Viva La Rock is big, bad and beautiful. It reflects the larger than life personality of its creator Marco Mendoza both on and off stage.

The Los Angeles native who has a proud Spanish/Mexican heritage is usually found holding down the bass rock foundation with artists like Neal Schon (Journey), Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent and can currently be found with new classic rock champions The Dead Daisies.

With a hard working ethic that sees him constantly out on the road either with The Dead Daisies or as a solo artist, he was delighted when Mighty Music offered him the opportunity to release an album that could propel his own brand of music to a wider public.

“I am really excited about the release of this album. It will be my first collection of new songs in seven years! I have been extremely busy with The Dead Daisies since 2013 so when the opportunity to get some new music together came along, I jumped at it! I hope you guys have as much fun listening to it as I did recording it!” says Marco.

The album was recorded in Copenhagen with the multi-talented Soren Andersen (Glenn Hughes/Mike Tramp/Electric Guitars) at the helm. The Soren/Marco collaboration proved to be the right way forward with the chemistry exploding in the studio, writing and producing some of the finest new rock songs that are screaming out to be heard through a radio somewhere in the world.

“VIVA LA ROCK!! Is a celebration of Music, Life & Rock & Roll, Peace and Love!” states Marco.

With the title track "Viva La Rock" thrusting out of the speakers as a worthy invitation to come and listen, Marco then takes you on a rollercoaster of musical emotions and sounds with a number of potential hit singles like "Rocketman", "Sue Is On The Run", and the ballad "Leah". With a cauldron full of influences caressing Marcos Rock sound including blues, funk and R&B, there is something for everyone that loves great music, and for good measure there a little of his past thrown in with a visit to "Chinatown" from Thin Lizzy, complete with a guest appearance by Guns N’ Roses guitarist Richard Fortus and Danish star Mike Tramp on additional vocals, then the Ted Nugent cover "Hey Baby". Throw it on your stereo or iPod and turn it up loud, you know you want to!

Viva La Rock is a major priority release for Scandinavia's premier rock/metal label Mighty Music, who in recent years has grown to become one of the more important record labels within the genre worldwide, not least due to succesful releases with The Tygers Of Pan Tang, Mike Tramp and Blitzkrieg.

Viva La Rock is to be released on March 2nd on ltd. colour LP, CD and digital and on January 19th the title song from the album will be out as single and music video. Check out an album teaser below.

Tracklisting:

"Viva La Rock"
"Sue Is On The Run"
"Rocketman"
"Sweetest Emotion"
"Chinatown"
"Burned"
"Love 2 U"
"Leah"
"Hey Baby"
"Let It Flow"

Teaser:

Marco Mendoza will support the Viva La Rock album with a European tour, which is currently being booked. First dates below:

February
17 - Schwerin, Germany - Speicher
24 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Halmtorvet 9

March
9 - Bückeburg, Germany - Schraub-Bar
10 - Isernhagen, Germany - Bluesgarage
13 - Hamburg, Germany - Hardrock Café
14 - Düsseldorf, Germany - Pitcher
16 - Viersen, Germany - Rockschicht

More dates across Europe to be added very soon.

(Photo - Fittipaldi Irene)

BREAKING BENJAMIN will release its new single, "Red Cold River", on January 5, 2018. The song is taken from the band's sixth album, "Ember", which will be released later next spring.

BREAKING BENJAMIN frontman Ben Burnley revealed the name of the follow-up to 2015's "Dark Before Dawn" during an interview with Rock 102.1 KFMA at this past October's KFMA Fall Ball in Tucson, Arizona.

"Dark Before Dawn" ended a six-year gap between albums for the group and marked the recording debut of the band's current lineup, of which Burnley remains the sole original member. "Dark Before Dawn" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart upon release, another first for the act.

The album went gold in the U.S. for sales of more than five hundred thousand copies and yielded the chart-topping singles "Failure", "Angels Fall" and "Never Again".

Burnley told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that consistency has been the key to BREAKING BENJAMIN's success. "I don't want to reinvent the wheel," he said. "I just want to write good music that's gonna stand the test of time and I try to do that. Whether I accomplished that is another thing, but at least I try to do that. And I think fans are noticing that the band hasn't changed just because I'm the main songwriter, I always have been, and my process — it's not gonna change. All I'm gonna try to do is just write really, really good songs and bring the BREAKING BENJAMIN sound to another level."

Following its successful fall acoustic tour throughout the U.S., BREAKING BENJAMIN will begin its nationwide tour with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE on January 12. The tour will kick off on in Nashville and hit arenas throughout North America, wrapping up in Washington in February.

Taiwanese metallers CHTHONIC have released a brand new song called "Souls Of The Revolution", featuring a guest appearance by LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe. The track is described as the "theme song" of CHTHONIC's long-in-the-works Taiwanese action-comedy "Tshiong", which will receive a Taiwanese premiere on December 29. The movie, which stars Blythe, was directed by Wen-Tang Cheng, who has previously produced a number of documentary, short and feature films.

"Tshiong" tells the story of a man from the countryside, A-tek (Tsai Chang-hsien), who decides to go to Taipei to seek help from CHTHONIC when his village faces a malicious development project. Along the way, he becomes CHTHONIC's driver. Being a naïve fan of CHTHONIC, he believed the band members were akin to superheroes and would fight the injustice befalling his village, but gradually he discovers that they are not as courageous as he thought.

Blythe plays himself in the film. In the story, he comes to Taiwan for musical collaboration with CHTHONIC, but becomes good friends with A-tek. They take part in street protests side by side, and clash with the police several times.

"It's a comedy — although it might not be easy for foreigners to understand the Taiwanese humor in the film," says CHTHONIC vocalist Freddy Lim. "I'm sure it's still lots of fun watching bunch of metalheads crashing against cops and fooling around..."

In a 2015 interview with EMP Rock Invasion, Blythe spoke about how he got involved with the movie. He said: "My friends in this band CHTHONIC, they're a Taiwanese band — they're really big in Taiwan and they're pretty political, they're very pro Taiwanese independence. Because China still claims ownership of Taiwan, basically. And that goes all the way back to Chinese civil war when Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Zedong were fighting. My friends are very pro Taiwanese independence, and I don't blame them. I think every country should have the ability to govern itself. The people who govern it should be the people who live there, right? That's what you think."

He continued: "Freddy, their singer, e-mailed me one day, and he was just, like, 'Hey, man. We're making an action movie. Do you wanna be in it?' And I'm, like, 'Yeah.' I didn't ask him what it was about or anything. I'm just, like, 'Yeah. Yeah, I do.' I mean, I obviously didn't do it for the money — I didn't make much money — but I did it 'cause it's awesome to be in a kung fu movie."

According to Blythe, he plays "a sort of an exaggerated, more 'rock star' version" of himself in the movie, which contains "a lot of action, kung fu fighting, comedy and politics." He says about his role in the film: "I was in a riot, I got beat up by the cops, I ran from the cops."

The LAMB OF GOD frontman became friends with the members of CHTHONIC when both bands played at Ozzfest in 2007. Since then, he's performed with them in Taiwan and he and his wife have spent time there on holiday.

Midwest death metal titans JUNGLE ROT will enter the studio on January 5, 2018 to record their tenth full-length album. Tracking will take place at Belle City Sound in Racine, Wisconsin with engineer Chris Djuricic at the helm. Mixing and mastering will be handled by Dan Swanö (DARK FUNERAL, MARDUK), and accompanying the band behind the drums will be past contributor Jesse Beahler. The artwork will once again be created by longtime JUNGLE ROT album cover artist Gyula Havancsak. A spring 2018 release via Victory Records is expected.

"Once again, we've stuck with the tried-and-true JUNGLE ROT formula to produce another killer record that all our fans and everyone will enjoy," promises vocalist/guitarist Dave Matrise. "It's been nice to get back to doing what we do best and that's writing brutal, heavy music."

Songtitles set to appear on JUNGLE ROT's new disc include "Delusional Denial", "Glory For The Fallen", "Stay Dead", "Twisted Mind", "Fearmonger", "Pumped Full Of Lead", "A Burning Cinder", "Triggered", "Full Scale War" and "Send Forth Oblivion". The band is also working on two as-yet-undisclosed cover songs.

Bassist James Genenz adds: "We've got quite a fire under our collective asses and we're psyched to get this album out! This is going to be a nasty record!"

Since the release of 2015's "Order Shall Prevail", JUNGLE ROT invaded South and Central America for the first time, selling out shows in record time, as well as making their presence known on the 2015 Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, 2016's "Metal Alliance Tour", and this past summer supporting German metal legends DESTRUCTION.

Guitarist Geoff Bub concludes: "We feel lucky to be able to express ourselves for so long through so many albums. I'm hoping our fans will never tire of meat-and-potatoes metal!"

"The King Wants You", the new video from Swedish metallers AVATAR, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's seventh full-length album, "Avatar Country", which will be released on January 12 via Entertainment One in North America and Century Media Records Ltd. in the rest of the world. The disc was produced by Jay Ruston (STONE SOUR, ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER) this past summer at Spinroad Recording Studios in Gothenburg, Sweden.

"Avatar Country" track listing:

01. Glory To Our King
02. Legend Of The King
03. The King Welcomes You To Avatar Country
04. King's Harvest
05. The King Wants You
06. The King Speaks
07. A Statue Of The King
08. King After King
09. Silent Songs Of The King Pt. 1 - Winter Comes When The King Dreams Of Snow
10. Silent Songs Of The King Pt. 2 - The King's Palace

Vocalist Johannes Eckerström told Billboard magazine earlier this year that AVATAR is "not a political band in the truest sense of the word, meaning that [we don't] put into our lyrics what we think people should vote for or revolt against." However, he said that AVATAR shares "certain core values. We care deeply about animals. We all passionately agree that any form of homophobia or anything like that is fucking stupid. There are certain core values like that that go beyond how we think we should solve whatever needs to be tweaked about healthcare in our home country or how to finance a bridge building in our hometown."

When it comes to lyrics, Eckerstrom told Billboard: "I would never put a message in there that wasn’t somewhat in line with something the rest of the band could stand behind, because the bass lines belong to me just as much as they belong to [bassist] Henrik [Sandelin], just as the same way my lyrics belong to the whole band just as much as they belong to me."

WAR OF THRONES has inked a deal with Sonic Night Music Club. The powerhouse metal band, featuring former members of CRIMSON GLORY and ROB ROCK, will release its debut album, "Conflict In Creation", on March 9, 2018. The disc was recorded and mixed by James Fox at Sweet Spot Studio in Seminole, Florida and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (HALFORD, ARMORED SAINT, FAITH NO MORE) at Maor Appelbaum Mastering in California.

Forged in steel, WAR OF THRONES was formed when vocalist Wade Black and virtuoso guitarist Rick Renstrom joined forces in 2012. Previously, the two had worked together in LEASH LAW, releasing "Dogface" in 2005.

Wade is no stranger to metal. For more than two decades, he has thrilled audiences worldwide, fronting such metal bands as CRIMSON GLORY, SEVEN WITCHES and LEATHERWOLF. Rick entered the scene in 2000, joining vocalist Rob Rock's touring and recording band. Having toured around the world, Rick's incredible and inspiring guitar playing has been witnessed by thousands of people.

WAR OF THRONES' lineup is rounded out by bass player Rich Marks (VIVALDI METAL PROJECT) and former YNGWIE MALMSTEEN drummer Patrick Johansson.

The band is scheduled to perform at next year's edition of the Rocklahoma festival, set to take place May 25-27, 2018 at "Catch the Fever" Festival Grounds in Pryor, Oklahoma, just outside Tulsa.

WAR OF THRONES has shared the stage with such bands as KAMELOT, DROWNING POOL, ANVIL and MUSHROOMHEAD.

THE HEARD, the new Swedish rock band featuring former CRUCIFIED BARBARA guitarist Klara "Force" Rönnqvist Fors, bassist Ida "Evileye" Stenbacka and drummer Nikki Wicked (a.k.a. Jannicke Lindström) alongside DEATHSTARS bassist Jonas "Skinny Disco" Kangur (on lead guitar) and burlesque performer, model and singer Pepper Potemkin, has just released its first single, "White Lightning". It is available on iTunes, Spotify and other digital platforms.

THE HEARD will make its live debut at the Where's The Music festival in Norrköping, Sweden on February 10, 2018.

THE HEARD's Facebook page describes the group as being about "heavy riffs, misty songs, dark waters and a death supreme."

THE HEARD is:

* Klara Force (CRUCIFIED BARBARA) - Guitar
* Ida Evileye (CRUCIFIED BARBARA) - Bass
* Nikki Wicked (CRUCIFIED BARBARA) - Drums
* Jonas "Skinny Disco" Kangur (DEATHSTARS) - Lead Guitar
* Pepper Potemkin - Vocals

CRUCIFIED BARBARA announced its breakup in June 2016, two years after the release of the band's fourth album, "In The Red". The group explained at the time that "our lives have parted and we need to move on. The last years have taken its toll on all of us and the joy of playing together got lost somewhere along the way."

Fan-filmed video footage of SCOUR — the extreme metal "supergroup" featuring Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, DOWN, SUPERJOINT) alongside members of CATTLE DECAPITATION and PIG DESTROYER — performing the PANTERA song "Slaughtered" live at Come And Take It Live in Austin, Texas on December 16 can be seen below.

SCOUR's "Red" EP was released on November 3. The disc was recorded at Anselmo's Nodferatu's Lair with Steve Berrigan (DOWN, PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS, EYEHATEGOD, HAARP, CLASSHOLE) at the helm. The record was once again mixed and mastered by Dave Otero (CEPHALIC CARNAGE, CATTLE DECAPITATION, COBALT, KHEMMIS) at Flatline Audio.

The self-titled debut EP from SCOUR was released in July 2016 via Anselmo's Housecore label.

SCOUR earlier in the year officially recruited Adam Jarvis (MISERY INDEX, PIG DESTROYER) as its drummer.

SCOUR bassist John Jarvis told Metal Heads Forever magazine about working with Anselmo: "Oh, it's amazing. We've all grown up as PANTERA fans. I went to a PANTERA concert by myself when I was in the eighth grade and my mom always used to drop me off to the PANTERA shows and we made friends along the way. They were the biggest band back in the day. They were the next METALLICA, and it was fun to play songs by them, and today it's such an honor to be working with Phil himself."

Asked if SCOUR is "a short-term experiment" or if it will be a long-running project, John said: "We are not sure, but we would like to have it go as far as possible. We have plans for a full-length album and we are really looking forward to it, absolutely looking forward to touring around. So let's hope for the best."

(Thanks: Housecore Man)

Fan-filmed video footage of Ace Frehley's entire December 17 concert at Scout Bar in Houston, Texas can be seen below.

The former KISS guitarist's setlist was as follows:

01. Rip It Out
02. Hard Times (KISS song)
03. 2000 Man (THE ROLLING STONES cover)
04. Snowblind
05. Love Gun (KISS song)
06. Parasite (KISS song)
07. Rock Soldiers
08. Bass Solo
09. Strange Ways (KISS song)
10. New York Groove (HELLO cover)
11. 2 Young 2 Die
12. Shock Me (KISS song)
13. Ace Frehley Guitar Solo
14. Cold Gin (KISS song)

Encore:

15. Detroit Rock City (KISS song)
16. Deuce (KISS song)

Ace recently collaborated with KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons on two songs for the former KISS guitarist's next solo album.

Rumors about Frehley's return to KISS gained strength last year after he teamed up with KISS lead singer Paul Stanley on a cover of FREE's "Fire And Water", marking their first collaboration since 1998's "Psycho Circus".

Frehley's version of "Fire And Water" appears on his covers collection "Origins, Vol 1", which received great reviews and landed in the Top 25 on the Billboard album chart.

Even though Frehley reached out to Simmons a couple of years about contributing to "Origins Vol. 1", the bassist/vocalist ended up not appearing on the record because "either [Gene] didn't get the message or he was just too busy," Frehley told the WPDH 101.5 FM radio station last year.

Stanley told Billboard earlier this year that he had no interest in a reunion of KISS's original lineup.

Veteran Dutch extreme metallers PESTILENCE will release their new album, "Hadeon", in March via Hammerheart Records. The new cover artwork for the disc was created by Michal "Xaay" Loranc (BEHEMOTH, NILE, EVOCATION, VADER, NECROPHAGIST), a very talented Polish graphic designer who perfectly turned PESTILENCE mainman Patrick Mameli's visions and concept into art.

The previously released artwork for "Hadeon" was ditched in October amid accusations of plagiarism.

The first single from "Hadeon", a song called "Multi Dimensional", can be streamed below.

Due to personal circumstances, guitarist extraordinaire Santiago Dobles (AGHORA, CYNIC, DOBLES ENSEMBLE) will not participate in future live performances with PESTILENCE.

Santiago contributed some excellent solos to "Hadeon". For now, this ends Santiago's involvement in PESTILENCE, but don't be surprised to see him guest on a future recording.

Replacing Dobles in PESTILENCE's current lineup is Calin Paraschiv. Calin hails from Romania and also plays in another project (NECROVILE) with current PESTILENCE drummer Septimiu Hărşan.

Mameli stated: "Calin is the right man for the job, a skilled and professional guitarist ready to tour across the world.

"Rehearsing together with Septimiu is a big plus, so the choice was an easy one to make."

PESTILENCE will kick off 2018 at the end of January with a month-long tour under the "Fight The Plague" banner.

"Hadeon" is described in a press release as "an all-out death metal attack, featuring thirteen tracks that combine PESTILENCE's old-school roots, its progressive trademark and a killer production, which will appeal to both old and new fans."

In July 2014, Mameli announced that PESTILENCE was "on a permanent hold" while he concentrated fully on his new NEUROMORPH project, which he said would be "more brutal, more crazy, more tech, more futuristic and more death" than his longtime outfit. Two years later, he revived PESTILENCE, initially claiming that the band would only play live shows and not record any new material.

PESTILENCE is:

Patrick Mameli - Lead guitar/Vocals
Calin Paraschiv - Lead guitar
Tilen Hudrap - Bass
Septimiu Hărşan - Drums

The official music video for "Glass Houses", the debut single from STEREO SATELLITE — the new band featuring DISTURBED bassist John Moyer, ADRENALINE MOB members Mike Orlando (guitar) and Jordan Cannata (drums), and ex-ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA singer Lukas Rossi — can be seen below.

Says the group: "After years in the making, we are very proud to be finally sharing our new band with the world... Ladies and gentlemen, we give you STEREO SATELLITE.

"By melding hook-filled melodies within heavy guitar riffs and hard beats, STEREO SATELLITE shows their ability to compact a vast array of influence and experience into a signature sound with substance, style, and spirit."

STEREO SATELLITE will make its live debut at the ShipRocked cruise on Tuesday, January 23, 2018.

Orlando and Cannata were both involved in a crash last July that resulted in the death of ADRENALINE MOB bassist David Zablidowsky.

The band was touring in support of its third studio album, "We The People", which was released on June 2 via Century Media. The follow-up to 2014's "Men Of Honor" was the first ADRENALINE MOB release to feature Zablidowsky and Cannata.

Orlando states: "Over the past recent months, I have learned a lot about how cathartic music can be, especially after going through such a heinous life-changing tragedy. It's been a complete uphill battle in even trying to begin to heal physically and mentally. I have a long road ahead, for sure, and will have to undergo many more procedures and ongoing therapy. I don't think I'll ever fully heal mentally, but I've been moved to write songs again with my brother Lukas, who I feel is an amazing songwriting partner, and start this new band along with my brothers John Moyer and Jordan Cannata. I find it really helps me to cope and I can't wait to share all the music we've written and start touring again full-time."

Moyer admits to having mixed feelings about the band being dubbed a supergroup. "We hate the supergroup thing because it's a new band in its own right," he says. "But I think it's important for us to say we've been around the rock music scene for a long time and in various ways. STEREO SATELLITE is a new beginning for us all, and I'm looking forward to sharing our new music with the fans very soon."

Rossi concurs, saying: "I can't wait to release our new songs and perform them live with these awesome guys. Regarding the supergroup thing, look I don't care what you call us, just call us!"

Back in 2006, Rossi was declared the winner of the second season of "Rock Star" and assumed frontman duties for ROCKSTAR SUPERNOVA, a band comprised of MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee, former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted and former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Gilby Clarke.

Moyer joined DISTURBED in 2003 and has appeared on the albums "Ten Thousand Fists", "Indestructible", "Asylum" and "Immortalized".

Behemoth frontman Nergalhas checked in with news that the band's album, the Satanist, has gone gold in their native Poland. The announcement is available below.

 
The Satanist tracklist:

"Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel"
"Furor Divinus"
"Messe Noire"
"Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer"
"Amen"
"The Satanist"
"Ben Sahar"
"In the Absence ov Light"
"O Father O Satan O Sun!"

On May 8, 2016, SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor played a sold-out solo acoustic set at Koko in London, England. The full performance has just been released for the first time to the public at thecoreytaylor.com (free e-mail sign-up required).

Taylor states: "London is a city that holds a special place in my heart and I'm so happy this night was captured for you all to see. It was certainly a show I will always remember."

During his solo performances, Taylor plays a bunch of songs from his catalog, as well as a number of surprising covers, including THE CURE's "Lovesong".

The setlist for the Koko concert was as follows:

01. I'll Be Your Lover, Too (VAN MORRISON cover)
02. Bother (STONE SOUR song)
03. Friend Of The Devil (GRATEFUL DEAD cover)
04. Snuff (SLIPKNOT song)
05. Taciturn (STONE SOUR song)
06. SpongeBob SquarePants Theme (PAINTY THE PIRATE & KIDS cover)
07. Zzyzx Rd. (STONE SOUR song) (with Christian Martucci)
08. Have You Ever Seen The Rain? (CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL cover) (with Christian Martucci)
09. Dying (STONE SOUR song) (with Christian Martucci)
10. Hard Luck Woman (KISS cover) (with Christian Martucci)
11. The Travelers, Pt. 1 (STONE SOUR song) (with Christian Martucci)
12. Tired (STONE SOUR song) (with Christian Martucci)
13. The One I Love (R.E.M. cover) (with Christian Martucci)
14. Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) (BUZZCOCKS cover) (with Christian Martucci)
15. 30/30-150 (STONE SOUR song) (with Christian Martucci)
16. Lovesong (THE CURE cover) (with Christian Martucci)
17. Farm Song (LIFE SEX & DEATH cover) (with Christian Martucci)
18. Name (GOO GOO DOLLS cover) (with Christian Martucci)
19. Folsom Prison Blues / Mystery Train / American Nightmare (with Christian Martucci)

Encore:

20. The Conflagration (STONE SOUR song) (with Christian Martucci)
21. Through Glass (STONE SOUR song) (with Christian Martucci)
22. Take It Easy (EAGLES cover) (with Christian Martucci) (preceded by "Free Bird" tease)
23. Spit It Out (SLIPKNOT song) (preceded by "Never Gonna Give You Up" tease)

Taylor said in a 2016 interview that it would be "super greedy" of him to launch a solo career — at least for now. Speaking with RockSverige.se, Taylor explained: "I've been getting questions about solo stuff forever. But it's a good problem to have. But, at the same time, I'm in two fantastic bands. Why would I ever?"

He added, "Unless I wanted to get super greedy, why would I try to split off and do something else. I'm very fulfilled by the music that I get to make with both bands. Is there a solo album in me? Yes. But it's not gonna be for a few more years."

Taylor explained a while back what he thought a solo album from him might sound like. "For me, the stuff that I write is, it would be like a cross between the [FOO FIGHTERS], SOCIAL [DISTORTION] and THE REPLACEMENTS, you know," he told The Pulse Of Radio. "I mean, real Midwestern rock. Real, just open chords, good time rock, you know. And damn the critics, basically. That's the stuff I write and that's the stuff I've always tried to write."

The singer also expressed interest in collaborations with other artists, noting that he would love to work with rapper Eminem. Taylor said: "I would love to trade some stuff back and forth with him, because I love the way he writes and the way he flows and the attitude, the emotion that's in it. And I'm very, very attracted to that."

In a 2012 interview, Taylor said about his appreciation for other styles of music: "I had a kid ask me the other night, 'What kind of music is your guilty pleasure?' I said I don’t have any. I don't feel guilty about the music I love. If you feel guilty about something you dig, then you should stop feeling guilty about it. One of my favorite albums to this day is the tenth anniversary ensemble cast of 'Les Miserables', the ultimate cast recording, and it is still something I love listening to top to bottom."

Feed The Rhino have released a video for "Timewave Zero", a track from their forthcoming studio album, The Silence, which will be released via Century Media Records on February 16th.

The band comments: “We’re really excited to release our new single ‘Timewave Zero’. This song has been a kind of a mission statement of our new album, both lyrically and musically, so it’s exciting to see what people think! The video was filmed with green screen/ animation and motion capture by the amazing Robin Fuller. We’re also proud to announce that Bad Sign, HCBP & Cove are joining us on our release tour in February. It was important for us to take out bands we really believe in, as well as get on with, so we couldn’t be happier! The Silence tour won’t be one to miss!”

Watch the clip below.

The Silence will be released on CD (incl. sticker) and digitally. Pre-order the digital album and receive the singles "Timewave Zero", "Heedless" and "Featherweight" immediately.

The Silence tracklisting:

"Timewave Zero"
"Heedless"
"Losing Ground"
"68"
"All Work And No Play Makes Jack A Dull Boy"
"Yellow And Green"
"Nerve Of A Sinister Killer"
"Fences"
"The Silence"
"Lost In Proximity"
"Featherweight"

"Timewave Zero" video:

Feed The Rhino will present The Silence live on a UK headline run, kicking off February 20th. Tickets are on sale here.

now via http://myticket.co.uk/artists/feed-the-rhino  

Feed The Rhino is:
Lee Tobin - Vocals
James Colley - Guitar
Sam Colley - Guitar
Chris Kybert - Drums
Oz Craggs - Bass

Italy's Cadaveria have released a lyric video for "The Divine Rapture", taken from the 2017 edition of Far Away From Conformity, the band's second album, originally released in 2004. Watch the clip below.

The album was released on December 8th, in all digital stores and on CD, with a new graphic design. It comes out in deluxe digipack version with a twelve-page booklet via Sleaszy Rider Records. The coloured vinyl version will be released via Shadows Records in a limited edition of 300 hand-numbered copies worldwide. The vinyl LP will be out on January 12th, exactly 14 years after the first release.

This is not just a reprint: the nine songs of Far Away From Conformity, including Blondie's cover “Call Me”, have been completely remixed and remastered for the occasion. In addition, a bug in the backup of the original recordings made in 2003, had caused the loss of some vocal tracks and it requested Cadaveria’s recent effort to re-record her voice for the songs “Blood And Confusion” and “The Divine Rapture”.

Orders available at this location.

Tracklisting:

“Blood And Confusion”
“Eleven Three O Three”
“Irreverent Elegy”
“The Divine Rapture”
“Omen Of Delirium”
“Call Me” (Blondie cover)
“Out Body Experience”
“Prayer Of Sorrow”
“Vox Of Anti-Time”

“The Divine Rapture” lyric video:

New Orleans-based metal band, Cane Hill, are streaming the new song "10 Cents". The song will appear on the band's second full-length, Too Far Gone, out January 19th through Rise Records.

"This song is about watching all of our idols and heroes fall," said singer Elijah Witt. "Sometimes, their lives end. And other times, you just see someone you've held on a pedestal fall off. Heroes die — every time."

Too Far Gone, which is the follow up to 2016's Smile, is available for pre-order here..

Tracklisting:

"Too Far Gone"
"Lord Of Flies"
"Singing In The Swamp"
"Erased"
"Why?"
"It Follows"
"Scumbag"
"Hateful"
"10 Cents"
"The End"

"10 Cents":

"Too Far Gone" video:

"Lord Of Flies" video:

Cane Hill will return to the road this winter, embarking on a North American tour with Of Mice & Men, Blessthefall, and Fire From the Gods. Cane Hill will also appear at Rock On The Range in the spring.

Argentinian symphonic power metal band, Preludio Ancestral, have signed a worldwide deal with Fighter Records (excluding Asia) for the release of their fourth album, Oblivion, due in the spring of 2018.

Formed back in 2005 by guitarist Leo Gatti, the band released a demo in that same year, but it wasn't until 2012 when a first EP and their debut album, Hacia lo Inmortal (Towards The Immortal), was released, being followed by another EP a year later and their second and third albums - Kybalion in 2015 and El Misterio de la Pasión Divina (The Mystery Of Divine Passion) in 2016, respectively.

Preludio Ancestral have been gaining quite a recognition not only in their native country, where they even opened for acts like Rhapsody Of Fire and Stratovarius, but also around the world.

Preludio Ancestral's Oblivion will be a magnificent opus of an epic-painted power metal with symphonic arrangements and awesome guitar work, where various European vocalists and Argentinian musicians give form to an album that will be the delight of any lover of this genre.

Oblivion is still in the final production stages and will see the light during spring 2018 through Fighter Records. First single, full tracklisting, exact release date, and cover art will be revealed shortly.

British rockers Status Quo were part of the Night To Remember at Germany's Wacken Open Air 2017. Professionally filmed footage of the band performing the songs "In The Army Now" and "Beginning Of The End" can be seen below:

Status Quo have announced that the band are to radically cut back on their touring activities and will only perform a series of summer shows and festivals during 2018. For the first time in around thirty years there will be no traditional Quo winter tour of Europe or Christmas shows in the UK.

Thus, the forthcoming Australian tour and the Plugged In: Live And Rockin’! UK Tour will be the only opportunity for fans to see the band in smaller and more intimate venues for at least two years. Additionally, as a tribute to the late Rick Parfitt, the Quo setlist at these dates will now include two of his best-loved classics, “Don’t Drive My Car” and “Little Lady”.

When the awful news broke on Christmas Eve 2016 that legendary rocker Rick Parfitt of Status Quo fame had passed, fans around the world were devastated that one of rock's most iconic performers had been silenced. However, unknown to almost anyone, Parfitt had, in fact, virtually completed his first solo album whilst undergoing a period of recuperation after his heart attack in July.

That album, poignantly titled Over And Out, will now be released on March 23rd through earMUSIC. The track "Without You" is available for streaming below.

Featuring 10 brand new songs, including the title track that broke hearts anew when it was played at Parfitt's funeral, this is an album of depth and passion. Created by Parfitt and producer Jo Webb, the record is a true labor of love and showcases the softer side of Parfitt as a writer, artist, and performer away from the Quo maelstrom, as well as the purest rock 'n' roll sound of earlier Status Quo records.

Despite the fact Parfitt had finished recording his guitar and vocal parts, a recording session was planned for February 2017. Certain tracks were not totally finished when Parfitt died. The call to help ensure that his work could be completed, so that the world could hear it, was answered by musicians of the caliber of Queen's Brian May and Muse's Chris Wolstenholme, both of whom were close to Parfitt.

His son, Rick Parfitt Jr., was also involved in the creative process, as were John "Rhino" Edwards and Alan Lancaster, amongst many others. All of those involved in completing the songs that Parfitt had written for Over And Out have done him proud in bringing his vision to fruition.

Parfitt's music always featured two elements - the raw rock 'n' roll sound and a great passion for melodies. Over And Out offers the best of both worlds: It has been recorded and written with a band's spirit between Parfitt and Webb. They shared various mixes, reflecting the sound of the sessions and the spirit that was present in the "room."

The album has also been mixed by top producer Ash Howes, offering a different view on the songs but also leaving a dilemma open for interpretation: Which one would Parfitt prefer? The polished, big sounding mixes or the original band mixes, raw and full of musical honesty? Those who were close enough to him over the years would probably say: "Both."

This is why the album will be available in its "finished" form, but also as a raw and pure version, for the fans of the rockier side of Parfitt's music in special collector's editions.

Tracklisting:

"Twinkletoes"
"Lonesome Road"
"Over And Out"
"When I Was Fallin In Love"
"Fight For Every Heartbeat"
"Without You"
"Long Distance Love"
"Everybody Knows How To Fly"
"Lock Myself Away"
"Halloween"

"Without You":

This album is the record that Parfitt had been itching to write. His forced departure from Quo's live performance circuit, whilst very hard for him to take, did at least free up the time that was needed to create Over and Out.

The album is but the latest element of the incredible legacy and body of work that Parfitt leaves. A testament to his talent, his winning way with words, an incredible joie de vivre, and a spirit that never flagged. He'll be missed but Over and Out is a great way to remember him - gone but not forgotten.

Tim Lambesis has broken his silence for the first time since he was released from prison after serving less than half of his six-year sentence for conspiracy to commit murder.

In May 2014, the AS I LAY DYING singer was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hit man $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In a new statement posted on the AS I LAY DYING Facebook page, Lambesis wrote: "Words cannot begin to express how deeply sorry I am for the hurt that I have caused. There is no defense for what I did, and I look back on the person I became with as much disdain as many of you likely do.

"First, I apologize to my former wife and remarkable children for my appalling actions. There's not a single day that goes by where I don't wish I could undo the damage I caused, and out of respect for their wishes I will not discuss anything else about them (now or in the future). I also ask anyone reading this to promote healing for them by respecting their privacy and defending them from any negativity or anger which should be directed towards me. I was the sole offender and the only one to blame for everything that happened.

"To my family, I apologize for the trauma you faced and may still feel. This is an ongoing sentence many of you serve because of me. I am so sorry to my friends who were betrayed by everything I hid from them and all the hardships I caused people who used to work with me. Bandmates, road crew, managers, attorneys, agents, label people, and more all had to suffer through many unexpected changes because of my actions. While they were dealing with the aftermath of my arrest, I responded toward many of them with bitterness that I should have directed toward myself. I know that I can't undo the animosity I brought their way, but I hope to mend what I can now as time goes on.

"To the people who looked up to me as an artist, I let you down in so many ways. I tried to show my best side to the public, while feeding an ugly growing monster behind closed doors. I wrote lyrics about the person I wanted to be rather than the person that I was. I was living a life that lacked empathy and viewed everything through a self-motivated lens.

"I cannot say for certain what life looks like going forward as so much is different now and I'm still learning. Music always has and always will be a part of me, and has helped me get through the darkest parts of my journey. However, this apology is not a part of promoting anything. Rumors circulate, and that's something I've learned to accept, but this apology is just that, an apology to everyone around me.

"I've remained silent to the public since expressing remorse at my sentencing because time seemed like the best way to promote healing. Today marks the first opportunity to freely apologize without any motivation to gain favor from the courts, as I have now completed the entirety of my legal sentence (including the completion of all parole/probation requirements).

"Let it be clear that no amount of time served can right my wrongs. I do not feel deserving of a second chance and am not asking for anyone's trust. The way many people feel about me makes sense, and only time will tell if my future actions line up with my remorse, something I pray for every day. In the last five years, the ripple effect of all my actions has extended further than a written statement can address. Thus, I will continue to apologize in both words and actions moving forward.

"Thank you for reading, Tim."

Lambesis was arrested in May 2013 after handing a "hitman" — really an undercover police officer — $1,000 in cash, along with his wife's address and gate security codes.

Prior to the murder plot, his wife had asked a San Diego Superior Court to dissolve their marriage.

The singer in 2015 filed a lawsuit against a California medical team alleging that he was not given a prescribed medication for nearly two months prior to his incarceration, resulting in him developing gynecomastia (enlarged breasts). Public records show that his lawsuit was dismissed in October 2016 with prejudice, possibly because the parties had reached a settlement agreement.

Nuclear Blast will release Dutch epic death/black metallers Bleeding Gods' new album, Dodekathlon, on January 12th. A fourth album trailer can be found below.

Physical copies of Dodekathlon can be pre-ordered here. Pre-order the album digitally and receive “From Feast To Beast” instantly.

The twelve songs on the new album represent the twelve labours of Hercules, the greatest of the ancient Greek heroes, who had to serve his cousin king Eurystheus for twelve years and to perform these twelve labours to concern a penance for his terrible actions.

The album was recorded at Pitch Note Productions and Hal 5 Studio; mixed and mastered at Soundlodge Studio. The cover artwork was created by Dimitris Tzortzis from Immensa Artis.

Dodekathlon tracklisting:

“Bloodguilt (Nemean Lion)”
“Multiple Decapitation (Lernaean Hydra)”
“Beloved by Artemis (Ceryneian Hind)”
“From Feast To Beast (Erymanthian Boar)”
“Inhuman Humiliation (Augean Stables)”
“Birds Of Hate (Stymphalian Birds)”
“Saviour Of Crete (Cretan Bull)”
“Tyrannical Blood (Mares Of Diomedes)”
“Seeds Of Distrust (Belt Of Hippolyta)”
“Tripled Anger (Cattle Of Geryon)”
“Hera’s Orchard (Apples Of The Hesperides)”
“Hound Of Hell (Cerberus)”

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Trailer #3:

Trailer #4:

“From Feast To Beast” behind-the-scenes:

“From Feast To Beast” video:

German metallers Mystic Prophecy have released a teaser video for their new album, Monuments Uncovered, to be released on January 12th via Massacre Records. Watch below.

The album features cover versions only, and will available as jewel case CD, limited edition digipak with an exclusive bonus track as well as a limited vinyl LP.

Vocalist R.D. Liapakis comments: "This album is like a love letter to the music that accompanied so many of us, myself included, in the 70's, 80's and 90's - and believe me, you have not heard the songs like this before! I’m also really excited to show you a new and different side of Mystic Prophecy!"

The album was produced by R.D. Liapakis and Mystic Prophecy at Music Factory/Prophecy Studios, and mixed and mastered by Henrik Udd at Henrik Udd Recording (Architects, Hammerfall, Bring Me The Horizon, At The Gates, Delain). The cover artwork was created by Art of Dusan Markovic.

Tracklisting:

"You Keep Me Hangin' On" (Kim Wilde/The Supremes cover)
"Hot Stuff" (Donna Summer cover)
"Shadow On The Wall" (Mike Oldfield cover)
"Are You Gonna Go My Way" (Lenny Kravitz cover)
"I'm Still Standing" (Elton John cover)
"Because The Night" (Patti Smith cover)
"Space Lord" (Monster Magnet cover)
"Get It On" (T.Rex cover)
"Toyko" (Tokyo cover)
"Proud Mary" (Creedence Clearwater Revival cover)
"The Stroke" (Billy Squier cover) [Digipak Bonus Track]

Teaser:

"You Keep Me Hangin' On" video:

Available February 15th from Rowman & Littlefield Publishing: Bill Kopp's new book, Reinventing Pink Floyd: From Syd Barrett To The Dark Side Of The Moon. In celebration of the 45th anniversary of The Dark Side Of The Moon, Bill Kopp explores ingenuity with which Pink Floyd rebranded themselves following the 1968 departure of Syd Barrett. Not only did the band survive Barrett's departure, but it went on to release landmark albums that continue to influence generations of musicians and fans.

“Reinventing Pink Floyd” follows the path taken by the remaining band members to establish a musical identity, develop a songwriting style, and create a new template for the manner in which albums are made and even enjoyed by listeners. As veteran music journalist Bill Kopp illustrates, that path was filled with failed experiments, creative blind alleys, one-off musical excursions, abortive collaborations, a general restlessness and - most importantly - a dedicated search for a distinctive musical personality.

“Knowledgeable, well-informed, conscientious, and sensitive. Bill has written about what really matters. Bill's book is a great read, and well worth the price of admission.” - Jerry Shirley, drummer for Humble Pie

This exciting volume guides readers through the works of 1968 through 1973, highlighting key innovations and musical breakthroughs of lasting influence. Kopp places Pink Floyd into their historical, cultural, and musical contexts while celebrating the test of fire that took the band from the brink of demise to enduring superstardom.  

“Bill Kopp's excellent analysis of Pink Floyd's post-Syd, pre-arenas era performs a valuable service to the Floyd canon.” - Joel McIver, bestselling rock author

The book draws on archival interviews and reviews as well as many new and exclusive interviews with Peter Jenner, Ron Geesin, Steve Howe, Jerry Shirley, Davy O'List, Willie Wilson, Robyn Hitchcock and many others.

“Combining research into their classic albums and a wealth of little-known and unofficial recordings with astute and entertaining analysis, Kopp generates fresh insight into Pink Floyd's formative years. Even longtime fans of the band will be surprised and enlightened.” - Richie Unterberger, author of Unknown Legends Of Rock 'N' Roll

Bill Kopp is a lifelong music enthusiast, musician, collector, and music journalist. His writing has been featured in music magazines including Bass Guitar, Record Collector, Prog and Shindig! (all in Great Britain), as well as Billboard, Electronic Musician, Goldmine, Trouser Press, Ugly Things and more than a dozen alternative weekly newspapers. He is the Jazz Desk Editor and Prog Editor at BLURT online, and has written liner note essays for 20 albums, including titles by Julian “Cannonball” Adderley, Larry Coryell, Edgar Winter, Rick Wakeman, The Ventures, Dave Mason and Iron Butterfly. He has interviewed several hundred musicians and music industry figures of note, and his musoscribe.com blog has features thousands of music reviews, essays, interviews and features.

“Reinventing Pink Floyd” will be available February 15th from independent bookstores and Amazon, but pre-ordering direct from the publisher saves 30%. More info here.

 

 

There is no better way to get into the holiday spirit than by singing along to the "12 Days Of Alice", presented by shock rock legend Alice Cooper's Nights With Alice Cooper radio show. Check out the video below:

Alice Cooper recently released a music video for "The Sound of A", which can be found below.

The song has a special meaning; it is, in fact, the first song that Alice Cooper wrote entirely on his own back in 1967. The song was forgotten until Dennis Dunaway, the bass player of the original Alice Cooper Band, rediscovered it and played it to Alice, suggesting he consider it for his new album. What a discovery - with its psychedelic sound, swirling guitars, and the mysterious Hammond organ, it is one of the most hypnotic songs on Paranormal.

"The Sound of A" is going to be released on February 23rd, only a few days after Alice Cooper's birthday. In addition to the title track, the single - available as limited edition CD single, 10" white vinyl - includes four previously unreleased live songs recorded in Columbus, Ohio, on May 6th.

Earlier this December, Alice was awarded with the Best International Artist prize at the 19th Annual SSE Scottish Music Awards. The event is held in Glasgow every year and raises funds for the Nordoff Robbins Scotland music charity - only this year, over £148,000 were collected for the music therapy activities.

In July 2017, Cooper released Paranormal, his first studio album in six years. Produced by Bob Ezrin, it was immediately saluted as a classic album, thanks to collaborations with iconic guests such as ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, U2's Larry Mullen, Jr., and Deep Purple's Roger Glover.

The album charted at #4 in the German and Australian official album charts, #6 in the UK and in Sweden and overall, it reached the highest chart positions for Cooper in several decades.

Cooper just finished a hugely successful world-wide tour, with over 100 shows played in all five continents. Alice even found the pleasure to reunite with the original Alice Cooper band: Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith, and Michael Bruce during various shows in the US and UK. The Alice Cooper band split in 1974, after releasing some of the most iconic rock albums of all time. After the band's split, Alice went on to continued success as a solo artist.

"The Sound Of A" CD tracklisting:

"The Sound Of A"
"The Black Widow" (Live)*
"Public Animal #9" (Live)*
"Is It My Body" (Live)*
"Cold Ethyl" (Live)*

10" vinyl tracklisting:

Side A:
"The Sound Of A"
"The Black Widow" (Live)

Side B:
"Public Animal #9" (Live)
"Is It My Body" (Live)
"Cold Ethyl" (Live)

"The Sound Of A" is taken from the studio album Paranormal. All other songs* are previously unreleased and recorded live in Columbus, OH, May 6th, 2016.

Chilean metal band, Naioth, have released a music video for “Samsara”. The track comes from their latest album, Transhuman Communication, released via Digmetalworld Records in North America.

The video was directed by renown director Carlos Toro of Abysmo Productions. “Samsara” was filmed at the Autodromo Villa Olímpica in Quilpué, Chile. The video was co-produced by the band and financed by Consejo Nacional de la Cultura y las Artes of Chile. Watch below.

Transhuman Communication was recorded at IFM Studios and the drums at Rec Música Studios in Valparaiso, Chile. Mixed and Mastered by Ignacio Figueroa and all the pre-production (Midi) by Felipe Cuevas. The artwork was designed by Manuel Alarcón. The album also has Rayna Lawson (Metal Nation Radio) as a guest vocals on some of the tracks.

Tracklisting:

"Samsara"
"The Ultimate Lie"
"Sublimation"
"Fathers Of The Race"
"Universe"
"Wicked Fortress"
"Transhuman Communication"

"Samsara" video:

Naioth is:

Ignacio Figueroa - Vocals, Guitars
Paulo Becerra -  Guitars
Matías Iturra -  Bass
Tomás García -  Drums

Danish prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen spoke to Channel NewsAsia‏ about his decision to give Indonesian president Joko "Jokowi" Widodo a METALLICA "Master Of Puppets" box set during a recent diplomatic state visit. Confirming that the box set was "signed by Lars Ulrich, the drummer who originally invented METALLICA," Rasmussen said that he chose the gift "because I have heard that the Indonesian president is truly a METALLICA fan and a heavy metal fan. And, you know, instead of just giving him a nice Royal Copenhagen [porcelain dish] or whatever, I thought I would give him something he would really appreciate. So you can call it the 'hard rock diplomacy.' China has 'panda diplomacy,' so we invented the 'hard rock diplomacy.'"

Since the gift technically constitutes a form of gratification, it must legally be reported to the Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), according to Coconuts Jakarta.

The law is to prevent politicians from receiving gifts that could be considered a form of bribery.

Back in May 2013, Widodo was forced by KPK to turn over his autographed METALLICA bass guitar to the government, while authorities determined whether the instrument was merely a gift or a violation of ethics rules. Widodo received the bass from METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo, but had to give it up to the state within 30 days, according to laws regarding gifts to state officials.

Rasmussen presented Jokowi with the "Master Of Puppets" box set during a state visit on November 28 at the Bogor Palace in Indonesia. In return, Jokowi, gave Rasmussen a rencong (traditional dagger from Aceh).

Ulrich said he was thrilled Jokowi had accepted the gift. "This is way cool… I signed [a 'Master Of Puppets'] box set for Danish prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen to give to Indonesian president Joko Widodo who is well known as a huge fan of rock music and came to see us in Jakarta in '13," Lars wrote on Instagram. "Music really does connect people!"

The 56-year-old Widodo, who served as governor of Jakarta before being elected president in 2014, attended METALLICA's August 2013 concert in the city — 25 years to the day after the release of the band's fourth album, "…And Justice For All", and more than 20 years after their tumultuous first show in Indonesia.

Widodo has also professed love for other heavy metal bands like MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD and NAPALM DEATH in the past.

"We invented hard rock diplomacy," says Denmark's Prime Minister on giving Indonesia President Joko Widodo a Metallica box set. Catch the Conversation With interview https://t.co/0v3ePwcmgo pic.twitter.com/eOiiO75CKi

— Channel NewsAsia (@ChannelNewsAsia) December 16, 2017

Frank Hannon has announced the upcoming release of From One Place… to Another, a series of albums comprised of cover songs from the Tesla guitarist, declared with the release of “Blue Sky”. From One Place… to Another Vol. 1 is out everywhere January 26th, 2018 and is available for preorder now at PledgeMusic to gain access to exclusive merchandise and experiences with Frank.

“The songs that I contributed to Tesla, ‘What You Give’, ‘Gettin' Better' and ‘Love Song’, have always had an acoustic, country or bluesy vibe to them,” says Hannon. “I love to sing and my father-in-law Dickey Betts encouraged me to step up to the microphone with guitar in hand. He sang many hits in the Allman Bros Band and ‘Blue Sky’ is one of my all-time favorites.”

From One Place… to Another Vol. 1 is the first of three albums to be released in 2018 and features special guest appearances by Paul Jackson (Blackberry Smoke), Duane Betts (son of Dickey Betts of the Allman Brothers Band), Matthew and Gunnar Nelson (sons of Ricky Nelson), Roger Fisher (original Heart guitarist) and many others.

"I recorded the majority of the songs while on tour with Tesla in dressing rooms, hotels, buses and even bathrooms using a handheld recorder," continues Hannon. "I also went to friends' houses to capture performances and traded files over the internet, bringing home the digital files to mix and embellish in my studio."

Frank will be on the road performing solo on a few dates through the end of the year and announcing additional concerts in 2018. 

“I started this project a few years ago and it has evolved substantially with the help of my friends,” declares Hannon. “What started as learning a few songs to sing turned into multiple albums of cover songs, tributes and collaborations with many inspirational artists.”

Everyone from Lukas Nelson to The Church to JJ Cale are covered on Volume 1, with an expansive scope of genres to be covered in the coming releases.

"Each song and album are very different from one another, as are my musical tastes,” admits Frank. “From 'Blue Sky' to the most current song on the release, 'Sunrise in Texas', the music and even my voice go From One Place... to Another.  Needless to say, that album title has many meanings for me."

Tracklisting:

“Blue Sky” feat. Duane Betts (Dickey Betts / Allman Brothers Band)
"Call Me The Breeze" feat. Paul Jackson of Blackberry Smoke (JJ Cale, made famous by Lynyrd Skynyrd)
"Under The Milky Way" feat. Duane Betts (The Church)
"Jim Dandy To the Rescue" feat. Tommy Curiale & Alyson Kimball of Johnny Winters Band 
(Lincoln Chase, made famous by Laverne Baker & Black Oak Arkansas)
"You're My Best Friend" (John Deacon made famous by QUEEN)
"Garden Party" feat. Matthew & Gunnar Nelson (Rick Nelson)
"SunRise" in Texas (Blackberry Smoke, Michael Tolcher)
“I Hear Ya Knockin’" (Dave Bartholomew)
"Joy To The World" feat. Ron Keel (Hoyt Axton)
"Four Letter Word" (Lukas Nelson)

“Blue Sky”:

Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR will release a new song, "Interdimensional Summit", on February 23, 2018 as a seven-inch vinyl EP. The EP will also include a live version of the track "Puritania", recorded in Oslo.

"Interdimensional Summit" will be available in the following vinyl colors:

* Black
* Red and clear splattered
* Gold

You can pre-order it here.

"Interdimensional Summit" is taken from DIMMU BORGIR's upcoming full-length album, which will be released in the spring via Nuclear Blast.

Guitarist Sven Atle Kopperud (a.k.a. Silenoz) told Metal Shock Finland about DIMMU BORGIR's long-awaited follow-up to 2010's "Abrahadabra": "We feel that we're sitting on the best album that we could possibly do at this time, and personally, I think it's definitely our best album to date. Obviously, that's something that everybody says, but if I didn't believe that we would do our best album, there wouldn't really be any point doing a new one. So, yeah, I'm really excited about it, and I know that quite a few fans will probably be positively surprised. And, yeah, we can't wait to get this stuff off the ground and get going."

Silenoz told Rock 'N' Roll Journalist this past summer that all the writing on the new DIMMU BORGIR album was done by the core trio of Silenoz, vocalist Shagrath and guitarist Galder. "We had a little bit of assistance from the keyboard player, but it was less on this album than it was on the previous one," Silenoz said. "That seems to be working best and it means there's less cooks in the kitchen. [Laughs]"

As for the musical direction of DIMMU BORGIR's next effort, Silenoz, said: "I think it's safe to say that [the parts that are] more epic and majestic are more epic and majestic, and the same goes for the brutal sound of DIMMU and also the primitive and more black metal sound of DIMMU is more black metal this time around. So you will have the more extremes of each part that we are known for."

DIMMU BORGIR's latest release was the "Forces Of The Northern Night" DVD, which was made available in April via Nuclear Blast. The set contains two of the band's live performances: their legendary show in Oslo, presenting DIMMU BORGIR on stage with the Norwegian Radio Orchestra and a bombastic choir, as well as their entire performance at Wacken Open Air festival in 2012 in Wacken, Germany with almost a hundred musicians on stage.

San Francisco Bay area metallers MACHINE HEAD will release their ninth studio album, "Catharsis", on January 26, 2018 via Nuclear Blast. The effort will be made available in several formats, including a CD/DVD digipak edition which contains footage of the band's 2015 concert at San Francisco's Regency Ballroom.

A performance clip of the song "Ten Ton Hammer", taken from the above-mentioned 21-track DVD, can be seen below.

The follow-up to 2014's "Bloodstone & Diamonds", "Catharsis" was produced by MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn and recorded, mixed, and co-produced by Zack Ohren (FALLUJAH, ALL SHALL PERISH) at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California. Mastering was handled by Ted Jensen (HATEBREED, ALICE IN CHAINS, DEFTONES) at Sterling Sound in New York. Cover photography was created by Seanen Middleton.

Flynn told Jason Ellis of SiriusXM that "Catharsis" is a simpler and more straight-forward effort than some of MACHINE HEAD's past outings.

"I've been telling everybody, 'Keep your expectations low for the heaviness,'" Robb said. "It's a very grooving, very melodic record, and it's kind of freaked people out — understandably, I guess."

Asked how "unheavy" "Catharsis" really is, Flynn said: "It's got some pretty melodic moments, man. This isn't us at our heaviest. To me, if 'The Blackening' was us at our most thrashing and most heavy, this is probably us at our most grooving and most melodic. And it's still heavy, it's great songs, it's just… it's a new trip, and I dig it, man."

According to Flynn, MACHINE HEAD had "no plan" while composing the songs for "Catharsis". "We just start writing," he explained. "There's never a plan. We just started writing, and it came out the way it came out, and it was just cool. That was the shit that got our dick hard, and we were, like, 'Fuck! Let's go with it.'"

He added: "To me, Keith Richards summed it up best. We're just a vessel and we're just channeling what's going through us."

Pointing out that "Catharsis" is a 15-song collection of music with a running time of around 75 minutes, Flynn admitted that "it's a big commitment" for the listener. But, he added, "The majority of the record is short songs. And it was nice. It was just, like, the first two songs we wrote were just short and sweet and heavy, and we were, like, 'Fuck! It doesn't need to go on for six more minutes or have 20 other changes.'"

As for what brought about the slight change in direction for MACHINE HEAD's new album, Flynn said: "I don't listen to a whole lot of metal — I'm being straight with you. To me, a lot of it doesn't interest me, a lot of the lyrics don't interest me. I listen to a lot of hip-hop. I grew up on a lot of hardcore, punk rock, hip-hop, and I just love… Love it or hate it, I love just the fucking direct, ignorant-ass lyrics of hip-hop. It's very clear, it's very blunt; there's no metaphors. Metal's full of metaphors. We've been singing about the same shit now for 30 fucking years and I get a little bored with it. And with this record, I really wanted to just strip it down and make really clear, really simple, really blunt… Especially my choruses, just really clear… Like, you know what the fuck I'm talking about exactly when I'm talking about it. And it's cool. Like real vulgar language and coarse language, and it's a good vibe, man."

Flynn went on to say that he was inspired by the idea of changing up the formula and taking MACHINE HEAD down a new path without veering too much from the band's established sound.

"How the fuck do you blow people away? How do you say something different?" he asked rhetorically. "'Cause there's the two sides — there's the type of bands that are, like, 'We wanna be AC/DC. Never change. It's always the same.' And then there's THE BEATLES, which is probably the most evolution that's ever happened over the course of 10 years in music history. And I don't wanna say we've changed that much, 'cause I never think that we have, but I love the evolution. I love trying to find some new thing that keeps you going."

"Catharsis" track listing:

01. Volatile
02. Catharsis
03. Beyond The Pale
04. California Bleeding
05. Triple Beam
06. Kaleidoscope
07. Bastards
08. Hope Begets Hope
09. Screaming At The Sun
10. Behind A Mask
11. Heavy Lies The Crown
12. Psychotic
13. Grind You Down
14. Razorblade Smile
15. Eulogy

The album is available for pre-order at this location.

MACHINE HEAD recently released the official video for the "Catharsis" title track.

The North American tour in support of "Catharsis" will kick off on January 25 in Mesa, Arizona.