METALLICA was joined by Lang Lang during the band's January 18 concert at LeSports Center in Beijing.

As expected, the Chinese concert pianist played METALLICA's classic song "One" from the "…And Justice For All" album.

Fan-filmed video footage of Lang Lang's appearance can be seen below.

METALLICA previously performed the track with Lang Lang in January 2014 at the 56th annual Grammy Awards.

In announcing its collaboration with Lang Lang at the Beijing concert, METALLICA called their joint appearance at the Grammy Awards three years ago "one of the most creative, unique performances of our career."

Grammys executive producer Ken Ehrlich told ABC News Radio about how METALLICA's collaboration with Lang Lang came about: "METALLICA's manager was in China and he met with a guy who presents Lang Lang there, and they just started talking about it. Independently, I actually had called [METALLICA's] manager and said, 'Look, we're interested in you in the Grammys this year,' and the first thing out of his mouth was, 'How about us and Lang Lang?'"

"Somehow the METALLICA team had this great idea to work together," Lang Lang told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

"The Grammys are basically a stage for synthesizing music together. It's a perfect stage for musical friends to be united."

He added: "They were such cool people and I had a wonderful time working with them.

"Now everywhere I go, particularly in America, everyone is talking about it," Lang Lang said. "Even checking into a place, going through customs, people say, 'Wow, you played really great!'"

During the rehearsals for the Grammy Awards, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich told Artisan News about playing with Lang Lang: "Well, I would like to think that on a broader scale that music is music. We have a tendency in METALLICA to not look much beyond that in terms of definitions. But, obviously, he's a very talented musician, he's a very dynamic musician, he projects himself very well. I mean, when he plays, he's really full of energy and he's got a lot of kind of showmanship and kind of energy that protrudes off the stage and right into people's hearts and souls. So I would like to think that it's a good collaboration."

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett told Rolling Stone that the band's performance at the Grammy Awards was "completely insane." He explained, "Lang Lang has interjected himself into the song in a way I don't think anyone else has ever done in the course of our career. He's playing major parts of the song. He's playing through the melody."

Hammett told The Pulse Of Radio that the song's arrangement highlighted Lang Lang's playing without changing the song. "We're not lightening up the song just for him," he said. "We're still hanging onto all the heavy parts and it's gonna be amazing. He's just an amazing pianist, and at one point he's, like, weaving in and out of my guitar solo and playing parts of my guitar solo with me. That's interesting. I've never, ever experienced that ever before with anyone we've ever played with."

"One" was the first single released from METALLICA's 1988 album "…And Justice For All", becoming the first song from the band to gain substantial commercial radio airplay. It was also the basis for the first music video the group ever did.

"Sentence Day", a brand new song from Florida death metal veterans OBITUARY, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's self-titled, tenth studio album, which will be released on March 17 via Relapse.

Picking up where 2014's "Inked In Blood" left off, OBITUARY show no signs of slowing down as they continue to reign as kings of death metal. Recorded at the band's home studio in Tampa, "Obituary" is a ten-track tour de force of bone-pulverizing death metal that is as heavy, uncompromising and infectious as anything they've released in the group's historic, nearly 30-year career.

"Obituary" track listing:

01. Brave02. Sentence Day03. Lesson In Vengeance04. End It Now05. Kneel Before Me06. It Lives07. Betrayed08. Turned To Stone09. Straight To Hell10. Ten Thousand Ways To Die

The cover art was created by Andreas Marschall and can be seen below.

Commented OBITUARY vocalist John Tardy: "When writing records the song titles and album titles are always the last things on our minds. We know that the songs themselves are the most important thing, so with this our tenth studio album and nearly three decades as a band, we thought it was the perfect time for a self-titled release. It always helps to have a killer album cover so we worked with Andreas Marschall, gave him our ideas and thoughts and asked him to break out the big guns to create an epic logo and he delivered like he always has for OBITUARY." Added the band in a collective statement: "We could not be any more excited about this new album. We had a blast writing and recording it and having Ken [Andrews, guitar] and Terry [Butler, bass] as part of the writing process was a very cool experience for all of us.

"We really took our time with the writing process of these new songs, recording riffs and ideas as we went along and recording them as rough mixes then listening back and making necessary changes to help mold them into the songs that we are extremely proud of. "It's always a challenge in the studio to get the song ideas out of your head onto the recording the way you want but we made sure we were comfortable with the songs and the sounds we were getting before we even hit the record button and it made it a great experience.

"It's hard to believe it's been two and a half years since the release of 'Inked In Blood' and we are so excited to get this new album into the hands of our fans.

"Can't wait for everyone to hear it. Hang on to your ass!!!!"

OBITUARY will hit the road this spring as part of the 2017 Decibel Magazine Tour with KREATOR, HORRENDOUS and MIDNIGHT. The tour kicks off on March 17 in Charlotte, North Carolina and runs through April 15 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Photo credit: Ester Segarra

Seattle grunge legends SOUNDGARDEN will release a remixed deluxe edition of "Ultramega OK" on March 10 via Sub Pop. This remixed and expanded reissue is a long-planned "correction" of the legendary band's Grammy-nominated debut full-length.

"Ultramega OK" was originally recorded and released in 1988 on SST Records. While the band enjoyed working with the original producer, Drew Canulette, they soon realized they weren't quite happy with the final mix. Thus, shortly after the album's release, the band decided to remix the album for subsequent pressings. However, success intervened: the band rapidly scored a deal with A&M and began work on their major-label debut, "Louder Than Love", and the "Ultramega OK" remix project fell by the wayside as SOUNDGARDEN climbed their way to (ultra)mega-stardom.

In 2016, after worldwide success, a breakup, a reunion, and many albums and tours, the band finally acquired the original multi-track tapes to "Ultramega OK" and carved out time to dig into the remix. They handed the tapes over to longtime friend and engineer Jack Endino (NIRVANA, MUDHONEY, SCREAMING TREES, SKIN YARD), who worked with the band to create a fresh mix of the album that, for the band, ties up this persistent loose end and remedies the sound of their debut album.

While they were at it, the band dug out six early versions of tracks that wound up on "Ultramega OK". The songs were recorded in 1987 on 8-track tape by Jack Endino and Chris Hanzsek at Reciprocal Recording in Seattle, and mixed by Jack Endino in 2016. These versions feature the band in raw, powerful form — sonically closer to the band's Endino-recorded debut EP "Screaming Life" — and provide a fascinating window into the development of songs that eventually became staples of the band's set. The six songs comprise what the band refers to as "Ultramega" EP, and they are included in this reissue.

Hailed as grunge innovators, SOUNDGARDEN redefined rock music for a generation. In the '80s, the band — singer/guitarist Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil, bassist Hiro Yamamoto, and drummer Matt Cameron — combined a punk ethos, brutal metal soundscapes, and Cornell's ravenous roar to capture the attention of the masses. Jagged and ferocious, their music was deeply at odds with the synth-pop and hair metal which dominated the '80s airwaves. Early indie releases, including seminal "Screaming Life" and "Ultramega OK", quickly led to a dedicated indie following as the band toured on both sides of the Atlantic. Subsequent albums, including "Badmotorfinger", "Superunknown" and "Down On The Upside", achieved multi-platinum sales and launched the band to international fame.

"Ultramega OK" reissue track listing:

01. Flower02. All Your Lies03. 66504. Beyond The Wheel05. 66706. Mood For Trouble07. Circle Of Power08. He Didn't09. Smokestack Lightning10. Nazi Driver11. Head Injury12. Incessant Mace13. One Minute Of Silence14. Head Injury (Early Version)15. Beyond The Wheel (Early Version)16. Incessant Mace (Short) [Early Version]17. He Didn't (Early Version)18. All Your Lies (Early Version)19. Incessant Mace (Long) [Early Version]

The official lyric video for "Built To Last", the title track of the tenth studio album from Swedish melodic metallers HAMMERFALL, can be seen below. The disc was released on November 4 via Napalm Records.

Comments HAMMERFALL guitarist Oscar Dronjak: "We wanted to do something simple yet effective, so we recorded this in my studio during tour rehearsals. The computer effects give the video a really cool and unique atmosphere, and we're super pleased with how it turned out!"

HAMMERFALL kicked off a European headlining tour on January 12 in Bremen, Germany. A North American trek with DELAIN will launch in April.

Drummer David Wallin recently left HAMMERFALL in order to focus on his family life. He has since been replaced by Johan Koleberg, formerly of THERION and LION'S SHARE.

Oscar recently told Distorted Sound about the songwriting process for "Built To Last": "It was difficult for me this time, because normally when we write songs for an album, I need six to eight months without anything going on. I need to able to think about writing songs, and I need to be able to have that in my head all the time. This time, pretty much every other month we were doing a tour somewhere, so that disrupted the whole process for me a lot, which made it more difficult in the end, because it was more stressful, and I never got the chance to enjoy writing songs the way I normally do. When one song was finished, I just wanted to move onto the next one rather than finishing one song and being able to savor the moment for a while — I never had any time to do that, so it was a little bit difficult, but I trusted my gut instinct that the songs that I had done were good enough, that I would like them in the end and it turned out to be really, really good. I'm very happy with everything, despite the pain that I went through to create it. I believe the saying is all art comes through pain."

Regarding the musical influences for "Built To Last", Oscar said: "It's the same things as always for me. When I'm in songwriting mode and I know that over the next couple of months I'll be writing songs, I usually try to listen to a lot of the music that I had been inspired by over the years. For example, JUDAS PRIEST are always one of my main inspirations, and I have this thing that I do where I go back and listen to their albums chronologically; I don’t mean that I put it on at one o'clock and then listen to all of them in a row, but when I listen to JUDAS PRIEST, I always listen to the next album in succession. I started with 'Rocka Rolla' and then went on to 'Sad Wings Of Destiny' and, of course, onward from there. By doing that, I see the development of the band in a different way, because the first album I'd heard by them was 'Screaming For Vengeance', and then I listened to every new album as it came out, so for me going through the albums chronologically it gives me a sense of nostalgia, but also for me it's a great way to see how JUDAS PRIEST has developed. I've done this with a number of different bands, KISS, MANOWAR, ACCEPT and KING DIAMOND as well. This is just a tool for me to find inspiration, basically."

Horror icon Bill Moseley — most notable as Chop Top in "Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2", and Otis in Rob Zombie's "House Of 1000 Corpses" and "Devil's Rejects" — recently joined forces with extreme music legend Philp H. Anselmo (DOWN, PANTERA, SUPERJOINT, SCOUR, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, ARSON ANTHEM) for a very special collaborative release titled "Songs Of Darkness And Despair".

Due on January 20 via Anselmo's own Housecore Records, the five-track offering was produced and performed by Anselmo and Stephen "The Big Fella" Berrigan (DOWN, SYK, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, EYEHATEGOD, HAARP, CLASSHOLE), and mastered by Scott Hull of Visceral Sound.

"Songs Of Darkness And Despair" includes guest appearances by Kevin Bond (SUPERJOINT) on guitar, Squizzy Squires (KING PARROT) on bass and guitar, and José "Blue" Gonzalez (SUPERJOINT, WARBEAST, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS) on percussion.

You can now listen to "Songs Of Darkness And Despair" in its entirety using the SoundCloud widget below. From preppie journalist to Satanic serial killer, Bill Moseley's taken a long and unusual road to cult stardom, firmly cementing his place in the annals of horror history along the way. Having released his "Spider Mountain" record, and collaborated with Buckethead on their CORNBUGS project, Moseley expands his musical endeavors by teaming up with Anselmo. BILL & PHIL's "Songs Of Darkness And Despair" is a brilliant trip that will give everyone a thrill. Comments Anselmo: "Working with Mr. Moseley was an awesome experience! Bill brought the lyrics and Stephen [Berrigan] and I just improvised directly on the spot, and squeezed out six tunes in three days. All the songs have a different vibe because I wanted the music to represent Bill's lyrical vision(s), and we needed to, because Bill does indeed have a unique, visual element within his choice of words and phrasing. I love Bill Moseley, and can't wait to work on the next one! Be cool and enjoy this one!" BILL & PHIL's "Songs Of Darkness And Despair" preorder bundles (including limited-edition air fresheners and face masks) are available at the Housecore store.

Additionally, you can check out a hilarious interview with Moseley and Anselmo courtesy of Little Punk People below. "Songs Of Darkness And Despair" track listing:

01. Dirty Eye02. Corpus Crispy03. Catastrophic04. Widder Woman05. Tonight's The Night We Die06. Bad Donut

"Sign Of The Times", the new video from JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE — which features ex-GREAT WHITE singer 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 — can be seen below. The track is taken from JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's debut album, "He Saw it Comin'" (originally titled "The Gauntlet"), which will be released on January 27 via Frontiers Music Srl.

"I got the idea for 'Sign Of The Times' while sitting at an airport waiting for a plane," Russell told Ultimate Classic Rock, which premiered the video. "I was looking around people watching, and after a few minutes, it came to me that almost everyone was staring into their device of choice. I felt sad for humanity and its loss of conversation. I started to think about the fact that people can be and say anything they want to one another behind the safe anonymity of a keyboard. It has allowed bullies to exert themselves not one to one or in a group or class but to everyone their victim knows. It's sickening."

He added: "Kids today are really missing out. They spend most of their time indoors playing on their computers. They can become isolated. Even if they have friends, they spend their time playing video games together instead of outside enjoying this beautiful planet we live in."

Rather than look backwards and merely attempt to relive the multi-platinum hard rock entity's storied origins, Jack Russell set his sights on the future. In December 2011, JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE first bared its teeth. Robby Lochner has been with Jack since JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE's inception, and they soon welcomed longtime bassist and friend Tony Montana — this time as a guitar player and keyboardist. They then added drummer Dicki Fliszar, then bassist Dan McNay. This group has a sharp, soaring, eclectic, hook-laden new album ready, boasting the bluesy hard rock stomp that made Russell and Montana icons in the first place.

"It's a powerful band," Russell proclaimed. "The music is dynamic and I've gone where I've never gone before. Lochner was a catalyst for moving forward. I wasn't sure how the writing would go at first but soon realized the chemistry is beyond words. He's my co-pilot and one of my best friends."

This past year the musicians hit the studio to cut their official full-length debut. It taps into the bluesy bombast and heavy energy of Russell's celebrated material, but it's a distinctly modern metallic monster.

"We want the new material to blow people's ears back," Russell went on. "It has the elements of the best of GREAT WHITE, but there's diversity, vibe and an edge to it. It draws from our '60s and '70s roots in a more modern way."

Montana agreed. "It's got the classic sound," he said. "The first element is Jack's voice. No other band sounds like this one, ever did or does now. When I was 17 years old, I remember walking around the UCLA campus listening to the band's first EP. I was a fan before I ever joined the band. We're going to maintain that integrity moving forward."

"He Saw it Comin'" track listing:

01. Sign Of The Times02. She Moves Me03. Crazy04. Love Don't Live Here05. My Addiction06. Anything For You07. He Saw It Comin'08. Don't Let Me Go09. Spy Vs Spy10. Blame It On The Night11. Godspeed

"For me this is so much more than a collection of songs, it is the culmination of a lifetime of living," said Jack. "It is about addictions, love, pain and many facets of the human condition. I tend to write autobiographically and on this album I dealt with topics I've never explored."

Russell recently told disc jockey Eddie Winters about the songwriting process for "He Saw It Coming": "There wasn't any songs that were really a struggle to write. I write the music on some and I had the melody lines and some lyrics, and I showed it to Robby, and I don't play [guitar], so I've kind of gotta [hum the riffs or chord progressions], or whatever, and he's gotta figure out a chord from one note. So he just picked up on that right away, and it was amazing. 'Cause you write with somebody for thirty-some years and all of a sudden you write with somebody else, and you're, like, 'Okay. How's this gonna be? Is he gonna have a bunch of dumb ideas that I don't like? Or is he gonna think my ideas are crappy? Or are we just gonna hit it off. And I was really surprised when it was just… boom! We were thinking along the same lines. But Robby added a flavor to what I was doing guitar-wise and melody-wise. He's one of those music-theory guys, so we have a lot of moving harmonies and stuff we never had before."

About the song "Blame It On The Night", Russell said: "Most of the material I have written in my life has been autobiographical, [but] this song is one of the exceptions. The song was written for and about my wife's childhood. Because of the subject and the feelings I have for my wife, this was a very difficult song to sing. But I believe that the topic is an important one to bring into the light and out of the shadows."

JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE is not to be confused with the current touring and recording version of GREAT WHITE, which features Mark Kendall, Scott Snyder (bass), Audie Desbrow (drums), Michael Lardie (guitar, keyboards) and Terry Ilous (lead vocals).

Montreal, Quebec, Canada-based melodic death metallers THE AGONIST have released a video for their cover version of the chart-topping HOZIER single "Take Me To Church". Check it out below.

THE AGONIST's rendition of "Take Me To Church" is featured as a bonus track on the band's latest album, "Five", which was released on September 30 via and Napalm Records. The CD was recorded with producer Mike Plotnikoff, who has previously worked with BUCKCHERRY, OTEP, HALESTORM, DROWNING POOL, THEORY OF A DEADMAN, 3 DOORS DOWN, FEAR FACTORY, FLYLEAF and SKILLET, among others.

Commented THE AGONIST guitarist Danny Marino: "It was fun to record a cover of a song that is so different from our material. Even though it is not metal at all, the song itself is very dark and meaningful. That's why we felt it could be really interesting as a more upbeat AGONIST song. I'm happy that we were able to keep some elements while drastically altering others."

"Five" track listing:

01. The Moment02. The Chain03. The Anchor and The Sail04. The Game05. The Ocean06. The Hunt07. The Raven Eyes08. The Wake09. The Resurrection10. The Villain11. The Pursuit of Emptiness12. The Man Who Fell to Earth13. The Trial14. Take Me to Church (HOZIER cover) (bonus edition only)

Marino previously stated about "Five": "This album represents another shift in the evolution of THE AGONIST!

"Vicky [Psarkis, vocals] and I went even deeper into what makes a song really connect.

"I'm very proud of everyone's hard work making this the most diverse and interesting record for us to date!

"It was a great learning experience working with Mike Plotnikoff and fully immersing ourselves in the recording process 24/7."

Psarkis added: "Being in THE AGONIST for over two years now and after releasing my debut album with the band and numerous tours, I can say that 'Five' is the record where I believe that we finally found our sound!

"There's a certain confidence that comes with experience and there's something about being fully comfortable that can take your approach towards songwriting to a whole other level.

"Working on the lyrics and vocals on this album was an incredibly natural process.

"Halfway into the pre-production, we realized that a lot of our songs seemed to be telling a story and hearing the album in its entirety is like escaping into our world."

Vocalist Steve Grimmett of STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER, the revamped version of the cult '80s British metal act GRIM REAPER, had part of his right leg amputated after an aggressive infection spread from his toes to his knee.

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET first reported yesterday, the singer had been at an increased risk of infection in his limb since was he taken ill at Saturday night's (Janaury 14) STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER concert in Guayaquil, Ecuador.

According to Grimmett's wife Millie, Steve performed most of the gig sitting down. "After the show, Steve was taken to hospital where he had an operation to remove an infection from his foot and bones," she said. Unfortunately, the operation didn't work and Steve underwent another surgery a short time later to have his limb amputated to save his life.

Millie wrote: "Yesterday Steve had his right leg removed from below the knee. The infection was so aggressive it spread from his toes to his knee overnight. I've briefly spoken to him and he sounds in high spirits, laughing and joking. Hopefully he will start his journey home next week."

As a result of Steve's ordeal, the remainder of STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER's South American tour has been canceled.

Grimmett reformed GRIM REAPER in 2006 as STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER following an amicable decision between the singer and original GRIM REAPER guitarist Nick Bowcott, who both agreed that using the original name minus the other members of the classic lineup wouldn't be a proper reunion. Joined by Ian Nash (guitar), Paul White (drums) and Martin Trail (bass), Grimmett's version of GRIM REAPER released its debut album, "Walking In The Shadows", last September via Dissonance Productions.

Asked by Illinois Entertainer how he would like GRIM REAPER to be remembered years from now, Grimmett said: "Touring is the hardest job I've ever done, and I've been in construction and the like. But I love it, because I get to get out there and meet the people that are buying your material and the people that love to see you live. And they are the people I look after. Every show we do, we always come out and sign stuff and take pictures with the fans. We always do a meet-and-greet afterward. Because as I said, these guys are the reason why we do it and the reason that we can do it. So, I'd really like to be remembered for the fact that we took care of our fans."

Former members of MALEVOLENT CREATION, SUFFOCATION and PESTILENCE have joined forces with guitarist and songwriter Gio Geraca (MALEVOLENT CREATION, ASHES OF ARES) on an as-yet-unnamed new project. The new band is in the process of recording songs for an upcoming release to hand in to interested labels. A lyric video for one of the tracks is scheduled to arrive sometime in March.

In a recent Facebook post, Geraca wrote that fans can expect something very different from the members' previous output but that the sound will remain quite epic and extreme with more of a Nordic atmosphere. He added that fans will be quite surprised to learn who will be doing some guest lead guitar work on a few of the tracks.

Lineup:

Bret Hoffman (MALEVOLENT CREATION) - Vocals Tony Choy (PESTILENCE) - Bass Mike Smith (SUFFOCATION) - Drums Gio Geraca (ASHES OF ARES) – Guitar

Photos courtesy of Gio Geraca

In a recent interview with Barbara Caserta of Italy's Linea Rock, OPETH mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt was asked about the possibility of a second album from STORM CORROSION, his collaboration with PORCUPINE TREE's Steven Wilson. He said: "There might be a second album, but it's one of those things… That was a labor of love, you could say. Me and Steve, we had talked about writing music together. Because we had worked together quite a few times — I've been on his records and he's been on our records, of course, but we never actually wrote music together. So that's why STORM CORROSION even exists — because both me and him wanted to write together. And it was really fun; it was a fun record to make, and it was so 'real time' that it was scary. We just sat down and I came up with something and he came up with something, and we recorded it, and that was a song. It was done like that."

Despite the fact that the 2012's "Storm Corrosion" album was a largely spontaneous affair, Mikael is confident that the songwriting chemistry between him and Wilson is strong enough to produce a follow-up effort. "I know that it can happen again," he said. "It's just that it's not the priority. It's something that we did it for fun, basically, and for the love of music. So if we do it again, it will be when we completely… Like, the schedules are empty and there's nothing happening, we have lots of time. And then we're not afraid of failure either. Like, if we try and it doesn't work, it doesn't really matter."

Mikael also once again cleared up rumors that former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy was initially asked to be part of STORM CORROSION, only to be dismissed from the project once Åkerfeldt and Wilson started collaborating on musical ideas.

"Mike and I, he's also a good friend of mine, and we talked several times about doing something together," Mikael explained. "And he heard about me and Steven doing this, and he said, 'I wanna play drums,' figuring there's gonna be drums on there. But what happened was that there's not a lot drums on there. There's just a beat sometimes, like on the ride cymbal. And one song, instead of drums, I was keeping the beat with a string on a guitar — the last song on the album. There is drums on one song — there is a little bit of drums on some songs — which was played by Gavin Harrison [PORCUPINE TREE] at the end of the day. But Gavin came in like a session musician — he just did it, and he has no kind of connection with the project other than that he was brought in to do that. But the idea, like, if you bring in a guy like Mike, it becomes a band situation, and Mike's a workaholic too. And you don't bring in Mike Portnoy to play the ride cymbal. He's a great drummer, and I'd love to do something with him sometime, but that wasn't a drum record, so he would probably be a bit upset if that was all he was gonna do."

Asked if STORM CORROSION was a musical escape for him or just another way for him to express himself, Mikael said: "Well, for me or Steven, there was no need to express… He's a friend, and every now and then, I go over to the U.K. and we go out record shopping, have dinner and talk shit. STORM CORROSION is the result of us playing. Like, kids play with Lego [toy building blocks] or with 'Star Wars' figures or whatever. Me and Steven, we hang out and we write music together. So that's what it was. I don't think we had anything in particular to say that we couldn't get out in our respective bands. It was just fun, basically. But the thing that happened with STORM CORROSION is that the result was so odd to anything especially I had done before that it became something bigger than just a result of a good… having fun. It became — as far as I'm concerned — a fairly new genre of music. I know a lot of music, and I listen to a lot of different styles of music, and the music scene that [is the] closest thing that could come close to STORM CORROSION would be some Krautrock scene, like POPOL VUH, for instance, which is a German band that both me and Steve like. And that's basically what we were after. But we also have vocals in there. So it kind of [ended] up being something I think was unheard of until that record came out, and since."

The self-titled debut album from STORM CORROSION sold 9,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 47 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD also landed at No. 45 on the official U.K. chart.

Favored Nations Entertainment has announced the upcoming release of the all-female compilation, She Rocks, Vol.1. This collection of kick-ass guitar goddesses is produced by author and former Guitar World editor, Brad Tolinski with iconic guitarist Steve Vai as executive producer, and showcases eleven female guitarists, each a virtuoso in her own right. From the legendary Lita Ford to Sarah Longfield’s jazzy riffin’, to Orianthi’s melodic stylings and the all-out shredding of Nita Strauss, these players each contribute their own voice to this carefully curated collection.

Check out Orianthi's "Transmogrify" below.

She Rocks, Vol.1 will be released on January 20th via Vai’s own Favored Nations Label, and in cooperation with the Women’s International Music Network (theWiMN.com), hosts of the famed She Rocks Awards. The compilation will be celebrated at the 2017 She Rocks Awards, taking place that evening in Anaheim, CA during the annual NAMM Convention.

These shredding songstresses cover the stage when it comes to style and personality; Ford is the quintessential guitar rock goddess with decades of top shelf performances, Jennifer Batten made her name playing for Michael Jackson, Strauss has toured with Alice Cooper for the past year, and the list goes on!

“Through the years women have become more and more interested in ripping it up on the guitar. It’s amazing to watch. Favored Nations is very excited to be working with producer Brad Tolinski in creating a compilation of many of the women who are evolving the instrument in powerful ways. They are wildly raising the bar."  - Steve Vai

"People always ask me about the future of the guitar, and in many ways, the artists on this album are the answer. They represent a new vision and a fresh sensibility."  - album producer, former Guitar World editor and author of Play It Loud: A History of the Electric Guitar (Doubleday),  Brad Tolinski

The She Rocks, Vol.1 compilation showcases the amazing talents of Orianthi, Yasi Hofer, Kat Dyson, Sarah Longfield, Lita Ford, Jennifer Batten, Nita Strauss, Steph Paynes, Nili Brosh, Menn, and Yvette Young and will be released on January 20th.

She Rocks, Vol. 1 tracklisting:

Orianthi - “Transmogrify”
Yasi Hofer - “Cosmic Stars”
Kat Dyson - “U Know What I Like”
Sarah Longfield - “The Taxi Time Travel Task Force”
Lita Ford with Lez Zeppelin - “The Lemon Song”
Jennifer Batten - “In the Aftermath”
Nita Strauss - “Pandemonium”
Steph Paynes - “The Sun at Her Eastern Gate”
Nili Brosh - “A Matter of Perception”
Gretchen Menn - “Scrap Metal”
Yvette Young - “Hydra”

Find out more at this location.

Belgian black metal band Saille are streaming their menacing new track "Genesis 11:1-9". The song is taken from the band's upcoming new album Gnosis which will be released in March via Code666.

The band commented, "‘Genesis 11:1-9’ is about Babel, which, according to several sources, is the first city built by Noah's progeny after the Great Flood. Historical facts and whether or not you believe this is irrelevant. Within the context of Gnosis it symbolizes mankind’s strife for greatness and how it is thwarted by a malevolent and jealous God. Knowledge and punishment, topics we'll explore further on our new album..."

Tracklisting:

“Benei ha’Elohim”
“Pandaemonium Gathers”
“Blôt”
“Genesis 11:1-9”
“Before The Crawling Chaos”
“Prometheus”
“Thou, My Maker”
“Magnum Opus”
“1904 Era Vulgaris”

“Genesis 11:1-9”:

Spanish melodic death metal outfit, Jotnar, have released the video for “Broken Esteem”, a track featuring Soilwork’s Björn “Speed” Strid, featured on their Connected/Condemned album. 

Jotnar recently signed with Massacre Records. The band’s debut studio album, Connected/Condemned, is scheduled to be released worldwide on April 21st via the label.

Jotnar offers a redesigned and modern sound with strong and aggressive rhythms, smooth melodies, catchy choruses and insane growls. The band made it’s live debut in late 2008, and underwent several lineup changes, which led to today's lineup, consisting of vocalist Mario Infantes, guitarists Ben Melero and Elhadji N’Diaye, bassist Octavio Santana and Jose Rodriguez. The quintet has already played with bands such as Korn, Amon Amarth, Sabaton and Machine Head, and played at festivals like MetalDays, Rock Bitch Boat and Villa De Bilbao.

The Connected/Condemned cover art was created by British artist Russ Mills.

Connected/Condemned tracklisting:

“Connected/Condemned”
“Remaining Still”
“Missing Shadows”
“Broken Esteem” (feat. Björn “Speed” Strid - Soilwork)
“Suicidal Angel”
“Live Together Die Alone”
“Starved Of Guidance”
“I, The Paradox”
“The Sentence”
“Invisible Trace”
“The Loneliness' Legacy”
“Say It Right” (Nelly Furtado cover)
“Envy World”
“The Portrait” (feat. Jennie Nord - Ultimate Fate, Santi Suarez - Sphinx, Bruno Pardini)

Album teaser:

“Connected/Condemned” video:

Infernö Records has announced the signing of Serbian speed metal band Jenner.

Formed in December 2013, Jenner are the only all-girl metal band from the Belgrade area and in spite of their young age, they're showing a high potential & great abilities in delivering high-quality speed metal.

They released a two-song demo in 2015, already showing great professionalism and technical abilities. After weeks of intense hard work, they recorded their first full-length album called To Live Is To Suffer that will soon be released on Infernö Records.

“How Deep Is Your Greed”:

At long last, Blood Feast is reborn into the metal underground with their third full-length album, The Future State Of Wicked, set for international release on April 14th via by longtime fans Hells Headbangers. 

Blood Feast fans old and new will not be disappointed by The Future State Of Wicked, as the "holy trinity" of releases from the band’s early days – Kill For Pleasure (1987), the Face Fate EP (1988) and Chopping Block Blues (1990) – inform much of the new album. All the speed, brutality, and twists ‘n’ turns Blood Feast is known for are intact and in your face (nine of the ten songs being written by original guitarist Adam Tranquilli), yet updated with modern production. Joining Adam are vocalist Chris Natalini and bassist Tom Lorenzo, along with some new blood in Joe Moore (drums) and CJ Scioscia (guitar).

Blood Feast was formed by Adam Tranquilli, Gary Markowich (vocals), Kevin Kuzma (drums), and Lou Starita (bass) in 1985 as Blood Lust.  They quickly wrote and recorded their classic four-song demo, The Suicidal Missions. Shortly after, they became a five-piece with the addition of Michael Basden on guitar. The band was then approached by New Renaissance Records to contribute songs to their Thrash Metal Attack (“Menacing Thunder”) and Speed Metal Hell 3 (“The Suicidal Missions”). This prompted the name change to Blood Feast. New Renaissance then offered a record deal, which led to the recording of the classic Kill For Pleasure album and a US tour with Death Angel. The Face Fate EP quickly followed.
 
Shortly after writing and recording their proposed second album, Adam left the band. The remaining four members then re-recorded these songs, which became the album Chopping Block Blues. The band broke up shortly after the album's release in early 1990.
 
The five-man Blood Feast reunited for an appearance at the NJ March Metal Meltdown in 1999, but further activity was not to be. A second reunion began in 2007, albeit only with original members Tranquilli and Kuzma. Both Lorenzo and Natalini came on board in 2010, just in time for the band’s first appearance at Headbangers Open Air in Germany (they were invited back in 2013). During this stretch, Adam began writing new material, with the band even playing an early version of "INRI" at select shows.

The Blood Feast retaking its place in the metal ranks today began to take shape in March of 2014, with the addition of guitarist CJ Scioscia. When drummer Joe Moore joined a few months later, the unit was complete and immediately set to work on Adam’s stockpile of new material. Two of these songs (“Off With Their Heads” and “The Burn”) have become staples of the current live set. Such performances have become more frequent, culminating with an appearance at the True Thrash Fest 2015 in Osaka, Japan with Exciter, Hobb's Angel of Death, and Game Over and, most recently, Hells Headbangers' own festival Hells Headbash Part 2 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Now with a new generation of thrashers and metalheads holding records like Kill For Pleasure as their cherished cult classics, Blood Feast's return with The Future State Of Wicked could not be any more momentous and better timed. Exploding right out of the gates with the aforementioned evil-as-fuck thrashfest "INRI," The Future State of Wicked racks up one breathless, bloody attack after the next. In one sense, the spirit of '87 is alive and well in Blood Feast; their frenzied thrust is as rabid and red-eyed as ever, sounding like the crazed mania of men half their age. In another, perhaps more accurate sense, The Future State Of Wicked is suffused with the wisdom of the ages, the whole span of thrash and speed metal history since Blood Feast's original days on the frontlines, and it results in ten angry-yet-finessed slices of audial terror buttressed by well-rounded but never too-polished production.

Tracklisting:

“INRI”
“Off With Their Heads”
“Brethren”
“By The Slice”
“The Underling”
“Last Rites”
“Who Prays For The Devil”
“Nein”
“Remnants II”
“The Burn”

“INRI”:

The Future State Of Wicked by BLOOD FEAST

Power Trip strikes again with the second single from their upcoming Nightmare Logic LP, "Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)," as additional tour dates and preorders for the album are issued.

Lyricist/vocalist Riley Gale explains that "Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)" was written in relation to, "Christian European countries where it was common for the person sentenced to death to have a chance to repent. If they did, they were given a bag of coins, silver or alike. For if they were particularly vile or the executioner felt lazy, it may take more than one swing of that axe to get that person's head off and that kind of death is certainly one you'd want to be as painless as possible. Hence, the Executioner's Tax to ensure a strong, lights-out kind of death. It's more subtly an allegory about that being the motive for a lot of people these days and how the people that feed and heal us (The Executioner and The Priest). They love to get us addicted, fat, sick - so they can feed us, medicate us and nearly quite literally kill many of us. We pay for pleasure of making it taste good or being numb to it all. We are all slowly paying our way out and our lives are built around the Executioner's Tax - hopefully going out quick and easy. We subconsciously crave for our end, a spoiled one."
 
Power Trip proclaims "The Executioner's Tax (Swing Of The Axe)" is the catchiest song they've ever written. The song hails from the band's highly-awaited sophomore release Nightmare Logic, which was produced by Arthur Rizk, engineered by Arthur Rizk and Matthew Barnhart, and mastered by Joel Grind.

Nightmare Logic is out February 24th on Southern Lord. Preorders for the album are now available at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Soul Sacrifice”
“Executioner’s Tax (Swing Of The Axe)”
“Firing Squad”
“Nightmare Logic”
“Waiting Around To Die”
“Ruination”
“If Not Us Then Who”
“Crucifixation” 

“Executioner’s Tax (Swing Of The Axe)”:

“Firing Squad”:

Power Trip hits the road again next month in support of the album. In addition to an East Coast run with Iron Reagan and others, the band has extended the tour up and down the West Coast with Destruction Unit and many more.

(Photo by: Renate Winter)

Atmospheric black metallers Fen have announced details of their fifth full-length album which is set to be released on Code666 on March 17th.  Titled Winter, and produced by of Jaime Gomez Arellano at the Orgone Studios in London (Ulver, Altar Of Plagues, Grave Miasma, Primordial, Solstafir), the six-track album promises to be  a colossal piece of work for the English three-piece, at once rich in sound, beguilingly delicate, and yet laced with darkness. 

Consisting of six songs that are thematically and compositionally linked, each piece on Winter flows into the next, and, ideally, the whole record is intended to be listened to in one sitting to allow the full journey to be absorbed. Musically, the band have sought to push themselves further than ever before and Fen’s trademark use of atmospheric black metal and delicate, spacious cleans,  has been married with aspects of ‘70s progressive rock, shoegaze and doom metal, with the intention of rendering Winter as involving and as immersive a listen as possible.
 
Winter will be available in Standard CD, Double Black Vinyl limited to 300 copies, and Digital formats.  In addition there will also be available a Special Collectors Box limited to 199 copies which will include the standard CD, an additional bonus CD, the DLP with Side A/Side B in a smashed splatter effect of transparent aquamarine and opaque cream, an exclusive T-shirt and poster, and a certificate of authenticity signed by the band.

Frontman The Watcher has summarised the album thus: 

“With Winter we wanted to ‘return to the roots’ of the band so to speak but not in the clichéd, nostalgic way many bands do – instead, we wanted this record to represent the ‘essence’ of Fen in terms of tone, atmosphere and above all concept. This album therefore very much describes a journey towards sanctity and redemption across a landscape steeped in mystery, hints of forgotten darkness and sorrows long since drowned in the distant past. It represents the culmination of over 18 months of writing and rehearsing, pushing ourselves harder and harder as musicians – it is a lengthy and self-indulgent record for which we make no apology for. Indeed, it is a fitting tribute to mark ten years of the existence of Fen.”

Artwork by Grungyn:

Tracklisting:

“I (Pathway)”
“II (Penance)”
“III (Fear)”
“IV (Interment)”
“V (Death)”
“VI (Sight)”

Bonus (available on all limited formats)

“The Keening Soils”
“Sight (Reprise)”
“Penumbral Whispers”
“Temples Beyond The Shoreline”

2016 was a breakout year for progressive metal band Oni, who proved their lasting prowess with the release of their debut album Ironshore, toured with heavy metal greats such as Max & Iggor Cavalera and Children Of Bodom, and tore up the stage at Ozzfest Meets Knotfest with Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God.

Oni is returning with a new music video for one of their most ferocious, groovy tracks, "The Only Cure" - featuring guest vocals from none other than Randy Blythe himself. The music video, directed and edited by Abraham Roofeh, doubles as a petrifying, serial killer-themed horror film - rapidly cutting to scenes of Oni and Blythe setting the soundtrack. Watch 'The Only Cure' now, exclusively via billboard.com.

Jake Oni tells Billboard: "'The Only Cure' is one of the stronger songs on the album. It's a good representation of our current sound and where we will be going."

Guest vocalist Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God adds: "What a super creepy video! Horror fans will love it - the production is Hollywood film-quality. It looks like something out of a SAW or Hostel movie. I had a lot of fun with the ONI guys recording this track, and it's cool to see the music set to such dramatic scenery. Nightmares…"

ANA Metal For Charity Project will be released via Into The LimeLight Records on May 5th.

This charity project has been founded by Marius Danielsen and Anniken Rasmussen. With an impressive all star lineup we will raise money for cancer research. After a long period of writing, recording by all artists and putting everything together the album will be ready in 2017 to be released. The full 100% of the incoming money will go to this project.

Anniken and Marius stated: "We have seen this horrible disease up close. It seems to affect everyone in some case. For quite a while we have had a wish to contribute to the fight against cancer. Now just felt like the time. Ana was originally written in remembrance of someone who died of cancer. We wanted to use it for an even greater cause. However, we wanted to make a fight song, so we had to rewrite some of the lyrics. We are grateful for all the contributing parts and hope that we can make a difference".

There will be two songs by the all-stars:

1. “Ana” written by Marius and Anniken
2. Dio cover, “Holy Diver”

Also some songs will be included on the CD donated by participating bands.

The album will be made available as a digipack, to buy from the shop and online as well as download and through all major streaming sites.

The ANA All-Star lineup:

Amanda Somerville (Avantasia, Kiske/Somerville)
Roland Grapow (ex-Helloween, Masterplan)
Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear)
Matt Barlow (ex-Iced Earth, Ashes Of Ares)
Matias Kupiainen (Stratovarius)
Rafael Bittencourt (Angra)
Doogie White (ex-Rainbow, Michael Schenker's Temple Of Rock)
Jake E (Amaranthe, Dreamland)
Rick Altzi (Masterplan)
Al Atkins (ex-Judas Priest)
Mark Sweeney (Wolfpakk, ex-Crystal Ball)
Ramy Ali (Freedom Call, Iron Mask)
David Readman (Pink Cream 69, Almanac)
Daniel Heiman (ex-Lost Horizon)
Tony Mills (ex-TNT, ex-Shy)
Mike LePond (Symphony X)
Thomas Winkler (Gloryhammer)
Frank Beck (Gamma Ray)
Christian Eriksson (Twilight Force)
Alessio Garavello (ex-Power Quest, A New Tomorrow)
PelleK (soloartist, ex-Damnation Angels)
Snowy Shaw (ex-King Diamond, ex-Therion)
Mats Levén (Candlemass)
Yama-B (ex-Galneryus, Gunbridge)
Bernt Fjellestad (Guardians Of Time, Susperia)
Ida Haukland (Triosphere)
Martin Steene (Iron Fire)
Jo Amore (ex-Nightmare, Now Or Never)
Patrik Johansson (Bloodbound, Shadowquest)
Carsten "Lizard" Schulz (ex-Domain, CLS Syndicate)
Sean Peck (Cage, Death Dealer)
John Jaycee Cuijpers (Praying Mantis)
Siegfried Samer (Dragony, Visions Of Atlantis)
Magnus Winterwild (Axenstar)
Leo Figaro (Minstrelix)
David Åkesson (Qantice)
Henning Stranden (solo artist)
Tore André Helgemo (Stargazer)
William Ernstsen (Stargazer)
Anniken Rasmussen (Darkest Sins)
Marius Danielsen (Darkest Sins, Eunomia)
Peter Danielsen (Darkest Sins, Tindrum, Eunomia)

Mixed by Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69), artwork by Stan W Decker.

Holy Diver bonus all-star lineup:
Rick Altzi (Masterplan)
Neil Turbin (ex-Anthrax, DeathRiders)
Marius Danielsen (Darkest Sins, The Legend Of Valley Doom)
David Readman (Pink Cream 69, Almanac)
Urban Breed (Serious Black, ex-Tad Morose)
Elias Holmlid (Dragonland)
Jake E (Dreamland, Amaranthe)
Anniken Rasmussen (Darkest Sins)
Ramy Ali (Freedom Call, Iron Mask)
Dennis Ward (Unisonic, Pink Cream 69)
Jo Amore (ex-Nightmare, Now Or Never)
Jimmy Hedlund (Falconer)

Marius Danielsen's Metal Opera - Lost In A Dream:
Vocals - Marius Danielsen (Darkest Sins)
Vocals - Elisa Martin (ex-Dark Moor, ex-Fairyland)
Rhythm Guitar - Marius Danielsen
Solo Guitar - Ross The Boss (ex-Manowar)
Solo Guitar - Olivier Lapauze (Heavenly)
Bass - Anniken Rasmussen (Darkest Sins)
Keyboard - Peter Danielsen (Darkest Sins)
Drums - Alex Holzwarth (Rhapsody of Fire)

“Monster” by Martyr - bonus track with special guests:
Nick Holleman (Vicious Rumors)
Gert Nijboer (Highway Chile/Deathriders)

Darkest Sins - “Domineer”:
Marius Danielsen – Vocals, guitar
Anniken Rasmussen – Vocals, bass
Sigurd Kårstad – Guitar
Peter Danielsen – Keyboard and orchestration
Ludvig Pedersen - Drums

Other tracks will be:
Marius Danielsen - “Lost In A Dream”
Al Atkins - “A Void To Avoid (Part 1)”
Carsten Lizard Schulz Syndicate - “Brand New Fire”
Gunbridge - “Rebellion”
Gloryhammer - “Angus McFire”

New Zealand death metal innovators, Ulcerate, have released a new live drum playthrough video via Sick Drummer. Watch Jamie Saint Merat perform "Extinguished Light" off the recently released Shrines Of Paralysis full-length below.

The live drum playthrough was filmed at Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, NY on the last date of the Shrines Of Paralysis North American tour. Video by Frank Huang (Pit Full of Shit).

A live drum video for “Everything Is Fire”, the title track of the band’s second full-length album, released back in 2009, can be seen below:

Ulcerate’s fifth full-length album and follow-up to 2013's Vermis, entitled Shrines Of Paralysis, is out now via Relapse. Order the new album here. A full audio stream can be found below.

Shrines Of Paralysis tracklisting:

“Abrogation”
“Yield To Naught”
“There Are No Saviours”
“Shrines Of Paralysis”
“Bow To Spite”
“Chasm Of Fire”
“Extinguished Light”
“End The Hope”

Album stream:

BUTCHER BABIES frontwomen Heidi Shepherd and Carla Harvey were interviewed by Louder Noise at the Revolver Music Awards, which was held on December 13 at Webster Hall in New York City. You can now watch the chat below. A couple of excerpts follow (transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

On supporting MEGADETH on the fall 2016 leg of the "Dystopia" tour:

Heidi: "It was so cool. It was one of the best tours we've ever done. Dave Mustaine treated us like gold the entire time. He welcomed us to the tour, brought us a bunch of wine and vodka, which, obviously, we consumed immediately. [Laughs] But it was really, really great. A nice way to round out 2016 for us as well."

On whether they picked up any rock and roll tricks from touring with MEGADETH:

Carla: "We've been touring for five years straight with many, many legends, so along the way we have picked up a lot of rock and roll tricks."

Heidi: "I think one thing that I definitely picked up from Dave Mustaine is the respect. He shows respect to all the bands that he's out with. And we've never had anyone come in and welcome us the way that he did. So I definitely picked that up and I hope to pass that on, along with other bands we tour with."

On what fans can expect from BUTCHER BABIES in 2017:

Carla: "We've got a new album coming out. We hit the studio in February. We're in the middle of pre-production right now. We're really excited because we're trying all kinds of new things. It's our third album, our third baby, so we're stoked."

BUTCHER BABIES' third album is tentatively due in late 2017 via Century Media.

The band's second LP, 2015's "Take It Like A Man", was produced by Logan Mader, who has previously worked with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, DEVILDRIVER, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY and GOJIRA.

Czech Republic-based band, Root, have released a video for “Black Iris”, the track from their new album, Kärgeräs - Return From Oblivion, out now via Agonia Records. Watch the new video below.

In contrast to Bathory and Venom, Root took the black metal genre in a more refined direction, featuring Big Boss' chartacteristic clean vocals, dark sound and an epic approach altogether. Nowadays, Root is often recognized as an epic heavy/black metal act, or as the band simply puts it - a dark metal band.

The new album, Kärgeräs - Return From Oblivion, is different from their 2011's offering, Heritage Of Satan, says the band: "As always in our history as a band, we aim to deliver a unique album, something that will stand out and shine its own light in our discography. Expect dark metal at its best, along with some surprising elements. We've recorded one fully acoustic song and one entirely instrumental. Overall, the album will include ten new tracks that will differ from our previous records.”

Kärgeräs - Return From Oblivion is Root's tenth full-length album. Lyrically, it’s a concept album, and looked at from that perspective, it continues the story begun by their 1996 release under a similar yet shorter title, Kärgeräs, that presents a tale of a proud nation.

The album artwork was hand-painted by Thomas Bruno. The painting started off as a portrait at first, but after the band's decision to use it as cover, the mystical tree, ravens and other elemnts where added. Recording, mixing and mastering took place at Shaark Studio in South Moravia. Big Boss produced the album.

Tracklisting:

“Life Of Demons”
“Osculum Infame”
“Moment Of Fright”
“The Book Of Death”
“Black Iris”
“Moment Of Hope”
“The Key To The Empty Room”
“New Empire”
“Up To The Down”
“Do You Think Is It The End?”

“Black Iris” video:

Available formats:

- Digipack CD with 28 pages booklet
- Black LP
- Red LP with A2 poster*
- Transparent red/black splatter LP with A2 poster and patch**
- T-shirt (2 versions)

* handnumbered and limited to 222 copies
** handnumbered and limited to 100 copies

Since 1987, Root is led by founder and vocalist Big Boss - a controversial, yet valued musician, producer, writer and lyricist. He's one of the oldest and most characteristic black metal singers; one of the very few, who possesses an operatic range of vocals. Over the years, Root has maintained a strong underground following, while Big Boss rose up to become a cult figure in the black metal genre, guesting on albums by leading metal artists, most notably Moonspell and Behemoth. Root has performed hundreds of shows worldwide, sharing the stage with bands such as Mercyful Fate, King Diamond, Cradle Of Filth, Apocalyptica, Moonspell, Behemoth, Impaled Nazarene, Nifelheim, Anathema, Sodom, Desaster, Pungent Stench, Master, Destroyer 666, Master´s Hammer, Enslaved, Testament, Marduk, Napalm Death, Krabathor, Hypnos and many other.

Lifeforce Records has announced the signing of modern metal act All But One to the label roster.

With members of Alestorm, Heaven Shall Burn and Lifeforce Records' very own When Our Time Comes, All But One have a brand new message to deliver. Their powerhouse debut album tastefully fuses the worlds of pop and metal music, combining accomplished melody with masterful guitar and fearsome breakdowns.

All But One was born as a passion project of Alestorm guitarist Máté Bodor. After catching the attention of an elite group of likeminded musicians, what began as a side project evolved into what will undoubtably become a formidable force in the rock music industry.

All But One are a product of professionalism, uncompromising passion and an unstoppable hunger to succeed.

The band’s debut album is set to be released in late April. Updates to follow.

Steamhammer/SPV have signed one of Germany‘s hottest new rock acts, Berlin‘s quartet Travelin Jack, for the world excuding Japan. The group surrounding vocalist Alia Spaceface blends its classic brand of hard rock with strong influences that date back to 1970s glam rock and bands/artists such as Thin Lizzy, Rush, David Bowie, the Scorpions and Deep Purple. Among the visual highlights of their explosive live show are, among others, made-up faces, platform shoes and glitter outfits.

Travelin Jack was founded in summer 2013 by Alia Spaceface, guitarist Flo ‘The Fly’ Kraemer, bassist Steve Burner and drummer Montgomery Shell. Only one year later, their first single, “Madness”, arrived at the stores, followed by the debut album New World in 2015. The band has already completed two successful tours and played important festivals in Germany, Sweden and Sardinia. Currently the four musicians are busy working on the preproduction of their second, as yet untitled album which is scheduled for release in summer 2017.

Flo ‘The Fly’ is delighted to sign with Steamhammer/SPV: “We look forward to working with such a renowned and committed record company. Steamhammer/SPV allows us full artistic freedom – a privilege that we value highly.”

Olly Hahn, A&R and International Product Manager at Steamhammer/SPV, is thrilled with his latest signing: “You absolutely have to hear and see this fantastic act with its sensational vocalist! We’re proud and happy to welcome Travelin Jack to our big Steamhammer family.”

Pictured above from left to right: Frank Uhle (Managing Director SPV), Montgomery Shell (Travelin Jack), Alia Spaceface (Travelin Jack), Olly Hahn (A&R Steamhammer), Flo"The Fly" Kraemer (Travelin Jack), Steve Burner (Travelin Jack)

Swedish heavy metal quintet, Lancer, have released a video for “Follow Azrael”, a track from their new album, Mastery, out now via Nuclear Blast. The new clip can be found below.

The cover artwork for Mastery was created by Dimitar Nikolov (Ross The Boss, Majesty). The final layout was done by Marcelo Vasco (Slayer, Machine Head).

Tracklisting:
    
“Dead Raising Towers”
“Future Millennia”
“Mastery”
“Victims Of The Nile”
“Iscariot”
“Follow Azrael”
“Freedom Eaters”
“World Unknown”
“Widowmaker”
“Envy Of The Gods”
“The Wolf And The Kraken”

“Follow Azrael” video:

“Mastery” video:

“Iscariot” lyric video:

Track-By-Track #1:

Track-By-Track #2:

The Murder Of My Sweet's fourth studio album, Echoes Of The Aftermath, will be released on January 27th. The album track “Loud As A Whisper” is available for streaming below.

The new album musically follows on the heels of the previous record, Beth Out Of Hell, with a more straight ahead songwriting approach, but still offering the symphonic and cinematic elements the band is now well known for. Echoes Of The Aftermath showcases a Nordic sound that the members of the band grew up listening to and lyrically takes on issues in tune with our modern day life.

Drummer/producer Daniel Flores says: “During the process of writing Beth Out Of Hell with Angelica, I came up with lots of riffs, melodies and music that didn't necessarily fit the concept of the album. The inspiration and creative buzz from those songwriting sessions stayed with us and helped us come up with a new album very quickly. And of course the warm reception from fans and media had a helping hand too. I'm personally also really proud of the sonic impact of this record, I've learnt so much during these past years working with Frontiers and I'm so glad I can showcase this in full force on this album. The guys in the band are feeling very creative these days and thanks to the fans we are able to give you our Echoes Of The Aftermath!”

Singer Angelica Rylin adds: "For me, the writing process for this album became a way to reconnect with my Nordic roots. I’ve always been a fan of John Bauer (Swedish painter and illustrator) and his portraits of Swedish folklore and fairy tales was a big inspiration for me. And it was a nice break from "Beth", who had become such a big part of my life for a very long time."

Tracklisting:

“Sleeping Giant”
“Personal Hell”
“Racing Heart”
“Cry Wolf”
“Echoes Of The Aftermath”
“Flatline”
“Loud As A Whisper”
“Shining After Dark”
“Ode To Everyone”
“Go On”
“In Risk Of Rain”
“Inside Outside”

“Loud As A Whisper”:

“Shining After Dark”:

“Personal Hell” video:

“Racing Heart”:

Band lineup:

Angelica Rylin - Vocals
Christopher Vetter - Guitar
Patrik Janson - Bass
Daniel Flores - Drums and Keyboards

AUDIOSLAVE will reunite for its first performance in over a decade on Friday, January 20 at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles for the Anti-Inaugural Ball, protesting President Donald Trump's inauguration. Also scheduled to appear at the event are PROPHETS OF RAGE, Vic Mensa, Jackson Browne, Jack Black and The Los Angeles Freedom Choir.

AUDIOSLAVE featured SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell alongside RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE guitarist Tom Morello, bassist Tim Commerford and drummer Brad Wilk.

Morello discussed the possibility of an AUDIOSLAVE comeback during a recent interview with Music Radar.

"I love Chris and I love what we did together," he said. "That door has certainly never closed in any way, but right now, it's looking like we're pretty busy. We're in the middle of a North American tour [with PROPHETS OF RAGE], I'm also working on a record of my own and the other guys have things going on, too. But whatever happens in the future, Chris is one of the greatest singers of all time, and there's no way I couldn't be proud of the shows and music we played together."

Cornell told U.K.'s Total Guitar magazine in 2015 that he would also be open to an AUDIOSLAVE reunion. He said, "I think it would be great. We did a lot of songs, and with the benefit of not having done anything with those guys for so long, I can't imagine what it would be. It would be a really amazing experience just to get back and work with the same guys again."

Cornell continued, "We were certainly a prolific group of people; we wrote three whole albums in around five years, maybe less. And these were albums that were raw, and we had extra material, and we just never seemed to have trouble ever trying to agree on what would come out of the songs."

He added, "They were great guys, and I really enjoyed the experience that I had with them, so yeah, I would always be open to doing something."

AUDIOSLAVE came together in 2001 when Cornell teamed with the instrumental members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE.

After the break-up of SOUNDGARDEN in 1997, Cornell attempted a solo career which didn't catch fire at the time.

AUDIOSLAVE made three albums, a self-titled 2002 debut, 2005's "Out Of Exile" and 2006's "Revelations", before Cornell left the group in 2007.

He eventually reunited with SOUNDGARDEN in 2010, while RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE intermittently performed live between 2007 and 2011.

Morello told The Pulse Of Radio not long after AUDIOSLAVE's demise that he had no hard feelings against Cornell for quitting. "You know, Chris I consider a good friend and I love that guy, you know, and we went through a lot together, both musically and personally," he said. "And it was, you know, my belief that the band's friendship and roots were deep."

Cornell made a guest appearance in September 2014 during a performance by Morello at the El Corazon in Seattle.

.@ProphetsofRage announce 1st Audioslave performance in over a decade at Anti Inaugural Ball. Tix on sale. Team CC https://t.co/kzNhc0P8Uu pic.twitter.com/DxY3Th5Pya

— Chris Cornell (@chriscornell) January 18, 2017

Aniruddh "Andrew" Bansal of Metal Assault recently conducted an interview with guitarist Wolf Hoffmann of German/American metallers ACCEPT. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metal Assault: This interview is about ACCEPT's "Restless And Live" album which came out on January 13th. From what I've read, this is not something you really planned, and it's not like you went into that show in 2015 with the aim of recording this video. So, how did it come about? Was it a mere coincidence?

Wolf: "Well, it wasn't totally by surprise, but at the same time, we didn't go on stage thinking this has to be a DVD. Absolutely not, because that sometimes can add pressure to everybody. We really wanted to perform a regular show and just film it, and then see how it turns out. That's what we did. We had played there before and we knew that they do a good job at filming the shows, and we knew the editor, and chances were that it would turn into something great. So, we took some extra steps, got some more cameras and really made sure it looks the part if it turns out well. Then after we show the footage, we thought it turned out great! This might be the perfect time to release a live DVD because a) fans have been asking for a long, long time, and b) 'Blind Rage' [ACCEPT's last sutiod album] is already two years old and it's going to be yet another year before the next album comes out, so this would be a good tie-over for the fans, you know."

Metal Assault: I think there was a time in the past where bands would release something between studio albums, whether it be a live album or a new EP, and not just a reissue of an old album. You're doing that with "Restless And Live", and that's great because as you just said, it will hold fans over until the next studio album.

Wolf: "Correct, correct. And it gave us a chance to really do it properly because we spent a good amount of time to go through the footage, making sure it's good, and also a good chunk of time went into listening to all these live performances for the audio CDs. We had recorded dozens of shows throughout our following tour across Europe, and we knew that for the audio CDs we wanted to use different performances and different songs altogether from the DVD. A lot of times what gets done is you just use the audio material from the live DVD, which to me in essence is like putting on the DVD and turning off the picture. It's the same exact performance. But we said, since we've got the opportunity to offer live CDs with the DVD as a package deal to the fans, we might as well go through the trouble of finding other performances that are also quite good, just to show a different side of what ACCEPT sounds like in a different city, on a different night, and different songs. We put 27 songs on these audio CDs, I believe."

Metal Assault: This recording probably captures the real ACCEPT live experience because as you said there was no additional pressure of playing a concert for a DVD.

Wolf: "Yeah, I guess everybody is afraid that you have a tour, everything is going great, and then it comes to the DVD night, everyone is super nervous and it turns out to be a so-so show. Bands are usually afraid of that, so the more low-key something like that can happen, the better it is, normally. But in our case, it wasn't so low-key because it was the very first show of the tour with new members in the band, so it was a little bit nerve-racking for everybody, I think. It was the first show in Europe with new guys, new setlist, and we were going to film it. But it turned out to be great and I wasn't really all that nervous, to be honest, but I'm sure some of the guys were."

Read the entire interview at Metal Assault.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, SMASHING PUMPKINS frontman and sole founding member Billy Corgan told Chicago radio station WLUP that a reunion of the band's original lineup seems more and more likely. Corgan revealed: "I just talked to guitarist James Iha the other day, things look good for us getting together to play. We're talking about it, we'll see."

But Corgan added: "The reunion thing is always a bit weird, because then people come in with their expectations. So my whole thing is if we're going to do it, I think we do it to make people happy, and not go against the tide of what people would want to hear and that type of stuff, but my interest in it is sort of limited. I'm not going to do it for 14 years of my life."

Corgan has been touring under the SMASHING PUMPKINS name for several years with a newer lineup of musicians, although original drummer Jimmy Chamberlin rejoined the band last year.

More significantly, Corgan confirmed last summer that he had repaired his friendship with original bassist D'Arcy Wretzky, after not speaking for nearly two decades. With Chamberlin back in the band already and Iha joining them onstage at two gigs last spring, a reunion of the group's original lineup seemed imminent.

As for that possibility, Corgan said: "We're not rushing to something. We have to repair some things between us and see what's out there for us, if those opportunities are even there."

An "industry source" told Consequence Of Sound last August that Corgan had begun shopping an reunion of the original quartet for headlining shows and festival slots next summer.