British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley (IRON MAIDEN, WOLFSBANE) will release the third album in his "Infinite Entanglement" trilogy on March 2, 2018 and has announced pre-order packages, plus an exciting world tour schedule for Europe, USA, Canada and Latin America.

There are three pre-order packages — "Regular," "Membership" and "Ultimate Membership." The latter sold-out within the first few hours, while the others remain available via BlazeBayley.net. The packages offer fans a mouth-watering mix of merch items and also special online features, as well as exclusive DVD bonus content.

The new album, called "The Redemption Of William Black", is the highly anticipated third part of the trilogy, bringing the sci-fi concept to a conclusion.

This will be the tenth album of Blaze's solo career, following his rise to global fame as singer with IRON MAIDEN (1994-1999). He was chosen for the MAIDEN role after coming to notice with his first band WOLFSBANE, based around home city of Birmingham, England, which is now the location for the recording of all his more recent solo releases.

The past three or four years has been an exciting period in Blaze's career, with a real sense of purpose, increased sales and media attention, not least with the recent front cover of Powerplay magazine (November 2017 issue), together with a three-page tour report from North America. Blaze received further recognition when voted by fans as the 67th best singer of all time in Sweden Rock Magazine, while a guest performance with DISTURBED at the U.K.'s premier music festival Download was another highlight.

"The Redemption Of William Black" has been co-written with Chris Appleton of fellow British metal band ABSOLVA. Chris, who also co-produces the album, is lead guitarist and backing vocalist in Blaze's band for recording and touring, together with his ABSOLVA bandmates Martin McNee (drums) and Karl Schramm (bass and backing vocals).

Special guests on the album include FOZZY singer Chris Jericho, also of WWE fame, for whom Blaze has specially created a character within the "Infinite Entanglement" story. Also, on choir duty is Luke Appleton (ICED EARTH bassist and ABSOLVA rhythm guitarist), as well as Michelle Sciarrotta (choir/voice actor), Jo Robinson (choir), Mel Adams (choir), Liz Owen (backing vocals/choir), Aine Brewer (voice actor) and Rob Toogood (choir/voice actor).

"The Redemption Of William Black" world tour begins at the end of February in Glasgow and the European leg completes on May 25 and May 26 when a live DVD and CD will be recorded over two nights at Chez Paulette, near Nancy, France. After a small number of festival shows in the summer, plus a short second run of U.K. shows to be confirmed, the tour heads to USA and Canada in September, on the back of the success of the North America tour of 2017. Then, in the first half of 2019, the schedule takes the tour to Latin America and again to the USA to return to those territories not covered in 2018, by which time the live DVD and CD will be ready for release.

Special guests on the U.K. shows (except Hammerfest) will be Manchester-based hard rockers FAITH IN GLORY, while in Europe from April 1 to the completion of the European leg on May 26, the special guest will be Luke Appleton (ICED EARTH, ABSOLVA) with his solo acoustic show.

Pictured below (from left to right): Martin McNee (drums), Chris Appleton (lead guitar and backing vocals), Blaze Bayley (lead vocals), Karl Schramm (bass and backing vocals)

PROPHETS OF RAGE's music video for the song "Hands Up" can be seen below. The track is taken from the band's self-titled debut album, which was released on September 15. The disc was recorded with legendary producer Brendan O'Brien who has done notable work with RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE.

PROPHETS OF RAGE is the supergroup featuring Chuck D, Tom Morello and other members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE alongside CYPRESS HILL's B-Real.

"Prophets Of Rage" scored top chart entries in multiple countries across the globe in its first week. The album sold more than 21,000 copies in the U.S., entering Billboard's Top 200 Album chart at No. 16. The set's strong international chart showings include a No. 6 debut in the U.K., No. 8 in France, No. 14 in Germany, No. 4 in New Zealand and NO. 11 in Australia.

Formed amid 2016's tumultuous election, PROPHETS OF RAGE have toured extensively in the U.S. and Europe and coalesced into an explosive unit capable of playing with equal parts precision, passion and muscle. The new album, with bold cover art created for the band by renowned street artist, Shepard Fairey, fuses the diverse styles, sonic firepower and hard-hitting social consciousness of their previous work into an inventive, compelling and timely new musical statement. Michael Moore, who directed the blistering, politically charged video for the track "Unfuck The World" declared: "PROPHETS OF RAGE is the right band, saying the right shit, at this very critical moment."

"When we put this band together a year ago, I don't think any of us knew what to expect or how it would be received by the people," stated B-Real. "From that time to now, it's been amazing to see the growth of this new amazing band and to see the effect it has had on the fans we've played for. I feel blessed to be a part of it. Our chemistry is undeniable when we are on stage, and to finally bring forth a new album with that same powerful chemistry is exciting and we can't wait to see what the future brings."

At its core, PROPHETS OF RAGE functions not only on a love of music, but a deep belief in its power as a tool and a weapon. Woven into the band's DNA are influences as varied as THE CLASH, KRS-One and Johnny Cash, as well as the undeniable ideals and aesthetics of its predecessors: PUBLIC ENEMY's frenzied, racing textures, RAGE's jaw-melting riffs, and CYPRESS HILL's manically playful party energy.

According to The Pulse Of Radio, PEARL JAM is contributing a new song called "Obey The Law Of The Heart" to the soundtrack of an upcoming film called "Basmati Blues". Written by guitarist Stone Gossard, and performed by PEARL JAM with Sain Zahoor and Priya Darshini, it's the band's first new song since the release of its 2013 LP "Lightning Bolt". "Basmati Blues" is an independent musical romantic comedy film starring Academy Award winner Brie Larson, Scott Bakula and Donald Sutherland.

The band has posted a preview of the track online. The film just opened in Sweden but currently does not have a North American release date.

Although there have been rumors that the band is working on a new album, PEARL JAM has not indicated when or if it will return to the studio.

Guitarist Stone Gossard told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that the band never sets out with a predetermined goal for a new LP. "It's very difficult to set out to do something and achieve it, as opposed to just each song, try to make it as good as you can," he said. "We set out more like, we're gonna make a record and we know we're gonna… everyone's gonna write some songs, and we're gonna try to do the best for each of those songs and then we're gonna see what we've got at the end and figure out how to put 'em together, you know. It's much less planned than you would imagine."

The group took most of 2017 off, getting together only to perform at their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last April. A documentary chronicling the group's two-night August 2016 stand at Chicago's Wrigley Field, titled "Let's Play Two", came out in late September.

Capital Chaos TV has uploaded video footage of CORE 10, the band featuring original KORN drummer David Silveria, performing on November 10 at The Boardwalk in Orangevale, California. Check it out below.

CORE 10 recently released a video for the song "Unforgotten". The track was produced by Grammy-nominated producer Ulrich Wild, who has previously worked with WHITE ZOMBIE, PANTERA, DEFTONES and STATIC-X.

Silveria is joined in CORE 10 by Sean Lenhoff and Duncan Nisbet on vocals, Chris Dorame on bass, Joe Taback on guitar and Ronnie King on keyboards.

Lenhoff told BackStage360 that CORE 10 opted to have two singers instead of one in order "to create [its] own sound, something original."

Describing CORE 10's sound as a fusion of metal, rock and punk, Lenhoff said: "We never wanted to pigeonhole ourselves into one genre. It's so hard to make a living as a band and a musician now, you just take your influences and you just run with it. Why not create something for everybody but having continuity still in what you're doing?"

Asked how he first got involved with CORE 10, Silveria said: "I've known Sean for about… probably fifteen, twenty years from downtown Huntington Beach days. And he kept sending me MP3s of songs, and the more I listened to it, it was kind of, like, you either love it or hate it. I was kind of conflicted when I first heard it. And I would show it to my wife and said, 'What do you think about this?' 'Cause I didn't really understand it at first. And the more I listened to it, the more I liked it. Now they come over and play, and I come out and my wife is all giddy and excited going, 'I love that song. It's one of the best songs you guys have ever done.' And now I'm just in love with the music. So I'm all in now."

Earlier in the year, CORE 10 released a video for the song "Act Of Valor". The clip, which had almost forty thousand views in the first few days after being posted on YouTube, was met with overwhelmingly negative response from KORN fans, many of whom questioned everything from CORE 10's musical direction to the quality of the recording itself.

CORE 10's current lineup made its live debut on April 1 at Tiki Bar in Costa Mesa, California.

Chad Hanks, bassist of the Minneapolis, Minnesota hard rock/industrial metal outfit AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE, passed away earlier today at the age of 46. He had reportedly been battling a terminal illness in the months prior to his death, with various social media posts suggesting he was suffering from kidney and liver failure.

A benefit concert to cover Hanks's final expenses will be held on November 26 at the First Avenue in Minneapolis. The show will serve as a public memorial for all who knew Chad and enjoyed his music.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE vocalist Cameron Heacock and keyboardist Justin Fowler both paid tribute to Hanks by posting touching photos of the fallen musician on their respective Facebook pages. Meanwhile, former AHC guitarist Ted Hallows wrote in a separate post: "Rest in peace, my friend. You will be missed and your music will live on forever. Thank you for making me a better guitarist and thank you for all the great memories we shared together. Love you, man."

Hanks is not the first member of AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE to die at an early age. 2005 saw the tragic passing of guitarist Bryan Ottoson, who died of an accidental prescription drug overdose while on tour in support of "The Feeding" album.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE released its fourth album, "Tango Umbrella", in March 2016 via Napalm Records. The effort marked the band's first full-length release in over 10 years.

In a 2016 interview with Soundlink Magazine, Hanks stated about "Tango Umbrella": "I pretty much kind of wrote this whole thing off in 2008-2009 when I thought we were done. I thought they very last thing that would happen would be I'd hear back from Cameron or [AHC guitarist Karma Singh Cheema] and start to hear vocals on demos and stuff like that. But lo and behold, almost two years of silence from him living in California and me living in Minneapolis, and us being the two guys who started the band, I just thought it was done. We did an Indiegogo campaign, we surpassed our goal of the money to make the record, so just the fact that there were fans willing, after six years, to dump money into this kind of, like, blind: 'Well, we liked em then, hopefully they’ll figure it out.' And us having a propensity for past drug use and things like that, I'm surprised anyone even gave us a dime. They're, like, 'They're just gonna spend it on booze, and dope — nothing will happen,' or something like that. The main thing is I'm just grateful the record actually got made, 'cause people give a shit."

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE split in August 2009 but reformed two years later.



Posted by Cameron Heacock on Sunday, November 12, 2017


Posted by Justino De La Noche on Sunday, November 12, 2017



Chad Hanks, a dear man, wonderful person and former teacher passed away this morning after a health battle he's been...

Posted by School of Rock Eden Prairie on Sunday, November 12, 2017

U.K. industrial metal pioneers GODFLESH will release their new album, "Post Self", on November 17 via Justin K. Broadrick's Avalanche Recordings on CD, digital and LP formats, with a cassette version incoming on Hospital Productions.

Over two years in the making, "Post Self" explores the less "metal" side of GODFLESH, taking in the formative influences and spitting out something more informed by late '70s early '80s post-punk and industrial than it is anything metal-related. Lyrically, the album deals with anxiety and depression, fear, mortality and paternal and maternal relationships.

"Post Self" track listing:

01. Post Self02. Parasite 03. No Body 04. Mirror Of Finite Light 05. Be God 06. The Cyclic End 07. Pre Self 08. Mortality Sorrow 09. In Your Shadow 10. The Infinite End

You can listen to the song "Be God" using the Bandcamp widget below.

GODFLESH's last album, "A World Lit Only By Fire", was released in October 2014 via Avalanche Recordings.

Broadrick recently told Metal Invader that "Post Self" "is much better" than its predecessor. He explained: "'A World Lit Only By Fire' was a heavy riff piece, a GODFLESH minimal metal record. This new album is a mood piece, offering an all-encompassing vision of GODFLESH."

Photo credit: Kevin Laska


POST SELF by GODFLESH
Post Self - single by GODFLESH

Finnish metallers CHILDREN OF BODOM will enter the studio at the end of March to begin recording their new album for a late 2018 release. The follow-up to 2015's "I Worship Chaos" will once again be recorded at the band's own Danger Johnny Studios in Helsinki where the group's last two efforts were laid down.

"We're in the middle of writing, so it's very exciting times for us because we have almost half of the record already written," CHILDREN OF BODOM bassist Henkka Seppälä (a.k.a. Henkka T. Blacksmith) told Metal Wani (see video below). "After this [U.S. tour], we go back to finish the writing and then hit the studio in the spring."

As for the inspiration for CHILDREN OF BODOM's new material, Henkka said: "Alexi [Laiho, guitar/vocals] is still writing most of the stuff, so I don't know what he's inspired by. For some reason, he always gets these good [ideas for] melodies from somewhere."

Laiho previously described Danger Johnny as "kind of like the COB headquarters where everything is. We have a rehearsal space, studio and warehouse where we can keep our backline, our cars, there's a lounge area, so it's pretty awesome. Everything for 'I Worship Chaos' was recorded there, including the drums. It's awesome, because it beats having to book studio time and spend a ton of money on recordings. It's a different vibe compared to recording at home, and that's why I actually moved in there a couple of weeks before we started recording. We were missing two songs and I figured I'd get more done if I'm there all the time. I usually get so much done when I'm in there."

CHILDREN OF BODOM's current U.S. tour sees the band celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of its debut album, "Something Wild". The 24-date trek kicked off on October 31 in Dallas, Texas and included an appearance at this year's Ozzfest Meets Knotfest. The tour will conclude in Montreal on December 1. Joining the band are Dutch masters of horror CARACH ANGREN, Finnish thrashers LOST SOCIETY and New Jersey progressive, technical death metallers UNCURED.

Fan-filmed video footage of KISS's November 5 "acoustic unmasked performance aboard this year's Kiss Kruise can be seen below.

KISS hasn't released a full-length disc of new music since 2012's "Monster", which sold 56,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on The Billboard 200 chart.

The band's previous LP, "Sonic Boom", opened with 108,000 units back in October 2009 to enter the chart at No. 2. This marked the KISS's highest-charting LP ever.

Asked by the Loudwire Podcast for his thoughts on the prospect of recording a new KISS CD, Stanley said: "If we're going to do an album, it would be because we want to do an album, not because of sales. I think we're living in a time, obviously, now where albums don't sell what they once did, so you either do it because it's a creative outlet and because it satisfies something in you, or not. If you're doing it purely for sales, then you're probably doing it for the wrong reason. So if we do an album, it's only gonna be because it feels right to do it. And as time has passed, I find it becoming more and more enticing, the idea of doing another album. For me, the only thing we have to make sure is that we don't do 'Son Of Monster' or 'Son Of Sonic Boom'. Unless we are in a different direction — not to go to the route of 'The Elder' [KISS's much-maligned 1981 concept album] — but, again, if we're doing it for ourselves, then if people like it, that's great. But the only way to do an album, for me at this point, is to do something that I find intriguing. So I'm kind of more into it than I was before, only because once you set the parameters and your expectations… So, for me, it really just comes down to: is it gonna be exciting creatively?"

According to Stanley, he doesn't feel any pressure to come up with an album that will rival KISS's classic early offerings, even if the band's next output turns out to be its last. "You know, the greatest champs got knocked out towards the end," he explained. "They're not remembered for that — they're remembered for their history and for what they've done. I remember going to see Muhammad Ali get outpointed by Leon Spinks. Manny Pacquiao just lost a boxing match. So I feel no pressure. The story's been written. It's as good as gold. If there's a hundred and fifty pages that tell the story of victory and a few that tell of stumbles, that's fine with me." Paul's bandmate Gene Simmons recently confirmed that "some writing" has been going on for a possible new KISS studio album but once again said that he was "not incentivized" to release another KISS disc unless there are some major changes in the way music is consumed. He said: "Not too long ago I wrote a song called 'Your Wish Is My Command'. It sounds anthemic, like something that might have come off 'Love Gun', maybe. But I'm not incentivized. The idea that you work your ass off and then someone with freckles on their face decides they want to download your music and file share — that's not what I work for. How'd you like to be a plumber, come over somebody's house and work all day to fix their plumbing and then when it's time to get paid, they say, 'No, I just wanted to say thank you.' No."

Fan-filmed video footage of Sebastian Bach's November 4 performance at the second annual RockFest 80's at C.B. Smith Park in Pembroke Pines, Florida can be seen below.

Bach hasn't released a full-length disc since 2014's "Give 'Em Hell", which was criticized by some for sounding "too modern" and a departure from his '80s hard rock past.

Asked in a recent interview with Australia's Hysteria magazine whether he is working on new music at the moment, Bach said: "I've released a lot of solo albums. I've released 'Bring 'Em Bach Alive!' on Atlantic Records, 'The Last Hard Men', 'Angel Down', 'Kicking & Screaming', 'ABachalypse Now', 'Give 'Em Hell'. And, basically, those are all heavy metal… you know, in the ballpark of hard rock/heavy metal, and, for me, I have done enough of those kinds of records now. So I need to make what I'm calling my 'California record,' which is probably gonna be more concerned about the vocals than the guitar, the drums and the bass. The last records I loved that I've done, but they're kind of similar. So now it's time for me to do a different-sounding kind of record. So that's what I'm doing. I'm into acoustic guitar right now a lot. And that's not to say if somebody plays me some wicked crazy riff that I won't do it, but I'm trying to make a record that's gonna put me into the next phase of music. That's what I'm working on now."

Bach went on to defend his decision to make a sofer-sounding album this time around. He said: "The thing is that my records, mostly, have had a lot of aggression in them, and I'm not feeling aggressive right now. So I'm not gonna pretend to channel some anger that's not real. But, you know, there's things that I am angry at, like the climate being destroyed — I'm angry at that. And the first song that I just recorded has lyrics kind of to do with that. But people like my ballad voice; that's, really, at the end of the day, what people like to hear me sing like. And I like that too, and that's the way I'm feeling right now, so that's the [way the] music [is] coming out — it's got a lot of harmonies, and the vocals sound great, and that's what I'm gonna give you in your ears… It's gonna be focused on the vocals, harmonies, but it's gonna sound like me, 'cause that's all I can sound like."

Asked to elaborate on his comment that he is writing a "California record," Bach said: "Well, you know, California has a great history of music that sounds like Southern California. You know, THE DOORS' 'L.A. Woman'. The sound of, like, STEELY DAN, VAN HALEN, MÖTLEY CRÜE… Los Angeles has a great sound of its own, and I wanna make my record. You know, THE EAGLES … Okay, there you go. My next record will be a mix between THE EAGLES and MÖTLEY CRÜE. [Laughs] Both [THE EAGLES and MÖTLEY CRÜE] sound California, and I want… I live here now, so I wanna make a record that sounds like it's made here. I'm not into Pro Tools and the computer making it all perfect. On this record, it's real players, recording real human beings. No drum machines — I'm not into that. I want real guys playing real instruments. That's for sure."

Bach added that he is "not far at all" into the production process for his next album. "I'm just starting to record demos, and I've got songs," he said.

Sebastian's autobiography, "18 And Life On Skid Row", came out last December via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books), an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Fan-filmed video footage of STONE SOUR's entire November 10 performance at Stadium in Moscow, Russia can be seen below.

STONE SOUR is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Hydrograd", which was released on June 30 via Roadrunner Records. The disc was recorded at Sphere Studios in North Hollywood, California with producer Jay Ruston, who has previously worked with ANTHRAX and STEEL PANTHER. The band tracked the album live in the studio, cutting a total of eighteen songs from which fifteen made the CD.

STONE SOUR singer Corey Taylor told iHeartRadio about "Hydrograd": "It is kind of a departure, but not really. To me, it's more of an evolution. It's taking everything that we've done on the last few albums, and really honing it down and turning that diversity into more cohesion and really finding the strength in the song to be able to express ourselves through all of these different genres that we've always dipped our toes in, whether it's hard rock, or heavy, or metal, or just rock and roll, or straight up punk, or even in one of the cases a bit of California country."

He added: "I don't think it's so much a departure, as it is just becoming more of what STONE SOUR really means."

Taylor went on to call "Hydrograd" "the best stuff that [STONE SOUR] has ever written." He explained: "I think the songwriting is stronger, I think the energy in the recording is better, and I think that comes down to the way we recorded it, which was live in the room. No click, no grid, no beat detective, no Auto-Tune, no fake guitar sounds, everything was real. That really allowed the songs to become very alive and very exciting. I also think that it's some of our strongest performances. Obviously, it's our first album with Christian [Martucci, guitar] and with Johny [Chow, bass], and those guys shine like crazy. And with Roy [Mayorga, drums], this is really his coming-out party. People are really going to start looking at him very differently. [He's] just one of the best drummers on the planet. Josh [Rand, guitar] [can be heard] really experimenting, doing all these crazy things. It's some of the best music that we've ever created as a band, and I hope that people listen to my singing and my writing and just can see where I'm at from a personal standpoint and from a professional standpoint. I feel like it's my best work that I've done in a long time and I don't really care if people don't hear it, say it's heavy or whatnot. It's just really good straight-up rock and roll, and it's amazing."

Regarding the "Hydrograd" title, Taylor told told Detroit radio station WRIF that he was running through an "antiquated" airport in Eastern Europe a few years ago where the gate info was "on those old-school '80s block-letter, number, digital horrible Timex watch kind of readers" and scrolling between different languages. As he ran past, Taylor thought he saw the word "Hydrograd."

Taylor said: "So my brain is trying to do geometry while also at a sprint because I don't wanna miss my plane. I pass one and I look up and I could have swore it said 'Hydrograd.' And I kept running for a second and I was, like, 'Hydrograd? Where the hell is Hydrograd? What?'"

Taylor eventually realized that the word wasn't "Hydrograd," recalling, "It didn't even start with an 'H.' It wasn't even close." But he still remembered the word, saying, "It's a cool name. It was what I saw but didn't really see."

ZZ TOP's Billy Gibbons joined GUNS N' ROSES on stage Friday night (November 10) in Houston, Texas to play a guitar solo on the "Lies" ballad "Patience".

ZZ TOP had previously opened for GUNS N' ROSES' for a couple of shows in Texas in early September.

The Houston concert was part of GUNS N' ROSES' "Not In This Lifetime" tour, which is the most popular and highest-grossing global tour of 2017, according to Pollstar.

About seventy people travel with the show in addition to the truck drivers; that number goes upwards of five hundred, including the local workers, by show date once catering, security, etc. are factored in, according to the tour's production manager, Dale "Opie" Skjerseth.

GUNS kicked off its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour in April 2016 with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

The "Not In This Lifetime" tour features classic lineup members Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Axl Rose (vocals) backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Fank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

METALLICA's entire performance at Band Together Bay Area can be seen below.

The benefit concert, which took place yesterday (Thursday, November 9) at AT&T Park in San Francisco, supported recovery efforts for the recent firestorm that swept through Northern California. Also scheduled to appear were G-Eazy and DAVE MATTHEWS BAND.

METALLICA's setlist was as follows:

01. Hardwired02. For Whom The Bell Tolls03. Fade To Black04. The Memory Remains05. The Unforgiven06. Wherever I May Roam07. Sad But True08. One09. Master Of Puppets10. Nothing Else Matters11. Enter Sandman

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, who nearly lost his house in Sonoma's Mission Highlands, told the San Francisco Chronicle: "On the Cal Fire map, the fire ends right on top of my house. The reality is that it ended at my front gate. It's brutal. The mental and psychological toll is what I always think about."

The METALLICA members said in a statement that they were "proud" to take part in the event "to assist the families impacted by the fires and show our immense appreciation to the thousands of first responders who have been working tirelessly since the fires began."

They explained: "[In October] Northern California, the community that we have called home for over thirty-four years, endured devastating wildfires. We're extremely saddened by the suffering that so many are feeling in the Bay Area, but are also inspired by the enormous outpouring of love and support from all around the country."

One hundred percent of the ticket price will be donated to Tipping Point Community benefitting low-income, vulnerable communities impacted by the crisis, including vineyard workers, immigrants, displaced young people, and students.

UK-based heavy doom outfit, Conand, are set to release their hotly anticipated demo record. Man Is Myth - Early Demos, on November 17th via Napalm Records, but taking a rest as soon as this new release sees the light of day, would not be in the style of Conan. This trio never stands still: After they just returned from a heavy touring schedule all over Europe and the United States, the band are already back in the studio and currently recording the follow-up to their latest 2016 studio record, Revengeance.

The band has now checked back from their Skyhammer studios, watch their message below. The new album is set for a release in spring 2018 via Napalm Records.

Man Is Myth - Early Demos will be coming as a CD Digi Pack, Digital Download and LP Gatefold editions, and is now available for preorder here.

Tracklisting:

“Battle In The Swamp” (Rehearsal Room Demo 2009)
“Satsumo” (Rehearsal Room Demo 2009)
“Krull” (Rehearsal Room Demo 2009)
“Satsumo” (Rehearsal Room Demo 2006)
“Gravity Chasm” (Studio Demo 2012)
“Foehammer” (Studio Demo 2012)
“Domed Iron Boss” (Studio Demo 2012)

“Gravity Chasm” (Studio Demo 2012):

Greek melodic death metal band, Aetherian, have released a video for Dark Earth, a track from their upcoming debut album, The Untamed Wilderness, to be released on November 24th via Lifeforce Records. Watch the clip below.

Listening to Aetherian for the first time makes you think the band would come from Finland or Sweden, but the trio in fact is from sunny shores of Greece. Even with a Southern heritage and much more Vitamin D in their veins the band from Athens share the same melancholic genes as their “competitors” from the upper North. With the sound the band is creating we are very sure Aetherian will be playing in the first league of melodic death metal bands very soon.

Tracklisting:

“Wish Of Autumn Twilight”
“Dark Earth”
“As The Veil Fades”
“Black Sails”
“Seeds Of Deception”
“Shade Of The Sun”
“Clouds Gathering”
“The Rain”
“The Path”

“Dark Earth” video:

“Seeds Of Deception” lyric video:

“The Rain” video:

New York progressive death metal/post metal act Cryptodira have debuted a brand new track “The Fascist’s Phantasy”.

"Since there's no shortage of ways to critique fascism (nor should there ever be), The Fascist's Phantasy takes up this attitude from a specific social psychological view," says the band.

"The fascist is not only destructive outwardly in their political projects and their bizarre capacity to fetishize 'great leaders,’ but even self-destructive according to their own psychic economy. These self-destructive tendencies cannot properly be recognized by the fascist's narcissistic ego and to deal with this inner turmoil, the fascist copes by projecting this unbearable part of themselves onto the 'out-group' or others, which tend to be chosen along pre-existing lines of nationalism and eurocentrism. Fascist propaganda is shameless in exploiting these inside-out egos, promising them salvation or a 'final solution' while in reality only continuing a war which is fought both internally and externally. This is a war with no victor; fascism is a senseless and absolute loss.”

The new track and the two previous tracks "Medusa Misgendered" and "In Hell As On Earth" are all available on streaming platforms. The three tracks are also iTunes instant gratification tracks. Meaning, if you pre-order the new LP via iTunes, you get all three tracks as instant downloads. Cryptodira will release The Devil's Despair via Good Fight Music on November 17th. 

Drummer Matthew Taibi explains the band's thought process behind the LP title, "Much of The Devil’s Despair deals with the themes of dehumanizing social forces; forces which come from human activity and yet become confused for rigid, natural laws. In “Medusa Misgendered,” the trend being criticized specifically is the objectification of femininity under the gaze of masculinity, reversing the myth of Medusa as the title suggests. Even for the side that benefits from reification, there is still an unnecessary loss of substance and they themselves become a reflection of the very world they've frozen. This hits on the larger theme captured by the artwork, where the Devil himself becomes a victim of the demonic force of dehumanization which originally emanated from him."

Tracklisting:

“Neutralization”
“Constituted - I. Constitutum”
“Constituted - II. Constituens”
“Medusa Misgendered”
“The Gods Of Epicurus”
“Longing Belonging”
“In Hell As On Earth”
“The Fascist's Phantasy”
“Negation Consumes Affirmation”
“Negation Consumes Itself”

"The Fascist's Phantasy":

"In Hell As On Earth" video:

“Medusa Misgendered”:

Pre-order the album via the following links:

- Digital
- Physical

The band is hitting the road this December with The Number Twelve Looks Like You on the Nuclear Sad Nuclear 12th Anniversary Tour. Tickets are now on sale.  

December
12 - Voltage Lounge - Philadelphia, PA    
13 - Middle East     - Cambridge, MA    
14 - Ottobar - Baltimore, MD    
15 - Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC    
16 - Backbooth - Orlando, FL    
17 - CrowBar - Tampa, FL    
18 - Gasa Casa - New Orleans, LA    
19 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA    
20 - Open Chord - Knoxville, TN    
21 - Mr. Smalls - Millvale, PA    
22 - Mohawks - Buffalo, NY    
23 - Brooklyn Bazar - Brooklyn, NY   

Excalibur IV is the fourth studio in the Celtic Rock Opera series, following on from the gold and platinum selling original trilogy. Excalibur IV was played live in its entirety to 12 arenas in Germany in December 2016 and will be touring again in 2018.

Released on Babaika Productions, via Cherry Red Records, the album features appearances by:

Alan Stivell
Michael Sadler (Saga)
Jesse Sibenberg & John Helliwell (Supertramp)
Martin Barre (Jethro Tull)
Moya Brennan (Clannad)
Roberto Tiranti (Labyrinth)
Bernie Shaw (Uriah Heep)
Siobham Owen
Sonja Kristina (Curved Air)
John Kelly (The Kelly Family)
Maite Itoiz (Elfhental)

After a thousand years of imprisonment, Merlin - the wizard - finally escapes from Morgana’s spell. Initially intrigued by the beauty of the new world that he returned to, he soon discovers the decay of knightly and sublime virtues, which once had been so bravely defended by King Arthur’s roundtable. An enraged Merlin casts his biggest spell over this world and brings the mighty dragon to life. A epic return of the legendary Celtic rock opera on to German stages, a new chapter in the saga around the sword Excalibur – this is Excalibur - The Dark Age Of The Dragon.

A trailer for the album can be seen below.

Tracklisting:

“The Wings Of The Dragon”
“Alone”
“Stonehenge”
“I’m Not The Only One”
“Calling For You”
“Don’t Be Afraid”
“Silver Moon”
“Dreamers”
“The Last Lament Of A Fairy”
“The New Times”
“Forget Your Sorrow”
“The Fifth Season”
“The Passion”
“I Will Be For Ever”
“Behind The Mist”
“You Don’t Know”
“You Are The Sunshine”
“There Is Someone”
“Dun Aengus II”

Trailer:

Purchase via the following links:

- Physical
- Digital

(Photo - Christian Roch)

Troikadon is the triple-throated band featuring Kam Lee (Bone Gnawer, Akatharta, ex-Massacre/Death), Dave Ingram (Ursinne, Echelon, ex-Bolt Thrower/Hail Of Bullets) and Karl Willetts (Memoriam, ex-Bolt Thrower) on vocals, along with Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Down Among The Dead Men, and a fuck ton more) on guitar, Jonny Pettersson (Ashcloud, Wombbath) on bass, and Travis Ruvo (Cropsy Maniac, Echelon, Hellfrost & Fire) on drums.

This brand new, yet definitely and definitively old school project will be bringing their full-length album, Triumvirate Of Death, to the world in 2018.

Dave Ingram: “We’ve all been busy as Hell lately. Myself and Jonny are rehearsing for the Just Before Dawn live shows next year, plus I’ve had a few guest vocal spots to write and record. Rogga is writing and recording the second Garpedans album, Kam is using all of November to move house and then finishing up the next Nattravnen album with Jonny. Travis is working on multiple drum projects including the new Echelon album and Hellfrost & Fire’s debut, plus Karl has begun writing the new Memoriam album The Silent Vigil. Not just busy as Hell, but busy as all fucking Hell!”

Troikadon have also released their logo, which was designed by Kam Lee himself, and the band are still considering which label to call the project home.

“We just wanted to let people know that everyone involved in this still has the same enthusiasm as when it was first suggested. The guitar and drums tracks are all but finished, and next there’ll be a pre-mix by Jonny (with bass tracks) so us three crumblies can get writing and recording the vocals. We’re setting up a Facebook page for future updates, so follow it here.”

Holiday rock ensemble the Wizards Of Winter - featuring former members of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Rainbow and the bands of Alice Cooper and Ted Nugent - are set to kick off their annual US holiday tour next Thursday, November 16th in Clearwater, FL.

Each night, the ensemble will evoke the spirit of Christmas, weaving a story entirely based on their latest album, The Magic Of Winter, and new music. Each Wizards Of Winter performance showcases soaring vocal harmonies, precision string instrumentation, outstanding guitar leads, powerful percussion and stunning keyboard work - taking the listener on a musical "sleigh ride", covering many genres from pop to progressive rock.

In celebration of next week's kick off, the Wizards Of Winter have released a brand new, magical holiday track, "A Christmas Dream" - an enchanting medley featuring segments of the classic holiday tunes "My Favorite Things" and "Carol Of The Bells". Listen to the new single below, and also check out the Wizards Of Winter discussing their favorite things plus a behind the scenes studio performance.

The Wizards Of Winter musical director and keyboardist Scott Kelly says about the track: "The arrangement for "A Christmas Dream" has been something that I've played during Christmas time for about 20 years; my kids grew up hearing me play it on the piano. It is wonderful to have been able to get together with the band and create a full dynamic orchestration that really brings the song to life. Everyone worked to make it just perfect. We hope it becomes a new holiday anthem."

As with their most recent album, The Magic of Winter, "A Christmas Dream" is produced by Eric Rachel (in tandem with Wizards Of Winter's music director/keyboardist Scott Kelly)at Traxeast (Symphony X, Skid Row, Styx). The track can be purchased here.

Wizards Of Winter tour dates:

November
16 - Clearwater, FL - Capitol Theatre
17 - Melbourne, FL - King Center for the Performing Arts
24 - Vineland, NJ - Landis Theater
25 - Red Bank, NJ - Count Basie Theatre

December
2 - Fairmont, MN - Fairmont Opera House
3 - Mitchell, SD - Corn Palace Theatre
8 - Bremerton, WA - Admiral Theatre
9 - Longview, WA - Columbia Theatre
10 - Portland, OR - Revolution Hall
14 - Warrendale, PA - Jergels
15 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Hall
16 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen PAC
17 - Easton, PA - Easton State Theatre
21 - Traverse City, MI - City Opera House
22 - Adrian, MI - Crosswell Opera House
23 - Canton, OH - Canton Place Theatre

German thrash legends, Destruction, release their new “best of old school" album, Thrash Anthems II, today (November 10th) via Nuclear Blast Records. Order the album at this location, and check out a new video, “United By Hatred” - The History Clip, below:

In 2007, Destruction proved how successful re-recording some of their timeless classics and re-imagining history could be. The follow-up to 2007's Thrash Anthems is ready to rock the metal world and shows how fans can be part of both a band's history and future. For Thrash Anthems II, Destruction called upon on their loyal fans through PledgeMusic to help them create the record and contribute to the band's epic history.

Mastermind Schmier states: "As it is a part of our past to relaunch classic songs from our history with a fresh face and we had many demands on a Thrash Anthems continuation, we decided to do a second part of this re-animation of classic 80s Destruction material. For us it was important to chose the tracks with the fans and first when NB did not wanna do the album we decided to do a pledge campaign to raise the fonds for the production together with the diehards.

“To make a long story short, we know not everybody will like these new versions of those thrash evergreens (just listen to the originals then) but it was an important task for us to keep them alive for a whole new generation of metalheads that love those fresh and brutal new recordings. We are very happy now, that our label is finally releasing this collection of thrash classics. The vibe on this record is so vicious, noncommercial and has this 80s feeling with a even more aggressive edge and THAT is was made our THRASH so special, in the good old days and now!"

This stunning artwork was created by acclaimed artist Gyula from Hungary, who has also created artwork for Annihilator, Grave Digger, Stratovarius, Tankard and many more.

Thrash Anthems II tracklisting:

“Confused Mind”
“Black Mass”
“Frontbeast”
“Dissatisfied Existence”
“United By Hatred”
“The Ritual”
“Black Death”
“The Antichrist”
“Confound Games”
“Ripping You Off Blind”
“Satan's Vengeance”

Bonus track:
“Holiday in Cambodia” (Dead Kennedys Cover)

Thrash Anthems II medley:

Trailer #1:

Trailer #2:

Nuclear Blast recently announced the signing of Dutch epic death/black metallers Bleeding Gods and the release of their upcoming album, Dodekathlon. This new record will be a concept album and is scheduled to be released on January 12th. Today, the band presents their first single with it's corresponding music video, for the song “From Feast To Beast”.

Main man and guitarist Ramon Ploeg comments the song and the video, directed by Sebastiaan Spijker: "We are really proud to launch our first single 'From Feast To Beast' from the new album Dodekathlon upon you! The track is about catching the Erymanthian Boar and bring it back alive to King Eurystheus. This was Hercules' 4th labour of the series of 12 episodes concerning his penance for slaying his son, daughter and wife Megara. Sebastiaan did an awesome job directing the video, which only shows some band shots. It is a real joy to work with him and he has a good and fast communication, which we like. We hope you will enjoy the video as much as we do!"

Additionally, Bleeding Gods today unveil the album's tracklisting and therefore also more insights on the album concept. The twelve songs 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.... But more info on the album concept will follow soon.

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)”

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

After a nearly seven-year absence from Las Vegas, multi-platinum, chart-topping rock band NICKELBACK is returning to Sin City in February 2018 for an impressive five-night run at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. MONSTER TRUCK will open all five shows. The limited run is made even more special with the announcement that these shows will be NICKELBACK's only North American dates scheduled in 2018.

The Las Vegas shows are scheduled for February 23, 24, 27 and March 2 and 3, 2018. Tickets go on sale to the public on Friday, November 10 at 10 a.m. PT.

NICKELBACK released its ninth studio album, "Feed The Machine", this past summer and recently completed a packed 45-city tour. Following their Vegas run, NICKELBACK will embark on the international leg of the "Feed The Machine" tour throughout the remainder of 2018.

Tickets for the "Feed The Machine" Las Vegas residency start at $50.50 (plus applicable service fees), and will be available beginning with a fan club pre-sale at www.nickelback.com/tour on Tuesday, November 7 at 10:00 a.m. PT. Public on-sale begins Friday, November 10 at 10 a.m. PT at the Hard Rock Hotel box office in Las Vegas, by calling 888.9.AXS.TIX or online at www.axs.com. For additional ticket information and details on where to buy tickets, visit www.nickelback.com. NICKELBACK will offer a limited number of VIP packages for each show with options that include one-night accommodations at the Hard Rock Hotel, premium seating, early entry and an exclusive pre-show VIP Rockstar lounge with food, drinks and more, a specially designed NICKELBACK messenger bag, limited edition guitar pick set in wood casing, VIP laminate and commemorative VIP ticket and more. Fans can visit livemu.sc/Nickelback-VIP for more info. VIP Packages will be made available during the presale.

Former FAITH NO MORE singer Chuck Mosley has died at the age of 57.

His family has issued the following statement:

"After a long period of sobriety, Charles Henry Mosley III lost his life on November 9th, 2017 due to the disease of addiction.

"We're sharing the manner in which he passed in the hopes that it might serve as a warning or wake-up call or beacon to anyone else struggling to fight for sobriety.

"He is survived by long-term partner Pip Logan, two daughters, Erica and Sophie, and his grandson Wolfgang Logan Mosley.

"The family will be accepting donations for funeral expenses. Details to follow when arranged."

With Mosley at the helm, FAITH NO MORE became one of the '80s' leading underground bands on the strength of 1985's "We Care a Lot" and 1987's "Introduce Yourself". Despite exiting the group in 1988 under less-than-friendly circumstances, the Ohio-based Mosley is now friendly with most of his former FNM bandmates and has even joined them on stage in recent years.

Axl Rose has paid tribute to Paul Buckmaster, saying that he feels "very fortunate" to have met the half-British, half-Italian string arranger who died Tuesday at age 71.

Buckmaster worked on orchestral arrangements for GUNS N' ROSES' 2008 studio album "Chinese Democracy", contributing to the tracks "Street Of Dreams", "There Was A Time", "Madagascar" and "Prostitute". He is also renowned for working with Elton John, THE ROLLING STONES, David Bowie and many others. In 2016, he collaborated with HEART on the "Beautiful Broken" album.

The GUNS N' ROSES singer tweeted on Thursday (November 9): "Very sorry to hear of Mr. Paul Buckmaster's passing. I feel very fortunate to have met him n' have his involvement in GNR. My deepest condolences to his friends, fans n' loved ones."

Buckmaster is probably best known for his work on John's early albums, where he provided the orchestral arrangements for such classic tracks as "Tiny Dancer" and "Your Song". He also teamed with THE ROLLING STONES for "Moonlight Mile" and "Sway" on the group's "Sticky Fingers" album.

CHILDREN OF BODOM bassist Henkka Seppälä (a.k.a. Henkka T. Blacksmith) has confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune that the band has commenced work on material for the follow-up to 2015's "I Worship Chaos" album. "We've been already writing the whole fall, actually," he said. "We have almost half the new album. So we'll go back and do some more new songs. And then, in the spring, we're gonna start laying the tracks."

As for the musical direction of the new CHILDREN OF BODOM songs, Henkka said: "I don't know. It's always hard. For me, for some reason, I'm incapable of describing any direction that we go. There's always something new, and it's always somehow refreshing to me to do the new songs. I'm very, very excited. Very, very excited."

According to Seppälä, the new CHILDREN OF BODOM album "should be mastered by the summer" of 2018, with a release to follow later in the year.

Henkka was also asked about recent comments made by ex-CHILDREN OF BODOM guitarist Roope Latvala, who claimed that he was "stabbed in the back" by his former bandmates.

Latvala was a member of CHILDREN OF BODOM for more than a decade before being dismissed from the group in May 2015. His exit came just as the band was preparing to enter the studio to begin recording "I Worship Chaos".

Roope told Finland's YLE that he was "bitter" at his former bandmates because he was "fired without an explanation." The guitarist added that he felt that "CHILDREN OF BODOM's success had gone to" frontman Alexi Laiho's head and that Alexi started to "look down on" him for reasons that weren't quite clear to him.

Pressed by The Salt Lake Tribune for a response to Roope's remarks, Henkka said: "Well, it was pretty clear, the whole thing, when we made the announcement when we split up. There was really nothing unclear. I don't know where this now came from. It was really kind of, like, sad — a sad thing to see it. I'd rather not talk about it. There's nothing to comment about it, and I'd rather leave it like it is now."

CHILDREN OF BODOM has embarked on a U.S. tour during which it is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of the band's debut album, "Something Wild". The 24-date trek kicked off on October 31 in Dallas, Texas and included an appearance at this year's Ozzfest Meets Knotfest. The tour will conclude in Montreal on December 1. Joining the band are Dutch masters of horror CARACH ANGREN, Finnish thrashers LOST SOCIETY and New Jersey progressive, technical death metallers UNCURED.

Finnish symphonic metallers AMBERIAN DAWN have released the official lyric video for the song "Dragonflies". The track is taken from the band's eighth album, "Darkness Of Eternity", which is being released today (Friday, November 10) via Napalm Records.

"Darkness Of Eternity" track listing:

01. I'm The One02. Sky Is Falling03. Dragonflies04. Maybe05. Golden Coins06. Luna My Darling07. Abyss08. Ghostwoman09. Breathe Again10. Symphony Nr. 1, Part 2 - Darkness Of Eternity11. Anyone (bonus track)

AMBERIAN DAWN keyboardist and mastermind Tuomas Seppälä comments: "'Darkness Of Eternity' is one of the most emotional AMBERIAN DAWN albums so far. It's got some really bombastic songs in mood of dark and symphonic melodic metal and in contrast to that also some really poppy songs too.

"For me, it's really hard to stick in one genre only and I constantly want to compose different kinds of songs!"

Tuomas adds: "The song 'Symphony Nr.1, Part 1 - The Witchcraft' told the story on the last record, 'Innuendo', before the time of 'Magic Forest'. The little girl is a healer and village elders buried her alive in a coffin. The track 'Symphony Nr.1, Part 2 - Darkness Of Eternity' on our upcoming record 'Darkness Of Eternity' tells the story of the girl lying in the coffin trying to get out. Darkness is asking her to dance the waltz of eternity. The story will continue in Part 3 and we will tell you how she became the Magic Forest's evil witch!" Regarding the "Darkness Of Eternity" recording process, Tuomas says: "We did a lot of production at legendary Finnvox Studios in Helsinki, Finland: drum recordings, mixing by Mikko Karmila and mastering by Mika Jussila. We also used a live string section on orchestral parts and that added nice color on the sound.

"It's easy for me to say that this album is without any doubt the best sounding AMBERIAN DAWN album ever! It's a kind of monument for me and it introduces the many sides of me as composer.

"I still feel very lucky that I've got Capri [Päivi Virkkunen] on this band because she's probably the only singer capable singing all of those different styles with superior sound and feeling."

AMBERIAN DAWN released a compilation album of songs that originally appeared on their first four albums — "Circus Black" (2012), "End Of Eden" (2010), "The Clouds Of Northland Thunder" (2009) and "River Of Tuoni" (2008) — to showcase Virkkunen after the departure of Heidi Parviainen. "Re-Evolution" was made available on June 14, 2013 in Finland, distributed by Suomen Musiikki.

AMBERIAN DAWN is:

Tuomas Seppälä – Keyboards, GuitarPäivi "Capri" Virkkunen - VocalsEmil Pohjalainen - GuitarJukka Hoffren - BassJoonas Pykälä-aho - Drums

THUNDER's music video for the brand new song "Christmas Day" can be seen below.

The band will release the track to bookend a very successful phase in its career, which culminated with two studio albums in a row entering the U.K. Top 10 chart. The most recent, "Rip it Up", charted at No. 3, while their recent live concert film, "All You Can Eat", charted at No. 1 and their touring included a U.K. arena tour and numerous concerts across the world. "Christmas Day" is more of a timeless ballad than it is a traditional festive carol and the song reveals the band in a new light. The heartfelt, melancholic track features a stunning and evocative arrangement from guitarist Luke Morley to accompany the unique voice of singer Danny Bowes.

The single is released in highly collectible formats with exclusive additional songs released digitally for the first time. They include a new version of THUNDER classic "Love Walked In", which appears in a new re-recorded and mostly acoustic arrangement; the classic "Low Life In High Places", featuring similar treatment, as does the more recent song "Heartbreak Hurricane". "Christmas Day" will be released digitally on December 1 via earMUSIC.

The official THUNDER store also offers a wide variety of exclusive, limited fan items and bundles, including a seven-inch single, two-track vinyl as well as a colored ten-inch, four-track vinyl.

"Christmas Day" track listing:

01. Christmas Day02. Love Walked In (2017 Version)03. Low Life In High Places (Acoustic)04. Heartbreak Hurricane (Acoustic)05. Christmas Day (Live at RAK) (Bonus Track)

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY will release its new album, "No Cross No Crown", on January 12 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. It will be made available on CD, digital, vinyl, and cassette formats.

In 2014, after nearly a straight decade traversing the globe as a guitarist with New Orleans supergroup DOWN, Pepper Keenan reconnected with the core CORROSION OF CONFORMITY trio of Woody Weatherman, Mike Dean and Reed Mullin to hit the road hard. "Reed called me and mentioned maybe playing a couple shows," Keenan recalls. "I said, 'Let's just go to Europe and see if it works.' So we went to Europe and then ended up going back four times in one year... We toured for a year and then started tracking about ten or eleven months ago." Recording in North Carolina with longtime producer John Custer, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY cut "No Cross No Crown" in about forty days over the course of a year. "We took our time and didn't put any pressure on ourselves," Keenan says. "I'd go up from New Orleans and we'd do four or five days at a time, just hacking away at it. It was fun because we did it like a demo, but in a studio. We were writing and putting it on tape at the same time. We took what parts we thought were great from the old days and weren't scared to go backwards. It kinda wrote itself that way." Some of these new jams sound like could've easily been on "Wiseblood" or "Deliverance", two of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's most revered records. On "No Cross No Crown", beefy Southern stompers like "The Luddite", "Little Man" and "Forgive Me" are interspersed with melancholy guitar interludes like "No Cross", "Matre's Diem" and "Sacred Isolation" — just like SABBATH used to do in the '70s. "We started doing that on 'Deliverance'," Keenan points out. "My theory on that is that if you're trying to make a record flow, you need to break it up a little. When you need a breather, write an interlude. I like writing those mellow pieces just to space things out and make the next thing come in heavier." The album's iconic title comes from a recent tour stop in England. "We were playing this old church from like the 1500s that had been turned into a performing arts center," Keenan recalls. "The dressing room had stained glass windows and one of them showed this poor fella being persecuted. Underneath it said, 'no cross no crown.' So I just took that idea. We're not trying to be on a soapbox, but we used it as a catalyst to write songs around." Which is to say that "No Cross No Crown" has a lot less to do with politics or religion than its title implies. "I think everyone needs to get away from that mindset in general," Keenan offers. "It just seems to be a mess out there nowadays. We need to get back to being humans and taking care of each other and simple things like that. For us, the terminology 'no cross no crown' is a theme. It's mentioned in like three songs throughout the album. We just weaved it through as we went." "No Cross No Crown" stands as irrefutable proof of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's ability to overcome. "CORROSION OF CONFORMITY and the prior records I've done with them didn't just go away," Keenan observes. "It's an honor to be back out there and have an opportunity to do it again in a real way and not some washed-up reunion thing. Even before we wrote the record, we were out there for a year seeing there was a demand for it and that there was a void that we could fill. That's been CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's deal from day one. We're not chasing anybody around. We're not gonna worry about what the new trends are. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY is CORROSION OF CONFORMITY." "No Cross No Crown" track listing:

01. Novus Deus02. The Luddite03. Cast The First Stone04. No Cross05. Wolf Named Crow06. Little Man07. Matre's Diem08. Forgive Me09. Nothing Left To Say10. Sacred Isolation11. Old Disaster12. E.L.M.13. No Cross No Crown14. A Quest To Believe (A Call To The Void)15. Son And Daughter

The song "Cast The First Stone" can be streamed below. In advance of the release of "No Cross No Crown", CORROSION OF CONFORMITY will join BLACK LABEL SOCIETY for a mammoth North American live takeover. The tour begins December 27 in Denver, Colorado and will wind its way through nearly four dozen cities, the journey coming to a close February 27, 2018. Additional support will be provided by EYEHATEGOD and RED FANG on select shows.

GUNS N' ROSES has announced the summer 2018 European leg of the "Not in This Lifetime" tour, including headlining appearances at several festivals.

The trek will kick off June 3 in Berlin, Germany, conclude on July 21 in Gothenburg, Sweden. The dates will include an appearance at the U.K.'s Download festival on June 9 and a June 21 headlining slot at Belgium's Graspop Metal Meeting.

"It's great to have this iconic line up of GUNS N' ROSES headlining at Download," promoter Andy Copping said in a statement. "I am sure I am not alone when I say I have been wanting this to happen for years. It will be an incredible show and will be one of the highlights of the Download weekend."

GUNS N' ROSES summer 2018 tour dates:

Jun. 03 - Berlin, Germany - OlympiastadionJun. 06 - Odense, Denmark - DyreskuepladsenJun. 09 - Donnington, UK - DownloadJun. 12 - Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Veltins ArenaJun. 15 - Firenze, Italy - Firenze RocksJun. 18 - Paris, France - DownloadJun. 21 - Dessel, Belgium - Graspop Metal MeetingJun. 24 - Mannheim, Germany - MaimarktgeländeJun. 26 - Bordeaux, France - Matmut StadiumJun. 29 - Madrid, Spain - DownloadJul. 01 - Barcelona, Spain - Estadio OlympicoJul. 04 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - GoffertparkJul. 07 - Leipzig, Germany - FestwieseJul. 09 - Chorzow, Poland - Stadion SlaskiJul. 13 - Moscow, Russia - Otkritie ArenaJul. 16 - Tallinn, Estonia - Tallinn Song Festival GroundJul. 19 - Oslo, Norway - Valle HovinJul. 21 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Ullevi Stadium

Pollstar reported earlier in the year that "Not In This Lifetime" tour was the most popular and highest-grossing global tour of 2017.

About seventy people travel with the show in addition to the truck drivers; that number goes upwards of five hundred, including the local workers, by show date once catering, security, etc. are factored in, according to the tour's production manager, Dale "Opie" Skjerseth.

GUNS kicked off its long-rumored and long-awaited reunion tour in April 2016 with a club show in Hollywood and appearances in Las Vegas and at California's Coachella festival.

The "Not In This Lifetime" tour features classic lineup members Slash (guitar), Duff McKagan (bass) and Axl Rose (vocals) backed by guitarist Richard Fortus, drummer Fank Ferrer, keyboardist Dizzy Reed and new second keyboardist Melissa Reese.

Chester Bennington's widow has shared a touching video the late LINKIN PARK singer sent to her several weeks before he took his own life.

In the 45-second clip, which Talinda Bennington posted to her Twitter account, Chester can be seen gushing about his wife, telling her: "I just wanted to tell you how much I love you and how much I miss you. And I just think that you're the most amazing woman in the whole world. You're such a great mom, and you're the best wife. And I'm so glad that you and I can always find a way to keep the magic alive and keep our love strong and be there for each other no matter what. And I just want you to know how much I appreciate you, and how great you are, and I miss you. I love you. Bye."

Talinda uploaded the video earlier today (Thursday, November 9), writing in an accompanying message: "My one true love. I miss these msgs from my @ChesterBe.This was 2 months before he died. #fuckdepression #makechesterproud"

Bennington died on July 20 after committing suicide at the age of 41. He had been open with the press and public about his struggles with depression, drugs and alcohol, which landed him in rehab twice around 2006.

Using the hashtags #FuckDepression and #MakeChesterProud, Talinda is growing an online community that is there to support people with depression, and people who have been impacted by a loved one's depression or suicide.

Chester and Talinda had three children together, Tyler Lee, 11, and Lila and Lilly, both of whom are 6.

LINKIN PARK paid tribute to Bennington on October 27 with an emotional three-hour show that featured numerous guests joining the band onstage at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

Among the artists who performed with the band throughout the show were BUSH's Gavin Rossdale, Jonathan Davis of KORN, Alanis Morissette, the instrumental members of NO DOUBT, Oli Sykes of BRING ME THE HORIZON, BLINK-182, M. Shadows and Synyster Gates of AVENGED SEVENFOLD and many more.

LINKIN PARK has yet to announce whether the band intends to continue without Bennington.