Century Media has announced the release of Abreaction, the new studio album by Svart Crown, France’s trailblazing death/black metal export and true preservers of the black flame.

Today Svart Crown released the cover artwork for Abreaction. The artwork was done by Stefan Thanneur and perfectly captures the vibe of Abreaction with its Voodoo-like atmosphere and eldritch inscrutability.

Abreaction will be released as a limited deluxe Digipak that folds out to a cross (EU version), limited Digipak (US version), limited gatefold LP+CD with a 12-page LP-booklet and as digital download/stream. The album will be available on March 3rd in Europe, and March 17th in North America.

On January 13th 2017 the track, “Transsubstantiation”, will be launched as a static YouTube video and instant grat on Amazon and iTunes.

Abreaction tracklisting:

“Golden Sacrament”
“Carcosa”
“The Pact: To The Devil His Due”
“Upon This Intimate Madness”
“Khimba Rites”
“Tentacion”
“Orgasmic Spiritual Ecstasy”
“Transsubstantiation”
“Emphatic Illusion”
“Lwas”
“Nganda”

As a warm up to the release of Abreaction, Svart Crown have just been confirmed for the US tour of Marduk and Incantation.

Tour dates:

February (with Marduk and Incantation)
7 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum
8 - Atlanta, GA - Heaven @ Masquerade
9 - Dayton, OH - Oddbody's
10 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's
11 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
12 - Fort Worth, TX - Rail Club
13 - Austin, TX - Grizzly Hall
14 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
15 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe's Grotto
16 - Las Vegas, NV - TBC
17 - Los Angeles, CA - Regent Theater
18 - Oakland, CA - Metro Opera House
19 - Portland, OR - Bossanova Ballroom
20 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven

More tour dates:

February
21 - Le Ferraileur - Nantes, France
22 - Le Temps Machine - Tours, France
23 - Le Petit Bain - Paris, France
25 - Le 106 - Rouen, France

March
3 - Le Metronum - Toulouse, France

More dates to be announced soon.

Svart Crown lineup:

JB Le Bail - vocals, guitars
Ludovic Veyssière - bass
Kévin Paradis - drums
Kevin Verlay - guitars

Last week, Swedish horror death metal outfit Vampire digitally released the brand new track “Skull Prayer” (Rough Mix), taken from the band’s forthcoming and yet-untitled new studio album, which is planned for release in late spring 2017. Now the song is available for streaming.

The cover artwork was done by Jonathan Hultén of Tribulation.

Purchase “Skull Prayer” on iTunes, Spotify, or via the Amazon widget below.

The recording of the new album is now finished. The band is currently mixing and mastering the new songs.

Vampire lineup:

Hand of Doom: vocals
Black String: guitars
Command: Electric bass
Sepulchral Condor: guitars
Abysmal Condor: battery

(Photo by: Anders Bergstedt)

A revamped version of Swedish metal veterans ENTOMBED played the band's groundbreaking 1991 album, "Clandestine", in its entirety at Malmö Live in Malmö, Sweden on November 12. Sitting in first with conductor Josef Rhedin and the hundred-plus-member Malmö Symphony Orchestra for Thomas Von Wachenfeldt's arrangement of "Clandestine", the band performed "Clandestine" from front to back for the very first time.

Joining original ENTOMBED members Alex Hellid, Ulf "Uffe" Cederlund (guitar) and Nicke Andersson (drums) at the show were Robert Andersson (vocals) and Nicke's half brother Edvin Aftonfalk (bass), both formerly of the Swedish death metal band MORBUS CHRON.

Two weeks earlier, the new lineup of ENTOMBED made its live debut on the Close-Up Båten cruise.

Asked if there are any plans for ENTOMBED to play more shows or even embark on a European tour, Uffe told Tough Riffs magazine: "We have no plans whatsoever. I'm not sure if we ever will do something again. It depends what turns up. I'm not sure if we're a band or not. I mean, me, Nicke and Alex are somehow ENTOMBED in my eyes. If we do something again, I really hope that Edvin and Robert are interested again because it worked out so good. I can't see us on the road again. We'll see. Right now we have other things to take care of."

Regarding the possibility of new music from ENTOMBED, Uffe said: "We have talked about it but I'm not sure if it's going to happen. Maybe someday if we have spare time and a lot of ideas for songs. It would be interesting to do it one day. All of us are super busy with other stuff in life, bands, children, work and so on."

He continued: "I don't think it's that important to do another ENTOMBED album. I would be happy to keep on playing the 'Clandestine' album forever, if we do shows."

Uffe also confirmed that ENTOMBED recently re-recorded some of its early songs, but said there are no plans to release the material. "I guess it was a reason to get together and hang out, to see if we enjoyed hanging out, etcetera," he explained.

Earlier this year, Cederlund launched a solo project dubbed ULF CEDERLUND AND THE SWARM OF SOULS and released three songs via Bandcamp: "Alone Again", "Incinerator" and "Decisions". He told Tough Riffs about the project: "I realized how hard it is to get together with friends, find the time to have bands. It's work, families, dogs, laundry and so on.

"I always write music and I saw on my music files that 'the new song' was, like, three years old, I hate that. I want things to happen fast when I write. That's why I decided to 'go solo.'"

He added: "I play everything. I used to play the drums back in the '80s, [and] have not played drums since, but I thought, 'Fuck it! I can do whatever I want to.' I don't care if it sounds lame; it's honest.

"My friend Jocke (WOLFBRIGADE) has a studio and we like to hang out. It's real fun.

"I have no rules. I do what I want to. Any kind of music influences me, and I want to be creative.

"I want my music to be free, [but] some people pay anyway.

"I write all music in my head and I start building them in the studio. That makes it interesting for me. I never know what will happen."

The ENTOMBED band that performed on the Close-Up Båten cruise and at Malmö Live is not to be confused with ENTOMBED A.D., which features ENTOMBED vocalist Lars Göran Petrov alongside Olle Dahlstedt (drums), Nico Elgstrand (guitar) and Victor Brandt (bass).

After ten successful years with the label Nuclear Blast, British, progressive protagonists Threshold have signed a new contract and extended their partnership with the label in July 2016. Furthermore, they have also announced plans for their next release: Threshold are currently recording their 11th masterpiece at Thin Ice Studios in England, a new concept album that will be called Legends Of The Shires. It is being produced by Karl Groom and Richard West and it's scheduled to be released in 2017. More information will be revealed soon.

The band has announced the dates for the Legends Of The Shires Tour 2017. Keyboardist Richard West comments: "It's great to be announcing these tour dates so soon, we can't wait to get on the road and perform for you. Our new album is coming together perfectly, we've got a lot of strong material so it might be our longest one yet."

Tour dates are as follows:

November
28 - Bosuil, Netherlands - Weert
29 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
30 - Berlin, Germany - Lido

December
1 - Aschaffenburg, Germany - Colos Saal
2 - München, Germany - Feierwerk
3 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
5 - Stuttgart, Germany - Club Cann
6 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum
7 - Kortrijk, Belgium - De Kreun
8 - Essen, Germany - Turock
9 - Zoetermeer, Netherlands - Boerderij
10 - London, England - O2 Islington Academy

From the sick minds of members from bands like Mistweaver and Mass Burial comes a new band called Nasty Surgeons, a gore death/ grind combo devoted to the heaviest side of bands like old Carcass, Necrony, Exhumed, and others, but with a more death metal feel.

 Nasty Surgeons have inked a deal with Xtreem Music for the immediate release of their debut album Exhumation Requiem, a killer opus including ten songs with catchy, fresh and heavy compositions that will for sure appeal to any lover of the aforementioned bands. 

Cover artwork for this debut has been done by cult artist Juanjo Castellano:

Tracklisting:

“The Resurrectionists”
“The Creation Of The Monstrosity”
“Human Flesh Is Also Food”
“Antemortem Dissection”
“Autopsy’s Protocol”
“Nasty Surgeons”
“Ode To Bad Taste”
“Burnt With Sulfuric Acid”
“Devoured Alive”
“Exhumation Requiem” 

“Autopsy’s Protocol”:

DECADENCE — the Sweden-based thrash metal quintet fronted by Kitty Saric (a.k.a. Metallic Kitty) — has reformed and will release its fifth full-length album, "Undergrounder", in January. Joining Kitty and her songwriting partner of over fifteen years, Kenneth Lantz, on the new effort is drummer Lawrence Dinamarca (NIGHTRAGE, LOCH VOSTOK, CARNAL FORGE).

Says Kitty: "Sharing these news with you today is something I've been waiting for five years to do.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM, the new solo project from CANDLEMASS bassist and songwriter Leif Edling,will release its self-titled debut album on March 31, 2017 via Nuclear Blast. The disc will contain eight epic doom tracks with a pinch of NWOBHM and haunting catchy melodies. Joining Edling on the effort are WOLF singer Niklas Stålvind, guitarist Marcus Jidell (AVATARIUM, SOEN, ex-EVERGREY), drummer Andreas "Habo" Johansson (NARNIA), as well as several guest artists.

"I'm extremely happy that THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM album is finally finished and ready to be released!", states Leif. "It's been a long windy road, to say the least, and many things and circumstances have been leading up to it. It is an album that I'm extremely proud of, from the cover artwork to the songs and sound. One of the best things I've done in my life!"

THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM will make its live debut at the Roadburn festival in April 2017.

"The Doomsday Kingdom" track listing:

01. Silent Kingdom02. Never Machine03. A Spoonful Of Darkness04. See You Tomorrow05. The Sceptre06. Hand Of Hell07. The Silence08. The God Particle

The lyric video for the demo version of "The Sceptre" can be seen below. Edling stated about the song: "On the album version, 'The Sceptre' is a bit re-arranged. There's a couple of more harmony guitars added on it as well. We also have some people guesting: In the mid 'classical' solo part, we included a mellotron that is played by one of this country's best mello-players, whose name I will disclose later on... Same thing with the long end solo. One of my all-time heroes and musical influences was kind enough to put his guitar and stamp on here to make this song very special! Lovely solo, lovely bloke!"

Regarding the track "Never Machine", Edling said: "'Never Machine' is the very first song that I wrote for THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM. It starts with a riff à la BLACK SABBATH and takes off into doomier territories with the haunting chorus and the extra-heavy outro."

THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM's debut EP, "Never Machine", was released on November 25 via Nuclear Blast.

Edling stated about THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM: "THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM was created two years ago. I was in pretty bad shape. I couldn't go out, I couldn't work, I wasn't allowed to read, I couldn't watch telly and I wasn't allowed to work in front of the computer, so all I had was the music. And I created THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM, metal from the catacombs."

THE DOOMSDAY KINGDOM is:

Niklas Stålvind - vocalsMarcus Jidell - guitarsLeif Edling - bassAndreas (Habo) Johansson - drums

Fan-filmed video footage of MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil performing with his solo band on December 19 at Waverly Beach in Menasha, Wisconsin as part of 105.7 WAPL's Xmas Bash can be seen below.

Neil recently explained to GreeleyTribune.com why he continues to play MÖTLEY CRÜE's hit songs during his solo live performances.

"I could play a lot of my solo stuff, and I'd get a lot of people in the crowd saying, 'What is he doing that for?' Neil said. "They'd be saying, 'Play [swear word] 'Dr. Feelgood', you [swear word].

"But I don't want to be that guy," he continued. "I want to be someone who shows appreciation for all our fans. Those people have all the love for the CRÜE stuff, and I was the guy singing those songs. That gave me a great life for 30 years."

Neil was also full of praise for his solo band, which continues to include Dana Strum and Jeff Blando from SLAUGHTER and drummer Zoltan Chaney.

"They're really energetic, and we're friends," Neil said. "There's none of the [bad] blood and the crazy ups and downs with MÖTLEY. We all get along really good."

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx told RiffYou.com last year that his new band, SIXX:A.M., "[doesn't] play MÖTLEY CRÜE music" and will "never play MÖTLEY CRÜE music, explaining that he wanted to make a clean break from touring with CRÜE out of the deep respect he had for all he had accomplished with his bandmates.

Switzerland's industrial/symphonic black metal bashers Samael have posted the following update:

"Samael is celebrating 30th anniversary next year and is releasing a new album. On April 22, the band will headline the return of the mighty MetalMania Festival in Katowice, Poland. The band will perform a special set featuring material from the first four albums, and present new songs from the upcoming album. Get ready for a very special show! Tickets are available now."

Samael's previous album, Lux Mundi, was released in April 2011 through Nuclear Blast. Go to this location for updates.

Currently in the studio working on a new Cradle Of Filth album, frontman Dani Filth has checked in with the following update:

"The album is sounding very elaborate, even now with just the drum arsenal and four guitar tracks laid down, calling to mind the bastard lovechild betwixt 2015’s Hammer Of The Witches and 1998’s Cruelty And The Beast. Prepare to be bedazzled, pummelled, bedazzled and pummelled once again when this leviathan rises. Also includes a Cradle-lized cover of Annihilator’s classic title track 'Alice In Hell', as personally endorsed by Jeff Waters."

Metal Hammer recently picked Cradle Of Filth / Devilment frontman Dani Filth's brain for his experiences with drugs, booze, violence, occult practices and... prosthetic limbs. An excerpt from the rundown is available below

Q: What is the worst idea you have ever had?

Filth: "That would imply regret, and life is too short – and I’m too short – for any kind of regret. But if I did regret anything, it would be starting the night with Red Bull and vodka. Or anything involving Red Bull and vodka actually."

Q: What's the strangest experience you've had with a fan?

Filth: "We did an album called  Cruelty And The Beast about Elizabeth Bathory, and this one fan was convinced she’d been Elizabeth Bathory in a previous life and that I was, of all things, this prince, her consort. Later we played in America and this guy organising the show was supposed to drive us to the Walmart but instead he went past it... then he started talking and I realised with horror that this was the girl’s ex-boyfriend and she’d obviously dumped him, believing I was her prince. I thought, 'Right, we’re going to some sort of field now with a shallow grave, aren’t we?'"

Q: What was your strangest experience during your black metal years?

Filth: “We were at a party in 1993 with Emperor and the drummer put his arm around me and confessed to killing this guy. It was a really friendly gesture – he’d obviously had a lot to drink – and he said he’d never told anyone else, and I didn’t know how to take it. A few months later he was caught so it was very strange. There were a lot of things in black metal like that – it was exhilarating but also revolting.”

Read more at this location.

Cradle Of Filth keyboardist / backing vocalist Lindsay Schoolcraft has checked in with the following update:

Merry Christmas Schoolcraftians! Thanks to producer Tyler Williams of Monolithic Productions you can get a free remastered download of my Madonna’s “Frozen” cover. This also includes a free download of the entire The Dead Of Winter EP until Boxing Day. Go to this link now to get it. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday."

The Dead of Winter by Schoolcraft

Lindsay Schoolcraft attended this year's installment of the Metal Female Voices Festival in Wieze, Belgium back in October. Fan-filmed video of her performandce of COF's "Nymphetamine" accompanied by Rainover's Andrea Casanova can be viewed below

The clip below, also shot at the Metal Female Voices Festival 2016, features Mercy Isle performing "Come To Me" from the album Undying Fire with Lindsay as a special guest:

Sylvain Rouvière’s Kaktus Project have covered Iron Maiden’s “Wasting Love”, featured on Maiden’s ninth studio album, Fear Of The Dark, released in 1992.

Says Rouvière: “These last years, as you already know, the sales of music albums fell a lot, so I decided not to take out a second Kaktus Project. Nevertheless I still remain passionate for music and will regularly propose new titles (compositions or covers) freely accessible by internet (YouTube). Today I have the pleasure to present a cover of Iron Maiden’s “Wasting Love”.”

On the track, Rouvière is accompanied by Céline Lacroix (vocals), Glauco Alves (vocals) and Mr Belette (David Rousseau, drums).

Late drummer extraordinaire Nick Menza’s art, music and musings are coming on strong in 2017 - but fans can get in on the action early by signing up to Menza Jamz- where they can download for free Nick’s cover version of Metallica's “Creeping Death” / Creeping Deth 2.0 featuring James Lomenzo (bass) ex-Megadeth and guitarist/vocalist Davor Garasic from the Croatian thrash metal band Sufosia. This is first in series of songs recorded in the months before his tragic death in May 2016.
 
A special collection of Menza’s first and, sadly, only series of artwork was unveiled July 23rd, 2016, on which would have been his 52nd birthday. The collection is available through the art team and publisher SceneFour’s dedicated website, NickMenzaArt.com.
 
Into the New Year, casual and intimate drum-clinic footage of Nick will become available for fans. Directed and produced by author/filmmaker J. Marshall Craig, more than an hour of Nick’s drum lessons were recorded as part of the research into the book on Nick’s life, written by Craig.
 
MegaLife: Nick Menza – The Book will be published in October of 2017, having been delayed and drastically rewritten in light of Nick’s passing and, it will come as no surprise to fans, how poorly Nick was being treated by Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine and the brutal truth of why there was never a Megadeth reunion with the most-successful lineup of the thrash-metal band.
 
“Give yourself an early Christmas present,” Craig says, “and join menzajamz.com! Get in on some astounding musical performances by Nick for free. Fans who sign up will also be the first to be notified of the book’s exact release date.”
 
Fans who sign up will also be the first to hear of any established plans for a tribute concert to the late, great drummer in Los Angeles in 2017.
 
Menza was the longest-serving drummer for Megadeth and for the next ten years became associated with the band's "classic" and most profitable era.

 

The first official release from Swedish band Source, formed upon guitarist Richard Lagergren's departure from Portrait in 2012 and featuring Ram vocalist Oscar Carlquist and drummer Patrick Dagland, is available for streaming below.

The self-titled release was recorded at the Black Path Studio (Ram, Ensnared, Portrait, Kill) in the haunted facilities of former Los Angered (Göteborg). Initially released in cassette form through new Swedish label, Pearls For Swine, the set is slso available as a digital download. Order your copy at this location.

From blossoms in the individualist's daring footsteps into the dark, to a rotten apple eaten from inwards by actors building from and never upon it. A road any art form seems bound to wander, as if dying from the moment its last rule is dictated and the first work is based upon it. Once all terms appear reduced to imply gimmick ridden emulations of things past, the newborn will better define itself through negation.

Source, upon forming in the year of the Lord 2012, thus could quickly establish it was not heavy metal written for the sake of being heavy metal, that it shunned the word "community" and found "by fans for fans" to be the most detestable slogan ever. And many, many other things.

With this first official demonstration of power, spanning three songs recorded during 2016, begins a life long process of defining what Source in fact is, aside a musical ejaculation in celebration of the eternal Adversary.

Tracklisting:

“Crossroads Calling”
“Let Him In”
“Wither”

Source by Source

In the new video below, Dream Theater keyboardist, Jordan Rudess, performs the traditional English folk song, “Greensleeves”, on GeoShred (an iPad instrument by Wizdom Music).

Rudess has issued an update for Keyfest 2017, now scheduled for June 19th - 23rd at Full Moon Resort in Big Indian, New York. Registrations are now open.

Jordan Rudess, best known as a member of the platinum-selling Grammy- nominated progressive metal/rock band, Dream Theater, is the virtuoso keyboardist, composer, music app developer and champion of new keyboard technologies, KeyFest welcomes keyboardists of all skill levels to gather together from June 26th - 30th, 2017 at the elegantly rustic Full Moon Resort, in the Catskill Forest Preserve in Upstate New York.

KeyFest enrolment is open to keyboardists of all levels. Participants will enjoy a fully immersive learning experience organized by Jordan Rudess. KeyFest will include master classes, learning sessions, a technology room to try the latest technology, live performances and jams, and all-inclusive meal options and lodging accommodations.

Says Jordan: “I’m excited for the opportunity to hang out with fellow keyboardists in a relaxed environment and have the chance to share some of the skills and knowledge that I’ve gathered through the years. Our keyboard world is constantly evolving as technology keeps throwing us new possibilities. I’m looking forward to spending some quality time in a beautiful location, eating good food, playing some music, teaching and jamming with all of you!”

For complete details, head here.

Legendary Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, Bruce Springsteen, and actor Robert De Niro are among the 200 celebrities in a video, “We Are Not Afraid”, which is raising funds for victims of religious and political violence around the world. The clip was directed by photographer Bob Gruen, and it was because of him that Yoko Ono, who is the first face to appear in the video, became involved and got the ball rolling.

"My long-time friend Bob Gruen who was a very early supporter of this project and brought it to Yoko Ono's attention, resulting in her becoming the campaign's very first participant, immediately offered to put together the long form “We Are Not Afraid” video when told of our plan. And for that we are deeply grateful,” said creator-organizer Steve Weitzman in a statement.

Weitzman says the eight-minute video was expanded from its original planned four-minute length because so many notables signed on.

Also featured in the video include Ritchie Blackmore, Queen’s Brian May, Steve Vai, Peter Frampton, Heart, Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson, Keith Richards (Rolling Stones), Ringo Starr (Beatles) and many more. Check it out below, and read more at Billboard.com.

Australian death metal quintet, In Death, have released an official music video for "Godzilla”, a track from their forthcoming debut album, The Devil Speaks, targeted for a February release. The video was filmed and edited by Wilson Bambrick. Watch below.

Vigorously honing their craft as a live act since August 2008, two crucial elements have developed within the band that now form part of the unofficial band ethos: Tight performances packaged with energetic delivery. The result can only be described as a whirlwind of energy punctuated by an intensely accurate technical punch.

In Death combine overwhelming power and groove with subtle technicality and some unexpected twists to deliver a package that can not only cause frenzy among seasoned metal-heads, but also bring new fans to the metal genre with horns held high and banging heads.

Tracklisting:

“Malignancy Eradicated”
“The Pitfalls Of Immortality”
“Bow To Your Master”
“Every Burial”
“Godzilla”
“Fuck Your Kind”
“The Devil Speaks”
“King Of The Deadpool”

“Godzilla” video:

“Malignancy Eradicated” lyric video:

Angertea have released a new video for “The Moon Encounter”, a track from the band’s fifth full length album, Snakes In Blossom, released back in March via Finnish label, Inverse Records.

Says the band: “The main theme of the song is about 'home', that's why we filmed the video in Szentes, Hungary (our homeland), and some nice shots, typical of this land were taken. We'd like to wish everyone Merry Christmas with this video!”

Snakes In Blossom was recorded in Szeged, Hungary at Black Hole Sound Studio, and Szentes, Murphy Studio. It was mixed and produced by Gábor Vári.

Tracklisting:

“Snakes”
“Sinking In Strain”
“Seeds Of Hell”
“Aquarium”
“Orange Machine ”
“St. Andrew's Storm”
“The Song For Vengeance”
“Instancy”
“The Moon Encounter”
“Tisza”

“Orange Machine” lyric video:

“Sinking In Strain”:

Guitarist Rick Parfitt of veteran British rockers STATUS QUO died earlier today (Saturday, December 24). He was 68 years old.

The Parfitt family and the STATUS QUO manager, Simon Porter, have released the following joint statement regarding the matter:

"We are truly devastated to have to announce that STATUS QUO guitarist Rick Parfitt has passed away at lunchtime today. "He died in hospital in Marbella, Spain as a result of a severe infection, having been admitted to hospital on Thursday evening following complications to a shoulder injury incurred by a previous fall. "This tragic news comes at a time when Rick was hugely looking forward to launching a solo career with an album and autobiography planned for 2017 following his departure from STATUS QUO's touring activities on medical advice. "He will be sorely missed by his family, friends, fellow band members, management, crew and his dedicated legion of fans from throughout the world, gained through 50 years of monumental success with STATUS QUO. "Rick is survived by his wife Lyndsay, their twins Tommy and Lily and Rick's adult children Rick Jnr and Harry. "No further comment will be made at this time and Rick's family, and the band, ask for their privacy to be respected at this difficult time."

Parfitt had experienced a number of health setbacks over the years, including a quadruple heart bypass in 1997, a throat cancer scare in 2005 and a heart attack in 2011.

The guitarist reportedly quit drinking and smoking following the heart attack five years ago. Subsequent health scares had changed the way he lived his life even more, particularly the cardiac arrest he suffered earlier this year, which saw him collapsing on stage, technically dead for a few minutes.

STATUS QUO was forced to cancel a number of shows in 2014 after Parfitt was told by doctors to rest following surgery to correct a problem with his previous heart bypass.

Parfitt and STATUS QUO frontman Francis Rossi recently announced they were hanging up their electric guitars for good following one final tour.

In October, Parfitt said he would no longer be performing with the band after suffering a heart attack in the summer.

Freddie Edwards, the son of QUO bassist John "Rhino" Edwards, had been stepping in for Parfitt so that concerts did not have to be canceled.

Photo credit: Christie Goodwin

Fan-filmed video footage of former QUEENSRŸCHE and current OPERATION: MINDCRIME vocalist Geoff Tate performing an acoustic set at the Voodoo Lounge in Dublin, Ireland on December 22 can be seen below.

"Resurrection", the second album from OPERATION: MINDCRIME, was released on September 23 via Frontiers Music Srl. The album is the second part of Tate's musical trilogy. He explained in a recent interview: "It continues the story that began on the first album 'The Key' with the near-death experience of the lead character known as 'H' and his subsequent recovery of the missing encryption key. With the Key finally in his possession, 'H' has everything he needs to finally launch his long awaited project called 'The New Reality'. Or does he..." The singer continued: "I'm excited for people to hear and experience 'Resurrection' because I think it answers some of the questions that were posed in the first album, 'The Key'. Musically, it offers some of the most diverse and challenging material that I've ever written."

Asked about the viability of making albums in an age where anything that isn't instant invariably struggles to gain currency with the masses, Tate told "The Classic Metal Show": "Oh, I don't know, really, about that. My records are paid for upfront. So I get paid for them. The company that buys them, they have to recoup that money back by their ability to sell them, I suppose."

He continued: "I love making new music, and I'll always write new material and perform it. That's what I love most in life."

Tate did acknowledge, however, that diminishing record sales have resulted in record companies investing less funds into breaking younger artists and promoting new releases.

"There isn't the economy to support record companies anymore, or the families of the people that work at record companies," he explained. "That industry is completely gutted from what it was."

He added: "It's like everything. Times change, the world moves on, and you have to adapt to the new and changing world. It's very similar to people lamenting the loss of their jobs overseas to different places. Well, that's just the way things work, and you have to adapt and you can't keep pining away for the way things used to be; you have to create what's now and be part of the conversation and be part of the changes that need to be made.

"I see a lot of times people just get really hung up on the way things used to be and they start dreaming and pining away for life the way it used to be, and it's never gonna be that way again."

Video footage of KORN performing an acoustic version of the song "Alone I Break" for VIP ticket holders before the band's December 16 concert at The SSE Arena, Wembley in London, England can be seen below.

KORN has just completed a U.K. tour in support of its twelfth studio album, "The Serenity of Suffering", which was released on October 21 via Roadrunner Records. Co-headlining the tour were KORN's longtime friends LIMP BIZKIT.

The follow-up to 2013's "The Paradigm Shift", "The Serenity Of Suffering" was helmed by Grammy Award-winning producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, DEFTONES, MASTODON and RUSH, among others. The CD features a guest appearance by SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor on the song "A Different World".

The cover art for "The Serenity Of Suffering" was created by acclaimed artist Ron English. It depicts a teenage KORN fan at a dystopian acid-nightmare funfair who is clutching a disembowelled and skeletal version of the doll who adorned 1999's "Issues". "The Serenity Of Suffering" marks the second KORN album since the return of guitarist Brian "Head" Welch, who said, "This is a record to me that the intensity of KORN is back, and the live energy. Raw energy is there."

Grammy Award-winning band, Bon Jovi, have released a new music video for “Born Again Tomorrow”, a track from their new studio album, This House Is Not For Sale. Watch below:

BraveWords is giving away a copy Bon Jovi: The Story, the new 208 page book by Bryan Reesman. For details, click here.

This House Is Not For Sale is a triumphant statement of integrity from one of rock’s biggest bands. Around the world, critics have applauded the album that has something to say and nothing to prove. Led by the hit title track, “This House Is Not For Sale”, the band’s 14th studio album became their sixth career release to debut at #1 in the US, Australia, and Japan and in the Top 5 in 54 other countries while iTunes charts place the release at #1 in 25 countries.

On the heels of Bon Jovi’s worldwide #1 album debut, a live version entitled This House Is Not For Sale - Live From The London Palladium was released on December 16th. Recorded at the London Palladium last October, the album is available via Walmart (physical CD), and iTunes.

“Roller Coaster” video:

“Scars On This Guitar” video:

“The Devil’s In The Temple” video:

This House Is Not for Sale tour dates are listed below.

This House Is Not for Sale tour dates:

February
8 - Greenville, SC - Bon Secours Wellness Arena
10 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
12 - Sunrise, FL - BB&T Center
14 - Tampa, FL - Amalie Arena
16 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC
18 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
19 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
21 - Oklahoma City, OK - Chesapeake Energy Center
23 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
25 - Las Vegas, NV - T-Mobile Arena
28 - Sacramento, CA - Golden 1 Center

March
1 - San Jose, CA - SAP Center
4 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Arena
5 - San Diego, CA - Viejas Arena
8 - Los Angeles, CA - The Forum
14 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
16 - Memphis, TN - FedExForum
18 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
19 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena
22 - Indianapolis, IN - Bankers Life Fieldhouse
26 - Chicago, IL - United Center
27 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
29 - Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena
31 - Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center

April
1 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
5 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena
7 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
8 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
10 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre

** Dates, cities and venues subject to change.

Visit bonjovi.com for updated tour and ticketing information.

Danish thrashers Impalers are set to release a new EP entitled Styx Demon: The Master Of Death via Evil EyE Records on January 16th. The EP comprises new tracks "Megalodon" and "Styx Demon". It also boasts a killer cover version of Misfits' "Death Comes Ripping" and an awesoome cover of Iron Maiden's "Prowler".  

Formed in 2007, Impalers are a teutonic thrash steamhammer combining sniper precision riffs with a minefield of politically charged lyrics in the vein of Sodom, Kreator, Destruction and Metallica amongst others. 

Impalers frontman Soren Crawack made the following statement regarding the new EP. "This series of EPs effectively serve the function of bridging the gap in-between full-length albums and critically provide the band with a platform to show where are musically at a certain point in time, as we continually evolve our sound. We had so much fun jamming on the songs that inspired us to play music in the first place and we hope our fans enjoy the EP as much as we did recording it." 

The Styx Demon: The Master Of Death EP was produced, mixed and mastered by Marco Angioni at Death Island Studios, while the EP's artwork was designed by Mario Lopez.

CD and digital download pre-order packages are available at the Evil EyE Records store.

 

Finnish aggressive metal quartet Beating Dead Meat will release their second album, With Full Force, tomorrow, December 23rd via Inverse Records. 

Their crushing, straightforward and intense album also contains an excellent Pantera tribute: "The Great Northern Djentkill". Listen to the single "No Compromise" now on Spotify.

Tracklisting:

"2016"
"Straight To Hell"
"No Compromise"
"Dream For The Weak"
"The Few And The Proud"
"Posers"
"The Powers That Be"
"A Failure By Default"
"With Full Force"
"The Great Northern Djentkill"

Check out the lyric video for "No Compromise":

Beating Dead Meat is:

Iikka Jääskeläinen - vocals
Niko Junnilainen - guitars
Anssi Saastamoinen - bass
Joona Komulainen - drums

For further details, visit the band's official Facebook page.

 

Like all musicians and bands, the members of Infectus 13 have their favorites bands and musicians that inspired them, and whom they looked up to in their formative years, and to this day, still look to as part of the reason they become who they are as musicians.

Over the last couple of years, when not all I13 members were available for writing sessions and working up new original material, Sid Falck (ex-Overkill) used some of the downtime to lay down drum tracks to a very big handful of songs, which he felt were both fun to cover, as well as a way of paying homage to some of the music, he and his fellow I13 members, have mutually enjoyed from other bands and musicians over the years.

Originally meant as bonus material for their now further delayed debut album, it was decided that since all the drum tracks had already been recorded, the rest of the guys would start finishing up the rest of the instrument and vocal tracks, then mix and release the songs over the next 6-8 months, while I13 founder, Sid Falck, is recovering from his back fusion surgery.

Infectus 13 have now released the first cover song, their take on Mötorhead’s “The Hammer” (streaming below). The song features a very special guest appearance by John Gallagher of Raven on bass.

All the songs, including “The Hammer”, were recorded as close to the original versions as possible, as a sign of respect to the various original artists and their recordings.

Says the band: “We can report that Sid Falck underwent the 3-hour fusion surgery on December 15th, 2016. Early indications are, that the interbody fusion and the insertion of the screws and rods went well. Sid is under severely limited mobility restrictions while new bone growth from bone marrow extracted during the surgery, placed on a growth medium then placed along the vertabraes takes hold. Sid is currently at home resting.”

For more news regarding the next release, go to this location.

Brazilian thrashers, Woslom, have released a new music video for their fan favourite, “Underworld Of Aggression, off their latest album, A Near Life Experience, released earlier this year via Shinigami Records for Brazil and the rest of the world through Italian label, Punishment 18.

The video was recorded during the band’s European tour and captures behind the scenes in Germany, Russia and Switzerland, along with clips from Brazil’s Maximus Fest. The video was directed and edited by Diogo Alvino.

A Near Life Experience was recorded at Acustica Studios and mastered at Absolute Master. The cover was made by the artist Mario Lopez.

A Near Life Experience tracklisting:

“Underworld Of Aggression”
“A Near Life Experience”
“Brokenbones”
“Lapses Of Sin”
“Redemption”
“Unleash Your Violence”
“Lords Of War”
“Total Speed Thrash”
“Thrasher’s Return” (Bywar cover)

(Photo - Edu Lawless)

Los Angeles, California-based melodic death metal band, Dreaming Dead, will release their new album, Funeral Twilight, on February 20th via Hammerheart Records. The new song, “Buried”, is available for streaming below.

Formed in 2006 by frontwoman Elizabeth Schall and drummer Mike Caffell, Dreaming Dead continues to capture the attention of audiences and listeners across the globe. Whether through pummelling fans as a live act, or releasing fist-pumping albums, Dreaming Dead is consistently in the business of turning heads.

With two previously released full-length albums under their belt, Within One and Midnightmares, Dreaming Dead currently prepares to release their third full-length album, titled Funeral Twilight.

The band lineup continues with the usual suspects Elizabeth Schall (also active in Cretin), Mike Caffell (also active in Terrorizer LA), Chris McCarthy (also active in Murder Construct) and William Toledo.

“Hammerheart Records heard the new recordings and these are excellent! So we decided to join forces.”

Michael Landauer (a.k.a. Mick Zane), one of the founding members of '80s metal masters MALICE, died earlier today. He was battling what he was told was an inoperable brain tumor and was said to be receiving the same new miracle drug that recently helped former president Jimmy Carter cure his brain cancer.

HELSTAR singer James Rivera, who played with Landauer in the last incarnation of MALICE, posted a touching tribute to the guitarist on Facebook, writing: "Well, I guess the year just couldn't come to end and not have death take away another friend, metal colleague too close to home once again. A bandmate, Mick Landauer, I actually recorded with and toured with on a professional level passed away this morning.

"We did the best we could, along with Mark Behn, Jay Reynolds, Pete Holmes, Robert Cardenas and Joe Floyd, with trying to revive the legendary MALICE and probably would have gotten even further with another release or two and who knows what we would be doing by now.

"In some sense, I am starting to become numb to such news like this, because it seems it's happening more and more for some odd reason. Or is it just the mere fact us legendary metal heroes who started in the '80s that are still marching on just have got to that age where the bolts and screws are slowly falling off?

"Either way, the numbness has worn off and the deep sorrow has hit like a ton of bricks and I'm trying to hold back the tears as best as I can to finish this.

"I just want to say to all of my metal colleagues I have worked with in the past and that still have your health even though we may not talk daily, weekly, monthly or even yearly, don't think for one moment I do not still love you and would be crushed to hear such news like this about any of you.

"The magic that was made even if it was for one album, show or shows develops a love that will never die. Family love!

"I will miss you, Mick, and my heart goes out to your lovely wife and children. Rest in peace, my brother, and I'll see you on the other side some day.

"'When the Winds of Death' blow on me but for now I guess I will have another 'Angel of light.'"

Since relocating with his friends and bandmates from Portland, Oregon to Hollywood, California in the early '80s to take MALICE to the next level, Mick had been a rock solid part of the Sunset Strip metal scene.

MALICE's latest album, "New Breed Of Godz", was released in May 2012 through SPV/Steamhammer.

The band's two Atlantic releases — "In the Beginning" (1985) and "License to Kill" (1986) — are available Stateside on WEA label Wounded Bird and have continued to sell over the years.

Fan-filmed video footage of ABBATH, the band led by ex-IMMORTAL frontman Olve Eikemo (a.k.a. Abbath), performing on December 10 at the Aztec Theater in San Antonio, Texas can be seen below.

ABBATH recently began rehearsing for its upcoming album in the group's hometown of Bergen, Norway. The follow-up to this year's self-titled debut will be released sometime next year via Season Of Mist.

Bass duties for ABBATH are being handled by a man familiar to metal fans across the world — Tom Cato Visnes, more widely known as King Ov Hell and main composer for several GORGOROTH albums as well as his own bands OV HELL, with singer Shagrath from DIMMU BORGIR, and GOD SEED, with exceptional black metal vocalist Gaahl.

Abbath told New Noise Magazine that he had no intention of ever leaving IMMORTAL. "I never thought for a minute about going solo with ABBATH," he said. "I was kind of forced, forced into making other decisions about things. I thought, okay, if I'm going solo or whatever the fuck, I'd need the right guys to play with."

He added: "I don't see ABBATH as a band. That's my name. It's no SABBATH or ABBA, you know? I said, 'If someone could come up with a logo, then I'd consider it.' Suddenly, it was there and I said, 'Yes, let's proceed!'"

Regarding the circumstances that led to his split with IMMORTAL and the formation of his new group, Abbath said: "I thought it was about fucking time [to release a new album], you know? I said to the guys in IMMORTAL, Demonaz and Horgh, 'C'mon, let's finish rehearsing, let's do this album now.' I had all my ideas, the pre-production was all there, but they… They didn't have the time. At one point, we split. We didn't socialize. We became strangers more and more. They weren't there and I felt alone. I was working, I was waiting. There was this, 'Should I go on with this new album or will no one hear it, because it was supposed to be IMMORTAL?' No! It's my music! They're my ideas. IMMORTAL, it's in my heart, but when I can be Abbath, I feel IMMORTAL. If there's someone I'd really like to apologize to, it's Apollyon, [ex-IMMORTAL bassist and AURA NOIR leader]. When we did that comeback thing we did, we couldn't have done that without him. If there's someone I miss, it's Apollyon."

He continued: "I was lucky to meet with the right people, and out of the fucking chaos comes something else. For me, it's the beginning of something new. Not something bigger, I don't need to be bigger. I need to be fit, fit for a fight. I want to be a survivor in this scene, I want to be up there doing my shit when I'm 72. We're on a fucking campaign now."