resilient tracklisting:

“Lost For Words”
“Take Me Back”
“The Great Disillusion”
“Dying To Live”
“The Resilient”
“Unregistered”
“Won't Back Down”
“(Dis)Connected”
“Behind The Glass”
“Waste My Time”
“Ghost”
“Wide Awake”

“Lost For Words” video:

“The Great Disillusion” video:

To coincide with the announcement, pre-order bundles and digital pre-orders have been made available along with their new singles “Lost For Words” and “The Great Disillusion”:

* iTunes
* Amazon
* GooglePlay
* CD/Merch Bundles

Betraying The Martyrs tour Europe as main support to Chelsea Grin on February 3rd through March 5th, where they’ll be joined by Make Them Suffer and Void Of Vision.

Further tour info can be found at this location.

 

A mere two months after the release of their sophomore album, II - The Mephisto Waltzes, Witch County nefarious frights Devilment have begun work on the follow-up. 

"In the cold depths of deepest, bleakest Suffolk, Devilment 3 breathes its first breath," reads a statement from the band. "With Dani away on Cradle Of Filth album duty, Devilment guitarist, Colin Parks, has begun work on the first three tracks of the new album.

The rest of the band will soon be unleashed on these foundations to help make it uniquely Devilment, with an even heavier yet equally melodic sound to the last outing, these are shaping up nicely.

Live dates for 2017 are to be announced soon with shows slithering through as we speak."

In the meantime, enjoy the official video for "Hitchcock Blonde" from II - The Mephisto Waltzes.

 

The new studio album from Unruly Child, entitled Can't Go Home, will be released on February 24th. The new song “Point Of View” is available for streaming below.

Marcie Free (vocalist - King Kobra, Signal), Bruce Gowdy (guitarist - Stone Fury, World Trade), and Guy Allison (keyboardist - Lodgic, World Trade, Doobie Brothers) together with the original rhythm section from the first record, drummer - Jay Schellen (Hurricane, World Trade, current touring member of YES) and bassist - Larry Antonino (Pablo Cruise), are back again with an awesome rock album, which will please old and new fans alike.

"Early in 2016, we decided to make time and give it a go once again with all five Unruly Child members," says Guy Allison. "The new album, Can't Go Home, has now become my favourite set of Unruly Child Band songs and performances ever. True story!"

The group has generated an exciting new album reflecting its musical roots in contemporary and classic rock sensibilities. With the return to the original line-up from the debut album, they have discovered that while time may pass, some things never change...

"We are so excited with this new album coming out in February," adds Marcie Free. "And if you find that you still got the heebie-jeebies after that and are in need of another transfusion of Unruly - try a shot of our new box set coming out too!  It's got practically everything we've ever done in it and that should hold over even the most shakiest UC junkies for at least as long as it takes before we hit your area for some live shows!  So come on get on board baby!  The UC Train is about to blast off!!"

The band is, in fact. also working on a box set release of their independent albums, which will see the light of day in spring on Frontiers. "We put together all the earlier material that's out of print (the first album non-withstanding - you know, lawyers!) together in one package - one box set - to make available to our fans," concludes Guy. News about the box set release will be coming soon.

With so much excitement centered around their new record, it has sparked talk of touring...Will they hit the road? News will also be coming on that front very shortly.

Can't Go Home tracklisting:

“The Only One”
“Four Eleven”
“Driving Into The Future”
“Get On Top”
“See If She Floats”
“She Can't Go Home”
“Point Of View”
“Ice Cold Sunshine”
“When Love Is Here”
“Sunlit Sky”
“Someday Somehow”

“Point Of View”:

“She Can't Go Home”:

“Can’t Go Home”:

Lineup:

Marcie Free - Vocals
Bruce Gowdy - Guitars
Guy Allison - Keyboards
Larry Antonino - Bass guitar
Jay Schellen - Drums

Greek heavy metal band, Diviner, have released a video for “Riders From The East”, a track from their debut album, Fallen Empires, released last November via Ulterium Records.

Fallen Empires is a very strong heavy metal album that keeps the legacy from the genre but at the same time sounds new and inspired. Perfect for fans of bands like Accept, Dio, Judas Priest and Iced Earth. Mastered by Peter In de Betou (Arch Enemy, Opeth, Amon Amarth).

Fallen Empires tracklisting:

“Fallen Empires”
“Kingdom Come”
“Evilizer”
“Riders From The East”
“The Legend Goes On”
“Come Into My Glory”
“Seven Gates”
“The Shadow And The Dark”
“Sacred War”
“Out In The Abyss”

“Evilizer” video:

“Come Into My Glory” lyric video:

Diviner is:

Yiannis Papanikolaou (Rock ’N’ Roll Children, ex-Innerwish) - Vocals
Thimios Krikos (Innerwish) - Guitar
George Maroulees (4bitten) - Guitar
Herc Booze (SiXforNinE) - Bass
Fragiskos Samoilis (Innerwish) - Drums

British metal legends JUDAS PRIEST recently announced the reissue of their tenth studio album, "Turbo". The album has been 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.

Originally released in 1986, "Turbo" features all the hallmarks of classic PRIEST on tracks such as "Turbo Lover", "Parental Guidance" and "Locked In".

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".

Speaking to "The Rock Brigade" podcast, JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford stated about "Turbo"'s more experimental sound at the time of its release: "Much like everything that we've done, we've kind of reflected on where we've been and what we are trying to aim for next.

"The big thing about this record is that for the first time in a long time, we were able to take our time.

"There was a period in the early '80s when PRIEST was literally banging out a record every year and a world tour every year. How did we do that, I don't know. It was just that we were running on fire, we were having the times of our lives, we had deadlines to meet, we had an incredible thing going with the label."

He continued: "So here's the deal. 'Turbo', the middle of the 1980s, right? We had a little bit of time to kind of pull back and take our time to make this record. So we were in a different place. I mean, I was in a different place, because I had so much coke up my nose, I don't know how I got through every day of the week, because I was raging at that point, personally.

"What I'm trying to say is, America in 1986 and the mid-'80s was… wherever you went, there was incredible things happening in rock and metal. I always kind of reflect as the '80s, particularly in America, as being one of the greatest decades for our kind of music. So we were wrapped up in all that, we were wrapped up in all that excitement and good times and party-party-party. And I think that we were just… we were making the record. The bulk of the record was made in America. Going down to Whisky, hanging out on the [Sunset] Strip, in Miami… Man, it was an absolute blast. And I think we were just… We were loving that moment, you know. The band was having a great time, and there was a lot of that in the music on 'Turbo'."

Disc One - Turbo: Remastered 01. Turbo Lover02. Locked In03. Private Property04. Parental Guidance05. Rock You All Around The World 06. Out In The Cold07. Wild Nights, Hot & Crazy Days08. Hot For Love09. Reckless

Disc Two - Live At The Kemper Arena, Kansas City

01. Out In The Cold 02. Locked In 03. Heading Out To The Highway 04. Metal Gods05. Breaking The Law06. Love Bites 07. Some Heads Are Gonna Roll 08. The Sentinel 09. Private Property 10. Desert Plains 11. Rock You All Around The World

Disc Three - Live At The Kemper Arena, Kansas City

01. The Hellion 02. Electric Eye 03. Turbo Lover 04. Freewheel Burning 05. Victim Of Changes 06. The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown) 07. Living After Midnight 08. You've Got Another Thing Coming 09. Hell Bent For Leather

Purchase the set at this location.

Guitarist Andreas Kisser spoke to Hot Metal about SEPULTURA's mindset when it came to finding a replacement for Max Cavalera, the iconic frontman who suddenly exited the group twenty years ago at the height of SEPULTURA's success.

"Since Max left, we never try to replace him. Derrick [Green, current SEPULTURA frontman] is such a different guy, a different musician. He doesn't have the guitar playing of the thrash school. That's why he doesn't play guitar. But we use new elements and we take SEPULTURA to different ways and different levels and different experiences. So in that sense' there is nothing to be missed. It's something that we are not trying to reproduce something that was done before. But rather we do what we do today."

Kisser added that it would have been "stupid" for SEPULTURA to find a new vocalist who was similar to, or that emulated, Max. "I think that's why we're [still] here," he said. "We take SEPULTURA to new levels, and regardless of the formation.

"Derrick's an amazing guy. I'm so glad he's with us. We went through a lot of criticism and a lot of fucked up accusations and all that bullshit. Derrick's here twenty years on doing an amazing job. I'm so glad we have him in the band. It really helped to keep SEPULTURA alive strong and well."

He continued: "It was not easy to be here, especially for him to be fronting SEPULTURA after Max, and, of course, Max is very charismatic and very strong onstage and everything. But Derrick found his way and he found his own way to represent SEPULTURA and that's fantastic. He's a great partner in crime, for sure."

Max recently slammed the current lineup of SEPULTURA, implying in an interview that the band hasn't written any high-quality material since his exit from the group more than two decades ago. "Tell me one great song they have written since I left," he told Metal Rules. "Name one great album they have put out after that. I haven't seen anything. I don't know one name of one song as popular as 'Roots Bloody Roots'. So, it just tells me like whatever they are doing, I don't know how they keep on going. I don't think it's working at all. But somehow they keep on going, somehow. It's crazy to me."

In 1996, Max exited SEPULTURA after the rest of the band fired his wife Gloria as their manager.

The current SEPULTURA lineup — featuring Kisser, Green and bassist Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. alongside Eloy Casagrande on drums — released its new studio album, "Machine Messiah", on January 13 via Nuclear Blast.

KORN frontman Jonathan Davis has launched a two-week t-shirt brand campaign with Merchful to help those that are suffering from bullying or suicidal thoughts.

Davis explains: "As you know, bullying is something a lot of people have to deal with, and many times that type of harassment leads to suicide.

"Let's help shine a light on this crap, let's be weird, let's be different, but always be yourself.

"Let's see how many people we can get behind this movement."

Get your official "Freaks Do It Better" shirt at Merchful.com.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the non-profit organizations the American Foundation For Suicide Prevention and Stomp Out Bullying.

Back in 2014, KORN released a song called "Hater" — the lead single off the band's world tour edition deluxe reissue album, "The Paradigm Shift: World Tour Edition". Directed by Yarvo Productions, the accompanying video featured fan-submitted video clips where they shared personal experiences of being a victim of bullying, abuse or hatred and how that affected them.

Davis told Loudwire of "Hater": "I think it's for everybody. I don't understand what's going on with society today where it's to the point where kids are getting bullied to the point they blow their fucking heads off or people hate on people because they have stuff that they don't have. Somebody needs to go out and take a belt and whip those kids' asses like they used to back in the day. Something fucking happened, something switched and everyone thought it was funny and okay, so I just wanted to do … a self-empowering kind of song."

Gun N' Roses brought their Not In This Lifetime tour to Japan this weekend, kicking it off in Osaka on January 21st at Kyocera Dome. Video from the show can be viewed below. The setlist on the night was as follows:

"It's So Easy"
"Mr. Brownstone"
"Chinese Democracy"
"Welcome to the Jungle"
"Double Talkin' Jive"
"Better"
"Estranged"
"Live and Let Die" (Wings cover)
"Rocket Queen"
"You Could Be Mine"
"Attitude" (Misfits cover)
"This I Love"
"Civil War"
"Coma"
"Speak Softly Love" (Love Theme From The Godfather)
"Sweet Child O' Mine"
"Wish You Were Here" (Pink Floyd cover) 
"November Rain"
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (Bob Dylan cover)
"Nightrain"

Encore:
"Patience"
"The Seeker" (The Who cover)
"Paradise City"

The resurgent Guns N' Roses and their massively successful Not In This Lifetime Tour continue to show no signs of slowing down as the legendary band storms into 2017 with more than 30 stadium shows lined up across Europe and North America.  Starting on May 27th, 2017 at Dublin’s Slane Castle, the Live Nation produced tour will then steamroll into 18 more cities across the UK and Europe including shows scheduled in London, Paris, Madrid, Vienna, Copenhagen and more.  Following the European leg of the tour, the acclaimed band will once again return to North America for even more stadium dates starting on 27 July at the Dome At America’s Center in St. Louis, MO and then move along to 15 more cities across the US and Canada including Denver, Vancouver, Edmonton, Montreal, Minneapolis, Miami and more.  Tickets go on sale beginning Friday, December 9th in Canada and Europe, and Saturday, December 10th in the United States.

The Not In This Lifetime Tour has sold over two million tickets throughout 2016 to become the year’s most successful rock tour proving beyond a doubt that the attitude, spirit and influence of both Guns N’ Roses and the rock n’ roll genre are as strong as ever.  The history-making Not In This Lifetime Tour, which visited 21 cities (25 shows) in less than two months, wrapped the first North America leg last summer before setting its eyes on South America.  In South America, the band completely sold out all 15 dates of the tour including 13 stadium dates.  

Following the group’s 1985 formation, Guns N’ Roses injected unbridled, unrivalled, and unstoppable attitude into the burgeoning Los Angeles rock scene. The spirit went on to captivate the entire world with the release of their 1987 debut Appetite for Destruction –the best-selling U.S. debut ever, moving 30 million copies globally.  In 1991, the seven-time platinum Use Your Illusion I and Use Your Illusion II occupied the top two spots of the Billboard Top 200 upon release. Over the course of the past decade, Guns N’ Roses have performed sold out shows and headlined festivals worldwide following the critically acclaimed release of 2008’s RIAA platinum-certified Chinese Democracy. Six studio albums later, Guns N’ Roses are one of the most important and influential acts in music history and continue to set the benchmark for live performances connecting with millions of fans across the globe. Guns N’ Roses’ are Axl Rose (vocals, piano), Duff McKagan (bass), Slash (lead guitar), Dizzy Reed (keyboard), Richard Fortus (rhythm guitar), Frank Ferrer (drums), and Melissa Reese (keyboard).

Guns ‘N Roses – Not In This Lifetime Tour 2017 Europe dates:

May
27 - Slane Castle Dublin, Ireland
30 - Estadio San Mames - Bilbao, Spain

June
2 - Passeio Martimo De Alges - Lisbon, Portugal
4 - Estadio Vicente Calderon - Madrid, Spain
7 - Letzigrund Stadium - Zurich, Switzerland
10 - Autodromo - Imola, Italy
13 - Olympiastadion - Munich, Germany
16 - London Stadium - London, GB
20 - Stadion Energie Gdansk - Gdansk, Poland
22 - Messe - Hannover, Germany
24 - Werchter Classic - Werchter, Belgium
27 - Telia Parken - Copenhagen, Denmark
29 - Friends Arena - Stockholm, Sweden

July
1 - Kantolan Tapahtumapuisto - Hämeenlinna, Finland
4 - Letnany Airport - Prague, Czech Republic
7 - Stade De France - Paris, FR
10 - Ernst Happel Stadium - Vienna, Austia
12 - Goffertpark - Nijmegen, Netherlands
15 - Hayarkon Park - Tel Aviv, Israel

Guns ‘N Roses – Not In This Lifetime Tour 2017 North America dates:

July
27 - The Dome at America's Center - St. Louis, MO
30 - U.S. Bank Stadium - Minneapolis, MN

August
2 - Sports Authority Field at Mile High - Denver, CO
8 - Miami Marlins Stadium - Miami, FL
11 - BB&T Field - Winston-Salem, NC
13 - Hersheypark Stadium - Hershey, PA
16 - New Era Field - Buffalo, NY
19 - Parc Jean Drapeau - Montreal, QC
21 - TD Place Stadium - Ottawa, ON
24 - Investors Group Field - Winnipeg, MB
27 - Mosaic Stadium - Regina, SK
30 - Commonwealth Stadium - Edmonton, AB

September
1 - BC Place Stadium - Vancouver, BC
3 - The Gorge  - George, WA
6 - Sun Bowl Stadium - El Paso, TX
8 - Alamodome - San Antonio, TX

"Era", the new video from Swedish progressive metallers OPETH, can be seen below. The beautifully shot, cinematic clip was directed by Markus Hofko and features stunning visuals that perfectly sync with the band's dynamic music.

Commented OPETH mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt: "I have to say our involvement in the making of the 'Era' video was so minimal we can't take credit either for or against its brilliance.

"We did 3D scans of our bodies (clothed) in Munich during the last European tour. I remember everyone was extremely tired and probably slightly hungover. The director just placed us in a ice-cold room and then scanned us with something that looked like a flashing hairdryer. Done! We've done our part for the video. Next!

"During the process of finishing the piece, it got clear to me that it really works with the song. That's something I was involved in actually, picking the song. It's extremely difficult. Which song to choose? How do I know what works best for this format? Well, I don't. I picked a song from the record that has a strong chorus. Slightly old-school way of thinking, I guess, but ultimately it didn't matter all that much to me.

"The video is nice. I dig it. It's slightly on the pretentious side, but hey, works for me! And like I said, it really works with the overall vibe of the song. Lyrically and musically and definitely emotionally."

"Era" is taken from OPETH's twelfth album, "Sorceress", which was released at the end of September.

For the band's first effort for Nuclear Blast via OPETH's imprint label Moderbolaget Records, the group returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from QUEEN, RUSH and JUDAS PRIEST, where the Swedes had tracked "Pale Communion" in 2014 with Tom Dalgety

"It's got a little bit of everything," Åkerfeldt told Guitar World about the album's musical direction. "There are some progressive moments, some jazz moments, some acoustic things. And even though it's not a death-metal record, it's still got some really heavy moments in there as well."

Vocalist Steve Grimmett of STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER, the revamped version of the cult '80s British metal act GRIM REAPER, remains in a South American hospital after being refused flight home when the airline disallowed him to board on Saturday evening. Grimmett has been battling a life-threatening condition for a week after being rushed to a local hospital in Ecuador; the singer was amidst a tour in support of STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER's latest album, "Walking In The Shadows". Grimmett's wife, Amelia Grimmett, has been updating fans around the globe of the singer's condition via the band's official Facebook page since the reports started to surface on January 14. "[On] Saturday [January 14], whilst doing a gig in Ecuador, Steve was taken very ill," she noted. "He finished the gig sitting down but was transported to a local hospital immediately after the performance where they operated to remove an infection." In an interview with Jimmy Kay of "The Metal Voice" this past weekend, Mrs. Grimmett further detailed the situation. "The band was only ten days into a South American tour when Steve began to feel ill," she said. "He took some tablets thinking it was maybe altitude sickness. However, during the early part of the band's performance, Steve's health went downhill quickly. He was taken to hospital and rushed into surgery to attempt to remove a growing infection on his foot. The following morning, they scanned him and confirmed the infection had spread. He was rushed back in to surgery and was told he would at minimum lose a few toes, worst-case scenario his foot. Additional tests were conducted and the infection had again spread. On Wednesday, a decision was made for a third operation; one that resulted in doctors removing Steve's right leg below the knee in order to stop the infection that could, if allowed to spread, take his life." Fans have taken to social media since initial reports started to appear regarding the beloved singer. Now an official fundraising page has been created to help Steve with costs that are quickly rising. Donations can be made here. Grimmett is currently expected to return to England on Friday. "Steve is booked on a plane to fly home this week," notes Amelia. She shares: "The rest of the band has now flown back so Steve will be on his own in the hospital but he says he's okay. The embassy has promised they will look after him and get him back to the U.K. safely." Steve Grimmett has issued the following statement: "I would like to thank my band mates for their support and to our fans for doing the same." Amelia adds: "I am overwhelmed with all the messages of support. Even though this was a life-changing operation, it saved Steve's life, and me and the rest of our family are eternally grateful." All previously announced STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER dates are cancelled.

Former GREAT WHITE and current JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell has weighed in on underdog Donald Trump's stunning upset of Hillary Clinton in the U.S. presidential election, saying that he "would take" the real estate mogul "over Hillary any day."

Trump shocked the political establishment and the world by becoming the 45th president in one of the biggest upsets in U.S. political history. He won with 306 electoral votes compared to 232 for Hillary Clinton. 270 were needed to win. Clinton, however, handily won the popular vote, despite losing the overall election.

Speaking to Seb Di Gatto for The Metal Gods Meltdown, Jack said about the U.S. election outcome (hear audio below): "You know, I'll tell you what… I would take [Trump] over Hillary any day. To me, she's just a crook. The fact that she hasn't shown her face since then kind of tells you a lot. As far as being a president? I don't know. I mean, I hope he does what he says he does. I think he has the right ideas in mind, but we'll see. I just think now he's getting blamed a lot in the press over here for stuff that Obama did. He's only been in the office one day. It's, like, hey, wait. Give the guy a chance. He hasn't even had a chance to poop in the White House yet. You know what I mean? Give the guy a chance."

He continued: "I'm not into politics, really, and I don't vote. I can't vote, 'cause I'm an ex-felon. But if I could, I would have voted for [Trump]. It wasn't like we had a bunch of choices… He was the one… I've gotta had it to him, man. He pulled it off, and for a guy that's not a politician… And that's what I like about him — he's not a politician; he's a businessman. And this country is just basically a big business, a giant corporation, and it needs to be run like that. It doesn't need to be run by politicians with nothing but their own agendas."

Russell added: "The government has its hands in too much stuff, and it needs to be brought back to the people. Obamacare is the biggest piece of crap ever. I'm paying fifteen hundred dollars a month for insurance, just for me, and I call up and I go, 'Yeah, I need this prescription. My doctor said it's gonna fix me right up.' 'Oh, that's not on your formula. You can't have that.' I'm, like, why is my insurance company telling me how to treat…? Why are they the ones that are responsible for treating me? It should be a doctor. But they say, 'No, you can't have that.' I'm, like, 'Then what am I paying all this money for?' That's a lot of money for one guy, you know, for insurance for a month. That's a lot of money. It's, like, dude, really? I can make a house payment with that, on a nice house."

The singer went on to say: "If they [Democrats] would have won, you wouldn't have seen Republicans out there doing all these demonstrations and stuff. As a matter of fact, I'm looking at one right now — right in front of my marina. I live on a boat — me and my wife. I'm a big sport fisher. And I'm sitting here in the marina office and I'm looking outside and there's a huge march. Everybody's wearing pink bikinis — women's equal rights. I guess they're protesting that they're not gonna get birth control for free; people have to pay for their birth control pills. Well, why not? I've gotta pay for condoms, if I want. Men have gotta pay for their own contraception. Why should women get 'em for free? How is that equal rights?

"People are always doing something or against something. It's just I've never seen the country so divided, and it's sad. It should be, 'Okay, we don't really like him, but let's just give him a chance.' If Hillary would have won, I wouldn't have been protesting. I just would have said, 'Okay, that's the way it is. Let's see how she does.' And I would have probably moved to some other country. [Laughs] I would have been across the pond quick."

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's debut album, "He Saw it Comin'" (originally titled "The Gauntlet"), will be released on January 27 via Frontiers Music Srl. The disc features Jack Russell alongside former GREAT WHITE bassist-turned-guitarist Tony Montana (as a guitar player and keyboardist), Dan McNay (MONTROSE) on bass, Robby Lochner (FIGHT) on guitar and Dicki Fliszar (BRUCE DICKINSON) on drums.

Swiss extreme metallers SAMAEL have signed a worldwide deal with Napalm Records. The band is working on a new album, to be released later in 2017. Founded in 1987 as an old-school black metal act that was influenced by the likes of BATHORY, fellow countrymen CELTIC FROST and VENOM, SAMAEL — led by brothers Vorph and Xy — developed its style further towards a more industrial dark metal sound that found its high peak in legendary albums such as "Passage" and "Eternal". Commented Napalm's A&R Sebastian Münch: "I could not be prouder! Today we would like to announce the worldwide signing of the Swiss cult band SAMAEL! SAMAEL has created some of the most lethal and authentic black metal albums with 'Blood Ritual' and 'Ceremony Of Opposites'! With a more industrial approach later on, masterpieces likes 'Passage' and 'Eternal' saw the light of day! To make a long story short, SAMAEL are musical geniuses and we are happy to continue, together, this success story! Welcome to the Napalm family!" Added the band: "We're thrilled to announce that we've tightened the knot with Napalm Records for the release of our new album! We're looking forward to this exciting alliance for what will undoubtedly be the most important record in the SAMAEL history! "We've been around long enough to appreciate the importance of collaboration when it comes to turn projects into reality. We still have many great things to achieve and our partnership with Napalm Records will most certainly help us in doing so. "2017 is the year! With a dynamic and enthusiastic team behind us and with the help of our dedicated fans we're more than ready to unleashed new music upon the world... More to follow soon!"

SAMAEL is:

Vorph: Guitar, VocalsXy: Drums, PercussionsMakro: GuitarDrop: Bass

STONE SOUR has set "Hydrograd" as the title of its new album, tentatively due this summer via Roadrunner Records. The disc is being recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California.

During this past weekend's NAMM show in Anaheim, California, STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor told Rock Cellar magazine about the upcoming album (see video below): "We are doing everything old school. We're recording it live and then layering stuff on top of it. We are doing a song a day, and we've already done nine songs; we're about halfway done. And, yeah, it is incredible; it's the best stuff we've ever written."

Taylor recently told Matt Pinfield about the musical direction of the new STONE SOUR material: "It is such a great amalgam of all of these different styles that we just absolutely love. It's got a little bit of the heavy, like we like to do, but it's also way more hard rock — way more rock 'n' roll and hard rock than heavy. I mean, there's even a little bit of punk in there. And there's an energy there that is gonna decimate and blow away a lot of stuff that comes out [this] year. That's how excited I am."

Regarding the recording sessions for the next STONE SOUR album, Corey said: "We're [co-producing] ourselves with a good friends of ours named Jay Ruston, who has done a lot of work with a lot of different people. He has produced and mixed STEEL PANTHER, ANTHRAX [and] a bunch of different other people. He also mixed the two 'House Of Gold And Bones' albums that we put out, and he mixed the two covers EPs that STONE SOUR put out as well. So we have a great relationship with him, and he's somebody we really trust and we absolutely love to work with."

STONE SOUR, has released two EPs of cover songs — "Meanwhile In Burbank…" and "Straight Out Of Burbank" — and was slated to issue a third, titled "No Sleep 'Till Burbank", but those plans now appear to have been scrapped.

STONE SOUR in 2015 named Christian Martucci as the permanent replacement for Jim Root, who was dismissed from the band in late 2013 after he decided to sit out the group's last tour in order to begin working on the new SLIPKNOT album. Martucci was recruited to play on that tour and was confirmed as a permanent member in March 2015 in a Facebook post.

Root did not speak kindly of STONE SOUR in interviews after he was fired, saying, "Some of the guys in STONE SOUR, I think they just want to be a radio band and write strictly for radio and try to be more of a poppy rock band. And that's not really what I'm into. There's at least one guy in the band that's only concerned about money. I really have no desire to associate with people like that anymore."

Root played on all five STONE SOUR studio records to date, including 2010's "Audio Secrecy" and the band's last collection of original music, "House Of Gold And Bones", a double concept album which was released in two parts in 2012 and 2013.

Today @NAMMShow, @CoreyTaylorRock officially confirmed to us that @stonesour's new LP is titled #Hydrograd. Full interview soon! #NAMMShow pic.twitter.com/0upDzdj1ID

— Rock Cellar Magazine (@RockCellarMag) January 22, 2017